INDIANAPOLIS - In his first 100m competition of the year, American record holder Tyson Gay used an impressive finishing burst in passing former world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica in winning the men's 100m Saturday at the Aviva British Grand Prix in Gateshead, England.
The British Grand Prix is a member of the prestigious new IAAF Samsung Diamond League series consisting of 14 of the greatest invitational track meets in the world. For more information visit: www.diamondleague.com
Gay trailed Powell for most of the race before passing him with 20 meters to go. In the first battle this season between two of the 'big three' of men's sprinting (Gay, Powell and Usain Bolt) Gay put an end to Powell's unbeaten season by crossing the finish line first in 9.94 seconds.
Competitors in the 100m dealt with a +1.7 meters per second headwind. "I felt good," Gay told the IAAF. "Asafa's one of my favorite competitors and I managed to get him today. I really had to stretch to the finish line and he didn't see me coming. The wind maybe affected the time slightly, but not much."
Powell was the runner-up in 9.96, with Daniel Bailey (ANT) third in 10.15 and Trell Kimmons fourth in 10.18.
In other events, 2008 Olympic bronze medalist and 2010 USA Outdoor Championships runner-up Walter Dix won the men's 200 meters with his time of 20.26 seconds. Dix, who posted the second-fastest time in the world this year of 19.72 from his win last Saturday at the Nike Prefontaine Classic and won earlier this week in Lausanne, finished just ahead of two-time World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist and reigning national champion Wallace Spearmon, who was the runner-up in 20.29. Jaysuma Saidy Ndure (NOR) was third in 20.31 and Angelo Taylor was fourth in 20.50.
U.S. women's sprinters also were successful in Gateshead with 2009 national 100m champion and two-time World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter winning her specialty in 10.95 seconds. Kelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinidad was the runner-up in 11.00, with Sherone Simpson of Jamaica third in 11.02.
2007 USA Junior champion and Pan Am Junior gold medalist Bianca Knight was victorious in the women's 200m in 22.71. Rosemarie Whyte of Jamaica was the runner-up in 22.81, with Anneisha McLaughlin (JAM) finishing third in 22.95.
2007 USA and NCAA Outdoor champion Alysia Johnson posted an impressive win in the women's 800 meters by crossing the finish line first in 1:59.84. Finishing second was Halima Hachlaf (MAR) in 2:00.49, with Yuliya Krevsun (UKR) third in 2:00.67. 2008 Olympian and 2009 World Outdoor Championships fifth-place finisher Christin Wurth-Thomas finished fourth in 2:00.75.
Also posting a win today was two-time World Indoor champion and two-time Indoor Visa Champion Lolo Jones, who won the women's 100m hurdles in 12.79 seconds. Jones, who is the 2010 USA Outdoor champion and posted the fastest-time in the world this year of 12.55 on June 12 in New York, finished ahead of runner-up Danielle Carruthers (12.98) and Canadian standout Perdita Felicien, who was third in 13.01.
U.S. women turning in runner-up performances in Gateshead included reigning national 400m champion, 2009 World Outdoor Championships sixth-place finisher and current world 400m leader Debbie Dunn (50.66), and 2004 Olympic Trials fourth-place finisher Morgan Uceny (4:04.26), who posted the fastest 1,500m time by an American this outdoor season earlier this week in Lausanne when she finished fifth in 4:02.40, which is her career best. 2008 Olympian and Olympic Trials record holder Kara Patterson, who set the American record in the women's javelin in winning at the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships, finished as the runner-up today with her best throw of 63.11m/207-0.
Another impressive performance was turned in by 2010 USA Outdoor Championships runner-up Leonel Manzano, who posted the fastest time by an American this outdoor season with his 1,500m second-place finish in 3:33.51. His performance bettered the previous U.S. leading mark of 3:33.92 that he posted when he finished third in New York on June 12.
Also turning in a strong performance was Ben Bruce, who was the runner-up in the men's 3,000m steeplechase at the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships in Des Moines. Bruce finished third today in 8:22.88, which is his personal best time and the second-fastest time by an American this year.
All-time hurdles great Allen Johnson retires at Gateshead
According to a report by the BBC, 1996 Olympic gold medalist, four-time World Outdoor champion and all-time 110m hurdles great Allen Johnson announced his retirement today in Gateshead at the age of 39.
"It's just come to the point where my body can't take it anymore," said Johnson."Maybe I can coach some hurdlers or some sprinters... give something back. I'm going to miss it, I really am, but it was fun."
Johnson was slated to compete at an event in Glasgow on Wednesday, but pulled up during the warm-up period.
For more information on the 2010 British Grand Prix in Gateshead, including the complete results, visit: www.iaaf.org.
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USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.
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