The 28-year old Clermont, Fla., resident first captured international glory in 2007 when he claimed a pair of gold medals in the 100 and 200-meter events and a third as a member of the 4x100-meter relay team, becoming only the second sprinter to win all three events at the World Championships. Gay’s on-field dominance continued in 2008 at the U.S. National Trials, where he set an American record of 9.77 seconds in the 100 and was poised for an Olympic run later that year in Beijing.
However, at the same U.S. Trials, Gay suffered a severe hamstring injury while competing in the 200, which carried over to the Olympic Games a few months later. A year later, a resurgent Gay turned the page, got back in the starting blocks and on the podium at the 2009 Worlds, winning a silver medal in the 100. His personal best times establish him as the second fastest athlete in the 100 and the third fastest athlete in the history of the 200, with times of 9.69 (an American record) and 19.58 seconds, respectively.
While another injury prevented him from competing in the 2011 Worlds, Gay’s 2012 goals are right in front of him and crystal clear: perform well at the 2012 U.S. Trials early next summer and earn a return trip to the Games and an opportunity at Olympic glory.
Throughout his international career, Gay has taken great pride in his work ethic and on-track success, but him being able to perform clean-free is as equally if not more satisfying to the sprinter. During the 2008 Olympics, Gay was a participant in the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s “Project Believe” program, where he was regularly tested to ensure that his system was clean of performance-enhancing drugs.
The Lexington, Ky., native recently renewed his commitment to clean-free competition through his partnership with Abbott Nutrition’s EAS Sports Nutrition brand, which recently announced 100% Certification of all of its sports nutrition products. Through the EAS® 100% Certified program, EAS® sports nutrition products will be banned substance tested by global, independent, sports testing laboratories and marked with a “tested and true” certified seal. The EAS partnership is a natural one for Gay, who has been an avid EAS user and who has incorporated into his daily training regime for quite some time.
Gay plans to enter and compete in several pre-Olympic meets in the spring of 2012, including the U.S. Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 22-July 1.