BEIJING - A sweep of the men's 400 meters led a six-medal night as Team USA brought its Olympic track and field medal count to 20 during Thursday evening competition at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium. The medal haul helped to offset disappointment in the men's and women's relay rounds.
Merritt the man at 400 meters
Still considered an underdog entering the 400 meters, Olympic Trials champion LaShawn Merritt (Suffolk, Va.) had only one goal, and that was gold. In the end, he led the second consecutive Olympic sweep for Team USA in the one-lap race, including Jeremy Wariner (Waco, Texas) and David Neville (Los Angeles).
Running in lane 9, Neville set a blistering pace as Wariner in lane 7 also got out well. In lane 4, Merritt started more conservatively. But as the saying goes, it's not where you start, it's where you finish. All three Americans came off the turn together, virtually in a dead heat. But in the final straight, it was all Merritt. The Olympic Trials champion must now be considered the favorite rather than the contender after running away from the field to win in 43.75 seconds, a personal best and the fastest time in the world this year. Wariner was nearly a full second back, in 44.74, and Neville dove for third in 44.80.
Payne, Oliver go 2-3
Another multi-medal event came in the men's 110-meter hurdles. With world record holder Dayron Robles of Cuba heavily favored, many predicted the race for second and third would be most compelling. Americans came away with both spots.
The 2007 World Outdoor bronze medalist, David Payne (Hampton, Va.) started strongly and held on as Robles sped through the 10-hurdle race. Robles broke clear of the field to win in 12.93, with Payne second in 13.17. After a somewhat conservative start, David Oliver (Kissimmee, Fla.) moved strongly over the final three hurdles, nearly nipping Payne but finishing third in 13.18.
Felix wins second silver
The women's 200 was another matchup between U.S. and Jamaican sprinters, with the heavyweights being defending gold medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica and silver medalist Allyson Felix of the United States.
Campbell-Brown got out very well, leaving Felix to play catch-up after a slow start and around the curve. There was no catching the Jamaican, however, as she powered home to win in a personal-best 21.74, with Felix second in 21.93. It was the second-fastest time of Felix's career. Kerron Stewart of Jamaica was third in 22.00, with a hard-closing Muna Lee (College Station, Texas) just out of the medals, fourth in a personal-best 22.01. Marshevet Hooker (Austin, Texas) was fifth in a personal-best 22.34.
Clay, Hardee still 1-3 in decathlon
After two more events Thursday night, Bryan Clay (Glendora, Calif.) and Trey Hardee (Austin, Texas) remain in first and third in the decathlon standings.
The 2005 world champion, Clay had a somewhat disappointing performance in the high jump, conducted in a driving rain, by clearing 1.99m/6-6.25 for 794 points and 11th place. He finished by running 48.92 in the 400 for 865, ending the day with 4,521.
Hardee jumped 2.02m/6-7.5 in the high jump (850 points -sixth place) and ran 47.75 in the 400 (921 points - fourth place) to remain in third with 4,428 points. Andrei Krauchanka of Belarus was second with 4,433. Competition resumes Friday morning.
Rowbury makes final
In the women's 1,500m semifinal, Olympic Trials champion Shannon Rowbury (San Francisco, Calif.) advanced to Sunday's final by placing fourth in heat 3, the fastest heat of the semifinals, in 4:03.90. USA indoor champion Christen Wurth-Thomas was eighth in the first heat in 4:09.70, and Erin Donohue was eighth in heat 2 - by far the most tactical of the three - in 4:16.05. Donohue was sprinting to the finish when she knocked elbows with Nancy Langat of Kenya with 50 meters to go, after which she faded.
Relay woes
The men's and women's 4x100m relays both ended the same, and badly. In the men's race, Rodney Martin led off, followed by Travis Padgett and Darvis Patton, who held a comfortable lead. As he moved to hand off to Gay, the baton appeared barely to graze Gay's hand, and fell to the track.
Hopes were higher for the women's relay, but the result was nearly identical. After legs by Angela Williams, Mechelle Carter and Torri Edwards, Team USA enjoyed a large lead. But again on the final handoff, the baton fell helplessly to the track.
Nick Symmonds missed out on making the final of the men's 800, placing fifth in his semifinal heat in 1:46.96. Symmonds made a big move from eighth to second with approximately 200 meters to go, but he was unable to hold his speed in the final straight.
For more information on Team USA at the Olympic Games, including athlete quotes, event schedule, TV schedule and complete results, visit USATF.org.
Team USA medal table, 2008 Olympic Games
Gold (4)
Stephanie Brown Trafton (Galt, Calif.), women's discus, 64.74m/212-5
Angelo Taylor (Decatur, Ga.), men's 400m hurdles, 47.25
Dawn Harper (Los Angeles), women's 100m hurdles, 12.54
LaShawn Merritt (Suffolk, Va.), men's 400m, 43.75
Silver (8)
Christian Cantwell (Columbia, Mo.), men's shot put, 21.09m/69-2.5
Jenn Stuczynski (Churchville, N.Y.), women's pole vault, 4.80m/15-9
Kerron Clement (Los Angeles), men's 400m hurdles, 47.98
Sheena Johnson Tosta (Chula Vista, Calif.), women's 400m hurdles, 53.70.
Shawn Crawford (Los Angeles), men's 200m, 19.96
Jeremy Wariner (Waco, Texas), men's 400m, 44.74
David Payne (Hampton, Va.), men's 110m hurdles, 13.17
Allyson Felix (Los Angeles), women's 200, 21.93
Bronze (8)
Shalane Flanagan (Pittsboro, N.C.), women's 10,000m, 30:22.22AR
Hyleas Fountain (Kettering, Ohio), women's heptathlon, 6619 points
Walter Dix (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), men's 100m, 9.91
Bershawn Jackson (Raleigh, N.C.), men's 400m hurdles, 48.06
Sanya Richards (Austin, Texas), women's 400m, 49.93
Walter Dix (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), men's 200m, 19.98
David Neville (Los Angeles), men's 400m, 44.80
David Oliver (Kissimmee, Fla.), men's 110m hurdles, 13.18
Day 7 Team USA quotes - Evening Session
Men's 400m, Final
LaShawn Merritt (Suffolk, Va.)
It was a great race. I said that I was going to come in and get the job done. It started raining earlier and I said, "Let it come." The harder it rained, the harder I was going to run. Then when it stopped raining, I said, "I'm still going to run hard."
In the semifinals, I looked smooth and almost PRed. So I knew that I was going to come out and run faster than I've ever ran. I set the race up and I probably went over it a million times in my head last night. I had a game plan. We had a game plan, we stuck to it, got a gold medal and I'm happier than I've ever been.
The game plan was to get out and use what I have. I'm 6'3". I went over some stuff last night and saw that some people were taking less steps than me in the race. And I'm 6'3", so why is that? I'm not using what I have. So I used my stride length and ran a great race.
Jeremy Wariner (Waco, Texas)
I got out front in the first 200. I felt good coming out of the turn, but when I tried to go, I didn't have anything left. I ran the best I could. I didn't have anything left. But I didn't give up.
I ran exactly how I wanted to. I just didn't have anything left.
I'm disappointed. If I had run like I did in the semifinals, I think I would have won. LaShawn just ran a better race than I did.
David Neville ( Valencia, Calif.)
Sometimes we have to sacrifice our bodies, our minds, our spirits. That's what I did. I knew I had to dive. I did have to dive for the medal. The United States desires to be the number one team. This means a lot. To complete a sweep, it means a lot.
Men's 110m hurdle final
David Payne (Hampton, Va.)
"I feel like it was a really good race for me. It was my personal best for this season. I knew I needed to get out quick because Dayron Robles is a very fast starter. I wanted to be up there with him, and I got medal for the USA. I'm glad to be able to prove that I can do it when I'm supposed to be here. Our race would have been a lot faster with the previous world record holder (Liu Xiang) and Terrence trammel in there. Bu tit was still a great race. A couple of years ago, nobody knew who David Oliver or I was."
David Oliver (Kissimmee, Fla.):
"The race was pretty good. I got a medal. We wanted to come in and go 1-2-3. Me and David went in and held up our end of the bargain. They only hand out three medals every four years. ... To get one of them, you'll always be remembered. Some of the all-time greats have never gotten a medal."
On bumping another hurdler: "I got a little bit scared. I just tried to stay on it and got a medal out of it.
"Even two years ago, who would have though David Payne and I would have been in a position to get medals, except us and our support staff??"
Women's 200m final
Allyson Felix (Los Angeles):
The start was terrible and the end wasn't that great, but I'm still blessed.
I'm grateful to say that I am disappointed with this medal when so many people don't get the opportunity to say that. I'm grateful. I'm happy and I'm going to hold my head up and be proud about it.
Muna Lee (Baton Rouge, La.):
I'm really happy with it. It was my best 200 in a long time. I ran the whole way through and that's what I was working for.
About being in lane 9: It was actually really good for me because I wasn't worried about who was in front of me. I was able to run my race and not somebody else's.
It was a disappointment, but then again, I was waiting on the time and when I saw it, I was very excited.
I wanted a medal, of course, but I PRed every time I stepped on the track. I can't complain. I could be home watching it on TV.
Marshavet Hooker (Pfugerville, Texas)
I felt great, I'm happy about it. I gave it every last inch I had. I'm happy with it. I knew I had to get out hard and work on the turn. I moved, they moved, I just kept running. It was a great experience.
Men's 800m semifinal
Nick Symmonds (Springfield, Ore.)
Normally, I'm a lot smarter than that. I wanted things to string out a bit.
I used up all my kick on the curve. I never do that. I don't know why. I didn't show patience today. I got caught up in the Olympic moment, I guess. That's why I'm not in the finals.
When the pace started to slow, I felt incredible and I should have gone in front. That's something that I need to work on. When you're in a race with six or seven of the fastest guys in the world, you don't wait.
I told myself to go, but I was just waiting for it to pack up a bit.
Men's 4X100m semifinal
Tyson Gay (Lexington, Ky.)
I don't know. The stick was in my hand. I felt it hit my hand.We had some good handoffs in practice, so everything was going well.
"It was probably my fault. Some people say that when it hits the hand, you should have it. I'm a veteran. I've ran the relays, I've never dropped a baton in my life."
Darvis Patton (Fort Worth, Texas)
My job is to never let go until he securely has the baton. I thought he had it but he didn't. It's unfortunate it happened in the Olympic Games. We were confident.
Travis Padgett (Shelby, N.C.)
I really couldn't see what happened from where I was standing. I think it was a bad handoff. Things like that happen. I'm not going to blame anybody. We're a team. We'll just have to come out and do better next time. We'll try to win World Championships.
I felt pretty good on my leg. I feel like I ran well. I felt like we were going to be in the lead. We came out and we trained hard. We were going for the world record and a gold. I think we had the team to do it.
On waiting for the relay: That's the hard part. The relay is always the end of the races. I was very anxious to come out.
Women's 4X100m semifinal
Lauryn Williams (Miami, Fla.)
I'm not exactly sure what happened. We came out here to compete. We came out here to run our hearts out and to get some revenge on Jamaica. You have to do the first round before you do the second round. No excuses. We had great chemistry. Things just didn't go as planned.
We saw a few of the replays and it looked like it was a good handoff. The stick had a mind of its own. It wasn't my fault and it wasn't Torri's fault. It's just unfortunate.
The whole Games haven't gone quite as planned for Team USA in track and field.
If people want to assess the blame to me, then that's okay. I can take whatever it is that people are going to dish out. We have good chemistry. The hand was there and she (Torri) was there. I just don't know what happened.
The stick wasn't wet. We have no excuses and we're not going to make any excuses.
I just knew when the stick went down that I was not walking to the finish line so I picked it up and ran. I told my team that we're running through the line no matter what.
Torri Edwards (Los Angeles)
I thought the baton was secure and I let go, but I guess it wasn't.
This was our revenge. We were going to go to the finals and win. It's very heartbreaking.
We just wanted to get to the finals.
Mechelle Lewis (Cary, N.C.)
We're really disappointed, but we'll have to move forward from here. We work on our relays at least three times a week since we've been in training camp. I don't really know what happened. Sometimes you just have bad passes. When you're in a situation where it's raining and the adrenaline is flowing, things can happen. We don't really know what happened, but we're going to go back and review the film and see how we can improve for the next time.
Women's 1500m, qualifying
Shannon Rowbury (San Francisco)
"I could tell from the beginning it was a fast heat. I was a little tired at the end, but I was able to make it in. My legs will know what to do Saturday. I'm sure it will be a fast race then. I'll have the strength for it.
Erin Donohue (Haddonfield, N.J.)
I didn't feel like I was boxed too bad. Coming off the curve, I was in good position. I stayed pretty patient. I saw daylight, but I went backwards instead of staying up. Things (bumps) happen when you're not moving forward. I was tightening up before the contact was made.
Christin Wurth-Thomas (Fayetteville, Ark.) We haven't done too much for a while. It's to come out there and get on top. I felt tired today, but there's no explanation for it. I needed to charge more. I feel stale. We went into hibernation for a bout 20 days.
Men's decathlon
Bryan Clay (Glendora, Calif.)
I think I'm still in the lead. We have one more flight of the 400. Hopefully I'll stay in the lead and we'll get home tonight and get into our routine to be ready for tomorrow.
I had three very, very good events. Then I had one not so good event, a poor event, which was high jump. Then just an okay event in the 400, nothing special in the 400, but it was okay. I think it'll be enough
I don't know about scores. I really don't pay attention to scores until we get to about the javelin, then I look to see what I need to do to stay in the position that I'm in.
I'm coming out tomorrow just trying to compete against the conditions and the competitors. Hopefully I'll be the best one there and be at the top of the podium at the end of the day.
I think every event in the decathlon is important. You can't win the decathlon without having all ten events. Anytime you have a poor event, that's going to set you back a bit, and every time you have a good event, that'll put you ahead.
I don't think it was the rain. I think that I was a little fatigued. We started in the rain and mentally and physically, it takes a lot to get through that and I think I did it very well. That made me a little fatigued going into the high jump and the 400.
Trey Hardee (Austin, Texas)
Just a little something popped throwing the shot put. I had some pictures taken during our break today and everything's fine. I'll be ready to go for tomorrow. This is just precautionary and making sure nothing else went wrong.
It was long. It's my first Olympics and my first international experience, really. I'm not used to the all day schedule. We were the first ones out here this morning and the last ones to leave. It's unique, and I'm enjoying it. The fans are great.
It's the decathlon. Nobody's going to be happy with every event.
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