THURSDAY’S ROUNDUP

Bolt dashes doubts; Spearmon 4th

Jamaica sprinter Usain Bolt hopes he’s silenced some of his critics by winning another gold medal in the men’s 200-meter final Thursday at Olympic Stadium in London. Former Arkansas Razorback Wallace Spearmon of Fayetteville (right) was fourth.
Jamaica sprinter Usain Bolt hopes he’s silenced some of his critics by winning another gold medal in the men’s 200-meter final Thursday at Olympic Stadium in London. Former Arkansas Razorback Wallace Spearmon of Fayetteville (right) was fourth.

— Usain Bolt heard all the talk.

About the two surprising losses at Jamaica’s Olympic trials.

About how he isn’t as fast as he used to be.

So after leaving the rest of the field in the Olympic 200-meter final far enough behind that he could afford to ease up over the last few strides, Bolt raised his left index finger to his lips and told everyone to shush. Bolt held that pose as he crossed the finish line in 19.32 seconds Thursday night to become the only man to win gold medals in the 100 and 200 at consecutive Summer Games.

“That was for all that people that doubted me, all the people that was talking all kinds of stuff that I wasn’t going to do it, I was going to be beaten,” Bolt said. “I was just telling them: You can stop talking now, because I am a legend.”

Yes, when the stakes are the biggest, the spotlight most bright, Bolt is as good as gold.

Good as there’s ever been.

Just ask him.

“I’ve done something that no one has done before, which is defend my double title. Back-to-back for me,” Bolt said. “I would say I’m the greatest.”

He added Thursday’s 200 title to the 100 title he won Sunday in 9.63 seconds - the second-fastest time in that race, behind only his record of 9.58 - duplicating the 100-200 victories he produced at the Beijing Games four years ago.

“The 200 spoke for itself. He’s incredible. ... Doing some special things,” U.S. men’s track and field Coach Andrew Valmon said.

In Thursday’s 200, Bolt led a Jamaican sweep, with his training partner and pal Yohan Blake - who upset Bolt in the two sprint finals at Kingston - getting the silver in 19.44, and Warren Weir taking the bronze in 19.84. That was more than a half-second slower than the champion, a man Weir called “my bigger brother.”

“Definitely, he’s a legend.He motivated me a lot,” Blake said. “It’s his time. It’s going to be my time soon.”

In all, Bolt has won seven of the past eight major individual sprint titles in the 100 and 200 at Olympics and world championships, a four-year streak of unprecedented dominance. The only exception was a race he never got to run: Bolt was disqualified for a false start in the 100 final at last year’s world championships, and Blake got the gold.

“The guy is just on another planet right now,” Wallace Spearmon, the former Arkansas Razorback from Fayetteville who finished fourth in 19.90, said between sobs of disappointment.

Afterward, Bolt had plenty of energy left, dropping to the track to do five push-ups - one for each of his Olympic gold medals. Ever the showman, he bent down and kissed the track, then did it again a few minutes later, and also grabbed a camera from someone in the photographers’ well and trained it at the group clicking away.

Bolt’s stated goal heading to London was to become a “living legend,” even if International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said a few hours before the 200 final that it’s too early to make such determinations.

“The career of Usain Bolt has to be judged when the career stops,” said Rogge, who criticized the Jamaican four years ago for showboating by slapping himself on the chest at the finish of the 100.

“Let him participate in three, four Games, and he can be a legend,” Rogge added. “Already he’s an icon.”

Bolt, who turns 26 this month, sounded as if he might not last until the 2016 Olympics.

“It’s going to be a hard mission,” he said, noting with a chuckle that Blake and Weir are only 22. “I’m going to be 30; they’re going to be 26. Both of these guys are running extremely well right now, and I think I’ve had my time. It’s going to be hard. I can say: In life, anything’s possible. But for me, that’s going to be a hard reach, because there’s going to be a lot more talent coming up. And these guys really stepped up already. For me, I’m just not looking that far.” DECATHLON

Eaton an easy winner

Instead of one victory lap, Ashton Eaton got four.

His Olympic gold medal in the decathlon was all but sealed when he reached the last event, the 1,500 meters, where he simply needed to finish in an average time to win the event Thursday night.

The world-record holder cruised over the four laps, crossed the line and fell to the track - partly from exhaustion but mostly out of elation.

Eaton finished the two day competition with 8,869 points to defeat fellow American Trey Hardee by 198. It’s the first time the Americans have gone 1-2 in the Olympic decathlon since Milton Gray Campbell and Rafer Johnson in 1956.

“That’s what Trey and I really, really wanted,” said Eaton, who’s from Eugene, Ore.

Especially this year, on the 100th anniversary of the event. At the 1912 Olympics, Jim Thorpe won the inaugural title.

Thanks to Eaton, the decathlon gold is staying in the United States. Eaton joins 2008 winner Bryan Clay and, of course, Bruce Jenner, in earning the honor as “The World’s Greatest Athlete.”

Though the warm and sunny conditions in London were far better than the rain, wind and cold at U.S. Olympic trials in Oregon where Eaton broke the record earlier this summer, he fell short of the mark by 170 points.

Not that it mattered. His goal was simply to win a medal, not eclipse his world mark of 9,039 points.

“I’m satisfied,” Eaton said as he struggled to put his accomplishment into words.

So Hardee did that for him.

Given that Eaton is just 24 and heading into his prime, Hardee’s not sure anyone is going to catch up to him anytime soon.

“It’s safe to say my reign is over,” said Hardee, a two-time world champion. “I still think my best decathlon is ahead of me, but Ashton’s are, too.

“As the days and weeks and months and years pass, I think Ashton and I will look back on this and realize how special it really is and what this really meant.”

Eaton was consistent throughout the schedule. He started off by breaking Bill Toomey’s 44-year-old Olympic record in the decathlon 100-meter dash and took off from there. He also scored the most points in the long jump and 400.

His only lackluster event was the discus, where he finished 22nd and lost points to the field. But it really didn’t matter as he built his lead back up in the pole vault, where he wound up third.

TRIPLE JUMP Taylor wins on final leap

Christian Taylor won the Olympic triple jump gold medal Thursday night to go with his world title, overtaking U.S. teammate Will Claye with his fourth jump in the final.

Taylor continued his season-leading form with a best jump of 58 feet, 5 1/4 inches, 7 1/2 inches clear of second-place Claye. Italy’s Fabrizio Donato, the 35-year-old European champion, took bronze.

Taylor is the world champion outdoors and Claye has the world indoor title, and together they’re looking to break the world record of 60 feet set by Britain’s Jonathan Edwards in 1995.

“Will and I ... It’s special to share it with him,” Taylor said. “We’re getting people to talk about the triple jump again. That’s a goal of ours.

“I definitely think the world record could come down this year, but we’re taking it one day at a time.” BASKETBALL U.S. women survive

The U.S. women’s team faced its first challenge of the Olympics, and found a way to advance.

Trailing early in the second half, Coach Geno Auriemma turned to his Olympic rookies and the group - led by Tina Charles and Lindsay Whalen - pressured Australia into turnovers and bad shots. That led to a pivotal scoring run in the third quarter of an 86-73 victory.

The Americans, seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal, next play France in a match up of unbeaten teams. It will be the first time the two teams have played in the Olympics.

Lauren Jackson finished with 14 points for Australia.

WATER POLO

U.S. golden vs. Spain

The United States won its first gold medal in women’s water polo, getting five goals from Maggie Steffens to cruise to an 8-5 victory over Spain.

The Americans overpowered a young Spanish team at both ends of the pool to lead 5-2 by halftime, and they never looked back.

“I am speechless. It still hasn’t sunk in,” U.S. captain Brenda Villa said. “I can’t describe it. It’s the end of a journey, and I got my fairy-tale ending.”

Steffens led all scorers in London with 21 goals.

Sports, Pages 20 on 08/10/2012

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