Gone With The Wind: Gay’s 9.68w Is Fastest 100 Ever

Only a pesky breeze tarnished what otherwise was one of the most memorable days in U.S. track and field history. Another record crowd of over 20,000 was reduced to a hush at the end of a an outstanding afternoon of track and field as one of the strongest U.S. sprint fields ever settled into the blocks for the day’s last event: the final of the men’s 100. Quiet descended over Hayward Field. You could hear a pin drop. A quick double pistol shot announced that the start was in violation. The officials proclaimed the recalled start was due to crowd noise and that no false start would be assessed against the field. As the runners re-gathered their poise, a subtle gust crept through Hayward Field as the sprinters took their marks. . The clean start that followed launched what would prove to be the fastest 100 meter race ever run. Unchallenged, pre-race favorite Tyson Gay ran all out for every single inch of the race to post the world’s fastest 100 meter of 9 68. Walter Dix [9.80] and Darvis “Doc” Patton [9.84] would round out the medal positions and join Gay as the sprint threesome to represent the U.S. in the 100 meters in Beijing. The subsequent announcement that the prevailing wind exceeded the allowable limit dampened the exuberance of the moment, but could not diminish the fact that this race produced the fastest 100 meters ever run. Usain Bolt’s recent 100 meter WR of 9.72 was safe for another day, but no one who witnessed today’s 100 would doubt that the century mark is an endangered specie. The anticipated Gay-Bolt-Powell match up in the Beijing 100 final has all track fans excited.

As prolific as Gay’s historic race proved to be, there was much more to Day 3 of the U.S. Olympic Trials in track and field that the men’s 100 final. In the world of track and field, it is often too easy to overlook the “field.” Remember: the sport we love is track and field. But it would have been very difficult, if not impossible, to over look the “field” in track and field on Day 3 of the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Day 3 of the Olympic Trials also served as the first day of the Decathlon – a grueling competition encompassing 10 events conducted over two days. On perfect day of sunshine and windless conditions, twenty chiseled athletes, looking like Greek Gods, began the quest to capture the competition and earn the title of World’s Greatest Athlete. Many subplots swirled around the event. Has time taken its toll on aging star Tom Pappas? Is the talented, but fragile Brian Clay able to string together two successive days of top flight performances as he did in winning the OT crown in Sacramento in 2004? What dark horse will emerge from the new wave of young athletes entering this event? In an event which places emphasis on the perfect balance of speed and strength, Day One is a day which favors speed. In the opening event, the 100 meters, Defending Oly Trials champ Brian Clay got off to a quick start by posting a very strong 100 meter time of 10.39 which earned him the win. In the long jump, the second event, Trey Hardee sent notice that he will be a force to be reckoned with by unleashing a PR leap of 25’ 51/4”. Quick to respond was Tom Pappas. The 2000 Olympic Trials champion uncorked his second best leap ever: a jump of 25’ 6”. In the shot put, the third event, Pappas heaved a life time best. His toss of 56’ 7 ¾” also set a new Hayward Field decathlon shot put record. The fourth event on Day One of the decathlon is the high jump. Brian Clay, an excellent high jumper, created unexpected drama when he missed his first two attempts at a relatively easy opening height. With visions of Dan O’Brien’s “no height” in the ’92 OT decathlon pole vault dancing in the heads of track fans through the stadium, Clay made a tension–filled third attempt and went on to clear a near-PR height of 6’ 9 ¾”. The decathletes concluded Day One of the decathlon by competing in the 400 meters. Day One of the decathlon concluded with Clay holding a scant six point lead over Pappas. Tomorrow’s final five events should prove to be riveting. Colorado decathlete Mustafa Abdur-Rahim finished the day in ninth place. The Dartmouth graduate closed his first day with an impressive 47.64 in the 400 meters.

Day 3 of the Olympic Trials also featured the final in the men’s pole vault. It is hard to appreciate that the opening height for the men’s final is 5.50 – a height slightly over 18 feet. Paul Gensic, a Colorado athlete from the U.S. Air Force, propelled himself into the wild blue yonder to clear that opening height. While he was unable to ascend higher, his opening height clearance did secure for him an impressive sixth place finish against a powerful vault field. Derek Miles [19’1/4’], Jeff Hartwig [18’ 8 ¼”] and AR record holder Brad Walker [18’ 6 ¼”] will represent the U.S. in this event in the Olympic Games.

In the final of the women’s 400 hurdles, Tiffany Ross Williams, the defending national champion, won again in 54.03. But the real story was Queen Harrison of Virginia Tech. In fourth place with only meters to go, a valiant push to the finish combined with a perfectly executed lean propelled her all the way into second place and a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Harrison’s effort reshuffled the Beijing squad, pushed pre-race favorite Sheena Tosta to third place, and relegated former Olympian Lashinda Demus to the sidelines.

In the men’s 400 hurdles final, Bershawn Jackson took control early and would not be denied as he led wire to wire in 48.17. Indoor 400 WR holder Kerron Clement grabbed second in 48.36. And a gallant stretch run by the ageless Angelo Taylor allowed him to round out the Olympic squad with a time of 48.42. Taylor finished the race, spoke briefly to the national media, and escaped to the athletes’ facility to rest for his heat in the open 400 just 25 minutes away.

The qualifying rounds of the men’s 400 got underway today before a crowd which had been awaiting the much-anticipated dual between reigning Olympic and World champion Jeremy Wariner and his early-spring conqueror LaShawn Merritt. Pre-race form held as Merritt won his heat in 45.30. Wariner, practically walking over the line, breezed to a win in his heat in a pedestrian 46.04. The real drama in this event was in the final heat. Angelo Taylor, fresh from earning his Olympic berth in the 400 hurdles barely 25 minutes earlier, lined up for an heroic attempt to double in the open 400. While his intentional false start gained him a much-needed additional few minutes of recovery, his ultimate bid at an impressive double ended after 220 meters when, utterly exhausted, he walked off the track.

In qualifying rounds of the women’s 400, lingering questions that had surfaced earlier this spring concerning the overall health and confidence of Sanya Richards, the track and field athlete of the year in 2006, were awaiting answers. When she is on her game, Ms. Richards has repeatedly shown she can’t be touched. But in 2007, an arcane affliction combined with a mental lapse in U.S. Championship finals kept her out of the World Championship 400. Will these Trials be the venue for redemption for Sanya Richards? Today’s first rounds indicate that Richards is back on track. Richards won her heat in 51.08, the fastest qualifying time of the day.

In the final of the woman’s discus, Aretha Thurmond twirled the disc 213” 11” to secure the win. Suzy Powell-Roos secured her third Olympic berth with a second place effort of 206’ 5”. Stephanie Brown Trafton will round out the U.S. Olympic participants in this event.

In the men’s long jump final, a hotly-contested battle saw relative unknown Trevell Quinley leap 27” 5 ¼” for the win. Brian Johnson and grizzled veteran Miguel Pate will join Quinley in Beijing to represent the U.S. in the long jump competition.

In the final of the women’s triple jump, Shani Marks [47’ 2 ¼’], Shakeema Welsch [45’ 11 ¾”], and Erica McLain [45’ 9 ¾”] went 1-2-3.

Another day of record attendance is expected for Day 4 tomorrow. If the quality of track and field performances remains at its current high level, both the athletes and the fans will need both of the Tuesday and the Wednesday rest days to recover and to prepare for the final four days of competition which will get underway on Thursday, July 3rd.

For full results: www.usatf.org/events/2008/OlympicTrials-TF/schedule.asp