Tyson Gay Could Unseat Usain Bolt As Top Runner, American Track Legends Say
Tyson Gay has always been on the outside looking in when it comes to the 100-meter finals, but a pair of American track legends think this could be the year he shocks the world and unseats Usain Bolt for the gold medal.
Both sprinter Michael Johnson and Edwin Moses weighed in on Gay’s chances in the final on Sunday, saying that this might be the year he holds off favorites like Bolt and Yohan Blake, Yahoo! Sports reported. Though if he does win, it will take a near-Herculean effort to beat Bolt, who set a world record in Beijing four years ago with a time of 9.69 seconds despite slowing down as he neared the finish line.
Gay didn’t have a chance to face off with Bolt that time. He was out with an injury, and leading into the 2012 London Olympics he has flown under the radar compared to the duo of Jamaican sprinters in Bolt and Blake, Yahoo! Sports points out.
Moses, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 400-meter hurdles, told Yahoo! Sports that he thinks a pair of Americans actually have a chance to take the 100-meter finals this time around:
I am expecting a strong challenge from the United States. Justin Gatlin is running well enough to win a medal, but I think Tyson Gay is going to be the one to watch. He is capable of making a tremendous start, has very good acceleration, beautiful technique and smooth transitions of speed. He is good enough to win.
“The only way to beat Bolt is to get way out in front of him from the blocks. If he does get a good start, that’s trouble for everyone because it will allow him to unwind more quickly. If Gay wants to beat him, he has to get out even quicker.
Gay ran a solid qualifying race on Saturday with a time of 10.08, but was still behind the fastest qualifiers. Though Bolt is the heavy favorite in the race–and one of the most-anticipated athletes in the Olympics–Johnson thinks he could be beaten.
“[Bolt] is the man from Beijing and we all know what he can do. But can he be beaten? Sure,” Johnson, the icon in the 200- and 400-meters, told Yahoo! Sports. “But it needs certain things to happen and if he is at his best, it will be difficult to see him getting beaten.
“But if he is just a little bit off, then Gay and some others have a chance. Most important, they need to believe. You don’t want to lose the race on the starting blocks. So much of it is mental and I think if Gay sees himself as a potential champion, then he is going to run very fast.”
Tyson Gay this year is among the top-five ranked runners in the world, a former world champion and the world’s second-fastest man–having run 9.69 seconds in 2009, second only to Bolt’s new record he set after the 2008 Olympics–but still, never having stood on a medal podium weighs on him, Reuters reported.
“There is a lot of pressure, I am not going to lie to you,” Gay, turns 30 four days after the 100-meter final, said at a news conference. “There would still be pressure if I did get a medal in ’08. There is a lot more now because I really feel the missing piece, in my heart, is getting an Olympic medal.”
Whether he wins or not, Gay has already beat the odds just by making it to London, Reuters reported. After having hip surgery in 2011, he didn’t even start training until March.
Tags : 2012 London Olympics, Edwin Moses, Johan Blake, michael johnson, Olympics track and field, Tyson Gay, Tyson Gay 100 meters, Tyson Gay 100m final, Tyson Gay gold medal, Tyson Gay gold medal chances, usain bolt
Posted: August 5, 2012
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Aug 5, 2012
Hahahahahahahaha! Dream on "American top legends." LOLOLOLOL! Y'all slay me! #teamjamaica
Aug 5, 2012
yea, you Jamacians better hold on to the sprints because thats about all that you guys have going for you, sports wise. let's see, you guys will win what, 4 or 5 medals total? we're at 55 now and counting, so yea we do "slay" you! now that's LOLOLOLOLOLOL worthy!!!!
Aug 5, 2012
Hahahahahahaha, glad I could contribute to your laughter this morning. Try 10 – 13 medals and you will be closer to the amount that we'll end up with. We have a population of 2.6 million, your population is in excess of 300 million. See why your 55 or even 300 medals wouldn't impress me much?? And we both know that y'all so desperately want to recapture the top position in the sprints, don't be like that. Be comforted by your 55 and counting!!
) One Love!! #teamjamaica in the hizhouse!! JAMAICA BOOM!!
Aug 5, 2012
David Paster Oh, oh, oh, let me paraphrase/translate something hilarious that a guy said after the women's 100m finals when he was interviewed in capital city Kingston . . . "Jeter tried to be the upsetter but the "Pocket Rocket" took it and locked it." And it will stay locked in so bring it, put your best out there! Shelly-Ann aka "Pocket Rocket" has another 2 in her for y'all so just brace for it!! #teamjamaica!!
Aug 5, 2012
David Paster you are first world country….with millions of people; our population in Jamaica is 2.6million people! Go argue with the Chineese!! WE HAVE RUNNING LOCK!! fastest man and Fastest woman! JAMAICA TO THE WORLD!! This is for the times you Americans cheated us with your drugs!! Masking agent rings a bell! Thief! The truth a come out now!!
Aug 5, 2012
Real talk David……..
Aug 5, 2012
2.6 million you forgot the other 1.5 million in the Uninted states 1million in New York and and 500 thousand in Florida lol.
Aug 5, 2012
Lol David they are clean medals…..Americans are lazy welfare…drug addicts….alcoholic…meth and pill popping…laughing with the Brits….THEY ARE ALL ON STERIODS…LOL…SHOW AND TELL 4YR TOOK COCAINE TO SCHOOL FOR SHOW AND TELL.
Aug 5, 2012
You Jamaicans are pathetic. Trying to use excuses to why yall are not dominate like USA based off population. Yall win the Womens 100m by .03 seconds and now yall so excited lol. and what about the 200m? Allyson Felix will win that with ease! and where is Jamaica at in the 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3200m, 10,000, Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, Decathlon, Pole Vault, Shot Put, Discus, Javelin, etc!??!? lol Yall win 1-2 events and are bragging?!? What a joke. lol and their are other countries with less people than yall with more medals.. lmao.. whats ur excuse now? and stop comin to the best country ever to train!!
Aug 5, 2012
USA > THE REST OF THE WORLD.
Aug 5, 2012
ANYONE WHO DISAGREE CAN HOLLA AT ME ON TWITTER @IMRINGJAMESBICH.
Aug 5, 2012
couldnt have said it better myself, forget the emotional talk…….Figures tell no lies
Aug 5, 2012
My first reaction theis headline: Did Mike come out?
Aug 5, 2012
Marcus Gladden You're so typical, being all verbose (look it up) and ignorant. I wasn't making an excuse, I was merely stating a FACT!!!! Do a little bit of research and you'll come across as a little less of an idiot!! I dare you to name ONE third world country with a population less than Jamaica's that ended up with more medals last Olympics or will do so this year, ONE COUNTRY!!! Your argument is as weak as team USA's chance of dominating the sprints, accept it and move on!! We're a tiny powerhouse that is LOVED by MANY all over the world and our influence in far-reaching and undeniable, so your little grammatically incorrect rant CANNOT dull our shine#teamjamaica JAMAICA BOOOM!
Aug 5, 2012
Hahaha and the one who sold out and running for team USA!!
Aug 5, 2012
Nicolette Nickie Facey please that same argument about U.S pop. lmao if you want to speak numbers ok heres one for you our population is about 300million. about 3million athletes play american football in the U.S, about 42millions play baseball in the u.s and there are as many as 100 million people who play basketball while only about 2 million run track.with that being said we have a lot more sports to offer to our athletes not everyone who is fast is going to run track i can assure you that there are athletes that could be faster than tyson gay yet they never pursued track now on the other hand Jamaica top sports are what cricket ,soccer and athletics please dont bring up population numbers to justify that america is only wining medals becasue we have a big population when in fact if we had the same population as Jamaica or any other small country and our only top sports were soccer, track and cricket of course we would have a lot more faster people DUH!
Aug 5, 2012
What's the hardest thing about being an American track star? Telling your parents you're Gay.
Aug 5, 2012
That's only a "DUH" in your own head. And all that quoting of pointless number doesn't make you look smart, just a bunch of opinionated gibberish!!! FACT: Jamaica rules the sprinting events. GET THE OVER IT!!!
Aug 5, 2012
Woulda, coulda, should! JAMAICA BOOOM!!! #teamjamaica up, up you mighty runners!!!
)
Aug 5, 2012
Nicolette Nickie Facey noone said i was being smart only you are thinking that im giving you facts based on your own little numbers and population stats that your throwing out there . again i never said Jamaica didnt rule the sprinting events! Epic fail . try again next time before making yourself look dumb becasue everything you just said was put in my mouth that i never said lmfao goodbye
Aug 5, 2012
The world record is 9.58 seconds, set by Bolt in 2009. Get the facts straight. Nobody is going to touch that time, maybe not even Bolt himself.
Aug 5, 2012
Ricky my dear, I dedicate those gold and silver medals to you! #thatisall!!!! HOLD THAT!!! JAMAICA BOOOOOM!!!
Aug 5, 2012
Hahahahaha!!
Aug 5, 2012
David Paster yeah…run and cheer for a country that once enslaved you!!! We kicked our enslavers out! We run and cheer for our black green and gold self! Who do you black americans run for? Jamaica to the WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aug 5, 2012
Talk the ting me girl!! 1 Love is right