Gay finishes fourth at Olympics in 100 meters

FAYETTEVILLE – Running in the final of the 100 meters at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Tyson Gay ran a season-best time of 9.80 and finished in fourth place Sunday at Olympic Stadium in London. He finished just .01 out of medal position. In a display of the field’s quality, the time for Gay was the fastest non-medal performance in Olympic history. Sunday’s race marked the first career Olympic final for Gay.

The former Razorback qualified for the title race earlier in the day with an automatic performance in the semifinal round. In the third heat, Gay ran to a qualifying time of 9.90 to finish second in the heat and fourth overall in the semifinal round. In the final, Gay finished behind Usain Bolt (9.63) and Yohan Blake (9.75), both of Jamaica, and Justin Gatlin (9.79) of the United States, respectively.

Gay is scheduled to return to the track as a member of the United States’ 4x100-meter relay. Qualifying in the event begins Friday with the final scheduled for the following day.

The Razorback contingent in London returns to action Tuesday for the opening round of the 200 meters with current student-athlete Marek Niit representing Estonia and former standout Wallace Spearmon, Jr., running for Team USA. Those first-round heats will be run Tuesday at 5:50 a.m. (CT). Niit competed in the first round of the 100 meter earlier this weekend.

To follow Arkansas’ progress in London, follow @RazorbackTF on Twitter or visit the 2012 Olympic Central page at ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

Sunday Results
100 Meters (semifinal)
4. Tyson Gay (USA) – 9.90Q

100 Meters (final)
4. Tyson Gay (USA) – 9.80