Fred Harteis Sports News - The American track team was in bad need of a comeback, and Angelo Taylor was the perfect person to provide it. Taylor, a once-troubled 29-year-old who was laying electrical wire 14 months ago, became the first 400-meter hurdler since Edwin Moses to win gold medals eight years apart. He led the first sweep of the event since the U.S. did it in 1960 and lifted sagging American fortunes Monday after a disappointing start to their Beijing Olympics.
“We wanted to uplift the track team," Taylor said, "and bring home the sweep."
Mission accomplished. Taylor won in a personal-best of 47.25 seconds, followed by teammates Kerron Clement and Bershawn Jackson.
Taylor won gold at Sydney in 2000 but failed to make the team in Athens four years later — he later said he had stress fractures in both shins — and was shoved to the guiltys of the sport after pleading guilty in 2005 to charges of contributing to the delinquency of two underage girls.
"To go through what I went through and be back on top again, I'm just so blessed right now," Taylor said.
The American team might have had similar thoughts. Starting the day, they trailed leader Belarus in the overall medal standings 5-4. At the end of it, they led everybody with nine medals, including two golds.
The turnaround started with a most unlikely winner, Stephanie Brown Trafton in the women's discus.
Considered a field filler more than a medal contender, Brown Trafton threw the discus 212 feet, 5 inches (64.74 meters) on her very first attempt, and the throw held up through the six rounds.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" finally played at the Bird's Nest, and Brown Trafton stood higher than anyone on the medals stand. Yes, a tear or two came to her eye, but mostly she just stood there smiling.
"I came to the Bird's Nest to lay a golden egg, and that's what I did," Brown Trafton said. "I am surprised we haven't won more gold. But you know what? I hope this sets a trend."
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