The New Nation - Internet Edition

BBC Online

World record holder Dayron Robles lived up to his pre-race billing by storming to victory in the men's 110m hurdles.

The 21-year-old Cuban led throughout to win in 12.93 seconds and mark his first Olympics with a maiden gold medal.

David Payne and David Oliver, both of the US, trailed by some distance but took silver and bronze respectively.

Robles came into the final as favourite after the withdrawal through injury of defending champion Liu Xiang of China and America's Terrence Trammell.

Oliver remains the only man to have beaten Robles this season but neither he nor Payne looked capable of challenging for gold.

"I feel very good, I feel complete, everything was good," sad Robles, who ran a near-perfect race.

Robles showed no nerves and led the race from the moment he rose from the blocks, making the absence of defending champion Liu and two-time silver-medallist Trammell even more marked.

The bespectacled hurdler sailed over the hurdles, while behind him Payne and Oliver had difficulty in not clipping them.

While Robles eased over the line - tapping his head with both hands - Oliver was forced to withstand a challenge from France's 2005 world champion Ladji Doucoure.