Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Spanning the commonwealth and beyond …

The Mason-Dixon Athletic Club will host its 49th annual Mason-Dixon Games, Friday and Saturday, in Broadbent Arena at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

Approximately 3,000 Kentucky middle school and high school athletes will compete, plus about 70 Masters and Open athletes.

Friday’s schedule begins at 4:30 p.m. with Masters and Open events. Middle school events begin at 5:15 p.m.

Saturday’s high school schedule begins at 8 a.m. for Class A, 1 p.m. for 2A and 5 p.m. for 3A. The meet is designated by the Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches Association as the indoor state championships.

Admission is $5 each day. Officials will again be collected canned goods and non-perishable items, to be donated to the Dare to Care Food Bank.

In conjunction with the Games, the Mason-Dixon Games Hall of Fame induction banquet will be tonight (Thursday) at Wildwood Country Club in Fern Creek.

Inductees include athletes Bobby Brown (long jump), Susie Brutscher (pole vault pioneer), 1976 Olympian Tommy Haynes (triple jump, long jump) and 1968 Olympic gold-medalist (200 meters) Tommie Smith (440 yards), along with officials Ron Althoff, David L. Armstrong, Donnie Ray and Jack Thompson, plus “significant supporter” of the Games David A. Jones.

Al Michaels returns to Olympic broadcasting

Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics, announced Thursday that Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Al Michaels will serve as host of NBC’s live weekend and weekday daytime coverage of next year’s Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.

Michaels last broadcast a Winter Olympics in 1988, also in Canada — Calgary, Alberta.

In 1980, Michaels made the call on what, according to a variety of polls, Americans consider the nation’s top sports moment of the 20th century, The Miracle on Ice hockey victory over the Soviet Union.

“Do you believe in miracles? YES!” was his most memorable line as the game neared the finish at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics.

Michaels will host more than 50 hours of live coverage. Although this will mark Michaels’ debut as an Olympic host, he is no stranger to the Games. Vancouver will mark his sixth Olympic assignment.

He covered hockey, biathlon, speed skating, ski jumping and cross-country skiing at the 1972 Sapporo Olympics; hockey at the 1980 Lake Placid Games; figure skating and hockey at the 1984 Sarajevo Games; track and field, plus road cycling, at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games and hockey at the 1988 Calgary Games.

Michaels is the only broadcaster to call a Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and host a Stanley Cup Final for network television.

12 semifinalists for Sullivan Award are named

The 12 semifinalists for the 79th annual James E. Sullivan Award include three gymnasts and three swimmers.

Nastia Liukin

The Sullivan Award, named in honor of the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) founder and past president, is presented annually to the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. In addition to athletic accomplishsments, the Sullivan Award considers the qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship and the ideals of amateurism.

Gymnasts on the semifinals list are Beijing Olympics all-around champion Nastia Liukin, Olympic balance beam gold-medalist Shawn Johnson and Olympic silver-medalist on the horizontal bar, Jonathan Horton.

Swimming semifinalists are the Olympic men’s 4-by-100-meter freestyle relay champions, Paralympian champion Erin Popovich (four gold medals, two silver) and 41-year-old Olympian Dara Torres (three silver medals).

Also on the list are: Cynthia Barboza, Stanford University, volleyball; Amanda Blumenherst, Duke University, golf; Sam Bradford, University of Oklahoma, football; Tyler Hansbrough, University of North Carolina, basketball; the Lopez family (Olympic medalists Diana, Mark and Steven), taekwondo, and Gerald “Buster” Posey, Florida State University, baseball.

Fan can vote online at www.usatoday.com. The winner will be announced April 15 at the New York Athletic Club.

Trammel is USATF Athlete of Week

Two-time Olympic and World Outdoor silver-medalist Terrence Trammell, winner of the men’s 60-meter hurdles and the Visa Championship Series at last weekend’s USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, is USA Track & Field Athlete of the Week.

Trammell led all the way at Boston, clocking 7.37 seconds to break Reggie Torian’s 10-year-old meet record of 7.38. Trammell just missed the American record (7.36) but did get the fastest time in the world this season.

Among others, Trammell beat Oklahoma State freshman German Fernandez for weekly honors. Running in the Big 12 Indoor Championships at College Station, Texas, Fernandez won the mile in a collegiate-record 3:55.02. Three hours later, Fernandez won the 3,000 meters in the second-best time in meet history, 7:57.21.

UK baseball opens 3-game set vs. Indiana State

James Paxton

Chris Rusin

The Cats (6-2) and Sycamores (9-2) will meet Friday at 4 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m.

 

Cats add two games to schedule

Pre-game clinic Saturday

Briefly: James Johnson, Bobby Curtis

James Johnson, right, with Helena Hau and myself in Beijing.

James Johnson,

a three-time national champion Greco-Roman wrestler out of the University of Kentucky, has been on tour since Feb. 23 as coach of U.S. Greco-Roman athletes competing in the Hungary Grand Prix and in Slovakia. The tour ends Sunday.

Lindsey Vonn

A year out from the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympic Games– Feb. 12, 2010 — the United States has a bona fide Alpine ski favorite.

Before injuring her thumb while opening a bottle of champagne, Lindsey Vonn took the FIS World Championships by storm. The injury, which required surgery, has knocked Vonn out of Thursday’s giant slalom, but she hopes to compete in Saturday’s slalom.

Vonn, a Minnesota native and a Vail, Colo., resident, already has won two World events at Val d’Isere, France — the super G and downhill. She missed a silver medal in the super combined, learning only at the finish line that she had been disqualified for missing a gate.

Just before her ill-fated downhill celebration, Vonn spoke with reporters via teleconference.

“Downhill is my favorite event. It always has been since I met Picabo Street,” Vonn said. “She really inspired me to want to be a ski champion, and her best event was always downhill. For some reason, I just have always been drawn to downhill. It’s the speed, the adrenaline, the rush of it all. It’s an amazing discipline. I’ve always wanted to win at a big event in downhill, and I feel like it’s a big breakthrough for me.

“I was able to do it despite nerves. My husband (Tom, a 2002 Olympian) was with me there at the start and helped calm me down, and we really worked through it. I was able to win despite that. I’m definitely going to take what I learned from today into the Olympics and, hopefully, I’ll be able to do well there.”

Vonn, married last September, competed in the 2002 and 2006 Olympics under her maiden name, Kildow. She placed sixth in combined and 32nd in slalom at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games; seventh in super G and eighth in downhill at the 2006 Torino Games.

Now 24, Vonn is a threat in all Alpine events. She won the 2008 World Cup overall and downhill titles.

Vonn at Val d'Isere, France

She is the first American woman to win the overall World Cup titles since Lexington’s Tamara McKinney in 1983. Vonn also won five downhills in 2008, for a career total of an American-record 10. (She passed Street and men’s skier Daron Rahlves on the all-time downhill win list.)

“Unfortunately, I never got to watch her race when I was younger,” Vonn said of McKinney. “I really only saw Picabo and Hilary Lindh at the Olympics, and when I met Picabo in Minnesota, that was definitely inspiration for me. But I never met Tamara until later in my career, and I was never able to see her ski. My dad use to always talk about here as a legend in skiing, and she’s a hero. I look back and see who really has done the most for skiing and Tamara played a huge role in that.”

As a teen-ager, Vonn became the only American ever to win at Italy’s Trofeo Topolino (for skiers 11-14) and earn Junior Worlds medals and U.S. titles.

She earned her first World Cup win just six weeks after turning 20. In 2007, she took her first major championships medals with a silver in downhill and super G.

Now, she’s better than ever, armed with the mighty intangible known as experience.

“Definitely, from the 2002 Olympics, I’ve made huge physical advances in my fitness and, also, mentally,” said Vonn, who is listed at 5-foot-10, 160 pounds. “In 2002 I was just there as a rookie. I was trying just to get experience and I was having a good time. I wasn’t nervous at all. That actually allowed me to ski really well in the combined.

“In Torino, I came in with a lot more expectations and pressure than I had in any World Championships or Olympics. I knew how to handle it … At the same time, I had (an) injury and knew I probably wasn’t going to win any medals, but was out there trying my best. I think that took some of the pressure off.

“These World Championships have been the toughest because of the pressure and expectations. But because of my past experiences and everything that I have learned, and with the help of my husband, I was able to be mentally much stronger.”

Smarter, unwilling to throw caution to the wind.

“You have to give it 100 percent effort if you want to win. But, at the same time, you still have to be smart,” Vonn said. “You have to still ski the line, but you respect it. You can’t say ‘OK, I’m going 100 percent; I’m going to go as straight as I can and just push myself to win it.’ Because if you’re doing that, you’re not going to be fast. You can’t be fast by just going straight. … I was definitely giving it my all, giving it 100 percent, but still being smart. Still keeping that high line. Still being right where I needed to be in the technical sections and the difficult sections. You have to do that.”

Aside from the Worlds and Olympics, the only other place Vonn lets it all rip is in practice. Other competitions, she skis “90 percent … more or less.”

“When I train at 100 percent, I go straighter. I try to push the line. I try to push everything. But the likelihood of going out and making a mistake is very high.”

Likelihood of a Vonn mistake in Vancouver? Not so high.

We’ll know for sure in one more year.

More than a dozen countries will be represented this weekend at USA Wrestling’s Dave Schultz Memorial International Open. The competition, Friday through Sunday, will take place at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

With a nod to USA Wrestling media contact Gary Abbott for providing background information …

Greco-Roman standouts include Americans Lindsey Durlacher, Sam Hazewinkel and Harry Lester, along with Bulgaria’s Aleksander Kostadinov. Durlacher (55 kg) is a 2006 World Championships bronze medalist; Hazewinkel (55 kg) is the 2008 University Worlds champ; Lester (74 kg) is the 2006 and ‘07 World bronze medalist, and Kostadinov (55 kg) is the 2007 and ‘08 Junior World champion.

James Johnson

Incidentally, University of Kentucky graduate James Johnson, a three-time national champion, is coaching the Greco-Roman talent for the Sunkist Kids.

Top entrants in men’s freestyle include India’s Sushil Kumar and Russians Darsam Dzaparov, Magomed Zubairov and Evgeni Kolomiets. Kumar (66 kg) is the reigning Olympic bronze medalist; Dzaparov (66 kg) is the 2006 Junior World champion; Zubairov (74 kg) is the 2008 Junior World champion; and Kolomiets (96 kg) is the 2008 World University champion. 

Women’s freestylers include Carol Huynh, Clarissa Chun, Iwona Matkowska-Sadowska, Patricia Miranda, Katherine Fulp-Allen, Aka Tomar, Sylwia Bilenska, Tonya Verbeek, Tatyana Lazareva, Adeline Gray, Monika Ewa Michalik and Agnieszka Wieszczek.

At 48 kg, Canada’s Huynh is the 2008 Olympic gold medalist; Team USA’s Chun is the 2008 World champion; and Poland’s Matkowska-Sadowska is the 2006 World bronze-medalist. 

At 51 kg, Miranda is the 2004 Olympic silver medalist and four-time winner of the Schultz Memorial, and fellow American Fulp-Allen is the 2008 Junior World champion.

At 55 kg, India’s Tomar is the 2006 World bronze medalist; Poland’s Bilenska is the 2004 World University champion; Canada’s Verbeek is the 2004 and ‘08 Olympic bronze medalist; and Ukraine’s Lazareva is the 2004 World University champion and ‘08 World silver medalist. 

Gray, of the U.S., is the 2008 Junior World champ at 67 kg, while Poland’s Michalik is the 2006 and ‘07 World bronze medalist.

Wieszczek, also a Pole, is the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist.

* Wrestling is on tap in Lexington as well. The Lexington City Championships will take place Saturday at Tates Creek High School. Finals begin at 1:30 p.m.

Arkansas visits UK gymnasts; Hall of Fame class named

Switching from wrestling mat to floor exercise mat, Kentucky’s women will entertain third-ranked Arkansas in a Southeastern Conference meet, Friday at 7 p.m. This will be the annual “Pink Meet” at Memorial Coliseum, in support of UK HealthCare’s Markey Cancer Center.

The Cats have dropped three straight SEC meets after opening with a non-conference victory over Utah State. Arkansas is 4-1 overall, 2-0 in the SEC.

Admission is $1 for fans wearing pink, full price for others. A portion of proceeds will benefit breast cancer research, education and treatment at the Markey Cancer Center. The first 300 fans will receive a pink mug.

Friday also is designated as Girl Scouts Night, with free admission for those wearing Girl Scouts uniforms or T-shirts.

Heather Hite

After the meet, UK’s sophomore gymnasts will sign autographs.

Last week, at No. 8 Florida, Heather Hite and Hillary Ferguson led UK on the balance beam, each scoring 9.750 to tie for second place.

Hillary Ferguson

Natalie Rubinstein, ranked 18th on the uneven bars, led the Cats in that event as she has all season, scoring 9.825.

Ferguson, No. 21 nationally in floor exercise, scored 9.825 at Florida to place third overall. She also took third in the all-around at 39.075.

Natalie Rubinstein

Arkansas, coming off a win over No. 9 Alabama, is led by Casey Jo Magee. Ranked third nationally, she won her fifth all-around of the season by scoring 39.450. Ranked No. 2 on the floor, she scored 9.925 in that event.

* USA Gymnastics this week announced its 2009 class of inductees for the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

The HOFers include: 2004 Olympic all-around gold medalist Carly Patterson; 2004 rhythmic Olympian Mary Sanders; 2000 Olympian Steve McCain; and 1996 Olympian John Macready.

Also elected: two-time World Acrobatic champions Shenea Booth and Arthur Davis; trampoline and tumbling coach/judge Pat Wilson Henderson; trampolinist James Yongue; Temple University coach Fred Turoff, and the 1999 World Championships gold-medal double mini-trampoline team of Karl Heger, Mark Griffith, Byron Smith and Ryan Weston.

The Hall of Fame luncheon and induction ceremony is set for Friday, Aug. 14, as part of the USA Gymnastics National Congress and Trade Show at Dallas, which is held in conjunction with the Visa Championships. More information is available at www.usa-gymnastics.org.

Fernando Nieve

Hard to tell in snowy Central Kentucky, but baseball season soon will be here. (Not soon enough, though!)

The Houston Astros, parent club of the Lexington Legends, open spring training at Kissimmee, Fla., on Feb. 14, when pitchers and catchers are due to report. Position players report for the first full-squad workout on Feb. 17.

Eleven Astros are on provisional rosters for the World Baseball Classic, including former Legends pitchers Wandy Rodriguez (Dominican Republic) and Fernando Nieve (Venezuela). Rodriguez, known as Eny Cabreja during his time in Lexington, recently signed a one-year deal worth $2.6 million, plus incentives.

Spring training invitees include past Legends Sergio Perez, Chris Johnson, Lou Santangelo and Bud Norris.

Watch out for camels

Meanwhile, the Legends annual radio caravan will visit Cynthiana, Somerset, Richmond, Danville and Lexington, Tuesday through Thursday, Feb. 10-12.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Josh Anderson, a former Legend and Eastern Kentucky University standout, will join the Caravan for its visit to Somerset. Anderson is a native of nearby Eubank.

Another former EKU Colonel, Legends pitching coach Charley Taylor, will be along for Caravan stops at Somerset and Richmond.

The final stop, at Applebee’s Park, will feature Lexington’s Michael Bertram, Doug Flynn, Ben Revere and John Shelby.

Bertram, a third baseman, hit .285 with eight homers, 55 RBI and 51 runs over 102 games last year with the Detroit Tigers’ Class A Lakeland, Fla., team. Bertram has risen through the minors with Ryan Strieby, a teammate on Kentucky’s 2006 Southeastern Conference co-championship team.

Flynn won World Series titles with Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” in 1975 and ‘76. He also won a Gold Glove in 1980 as second baseman for the New York Mets.

Minnesota Twins prospect Revere earned MVP honors in the Midwest League last season, leading all of minor-league ball with a .379 average for the Class A Beloit Snappers. He also had a homer, 43 RBI, 51 runs and 44 stolen bases (57 attempts) over 83 games. He had nearly as many walks (27) as strikeouts (31).

Shelby, a Chicago White Sox prospect, was a teammate of Bertram on UK’s SEC co-championship team. He hit .295 with 15 homers, 80 RBI and 81 runs over 114 games for High-A Winston-Salem last season. In addition, he stole 33 bases in 38 attempts. His father, a former big-league outfielder of the same name, is first-base coach for the Baltimore Orioles.

The Legends note that other guests may be added, and that the schedule of guests is subject to change.

The schduled stops:

Tuesday, Feb. 10 – Live broadcast (8-9 a.m.) of Coffee Break with Rick Chasteen on WCYN-AM 1400, Biancke’s Restaurant, 102 South Main, Cynthiana. Harrison County High School coach Mac Whitaker will be a special guest.

Wednesday, Feb. 11 – Backyard Burgers (3-4 p.m.), Highway 27, Somerset; and

Powell Building (5:15-6:15 p.m.), Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond.

Thursday, Feb. 12 — Danville (details incomplete); and

Maker’s Mark Club (5:30-6:30 p.m.), Applebee’s Park, Lexington.

Talking Legends baseball

Keith Elkins hosts a weekly radio show, Legends Inside Scoop, on WLXG-AM 1300, Tuesdays from 7:20-8 p.m.

Recent guests include Manager Tom Lawless, pitching coach Charley Taylor and Astros “Scout of the Year” Nick Venuto.

* The Legends will host their annual national anthem tryouts Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 14-15, at Lexington’s Fayette Mall.

The auditons will take place in the mall wing nearest Dick’s Sporting Goods, noon-3 p.m. Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday.

For details, or to reserve an audition time, call the Legends at   (859) 252-4487  . Walk-up entrants also are welcome.

* You say you’ll save the fans from your vocals, but you’d still like to be at the park?

Well, senior slugger, the Legends have a pitch to make to you about the Silver Sluggers Club.

SSC membership, for fans 55 and over, costs $30. That will get you “a special package of gifts,” as well as Sunday tickets for half price, meal vouchers for Sunday games and “exclusive sale opportunities at the Legends Locker merchandise store.” Those registering before April 1 will receive a free box seat to the April 13 home opener.

Club members who attend six Sunday home games will receive a dinner for two in the Maker’s Mark Club. Those who attend all 10 Sunday home games will receive an autographed set of team cards. More details are available from the Legends:   (859) 252-4487  .

Houston Astros catching prospect Max Sapp, who played the last two seasons with the Lexington Legends, was discharged from a Florida hospital over the weekend.

Sapp, 20, was hospitalized Dec. 11 with viral meningitis. He also was diagnosed with chronic sinus disease, for which he underwent corrective surgery.

Here’s hoping his recovery continues and that someday soon he’ll be able to play ball again.

Reds Caravan coming Jan. 24 to Lexington

The Cincinnati Reds Winter Caravan is scheduled to stop at Fayette Mall in Lexington on Saturday, Jan. 24, 6-8:30 p.m.

Scheduled to make the trip are Gold Glove second baseman Brandon Phillips, No. 1 draft pick Devin Mesoraco and Reds Hall of Famer Lee May. Fans also will have the chance to meet Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman, TV analyst Chris Welsh, Chief Executive Officer Bob Castellini and Assistant General Manager Bob Miller, as well as team mascot Gapper.

Lexington is part of the Caravan’s “Southern Tour” stops. Simultaneous “Northern” and “Western” tours will feature others in the Reds family.

All the stops are free to the public, and two tickets to opening day (April 6 vs. New York Mets) will be raffled at each stop.

The full Southern Tour:

Thursday, Jan. 22 — 3:15-4:45 p.m., Charleston (W.Va.) Towne Center; 6:30-8:30 p.m., Huntington (W.Va.)/Ashland, Ky., Fannin Motors.

Friday, Jan. 23 — 7-8:30 p.m., Bowling Green, Ky., Greenwood Mall.

Saturday, Jan. 24 — 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Nashville, RiverGate Mall; 6-8:30 p.m., Lexington, Fayette Mall.

Sunday, Jan. 25 — 12:15-1:45 p.m., Maysville (Ky.) Conference Center.

The Northern Tour will stop at Vienna, W.Va.; Athens, Ohio; Lima, Ohio; and Columbus, Ohio. General Manager Walt Jocketty, broadcaster Thom Brennaman, Chief Operating Officer Phil Castellini, Reds Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Browning, Reds Minor League Player of the Year Chris Valaika, infielder Jeff Keppinger, pitcher Mike Lincoln, coach Billy Hatcher and mascot Mr. Redlegs will take part in all or parts of the Northern Tour.

The Western Tour includes one Kentucky site, Louisville Slugger Field, home of the Louisville Bats (Jan. 22, 4:30-7 p.m.). Also on the circuit are Indiana stops in Evansville, Bloomington, Indianapolis and Muncie, as well as the final leg at Dayton, Ohio. Western  participants include Manager Dusty Baker, broadcasters George Grande and Jeff Brantley, outfielder Chris Dickerson, utility player Jerry Hairston Jr., 2008 top draft pick Yonder Alonso and mascot Rosie Red. 

In addition to Lexington, CEO Bob Castellini will visit Louisville and Columbus.

More details are available online at: www.reds.com/caravan.

BEIJING — Safe to say, the Beijing Olympics have not turned out the way Tyson Gay had envisioned after he ran the fastest any-conditions 100 meters of all time (9.68 seconds) at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

A few days later, he pulled his left hamstring during the quarterfinals of the 200-meter dash.

The reigning world champion in both the 100 and 200, he missed nearly six weeks of training between the Trials and the Olympics.

The graduate of Lafayette High School in Lexington was eliminated in the semifinals of the 100-meter dash.

Thursday night, with the U.S. leading its semifinal heat of the 4-by-100 relay, the final pass of the baton from Darvis Patton to anchor-man Gay amounted to a swing-and-a-miss. The baton appeared to barely graze Gay’s hand and fell to the track. With it went the U.S. relay hopes.

Rodney Martin and Travis Padgett ran the legs preceding Patton.

BEIJING — University of Kentucky senior Mikel Thomas, competing for his native Trinidad and Tobago, placed sixth in his heat Tuesday night (a.m. U.S.) in quarterfinals of the men’s 110-meter hurdles at the “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium.

Thomas ran in the first of four heats. The first three in each heat, plus the next three fastest finishers, will advance to the semifinals. After two heats, it was clear that Thomas would not qualilfy on time.

Thomas ran a personal-best wind-legal time of 13.62. (UK had listed his 13.57 as a school record, but that race was wind-aided.)

David Payne of the U.S. won the heat in 13.24, followed by Petr Svoboda of the Czech Republic and Shi Dongpeng of China. In fourth, Konstadinos Douvalidis set a Greek national record of 13.46. Jamaica’s Richard Phillips was fifth, followed by Thomas, Igor Peremoto of Russia and Hector Cotto of Puerto Rico.

As it turned out, Thomas needed to run faster than 13.51 in order to qualify on time.

U.S. champion David Oliver, in the last heat, had the fastest time, 13.16.

World record-holder Dayron Robles of Cuba was next, a heat winner in 13.19.

Payne ranked third.

Live from National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) at the Beijing Summer Olympic Games …

             Tyson Gay’s dream of running for a gold medal in the men’s 100-meter dash came to a screeching halt Saturday night (a.m. in the U.S.) at the Beijing Olympic Games.

            Gay, a graduate of Lafayette High School in Lexington, will miss the finals (10:30 p.m. in Beijing, 10:30 a.m. EDT) at National Stadium, also known as Bird’s Nest.

            World record-holder Usain Bolt led all qualifiers in 9.85 seconds.

            Gay, running in the next heat, placed fifth in 10.05 seconds, tied for ninth overall.

            The top four from each semifinal heat qualified for the finals.

            Bolt, from Jamaica, practically loped to victory in the first heat, 9.85. NCAA champion Walter Dix, out of Flordia State, took second in 9.95, followed by Marc Burns of Trinidad and Tobago (9.97), Michael Prater of Jamaica (10.01) and Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis (10.05).

            Former world record-holder Asafa Powell, also from Jamaica, won Gay’s heat in 9.91. Then came Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago (9.93), Churandy Martinia of Netherland Antilles (9.94), Darvis Patton of the U.S. (10.03) and Gay. Behind Gay was Portugal’s Francis Okikwelu (10.10), silver medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

            Gay was trying to do what few thought possible just a few days ago.

            The reigning world champion at 100 and 200 meters set an American record of 9.77 during quarterfinals of the U.S. Olympic Trials at Eugene, Ore. In the finals, he ran the fastest 100 of all time, 9.68, although a tailwind negated the effort from record consideration.

A few days later, Gay cruised through one round of the 200. In the quarterfinals, though, he tumbled to the track with a strained left hamstring. That knocked him out of the 200 and, many speculated, possibly the 100.

Until coming to Beijing, he had not competed since being injured about five weeks ago.

His first race here was a tepid 10.22. He improved to 10.09 in the quarterfinals.

Women’s 800

Semifinals of the women’s 800 meters — the top two finishers in each of three heats advance to the finals, plus the next two fastest finishers.

Automatic qualifiers by heat:

One: 1. Svetlana Klyuka (Russia) 1:58.31; 2. Maria Mutola (Mozambique) 1:58.61.

Two: 1. Pamela Jelimo (Kenya) 1:57.31; 2. Hasna Benhassi (Morroco) 1:58.03

Three: 1. Janeth Jepkosgei (Kenya) 1:57.28; 2. Yuliya Krevsun (Ukraine) 1:57.32.

Next-fastest two qualifiers: Tatiana Andrianova (Russia) 1:58.16 (heat three); Kenia Sinclair (Jamaica) 1:58.28 (heat three).

Live from National Stadium, a.k.a. Bird’s Nest, at the Beijing Olympic Games …

We’re about 20 minutes away from Saturday’s second session of track and field, scheduled for 7 p.m. local time (7 a.m. EDT).

Of course, the buzz is building for one race in particular: the men’s 100-meter dash finals.

To get there, Lexington’s Tyson Gay will first have to negotiate through the semifinals, schedueld for 8:05 and 8:13. Finals are set for 10:30. 

Gay is in the second of the two semifinal heats. The top four from each heat, plus the fastest fifth-place finisher, will advance to the finals.

Gay, the reigning World champ at 100 and 200 meters, will be in the outside lane (nine), next to 2004 silver-medalist Francis Obikwelu of Portugal.

The rest of the field, from lane two out (lane one is vacant): Martial Mbandjock, France (personal best 10:06); Naoki Tsukahara, Japan (10.15); 2004 relay silver-medalist Darvis Patton, U.S. (9.89); World Championships finalist Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles (9.99); former world record-holder and 2007 Worlds bronze-medalist Asafa Powell of Jamaica (9.74); and Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago (9.93).

Heat one, from the inside out: Worlds silver-medalist Derrick Atkins of Bahamas (9.91); Asian champion Samuel Francis of Qatar (9.99); Marc Burns of Trinidad and Tobago (9.96); three-time Worlds medalist (including gold in 2003) Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis (9.98); NCAA champion Walter Dix of the U.S. (9.93); world record-holder Usain Bolt of Jamaica (9.72); Texas A&M’s Tyrone Edgar of Great Britain (10.06); and TCU’s Michael Frater of Jamaica (10.00).

First event on tonight’s schedule is the javelin portion of the women’s heptathlon.

From Wukesong Baseball Field, Saturday morning, at the Beijing Olympics …

Top of the ninth, Chris Robinson lined a one-out single to right, ending Brian Duensing’s string of batters retired at eight. Brett Lawrie came in to run for Robinson and Jimmy Van Ostrand pinch-hit for Adam Stern. After Van Ostrand struck out, it was up to Canada’s Stubby Clapp. With the count full, Clapp fouled off a pitch, then drove a would-be RBI double barely foul near the right-field corner. Next pitch, he flied to deep left. Final score: USA 5, Canada 4.

• * Tim Burton came on to pitch for Canada in the eighth. After a leadoff walk to Matt LaPorta, John Gall grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Lou Marson singled sharply to rightand took second on Jason Donald’s single. Dexter Fowler walked to load the bases. Burton escaped by getting Brian Barden on a fly to right. To the ninth: USA 5, Canada 4.
• * Brian Duensing sets Canada down 1-2-3 in the eighth. In the middle of the eighth: USA 5, Canada 4.
• * Team USA took its first lead of the game, scoring twice in the seventh. No. 8 hitter Lou Marson drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on Jason Donald’s sacrifice bunt. One out later, Brian Barden pulled an RBI double to left, knotting the score at 7. Left-hander Rheal Cormier replaced Chris Reitsma on the mound. Terry Tiffee, who lined an RBI-double to the gap in left-center his prevous at-bat, did it again to score Barden with the go-ahead run. Matt Brown drew an intentional walk, but Nate Schierholtz fouled out. At the end of seven: USA 5, Canada 4.
• * Canada goes down 1-2-3 in the seventh. Stubby Clapp led off by grounding the second.) To the bottom of the seventh: Canada 4, USA 3.
• * Nothing doing for the U.S. in the sixth, going down 1-2-3. Canadian lefty Robert Swindle got the first out and former big-league righty Chris Reitsma came on to get the next to outs. Going to the seventh: Canada 4, USA 3.
• * After striking out the first two batters in the sixth, Team USA starter Brett Anderson ran into trouble. Canada’s Matt Rogelstad lined a double to left, then moved to third on Chris Robinson’s swinging bunt down the third-base line. Manager Davey Johnson pulled Anderson in favor of another left, Brian Duensing. He caught Adam Stern looking at a third strike. In the middle of the sixth: Canada 4, USA 3.
• * Team USA cut Canada’s lead to a run. Jason Donald led off and reached on a fielding error by shortstop Emmanuel Garcia. Dexter Fowler reached on a fielder’s choice, then moved to second on Brian Barden’s groundout. Terry Tiffee laced an RBI-double to the base of the wall in left-center. At the end of five: Canada 4, USA 3.
• * For the first time since the opening inning, Canada goes down in order in the top of the fifth.
• * Brian Barden put Team USA on the board, leading off the bottom of the fourth by hammering a full-count pitch over the wall in right. The Americans continued to hit the ball hard, but Terry Tiffee flied out to deep right and Matt Brown lined out to center. However, Nate Schierholtz doubled down the right-field line and Matt LaPorta was hit by a pitch. John Gall’s single to left scored Schierholtz, moved LaPorta to second and knocked out Canadian right-hander James Avery.  Lefty Robert Swindle came on in relief and struck out Lou Marson. At the end of four: Canada 4, USA 2.
• * Canada added a run in the top of the fourth.

Matt Rogelstad reached on a one-out throwing error by shortstop Jason Donald. With Rogelstad running, Chris Robinson singled through the hole vacated by second baseman Brian Barden, who went to cover the bag. Rogelstad took third on the play, then scored on Adam Stern’s sharp single over Donald’s head. Team USA averted further damage by getting Stubby Clapp to ground into a 1-6-3 double play. In the middle of the fourth: Canada 4, USA 0.

• * Team USA got its first hit off of James Avery when John Gall singled up the middle to lead off the bottom of the third.

Lou Marson followed with a liner headed to center, but second baseman Stubby Clapp robbed Marson with a diving catch.

At the end of three: Canada 3, USA 0.

• * Stubby Clapp lined a one-out single to left in the top of the third, then scored on Emmanuel Garcia’s triple to the gap in right-center. Garcia scored on Michael Saunders’ slow roller to second.

Going to the bottom of the third: Canada 3, USA 0.

• * In a matchup of 1-3 teams, Canada has taken a 1-0 lead over Team USA through two innings.

The loser of the game will be hard-pressed to make the semifinals.

Canada struck in the top of the second.

Nick Weglarz grounded a one-out single through the right side of the infield.

With Weglarz running, Emerson Frostad doubled off the left-field wall to drive in the first run.

Left-hander Brett Anderson is pitching for Team USA. Canada counters with right-hander James Avery.

Lexington Legends hitting coach Stubby Clapp, leading off and playing second base for Canada, grounded out in his first at-bat. Jimmy Van Ostrand, a former Legend, is not in the Canadian lineup.