Bolt rejects Gay record claim

Published on Sunday 28 June 2009 23:14

OLYMPIC 100 metres champion Usain Bolt won the Jamaican title over rival Asafa Powell on Saturday and then declared that American world champion Tyson Gay had little chance of breaking his world record.

Bolt, who holds the record with 9.69 seconds set at the Beijing Games last year, ran home in 9.86 against a negative wind at the National Stadium to post the year's fastest non-assisted time.

Powell, who was quicker out of the blocks, was second in 9.97 ahead of Michael Frater (10.02).

Gay ran a speedy, albeit wind-assisted 9.75 seconds in his first 100 metres of the season at the US world championship trials in Eugene, Oregon on Thursday, and said after the race that he felt he could break Bolt's record if he could improve his start.

But the Jamaican questioned the claim. "Personally, no disrespect to Tyson but that is going to be a hard task for him," he said. "Tyson is more of a 200 runner than a 100 runner so it is going to be very hard. He had a lot of wind assistance for that time. It is going to be very hard for him."

Gay failed to qualify for the finals at Beijing after injury hampered his preparations, but he is set for a showdown with Bolt in the world championships in Berlin in August.

In the women's 100 metres, Beijing gold medal-winner Shelly-Ann Fraser produced an impressive 10.88 to outpace Kerron Stewart (10.93) with Sheri-Ann Brooks some way back with 11.16.