Olympic Games 2008

US relay teams take gold, Australian diver scores perfect tens

Article published on the 2008-08-23 Latest update 2008-08-26 17:13 TU

Mitcham competes in the men's 10m platform diving final
(Photo: Reuters)

In the last of the track and field competitions, the US 4 x 400m relay team managed to hold on the baton in both the men's and women's events. Avoiding the technical mishap that undid their 4 x 100m compatriots meant gold for both men and women.

In the men's 4 x 400 the US beat the Bahamas into second with Russia taking the bronze. Jeremy Wariner has now collected the gold medal that he believed was his in the 400m individual.

In the women's race, Russia took silver behind the American quartet of Wineberg, Felix, Henderson and Richards. Jamaica's women took bronze.

In the distance races, east Africans dominated, unsurprisingly. Kenenisa Bekele took the 5,000m to claim a rare double at 5,000-10,000. This came one day after Tirunesh Dibaba pulled off the same feat in the women's distance races. Kenya took silver and bronze behind Bekele, thanks to Eliud Kipchoge and Edwin Cheruiyot Soi.

Gold went to Kenya again in the women's 1,500 as Nancy Jebet Langat beat Lishchynska and Tobias of the Ukraine into second and third respectively.

The men's 800m also went to Kenya, thanks to Wilfred Bungei. Sudan's Ismail Ahmed Ismail took silver and Kenyan Alfred Kirwa Yego finished third.

There was disappointment for Nigeria in the football final. They lost the gold medal to Argentina, thanks to a second-half goal from di Maria.

Medals remain to be won in the men's marathon which sets off early Sunday morning.

Away from the track, China's attempt to take gold in all the diving events was undone by Australia's Matthew Mitcham.

The 10m platform gold went to Mitcham when he pulled off a difficult final dive - a back two and a half somersault with two and a half twists. Four judges deemed it worthy of a perfect ten.

China's Zhou blamed nerves for a poor final dive and finished second. The bronze medal went to Russia's Gleb Galperin.