Track Stunner: Gay Out of 100 Final
American Tyson Gay struggled to finish fifth in his 100-meter semifinal heat Saturday, failing to advance to the night's highly anticipated final.
Gay, the reigning world champion, could not muster the late speed he is known for, finishing in 10.05 seconds. Only the top four in each of the two heats qualified.
"I'm pretty upset," Gay said. "When I get back to the Village, it's probably really going to set in. My family is here, everyone at home is supporting me, and I feel I let them down a little bit."
Gay's collapse came moments after Usain Bolt, the world record holder, ran the fastest time ever in an Olympic semifinal, winning the first heat in 9.85 seconds even while slowing up at the end. Former world-record holder Asafa Powell won the second heat in 9.91 seconds.
The final had been expected to offer a classic and historic matchup between the three fastest runners in history. Bolt holds the world record of 9.72 seconds. Powell has run 9.74 seconds and Gay clocked 9.77 at the U.S. Olympic trials in July.
Gay had been trying to come back after sustaining a slightly strained left hamstring six weeks ago during the first round of the 200 meters at the Olympic trials. The injury had already deprived Gay of a chance to compete in the 200 here. He is also the world champion in that event.
"Three weeks, four weeks off because of the injury after running 9.7, 9.6," Gay said. "It was just a back and forth battle, reversing the negativity in my mind. It was very difficult. ."
Gay said after the race that he did not feel any pain or problems with the hamstring. He speculated that he simply was not in race shape. Prior to Friday's opening round, Gay had not competed since suffering his injury July 5, skipping several races in Europe.
"I may have needed more races, but I don't want to make any excuses," Gay said. "I wasn't too overwhelmed with the Olympics. It's just one of those things. Maybe I could have used more traininng or more races."
Gay, who ran out of Lane 9, said he did not realize he was behind until late in the race. He said he got out fast but tightened up late. After the race, he stared at the scoreboard awaiting his marks.
"I couldn't see nobody," he said. "Toward the end, I could see everybody, and I was like, 'Dang.'"
Gay said he still hopes to be selected to compete in the 4x100 relay. Richard Thompson of Trinidad (9.93); Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles (9.94); American Walter Dix (9.95); Trinidad's Mark Burns (9.97); Michael Frater of Jamaica (10.01) and American Darvis Patton (10.03) advanced to the final.
By
Amy Shipley
|
August 16, 2008; 8:14 AM ET
| Category:
Track and Field
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Posted by: Stanislaw Lem | August 16, 2008 10:02 AM
Big FSU fan here. Cheer for Walter please!
Posted by: bob II | August 16, 2008 10:29 AM
This is an embarrassment for Gay and the US Track and Field team. We are getting dominated by Jamaica in the glamor events in both mens and womens competition that just shouldn't happen!
Posted by: jansjay | August 16, 2008 10:36 AM
i'm not a fan of his but i doubt that had he been healthy he would be able to compete with some of these speedsters.the african nations are loaded with talented individuals.to me gay is more of a whiner than a winner.
Posted by: ron | August 16, 2008 10:36 AM
You guys ridiculing Gay are an embarassment. Tyson Gay is a world class champion and person! He was simply not race ready and you could tell by the first round.
Gay probably wouldn't have beaten 9.69 anyways on his best day but he's the nicest guy out there and coming in 2nd to Bolt would still be an honor seeing as Bolt is going to go down as the greatest sprinter of all time.
Posted by: dan | August 16, 2008 11:08 AM
TO THE COMMENT ABOUT GAY BEING A WHINER, THAT IS SO INCORRECT. AND IF UR NOT A FAN OF TYSON THEN WHO. i CAN TELL IM DEALING WITH A PERSON WHO KNOWS LITTLE ABOUT TRACK AND FIELD. tySON GAY IS ONE OF THE MOST HUMBLE DUDES AROUND. iF HE DIDN'T HURT HIS HAMSTRING HE WOULD HAVE GAVE USAIN BOLT SOME REAL COMPETITION. COME ON FROM BEING A WORLD CHAMPION TO NOT MAKING THE FINAL, YOU HAVE TO BE STUPID TO NOT RECOGNIZE HE WAS CLEARLY NOT IN RACE SHAPE. WATCH TRACK MORE BEFORE YOU MAKE COMMENTS LIKE THAT. IT WAS AN EMBARASSMENT FOR GAY, BUT ONE SHOULD HAVE UNDERSTANDING FOR HIS INJURY HAMSTRINGS CANNOT BE MAGICALLY HEALED IN ONE MONTH EVEN WITH A GREAT DOCTOR. BUT I UNDERDSTAND THAT IM NOT DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE EVEN PARTICIPATED IN ATHLETICS IN THEIR LIVES. OH AND WE HAD TWO US RUNNERS IN THE FINALS WAY TO SUPPORT THEM GOOFIES, DO ME A FAVOR AND STAY OFF PAGES LIKE THIS IF YOU HAVE NOTHING NEGATIVE TO SAY.
Posted by: j-rope | August 16, 2008 11:14 AM
*POSITIVE TO SAY.
*
Posted by: j-rope | August 16, 2008 11:16 AM
Hopefully he will be back healthier in 2012 London Olympics.
Posted by: Matrixman | August 16, 2008 11:27 AM
What, another American lost? Who cheated this time?
Posted by: tom | August 16, 2008 1:00 PM
tyson is a very fast runner
Posted by: beth | August 16, 2008 2:01 PM
My favorite team is the united states of america
Posted by: beth | August 16, 2008 2:02 PM
I guess it shows USA cannot dominate everything. Fantastic job Bolt you did bolt!!!!!!!
Posted by: Proud Caribbean National | August 16, 2008 3:02 PM
Gay is a great runner and a great person. He gives everything to the sport and expects nothing from the fans...he graciously gives autographs to ALL who seek one. He works very hard and should not be embarased for giving his best! Does anyone know the Olympic Creed??
Posted by: Andy | August 16, 2008 3:34 PM
The Olympic Creed
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well."
Posted by: Andy | August 16, 2008 3:41 PM
It's unfortunate that Gay could not reach the finals. I bet he now feel better coz he probably would not have caught up with "lightning Bolt."
Posted by: gal | August 16, 2008 3:44 PM
Westindies!!!!!! what!?
Posted by: Anonymous | August 16, 2008 4:52 PM
the people who are saying these horrible things about him need to be quite ok tyson is one of the best runner in the world thats y he went to the olympics his leg was tightening up at the end of his race this is not the end for him i know we will be seeing again soon he will be number one and when the 2012 olympics come around he's gona b ready to show the world y he's number one
Posted by: keana | August 16, 2008 9:27 PM
I just watched the race... Bolt was show boating prior to passing the finish line, granted, he broke the world record. Tyson is a phenomenal athlete, and a real class act. Can't say that for the world record holder. It was clear in the first semifinal that Tyson was not 100%. How anyone can say that he is an embarrassment is ignorant as to what it takes to be a competitive athlete at any level. While I do not know him personally,I am proud share a home town and High School Alma Matter with a first class athlete such as Tyson Gay. Go USA!
Posted by: Whit | August 17, 2008 12:01 AM
tyson is a world class runner and he will always be!!!i think if he expect to run the meeting at the end of the month he will beat powell!!go tyson you're the best
Posted by: jonathan | August 17, 2008 12:56 AM
this is so gay
Posted by: damn | August 18, 2008 7:06 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
It's because he's GAY, isn't it? I can't believe that homophobia persists in this day and age.