(Photo courtesy of PhotoRun.net).
Ukranian Silver Medalist may be stripped of her medal, moving Fountain into 2nd.
The story from the Associated Press on August 22
The Guardian story on the possibility as of August 19
Hyleas Fountain, a 2000 grad of Central Dauphin EAST high school in Harrisburg, a graduate of the University of Georgia who trains in Kettering, Ohio, moved up to the Silver medal instead of the Bronze medal she had been awarded in the Heptathlon on Day Two of the Track & Field competiton in Beijing, China.
Her marks and point totals were:
100H: 12.78 (1158)
HJ: 6-2.50 PB (1093)
SP: 43-10 (751)
200: 23.21 PB (1058)
Day One: 4060
LJ: 10-11.75 (969)
JT: 137-6.75 (704)
800: 2:15.45 (886)
Day Two: 2559
Total: 6619
Fountain started Day Two with a long jump of 20-11.25 (7th best on the day), but dropped 16 point back from Dobrynsa, who leapt 21-9, a personal best.
From USATF: Hyleas Fountain (Kettering, Ohio) avoided disaster in the heptathlon and was in second place with 5,029 points after the fifth event, Saturday morning's long jump. After fouling on her first two attempts, Fountain was forced to play it safe and get in a legal mark in her third and last try. Barely getting her foot on the take-off board, she posted a mark of 6.38m/20-11.75 (969 points), the seventh-best jump of the competition.
In the javelin, Fountain threw 137-6.75, well off the two Ukrainians who won the Gold and Silvewr medals, Natalia Dobrynska and Lyudmila Blonska. Fountain did get some points back on the leader in the 800 meter run, going 2:15.45. Fountain was well on her way to a medal in the women's Heptathlon after Day One. Her 12.79 in the 100 hurdles was the best of the group. She cleared a huge personal best 6-2.50 in the high jump, which tied for the best mark of the competitors. She then launched a big 43-10 in the shot put. Ukrain's Natalia Dobrynska threw the shot an amazing 56-8.75 to move into second after day one. Fountain then finished the first day with a personal best 23.21 in the 200; again the top performance on the dy. Her 4060 led by 64 over Dobrynska of Ukraine and by 122 over Kelly Sotherton of Great Britain.
(Lon jump photo by Don Rich from 2008 USATF Indoor Champs in Boston)
