Rend Lake's Ryan Bailey sails to Olympic semifinals, paces fastest 100m heat in London

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LONDON, (Aug. 4, 2012) - Former Rend Lake College Warrior sprinter Ryan Bailey ran the fastest preliminary time Saturday morning in London, advancing to the 100m dash semifinals on Sunday.

Bailey's time of 9.88 seconds tied his personal best and outpaced runners of all seven heats - including Jamaican world-record holder Usain Bolt - Saturday at Olympic Stadium. Reports stated it was the fastest first-round men's 100m qualifying time in Olympic history. Bailey, of Eugene, Ore., and a graduate of McKay High School, will run in the 100m semifinal at 1:45 p.m., Central Standard Time, Sunday. If Bailey qualifies for the final he will run at 3:50 p.m. CST on Sunday. It will be the premier event of the London Olympics. Both races are scheduled to air LIVE on NBC.

"I just wanted to get out there and run my heat," the 23-year-old Bailey told the international press Saturday morning. "I knew that if I stayed healthy I'd be okay. It was surprisingly easy. There's no pressure on me whatsoever. I really focus on myself and I'm not aware of anyone else."

Bailey was a two-time national champion in sprint events for Rend Lake in 2009. He set multiple records at the college, all of which still stand.

Tyson Gay (USA), Richard Thompson (TRI) and Gerald Phiri (ZAM) advanced from the top three positions in the first heat; while Justin Gatlin (USA), Derrick Atkins (BAH) and Rondel Sorrillo (TRI) qualified by going 1,2,3 in the second heat. In the third heat, Bailey, Ben Youssef Meité (CIV), and Justyn Warner (CAN) advanced by placing top three. With Bailey setting such a fast pace, two more qualified from the third heat - Kemar Hyman (CAY) and Suwaibou Sanneh (GAM). The next three heats produced qualifiers in Bolt (JAM), Daniel Bailey (ANT), and James Dasaolu (GBR); Asafa Powell (JAM), Adam Gemili (GBR), and Churandy Martina (NED); Yohan Blake (JAM), Ryota Yamagata (JPN), Bingtian Su (CHN), and Antoine Adams (SKN); and Dwain Chambers (GBR), Jimmy Vicaut (FRA), and Keston Bledman (TRI).