With Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang gone, it came down to Yelena Isinbayeva to produce the magic yesterday at the Beijing Olympics.

The Russian pole vault great won the gold medal with barely two jumps and then added a world record for good measure.

Always compared to Sergei Bubka as the female version of the greatest vaulter in history, the Isinbayeva outdid him on the Olympic stage, winning her second gold compared to his lone win.

Isinbayeva continued to jump after winning the title at 4.85 metres, first setting an Olympic record of 4.95 before breaking her own mark with a vault of 5.05.

Silver went to Jenn Stuczynski, the American who brazenly challenged her but fell short at 4.80. Svetlana Feofanova took bronze.

Once the title assured and challengers batted away like pesky flies, Isinbayeva retreated under a white blanket with only her sky blue spikes emerging. As so often, she found that zone that is seemingly reserved for her only.

With the whole Bird's Nest cheering her on, she missed twice - only a tease.

Talking to her pole, she lined up one final time. Speed, skills and amazing grace conspired in one explosive move and she was the greatest again.

Along with the sensational world record of Usain Bolt in the 100 on Saturday, it was what the sport needed to reclaim the Olympic stage from Michael Phelps and swimming.

In one jump, Isinbayeva again reduced the rest of the athletes to a sideshow.

In the 800, 18-year-old Pamela Jelimo ran away from Janeth Jepkosgei in a duel of Kenyan front-runners to take gold with a world junior record in one of the most anticipated races of the games.

US hurdlers went one better than a double, sweeping the 400 hurdles with Angelo Taylor leading the way ahead of Kerron Clement and Bershawn Jackson.

On a busy night, Irving Saladino won Panama's first ever gold in the Olympics, taking the long jump.

Offsetting the joyous scenes, Liu pulled out of the Olympics before clearing his first hurdle yesterday, suffering "intolerable" pain in his right leg in front of a stunned crowd.

Liu barely got out of the blocks in his opening 110 hurdles heat and immediately started hobbling. It didn't matter it was a false start. Something snapped in his physical resistance after months of uncertainty about an inflamed hamstring compounded by a foot injury.

Bolt kept on track for a golden triple, easily qualifying for the 200-metre semi-finals in his search for a golden triple.

In muggy conditions at the Bird's Nest, the 100 champion and world record holder never pushed himself to win his quarterfinal heat ahead of Olympic gold medalist Shawn Crawford, mock-wiping pearls of sweat off his brow after the race.

The semi-finals are set for today, with Crawford among the few believed to have a chance at stopping Bolt's quest for a 100-200 double, a feat last achieved by Carl Lewis at the 1988 Seoul Games.

As predictable as was Isinbayeva's victory, Kenya won the steeplechase - for the seventh time in row.

Brimin Kipruto, the Athens silver medalist and reigning world champion, came from behind to beat Maheidine Mekhissi-Benabbad, a Frenchman who split up an expected Kenyan sweep by taking silver ahead of Richard Mateelong.

Athens champion Ezekiel Kemboi faded to finish in seventh place.

After a horrible start to the track competition, the United States got two golds and four overall, the first gold an unexpected one from Stephanie Brown Trafton in the discus.

The 28-year-old Brown Trafton, only third at the US trials, won with a best mark of 64.74 metres ahead of Yarelys Barrios of Cuba and Olena Antonova of Ukraine.

US athletes equally looked good in the 100 hurdles, with LoLo Jones setting the year's best time and a personal best to advance into the final. As controlled as Jones soared over the hurdles, as sloppy was European champion Susanna Kallur.

The Swede crashed straight into the first hurdle and fell to the ground, finishing her comeback attempt after a season marred by injury.

"I had my leg under the hurdle instead of on top," Kallur said.

World and defending champion Jeremy Wariner and LaShawn Merritt kept on track for their golden clash in the 400, both easily going through into Tuesday's semifinals. Both jogged home to win their heats.

"No surprise. He's ready, I'm ready," Merritt said. "It's time for a showdown, a throwdown."

The pair of US sprinters finished 1-2 at the 2007 world championships and own the year's two best times. Wariner has said he intends to break the world record of 43.18 of Michael Johnson - who now serves as his manager.

The 400 semi-finals are on today, the final on Thursday.