http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?duid=USATF_2009_05_30_17_27_40
NEW YORK CITY - Tyson Gay announced to the world that he is back, running the third-fastest 200 meters of all time and annihilating a world-class field Saturday at the 2009 Reebok Grand Prix at Icahn Stadium.
If his performance did nothing else, it reminded observers that there is more than one name in the world of men's sprinting. And that in 2007, the top name in men's sprinting was Tyson Gay.
In his first race on American soil since his devastating injury in the 2008 Olympic Trials 200m, the 2007 World Outdoor 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay gold medalist was ready. When the gun went off, so did he. With a first 100 meters that rivaled world-record pace, Gay dominated the Western Union men's 200, blazing to the finish line in 19.58 seconds. Second place finisher Wallace Spearmon, Gay's former training partner, was four tenths of a second back in 19.98. Xavier Carter was third in 20.27.
The performance in his first 200m of the season surprised even Gay, whose 2009 training has thus far included only strength work, rather than purely sprinting work.
"It made me very, very happy," said Gay, who injured his hamstring at the Olympic Trials and wasn't fully fit at the Olympic Games. "19.5 had been one of the goals I had, but to do that in the first race is very pleasing. I wanted to work on my reaction and my start. Then I just ran. I ran for my life. When I came toward the finish line, I got kind of tight, and I wanted to bring it on in. I tried to push all the way through, just to see where my body is at."
Gay now holds the third and fourth fastest times ever over 200m: Saturday's race and the 19.62 he ran to win the 2007 USA Outdoor Championships. Only USA Track & Field Hall of Famer Michael Johnson (19.32) and triple 2008 Olympic champion Usain Bolt (19.30) have run faster.
In fact, Bolt's world-record performances in Beijing have provided motivation for Gay. "He's probably excited," Gay said when asked what he thought Bolt's reaction to his race might be. "He ran 14.3 for 150 so he is very fit. His 200 (at Beijing) was a shocker, and the way he won the 100 was shocking, but I wasn't shocked that he ran that fast."
The race also proved a return of confidence for the unusually humble and introspective sprinter. "It was difficult," Gay said of returning from Beijing not having met his goals. "The biggest part was getting over eth 4x100 relay. The other part was getting hurt when I was in the best shape of my life. I felt like a let my city down, my family down and my state down." As for Saturday's performance, "This race tells me I'm pretty fit."
For his efforts, Gay was named Team USA Athlete of the Meet, presented by Visa. His performance was one of seven world leaders on the day at the fourth stop of the Outdoor Visa Championship Series
