Athletics (Track and Field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics

[Olympian2004]

Tens of thousands at the Olympic Stadium singing "God Save The Queen" at Jessica Ennis' medal ceremony - a goosebump moment. Oh, how great it must be to an Olympic host country...

Correction: Oh, how great it must be to be an Olympic host country...

[kevzz]

What a great night of athletics action in the stadium, and an even greater night for Team GB. I am bit teary to see the pure joy of Jessica Ennis and Greg Rutherford when they were being interviewed and on the medal podium. Amazing night, wished I was there!

[Brekkie Boy]

Is athletics the only sport that doesn't manage to get medal ceremonies done on the same day - at least three will be carried over to tomorrow, though TV wise that works out perfectly.

[Mainad]

And I have to correct myself again: Great Britain has won 14 gold medals so far. As I said, I completely lose track with so many gold medals. Superb achievement so far anyway, and it's amazing that so many British athletes withstand the enormous pressure to win in front of their home audience.

Thanks. To be honest, I was a bit nervous after the first few days that we would probably fall far short of our Beijing results. But we seem to be firmly on track now. It's a relief to know that we are avoiding the embarrassment of not doing well at our home Olympics!

German athletes can tell a thing or two about becoming nervous wrecks as soon as they have to compete at the Olympics - even if the Games aren't in front of their home audience. The German swimmers are best proof for that, they haven't won just a single Olympic medal this time around, for the first time since 1932! :(

It's funny about the swimming. The British and Australian swimmers have under-performed this time too. The French, on the other hand, have done remarkably well. Only the Americans and Chinese seem to have kept their usual consistency at this sport!

[Guardian]

Final medal results for the following events on August 4.

Women's Heptathlon:

- GOLD: Jessica Ennis (GREAT BRITAIN)

- SILVER: Lilli Schwarzkopf (Germany)

- BRONZE: Tatyana Chernova (Russia)

Men's 20km Race Walk:

- GOLD: CHEN Ding (China) (Olympic Record)

- SILVER: Erick Barrondo (Guatemala)

- BRONZE: WANG Zhen (China)

Link: http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/men-20km-walk/phase=atm092100/index.html

Women's Discus Throw:

- GOLD: Sandra Perkovic (Croatia) (National Record)

- SILVER: Darya Pishchalnikova (Russia)

- BRONZE: LI Yanfeng (China)

Link: http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/women-discus-throw/phase=atw052100/index.html

Women's 100m:

- GOLD: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica)

- SILVER: Carmelita Jeter (United States) (Seasonal Best)

- BRONZE: Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica) (Seasonal Best)

Link: http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/women-100m/phase=atw001100/index.html

Men's Long Jump:

- GOLD: Greg Rutherford (GREAT BRITAIN)

- SILVER: Mitchell Watt (Australia)

- BRONZE: Will Claye (United States)

Link: http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/men-long-jump/phase=atm061100/index.html

Men's 10,000m:

- GOLD: Mohamed Farah (GREAT BRITAIN)

- SILVER: Galen Rupp (United States)

- BRONZE: Tariku Bekele (Ethiopia)

Link: http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/men-10000m/phase=atm100100/index.html

[kevzz]

Greg Rutherford seems very under-reported before his event today. In today's paper, not much was mentioned about him as a medal hopeful. All news are about Ennis and some on Farrah. He's a worthy champion too, hope he gets the credit he deserves.

[Pillan]

Sweden missed the bronze medal in men's long jump with 1 cm!!!!! Am I surprised??? NOOOOOOOO!

1. We lose the gold medal in Equestrian Three Day Eventing Competition in the last jumping moment.. The last F*****G jump...!!!

2. We lose gold medal in a photofinish in thriathlon. Come on, seriously.

3. We lose a medal in men's long jump with 1 cm!!!

Daaaamnn!! Give us Sochi 2014 already!!! I'm pissed off!

[Guardian]

August 5 sees that the Olympic medals are handed out for the following events:

- Women's Marathon;

- Women's Triple Jump;

- Men's 100m;

- Men's Hammer Throw;

- Women's 400m; and,

- Men's 3,000m Steeplechase.

Link: http://www.london2012.com/athletics/schedule-and-results/day=5-august/all-day.html

[Texas]

Women's 400 = Redemption time for Sanya Richards-Ross....hopefully.

[Rob2012]

On my way to fencing now. But even watching last night's action on TV was special. I'm so glad these Games produced a "Vancouver" moment for us like you guys had with your ice hockey team. Ennis was almost expected but three Golds in an hour and then to hear the national anthem booming out from the crowd like that, wow!

[Blacksheep]

Finally got some tickets for the athletics - seven hours during the day on Thursday, though it took me 5 days online to finally grab them

[gotosy]

Gelana wins Olympic marathon gold

Ethiopia's Tiki Gelana held off Kenyan Priscah Jeptoo to win gold in a soggy Olympic women's marathon that started and finished in torrential rain.

Gelana clocked two hours 23 minutes and seven seconds in a course taking in numerous iconic London landmarks, finishing five seconds ahead of Jeptoo who was unable to reel in her African rival in the finishing straight on The Mall.

Russian Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova won bronze in 2:23.29. Race favourite Mary Keitany of Kenya, twice a London marathon winner, finished fourth after dropping off the leading group in the final three kilometres.

Gelana, 24, was the second Ethiopian woman to win Olympic marathon gold following Fatuma Roba's triumph in 1996 in Atlanta.

http://uk.eurosport....-123432530.html

[Texas]

I think that the United States will win their first track gold medal of London tonight, as I think it will be Sanya Richards-Ross taking the gold in the Women's 400 meters.

The last thing the United States needs is for Richards-Ross, Allyson Felix and Lashinda Demus to falter and fail to win gold and have Brittney Reese become the first American woman to win a gold medal in track.

[gotosy]

Bolt awesome!

[Olympic Fan Darcy]

He did it!!!

[Rob2012]

He didn't slow down at the end this time did he?!

[nykfan845]

He didn't slow down at the end this time did he?!

Nope he went full steam ahead.

[gotosy]

full speed to set a new Olympic record 9.63sec

[Guardian]

Final medal results for the following events on August 5.

Women's Marathon:

- GOLD: Tiki Gelana (Ethiopia) (Olympic Record)

- SILVER: Priscah Jeptoo (Kenya)

- BRONZE: Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova (Russia) (Personal Best)

Link: http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/women-marathon/phase=atw099100/index.html

Women's Triple Jump:

- GOLD: Olga Rypakova (Kazakhstan) (Seasonal Best)

- SILVER: Caterine Ibarguen (Colombia)

- BRONZE: Olha Saladuha (Ukraine)

Link: http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/women-triple-jump/phase=atw062100/index.html

Men's 100m:

- GOLD: Usain Bolt (Jamaica) (Olympic Record)

- SILVER: Yohan Blake (Jamaica) (Equalled Personal Best)

- BRONZE: Justin Gatlin (United States) (Personal Best)

Link: http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/men-100m/phase=atm001100/index.html

Men's Hammer Throw:

- GOLD: Krisztian Pars (Hungary)

- SILVER: Primoz Kozmus (Slovenia) (Seasonal Best)

- BRONZE: Koji Murofushi (Japan) (Seasonal Best)

Link: http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/men-hammer-throw/phase=atm054100/index.html

Women's 400m:

- GOLD: Sanya Richards-Ross (United States)

- SILVER: Christine Ohuruogu (GREAT BRITAIN) (Seasonal Best)

- BRONZE: DeeDee Trotter (United States) (Seasonal Best)

Link: http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/women-400m/phase=atw004100/index.html

Men's 3,000m Steeplechase:

- GOLD: Ezekiel Kemboi (Kenya)

- SILVER: Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad (France)

- BRONZE: Abel Kiprop Mutai (Kenya)

Link: http://www.london2012.com/athletics/event/men-3km-steeplechase/index.html?v=20120806-011709905

[SkiFreak]

Great moment today...

Sure seeing the cauldron is hard enough, but it seems Wenlock has been awol. This is the first time I saw him!

[Texas]

Now that Sanya Richards-Ross has her gold medal, the pressure is on Allyson Felix to see if she can do the same in the 200 meters. Good for DeeDee Trotter, especially after all that she has gone through in both Athens and Beijing. Felix just ran a personal best in the 100 meters. I think Felix can pull it off.

[Guardian]

The following events are for the Olympic medals for August 6:

- Women's Shot Put;

- Women's Pole Vault;

- Men's 400m Hurdles;

- Women's 3,000m Steeplechase; and,

- Men's 400m.

Link: http://www.london2012.com/athletics/schedule-and-results/day=6-august/all-day.html

[Rob2012]

[gotosy]

Algerian Olympic runner excluded for not trying

(AP) -- Algerian middle-distance runner Taoufik Makhloufi has been kicked out of the London Olympics for not trying hard Monday in an 800-meter preliminary heat.

Makhloufi, who stopped running in the first lap of the 800, had already qualified for Tuesday's 1,500 final, and he appeared to be saving energy for that race, where he was a likely medal contender.

The International Association of Athletics Federations says race referee found the 24-year-old African champion in the 800 guilty of "failure to compete honestly with bona fide effort."

IAAF rules state that "an athlete shall be excluded from participation in all further events in the competition."

He was disqualified a week after four women's badminton doubles teams were disqualified for playing to lose in order to get a more favorable position in a later round.

AP

http://www.newsday.c...rying-1.3885855

[Alexjc]

One less compeditor for Nick Willis to worry about in the 1500.

Really looking foward to the Womans Shot final this evening...Go Valerie! This contest will be good.