(BEIJING, August 20) -- The United States and Russia extended their medal lead in Athletics over the rest of the pack with more gold on Tuesday, August 19.

　　Dawn Harper of the United States took advantage of a stumble by race leader Lolo Jones of the United States to win the Women's 100m Hurdles with a personal best of 12.54 seconds at the National Stadium.

　　Jones has been the leading 100m Hurdles runner in 2008 and, until she hit the eighth hurdle, appeared set for the gold medal.

　　Sally McLellan of Australia won Australia's first Athletics medal when she took silver in a photo finish ahead of bronze medallist, Canadian Priscilla Lopes-Schliep. Jones finished seventh.

　　Andrey Silnov of Russia took Russia's fourth gold in Athletics at Beijing 2008 with his success in the Men's High Jump competition.

　　Silnov was joined on the podium by silver medallist Germaine Mason of Great Britain and Yaroslav Rybakov of Russia, who won the bronze.

　　Great Britain's Christine Ohuruogu won her country's first Athletics gold medal of the Games when she came from behind to win a thrilling Women's 400m.

　　The 24-year-old maintained her energy until the final 100m to cross the line in first place.

　　Shericka Williams of Jamaica and Sanya Richards of the United States followed Ohuruogu home for the silver and bronze medals.

　　History was made in the Men's 1500m, when gold medallist Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain kicked for home with 200m remaining to win his country's first-ever Olympic medal in a time of 3:32.94.

　　Ramzi was among the chasing pack until he began an all-out sprint to the finish where he held off Asbel Kipruto Kiprop of Kenya, who took silver, and Nicholas Willis of New Zealand who won the bronze.

　　In the Men's Discus Throw, Gerd Kanter of Estonia took the gold medal when he threw 68.82m to add an Olympic title to the world title he won in 2007.

　　Piotr Malachowski of Poland won the silver medal and Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania, who took gold in Athens 2004 and Sydney 2000, finished with bronze.

　　Usain Bolt of Jamaica and Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles led the qualifying round in the Men's 200m semifinals, with times of 20.09 seconds and 20.11 seconds respectively. Defending Olympic champion, Shawn Crawford of the United States, also made it to Wednesday's final with a time of 20.12s.

　　Defending champion Jeremy Wariner of the United States showed that he is still the man to beat in the Men's 400m, finishing his semifinal in 44.15 seconds. In the second semifinal, Leslie Djhone of France finished first, while LaShawn Merritt of the United States led home the third semifinal.

　　Women's 200m rivals Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica and Allyson Felix of the United States made light work of qualifying for Wednesday's semifinals, finishing in the top two places of their second heat of the day.

　　Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic, with 67.69m, and Christina Obergfoll of Germany, with 67.52m, threw the two farthest distances to reach Thursday's Women's Javelin final. Steffi Nerius of Germany was third with 63.94m.

　　In the Women's Long Jump qualification round, Maurren Higa Maggi of Brazil, Carolina Kluft of Sweden, Brittney Reese of the United States and defending champion and Beijing 2008 Triple Jump silver medallist, Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia, all reached Friday's final with ease.

　　The double gold dream of Beijing 2008 Women's 10,000m champion Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia is still alive after she qualified easily for Friday's 5000m final. Dibaba's teammate Meseret Defar will start alongside her after winning the second heat.