Allyson Felix, Aries Merritt Lead Team USA Medal Haul Wednesday At The Track

2012 Olympics, Women's 200m Results: Allyson Felix Wins Elusive Gold

Allyson Felix had been little more than a blink of the eye from gold in the Olympics before. In Athens, Felix, thought to be the American heir to Marion Jones, finished .13 seconds behind Veronica Campbell-Brown in the final of women's 200 meters for silver. In Beijing, she was .19 back of Campbell-Brown, good for silver again. On Thursday, Felix finally broke through for gold, winning the 200m and putting Campbell-Brown in Felix's past.

Felix was the only woman to break 22 seconds in the race, running it in 21.88 seconds to beat silver medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica (22.09) and bronze medalist Carmelita Jeter of the U.S. (22.14), who each added to medals earned in the 100 meters.

After the race, she was understandably relieved:

"I mean, finally," she said after the race. "It’s been a long time coming. I am so overjoyed."

Campbell-Brown finished fourth in the event, at 22.38 seconds, missing a medal in her attempt to go from being the only woman with two golds in the event to being the first woman with three golds in the event. American Sanya Richards-Ross finished fifth.

Felix, the first woman with three medals in the 200m, could match Campbell-Brown's repeat feat in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, should she choose to continue her sprinting career.

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Aries Merritt, Jason Richardson Top Podium In Men's 110m Hurdles

Americans Aries Merritt and Jason Richardson took gold and silver, respectively, in the 110m men's hurdles on Wednesday, capping off a banner day for Team USA track and field.

Caster Semenya Makes Olympic Debut, Qualifies For Women's 800m Semifinal

South African runner Caster Semenya made her Olympic debut on Wednesday and proved that she has what it takes where it counts -- on the track.

Semenya placed third in qualifying for the women's 800 meters on Wednesday, earning a spot in the event's semifinals with a time of 2 minutes, 00.71 seconds. She finished .24 seconds behind American Alysia Johnson Montano in the fastest of six qualifying heats. Semenya was also bested by Pamela Jelimo of Kenya, who covered the distance in 2:00.54 to easily win her heat.

Semenya -- who was forced to undergo genetic testing in 2009 by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), track's international governing body -- is considered a medal contender in the 800m, and was the silver medalist at the distance at the 2011 IAAF World Championships. She also served as the flag-bearer for South Africa's Olympic delegation at the Opening Ceremony.

Semenya, Johnson Montano, Jelimo and the rest of the women's 800m semifinals will run in three heats beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern on Thursday.

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2012 Olympics, Women's 400m Hurdles Results: Natalya Antyukh Edges Lashinda Demus

American hurdler Lashinda Demus won a gold medal in the 400 meter hurdles at the 2011 World Championships in South Korea, making her the prohibitive favorite to win theevent at the 2012 London Olympics. The California native wasn't quite able to live up to her potential, however, as she had to settle for silver in Wednesday's gold medal meet.

It wasn't easy to defeat Demus, though, as Russia's Natalya Antyukh was just .06 seconds away from setting a new Olympic record en route to winning the gold medal. Demus isn't done, as she told USA Today that she plans to get her gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro after talking about how much expectations weighed on her in 2012.

"I can't explain how bad I wanted the gold medal. It's something I've been dreaming about the last eight years," she said.

Demus admitted that expectations got the best of her even before the race began.

"When you've got people who want it for you as well, it's just a lot more to have on your shoulders," she said. "I just wanted to do well for my family and friends back home who supported me. I broke down crying, overwhelmed with emotion, even before I ran."

Demus will be 33 by the time those Olympics roll around. Considering how close she was to Antyukh -- and an Olympic record -- this year, it wouldn't be wise to count the American hurdler out in Brazil.

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Brittney Reese Wins Gold Medal In Long Jump, Second American To Do So

Brittney Reese went far and fast. And no one in the women's long jump final could catch her, allowing Reese to win the U.S.'s second-ever gold medal in the event. She became the first since Jackie Joyner-Kersee won the event, which was her second gold medal of the 1988 games.

Reese jumped 7.12 meters on her first legal jump and, despite making just two of her six jumps in the final count, that mark held up for gold. Russia's Elena Sokolova topped out at 7.07 meters, and won silver for her efforts.

Bronze went to American Janay DeLoach, who beat Latvia's Ineta Radevica by .01 meters, 6.89 to 6.88, on her fifth jump.

Reese and DeLoach each winning medals in the event makes 2012 the first Olympics in which the U.S. has won two medals in the women's long jump. It's the first time a nation has won two medals in the event since Russia swept it at the 2004 Olympics.

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Americans Aries Merritt, Jason Richardson Go 1-2 In 110m Hurdles

The United States went 1-2 in the men's 110-meter hurdles final Wednesday at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Aries Merritt won the gold medal with a time of 12.92 seconds and Jason Richardson took silver just 0.12 seconds behind to give Team USA a big boost in the overall medal count.

Merritt led from the outset of the race and held on for the win, but Richardson needed to come from behind on the final set of hurdles to pass Jamaica's Hansle Parchment. Parchment set a Jamaican record, running 13.12 seconds to take home the bronze medal.

Dayron Robles of Cuba, the defending Olympic gold medalist, did not finish the race after apparently pulling a muscle in his leg midway through the run. Great Britain's Lawrence Clarke took fourth and Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados finished fifth.

You can find a complete medal tracker at SI.com.

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American Allyson Felix Wins Gold, Carmelita Jeter Bronze In Women's 200m

Finally, Allyson Felix has her individual Olympic gold. Felix dusted the field in the women's 200m on Wednesday to earn the first individual gold medal of her celebrated track career.

Felix, the definite favorite entering the women's 200m final, ran the race in 21.88 seconds, and avenged losses to Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown in the finals of the 200m in Athens and Beijing. Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce, two-time gold medalist in the 100m, took silver with a 22.09, and Carmelita Jeter added bronze in the 200m to her silver in the 100m in 22.14.

Campbell-Brown, bidding to become the first woman to ever win the 200m three times, finished fourth in 22.38 seconds. American Sanya Richards-Ross, who won the 400m in London, settled for fifth at 22.39 seconds.

The win gives Felix four medals in her Olympic career, and just her second gold. The U.S. has taken two of three gold medals in the three shortest non-hurdles sprint events (100m, 200m, 400m) in London after going without golds in those three events in Beijing.

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub. For more on Olympic athletics, follow the 2012 Olympic athletics section.

Women's 400m Hurdles Final: American Lashinda Demus Takes Silver Medal In Tight Race

Natalya Antyukh of Russia won the gold medal in the women's 400-meter hurdles at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London with a time of 52.70 seconds. She edged out American Lashinda Demus by just 0.07 seconds for the win as both runners blew away the rest of the eight-runner field. Zuzana Hejnova took bronze with a time of the Czech Republic took bronze with a time of 53.38 seconds.

Antyukh appeared to be on her way to an easy victory, but she stutter-stepped going into the last set of hurdles, allowing Demus to race back and set up a near photo finish. Antyukh ran the in the 400-meter and 4x400m events at the 2004 Olympics but did not medal.

Two more Americans raced, but did not medal. Georgane Moline set a personal best with time of 53.92 seconds, good for fifth place. T'Erea Brown took sixth with a time of 55.07 seconds.

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Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake Easily Qualify For 200m Finals

If there was any doubt that the men's 200m finals would be a two-man race, that was firmly erased Wednesday night in London as Jamaicans Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake cruised to victories in their semifinal heats while barely breaking a sweat.

Blake had the fastest time, a 20.01, and looked like he was jogging for the final 40 meters. Wallace Spearmon was right behind him (20.02 seconds), and will be the only representative of Team USA in Thursday's finals (3:55 p.m. ET).

Bolt appeared to be out for a casual jog and still won his heat easily, cruising past the rest of the field in 20.18 seconds. South Africa's Anaso Jobodwana finished second behind Bolt to automatically qualify for the finals.

The Netherlands' Churandy Martina won the third heat, in 20.17 seconds, advancing to the final along with Jamaica's forgotten runner, Warren Weir.

In Thursday's final, Bolt will attempt to do something never accomplished before in the Olympics: win gold in both the 100m and 200m in back-to-back Games.

Americans Aries Merritt, Jason Richardson Qualify For Men's 110m Hurdles

Americans Aries Merritt and Jason Richardson both qualified for the finals of the 110m hurdles on Wednesday with each man winning his semifinal heat. With China’s Liu Xiang falling in the opening round heats on Tuesday the two Americans are both medal favorites along with Cuba’s Dayron Robles, who also won his semifinal heat.

Merritt put up the best time on Wednesday by a substantial margin finishing in 12.94 seconds, only .03 seconds off his personal best. Robles won his semi in 13.10 seconds and Richardson in 13.13.

The finals will be held at 4:15 p.m. ET, but NBC will not air the event until primetime. If you want to watch it live you can do so on the NBC Live Extra feed. The finals will be a mostly Caribbean affair; Great Britain’s Lawrence Clarke joins the two Americans as the only non-Caribbean finalists. The third American, Jeff Porter, failed to qualify for the finals.

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Track & Field Schedule: How To Watch Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix Run Online

Usain Bolt will once again take center stage at the 2012 Olympics in London on Wednesday. He'll run in the semifinals of the men's 200 meters, and is looking to be the first man ever to double up on 100m and 200m gold in two consecutive Olympiads. But Allyson Felix may put on the show-stopping performance of the day: The American is heavily favored to win the women's 200m, which will hold its finals on Wednesday.

As NBC won't be airing television coverage of the track and field medal finals until primetime, NBC Live Extra is your friend for free and legal streams on Internet-ready devices. The NBC Live Extra track and field stream for Wednesday begins coverage at 12:55 p.m. ET, with coverage of the decathlon and some qualifying heats, but the meat of the day doesn't begin until 3:05 p.m. ET.

Here are the highlights from the afternoon schedule:

• 3:05 p.m. - Women's Long Jump Final
• 3:10 p.m. - Men's 200m Semifinals
• 3:45 p.m. - Women's 400m Hurdles Final
• 4:00 p.m. - Women's 200m Final
• 4:15 p.m. - Men's 110m Hurdles Final

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics Hub. For more on Olympic athletics, follow the 2012 Olympic athletics section.

Women's 800m: Caster Semenya, Pamela Jelimo Qualify For Semis, Sarah Attar Makes Olympic History

The big names in the women's 800 meters qualified comfortably for the semifinals on Wednesday, and will face their first real challenge on Thursday. Reigning Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo won her heat, as did reigning world champion Mariya Savinova. American Alysia Johnson Montano, the United States' best hope for a medal in the event, also won her heat. She beat out Caster Semenya, the silver medalist at the 2011 World Championships, who also comfortably qualified.

Jelimo will be expected to win her semifinal on Thursday, which is much lighter than the second semifinal. Johnson Montano and Semenya have been placed in the second semifinal, while Savinova will be the top runner in the third semifinal.

Wednesday's women's 800 meters was also notable because of a historic first, featuring Sarah Attar. She failed to qualify for the next round, but in her case, that was hardly what was important. Attar became the first woman from Saudi Arabia to compete in track and field at the Olympics when she ran in the sixth heat.

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics hub.

Men's 5000m: Mo Farah, Galen Rupp Among Qualifiers For Final

Mo Farah will have a chance to clinch a spectacular double in track and field after he comfortably qualified for the men's 5,000 meters in the first round on Wednesday. Farah won the 10,000 meters in dramatic fashion in front of a raucous home crowd at the Olympic Stadium, and will be one of the favorites in the 5,000 meter final, as he's the current reigning world champion in the event.

Galen Rupp, Farah's training partner and the silver medalist in the 10,000 meters, also qualified for the final. Farah, Rupp and American Bernard Lagat, who finished second at the World Championships in 2009 and 2011, all finished in the middle of the pack of qualifying runners and were almost certainly saving something for the final. Hayle Ibrahimov of Azerbaijan won the first heat, which featured Farah and had a slower pace than the second heat. Dejen Gebremeskel of Ethiopa, who won bronze at the World Championships, won the second heat with Rupp and Lagat.

The third member of Team USA, Lopez Lamong, a South Sudanese-born American and one of "Lost Boys of Sudan," also qualified for the final, running a 13:26.16. No American has medaled in the 5000m since 1964, when the U.S. took home gold and bronze.

The final of the men's 5000m is Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET.

For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation's London 2012 Olympics hub.

Americans Ashton Eaton, Trey Hardee Early Leaders In Men's Decathlon After 2 Events

American Ashton Eaton is the early leader in men's decathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics following the first two events Wednesday morning. Eaton had the best performance in both the 100 meters and long jump, putting him first place with 2079 points. Another member of Team USA, Trey Hardee, two-time defending World Champion, is second, with 1936 points.

All eyes are on Eaton after he scored 9,039 total points at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June, breaking Roman Serbie's 11-year world record. He was also the runner-up to Hardee at the 2011 World Championships

Eaton got off to the best start possible Wednesday morning, winning the 100m dash in 10.35 seconds, and placing first in long jump with a leap of 8.03 meters. Eaton's time in the 100m beat the 10.41s run by American Bill Toomey 44 years ago. Canada's Damian Warner is in third place after the first two events.

Decathlon is a two-day, 10-event competition. Day 1 consists of 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m, and on Day 2 it's 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and 1500m.

American Bryan Clay, 2008 gold medalist, failed to qualify for London.

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Track & Field: Event Schedule, TV Coverage For Wednesday

Four track & field medals are up for grabs on Wednesday. Can the United States add a few of those to its medal count?