Usain Bolt © Gallo Images

Gay's victory in the 100 finals on Sunday at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials was aided by a 4.1m/sec tailwind, too strong for his time to break the world record of 9.72 set May 31 by Bolt in defeating Gay at a meet in New York.

But Thornton took a swipe at the magnitude of Bolt's record-setting victory and sent a message that Gay will have more speed when it matters most - at Beijing.

"That was a great race but it was a great race that didn't mean much," said Thornton. "A lot of guys have won races that didn't mean much and still gotten the world record.

"Tyson Gay has the right definition of what he's trying to do."

Gay's run was the fastest ever 100 under any conditions, surpassing the breeze-boosted 9.69 by Obedele Thompson of Barbados, and came under intense pressure. Gay had to make the top three or miss out running the 100 at Beijing.

"This was probably the toughest race he will run all year," said Jon Drummond, Gay's personal coach.

"Everything here is about peaking. That (world record) is not what this is about. This year is about that Olympic gold medal. We've got four rounds (in Beijing) and we've got to beat people."

Gay's epic performance is also a confidence boost after the loss to Bolt.

"When someone comes to your country, kicks your butt and sets the world record, it can work on your mind a little bit," Gay said. "It's not about setting the world record. It's about focusing on each round in Beijing."

Gay, who will make about two million dollars this year in corporate sponsor endorsements, might just boost the entire American athletics team at the Olympics, Thornton said.

"He has raised the bar for the whole team by the way he has performed," said Thornton. "Whether he wants to or not, he has raised the bar. This sets the stage for years to come."

But Gay also knows the sport is drowning in doping disgrace, a prime example being Marion Jones still imprisoned for lying about using performance-enhancing drugs after giving back her five medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

"We've done a good job of stepping to the forefront and giving you something else to write about instead of the negative aspects of track and field," said 100 women's Olympic qualifier Lauryn Williams.

Still, Gay is trying to bolster the credibility of his performances by being part of "Project Believe", the new US Anti-Doping Agency programme that takes blood and urine tests over several months to produce a bio-chemical standard that makes doping detection easier.

"I can only come out and do my best no matter what anybody else is thinking," Gay said. "What I have done the past couple years, the way I have carried myself, I think I've been good for the sport."

Gay's far-from-flashy attitude as he battles for the title of "World's Fastest Man" has made Thornton a believer as well.

"This is important to him. He does it because he wants to be one of the special guys who have ever been in the sport. Very focused. Very humble. Hard worker," Thornton said.

"I watched him after the race, how he enjoyed the moment, the thrill of how he ran. It was still a humbling presentation. How he handled that moment says a lot about Tyson Gay."

"But as he evolves he is going to want to be more than the fastest guy in the world. 'Yeah, I ran this but I am this person.' He has become more efficient at doing the things it takes to be the best at his event."

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