2ND LEAD: Hurdles delight for Pearson, reinstated Makhloufi gets gold By John Bagratuni, dpa Eds: Adds details, quotes

London (dpa) - World champion Sally Pearson of Australia stormed to 100 metres hurdles Olympics gold with a 2012 world best on Tuesday, while Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria got 1,500m gold the day after being kicked out of the competition for not trying in another race.

Russia‘s Ivan Ukhov got high jump gold with an almost flawless competition and German Robert Harting added Olympic discus gold to his two world titles.

Usain Bolt was back and through to the 200m semis, but the day was overshadowed by another Olympic disaster for Chinese star Liu Xiang. The 29-year-old likely ruptured his right Achilles tendon when he fell at the first hurdle of the 110m hurdles, four years after withdrawing ahead of the heat at the Beijing Games.

Pearson broke down on the track in tears of delight and disbelief when victory with a 2012 world best of 12.35 seconds was confirmed, two hundredths of a second ahead of the 2008 winner Dawn Harper of the United States.

Two more Americans were just behind, with Kellie Wells taking bronze. Lolo Jones missed the podium, another heartbreak result for the hurdler who fell when in the lead late in the 2008 final.

"It‘s a dream," said Pearson. "Relief was the first thing I felt and then shock. I really wanted this. I‘ve worked so hard for two years."

Makhloufi ran away from his rivals in the final lap of his race, in a win that is sure to raise eyebrows. He was disqualified after not making an effort in his 800m heat but reinstated on Monday after Olympic doctors confirmed that he was suffering from a "painful injury."

Makhloufi reportedly had to run the 800m heats because Algerian officials failed to withdraw him in time. But there was no sign of the injury when he won the 1,500m in 3 minutes 34.08 seconds.

Leonel Manzano got silver for the United States and Abdalaati Iguider of Morocco claimed bronze.

"I just concentrated on my race and did not think about it," said Makhloufi. "I always wanted this medal and I hope it will be the start of a new era of 1500m running in Algeria. I have a problem with my left leg and it may need surgery," he said in reference to Monday‘s events.

Ukhov won the high-jump with just one foul over 2.29 metres and cleared all other heights on the first attempt to win with 2.38m.

Erik Kynard of the United States got silver with 2.33m while Qatar‘s Mutaz Eassa Barshim, Derek Drouin of Canada and Britain‘s Robert Grabarz shared bronze.

Meanwhile the muscular Harting tore off his shirt after winning the men‘s discus, stretching an unbeaten run since 2010 to 29 events with a penultimate throw of 68.27 metres.

Harting stole the gold from Ehsan Hadadi of Iran, who threw 68.18m to get silver. The 2008 gold medallist and former world champion Gerd Kanter of Estonia had to settle for bronze.

Meanwhile, Chinese athletics team leader Feng Shuyong told reporters that an initial diagnosis showed that hurdler Liu had a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Liu, 29, underwent surgery in the United States after his 2008 exit, changed his start technique, returned in 2010 and got silver at the 2011 world championships.

But Feng said the Achilles problems had never really disappeared and that it got worse again during pre-Olympic training, when they simulated the tight Olympic schedule with three races in two days.

"He has to simulate it in training. By doing this, the problem probably happened. He didn‘t have enough time to recover. But even in that situation we didn‘t expect it to happen like this," Feng said.

Feng said that Liu was out for the season, but not thinking of retirement. He praised his courage, saying Liu "showed true Olympic spirit."

Jamaican superstar Bolt eased into the 200m semi-finals two days after winning successive 100m golds. He won his heat in 20.39 seconds, advancing along with his Jamaican training partner Yohan Blake, who is his main rival in the event and clocked 20.38.

"That was an easy run. This is my favourite event so I am looking forward to it," said Bolt.

In other preliminary action, Kenya‘s David Rudisha made the final in the men‘s 800m in 1:44.35, as he seeks an elusive Olympic gold to go with his 2011 world title and world record.

The women‘s 200m semi-finals were also contested, with American 400m winner Sanya Richards-Ross on 22.30 and 2004 and 2008 gold medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown on 22.32.

Briton Shara Proctor led women‘s long-jump qualifying with 6.83m three days after countryman Greg Rutherford won the men‘s race but 2008 Olympic champ Maureen Maggi of Brazil crashed out.

The long jump and 200m have their final Wednesday along with the 110m hurdles and women‘s 400m hurdles. dpa bag adh amh hl