Jamaica stole the show on the sixth night of Athletics at the National Stadium, adding another two gold medals, one world record and two Olympic records to a growing collection that puts them top of the Athletics medal table at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
A day before his 22nd birthday, Usain Bolt of Jamaica showed that his gold medal and world record in the Men’s 100m was no fluke by adding the Olympic gold and world record in the Men’s 200m.
Bolt, fifth off the blocks, was well ahead by the bend. Unlike his win in the 100m, he continued sprinting all the way to the line to set a world record of 19.30 seconds. The time is two-hundredths of a second faster than the 19.32 set by Michael Johnson of the United States at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
Controversy followed as Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles and Wallace Spearmon of the United States appeared to have crossed the line in second and third. Spearmon was soon disqualified for stepping outside his lane.
As a result, Athens 2004 Olympic Games champion Shawn Crawford of the United States was promoted to the bronze.
The US Olympic Committee appealed Spearmon’s disqualification, but later withdrew it. They also claimed that Martina committed a lane infringement.
When the IAAF upheld that appeal, Crawford moved up to silver and Walter Dix of the United States added the 200m bronze to the one he took in the 100m.
In the evening’s next event, Melaine Walker showed that Jamaican running was not solely confined to the flat when she won the Women’s 400m Hurdles in 52.64, an Olympic record.
Sheena Tosta of the United States had started the strongest, but by the final bend, Walker moved past her. It was the Jamaican who stayed strongest in the home straight, leaving Tosta with silver in 53.70.
The bronze medal went to Tasha Danvers of Great Britain, who held her form in the final 100m to claim her first major championship medal in a personal best of 53.84.
Aksana Miankova of Belarus set an Olympic record to win the Women’s Hammer Throw gold medal with a throw of 76.34m, an improvement of over a meter from the previous Olympic record, 75.02m.
Yipsi Moreno of Cuba grabbed the silver medal, while China‘s Zhang Wenxiu took the bronze.
World record holder Dayron Robles of Cuba showed he is still the man to beat in the Men’s 110m semifinals, effortlessly qualifying fastest for the final along with David Oliver of the United States and Ladji Doucoure of France, who were second and third.
Defending champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica led home the first of the Women’s 200m semifinals, ahead of Muna Lee of the United States and Kerron Stewart of Jamaica. In the second semifinal, 2007 world champion Allyson Felix of the United States was well in control to take first place.
In the Men’s 800m, Wilfred Bungei of Kenya and Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia ran the fastest times of 1:44.90 and 1:45.15 to qualify for Thursday’s semifinals. Abubaker Kaki of Sudan, the world junior champion from 2008, joined them with 1:46.98.
Bernard Lagat of the United States threw off the disappointment of failing to reach the 1500m final by finishing first in his 5000m heat to reach Saturday’s final. Edwin Cheruiyot Soi of Kenya and Matthew Tegenkamp of the United States were the other heat winners.
(Source: en.beijing2008.cn)
