Gay, Powell and Williams shine in Gateshead rain

By Mitch Phillips

LONDON (Reuters) - Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell and Lauryn Williams, three sprinters with painful memories of the Beijing Olympics, were back to winning ways with impressive performances at the British Grand Prix in Gateshead on Sunday.

Gay, who failed to make the Olympic 100 metres final after losing form and fitness following a hamstring strain, won the 200 metres in 20.26 seconds.

Wallace Spearmon, disqualified after finishing third behind Usain Bolt in the Olympic 200 metres final, was second in 20.41.

"Getting the victory means a lot, it's nice to get a win under my belt," Gay told the BBC.

Looking back to his Olympic experience, he said: "It was very frustrating, I was going there to get the gold.

"It was tough to watch (Bolt), I know I would have given him a better race."

Powell was another to have missed out on an individual medal in Beijing, though he did anchor Jamaica to a world-record breaking gold in the 4x100 relay.

Two years ago he equalled his own previous 100 metres world record of 9.77 at Gateshead and, on a sodden track in lashing rain on Sunday, his 9.87 victory was almost as impressive.