Gay steals show at Reebok meet

World 200 metres champion Tyson Gay stole the show as Americans upstaged Jamaica's sprinters at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York yesterday.

The only Jamaican winner at the meet was national junior 100m record holder Yohan Blake who took the men's 'B' 100m race in 10.20 seconds beating Alonso Edward of Panama, 10.22, and Derrick Atkins of The Bahamas, 10.23.

Jamaica's former world 100m record holder, Asafa Powell, who is just returning from an ankle injury, finished a disappointing seventh in the men's 'A' 100 metres as American Mike Rodgers upset the field. Powell came home in 10.10 behind Rogers who clocked a handsome 9.93 seconds.

Mullings third

American Travis Padgett did 9.96 seconds to be second while Jamaican Steve Mullings finished third in 9.98 seconds. Olympic relay gold medallists Michael Frater and Nesta Carter were eighth and ninth, respectively, in 10.15 and 10.16. Trinidadian Richard Thompson, who landed silver at the Beijing Olympics, could only finish fifth in 10.01 seconds.

Gay came within 28 hundredths of a second of breaking Usain Bolt's 200 metres world record when he clocked 19.58 seconds. Gay, whose Olympic dreams were marred by injury last year, clocked the third-fastest time in 200 metres history in winning the event.

The time was only behind Jamaican Bolt's world record of 19.30 seconds run at last year's Beijing Olympics and Michael Johnson's long-standing 19.32 set in 1996.

The race was Gay's first 200 metres in the US following his disastrous outing at the Olympic Trials last year when he tore his hamstring, and the performance would have sent an ominous warning to his rivals ahead of the World Championships which run off in Berlin in August.

He is the defending champion in both sprint events after winning both the 100m and 200m in Osaka two years ago.

In the women's 100 metres 'A' race, Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown was third behind winner Carmelita Jeter of the United States with compatriot Muna Lee second.

Campbell-Brown, the reigning Olympic 200 metres champion, clocked 10.91 seconds as Jeter was timed at 10.85 seconds across the tape. Lee came home in 10.88 seconds.

In the women's 400 metres hurdles, Britain's Tasha Danvers won in 55.19 as Olympic champion Melaine Walker was third in 55.29. Another Jamaican, Nickiesha Wilson, was second in 55.28.

SELECTED RESULTS

100m: (Race A) -1. Mike Rodgers, United States, 9.93 seconds. 2. Travis Padgett, United States, 9.96. 3. Steve Mullings, Jamaica, 9.98. 4. Darvis Patton, United States, 10.00. 5. Richard Thompson, Trinidad & Tobago, 10.01. 6. Daniel Bailey, Antigua & Barbuda, 10.02. 7. Asafa Powell, Jamaica, 10.10. 8. Michael Frater, Jamaica, 10.15. 9. Nesta Carter, Jamaica, 10.16.

100 (Race B): 1, Yohan Blake, Jamaica, 10.20. 2, Alonso Edward, Panama, 10.22. 3, Derrick Atkins, Bahamas, 10.23. 4, Ivory Williams, United States, 10.23. 8, Winston Barnes, Jamaica, 10.37.

200m: 1. Tyson Gay, United States, 19.58. 2. Wallace Spearmon, United States, 19.98. 3, Xavier Carter, United States, 20.27. 4. Jeremy Wariner, United States, 20.30.

110m hurdles: 1. Terrence Trammell, United States, 13.12. 2, Aries Merritt, United States, 13.28. 3, Ryan Brathwaite, Barbados, 13.30. 4, Antwon Hicks, United States, 13.35. 6, Richard Phillips, Jamaica, 13.42.

400 Hurdles (Section 2): 1. Bershawn Jackson, United States, 48.52 (48.513). 2, Javier Coulson, Puerto Rico, 48.52 (48.518). 3. Danny McFarlane, Jamaica, 48.89. 4. Michael Tinsley, United States, 49.37. 7. Markino Buckley, Jamaica, 50.75.

WOMEN

100m (Race 2): 1, Carmelita Jeter, United States, 10.85. 2, Muna Lee, United States, 10.88. 3, Veronica Campbell, Jamaica, 10.91. 4, Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Trinidad & Tobago, 10.91. 5, Lauryn Williams, United States, 10.94. 6, Marshevet Hooker, United States, 11.05. 9. Sheri-Ann Brooks, Jamaica, 11.18.

400m: 1, Allyson Felix, United States, 50.50. 2, Shericka Williams, Jamaica, 50.58. 3, Novlene Williams-Mills, Jamaica, 51.11. 4, Monica Hargrove, United States, 51.17. 5, Shereefa Lloyd, Jamaica, 51.18. 6, Natasha Hastings, United States, 51.64.

800m: 1, Anna Willard, United States, 1:59.29. 2, Kenia Sinclair, Jamaica, 1:59.66. 3, Hazel Clark, United States, 2:00.09. 4, Maggie Vessey, United States, 2:01.49.

400m hurdles (Section 2): 1. Tasha Danvers, Britain, 55.19. 2, Nickiesha Wilson, Jamaica, 55.28. 3, Melaine Walker, Jamaica, 55.29. 4, Tiffany Williams, United States, 55.44. 5, Kaliese Spencer, Jamaica, 55.92.