Sanya Richards-Ross was too inconsistent, Tyson Gay too injured, Bernard Lagat too old. With a number of top Americans trying to disprove doubters — and foreign runners such as South African double amputee Oscar Pistorius also providing juicy storylines — yesterday’s adidas Grand Prix at Randall’s Island was a tantalizing Olympic appetizer for track fans.
Pistorius — called Blade Runner due to the carbon fiber prosthetics he wears — failed in his bid to get the Olympic A qualifying time he needs by month’s end, clocking a last-place 46.14 in the 400 meters.
But Richards-Ross, Lagat and Gay all turned in statement victories while David Rudisha of Kenya and Johan Blake of Jamaica stamped themselves as gold-medal favorites for the London Games.
Richards-Ross — the wife of former Giants cornerback Aaron Ross — has ranked No. 1 in the world four times since 2005, but has never won the Olympic 400. After an ankle injury in 2010 and a crisis of confidence last year, she turned in a 49.3 last weekend — her best 400 in three years — and blazed an impressive turn to clock 22.09 in the 200 yesterday.
That time is her personal best in the event and the fastest in the world this year, which bodes well for her making the U.S. team in the 200 and 400 at the Olympic trials two weeks from now in Eugene.
“I lost a bit of confidence last year, and I feel it coming back,’’ said Richards-Ross, 27. “I think it’s a good indicator of where I am. It’s a personal best. And any time my 200 is really fast, my 400 gets easier. I asked coach [Clyde Hart] could I double, and he said let’s see how I run. Hopefully I made my point I’ll be able to do both in Eugene. ... I know I’m in the best shape of my life.’’
Blake won the 100-meters ‘A’ race in 9.90, but Gay’s run in the ‘B’ heat was big for the U.S. He had not raced in a year following hip surgery last July, but he got a surprising start — never his strong suit — and ran a 10.0 into a 1.5-mph wind.
“My agent tricked me: He said we’re going to put you in a low-key heat, and then I saw the cameras out there on the track,” said Gay, 29, who won’t run the 200 in Eugene. “I was pretty nervous, but it really did [help].
“[Coach Jon] Drummond told me it’s better to run in this atmosphere to get all the jitters out, all the nerves, because I didn’t run any big meets. It’s better to get it out of the way rather than go to the trials and [be] really anxious and nervous.’’
If Lagat showed nerves in his win in the 1,500 meters, they were made of steel. He waited to outkick Ayanleh Souleiman to break the tape in 3:34.63 after running 14th last week at the Prefontaine Classic.
“They said they might’ve seen the end of me, but it’s not,” said Lagat, 37. “These two races last week and this tell me my body is ready to pick up any pace, told me so much that I’m ready. It told me I’m strong, my speed is back. I’m confident I can do well in the 5,000. ... I’m going to go for that first spot.’’
Rudisha dominated the 800 meters in 1:41.74, just .63 seconds off his own world record. Dominican Luguelin Santos ran 45.24 to edge American Jeremy Wariner (45.30) in the 400 meters as Pistorius brought up the rear.
“It was just about finding the rhythm,” Pistorius said. “I started out pretty flat. It wasn’t the race I wanted to run. But I can tell I’ll be back to where I need to be in the next couple of weeks.’’
Pistorius has the African championship at month’s end to again attempt to make the qualifying standard, and also will pick between small meets in France and Belgium.
After three false starts — two by Aries Merritt, who was disqualified — Jason Richardson won the 110-meter hurdles in 13.18.
“When you have so many false starts, you have to stay focused,’’ Richardson said. “That’s what I did. I could probably move objects with my mind, that’s how strong it is. I can run through rain in Shanghai and false starts in New York.’’
brian.lewis@nypost.com
Oscar Pistorius, Tyson Gay, Sanya Richards-Ross, Bernard Lagat, Richards-Ross, Lagat, Aaron Ross, David Rudisha, Johan Blake, Eugene
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