There's a stormy forecast for the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing on Aug 16 when Tyson Gay, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell are expected to stage a 100m final showdown for the ages.

Jamaica's "Lightning" Bolt set the world record of 9.72 seconds May 31 in New York while Gay ran fast as the wind to win the US Olympic trials final in Eugene, Oregon on June 29 in a wind-aided 9.68, the fastest time ever under any conditions.

Insert Powell, a Caribbean hurricane from Jamaica who was the former world record-holder at 9.74, and the scene is set for an electrifying high-speed duel for the title of "world's fastest man" in possibly the fastest 100m race ever.

"It's going to be some exciting times ahead," Powell said. "When we all meet you can expect some serious fireworks."

"It's going to be a very exciting Olympics," Gay said.

Bolt and Powell, who was coming off a chest muscle injury, were conservative in the Jamaican trials to secure Beijing spots. But Gay had a 9.77 quarterfinal at the US trials to become third on the all-time wind-legal performers list.

And that came with Gay slowing before the finish line.

"If he had run through the tape he would have had the world record," said Jon Drummond, Gay's coach.

Bolt, a lanky 21-year-old 200m specialist, beat Gay by .13 in his world-record run, his first major 100 race outside his homeland. Bolt pulled ahead and Gay could not recover in the final steps.

"Me and Tyson run similar so if I get out in front of him I won't have to worry about him coming back on me," Bolt said. "I've been wanting to do this for two years. My coach finally said yes."

That coach, Glen Mills, says no to any idea of a Bolt rematch with Gay before Beijing.

"Usain will not meet Gay until the Olympics," Mills said. "He beat him already, so what else he has to prove? Nothing."

Bolt has already proven something to Gay, who figures he must be even with Bolt two-thirds of the way through the race to have a chance of beating him in the 100 at Beijing.

"I will have to be even with him at 65 meters," Gay said. "I didn't make up that much ground. It makes sense that I would have to be closer to him."

Drummond said Bolt's defeat of Gay could be a blessing in disguise because it made him study his pupil's stride techniques and stop Gay from kicking his own rear with strides rather than lift his knees high in front.

"The best thing that could have happened was he lost that race," Drummond said. "We're going to improve before the Olympics. We have to come out with our best race at the Olympics. There's no perfect race. You always find a way to upgrade."

Gay expects rivals to join him in the 9.6 realm without high winds at their backs just as he thinks he can crack 9.7 with a legal wind.

"It means a lot," Gay said. "I'm pretty sure people are going to start stepping down into that area, but I'm glad my body went that fast because I believe with a (legal) wind I can do it."

As much as Gay wants to send the message that he has more speed to show, he also is happy that Bolt looks to carry the world-record burden into Beijing.

"I don't think I have a lot of pressure on me even after running that time," Gay said. "That was wind-aided. Usain Bolt beat me to set the world record. When we get together again, he's still going to have the world record."

And Bolt can keep it, Drummond says, because Beijing is all about the gold.

"We've got four rounds and we've got to beat people," Drummond said. "We brought that attitude to the trials and we will do it again for the Olympics. That's what this is about. This year is about the Olympic gold medal."

Much as the superstar trio wants the final to be a three-man affair, there will be rivals for the podium.

"I don't agree counting out other people who could get a medal. That doesn't make any sense to me," Gay said. "It's the Olympics. Favorites don't always win."

Walter Dix was second in the US trials in 9.80 with Darvis Patton third in 9.84 to book Beijing berths. Both were simply dazzled by Gay's run.

"If you had blinked, you would have missed it," Patton said. "For the human body to go that fast is just awesome."

Dix laughed when Gay said that his staying so long in his drive stance was no real edge but "just something that looks kind of neat".

"He just ran the fastest race in the history of mankind and he thinks it's 'kind of neat'. Only Tyson would say that," Dix said. "It's going to be a great race with Asafa and Usain."

(Agencies  via China Daily July 10, 2008)