BEIJING, China -- Oregon distance runner Galen Rupp finished 13th in the 10,000-meters at the Olympics in Beijing Sunday but his coach said he held his own and is improving.

He was the top finisher from the United States and the fastest runner not from an African nation, whose athletes tend to dominate the event.

NBC photo

The 22-year-old from Portland and the University of Oregon ran in the lead pack for the first half.

He said his goal had been to finish in the top 10 in the field of 35 but that he realized that would be very difficult to do.

Distance runners tend to reach their prime at about age 30.

TRACK AND FIELD

Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia has won the 10,000 meters in an Olympic record 29 minutes, 54.66 seconds -- the second fastest time ever for a woman at that distance. Kara Goucher of Portland was 10th in 30:55.16, a personal best.

Amy Yoder Begley of Beaverton was 26th in 32:38.28.

Reigning Olympic and world champion Jeremy Wariner and rival LaShawn Merritt easily qualified for the Summer Games 400-meter semifinals Monday morning.

Both built big leads and jogged home to win their respective heats. Wariner won the last of seven heats in 45.23 seconds, while Merritt led the fifth heat in 44.96.

"No surprise. He's ready. I'm ready. Time to go," Merritt said. "We're here. It's the Olympic Games. It's time for a showdown -- a throwdown."

The once-invincible Wariner's biggest concern here figures to be Merritt, who beat him twice this year -- including at the U.S. Olympic trials.

Wariner played down the rivalry, saying, "That's not on my mind right now."

The pair finished 1-2 at the 2007 world championships and own the year's two best times in the one-lap test of speed and endurance. Wariner has said he intends to break the world record of 43.18 set at the 1999 world championships by Michael Johnson, who now serves as Wariner's manager.

The 400 semifinals are Tuesday, the final Thursday.

With Wariner taking gold, the United States swept the 400 medals at the 2004 Olympics.

David Neville, the third U.S. entrant here, also advanced Monday, finishing second in his heat in 45.22. He's been dealing with a sore Achilles' tendon and took the previous three days off to rest.

"I thought I was going to be able to run a little bit slower," Neville said. "I did what I had to do and make it through."

Monday's qualifying action also was to include 100-meter champion and world record-holder Usain Bolt in the first round of 200-meter heats, as he tries to become the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to complete an Olympic 100-200 double.

And the local fans at the Bird's Nest were eagerly awaiting the first round of heats in the 110-meter hurdles, featuring defending Olympic champion Liu Xiang -- considered China's best shot at a gold medal in track and field -- and the man who eclipsed his world record this year, Cuba's Dayron Robles.

With the same style and grace he showed in the pool, Michael Phelps calmly and cordially withstood the media onslaught at the end of his history-making run at the Beijing Olympics.

First, he had to get the business of his final event out of the way. He was the third of four swimmers in the 4-by-100 medley relay, won in world record time. Led off by Aaron Peirsol, followed by Brendan Hansen, Phelps and then Jason Lezak. Their winning time of 3:29.34 beat the world record time they set in the event at the Athens Olympics. Australia took the silver and Japan the bronze.

When it was over Phelps made the rounds, beginning with a news conference at the main press center. He said he just wants a vacation where he doesn't have to be someplace at a designated time, and would like to just lie in his own bed.

Phelps ends his competition in Beijing after rewriting the record books. He is the first Olympian to win eight gold medals in a single games and his total of 14 career Olympic gold medals is more than any other athlete. He also has two bronze medals from Athens for a total of 16 Olympic medals.

Another outstanding Olympian added two silver medals to her collection. Dara Torres, the 41-year-old swimmer in her fifth Olympics missed out on a gold by one-hundredth of a second in the 50-meter freestyle. Germany's Britta Steffen won the gold. Torres was also on the 400 medley relay team that won silver. Torres added three medals in Beijing and now has 12 for her career.

In the morning's other final, Oussama Mellouli won Tunisia's first Olympic swimming gold medal. That upset denied Aussie Grant Hackett's bid for a third consecutive title in the 1,500-meter freestyle.

TENNIS

Gold for the Williams sisters

BEIJING (AP) -- For the second time, sisters Venus and Serena Williams have won the gold medal in Olympic doubles tennis. The Americans defeated Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-2, 6-0 to win the gold in Beijing. The duo won the gold in the 2000 games in Sydney, but did not compete in Athens.

ROWING

U.S. women get gold

BEIJING (AP) -- The women's eight edged Romania by three-hundreths of a second to win a gold medal in the rowing and canoeing park. The winning crew was Erin Cafaro, Lindsay Shoop, Anna Gioodale, Elle Logan, Anne Cummings, Susan Francia, Caroline Lind, Caryn Davies and Mary Whipple.

SOFTBALL

No less than perfect

BEIJING (AP) -- Monica Abbott found a way to top Cat Osterman's no hitter last week. She pitched a perfect game in the U.S.A.'s 8-0 win over the Netherlands. Abbott struckout nine in the effort.

Crystl Bustos led the American offense. She was 3-for-3 with a home run and two singles. Tairia Flowers and Jessica Mendoza also hit home runs. The U.S. now has 12 homers so far in these Olympics.

The Americans face China tomorrow.

BASKETBALL

U.S. women continue winning ways

BEIJING (AP) -- The latest victim for the U.S. women in basketball is New Zealand. It was a 96-60 win with Tina Thompson leading the Americans with 15 points. Katie Smith had 13 point, Seimone Augustas had 12 and Tamika Catchings scored eleven.

The win closes out group play with the U.S. going 5-and-0

Quarterfinal action begins on Tuesday.

WOMEN'S WRESTLING

Texan wins bronze

BEIJING (AP) -- Randi Miller of Arlington, Texas, has won the bronze medal in the women's 63 kilogram wrestling tournament. She defeated Martine Dugrenier of Canada 1-0, 1-2, 1-1.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

American team advances to semifinals

BEIJING (AP) -- The U.S. team of Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor has advanced to the semifinals in women's beach volleyball. They beat a team from Brazil today by the scores of 21-18, 21-15. The semifinals will take place Tuesday.

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

U.S. advances to quarterfinals

BEIJING (AP) -- The U.S. women's volleyball team has completed play in Pool A with a 4-and-1 record. The U.S. defeated Poland today 3-2 by the scores of 18-25, 25-12, 19-25, 25-19, 15-13. Up next for the Americans is play in the quarterfinals.

MEDALS

U.S. stays on top

BEIJING (AP) -- It's now 65 medals for the USA. that breaks down to 19 gold, 21 silver and 25 bronze. China has 65 medals, but more than half of those are gold. The host country leads with 35 gold, 13 silver and 13 bronze. Russia has overtaken Australia for third in the medal standings. It's 31 medals for the Russians, including seven gold. Australia has 29 medals and eight gold.