Americans Richards, Jones blow leads

BEIJING -- It was theirs to lose, and they did.

Sanya Richards led in the stretch but was outrun to the finish in the 400 meters and Lolo Jones clipped the second-to-last barrier in the 100-meter hurdles Tuesday night, as two of America's top runners failed to capture Olympic gold medals.

Jones had taken the lead and seemed to be pulling away when she tripped over the hurdle and broke her stride, falling from first to seventh. The late blunder opened the door for teammate Dawn Harper to win the U.S. track team's third gold medal of the games.

While Harper did a victory lap carrying the American flag, Jones kneeled on the track and put her face to the ground in stunned disbelief.

Richards painted a similar picture a few minutes earlier. She was ahead, looking to write a successful closing chapter to a year filled of illness and setbacks, but settled for bronze after being beaten badly over the last 80 meters by Britain's Christine Ohuruogu and Jamaica's Shericka Williams.