AUSTIN, Texas – The races are a month away, yet U.S. Olympic men’s track coach Bubba Thornton says the team he’s leading to the Beijing Games could rank among the best.

“Probably the strongest team we’ve ever sent to the Olympic Games,” Thornton said Thursday while reflecting on the wild U.S. Olympic trials that wrapped up last week. “I feel really good about this team.”

The trials produced a mixed bag of strong performances, upsets and suspenseful moments.

Tyson Gay, the defending world champion in the 100 and 200 meters, will go to the Olympics in the first event but not the second after a hamstring injury sent him tumbling to the track in 200 qualifying.

Defending Olympic champion and former Mr. Invincible in the 400 meters Jeremy Wariner lost in the final to LaShawn Merritt for the second time this year. One could look at Wariner as slipping – or the U.S. just getting stronger.

Gay has said he’ll be ready for the 100 and Thornton said he has no reason to doubt him. Thornton said he’s checking on Gay’s progress by staying in regular touch with Gay’s personal coach Jon Drummond.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the worst, Thornton suggested Gay’s hamstring ranked no higher than a 3. Any sprinter should be taking at least a week off after the rigorous ordeal of a meet like the U.S. trials, so Gay shouldn’t be hampered, Thornton said.