Day 13 will be headlined by the mens 200-meter final and Usain Bolts quest for a third straight gold medal in the event.There will be a key absence from the race. Justin Gatlin failed to advance from his semifinal heat, citing ankle stiffness during his warm-ups. He looked over too soon in his heat and watched as two runners passed him.Just back in warm-up area, my ankle stiffened up on me, Gatlin told NBC during the broadcast. I had a tight turn. I wish all the guys luck out there. I felt my ankle coming home, tried to hold on as long as I could. Couldnt get the job done coming home and wish all my teammates good luck.His only teammate advancing was LaShawn Merritt, but hes a viable threat to dethrone Bolt.So theres this and much, much more on Day 13 from Rio de Janeiro. The Mens 200-Meter Final Will Live Up to the Hype, Minus Justin GatlinBolt vies for his third straight gold medal in the event after throwing down a 19.79-semifinal, smiling the entire way, with Canadian upstart Andre de Grasse, who set a national record with a 19.80, behind Bolt.De Grasse is not one to mess with, Ato Bolden, NBCs track analyst said during the broadcast. I still got a little surge for you!He was supposed to slow down. Its the semifinals, Bolt told NBC after the heat. Im ready. Im feeling good. That felt smooth. Im happy. Im on the right track. [World Record]19.19 is very hard to get to tell you the truth.Hes able to do something that one else can do, NBCs Bolden said during the broadcast about the way Bolt handles the start. He doesnt get any credit for running the turn. Down the stretch, all sprinters are decelerating, but hes decelerating less.It wont be a walkover, not with Team USAs Merritt, who won his heat with a 19.94, and De Grasse showing he can hang.And what nobody expected was Gatlin missing the final all together. He told NBC his ankle was stiffening up before the race. But had he not looked over to the right in the final 15 meters, he would have finished second and moved on.Gatlin looked over way too early, Bolden said. He had a lot of company. Gatlin is third, and this is a slow heat. You got to get in this final! He looks over to the right! 20.13, he is out! Gatlin will not be in the final. Kids, do not look over to the right, especially in the Olympics!And, yes, Bolt and Merritt will be favorites to hit the podium, with De Grasse assured of a medal too. De Grasse ran the fastest time in Round 1 and also boasts the bronze medal in the 100-meter dash.Bolt will be heavily favored to winas he shouldbut it will a thrilling race and one you cant miss come Thursday night at 9:30 p.m. ET. Dalilah Muhammad Goes for Gold in 400-Meter HurdlesDalilah Muhammad made a mockery in her semifinal heat of the womens 400-meter hurdles setting the stage for what could be a memorable performance Thursday night at 8:15 p.m. ET.Muhammad ran the fastest time of the semis, 53.89, which pits her against Czech Republics Zuzana Hejnova and Denmarks Sara Petersen. Hejnova is the reigning world champion.Even from a young age, I was good at hurdles, said Muhammad in Laura Amatos Times Ledger story. I think thats what motivated me and focused me to do only that. I just felt like that was my race. My coaches used to tell me that I was made for this race, and some part of me believed that.American Ashley Spencer also qualified for the finalthis after nearly falling down after clipping the ninth hurdle.Muhammad finished her semifinal heat with ease and will be heavily favored to win the gold medal for the United States. Ashton Eaton Continues His Gold-Medal Defense in the Mens DecathlonAfter Wednesdays events that culminated with the 400 meters, Eaton is in first place in the decathlon with a pillowy 121-point lead over Germanys Kai Kazmirek and a 132 points over Canadas Damian Warner.It was a long, long day, starting at around 9:30 a.m. and ending around 9:30 p.m.If he wins a consecutive gold medal, Eaton will be the first to do so since Great Britains Daley Thompson in 1980 and 1984.Canadas Warner will stay right on Eatons heels. So to will Kazmirek. Frances Kevin Mayer has been turning in personal records like nobodys business.From what Ive seen so far, he hasnt had that cutting edge, killers mentality, said NBC analyst Trey Hardee during the NBC broadcast.Then Eaton went out and won his 400-meter heat in a time of 46.07 and earned 1,005 points.Eaton told NBC after the race:Just trying to be tough, be smooth,These Olympics and world decathlons are not like the other ones. Its 10 [p.m.] now, started at 10 [a.m.]. You have to be smooth, treat each attempt with 90 percent effort. So far its OK. Of course Im trying to win. If the record is there at the end of tomorrow, Ill go for it. Right now its about the "W."Starting at 8:30 Thursday morning, the men run the 110-meter hurdles, then move to the discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw and end at 8:45 p.m. with the 1500-meter run. Titanic Battle Taking Place in the Shot PutJoe Kovacs, the 2015 world champion, leads a throng of American shot-putters starting Thursday morning and ending at 7:30 p.m., including Ryan Crouser and Darrell Hill of Team USA.Germanys David Storl stands tall as the one to challenge Kovacs for the gold medal. It was Kovacs who supplanted Storl, the two-time defending world champion, from the gold-medal spot on the podium in Beijing a year ago at the World Championships.In the IAAF.com preview of the event, it says, The ever-consistent Storl has not been out of the top two at a major international competition since 2011, including winning the silver medal in London four years ago, and so certainly knows how to peak for championships.This will be a monstrous display of brawn.
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