McLeod wins 110m hurdles gold

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RIO DE JANEIRO; Omar McLeod stormed to 110m hurdles victory on Wednesday as Marta s Brazil crashed out of the women s football and France s Renaud Lavillenie wept as he was booed on the Rio Olympics podium.
Usain Bolt swept into the 200m semi-finals and Simone Biles left with a record-equalling four gymnastics golds, while Kenya s Faith Kipyegon stunned world champion Genzebe Dibaba in the women s 1500m.
McLeod produced a powerful but smooth run to finish well ahead of Spain s Orlando Ortega and Dimitri Bascou of France, in a time of 13.05sec.
“I can t get my mind around this. Is this real? To God be the glory,” said McLeod, Jamaica s first champion in the event.
Kenya s Kipyegon gunned to 1500m victory with an electric last-lap sprint which left world record-holder Dibaba trailing home in second. Afterwards she lay on the ground, thumping the track in delight.
There were emotive scenes as Lavillenie, beaten to pole vault gold by Brazil s Thiago Braz da Silva, was booed mercilessly by the crowd as he mounted the podium.
Lavillenie had tears streaming down his face during the Brazilian anthem and he was later comforted by IOC president Thomas Bach, world athletics chief Sebastian Coe and pole vault legend Sergey Bubka.
“Shocking behaviour for the crowd to boo Renaud Lavillenie on the medal podium. Unacceptable at the Olympics,” Bach said in a tweet. Marta, five-time world player of the year, also exited in tears when Brazil were edged 4-3 on penalties by Sweden at Rio s Maracana Stadium.
But there was joy for the hosts when Robson Conceicao, who once sold vegetables and popsicles on the streets, won a thrilling lightweight boxing final against France s Sofiane Oumiha.
Biles, 19, took her place in the gymnastics pantheon when she became just the fifth woman to win four gold medals at a single Olympics.
Hungarian Agnes Keleti (1956), Soviet Larissa Laynina (1956), Czech Vera Caslavska (1968) and Romanian Ecaterina Szabo (1984) are the only gymnasts to enjoy such success.
Biles bid for a record-setting five titles came unstuck when she took bronze in Wednesday s balance beam final, but she said she was delighted after finishing with victory in the floor event.
“I m walking away from my first Olympics with five medals and four in gold, how can I be disappointed?” she said.
Bolt shrugged off the inconvenience of an early start to gallop untroubled into the 200m semi-finals as he won his heat in a time of 20.28sec.
The Jamaican legend is on track to win a third straight 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles — the so-called triple triple after beating rival Justin Gatlin to win the short sprint on Sunday.
“It s a morning session and I m not really a morning person. I just came out to qualify and that s what I did,” said Bolt.
British cycling s golden couple Jason Kenny and Laura Trott won in the keirin and team pursuit respectively, as their country ended with six gold medals at the velodrome.
Trott moved onto four gold medals, a record for a female British athlete, while Kenny equalled the six golds and one silver of celebrated compatriot Chris Hoy.
Darya Klishina, Russia s sole track and field athlete who had to get a court order to overturn a last-minute IAAF ban, will challenge for a medal after reaching the women s long jump final.
Riot police were called to the weightlifting venue as tensions boiled over when Iran slammed Georgian lifter Lasha Talakhadze s Olympic gold medal as a “conspiracy”.
Iranian super heavyweight and favourite Behdad Salimikordasiabi bombed out of the men s +105kg class after judges ruled he had failed to register a total in the clean and jerk.
“There s a conspiracy. Our enemies were on the jury,” Iranian coach Sajjad Anoushiravani fumed, appearing to be referring to a judge from Iraq.
But there was a heart-warming story for Japan when 15-year-old Mima Ito, a former child prodigy, won team bronze to become the youngest ever Olympic table tennis medallist.
“I am looking forward to getting home and showing my medal to my family and supporters,” she said.