Athens, Greece ? Alan Webb was outmaneuvered and outrun in the first round of the 1,500 meters Friday, a quick exit for the runner who was supposed to end America’s streak of mediocrity in middle-distance races.

While the 21-year-old youngster faltered, the squad’s most storied Olympian — 37-year-old Gail Devers — barely survived the second round in the women’s 100. She captured the 16th and final spot in today’s semifinals, avoiding elimination by .01 seconds.

Devers joined teammates Lauryn Williams and LaTasha Colander in the semis. Williams won her second-round heat in 11.03 seconds, the second-fastest time overall. Colander was third in her heat.

Devers, who won gold in the 100 in 1992 and 1996, was fourth in her heat — the top three automatically advance — but was one of four runners to qualify on time, in 11.31.

Webb was trying to end a 36-year U.S. drought in the Olympic 1,500. Twenty-four runners advanced, and Webb had the 25th-fastest time — 3 minutes, 41.25 seconds.

He missed qualifying by .11 seconds.

Stuck in the middle of the field for most of the race, Webb faded on the final stretch. He was unable to break out of the pack by looping outside, and when he tried to break through, he got jostled.

“It was like a football game,” Webb said after the race, blood running down his lower right leg. He said he got spiked 200 meters into the race.

Webb’s veteran teammate Grant Robison advanced to the 1,500 semifinals when an appeals jury ruled that he had been seriously affected by obstruction during his heat.

The last American to win an Olympic 1,500 medal was Jim Ryun, now a Kansas congressman, who earned a silver in 1968.

Also Friday, Kenenisa Bekele crossed the finish line, took a few deep breaths and then waited for his mentor. A pained Haile Gebrselassie arrived 22 seconds later and the two Ethiopians hugged — the old champion giving way to the new.

Sprinting the final lap, Bekele ended Gebrselassie’s eight-year reign as Olympic 10,000-meter champion on Friday night, smashing his training partner’s Olympic record by more than two seconds.

The two then clasped hands and joined yet another countryman, silver medalist Sileshi Sihine, in a victory lap beneath their green, yellow and red flag.

Bekele finished in 27 minutes, 5.10 seconds. Sihine, about 30 meters behind Bekele, clocked 27:09.39, followed by Zersenay Tadesse of Eritrea in 27:22.57. Gebrselassie, pained by a left Achilles injury in the final track appearance of his magnificent career, finished fifth in 27:27.70.

The 31-year-old Gebrselassie, who plans to move up to the marathon, began showing the strain with seven laps remaining in the 25-lap race. His face contorted, he fell behind the leaders and looked as if he was going to stop. But after struggling through the last few laps, his face broke into a giant smile as he crossed the finish line.

“It was very hard. I’m very close just to stop the competition,” Gebrselassie said, limping away from the track. “I wanted to keep up with them. It didn’t happen. I am so happy for the Ethiopians except for myself. I tried to push.”

Bekele and Sihine slowed midway through the race so Gebrselassie could join them.

“We believed he could catch up to us,” Bekele said. “When we realized he couldn’t make it, we had to go.”

In the 400, three American men — Jeremy Wariner, Derrick Brew and Otis Harris — advanced easily to the semifinals. Wariner, the U.S. champion, jogged the last few meters while winning his heat in 45.56. The fastest time was 45.09 by Christopher Brown of the Bahamas.

In the women’s 100, dominated by the United States for the past 20 years, Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus had the fastest times in the first (10.94) and second (10.99) rounds. Also advancing were gold-medal favorite Christine Arron of France and Bulgaria’s Ivet Lalova — fastest in the world this year, with a 10.77 race in June.

They will be joined by 44-year-old Merlene Ottey, seeking a ninth medal in her seventh Olympics. The Jamaican native is now running for Slovenia.

Devers joined teammates Lauryn Williams and LaTasha Colander in the semis. Williams won her second-round heat in 11.03 seconds, the second-fastest time overall.

Missing from the 100 were defending Olympic champion Marion Jones, world champion Torri Edwards, plus Kelli White and Chryste Gaines. Edwards and White are serving drug suspensions. Jones and Gaines did not qualify. Jones is under investigation by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and Gaines has been charged by USADA with steroid use. Both claim they have never used performance-enhancing substances.

Women from Afghanistan and other Islamic countries competed in the 100, advancing the universal acceptance of female athletes. Robina Muqimyar of Afghanistan, dressed in long running pants but wearing no head scarf, was seventh in her heat at 14.14 seconds, beating Fartun Omar Abukar of Somalia. Alaa Jassim of Iraq, whose training was interrupted by bombs, was last in her heat at 12.70 seconds.

But it was their presence, not their times, that mattered.

Friday morning, under a blazing sun, Ivano Brugnetti of Italy won the 20-kilometer walk in 1:19:39, five seconds ahead of Francisco Fernandez of Spain. Nathan Deakes of Australia took the bronze.

In the 10,000, which is 6.2 miles, Bekele raced through the final 400 meters in 53.02 — less than 10 seconds off the 400 world record.

Now Bekele will try to become the first man in 24 years to complete the rare distance double by winning the 5,000. The only other men to win both the 5,000 and 10,000 at an Olympics are Emil Zatopek (1948), Vladimir Kuts (1956), Lasse Viren (1972 and 1976) and Miruts Yifter (1980).

Yifter, an Ethiopian, was an inspiration for Gebrselassie — who in turn became Bekele’s teacher.

The soft-spoken Bekele, who broke Gebrselassie’s world records with new marks in the 5,000 (12:37.35) and 10,000 (26:20.31) within a nine-day span this spring, said his final lap was nothing exceptional.

“I’m very happy, of course. I’m Olympic champion,” Bekele said. “I have good speed on the last lap. No problem. It’s not difficult for me.”

“The last lap just came to me. I did not make any special effort. I just wanted to win the race.”

Will he have any energy left for the 5,000?

Bekele smiled and said, “I think so.”