2008 Olympic Track and Field - Day 5

It’s no surprise that an American won the Olympic women’s 100-meter hurdles Tuesday. The surprise was the winner’s name – Dawn Harper. Harper, who finished third at the U.S. Trials, was running second to U.S. champ and event favorite Lolo Jones Tuesday when Jones struck the ninth hurdle. As Jones stumbled to a seventh-place finish in 12.72, Harper took and held the lead to win in 12.54. Australian Sally McLellan earned the silver and Canadian Priscilla Lopes- Schliep the bronze, although both were timed officially in 12.64. American Damu Cherry was fourth in 12.65.

Sanya Richards had a similar experience to Jones in the women’s 400-meter final. Like Jones, Richards was favored, and she also led in the latter stages of her race. Richards, of course, didn’t hit a hurdle but she did hit the wall, running out of gas toward the finish and settling for third place in 49.93 seconds. The 2007 World Outdoor champion, Christine Ohuruogu of Great Britain, earned the gold medal (a season’s best 49.62) while Jamaica’s Shericka Williams won the silver (personal best 49.69).

A tactical men’s 1500-meter race turned into a 400-meter sprint as Bahrain’s Rashid Ramzi held off Asbel Kiprop of Kenya to win the gold in 3:32.94. Kiprop ran at or near the front for the entire race. He took the lead in the first lap, then ceded it to fellow Kenyan Augustine Choge at approximately 800 meters. Ramzi ran in mid-pack but maneuvered into a good position for the final lap, when he sprinted past the Kenyans. Choge faded to tenth while Kiprop held onto second place (3:33.11). New Zealand’s Nick Willis – a former NCAA champ at the University of Michigan – was in tenth place when the final lap began but charged through the pack then passed three runners on the final straight to earn the bronze (3:34.16).

Russia’s Andrey Silnov was the surprise men’s high jump winner, clearing 2.36 meters. Silnov was perfect to that point before missing three times at 2.42. Great Britain’s Germaine Mason took the silver after clearing a personal best 2.34 with four misses. Russia’s Yaroslav Rybakov also cleared 2.34 but had a total of five misses. Stefan Holm of Sweden, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, was fourth (2.32). Silnov was not on the Olympic team after the Russian trials, where he placed fourth, but he was added later, after he cleared a season-best 2.38 in London in late July.

Reigning World Outdoor champion Gerd Kanter of Estonia won the men’s discus competition with a throw measuring 68.82 meters. Poland’s Piotr Malachowski was second (67.82) while 2000 and 2004 gold medalist Virgilijus Alekna had to settle for the bronze (67.79). Malachowski took the lead with a first-round throw of 66.45 before unleashing his silver medal- winning attempt in the second round. He was surpassed by Kanter in the fourth round. Alekna’s top throw also came in round four.

In preliminary action Tuesday, the Americans and Jamaicans dominated the first two rounds of the women’s 200 meters. American Muna Lee was first overall in the opening heats, winning in 22.71 seconds. Americans Allyson Felix (23.02) and Marshevet Hooker (23.07) also won their heats, as did 2004 gold medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown (23.04) of Jamaica. Jamaica’s Sherone Simpson was the fastest in the quarterfinal round (22.60), with Lee finishing second in that heat (22.83). Campbell-Brown won her heat (22.64) ahead of Felix (22.74), while Marshevet Hooker was third in her heat (22.76). All the Americans and Jamaicans (including Kerron Stewart) advanced to Wednesday’s semifinals.

Three American women qualified for the long jump final, which begins Friday. Brittney Reese was the day’s overall leader and was one of only three women to exceed the automatic qualifying standard of 6.75 meters, leaping 6.87 meters on her first attempt. Americans Grace Upshaw (fourth in her group, 6.68 meters) and Funmi Jimoh (seventh, 6.61) both qualified for the final. The 2004 gold medalist and 2007 World Outdoor champ, Tatanya Lebedeva of Russia, qualified at 6.70 meters while the reigning World Indoor champ, Naide Gomes of Portugal, jumped 6.29 and didn’t qualify.

Usain Bolt of Jamaica assured himself of a chance for a 100-200 sprint double by winning his men’s 200-meter semifinal in 20.09, edging Americans Shawn Crawford (20.12) and Wallace Spearman (20.14), both of whom also qualified for Wednesday’s final. Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles won the other semi (20.11), with American Walter Dix taking third (20.19) to qualify for the final.

The remaining favorites (minus the injured Liu Xiang of China and Terrence Trammell of the U.S.) advanced easily in the men’s 110 hurdles quarterfinals. American champion David Oliver had the day’s fastest time, winning his heat in 13.16 seconds. World record-holder Dayron Robles of Cuba won his heat (13.19), as did American David Payne (13.24). The semifinals are set for Wednesday.

The favorites also advanced in the men’s 400-meter semifinals. LaShawn Merritt had the day’s best time, winning his heat in 44.12. Fellow American Jeremy Wariner won his heat (44.15) with American David Neville second (44.91). All three will run in Thursday’s final.

Ethiopians Meseret Defar (14:56.32) and Tirunesh Dibaba (15:09.89) won their heats in the women’s 5000 meter qualifying round. All three Americans qualified for Friday’s final, led by 10,000-meter bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan (sixth in her heat, 14:59.69). Americans Kara Goucher (seventh, 15:00.98) and Jennifer Rhines (sixth, 15:15.12) also qualified, as did steeplechase gold medalist Gulnara Samitova-Galkina of Russia (fifth, 15:11.46).

The top three women from the 2007 World Outdoor Championships finished in identical positions in Tuesday’s qualification round for the women’s javelin throw. World Champion Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic needed just one throw to beat the automatic qualification distance of 61.5 meters, tossing the javelin 67.69 meters to lead all qualifiers. Germany’s Christina Obergfell was second (67.52) with fellow German Steffi Nerius taking third overall (63.94) on her final attempt. Neither American qualified for Thursday’s final. Kara Patterson was 22nd in her group (54.39) while Kim Kreiner was 19th in hers (55.13).

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