Protests rearrange 200-meter medals
BEIJING, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- A series of early-morning protests Thursday changed the medal order for the Olympic 200-meter dash, although Usain Bolt's victory in the race still stands.
Bolt ran a world record 19.30 Wednesday to break Michael Johnson's mark and become the ninth man to win both the Olympic 100 and 200 in the same year.
After the race, however, protests began flying. Almost immediately, American Wallace Spearmon, who crossed the finish line in third place, was disqualified for stepping outside his lane. With Spearmon out of medal contention, the bronze went to the fourth place finisher -- Shawn Crawford of the United States.
American track and field officials, in an attempt to support Spearmon, protested his disqualification.
After looking at replays of the race, the officials agreed Spearmon had stepped out of his lane. Those replays, however, indicated that silver medal winner Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles also had stepped out of his lane.
A protest was filed by the Americans concerning Martina and, eventually, he was disqualified as well. That cost Netherlands Antilles what would have been its second Olympic medal in history and elevated the runner who finished fifth all the way up to the bronze medal.
That was American Walter Dix, who also won a bronze in the 100.
The rearranging of the medals gave the United States one more than it had previously and going into Thursday's action the Americans had a three-medal lead over China in the overall total.
Motocross finals postponed
BEIJING, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Awarding of the first gold medals ever in Olympic motocross racing was postponed Thursday due to a steady rain that fell in and around Beijing.
Both the men's and women's semifinals and final had been scheduled Thursday, with Mike Day of the United States having paced quarterfinal action Wednesday.
Day not only won his heat, he won all three races within the heat. He was the only rider in the four quarterfinals to do so.
In the women's competition, American Jill Kintner was one of the 16 riders to reach the semifinals.
The competitors ride specially designed motorcycles on a course of roughly a quarter mile. The start sends the riders down a 20-foot-high ramp.
Tom Glavine to have elbow surgery
ATLANTA, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Atlanta Braves pitcher Tom Glavine, a 22-year major league veteran with 305 victories, will undergo surgery Thursday on his left elbow, the team announced.
The 42-year-old left-hander, a likely future Hall of Famer, will require a four to five month rehabilitation period, the Braves said in a report on their Web site.
"I think four months is more realistic, and five months is a much more conservative timetable," Glavine said. "I'm confident from what I've heard from doctors and from what the MRIs have shown (that) four months is a much more realistic timetable."
Glavine has said he would pitch in 2009 if the Braves welcomed him back, mlb.com reported.
Doctors said Glavine has a partially torn tendon.
Orthopedic surgeon James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., who examined Glavine Wednesday, said he will get a better understanding of the extent of damage when he operates.
Glavine is 305-203 in 22 major league seasons.
The pitcher went to the 15-day disabled list Friday, a day after he gave up seven earned runs and seven hits in four innings of an 11-7 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Glavine complained of elbow soreness before he left the game.
Yastrzemski surgery 'complete success'
BOSTON, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- New England baseball great Carl Yastrzemski rested in a Boston hospital Wednesday after undergoing emergency triple-bypass surgery.
The folk hero of the Boston Red Sox 1967 "Impossible Dream" season underwent six hours of surgery to reroute the flow of blood around major blockages in three arteries to his heart, The Boston Globe reported.
"The surgery was a complete success and he is resting comfortably," said a statement from Yastrzemski's family. "We are most grateful for all of the prayers and support we have received,"
Daughter-in-law Ann Marie told the Globe the Hall of Famer was sent to Massachusetts General Monday after complaining to his doctor of indigestion and chest discomfort.
He was operated on Tuesday.
Yastrzemski, who will be 69 Friday, faces a lengthy recovery from surgery.
Since retiring from baseball in 1983, he has spent much of his time fishing and golfing.
He lives on Boston's North Shore in the summer and spends winters in Florida.
