On Wednesday at the Rio Olympics, though, they successfully traversed 10 very physical barriers – 33 inches of polycarbonate and metal – to give the United States gold, silver and bronze in the 100 metres hurdles.
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Miami’s Brianna Rollins, the 2013 world champion, won the women’s 100-meter hurdles final Wednesday night in 12.48 seconds as the United States finished first, second and third at the Olympics.
It was a triumph for the USA women, who have historically been the best in the world at the short hurdles but have been felled by mishaps and trips over the years.
WOMEN’S LONG JUMP: Tianna Bartoletta of the United States, a two-time world champion, finally has an Olympic gold medal, winning with a personal best of 23 feet, 5.2 inches.
“You really can’t take anything for granted out here”.
Castlin had earlier celebrated the unique U.S. triumph with Ali and Rollins, close friends in what she described as a “black girl magic movement”.
He said he rolled an ankle in the run-up to the Olympics and was happy just to make it here. “I mean the world record was run right after our trials”.
Castlin made her Olympic debut in Rio.
The women said they owed their success to a sense of sisterhood and teamwork they used to approach the event. Damian Warner, who beat Eaton in the 100 meters to take the early lead, was in bronze medal position with 4,489 points.
“We’re from all different states and universities”.
“We came out here to do the best that we could, and that’s what we did”, Rollins told NBC reporter Lewis Johnson following the victory.
In a span of about 60 minutes Wednesday night, US athletes hauled in a bevy of medals: Bartoletta and Brittney Reese went 1-2 in the long jump, Tori Bowie captured a bronze in the 200 and Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin swept the medals in the 100-meter hurdles a feat that’s never been accomplished in that event. In the women’s 200 meters, American Tori Bowie got a bronze, while Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson got the gold to go with her 100 meters triumph.
Ali shared the moment with her toddler son Titus, bringing him onto the track at the Olympic Stadium during a lap of honour.
“I was a bit lazy, I don’t know why, but I executed and got round”. No woman has ever successfully defended their Olympic title in the event.
The U.S. women’s volleyball team plays Serbia in a semifinal match with a spot in Saturday’s gold medal match on the line. “It feels good to come out and do a great job”.
“I honestly didn’t think that far ahead”, Ali said when asked if she envisioned medaling a year ago. The result was a jovial exchange between the two across the finish, with Bolt breaking into a smile and enveloping the young Canadian in a one-armed hug. The IAAF was forced to drop rules that limited testosterone levels in female athletes previous year after they were challenged by another runner at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
His main goal during the opening rounds is to conserve energy, which is exactly what he was doing when he looked to his right, saw Canada’s Andre de Grasse a few steps behind and put it on cruise control.
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‘I’ve been around a lot of gun violence in my life, ‘ Castlin said.
