Long Jump, 1,500 and Pionship Record but Fell Short the United States Should If the Could Have Chal- Sunday
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Monday 24th August, 2009 15 by Raf Casert 37.10 they set in Beijing last BERLIN (AP) - Only Usain year. Bolt can make a world cham- Trinidad and Tobago took pionship gold medal look like silver and Britain got bronze. a letdown. Bolt was so tired that he The Jamaican left the centered more on stretching Olympic Stadium with three his legs after the race than gold medals and the assur- entertaining a sellout crowd ance that no one can match it of 70,000. during Sunday’s final session. Don’t expect too much for But for the first time in the rest of the season, consid- Berlin he was unable to pro- ering the priorities he set out duce a third world record that late Saturday - “Go home, go went with his other golds. on vacation, go clubbing, go Bolt done, US likely to top medals table Instead, the Jamaican to the beach.” 4x100 relay team ran the sec- First, though, he planned ond-fastest time in history, for a big party in Berlin. winning gold in 37.31 seconds. “It is top secret where we “I am dying right now,” are going,” Bolt said. Bolt said, complaining of At the same time, fatigue after nine races in Jamaican teammate Shelly- From left, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Michael Frater and Steve Mullings celebrate winning gold in the Men’s 4x100m final eight days. Ann Fraser became a double during the World Athletics Championships in Berlin on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) With Asafa Powell taking gold medalist when the 100- should keep the Americans at Americans had not been elim- as 200 champion, she still ing day of the nine-day cham- the baton from Bolt for the meter champion helped her the top of the medal stand- inated in the 4x100 could be running in the 4x400 pionships are the women’s last leg, Jamaica set a cham- 4x100 relay team take gold. ings. relays, Allyson Felix to give her another title on long jump, 1,500 and pionship record but fell short The United States should If the could have chal- Sunday. marathon, and the men’s of the world record mark of win both 4x400 relays, which lenged for gold. And Other finals on the clos- javelin, 800 and 1,500. by Ryan Lucas by Chris sport. He got a new coach and Lehourites BERLIN (AP) - Down and out at this time last year, trained harder than ever. He Dwight Phillips was close to hanging up his track watched his diet and shed weight BERLIN (AP) - With spikes. to get in the best shape of his the baton firmly in He was injured, off the Olympic team and tak- career. hand, it was an ing a hit in the real estate market. “Had I made the Olympic team, injury that this time The 31-year-old American turned all that maybe I won’t be here right now,” derailed the United States around Saturday, bouncing back from the tough Phillips said. “It made me eager, in the women’s 4x100 relay. times of 2008 to win his third world title with a jump hungry and ready to come out and Running in the heats of the sprint of 8.54 meters. prepare even better than ever.” relay Saturday at the world champi- Phillips’ performance marks a stunning turn- Godfrey Khotso Mokoena of South Africa took onships, the United States again failed around for a man who was written off after he fin- silver with a jump of 8.47, and Mitchell Watt of to qualify for a major final. But ished fourth at last year’s U.S. Olympic trials and Australia won bronze with a jump of 8.37. Olympic instead of dropping the baton, like failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. and defending world champion Irving Saladino of they did at least year’s Beijing “It was an extremely low point for me,” the 2004 Panama scratched on his first three attempts and Olympics, it was an injury to third-leg Olympic and ‘03 and ‘05 world champion said. “I had was eliminated. runner Muna Lee that stopped the invested heavily in the real estate market, and that Phillips’ victory Saturday was extra sweet team. crashed in the United States. I didn’t make the because of the setting - the same stadium in which “I was just coming in through the Olympic team. I was injured. All the press said, ‘It’s Jesse Owens won four Olympic medals, including exchange zone and handed off to United States’ Alexandria Anderson, left, and Muna Lee, right, drop the over for him.’ the high jump, at the 1936 Berlin Games. Muna,” said Alexandria Anderson, baton in a Women’s 4x100m semi-final at the World Athletics “They had pretty much written my obituary. “It was just unbelievable knowing that I was in who ran the second leg. “And just Championships in Berlin on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009. The undertaker had taken out my organs, and I was the same place that such a historical person, that a when she pushed off going around (AP PhotoMarkus Schreiber) dead. But today I was able to rise to the top and I’m great icon for humanity competed at,” Phillips said. that turn something happened. But I just happy with that.” “When I left my room this morning, I didn’t want to can’t tell you what her injury is, because Phillips, who lives in Snellville, Georgia, said he disappoint anybody. I wanted to bring sat at home during the Beijing Games, and the USA gold back and I’m happy I hardly watched at all. He did.” only tuned in to watch the Owens’ granddaughter, Marlene Injury stops U.S. men’s hurdlers. Hemphill Dortch, was in attendance “I really didn’t care Phillips Saturday, sitting in the same box in anything about track and which Adolf Hitler watched the field,” he said. “I wanted to 1936 Games. American women get as far away as possible At the medal ceremony for the from it and not think about wins long jump, Dortch placed the gold in 4x100 relay it. I needed that time to just around Phillips’ neck and reflect and see if I wanted to hugged him. I just pray and hope that she’s doing continue doing the sport.” men’s It was a special moment for much, much better.” He put on weight, balloon- Phillips. Lee, who injured her left hamstring, ing to 198 pounds (90 kilo- “That’s just history looking was carried off the track on a stretcher. grams) by January before decid- at me in the face,” he said. “I “She had her muscles wrapped and ing to rededicate himself to the long jump was so honored.” there was ice on it,” Anderson said. It was the second straight day of dis- appointment for an American sprint relay team. On Friday, the men’s 4x100 team was disqualified in the heats for an exchange that was outside the designat- ed area. “Ultimately, it’s up to the athletes in the field of play to execute,” said Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, the chief of sport per- formance for the U.S. track federation. Jamaica ended up winning Saturday, with Shelly-Ann Fraser earning her sec- ond gold medal of the competition. Simone Facey, Aleen Bailey and Kerron Stewart were also in the team that won in 42.06 seconds. The Bahamas finished second in 42.29 and Germany took bronze in 42.87, getting a huge cheer from the sellout crowd at the Olympic Stadium. But it was the injury to Lee that deprived the crowd a chance to see the two-time defending champion Americans and Jamaicans face off for another gold medal in Berlin. “It was definitely going to be a great race,” said Lauryn Williams, who ran the first leg for the Americans. “They’ve got great girls out there running.” Everything had been going smooth- ly for the Americans through 200 meters, and Carmelita Jeter was wait- United States’ Dwight Phillips makes an attempt in the final of the Men’s Long Jump during the World Athletics ing for the baton with 100 to go. Lee Championships in Berlin on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) never made it..