Jamaica got its fifth medal of the Beijing Olympics courtesy of Sherika Williams as she produced a blistering home strech run to take the silver medal in the women's 400m.  

The event was won by Christine Ohuruogu of Great Britain, the 2007 World Champion, who ran a season's best of 49.62 seconds.  Williams also ran a personal best of 49.69 seconds.  Pre-race favourite, Sanya Richards of the United States, had to settle for bronze with a time of 49.93 seconds.

Starting out of lane 6 behind Richards, Williams, on the instructions of her coach Stephen Francis, went out easier than she had in her earlier rounds.

"My coach told me to not go out as hard and conserve some energy for the home stretch", she said after the race.

That advice seemed to work as she came of the final turn in about fifth place and stormed past everyone except Ohuruogu to snatch a surprise silver.

"I am happy with the silver.  You cannot do better than your personal best", Williams said.

In the final of the women's hurdles, Delloreen Ennis-London and Bridget Foster-Hylton finished fifth and sixth respectively in a blanket finish.  Only 0.02 seconds seperated second for sixth.  Ennis-London was timed in 12.65 while Foster-Hylton finished in 12.66 seconds.  The event had a surprise winner in American Dawn Harper, 12.54, as race favourite, Lolo Jones, hit the second to last hurdle hard which caused her to go from first to seventh and finish outside of the medals.

Immediately after the race, Foster-Hylton announced her retirement.

"This is my last Olympics and I am very proud of myself," she said after placing sixth in 12.66."  When questioned about the possibility of competing at next year's World Championships, she said, "I do not know if I will be on the track next year, to be honest."

Ennis-London, though, said she will give it another try next year.  "I am going to give it another year and see what happens. I am not going to let this hold me down, but I was really looking to getting a medal as this is my last Olympics," the 33-year-old veteran of three Games said.

Meanwhile, Usain Bolt cruised through the semi-finals of the 200 with utter ease.

In a race with defending champion Shawn Crawford and Wallace Spearmon, Bolt came off the curve slightly behind Crawford who was running at full speed. Bolt had a look at the American and seemed to accelerate just enough to pass him.

When asked about his "jog", Bolt said: "I wouldn't say 'jogging.' I'm just trying to get through to the next round. I didn't know if he was running. I just wanted to make sure I was in good position. I was looking at Crawford, and then I decided to look at the board to see where everybody else was."

Bolt will run the final tomorrow at 9:20 am.