Jamaicans leap over Americans in hurdles, too, with Foster-Hylton winning gold

Jamaican Foster-Hylton wins gold in 100 hurdles

BERLIN — First the sprints, now the hurdles.

The Jamaicans are taking over that, too, from the Americans.

Brigitte Foster-Hylton captured the 100-meter hurdles title Wednesday, giving the island nation its first gold in the event at the world championships. Delloreen Ennis-London also won the bronze for Jamaica.

“We’re doing very good and we’re happy,” Ennis-London said.

The Americans, who’ve already lost two sprint races to Jamaica, were counting on gold. Instead, they ran into obstacles.

Ginnie Powell smashed a middle hurdle and finished sixth, and Olympic champion Dawn Harper clipped the second hurdle and took seventh.

Not exactly how they envisioned this playing out.

“I’m kind of ready to jump out of my skin,” Harper said. “I’m trying to remain calm.”

Powell knows the feeling.

“It’s kind of sad, a letdown day,” she said. “Two of America’s best hurdlers couldn’t medal.”

That seems to be the case these days when the Jamaicans are involved. Then again, the country with a population of 2.8 million does boast the best runner on the planet.

Usain Bolt will try for his second world record Thursday in the final of the 200.

He obliterated his world-record mark in the 100 on Sunday, blazing through the line in 9.58 seconds.

Shawn Crawford thinks he might have a way to neutralize Bolt’s burst — trip him.

Of course the American was only kidding, right?

“The cameras make it hard to do that,” Crawford said.

Bolt looked invulnerable in his semifinal heat of the 200, ambling down the track in 20.08 seconds.

And that was in easy mode.

In the final, he’ll crank it up to serious mode.

Bolt’s world record in the 200 stands at 19.30, a barrier that Crawford fully expects him to break in the finals.

“I really think 19.28, that’s what I think,” Crawford said. “My goal is to run 19.51, I’ll be happy with that.”

That almost sounds like an admission of defeat.

But this is Bolt. And with his 23rd birthday on Friday, he might just give himself an early gift.

Still, he’s already downplaying his chances.

“I have really not done the same amount of work like I did for the 100,” Bolt said.

As he weaved his way out of the interview area below the Olympic Stadium stands, Bolt carried his yam-colored Pumas in his hands.

His shoes were entitled to a little rest. He’s been wearing them out by racing seven times in five days.

“I know Usain Bolt is an animal,” said Wallace Spearmon, who finished the semifinals with the second-best time at 20.14 seconds. “I’m going to have to have the best race of my life to try to beat him in the finals.”

Word that Crawford’s predicting a time of 19.28 made Spearmon’s eyes go wide in alarm.

“If they run (19.28) they can have it,” Spearmon said. “I’m not going to say I can’t run that fast, but that’s pretty quick … My best is 19.65 and I know it’s going to take more than that to go out and compete with him.”

That very well could be the case.

“He’s just super human,” said Jamaican teammate Steve Mullings, who is also in the final. “He’s doing great. For him to be so good is actually a motivation for all the Jamaican sprinters. Looking at him run that fast makes you want to work more.”

Unlike at the Beijing Olympics, Bernard Lagat’s trademark kick was there at the end.

He was just too far behind for it to be completely effective, settling for the bronze in the 1,500-meter run.

Lagat, who entered the race as the defending world champion, was bottled up and fading toward the back of the pack. Searching for an opening, he found a crack by going to the outside and made a mad dash for the front as the runners headed down the home stretch.

He tracked down everyone but gold medalist Yusuf Saad Kamel of Bahrain and Deresse Mekonnen of Ethiopia, who took silver.

It was a far cry from his performance in Beijing, when Lagat had no kick due to an aching Achilles’ and failed to qualify for the final.

“It’s difficult to surrender the world title. But I proved that I still can run with the young guys,” said the 34-year-old Lagat, who’s running in the 5,000 on Thursday.

In the women’s 800, South African teenager Caster Semenya ignored a gender-test controversy to win the event.

The world track and field federation requested the gender test on the 18-year-old Semenya about three weeks ago amid speculation she does not meet the requirements to compete as a woman.

Semenya’s stunning improvement in times, along with her muscular build and deep voice, sparked speculation about her gender.

Allyson Felix turned in a relaxed performance in the first round of the 200, as did American teammates Muna Lee and Marshevet Hooker. Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica also won her heat.

As expected, American 400-meter runners Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt cruised into the finals by winning their heats. Merritt even sent a little message to the field by finishing in 44.37 seconds, the top time in the world this season.

Merritt knocked off Wariner at the Beijing Olympics. Now, he’s after Wariner’s world championship crown.

“I wanted to come out today and set the bar, set the tone, finish up good,” said Merritt, who has a day to rest before Friday’s final. “I didn’t run it as hard as I could. I’m saving a little bit for Friday, of course.”