Gay gunning for Jamaican duo

Last updated: 7th August 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Gay gunning for Jamaican duo

Gay: Out for 100m gold

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World 100m champion Tyson Gay insists his hamstring injury is fully behind him and he is ready to lock horns with Jamaican flyers Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell in Beijing.

The shortest event on the track is gearing up to be one of the most exciting moments at the Games, with Bolt, Powell and Gay all lining up in a real clash of the titans.

Gay picked up a hamstring injury during the 200m at the US Olympic trials in July and it threatened to hamper his chances of turning world into Olympic gold.

Gay, who turns 26 on Saturday, says he is fully fit for the Games and also mentally refreshed after being locked away in rehab in Munich instead of being involved in the high-profile Olympic build-up.

"My state of mind is pretty relaxed," he said. "It (the injury) was a setback, especially mentally.

"But at the same time, I think it helped me being away from the media for a while; no interviews for three or four weeks.

"It's really kept me relaxed. I haven't had anxiety about the whole Olympics because I've just been in rehab, so I think it's really helped mentally.

"I've had a lot of treatment on it and this is the Olympics, so I'm sure that with all the adrenalin flowing I'm going to be at 100 per cent. I'm going out there to win the gold medal even with all my setbacks."

Gay will be unable to repeat the sprint double he achieved in Osaka at last year's World Championships, as he picked up his injury during the 200m heats at the US trials.

Although admitting it will be disappointing not being able to go for the 200m, Gay still hopes to walk away with two gold medals.

"I was really upset about missing out on the 200 metres. I mean I knew that America has up to five great athletes or more, so I knew someone wasn't going to make it. I just didn't think it was going to be me.

"I was really upset about it, because my goal was to come back with three gold medals. Obviously, I'm going come up short this time, but I hope it will all go well next time."

World 100m record holder Bolt will be trying to become the first sprint double champion since Carl Lewis in 1984, and he has a live chance with the times he has been clocking.

"Usain Bolt has done something no one's ever done and that's run the 100 metre dash that fast," Gay added.

"He's set the world on fire with the 9.72, the 9.76 and the 9.8 sec. He's on fire right now. And a 19.6 just to top it all off (in the 200), it shows that he's an all around athlete.

"That's what I respect about him. What he's done so far has been phenomenal."

Bolt's team-mate Powell is a previous world record holder, while Gay himself clocked the fastest time ever run with his 9.86, albeit a wind assisted effort which did not count as a world record.

Gay will not rule out Powell taking gold, as he likes to play the underdog and has not done well in the past when being favourite.

"Asafa should be the favourite with the most 9.7sec. But he's been the dark horse and I think that's how he likes it. He doesn't have any pressure on him.

"The whole of his country is looking to Usain to bring home the gold medal and it only makes sense. But he's still a tough competitor and I know he's going to do great things.

"I've been racing Bolt since 2005 in the 200m. They've been some of my best races against him down in Jamaica, and Asafa Powell's been the 100m king.

"Those two guys give it their all anytime they're racing whether it be 100 or 200m."