Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sport

Tyson Gay (left) of the United States runs away with the coveted 100-metre gold medal ahead of joint favourite Jamaican Asafa Powell at the 11th IAAF World Athletics Championships in Osaka yesterday. Powell won the bronze. - Reuters

Osaka, Japan:

THE PLANET'S fastest man, Asafa Powell, blamed panic and nerves for his 100m defeat at the 11th IAAF World Championships yesterday as sprint nemesis American Tyson Gay blew past him to grab gold.

Gay clocked a near personal-best 9.85 seconds to bag gold as Powell, the early leader in the much-anticipated race, faded into a disappointing third.

He was pipped for silver by his cousin, Bahamian Derrick Atkins, who set a national record 9.91. Powell's bronze in 9.96 gave Jamaica its first medal at the championships.

The 100m world record holder admitted that he panicked midway into the race when Gay came forward.

"I felt him coming on, I started to panic and that slowed me down," Powell said.

Gay, beaten no fewer than five times by Powell last year, won the first and most important meeting of the two sprinters in 2007.

Surprisingly, the American, a notoriously slow starter, reacted faster to the gun than usual and accelerated at 50 metres to power past Powell.

Tightened up

Powell said a tactical mishap contributed to his defeat.

"I stumbled from the blocks and was leading near the end until I started to tighten up and I lost the race from there as Tyson ran past me."

He added that injuries early in the season did not help.

"I would say that the injuries sort of threw me off a little bit as I did not get to run a couple of good races before this, but I was ready coming into this competition, but I made a couple of mistakes."

Gay, who has already run a personal-best 9.84 this year, was in full flow at 70 metres and streaked away to win the first half of what many here expect will be a championship sprint double to equal the achievements of fellow Americans Maurice Greene at Seville in 1999 and Justin Gatlin at the 2005 championships in Helsinki.

Gay said he was also edgy before the starter's gun.

"Normally, I have full confidence in myself, but today I was a little bit nervous," he said after the race. He added that he got a lot of encouragement from his mother and former American sprinter Jon Drummond.

"They kept telling me 'just believe in yourself'," the 100-metre gold medallist said.

Earlier, both Nesta Carter and Clement Campbell went out at the semi-final stage.

Carter was seventh and an injured Campbell eighth in the semi-final won in 10.00 by Gay. Powell (10.08) was second in the other semi-final won in 10.04 by Atkins.

elton.tucker@gleanerjm.com