2008 Beijing Games Track & Field

Bryan Clay holds the American flag after winning the gold medal in the men’s decathlon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Russia’s Yuliya Chermoshanskaya, right, celebrates her team’s gold medal-winning performance in front of Belgium’s Kim Gevaert, whose team won the silver, in the 4 X 100 relay.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

From left, Russia’s Evgeniya Polyakova, Yulia Gushchina, Yuliya Chermoshanskaya and Aleksandra Fedoriva after winning the gold medal in the 4 X 100 relay.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. runner Monique Henderson takes the baton from teammate Mary Wineberg during the first heat of the 4 X 400 relay.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. runner Regi passes the baton to teammate Angelo Taylor during the first heat of the 4 X 400 relay.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

From left, Jamaica’s Nesta Carter, Asafa Powell, Michael Frater and Usain Bolt celebrate their gold medal win in the 4 X 100 relay.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt celebrates with the crowd after his team won the gold medal in the 400-meter relay.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Australia’s Steve Hooker breaks an Olympic record, clearing 5.96 meters to win the men’s pole vault and capture the gold medal.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown crosses the finish line and wins the gold medal in the women’s 200-meter final.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica celebrates her gold-medal win in the women’s 200 meter.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Muna Lee (9), Allyson Felix (5) and Marshevet Hooker of the U.S. embrace in a group hug as Jamaica’s Kerron Stewart catches her breath after the women’s 200 meter. Felix takes home the silver, Stewart the bronze.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. runner Jeremy Wariner prepares for the men’s 400-meter final. Wariner finishes the race in second place.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

USA’s LaShawn Merritt waves to the crowd after winning the gold medal in the men’s 400 meter.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

LaShawn Merritt of the U.S. is in disbelief after winning the gold medal in the men’s 400-meter race.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Cuba’s Dayron Robles leaps over the last hurdle to win the men’s 110-meter race. David Payne of the U.S., right, with teammate David Oliver finished second and third, respectively.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Gold is in sight for Cuba’s Dayron Robles, who celebrates his win in the men’s 110-meter hurdles.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Usain Bolt of Jamaica leans across the finish line to break the world record and win the men’s 200 meters at the Beijing Games in 19.30 seconds. The former record of Michael Johnson‘s, 19.32, had stood since the 1996 Olympics.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt begins to celebrate his victory in the men’s 200 meters on Wednesday in Beijing after setting the world record in 19.30 seconds.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Usain Bolt falls to the track after setting the world record in the men’s 200 meters on Wednesday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Olympic 100- and 200-meter champion Usain Bolt, who became the first person to set world records while winning both events at the Summer Games, holds his shoes aloft while draping a Jamaica’s flag around his shoulders.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Usain Bolt of Jamaica acknowledges the crowd as he celebrates his world-record victory in the men’s 200 meters on Wednesday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American discus thrower Stephanie Brown Trafton, who is from San Luis Obispo, Calif., carries the falg around the stadium after winning the gold medal on Monday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. hurdler Angelo Taylor begins to celebrate as he crosses the finish line in winning the 400-meter hurdles on Monday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. hurdlers (from left) Kerron Clement, Bershawn Jackson and Angelo Taylor pose draped in American flags after sweeping the men’s 400-meter hurdles event Monday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Russia’s Elena Isinbaeva won the women’s pole vault with a world record of 16 feet 8 inches on Monday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Elena Isinbaeva acknowledges to the crowd after winning the gold medal in the women’s pole vault on Monday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

American Jenn Stuczynski releases the pole and clears the bar en route to winning the silver medal in the women’s pole vault on Monday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Russia Yulia Golubchikova sits on the mat after failing for the third time to clear a height in the pole vault, missing a chance to earn the bronze medal, on Monday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo rounds the turn and heads toward the finish line as she wins the gold medal in the women’s 800 meters on Monday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. sprinter Wallace Spearmon has tape going in odd patterns along his leg before the start of a heat in the men’s 200 meters on Monday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser celebrates her victory in the women’s 100 meters as she crosses the finish line Sunday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Shelly-Ann Fraser, right, led a Jamaican sweep of the women’s 100 meters ahead of Americans Torri Edwards, left, and Muna Lee.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. sprinter Lauryn Edwards checks out the scoreboard after failing to win a medal in the women’s 100 meters on Sunday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser begins to celebrate her victory in the women’s 100 meters Sunday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Shelly-Ann Fraser carries the Jamaican flag during a victory lap after leading a sweep of the women’s 100 meters Sunday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia points to the crowd after winning the men’s 10,000 meters on Sunday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

U.S. distance runner Lopez Lomong failed to qualify for the finals of the men’s 1,500 meters during his heat Sunday in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Cameroon’s Francoise Mbango Etone, who won the gold medal in the women’s triple jump, lands in the pit Sunday during competition in Beijing.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Usain Bolt of Jamaica sets a world record and wins the gold in the men’s 100-meter final.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Usain Bolt crosses the finish line to win the men’s 100-meter final in a world record 9.69 seconds at the Beijing Games on Saturday.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt cruises to a world record in the 100 meter, beating second-place finisher Richard Thompson of Trinidad, center, and USA’s Walter Dix, who finished third.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Usain Bolt pulls ahead of the field, including Darvis Patton of the U.S. and Michael Frater of Jamaica on his way to a world record of 9.69 seconds in the 100 meters.  (Robert F. Bukaty / Associated Press)

Usain Bolt of Jamaica, arms at side as he begins to celebrate, nears the finish line in the 100 meters Saturday in Beijing, where he won the gold medal in a world record of 9.69 seconds.  (Adam Pretty / Getty Images)

The rest of the field gets a good view of Usain Bolt crossing the finish line in winning the men’s 100 meter in a world record of 9.69 seconds on Saturday in Beijing.  (Matt Dunham / Associated Press)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt lets the crowd know who won the men’s 100-meter dash for the Beijing Games on Saturday.  (David J. Phillip / Associated Press)

Jamaican Usain Bolt poses by the clock displaying his winning time of 9.69 seconds for the 100 meters.  (Mark Dadswell / Getty Images)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt cruises to a world record in the 100 meter at the Bird’s Nest stadium.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Tyson Gay of the U.S. looks at the scoreboard after he didn’t qualify for the men’s 100-meter final.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Bronze-medal winner Walter Dix waves the American flag after the men’s 100-meter final.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)