Gay sets new straight 200m world record in Manchester

TYSON Gay paced himself to perfection to smash the world record for a dead-straight 200m at the Powerade Great City Games in Manchester.

IMPRESSIVE: Tyson Gay clocked 19.41 seconds - a world record for a dead straight 200m at the Powerade City Games in Manchester (Getty Images)

Gay erased Tommie Smith's long standing 19.50 second previous best from the record books and the 1968 Olympic champion was among the first to congratulate his fellow American on the specially constructed track in Manchester's Deansgate.

Gay's impressive splits - particularly his last 100m - underlined his pre-race talk that he was ready to challenge Usain Bolt - who snatched his 100m and 200m world titles in Berlin last year - in this year's IAAF Diamond League.

"It was really tough but I just tried to pace myself and I'm delighted with the time and the record," said Gay, who clocked 19.41 secs.

"It's a great dream to break a record like this, especially one held by such a great athlete like Tommie."

American Shawn Crawford edged the men's 150m race but his time of 15.30 secs was almost a second slower than the 14.35 sec world record Bolt set in the pouring rain 12 months ago.

Crawford surged from fourth to first in the closing metres, just edging out Great Britain's Riki Fifton and long-time leading European sprinter Francis Obikwelu.

"Street racing in the middle of the city is a bit like drag racing and I love it," said Crawford.

"I'm a great turn runner so I looked down a dead straight 150m track and it was hard for me. 

"I made a slow start but I came through in the closing stages when my endurance kicked in."