RIO DE JANEIRO -- In the shadow of mighty Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix achieved something unprecedented in womens track and field Friday by winning her fifth Olympic gold medal.And together with the rest of the 4x100-meter relay team, she brought the United States closer to its biggest medal haul in decades. The tally could have been higher, too, had the U.S. mens 4x100 team not been disqualified after finishing third in the subsequent final.The womens team was smooth, despite the rocky path to the final. Running the second leg in the relay, Felix kept the U.S. up there with the mighty Jamaicans, before English Gardner and Tori Bowie brought the baton, tightly clenched in their hands, home for gold.Felix had been bumped in the preliminary heats and lost the baton, but the U.S. team protested and got a second chance -- a solo re-run that allowed them to qualify on times.The drawback was they were given the worst lane of all, Lane 1, which has the tightest corners.It didnt bother them. The U.S. women brought it home in 41.02 seconds, and lead-off runner Tianna Bartoletta was already waiting for Bowie for a wild embrace and to celebrate the second-fastest time in history behind the world record that Felix and Co. set to winning gold at London in 2012. For Bartoletta, it was the second gold in Rio, after winning the long jump too.As so often, Felixs celebrations were mostly muted but her smile told it all. She had been through injury, the inability to defend her 200-meter title because she didnt qualify at the U.S. trials and, almost, a DQ in the relay heats.Adversity sometimes makes you stronger, she said. Weve each had a rocky road to get here and we came together to win the gold.She entered the games as one of just six women to have won four golds in track and field.At the same time, silver for Jamaica allowed Veronica Campbell-Brown to win a medal at a fifth Olympics dating back to the 2000 Sydney Games.It was not all perfection for the Americans though. In the pole vault Sandi Morris missed her third attempt at 4.90 meters by the smallest margin, allowing Ekaterini Stefanidi of Greece to win with 4.85 on a countback.Bolt, of course, was unmatchable again, as he gained his ninth gold medal over three Olympics by anchoring the Jamaican 4x100 relay home. In one of the biggest surprises of the track program, Japan took silver -- and had been leading before Bolt got the baton. Japanese anchorman Aska Cambridge held off the Americans, who were later disqualified for an exchange outside the zone in what has almost become a U.S. tradition by now. The U.S. team lodged a protest, hoping to get the medal back.Still, the U.S. added to their haul. They now have 27 medals with two days to go, including 10 gold. The Kenyan team is next with 10 medals overall including five gold, and Jamaica has six gold among nine medals overall. The U.S. team had 29 overall at the London Games four years ago, and 40 at the boycott-marred 1984 Los Angeles Games.The U.S. team has been on such a run, that Bowie takes it in stride.I glanced. I mean, I realize were leading the medal count. I mean, considering how big our country is Im not too surprised, she said with a laugh.On Friday, the Kenyans were counting on a medal in the 5,000 meters -- they got gold and silver. There was an upset as Vivian Cheruiyot powered past slumping favorite Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia and set an Olympic record of 14 minutes, 26.17 seconds.The 32-year-old Cheruiyot adds the Olympic title to two world championships in the 5,000 and one in the 10,000. She took silver in the 5,000 at the London Games four years ago.It initially appeared that Ayana would go for a second world record, after already setting a new mark in the 10,000 on the opening morning of the track program last week. But the efforts of the Olympic week appeared to catch up with her as she slumped late in the Saturday night race.Ayana set off strongly and seemed to take the lead for good after one third of the race. But fatigue caught up with her and Cheruiyot and compatriot Hellen Obiri, who won silver, saw their chance. Don Mattingly Jersey .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. Alex Rodriguez Jersey Sales . Louis Blues teammates who would also be participating in the Olympics, Alex Pietrangelo felt right at home, no different in some ways to the travel experience of any old road trip – save for the length of the journey, that is. http://www.yankeesshoponline.com/ . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan. Don Mattingly Shirt . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. Mariano Rivera Jersey . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Josh Tomlin is just fine waiting another day to make his postseason debut.The Indians right-hander said he was treating Sunday as a regular off-day after rain washed out Game 3 of Clevelands AL Division Series against Boston. But instead of building on the success from the 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, he will take the mound after both teams had extra rest.We had a few days off after the regular season, too, and we played two pretty good games in the ALDS, Tomlin said outside the visitors clubhouse at Fenway Park shortly after the game was postponed. So I dont know if it hurts our momentum or not.Sundays scheduled 4:08 p.m. start was called off around 2 p.m. -- long before the gates had opened or the starting pitchers had begun to warm up; it will be made up at 6:08 p.m. on Monday.Cleveland outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall said having two days off in a row was like a short All-Star break.You dont want to burn a starter trying to squeeze a start into a window, he said. You want to give a game a chance to get played with no things looming.Tomlin said he had gone through his usual pregame routine but hadnt gone to the bullpen to start throwing like he would before a start.Red Sox manager John Farrell said he would stick with Clay Buchholz for Game 3 but wouldnt commit beyond that. Boston reliever Brad Ziegler said the team was completely confident with Buchholz on the mound and the season on the line.Hes been throwing the ball great coming down the stretch and hes got World Series experience. Hes got playoff experiennce, Ziegler said.dddddddddddd And if nothing else, maybe the day of rain gives everybody else a day of rest and gives us a chance to bring those guys back.The Indians won Games 1 and 2 at home, beating Bostons two best pitchers and setting the stage for a sweep at Fenway on Sunday. The rainout pushes that back one day -- at least -- and could extend David Ortizs career for another day as well.Indians manager Terry Francona said his teams rotation is likely to stay the same for Games 4 and 5, if necessary. But now Game 1 starter Trevor Bauer would be back on the regular amount of rest on Tuesday.Corey Kluber can pitch in Game 5 -- or, if the Red Sox dont last that long, wait for AL Championship Series.In the Red Sox clubhouse, Ortizs son DAngelo waited dressed at his locker for his dad to leave with him -- maybe for one of the last times. Xander Bogaerts played cards with teammates. Sandy Leon spoke wearing a knit cap perfect for the cool weather ahead.With the rainout, the Red Sox could come back to 22-game winner Rick Porcello in Game 4 on the usual four days of rest. David Price would be lined up to start a decisive fifth game, leaving Eduardo Rodriguez as the odd man out.Rodriguez said he hadnt been told of the teams plans.I was going to be in the bullpen today anyway, being a starter, reliever or whatever, he said. Ill throw my bullpens and get ready for whatever they want me to do. ' ' '