RAF CASERT
Beijing — Associated Press Published on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008 9:51AM EDT Last updated on Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2009 8:31PM EDT
Lyudmila Blonska cast the pall of doping over the Bird's Nest on Wednesday, hours before Usain Bolt was seeking gold in the 200 metres in his quest for an Olympic sprint triple.
In the absence of injured hurdler Liu Xiang, China got an unexpected chance to cheer when Zhang Wenxiu won bronze in the hammer throw behind champion Aksana Miankova of Belarus and Yipsi Moreno of Cuba.
Bolt was a favourite to become the first man since 1984 to win an Olympic 100- and 200-metre double later Wednesday. With the 4x100 relays coming up over the weekend, the Jamaican could become the most successful track athlete of the Games.
His showboating and overwhelming world record ways have set Bolt well on his way to become a star as important to track as Michael Phelps is to swimming at the Olympics.
Blonska, however, could well become track's villain of the Games — if a doping violation is confirmed Thursday.
The International Olympic Committee said Wednesday that the heptathlon silver medallist, who finished second to Ukrainian teammate Nataliia Dobrynska on Saturday, was under investigation.
If confirmed, Blonska would become a repeat offender and kicked out of the sport forever. The 30-year-old Ukrainian served a doping suspension for the steroid Stanozolol between 2003-05.
The long-striding Bolt won the 100 in a world record 9.69 seconds Saturday and is aiming to be the first man since Carl Lewis won both in Los Angeles to complete the sprint double.
Jamaican women swept the medals in the 100 and were again expected to be among the leading qualifiers out of the semifinals.
Looking for a long-distance double, 10,000 champion Kenenisa Bekele was favoured to advance into Saturday's final of the 5,000.
The women's 400-metre hurdles was wide open with world record-holder Yulia Pechonkina skipping the Olympics because of a heart problem and two-time world champion Jana Rawlinson sidelined after a toe operation.
Melaine Walker of Jamaica had the top time this year.
In the 800, all the favourites advanced, led by Sudanese teenager Abubaker Kaki, Olympic champion Yuri Borzakovsky of Russia and Wilfred Bungei of Kenya.
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