USAIN BOLT AND TYSON GAY SET FOR STOCKHOLM SHOWDOWN
Baku, August 6 (AZERTAC). The two fastest men in 100m history go head-to-head on Friday for only the third time over that distance.
Usain Bolt, the world-record holder and world and Olympic champion, meets Tyson Gay in a Diamond League meeting in Stockholm.
On both previous occasions Bolt and Gay have raced over 100m, American Gay pushed his rival to a new world record.
Bolt`s fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell had been due to compete in the same race but pulled out with a back injury.
After suffering a groin problem at the Paris Diamond League meet in July, Powell said his back “hurt like hell”.
The last time the trio competed on the same track was at last summer`s World Championships where Bolt set the world record of 9.58 seconds.
Bolt was sympathetic to his fellow Jamaican`s situation, having been hindered this season with an Achilles tendon problem.
Former world record holder Powell shares the world`s fastest 100m time this year with Bolt after clocking 9.82 seconds.
After being unable to train for 10 days following his run in Paris, Powell has struggled with back and hamstring problems and his best efforts to return to action at the sold-out Stockholm meeting have proved unsuccessful.
Prior to last year`s world championships, Bolt and Gay had met on one other occasion, which was two years ago in New York.
During that 100m race, Bolt also broke the world record, setting a time of 9.72 secs.
Despite Powell`s absence, a fast time is still a real prospect with Gay having run a wind-assisted 9.79 seconds in Stockholm last season.
The trio are the three fastest 100m runners of all time and are scheduled to face each other at the final Diamond League meeting of the year in Brussels on 27 August.
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