WORLD 200 metres champion Tyson Gay has a mild muscle strain in his left leg and will be unable to train at full strength for up to two weeks, according to his management company.
Gay crashed out of the US 200m quarter-finals on Saturday, tumbling to the track after about 40 metres in a fall that ended his hopes of competing at the distance at the Beijing Olympics.
"The MRI showed a mild strain in the semitendinosus
muscle," publicist Barbara Huebner said in a statement. "He is expected to engage in active rest for up to 12-14 days, with light physical activity increasing through that period, and then resume training."
Gay, who will run the 100 metres and 4x100 metres relay in Beijing, is still on schedule to compete in the London Grand Prix meeting on 25 July.
Gay lay on the track for several minutes after grabbing his left hamstring and falling to the ground with a severe cramp.
"Before I went out on the track I felt a little tightness in my hamstring so I had kind of a bad feeling," Gay said in a statement.
"When I came off (the first part of) the curve the first two steps were fine, and then I felt it, sort of a pull, about 40 metres in," he added. "Once I was on the ground it didn't hurt as much as when it happened."
He went immediately to his hotel room to begin treatment with ice and compression. "I'll just get it worked on for a few days," said Gay, who apparently suffered no other damage.
The injury was a major blow to the US hopes in Beijing since under the strict qualifying procedure of the trials only the top three finishers make the Olympic team regardless of circumstances.
The stunning development was reminiscent of the 2000 US Olympic trials where both 200 metres world record holder Michael Johnson and then Maurice Greene crashed out of the 200 metres final with injuries. Both missed the Sydney Games in the 200 metres, but won gold in their first-choice events.
Gay had won the 100 metres last Sunday in a wind-assisted time of 9.68 seconds, the fastest time ever run under any conditions. He had set the national record of 9.77 seconds the previous day.
He then cruised through the opening round of 200 metres on Friday with no problems.
Upon hearing the news of the injury, Jamaican 100 metres world record holder Usain Bolt wished Gay a speedy recovery.
"It was unfortunate that this happened," Bolt was quoted by local manager Norman Peart as saying.
"I wish him a speedy recovery and I look forward to seeing him in Beijing," added Bolt, who has qualified to represent Jamaica at both 100 and 200 metres, but is still to decide whether to run both.
The full article contains 488 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
