Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh Let It Reign
Gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor of the United States by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Not even a seemingly endless storm could disrupt
Misty May-Treanor and
Kerri Walsh's reign as the Queens of the Beach. The world No. 1 beach volleyball tandem secured its second straight Olympic gold medal with a
21-18, 21-18 triumph over China's Wang Jie and Tian Jia.
"I hope this means we're deserving of being No. 1 in the world," a jubilant Walsh said. "I'm so glad that we won and I'm happy that it's over."
May-Treanor and Walsh became the first team - men or women - to defend Olympic beach volleyball gold, and while there were certainly tense moments during the match, it was clear the two would come through in the clutch as they always do. After all, coming into the final, they were riding a 107-match win streak, hadn't lost in over a year and were perfect in Olympic competition. How perfect? They have never even lost a set.
The 6'2" Walsh punctuated that perfection with a spike on their first match point and sank to her knees to embrace her partner of seven years on Chaoyang Park's wet sand.
After celebrating with family and friends, an emotional May-Treanor sprinkled her mother Barbara's ashes on the sand, just as she did in Athens. "I didn't know they were going to lay a platform down, so wherever the platform goes, my mom's going!" she said.
Earlier in the rain - officials ruled matches would go on unless there was lightning - China's other team of Xue Chen and Zhang Xi dumped Brazil's Talita Rocha and Renata Ribeiro,
21-19, 21-17, for bronze.
Lightning didn't strike at Chaoyang Park, but it did at the Bird's Nest. Four days after
hot-dogging his way to a world record and gold in the 100-meter dash, Usain Bolt
powered to gold again, in the 200 - and this time he took it seriously. Citing fatigue after the semis, the Jamaican, who turns 22 on Thursday, said he wanted to "leave it all on the track" in the final, which meant running from beginning to end in total game-face mode. Taking control from the start, Bolt, in his trademark gold shoes, was peerless as he blazed to the line in a world record of 19.30, erasing Michael Johnson's 12-year-old mark of 19.32 from the books. Prior to the race Johnson (serving as an analyst for the BBC) said he didn't think Bolt would break his record.
Defending champion Shawn Crawford and fellow American Walter Dix, who won bronze in the 100, finished 2-3. The two were bumped up the ranks after Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles and American Wallace Spearmon were disqualified for stepping outside their lanes.
Bolt became the ninth man to complete the 100-200 double -
Carl Lewis was the last to do so in 1984 - but he is the first to set new global standards in both events at the Games.
"I am No.1," Bolt declared to a track-side camera. "I am No. 1."
Jamaica had even more reason to celebrate. Melaine Walker charged past American Sheena Tosta in the final 80 meters to clinch gold in the
women's 400-meter hurdles, setting an Olympic record of 52.64 in the process. Britain's Tasha Danvers rounded out the podium.
Newbie Olympic sport BMX racing will have to wait one more day to crown its inaugural champions as the semis and finals were rained out.
- Joyce Eng
