NEW YORK – Greenhill sophomore Chelsey Sveinsson finished 15th out of 16 competitors in the women's 1,500 meters Saturday at the Reebok Grand Prix but still managed to crush the state record.
Sveinsson, the lone high school competitor in the race, finished in 4 minutes, 18.13 seconds, breaking the state high school record of 4:26.62 set in 2004 by Plano West's Erin Bedell (Baylor). Sveinsson broke Bedell's state 1,600 record last year.
Former Arkansas All-American Christin Wurth-Thomas won the race in a meet-record 4:03.96, the fastest time in the world this year.
Tyson Gay returned to form in a big way, running the third-fastest 200 time in history. The only faster times than his 19:58 are Usain Bolt's world record of 19.30 in Beijing and Michael Johnson's 19.32 in 1996. Gay failed to medal in the 100 or 200 at the Beijing Games after hurting a hamstring during the U.S. Olympic trials.
Jeremy Wariner was fourth in the 200 in 20.30, behind runner-up Wallace Spearmon (19.98) and Xavier Carter (20.27). An Arlington Lamar graduate, Wariner did not compete in the 400, the event he won at the 2004 Athens Olympics. His American rival, reigning Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt, took Saturday's race in 44.75.
American Mike Rodgers was the surprise winner in the men's 100. Former world record holder Asafa Powell was seventh.
Carmelita Jeter of the U.S. beat a tough field in the women's 100.
