Tyson Gay Goes Down in 200-Meters

Posted July 5th, 2008 at 6:00 PM by Jay Hicks

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Image details: U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials - Day Seven served by picapp.com

It was a painful sight to watch Tyson Gay fall to the track in pain at the 60-meters during the quarter-final heat. The incident is now reported as a severe cramp to the right hamstring. Gay’s spokesperson said that the reigning World Champion at 100 and 200 meters started to feel something in his hamstring at 40 meters and that he was very disappointed by the turn of events.

Gay will not be able to make the U.S. Olympic team for Beijing. Afterwards, Olympian Dan O’Brien said “Running at the Trials is hard but it is especially hard on the athletes that are doubling.Guys who run faster generally take a little more time to recover. If it is a cramp, he [Gay]should be back running in three days.”

There were no surprises in the women’s 200 meters. Allyson Felix (22.22) qualified in the fastest time of the day, followed by Muna Lee (22.33), Bianca Knight(22.53), and Marshevet Hooker (22.55).

Without Tyson Gay, the men’s 200 meter is now an open race for any of the talented pool of U.S. sprinters to win. The Olympic Trials format that calls for the 200 to be run twice on the same day made for a grueling day of sprinting.“This is hard work, said John Capel.”

The net affect of Gay going down is that runners were more conservative in the following rounds. “I got nervous and decided to take it easy after seeing Gay go down,” said Wallace Spearmon.

Rodney Martin (20.04) barely edged out Wallace Spearmon (20.05) and Walter Dix (20.09) in winning the first heat. The 2004 Olympic champion Shawn Crawford easily won the second heat in 20.21, in front of Xavier Carter (20.55).

Afterwards Dix said “I expended a little bit more energy than I wanted to, but so did the other runners on the track.”
“My goal was to get out and run the turn hard. I’m having fun, this is my playground,” said Wallace Spearmon.

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