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Fountain takes bronze in Heptathlon; Gay fails to make 100m finals
 It was not a great Saturday for a pair of former Barton Community College track stars at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Hyleas Fountain watched her quest for a gold medal turn to silver and eventually bronze with struggles in one of her better events and Tyson Gay’s bid for a medal ended in the semifinals of the 100m. Laverne Jones-Ferrette failed to make the semifinals in the women’s 100m. Fountain ended her 1st Olympics with the bronze medal – one of the best individual finished by a former Cougar at the Olympics. Fountain scored 6619 points. Veronica Campbell’s gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in the 200m remains the only individual gold for a former Cougar. John Moffitt (long jump in 2004) and Bernard Williams (200m in 2004) won individual silver medals. Fountain joins Campbell (100m in 2004) and Derrick Brew (400m in 2004) as bronze medalist in Olympic games.
Heptathlon (W) – Hyleas Fountain
Fountain took a 60-point lead into the 2nd day of competition and started the day with one of her best events – the long jump. But things did not go well for Fountain in the long jump. Instead of putting some separation between herself and Ukraine’s Nataliya Dobrynska she found herself behind after the event. Entering the long jump, Dobrynska’s best effort this season in the long jump had been 20-8 1/2 and her career best effort was 21-6 1/4. Meanwhile Fountain was the best long jumper in the field, going 22-7 earlier this year. But Fountain fouled on her 1st 2 of 3 attempts. On her final jump she was caution to make sure and get mark or any medal chances would be gone. On that jump Fountain leapt only 20-11 1/4. Meanwhile Dobrynska jumped a personal best of 21-9 to win the event and overtake Fountain outscoring her in the event 1049-969.
The next to last event was the javelin, where Dobrynska held the advantage on Fountain. Dobrynska again hit a personal best in the event with a throw of 159-9 to Fountain’s 137-6 and all but lock up the gold medal with a 150-point lead on Fountain heading into the final event of the competition. In the final event of the competition Ukraine’s Lyudmila Blonska also passed Fountain, running a 2:09.44 in the 800m while Fountain ran a 2:15.45. Dobrynska won with 6733 points with Blonska 2nd at 6700.
100m (M) – Tyson Gay
Gay was recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during the 200m of the US Olympic Trials and the semifinal of the 100m in Beijing. Gay ran in the 2nd of 2 heats and came in 5th in the race, missing the final by one spot. He ran a 10.05 and was beaten out of the last spot by US teammate Darvis Patton, whom he had beaten handily at the Trials. Gay failed by break the 10-second barrier after running the 3rd fastest time ever at US Trails prior to his injury – a 9.77. Gay is still in the 4x100m relay pool for the United States later in the Olympics.
Laverne Jones-Ferrette
Jones, who is in both the 100m and 200m, made it to the quarterfinals of the 100m but that is where her event ended. Jones ran an 11.41 in the 10th and final heat of the opening round, earning 3rd in her race and advancing to the quarterfinals for the US Virgin Islands. But in those quarters, Jones ran an 11.55, taking 5th in heat and missing out on the semifinals. She will compete in the 200m, starting Tuesday.
Still to compete
Monday, August 18
400m - Men
Tabarie Henry (US Virgin Islands)
1st round - 8 pm CDT (Sunday)
Triple Jump - Men
Leevan Sands (Bahamas)
1st round - 9 pm CDT (Sunday)
200m - Men
Aaron Armstrong (Trinidad &Tobago)
1st round - 9:05 pm CDT (Sunday)
Quarterfinals - 7:05 am CDT
110m hurdles - Men
Ryan Brathwaite (Barbados)
1st round - 10:10 pm CDT (Sunday)
Tuesday, August 19
200m - Women
Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica)
Laverne Jones-Ferrette (US Virgin Islands)
1st round - 9:40 pm CDT (Monday)
Quarterfinals - 6 am CDT
110m hurdles - Men
Ryan Brathwaite (Barbados)
Quarterfinals - 7:45 am CDT
200m - Men
Aaron Armstrong (Trinidad &Tobago)
Semifnals - 8:25 am CDT
400m - Men
Tabarie Henry (US Virgin Islands)
Semifinals - 8:45 am CDT
Wednesday, August 20
110m hurdles - Men
Ryan Brathwaite (Barbados)
Semifinals - 8:30 am CDT
200m - Women
Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica)
Laverne Jones-Ferrette (US Virgin Islands)
Semifnals - 8:55 am CDT
200m - Men
Aaron Armstrong (Trinidad &Tobago)
Finals - 9:20 am CDT
Thursday, August 21
200m - Women
Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica)
Laverne Jones-Ferrette (US Virgin Islands)
Finals - 6:30 am CDT
Triple Jump - Men
Leevan Sands (Bahamas)
Finals - 7:20 am CDT
400m - Men
Tabarie Henry (US Virgin Islands)
Finals - 8:20 am CDT
110m hurdles - Men
Ryan Brathwaite (Barbados)
Finals - 8:45 am CDT
4x100m Relay - Men
Tyson Gay (USA)
Aaron Armstrong (Trinidad &Tobago)
1st round - 7:20 am CDT
4x100m Relay - Women
Veronica Campbell, Aleen Bailey, Simone Facey (Jamaica)
1st round - 7:55 am CDT
Friday, August 22
4x100m Relay - Women
Veronica Campbell, Aleen Bailey, Simone Facey (Jamaica)
Finals - 8:15 am CDT
4x100m Relay - Men
Tyson Gay (USA)
Aaron Armstrong (Trinidad &Tobago)
Finals - 9:10 am CDT
For full coverage of the 2008 Olympic Track and Field events, go to http://www.iaaf.org/OLY08/index.html
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