Saturday marks the second-last day of action from the athletics track for Rio 2016, with Usain Bolt looking to close out his historic triple-triple with gold int the 4×100 relay. Join The Roar for live updates and commentary from 9:20am (AEST).
The session starts with the women’s 4×400-metre relay heats, where Australia field a strong team, featuring individual semi-finalists Morgan Mitchell and Anneliese Rubie.
The 4×400 really is an event in which anything can happen, there are so many variables that factor into the race. Australia is in the rare position of having three really good runners, the third being Jessica Thornton. The team is looking to fight for a medal, however, they must progress through the heats.
One of the highlights of today’s program is the women’s 5000 metres. Three Australians will line up in this event, Eloise Wellings, Genevieve LaCaze and Madeline Heiner Hills. All eyes, however, will be on 10,000-metre champion and current 5000-metre World Champion, Almaz Ayana.
Ayana kicked from the 5000-metre mark in last week’s 10,000-metre race and one by one, her rivals were left in her wake. She completely controlled her 5000-metre heat, dictating the race from start to finish and eventually winning by 100 metres.
One of Australia’s final medal hopes will also be in action during the session, with Alana Boyd competing in the pole vault final. She progressed safely through to the final, clearing the two heights that she attempted. She is definitely a medal contender, however America’s Sandi Morris and Greece’s Ekateríni Stefanídi are favourites.
The final track events are the men’s and women’s 4×100-metre finals, with both races shaping up as a battle between America and Jamaica. With gold medals in three successive Olympics in the 100 and 200-metre races, can the legendary sprinter get a stunning ninth track medal, with a third 4×100 gold in a row?
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
In breaking news, America has been disqualified from the men's relay for a lane violation at the final changeover. Trinidad and Tobago, who finished in 7th place, have also been disqualified for the same indiscretion. Canada has now moved up into 3rd place.
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
That completes the action from the athletics track today. It was an incredible day, with Usain Bolt completing his Triple-Triple and America claiming the women's 4x100 relay. Australia's Alana Boyd finished fourth in the women's pole vault and the Australians ran admirably in the women's 5000m final. There is just one more day of events inside the Olympic Stadium and it is a big day. Tomorrow will see Ryan Gregson in the men's 1500m final, the final of the women's 800m and Mo Farah in the 5000m final. Additionally, the men's and women's 4x400 finals will round out the program. Australia qualified in eighth position for the women's event.
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
Men's 4x100 Relay Results 1st Jamaica 37.27 2nd Japan 37.60 3rd America 37.62 4th Canada 37.64 5th China 37.90 6th Great Britain 37.98 7th Trinidad and Tobago 38.09 8th Brazil 38.41
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
The Jamaican team have commenced their celebrations as they complete a lap of honour in front of an adoring crowd
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Roar Guru
Jamaica finishes in first, Japan second and America just held on to third ahead of a fast finishing Andre de Grasse
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
Bolt collected the baton at the same time as his Japanese and American rivals and simply ran away from them. As soon as he received that baton it was clear who was winning this race
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
Triple-Triple
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Roar Guru
The first runners are on the blocks and the starting gun has been fired
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
With the pole vault now complete, it's time for the final event of the day, the men's 4x100 relay. The men are on the track. Usain Bolt will run fourth for Jamaica, as will Andre de Grasse for Canada. American Justin Gatlin will run the second leg for USA, with Trayvon Bromell running the fourth leg.
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
Final results in the pole vault: 1st Ekaterini Stefanidi Greece 4.85m 2nd Sandi Morris America 4.85 3rd Eliza McCartney New Zealand 4.80 4th Alana Boyd Australia 4.80
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
That could not have been closer. Morris looked to have cleared the bar, but her knee clipped it on the way up, it wobbled around and eventually tumbled to the floor.
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
Stefanidi has just missed her third attempt at 4.90. She had the height but knocked the bar off on her way down. Should Morris clear this, she will win gold, miss and she wins silver.
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
Both Morris and Stefanidi have missed on their first two attempts of 4.90. If they both fail to clear this height, Stefanidi will in on a countback.
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
There is one race remaining on the track and that is the men's 4x100 relay. Usain Bolt is seeking the final leg of his triple-triple. The Americans, however, will be desperate to prevent him from doing so. Lane Draw: Lane 1: Great Britain Lane 2 Brazil Lane 3: United States Lane 4: Jamaica Lane 5: Japan Lane 6: China Lane 7: Canada Lane 8: Trinidad & Tobago
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
The men's hammer throw final has come to a conclusion. Tajikistan's Dilshod Nazarov has taken out the Gold, closely followed by Belarussian Ivan Tsikhan. Poland's Wojciech Nowicki has stolen the Bronze medal from Mexico's Diego del Real with his final throw of the night.
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
America has won the women's 4x100 relay, with Tori Bowie running a strong final leg to hold off a fast-finishing Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Great Britain has edged Germany for the final spot on the podium. Results: 1st America 41.01 2nd Jamaica 41.36 3rd Great Britain 41.77
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
Unfortunately it was not to be for Boyd, she aborted her jump halfway through the jump. Boyd will finish in fourth place, just shy of a medal. McCartney wins the bronze and the bar will go up as Stefanidi and Morris enter a battle for gold.
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
McCartney has baulked. She walks back to her mark and reattempts this height. She fails to clear it. Should Boyd clear this height, she will finish no worse than third.
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
The 4x100m final is udnerway
Cameron Mee
Roar Guru
If Boyd misses her third attempt, she will finish in fourth position, regardless of whether McCartney clears the height as she trails on a countback.