TYSON GAY
Events: Sprints
Height:  5-11
Weight:  165
PRs: 100m – 9.69AR (2009); 200m - 19.58 (2009)
Born: August 9, 1982, in Lexington, Ky.
Current Residence: Clermont, Fla.
High School: Lafayette (Lexington, Ky.) '01
College: Barton CC ’03, Arkansas '05
Coach:  Lance Brauman & Jon Drummond
Agent: Mark Wetmore
Club: adidas

Career Highlights: 2009 World Outdoor 100m silver medalist; 2007 World Outdoor 100m, 200m champion and 4x100m gold medalist; 2007 Visa Outdoor champion;  3-time USA 100m champion (2006-2008); 2005 USA 200m champion; 2004 NCAA 100m champion; 2002 JUCO 100m champion; 2004 SEC 100m, 200m, 4x100m champion

Gay had a tremendous season in 2009 highlighted by winning the 100m silver medal at the 2009 World Outdoor Championships in the American record time of 9.71, which bettered his previous AR of 9.77 from the 2008 Olympic Trials. Gay improved on that performance when he won at Shanghai on September 20 when he lowered the AR to 9.69 seconds, which sits as the second-best performance of all time, equaling Usain Bolt's then-world record from the 2008 Olympic Games. Gay dominated the men's 200m at the 2009 Reebok Grand Prix, crossing the finish line in a blistering 19.58 seconds, which is the fifth-fastest performance ever, behind only USA Track & Field Hall of Famer Michael Johnson (19.32) and triple 2008 Olympic champion Usain Bolt (19.57, 19.30, 19.19).  Gay’s success in the later half of the 2009 Outdoor season came despite battling a nagging groin injury. At the 2009 USA Outdoor Championships, Gay needed only to run one round to make the team for the World Championships in Berlin. He answered the gun in the first round of the 100 meters and he won convincingly in a wind-aided 9.75 seconds (+3.4 mps). In the 100m quarterfinals at the 2008 Olympic Trials, Gay set the then American record in crossing the finish line in 9.77 seconds, which bettered the previous AR of 9.79 set by Maurice Greene in 1999. Gay went on to win the 100m at the trials in 9.68w, which, at that time, was the fastest time in history ever posted under any conditions. Gay's fortunes changed drastically during the 200m quarterfinals at the trials when he collapsed a few steps after leaving the blocks. An MRI later showed a mild strain in the semitendinosus muscle. Later that summer the effect of the injury was evident at the Olympic Games in Beijing as Gay earned a spot in the 100m semifinals and advanced no further. In 2007, he was the world’s dominant sprinter in winning gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the World Outdoor Championships and notching victories at the AT&T USA  Outdoor Championships in the 100m (9.84 meet record) and by running the second fastest time in history in the 200m (19.62, meet record, 0.3 meters-per-second headwind). Gay's 200m performance at Nationals in Indianapolis bettered Michael Johnson's 1996 meet record, and then world record time of 19.66 seconds. Gay's 100m performance in Indy (into a headwind of .5 mps) is the second-fastest ever run into a headwind, trailing only 2000 Olympic gold medalist Maurice Greene, who ran 9.82 into a -0.2 headwind at the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton. Gay's performance shattered the USA Outdoor Championships meet record of 9.90 held jointly by former world record holders Greene and Leroy Burrell. Gay served notice in 2006 that he is one of the world’s finest sprinters in dramatically lowering his personal bests in both the 100m and 200 meters, with performances that place him near the top of the all-time lists in those events. Gay’s time of 9.84 seconds in the 100 meters in Zurich was the second-fastest time in the world in 2006, and equals the fifth-fastest 100m time in history. He was impressive in the 200 meters in equaling the fifth-fastest time in history (19.68) and posting the sixth-fastest time ever (19.70) with his runner-up finish at Lausanne, Switzerland. During his breakthrough season in 2005, Gay was part of an American quartet that made history at the World Outdoor Championships in Helsinki. Gay finished fourth in the men's 200m final joining Justin Gatlin (1st), Wallace Spearmon (2nd) and John Capel (3rd) as the U.S. became the first country in World Outdoor Championships history to sweep the top four places in an event. In Helsinki, Gay posted the fastest times in each of the three qualifying rounds -- a wind-aided 19.99, 20.64 and 20.27. Gay followed his performance in Helsinki with a win at the 2005 World Athletics Final in 19.96 seconds. He ended the 2005 season with the third (19.93) and fourth-fastest (19.96) times in the world. Gay became the first athlete in University of Arkansas school history to win the NCAA Division I Outdoor 100m title with his victory in Austin, Texas on Friday, June 11, 2004. In his second race of the day, the five-time All-American clocked a UA school record and personal best time of 10.06 seconds, bettering the previous school standard of 10.11 set by Vincent Henderson in 1993. In a talented field of competitors Gay dipped his head at the line and finished just eight thousandths of a second ahead of second-place finisher Michael Frater of TCU. While at Barton County CC, Gay’s best times were a windy 10.08 in the 100 meters and 21.21w. As a prep standout in Kentucky, Gay was the state champion in 1999, 2000 and 2001, and posted prep best times of 10.46 and 21:23. Gay was named 2004 Mideast Regional Athlete of the Year. A marketing major while at Arkansas.

9/03/09