Olympics: US suffer gold medal wipe-out

Thursday 21 August 2008

BEIJING - The United States suffered a gold-medal wipe-out on Wednesday after suffering another dismal track and field performance which virtually conceding Olympic Games supremacy to China.

The US only managed a silver medal in the women's 400m hurdles through Sheena Tosta and a bronze in the men's 200m from defending champion Shawn Crawford as Jamaica piled on the misery.

First, Melaine Walker took the hurdles gold before Usain Bolt stole the show with a record-breaking performance in the 200m which delivered him the double sprint gold as well as a second world record.

American pride was restored by their teams with its NBA superstars cruising past Australia 116-85 in men's basketball and the country's baseball team making sure of their place in the last four with 4-2 victory over Japan which sets up a semi-final date with old rivals Cuba.

Meanwhile, a dominant United States ensured their place in the last Olympic softball final ahead of the sport being dumped from the Games by beating Japan 4-1.

Yukiko Ueno and Monica Abbott, the only two pitchers to throw perfect games during the tournament, kept each other's team scoreless through the first seven innings of regulation play and the first extra period.

But then the Americans scored four runs off the previously untouchable Ueno in the ninth inning for victory.

"If I said it was a great ball game, that would be an understatement. This was softball at its best internationally," said US coach Mike Candrea.

"You saw great pitching, great defence, adjustments at the plate, an international tie-breaker ... you saw a little bit of everything the sport has to offer."