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Live Commentary: Olympic athletics - day eight as it happened

Live text coverage of the penulimate evening's Olympic athletics action, courtesy of Sports Mole.

Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the penultimate day of athletics competition at the Olympic Stadium.

We should be in for a blockbuster evening, with six medals on offer in a variety of events from pole vault to relays.

You won't miss a thing with our comprehensive coverage below.


9.47pmJust one more day of these memorable Olympics and we'll be here tomorrow at around 6pm to see you through the final evening session. See you then!

9.46pmThat's just about it from us at Sports Mole this evening. It's been another enjoyable night in the Olympic Stadium and there's now just one left!

9.42pmIt would have put him second on the all-time list but he fails. Will he have another go?

9.41pmHello, hello. Our pole vault champion Lavillenie is going for another jump! 6.07m.

9.37pmWe're just watching the medal ceremony for the women's 4x100m we saw earlier. The US smashed the second-oldest athletics world record to win gold.

9.33pmOtto can't make it over and the Frenchman has gold with a new Olympic record of 5.97m. Otto in the end had to go for a vault of 6.02m as a third clearance of 5.97m would have still earned silver.

9.31pmRENAUD LAVILLENIE WINS GOLD IN THE MEN'S POLE VAULT!

9.28pmThat's a new Olympic record from the Frenchman and Holzdeppe has failed three times at the same height. Just Otto who can deny gold now.

9.27pmRenaud Lavillenie jumps 5.97m in the pole vault final to take a big step towards gold!

9.26pmGB also ran a season's best in fourth and Martyn Rooney really was catching the Trinidad man on the home straight but just couldn't quite reel him in.

9.25pmIt's a new national record for the Bahamas and a big shock! America still run a season's best in second, with Trinidad and Tobago also setting a national record.

9.24pmTHE BAHAMAS WIN GOLD FROM US! TRINIDAD JUST TAKE BRONZE FROM TEAM GB!

9.23pmTrinidad, Russia & GB fighting for bronze!

9.23pmIt's America vs. Bahamas for the gold!

9.22pmTHE CUBANS HAVE PULLED UP!

9.22pmBahamas lead from USA at the second changeover.

9.21pmWe're away first time. Conrad Williams going well for GB.

9.20pmAmerica will be favourites, while Oscar Pistorius is in an Olympic final with South Africa.

9.18pmThe final race of the evening is the men's 4x400m relay. GB in lane five, chance of a medal.

9.17pmPoland's Anita Wlodarczyk took silver, with Betty Heidler claiming bronze.

9.15pmThe Russian actually bettered her own Olympic record from earlier this evening with a launch of 78.18m on her fifth attempt.

9.14pmTatyana Lyshenko of Russia wins GOLD in the women's hammer throw!

9.09pmLavillenie has just made his first fail at 5.91 while the two Germans of Otto and Holzdeppe have both cleared. Pressure on the Frenchman.

9.08pmThree men cleared 5.85m in the pole vault and it's really hotting up now...

9.07pmDobriskey and Weightman never really got going in that race and ended up 10th and 11th.

9.05pmSo, Asli Cakir Alptekin takes gold from Bulut, with Jamal of Bahrain taking third. Aregawi looked good for a silver but her legs just went in the last 20m or so.

9.03pmThe European champion sprints down the back straight and isn't caught. Her fellow Turk Bulut is second in a great race for the country.

9.02pmCAKIR OF TURKEY WINS GOLD!

9.01pmThe American athlete is out! She is tripped and that's race over!

9.01pmTurkey's Gamze Bulet leads the race at the bell!

9.00pmTwo laps to go...

8.59pmDobriskey and Weightman are near the back in the early stages but it's a close bunch so they're OK.

8.58pmWe'll come back to that in a moment but the women's 1,500m is underway!

8.57pmSTEVEN LEWIS MISSES OUT ON A POLE VAULT MEDAL AS FAILS THREE TIMES AT 5.85M

8.56pmNice little stat. The USA broke the equal second-oldest world record in athletics. Old record set by East Germany on 6 Oct 1985.

8.54pmNext up is the women's 1,500m final and there's another pair of Brits in this one - Laura Weightman and Lisa Dobriskey. If either is going to steal a medal then it's likely to be Dobriskey.

8.52pmHot favourite for the pole vault title, Renaud Lavillenie of France, is the only man over 5.85m as Lewis fails for a second time. The Frenchman is also yet to fail. Impressive.

8.47pmSteven Lewis has failed with his first attempt at 5.85m in the pole vault.

8.45pmAmerica's time was 40.82s, 0.55s faster than the East Germans' record.

8.44pmJamaica took second in a new national record of 41.41s, with Ukraine third also with a national record.

8.42pmIt was a near-perfect race from the Americans and they've destroyed East Germany's record from 1985!

8.41pmI said that a world record was expected and that's another prediction in the bag!

8.41pmUS WIN A NEW WORLD RECORD!

8.40pmUS vs. Jamaica is effectively the story here, but who knows what'll happen with the baton.

8.40pmOk, here we go.

8.31pmLysenko still leads the women's hammer with that Olympic record. Zhang Wenxiu of China is in silver-medal position with Kathrin Klaas third after a new PB of 76.05m.

8.28pmIn just over ten minutes we'll see the women's 4x100m relay final and I'm predicting a new WR.

8.26pmLewis is one of six to make it over 5.75m. If he clears the next height of 5.85m then it'd be a new British record, beating his own of 5.82m, and would probably guarantee a medal.

8.24pmSteven Lewis of Great Britain clears 5.75m in the pole vault with his second attempt

8.23pmThe British duo of Pavey and Bleasdale will be proud to have only been beaten by the might of Ethiopia and Kenya.

8.22pmCheyruiyot also overtook Dibaba on the line for silver.

8.21pmDibaba was being tracked all the way on the final lap and fellow Ethiopian Defar takes her on the home straight.

8.20pmMESERET DEFAR WINS THE WOMEN'S 5,000M GOLD MEDAL!

8.19pmThree Ethiopians and three Kenyans will fight this out...

8.19pmPavey and Bleasdale had stayed with the frontrunning Africans for the majority of the race but they've been dropped at the bell.

8.18pmTwo laps to go in the women's 5000m.

8.17pmDibaba hits the front and the Brits drop back. Pavey is now down in around tenth, with Bleasdale still ok in fifth.

8.15pmPavey's still at the front in the 5,000m but it's been a very slow race. Five laps to go and the favourite Dibaba is still well placed in the field. If only it was judged by how many laps you won then GB would have gold!

8.13pmSteven Lewis has his first attempt at 5.75m and it's a fail as he clatters into the bar. Two more attempts for the young Brit.

8.11pmThe British record holder finishes bottom of the pile in 12th after three throws but she'll have been delighted just to make the final. Tatyana Lysenko now leads the way with a new Olympic record of 77.56m.

8.10pmGB'S SOPHIE HITCHON EXITS THE HAMMER FINAL AT THE FIRST STAGE!

8.08pmPavey continues to set the pace up front, with Dibaba fourth and Bleasdale fifth. The Kenyan trio of Cheruiyot, Kibiwot and Kipyegoare also in contention.

8.05pmThe women's 5000m is underway and GB's Jo Pavey goes straight to the front. Twelve and a half laps of the track, which'll take around 14-15 minutes.

8.04pmJust to let you know, over at the pole vault Steven Lewis passed on 5.65m and he'll look to clear the next.

8.02pmThere's British interest in the race too, as Julia Bleasdale and Jo Pavey run for GB. Realistically, neither woman has the best chance of a medal.

8.01pmNext up on track is the women's 5,000m final. Can Ethiopia's Tiranesh Dibaba completed a memorable long distance double, having claimed 10,000m glory last week?

7.56pmThe Japanese did well to finish second, with Trinidad & Tobago third. France and Australia also qualify as fastest losers from that heat.

7.55pmIn a new national record as well! The US will be delighted with that and it definitely sends out a warning message to Jamaica.

7.54pmJUSTIN GATLIN BRINGS IT HOME FOR THE US!

7.52pmThe standout names in the second heat of the 4x100m are the United States, France and Trindad & Tobago.

7.49pmGB veteran Christian Malcolm tells BBC Sport that it's just "one of those things". Gemili feels that if we had made it to the final then we would have been in contention.

7.48pmGemili also went out of his lane so that would have been a DQ as well I reckon.

7.47pmYep, Danny Talbot's pass to Adam Gemili was way past the yellow line. Poor error and we should be out of it. No official confirmation yet.

7.46pmJAMAICA WIN, BRITAIN SECOND! BUT GB ARE LIKELY TO BE DISQUALIFIED!

7.44pmThe first heat of the men's 4x100m is about to start and we're on the inside. Jamaica are in this heat and they have the mighty Yohan Blake, silver medallist in both 100m and 200m. Bolt is rested..."On your marks."

7.42pmGB's Sophie Hitchon set a new British record with her last throw in qualifying but that was at 71.98m. She'll have to throw a lot further to have a chance of a medal.

7.40pmAnita Wlodarczyk has set the early marker in the hammer with a launch of 75.01m.

7.35pmThe contestants for the women's hammer final have just been announced and once again the British competitor, Sophie Hitchon, is welcomed with a huge reception.

7.30pmDecathlon champion Ashton Eaton is just receiving his Olympic gold medal and he's beaming from ear-to-ear. US compatriot Trey Hardee has silver, with Cuba's Leonel Suarez bronze. Eaton was dominant from start to finish and adds to a great athletics competition so far for the States.

7.28pmCzech Republic and Nigeria took the two fastest-loser spots there.

7.26pmChristine brings it home as the US win the race from Russia. The States have 400m gold medallist Sanya Richards-Ross and 200m champion Allyson Felix to come in if required. Ominous.

7.25pmGREAT BRITAIN QUALIFY FOR THE FINAL OF THE WOMEN'S 4X400M FINAL

7.25pmThe Czechs are chasing us down but Christine looks to be safe...

7.24pmChristine Ohuruogu takes it up and can she chase down the top two? Third will be just fine, remember.

7.23pmGB still in third after the second changeover but we've lost distance to the US and Russia there.

7.22pmGood first run from Cox and McConnell takes it up.

7.21pmThe second heat of the women's 4x400m is underway. GB with a solid start tracking the US and Russia have had a good start too.

7.19pmOver at the pole vault and all 14 have either cleared or passed on the opening height of 5.50m. GB's Steven Lewis made it over with his second attempt. The bar now moves to 5.65m.

7.18pmNext up is Team GB and the quartet of Shana Cox, Lee McConnell Eilidh Child and Christine Ohuruogo. They go in lane eight and have the strong Americans outside in lane nine.

7.15pmNigeria also had a strong race and could have a chance of qualification as a fastest loser. The first three gain automatic qualification, with the fastest two quartets from the two heats also reaching the final.

7.14pmJamaica win, with Ukraine and France crossing side-by-side. Good prediction from me, that.

7.12pmUkraine also have a strong quartet and it looks like Jamaica, France and Ukraine will contest this.

7.11pmA good first lap from Jamaica and they're way out in front.

7.10pmLike I said, the first event up on track is the women's 4x400m relay. France and Jamaica are the favourites in heat one. They're off!

7.07pmArguably the pick of this evening's athletics is the women's 4x100m at 8.40pm. The US are strong favourites and have a realistic chance of setting a world record. However, anything can happen when there's a baton involved.

7.01pmThe first event out on track is the women's 4x400m heats and Great Britain go in heat two. About ten minutes until that one.

6.59pmLewis's name is read out to the crowd and he receives a huge cheer. He's going to have to equal or better his personal best of 5.82m to have a chance of a medal in my opinion.

6.56pmRelays are often one of the highlights inside the Olympic Stadium and we have the 4x400m final, women's 4x100m final AND the first round of the men's 4x100m relay. Representing Team GB in the opening heat will be Christian Malcolm, Dwain Chambers, Danny Talbot and Adam Gemili.

6.53pmThere's plenty more athletes from Team GB in action that culminates in the men's 4x400m quartet that are hoping for a medal in the this evening's last event.

6.49pmEvening all! Right, first up this evening is the men's pole vault final and we have a British interest in Steven Lewis.
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