Beijing 2008 Olympics

The Modern Pentathlon is one of the most interesting and fascinating tests of athleticism. It involves five highly unique classical demands;epee fencing, pistol shooting, 200 m freestyle swimming, a show jumping course on horseback and a 3 km cross-country run.

Russia’s Andrei Moiseev became only the second man in history to repeat a Gold medal performance with a remarkable performance. Lithuania’s Edvinas Krungolcas and Andrejus Zadneprovskis can proudly can home the Silver and Bronze respectively.

Andrei Moiseev wins gold for Russia in Modern Pentathlon Photo credit Luo Xiaoguang Xinhua

The USA Men’s 4 x 400 team of Angelo Taylor, Jeremy Wariner, Lashawn Merritt and David Neville won the Gold with a Olympic record of 2:55.39 while the Bahamas earned the Silver and Russia took home the bronze.

Angelo Taylor passes the baton to David Neville of USA 4×400 in route to winning the Gold Medal (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Norway’s Andreas Thorkildsen successfully defended his Athens Gold medal with an Olympic record throw of 90.57 meters. Latvia’s Ainars Kovals wins Silver while Finland’s Tero Pitkamaki earns the Bronze.

Norway Andreas Thorkildsen wins the Gold in the Javelin (Photo credit: Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

Norway Andreas Thorkildsen after winning Javelin Gold (Photo credit: Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

Incredible how times have changed. Did you enjoy watching the Decathlon? If you shrug your shoulders as realize you missed it, the fact is it was barely covered within televised broadcasts.

The event with names such as Jim Thorpe, Bob Mathias, Rafer Johnson, Bruce Jenner, Daley Thompson, Dan O’Brien and Roman Šebrle attached was effectively ignored in these Games. Don’t ask me why as I have nothing positive to say when program directors effectively eliminate the story of one of the greatest athletic tests in the Olympics from major network broadcast.

With this in mind, I not only wish to congratulate every competitor in the Decathlon but naturally mention the d Azusa Pacific alumni and Glendora California resident, Bryan Clay Gold medal victory for the USA. Bryan is one of the best examples in the sporting world, not simply as an athlete but as a leader to society. You might have to look far and wide to hear more of him in the world of endorsement but this man is a great hero that transcends sport. Andrei Krauchanka proudly won the Silver for Belarus and Cuba’s Leonel Suarez earned the bronze.

Bryan Clay wins Gold for the USA (Photo credit:Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Russia Women’s 4×100m team of Evgeniya Polyakova, Aleksandra Fedoriva, Yulia Gushchina and Yuliya Chermoshanskaya won the Gold medal in a surprise victory of 42.31 seconds. Belgium’s team of Olivia Borlee, Hanna Marien, Elodie Ouedraogo, and Kim Gevaert won the Silver and Nigeria’s Franca Idoko, Gloria Kemasuode, Halimat Ismaila, and Oludamola Osayomi will take home the Silver.

Russian women win 4×100 (Photo credit:Xinhua)

Russian women win 4×100 (Photo credit:Xinhua)

Russian women win 4×100 (Photo credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Jamaica continued its dominance in the sprints with a new world record of 37.10 in the 4 x 100m. The team of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter, and Michael Frater were simply outstanding as they roared to the Gold medal with Trinidad and Tobago wining Silver and Japan bringing the bronze home.

Asafa Powell Nesta Carter Usain Bolt and Michael Frater (Photo credit:Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

100m relay (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Jamaican Usain Bolt captured the rare 100 & 200 meter sprint double winning the 200m final in a
new world record time of 19.30 seconds. Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles won silver with Shawn Crawford of the United States earning a bronze at 19.96 seconds.

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt winning Gold in Men’s 200m (Photo credit: Gazzetta dello Sport / AP)

Usain Bolt winning Gold in Men’s 200m (Photo credit: Jornal Record)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt winning Gold in Men’s 200m (Photo credit: Gazzetta dello Sport / AP)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt winning Gold in Men’s 200m (Photo credit: Gazzetta dello Sport / AP)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt winning Gold in Men’s 200m (Photo credit: Gazzetta dello Sport / AP)

Usain Bolt winning 200m (Photo credit Michael Steele Getty Images)

Slovenia won its first Track and Field Gold medal with Primoz Kozmus winning the Men’s Hammer Throw. Belarus can take pride in winning both the Silver and Bronze with the respective performances of Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan.

Slovenia Primoz Kozmus wins the Gold medal (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Slovenia Primoz Kozmus wins the Gold medal (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Slovenia Primoz Kozmus celebrates after winning the Gold medal (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Cal Poly alumni Stephanie Brown Trafton won Gold for the USA in the Discus with a throw of 64.74m, while Yarelys Barrios of Cuba earned the Silver and Ukraine’s Olena Antonova won bronze. The NorCal resident becomes the first American woman to win Gold in seventy-six years.

Stephanie Brown Trafton wins Gold for USA (Photo Credit: Xinhua.jpg)

Stephanie Brown Trafton wins Gold for USA (Photo Credit: Xinhua.jpg)

Pardon my sarcasm but didn’t you appreciate the great media coverage of Estonia’s Gerd Kanter gold winning effort the Men’s Discus? Oh wait, there really wasn’t much coverage was there? It is remarkable how one of the Track and Fields great events has been pushed aside and are getting very little "air-time." I am annoyed that most of the Field events were barely covered by the media and it is a sad commentary of the changing tastes in athletics. Pound for pound, those who compete in the Discus are some of the best in the world and along with the fact the sport is one of the original Olympic events, they deserve greater attention and respect from the media.

However none of that should take away from these great athletes and Gerd Kanter bringing home Gold to his beautiful homeland of Estonia with a 68.82m throw. Poland’s Piotr Malachowski wins the Silver medal and Lithuania’s Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania brings home the bronze.

Gerd Kanter wins Gold for Estonia in the Discus (Photo credit Xinhua)

Gerd Kanter wins Gold for Estonia in the Discus (Photo credit Xinhua)

In a extremely tight-race, Rashid Ramzi won Bahrain first Olympic Gold medal as he out kicked his competition in the final 200 meters to win the Men’s 1500m in 3:32.94 minutes. Kenya’s Asbel Kipruto Kiprop won the Silver while New Zealand’s Nicholas Willis took the bronze medal.

Rashid Ramzi winning the 1500 (Photo credit: Xinhua)

London’s Christine Ohuruogu won the Gold for Great Britain in a stunning Women’s 400m final today in 49.62 seconds ahead of  Jamaica’s Shericka Williams and pre-race favorite Sanya Richards of the USA.

Miss Ohuruogu is Britain’s first Women’s champion in the 400m.

Christine Ohuruogu wins Gold for Great Britain (Photo Credit: Xinhua)

Russia’s pride soars as Yelena Isinbayeva successfully defending her Olympic Gold medal, breaking the Women’s Pole Vault world record she previously set with a clearance of 5.05 metres.

Roberts Wesleyan College graduate Jennifer Stuczynski won the Silver for USA. The Fredonia New York native cleared a height of 4.80m finishing ahead of Russia’s Svetlana Feofanova who won the bronze with a vault of 4.75m.

Jennifer Stuczynski Photo Credit: Getty Images

Beautiful Panama has a new hero as Irving Saladino won Gold in the long jump with South Africa’s Khotso Mokoena earning the silver and the bronze going to Ibrahim Camejo of Cuba. While he was the prohibitive favorite after winning the recent world championship, this moment will always be special for Panama as he is the nations first Olympic Gold medal in athletics history.

Irving Saladino wins Gold (Photo credit: Xinhua)

In an stunning performance, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt of Jamaica set a new world record with a 9.69 in 100m as he won the gold medal. The twenty-one year old’s performance ranks as one of the greatest track achievements in history as he devastated his competition in a remarkably powerful display of power and speed. Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago won the silver medal running a  9.89 while Florida State Seminole Walter Dix of the USA took the bronze with a 9.91.

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt wins gold (Photo credit: Xinhua).