Long-time political adversaries China and USA are embroiled in an all-out medal battle at the 2012 London Olympics, with the latter leading in the medal tally after failing to top the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
With the greatest-sporting event inching towards a closure on Aug 12, Team USA is anticipating a clear score against its rival Chinese on the medal front. After Thursday's frenzy performance by the American track and field team, US is looking confident as ever.
Though the track field was largely dominated by the fastest man in the world from Jamaica - Usain Bolt, the four athletes from Team USA managed to add four more medals that evening to their country's medal count.
Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee made to the podium in the decathlon event to their respective receive gold and silver medals. On the other side of the track Christian Taylor and Will Claye repeated history in the Triple jump.
Thus, the total medals bagged by the Team USA so far in athletics reached 24. It also headed the tally with an overall of 90 medals against China's 80 medals. And the country is expected to finish at the top of the table unlike its disappointing miss at the Beijing event. [2012 London Olympics Medals Table]
With 63 of 15 track and field events yet to unfold before Sunday's closing ceremony, a win in medal tally beckons at Team USA. When it comes to athletics in Olympics, the Americans have usually had a stranglehold on this particular sports discipline.
Bolt becomes the ledged:
On the very same Thursday evening, Bolt created a record, which would be deemed impossible by many athletes. The 25-year-old runner led a Jamaican clean sweep ahead of 100m silver medallist Yohan Blake and Warren Weir.
I'm now a living legend, I'm also the greatest athlete to live,' said Bolt, who said he gave up on breaking his own world record of 19.19 after feeling a twinge in his back coming off the top bend, settling for winning in 19.32.
