Speedy recovery

Gay says he's ready to go in an Olympic showdown for the ages

BEIJING - Settling into the blocks for races big and small, Tyson Gay shakes uncontrollably. He cannot stop the nervous twitches that drain explosiveness from his starts. His coach, Jon Drummond, constantly reminds Gay to "relax, stay focused, and take a deep breath" before competitions, but the nervousness remains.

Sometimes Gay even calls his mother moments before races.

"Some nerves can stop me from reaching my full potential in a race," said Gay. "When the gun shoots, I'm just jittery. It's weird. I don't know why I'm always nervous."

This is not the type of candor expected from one of the world's best 100-meter runners. Recent top American male sprinters have been known for chest-thumping, trash-talking cockiness. Gay is a soft-spoken, thoughtful contrast. While his event demands a certain over-the-top intensity, Gay is content to quietly go about his business. The 26-year-old said he just wasn't raised to be cocky.

But don't be deceived by his modest style. Gay has all the credentials: world titles in the 100 and 200 last year and a wind-aided 9.68 seconds - the fastest 100 in history - to swagger around the National Stadium, where competition in the men's 100 continues today. Before a left hamstring injury derailed his planned double, he was a favorite in both the 100 and 200 at the Games. Now, uncertainty surrounds Gay as he makes his Olympic debut. Is his hamstring really 100 percent? How will the leg hold up through four rounds of competition?

"I'm fully confident it's going to hold up," said Gay, who easily won the fifth heat of the first round in 10.22. "I don't feel any aches, any twitches, or anything like that. I'm just staying healthy and taking care of my body very well."

With a healthy Gay and Jamaicans Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell vying for the gold medal, history could be made in the 100-meter final. If all three make the final - all three comfortably won their preliminary heats - it will be the first time three sprinters with legal, personal bests of 9.7 have competed for the Olympic title. Each sprinter has different strengths and experience, making the race almost impossible to handicap.

As a relative newcomer to the 100, Bolt doesn't have much big-meet experience in the event, but he does have the world record (9.72). Former world record-holder Powell (personal-best 9.74) has been running extremely fast on the European circuit since his return from multiple injuries earlier this year. After failing in major championship races, Powell wants to prove he can come through on the biggest stage.

When asked if Bolt and Powell were his No. 1 and No. 2 competitors in the 100, Gay said, "No. 1 and No. 1."

Before Gay ran a wind-aided fastest time ever in the US Olympic trials final, he set an American record (9.77) in the quarterfinals. Now he wants to regain his top billing in the event and possibly claim a world record.

"There's no telling what can happen if you put all of us in a race," said Gay. "We could all run 10.0 because we're so nervous. You never know. At the same time, any conditions with us three guys, I think the world record can go lower."

Well-informed Lakers fan

Hanging out at the Athletes' Village, Gay saw Kobe Bryant and asked for a picture together. Then, Bryant asked Gay, "How's your leg doing?" The NBA MVP promised to check out Gay in the 100. The sprinter was shocked at the exchange and immediately sent a text message to his mother.

"Kobe Bryant asked about my leg," he wrote. His mother couldn't believe Bryant followed Gay's career, either.

But Bryant's question was no surprise. Everyone is asking about the leg. Gay strained his left hamstring during the quarterfinal round of the 200 meters at the US trials in early July. When he crumpled to the track in pain and clutched his leg, there was concern he might miss the Games. He pulled out of the London Grand Prix late last month, raising further concern about the lingering effects of the injury. He had not raced since.

"It's asking a lot to have someone run four races at that level in two days," said Gay's Boston-based agent, Mark Wetmore. "That's not an easy thing to do when he hasn't raced in six weeks. It does take a toll on an athlete. There's a natural nervousness, apprehension on all our parts about what the unknown is. We believe he's 100 percent and it's more this weekend will prove he's 100 percent."

The cautious confidence expressed by Gay and Wetmore comes from rehab treatment given by renowned German sports physician Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfarth in Munich and a recent workout in Beijing. As a specialist in soft tissue injuries, Muller-Wohlfarth has treated many of the world's top soccer players and track athletes. He takes a whole-body approach. With Gay, he worked on more than the injured hamstring, correcting minor misalignments in the sprinter's body that added up over time and put extra pressure on the hamstring. That meant massage and chiropractic work.

A properly aligned Gay took to the warm-up track here Sunday, and ran his customary competition-simulation workout. The session consisted of sprinting 60 meters, 80 meters, and 100 meters at full speed. According to Wetmore, Gay ran the workout as well as he ever has.

"Coming off my hamstring injury was a little bit scary for me, especially mentally," said Gay. "Athletes have a tendency to think they can do anything. If it's just a little hurt, you can put some IcyHot on it and get through it. That wasn't the case for me."

The uncertainty surrounding the injury adds to the pressure on the 5-foot-11-inch, 165-pound Gay. But he has practice dealing with big expectations at big meets, albeit for different reasons. Trying to assert himself on the world stage at the 2007 world championships, he handled the pressure well enough to win two individual sprint titles. During the buildup to the Beijing Olympics, those victories catapulted Gay more directly into the spotlight and earned him big endorsement deals. Still, the former University of Arkansas star is caught off guard by some of the attention.

When Gay heard the crowd chanting "Kobe, Kobe" at the opening ceremonies and saw the basketball superstar a little ways to his left, the sprinter told US men's track coach Bubba Thornton that he needed to move near Bryant to make the TV broadcast. Thornton replied, "Nah, trust me, you're all right, just stay right here where you are and everything's going to work out all right." It was hard to miss the camera shot of Gay at the opening ceremonies with his white cap jauntily off to the side.

Lightning Bolt

Bolt blew by Gay on his way to setting the world record at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York May 31. Bolt dominated from the start and appeared to be the future of track and field. The race propelled Bolt from a 200 specialist dabbling in the 100 to an Olympic favorite, though the Jamaican did not officially commit to the Olympic sprint double until this month.

With his 6-5 frame and high leg lift, Bolt can be an intimidating presence in an event in which athletes are typically more compact. As Gay approached the finish line and glimpsed Bolt's record time, his eyes bulged in disbelief. He was not alone that night. While the track world busily recalibrated its expectations for the 100 at the Beijing Olympics and buzzed about its newest contender for the title of fastest man, Gay reordered his own thinking.

"When Usain Bolt ran 9.72, I realized in order to beat him I have to run 9.6, most likely," said Gay. "That's what I trained my mind to do, run 9.6. You just have to adapt to where people are going."

But even before Bolt set a world record, Gay was working on refining his technique to gain the extra fractions of a second that can make all the difference in the 100. He spent the fall in Florida working with longtime coach Lance Brauman, who was released from prison in September after serving a one-year sentence for embezzlement and mail fraud. Brauman specializes in getting athletes in shape and giving them a good conditioning base for training.

From there, Gay moved to Arlington, Texas, to train with Drummond. A gold medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 4 x 100-meter relay, Drummond works with Gay on technique, especially on perfecting starts.

"A lot of things can go wrong in such a short period of time, which is kind of funny," said Gay. "Being around Jon Drummond, you really try to be technically sound. It's about running in a straight line, about reacting, about running through the finish line. Anyone can do things wrong in the 100 meters and still run fast. That's what is so amazing about Usain and when records get broken early [in the season]."

The easygoing Bolt acknowledges he has plenty in the 100 to work on, from uncoiling his long body from the blocks more efficiently to maintaining his speed through the finish line. Bolt said he has a "bad habit" of slowing near the finish to look at his time on the track-side clock. Like Gay, Bolt knows a better reaction to the gun or better form through the finish can make all the difference. Although he is still working on his form, the Jamaican is ready to face Gay and Powell in the final.

"I'm always ready," said Bolt. "I don't take anybody for granted because anybody can run fast any time. You've got to be prepared at all times."

The 100 naturally favors sprinters who can relax, trust their training when settling into the blocks, and allow their muscles to work unrestricted by extra tension. The best races, Gay said, "just happen." But with one of the most-hyped Olympic 100 competitions in recent memory concluding tomorrow night, Gay, Bolt, and Powell are certain to be extraordinarily nervous. Ironically, this may work to Gay's advantage, leveling the playing field in some ways.

"I don't really mind if people say that I'm the favorite or I'm the underdog," said Gay. "A lot of people are still looking forward to me doing big things, regardless of the hamstring injury. Anyone could be the favorite right now. It's just about handling the pressure."

Shira Springer can be reached at springer@globe.com.