Wednesday’s Olympics News Roundup

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt won the 200-meters in a world record time of 19.30 to become the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to win the 100-meters and 200-meters in the same year. Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles and American Wallace Spearmon finished second and third, but were both disqualified for stepping out of their running lanes. Americans Shawn Crawford and Walter Dix, who finished fourth an fifth, were awarded the silver and bronze medals.

The U.S. men’s basketball advanced to the semifinals after blowing out Australia 116-85. They will play the winner of Argentina plays Greece, who play at 10:15. Earlier in the day, Spain and Lithuania advanced, beating Croatia and China, respectively.

The U.S.women’s softball team needed extra innings to beat Japan 4-1 and advance to the gold medal game. Crystl Bustos’s three-run home run keyed a four-run ninth inning for the Americans. Japan rebounded to beat Australia in 12 innings, setting up a U.S.-Japan rematch for the gold tomorrow. Australia won the bronze.

U.S. baseball also needed extra innings to beat Japan, scoring four in the top of the eleventh and holding on for a 4-2 win. They will play Cuba in Friday’s semifinals. Japan will play South Korea, who finished group play undefeated.

Melaine Walker of Jamaica set an Olympic record in winning the gold in women’s 400-meter hurdles. American Sheena Tosta took the silver, while Tasha Danvers of Britain won the bronze.

BMX biking debuted as an Olympic sport, with American favorite Mike Day winning all three of his races. Day said, “Not to sound cocky, but everything's kind of coming naturally.” Kyle Bennett, winner of three world championships, crashed in his third qualifying race, but his standings in the first two races earned him a spot in the semi-finals. For the women, Anne Caroline Chaussen of France finished with the fastest time in her first run but crashed in her second. Shanaze Reade, the British favorite, finished last in the first race and second in the following. Reade explained, “BMX can be unpredictable.”

Russian pair Anastasia Davydova and Anastasia Ermakova repeated as synchronized swimming gold medalists, finishing first in all three routines. It will be televised at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday evening on Oxygen.

In men’s volleyball, Italy needed five sets to beat Poland and advance to the semi-finals against Brazil. The U.S. plays on 10:00 a.m. on NBC against Serbia, with the winner playing Russian in the semifinals. Italy and Brazil will play in the other semifinal.

Americans Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser beat Renato "Geor" Gomes and Jorge "Gia" Terceiro of Georgia in straight sets to advance to the men’s beach volleyball final. They will face Brazilians Fabio Luis Magalhaes and Marcio Araujo, who beat defending champions and fellow Brazilians Ricardo Santos and Emanuel Rego in the other semifinal.

Larissa Ichenko won the 10-kilometer open water swim with her signature strategy, taking it slow at the start then sprinting the last 50 meters. Kerri-Anne Payne, a British swimmer, finished second, just ahead of teammate Cassandra Patten. Many of the women were frustrated by the dirty tactics and overwhelming aggression of other swimmers. Ichenko said, “This is swimming after all, not boxing.”

Afghanistan won its first ever Olympic medal as Noor Ahmad Gayezabi won bronze in men's under 58-kilogram taekwondo. “After more than 30 years of war in Afghanistan, I think this medal is a very great message for peace and the future of Afghanistan,” he said.

Five Americans are being detained for holding a banner saying “Free Tibet” in L.E.D. lights in front of the National Stadium. It is reported that three of the detainees had also planned to spell out “Free Tibet” on a Beijing building using laser. In related news, two elderly Chinese women were sentenced to a re-education camp after repeatedly applying for protest permits.