Athletics
Happy Gay needs a holiday
2010-08-18 15:08
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Zurich - Tyson Gay is the pole sitter in the blue riband event of the 100m in the absence of the injured Usain Bolt, having trumped the Jamaican and set the season's fastest time.
But Gay, who like all other sprinters has fallen under the shadow double world and Olympic champion Bolt has cast in his two years of dominance on the track, admits he needs a holiday.
The 28-year-old American's victory over Bolt in Stockholm earlier this month was the Jamaican world record holder's first since pre-Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Last weekend, Gay ran an impressive 9.78 seconds in miserable, damp conditions in London's Crystal Palace.
"On the track, things are going well. Each race, I feel a little faster and I am making progress getting technically better in my race execution," Gay told the IAAF website.
"Just because it is cold and wet doesn't mean that sprinters can't run fast. You see some of those results from London."
He added: "People think that because I don't smile or joke around after a race that I am not happy. That just isn't me. Believe me though, I am real happy to be out there and I just enjoy racing."
Gay, who will be racing a 4x100m relay in Zurich on Thursday, has targeted beating his personal best (and second fastest time ever) of 9.69sec set in Shanghai last year in the final Diamond League meet in Brussels next week.
And the triple world sprint champion from Osaka in 2007 said one of the keys to good form was patience.
"This sounds strange, but to be a fast sprinter, you need to be patient," he said.
"I've learned to be patient in my preparation, but I've also had to learn to be patient once the gun goes off. It isn't just about moving your legs and arms as fast as you can."
He also had words of encouragement for new French record holder Christophe Lemaitre.
"The only thing better than a race between Asafa (Powell), me and Usain would be one with the three of us and Christophe Lemaitre from France," he said.
"If he keeps developing, he has the tools to deliver an Olympic medal to France, I think. He gets it done in the big races."
Gay added that he would like to still be on the US roster come the London Games in 2012.
"Olympic fever has started in London. The Olympics are two years away but the people and the media are real excited already," he said.
"Almost everywhere I went, people wanted to talk about London 2012. Hope I will be part of the show in August 2012."
He added: "At the end of the season, I need a vacation. I've never taken one. This will be the first time. Not sure where I am going to go, but it will be nice to just relax."