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Fayetteville, Ark. - Former Razorback Tyson Gay won the gold medal in the
100 meters at the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
The win makes Gay the eighth American winner of the 100 meters
since the World Championships started in Helsinki in 1983.
Gay, winning his first title at a World Championships event, won his heat of
the semifinals with the fastest semifinal time of 10.00 to advance to the
finals later the same day.
Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas won the other semifinal heat with a time of
10.04. Asafa Powell of Jamaica was second behind Atkins with a time of
10.08.
Gay, solidifying his place as the fastest man in the world this year, took
the title in a time of 9.85, nearing his personal and world's season best of
9.84. Atkins was second with a clocking of 9.91 and Powell was third in
9.96.
"Normally, I have 100% confidence in myself, but today I was a
little bit nervous," Gay said. "My mother and (starts coach) Jon Drummond
kept telling me 'Just believe in your top speed.' So I stayed relaxed and
believed in my top speed even though I had a bad start and Asafa (Powell)
was in front of me. After 60 meters I saw that I could catch him - and it
worked! My gold medal feels so good and I am very proud of it."
Gay, along with former Hog Wallace Spearmon, is scheduled to take
the track next in the 200-meter prelims, Tues., Aug. 28.
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