Olympics-Athletics-Gay's double hopes ended by cramp in trials

By Gene Cherry

EUGENE, Oregon, July 5 (Reuters) - Tyson Gay's hopes of an Olympic sprint double ended in agony on Saturday after the 200 metres world champion crashed out of the U.S. trials when his leg seized up during the quarter-finals.

Gay tumbled to the track about 40 metres into the race with what his agent diagnosed as a severe cramp in his left hamstring.

The injury means Gay will now compete in just the 100 metres and 4x100 relay at next month's Beijing Games.

"Before I went out on the track I felt a little tightness in my hamstring so I kind of had a bad feeling," Gay said in a statement.

"I felt it, sort of a pull, about 40 meters," the 25-year-old added.

Heading to his hotel immediately to receive treatment, Gay was lucky enough to suffer no further damage, agent Mark Wetmore said.

The setback is a major blow to U.S. hopes in Beijing and once again brings into question the strict American qualifying procedure.

Only the top three finishers at the trials make the Olympic team regardless of circumstances.

A similar situation deprived the United States of its top 200 metres runners at the 2000 Olympics, when world record holder Michael Johnson and then-100 metres holder Maurice Greene crashed out of the trials final with injuries.

Both missed the Sydney Games in the longer sprint but won gold in their first-choice events.

JAMAICAN CHALLENGE

Gay had hoped to duplicate his 2007 world 100 and 200 metres titles at Beijing.

He showed he was ready to challenge Jamaican world record holder Usain Bolt and his predecessor Asafa Powell in the 100 metres by winning the trials in the fastest time under any conditions, a wind-assisted 9.68 seconds.

Gay is scheduled to meet Jamaican Powell over 100 metres in London on July 25.

In Gay's absence, Rodney Martin, Wallace Spearmon Jr and Walter Dix joined 2004 Olympic gold medallist Shawn Crawford in advancing to Sunday's final.