Campbell-Brown, Gay pull out
CARSON, Calif. -- Sprinters Veronica Campbell-Brown and Tyson Gay have pulled out of the Adidas Track Classic, one of the premier track competitions held in the U.S., officials announced on Wednesday.
Campbell-Brown, who won gold in the 200 meters at the Olympics in Beijing for Jamaica, was due to make her outdoor season debut in the same event but pulled out because of a toe injury that has limited her since February.
Gay, the reigning world champion in the 100 and 200 meters, holds the American record in the 100. His management group, Global Athletics & Marketing, said that he is "just not ready to run a 100 or 200 yet."
"We're disappointed that he's not competing, but we had a hope that we could get him the opportunity to compete here," said Rich Kenah, the director of marketing. "The good news for Tyson is that in the last few weeks he's found out that he's actually in better shape than what he anticipated."
A knee injury cost Gay six weeks of training at the beginning of the year, but he made his first appearance since Beijing on May 3 at the Texas Invitational meet where he ran a 45.57 in the 400 meters. He is scheduled to face off against former world record-holder Asafa Powell at the Reebok Grand Prix on May 30.
The Classic, which takes place on Saturday, is being held at the Home Depot Center and will feature Beijing Olympic medalists Allyson Felix, Jenn Stuczynski and Jeremy Wariner.
Felix will run the 200, while Wariner will compete in the 400, his signature event. Stuczynski has broken the American record in the pole vault each of the last two years while competing at the Classic.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
