Rio 2016: Jamaica unveils new star

Jamaica unleashed a new sprint sensation as Omar McLeod took the Rio Olympics 110m hurdles while Chinese sports fans lamented the team’s perceived lack of gold medal success in Rio.

Frustration bubbled over in China where sports fans branded their athletes Olympic failures while Britain cemented its position in second place ahead of China in the medals table with more gold medals in cycling.

As Usain Bolt prepares to take to the track again on Wednesday in the 200m semi-finals compatriot McLeod, 22, led the hurdle race from start to finish and won in 13.05sec.

He said inspiration had come from Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who took bronze in the 100m.

“You see them, they go out and have fun and represent themselves and their country and they win, and you just want to go out and do the same thing,” McLeod said.

As well as Bolt’s reappearance, Wednesday action will also see the return of Darya Klishina, the sole Russian athlete represented in track and field following a ban imposed on their athletes over state-sponsored doping charges.

Klishina will compete in the long jump final, one of 16 gold medals on offer on the day.

On Wednesday, reigning champion Mo Farah survived a heart-stopping trip from behind to secure his spot in the Olympic final of the men’s 5,000m. The Briton, who recovered from a fall to retain his 10,000m crown last weekend, was clipped by American Hassan Mead but stayed on his feet to finish third in his heat in blazing Rio sunshine.

Farah clocked 13 minutes, 25.25 seconds behind Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet with Albert Rop of Bahrain second.

The 33-year-old is seeking to become the first man since Finland’s Lasse Viren in 1976 to retain two Olympic distance title after completing the double in London four years ago.

Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon produced a startling last-lap sprint to outpace overwhelming world record holder Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia to 1500m gold.

American triple jumper Christian Taylor and Croat discus thrower Sandra Perkovic both retained their Olympic crowns.

American Will Claye celebrated his silver in the triple jump by proposing to his girlfriend, hurdler Queen Harrison.

South Africa’s Caster Semenya sailed into the semi-finals of the 800m to remain on track for a gold medal almost certain to divide opinion.

The 25-year-old is the overwhelming favourite to add an Olympic gold in Rio to the silver she won in London four years ago, with a 2016 time that is nearly a second faster than her closest rivals.

She bided her time in Wednesday’s heats, smoothly accelerating through the field in the final 200m to win in 1min 59.31sec, around four seconds slower than her season best of 1:55.33.

Conseslus Kipruto stormed to victory in the men’s 3000m steeplechase to extend Kenya’s remarkable winning streak in the event.