Usain Bolt of Jamaica won the 200 meters on Thursday to become the first man to retain 100 and 200 titles at the Olympic Games as Chinese diver Chen Ruolin took her country's 200th gold medal at summer Olympic Games from the women's 10m platform.
The 1.96m Bolt, who won both the 100 and 200 in world record times in Beijing four years ago, took the 100 on Sunday and went on to cruise to victory in 200 with a time of 19.32 seconds in front of a capacity crowd at the Olympic Stadium.Nike Air Max
The 25-year-old then replaced American legend Carl Lewis as the most successful sprinter in history. Lewis won three golds and a silver in the sprints at the 1984 and 1988 Games. His fellow Jamaicans Yohan Blake and Warren Weir finished second and third in 19.44 and 19.84 respectively.
"I'm now a legend. I'm also the greatest athlete to live," Bolt said. "It was a lot of pressure. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, but I came through."
Chen's gold was China's sixth out of seven in diving at London. They only missed the men's three meters springboard two days ago. It was also China's 200th gold medal at the summer Olympic Games since sharpshooter Xu Haifeng won their first at Los Angeles in 1984.
Chen, 19, also the reigning champion, impressed spectators with her stable performances and collected 422.30 points in total, beating second-placed Australian Brittany Broben by 55.8 points. The bronze went to Pamg Pandelela Rinong of Malaysia.
Her epic victory made her winner of both individual and synchro platform events at two consecutive Olympic Games, the second diver for such remarkable achievements following legendary Guo Jingjing.
Chen said she was fully aware that the hope of the 200th gold lay on her before the competition. But she managed to shrug off the pressure and impressed spectators with her stable performances in all her dives.
"I've participated in many big events and I have learnt from each competition. I was so relaxed in the final as if I were doing a routine training," said Chen, champion of the 2011 Shanghai World Championships.
But that was the day's only gold for China and with 37 golds, 24 silvers and 19 bronzes, they lost the top position on the medal tally to the United States, who won five golds on Thursday to take their tally to 39.
A lot of hopes of the first ever women's Olympic boxing gold had been pinned on China's world champion Ren Cancan, but she was shocked by Britain's Nicola Adams 16-7 in the women's flyweight category at the ExCel Arena.
American teenager Claressa Shields claimed the women's middleweight boxing title. The Americans went on to win in the men's decathlon and triple jump, women's soccer and water polo.
Ashton Eaton, the world record holder, collected 8,869 points over 10 events for the decathlon title. Eaton's teammate and world champion Trey Hardee claimed silver with 8,671 points and Cuba's Leonel Suarez got bronze with 8,523.
Christian Taylor and Will Claye also finished top two in the men's triple jump, with 17.81 and 17.62 meters respectively.
The US women defeated World Cup champion Japan 2-1 to win the women's soccer gold while their water polo counterparts beat Spain 8-5 for the title.
The US delegation looks set to finish the London Olympics at the top of the medal table since they are favored to win both men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball outside their traditional territory of track and field. China has little weaponry left except the men's 10 meters platform diving and men's 49kg class boxing through reigning champion Zou Shiming.Isuzu Parts Dealer
Elsewhere, Kenya's David Rudisha broke his own 800 meters world record en route to an easy victory, becoming the first man to run under one minute 41 seconds in 1:40.91. South African 400 meters runner Oscar Pistorius, nicknamed 'Blade Runner' because he runs on carbon fiber prosthetic limbs after having his legs amputated below the knee, was cruelly denied a second chance of running at the London Olympic Games as his teammate Oftense Mogawane crashed to the ground in the second leg of the first 4X400 meters semifinal.
Britain got back to winning track after a day without gold medals on Wednesday, taking three from individual dressage (Charlotte Dujardin), women's taekwondo (Jade Jones) and women's boxing (Nicola Adams).
The host is now standing firmly as third place on the medal table with 25 golds 13 silvers and 14 bronzes, followed by Russia on 12-21-23 and South Korea on 12-7-6.
China's defending Olympic champion Chen Ruolin asserted supremacy to win women's platform diving at London Games on Thursday,Super Beauty Depot is an online beauty supplier that carries a large selection of hair weave, marking the 200th gold medal for China in the Summer Olympics history.
The 19-year-old Chen led all the way in the final and expanded gap with rivals, edging over silver medalist Australian Brittany Broben with a huge margin of 55.8 points.
Her epic victory made her winner of both individual and synchro platform events at two consecutive Olympic Games, the second diver for such remarkable achievements following legendary Guo Jingjing.
She added the sixth diving gold medal for China out of the seven events.
"I'm very happy and very honoured to take one more gold for China,Engine Parts" said the 19-year-old, who earlier grabbed a synchro platform gold with partner Wang Hao.
It marks the 200th gold medal China has claimed in Summer Olympic Games.
Chen said she was fully awared that the hope of the 200th gold lied on her before the competition. But she managed to shrug off the pressure and impressed spectators with her stable performances in all her dives.
A stable and relaxed mindset contributed to Chen's consistency and remarkable results.
"I've participated in many big events and I have learnt from each competition. I was so relaxed in the final as if I were doing a routine training," said Chen, champion of the 2011 Shanghai World Championships.
She said the period between 2009 and 2010 was the toughest for her as she gained weight and had poor conditions in executions and water entries.Autoboss Scanner
"I doubted whether I should keep on or not. My coach (Ren Shaofen)encouraged me to move on and never give up, and I took her advice," Chen said.
"My next target is the 2016 Rio Olympics. I believe everything is possible as long as you have a strong will," she added.
Aries Merritt ran a personal best of 12.92 to win the gold medal in the final of the 110 meters hurdle on Wednesday night.
It is the first gold medal that the US have taken in the event since Allen Johnson took gold in Atlanta in 1996.
Merritt got a flying start and held off the challenge of world champion Jason Richardson and Jamaica's Hansle Parchment to secure what in the end was a comfortable win. The race ended in sadness for Daryon Robles as the reigning Olympic champion, who had got a good start, limped out after pulling his hamstring.
Merrit's medal, was down to hard work and his ability to relax at the key moment, explained the gold medalist.
"I trained for this, it is very intensive," he said, adding that he had done all he could in order to take the tension out of his performance.
"When I practice, I do some ridiculous things, so I thought I'd try and do that here. I work so well in practice when there is no pressure, so I tried to repeat that," said Merritt.
Meanwhile Richardson's silver gave the US an impressive 1-2 on a night on an excellent night for the American's in the Olympic Stadium winning three of the four gold medals that were up for grabs.
Allyson Felix ended the disappointment of taking silver in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics by finally getting the better of Veronica Campbell Brown in 200 meters final.
"You can never lose sight of your dream; I suppose it will sink in sometimes tonight. I have waited so long and this moment is really priceless. It has been a long time coming, I have waited to do long for this, so I am overjoyed, there are so many people here tonight, so I am delighted to share it with them," said Felix.
Campbell went into the race with hopes of becoming the first woman to win gold in the same track event in three consecutive Olympics, but was run out on the back straight.
Felix was strongest from start to finish, while 100 meters gold and silver pair, Shelly Ann Frazier-Pryce and Carmelita Jeter were left to battle for silver medal. Frazier-Pryce showed she has worked on her stamina by holding off Jeter in the closing meters to add silver to the gold she won on Saturday night.
"A lot of hard work and discipline has gone into this.Nike Air Max My coach (Stephen Francis Jam has believed in me so much, I can't believe I've come here and got two medals," said Frazier-Pryce.
Meanwhile Felix ran a time of 21.88, while Campbell Brown ended the race outside of the medals in fourth place.
Natalya Antyukh completed a successful switch from the flat to hurdles with gold in the women's 400 meter final. The Russian had a bronze medal from the 400 meters flat race from Athens but was the able to hold on to win an exciting final.
The race boiled down to a duel between Antyukh and world champion Lashinda Demus, while the Czech Republic's Zuzana Hejnova finished fast to take bronze.
Demus and Antyukh were both fast out of the blocks with Demus getting the better start before Antyukh's pace told round the back straight and the bend, but she began to tire in the closing meters and faded dramatically after the last hurdle, although she had just enough left to hold on to clock a new personal best of 52.70, although she admitted the time was down more to strength that her fluency over the hurdles.
"I have many problems with my technique, but regarding results each race has its own nuances," said the Russian, who had not enjoyed a lot of the speculation about her medal hopes.
"I didn't like all the media attention after I qualified for the final. My phone started ringing, the papers were full of stories speculating about my hopes and victory. I switched my phone off and didn't want to know anything about it," commented Antyukh.
Britney Reese rounded off a fine night for the US when she won the women's long jump with a leap of 7.12. Russia's Elena Sokolova won silver with a jump of 7.07 and Janay Deloach put the icing on the cake by winning bronze.Wholesale handbags, just like the branded ones, have different styles, colors, and shapes that fit a particular purpose hair weave
"I feel great. I wanted to come out and make a statement and that's exactly what I did," said Reese. "It's taken a lot,Wholesale Nike Shox but it's been fun. I've dedicated a lot to working towards this medal," she said, before dedicating the win to her home state of Mississippi.
"I'm from the coast of Mississippi. We went through Hurricane Katrina (2005), so I have got this medal for them. This is to honor them," said Reese.
Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake were back in action in the semifinals of the 200 meters. Blake set down the marker in the first race, easing up but still winning in 20.01, followed across the line by Warren Spearman and Christophe Lemaitre, who ran the second and fastest times of the night.
Bolt meanwhile was always in control in the second heat finishing in 20.18 after easing off following a good start and fast first 10 meters.
After their races both Jamaican's were confident: "It's all about going as easy as possible, that was the aim. There's is no doubt who is going to come out on top, this is my favorite event and I'm looking forward to it. People always doubt the champion, but I don't have any doubts," said Bolt.
Blake meanwhile stressed the efforts he has had made in what he says is his favorite discipline.
"I've been working very hard on the 200 meters; I have to execute things well to have a chance of winning. I always have a chance in this event, but mistakes to happen. Usain is my good friend and it's going to be interesting," he commented.
The semifinals of the women's 1500 meters showed the advantage of being in the second race as the athletes were able to take advantage of the slower pace of the first semi-final, which was a more tactical affair.
"It was a bit of a scrap out there and i am just glad to be in the top five," said Britain's Lisa Dobrinski who finished fourth in the first semi, behind Asli Cakir Alpetkin and Ekaterina Kostelkaya..
The second race saw Abeba Aregawi look comfortable in 4:01.03, while Gamza Bulut of Turkey was only a fraction slower as she ran a personal best to assure her final spot.
Aries Merritt ran a personal best of 12.92 to win the gold medal in the final of the 110 meters hurdle on Wednesday night.
It is the first gold medal that the US have taken in the event since Allen Johnson took gold in Atlanta in 1996.
Merritt got a flying start and held off the challenge of world champion Jason Richardson and Jamaica's Hansle Parchment to secure what in the end was a comfortable win. The race ended in sadness for Daryon Robles as the reigning Olympic champion, who had got a good start, limped out after pulling his hamstring.
Meanwhile Richardson's silver gave the US an impressive 1-2 in the race on a night on an excellent night for the American's in the Olympic Stadium winning three of the four gold medals that were up for grabs.
Allyson Felix ended the disappointment of taking silver in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics by finally getting the better of Veronica Campbell Brown in 200 meters final.
Campbell went into the race with hopes of becoming the first woman to win gold in the same track event in three consecutive Olympics, but was run out on the back straight.
Felix was the strongest from start to finish, while 100 meters gold and silver pair, Shelly Ann Frazier-Pryce and Carmelita Jeter battled for silver medal. Frazier-Pryce showed she has worked on her stamina by holding off Jeter in the closing meters to add silver to the gold she won on Saturday night.
Meanwhile Felix ran a time of 21.88, while Campbell Brown ended the race outside of the medals in fourth place.
Natalya Antyukh completed a successful switch from the flat to hurdles with gold in the women's 400 meters final. The Russian had a bronze medal from the 400 meters flat race from Athens but was the able to hold on to win an exciting final.
The race boiled down to a duel between Antyukh and world champion Lashinda Demus, while the Cezch Republic's Zuzana Hejnova finished fast to take bronze.
Demus and Antyukh were both fast out of the blocks with Demus getting the better start before Antyukh's pace told round the back straight and the bend, but she began to tire in the closing meters and faded dramatically after the last hurdle, although she had just enough left to hold on to clock a new personal best of 52.70.
Britney Reese rounded off a fine night for the US when she won the women's long jump with a leap of 7.12. Russia's Elena Sokolova won silver with a jump of 7.07 and Janay Deloach put the icing on the cake by winning bronze.
Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake were back in action in the semifinals of the 200 meters. Blake set down the marker in the first race, easing up but still winning in 20.01, followed across the line by Warren Spearman and Christophe Lemaitre, who ran the second and fastest times of the night.
Bolt meanwhile was always in control in the second heat finishing in 20.18 after easing off following a good start and fast first 10 meters.
After their races both Jamaican's were confident: "It's all about going as easy as possible, that was the aim. There's is no doubt who is going to come out on top,Isuzu Parts Dealer this is my favorite event and I'm looking forward to it. People always doubt the champion, but I don't have any doubts," said Bolt.
Blake meanwhile stressed the efforts he has had made in what he says is his favorite discipline.
"I've been working very hard on the 200 meters; I have to execute things well to have a chance of winning. I always have a chance in this event, but mistakes to happen. Usain is my good friend and it's going to be interesting," he commented.
The semifinals of the women's 1500 meters showed the advantage of being in the second race as the athletes were able to take advantage of the slower pace of the first semi-final, which was a more tactical affair.Engine Parts
"It was a bit of a scrap out there and I am just glad to be in the top five," said Britain's Lisa Dobrinski who finished fourth in the first semi, behind Asli Cakir Alpetkin and Ekaterina Kostelkaya..
The second race saw Abeba Aregawi look comfortable in 4.01.03, while Gamza Bulut of Turkey was only a fraction slower as she ran a personal best to assure her final spot.
Chinese gymnasts secured the top two places of balance beam on Tuesday, delivering China the second gold of gymnastics after Feng Zhe snatched the parallel bars title.
Deng Linlin, the 2009 world champion, scored 15.600 points out of a routine of 6.6 difficulty and 9.0 execution.
Deng's teammate Sui Lu, who started the apparatus as the reigning world champion, carried her routine perfectly, but a 6.5 difficulty skill cost her the chance to win in spite of the same execution point.
"I made a mistake in the women's team event so this medal compensates for that. I have no regrets," said Deng, who made errors in three consecutive apparatus in the qualification.
"After the team event I was depressed. The motivation from this event came from my coach and other teammates so I could adjust in the past four days and prepare for this event.
"My goal after 2008 was to have a breakthrough in an individual event. Now I have." Sui, the reigning world champion and also gold medalist at Asian Games 2010, was upset and broke into tears after seeing the top place she temporarily ranked was taken.
"Because I didn't get gold," said 20-year-old Sui in talking about her emotion.
"I am the world champion on beam and there was a lot of expectation for me.Autoboss Scanner Being first on the beam also gave me some pressure. But I am satisfied, I performed well.Super Beauty Depot is an online beauty supplier that carries a large selection of hair weave,
"I congratulate her (Deng) and I'm very happy becasue we are from the same country. She had a better execution score than me."
America's Alexandra Raisman came up last in the final to win the bronze after a scoring change over difficulty, which helped her to overtake Romania's veteran Catalina Ponor for a podium place.
America's all-around champion and Russia's Victoria Komova, the silver medalist in the same discipline, both fell off the apparatus.
"I was not very lucky at these Olympics. I failed them 100 percent," said disappointed Komova, who sat on the mattress in her dismount.
"I don't know if I will continue sports. I will go back home take some time off and think through the situation. My parents say everything is OK, but I don't feel so,Nike Air Max" said the 17-year-old Russian, adding: "After my first mistake I knew I wouldn't get a medal."
Deng is China's second gold medal winner in the event after Liu Xuan, who won the title at Sydney 2000.
China have collected a total of five medals in the beam, making this the second most successful event in women's gymnastics, behind only the women's uneven bars with eight medals.