RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — What track and field really needed was a Usain Bolt-like jolt to steer the conversation away from the endless string of crime, punishment and doping that nearly sank the sport over the past year.
What it got was a 10,000-meter world record from an Ethiopian who considers it her second-favorite distance, and a race that will go down as one of the best ever run at the Olympics.
While Bolt waits in the wings another day, Almaz Ayana opened the Olympic track meet Friday by circling the 25 laps in 29 minutes, 17.