Team USA, Day 2, evening: Team USA takes two bronze as Bolt shatters 100 WR
Posted Saturday, 16 August, 2008
BEIJING - Team USA took home two more bronze medals, but it was a huge world record by Jamaican Usain Bolt that ruled Saturday night at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium.
Already the world record holder with his 9.72 run this year at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York, Bolt entered Beijing as the favorite. But even he stunned the crowd by running 9.69 while celebrating for at least the last 20 meters, enjoying a perfectly still 0.0 wind to become the first man to dip under 9.70 in wind-legal conditions.
Behind him, it was a race for medals. Richard Thompson of Trinidad scored the silver with a personal-best 9.89, with 22-year-old American Walter Dix (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) moving up third in a PR 9.91. Churandy Martina of the Dutch Antilles was fourth in a national record 9.93, with Asafa Powell of Jamaica fifth in 9.95, Michael Frater of Jamaica sixth in 9.97, Marc Burns of Trinidad seventh in 10.01, and Darvis Patton (Ft. Worth, Texas) eighth in 10.03.
His overall sprinting fitness affected by three weeks of recovering from a hamstring injury, world champion and American record holder Tyson Gay (Lexington, Ky.) was fifth in Saturday night's second semifinal in 10.05 and did not advance to the final. Dix had come second in the first semi in 9.95, while Patton was fourth in Gay's heat in 10.03. Bolt had posted an easy 9.85 in semifinal 1, just .01 off the Olympic record.
Fountain of bronze
Hyleas Fountain (Kettering, Ohio) became the only American woman other than Jackie Joyner-Kersee ever to win an Olympic medal in the heptathlon, coming away with a bronze-medal performance of 6,619 points. Nataliia Dobrynska of Ukraine won the gold with a personal-best 6,733 points, with fellow Ukranian Lyudmila Blonska second with 6,700. It was the second night in a row in which the U.S. women had won a medal in an event for the first time since 1992. Joyner-Kersee won heptathlon gold in 1992 and 1988 and silver in 1984, putting Fountain in very elite company.
After a mediocore performance in the long jump Saturday morning, Fountain got the night off with a javelin throw of 41.93m/137-6, well below her personal best of 48.15m/157-11 set at the Olympic Trials. It was good enough for 704 points and kept her in second place with 5,733 points, just 5 ahead of Blonska but well ahead of fourth-place Tatiana Chernova of Russia (5,575). The gap on fourth gave Fountain some margin of error heading into the 800, which is not historically a strong event for her, as she attempted to secure her first major championship medal.
In the 800, Fountain turned in a huge personal-best clocking 2:15.45 for 886 points, nabbing her the bronze by keeping her ahead of Chernova, who won the 800 in 2:06.54 for 1,016 points. Fountain's time shattered her previous personal best of 2:27.69. Chernova finished fourth overall with 6,591 points.
Jacquelyn Johnson (Tempe, Ariz.) suffered a left hamstring injury and did not start Saturday night's competition.
In the women's shot put, Jillian Camarena (Tempe, Ariz.) was 12th with a best of 18.24m/59-10.25, and Michelle Carter (Ovilla, Texas) was 15th with 17.74/58-2.5. Valerie Vili of New Zealand won with an Area Record toss of 20.56m/67-5.5.
Men's 400 hurdlers sweep through semis
American men will be heavily favored to medal in Monday night's 400m hurdles final after all three Americans advanced out of their semifinals. In the first heat, 2000 Olympic gold medalist Angelo Taylor (Decatur, Ga.) won in a comfortable 47.96, while 2005 world champion Bershawn Jackson (Raleigh, N.C.) overcame some technical problems early in the race to finish second in 48.02. Reigning world champ Kerron Clement (Los Angeles, Calif.) won heat 2 in 48.28.
The women's sprinters again advanced en masse in the 100m, moving into Sunday's semifinal - and if all goes well, the final on Sunday night. Muna Lee (College Station, Texas) was second in heat 2 of the quarterfinals in 10.08, Olympic silver medalist Lauryn Williams (Miami, Fla.) was second in heat 3 in 11.07, and 2003 world champion Torri Edwards (Irvine, Calif.) won heat 4 in 11.31.
American men's long jumpers had a long night. Trevell Quinley (Chula Vista, Calif.) had only one legal mark, a third-attempt 7.87m/25-10, to place 19th in qualifying. Brian Johnson (Baton Rouge, La.) jumped 7.79m/25-6.75 for 22nd, and Miguel Pate (St. Francisville, La.) was 38th with 7.34m/24-1. None made the final.
For more information on Team USA at the Olympic Games, including athlete quotes, event schedule, TV schedule and complete results, visit www.usatf.org
***
Team USA medal table, 2008 Olympic Games
Silver
Christian Cantwell, men's shot put
Bronze
Shalane Flanagan, women's 10,000m
Hyleas Fountain, women's heptathlon
Walter Dix, men's 100m
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