American Record: Maurice Greene, 9.79
2007 U.S. Champion: Tyson Gay, 9.84
2004 Olympic Trials Champion: Maurice Greene, 9.91
Top 5 Seed Times
1.) Tyson Gay, 9.84
2.) Walter Dix, 9.93
3.) Travis Padgett, 9.96
4.) Wallace Spearmon, 9.96
5.) Mickey Grimes, 10.01
If not for Usain Bolt’s world record surprise in New York, Tyson Gay wouldn’t be just the favorite to win at the Olympic Trials, but at the Olympic Games as well. Gay won the prestigious double – the 100 and 200 meters – at the 2007 outdoor world championships. Although it’s a fair expectation the third finisher will make the Olympic ‘A’ standard of 10.21, it’s a toss-up to who it will be.
A teammate of Gay’s at Arkansas, Wallace Spearmon has the potential to make his first Olympic team with a solid run in the 100m. Spearmon finished 2007 tenth in the world in the 100, and ran a leg on the gold medal-winning 4x100m relay team at last year’s world championships.
Travis Padgett and Walter Dix are fresh off of their second and fourth-place performances at the NCAA Championships. Dix’s mark came from his dominating 2007 season, where he won the 100 and 200m at the outdoor NCAAs. Overall, he is a seven-time NCAA champion. This season, however, his time fell to 17th in the nation after a hamstring injury.
Mickey Grimes and Joshua Johnson have outside chances to make the U.S. team if each can run under 10 seconds during the Olympic Trials. Their best times came at the same meet on July 28 last year in Zaragoza, Spain.