Thu, Aug 18, 2016 page16

• RIO OLYMPICS: Bolt wins 200 heat, lone Russian jumps

  ONE OF A KIND: Russia’s Darya Klishina unveiled the only shirt representing her country at the track after a doping scandal led to her compatriots being banned

  • AP, RIO DE JANEIRO
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  The repeat one-two US finish in the triple jump, the Jamaican gold medal in hurdles and Jenny Simpson’s unprecedented bronze in the 1,500m were only part of the story in Olympic track and field on Tuesday — and maybe not the best part.

  The midpoint of the nine-day program at Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Stadium was a day for diamond rings and making friends, while there was a one-of-a-kind Russian hello.

  And, of course, a daily dose of doping news that was more than offset by a speedy cameo from Usain Bolt.

  

  Usain Bolt glances around while running in his 200m heat at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Tuesday.

  Photo: EPA

  Bolt was on the track early for his 200m qualifying heat — a no-fuss 20.28-second ramble around the curve that barely raised his blood pressure.

  “I’m not an early-morning person,” Bolt proclaimed shortly after winning his heat, which actually started at the crack of 12:46pm.

  Morning seemed like the perfect time for the US’ Will Claye to put an exclamation point on one of his greatest moments.

  Newly minted with his second straight Olympic silver medal in the triple jump — countryman Christian Taylor won gold, also just as in 2012 — Clay clambered over the barrier separating the track from the stands, climbed a few rows to meet his girlfriend, bent down on one knee and popped the question.

  Queen Harrison, an Olympic hurdler in 2008, said yes.

  “When I woke up this morning, I was like: ‘Today’s going to be the best day of my life,’” Claye said.

  Omar McLeod certainly felt the same. His 13.05-second trip across the 110m hurdles course in the evening’s final event made it three gold medals on the straightaway for Jamaica so far. He beat Orlando Ortega of Spain by 0.12 seconds.

  In the evening’s other big race, Faith Kipyegon finished the women’s 1,500m in 4 minutes, 8.92 seconds to beat Genzebe Dibaba, a flip-flop from last year’s world championships. Jenny Simpson took bronze to become the first US woman to medal in the event.

  Other gold medalists were high jumper Derek Drouin of Canada and discus thrower Sandra Perkovic of Croatia, who twice was a single throw from elimination, but came through both times and defended her Olympic title.

  Yet, like many of the best moments on this emotion-packed day, there were no medals on the line when long jumper Darya Klishina finally showed up at the Olympics.

  During warmups, Klishina unzipped her jacket and revealed a red shirt with the word “Russia” emblazoned in bright white lettering. She is the only athlete wearing that uniform at this stadium, due to a doping scandal that led to the ban of Russia’s other 67 track and field entrants.

  Never introduced by the ground announcer, or cheered by the crowd, Klishina jumped 6.64m to make it through qualifying and was a chance for a medal yesterday.

  At about the time the evening session began, the International Olympic Committee stripped Russia’s 2008 women’s 4x100m relay team of their gold medal, saying one of the sprinters tested positive in one of the many samples being reanalyzed this summer.
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