Gay tests form, women sprinters renew rivalry

NEW YORK (Reuters) - World champion sprinter Tyson Gay tests his form after last year's Beijing disappointment, and Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown renews her sprint rivalry with Lauryn Williams at Saturday's New York grand prix.

The trio are among a host of Olympic and world medalists competing at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island with an eye toward this summer's world championships in Berlin.

Double world middle-distance champion Bernard Lagat, Sweden's Olympic heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft, who will compete in the long jump, and Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 champion Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia are also among headliners in the meeting.

Jamaican sprinters swept the golds in the men's and women's 100 and 200 meters at the Beijing Games, leaving the once-dominant U.S. sprinters playing catch-up in 2009.

"It should definitely push U.S. sprinting to a new level," American Williams, who preceded world champion Campbell-Brown as world 100 meters champion, told reporters.

"You have to choose whether you are going to be broken by it or step up to the challenge and become the dominant force. Right now Jamaica has that title, and there are no ifs, ands or buts about it. We have to step up to the challenge."

Twice Olympic 200 meters champion Campbell-Brown said rivalries help drive athletics.

"Whenever you are in a race, there are certain people you have to be ready for. Rivalries are good for the sport because they help you push each other," the Jamaican said.

Gay will be running the 200 meters for the first time on U.S. soil since the 2008 Olympic Trials, where he injured his hamstring and ruined his Beijing medal hopes.

The Icahn Stadium track has been to Gay's liking. In 2007 he won the 100 in a wind-aided 9.76 seconds. Last year he ran 9.85 behind Usain Bolt's then-world record time of 9.72.

"This meet has been real good to me," said Gay, who won the 100 and 200 world titles in 2007.

The men's 100 meters will feature former world record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica and Olympic silver medalist Richard Thompson of Trinidad.

Lagat, world champion at 1,500 and 5,000, thinks the 5,000 could see the fastest time ever run in the United States.

"I think with the field that has been assembled, there is the possibility that we could see under 13:00," said Lagat, whose competition includes Ethiopia's world cross country champion Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam and Kenya's Olympic bronze medalists at 5,000 and 10,000, Edwin Soi and Micah Kogo.

(Editing by John Mehaffey)