Clement powers to hurdles title, Britain win ‘rare’ badminton gold

RIO DE JANEIRO: Kerron Clement of the United States stormed to victory in the men’s 400m hurdles on Thursday, holding off a furious late challenge from Kenya’s Boniface Tumuti to take gold.

Clement powered over in a world leading time of 47.73sec, just ahead of Tumuti in 47.78.

Turkey’s Cuban-born Yasmani Copello claimed bronze in 47.92sec.

Ireland’s Thomas Barr narrowly missed out on a podium finish, just behind Copello in 47.97sec.

The win comes eight years after the Trinidad-born Clement won a silver medal in the 2008 Beijing Games and a gold medal in the 4x400 relay.

Injuries disrupted his career in the intervening period and he finished outside the medals at the London Olympics four years ago as he struggled to regain his peak.

However he had signalled his readiness to take advantage of a wide open field here, qualifying for the final with the fastest semi-final time on Tuesday.

On Thursday, Clement set off at a quick pace and built up a healthy lead heading into the home straight, digging deep to hold off the fast-approaching Tumuti over the closing metres before being congratulated by US decathlon star Ashton Eaton as he crossed the line.

Clement said he had been determined to make the podium here, targeting 2016 as a redemption year after his problems in 2012.

“I had one goal in mind and my mindset was to come here and get a medal,” Clement told reporters.

“In 2008, I fell short and got a silver. In 2012, I was battling injuries and surgeries. I was just happy to make the finals in 2012,” added Clement, who underwent hernia and adductor muscle operations before the London Games.

British underdogs Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge stunned “superpower” China to bag a rare badminton medal for Team GB with bronze in the men’s doubles final.

The Britons, ranked a lowly 22nd in the world, defeated Chinese pair Chai Biao and Hong Wei, ranked fourth, in three games to claim Britain’s only third Olympic badminton medal and first since 2004.

Ellis and Langridge won the first game 21-18 and lost the second 21-19 before building a massive seven-point lead in the third to win it comfortably 21-10.

“We had a big lead and you could see the tension on their faces. They’ve got so much pressure on them because China are the badminton nation, the superpowers. Britain are lower down that order,” an ecstatic Langridge said afterwards.

Neymar scored twice, including the fastest goal in Olympics history, as Brazil set up a blockbuster showdown with Germany for Olympic gold by thrashing Honduras 6-0 on Wednesday.

The sides will meet on Saturday (tomorrow) at Rio’s iconic Maracana just two years after Germany inflicted Brazil’s heaviest defeat of all time in a 7-1 thrashing in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals.

World champions Germany reached their first Olympic final as a unified nation as Lukas Klostermann and Nils Petersen netted in 2-0 win over Nigeria in Sao Paulo.

Neymar had been much criticised for his lacklustre displays in two 0-0 draws to start the tournament, but his transformation back from the nation’s whipping boy to golden boy was capped by his determination to open the scoring after just 15 seconds.

“Neymar is a monster. He has the gift of playing football, he delights everyone with his talent,” said Brazil coach Rogerio Micale.

“Neymar deserves our gratitude because he pushes Brazil to a higher level.”

The Barcelona star hounded defender Johnny Palacios to rob possession on the edge of the Honduras box and goalkeeper Luis Lopez’s attempt to atone for his teammate’s error only ricocheted the ball off Neymar’s midriff and into an empty goal.

For a moment, Neymar’s bravery looked like it may have come at a cost as he had to be stretchered off after being winded in the challenge.

Neymar missed the 7-1 humiliation as he was carried off with two broken vertebrae in his back at the end of a brutal World Cup quarter-final against Colombia.

However, there was no repeat as the 24-year-old was soon back terrorising the Honduras defence as Bryan Acosta and Allans Vargas were booked for taking their uncompromising attempts to stop Neymar too far.

While Bolt ran the season’s best 19.78 sec, his American arch-rival Justin Gatlin, 34, failed to reach the final.

Gatlin, who won the 100m silver behind Bolt at the weekend, said he had not fully recovered from an ankle injury suffered in November. “I definitely think I can try for the world record, I definitely feel that,” Bolt said.

Drug-tainted Russia’s only competitor in the track and field, Darya Klishina, failed to reach the final medal battle in the long jump. The 25-year-old blamed the turmoil of the doping scandal for her disappointment.