Before most of the crowd had arrived, the United States women’s 4x100m relay team, disqualified in the morning’s heat but reinstated on appeal, took the opportunity to record a qualifying time for tomorrow’s final in a re-run involving just themselves.
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Competing in an individual event at the Olympics for the final time, Bolt surged clear of his rivals around the bend on Thursday before keeping the chasing pack at bay to triumph in 19.78 seconds, ahead of Andre De Grasse and Christophe Lemaitre.
Eaton has now won successive Olympic and world titles to confirm his status at the best all-around athlete in the world.
Not much. But the ever-gracious Eaton is OK with that.
“My throwing has been bad in the past, but I really got after the discus and shot here”, Eaton said.
“When I came back, I found a new love for the hurdles”, he said. “You can’t write a story like that”.
“To win two Olympic golds in a row like Daley Thompson is very special”, said Eaton.
Maybe there was some comfort for Eaton – and loads of other athletes looking for some attention – with Bolt’s suggestion afterward that he’s almost done.
“On the straight, my body didn’t respond”.
“It’s also a great feeling to listen to the national anthem of Jordan being played in Rio in front of the whole world”.
In an odd sight, the U.S. relay team ran by itself on the track Thursday night, trying to secure one of the top eight times in the event.
In one burst Wednesday night, dubbed the “awesome hour” by victorious long jumper Tianna Bartoletta, the US team added six medals in around 60 minutes.
Crouser, a four-time NCAA champion at Texas, won the shot put gold medal with an Olympic-record throw of 73 feet, 103/4 inches, topping world champion Kovacs’ throw of 71-51/2.
“We are making history out here”, Muhammad said of the USA team’s gold rush.
With 3 1/2 days of competition to come, the United States already has 20 medals at the Olympic track stadium, including 6 gold.
Every athlete celebrates a gold medal differently – just ask Japanese wrestler Risako Kawai.
The US women’s 4x100m relay team overcame a scare before booking their place in Friday’s final.
The defending Olympic champions in the relay, the Americans successfully protested that in their morning heat Allyson Felix was bumped in her baton handover to English Gardner by a Brazilian runner and was thrown offstride, causing her to make a faulty exchange. “They don’t, they just keep fighting back”, Marra said, referring to Eaton and Theisen-Eaton, who he also coaches. The 28-year-old American finished with 8,893 points to match the Olympic mark set by Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic in 2004.?
The Oregonian had entered Thursday with a 121-point lead after a typically dominant performance on day one. After solid efforts in the shot put and high jump, an impressive 400m display where he clocked 46.07secs ensured Eaton held a 121-point overnight advantage over Kai Kazmirek.
Croatia’s Sara Kolak won the women’s javelin, another first-time Olympic champion like Crouser. Semenya, another compelling story at these games but for different reasons to Bolt, will run in the 800 final on Saturday.
“To share this moment as Olympians, as Olympic medalists, with her is awesome”, Eaton said.
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“I am trying to be one of the greatest”.
