Track And Field, 2012 Olympics | featured news

Usain Bolt anchored Jamaica’s 4x100-meter relay team to a new world record on Saturday night, becoming the first track and field athlete to win three events at consecutive Olympics since 1904.

The Americans won their first gold medal in the sprint relay in 16 years. Their time, 40.82 seconds, broke the previous mark, 41.37, which was set by East Germany in 1985.

Usain Bolt becomes the first man to retain both Olympic sprint titles as he led home a Jamaica clean sweep in the 200m. Bolt matched Michael Johnson's then world-record time from the Atlanta Games of 19.32 seconds as he held off training partner Yohan Blake in silver and Warren Weir in bronze.

Making her Olympic debut three years after being forced to undergo gender tests, Caster Semenya of South Africa finished second in her 800-meter preliminary heat Wednesday.

Nursing a broken heart from a disappointing fourth-place finish in Tuesday’s 100-meter hurdles, an emotional Lolo Jones fired back at her critics on Wednesday. Jones opened up about a Saturday New York Times piece that compared her to Anna Kournikova, the former tennis pro known more for her good looks than her accomplishments on the court.

Usain Bolt ran his second fastest time ever and set an Olympic record in the 100-meter dash in Sunday’s XXX Summer Games (10.5/27). In fast nationals, last night’s 8 – 11 PM broadcast was down 9% from last Sunday but up 14% from the same second Sunday at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

His victory in the 100 on Sunday against training partner Yohan Blake, Americans Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay and the rest of the star-studded field promptly and emphatically shut down all the questions about his fitness and dedication - questions that only grew louder after losses to Blake in both sprints five weeks ago at Jamaica's Olympic trials.

Of course the gold medal stays in Jamaica, mon. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce wouldn't have it any other way. A golden ribbon in her hair, the bubbly Jamaican made it back-to-back Olympic titles in the women's 100 meters Saturday night, closing ground over the last 20 meters and leaning at the line to win in 10.75 seconds and edge American Carmelita Jeter by .03 seconds.

Usain Bolt is the biggest rock star in track and field and gets paid like it with appearance fees that can reach $350,000 and half a dozen global sponsors that contribute the bulk of his $20 million yearly income. He is the top-earner in the history of the sport.

Questions surround one of Team USA’s strongest locks for an Olympic gold medal in London after one of the runners expected to participate in the women’s 4x400m pool withdrew from the Games after failing a doping test.