Monday 24th August

Athletics

Tuesday 24th August

This is to be our only full day at the athletics. It is only qualifying rounds in the morning, but today is the second day of the Decathlon and Briton Dean Macey, who was fourth in Sydney, has a great chance to get a medal, despite nearly three years of injury.

Decathlon - Event Six - 110m Hurdles

The decathlon was indeed the main concern of the morning.

Frances Romain Barras won Heat 1, with a time of 14.37 giving him 937 points, Dean Macey finished third in, with a time of 14.56 giving him 903 points.

Claston Bernard (Jamaica) won Heat 2 in 14.17 (953 points).

Chiel Warners (Netherlands) won Heat 3 in 14.01 (973 points).

Estonian Nool Erki won Heat 4 in 14.80 (874 points).

In the fifth and final heat, first day leader, Dmitriy Karpov (Kazakhstan) was trailing noticeably after the first four of the ten hurdles. He improved over the remaining distance to take the race in the days fastest time (13.97) to score 978 points and move further ahead of Roman Šebrle (Czech Republic, fourth in 14.05) and Bryan Clay (USA, fifth in 14.13). American,Tom Pappas was seventh in this heat and his 951 points moved him upto fourth overall.

The fourth through seventh placings tightened up after the 110m Hurdles with only nine points separating them.

Men's 110m Hurdles - Heats

Ladji Doucouré (France) won Heat 1 in 13.18.

Dudley Dorival (Haiti) won Heat 2 in 13.39

XiangLiu (China) won Heat 3 in 13.27

Paulo Villar (Columbia) won Heat 4 in 13.44. Britains Robert Newton was seventh in 13.85.

Anier García (Cuba) won Heat 5 in 13.24. Britains Andrew Turner was eighth in 13.75.

Maurice Wignall (Jamaica) won Heat 6 in 13.3.

Decathlon - Event Seven - Discus Throw

The Czech Roman Sebrle was up fourth in Pool A. His throw of 48.72 took the early lead, with Dean Macey in second with 48.34. Both athletes recording personal bests. In the second round Maurice Smith (Jamaica) moved ahead win a throw of 49.02 and current leader Dmitriy Karpov (Kazakhstan) got on to the scoreboard with 47.34 after a first round failure. However, Karpov pulled out all the stops with his final throw, of 51.65, to achieve the longest throw of the group.

In Pool B, both Americans failed to record a score with their first throw. The early leader was Italian Paolo Casarsa, with 48.66. TomPappas recorded 47.28 with his second throw, but Bryan Clay sailed the discus out to 50.11. Pappas managed a small improved, to 47.39, with his final throw to finish third in the group.

The gap between Macey and the medal positions has again increased and he now looks unlikely to make the podium. However, the distribution is far from decided.

Men's 200m - Heats

Stephane Buckland (Mauritius) won in 20.29. 100 metre silver medallist Francis Obikwelu (Portugal) was a comfortable runner-up, recording 20.40.

In Heat 2, American Shawn Crawford, took a comfortable win in 20.55, 2/100s ahead of Jamaican Christopher Williams. Briton Darren Campbell qualified fourth in 20.72, but fell to the ground after completing the run.

Namibia’s Frank Fredericks, in 20.54, finished ahead of Algerian Malik Louahla’s 20.67. Chris Lambert (Great Britain) pulled up and failed to finish

Marcin Jedruzkinski (Poland) took heat four in 20.63, just ahead of German Tobias Unger (20.65).

In a close fifth heat, Dominic Demeritte (Bahamas) was adjudged to have beaten Christian Malcolm (Great Britain) on the line although both recorded identical times of 20.62. Panayiotis Sarris of Greece, was third in 20.67. Jamaican Asafa Powell, Bronze 100 final, was fourth here in 20.77

American Bernard Williams won heat six, in 20.29, equalling the winning time from the first heat as the fastest of the session.

In the final, seventh heat, Olympic 100m champion, Justin Gatlin, decelerated and was pipped on the line by German Sebastian Ernst, recording 20.47 to the American’s 20.51.

Decathlon - Event Eight - Pole Vault

During the Pole Vault competition that took over four hours, the crowd disappeared and we were able to walk around the Olympic stadium. Whilst Julie and Verity sunned themselves in our their seats, Beth and I were able to access a second tier area near the Pole Vault pit.

In Pool A, American Tom Pappas withdrew from the competition when he was injured following his first attempt at 4.60. Medal contenders Bryan Clay (USA) and Roman Šebrle (Czech Republic) both cleared that height and 4.80 (Sebrle at his second attempt). Clay cleared 4.90 at his second attempt, but failed at 5.00 (to score 880 points). Sebrle passed at 4.90 and went on to soar well clear of the bar at 5.00 with his second attempt. He scored points, as he 910 was unable to repeat the feat with the bar set higher.

The group was won by Estonian Erki Nool with a height of 5.40 for 1035 points, to move the Sydney Gold medallist to eighth overall.

Dean Macey needed a vault near to his personal best to remain in contention. However he fell well short. His opening vault of 4.40 seemed good and he passed at 4.50, watching the Dutchman Chiel Warners and the Kazak Dmitriy Karpov go clear and their first attempt. The Jamaican Claston Bernard failed.

Macey failed at 4.60, whilst Karpov cleared at his first attempt and Warners passed. Warners went on to win the Group with 4.90 for 880 points.