ATHENS, Greece - Gail Devers failed once again in the Olympic 100-meter hurdles, falling to injury just steps into her first race.

Devers, 37, who has three world championships in the event, pulled up short and screamed as she slid under the first hurdle Sunday. She sat on the track for about two minutes, rubbing her left leg and grimacing.

Devers issued a statement through USA Track & Field saying the leg had popped while she was warming up for the race.

“I knew before I got in the blocks that it was gone already. My head said I’m running and if it’s going to pull 10 times in the race, it’s going to have to pull,” she said. “I believe I conquered this tonight just getting out there when I already knew it was gone. My career is not over. I’m here. I’m alive. I’m not healthy, but I’m alive.”

Devers hurt her leg in practice a week ago and wore a heavy bandage during three rounds of the 100 meters on Friday and Saturday before being eliminated in the semifinals.

Slide show   Emotional Moments: Aug. 29 Trouble mars the marathon but the Olympic spirit prevails.

Sunday’s shocking development may lead to second guessing about Devers’ decision to run in the 100. She took the third U.S. spot in that event when Torri Edwards was suspended for two years for accidentally ingesting a banned stimulant.

Devers could have turned down the spot and focused on the hurdles, allowing Marion Jones to try to defend her Olympic title.

Devers won hurdles world championships in 1993, 1995 and 1999, and holds the U.S. record of 12.37 seconds. She has three Olympic medals — she won gold in the 100 in 1992 and 1996, and was on the victorious 400-meter relay team in 1996.

But she slammed into the last hurdle while leading the 1992 Olympic final, crawling to the finish line and finishing fifth. In 1996, she missed an Olympic medal by a hundredth of a second. In 2000, she injured her hamstring in the semifinal and pulled up after five hurdles.

Her elimination was the latest disappointment for a U.S. team that is off to a very slow start in track and field in Athens — despite a surprise bronze medal for Deena Kastor in the women’s marathon.

Belarus’ Yuliya Nesterenko ended two decades of American dominance in the women’s 100 on Saturday, the same day that medal favorite Stacy Dragila failed to make it out of pole vault qualifying.

Also, middle-distance hopeful Alan Webb was knocked out in the first round of the 1,500 and U.S. men’s shot putters fell two medals short of their anticipated sweep.

Devers’ two U.S. teammates won their hurdles heats, Melissa Morrison in 12.76 and Joanna Hayes in 12.72. They advanced to the semifinals along with world champion Perdita Felicien, a Canadian who attended the University of Illinois.

Holm wins high jump
Stefan Holm of Sweden won the Olympic high jump Sunday, clearing 7 feet, 8¾ inches as Sweden took three gold medals in the first two days of competition.

Holm, a three-time world indoor champion who finished fourth at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, came into the Athens Games as a big favorite after winning 17 straight meets this year.

Matt Hemingway of the United States took the silver and Jaroslav Baba of the Czech Republic the bronze. Both cleared 7-8 (2.34).

Holm, silver medalist at the world outdoors in Paris last year, followed the success of countrywoman Carolina Kluft, who won the heptathlon gold medal Saturday. Later Sunday, Christian Olsson of Sweden won gold in the triple jump.

After the other jumpers failed at 2.36, Holm sprinted down the runway, grabbed a Swedish flag and cried with joy. He slipped on a No. 1 soccer jersey with his name on the back.

Holm missed twice at 2.34 meters before making it on his third attempt. He then cleared 2.36 meters on his first attempt, and no one else was able to match it.

Hemingway had no misses before failing in three attempts at 2.36. Baba missed twice at 2.32, then passed and cleared 2.34. He missed his three tries at 2.36.

Jamie Nieto of the United States finished fourth. He cleared 2.34 for a personal best but missed at 2.36.

Olsson tops triple jump
Christian Olsson won the triple jump Sunday, adding his first Olympic gold to his world titles.

Just minutes after countryman Holm celebrated victory in the high jump, Olsson soared a national record 58 feet, 4½ inches in the second round, which held up for the rest of the event.

Romania’s Marian Oprea, who broke Olsson’s 29-meet winning streak in Stockholm in July, took the silver. Danila Burkenya of Russia got the bronze.

Like Holm, Olsson wrapped himself in a flag as a large group of Swedish fans celebrated in a corner of the stadium. A night earlier, Sweden’s Carolina Kluft won the heptathlon.

Olsson had previously taken the 2003 world indoor and outdoor titles.

Annus wins hammer throw
Adrian Annus of Hungary won the gold medal Sunday with a hammer throw of 272 feet, 11 inches.

Koji Murofushi of Japan won the silver medal. Ivan Tikhon of Belarus got the bronze.

Greek sets world record
Greece’s Fani Halkia thrilled the sold out crowd at the Olympic stadium by setting an Olympic record of 52.77 seconds while winning her semifinal heat of the 400-meter hurdles.

Americans Sheena Johnson and Brenda Taylor joined her in the final, but teammate Lashinda Demus was eliminated in the semifinals.

MORE FROM TRACK AND FIELD

Track and field Section Front

Track great show, but without star Capel gets warning after positive drug test Hungarian Olympians given 2-year bans Williams-Darling's unbeaten streak ends Marion won't race for rest of year Celizic: Two marathon golds only answer Interactive: Rising stars of track & field NBCO: World and Olympic records NBCO: Inside the sport Medal winners Track and field Section Front   Add Track and field headlines to your news reader: