BEIJING, China – Usain Bolt of Jamaica was the shining star of 10 days of Athletics competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games that produced five world records and 16 Olympic records.
Bolt arrived at the Games having lowered the 100m world record to 9.72 in May. He did not disappoint, winning both the 100m and 200m in astonishing world record runs of 9.69 and 19.30.
Shelly-Ann Fraser led home a Jamaican clean sweep in the Women’s 100m with her compatriots Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson sharing silver. Then Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica retained the 200m gold she had won at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
Jamaica’s near-total domination of the sprints was underlined in the Men’s 4 x 100m Relay. The team, featuring Bolt on the third leg and former world-record holder Asafa Powell on the anchor, raced home with a new world record of 37.10.
Usain Bolt (L) of Jamaica celebrates victory with Asafa Powell of Jamaica after the Men’s 4 x 100m Relay Final.
Photo by: Getty Images
The Jamaican Women’s 4 x 100m Relay team, however, failed to complete the final after a mix-up between Simpson and Clement on the second handover led to Clement running beyond the changeover zone.
Clean sweeps of the medals in the Men’s 400m and Men’s 400m Hurdles meant there was some joy for the United States at the shorter distances. They took only four medals from 12 in the Men’s and Women’s 100m and 200m and watched in horror as both their Men’s and Women’s 4 x 100m Relay teams dropped the baton in their semifinal and failed to reach the final.
LaShawn Merritt of the United States was a surprise but unstoppable winner of the Men’s 400m, ahead of his teammate Olympic and world champion Jeremy Wariner, who took silver. In the Men’s 400m Hurdles, Angelo Taylor of the United States reclaimed the title he won at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
There was more woe for the United States in the Women’s 400m when 2008’s leading runner Sanya Richards of the United States was overtaken in the home straight by Christine Ohuruogu of Great Britain. Richards finished with bronze.
Jamaica’s Melaine Walker added another gold to her country’s collection in the Women’s 400m Hurdles, pushing Sheena Tosta of the United States into second place in the final stretch.
But the United States responded with victories in both the Men’s and Women’s 4 x 400m Relays. Richards overtook Russia’s Anastasia Kapachinskaya in the last 100m to win the Women’s race while Merritt and Taylor took their second golds of Beijing 2008 in the Men’s.
World record holder Dayron Robles of Cuba confirmed himself as the premier 110m hurdler in the world by claiming Olympic gold. It was done in the absence of Athens 2004 champion and home town hero Liu Xiang of China, who limped out of his first-round heat with a foot injury.
In the Women’s 100m Hurdles, Dawn Harper of the United States took advantage of favorite Lolo Jones of the United States hitting the eighth barrier. Jones was not the only hurdler to come a cropper. European champion Susanna Kallur of Sweden failed to finish her semifinal while one of the Men’s favorites, Terrence Tramell of the United States, hit the first hurdle to exit at the first heat.
