Aries Merritt of the U.S. crosses the finish line in front of Barbados' Ryan Brathwaite, left, and Jamaica's Hansle Parchment to win the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67537

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Aries Merritt of the U.S. crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67538

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Aries Merritt carries the American flag after winning the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67539

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Cuba's Dayron Robles pulls out of the race in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67540

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Allyson Felix of the U.S. crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the 200 meters at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67541

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Allyson Felix of the U.S. celebrates winning gold in the 200 meters at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67542

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Allyson Felix carries the flag after winning the 200 meters at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67543

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Russia's Natalya Antyukh beats Lashinda Demus of the U.S. to win the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67544

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Russia's Natalya Antyukh lets it sink in after winning the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67545

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Misty May-Treanor, right, and Kerri Walsh Jennings celebrate seconds after winning gold in the London 2012 Olympics beach volleyball final.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67546

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Kerri Walsh Jennings, left, kisses the hand of Misty May-Treanor as they celebrate winning gold in the beach volleyball final at the London 2012 Olympics.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67547

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Gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings, right, weeps as she sings the U.S. anthem, with teammate Misty May-Treanor and silver medalists April Ross and Jennifer Kessy, far left, after the beach volleyball final at the London 2012 Olympics.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

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Brazil's Juliana Silva and China's Chen Xue face off at the net during the beach volleyball bronze medal match.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

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Brazilian teammates Juliana Silva, left, and Larissa Franca celebrate a bronze medal after beating China at the London 2012 Olympics beach volleyball bronze medal match.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67550

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Claressa Shields of the U.S. connects with a right hand against Kazakhstan's Marina Volnova in the semifinals at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

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Claressa Shields of the U.S. battles Kazakhstan's Marina Volnova in the semifinals at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67552

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USA's Claressa Shields celebrates her win over Kazakhstan's Marina Volnova at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67575

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Claressa Shields of the U.S. celebrates her win over Kazakhstan's Marina Volnova and will battle for the gold medal Thursday at the 2012 London Olympics.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

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The U.S. team blocks a spike from Italy in the London 2012 Olympics volleyball semifinal.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

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Luigi Mastrangelo celebrates after a successful spike, helping lead the Italians to a win over the U.S. in the London 2012 Olympics volleyball semifinal.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67555

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Russia's Kim Kristina receives a kick to the head from Thailand's Chanatip Sonkham in a preliminary taekwondo bout at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

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Russia's Alexey Denisenko and Croatia's Heiner Oviedo battle in a preliminary taekwondo bout at the 2012 London Olympics on Wednesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

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Matthew Anderson, right, and Sean Rooney struggle in the third set as the U.S. falls to Brazil, 3-0, in the men's volleyball semifinal.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67556

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Mongolia's Battsetseg Soronzonbold uses her head to keep her shoulders from being pinned in a freestyle wrestling match against Latvia's Anastasija Grigorjeva at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Soronzonbold won to advance to the quarterfinals.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: YURI CORTEZ / AFP/Getty Images

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Maikel van der Vleuten of the Netherlands riding Verdi competes in the final round of the equestrian individual jumping at Greenwich Park in southeast London.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: ROBIN UTRECHT / ANP

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Peter Burling, left, heads for a celebratory dunking and teammate Blair Tuke prepares to join him after the New Zealand pair took silver in men's 49er sailing.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Clive Mason / Getty Images

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Palestinian runner Woroud Sawalha, right, and Kenya's Cherono Koech compete in a heat of the the women's 800-meter competition. Swalha finished eighth in the heat and was eliminated. Koech was third and advanced to the next round..

PHOTOGRAPH BY: OLIVIER MORIN / AFP

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Croatia's Lucija Zaninovic, left, trades blows with Argentina's Carola Malvina Lopez Rodriquez in the women's 49-kilo taekwondo competition. Zaninovic won but was defeated in the next round.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Ng Han Guan / Associated Press

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Maryna Pautaran, center, gets a celebratory hug and water bottle shower from crewmates after their Belarus team took the bronze medal in the women's kayak four 500-meter competition.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: NIC BOTHMA / EPA

http://framework.latimes.com/?attachment_id=67475

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U.S. athlete Amanda Bingson of VIctorville swings into action in women's hammer throw qualifying at Olympic Stadium.

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Pool / Getty Images

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