Gay wins 100 at Reebok GP
By DOUG FEINBERG, AP Sports Writer
June 2, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) -- A little gust of wind cost Tyson Gay a world record.
Gay won the men's 100 in 9.76 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix on Saturday night, but the wind was at 2.2 mph, slightly more than the allowable margin of 2.0.
"I had a bad feeling," the American said. "In the blocks I was pretty sure the wind was high. It had calmed down a bit, but not enough."
Asafa Powell of Jamaica holds the world record in the men's 100 at 9.77.
Gay bolted from the blocks and powered past the field with the wind at his back. Two weeks earlier, he ran a 9.79 at the Adidas Track Classic -- which would have tied the American record, but that wind was at 2.5.
"I don't run to chase world records," Gay said. "I'm not frustrated at all, I'm just happy to win the race."
Gay's time was the second fastest ever regardless of the wind. Obadele Thompson ran a 9.69 in April 1996, when the wind was over 5 mph.
Earlier, Veronica Campbell of Jamaica edged out Torri Edwards to take the women's 100 in 10.93.
Soon after Gay's sprint, Alan Webb surprised the field taking the men's 1,500. Webb blew past Bernard Lagat in the final 100 meters to take the victory in 3:52.94.
"With 100 to go, I gave it everything I had and the rest is history," Webb said.
Pole vaulter Jenn Stuczynski, fresh off ending Stacy Dragila's 11-year reign as the American record-holder in the women's pole vault, became the third woman to clear 16 feet.
"It's exciting," Stuczynski said. "I wanted to be the first American to clear 16 feet. With the conditions it was highly unlikely with the winds, but I just kept fighting through it."
She had cleared 15 feet, 10 1/2 inches at the Adidas Track Classic two weeks ago, taking down Dragila's three-year-old mark of 15-10.
Having already clinched the victory Saturday, Stuczynski put the bar at 16-0. She missed her first two attempts before narrowly getting over the bar on her last try.
"My first two jumps were close and I knew I could jump it," she said.
The 25-year-old then put the bar at 16-6, trying to break the world record of 16-5.25 held by Yelena Isinbayeva, but fell short. Svetlana Feofanova is the only other woman to clear 16-0.
Dragila was supposed to compete, but withdrew because her left Achilles' tendon was bothering her. She is still recovering from Achilles' tendon surgery a year ago.
World record-holder Liu Xiang of China won the 110 hurdles, edging Terrence Trammell with a time of 12.92. After two false starts, Liu got out slowly from the blocks and trailed Trammell until the ninth hurdle when he took over.
"I just got to New York and was still a bit jet-lagged," Liu said through a translator. "The first half of the race wasn't very good, but the second half I caught up and am very excited."
Trammell finished second in 12.95.
In front of a raucous pro-Jamaican crowd, Campbell came out slow from the blocks after a first false start, but powered past Edwards with 15 meters to go.
"I stayed positive and waited till the last 15 meters," Campbell said. "I knew I would get there. As far as the worlds I feel good and pray I can stay healthy."
The world championships are at the end of August in Osaka, Japan.
The 25-year-old Campbell, who won the gold medal in the 200 and bronze in the 100 at the 2004 Olympic Games, missed most of last season with a quadriceps injury.
"I'm not setting any time goals," Campbell said. "I just am going to run one race at a time."
Edwards wasn't disappointed with her second place finish.
"I'm happy I'm in the 10s consistently now," said Edwards, who finished in 10.96. "I tied up at the end of the race and got out slow."
She'll run both the 100 and 200 at the nationals at the end of June.
Wallace Spearmon beat Jamaican Usain Bolt in the men's 200, finishing in 19.82. The two were neck and neck for the final 75 meters before Spearmon edged him at the finish. It's the second fastest time in the world this year.
Rachelle Smith won the women's 200 in 22.31. High school phenom Bianca Knight from Mississippi pulled out before the race when she didn't feel well warming up. Knight is the national high school record holder in the event, running a 22.97 indoors, breaking the mark held by current world champion Allyson Felix.
Felix won the women's 400 in 50.53. She came in third earlier in the women's 100 running 11.01.
In other running events: Hazel Clark won the women's 800 in 1:59.07, the fastest time for an American this year; Khadevis Robinson won the 800 for the second straight year in 1:46.38; Canadian Malindi Elmore won the women's 1,500 in 4:07.01; Canadian Tyler Christopher won the men's 400 in 44.93; James Carter took the 400 hurdles in 48.37; Virginia Powell won the 100 hurdles in 12.45; and Ethiopian Tariku Bekele won the 5,000 in 13:04.05 -- the fastest time in the world this year.
Fellow Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba fell short in her attempt to break the women's 5,000 record -- set last year at the meet -- finishing in 14:35.67.
Jarred Rome won the men's discus with a toss of 219-3. Becky Breisch took the women's discus with a toss of 203-3. Giovanni Lanaro of Mexico won the men's pole vault, clearing 18-8.25.
Reebok Grand Prix - New York City, NY (USA)
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Last Updated: 04:16:50 CET 03/06/2007
Official Result - Revised
Men - 100 Metres
Wind: +2.2 m/s
Pos Athlete Nat Mark Pts
1 Gay Tyson USA 9.76 10
2 Atkins Derrick BAH 9.83 8
3 Crawford Shawn USA 9.96 7
4 Thomas Dwight JAM 10.08 6
5 Scott Leonard USA 10.10 5
6 Mullings Steve JAM 10.15 4
7 Blanton DaBryan USA 10.16 3
8 Phillips Dwight USA 10.25 2
9 Kimmons Trell USA 10.25
