Tyson Gay wins 100m final to make first Olympic team
EUGENE, Oregon - A day after breaking the American Record, Tyson Gay made his first Olympic team in similarly dramatic fashion. Dominating from the outset, Gay blazed across the finish line to win in a wind-aided but nonetheless historic 9.68 seconds, astonishing the roaring crowd of over 20,000 with the fastest 100 meters ever run by a human being under any conditions.
"I'm glad my body could do it, because now I know I have it in me," he said of the time, which was aided by a tailwind of 4.1meters per second. "Jon Drummond said I was capable of running 9.6, so that's what I had in my mind." The previous fastest time under any conditions was 9.69, run by Obadele Thompson in 1996, with a tailwind of 5.3 meters per second.
As Alan Abrahamson of NBCOlympics.com wrote:
"It was breathtaking. It was thrilling. It was the kind of moment to tell children and grandchildren about. You were there. It really happened."
But above all, Gay's victory gave him his third-consecutive USA 100-meter title, and his first spot on an Olympic team. After crossing the line, he ran to celebrate with his new Olympic teammates, Walter Dix and Darvis Patton. Then came a joyous victory lap, signing autographs along the way, before a visit to the top step of the victory stand.
"Getting a gold medal is my biggest motivation, and I want to save the best for last," Gay said. "My expectations are huge going into the Olympics."
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