Start key to beating Bolt, says Gay

American world champion Tyson Gay believes he is capable of challenging Usain Bolt’s 100 metres world record — if he can improve his start.

“Pretty much when I become more technically sound out of the blocks,” Gay said on Thursday after running a wind-assisted 9.75 seconds in his first 100 metres of the season at the US world championship trials. “I have the mechanics. I have the coaching... it’s there.” 

Only six times has the 100 metres been run faster than Gay’s 9.75 seconds under any conditions. Two were by Bolt, who holds the world record of 9.69 seconds. Gay was a one-hundredth of a second faster with a wind-assisted 9.68 at the 2008 US Olympic trials. His best without a beneficial breeze is his American record 9.77 seconds. 

The pair are unlikely to face each other until August’s world championships, where both are scheduled to run the 100 and 200. “I’m looking forward to a fast race,” Gay of their highly anticipated Berlin showdown. “I ran a wind-aided 9.7. He ran a wind-aided 9.7. We are both showing great fitness.”

Gay’s execution on Thursday was anything but satisfying for the athlete, though. “I ran a horrible race,” he said, admitting that a false start by another runner had distracted him. The false start kind of threw me off,” Gay said.

“When I got out of the blocks, it felt sloppy. I just have not had enough starts in practice and being consistent from zero to 30 (metres),” he said.  So what time will it take to beat Bolt? “You got to run 9.59 to beat him,” Gay said earlier this week. “That’s how I look at it.”

Defending world 1,500 and 5,000 metres champion Bernard Lagat claimed his wild-card berth for both events in Berlin with an easy run of 1:48.59 in 800 metres qualifying. He does not plan to run again in the trials.