While you were sleeping

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BEIJING -- If only Tyson Gay could have saved his 2007 season until the Olympic year. He was undeniably the world’s best sprinter last year, winning gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter sprints and the 400-meter relay at the world championships in Osaka, Japan.

But his chances to repeat that performance collapsed with him on the track in Eugene, Ore., during the trials in June, when he injured his hamstring during qualifying for the 200 meters.

He didn’t compete again until Friday, when he made it through the first two rounds of the 100 meters here. He claimed he was 100%.

No way.

In the semifinals in the early morning hours Saturday at the Bird’s Nest, he finished fifth in his heat and failed to advance to the final later this morning.

With Gay on the sideline, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt won the gold medal in a world-record time of 9.69 seconds.

‘I may have needed more races, but I don’t really have any excuses,’’ Gay said.

Elsewhere:

(All times PDT)

10:30 p.m. (Friday): There was an upset in men’s water polo, the United States beating No. 1 Croatia, 7-5, to improve to 3-1 in pool play. Tony Azevedo of Long Beach scored on three of six shots. Goalkeeper Merrill Moses of Palos Verdes recorded 11 saves. The U.S. men might have Croatia’s number. They also beat them in an exhibition, 8-5, in May in Thousand Oaks.

10:57 p.m.: After an extra-innings loss Friday to Cuba, the U.S. baseball team came from behind to beat Canada, 5-4. Brian Burden of Templeton, Calif., started the rally after Davey Johnson’s team fell behind 4-0 with a two-run home run in the fourth. Brian Duensing of Marysville, Calif., and Brett Anderson of Stillwater, Okla., combined for the victory.

11:12 p.m.: Jessica Mendoza of Camarillo hit her third home run in two days as the U.S. softball team remained unbeaten with a 7-0 win over Taiwan that was called after five innings because of the mercy rule. Jennie Finch of La Mirada pitched five shutout innings, allowing one hit. It was the United States’ fourth shutout in five games.

11:23 p.m.: Michelle Carter of Ovilla, Texas, whose father was an Olympic shot putter and pro football player, advanced to tonight’s final in the shot put as did Jillian Camarena of Tucson. The three U.S. women in the 100 meters -- Lauryn Williams of Miami, Torri Edwards of Irvine and Muna Lee of College Station, Texas -- easily advanced through the second round.

12:45 a.m.: Vincent Hancock of Eatonton, Ga., prevailed in a four-target shootout to win a gold medal in men’s skeet competition. Hancock hit his final two targets to outlast Norway’s Tore Brovold. They share the world record. ‘I wasn’t nervous at all in the final round,’ said Hancock, 19, a member of the U.S. Army’s Marksmanship Unit.

12:55 a.m.: Saving her best for the final 500 meters, Michelle Guerette of Bristol, Conn., surged from fifth place to win the silver medal in the women’s single sculls competition. Now there’s a local story for ESPN to report. Guerette finished a mere 0.44 behind Bulgaria’s Rumyana Neykova.

12:58 a.m.: Taylor Phinney, whose parents competed in cycling in the 1984 Olympics, lost to Hayden Rouston of New Zealand in the 4,000-meter individual pursuit after qualifying seventh.

12:59 a.m.: Canada won’t go home empty-handed. Fretting that they might not win a gold medal here, Carol Huynh came through for the Canadians by winning the women’s 48-kilogram wrestling final. She upset 2004 silver medalist Chiharu Icho of Japan.

2:10 a.m.: Russian Dinara Safina advanced to the women’s singles final with a 7-6 (3), 7-5 victory over China’s Li Na. She plays in the final against another Russian, Elena Dementieva, who beat still another Russian, Vera Zvonareva, 6-3, 7-6 (3), in the other semifinal.

2:35 a.m.: James ‘Chunky’ DeGale, a colorful middleweight boxer from London, wasn’t too concerned about his bout Saturday against Shawn Estrada of East L.A. After winning his first bout a week ago, DeGale, in fact, said he didn’t consider Estrada among the top five among middleweights here. And, after dispatching him rather easily, DeGale acknowledged that he hadn’t trained too hard for the fight. DeGale won, 11-5. It seems as if there are a lot of distractions in the Athletes’ Village. ‘Well, there’s the food,’ he said, ‘and there’s a couple of Brazilian women around and all that.’

3:45 a.m.: James Blake, who believes he was robbed by a bad call and an unsportsmanlike opponent in the semifinals, was denied a bronze medal by Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 7-6 (4).

4:24 a.m.: The Ukrainian Bondarenko sisters were no match for the Williams sisters. Venus and Serena won, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, in the doubles semifinals.

5:38 a.m.: The Russians rolled over the United States in the team foil final, 28-11, but it was still the United States’ first ever medal in that event for women. U.S. men haven’t won a foil medal since 1960.

5:40 a.m.: The Bryan brothers of Camarillo won the bronze medal with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over France’s Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra.

7 a.m.: Wake up, smell the Guangdong oolong tea!

Now playing: Final heptathlon events.

Coming up later this morning: Men’s 100-meter final in track and field; women’s shot put final; U.S. vs. Spain in men’s basketball.

-- Randy Harvey

Anja Niedringhaus / Associated Press