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OSAKA, Japan - In the hazy, still air of Nagai stadium, Tyson Gay
delivered on a season in which he has dominated the men's 100 meters,
winning the event in impressive fashion Sunday night at the 2007 IAAF
World Championships in Athletics.
Gay entered the meet owning the fastest time in the world in 2007, with
his 9.84 from the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships, but world record
holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica had looked in top form during the rounds.
Gay, by contrast, had had somewhat sluggish starts through the rounds as
he competed on the World stage for the first time.
Although Sunday's final was close from the gun, the outcome was never
truly in doubt. With Powell in lane 4 and Gay in 5, the American had a
very solid start, with the third-fastest reaction time of the field, and
was virtually even with Powell. But it is the second half of Gay's 100m
that is most impressive, and when he moved ahead at 60 meters, the race
was as good as over.
Gay won convincingly in 9.85 seconds (-0.5 mps wind), while Derrick
Atkins of the Bahamas, running off Gay's shoulder in lane 6, overtook
Powell to finish second in a national-record time of 9.91 seconds.
Powell was third in 9.96, in a race that featured eight athletes from
eight different countries.
In Sunday's only other final with an American. athlete, Diana Pickler
(Pullman, Wash.) placed 25th in the heptathlon with 5838 points, posting
marks of 6.01m/19-8.5 in the long jump (853 points), 39.62m/130-0 in the
javelin (660) and 2:20.63 (815) in the 800. GiGi Johnson jumped
6.21m/20-4.5 in the long jump but hyperextended her left knee in the
process and withdrew from the competition. Hyleas Fountain (Kettering,
Ohio) had no mark in the long jump and withdrew with a right hamstring
injury.
Hurdlers, sprinters move on
A trio of Americans will run in Tuesday's final of the men's 400m
hurdles. 2005 World Outdoor silver medalist James Carter (Raleigh, N.C.)
and Derrick Williams moved out of the first semifinal heat Sunday by
placing second (48.30) and fourth (48.44), respectively. Carter
qualified automatically while Williams made it on time, by just .01 over
national hero Kenji Narisako of Japan, the 2005 bronze medalist in the
event.
Leading the second semifinal, defending world champion Bershawn Jackson
(Raleigh, N.C.) crashed the final hurdle with his lead leg and fell to
third in 48.95, short of qualifying, but two-time USA champion Kerron
Clement won the third and final semi in 48.60 to make the final.
Team USA's quartet of women's 100m runners moved into Monday's
semifinal, with the final slated as the last event Monday night. In
Sunday night's second round, 2003 world chmp Torri Edwards (Corona
Calif.) easily won Heat 1 in 11.13, while Carmelita Jeter (Long Beach,
Calif.) overcame a horrible start to place third in Heat 2 in 11.17.
Mechelle Lewis (Raleigh, N.C.) was third in Heat 3 in 11.17 to move on,
and defending gold medalist Lauryn Williams (Miami, Fla.) placed second
in Heat 4 in 11.16.
American record holder Jenn Stuczynski easily made Tuesday's women's
pole vault final by clearing the automatic qualifying height of
4.55m/14-11 on her first attempt. Jillian Schwartz cleared a season's
best 4.45m/14-7.25 and Niki McEwen (Medford, Ore.) cleared
4.35m/14-3.25, but neither woman qualified.
Hazel Clark (Knoxville, Tenn.) was eighth in her semifinal of the
women's 800m in 2:02.92 and did not advance.
Team USA Medal Table
Gold (2)
Tyson Gay (Fayetteville, Ark.), M100m, 9.85
Reese Hoffa (Athens, Ga.), MSP, 22.04m/72-3.75
Silver (1)
Adam Nelson (Charlottesville, Va.), MSP, 21.61m/70-10.75
Bronze (1)
Kara Goucher (Portland, Ore), W10,000m, 32:02.05
For complete results, quotes and Team USA reports, visit USATF.org.
Fans can watch Team USA on national television broadcasts on NBC and Versus, or online via live, daily Webcast at www.wcsn.com. For complete TV listings, visit USATF.org.
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