Mullings clips Gay in New York

Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - Sport

RANDALL ISLAND, New York:STEVE MULLINGS stayed calm in the midst of three false starts and then beat top United States sprinter Tyson Gay in the men's 100 metres in cool, sometimes rainy and blustery conditions, at the Adidas Grand Prix athletics meet at the Icahn Stadium here yesterday.

With temperatures dipping as low as 61 degrees, the conditions contributed to a horde of slow times at the Samsung Diamond League event, as Mullings led a trio of Jamaican 'A'-race wins.

Kaliese Spencer and Kenia Sinclair romped home with strong finishes while 400 metres runner Jermaine Gonzales just missed claiming top spot on the podium.

There was disappointment for Jamaica's 100 metres hurdles

World champion, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, who hit a hurdle and ended unplaced and her MVP Club teammate, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who placed seventh in the women's 200m.

Mullings got a good start and kept his composure while holding his form, to upstage the American icon in the marque race. Both crossed the finish in 10.26 seconds.

Trinidadian Keston Bledman was third in 10.33, while Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade (10.36) was fourth.

"I feel good," said Mullings. "Any victory makes you feel good, that's what we train for.

"I knew that Tyson was going to come at me, he has a strong finish. I just felt good out of the blocks and held on. I felt much better in the first 30 metres, that's what I'm working on for my trials."

asthma attack

A training partner of Gay, Mullings had to be treated by medical personnel who at one stage had him holding an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, while they wrapped him with a blanket.

"I have a little bit of asthma and every time I run in the cold my chest gets tight," he admitted.

Gay says an injury is affecting his race.

"I was a little bit sluggish, I have an injury and haven't been able to push out of the blocks since practice," he stated.

The United States' Rae Monzavous Edwards and Travis Padgett, as well as Trinidad and Tobago's Richard Thompson, were disqualified under the false-start rule, opening debate on the subject.

"I don't like the one false start rule," said Gay, noting that athletes bring their families to meets to watch them run and it's disappointing.

"One of my training partners (Padgett) got DQ-ed and it affected me," Gay added.

There was no such drama in the women's event, as the United States' Marshevet Myers sped home untested in 11.36, followed by Ivorian Murielle Ahoure (11.55) and the US' Gloria Asumnu (11.57). Jamaica's Samantha Henry placed seventh in 11.83.

Spencer, better known as a 400m hurdler, led a Jamaican one-two with a good win in the women's flat 400m.

The tall, strongly-built athlete stormed through at the finish to win in 50.98 seconds, some way off Allyson Felix's world leading 49.81.

Rosemarie Whyte hit the tape in 51.54 for second, ahead of third-placed American Deedee Trotter, who clocked 51.87. Jamaica's other entrant, Christine Day, ended back of the eight runners in 53.84.

In the men's equivalent, World Championship medal prospect Jermaine Gonzales closed like a train, but just failed by a whisker to beat American Jeremy Wariner - who just lasted home in a breathtaking finish - to register a 45.15 seconds win.

stirring duel

With American Wariner and Grenadian world-leader Rondell Bartholomew involved in a stirring duel down the homestretch, national record holder Gonzales, produced his trademark late blast to slice off a five-metre gap over his last 20 strides, as all three runners hit the tape at practically the same time, drawing loud screams from the crowd which had large Jamaican representation.

"I was a bit slow at the start, it was pretty cold and I'm not used to this weather. I think I left it too late and that cost me the race, but I think it's still a good time in this kind of weather," said Gonzales, who clocked 45.17 to breast Bartholomew (45.17), who has run 44.65 this year.

Sinclair powered home to take the women's 1500 metres in 4:08.06 seconds, beating the United States' Morgan Uceny (4:08.42) and Ethiopians Kalkidan Gezahegne (4:08.46) and Gelete Burka (4:09.84, who placed fourth.

Fraser-Pryce has been running some fairly good 200s this season, but was made to look quite ordinary in the half-lap event won by American Allyson Felix, whose 22.92 clocking was way short of her world-leading 22.38 seconds.

The race included six of the fastest women this year, including Bianca Knight (22.96) who topped Shalonda Solomon (23.03) and Carmelita Jeter (23.15) in a US top-four sweep.

"I couldn't come out of the corner, I was running all over the place on the corner, I thought I was going to fall," admitted Fraser-Pryce, her bubbling personality enabling her to smile amidst the disappointment.