(Sports Network) - With Michael Phelps and his record-setting eight swimming gold medals in the rearview mirror, the focus of the Olympics shifts to track & field over the next week to the conclusion of the Games. Competitors battling for gold in six events on Monday. Highlighting the action will be final races in the women's 800 meters and the men's 400m hurdles. Bershawn Jackson of the U.S. won the world title in the 400 hurdles in 2005 and qualified with the ninth-fastest time on Friday. Jamaica's Markino Buckley was the fastest in qualification, while Athens gold medalist Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic failed to make it to the final. Kenya's Pamela Jelimo is the favorite in the women's 800 and will try to be the first woman from her country to take home an Olympic gold medal.

Also on Monday, the men will try for medals in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and the long jump, while the women will compete for glory in the discus and pole vault. Russia's Elena Isinbaeva is nearly assured gold in the pole vault as she's the world record holder as well as the defending Olympic and world champion in the event.

The women's triathlon will be contested Monday with Portugal's Vanessa Fernandes and Australia's Emma Snowsill expected to contend for the win. Fernandes is coming off wins at the 2007 Beijing World Cup and '07 world championship, while Snowsill is seeking redemption for being snubbed for the Australian team at 2004 Athens Olympics. Sarah Haskins, the runner-up at the 2008 world championships, is the United States' medal hopeful.

Medal winners for the men's team pursuit and women's points race will be decided Monday at Laoshan Velodrome. Great Britain, with eight cycling track medals already in Beijing, will be favored in the men's pursuit after setting a world record while qualifying on Sunday. Reigning gold medalist Australia joined Denmark and New Zealand as the other qualifiers. In the women's points race, defending gold medalist Olga Slyusareva leads a wide-open field.

The women's soccer semifinals will have Brazil taking on Germany in Shanghai, while the U.S. plays Japan in Beijing.

Winners in the men's 105 kg category will be decided Monday in weightlifting action. Reigning world champion Andrei Aramnau leads a field that includes fellow former world champs Marcin Dolega of Poland and Dmitriy Klokov of Russia.

Medals will be decided in gymnastics for the women on uneven bars, while the men will have competition on rings and vault.

Teams will jockey for quarterfinal position on the final day of preliminary round play for the men in basketball. The American squad, known this year as the Redeem Team, will finish atop its group no matter the result versus Germany, which is already eliminated from advancing in the tournament.

The U.S. softball team has allowed just one run thus far at these Games and their pitching has been spectacular to the tune of a 0.00 ERA. The Americans will play China on Monday, hoping to move their Olympic winning streak to 21 games.

The U.S. men's water polo team will try to keep their medal hopes alive as they battle Germany.

In baseball, the Americans go into Monday's action with a 2-2 mark and a game upcoming against China, which is 1-3.

Going into Monday, the U.S. continues to hold a slim lead in the overall medal count with 65, including 19 gold. China has the most gold with an astounding 35, and is in second with 61 overall.



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