Gay runs 9.79 to win men's 100m at Diamond League finals

Tyson Gay of the U.S. (C), Nesta Carter (L) and Yohan Blake from Jamaica compete during the men's 100 meters, at the IAAF Diamond League Memorial Van Damme athletics meeting in Brussels, Belgium, Aug. 27, 2010.

BRUSSELS, Aug. 27 -- Tyson Gay put on another strong but not unchallenged display of speed as the inaugural Diamond League series came to an end at the Belgacom Memorial Van Damme in Brussels on Friday.

Despite the unseasonable chill and wet track, another sell-out crowd of 47,000 fans at King Baudouin Stadium were treated to the season's second fastest 100m run courtesy of Gay who for the second consecutive meeting simply defied the conditions.

In London 14 days ago, the former double world champion beat the rain and cold with a world-leading 9.78 performances. The conditions weren't much better in the Belgian capital but the result was nearly the same, a 9.79 clocking which secured the Diamond Race Trophy for the American, the IAAF.org reported.

"I was pleased with my time but not with my race," said Gay, whose next 100m outing is set for Wednesday's IAAF World Challenge meeting in Zagreb. "I didn't execute my start well. I was very please with my last 30 meters."

Tyson Gay of the U.S. wins the men's 100m race at the Memorial Van Damme, IAAF Diamond League athletics final meet, in Brussels August 27, 2010.

There was a bit of drama just before the start, when the runners were called back by an apparent false start. The culprit was actually a slipped starting block.

"Everyone was pulled up, I think somebody's block slipped," Gay said. "The camera stayed on me which made me a bit nervous but I knew I hadn't false started."

Gay was clearly a half step ahead of the field by 60 meters en route to his sixth career sub-9.80, but was chased to the line by Jamaican Nesta Carter who improved his personal best by a notch to 9.85.

"At about 50 or 60 meters I was still ahead of Gay, that gave me wings," said Carter, who clocked 9.86 19 days ago.

Yohan Blake also dipped under 10 seconds, clocking 9.91 for third.

Gay was one of 16 athletes to collect the remaining Diamond Race Trophies and 40,000 U.S. dollar cash prizes at this second of two Diamond League finals.

(Xinhua)