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"Vanderlei de Lima, the bronze medalist in the Olympic marathon who was tackled by a spectator while leading the race, returned home to a hero's welcome, saying he was just thrilled to earn a medal.
Flying back from Athens, Greece, de Lima was greeted at Sao Paulo's international airport Wednesday by fans shouting, "It's gold! It's gold!"
Brazilians were outraged when an Irish spectator, wearing a kilt, knee-socks and a beret, grabbed de Lima and pushed him into the crowd with three miles to go in Sunday's race.
De Lima got back into the race, but was soon passed by Italy's Stefano Baldini and American Meb Keflezighi, the eventual gold and silver medalists. The Brazilian Olympic Committee has requested that de Lima be declared co-winner."
Read more at Tackled marathoner gets hero's welcome at home:
"A member of the nation's relay quartet that won silver at the Sydney Olympics and bronze in the Athens Games, Enefiok Udo-Obang has from an insider's advantage profeered the factor that cost the nation a gold medal in the 4x400m relay in Greece to the absence of their Sydney coach, Innocent Egbunike in the Athens camp.
Speaking in an extensive interview with THISDAYSports yesterday, he said, "the quartet in Sydney comprising Sunday Bada, Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye were made up of well established world leaders in the quarter-mile. I was like the weakest link in terms of experience. The experience of Egbunike fetched us the medal."
Comparing the two teams, which he remains the only link, the Akwa-Ibom-born athlete said, "the Athens team, though younger and less experienced was a team of youth with a burning desire for meeting the challenges set within us. No body believed in us. I had to start psyching the other members of the team. God was our biggest supporter in meeting that effort.""
Read more at Egbunike's Absence Cost Nigeria Gold - Udo-Obong:
"The Hungarian hammer thrower who was stripped of his gold medal after refusing to take a follow-up drug test at the Athens Olympics said Tuesday he still considers himself the champion and vowed to keep his medal.
Adrian Annus also reiterated his decision to retire rather than deal with what he called a campaign to manipulate test results against him.
"Hammer throwing was my life and this wasn't the way I planned to bid farewell to the sport," Annus told the state-run news wire MTI. "I only want my family and I to be left alone.""
Read more at Annus won't return Olympic hammer gold
"The Brazilian Olympic Committee will lodge an appeal against the result of Sunday's Athens marathon, after it was disrupted by a spectator.
Late in the race, a man in a kilt ran into the road, bundling Brazil's leader Vanderlei de Lima into the crowd.
De Lima restarted the race but then faded into third place as Italy's Stefano Baldini won the gold medal.
Brazil are now appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, saying De Lima was not given enough protection."
Read more at Marathon result disputed
"Greece staged an exuberant closing ceremony on Sunday to bring the curtain down on the Athens Games, which took the Olympics back to their roots and provided drama right down to the last gold medal.
A spectator ran onto the course of men's marathon, the final event of the Games run along the route of the first modern Olympics, and bundled Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima into the crowd as he led the race with about 15 minutes to go.
De Lima was able to rejoin the race after about five seconds but he looked shaken and was passed soon afterwards by Stefano Baldini of Italy, who had already been gaining on him. Baldini won the race ahead of American Meb Keflezighi.
The intruder was Cornelius Horan, an Irish former priest who interrupted the British Formula One Grand Prix last year. He was dressed in a kilt and beret and police said he was drunk.
De Lima said the incident may have cost him the gold medal and Brazilian officials said they would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a review of the results."
Read more at Games Close with Drama Down to Last Medal
"With Vanderlei de Lima of Brazil unexpectedly leading the race - the final event of these Games - by close to 30 seconds near the 22-mile mark, a man emerged from the crowd and pushed Lima from the middle of the road to the side of the course into a group of spectators, stopping him completely.
Spectators and security guards intervened, but it took the bewildered Lima several seconds to shake free. As he emerged from the crowd with about four miles remaining, his expression was even more pained than a marathoner's customary grimace down the stretch. And as security guards took his attacker, 57-year-old Cornelius Horan of Ireland, into custody, Lima spread his slender arms as if to ask, "Why?"
Seven minutes after the attack, with about 2.3 miles remaining in the race, Lima was caught from behind by the eventual winner, Stefano Baldini of Italy, and then by the eventual silver medalist, Meb Keflezighi of the United States." Read more at A Spectator Disrupts the Marathon With a Shove
Also read about it at:
- Marathoner finishes Third after attack
- Former priest halts marathon leader in his tracks
The winner of the Gold Medal: Stefano Baldini from Italy
The winner of the Silver Medal: Mebrahtom Keflezighi from United States
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Vanderlei de Lima from Brazil
"Australia has won an unexpected silver medal in the men's 4x400 metre relay at the Athens Olympics.
The Australian team of John Steffensen, Mark Ormrod, Patrick Dwyer and Clinton Hill finished second behind the United States (2:55.91) in a time of 3:00.60.
Nigeria ran home in 3:00.90 to claim the bronze medal.
It was the first time since the 1956 Olympics that Australia had medalled in the event.
Steffensen, who celebrates his birthday on Monday, could hardly believe the team's achievement.
"Who would have thought us boys getting second, I'm speechless, you don't know how hard we have had to work," he told Channel Seven.
"All us boys have done some real hard yards and right now its hard to believe."
Read more at Aussies win surprise relay silver
"Double Olympic gold medallist Kelly Holmes has been given the honour of carrying the flag for Great Britain at Sunday's closing ceremony in Athens.
Holmes, who added 1500m gold to her 800m triumph on Saturday night, has revealed she has no plans to bow out of athletics just yet.
"I don't plan to retire. I'm in the best shape of my life.
"The most important thing is to enjoy it," she told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme."
Read more at Holmes given Olympic honour
"Finals in boxing, wrestling and taekwondo herald the symbolic finale to the Athens Olympics, the men's marathon, tracing the legendary route ran by Pheidippides in 490 BC to announce the Athenian victory at the battle of Marathon.
Favourite for the 301st and last medal of the games was Kenya's world record holder Paul Tergat, the silver-medallist over 10,000 metres at Atlanta and Sydney.
"This is going to be my final Olympics. If I could win the gold medal, everything would be complete and I could go on to other things with a free mind." said Tergat."
Read more at Marathon men bring down curtain on Athens Olympics
"Britain took a shock gold in the men's Olympic 4x100 meters relay Saturday, pipping favorites the United States by one hundredth of a second.
Mark Lewis-Francis held off 2000 Olympic 100 meters champion Maurice Greene in a blistering last leg to clinch the gold in 38.07 seconds. It was Britain's first gold in the event for 92 years.
"We have gone and proved everyone wrong, all the people who were talking negative about us," said Lewis-Francis. "This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me in my whole life.
"I knew I had it won as soon as I got the baton."
The U.S. quartet had to be content with silver in 38.08 seconds with Nigeria taking bronze in 38.23."
Read more at British Stun U.S. in Sprint Relay
"The United States retained both Olympic 4x400 meters relay titles Saturday with individual champion Jeremy Wariner running the third leg for the men's team.
The Americans were already well in front when Wariner received the baton and he in turn gave Darold Williamson a clear lead.
Williamson completed victory for the United States in two minutes 55.91 seconds with Australia second almost five seconds back and Nigeria third.
None of the American team were in the squad who competed in Sydney four years and who are now certain to lose their gold medals.
The world governing body has annulled the results and recommended that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) take back the medals because one of the American team, world 400 meters champion Jerome Young, should have been serving a doping ban."
Read more at Sports News Article | Reuters.com
"Russia's Yuriy Borzakovskiy landed a shock Olympic 800m victory from South Africa's Mbulaeni Mulaudzi.
Borzakovskiy, 23, burst from a long way back to clock one minute 44.45 seconds to pip the fast-finishing Commonwealth champion on the line.
Mulaudzi edged out Denmark's world record holder Wilson Kipketer, who ran 1:44.65 in third.
Algeria's Djabir Said Guerni led at halfway in 51.84 before Kenya's Wilfred Bungei took over to set up the finish."
Read more at Borzakovskiy wins 800m
"Yelena Slesarenko of Russia set an Olympic record in the women's high jump Saturday night, winning the gold medal with a jump of 6 feet, 9 inches.
The previous Olympic record was 6 feet, 8 3/4 inches, set in Atlanta by Stefka Kostadinova of Bulgaria.
Hestrie Cloete of South Africa won silver with a jump of 6 feet, 7 1/2 inches. Viktoriya Styopina of Ukraine won the bronze with a jump at the same height, but finished below Cloete because she had one more miss.
Amy Acuff of the United States was fourth, clearing 6 feet, 6 1/4 inches."
Read more at AP Wire | 08/28/2004 | Russia's Slesarenko Wins High Jump
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from United States
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from Australia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from Nigeria
The winner of the Gold Medal: Andreas Thorkildsen from Norway
The winner of the Silver Medal: Vadims Vasilevskis from Latvia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Sergey Makarov from Russia
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from United States
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from Russia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from Jamaica
The winner of the Gold Medal: Yelena Slesarenko from Russia
The winner of the Silver Medal: Hestrie Cloete from South Africa
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Viktoriya Styopina from Ukraine
"Kelly Holmes surged from behind to take the 1,500 meters gold and clinch a rare middle-distance Olympic double on Saturday. The Briton already won the 800 earlier this week.
In the finishing straight, Holmes kicked for home and easily beat Tatyana Tomashova of Russia and Maria Cioncan of Romania.
Holmes hung back for most of the race and had a lot of work left to do with 300 meters to go. She finished in 3 minutes 57.90 seconds, holding a .22 second edge over Tomashova. Maria Cioncan of Romania crossed in 3:58.39."
Read more at Britain's Holmes Wins Women's 1,500
"Hicham El Guerrouj completed an historic Olympic 1,500-5,000 metres double this evening after a battle royal with Kenenisa Bekele.
The Moroccan emulated the achievement of Finn Paavo Nurmi in 1924 as he cruised to victory in the 5,000 in one of the most mouth-watering head-to-heads of the Athens Games.
He timed 13 minutes 14.39 seconds. Silver went to Ethiopia's Bekele, a metre back, with 19-year-old world champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya taking bronze.
Ireland's Alistair Cragg finished in 12th position in a time of 13:43.06."
Read more at El Guerrouj fends off Bekele for historic win
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from United Kingdom (Great Britain)
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from United States
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from Nigeria
The winner of the Gold Medal: Hicham El Guerrouj from Morocco
The winner of the Silver Medal: Kenenisa Bekele from Ethiopia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya
The winner of the Gold Medal: Yuriy Borzakovskiy from Russia
The winner of the Silver Medal: Mbulaeni Mulaudzi from South Africa
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Wilson Kipketer from Denmark
The winner of the Gold Medal: Kelly Holmes from United Kingdom (Great Britain)
The winner of the Silver Medal: Tatyana Tomashova from Russia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Maria Cioncan from Romania
"Paul Tergat is a man on a mission, to finally capture an Olympic Games gold medal, and the Kenyan world record holder for the men's marathon is tipped to fulfil his ambition in the classic event here Sunday.
"This is going to be my final Olympics. If I could win the gold medal, everything would be complete and I could go on to other things with a free mind," Tergat recently said.
The Kenyan air force seargent's career credentials include a record five consecutive world cross country titles, two world half marathon titles and a 10,000 metres world record on the track."
Read more at Tergat seeks peace of mind with marathon gold
"American superstar Marion Jones made a tearful exit from the Olympics, finishing an unhappy campaign empty-handed four years after being the golden girl of the Sydney Games.
The 28-year-old came fifth in the long jump and was then involved in a baton change blunder in the 4x100 metres relay which left the United States quartet out of the medals for the first time since 1980.
It completed a miserable year for Jones, who has found herself at the centre of an ongoing drugs scandal investigation that has already wrecked the career of sprinter boyfriend Tim Montgomery (news - web sites).
Asked about her whole experience at the Olympics, Jones said: "It was a rough one," before breaking down in tears and vowing to return."
Read more at Yahoo! News - Tearful Jones finishes Olympics without a medal
"Under suspicion of doping, Olympic hammer throw champion Adrian Annus retired from sports Thursday rather than deal with what he called a campaign to manipulate test results against him.
"I'm putting an end to my career," the 31-year-old Annus told the state-run news agency MTI in a statement. "It isn't worth going through all this even for an Olympic champion's title."
International Olympic Committee officials said Annus passed a drug test after winning the hammer throw Sunday, but doping control officials have been trying to track him down since then for further testing.
"
Read more at Hammer winner Annus retires
"Hicham El Guerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele move up and down respectively from their favoured distances for what could be an epic Olympic 5,000 metres clash. El Guerrouj, 29, has finally claimed the Olympic 1,500 title which escaped him at the 1996 Atlanta Games and again in Sydney four years later. Bekele, seven years his junior, won the 10,000 metres gold and is now attempting to become the first Ethiopian since Miruts Yifter in 1980 to complete the long-distance double. Victory on Saturday would complete a perfect year for Bekele and give him a legitimate claim to the mythical title of best track distance runner in history." Read more at El Guerrouj and Bekele vie for supremacy
"The United States suffered their worst day of the Athens Olympics on Friday when a tearful Marion Jones flopped, their basketball "Dream Team" were humiliated and they captured only one of the 20 golds on offer.
But China, who had never won an Olympic gold in athletics, had a night to remember with Liu Xiang winning the men's 110 meters hurdles in a world record equaling 12.91 seconds.
"My victory has proved that athletes with yellow skin can run as fast as those with black and white skin," said Liu, 21.
"This is a miracle, but I believe a lot more miracles will take place in China," he said, as a new generation of his compatriots signaled they will be a force to be reckoned with on the track when Beijing hosts the next Olympics in 2008.
Xing Huina beat the Ethiopians at their own game to win the women's 10,000 in one of the biggest upsets of the athletics."
Read more at Bad Day for U.S., New Dawn for China
"I’m Paula Radcliffe – get me out of here.’
The sooner Radcliffe leaves Athens, the better, and perhaps tonight she will reflect that Monday would have been an opportune moment to head home on the next available plane. We learned in Sunday’s marathon that Radcliffe is mortal, when it was choking to see her bawling at the roadside four miles from the finish. But if anyone had the capacity to recover from such a knockdown then surely it would be the ‘Bedford Blonde’.
But no, not tonight. The dream of redemption turned into further indignation as Radcliffe pulled out two thirds of the way through the 10,000metres final. Radcliffe had announced just 10 hours before lining up alongside the cream of long-distance talent that she would race – despite her obvious agony of Sunday, pain which ran over into her tearful press conference and live TV interview the next day. "
Read more at Athens Offers No Comfort to Radcliffe
"Marion Jones' chances for a medal at the Olympics ended abruptly Friday night with a fifth-place finish in the long jump and a disaster in the women's 4x100 meter relay. Running second, Jones had a poor exchange of the baton with Lauryn Williams. Williams left too early and she couldn't connect with Jones until it was too late. The U.S. didn't finish because Williams was already out of the handoff zone. The race was won by the Jamaican foursome of Tayna Lawrence, Sherone Simpson, Aleen Bailey and Veronica Campbell in 41.73 seconds. Russia was second and France was third."
Read more at No medal for Marion Jones in long jump or relay
Also read Jones fifth in long jump
The winner of the Gold Medal: Timothy Mack from United States
The winner of the Silver Medal: Toby Stevenson from United States
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Giuseppe Gibilisco from Italy
"Anti-doping authorities were trying to track down Olympic champion Adrian Annus on Friday amid suspicions the Hungarian may have duped drug-testers after winning a gold medal in the hammer throw. Annus, who announced his retirement from the sport on Friday, left Greece immediately after striking gold in the hammer on Sunday. Mandatory drug tests carried out on the athlete after the event were negative. But following the controversy over Hungary's discus champion Robert Fazekas - who was stripped of his Olympic gold medal for failing to provide a urine sample - questions have now been raised over his friend Annus. International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge confirmed to AFP that the athlete was being sought by drug-testers. "
Read more at Hunt is on for Olympic hammer champ Annus
"Russia's Tatyana Lebedeva has added the Olympic women's long jump title to her her triple-jump bronze. Lebedeva's second-round leap of 7.07m was good enough for victory, with compatriots Irina Simagina and Tatyana Kotova completing a Russia 1-2-3. Simagina won the silver with 7.05m - the same as Kotova - but having recorded a longer second-best effort."
Read more at Lebedeva wins long jump
The winner of the Gold Medal: Team from Jamaica
The winner of the Silver Medal: Team from Russia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Team from France
"Liu Xiang of China won the gold medal in the men's 110-meter hurdles Friday night at the Olympics in an Olympic record time of 12.91 seconds. Terrence Trammell of the United States was the silver medalist with a time of 13.18 seconds, while Anier Garcia of Cuba took the bronze in a time of 13.20 seconds."
Read more at Liu Wins 110 Meter Hurdles
The winner of the Gold Medal: Huina Xing from China
The winner of the Silver Medal: Ejegayehu Dibaba from Ethiopia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Derartu Tulu from Ethiopia
he winner of the Gold Medal: Osleidys Menendez from Cuba
The winner of the Silver Medal: Steffi Nerius from Germany
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Mirela Manjani from Greece
The winner of the Gold Medal: Tatyana Lebedeva from Russia
The winner of the Silver Medal: Irina Simagina from Russia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Tatyana Kotova from Russia
The winner of the Gold Medal: Xiang Liu from China
The winner of the Silver Medal: Terrence Trammell from United States
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Anier Garcia from Cuba
Britain's Paula Radcliffe has failed to finish in the Women's 10,000m final.
"The Olympics turned ugly when unforgiving Greeks, incensed that fallen hero Costas Kenteris was missing from the 200 meters, delayed the final by booing and chanting for five minutes.
The American athletes who took the first three places on Thursday evening refused to be fazed by the uproar and a delighted Kenteris said he felt vindicated. The spectators were enraged because defending champion Kenteris was absent from the final after withdrawing from the Olympics following a missed dope test."
Read more at Unforgiving Greeks Boo as Games Turn Ugly
"Nathan Deakes's coach says the Olympian's technique will be reassessed following his disqualification from the 50-kilometre walk in Athens. Deakes was leading the field with the eventual winner, Poland's Robert Korzeniowski, when he was disqualified at the 33-kilometre mark. The 26-year-old did not receive any warnings during his bronze medal effort in the 20-kilometre walk last week. Deakes's coach Brett Vallance said his charge's disqualification came as a surprise."
Read more at Deakes to assess his technique - Athens Olympics 2004 - ABC Sport.
"Greek sprinter Kostas Kenteris was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support in his absence at Olympic Stadium. Thousands of fans chanted his name Thursday night at the 200-meter sprint, an event Kenteris pulled out of after missing a drug test. "When I heard all these people - the thousands of people - shout my name, it was the most beautiful thing that I have heard in recent years," Kenteris told the TV Mytilini channel."
Read more at AP Wire | 08/27/2004 | Kenteris Says He Did Nothing Wrong
Paula Radcliffe has confirmed she will definitely run in the Olympic 10,000m.
Radcliffe quit Sunday's marathon four miles from the end but is ready to line up for the 1950BST start on Friday.
She is the fastest woman in the world this year over 10,000m by 26 seconds and the 30-year-old will be keen to hit back after her marathon failure.
Read More Radcliffe to run 10,000m
The winner of the Gold Medal: Robert Korzeniowski from Poland
The winner of the Silver Medal: Denis Nizhegorodov from Russia
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Aleksey Voyevodin from Russia
Carmen Douma-Hussar, of Cambridge, Ont., advanced to Saturday's final in the women's 1,500-metre, even though she finished sixth in her semifinal race.
The top five racers from each heat automatically qualified for the finals, however Douma-Hussar's time of four minutes, 5.09 seconds was fast enough among the remaining pack to advance. Her time was 1.60 seconds faster than the winner of the first heat.
"Red-hot favourite Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic streaked to victory in the men's Olympic 400 metres hurdles final this morning.
Just four days shy of his 27th birthday, the New York-born world champion flowed over the barriers to take gold in a time of 47.63 seconds.
Jamaica's Danny McFarlane took silver in 48.11 with France's Naman Keita collecting bronze in 48.26.
Sanchez, who is unbeaten in more than 40 races and last lost in July 2001, is the Dominican Republic's first Olympic gold medallist.
Their only other Olympic medal was a boxing bronze won by bantamweight Pedro Nolascos in the 1984 Los Angeles Games."
Read more at Invincible Sanchez storms to gold
"Shawn Crawford denied fellow American Justin Gatlin an Olympic sprint double as he stormed to victory in the Olympic men's 200 meters to set up a United States clean sweep....
The race, though, was marred by ugly scenes and delayed for five minutes when the packed 75,000 crowd at the Olympic Stadium began booing and chanting "Kenteris, Kenteris!" and "Hellas, Hellas!
Costas Kenteris, Greece's 2000 Olympic champion in the event, withdrew from the Games after missing a drugs test in mysterious circumstances the day before the opening ceremony. There was no Greek runner in Thursday's race.""
Read more at Golden Crawford Denies Gatlin Sprint Double
Also read about this story at Shawn Crawford leads U.S. sweep of 200 meters, overcoming teammates Williams, Gatlin to win gold
The winner of the Gold Medal: Shawn Crawford from United States
The winner of the Silver Medal: Bernard Williams from United States
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Justin Gatlin from United States
"Marion Jones took the baton and sped down the straightaway. By the time she handed it off to 100-meter silver medalist Lauryn Williams, the United States was well on its way to victory in the first round of the 400-meter relay.
It was a quick burst of speed that helped the relay squad to a time of 41.67 seconds Thursday night, matching the mark it set earlier this month that is best in the world this year.
But the race may have implications for the relay squad long after the Olympics. Jones is under investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, and if she is found guilty of using banned drugs it could impact any medal the team might win.
Dwight Phillips led a 1-2 American finish in the men's long jump Thursday. Phillips won gold with a leap of 28 feet, 2 1/4 inches and U.S. teammate John Moffitt won silver with a jump of 27-9 1/2. Joan Lino Martinez of Spain took the bronze medal."
Read more at Jones' presence on relay could have implications after Olympics
The winner of the Gold Medal: Felix Sanchez from Dominican Republic
The winner of the Silver Medal: Danny McFarlane from Jamaica
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Naman Keita from France
The winner of the Gold Medal: Dwight Phillips from United States
The winner of the Silver Medal: John Moffitt from United States
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Joan Lino Martinez from Spain
"The women's pole vault provided one of the stirring dramas of the 2004 Olympic track and field competition.
Until the mid 1990s, women's pole vault was not taken very seriously, mainly because the heights being cleared were so far behind the men. But between 1995 and 1999, Australian Emma George broke the women's world record 12 times.
The event was finally added to the Olympics in 2000 in Sydney, but much to the dismay of the partisan crowd, George failed to qualify for the final. The gold medal was won by American Stacy Dragila with a vault of four meters 60 centimeters, three centimeters less than her world record at the time."
Read more at Womens Pole Vault Provides Stirring Drama at Olympics
"Allyson Felix took over a spot once occupied by Marion Jones, but she hasn't replaced the queen of track entirely.
Felix, 18, ran her fastest official 200 meters to place second behind Jamaica's Veronica Campbell in the Olympic final Wednesday. Despite missing the gold medal, Felix made it clear that, for now, the 200 meters belongs to her."
Read more at U.S. teen claims silver in 200m
"Carrying the hopes of an entire nation, ace long jumper Anju Bobby George will seek to grab a slice of Olympic glory and add a medal to India's kitty when she features in the women's long jump final at the Main Olympic stadium tomorrow.
Anju, the last medal hope for India, kept herself on track for a coveted medal by qualifying for the final with a leap of 6.69 m in her very first attempt, making her the first Indian to reach an athletic final in the Olympic Games in 20 years.
The 27-year-old athlete did not exert much and took a safe jump to cross the qualification mark of 6.65 m without much fuss to bring the cheer back in the Indian camp, which has struggled to make a mark in the mega event."
Read more at Anju carrying India's last medal hope to final
"Olympic 400m hurdles finalist and world champion Jana Pittman of Australia said on Thursday that she was considering switching to the 400m flat race to ease the pressure on her injured knee.
"It has definitely crossed my mind that next season I wouldn't mind running the 400 flat," Pittman told Sky News Australia after finishing fifth in the medal race at Athens just 17 days after undergoing knee surgery."
Read more at Pittman look to drop hurdles
"British marathon flop Paula Radcliffe (news - web sites) is leaving it until the last before deciding whether or not to run in the Olympic 10,000 metres.
The 30-year-old is on the entry list, but may feel she has not recovered mentally from her nightmare run on Sunday when she ran to a standstill after 35 kilometres and broke down in tears.
Physically she is believed to be in perfect shape.
"It's now up to her whether she runs, but she does have the opportunity to pull out at any time before the race," said athletics team leader Max Jones.
"She's been entered this morning but all you are doing is confirming your original selections."
Read more at Radcliffe leave its late for 10,000 metres decision
"Marion Jones will be part of the U.S. Olympic 400-meter relay team, women's coach Sue Humphrey announced last night.
Jones' participation had been a subject of speculation because she is being investigated by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. However, she has not been charged with any doping offense and qualified last night for the long jump finals.
The lineup, in order, will be Angela Williams, Jones, 100-meter silver medalist Lauryn Williams and LaTasha Colander. That team ran 41.37 seconds, three-tenths of a second off the world record, in Munich on Aug. 8."
Read more at Jones placed on 400 relay
"MARION JONES looked serene, immaculate, and collected, as she leapt into the women's Olympic long jump final at the second attempt last night.
Nobody would have thought this was the woman who is the most high profile target of the global anti-doping machine.
Yet the muted ripple of applause which she received when she reached 6.70 metres at the second attempt suggested the crowd's love affair with the triple Olympic champion of Sydney is cooling. This was five centimetres beyond the mandatory qualifying distance, also surpassed by Britain's European and Commonwealth silver medallist, Jade Johnson.
"It went very good," she said afterwards. "It is pretty much anybody's game. My first jump was over seven metres, but it was a foul. I am just so excited. I really can't wait."
She may yet have another shot at gold. "I wanted to be on the track, but it didn't work out this year as planned. "I'm in the long jump final, maybe I'll get a shot in the relay. We'll see."
Her task was made easier by the big-name failures: Niurka Montalvo, the 1999 world champion, two-time former champion Fiona May, and reigning champion Eunice Barber."
Read more at Jones jumps into final
"Derek Miles of the U.S. Track and Field made his final attempt at the qualifying height of 5.7 meters and is among the 16 male vaulters to qualify for the finals in the pole vault at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Miles, who will jump in the pole vault finals at about 8:45 a.m. on Friday (August 27) morning, made his first two jumps (5.5 meters, 5.6 meters) before passing to the qualifying height of 5.7 meters which he made on his third try.
Both of USA's other vaulters also advanced with Toby Stevenson clearing 5.7 on his first attempt. Tim Mack made the qualifying height on his second try.
Other finalists included the reigning European champion, Alejsander Averbukh of Isreal, who cleared 5.7 on his first attempt. Reigning world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco of Italy, who has struggled much of the year, also advanced. However many of the top vaulters did not move on, including the 2001 world champion Dmitri Markov of Australia. Okkert Brits of RSA, one of the few vaulters to go over six meters, did not advance."
Read more at Miles Advances To Olympic Pole Vault Finals
"When Perdita Felicien walked off the track Tuesday night, her hopes of a gold medal dashed, she forced herself to watch Olympic champion Joanna Hayes run her victory lap draped in the American flag.
It wasn't easy. But the world champion hurdler from Pickering, Ont., said there was a lesson to be learned from her horrific crash in Athens, and that's never to be complacent again. "I said, as hard as it was, 'Look at that,'" said Felicien. "'Remember how it tastes, remember how it feels.'
"I want to feel these feelings. Whenever I get complacent again, I'm going to call upon those moments and those feelings.""
Read more at Tough lesson for Perdita Felicien in hurdles spill | CP
The winner of the Gold Medal: Veronica Campbell from Jamaica
The winner of the Silver Medal: Allyson Felix from United States
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Debbie Ferguson from The Bahamas
"Greek sensation Fani Halkia blitzed to gold in the Olympic women's 400 meters hurdles on Wednesday to confirm her meteoric rise in the world elite.
Halkia, a no-hoper last year, raced home in 52.82 seconds to thrash Romania's Ionela Tirlea-Manolache (53.38) and Ukraine's Tetiana Tereshchuk-Antipova (53.44).
World champion Jana Pittman of Australia, running after a brave battle against injury, faded to fifth while world record holder Yuliya Pechenkina of Russia trailed in last after a wretched run.
The winner, who came from nowhere to run the sixth fastest time in history during the semi-finals, knelt on the ground to kiss the track after her triumph as the crowd bayed their support.
"I felt I would win when I came into the stadium," Halkia said, wearing a blue and white national flag around her shoulders."
Read more at Awesome Halkia Stuns Sad Pittman in Hurdles
"World high hurdles champion Allen Johnson literally crashed out of the Olympic Games Wednesday when he fell at the ninth flight in the second semi-final.
The 1996 Olympic champion tripped on the ninth hurdle and flew headlong into the 10th. He lay sprawled on the track watching helplessly as his opponents crossed the line.
"It's unfortunate. It happens to the best of us, you just have to move on. It's just one of those breaks," the American said.
"You always have disappointments, Sydney showed that. I just have to take this one and keep going."
Johnson finished fourth at the 2000 Sydney Games"
Read more at American Allen Johnson Crashes Out of Olympics
"Four-time world 110 metres hurdles champion Allen Johnson's bid to regain his Olympic title ended in disaster when he fell for only the second time in his 13 year career.
The 33-year-old, 1996 Olympic champion, clipped several of the hurdles in his second round heat but as he desperately tried to make the first three he went on to hit the penultimate one too hard and dived headlong onto the track.
"It was unfortunate but it happens to the best of us," said the two-time world indoor 60m hurdles champion.
"The Olympics are over for me but I will keep going because I'm the best hurdler in the world."
Johnson said he would be able to handle the disappointment.
"You always have disappointments. Sydney showed me that (he finished fourth losing his Olympic title to Anier Garcia). I've just got to take it and keep going."
Johnson admitted that despite his experience, nerves may have played a part in his downfall."
Joanna Hayes set a new Olympic record of 12.37 seconds to win 100m hurdles gold after the favourite crashed out.
Canada's Perdita Felicien came to grief at the first hurdle and took Russia's Irina Shevchenko with her.
The medal ceremony was delayed after the Russians protested and demanded a re-run. But the appeal was rejected.
Olena Krasovska of Ukraine took silver with a time of 12.45 seconds while America's Melissa Morrison came through for bronze in 12.56.
Felicien had been the pre-race favourite but walked away in tears, flinging her shoes to the ground in anger and frustration.
"The first hurdle came up, I reached for it way too much," she said.
"Before I knew it I was on the ground. I couldn't believe it, there was no coming back. This is going to take four years to sink in."
Source: BBC
The winner of the Gold Medal: Fani Halkia from Greece
The winner of the Silver Medal: Ionela Tirlea-Manolache from Romania
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Tetiana Tereshchuk-Antipova from Ukraine
Australians rose in the early hours of the morning to see comeback kid Jana Pittman race in the 400m hurdles race in Athens. After two weeks of a roller coaster ride of injury and miracle recovery Jana today saw her finish fifth behind Greece's Fani Halkia, Romania's Ionela Tirlea-Manolache and Tetiana Tereshchuk-Antipova.
"Ana Gabriela Guevara may not have won the gold medal her country so yearned for, but the Mexican sprinter's status as a national heroine never has been clearer.
"Goddess of Silver," proclaimed the banner headline on the Web site of leading daily El Universal immediately after the 400-meter final in which Guevara was beaten in the last few meters by Tonique Williams of the Bahamas.
Mexico City's usually jam-packed highways were strangely deserted around the time of the race, which coincided with lunchtime here, as residents crowded around televisions in restaurants, in their offices and in their homes to watch "Anita" in the race of her career."
Read more at REACTION / Mexico still loves its Ana / Now she's 'Goddess of Silver'
"As soon as Hicham el Guerrouj crossed the finish line Tuesday night at Olympic Stadium, he collapsed on the brick-colored track that became his salvation.
The Moroccan was finally the Olympic 1,500-meter champion, having overcome a furious late charge by rival Bernard Lagat of Kenya. After tasting the bitterness of Olympic failure twice, Guerrouj wanted to extend the moment.
He would not get up.
One by one, his opponents came to him like long-lost friends. Lagat fell to his knees to hug him and hold his head in his hands. Others surrounded the Moroccan, offering pats. The 70,000 fans embraced Guerrouj's feat as he rolled on the track, sobbing.
Four years ago in Sydney, the world-record holder shared tears with his compatriots after being chased down in the final meters to finish second to Noah Ngeny of Kenya."
Read more atSomething for the runner who has everything else
"Paula Radcliffe is still to reveal whether she will run in the 10,000m.
Radcliffe is believed to have made a full physical recovery after dropping out of Sunday's marathon and has intensified her training programme.
She has until Thursday to confirm her entry in Friday's race but Team GB chief Max Jones says she is undecided.
He revealed: "She's gone for a run this morning and it will be a tougher one than yesterday. We'll see how she feels in the next couple of days."
On Monday, in a tearful BBC interview with Steve Cram, Radcliffe insisted she would wait before making a considered decision."
Read more atRadcliffe still undecided
"Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia broke the world record in the women's pole vault for the fourth time this year, easily clearing 16 feet, 11/4 inches (4.91 meters) to take the gold medal Tuesday night.
Before her record vault, Isinbayeva celebrated clinching the Olympic title after the final failed attempt by her last remaining competitor, teammate Svetlana Feofanova.
Isinbayeva then cleared the height without touching the bar, bettering her own record of 16 feet, 3/4 inches (4.90) set in London on July 30. The vault also broke by a wide margin the inaugural Olympic record of 15 feet, 1 inch (4.60); the event debuted four years ago in Sydney."
Read more atRussian captures women's pole vault
"What a difference a year makes.
Twelve months ago triple Olympic champion Marion Jones was relishing motherhood, enjoying her enforced leisure and looking forward to competing in the Athens Olympics.
Now she will enter the Games on Wednesday almost by the back door after the BALCO laboratory scandal which has sent shockwaves through her sport.
Jones, who won a record five medals in Sydney, has qualified only for the long jump in Athens although she could run one or both relays. The long jump qualifying is scheduled for Wednesday evening.
In sharp contrast to Sydney, where she was the focus of attention after announcing she was trying to go one better than Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis by winning five gold medals, Jones has given no news conferences or interviews.
Her silence is understandable."
Read more atAthletics: Jones Makes Belated Entry to Olympics
The winner of the Gold Medal: Hicham El Guerrouj from Morocco
The winner of the Silver Medal: Bernard Lagat from Kenya
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Rui Silva from Portugal
The winner of the Gold Medal: Roman Sebrle from Czech Republic
The winner of the Silver Medal: Bryan Clay from United States
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Dmitriy Karpov from Kazakhstan
The winner of the Gold Medal: Tonique Williams-Darling from The Bahamas
The winner of the Silver Medal: Ana Guevara from Mexico
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Natalya Antyukh from Russia
The winner of the Gold Medal: Joanna Hayes from United States
The winner of the Silver Medal: Olena Krasovska from Ukraine
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Melissa Morrison from United States
The winner of the Gold Medal: Ezekiel Kemboi from Kenya
The winner of the Silver Medal: Brimin Kipruto from Kenya
The winner of the Bronze Medal: Paul Kipsiele Koech from Kenya
"World champion Tom Pappas pulled out of the decathlon Tuesday after injuring his left foot while attempting a pole vault. Pappas ran through his first attempt at 15 feet, 5 inches after limping the last few strides.
He then went off to the side, pulled off his shoe and started to massage the lower part of his foot. Pappas got his foot rewrapped and tried to jog off the injury, but he packed up his poles and left the track after about 20 minutes.
Dr. Ed Ryan of the U.S. Olympic Committee said Pappas had sustained an acute strain of the left foot. Pappas was being treated at the Olympic stadium."
Read more at Pappas Out of Decathlon With Foot Injury
"Veteran sprinter Frankie Fredericks said he would retire from athletics after this week's Olympic 200 meters event in Athens.
The Namibian 36-year-old, who has won four Olympic silver medals in a 20-year sprinting career, was fastest in his first round heat on Tuesday in a time of 20.54 seconds.
"This is it; the end of the 200 is the end of my career," said Fredericks, who failed to qualify for Sunday's 100 meters final.
"I will go home and spend time with my family."
Fredericks, Namibia's only Olympic medallist, finished second at both 100 and 200 meters in Barcelona in 1992 and in Atlanta in 1996, where Donovan Baily and Michael Johnson both set world records in the events.
He missed the Sydney Games in 2000 due to injury."
Read more at Fredericks to quit after final 200
"Newly-crowned Olympic 800m champion Kelly Holmes is aiming for a historic second gold when the 1500m heats get under way on Tuesday evening.
British middle-distance legends Seb Coe and Steve Ovett both failed to win the two events at the same Olympics.
But Holmes, riding high after storming to a sensational 800m win on Monday night, is in confident mood.
She said: "I still can't believe it. But hopefully I can get some sleep and be awake enough to run at my best."
Holmes' 1500m challenge begins with her first-round heat at 1838 BST.
If she qualifies safely, she then has the advantage of a clear rest day before Thursday's semi-final, which begins at 1830 BST."
Read more at Holmes hunts golden double
"Ethiopia's Meseret Defar pulled away from Kenya's Isabella Ochichi in the final half-lap Monday to win the Olympic 5,000 meters in 14 minutes, 45.65 seconds.
Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba, the 2003 outdoor world champion at just 18 years old, took the bronze.
"Coming here, I knew I had a chance to win, but I had my doubts," Defar said. "I feel sorry for Dibaba not getting a silver, as we planned, but gold and bronze feels good, too."
With a little more than 1,000 meters left, Defar and Ochichi began distancing themselves comfortably from the pack, the Kenyan leading by about a stride."
Read more at Ethiopia takes gold in women's 5,000
"China's Liu Xiang is a rising star in the men's 110-meter hurdles. At the Olympics, he will face his idol, American Allen Johnson, the four-time world champion and 1996 Olympic gold medalist.
Liu Xiang burst on the track scene in 2002 when he set an Asian and world junior record in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.12 seconds. Last year, Chinese sports journalists voted him Male Athlete of the Year. Many consider him China's second most popular athlete after basketball star Yao Ming, who plays for the NBA's Houston Rockets.
This is the first Olympics for Liu and he said he hopes he has a good showing."
Read more at