Injury to hip ends Gay's worlds dream
Source: Agencies |
June 26, 2011, Sunday
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TYSON Gay's dream of a world championship re-match with world record holder Usain Bolt in the 100 meters ended on Friday when the American pulled out of the semifinals of the United States trials in Eugene, Oregon, with a hip injury.
"Today, I just couldn't get it to go no matter how hard I tried," the world's second fastest man said on his Facebook page.
"My only focus now is to get healthy," a disappointed Gay said.
His manager Mark Wetmore said the American record holder was forced to withdraw from the 100 after he was unable to warm up due to a hip and adductor problem on his right side.
Wetmore said that Gay would not take part in the 200-meter trials.
The injury cost the upcoming world championship organizers its headline matchup - a showdown between Gay and Bolt - and robbed the American team of its only sprinter within striking distance of the Jamaican.
"It is a big blow," said Walter Dix, who won the 100 race on Friday. "Tyson at his best is one of the top runners in the world.
"For us to not have him means we are just going to have to step up."
Gay could be part 006Ff the US world 4x100 relay team if he recovers in time, USA Track and Field officials said.
"But he has to be able to show fitness and be able to run," USATF chief Stephanie Hightower said.
Former world record holder and Jamaican 100-meter trials winner Asafa Powell said he hoped that happened. "I hope he can come back for even the relays at the world championships," Powell told reporters after his victory in Kingston.
Hightower told Reuters she hoped Gay would quickly rebound from the injury. But she added that USATF's emphasis also needed to be preparing the best team possible for the world championships in Daegu, South Korea, in August.
Only the top three finishers in each event at the US trials qualify for the world championships.
World champion in the 100 and 200 in 2007, Gay missed a 100-meter clash with Bolt at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after not qualifying for the final, having failed to fully recover from a different injury in the US 200 meters trials.
The two finally met in the 2009 world championships with Bolt winning in a world-record 9.58 seconds. Gay took second. They raced again in Stockholm last year with Gay taking a surprise victory.
At the 100 trials, Olympic bronze medalist Dix pipped Justin Gatlin by a hundredth of a second.
Gatlin, on the comeback trail after serving a four-year doping ban, was reeled in over the closing meters by the lower-profile Dix who recorded a time of 9.94 seconds.
An emotional Gatlin, banned from 2006-2010 because of a doping offense, cried tears of joy after crossing the line. "For the last four years I have had so much pent-up frustration, sadness, so much emotion, anger, (that) before the finish line I let it all out," said the 29-year-old, a former Olympic and world champion. "I thought I won."
Mike Rodgers clocked 9.99 seconds to complete the US 100 trio for the world championships.
"Today, I just couldn't get it to go no matter how hard I tried," the world's second fastest man said on his Facebook page.
"My only focus now is to get healthy," a disappointed Gay said.
His manager Mark Wetmore said the American record holder was forced to withdraw from the 100 after he was unable to warm up due to a hip and adductor problem on his right side.
Wetmore said that Gay would not take part in the 200-meter trials.
The injury cost the upcoming world championship organizers its headline matchup - a showdown between Gay and Bolt - and robbed the American team of its only sprinter within striking distance of the Jamaican.
"It is a big blow," said Walter Dix, who won the 100 race on Friday. "Tyson at his best is one of the top runners in the world.
"For us to not have him means we are just going to have to step up."
Gay could be part 006Ff the US world 4x100 relay team if he recovers in time, USA Track and Field officials said.
"But he has to be able to show fitness and be able to run," USATF chief Stephanie Hightower said.
Former world record holder and Jamaican 100-meter trials winner Asafa Powell said he hoped that happened. "I hope he can come back for even the relays at the world championships," Powell told reporters after his victory in Kingston.
Hightower told Reuters she hoped Gay would quickly rebound from the injury. But she added that USATF's emphasis also needed to be preparing the best team possible for the world championships in Daegu, South Korea, in August.
Only the top three finishers in each event at the US trials qualify for the world championships.
World champion in the 100 and 200 in 2007, Gay missed a 100-meter clash with Bolt at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after not qualifying for the final, having failed to fully recover from a different injury in the US 200 meters trials.
The two finally met in the 2009 world championships with Bolt winning in a world-record 9.58 seconds. Gay took second. They raced again in Stockholm last year with Gay taking a surprise victory.
At the 100 trials, Olympic bronze medalist Dix pipped Justin Gatlin by a hundredth of a second.
Gatlin, on the comeback trail after serving a four-year doping ban, was reeled in over the closing meters by the lower-profile Dix who recorded a time of 9.94 seconds.
An emotional Gatlin, banned from 2006-2010 because of a doping offense, cried tears of joy after crossing the line. "For the last four years I have had so much pent-up frustration, sadness, so much emotion, anger, (that) before the finish line I let it all out," said the 29-year-old, a former Olympic and world champion. "I thought I won."
Mike Rodgers clocked 9.99 seconds to complete the US 100 trio for the world championships.
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