Olympic Athletics:Grenada's world champion Kirani James stormed home to take gold in the men's 400 metres at the London Olympics tonight, claim in the process his country's first ever medal of any colour.
James won with a time of 43.94 seconds, ahead of the Dominican Republic's Luguelin Santos and Lalonde Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago, who took silver and bronze respectively.
James (19) looked in control of the race from the start, surging home half a second ahead of world junior champion Santos.
The United States, winners of the last seven Olympic men's 400 metres titles, did not have a representative in the final for the first time.
Felix Sanchezof the Dominican Republic proved age is no barrier to track success when he stormed to a second men's Olympic 400 metres hurdles gold medal, eight years after winning in Athens.
The 34-year-old, twice a world champion who was unbeaten in 43 successive races between 2001 and 2004, clocked 47.63 seconds to take victory.
Sanchez, running in reflective sunglasses from lane seven, made a strong start, ran a steady bend and had enough left in the tank in the home straight to hold off fast-closing American Michael Tinsley who secured silver in 47.91.
Puerto Rico's Javier Culson (48.10), the fastest man this year, took bronze.
American Angelo Taylor, bidding for a third 400 hurdles gold after triumphs in Sydney and Beijing, was fifth, just behind world champion Dai Greene of Britain.
World champion Yuliya Zaripovawon the women's 3,000 metres steeplechase at the London Olympics on Monday, becoming just the second champion in the event.
The 26-year-old Russian led from the start at a rainy Olympic Stadium and stormed across the finish line well clear of the field in a personal best time of nine minutes 6.72 seconds.
Habiba Ghribi of Tunisia won silver in 9:08.37, a national record, and Ethiopia's Sofia Assefa took bronze in 9:09.84.
Defending champion Gulnara Galkina of Russia, who won gold in the event's first appearance at the Olympics four years ago, pulled up injured and failed to finish.