OSAKA, Japan — A scorching final 50 meters made Tyson Gay the world champion.

The 100-meter matchup Sunday night between the latest American sprint sensation and co-world record holder Asafa Powell was the most anticipated event of the world track and field championships. Gay, a former Arkansas Razorbacks All-American, made it a one-man show.

Under a full moon on another hot, sticky night at Nagai Stadium — with Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko looking on — Gay surged ahead of the Jamaican over the final 40 meters to win in 9. 85 seconds. A “panicked” Powell couldn’t even manage second place. He was third in 9. 96, behind Derrick Atkins’ 9. 91.

Negativity nearly overwhelmed Gay before the biggest race of his life.

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“I was wondering, ‘Will people still respect me if I lose ?’” he said. “I was wondering if anyone would still love me.”

A pep talk from his mom cheered him up.

“She talked to me and made me a believer,” he said. “That’s something I wasn’t doing. I had a lot of negative thoughts. I was just real nervous and I was getting frustrated. That’s what I did was visualize this victory and turn it around.”

His parents and younger brother and sister were among the estimated 40, 000 who watched from the stands.

“I wanted him to relax and enjoy the moment,” said Gay’s mother, Daisy Lowe. “I’m relieved. I feel so much better now. I get so nervous before races. I am so proud.”

Gay and Powell were side-byside at the starting line, but they never looked at each other. Gay sat behind his blocks, intensely staring straight ahead and talking to himself, while Powell paced.

“I was saying to myself basically that I’m the fastest in the world,” Gay said. “I was ordering my steps, running through the race. I was thanking God win or lose.”

Gay was smiling 10 meters from the finish, knowing he had won. When it was over, he let out “a scream of joy.” There was some chest-thumping and more shouts, then he grabbed a U. S. flag, draped it around his shoulders, posed for pictures, and took a victory lap.

Powell was grimacing through the final few meters of another disappointing finish in a major event.

“I just panicked and tightened up,” he said. “I made a mistake.”

Powell has run a world-record 9. 77 seconds three times but never has won a world or Olympic title. In fact, his bronze Sunday was his first medal at either event.

“Next year I will get him,” Powell said, “but for now I am very disappointed.”

Gay succeeds fellow American Justin Gatlin as world 100 champion, and he will try to supplant Gatlin’s 200-meter title later in the meet.

Gatlin is appealing an eight-year ban for testing positive for steroids and testosterone.

“I really felt I had to bring the medal home and try to get that cloud over,” Gay said. “I’m really hoping that everyone blocks that out and that whole situation disappears.”

His time Sunday night was slightly off his world-leading 9. 84, run into a strong headwind at the U. S. championships in June.

“I looked at the big screen and was kind of mad at myself because I saw how big my eyes were,” Gay said. “I was trying to stay relaxed, but I didn’t look relaxed. I was trying to get to the finish line first, and when I got to about 10 meters to go I started to feel the joy.”