Sparkle and drama in Beijing
2008-08-19 18:52
Beijing - Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi won the
men's 1 500m, Christine Ohuruogu struck gold for Britain
in the 400m and American Dawn Harper won a dramatic 100m
hurdles on a superlative night's action in the Bird's Nest on
Tuesday.
There were also golds for Russia's Andrey Silnov in the
high jump and Estonia's Gerd Kanter in the discus, while Usain
Bolt cruised into the 200m final in ominously good shape.
The sport's marquee middle-distance race had been expected
to go back to Kenya but Ramzi, who did the 800-1 500m double at
the 2005 world championships, had other ideas.
The Morocco-born 28-year-old tracked the leaders until 250
to go before driving for home to win Bahrain's first-ever medal
in three minutes, 32.94 seconds.
Kenya's Asbel Kiprop took silver with Nicholas Willis
getting a surprise bronze for New Zealand.
Ohuruogu won the world championship last year when Sanya
Richards was absent through illness and everyone expected the
American to restore her global supremacy in Beijing.
That looked to be the case as she led into the home
straight. However, she began to tire, later saying her
hamstring tightened, and the powerful Ohuruogu surged through
from fourth place with 40m to go to take gold in 49.62 seconds.
Shericka Williams continued Jamaica's hot streak with
silver and Richards had to settle for bronze.
"I'm just so proud of myself," said Ohuruogo who had to
overturn a British Olympic Association lifetime ban after she
was given a year's suspension in 2006 for missing three doping
tests.
"You always have these dreams about winning but you never
think your dreams will be reality."
Richards could only lament: "I knew that gold was mine. I
feel so betrayed by my body."
More drama
There was even more drama in the women's sprint hurdles as
favourite Lolo Jones led until she was stopped in her tracks by
the penultimate barrier, allowing unheralded team mate Harper
to come through.
Sally McLellan took silver for Australia after finishing in
the same 12.64-seconds as bronze medallist Priscilla
Lopes-Schliep of Canada.
"You hit a hurdle about twice a year where it affects your
race. It's just a shame that it was on the biggest race of my
life," said Jones. "Today I crashed and burned."
Silnov triumphed with a failure-free 2.36m ahead of
Britain's Germaine Mason and Russia's Yaroslav Rybakov.
Kanter took the discus with 68.82m ahead of Poland's
Piotr Malachowski and Lithuania's Virgilijus Alekna, the gold
medal winner in the last two Games.
The Estonian then had the crowd roaring when he trundled
his bulky frame down the 100m track and crossed the line
with an imitation of Bolt's "archer" celebration.
Earlier, the man himself moved to within 20 seconds of
completing the sprint double after another awesome display in
the 200m semi-finals.
The lanky Jamaican cruised home in 20.09 with defending
champion Shawn Crawford in his wake.
"I wouldn't say jogging, I was just trying to get through,"
he said when asked about his relaxed second 100.
There should be yet another US-Jamaica showdown in the
women's 200 after all six of their athletes went through
strongly to the semi-finals.
World record holder Dayron Robles made assured progress to
the semi-finals of the men's 110m hurdles.
The race has lost much of his dramatic appeal following the
first-round exits of China's defending champion Liu Xiang and
double silver medallist Terrence Trammell but Shi Dongpeng
maintained home interest when he sneaked into the semi-finals .
In the 400m final, the US will have another chance for a
podium sweep after defending champion Jeremy Wariner and arch-
rival LaShawn Merritt led the qualifiers.
Wednesday's programme includes the finals of the men's 200,
women's 400m hurdles and hammer as well as the
semi-finals of the tightly-contested women's 200m.