With Liu Xiang gone, Usain Bolt made sure one superstar kept going on the Olympic track yesterday, easily qualifying for the 200m semi-finals in his search for a golden triple.
In muggy conditions at the Bird’s Nest, the 100m champion and world record holder never pushed himself to win his quarter-final heat ahead of Olympic gold medalist Shawn Crawford, mock-wiping pearls of sweat off his brow after the race.
The semi-finals are set for today, with Crawford among the few believed to have a chance at stopping Bolt’s quest for a 100m-200m double, a feat last achieved by Carl Lewis at the 1988 Seoul Games.
PHOTO: EPA
In the sharpest of contrast, Liu pulled out of the Olympics before clearing his first hurdle yesterday, suffering “intolerable” pain in his right leg in front of a stunned crowd.
If Liu’s fate was shocking, nothing was more predictable than a Kenyan winning the steeplechase — for the seventh time in a row.
Brimin Kipruto, the Athens silver medalist and reigning world champion, rallied to beat Maheidine Mekhissi-Benabbad, a Frenchman who split up an expected Kenyan sweep by taking silver ahead of Richard Mateelong.
Athens champion Ezekiel Kemboi faded to finish in seventh place.
After a horrible start to the track competition, the US got their first gold — an unexpected one — from Stephanie Brown Trafton in the discus.
The 28-year-old Brown Trafton, only third at the US trials, won with a best mark of 64.74m.
Yarelys Barrios of Cuba, a bronze medalist at the last world championships, took silver at 63.64m and Olena Antonova of Ukraine was third at 62.59m.
US athletes equally looked good in the women’s 100m hurdles, with LoLo Jones setting the year’s best time and a personal best to advance into the final. As controlled as Jones soared over the hurdles, as sloppy was European champion Susanna Kallur.
The Swede crashed straight into the first hurdle and fell to the ground, finishing her comeback attempt after a season marred by injury.
“I had my leg under the hurdle instead of on top,” Kallur said.
World and defending champion Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt kept on track for their golden clash in the 400m, both easily going through into today’s semi-finals. Both jogged home to win their heats.
“No surprise. He’s ready, I’m ready,” Merritt said.
The pair of US sprinters finished first and second at last year’s world championships and own the year’s two best times. Wariner has said he intends to break the world record of 43.18 seconds of Michael Johnson — who now serves as his manager.
The 400m semi-finals are today, the final on Thursday.
In the final events of the evening Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia broke her own women’s pole vault world record. She cleared 5.05m, beating the previous mark of 5.04m she had set last month, after taking gold in the event.
World champion Irving Saladino of Panama won the gold medal in the men’s long jump. Saladino’s leap of 8.34m was enough to stay ahead of South Africa’s Khotso Mokoena who managed 8.24m.
Cuban Ibrahim Camejo’s sixth-round jump of 8.20m earned him the bronze medal.
Angelo Taylor of the US won the men’s 400m hurdles gold with a time of 47.25 seconds. The 29-year-old led an American clean sweep as world champion Kerron Clement took silver in 47.98 seconds and 2005 world champion Bershawn Jackson filled bronze in a time of 48.06 seconds.
In the women’s 800m final Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo won the gold in 1 minute, 54.87 seconds, with compatriot Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei taking silver and Morocco’s Hasna Benhassi taking the bronze.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just