AP
Tyson Gay (right) approaches the finish line to set a new American record with a time of 9.77 seconds in the men's quarter-final 100 metre race at the United States Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon yesterday. At left is Walter Dix.

EUGENE, Oregon (AP):

Tyson Gay has broken the United States record in the men's 100 metres by clocking 9.77 seconds. The old mark had stood since 1999, when Maurice Greene ran 9.79.

Gay's national record comes at the US Olympic track and field trials in a quarter-final heat yesterday. The world record is 9.72, set by Jamaica's Usain Bolt last month.

Forced to accelerate

Earlier, Gay came awfully close to a monumental blunder in his first race at the trials.

After building a big lead in his 100-metre heat the reigning world champion eased up a lot with about 30 metres left - so much that the rest of the field began to catch him.

Gay was forced to accelerate again and he lunged across the finish line in fourth place, good enough to advance.

"I'm OK," he said. "I just misjudged the white line."

Really? Even if there are several white markings across the rust-coloured track down the stretch, it was hardly a veteran move from a man who has won the past two U.S. titles in the dash.

Less-than-ideal position

Indeed, had he not recovered, an exit by Gay in the first round of qualifying would have been a major surprise at this 10-day meet to determine the American roster for the Beijing Games.

His time of 10.14 seconds tied for the 11th-fastest among the 30 starters in the 100. That stuck him in lane two for his quarter-final, a less-than-ideal position.

The best heat was run by Walter Dix, the 2007 NCAA champion from Florida State, who clocked 9.96 seconds.

"I've still got some left in the tank," Dix said.

None of the top contenders failed to reach the quarter-finals. Among those moving on were Wallace Spearmon, a former teammate of Gay's at Arkansas who won the bronze medal in the 200 at the 2007 world championships; and John Capel, who was handed a two-year suspension in 2006 after testing positive for marijuana.

Eighth-fastest woman

In the women's 100 semi-finals, Torri Edwards used a perfectly timed start and down-the-stretch speed to win her heat in 10.78 seconds - the fastest legal 100 time in the world this year, by a whopping 10th of a second.

That time also makes Edwards, the 2003 world champion, the eighth-fastest woman in history. She had no desire, however, to discuss that showing with the event final coming later Saturday.

"Finals, please," she said to reporters, and kept walking.

The other semi-final was won by Marshevet Hooker in 10.89. She also won both of her heats Friday.

Also reaching the final were Allyson Felix, who aims to compete in four events in China; and 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2005 world champion Lauryn Williams.

But Carmelita Jeter, the bronze medalist in the 100 at last year's world cham-pionships, failed to advance.