Tyson Gay walks before he runs
BEIJING -- Tyson Gay marched into the Bird's Nest with the U.S. team for Friday's opening ceremony.
While a slow walk doesn't seem like a big deal for a man who runs 100 meters in under 10 seconds, the good thing is it wasn't a slow limp.
Gay, reigning world champion in the 100, hasn't run in competition since pulling up lame in the July 5 quarterfinals of the 200 meters at the U.S. Olympic trials. He spent a lot of the time between then and his arrival in Beijing last Tuesday getting treatment at the Munich, Germany, clinic of Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfarth, team physician for the famed Bayern Munich soccer team.
"Our first question to the doctor was 'Can [Gay] run in the Olympics?' '' said Jon Drummond, Gay's co-coach.
According Drummond, Muller-Wohlfarth answered, "We've been waiting for you'' after the doctor learned of the runner's injury.
Drummond said the doctor used a variety of machines on Gay's strained hamstring, including ultrasound, microcurrent and lasers.
"Tyson is doing well,'' Drummond said. "He will absolutely be 100% for the Olympics.''
Gay is to run the first two rounds of the 100 on Friday.
-- Philip Hersh
Photo: Tyson Gay at the opening ceremony. Credit: Adrian Dennis / AFP / Getty Images
