2008 Olympic Track and Field - Day 4

Six gold medals were awarded at the Summer Olympics Monday but the big story was the man who won’t win any medal this time – China’s Liu Xiang. The co-favorite in the men’s 110-meter hurdles hobbled through practice but still lined up for his opening heat Monday. After one of his competitors false-started, however, Liu limped off the track, shocking the Beijing fans. Liu dropped out of a May 31 meet with a hamstring injury but on Monday he favored his right foot, apparently due to an Achilles tendon injury. One heat earlier, 2000 and 2004 silver medalist Terrence Trammell of the U.S. dropped out after clearing just one hurdle, with an apparent pulled hamstring.

In other 110 hurdle heats, 2008 American champion David Oliver won his heat with the day’s fastest time, 13.30 seconds. Fellow American David Payne won his heat in13.42 to advance to Tuesday’s quarterfinals. Cuban world record-holder Dayron Robles won his heat in 13.39.

In finals action Monday, Russian Yelena Isinbaeva surprised few by winning the women’s pole vault with a world record height of 5.05 meters, breaking the world mark for the third time this year. Her previous best was 5.04. She opened by clearing 4.7 meters, then cleared 4.85 to clinch the gold. She missed twice at 4.95 before clearing to break the Olympic record previously owned by, of course, Isinbaeva (4.91 in 2004). She then took three shots at the world record, gaining success on her final try.

American Jenn Stuczynski claimed the pole vault silver. She cleared 4.45 and 4.55 before missing once at 4.75. She then cleared 4.75 and 4.8 before missing three times at 4.9. Russians Svetlana Feofanova and Yuliya Golubchikova both cleared 4.75, but Feofanova had four misses to Golubchikova’s five to earn the bronze medal. American April Steiner was eighth (4.55).

Stephanie Brown-Trafton – who placed third at the U.S. Olympic Trials, then almost didn’t qualify for the Olympic final – surprisingly gave the U.S. its first track and field gold medal of the Beijing Games by winning the women’s discus. Her first throw of the final measured 64.74 meters, which stood up to win the gold. Yarelis Barrios of Cuba was second (63.64) and Olena Antonova of Ukraine finished third (62.59). American Aretha Thurmond finished tenth (59.80). Brown-Trafton needed all three throws during the qualification round to reach a qualifying distance, which turned out to be the longest throw of the day, setting the stage for Monday’s success.

Shortly after Brown-Trafton’s triumph the U.S. swept the men’s 400-meter hurdles final, led by another unlikely winner. Angelo Taylor burst in front early in the race and held on to win in 47.25 seconds. Taylor won the gold medal in Sydney in 2000, but his career was almost ruined by leg injuries in recent years. Like Brown-Trafton, Taylor finished third in his event at this year’s U.S. Trials. He’s the third two-time 400 hurdles winner in Olympic history, joining Americans Glenn Davis (1956-60) and Edwin Moses (1976, 1984). Kerron Clement, the 2007 World Outdoor champion, was second (47.98) while 2008 U.S. champ Bershawn Jackson finished third (48.06).

Kenya’s 18-year-old Pamela Jelimo, who began competing in the 800 meters this year, ran away from the field to earn the women’s 800-meter gold in a time of 1:54.87, a new world junior record. Her mentor, 2007 World Champion Jeneth Jepkosgei of Kenya, held a slight lead after 400 meters before Jelimo pulled away. Jepkosgei held on for the silver medal (1:56.07) while 2004 silver medalist Hasna Benhassi of Morocco took third (1:56.73). The 2000 Olympic gold medalist, 35-year-old Maria Mutola of Mozambique, finished fifth (1:57.68).

World Outdoor champion Irving Saladino of Panama topped World Indoor champ Godfrey Mokoena of South Africa in the men’s long jump. Each achieved his best distance in the fourth round, when Saladino leaped 8.34 meters and Mokoena reached 8.24. Ibrahim Camejo of Cuba finished third (8.20). No Americans reached the final of the event that U.S. jumpers have won 21 times in Olympic history.

Kenya won its seventh consecutive Olympic men’s steeplechase gold medal, with Brimin Kipruto becoming the seventh different Kenyan to win during that span. The 2004 silver medalist and 2007 World Outdoor champ, Kipruto finished in 8:10.34 to edge Mahiedine Mekhissi- Benabbad of France (8:10.49). Kenya’s Richard Mateelong was third (8:11.01). The 2004 Olympic gold medalist, Kenya’s Ezekiel Kemboi, finished seventh (8:16.38) while American Anthony Famiglietti finished 13th in 8:31.21.

In other preliminary action Monday morning, all three Americans qualified easily in the opening heats of the men’s 400. LaShawn Merritt won his heat in 44.96 while 2004 Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Wariner won his in 45.23. American David Neville was second in his heat (45.22). Chris Brown of the Bahamas was fastest overall (44.79). The semifinals are set for Tuesday.

Twelve men bettered the automatic qualifying standard of 17.10 meters in the men’s triple jump qualification round. Great Britain’s Phillips Idowu had the longest jump, reaching 17.44 meters on his first attempt. Americans Rafeeq Curry (11th place in his group, 16.88), Kenta Bell (13th, 16.55) and Aarik Wilson (16th, 15.97) all failed to qualify for Thursday’s final.

The three U.S. men’s 200-meter runners all finished second in their respective quarterfinals to qualify for Tuesday’s semifinals. The 2004 gold medalist, Shawn Crawford, finished in 20.42 seconds, trailing only the newly-crowned 100-meter champ, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt (20.29). Walter Dix (20.27) was second to the fastest quarterfinalist, Zimbabwe’s Brian Dzingai (20.23), while Wallace Spearmon finished in 20.39. Officially, Bolt lost his first Olympic race earlier Monday (but only because he cruised over the finish line) when he placed second in his 200- meter opening heat, with a time of 20.64. Rondell Sorrillo of Trinidad won the heat (20.58). Spearmon won his opening heat while Dixon and Crawford both placed second in theirs.

Americans posted the three fastest times in the women’s 100-meter hurdles semifinals. U.S. champion Lolo Jones won her heat in a personal best 12.43 seconds, while Damu Cherry (12.62) edged fellow American Dawn Harper (12.66) in the other semi. Sweden’s Susanna Kallur, who set a 60-meter hurdles world mark earlier this year, tripped over the first hurdle and couldn’t complete the race. The final is set for Tuesday.

Sheena Tosta posted the fastest time among the semifinalists in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. The American won her heat in 54.07 seconds. Jamaica’s Melaine Walker won the other semi (54.20). American Tiffany Williams was third in her semifinal (54.99), to qualify for Wednesday’s final. American Queen Harrison (seventh, 55.88) did not qualify. Last week the 2004 gold medalist, Greece’s Fani Halkia, was eliminated from competition when she tested positive for steroids and was suspended. She was the fourth athlete, and the first track and field performer, to fail a drug test since the Games began.

Cuba’s Yipsi Moreno led all qualifiers in the women’s hammer throw preliminaries with a toss measuring 73.92 meters. American Loree Smith reached 63.60 (21st place) and didn’t qualify, while Jessica Cosby didn’t post a legal throw. The final is set for Wednesday.

All dates mentioned above are based on Beijing time, which is 12 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Daylight Savings Time.