Beijing Olympic Games

Gay runs wind-assisted 9.68 seconds

(adds other events)

By Gene Cherry

EUGENE, Oregon, June 29 (Reuters) - World champion Tyson Gay ran the fastest 100 metres of all-time to win the American Olympic trials on Sunday, a wind-assisted 9.68 seconds.

The victory put Gay into his first U.S. Olympic team but the wind speed of 4.1 metres per second deprived the 25-year-old of a world record.

Only marks set with assisting winds of 2.0 metres per second or less can be considered for record purposes.

“The time really meant a lot because that’s the time that (co-coach Jon) Drummond has been instilling in my head for a long time, that I could run 9.6,” Gay told reporters.

“I didn’t really care what the wind was.”

Gay showed little emotion at the end of the race.

“But inside I was happy,” he said.

Jamaican Usain Bolt holds the world record of 9.72 seconds. The previous best time under any conditions was a wind-assisted 9.69 seconds by Obadele Thompson of Barbados in 1996.

Gay, who ran a national record 9.77 seconds on Saturday, made a solid start and by 40 metres was in complete control of the race.

The double world champion will attempt to make the U.S. team in the 200 metres later this week with the first round on Friday.

Former collegiate champion Walter Dix finished second in 9.80 seconds with Darvis Patton third in 9.84 seconds. Both made the U.S. team.

PHILLIPS FAILS

Olympic long jump champion Dwight Phillips will not be in Beijing after finishing fourth with a wind-assisted leap of 8.20 metres.

Only the top three finishers make the team under the strict U.S. selection procedure.

Trevell Quinley won the long jump with his last attempt, improving his personal best by 14 centimetres to 8.36 metres.

Brian Johnson and Miguel Pate also finished ahead of Phillips.

World pole vault champion Brad Walker struggled but made the team with a third-place finish of 5.65 metres.

Two veterans led the way with 35-year-old Derek Miles winning at 5.80 and Jeff Hartwig, who will be 41 in September, second at 5.70.

Favourites prevailed in the men’s 400 metres hurdles but the women’s top choice, former world silver medallist Lashinda Demus, was outrun off the last hurdle and missed out on a place in the team.

Bershawn Jackson, the 2005 world champion, won the men’s race in 48.17 seconds with 2007 world winner Kerron Clement second in 48.36.

Third went to 2000 Olympic champion Angelo Taylor in 48.42. He returned 30 minutes later to run the opening round of the 400 but ran out of steam and stopped after 240 metres.

Tiffany Ross-Williams took the women’s 400 metres hurdles in a quick 54.03 seconds. Queen Harrison placed second in 54.60 with Sheena Tosta third at 54.62.

The trials continue through July 6.

(Editing by Ed Osmond)

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