Usain Bolt Vs Tyson Gay: The Clock Is Ticking...

To many Summer Olympics fans, the world was cheated last August when the two pretenders to the "World's Fastest Human" mantle failed to engage. Tyson Gay was a no-show, due to a serious hamstring injury.

The world, as it turns out, was not cheated.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt, even without the impetus of his American rival, managed to cover both 100 meters and 200 meters faster than anyone in history.

Amazingly, in both record-breaking performances, Bolt seemed to ease up before crossing the finish line.

The popular question among sprint fans for weeks afterward was "What might have been...?"

Indeed, with Gay pushing Bolt—or Bolt pushing Gay—"What might have been...?"

On second thought, considering that provocative question, maybe the world was cheated.

Now, after a year of healing and training for Gay, and months of media frenzy and notoriety for Bolt, the stage is once again set for a showdown at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin in mid-August.

The two duelists appear to be peaking in both confidence and execution at just the right time. Both have been active in summer meets and have posted excellent times in both 100 and 200 meter disciplines.

And, perhaps to fuel the fires of ratings and speculation, they have not competed head-to-head so far this year.

At the just-completed Aviva London Grand Prix meet, Bolt laid down an impressive 9.91 in the 100 meters into a stiff headwind. Gay likewise defeated the field in the 200 meters in typical Bolt fashion, jogging across the finish line in 20.0.

The American has established world-bests this year in both the 100 (9.77) and 200 (19.58).

The Jamaican, who claims he is at 85% form, is right on Gay's heels with respective times of 9.79 and 19.59 this year.

Bolt's world records are 9.69 and 19.30.

Perhaps the question "What might have been...?" will become the statement, "I saw it happen!"

Stay within a click of Bleacher Report's Track and Field page for further updates as the gamesmanship and hype now goes into overdrive.

TV/online coverage of the World Championships will be provided by Universal Sports and NBC.