In the women’s long jump final, the US went 1-2, with reigning world champion Tianna Bartoletta edging the defending Olympic champion Brittney Reese for gold with her fifth jump of 7.17 meters.
Advertisement
Among the eight finalists in the event were Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali, and Kristi Castlin.
Not only that, but what happened on Wednesday night amounts to the first time three USA women have swept the medal stand in any Olympic event – ever.
Bartoletta, 30, who won her world titles a decade apart in 2005 and 2015, responded on the fifth attempt to regain the lead with one round remaining.
The 21-18, 21-14 victory gave Germany its first medal in women’s beach volleyball, just four years after the German men took the top spot on the Olympic podium in London.
The U.S.is so deep that Kendra Harrison, the world record-holder, didn’t make the Olympic team.
The morning men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final saw Wisconsin graduate Evan Jager challenge Kenya’s long-running dominance in the event – eight straight victories dating back to 1984 – with a brilliant 8:04.28 run for the silver medal.
After an all-American medal sweep in the women’s 100m hurdles last night in Rio, Castlin, 28, turned her attention to gun crime.
Talk of a USA medal sweep in Rio had been rampant in recent months.
Elaine Thompson of Jamaica took the women’s 200 metres gold medal with a time of 21.78 seconds.
This is the first time for women’s golf to be in the Olympics since the Paris Games in 1900, and back then it was only a nine-hole competition. “Because every day people say “triple triple triple”, but actually I am just a normal athlete who wants a good competition”, said the double Olympic champion after her defeat to Azerbaijan’s Patimat Abakarova in the taekwondo women’s -49kg repechage round.
The U.S. woman also are in the semifinals Thursday against Serbia. “They’re my backbone and keep me going”, said Ali, a psychology major while at Southern California. “I need to go out there and do my part”.
The trio looked calm and composed throughout the competition, but Rollins let slip after the race that there was at least some burden of expectation: “Oh my God, it’s a relief”.
In the semifinals earlier in the day, Rollins placed first with a time of 12:47, while Castlin’s 12:63 was second best.
“We actually came to this not as individuals but as a team and that’s how we got the job done”, Castlin said.
Advertisement
Castlin made her Olympic debut in Rio.
