LONDON (AP) — No more heartbreak for Allyson Felix. No more silver, either.
She finally did it.
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Denied twice on the world’s biggest stage, Felix won the Olympic gold medal she’s been yearning for, taking the 200 meters Wednesday night to fill in the last, and biggest, hole in her otherwise stellar resume.
Felix won the race in 21.88 seconds, topping Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won the 100 four nights earlier, by .21 seconds. American Carmelita Jeter added bronze to go with her silver in the 100 meters.
One more spot back was Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown, who defeated Felix in the Athens and Beijing Games and was trying to become the first woman to win the same individual track and field event in three consecutive Olympics.
Also Wednesday, Brittney Reese won the long jump at the London Games on Wednesday night, becoming only the second U.S. woman to win the event at the Olympics.
The two-time world champion went into the competition with the best jump of the season and put down the best mark in the final with 7.12 meters on her second attempt. She is first U.S. woman to win the Olympic long jump since Jackie Joyner-Kersee in 1988.
Russia’s Elena Sokolova took the silver medal with a best jump of 7.07 meters, and Janay Deloach earned the bronze for the United States at 6.89.
In the men’s 110-hurdles, Aries Merritt led a 1-2 finish for the United States, winning in 12.92 seconds. Defending champion Dayron Robles of Cuba pulled up midway through and clutched his right hamstring.
Jason Richardson, the world champion, was second in 13.04. Hansle Parchment of Jamaica took the bronze in 13.12.
Robles, the world-record holder, began limping early and came to a stop after clearing the sixth hurdle, then shoved another barrier down to the track.
The 2004 Olympic champion, Liu Xiang of China, got injured in the first round of qualifying and stopped before reaching the first hurdle.
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