(BEIJING, August 22) -- The US sprint teams' woes continued at the National Stadium on Thursday, August 21, when their Men's and Women's 4x100m teams failed to reach the finals.
The formerly dominant US sprint teams will exit the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with only two silver and two bronze medals from the 18 individual and relay medals available.
First, there was disappointment for the US Men's 4 x 100m Relay team, when a bungled baton change between Tyson Gay and Darvis Patton on the final changeover meant they failed to finish the first semifinal.
Then, in the Women's 4 x 100m semifinals, poor communication between Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams of the United States, also on the final handover, resulted in another dropped baton.
The US men were not the only fancied team to fail to reach Friday's final. Olympic Men's 4 x 100m Relay champions Great Britain were disqualified for a late changeover when final-leg runner Craig Pickering received the baton from Marlon Devonish outside the changeover zone.
Jamaica is the overwhelming favorite for the gold in both the Men's and Women's finals after both teams won their semifinals, the women in a year's-best of 42.24 seconds.
In the Women's 200m, Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica retained her gold medal from Athens 2004 when she led the field home in a personal best 21.74 seconds.
Her win meant Jamaica has now won the 100m and 200m in both the Women's and Men's competitions and taken seven of the 12 medals available over those distances.
The 2007 world champion, Allyson Felix of the United States, took silver as she did at Athens 2004, while Kerron Stewart of Jamaica claimed her second medal of Beijing 2008, a bronze.
LaShawn Merritt of the United States broke Jeremy Wariner's dominance in the 400m, overtaking the Athens 2004 Olympic Games winner and double world champion in the home straight to win with a personal best of 43.75 seconds.
Despite fading badly in the last 60m, Wariner held on for silver, while David Neville of the United States dived over the line to snatch the bronze medal and complete a US sweep of the medals for the second successive Olympic Games.
Dayron Robles of Cuba confirmed he is the best 110m hurdler by adding Olympic gold to the world record of 12.87 seconds he set earlier in 2008.
David Payne and David Oliver of the United States took the silver and bronze medals after a close tussle.
Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic threw a European record to win the Women's Javelin in rainy conditions. She threw 71.42m with her final attempt to overtake long-time leader Maria Abakumova of Russia, who was unable to retake the lead with the last throw of the competition. Christina Obergfoll of Germany took bronze.
Nelson Evora of Portugal added the Men's Triple Jump Olympic gold to his 2007 world title with a season's-best jump of 17.67m. Phillips Idowu of Great Britain took silver and the Bahamas's Leevan Sands, bronze.
The day began with a fifth Athletics gold medal for Russia in the Women's 20km Walk. Olga Kaniskina of Russia led from the front in treacherous conditions to finish first in an Olympic record 1:26:31.
Kjersti Tysse Platzer of Norway won her second Olympic silver medal in 1:27:07, while Elisa Rigaudo of Italy opened her NOC's Athletics account with a bronze medal in 1:27:12.
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