Gay Claims World Athletics Final 200-Meter Title; Spearmon Takes Third

November 7, 2014

MONTE-CARLO, Monaco – Former UA sprinter Tyson Gay redeemed himself at the IAAF World Athletics Final when he won the 200 meters in dominating fashion. Gay was the only runner in the first-class field to break the 20-second barrier as he recorded a new championship record time of 19.96. His performance was only three hundredths outside his best (19.93), despite a 1.5 meters per second headwind. “It was a great meet for Wallace and Tyson,” Arkansas sprints coach Lance Brauman said. “It was Tyson’s first final for him to win all year and it will probably solidify him at No. 2 in the world. It’s a great way for him to start his career.” The seven athletes Gay was going up against were selected for the race by their current IAAF world rankings, allowing Gay to now say he beat the best of the best and ended his long outdoor season on a positive note. The USA runner-up had faced frustration at the World Track and Field Championships in August when he was unable to claim a medal with a fourth place finish in the 200-meter dash. To make matters worse America’s gold-medal favorite 4×100-meter relay team dropped the baton in the prelims. Former Hog and World Championship silver medalist Wallace Spearmon Jr., grabbed third place with a clocking of 20.21. Jamaica’s Chris Williams crossed the line just ahead of the Fayetteville, Ark., native to earn runner-up honors with a season-best time of 20.19. Justin Gatlin, a two-time world champion, settled for fourth place with a time of 20.25. “For both to compete during the entire collegiate season and continue to excel on the professional circuit is very impressive,” Brauman said. “It says a lot about the program when you have two teammates end the season ranked No.1 and No. 2 in the world.”As Spearmon and Gay entered the World Athletics Final they boasted world rankings of No.1 and No.3, respectively. Now that they both finished ahead of Gatlin, Spearmon will secure his top world ranking and Gay will more than likely move up to No. 2.