Gatlin wins 100m; Kastor takes bronze in marathon

ATHENS - Justin Gatlin was crowned king of the Olympic sprinters Sunday in the fastest men's 100m final in Olympic history as Team USA had a brilliant performance at Olympic Stadium. Adding to the medal haul that was topped by the 22-year-old Gatlin's gold were bronze medals for Maurice Greene in the 100 meters and Deena Kastor in the women's marathon, and a silver medal for Matt Hemingway in the men's high jump.

The men's 100 could not have been closer, more hyped, or more surprising. As the field of eight stepped on the track, flash bulbs popped, the crowd chattered excitedly, and music blared. Greene did his traditional, pre-race stalking as Gatlin (Raleigh, N.C.) shouted to Crawford while the duo walked down the straightaway. In the meantime, Jamaican Asafa Powell - considered by many to be the favorite after twice beating Greene this year and looking frighteningly easy in the rounds - lay prone in front of his starting blocks.

When the gun went off, Gatlin surged immediately to the lead. He never relinquished his advantage - although it was close - finishing in a personal-best, world-leading time of 9.85 seconds. Francis Obikwelu of Portugal held second position throughout the race and finished just .01 behind Gatlin in 9.86 seconds, while Greene won the second 100m medal of his career at 9.87 seconds for bronze, using a strong final 50 meters to nearly win the race. The capacity crowd was equally awestruck by the close finish as they were by Shawn Crawford (4^th in 9.89) and Powell (5^th in 9.94) being kept off the medal stand. It was the first time in Olympic history that five men dipped under 10 seconds.

With his win, Gatlin ushered in the next wave of young male sprinters, just as 20-year-old Lauryn Williams had done Saturday night in winning the women's 100m silver. Several under-25 U.S. athletes are set to compete in finals in coming days, offering that the trend should continue to gain momentum.

Stirring performance by Kastor

A 15-minute cab ride away at Panathinaiko Stadium, Deena Kastor (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) started the evening on an emotional high note. Sobbing with joy 100 meters from the finish line, she took the bronze medal in the women's marathon in a race that was nothing short of remarkable. It was the first medal of the night for Team USA and was just the second women's marathon medal in Olympic history for an American, following Joan Benoit-Samuelson's gold at the 1984 Olympic Games. Fittingly, the second American medal at the distance went to the woman who in 2003 eclipsed Samuelson's American record in the event.

Kastor perfectly executed a marathon race plan that was tailored specifically for the brutally hot, sunny conditions. Beginning conservatively as the race began at 6 p.m. in Marathon, Kastor passed through the first 5 km in 28^th place, in 17:19. From there it was nowhere but up. At 10 km, she was 17^th (24:58); at 15 km she was 15^th (53:27), and at the half-marathon, she was 12^th at 1:15:40 - on pace to run a 2:31:20 marathon.

But a 2:31:20 marathon was not in Kastor's game plan. As the sun went down, her pace picked up. She was 11^th at 25 km (1:29:33), 8^th at 30 km (1:47:13) and 6^th at 35 km (2:04:15) - and suddenly a medal was possible.

Two hours, 23 minutes and 25 seconds into the race, she overtook Elfenesh Alemu of Ethiopia to move into third. As impressive as her bronze-medal finshed was that Kastor looked powerful, fast and fresh in conditions that left world record holder Paula Radcliffe and 15 other runners wilted by the heat and on the DNF list.

Kastor crossed the finish line in 2:27:20, exactly 40 seconds faster than her target time of 2:28. Mizuki Noguchi of Japan won the gold in 2:26:20, with Catherine Ndereba of Kenya second at 2:26:32. American Jen Rhines (Ardmore, Pa.) was 34^th in 2:43:52, and Colleen de Reuck (Boulder, Colo.) was 39^th in 2:46:30.

Hemingway comes close to gold

The men's high jump was just as dramatic. Matt Hemingway (Littleton, Colo.), the 2000 USA indoor champion, found himself in first place throughout the entire competition, jumping without misses. He successfully cleared 2.20m/7-2.5 and 2.25m/7-4.5 on his first attempts, then passed at 2.29m/7-6. His first try at 2.34m/7-7.25 also was successful, keeping him up on the world's top jumper, Stefan Holm of Sweden who had two misses at the height, as well as a miss at 2.32. At 2.36m/7-8, it was Holm who prevailed, clearing on his first attempt while Hemingway missed three times.

Olympic Trials champion Jamie Nieto (Chula Vista, Calif.) came extraordinarily close to the medal stand as well. He matched Hemingway's best jump, as well as that of bronze medalist Jaraslav Baba of the Czech Republic, at 2.34m/7-7.25. But Nieto had one miss at the height while Hemingway and Baba were over on their first try. Had Holm failed to clear 2.36, Hemingway would have had the gold and Nieto the bronze.

In Sunday's other final with U.S. athletes, Kenta Bell (Chula Vista, Calif.) was ninth in the men's triple jump with a best mark of 16.90m/55-5.5, and Walter Davis (Baton Rouge, La.) was 11^th at 16.78m/55-0.75.

Team USA will have three women in Tuesday's Olympic 400m final for the first time since 1988, thanks to Sunday's semifinal performances by Monique Hennagan (Stockbridge, Calif.), 21-year-old Dee Dee Trotter (Knoxville, Tenn.) and 19-year-old Sanya Richards (Austin, Texas). Olympic Trials champion Hennagan ran the fastest time of the three semifinal races, winning heat 3 in 49.88 seconds. Trotter was second in heat 2 to automatically qualify in 50.14 seconds, while Richards qualified on time, placing third in heat 1 in 50.54.

In Sunday's other semifinal, Olympic Trials champion Sheena Johnson (21, Los Angeles) and Trials runner-up Brenda Taylor (Chula Vista, Calif.) placed third and fourth, respectively, in the first heat of the women's 400m hurdles and will compete in Wednesday's final. Johnson was clocked in 54.32 with Taylor at 55.02. LaShinda Demus (Columbia, S.C.) was fifth in the second semifinal in 54.32 and did not advance.

Melissa Morrison (Columbia, S.C.) won her quarterfinal heat in the women's 100m hurdles in 12.76 seconds, and Joanna Hayes did likewise in her race, in 12.71, to advance to Monday's semifinal round. Three-time world champion Gail Devers, nursing a tender left calf entering the race, endured a severe strain of her calf warming up in Olympic Stadium. She came out of the blocks in heat 5, but did not make it to the first hurdle, sliding to the ground.

Grant Robison (Mountain View, Calif.) was 12^th in his 1,500m semifinal round in 3:47.03 and did not advance to the final.

In wheelchair races, American Scot Hollonbeck was fourth in the men's 1,500 meters (3:11.49) and Cheri Blauwet was fifth in the women's 800m (1:54.22).

For complete results, visit www.iaaf.org.

Athlete quotes will be posted at www.usocpressbox.org

Team USA Olympic medal count, track & field

As of August 22

Gold

Justin Gatlin (Raleigh, N.C.), M100m, 8/22

Silver

Matt Hemingway (Littleton, Colo.), MHJ, 8/22

Lauryn Williams (Miami, Fla.), W100m, 8/21

Adam Nelson (Athens, Ga.), MSP, 8/18

Bronze

Deena Kastor (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), WMarathon, 8/22

Maurice Greene (Granada Hill, Calif.), M100m, 8/22