FAYETTEVILLE — Tyson Gay, the former Arkansas sprinter who has battled back from a hip injury to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in London, was asked earlier this year if winning the gold medal in the 100 meters would be the sweetest accomplishment of his career.
“That right there alone would fill my career up in one meet,” Gay recently told Askmen, an online magazine. “That’s the beauty of the Olympics. That one race — that one time — can really determine your career in an instant.”
Gay, who turns 30 on Aug. 9, will run in the 100 preliminaries Saturday. The semifinals and final are Sunday. He’ll also likely run on the U.S. team’s 400-meter relay.
“I’m thinking this is it for me with the Olympics,” Gay told a group of reporters last week between training sessions in Birmingham, England. “I’m not even thinking beyond right now.”
A few weeks ago, it was questionable if Gay would make the U.S. team. He underwent surgery on his right hip last July, and as recently as four months ago, he was limited to training on grass because running on the track irritated his hip.
But Gay began running races again in early June, and June 24 he was timed at 9.86 seconds in 100 at the U.S. Trials in Eugene, Ore., to take second behind former Tennessee star Justin Gatlin — who won in 9.80 — to make the Olympic team for the second time.
“Hip’s good,” Gay said this week. “I don’t have any excuses. Whatever happens, happens.”
A healthy Gay may still be a long shot to win the gold, or any medal, this week considering his lack of training leading up to the Olympics. Sports Illustrated projects the top three in the 100 to be Jamaica’s Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt, the 2008 Olympic champion, and Gatlin.
“It’s open for the Games,” Gay told reporters earlier this month after running 9.99 to win a race in Paris. “It will be spectacular.”
Gay has had a spectacular pro career in many respects since leaving Arkansas, where in 2004 he won the NCAA 100 title. The 9.69 he ran in 2009 is an American record, and he’s won seven titles in World Championship competition, including gold medals in the 100 and 200 in 2007.
The 2008 Olympics were expected to be Gay’s international showcase, but he suffered a hamstring injury in the 200 during the U.S. Trials that year and qualified only for the 100. Gay said he was healthy for the 2008 Olympics but that the hamstring injury curtailed his training, and he failed to advance to the 100 final.
Running the anchor on the U.S. 400 relay in 2008 offered Gay another chance for a medal, but he and Darvis Patton dropped the baton during their exchange in the semifinals.
John McDonnell, Arkansas’ head track and field coach in 1978-2008, said he and Gay stay in touch, talking every few months. Gay, a Lexington, Ky., native, now lives in Orlando, Fla.
“Tyson’s never changed,” McDonnell said. “He’s the same guy that he was when he first walked in here, great athlete and great person. He’s always been totally dedicated to stay in great condition. ... He’s pushed his body to the limits, and maybe that’s how he’s gotten hurt before.
“If he’s healthy, I really think he can get an Olympic medal, because he’s that good. But in the 100 meters final at the Olympics, you have to be perfect. There’s no room for error at all.”
While many other athletes have been cutting back on training or competition in recent weeks, Gay has been forced to keep pushing himself to get into the best shape possible coming off his hip injury.
“I’ve tried to cram in a lot of workouts and a lot of weights in the least amount of time I could,” Gay told reporters last week. “This just came up on me real quick. It’s the big show.”
Jon Drummond, Gay’s coach who ran on the U.S. gold medal-winning 400 relay team at the 2000 Olympics, said he has no doubt Gay is ready to run well this week.
“We’re putting the icing on the cake now, some sprinkles,” Drummond said, referring to Gay’s training. “Trying to dress it up nice and pretty for the big party.”
Trell Kimmons, one of Gay’s training partners, has plenty of confidence when it comes to Gay.
“Tyson’s ready — ready to go for the gold,” Kimmons told SI.com. “At Tyson’s best, he can run with anyone who steps on the track.”
McDonnell said he’ll be pulling hard for Gay.
“Tyson’s had a real good career, but the injuries have been tough for him,” McDonnell said. “I really hope he can get an Olympic medal. He deserves it with all he’s been through.”
Drummond told reporters Gay will be helped by his mental toughness.
“What we do is 75 percent mental and 25 percent physical,” Drummond said. “I say that because there’s only so much weight you can lift, only so many track workouts you can do. Then, it’s a matter of application, how much you retain and how much you can put back on the track.
“That’s where Tyson is right now, being confident that he’s got it.”
Information for this article was contributed by The Associated Press, SI.com, Askmen, Men’s Fitness and the London Daily Mail.
Sports, Pages 21 on 08/01/2012