Gay Beats Bolt, Solinsky Sub 13 for 5,000m

INDIANAPOLIS –
Tyson Gay stunned the crowd Friday night in Stockholm when he beat
world record holder Usain Bolt in the men’s 100m final at the DN Galan
– Samsung Diamond League.

Starting off in
the semifinals, Gay had the fastest time winning his heat in 10.02
while Bolt won the first heat in 10.10. Ninety minutes later it was
time for the final. It was the first race for the pair in over a year,
and just their third head-to-head matchup over 100m ever.

When the gun went
off, Gay burst from the blocks, immediately taking the lead over Bolt.
Powering down the straight, Gay was able to hold off the reigning
Olympic and World champion to get the win in a meet record 9.84
seconds. Bolt crossed the line in second in a pedestrian 9.97. It was
Bolt’s first loss since the DN Galan in 2008 and the second-slowest
final of his career. Meet records at the DN Galan earn the winner a
diamond valued at $10,000 and Gay walked away with that prize.

In the final event
of the evening, Chris Solinsky became just the third American man ever
to run sub-thirteen in the men’s 5,000m tonight when he finished fifth
in 12:55.53.

2008 Olympic
bronze medalist Bershawn Jackson mined a diamond of his own, winning
the men’s 400m hurdles in a meet record 47.65. The previous record of
47.98 was set by Danny Harris some 20 years ago. He won by nearly a
full second over Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson, who clocked 48.50.

Christian Cantwell
won the men’s shot put on Thursday with a meet record heave of
22.09m/72-5.75. His nearest competitor, reigning Olympic champion
Tomasz Majewski (POL), finished second over a meter back with a best
put of 21.01m/68-11.25.

Three-time World
Outdoor champion Allyson Felix cruised to victory in the women’s 200m,
crossing the line in 22.41. She led an American sweep of the podium
that saw Shalonda Solomon finish second in 22.51 and Bianca Knight take
third in 22.59.

The reigning World
Indoor and Outdoor champion, Blanka Vlasic extended her unbeaten streak
in Samsung Diamond League competition to five with a victory over
current world leader Chaunte Lowe in the women’s high jump. Even
through 2.00m/6-6.75 when they both cleared with their second tries,
the Croatian took control with her second-attempt clearance at
2.02m/6-7.5, while Lowe was unable to clear that bar.

Australia’s Sally
Pearson, the Olympic silver medalist, surged over the second half of
the women’s 100m hurdles to beat a formidable field with 12.57. She
edged Canada’s Priscilla Lopes-Schliep by just 0.02, reigning USA
Outdoor champion Lolo Jones, the over all Diamond Race leader, took
third in 12.70.

Russian Tatyana
Firova, fresh off her win the European Championships, won the women’s
400m in 50.46 over World Indoor champion Debbie Dunn, who finished
second in 50.59. American Indoor record holder Francena McCorory
finished third in 50.66.

For complete results from the DN Galan, visit www.diamondleague.com.