Sanchez wins 400H gold

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Athens - Felix Sanchez gave the Dominican Republic their first ever athletics Olympic gold medal when he won the 400 metres hurdles on Thursday.

The 26-year-old timed a season's best of 47.63 seconds to add the Olympic title to his world and Pan American crowns, Danny McFarlane of Jamaica won silver in 48.11sec and Naman Keita of France took the bronze in 48.26sec.

Sanchez, who extended his unbeaten streak over hurdles to 43 dating back to July 2001, didn't have his customary explosive start after being called for a false start as had major rival James Carter of the United States.

However, down the back stretch Sanchez, who was American-born but chose to run for the birthplace of his parents, looked to be running away with the title as he ate up the ground on Keita and another American Bennie Brazell.

Carter though then made his move and passed McFarlane and then even Sanchez.

All of a sudden 26-year-old Carter started tying up as they approached the penultimate hurdle and Sanchez passed him and opened up an unbridgeable gap.