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Live Commentary: Olympic athletics - day seven as it happened

Sports Mole brings you live text coverage of the seventh day of competition inside the Olympic Stadium, including Usain Bolt's bid for history.

Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the seventh day of competition inside the Olympic Stadium.

You could be forgiven for thinking that tonight is all about a certain Usain Bolt. After all, the Jamaican is trying to make history by becoming the first man to double up the sprint gold medals in successive Olympic Games.

However, there will also be the final of the men's triple jump taking place, as well as the women's javelin.

In total, five medals will be won before the evening is out.

Follow ALL the action with us below.


10.17pmAnd with that, our coverage has come to an end for another day. Don't be too upset though, we'll be back tomorrow at 6.30pm with live updates on relay finals, as well as medal battles in the hammer and pole vault. Thanks for joining us today. Goodnight.

10.14pmIt's a good throw, but it won't improve her distance. But what does that matter?! She has won the gold medal ahead of Germans Obergfoll and Stahl, who take silver and bronze respectively.

10.12pmBut she fouls again which means that Spotakova is Olympic champion! She is now preparing for her last throw. Can she go out in style?

10.11pmAn angry looking Obergfoll is about to throw...

10.10pmSouth Africa's Viljoen last throw only just passes the 50m mark, which means Spotakova and the German duo are guaranteed medals. But in which order?!

10.06pmWe have now entered into the last round of throws. Can anyone find the distance to beat Spotakova? It looks unlikely.

10.05pmBut it is only just over 60m. Still, there is no need for her to worry at the moment.

10.04pmHere comes the leader again, who is getting a great reception from the crowd...

10.02pmObergfoll is second place decides to foul again! She now just has one throw remaining.

10.01pmAt present, nobody looks capable of dislodging Spotakova from top spot. The majority of throws are landing at around 60m. Much more is needed.

9.56pmAnd she has! 69.55m. That is going to take some catching.

9.56pmWhat a throw from Spotakova there, she could have extended her lead...

9.55pm...but it won't be enough to trouble the leader. In fact, she has decided to foul that one. She remains second.

9.54pmHere comes Obergfoll...

9.52pmWe have a new competitor in the medal positions! Germany's Linda Stahl records a distance of 64.91m, which has put her in third with two rounds remaining.

9.49pmGermany's Christina Obergfoll is second with 65.16m, while Sunette Viljoen is third with a throw of 64.53m.

9.46pmAs it stands, Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic leads the way with a throw of 66.90m.

9.44pmRight, with that wrapped up, let's take you to the final event of the night - the women's javelin final.

9.41pmHardee keeps hold of the silver medal, while Suarez claims the bronze.

9.39pmGOLD! Eaton secures gold in the decathlon with a comfortable performance in the 1500m. Stunning stuff from the young American. What a gruelling couple of days it has been for the decathletes.

9.38pmWith one lap to go, it's fair to say that Eaton has got this sewn up!

9.32pmLet's not forget Suarez in third place. He would need a big winning margin over the American duo, but it is not beyond the realms of possibility.

9.31pmHere comes the battle of the Americans in the decathlon. Eaton, the leader, versus Hardee. The gold medal will be decided over the next few minutes.

9.30pmWe've got the final event of the decathlon - the 1500m and the women's javelin final.

9.27pmRight, let me regain my bearings because we're not done yet!

9.22pmWell I can tell you that the United States have another gold medal thanks to Taylor's leap of 17.81m. The Americans also claim the silver courtesy of Claye. Donato took the bronze medal.

9.21pmWhile all that was happening, the men's triple jump slipped somewhat under the radar.

9.19pmBolt goes on to admit that he wasn't fit enough to break the world record. Claims that he has been struggling with a back injury.

9.18pm"The love in London is very, very good. One love Jamaica," Weir contributes.

9.17pmBolt talking to BBC Sport: "This is the one I wanted and I got it. I'm very proud of myself. We've been working hard all season and we've pushed each other."

9.13pmSome interesting debate on BBC Sport right now between Michael Johnson, Denise Lewis and Colin Jackson. How much hunger will Usain Bolt have for sprinting? It's a fair point. He's won everything there is to win. Perhaps a new career beckons.

9.11pm"Jamaica 1 2 3....wow!! Jamaica must be jumping right now! @usainbolt The Best to ever do it." - Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.

9.08pm"Bolt is reasonably fast!" - Former England footballer Gary Lineker.

9.06pm"Bolt coming round the bend. Unbelievable. Rapid." - England cricketer Steven Finn.

9.06pmLet's get some Twitter reaction on the great man.

9.05pmSo, where does Bolt rate in terms of best athletes ever? I'd have to say that I'm struggling to think of many better. What he has achieved is stunning and it will never be beaten as far as I'm concerned.

9.03pmThe result: 1. Bolt 2. Blake 3. Weir 4. Spearmon 5. Martina 6. Lemaitre 7. Quinonez 8. Jobodwana

9.01pmIt was actually very good race from Blake, who closed down Bolt in the final few metres. The Beast clocked a time of 19.44 seconds.

9.00pmAnd what a night it was Jamaica. Bolt gets gold, Blake takes the bronze and Warren Weir claims the bronze. A Jamaican 1-2-3.

8.59pmThat was stunning. He was leading after about 25m and was never caught! He eventually crossed the line in 19.32 seconds.

8.58pmBOLT WINS THE 200M GOLD!!!

8.57pmGO!!!

8.57pmThe sprinters are in their blocks...

8.56pmWhat a reception for Bolt, who waves back at the crowd like the Queen!

8.51pmRight, here is my tip. 1. Bolt 2. Blake 3. Lemaitre. I've been in good form this evening don't forget!

8.50pmBolt is just going through his warm-up routine. He looks so cool, you wouldn't think the biggest race of his career is just four minutes away!

8.47pmHere come the sprinters...

8.46pmWondering what lane your favourite sprinter is in? Here's the lane draw.

8.43pmWe're just seeing live pictures of Bolt warming up. He's playing up to the camera (for a change!) It really would be great to see him make history this evening.

8.38pmEaton leads the way with 8148 points, while his fellow American Hardee is second on 7997. Cuba's Leonel Suarez is third with 7779 points to his name. The last event, which is the 1500m, will start at 9.20pm.

8.36pmWhile we have some time to kill, lets grab an update on the men's decathlon with one event left.

8.33pmRight, there are 22 minutes left until Bolt goes in the 200m. While you are waiting, why not read our preview of the race here.

8.32pmUkraine and Germany also progress through to the final.

8.29pmJamaica record the win in a time of 42.35 seconds. That was an extremely messy race, with poor baton changeovers galore!

8.28pmBack to the track and the second 4x100m women's relay is underway...

8.27pmAnd we have new leader in the triple jumper! Christian Taylor has recorded a distance of 17.81m. That should be the gold medal right there.

8.26pmSome words from Olympic 800m champion Rudisha, talking to BBC Sport: "I'm very happy. This is the moment that I have been waiting for. To break the world record is unbelievable. The weather was beautiful so I decided to just go for it."

8.26pmTrinidad and the Netherlands also qualified from that race.

8.22pmThe USA win it in a very quick 41.65 seconds. Stunning run from what was, no disrespect, a reserve quartet.

8.19pmRight, here comes the first hurdles semi-final. United States go in this one, as do Trinidad, Brazil and the Bahamas.

8.18pmWell in all honesty there is not a lot of change to the standings. Claye still leads, while Italian's Donato and Greco are second and third respectively.

8.17pmBefore that though, lets update you on the men's triple jump final...

8.16pmHowever, we wont be seeing the big names tonight. The likes of Carmelita Jeter, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Veronica Campbell-Brown will not be on show. They are all being rested with tomorrow night's final in mind.

8.15pmIt's fair to say that the favourites for gold are the United States and Jamaica, who have been split in the two semis.

8.13pmRight, coming up is the semi-finals of the women's 4x100m relay. Looking at the start list, the most disappointing thing is the lack of Team GB. Unfortunately they failed to make the qualifying standard for the event.

8.08pmAnd breathe!!

8.07pmHere's a stat for you. Every competitor in that final either set a new personal best, season best or national record! Including Osagie in eighth. WHAT. A. RACE!

8.05pmIn all that excitement, I've forgotten to inform you as to who claimed silver and bronze! Nijel Amos came second, while Timothy Kitum took third place.

8.04pmThat is the only world record broken at the athletics so far!

8.03pmStunning, fantastic, breathtaking! Pick whatever word you like. The new world record now stands at 1:40.91. He was so far clear of the field there. That's two tips out of two from me!

8.02pmNEW WORLD RECORD! Rudisha does it!

8.01pmHere he comes...

8.01pm49.28 seconds - that is a quick first lap. Will we see a world record?!

8.00pmThe gun goes and the men's 800m final is underway...Rudisha hits the front instantly.

7.57pmThere's also a Brit running in this in the form of Andrew Osagie, who is not short of confidence. Three minutes until they go.

7.56pmSorry to ruin it, but I'm telling you now David Rudisha will win this. He's unbeaten and is the current world champion. He simply cannot lose this. I think!

7.52pmBut we're going to turn our attention to the men's 800m final, which will get underway at 8pm.

7.51pmWhile all that was happening, we have a new leader in the triple jump. America's Will Claye is now winning with a leap of 17.54m.

7.49pmFrancine Niyonsaba, who is only 19, took second spot and will also progress through to the final.

7.48pmAnd for once, one of my tips actually wins! I'm in shock! Savinova crosses the line first in an impressive 1:58.18.

7.45pmA lot unfamiliar names running in this final semi-final. Hard to pick a winner in this one. For what it's worth, I'm going for Mariya Savinova.

7.41pmRussia's Elena Arzhakova finished in second spot and will join Semenya in the final, which takes place on Saturday night.

7.40pmWell that was very, very impressive from Semenya, who wins the race in a swift 1:57.68. She looked like there was more in the tank as well.

7.39pmJust to mark your card, the men's triple jump final has started and is currently being led by Italy's Fabrizio Donato in 17.38m.

7.37pmIt's now over to semi-final number two and Semenya.

7.35pmAn emotional Sharp has been talking to BBC Sport: "There was just a wall in front of me and it wasn't a very clever race. I found myself at the back and I didn't execute properly. I'm in great shape but it just didn't go my way today."

7.34pmDefending champ Jelimo won the race in 1:30.51, while Ekaterina Poistogova of Russia took the second automatic qualifying spot.

7.32pmI'm afraid that is the end of Sharp's Olympic adventure. She finishes seventh in the semi-finals. Still, it has been a great experience for her.

7.32pmShe's a long way off coming into the home straight...

7.31pmShe's currently at the back with one lap remaining. Not looking good at the moment. She has a lot to do.

7.30pmSharp and her rivals are underway...

7.29pmAnd she gets a great reaction from the home crowd. That should have boosted her confidence.

7.26pmTeam GB's Sharp is out on the tracking and warming up rather vigorously. She looks extremely focused for what promises to be a tough race. Five minutes until the off.

7.19pmOne of the sport's other big names, South Africa's Caster Semenya, will go in the second race. She looked really impressive during the heats.

7.18pmTalking of the women's 800m, Britain's Lynsey Sharp goes in the first of three races. She will be up against a strong field, which includes defending champion Pamela Jelimo.

7.15pmComing up within the next 15 minutes we'll also be keeping you updated on the men's triple jump final, as well as the women's 800m semi-finals.

7.12pmAnd what of Eaton? Well, the overall leader has produced a best throw of 61.68m, which should be enough to keep his comfortable lead.

7.11pmHardee is second with a throw of 66.65m, which incidentally is his best distance of the year so far, while Canada's Damian Warner also threw a season best distance of 62.77m. Warner had been third in the overall standings.

7.06pmSo what else has been going on in the decathlon javelin then you ask? Well, let me enlighten you...

7.02pmAnd as if by magic, my colleague Pascal has put together this news piece on Suarez's achievement for those wanting some meat on their the bones.

6.59pmThe event is actually underway and we've already had a new Olympic best distance set by Leonel Suarez. The Cuban threw some 76.94m, which was worth a hefty 996 points to his tally.

6.53pmHeading into this evening, Eaton held a lead of around 200 points over Hardee. It would take a big collapse for him not to claim the top gong now.

6.50pmSo, as mentioned earlier, first up is the decathlon javelin. It seems at the moment that there is only going to be one winner overall. Ashton Eaton is currently cruising out in front from fellow American Trey Hardee.

6.45pmOnce Bolt and co have left the track, we'll have the women's javelin final, followed by the decathlon 1500m, where the gold medal winner will be decided. So much happening and all before 10pm!

6.43pmBefore that we have some decathlon javelin, the men's triple jump final, the women's 800m semi-finals, the men's 800m final and the women's 4x100m relay semi-finals. There doesn't seem enough time to fit it all in does there?!

6.42pmWhile there are plenty of things going on before and after it, it's hard not to focus on the 200m. Should Usain Bolt win (which everyone is expecting him to do) he will become the first man to win gold medals in the 100m and 200m in successive Olympic Games. What an achievement that will be. The race is due to get underway at 8.55pm.

6.40pmEvening everyone! What a night we have ahead of us...

12.18pmWe'll be back at around 6.30pm this evening, join us then!

12.14pmMy partner in crime Liam Apicella has previewed the showpiece of tonight's action and he's backing Bolt to make it a memorable golden double. You'd struggle to argue with him!

12.09pmThe highlight is, of course, the men's 200m with messers Bolt and Blake from Jamaica.

12.08pmFinally, there's the semi-finals of the women's 800m and the opening round of the women's 4x100m relay.

12.05pmThere's also four other finals with medals to be decided tonight: men's triple jump; men's 800m; men's 200m; women's javelin.

12.04pmThe decathlon concludes with the javelin and 1500m, can Ashton Eaton set a new world record?

12.03pmOk, that's about it for the morning session but before we bid you farewell for the afternoon, here's what's in store this evening...

12.02pmAleksiy Kasyanov is in third, 199 points further back, with Warner and Freimuth making up the top five.

11.59amHardee is now 99 points behind Eaton, who leads on 6409 points.

11.56amBack to the decathlon and the leader Eaton has finished bottom of group B. Trey Hardee is in second and will cut the deficit significantly.

11.54amThe Dominican Republic looked good to qualify but have been disqualified, we're not sure why yet. Maybe a changeover problem?

11.53amIt's a strong run from the two countries and they're safely through with Russia to the final. Belgium and Venezuela take the two fastest-loser spots.

11.50amTHE BAHAMAS WIN THE SECOND 4X400M HEAT, WITH THE US TAKING SECOND. RUSSIA ALSO QUALIFY IN THIRD.

11.49amThe US and the Bahamas, as expected, are well clear of the field.

11.48amThe Bahamas have a big lead as the second changeover is completed.

11.47amWe're away and all the teams are off to an easy-going start.

11.46amWe're going straight back to the track though as the second heat of the 4x400m is about to begin. The United States will be strong favourites, with the Bahamas likely to challenge.

11.44amRico Freimuth has thrown the longest discus of the day with a new PB of 49.11m.

11.43amLet's hop back over to the men's decathlon before the next semi and Trey Hardee has continued to fight back against Ashton Eaton with a discus throw of 48.26m.

11.40amRooney was actually just pipped on the line by Trinidad and Tobago but that doesn't matter, as GB are safely through with a season's best.

11.39amRooney brings it home, just, and you have to say that hurdler Jack Green was immense there.

11.38amGREAT BRITAIN WIN THE OPENING 4X400M HEAT!

11.38amA brilliant final 100m from Jack Green and Martyn Rooney takes up the lead!

11.37amConrad Williams has run a smashing bend though and now GB are in third a the halfway stage.

11.36amThe crowd finally has something to cheer but Nigel Levine is having a stinker of a first run.

11.35amWe're off!

11.34amGB go in lane three in this event and Levine will lead them off. The top three will automatically go through to tomorrow's final, with the two fastest losers from the two races also qualifying.

11.32amTo see a full list of the 12 athletes who made it through to the final of the women's high jump, click here.

11.29amWe have some British athletes out on track and they're warming up for the 4x400m relays. 400m specialists Nigel Levine, Conrad Williams and Martyn Rooney will be joined by 400m hurdler Jack Green in the quartet, who will race in the one of two semi-finals.

11.23amKeisuke Ushiro with the longest throw in group B and his coaches and camp are absolutely delighted as he launches the discus 46.66m.

11.20amSo, just to confirm, no big guns have exited the women's high jump after those peculiar discussions a quarter of an hour ago. Chicherova, Lowe, Hellebaut and Barrett all through to Saturday's final.

11.18amAnd here's our leader Ashton Eaton who starts off with a 42.53m, not so good.

11.16amAfter a short delay, group B of the men's decathlon are ready to launch the discus as far as they can muster. First up is Karpov of Kazakhstan and that first throw is way, way below his PB.

11.15amFriedrich has a third and final go and she looks good but her heels just clip the bar and she's gone. The 12 athletes have now been decided I believe.

11.14amSteryiou fails with her three attempts at 1.96m. She'll be out then.

11.12amFrom what I can work out, Greece's Adonia Steryiou and Irina Gordeeva of Russia are also looking to clear 1.96m.

11.09amOoh. Here's a turn-up. Radzivil has just cleared 1.96m in a season's best. The Uzbek is automatically through and now Friedrich will jump.

11.01amI'm trying to work out the situation but from what I can read, the top seven athletes who are yet to fail will all pass and guarantee themselves a spot in the final.

10.58amThis is very peculiar, a male official is questioning all the athletes on whether they want to "jump or pass?" He continues to ask the same athletes over and over again, it's sounding a bit like "stick or twist?" which is kind of relevant.

10.56amThis is quite interesting. A lot of the athletes are questioning officials on what should happen next.

10.55amOk, 14 athletes have made it through to the next stage, seven of whom are yet to fail at a jump.

10.53amFriedrich, sporting an eye-catching pink hairdo, makes it over with her third and final attempt and she's delighted.

10.51amUzbekistan's Svetlana Radzivil makes it over though so we'll go to another round shortly. Still a few more women to try and get over 1.93m, including the German Friedrich.

10.50amTherefore, if no one else makes it over then they'll call it a day here as only 12 women are to progress to the final. No need to jump any more.

10.48amBarrett makes it over at the second time of asking but it's not the most impressive as she clips the bar but it holds firm. Plenty of athletes have now cleared 1.93m, 12 to be exact.

10.45amMeanwhile, in the decathlon the 12 men in group A have completed their three attempts and now wait for group B which contains Eaton and Hardee.

10.43amThe favourite and world champion Anita Chicherova looked supreme in clearing 1.93m there. Germany's Ariane Friedrich can't deliver on the first attempt, however.

10.42amAmerica's Chaunte Lowe continues the good run and is also a first-time success.

10.41amThe spectacled defending champion Tia Hellebaut of Belgium is also over.

10.40amRussia's Svetland Shkolina makes it over though.

10.40amOne of the favourites, Brigetta Barrett, has just failed with her first attempt at 1.93m.

10.37amBack at the high jump and 19 women have made it over 1.90m. The automatic qualification height is 1.96m remember. If 12 competitors don't make it over this then the highest remaining athletes will make the final.

10.31amWarner has just thrown a second new PB of the day with a 45.90m launch and now Leonel Suarez of Cuba joins the party with a 45.75m after duffing his first attempt. That's a new season's best for Suarez.

10.30amThere's just over an hour to go until the next action on track in the shape of the men's 4x400m relay. This is the only event of the morning that has a British interest and we go in the first of two heats.

10.27amThe bar's still at 1.90m over at the women's high jump and all the big guns have sailed over.

10.24amThat'll earn him 835 points. Meanwhile, the current man in bronze-meal position, David Warner, has also thrown a PB but it's 2.51m short of Van Alphen at 45.77m.

10.21amThe muscular Belgian increases his lead at the top of the decathlon standings with an increase of 12cm and a new lifetime best of 48.28m.

10.20amHere's Van Alphen with his third throw and it's another new personal best!

10.17amThe bar has now been moved to 1.90m in the women's high jump. Expect some to start dropping out now.

10.12amOver at the discus throw, Van Alphen has just thrown a new lifetime best of 48.13m, which would earn him 832 points. Well done lad.

10.09amAll the athletes will be looking to reach 1.96m, the automatic qualifying height.

10.08amChicherova is the world champion from last year and surprisingly came back from having a baby in 2010 to take the world title.

10.04amChicherova, Lowe, Barrett and Hellebaut are all safely over 1.85m in the women's high jump.

10.00amHardee can also make significant inroads on Eaton's lead if he can throw anywhere near his personal best of 52.68m.

9.59amThe discus throw is perhaps Eaton's weakest event and his rivals, especially Dmitry Karpov of Kazakhstan and Ukraine's Aleksiy Kasyanov, will look to claw back the deficit.

9.57amIngmar Vos of Holland is up next and his throw is pretty average at 42.26m but he still lets out a scream of anguish before saluting the crowd.

9.56amVan Alphen is up first in the decathlon discus and he...throws into the surrounding cage. Not the best start. Come on lad, it's the Olympics!

9.55amHere's a little bit of gossip for you, Yohan Blake could reportedly face a fine for wearing a �300,000 watch in the 100m the other night.

9.51amBack to more serious matters and the bar is now at 1.85m. To put that in context, the world record is 2.09m and the Olympic record 2.06m.

9.50amAaah, this athlete doesn't know what to do when the camera is trained on her. She waves nervously twice before stealing a few glances into the lens. Yes love, you're still on TV.

9.48amDefending Olympic champion Tia Hellebaut of Belgium is yet to jump this morning. She's bopping around though and looks confident in the London sun.

9.44amRussia's Anna Chicherova will start as favourite for this event, which concludes on Saturday, with the American duo of Chaunte Lowe and Brigetta Barrett probably second favourites for the Olympic title.

9.42amIt's all a walk in the park at the moment for the high jumpers as they flop over the easy height of 1.80m.

9.34amRighty ho, as the men warm up their throwing arms in the decathlon, the women are just getting underway in high jump qualification.

9.28amEaton's lead has only been cut by three points as Hardee collects 1035 and Eaton 1032. Warner holds on to third, with Kasyanov fourth and Van Alphen making up the top five as they head to the discus throw.

9.26amEaton ran a season's best of 13.56 so he won't be too disheartened. Freimuth came home third, with Warner down in sixth.

9.25amIt's a new PB for Hardee as he crosses the line at 13.54s and proceeds to go ballistic in a way only an American can.

9.24amHARDEE WINS IT!

9.22amEaton goes in lane seven, with Freimuth just inside him and Warner and Hardee in three and four.

9.21amEaton, Hardee and Warner are the quickest men in the field and if Eaton can get anywhere near his PB of 13.35 he'll be delighted.

9.18amThe fourth and final heat is the big one, with Eaton, Hardee, Warner and medal contender from Germany Robert Freimuth all in action.

9.17amBelarus's Eduard Mikan was second also in a personal best, while Behrenbruch, the European Champion, will be disappointed with third.

9.16amKasyanov wins it in a personal best 14.09s.

9.14amEaton and Hardee go in the fourth and final heat, with my namesake Pascal Behrenbruch of Germany expected to win the upcoming third. Oleksiy Kasyanov and Dmitry Karpov should also feature.

9.10amVan Alphen takes the provisional lead from Suarez, with Coertzen recording a lifetime best in the event to move into third. Eaton and Hardee still to come, mind.

9.09amCoertzen of South Africa wins from Yordani Garcia of Cuba, who was expected to run quicker. Suarez took third, with Van Alphen fifth.

9.08amIn the next race the high-flyers are Leonel Suarez of Cuba and Belgium's Van Alphen.

9.06amThe first of four heats in 110m hurdles for the decathlon has just taken place. Rifat Artikov of Uzbekistan won in 14.74 with Jan Felix Knobel second and Edgars Erins third.

9.03amEaton leads the way from compatriot Trey Hardee, with Canada's Damian Warner in third.

8.59amBack to the decathlon and it's all about Ashton Eaton of the US. The 24-year-old is the word record holder for the multi-discipline event and has begun his quest for an Olympic gold in perfect fashion.

8.52amThe main men's 110m hurdles took place last night and was won by America's Aries Merritt, with GB's Lawrence Clarke taking a surprise fourth.

8.48amMorning all! So it's around 15 minutes until our first event, the 110m hurdles of the men's decathlon, gets underway.
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