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Russian Antyukh wins Olympic gold in 400 hurdles
American athletes dominated the track and field events on Day 12 of the London Games on Wednesday winning three of the four gold medals on offer. The other gold went to Russia.
Natalya Antyukh of Russia won the women's 400-meter hurdles at the London Olympics on Wednesday night, edging world champion Lashinda Demus and narrowly missing the games record.
The 31-year-old Antyukh, a bronze medalist in the 400 at the 2004 Athens Olympics, won in 52.70 seconds, just 0.06 outside the Olympic record set by Melaine Walker in Beijing.
Demus took silver in 52.77 and Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic got the bronze medal in 53.38.
Allyson Felix of US wins Olympic 200 meters
Allyson Felix of the U.S. finally got her Olympic gold in the 200 meters Wednesday night, overtaking two-time 100 champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica down the stretch to win in 21.88 seconds.
Felix, a silver medalist in the 200 in 2004 and 2008, was behind coming off the turn but powered past Fraser-Pryce over the last 40 meters.
Fraser-Pryce got the silver in 22.09. Carmelita Jeter of the U.S. was third in 22.14 for the bronze, her second medal of the London Games after a silver in the 100.
Aries Merritt of US wins 110-meter hurdles gold
Aries Merritt led a 1-2 finish for the United States in the Olympic 110-meter hurdles, winning in 12.92 seconds Wednesday night. Defending champion Dayron Robles of Cuba pulled up midway through and clutched his right hamstring.
Jason Richardson, the world champion, was second in 13.04. Hansle Parchment of Jamaica took the bronze in 13.12.
Robles, the world-record holder, began limping early and came to a stop after clearing the sixth hurdle, then shoved another barrier down to the track.
The 2004 Olympic champion, Liu Xiang of China, got injured in the first round of qualifying and stopped before reaching the first hurdle.
Reese wins Olympic long jump gold for US
Brittney Reese won the long jump at the London Games on Wednesday night, becoming only the second U.S. woman to win the event at the Olympics.
The two-time world champion went into the competition with the best jump of the season and put down the best mark in the final with 7.12 meters on her second attempt. She is first U.S. woman to win the Olympic long jump since Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1988.
Russia's Elena Sokolova took the silver medal with a best jump of 7.07 meters, and Janay Deloach earned the bronze for the United States at 6.89.