Tyson Gay has run the preliminary round of the 100-meter dash at the U.S. championships in a wind-aided time of 9.75 seconds at Eugene, Ore.
Gay, planning to run only one heat, got a slow start out of the blocks in Thursday's race but accelerated past the finish line to win the heat by 0.23 of a second.
The time was .02 of a second faster than the American record he set at Hayward Field in Eugene last year, but because Gay had strong wind behind him, the time will not go down as a record.
Gay, who automatically qualifies for the world championships because of the title he won there in 2007, has said he did not plan on running in today's semifinals, or in the 200, where he also has an automatic bid.
Earlier, Olympic decathlon champion Bryan Clay withdrew from the meet because of an injured left hamstring, a decision that could force him to shut down his 2009 season.
GOLF
Perry shoots 61 to tie course record
Kenny Perry shot a 61 to tie the course record and take a two-shot lead after the first round of the PGA's Travelers Championship at Cromwell, Conn.
Perry, who has finished in the top 10 seven times at this tournament, shot a 29 on the front nine, and had no bogeys. He flirted with a 59, before making par on the final two holes.
Charles Warren and Paul Goydos each shot seven-under par 63s to tie for second place. --
Germany's Sandra Gal kept loose over a game of chess during a rain delay and shot an eight-under 64 to lead Jiyai Shin by one stroke before darkness suspended first-round play at the Wegmans LPGA at Rochester, N.Y.
PRO FOOTBALL
Chiefs add depth with Brown
The Kansas City Chiefs added depth to the defensive backfield, signing former Pro Bowl safety Mike Brown.
Brown played nine seasons with the Chicago Bears, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2005.
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The Detroit Lions signed center Dominic Raiola to a four-year contract extension, putting the 6-foot-1, 295-pound starter under contract through the 2013 season.
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Seahawks fullback Owen Schmitt has apologized for "poor judgment" after being arrested Saturday in a Seattle suburb on suspicion of drunk driving.
HOCKEY
Fedorov leaving to play in Russia
Nineteen years after defecting from the Soviet Union, Sergei Fedorov is leaving the NHL to play in his homeland.
