Gay pledges to compete despite injury

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It remains to be seen whether Tyson Gay will be struck by a knockout dose of déjà vu but the American sprinter arrived in London yesterday with doubts hanging over his fitness – three weeks from the start of the World Championships in Berlin, and the defence of his 100m and 200m titles against Usain Bolt. Gay has a groin problem that may eventually require minor surgery to correct.

Last summer his Olympic challenge was undermined by a hamstring injury and he failed to get beyond the 100m semi-finals in Beijing. Not that Gay is considering hanging up his running spikes for the season and going under the knife immediately. Indeed, the Kentuckian travelled to London yesterday from his summer training base in Munich and intends to run in the 200m on the second day of the Aviva London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace tomorrow.

"It's really more of an annoyance than an injury, more something that he has to manage in training than an injury that affects his racing," Gay's agent, Mark Wetmore, said. "It's been developing over a period of years and recently it's got worse. Tyson saw a specialist in Munich and it's something that he can wait until after the season to deal with."