US Champs: Gay 9.98 heat

Members Area In the News
1

By Gene Cherry
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, June 21 Reuters - Tyson Gay overcame a slow start and aching back to run 9.98 seconds in the 100m heats at the US track and field championships today.
The 24-year-old, who has run a wind-assisted 9.76 seconds this season, got off the blocks slowly.
But he still believed he could break Asafa Powell’s world record of 9.77 seconds in Friday’s final.
Because of the false start I wanted to play it safe so my reaction wasn't that good,'' said Gay. I got a slow start.
I felt a little sluggish in the middle of my race because I didn't warm up properly, but beside that I feel confident.'' Gay added that he was troubled by a bothersome back. After I came out of my drive phase I didn’t execute too good because my lower back was feeling kind of funny. I think it needs to be adjusted, but I’ll fix all that tomorrow.’’
Walter Dix, who is expected to be Gay’s chief rival, clocked 10.08 seconds to win his heat.
The collegiate 100m and 200m champion said the meeting, which serves as the American trials for August’s world championships, would be his last of the year.
He will not run the worlds even if he made the team, he said. I'm going to shut it down,'' Dix said. That could come as early as Friday's semi-finals. [b]If I get the (college) record (9.92 seconds) next round I’m going to stop,’’ said Dix, who earlier this year broke the collegiate 200 record with 19.69. [/b]

Two-time Olympian Breaux Greer broke the US record in the men’s javelin with a throw of 91.29m.

The mark, the best in the world this year, earned Greer his eighth consecutive national title.
He set the previous record of 90.71m last month.
``I don’t know if an Olympic gold or world record would satisfy me, but I want to find out,’’ said Greer.
Former London Marathon winner Deena Kastor won the women’s 10,000m in a time of 31:57.00, followed by world qualifiers Kara Goucher and Katie McGregor.
Somalian-born Abdi Abdirahman took the men’s 10,000m in a slow 28:13.51. He will be joined on the U.S. world championship team by Galen Rupp and Dathan Ritzenhein.
The championships continue through Sunday with the top three finishers qualifying for the world championships provided they have met the standards.

2

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, June 21, 2007 (AFP) - Principal results here on Thursday, the first day of the 2007 US athletics championships:

Men
100m 1st round
Heat 1 (wind +1.5m/sec) 1. Walter Dix 10.08sec
Heat 2 (+1.9): 1. Tyson Gay 9.98
Heat 3 (+0.9): 1. Leonard Scott 10.15
Did not start: Wallace Spearmon

Javelin final: 1. Breaux Greer 91.29m, 2. Mike Hazle 75.06, 3. Justin St Clair 74.71
10,000m final: 1. Abdi Abdirahman 28:13.51, 2. Galen Rupp 28:23.31, 3. Dathan Ritzenhein 28:31.88

Women
100m 1st rd
Heat 1 (+2.6): 1. Me’Lisa Barber 10.95, 2. Lauryn Williams 11.02
Heat 2 (+1.5): 1. Brianna Glenn 11.10, 2. Allyson Felix 11.13
Heat 4 (+0.6): 1. Torri Edwards 11.01

Triple jump final 1. Shani Marks 14.08m, 2. Yvette Lewis 13.59, 3. Erica McLain 13.57
10,000m final: 1. Deena Kastor 31:57.00, 2. Kara Goucher 32:33.80, 3. Katie McGregor 32:44.69

3

Greer again – 91.29 in the Javelin as U.S. Championships begin
Friday 22 June 2007

Indianapolis, USA - Breaux Greer unleashed the longest throw ever seen in the United States with the new javelin to become the first member of the U.S. team for the IAAF World Championships in Osaka on Thursday (21).

After an opening throw of 82.51 that got the crowd’s attention, Greer sent his second throw high and far, and it landed at 91.29m, bettering his month-old American and Area record of 90.71 he achieved at the adidas Track Classic on 20 May. He didn’t take his last four throws, not surprisingly, since no other thrower was within 15 metres.

Deena Kastor en route to her sixth US 10,000m title in Indianapolis
(Getty Images)

“I didn’t hit it hard but I hit it clean,” said Greer, who has had his share of injuries throughout his career and entered this competition with a sore groin. “I think the biggest thing is staying healthy. If you are healthy it’s going to be fun and it’s going to be easy. If you’re healthy everything is fun.”

This was the fourth national record Greer, and he suggested that he may be capable of more.

“I know there is still more there. I don’t think I’ll ever be satisified. I don’t know if an Olympic gold or World record would satisfy me, but I want to find out.”

9.98 for Tyson Gay at the USATF prelims in Indianapolis
(Getty Images)

The men’s Javelin Throw was one of four finals on Thursday’s program. In the other three:

  • Abdi Abdirahman won the men’s 10,000 metres in 28:13.51, with Galen Rupp and Dathan Ritzenhhein also making the U.S. team for Osaka. All three have attained the 27:49 ‘A’ standard for the Worlds. “I’m not ready to hand (the national title) over yet,” said Abdirahman, who also won the title in 2001 and 2005.

  • Deena Kastor won the women’s 10,000 easily in 31:57.00, with Kara Goucher second and Katie McGregor third. Oddly, although Goucher and McGregor have reached the Osaka ‘A’ standard of 31:40, Kastor hasn’t, because she has spent most of her time running road races. But she says she intends to run in the Osaka 10,000, and will undoubtedly manage to make the A standard before August 13.

Third US 10,000m title for Abdi Abdirahman
(Getty Images)

  • Shani Marks won the women’s Triple Jump with a jump of 14.08m (+0.3), making her the only American women to achieve even the B standard for Osaka.

Gay’s 9.98 tops impressive first round sprinting

There was some fast sprinting in the early rounds. In the men’s 100 metres, Tyson Gay had the fastest time, 9.98 (+1.5), followed by wind-legal marks by Trindon Holliday (10.03), Mark Jelks (10.04), Mickey Grimes (10.06) and Leroy Dixon (10.07). Wallace Spearmon scratched from the event, and 2003 champion Bernard Williams was disqualified for a false start.

“That’s what I was looking for,” said Gay, who has 9.79 and 9.76 wind-aided performances to his credit this season. “It’s prelims, but I felt real good. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. My body’s a little bit out of place coming out of my drive phase, but I felt a little sluggish. Besides that I’m ready to go.”

Me’Lisa Barber’s wind-aided 10.95 (+2.6) was the fastest women’s 100, but the most impressive was an 11.01 (+0.6) by Torri Edwards.

2005 World champion Bershawn Jackson surprised by withdrawing from the 400m Hurdles (in which he is automatically qualified) and running in the 400 flat race. He qualified handily in 45.77, but the rest of the way won’t be easy: the slowest of the 16 qualifiers for the semifinals ran 46.02.

In the juniors competition, Rynell Parson, a 16-year-old San Antonio (Texas) high school student, set a World Youth best for 100 metres. His wind-legal time of 10.23 bettered the former mark of 10.24, set by Darrell Brown of Trinidad in 2001.

James Dunaway for the IAAF

4

What’s with Gay’s aching back? I guess that’s one of the negatives from being coached from jail. No one to watch over you for this type of stuff.

5

“Didn’t warm up properly… can get WR, etc.” Too much distraction and no-one around to get ridof the press around him. He needs to be careful and just go for the win and get out of there in one piece.