The sudden-death savagery of the United States Olympic trials claimed its biggest scalp when Tyson Gay, the softly spoken big noise from Kentucky, suffered an injury in the 200 metres heats.

The febrile atmosphere at the event in Eugene, Oregon, turned to disbelief as the world champion pulled up with a hamstring injury a few seconds into his heat. It meant that he failed to qualify for the event and puts his participation in the 100 metres in doubt. “It’s just one of those things,” Gay said. “I’ll get it worked on for a few days.”

The indifference did not fool anyone. With only the first three in each event making the US team, Gay will be unable to run over his favourite distance in Beijing next month. His mother, Daisy Gay Lowe, admitted that Gay had been in tears afterwards.

The American system has been much criticised. Sanya Richards, the world’s best 400 metres runner, failed to qualify for the event at the World Championships last year because she had been suffering from Behçet’s Syndrome, an incurable condition that can lead to inflamed blood vessels, during the trials. Now Gay has also fallen victim to a system that allows for no discretion from the selectors. Lolo Jones, the American hurdler, said: “It’s hard because it’s [the US trials] the biggest thing outside the Olympics and so you have to peak twice.” With the hopes of a dream double quashed, Gay now faces a fight to make the Games. Benny Vaughn, his physiotherapist, said that the sprinter is likely to be fit for the 100 metres, which begins on August 15, and his showdown with Asafa Powell, the Jamaican, at the Aviva London Grand Prix on July 25-26 remains on the schedule for the moment.

A US Track and Field official initially said that the problem was cramp, but an MRI scan yesterday revealed a slight muscle strain in the left thigh that will require two weeks’ rest.

Gay said that he had been aware of a problem before the race, adding ammunition to those who view the American system as too cutthroat for its own good. “Before I went out I felt a little tightness in my hamstring, so I had kind of a bad feeling,” he said.

Gay had no option but to run if he wanted to try to repeat his World Championships feat of winning gold at 100 and 200 metres. He was not alone in suffering trials tribulations as Allyson Felix and Allen Johnson also failed to qualify for the 100 metres and 110 metres hurdles respectively.

Alex Nelson, the British 200 metres prospect, may be going to Beijing, however, after recording an Olympic qualifying time and personal best of 20.49sec in Eton, while Marilyn Okoro ran 1min 59.02sec in Madrid to join the world’s top ten 800 metres women this year. Okoro finished second, ahead of the legendary Maria Mutola, of Mozambique.

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