Dominican Republic's Felix Sanchez (right) celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the men's 400 metres hurdles final yesterday. Sanchez won gold in a time of 47.63 seconds ahead of Jamaica's Danny McFarlane and France's Naman Keita - Reuters ATHENS, (AP):
THE DOMINICAN Republic and Taiwan made history with their first Olympic golds yesterday while doping issues provided an angry edge to the men's 200 metres and sent more athletes home from the Athens Games.
Felix Sanchez won the men's 400-metre hurdles for the Caribbean nation's first-ever gold and Taiwan won both taekwondo golds on offer on Day 13. Other winners were the US women's soccer team, New Zealand with a 1-2 finish in the men's triathlon, the German women's field hockey team and the Italian women's water polo team.
The United States lead the medal tally with 28 gold, 31 silver and 24 bronze. China are second with 25-17-12 with three more days of competition.
Another bronze medal was stripped when a member of Ukraine's lightweight sculls tested positive and a Hungarian weightlifter was also kicked out. Hungary's discus champion has already lost his gold medal and their hammer gold medallist Adrian Annus - also under suspicion of doping - retired yesterday criticising how he was treated by Olympic officials.
The tally of returned medals so far: two golds and two bronze.
MEDAL SWEEP
At the Olympic stadium, the pro-Greek crowd had hoped to watch Kostas Kenteris defend his 200m gold medal from Sydney. Instead, they watched Shawn Crawford lead an American medals sweep.
The start of the race was delayed for four minutes because spectators were booing, whistling in derision and chanting 'Hel-las, Hel-las' - the word for Greece in Greek. Kenteris, a national hero, was the favourite to light the flame but withdrew before the Games had started when he and training partner Katerina Thanou were in a suspicious motorcycle accident just hours after missing a drug test.
Chen Shih Hsin won Taiwan's historic gold in the women's 49-kilogramme category, with Chu Mu Yen clinching the men's 58-kg class, sending Taiwanese fans delirious.
The medal ceremony was more sober - because of its sovereignty dispute with China, Taiwan is not permitted to use its actual flag and anthem in international competitions.
Instead, Chen and Chu had to watch as a more generic Taiwanese flag, featuring the Olympic rings, raised to the tune of the 'Song of the national flag'.
"I would like to dedicate this medal to everyone in Taiwan," said Chen, who cried throughout the medal ceremony. "I'm pretty sure that everyone in Taiwan will be happy for the gold medals won today."
Sanchez's gold was sweet after he failed to make the final in Sydney four years ago. Since then he's worn a souvenir from the Sydney Games in every race and hasn't been beaten.
New Zealand had a rare 1-2 finish when Hamish Carter beat teammate Bevan Docherty in the men's triathlon for his first major title.
Russian Andrey Moiseev won the modern pentathlon for his first major victory, beating Andrejus Zadneprovskis of Lithuania and Libor Capalini of the Czech Republic. The event's Olympic future is uncertain - some see the combination of shooting, fencing, swimming, show-jumping and running as outdated.
Two athletes were expelled over doping - Olena Olefirenko's positive test meant Ukraine's lightweight sculls lost their bronze medal. Australia now take the bronze.
Hungarian weightlifter Zoltan Kovacs became the 10th weightlifter to be sanctioned for doping after failing to provide a urine sample after the 105-kg class where he'd finished 10th.
His Hungarian teammate Annus passed a drug test after winning the hammer throw, but doping control officials have been trying to track him down since for further testing. In Hungary, Annus said he was retiring because of the stress. Annus' training partner, Robert Fazekas, had his discus gold stripped for failing a drugs test.
