A healthy Tyson Gay proved he can still be the country’s most dominant sprinter. Gay added to his 100 meter national title by winning the 200 on Sunday in winning time of 19.74 seconds. “I’m satisfied, I wish my hundred was a little bit better, but I have time to work on that,” Gay said.
It is the second time Gay has doubled as the 100 and 200 champ. The last time he accomplished it was back in 2007.
Jen Suhr missed on three attempts at the American record but she claimed the national championship by clearing 15 feet five inches in the womens pole vault. Suhr says she was very nervous and stressed about how she would hit her mark.
By the end of the competition on a hot day Suhr did not have enough left to set a new American record. Alysia Montano says every major title makes her realize it is all worth it. Montano won her fifth national title and fourth straight in the 800 meter run. Her winning time was 1:58.67.
Montano says she does not mind going out early to the lead or coming from behind as she listens to her body and gets a feel for how the race is developing.
Former UNI standout Tyler Mulder finished fifth and former Iowa Hawkeye Eric Sowinski finished sixth in the 800 meter run at the USA Track and Field Championships in Des Moines. Only the top three advanced to the World Championships in Moscow.
Mulder is a native of Orange City and says it hurts to come so close. “It’s just the sport, it’s happened to me too many times, so I guess I am familiar with it,” Mulder says.
Sowinski knew it would take an extremely fast time to advance as he says the U.S. is so deep in the 800 that it would take a fast time to make it.
Nearly nine years after competing in the shot put at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, Adam Nelson was honored as the gold medalist during Sunday’s U.S.A. Track and Field Championships in Des Moines. Nelson was elevated to Olympic champion last month after his Ukraniane rival was stripped of the gold for doping.
The ceremony included the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.