Felix finally finds gold in women’s 200 metres

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This article was published 09/08/2012 (5140 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LONDON — The United States dominated Wednesday night’s track events at the London Games, taking three out of four golds, including in the biggest race of the night — the women’s 200 metres.

That prize finally went to Allyson Felix, who twice missed out and had to settle for silvers at the Beijing and Athens Olympics. Felix won in 21.88 seconds, beating Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won the 100 four nights earlier, by .21 seconds. American Carmelita Jeter added bronze to the silver she won in the 100 metres.

“I mean, finally. It’s been a long time coming,” Felix said, reflecting on her two previous Olympic losses to Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown. “To twice lose to the same person, it’s been tough. But it’s all paying off.”

Campbell-Brown finished fourth, unable to become the first woman in track and field to win gold medals in the same individual event at three consecutive Olympics.

Aries Merritt added to the perfect sprint night for the U.S., coming first in the 110-metre hurdles final ahead of compatriot Jason Richardson. Brittney Reese won the long jump title soon afterward to complete the triple for the Americans.

Adding to the night’s U.S. successes, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings took their third consecutive Olympic beach volleyball gold medal, beating fellow Americans April Ross and Jennifer Kessy. It was the Olympic farewell for May-Treanor, who has said she would like to move on.

Whitfield breaks a bone

LONDON — Simon Whitfield broke his collarbone when he crashed on his bike in Tuesday’s Olympic triathlon.

The 37-year-old from Victoria said via Twitter that it’s a “small break, not displaced.”

Whitfield was forced to drop out of Tuesday’s race after he crashed spectacularly in a freak accident early in the bike leg.

In addition to the broken collarbone, Whitfield needed stitches in his big toe. He said his knees and shins were also banged up in the crash.

Whitfield, the Olympic champion in 2000 and silver medallist in 2008, was considered a medal longshot in London. He was Canada’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony.

— from the news services