The Hindu : Sport : Merritt bests Wariner with a masterly display

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Merritt bests Wariner with a masterly display

Kamesh Srinivasan

Dayron Robles asserts his class in 110m hurdles; Agonising day for U.S. men’s and women’s relay teams

— Photo: AFP

BLISTERING RUN: World record-holder Dayron Robles leaves Americans David Oliver (left) and David Payne way behind en route to the 110m hurdles gold.

BEIJING: LaShawn Merritt stunned world and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner, with a personal best 43.75, as the United States swept the medals in the men’s 400 metres for the second successive time in the Olympic Games. here on Thursday.

On a rainy evening at the Bird’s Nest, when Dayron Robles expectedly cruised to the 110m hurdles gold in the absence of home favourite, world and Olympic champion Liu Xiang, the surprise was provided by Merritt as he powered to a strong finish, unchallenged even as Wariner tightened up after having come through the home bend in front.

“After the semifinals, I knew that I would run a personal best. I had a strategy, I stuck to it, and now I am an Olympic champion,” said Merritt.

“I felt good coming off the turn. I didn’t have anything left. I ran the best I could. I am disappointed. If I had run like I did in the semifinals, I could have won”, said Wariner who is managed by Michael Johnson, the world record holder in the one-lap event.

Neville third

David Neville, who tripped at the finish in lunging too much, beat Christopher Brown of the Bahamas to the bronze by 0.04 seconds.

On a day when its sprint relay teams dropped batons in the heats in both sections, the medal sweep in the men’s 400 was no great consolation for the athletics super power which has suffered severe blows in these Games.

In the 110m hurdles, watched in silence by a packed stadium, Robles proved too good for Americans David Payne and David Oliver. Robles clocked 12.93s, six-hundredth of a second outside his world record clocked this season.

It was a race that went along expected lines with the Cuban’s superior technique in clearing the hurdles proving decisive eventually.

“I love China and Liu Xiang is my friend”, said Robles, who received a good ovation when he was introduced at the start.

“It was very fast and calm. I was confident about how things would go. I feel good to be the Olympic champion. My technique has improved significantly this year”, said Robles.

In the women’s 200 metres, Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown defended her gold with an authoritative performance on the straight, as she pulled hard from the bend, for a personal best 21.74, joint eighth best on the all-time list.

Jamaican supremacy

Incidentally, Jamaica has won the 100 and 200 metres for both men and women, and also six of the 12 medals in the four events, to assert its growing status as a sprinting nation.

“There was some pressure, but there was a lot of motivation from my team. Jamaica is doing very well. I am just happy for everybody”, said Campbell-Brown.

Two time world champion Allyson Felix of the US was unable to challenge the Jamaican as in the Athens Games and settled for the silver once again with a 21.93.

In men’s triple jump, Portugal’s Nelson Evora proved he was the World champion with a 17.67 leap on the fourth attempt to take gold. It was five centimetres ahead of Phillips Idowu of Britain, the world indoor champion.

Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic, responded very well as the world champion, by launching the javelin to a gold-winning 71.42 metres on the last throw, fourth best performance of all time, and to become the second best in the world behind Cuban Osleidys Menendez.

Menendez, the World and defending champion, finished sixth with 63.35, her only legal throw. “I don’t know how I did it. I surprised myself. I usually win with my first throw. I have never won with my last attempt. This is the first time”, said Spotakova.

Kaniskina’s record walk

Capitalising on a steady rain, world champion Olga Kaniskina of Russia, walked to an Olympic record in the 20-kilometre walk event.

The Russian led by about a minute at the 16 kilometre mark, to eventually clock 1 hour 26 minutes and 31 seconds, improving on the previous mark of 1:29:05 set by Wang Liping of China in Sydney.

“I have won at the world championships, but an Olympic medal is more difficult”, said Kaniskina.

There were upsets in the men’s 800 metres semifinals, in which world champion Alfred Kirwa Yego of Kenya asserted his class with a 1:44.73 to top the list.

The favourites — defending champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy of Russia and the world junior record holder Abubaker Kaki of Sudan — failed to make the cut in tough conditions. Athens silver medallist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa also failed to qualify for the final.

Clay in lead

In decathlon, favourite Bryan Clay of the US led with 4521 points at the halfway mark with Andrei Krauchanka (4433) of Belarus and Trey Hardee (4428) of the US close behind.

“When it was raining hard, it was not bothering me. But when it came to the high jump, I just couldn’t get my footing”, said Clay.

In the women’s 1500 metres, Nancy Jebet Langat of Kenya topped the list of qualifiers for the final with a 4:03.02. World champion Maryam Yusuf Jamal of Bahrain was sixth with a 4:05.14.

In a shocker, the US women’s 4x100 metres relay teams failed to qualify as the baton was dropped on the last change. France and Trinidad and Tobago did not finish while Italy and Ukraine were also disqualified.

Even in the men’s 4 x 100 metres relay, US failed to qualify along with Nigeria, Poland and South Africa, while Britain and Italy were disqualified.

Indians in action

Athletics: Women’s 4x400m relay, heat one, 5.10 p.m.

Boxing: Men’s middleweight, semifinals, Vijender Kumar v Emillio Correa Bayeaux (Cub), 12.46 p.m. (both times IST)

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