No Gatlin, no problem: U.S. team still powerful

The team wants to win more than 25 medals at the world championships.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — No matter what happens, the United States always seems to come up with a powerhouse sprint team for the world championships and Olympics.

This year is no exception, even though Justin Gatlin is suspended and Marion Jones is nowhere to be found.

Led by Tyson Gay, the U.S. should be just fine in its signature events when the world competition begins Aug. 25 in Osaka, Japan.

Craig Masback, executive director of USA Track & Field, has set a goal of winning more medals than the 25 that Americans won at the 2005 worlds in Helsinki. That haul included a record 14 golds.

That’s a daunting challenge for a team that features new contenders mixed with reigning world champions and several who nearly won the gold two years ago.

Emerging threat

Gay never has won a medal in the world competition, but judging by his performance at last week’s U.S. track and field championships, that is about to change. Gay put together, statistically, the best 100-200 sprint double in the sport’s history.

Two days after he ran a 9.84-second 100 into a strong headwind, he won the 200 on Sunday in 19.62, the second-fastest time in the event’s history. Only Michael Johnson’s 19.32 at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics was better. Gay did it on a wet track with a wind blowing in his face down the stretch.

“It was probably as perfect as it’s going to be in these conditions,” Gay said.

Wallace Spearmon, runner-up at the 2005 worlds and Gay’s training partner in Fayetteville, Ark., was second in 19.89, with Rodney Martin third at 20.18.

Naturally, the talk turned to a repeat of the U.S. sweep in the event at the worlds in Helsinki.

“I hope, so, I really do,” Gay said. “It happened two years ago, and I hope it happens again.”

Nobody is after second or third, though.

“We’re all going with the same goal,” Spearmon said. “We’re all shooting for gold.”

Runners to watch

Between now and then, agents and meet promoters will be jockeying to set up a showdown between Gay and Asafa Powell, who shares the 100 world record of 9.77 with Gatlin. The most likely location is London Aug. 3.

U.S. women sprinters will be well represented in Osaka, too, with defending 100 champion Lauryn Williams and Torri Edwards, who won the 100 and finished third in the 200 at the U.S. championships.

The top three finishers in each event at the U.S. meet made the team for the worlds, providing they have met qualifying standards.

Since reigning world champions get a bye to the worlds, the U.S. will have four competitors in several events, including the women’s 100 (defending champion Williams), women’s 200 (Allyson Felix), men’s 400 (Jeremy Wariner), men’s 400 hurdles (Bershawn Jackson), women’s 100 hurdles (Michelle Perry) and men’s shot put (Adam Nelson).

Absent from the worlds for the first time since 1993 will be Allen Johnson. Plagued by injuries and feeling some of the inevitable impact of time, the four-time world champion finished seventh in the 110 hurdles Sunday.