News
Tyson Gay returning to Manchester to run 150m dash
Thursday May 05, 2011
2007 double world champion Tyson Gay, will make his first European appearance of the year when returning to compete at the Powerade ION4 Great CityGames in Manchester on May 15.
The world's fastest 100m sprinter last summer, will race over 150m on a specially constructed track at the innovative street meeting, taking place for the third successive occasion on Deansgate in front of the BBC cameras.
Gay's tremendous form last season, in a short but high quality schedule, saw him maintain a clean 100m sheet which included handing out world record holder Usain Bolt his first sprint defeat for two years.
Now the USA star, with the World Championships in August his major target where he will be looking to regain the 100m and 200m titles currently the property of his Jamaican rival, is looking forward to returning to Manchester.
The 28-year-old, who set a world best performance for 200m on a straight track of 19.41 seconds last May, will be aiming for another stylish display over the shorter distance.
Gay, with his season still to gather momentum, isn't setting himself any targets - particularly challenging the world 150m best of 14.35sec which Bolt achieved at the inaugural meeting.
"I'm just looking forward to coming back to Manchester and I want to perform as well as I did last year, but my primary goal is to just get my first competition of the year in the books," said the quiet man of world sprinting.
Gay, who en route to his victory, passed through 150m in 14.41sec, added: "It was my first ever "straight" 200m race and obviously when you're used to running a turn, it was strange adjusting to not having one."
"So I was very pleased to adjust to something really new and get the world best performance. Maybe if conditions are better I might be able to run faster than last year."
Marlon Devonish, who set a British record of 14.88sec when runner-up behind Bolt in 2009 and European 200m silver medalist Christian Malcolm, lead the domestic challenge.
Portugal's former Olympic 100m silver medalist Francis Obikwelu, a surprise winner of this year's European Indoor 60m title, will also be in the field.
The Powerade ION4 Great CityGames is the final event in a Great Day of Sport in the city, which also features the Bupa Great Manchester Run and the British Gas Great Salford Swim.