By Gene Cherry

EUGENE, Oregon (Reuters) - Wallace Spearmon surged down the finishing straight to win the U.S. Olympic trials 200 meters in a quick but wind-assisted 19.82 seconds on Sunday.

Spearmon, who missed out on a medal at the Beijing Olympics when he was disqualified for a lane violation, easily defeated Maurice Mitchell (20.14) and collegian Isiah Young (20.16).

Top U.S. sprinters Tyson Gay, Justin Gatlin and Walter Dix did not contest the event, leaving Spearmon as the only real medal hope for the Americans against the might of the Jamaican team.

Off the track, the highly controversial third place dead heat in the women's 100 meters would finally be resolved on Monday, officials said.

Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh will compete in a runoff to determine the last U.S. sprint spot nine days after the original race.

Meanwhile, Michael Tinsley ran down twice Olympic champion Angelo Taylor to win the men's 400 hurdles in 48.33 seconds, the slowest winning time at the trials in 40 years.

Taylor, in making his fourth U.S. team, clocked 48.57. Olympic silver medalist Kerron Clement took third in 48.89 over a stumbling Bershawn Jackson.

Jackson, the Beijing Games bronze medalist, missed the U.S. team by 0.05 seconds.

World champion Lashinda Demus came close to the year's fastest women's hurdles time with a dominating run of 53.98 seconds.

Two-times world winner Brittney Reese had a close call, needing a last-round leap of 7.15 meters to win a highly competitive women's long jump.

Collegian Chelsea Hayes had the lead at 7.10 until Reese's big jump. Janay DeLoach also made the team at 7.08.

Leonel Manzano took the men's 1,500 meters in 3:35.75 to narrowly beating world bronze medalist Matt Centrowitz, who clocked 3:35.84 with Andrew Wheating third in 3:36.68.

Morgan Uceny controlled the women's race in 4:04.59. Shannon Rowbury (4:05.11) took second with world champion Jenny Simpson (4:05.17) rounding out the U.S. team.

(Editing by John O'Brien)