Wallace claims gold in K1 500m
"Ken-garoo" Ken Wallace today took a huge leap into Australia's kayaking record books by surpassing Clint Robinson's record Olympic haul with a gold medal in the K1 500m at the Beijing Games.
The 25-year-old Gold Coast lifeguard stormed home to pip Canadian world champion Adam van Koeverden near the line.
Van Koeverden took silver, 0.378 seconds behind Wallace (1:37.25), while K1 1000m gold medalist Britain's Tim Brabants was close behind in third.
Wallace's breakthrough gold came a day after his bronze medal in the K1 1000m event.
Wallace celebrated by jumping into an inflatable life raft and then taking a dip in the lake at Shunyi Olympic Canoeing Park.
His haul in his maiden Olympic campaign surpasses the efforts of Robinson who grabbed one gold in Barcelona 16 years ago and Nathan Baggaley who took home two silver medals at the 2004 Athens Games.
Wallace's victory came just two days after he almost wrecked his own campaign in his K1 500m semi-final.
Wallace, known as "Ken-garoo" by European paddlers, only snuck into the final as the slowest qualifier after being forced to make an unorthodox dash for the start line when he left for his warm-up paddle too late.
With the semi-final about to start, the laidback lifesaver had to jump out of the warm-up lake and carry his kayak over a bush fence to make the start line.
Wallace claims gold in K1 500m
Aussie Tallent wins silver in 50km walk
Aussie Tallent wins silver in 50km walk
Walker Jared Tallent strolled into Australia's Olympic history books on a stomach full of pizza and flat Coke.
Tallent became the first Australian in 36 years to win multiple athletics medals at the same Olympics by snaring silver in the men's 50km walk in Beijing.
The silver followed his bronze in the 20km walk last Saturday, an event he reckons he only recovered from on Thursday.
The son of a Victorian potato farmer dreaded another bronze when he momentarily fell behind Russian world record holder Denis Nizhegorodov and Italian Alex Schwazer.
"When they both got away I thought `not another bronze' ... something other than bronze would be nice."
The 23-year-old got that something when he caught and then slipped Nizhegorodov, but ultimately he couldn't reel in Schwazer who won the gold in three hours 37.09 minutes - two minutes and 18 seconds ahead of Tallent. The Russian finished third.
Tallent became the first Australian to win two athletics medals at the same Olympics since Raelene Boyle won silver in the 100m and 200m sprints at the 1972 Munich Games.
He is the first Australian man to achieve the feat in over a century.
Remarkably, Friday's gruelling race was just Tallent's third over the 50km journey.
And he did it after succumbing on Thursday night to the lure of his favourite food, pizza, and while sipping flat Coke in the latter stages of the race to get a caffeine and sugar rush, without the stomach trembling fizz.
"It (pizza) is my favourite food, it had been tempting me for the whole two weeks," Tallent said.
"Everyone was telling me `keep it down today' so I was thinking about that."
The pizza helped restore energy sapped from his bronze medal performance in the 20km walk.
"I started to feel good yesterday," he said.
"I wasn't sure, I was a bit worried that I might get to 20km and go `oh geez'... lucky it didn't happen."
Tallent will marry fellow Beijing Olympic walker Claire Woods in eight days, in the Adelaide suburb of Walkerville.
"It will take a few weeks to get over this but I don't mind, it's all worth it in the end," he said.
"I am more worried if I can do my wedding dance.
"I don't think we'll be able to ever live up to these two weeks."
Woods on Thursday equalled her personal best in the women's 20km, finishing 28th in 1:33:02.
Tallent said his Beijing achievements far outweighed his pre-Games ambitions.
"I never thought this was going to happen," he said.
"Coming into the Games, I knew I was in good shape for the 20km, I thought I could maybe get a medal in that.
"But the 50km ... I started to feel good yesterday which was the first day I started to feel alright after the 20km.
"This is what it's all for, all those years of hard work comes down to this.
"I really just decided to give it a crack, stay with the leaders and see what happens - I'm ecstatic, I can't believe it."
Fellow Australian Luke Adams placed 10th in 3:47.45, but Adam Rutter failed to finish, still suffering a virus contracted two days ago.
Rice lets loose on dance floor
Rice lets loose on dance floor
Australia's golden girl Stephanie Rice has been letting loose and enjoying Beijing's nightlife on another night of partying.
The triple gold medallist was out last night dancing with fellow Aussie swimmer Kenrick Monk in the Budweiser Club, which was set up for the Olympics.
She was also dancing with her arch rival in the pool, American swimmer Katie Hoff.
The exclusive ninemsn footage from the night shows Rice in a tight, silver-jewelled dress throwing her arms up over her head while dancing to R&B music.
Rice was also seen drinking at the bar, which had free beer, and was still at the club after 3am.
The 20-year-old was joined by other Australian athletes including members from the water polo team, basketball team and several rowers. She was seen chatting and dancing with other Australian fans who had asked for her photo.
Rice was the most successful woman swimmer at the Beijing Games. She won gold medals in the 400m individual medley, the 200m individual medley and the 4x200m freestyle relay.
Aussie cycling eyes long way back to top
Aussie cycling eyes long way back to top
Everyone knew Australian cycling would fall short of their dazzling Athens 2004 campaign, but no-one thought Beijing would be this barren.Anna Meares' heroic silver was the squad's only podium finish, cycling's worst return at the Games since failing to secure a medal at Moscow 1980.
It was a dramatic fall from the last Olympics, when the cyclists enjoyed an unprecedented six gold, two silver and two bronze.
While Cycling Australia's high performance program deserves to squirm under the blowtorch for this ultimate Olympic hangover - such a steep drop in only four years - there is no need to gut the structure.
Not yet, anyway.
Australian cycling has never been so strong.
Cadel Evans has finished second at the last two Tours de France and this year's world junior track championships yielded a record haul of seven gold medals.
There is an abundance of talent and key managers such as national performance director Shayne Bannan and head track coach Martin Barras have significant runs on the board.
But now comes their sternest test.
A combination of post-Athens complacency, the rise of the British cycling program monster, some significant form slumps and plain bad luck combined to sink this Australian Olympic cycling campaign.
Two years ago, the alarm bells were ringing in the track program, which had won five Athens titles.
But the momentum built by the British meant that the measures put in place to re-invigorate the Australians would have minimal effect in Beijing.
Australia had four fourth placings on the track, while Michael Rogers was sixth in the road race and Cadel Evans was fifth in the road time trial.
Jared Graves was sixth in the BMX final after another rider's crash also took him out and Nicole Callisto made the women's last eight.
Evans competed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, suffered when he slipped on a wet floor at a post-Tour de France party.
The Tour also cost the teams pursuit group, which must rebuild after declining from world record holder in Athens to fourth here - and beaten by the Kiwis, to boot.
Brett Lancaster, for so long the engine room of the teams pursuit squad, did not ride the event in Beijing because he was cooked by his Tour campaign.
The biggest slumps came from two-time gold medallist Ryan Bayley, who was smashed in the sprint events, and pursuiter Katie Mactier, always a nervous competitor, who had a nightmare in an event where she was a favourite.
The women's road race team was also a non-factor as they lacked the hill-climbing firepower to go with the key moves.
Big pluses were the encouraging Olympic debuts of youngsters Jack Bobridge, Mark Jamieson, Cameron Meyer and Daniel Ellis.
"If we'd come here and had a lot of eighth, 10th and 12th places, then I think we'd walk away from this think 'gee whiz, we've really got to make some big changes," Bannan said.
"The facts are, we had a lot of close ones - there's certainly a fair bit of work to be done.
"I do believe we have some fantastic talent coming through and we just need to sit down, analyse everything and we'll be doing that in about four weeks' time.
"It's certainly not panic stations, but obviously some changes need to be made."
Bannan said the two crucial factors now are developing more depth in the track sprint program and having better access to the professional road riders when they cross over for track endurance.
More money would help, too.
"It needs a fine-tune - an overhaul is probably too strong (a term)," Bannan said.
"You could always do with more money - it's a real challenge for us coming up."
Doubles delight for Federer
Doubles delight for Federer
Roger Federer took out his frustrations on the doubles court as he claimed Olympic gold with Swiss partner Stanislas Wawrinka in Beijing on Saturday.
Federer and Wawrinka beat Sweden's Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3 as Federer claimed his first Olympic medal in three attempts.
Federer, who loses his number one ranking to Rafael Nadal on Monday and was upset in the singles by James Blake, was pumped up for the final and roared in Swiss German at every important point.
The Swedes had won a record 59-game marathon in the semis and they did not come to life until the third set.
The decisive break came at 2-1 on Aspelin's serve.
With Federer serving for the match, Johansson hit a return wide.
Earlier Novak Djokovic claimed Serbia's first ever tennis medal while the giant-killing run of China's Li Na came shuddering to a halt.
Djokovic won a slug-fest with US number one James Blake 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) to clinch the men's singles bronze, compensating for his disappointing semi-final loss to Nadal.
"To win any medal in the Olympics is a huge achievement for any athlete. Not many athletes get a chance to win a medal," Djokovic said.
"But for me, this bronze shines like a gold because I think I've played pretty good tennis all tournament."
Dinara Safina ousted Li 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 to set up an all-Russian final with 2000 silver-medallist Elena Dementieva, who beat compatriot Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).
The results guarantee the dominant Russians their first women's tennis gold to follow Yevgeny Kafelnikov's Sydney 2000 triumph for the men.
Highly decorated US twins Bob and Mike Bryan, the top seeds, clinched their first Olympic honour 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 against France's Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra in the men's doubles bronze medal play-off.
Sydney 2000 champions Venus and Serena Williams reached the women's doubles final by beating Ukraine's Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the only all-sister match-up in Olympic history.
They will face Spanish duo Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual, who ended Chinese hopes of a second successive doubles gold by beating Yan Zi and Zheng Jie 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).
In the men's singles match, Djokovic got the crucial first-set break at 2-1 and took the lead with a service winner.
Neither player was struggling on serve but they couldn't break either, and they were well-matched in the tie-break until a let cord helped Djokovic set up two match points.
As Blake blazed long, the 21-year-old Djokovic collapsed to his knees in delight and then brandished the Serbian flag on court.
It was Serbia's first Olympic tennis medal and their second success of the day after Milorad Cavic's silver in the 100m butterfly swimming behind Michael Phelps.
But the result meant further frustration for Blake, who earlier beat Federer but was livid after his semi-final with Fernando Gonzalez, accusing him of bad sportsmanship.
Safina shrugged off the noise of Li's home support to snatch the first set with a monster second serve.
Serving to stay in it, Li crumbled, netting to set up three match points and handing over a place in the final after a long rally.
Mitcham big threat to Chinese dive sweep
Mitcham big threat to Chinese dive sweep
Australian rookie Matthew Mitcham stands as the man most likely to stop a Chinese clean sweep of the Olympic diving competition after qualifying for the 10m platform final in second place.
Mitcham challenged the Chinese duo of Huo Liang (549.95) and Zhou Luxin (526.20) throughout Saturday morning's semi-finals before nailing his final dive to finish with 532.20 points, just over 17 points behind leader Zhou.
Olympic debutant Mitcham's final five was one of the most difficult in the book but he made it look easy, scoring a perfect 10-points from one judge to post the highest individual dive score of the semi-finals.
Athens silver medallist Mathew Helm (485.20) will also be among the front runners for the final at the Water Cube after he qualified in sixth place.
Helm was keeping pace with Mitcham until a poor entry on his penultimate dive resulted in a slide down the rankings.
The Australian pair shape are the biggest threats to the Chinese divers as the host nation has won each of the seven diving events already held in Beijing.
Russian world champion Gleb Galperin (508.95) was fourth best and will also challenge for the medals.
However Germany's world No.1 Sascha Klein (382.85) was the big disappointment falling to reach the top 12 and eliminated from the competition in last place.
Mitcham failed to qualify for the 3m springboard final earlier this week but says he isn't daunted by diving for a medal against the unbeaten Chinese team.
"It is anybody's," he said of the gold medal race.
"One bad dive from anybody and you're out of contention."
And he's promised to improve his grand finale dive which scored almost 10 points more than any other effort by his rivals.
"It's not the highest I have scored for that dive," he said of his back two-and-a-half somersault with two-and-a-half twist.
"I know I can do it better still."
Nadal closes in on 'golden slam'
Nadal closes in on 'golden slam'
Only the US Open stands between red-hot Rafael Nadal and a rare opportunity to complete the "golden slam" at next year's Australian Open.
Nadal outgunned Fernando Gonzalez 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 in the men's singles final in Beijing to keep alive his hopes of achieving one of the most extraordinary feats in tennis.
Only legendary German Steffi Graf has held all four major trophies plus the Olympic title simultaneously, having triumphed at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open and Seoul Games in 1988.
If Nadal continues his utter domination of the men's game with success at Flushing Meadows next month, the 22-year-old Spaniard will join the most exclusive club in tennis.
Graf's husband, Andre Agassi, could consider himself an associate member, having also won all four slams plus Olympic singles gold - but he never had possession of all at once.
Few would be betting against Nadal becoming a bona fide member at Melbourne Park, if he were to prevail in New York.
The reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals at the US Open, which starts on Monday week.
But he has taken his game to another level this season and will arrive in the Big Apple having won 38 of his last 39 matches, including 16 on hard courts - and as the new world No.1.
Nadal will officially end Roger Federer's record 237-week reign on Monday and even the brilliant Swiss accepts tennis has a worthy new king.
"I've known for over a week now about the No.1 ranking. But it's fine. Rafa played great to get it," Federer said after teaming with Stanlislas Wawrinka to win his own Olympic gold medal in the doubles.
"That's what I expected and hoped for many years ago when I got to No.1, that if ever somebody were to take it away from me, he would have to play an incredible tennis schedule, win the biggest tournaments, dominate the game basically, and then like this he can take No.1.
"I didn't want it to happen that I would play completely bad and somebody would pick up No.1 in the world. So I think Rafa totally deserves it."
As Nadal's latest victim, Gonzalez had to settle for silver, which completed his Olympic set after the Chilean won gold in the doubles with Nicolas Massu in Athens and bronze in the singles, also four years ago.
Serbia's world No.3 Novak Djokovic grabbed the bronze in Beijing with a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) victory over American James Blake.
In the women's event, Elena Dementieva earlier beat Dinara Safina 3-6 7-5 6-3 to lead Russia to the first Olympic clean sweep of tennis medals in 100 years.
Vera Zvonareva had already defeated Li Na 6-0 7-5 in the third-place playoff, denying China a first singles medal but guaranteeing the Russian treble.
It was the first one-two-three in any Olympic tennis event since 1908, when Great Britain also collected all three women's singles medals.
American superstars Serena and Venus Williams overpowered Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-2 6-0 to claim their second Olympic gold medal in the women's doubles.
The Williams sisters also won at Sydney 2000, when Venus secured singles gold as well.
Dementieva, the 2000 silver medallist, snapped Safina's 15-match winning streak to finally break through on the big stage after a career littered with unfortunate mental meltdowns, including shockers in the 2004 French and US Open finals.
"This is for sure the biggest moment in my career, in my life. I will never forget this moment," Dementieva said.
"Journalists were asking me all the time what is the most important for me - the grand slam or Olympic Games. Obviously, it's the Olympic Games, they're so much more important to me.
"This is a dream for every athlete, just to be here. But to be an Olympic champion, this is the top of the career."
Gold medal win yet to sink in: Hooker
Gold medal win yet to sink in: Hooker
Sleepless Steve Hooker says becoming the first Australian male to win an Olympic track and field gold medal in 40 years still hasn't sunk in.
Hooker won the pole vault at the Beijing Games late on Friday night, setting an Olympic record in the process.
The aftermath of the remarkable triumph, in which he four times faced do-or-die jumps to stay in the event, has been a blur for the 26-year-old.
After the obligatory round of press conferences ended in the early hours, Hooker celebrated with teammates at a Beijing bar before returning to front an Australian Olympic Committee media call first thing on Saturday morning.
"It definitely hasn't sunk in, I'm still the same guy that I was yesterday," Hooker said.
"I still haven't slept - I haven't had the chance to wake up and be someone new I guess.
"I might have a nap this afternoon and wake up and be a new person or be in a new life but it's all feeling pretty much the same.
"I have just been out with the same group of athletes that I was with a couple of days ago and we have all got the same vibe amongst us."
Hooker only advanced to the final by clearing his final qualifying jump at his third and last attempt.
Then in the final, Hooker three times faced elimination from the gold medal hunt only to clear the heights on his last chance, including the winning 5.90m vault.
The Perth-based athlete kept going to set a new Olympic record of 5.96m on his second try.
"In the end it was good that I was doing third attempt jumps because I just knocked all the nervous energy out of myself," he said.
"I just started doing what I needed to do to get through the jumps which was jump technically well and that is what got me through in the end."
Beckham confirmed for Beijing handover ceremony
Beckham confirmed for Beijing handover ceremony
England footballer David Beckham will take centre stage when the Olympic flag is handed to London at Sunday's closing ceremony in Beijing.
Beckham, whose popularity in China dwarfs that of even record-breaking swimmer Michael Phelps or sprint sensation Usain Bolt, will take part in London 2012's eight-minute slot in the Games finale designed to showcase the next host city.
The Los Angeles Galaxy player will be joined in the Bird's Nest stadium by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and London-born singer Leona Lewis as well as dancers from the Royal Opera House and numerous sportsmen and women from previous Olympic Games.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is attending the closing ceremony which will see new London Mayor Boris Johnson receive the flag from his Beijing counterpart, Guo Jinlong.
No details were revealed about the content of the show or exactly what Beckham's role would be but his appearance is likely to get the biggest cheer of the night.
"He has been passionate about the bid from the early stages, he played a key role in Singapore and he was brought up within a stone's throw of the Olympic Park in London," Bill Morris, the London Organising Committee (LOCOG's) director of ceremonies, told reporters on Friday when confirming the A-list line-up.
Former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder Beckham, who has a Chinese proverb tatooed on his torso, was mobbed when he arrived in Shanghai with La Galaxy this year and has a fanbase in China running into hundreds of millions.
Morris said the theme of the London slot would be simple and fun and would not be trying to compete with anything Beijing managed during a sparkling opening ceremony.
"This is not the moment we want to try and compete with the truly astonishing job BOCOG did with their ceremonies," Morris said, referring to the Beijing organisers. "But it will be youthful, diverse, loud and proud.
"It's also great opportunity to celebrate the outstanding success of the British team in these Games."
Mayor Johnson joked that he had been in training for his big "flag-carrying moment".
"I am thrilled, I'm overwhelmed, I'm incredibly excited but I'm not intimidated," he said.
Oz Olympic glamour girl Stephanie Rice signs $800,000 deal with Channel Seven
Oz Olympic glamour girl Stephanie Rice signs $800,000 deal with Channel Seven
Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice says having her world record broken has given her new motivation for the Olympic Games.American Katie Hoff broke Rice's three-month old mark in the 400-metres individual medley at the US swimming trials last Monday.
Last night Rice overcame a back strain to easily win her heat at the Sydney grand prix event and will race in the final this morning.
Rice says it has been frustrating seeing the Americans in full race mode.
"It really motivated me seeing her swim the other night," she said.
"If anything that was really what I needed with this last three weeks to go - just some thing to push me on a bit further."
After seeing Hoff's race Rice says she now knows what she has to do to win gold in Beijing.
"It is definitely going to take a world record and I really think it is going to come down to a great race in the end," she said.
SydneyStephanie Rice, August 22: Aussie swimmer Stephanie Rice’s Olympic gold victory has apparently started to earn her moolah, for she has bagged a contract with Channel Seven.
The glamour girl’s two-year deal with the television network is estimated to be worth 800,000 dollars.
Rice, however, is said to have been pulled out of an expected appearance in a Channel Nine 60 minute Olympics special on the “heroes of Beijing”, scheduled for broadcast on Sunday, because it would clash with her Seven allegiance.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Seven is also said to have paid other athletes not to appear on the program.
The photogenic Brisbane swimmer has won three gold medals thus far.
Her personal life is as famous as her achievements in the water.
While photographs from her page were splashed across newspapers earlier this year, her well-publicised relationship with fellow swimmer Eamon Sullivan earned the pair an advertising deal with an underwear label.
Experts have predicted that Rice, who has been the most successful female swimmer at Beijing, may make up to 450,000 dollars per sponsorship deal. (ANI)
Bolt gets third, Dibaba second at Olympics
Bolt gets third, Dibaba second at Olympics
Usain Bolt earned a triple-triple of sprint gold medals and world records on Friday, an unprecedented Olympic feat that elevated him alongside Michael Phelps as the stars of the Beijing Games.
With his giant strides, he ran a lighting final bend that set anchor Asafa Powell on the way to a record 37.30 seconds in the 4x100 meters, chopping a massive .30 off the mark the United States had held for 16 years.
"Go Asafa!" Bolt shouted after handing over the baton, pointing Powell in the direction of a golden record. And his teammate did exactly that _ completing the only great run of his disappointing Olympics to turn reggae into the Olympic anthem of the celebrating Bird's Nest.
And Bolt, never at a loss for words, was not going to wait for IOC president Jacques Rogge to anoint the superlative of the Beijing Games.
"You can't explain the feeling you feel after the greatest Olympics ever," Bolt said.
And who to question him.
If Phelps won eight golds to Bolt's three, he was not perfect, missing a world record in one race. The 22-year-old Bolt was perfection itself, never even close to being challenged whenever he set foot on the track.
Bolt also became only the fourth man, and the first since Carl Lewis in 1984, to win all three Olympic sprint events.
Bolt had already set the world record of 9.69 in the 100 and 19.30 in the 200, but that funky Jamaican was aching for an encore.
And Powell, a former 100 world record holder who only finished fifth in the 100, provided it. He crossed the line almost a full second in front of silver medalists Trinidad and Tobago, which finished in 38.06. Japan took the bronze in 38.15.
"I said to Asafa, 'Can we do this?' And he was like, 'Don't worry, man, we got this one.'" Bolt said.
The loss of the world record made the great American sprint debacle complete, failing to get a single gold in six events.
If Bolt was again all about the shiny golden shoes, oversize celebrations and wiggling dances to reggae, Tirunesh Dibaba achieved a landmark almost as impressive in total serenity.
The Ethiopian claimed an unprecedented long-distance double, winning the 5,000 meters to achieve something Ethiopian greats like Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele have been unable to do.
In an intense battle with rival Meseret Defar, Dibaba kicked for home with 500 meters to go. Defar, the defending champion, just cracked.
Defar was even passed by Ethiopian-born Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey, who claimed her second silver after she was beaten by Dibaba in the 10,000, too.
Bekele is going for a similar double in the 5,000 on Saturday, after barely missing out four years ago.
Crossing the line, Dibaba timidly clenched her fists, briefly raised her arms in triumph and quickly turned around to console her rivals.
Just ahead of Bolt's triple, Jamaican sprinters finally proved they were fallible, however, botching the handover of the baton in the women's 4x100 relay they were overwhelmingly expected to win.
"I did what I was supposed to do, she did what she was supposed to do," said Kerron Stewart, who botched the handover with Sherone Simpson. "I guess it wasn't God's will."
Russia profited, unexpectedly adding another gold, and Belgium got its first medal of the Olympics when European champion Kim Gevaert followed close behind. Nigeria took bronze.
The United States was eliminated in the heats.
Maurren Higa Maggi earned Brazil a gold medal in the women's long jump.
The world indoor silver medalist led from the first round at 7.04 meters and it proved enough for gold.
World and defending Olympic champion Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia, who took silver in the triple jump, got another silver, finishing only one centimeter behind the Brazilian on her final attempt.
Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria took bronze, a bigger blessing than it seems.
She was only allowed into the final after Lyudmila Blonska was disqualified after failing a doping test in the heptathlon, where she had won silver.
"I'm shocked," Okagbare said. "It is the biggest miracle."
Carolina Kluft, the three-time world champion and 2004 Athens Olympics heptathlon champion, finished ninth.
Unlike Kluft, Bryan Clay is sticking with the multi-event test of power and speed which traditionally is called the battle to become "the world's greatest athlete."
The 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2005 world champion won with 8,791 points.
Andrei Krauchanka of Belarus took silver with 8,551 points, and Leonel Suarez of Cuba was third with 8,527.
Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic, the reigning world and Olympic champion, finished sixth.
Dan O'Brien was the last U.S. athlete to win the Olympic decathlon, taking gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Steve Hooker won the pole vault to give Australia its first in track and field at the Beijing Olympics.
After winning with a vault of 5.90, he added an Olympic record at 5.96.
World indoor champion Yevgeniy Lukyanenko of Russia took silver at 5.85 and Denys Yurchenko of Ukraine got bronze.
Under a clear sky and increasingly hot sun with morning temperatures approaching 30 degrees C (85 degrees F), Alex Schwazer of Italy won the longest event on the program, the 50-kilometer walk.
With a break 10 kilometers from the finish, he pulled away from the leading group and held on to beat Jared Tallent of Australia, who won bronze in the 20K.
Denis Nizhegorodov of Russia, the silver medalist from the Athens Games and world record holder, took bronze.
Liu Xiang vows to bounce back in Berlin Worlds and London Olympics
Liu Xiang vows to bounce back in Berlin Worlds and London Olympics
BEIJING, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Liu Xiang, who saw his Olympic champion taken away by Cuban Dayron Robles on Thursday, has vowed that he will come back stronger in next year's world championships and even the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Liu, China's most famous sports star and 2004 Olympic 110m hurdles champion, withdrew with an injury from his qualifying heat, to the surprise of all the Chinese fans.
"I am not upset after watching the final race (which Robles won). On the contrary, I felt the desire for victory burning. I am still young. I have the potential. I can fight on against him (Robles)," Liu said in his Friday's column on Liberation Daily.
Liu is still staying in Beijing and he said that he is being treated with traditional Chinese medicine.
"I will return to Shanghai and wait for my injury to heal completely. And then I will resume training. I believe I will win.
"I cannot appear in the Bird's Nest at the Olympic Games, but I believe that I will appear on the tracks of next year's world championships and even the London Olympic Games," he said.
Liu, who watched Thursday night's final on TV in his Beijing hotel room, said Roble's winning time of 12.93 seconds was "very good" considering the wet conditions.
"I had expected David Oliver would have brought some challenge to him, but Robles was really in great form. Normally if he has taken the lead, it's hard for anybody to catch up," he said.
Liu won the gold in the Athens Olympics in a world record-tying time of 12.91 seconds. He went on to break the world record in 2007 in 12.88. Robles then improved the mark to 12.87 last June. On a track where Usain Bolt broke the men's 100m and 200m world records, Robles' winning is not impressive.
"The track is very slippery after the rain on Thursday morning. It was not easy to clock such a time, which proved he was in good form."
Liu, who beat the Cuban at last year's world championships in Osaka, Japan, said he is not sure if a healthy Liu can beat Robles in the Bird's Nest National Stadium.
"If I were there on Thursday, I still couldn't predict the result (of the final). As long as an athlete has tried his best, he or she will have no regrets," Liu said.
The Liberation Daily has bought the exclusive right to run the columns of Liu Xiang and his coach Sun Haiping during the Games time, according to a reporter with the Shanghai-based newspaper.
Beijing Olympics: underage gymnastics row stalled
Beijing Olympics: underage gymnastics row stalled
An investigation into allegations that China fielded underage gymnasts at the Beijing Olympics appears to have been postponed after the sport’s governing body failed to reach any concrete conclusions on the issue.
After mounting pressure, the International Olympic Committee announced today that it had asked the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) to investigate the allegations surrounding four gymnasts, including He Kexin who won gold on the uneven bars.
However despite promising a prompt resolution to the dispute which threatens to sour the final days of the Games, GIF later issued a statement which gave no timeframe for a resolution to the inquiry which is now expected to take days or even weeks.
“In response to a request from the International Olympic Committee, the FIG has now asked the Chinese Gymnastic Association to submit further documents testifying to the birthdates of the gymnasts,” the statement said.
“On receipt of these documents, the FIG will forward its conclusions to the International Olympic Committee. It is in the interests of all concerned, not least the athletes themselves, to resolve this issue once and for all.”
China has been at the centre of a storm of media allegations that three of its gold medal-winning gymnasts were underage after documents discovered on the internet appeared to show some of the girls were as young as 14.
The dispute centres on official registration documents recovered by several US media organisations from the online archives of the General Administration of Sport of China – the equivalent of the Ministry of Sport - which showed He Kexin’s date of birth as “January 1 1994”.
This contradicted the date of birth shown on her passport, which was used to prove her eligibility to compete at the Olympics where all gymnasts must be 16 or over. According to this document He was born on January 1 1992.
Sceptics also point to a news report published just nine months before the Beijing Olympics by the Chinese government’s Xinhua news agency which gave He’s age as 13. Officials have since dismissed that report, saying Xinhua had never been given her age and made a “mistake”.
China’s gymnastic coach, Lu Shanzhen, indignantly insisted that the passports and a supporting birth certificate, provided by the Chinese authorities to the Olympic authorities were sufficient proof of the He Kexin’s eligibility to compete.
"Surely it's not possible that these documents are still not sufficient proof of her birthdate? The passports were issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The identity card was issued by China’s Ministry of Public Security. If these valid documents are not enough to clarify this problem, then what will you believe?," he said.
The IOC, who have striven to avoid embarrassment to their Chinese hosts at all costs during these games, also appeared to support the home nation’s claims that their gymnasts were legal.
“The information we have received seems satisfactory in terms of the correct documentation - including birth certificates,” said IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies.
However widespread suspicions still linger, particularly since neither the Chinese, the IOC nor the International Gymnastics Federation appear able to explain the discrepancy between the gymnasts’ passports and the official records.
With both the IOC and the Chinese determined to have “an incident-free Games” it is now widely expected that the results of the FIG investigation will not be known until some time after Sunday’s closing ceremony.
If He is stripped of her gold medal in the uneven bars, Britain’s Beth Tweddle, 23, stands to move up to the bronze medal position, which would be Britain’s first women’s gymnastics medal for a century.
Beijing Olympics: What lessons can we learn from Britain's gold rush?
Beijing Olympics: What lessons can we learn from Britain's gold rush?
London House can be found in Beijing’s bar district, alongside places called Sip and Purple, drinking dens so Westernised they might well have been airlifted in from Shoreditch.
Slick and sharp, all minimalist fittings and designer script on the menus, the venue has acted as a night-time haunt for the British during these games, a little Notting Hill home from home, a place where you can happily forget you are in China at all.
On Thursday, after nearly a fortnight of Olympian precision and perfect time-keeping, 14 days in which you could set your watch on the departure of your bus, or the start of the second heat in the women’s 75kg Greco-Roman wrestling, London House was hosting the only function in Beijing that was running late. Boris Johnson was in town, scheduled to address the media about London’s plans for the 2012 Olympics.
The mayor was due to begin at 5pm, and by 5.30pm there was no sign of him. Bustling PR people fluffed around oozing self-importance; administrators from the LDA or the BOA or LOCOG or any one of the alphabet soup of organisations running London 2012 talked anxiously on their mobiles; a worried-looking Sloane with a clipboard checked her list to see if he might have slipped in unnoticed. And as you watched and waited, you thought: if only British sports people could be put in charge of 2012, if only Rebecca Adlington, Chris Hoy and Ben Ainslie were running the thing, all would be well. Because these are people we can rely on.
Like the bus timetable here, the Beijing Olympics have enfolded much as predicted. They have been monumental, the number of people mobilised to operate them almost beyond calculation. This was their very purpose: to demonstrate to the world that if you want modern, wired-in efficiency then China is the place to do business. There have been dazzling world records on the track, the hosts have dominated the medals table, and the smiles in the synchronised swimming pool have been as fixed as the elections to the Central Committee.
But there has been one major surprise: against all expectation, the British have shown themselves to be rather good at sport. It has taken everyone aback. I have been interviewed by a Danish journalist who asked me just one question: “How the hell did this happen?”
It began on the second day of competition. The very day The Observer rashly published a column in which the writer asked whether the reader was already as bored of the Olympics as she, the women’s cycling road race took place. Held in conditions familiar to anyone who has taken a camping holiday in the Lake District in May, it was won by Nicole Cooke. While her rivals had prepared for searing heat and humidity, Cooke knew all about the driving squall into which the competitors raced. She comes from Wales. She has rain in her veins.
From Tiananmen Square to the base of the Great Wall, Cooke cycled as if on a training run through the Valleys, and Britain’s first gold was soon being placed around her dripping wet neck. From there on, it hardly stopped. Through a miserable August back home, with credit crunching, house prices tumbling and the Met Office nightly issuing severe weather warnings, British competitors kept delivering good news. Morning after morning people woke to hear of yet more glory. Front pages were filled with pictures of smiley young Britons abroad, swathed in the Union Jack. The medal table became compulsive reading: so elevated was our position that the entire country was in urgent need of oxygen.
It was not just those watching who seemed surprised. When Rebecca Adlington won her first gold in the swimming pool, she could not stop smiling on the medal podium. Up there, even the granite-jawed Azerbaijanis or Ukrainians with shoulders the size of Ben Nevis lose control of their bottom lip. But Adlington grinned and waved and had the time of her life.
Afterwards, in the bowels of the magnificent Beijing Water Cube, the 19-year-old freestyle champion told a group of journalists who had not even heard of her a couple of hours before that she was smiling because it was all so ridiculous – she couldn’t really believe it. Her, a lass from Mansfield, winning a gold medal at the Olympics? Come on, you’re having a laugh. Then she won another, in the process breaking a world record that had stood almost as long as she had been alive. And people began to talk of serious elevation: arise, Dame Becky.
“I’m not going to do anything that affects my swimming,” she said of the many offers suddenly flying her way. “All that matters is doing well at London, that’s always been my goal. Hey, that’s going to be awesome isn’t it?”
Fame? She wasn’t interested. Charming, guileless, a delightful ambassador for her sport and her family, she said that all she wanted was the achievement that came as the reward for hard graft. That, and a pair of Jimmy Choos. Here was a coruscating antidote to the corrosive quest for instant celebrity that has ensnared so many of her contemporaries.
Meanwhile, at the velodrome, Britain’s cyclists won seven golds – enough, if they were a separate nation, to put them ninth in the medals table, ahead of France, Spain and Italy. There, too, success was realised in a manner that has implications far beyond the pedal. Generously funded through the Lottery, to the tune of some £5 million a year, the British cycling team has become a byword for thoroughness. Dave Brailsford, the performance director, is obsessive in ensuring that everything is done to give his riders the maximum chance. Before these games, he invited China’s cycling administrators to his headquarters in Manchester. He wined them, he dined them, he oozed Mancunian hospitality. The Chinese were overwhelmed: was there anything they could do when Brailsford came to China for the Games? As a matter of fact, there was. And thus the British technicians enjoyed the prime pit position in the velodrome, the spot everyone wanted.
Watching the cyclists prepare before their races, you might be forgiven for thinking them absurdly pampered. Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and Bradley Wiggins did nothing for themselves as they waited for their turn to compete. They were helped into their kit by one of the dozen uniformed technicians, had their helmets adjusted for them, even their bananas peeled.
This is Brailsford’s psychology at work: give the riders the perfect preparation and then, when they go out on the track, let them know it is up to them to do their part. He calls it taking ownership of performance. There is no excuse for the rider, no blame to hide behind. Compare that to the mentality of the English professional footballer, for whom an excuse is never more than a whinge away. Watch Match of the Day tonight and you will learn that failure was the fault of the ref, the manager, the pitch. Never the player. Remind me: how is English football doing right now?
In the British cycling team, the rider accepts blame and immediately seeks to rectify the problem. Strive only for the best, leave no stone unturned, never shirk responsibility: you could run a business the Brailsford way. Actually, you could run a country. “Put down your knives and guns and take to your bikes,” was Brailsford’s message to his countrymen this week, as he suggested that a national cycling revolution in the wake of Beijing triumph could solve everything from youth crime through family breakdown to the obesity crisis. Look out Gordon and Dave: it sounded like some manifesto.
And still the successes came. Christine Ohuruogu, the rowers, the sailors – each had their stories of work and effort, of striving to achieve excellence, of the beauty of true elitism. This weekend, their heroic performances will inspire many of their fellow citizens to put the cross-trainer up a notch, jog that extra few yards, swim another length. It might even encourage some off their sofa. Which would be a nicely ironic consequence of what is now almost exclusively a television experience.
This is the wider value of these Olympians. The price of each British cycling gold medal was £625,000, or roughly the cost of keeping a couple of lifelong smokers on breathing apparatus for a year. As poster boys and girls for a healthy lifestyle, they would come cheap at ten times that.
And they have done something else too, our glorious Olympians. Boris Johnson alluded to it when he finally disentangled himself from Beijing’s traffic and breezed into London House. Watching the last fortnight unfold from a distance, he said he had seen the wider view of 2102 being transformed. What he called “the Olympo-sceptics” had been largely converted. Doubt had taken flight. Cynicism was silenced.
He has a point. We have long been told that the £9.3 billion budget for 2012 will buy us a new East End. We have heard from Lord Coe that the London Games will be a showcase for the best kind of Britishness. And we will get a glimpse of a relaxed, humorous response to the sterile conformity of Beijing in the closing ceremony. When Jimmy Page cranks out the first bars of “Whole Lotta Love”, it will begin to make sense: the next Games will take place in the most fun city on earth.
But what nobody had ever dared to suggest before Beijing was the most startling thing of all: that London might also provide us with a celebration of British sporting achievement. Now we have experienced the spring such a success can put in the collective step, we suddenly can’t wait for London. The athletes, swimmers, sailors, rowers, gymnasts and riders have handed a golden baton to the politicians and administrators charged with delivering 2012: prepare for glory. Here’s hoping they don’t drop it.
Vijender's show at Beijing Olympics
Vijender's show at Beijing Olympics
Vijender Kumar's defeat in the semifinal of the middleweight boxing event in Beijing did hurt Vijender and his fans alike but at the same time he made a billion hearts swell with pride, as he became the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal.
His achievement became all the more special as for the first time that India won three medals in the single Olympics (including Bindra's gold and wrestler Sushil Kumar's bronze).
The bout-by-bout account of Vijender's valiant show in the Beijing Olympics.
In the Round of 32: Beat G J Badou Jack 13:2
Vijender Kumar beat Jack Badou of Gambia in the 75-kg bout to advance to the second round but that was just a glimpse of what was about to come.
Despite his impressive track record, all eyes and expectations were on the likes of A L Lakra and Akhil Kumar. With a thumping win in the first round, Vijender made his presence felt.
In the Round of 16: Beat Angkhan Chomphuphuang 13:3
Vijender stormed into the quarterfinals of 75kg middleweight event, overwhelmed Angkhan Chomphuphuang of Thailand 13-3 in a lop-sided pre-quarterfinal bout.
Vijender attacked from the word 'go' and dominated the bout. His sharp reflexes and height did not allow the Thai pugilist to overpower him in any of the four rounds.
In the quarterfinal: Beat Carlos Gongora 9:4
A L Lakra crashed out in the first round of the featherweight category for being too cautious but other three pugilists - Akhil Kumar (Bantamweight), Jitender Kumar (Flyweight) and Vijender Kumar (Middleweight) - entered the quarterfinals of their respective events. While Jitender and Akhil bowed out, Vijender made sure he did not lose his control.
He beat Ecuador's Carlos Gongora 9-4 in the quarterfinal. With his sharp reflexes and sound defence, he did not allow his opponent to gain points. His victory in the quarters ensured him a bronze, which was India's first medal in boxing. But the Bhiwani-boy made it loud and clear that he was aiming the Gold.
In the semifinal: Lost to Emilio Correa Bayeaux 5:8
Vijender entered the ring for the semifinal encounter with the Cuba's Emilio Correa Bayeaux. In the Round of 32 and Round of 16, Emilio was lethal and drubbed his opponents 17:4 and 18:4 in the respective rounds. In the quarterfinals, he beat Elshod Rasulov 9:7. But that did not deter Vijender and he fought bravely. But the Cuban was too quick for him and had sound defence which did not allow the Haryana boxer score easily.
Vijender failed to open his account in the first round and Emilio led 2-0. In the next round, the Indian got the lead as he jabbed his opponent thrice on target but Emilio took the total lead to 4-3. With Vijender closing in, Emilio became more aggressive in the third round and increased his lead to 6-3.
The inevitable was looming large. However, in the last round, Vijender bounced back hard and grabbed two points. But unfortunately, his efforts fell short by three points and the Cuban cruised to the final.
Vijender Kumar's performance was exceptional in the Olympics and he showed a lot of promise and potential for the future. He lost in the semifinals not because he played badly but because his opponent played better!
Olympics Reveal East-West Divide
Olympics Reveal East-West Divide
In 1889, seven years before the founding of the modern international Olympics, the British author Rudyard Kipling intoned: "Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet/'Till Earth and Sky stand present at God's great Judgment Seat."
Do this month's games falsify or affirm Kipling's geocultural assessment?
As someone who has attended and studied several games and gained backstage access to Olympic officials, the recent events in
There is more than a duality between East and West inherent in these games; they embody a paradox between the collaborative spirit of global unity and the patriotic spirit of nationalistic competition. Thus the Beijing Olympic Committee's theme of "One World, One Dream" can be interpreted as celebrating either the harmony of shared objectives or
The harmony theme should not be negligible. Ten thousand five hundred athletes from 205 countries traveled to
In
At the same time, the existence of the competitors' distinct agendas is reflected in their interest, energy and sponsorship of each Olympiad. Patriotic pride is mirrored in nationalistic funding, fiercely monitored nation-by-nation scoring and spectators on the lookout for evidence of political bias in the judging. The architectural triumphs of this particular Olympics represent an historic $40 billion public works initiative to showcase the world's acknowledgment that this nation of 1.3 billion people--and the world's third-largest economy--is taking its seat at the table of global influence.
This nationalistic pride of
This manufactured perfection was matched by legions of conscripted "volunteers," the Potemkin village-like disguise of unsightly buildings with faux veneers, uniformed spirit sections at venues with scripted cheering at random moments, a lip-synched little girl's soprano, pre-recorded spliced-in fireworks and the perpetual emptiness at the far-flung locations designated for protesters.
Such flawlessness, though, is exactly what betrays the real divide between East and West. In stark contrast to the public yet artificial perfection of
But these prior Olympics proffered raw authenticity, pluralistic interests, democratic voices and transparent decision-making.
The Atlanta Games were dubbed the "People's Olympics," but, ironically, the magnificent games produced by the People's Republic of
Thus, its formal meeting spaces, majestic reflecting ponds with rows of benches, massive parade grounds and monuments are eerily vacant as event spectators are hastily ushered to their destinations, like the Bird's Nest stadium and the Water Cube swimming venue. Crime scene tape keeps
The night of opening ceremonies, a 1,000-person crowd at
This manufactured uniformity is both a triumph and a challenge for
Olympics: Police calm Wiggins' celebrations in Beijing
Olympics: Police calm Wiggins' celebrations in Beijing
• Double gold medallist was enjoying festivities in Beijing
• 'It ended up very good-natured,' admits BOA
Bradley Wiggins won gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in the individual and team pursuits. Photograph: Oliver Weiken/EPA
Chinese police acted as peacemakers after high jinks from double gold medal winner Bradley Wiggins saw the Olympic champion roll over the bonnet of a parked taxi.
Wiggins had been celebrating his two gold medals at London House, the venue in
The British Olympic Association said there was no question of any action against Wiggins, who is from
Wiggins flew back to
Despite his gold medals in the the team and individual pursuits, Wiggins had a disappointing end to his Olympics. Hoping to match Chris Hoy's three gold medals, Wiggins competed in the
One more Medal to India Beijing Olympics 2008
Wrestler Sushil Kumar wins 2nd medal for
Grappler Sushil Kumar provided an unexpected boost to
Wrestler Sushil Kumar on Wednesday brought further international glory to
He won the medal in the men's 66 kilograms freestyle category, defeating Leonid Speiridonov of Kazakhistan.
Khashaba Jadhav of Karad,
Though Sushil Kumar went down in the opening round against a dominant Ukrainian Andriy Stadnik, he won the bronze medal on technical points.
Khashaba Jadhav of Karad,
Earlier, Sushil Kumar was pegged down 3-8 on technical points.
In recognition of his achievement, the Railways announced an award of Rs.55 lakh plus a promotion. The Government of Delhi, the city from where Kumar hails, announced an award of Rs.50 lakh. The Central Government announced an award of Rs.25 lakh, while the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs announced a reward amount of Rs.20 lakh. The Government of Haryana announced an award of Rs.25 lakh.
This is India's second medal in the on going Olympics after shooter Abhinav Bindra's individual Gold medal in a 10 metre rifle shoot.
Alex Danson and Crista Cullen pounce to keep women's hockey team in contention
Alex Danson and Crista Cullen pounce to keep women's hockey team in contention
Great Britain's women earned their first victory of the Games with a 2-1 win over New Zealand. It wasn't exactly pretty but it keeps them in semi-final contention with two group matches to come.
Alex Danson and Crista Cullen pounce to keep women's hockey team in contention - Great Britain's Alex Danson, second from left, celebrates a goal against New Zealand during their wome
Stick with it: Great Britain's Alex Danson (r) celebrates a goal against New Zealand
Goals from Alex Danson, who steered in the first, and Crista Cullen, who converted a corner, put Britain fourth in a very open pool. They must win their remaining games and hope Argentina slip up if they are to reach the last four for the first time since 1996 and make what they would call in these parts a great leap forward.
Given the way things started here (a 5-1 drubbing by Germany) coach Danny Kerry was satisfied by Britain's progress.
"I'm delighted with the result and especially by the manner in which we won," he said. "We generated a lot of opportunities, especially in the second half."
Elsewhere in the pool, Argentina regained some momentum with a 2-1 win over Japan (Britain's next opponents) while Germany recorded their third triumph by beating the United States 4-2.
In the other section, Holland were impressive in beating China 1-0. The hosts have more than a billion reasons to feel the pressure here and it showed in front of goal.
Meanwhile, Great Britain's men are back in action against South Africa. The good news is that South Africa's last outing was a record Olympic 10-0 thrashing by Australia. The bad news is that Great Britain must play Australia next week.
Hockey highlights
*Argentina's women, considered medal shoo-ins before the tournament, cannot afford to lose to defending champions Germany.
* Great Britain's women face Japan in the battle for semi-final places.
* Australia's men tackle Holland in a repeat of the Athens final on Sunday
James Tindall sheds his villain tag as GB edge closer to hockey semis
James Tindall sheds his villain tag as GB edge closer to hockey semis
It was not their best display of the tournament so far but Great Britain's 2-0 victory over South Africa here kept them in the semi-final mix and provided redemption for striker James Tindall.
James Tindall competes for the ball at the Olympic Hockey Center
In the mix: James Tindall competes for the ball at the Olympic Hockey Center Photo: AP
It was Tindall whose rash tackle cost his team-mates the chance of an upset of Olympic proportions against Holland on Wednesday, but it was his classy finish which eased the nerves and paved the way for a hard-fought win in their third pool match.
"I put myself in solitary confinement to think about things after the Holland game," admitted the Surbiton striker. "I was hard on myself because I felt gutted for the lads who had worked so hard.
"Scoring the goal was quite a nice feeling, to say the least."
Britain now sit third in their pool behind Australia and Holland, and have Canada and the Australians left to play. Next up are Canada on Saturday.
"A good result against Canada is important so we can definitely have a crack at fifth-sixth and it would be nice to have a sniff at the semis “ a very outside sniff," said coach Jason Lee.
"It was our poorest performance so far because we looked tired and lethargic but I am very pleased with the result."
After Tindall's strike, Britain laboured to score again but failed from four corners and were grateful for South Africa's tendency to fire high and wide when given the chance. Their next opponents in green and gold will not be so generous.
However, just when it seemed South Africa might get back in the game – and score their first goal of the tournament – Matt Daly finished off some fine work along the byline from Ben Hawes to make it 2-0.
A calf strain has ended Great Britain midfielder Jennie Bimson's Games. Scotland's Laura Bartlett will join the squad for the match against Japan.
Hockey weekend highlights
*Great Britain's women play Japan on Saturday in a contest they must win if they are to make the semi-finals.
*The men of Holland and Australia meet on Sunday in a repeat of the 2004 Olympic final.
GB's women's hockey team salvage draw against Argentina
GB's women's hockey team salvage draw against Argentina
Just as it looked as though the door was closing on Great Britain's hopes of an Olympic semi-final berth, Sarah Thomas and Mel Clewlow booted it ajar again as they rallied from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Argentina.
Great Britain celebrate as they rescue 2-2 draw with Argentina.
Comeback completed: Great Britain celebrate as they rescue 2-2 draw with Argentina. Photo: Getty
World ranked No 2, Argentina, looked to be cruising to victory midway through the second half until a yellow card reduced them to 10 players and the red mist descended.
Britain won two corners in two minutes and converted them both before transforming themselves from a side that had looked dead and buried into a team with purpose and passion.
"We like to tease," joked midfielder Jennie Bimson. "You know you don't get any points for the score at half-time. It's the full-time score that counts."
After being hammered 5-1 by Germany in their opening group match here, Great Britain desperately needed to find some form and some confidence.
It was a long time coming as Argentina went ahead from a 10th-minute corner and then extended their lead in similar fashion 17 minutes later.
However, once Mariana Gonzalez was ensconced in the sin bin, the British revival began when Thomas turned in a rebound following the peppering of the Argentina goal from a penalty corner.
Then, Canterbury's Clewlow celebrated her 250th cap with a piledriver from a set-piece two minutes later.
Having considered retirement following the death of her father 18 months ago, Clewlow delivered the goods even though coach Danny Kerry confirmed the shot was a dipping mishit which was aimed at the other side of the goalkeeper.
At the time, minor details like that hardy mattered.
"When they started rabbiting at the umpires we knew we had a chance," said Clewlow.
"At half-time, Danny asked if we were going to stand up and be counted or just let Argentina trample all over us so this feels pretty good."
Once they were level, Britain looked more organised and more composed even though goalkeeper Beth Storry had to make several decent saves and a tiring defence made rather too many basic errors in the last five minutes.
By this point, however, Argentina were in no shape to capitalise and were left to rue those moments of indiscipline that cost them the victory.
After throwing away a lead against the Americans in their first game, another 2-2 draw leaves Argentina's semi-final prospects in the balance.
Britain, meanwhile, have probably used up their get-out-of-jail-free card but can approach Thursday's game against New Zealand with renewed optimism.
In a very open group, there is everything to play for.
Olympics: Aaron Cook aiming for Tae Kwon Doe gold in Beijing
Olympics: Aaron Cook aiming for Tae Kwon Doe gold in Beijing
Aaron Cook dreams of knocking out Steve Lopez in the Olympic final in Beijing and, given the young Briton's confidence, you would not bet against it happening.
Aaron Cook - Aaron Cook aiming for Tae Kwon Doe gold in Beijing
Never mind that Lopez is the 29-year-old American two-time Olympic champion who also happens to be the taekwondo competitor Cook has always looked up to.
There will be no room for sentiment if the 17-year-old from Dorchester gets that close to winning the gold medal. Like his sport, Cook is fast-moving. He is the world junior and youth Olympics champion and his rise through the ranks has come as no surprise to Gary Hall, the team leader.
He is one of many who have benefited from the earlier success of his team-mate, Sarah Stevenson, at the Sydney and Athens Olympics and the massive investment being made in taekwondo by UK Sport.
It was only eight years ago that the sport made its Olympic debut and yet its National Lottery funding has gone from £600,000 for the four years to Athens, to more than £2.5million for Beijing, where the target is one medal.
Hall said: "Sarah was the catalyst for change in Britain. UK Sport saw a sport that was moving quickly and we are now in the mainstream."
Both Cook and the third member of the team, Michael Harvey, have taken time out from their education and enjoy a lifestyle that even Stevenson marvels at.
Now 25, she said: "They don't have to pay for anything, they don't have to work, they can train everyday with the national team. I did not have anything like that.
"They don't have anything to worry about. I think it's great because they are going to be a lot better than I was."
The investment of lottery funding has meant that this small team of three could not have better support. For a start, there is Nelson Miller, the Cuban-born head coach who was brought to the Feat Factory academy – a converted industrial building in Manchester where the British team are based – from his role with the Dutch national squad and the sport's full-time performance analyst. Miller will assess the opposition between bouts.
It gets better. For the team's final preparations at the British Olympic Association's training camp here, Hall has drafted in eight sparring partners from China, the host country so blessed with talent that it has more than one million participants at this level.
But Hall dismissed any notion that the Chinese could take any secrets away from the British camp. "The only advantage for them would be if they brought a video camera and that's not allowed," he said.
As for Cook, who took up the sport after watching the Power Rangers on television when he was only five, he accepts that a medal in Beijing is unrealistic. But he can dream. "I've always wanted to beat Lopez and now he's coming to the end of his career, I'm not going to get a lot of chances," said Cook.
The non-seeded draw on Aug 19 could bring a meeting with Lopez in an early round, but the Briton would prefer to meet him in the final. He added: "I've always dreamt of being in an Olympic final with him and I'll do my best to get there. If he's there too, God help him."
Paula Radcliffe's marathon bid ends in tears
Paula Radcliffe's marathon bid ends in tears
Paula Radcliffe's bid for Olympic glory ended in despair as she trailed in 23rd in the women's marathon in Beijing.
Paula Radcliffe's marathon bid ends in tears
Tears of frustration: the courageous Paula Radcliffe is consoled by her British team-mate Liz Yelling in Beijing Photo: Reuters
Romanian Constantina Tomescu took the gold in 2:26.44 with Kenyan Catherine Ndereba claiming silver, pushing China's Zhou Chunxiu into bronze after a sprint battle down the home straight in the Bird's Nest.
Radcliffe briefly stopped two hours and 14 minutes into the race clearly struggling with the injured thigh that had threatened to prevent her competing. Showing huge courage, Radcliffe continued until the end and finished in 2:32.38.
Radcliffe admitted that "my legs had gone" after completing the race - and insisted she hoped to be back for another crack at Olympic glory.
She told BBC One: "I was trying to achieve the impossible I guess. The amount of running I've done coming in wasn't enough.
"Cardiovascularly I felt comfortable but my legs had gone. My calf went first then it went up the entire leg and it felt like I was running on one leg.
"But I didn't do all that work for nothing. It's just really frustrating.
"I was going to the finish line no matter what. I did all the hard work and it feels frustrating because cardiovascularly I don't feel like I've run.
"I tried to to the right things in the race, tried to go after Constantina but my legs weren't there.
"I didn't feel sick or in distress, but there was nothing else I could do."
The 34-year-old Radcliffe admitted the performance of winner Tomescu, who at 38 produced a fine run, has inspired her to keep going until the London Olympics in four years time.
"It's not the end," she added. "I knew I was pushing it coming in with three-and-a-half weeks of running. You can't take shortcuts in the marathon and I guess I learned that today.
"Fingers crossed for 2012. Look at Constantina - maybe I can do that in 2012 if my body holds up. I know in London I'll have all that support.
"I don't think this is redemption for Athens but it would have been for nothing if i hadn't finished."
Mara Yamauchi was sixth in 2:27.29 and third Briton Liz Yelling, who suffered a fall during the race, was 26th in 2:33.12.
She said: "It was really, really good. I felt really happy with sixth.
"She (Tomescu) was very aggressive and I wasn't surprised how she ran. I thought we would catch her but she just held on. There's no way I could have gone with that pace."
Britain's Tonia Couch and Stacie Powell find harmony despite defeat in Beijing Olympics
Britain's Tonia Couch and Stacie Powell find harmony despite defeat in Beijing Olympics
Diving pair Tonia Couch and Stacie Powell failed to improve on the performance of Tom Daley and Blair Aldridge as they too finished in last place in the synchronised 10 metre platform final.
Britain's Tonia Couch and Stacie Powell find harmony despite defeat in Beijing Olympics
Falling: Tonia Couch (right) and Stacie Powell miss out Photo: Bloomberg
But both girls claimed there was no longer any ill- feeling in the diving camp following the men's event. ''We're all one happy family,'' they said.
A rift between the men's pair appeared to have opened up after 14-year-old Daley reprimanded Aldridge for taking a mobile phone call from his mother before their final dive. Aldridge, 26, then said that the pressure surrounding the event had proved too much for Daley.
No such disharmony was in evidence after the women's event. Despite finishing eighth, they were pleased with their performance and Powell said: "We felt a bit frustrated with our syncro marks, we felt they were worth more than the judges were giving us. But that's sport for you. We'll go home and work on our dives, putting the experience to good use for 2012."
They were in fifth place at the end of the penultimate round. But their final dive was disappointing and they slipped down the order, the gold going to the Chinese pair of Xin Wang and Ruolin Chen.
Britain's Gemma Spofforth, meanwhile, came very close to adding to Britain's medal tally in the 100 metres backstroke in Beijing's Water Cube. Spofforth finished just four-hundredths of a second behind bronze medallist Margaret Hoelzer from the United States as fellow American Natalie Coughlan retained her title ahead of Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry. Spofforth's time of 59.38sec was a new European record.
Beijing: Beach volleyball will be as popular as ever
Beijing: Beach volleyball will be as popular as ever
Bronzed bodies, bright lights and blaring music have made beach volleyball one of the most popular Olympic sports and the competition will be hotter than ever in Beijing.
Beijing: Beach volleyball will be as popular as ever
Centre of attention: The Dutch Beach Volleyball practice at Chaoyang Park in Beijing Photo: EPA
The United States and Brazil, the dominant forces in beach volleyball, top the rankings and, as in so many sports, China are snapping at their heels.
Beach volleyball was elevated to Olympic status at the 1996 Atlanta Games, bringing the glamour of the sun-kissed sands of California and Rio to the world's premier sporting event.
The decision was criticised by some as a ploy to boost viewing figures with muscle-rippling athletes jumping around in bikinis or sleeveless slips, but the high-octane atmosphere has become a staple of the Games.
It has also created something of a competition among organisers to create the most photogenic venues. Sydney staged its beach volleyball event on the sands of Bondi Beach.
China originally planned to hold the 2008 event in Tiananmen Square where hundreds of protesters were killed when the government sent tanks in to break up a 1989 student protest.
Organisers changed their minds and shipped tonnes of sand from an island off southern China to a less emotive new stadium in an amusement park.
Athens women's gold medallists and three-times world champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh of the U.S. have not dropped a match this year during which they have played comparatively little.
Brazilians Juliana and Larissa will have to recover from injury to head off two Chinese pairs in the Olympic rankings top five - Tian Jia and Wang Jie, and Xue Chen and Zhang Xi.
Things also look hopeful for the United States in the men's draw where 2007 world champions Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser are peaking just ahead of their first Olympics after winning their last three tournaments.
Not far behind them are champions Ricardo Santos and Emanuel Rego, who have been pretty consistent since Athens, and fellow Brazilians Marcio Araujo and Fabio Luiz.
The Chinese men are also making waves. Wu Penggen and Xu "Tiny" Linyin lead the 2008 Tour rankings and have finished second in five tournaments this year, without winning a title. Tiny is 2 metres tall.
At least Tom Daley went down fighting after diving fiasco in Beijing
At least Tom Daley went down fighting after diving fiasco in Beijing
Tom Daley has yet to wield a razor blade in anger.
At least Tom Daley went down fighting after diving fiasco in Beijing
Sinking feeling: Tom Daley tries to keep his composure between dives
He is a champion in choirboy's clothing. The Olympics was always going to be a learning experience. It was. For his far-from-synchronised diving partner.
The Daley story has captivated these Games; the Harry Potter of the diving pool. Eighth in the synchronised pairs was not the ending JK Rowling would have penned. Still, no disgrace either. What did turn the stomach was the inversion of roles in the visceral immediacy of defeat; a 14-year-old man found himself paired with a 26-year-old boy.
The mixed zone is a truth chamber for the emotions. One half of the British pair held up under scrutiny, the other needed his mother. You guessed it. It wasn't the 14-year-old who sought the apron strings during competition.
Blake Aldridge was disappointed. Fair enough. This was his leap at the rainbow. Daley is looking at three, perhaps four cracks at Olympic Gold. He may even win a medal in the individual event on Saturday week.
Daley is the story here not because he has the bearing of Apollo, whose voice has yet to break. The camera lasers in because he won a pot at 13 years and 10 months. He is the European champion at 10-metre diving, a detail that had an author and columnist from Corriere Della Sera, Italy's serious daily newspaper, rapt in the press seats.
You could hear the air whistling through the gap in his teeth as he mused over the fact that he had a boy at home the same age. "Non posso crederci," he said. Yep, he couldn't believe it. This was always going to be the Daley show and ultimately it was Aldridge who failed to deal with it.
Worse, he bleated about it, told tales out of school, dumping blame on the teenager like a teenager. "I'm not disappointed with my performance at all. I landed on my head with every single dive. Tom was very, very nervous. I think he really struggled to get through the competition. For me to be his partner, it was hard for me to get up there and ease him into his competition."
Contrast that with the response of a kid who might yet develop into a national treasure, if he has not already. "We didn't dive our best, actually this is probably our worst result in a competition. Naturally, I'd love to do the whole competition over again. But it's been my dream to go to the Olympics and now I can say after today that I'm an Olympian, so I can't be disappointed. It was really fun, I had an awesome time."
What was Aldridge thinking in seeking the eye of his mother and asking her to call him on his mobile with one dive remaining? A good question, and one put not unreasonably by Daley. The pair had slipped to seventh, 10 points adrift of sixth and five clear of last spot. The medal had gone. But not pride. Daley went down throwing punches; Aldridge tantrums.
Daley might have pointed out, as one critic did, that Aldridge could have put an umbrella to good use such was the splash he created on entry at the climax of one dive. The point is it matters not who was to blame. One entity was at fault; the team, a concept understood by Daley at least. Even the Chinese, who led from the opening dive, received a four out of 10 from one judge. You move on.
So much of this discipline is a beauty contest; muscled torsos spinning, twisting, arching through the ether before nailing the water through 90 degrees. There was much to admire in the work of Daley and Aldridge. Only China and Russia outscored their first dive.
Yet Aldridge believed the karma was bad. The occasion, he said, was getting to his partner. Maybe the lad did protest too much.
Earlier in the day, at the other end of the Water Cube, Rebecca Adlington gave us another moment of great British affirmation when she touched a fingertip ahead of America's Katie Hoff to take gold in the 400 metres individual free style.
You would not wish the fate of Hoff on your synchronised diving partner. The all-American girl led to within a nano metre of the tape and recoiled as if harpooned when she realised the gold was bound for Mansfield.
