RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL -- Two Olympic records and five medals, three of them gold, helped Team USA pull ever farther away from the rest of the medal table Thursday at Olympic Stadium. The U.S. now has 25 total medals, including nine golds, and has almost triple the next highest nation in the points standings. With 15 finals remaining in Rio, Team USA has already matched its gold-medal haul from London.

Crouser’s Olympic Record leads 1-2 U.S. finish in men’s shot put

A new shot put star was born Thursday night at Olympic stadium when two Americans who train as part of USATF’s Chula Vista Olympic Training Center program went 1-2 in the event.  23-year-old Ryan Crouser (Boring, Oregon) smashed the Olympic record that had stood for 28 years with a massive throw of 22.52m/73-10.75 in the fifth round. Crouser’s throw moved him to equal ninth on the world all-time list and made him the fifth-farthest American thrower ever. Crouser has been precocious in the event, winning the 2009 World Youth title to start his international medal crusade.

World champion Joe Kovacs (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), who opened the night with a hefty 21.78m/71-5.5 to take an early lead, took the silver to give Team USA its first 1-2 finish since 1996, and the 15th in Olympic history.

After getting his competition underway with a 21.15m/69-4.75, Crouser threw a then-PR 22.22m/72-10.75 in the second round and improved that to 22.26m/73-0.5 on his next attempt. Kovacs had big fouls before Crouser went into the record books, and couldn’t make a dent in the lead as Crouser closed with a 21.74m/71-4 celebratory put.

Muhammad wins historic gold, Spencer bronze in women’s 400H

From the moment the electronic start signal sounded, there was no doubt that Dalilah Muhammad (Jamaica, New York) was destined to win the first U.S. gold in the women’s 400m hurdles. Fresh off being soaked by a Brazilian downpour, Muhammad sprinted to the lead immediately and never lost it as she came home in 53.13 to win by .42 over Denmark’s Sarah Petersen, who set a national record.

Ashley Spencer (Indianapolis, Indiana) overcame a sluggish first three hurdles and clawed her way back into the medal picture over the final 150m, passing two-time defending World champion Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic in the last 10m to take bronze in a lifetime-best 53.72. Spencer’s medal was the 100th overall for Team USA at the Rio Olympic Games.

Eaton equals Olympic Record, defends decathlon title

Ashton Eaton (Bend, Oregon) defended his Olympic title from London and tied Roman Sebrle’s Olympic record in the decathlon with 8,893 points. Eaton needed to run 4:23.25 in the 1500m to break the OR, but with his sights set more on making sure he held onto the gold in the face of a strong challenge by France’s Kevin Mayer, he clocked 4:23.33 to beat Mayer by just over two seconds.

A personal best in the javelin of 60.92m/199-10 set Zach Ziemek (Itasca, Illinois) up for a top-10 finish, and a 4:42.97 in the final event gave him 8,392 points and seventh place. Running 4:21.96, the third-fastest time overall, put Jeremy Taiwo (Renton, Washington) 11th with 8,300.

Taiwo vaulted a personal best 5.00m/17-0.75, scoring 910 points, while Ziemek and Eaton each cleared 5.20m/17-0.75 (972 points).

Decathlon Day 2 - Standings

U.S. athletes after 110H: 1. Eaton (5,621); 6. Taiwo (5,321); 11. Ziemek (5,148)

U.S. athletes after DT: 1. Eaton (6,398); 6. Ziemek (6,006); 8. Taiwo (5,984)

U.S. athletes after PV: 1. Eaton (7,370); 5. Ziemek (6,978); 6. Taiwo (6,894)

U.S. athletes after JT: 1. Eaton (8,104); 5. Ziemek (7,730); 12. Taiwo (7,502)

U.S. athletes after 1500m: 1. Eaton (8,893 =OR); 7. Ziemek (8,392); 11. Taiwo (8,300)

Merritt sixth in men’s 200m

LaShawn Merritt (Portsmouth, Virginia) was unable to overcome the slowest start of the field in the men’s 200m, watching Usain Bolt become the first man ever to complete an Olympic sprint triple-double. Merritt looked to be making up ground on the home straight but was unable to surge over the final 20m and placed sixth in 20.19.

Women’s 4x100m runs fastest time of the day in unprecedented re-run

Fielding the same lineup, in the same lane as their ill-fated preliminary heat, Team USA’s solo, re-run time trial was completed without incident, and Team USA had a faster time than any other country at 41.77.

In the initial preliminary round, a bizarre incident on the exchange between Allyson Felix (Los Angeles) and English Gardner (Voorhees Township, New Jersey) knocked the U.S. out of the women’s 4x100m. Running a very quick second leg after taking the stick from long jump champion Tianna Bartoletta (Elyria, Ohio), Felix came close to Gardner to make the second exchange. The outgoing Brazilian runner to Felix’s outside swung her left arm and hit Felix, throwing her off balance. Felix tried to pass the baton to Gardner, but could not complete the exchange. Then, after a few moments, Felix had the presence of mind to retrieve the baton and make the pass to Gardner in the exchange zone. Gardner handed off to Morolake Akinosun (Chicago, Illinois), who carried the baton across the finish line. Team USA was disqualified for a violation of Rule 170.6.a, but filed a protest claiming interference by the Brazilian team. IAAF officials disqualified the Brazilian team and ordered a solo re-run by the U.S.

Centrowitz, Blankenship nab berths in men’s 1500m final

Ben Blankenship (Stillwater, Minnesota) went to the front of a relatively slow pack over the first lap of the first semifinal, hanging just behind the leader through 400m in 63.11. He stayed in the top three through 800m at 2:03.86 and was in position at the bell. When the pack started jostling and tapping with 300m to go, Blankenship darted through on the inside to take the lead. At full tilt, he came off the curve looking for one of the five automatic qualifying spots. His 3:39.99 placed him fourth and in the final.

Reversing the pace of the first semi, section two went out in sub-60 and then slowed down through 800m in 2:03.59. Matthew Centrowitz (Arnold, Maryland) picked his spot and stayed safe near the front, while Robby Andrews (Manalapan, New Jersey) was in the middle-back of the pack. At the bell, Centrowitz was third and Andrews was setting himself up for his traditional, late-race blitz. Most of the field was still in touch with 150m to go, though Andrews was boxed in on the inside rail. As Centrowitz calmly raced to the line to take third in 3:39.61 and advance, Andrews squeezed through on the rail, taking a step on the infield after a bump from Ethiopia’s Mekkonen Gebremedhin. Andrews placed fifth and seemed to take the final auto qualifier in 3:40.25, but he was subsequently disqualified. USATF filed an appeal of the DQ, but it was denied.

Grace PR earns finals spot in women’s 800

Running the fastest race of her career, Olympic Trials champion Kate Grace (Sacramento, California) set a lifetime best of 1:58.79 to finish third in her semifinal and qualify for the final of the women’s 800m. Grace was in a group of four gathering speed down the final backstretch and slipped past early leader Maria Arzamasova in the final meters to seal her spot as a time qualifier.

Ajee’ Wilson (Neptune Township, New Jersey) had to contend with two of the pre-Games medal favorites in semifinal one of the women’s 800. At the break she was in the top three, following Francine Niyonsaba through 400m in around 60.0. With 300m to go Wilson was just behind Niyonsaba and Margaret Wambui of Kenya, and those two hit 600m in 1:29.74. Wambui had the stronger finish to win in 1:59.21, with Wilson third in 1:59.75, missing out on a time qualifier for the final.

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TEAM USA MEDAL TABLE

Gold (9)

Michelle Carter, Women’s SP, 20.63m/67-8.25 AR (8/12)

Jeffrey Henderson, Men’s LJ, 8.38m/27-6 (8/13)

Christian Taylor, Men’s TJ, 17.86m/58-7.25 (8/16)

Tianna Bartoletta, Women’s LJ, 7.17m/23-6.25 (8/17)

Brianna Rollins, Women’s 100m hurdles, 12.48 (8/17)

Kerron Clement, Men’s 400m hurdles, 47.73 (8/18)

Ryan Crouser, Men’s SP, 22.52m/73-10.75 OR (8/18)

Ashton Eaton, Men’s Decathlon, 8,893 pts. =OR (8/18)

Dalilah Muhammad, Women’s 400m hurdles, 53.13 (8/18)

Silver (8)

Tori Bowie, Women’s 100m, 10.83 (8/13)

Justin Gatlin, Men’s 100m, 9.89 (8/14)

Allyson Felix, Women’s 400m, 49.51 (8/15)

Will Claye, Men’s TJ, 17.76m/58-3.25 (8/16)

Evan Jager, Men’s 3000m Steeple, 8:04.28 (8/17)

Brittney Reese, Women’s LJ, 7.15m/23-5.5 (8/17)

Nia Ali, Women’s 100m hurdles, 12.59 (8/17)

Joe Kovacs, Men’s SP, 21.78m/71-5.5 (8/18)

Bronze (8)

LaShawn Merritt, Men’s 400m, 43.85 (8/14)

Emma Coburn, Women’s 3000m Steeple, 9:07.63 AR (8/15)

Clayton Murphy, Men’s 800m, 1:42.93 (8/15)

Sam Kendricks, Men’s PV, 5.85m/19-2.5 (8/15)

Jenny Simpson, Women’s 1500m, 4:10.53 (8/16)

Tori Bowie, Women’s 200m, 22.15 (8/17)

Kristi Castlin, Women’s 100m hurdles, 12.61 (8/17)

Ashley Spencer, Women’s 400m hurdles, 53.72 (8/18)