That title might not be as straightforward now as it was back when it was first bestowed upon Jim Thorpe, but there’s no denying Ashton Eaton’s worthiness.
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Double Olympic champion Ashton Eaton threw out a challenge on Thursday to come up with ways to make the decathlon more exciting, suggesting that most spectators fail to grasp the intensity of the arduous event.
In taekwondo, Ahmad Abughaush won Jordan’s first- ever Olympic medal – a surprise gold in the 68-kilogram division – while Britain’s Jade Jones won her second successive gold in the 57-kilogram category.
The 4×100-meter relay final is all that’s left now between Bolt and an historic triple of three gold medals at three straight Olympics. With Bolt focusing on the 200 final – part 2 of 3 for him in Rio – the Jamaicans qualified for the 4×100 final behind heat-winner Japan.
The unstoppable USA track team might feel the same after collecting six more medals Thursday for a total of 24.
Crouser, 25, recorded the three best throws of his career, starting with 22.22 on his second attempt to take an early lead and improving it to 22.26 before his biggest shot of the night on his fifth attempt. Tomas Walsh of New Zealand won bronze.
Dalilah Muhammad kept the US total ticking with gold in the women’s 400-meter hurdles and Ashley Spencer added a bronze.
Kerron Clement started it all off with the first track gold of the day – in the men’s 400 meter hurdles. With Michelle Carter taking gold in the women’s shot put the U.S.accomplished the sweep, and both attended the University of Texas.
A banner red, white and blue day at track and field ended Thursday night in a blaze of yellow-and-black at the Rio Games.
United States’ Tianna Bartoletta hugs her teammate Allyson Felix, right, as United States’ Morolake Akinosun, left, looks on after a women’s 4×100-meter relay after the US team dropped the baton in the morning race during the. The team was running alone on the track, seeking to qualify after successfully protesting that they were bumped in qualifiers.
“We were laughing and joking out there”, said English Gardner, who ran the anchor leg.
“Our relationship helps us because we understand what each other are doing, like physically and mentally”, said the American two-time world champion.
But living in each other’s pockets, training and living together, makes them just a normal couple.
Eaton’s run set a new Olympic record. The world champion finished third in the final event, the 1,500 meters, to win gold from France’s Kevin Mayer on 8,834 points.
Mayer, who took silver with 8,834 points, edged out Canada’s Damien Warner, who claimed bronze.
Eaton has confirmed his status at the dominant decathlete of his time.
Eaton had darted away from the decathlon in the morning session to congratulate Clement as his teammate knelt exhausted in the midday sun after the 400-meter hurdles final.
“I am trying to be one of the greatest”, he told reporters. I knew that I was coming here to get a gold medal, I had one plan for the entire season.
Four of the finishers produced national-record times, including Tumuti and Copello.
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Eaton, straining all the way to the finish, delivered a 4:23.33 clocking, good enough to match Sebrle.
