'United by Emotion': Tokyo 2020 unveils Olympics motto

TOKYO – Tokyo 2020 organizers on Monday rolled out the motto for this year's Olympics, "United by Emotion", which they said reflected the "universal values" and "unifying power of sport".

"Crowds of spectators who do not know each other prior to the Games will come together and learn that there is more that unites them than divides them," Tokyo 2020 said as it unveiled the motto.

The official Olympic motto is "Citius, Altius, Fortius" or "Faster, Higher, Stronger", but each host city chooses its own motto to accompany that edition of the Games.


London's motto in 2012 was "Inspire a Generation", whereas Athens in 2004 went for "Welcome Home" — a nod to the birthplace of the Games in Olympia.

Less well-received was Sochi, which plumped for "Hot. Cool. Yours", sparking derision in some quarters.

Tokyo said the motto would be beamed onto the Skytree tower in the Japanese capital to raise awareness as it will be seen for miles around.

The opening ceremony will be on July 24 and organizers have stressed there is no discussion about changing this date despite the coronavirus crisis hitting global transport.

Tokyo 2020 roll-outs have not always been smooth. In September 2015, the Games logo was ditched after accusations of plagiarism.

Designer Olivier Debie said the design was stolen from his logo for a Belgian theatre and threatened court action before officials withdrew the emblem, saying it "no longer has public support".

Agence France-Presse

Popovich 'thrilled' as US qualifies for Tokyo 2020 basketball

SHANGHAI – Team USA coach Gregg Popovich spoke of his joy after the reigning Olympic basketball champions qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Games on Monday.

The United States, which will be chasing a fourth Games gold in a row, secured its berth for next summer after beating Brazil 89-73 at the World Cup.

Argentina also confirmed its place in Tokyo.

"We're thrilled that we qualified for the Olympics," said San Antonio Spurs mastermind Popovich, whose team will now face France on Wednesday in the World Cup quarter-finals.

"With this new situation of qualifying, you don't want to have to do that every year. So it's a pretty big grind," said the 70-year-old.

But first, the US has the small matter of winning a third world crown in a row and Popovich's young team is building up a head of steam in China.

The Americans were already assured of a place in the last eight but they still made it five wins in a row to top Group K in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers led them against the Brazilians with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Brazil saw their coach Aco Petrovic ejected in the first half and they refused to attend the post-match press conference.

Having struggled to defeat Turkey in overtime in the first round, this Team USA missing its megastars seems to be warming to the task.

Sunday's victory for Spain over Serbia, who had been title favorites after the Americans' slow start, put Popovich's men back as the team to beat.

There are seven Olympic places up for grabs at the World Cup.

Iran will return to the Games for the first time since Beijing 2008 after they grabbed one of them.

source: philstar.com

Lacuna second to fall in Rio; places 46th in 400m freestyle

MANILA, Philippines – Jessie Lacuna is the second Filipino athlete to fall in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after finishing 6th in heat 2 and 46th overall in the 400m freestyle competition, Sunday morning.

Lacuna, one of the 50 swimmers to dispute the eight slots for the next phase, clocked 4:01:70, the second worst in heat 2. His finished 46th overall.

The 23-year-old swimmer from Ateneo de Manila University raced in a heat of seven swimmers.

His personal best in the 400m freestyle  is 3:59.75.

Venezuelan Cristian Quintero registered the quickest time in the same heat, but he wound up finishing 33rd in the final ranking.

American Dwyer Conor logged the best time of 3:43.42.

Lacuna, who currently holds the record 2015 SEA Games record of 2:00.9 in the 200m butterfly, is the second casualty the Philippine contingent suffered in the Games.

The Bulacan native also competed in the 2012 Olympics in London, where he ranked 36th in heat 2. He was the youngest athlete in that year's Philippine contingent.

Earlier, Ian Lariba bowed out of contention in the hands of naturalized Congo paddler and frequent training mate, Han Xing in the women's table tennis singles.

The Philippine crew is now down to 11 athletes.

Charly Suarez is next to see action. He will take on Great Britain's Joe Cordina in the men's lightweight boxing which begins Sunday, 5 a.m.

source: philstar.com

Violin star Vanessa Mae happy despite last-place finish in Olympic skiing

ROSA KHUTOR – Violin virtuoso Vanessa Mae, Thailand’s first ever female skier at the Olympics, came last in a rainy giant slalom on Tuesday but was still bubbling with joy after finishing the slushy course.

The Singapore-born British former child prodigy came through the finish line in 74th place, a massive 26.98sec behind leader Tina Maze of Slovenia.

Hesitantly out of the starting gate, she clocked 1min 44.86sec down the course, 7.83sec behind her closest rival Xia Lina of China.

But at least, she finished — unlike 15 others who failed to make it down.

And coming long after top medal contenders who fought for every hundredth of a second, the 35-year-old Mae — racing under the name Vanessa Vanakorn — was happy with her result.

“I expected to be last but at the end of the day the Olympics is a great opportunity,” she said, still wearing a bright green and pink mouthguard.

“I think I’m going to make a second run so it was really cool.”

“I nearly crashed three times, but I made it down and that was the main thing. Just the experience of being here is amazing. I was worried I was going to get lost (on the course), but I just about managed it.”

“I’m a last-minute kind of girl, I mean training for the Olympics with six months to go was a last-minute thing.”

“My main purpose of being here was to really have a good time, to improve my skiing in a very short amount of time,” she said.

Although a British citizen, strict British Olympic Association rules on team selection for alpine skiing saw Mae take Thai citizenship in her bid to make the Olympics.

The violinist — who has described music as her “lifelong passion” but skiing as her “lifelong hobby” — eventually qualified after getting the required number of points in four races in Slovenia.

On Tuesday, donning an orange helmet and largely dark blue catsuit, Mae negotiated the course with a conservative style, clearly lacking the cutting edge of Maze and other leaders in the discipline.

Still she dismissed talk of a possible injury that could hurt her other career.

“You have to take risks in life at the end of the day. You can insure yourself up to your eyeballs but you won’t enjoy life.”

Mae, whose full name is Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson, made her name as a child classical violinist before becoming renowned for what she has described as her “techno-acoustic fusion”.

While not well known in Thailand, she became a household name in Britain, with worldwide record sales in excess of 10 million.

source: interaksyon.com

Canada, Russia open Olympic hockey campaigns on victorious note

SOCHI – Defending champions Canada and host Russia swept aside battling opponents while the USA steamrolled Slovakia on the second day of the men’s ice hockey tournament at the Sochi Olympics Thursday.

Shea Weber and Jamie Benn scored second period goals as Canada got its gold medal defence off to a solid start in the preliminary round by edging Norway 3-1 in front of a crowd of 10,261 at the Bolshoi Ice Dome.

Russian star Alex Ovechkin scored with his first shot of the Games as the host nation survived a scare to beat Slovenia 5-2, and the United States — who won the silver four years ago in Vancouver — scored six goals in the second period as they thumped hapless Slovakia 7-1.

After a slow start in the first period, the defending Olympic champion Canadians got rolling in the second when Weber scored on a blast from the point with just over six minutes gone.

“In the first period we were testing the waters a bit,” said star forward Sidney Crosby.

“In the second and third period we found our game and wore them down. We know we have to get better as things go on.”

Benn made it 2-0 on a shot from the left side nine minutes later for Canada, who are seeking to win their first Olympic gold outside of North America in 62 years, since 1952 in Oslo.

For a while Thursday it looked like Canada was still suffering from jet lag after the long flight from North America as they failed to generate many scoring chances and only outshot Norway 9-8 in the first period.

Canada’s biggest question mark coming into the tournament was their goaltending and starter Carey Price didn’t do much to lessen those concerns.

A Price mistake led to the Norway goal early in the third period. Price tried to play the puck behind his net but lost it to Mathis Olimb who skated out front and took a shot that was deflected in by Patrick Thoresen.

“We have to be a little satisfied even though it hurts to lose,” said Thoresen.

Canada outshot Norway 38-20 overall but this game was much closer than the last time the two teams met in the Olympics in Vancouver in 2010 when Canada cruised to an 8-0 win.

Embarrassing quarter-final loss

Following an embarrassing 7-3 quarter-final loss to Canada in 2010, Russia are desperate to show they can win a gold medal on their home soil.

After racing into a 2-0 lead, they conceded twice in the second period while scoring once themselves, starting the third period with a slender 3-2 lead before adding two more goals.

Ovechkin said they got sidetracked because they wanted to put on a show for the raucous crowd inside the Bolshoi rink which chanted, stomped their feet and waved red and blue flags throughout the contest.

“We started well and got the lead but then we stopped playing,” Ovechkin said. “We tried to make casual moves and when we had a chance to shoot the puck we didn’t do it.

“We tried to play too beautiful for our fans.”

Ovechkin said the team got too fancy, especially in the second period, thinking they could rest on their two-goal lead.

“It is good to get this kind of lesson,” he said. “When you get a 2-0 lead you feel like the game is going to be easy and we stopped playing.”

Ovechkin scored on his first shot of the tournament after just 77 seconds and also provided an assist on Evgeny Malkin’s goal a few minutes later in the opening period.

The USA dominated the second period against Slovakia with two goals in 66 seconds.

Ryan Kesler scored to make it 2-1 after 1:26 and Paul Stastny made it 3-1 after 2:32.

David Backes scored from a scramble and Stastny notched his second after 13:30 to make it 5-1.

Stastny’s goal chased goalie Jaroslav Halak from the net and he was replaced by Peter Budaj, who was in the game just 50 seconds when Phil Kessel scored to make it 6-1.

source: interaksyon.com

First medals up for grabs in Sochi after lavish opening ceremonies

SOCHI – Olympic athletes were on Saturday set to compete for the first medals of the Sochi Winter Games after Russia staged a thrilling opening ceremony aimed at convincing sceptics it was a worthy host.

President Vladimir Putin declared open the 22nd Winter Olympics which are inextricably linked with his name, after he championed the idea, bid and sometimes controversial construction race to host the Games in the Black Sea resort.

After a build-up dogged by controversies on issues ranging from Russia’s gay rights record to security, the focus finally moves to the sporting action at sea-level and in the mountains with five gold medals available on Saturday.

The first gold will likely come from the women’s cross-country skiathlon, while Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, 40, will become the joint most successful Winter Olympian of all time if he wins a medal in the sprint.

Women will seek gold in the spectacular moguls freestyle event, the men’s snowboard slopestyle will be decided after a succession of spectacular crashes while the endurance kings of speed skating will face off for the lung-busting 5,000 metres.

The high-octane ceremony at the 40,000 capacity Fisht stadium on the Black Sea got off to a rocky start when one of five illuminated artificial snowflakes which were supposed to morph into the Olympic rings failed to appear, leaving an embarrassing set of just four rings.

But organisers brushed off the technical glitch, admitting that they covered-up the glitch by quickly inserting footage of the segment they had recorded days earlier.

Thereafter the show charmed and stunned in equal measure, taking hundreds of millions of spectators around the world on a lightning tour of Russian history and culture guided by a young girl named Lyubov (Love).

In a nod towards Russia’s proud sporting past, the Olympic cauldron was lit by two triple gold-winning Soviet winter sports icons — figure skater Irina Rodnina and ice hockey legend Vladislav Tretyak — as fireworks rained into the sky.

The flame had been brought into the stadium by US-based Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova and the final relay included Olympic rhythmic gymnastics champion Alina Kabayeva who has been rumoured in some quarters to be Putin’s lover.

The concerns that have shadowed these Games were underlined when a Ukrainian man attempted to hijack an airliner en route from Ukraine to Turkey and divert it to Sochi.

But Turkish military jets forced the plane to land in Istanbul, where security teams overpowered the man, said to be drunk.

Security concerns had already intensified as the United States announced a temporary ban on liquids and gels in hand luggage on Russia-bound flights, following a warning that militants could stuff explosives into toothpaste.

There were no signs of such tension in Sochi as the teams entered the stadium — led by tradition by ancient Olympic Games founder Greece — to the sound of pumping dance house music in an effort to dynamise the procession.

The Russian team won huge cheers as they entered to the song “Nas Ne Dogonyat” (“Not Gonna Get Us”) by female pop duo Tatu known for their raunchy lesbian-tinged pop videos.

Although both girls are heterosexual, their involvement could be seen as a coded riposte to Western allegations that Russia is intolerant of homosexuality.

In line with Olympic protocol, Putin, who has championed the drive to host the Olympics in Sochi since before the successful bid in 2007, made no speech save declaring the Games open.

Putin welcomed more than 40 other heads of state and leaders for the ceremony, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and embattled Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

However US President Barack Obama as well as the leaders of key EU states Britain, France, and Germany were conspicuous by their absence, a move seen by many as a snub over Russia’s now notorious anti-gay law.

IOC President Thomas Bach made an impassioned call for politics to stay out of sports, saying “have the courage to address your disagreements in political dialogue and not on the back of your athletes”.

Some 3,500 fireworks weighing a total 22.5 tonnes were set off in the course of the ceremony which involved some 3,000 performers and 2,000 volunteers.

But it remains to be seen whether the Sochi opening ceremony will shift the cloud of controversy that has hung over the Games, the most expensive in history with an estimated price tag of $50 billion.

source: interaksyon.com

Obama lauds hosting of ‘extremely successful’ Olympic Games

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama congratulated British Prime Minister David Cameron on Sunday for hosting an “extremely successful” Olympic Games in London.

The warm statement was a sharp contrast to the barbed comments Obama’s Republican rival in the November elections, Mitt Romney, made about the Games during a visit to the British capital to attend the opening ceremony.

Obama called Cameron “to congratulate him and the people of the United Kingdom and London on an extremely successful Olympic Games, which speaks to the character and spirit of our close ally,” the White House said in a statement as the games came to a close.

The Americans cemented their place on top of the medal table at the end of the Games — with a total of 104 medals, including 46 gold medals — ahead of China’s 38 gold medals, while Britain finished third in the standings with 29 gold medals.

Obama and Cameron “commended the exceptional performances by both the Olympic teams of the United States and Great Britain and noted how proud we all are of them,” the statement said.

“The president thanked the prime minister for hosting so many US athletes and fans and for the extremely warm welcome shown to First Lady Michelle Obama.”

Romney kicked up a small diplomatic storm with his remarks about London’s Olympic preparations after arriving in Britain on the first stop of an international tour designed to showcase his diplomatic skills.

Within hours of landing, NBC television broadcast an interview in which the Republican said it was “hard to know just how well” the Olympics would turn out and that there were “a few things that were disconcerting.”

He even questioned the British Olympic spirit, adding: “Do they come together and celebrate the Olympic moment? That’s something which we only find out once the Games actually begin.”

Cameron duly responded with what appeared to be a veiled attempt to belittle one of Romney’s crowning achievements, his rescue of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City from financial ruin.

“We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world,” the British prime minister said. “Of course it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere.”

source: interaksyon.com

TV5 airs spiced up London 2012 closing ceremonies Monday morning

The closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics promises to be as star-studded as its opening a couple of weeks ago.

Come Monday morning (August 13, Philippine Standard Time), the world will once again witness the best of the world’s athletes in a ceremony that showcases the best of British Music. Aptly called “A Symphony of British Music,” the celebration will feature some of the country’s best artistic exports in the past half-century. More than 4,100 performers, including 3,500 volunteers and 380 schoolchildren will be present during the lavish gathering to cap off the quadrennial games.

Academy Award-nominated film and Tony Award-winning theater director Stephen Daldry is the creative director and executive producer for the closing ceremonies. George Michael, Muse and Ed Sheeran have confirmed participation, while The Kinks’ frontman Ray Davies and the Spice Girls have been tipped as among the roster of performers.

The closing ceremonies will be broadcast live via TV5 starting at 4 a.m.

More than 10,000 athletes will also march together in a symbol of unity forged in the past two weeks of the games. Representatives from 2016 Olympic host country Brazil will also be introduced during the formal turnover ceremony for the next Games.

Despite the unsuccessful mission to capture the first Olympic gold medal for the Philippines, the 11-member contingent competed alongside the world’s best in this year’s Olympics. This year’s performance only motivates the national athletes to do better in time for 2016, officials said.

Aside from watching TV5’s live broadcast of the closing ceremonies on Monday, viewers can also catch it during its primetime replay at 8:30PM the same day on AKTV on IBC 13.

source: interaksyon.com

London Olympics theme song available as free download

Relive the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat right in your own personal computer or digital music device as “Anywhere In The World”, the official anthem for the London 2012 Olympic Games is now available as a free download at MyMusicStore Philippines, the country’s biggest online music store.

A collaboration between two UK artists, namely DJ, musician and producer Mark Ronson and singer-songwriter Katy B, in partnership with Coca-Cola, the upbeat, uplifting song is particularly noted for the sounds of celebrated athletes around the world that Ronson personally recorded for the backing instrumental track.

These sounds include the very own heartbeat of Russian sprinter Kseniya Vdovina’s and the grunts and taps on the table of Great Britain table tennis player Darius Knight.

Katy B then added vocals, singing lines like “As we move our feet in unison/Kicking up the rain or the sand in the sun/It gives my heart that feeling/Could be anywhere/Anywhere in the world”, and giving the song a spirited, soaring feel.

“Sport is music in the way that it has so many different natural rhythms. When I was recording the athletes, I wasn’t really thinking of them in terms of athletes performing a sport. I was thinking of them as people in an orchestra,” said Ronson in describing his connection with the athletes that also included taekwondo player Maria Espinoza, archer Dayyan Jaffar and hurdler David Oliver.

It remains to be seen whether “Anywhere In the World” will join the ranks of popular Olympic theme songs such as Freddie Mercury and Monserrat Caballe’s “Barcelona” (Barcelona, 1992), Koreana’s “Hand In Hand” (Seoul, 1988), Tina Arena’s “The Flame” (Sydney, 2000), Gloria Estefan’s “Reach (Atlanta, 1996) and arguably the most famous of them all, Whitney Houston’s “One Moment In Time” (Seoul, 1988).

The free download, however, should be an ideal way for the song to enter the consciousness of those earnestly following the Olympic games and trigger what most people nowadays describe as the “last song syndrome (LSS) experience.”

source: interaksyon.com

US bags Olympic football gold

WEMBLEY, England (AP) – Hope Solo found herself enveloped in a group hug at the final whistle. Abby Wambach ran to join the fun in a celebration that unleashed a year of bottled-up frustration.

The U.S. women's football team won its third straight Olympic gold medal Thursday, beating Japan 2-1 in a rematch of last year's World Cup final and avenging the most painful loss in its history.

Carli Lloyd scored early in both halves, Solo leaped and dived to make saves, and the entire roster found the redemption it had been seeking since that penalty kick shootout loss in Germany last summer.

Before 80,203 at Wembley Stadium, a record crowd for a women's football game at the Olympics, the teams put on a back-and-forth, don't-turn-your-head football showcase, proving again that these are the two premier teams in the world. Women's football is still in its formative stages in Britain, but the match proved more than worthy for the hallowed grounds of the beautiful game.

And the Japanese perhaps played just as beautifully as the Americans, using their speed and discipline to dominate possession and scoring chances for long stretches before finally cutting a 2-0 deficit in half with about a half-hour to go.

Back home, America was paying attention – just as it was last year and despite the rest of the Olympic events. Even President Barack Obama, during a campaign speech at Colorado College during the second half of the game, noted that, “The women are doing pretty good right now in soccer.”

Lloyd's goals came in eighth and 54th minutes, making it four goals in the tournament for the midfielder who lost her long-held starting job weeks before the Olympics. She got back on the pitch when Shannon Boxx injured her hamstring in the opening game and started every game since.

Yuki Ogimi answered in the 63rd minute, and Asuna Tanaka nearly had the equalizer in the 83rd – only to be thwarted when Solo flung her entire body to the left to push the ball away.

The U.S. team has won four of the five Olympic titles since women's football was introduced at the 1996 Atlanta Games, settling for mere silver at the 2000 Games in Sydney.

In the first half, Japan was unfortunate not to have a penalty kick awarded for a clear hand ball by U.S. midfielder Tobin Heath, who stuck out her left arm to stop a free kick inside the area.

Japan also had two shots hit the crossbar, one off the left hand of a leaping Solo, who was kept consistently busy for the first time this tournament. The closest the U.S. came to doubling the lead in the first 45 minutes came when Azusa Iwashimizu attempted to clear a routine ball played in front of the net – and headed it off the post.

The U.S. goal in the eighth minute began with a run by Heath down the left side. She fed Alex Morgan, who settled the ball near the goal line, spun and chipped it toward Wambach. Wambach raised her left foot for the shot, but Lloyd charged in and got to it first, her strong running header beating goalkeeper Miho Fukumoto from 6 yards out.

Lloyd extended the lead with a 20-yard right-footer just inside the left post after a long run with the ball through the middle of the Japanese defense.

Ogimi soon cut the deficit to one after a mad scramble in front of the net. Captain Christie Rampone saved a shot off the line, but the ball went to Homare Sawa, who fed Ogimi for the tap-in.

Another scramble followed after U.S. defender Amy LePeilbet saved yet another shot off the line in the 74th minute, but this time her teammates were able to corral the ball before a Japanese player could pounce on it.

Boxx was back into the starting lineup after the missing four games with the hamstring injury. Lauren Cheney, who injured an ankle in the semifinals, began the game on the bench for the first time this tournament.

Canada won the bronze earlier Thursday, beating France 1-0 at Coventry.

source: mb.com.ph

Bolt Sprints Into Olympic Glory With Golden Double

LONDON (AP and AFP) – Usain Bolt backed up his billing as a “living legend” by winning the Olympic 200 meters and becoming the first athlete to repeat as double Olympic sprint champion.

“Bask in my glory,” Bolt boasted. “I’ve got nothing left to prove.”

Undaunted by the first world record of the Olympic track meet run by 800-meter winner David Rudisha less than an hour before the 200 final, Bolt was not about to be upstaged by anyone.

He dominated his favorite event almost from the starting gun and had enough of a lead to slow down at the line, bring his left index finger to his mouth and signal a “ssssshhh” that was broadcast around the globe.

It should certainly silence the critics who claimed he was out of form ahead of the Olympics after losses to Blake at the Jamaican trials.

“That was for all the people that doubted me,” Bolt said. “I was just telling them, ‘You can stop talking now because I am a legend’.”

But he didn’t stand a chance of hushing the 80,000-capacity crowd at the Olympic Stadium, which went wild as Bolt delivered on his promise of winning when it counts most.

They knew they were witness to something unique.

“I’ve done something that no one has done before, which is defend my double title,” Bolt said. “Back-to-back for me, I would say I’m the greatest.”

His 19.32-second winning time was just .02 seconds outside his winning mark at the Beijing Olympics.

Just like Sunday’s victory in the 100, his junior training partner Yohan Blake stayed closest, and Warren Weir made it a full Jamaican medal sweep before Wallace Spearmon of the United States crossed in fourth place.

“The guy is just on another planet right now,” Spearmon said of Bolt.

Bolt kissed the track twice before striking his trademark “To the World” pose, pointing both his index fingers upward to show what he had achieved.

He can still make it 6-for-6 at two Olympics if he leads his nation to victory in the relay.

“It’s all about the 4x100 now,” Bolt said, “to have some fun and go out there and do our best.”

His win in the 100 seemed to lighten his burden in his more favored event.

He discarded the black woolen hat he wore before his races in the 100, which reflected his mood and the cold conditions.

Thursday’s weather of 23C (73F) and a shot at the double-double brought out the Bolt of old. Wearing a Jamaica-yellow cap backwards and joking with his kit volunteer, he made the pre-race activities feel like a small-town Caribbean weekend track meet.

Next to him, Blake was all intensity and concentration. But it wasn’t enough to upstage Bolt like he did at the Jamaican trials.

Rudisha was just as confident as Bolt. He predicted a world record and delivered with an overpowering show of front-running to win the 800 title.

When many were still hoping that Bolt would set such a world mark in the 200 later Thursday, the Kenyan stole some of the Jamaican sprinter’s thunder at the beginning of a balmy evening suited for setting great times.

Rudisha set off with his giant strides from the starting gun, immediately took the lead and steadily built on it, as many of the year’s greatest middle distance runners could never even get close.

He finished in 1 minute 40.91 seconds, shaving .10 of a second off the mark he set in 2010.

“Yes, he’s the greatest runner,” said Timothy Kitum, Rudisha’s teammate who took bronze. “He told me he’s going to run a world record today. He’s the best.”

The decathlon traditionally crowns “the world’s greatest athlete” but for Ashton Eaton it was tough to get much attention on a night when Bolt and Rudisha were dominant.

World-record holder Eaton won by 198 points from U.S. teammate and two time world champion Trey Hardee. Leonel Suarez of Cuba took the bronze.

The United States had another 1-2 finish when Christian Taylor won the triple jump gold medal, overhauling U.S. teammate Will Claye with his fourth jump in the final.

It left the United States atop the track and field medal standings, with seven gold and 24 overall, still on target to meet its goal of 30.

Jamaica’s sweep in the 200 helped the Caribbean nation of 2.9 million people join Russia in second place on the gold medal standings with three apiece.

Elsewhere on the final night of action in the Olympic Stadium, the decibel count will be off the charts as home favorite Mo Farah bids to add the 5,000m title to his 10,000m gold.

Bolt came to London with questions swirling over whether he was still the dominant force in world sprinting but he ran the second fastest time in history to win the 100m, and added the 200m title on Thursday.

But the Jamaicans will not have it all their own way, missing the injured Asafa Powell from their stellar line-up in a likely two-way battle with a powerful US team.

“It could be a world record but you can never say because it’s a relay and it’s a baton so you never know. But for me, we’re just going to go out there and enjoy ourselves and run as fast as possible and it will be a good race to close the show again,” said Bolt after winning the 200m.

The Somalian-born Farah, whose 10,000m victory was Britain’s first ever over the distance, was caught up in some jostling in Wednesday’s semi-finals as he battled fatigue, but he made it safely through.

The final day of athletics action on Sunday starts with the men’s 50-km race walk around the streets of London, with the women’s 20km walk taking place in the evening.

source: mb.com.ph

Olympics: Kobe 'wakes up' to show Olympic best

LONDON - Kobe Bryant, one of the two best known names in the U.S. basketball team, had yet to truly shine at the Olympics, but with an electric spell in Wednesday's quarter-final win over Australia he showed London a flash of his imperious best.

Bryant had the crowd on their feet singing his name with a quick-fire series of four three-point shots in just over a minute that took an already-stretched game beyond the reach of a battling Australian side.

"He got hot, he woke up. He definitely got it going and we all knew it was just a matter of time for him," said U.S. teammate Andre Iguodala.

Last week Bryant spoke about enjoying the Olympic experience, but a series of staid performances for an unbeaten and relatively untroubled U.S. team had ramped up the pressure on the five-time NBA champion of the Los Angeles Lakers to show his best form on the court.

"I was just searching for something to get me going, for something to activate 'the black mamba' as coach calls it," a smiling and laughing Bryant told reporters.

"I just found myself in a pretty good rhythm, found myself with some daylight to shoot the ball and they were going in for me."

U.S. team coach Mike Krzyzewski was clearer about what brought out the best in Bryant, who along with LeBron James is one of his top players: "Australia playing great."

"When you're playing a team who's fought back, and with the way they started the second half ... we needed guys to step forward," Krzyzewski said.

The U.S. team, catapulted by Bryant's streak midway through the fourth period, went on to win 119-86 and book a semi-final contest with Argentina that takes them to within two victories of retaining the title they won in Beijing four years ago. - Reuters

article source: gmanetwork.com

China rallies around fallen hurdler Liu Xiang

(CNN) -- China is rallying around fallen hurdler Liu Xiang Wednesday after he failed to make it past the first-round heat for a second consecutive Olympics. The sympathetic response was a stark contrast to the public outcry over his high-profile withdrawal from the Beijing 2008 Games.

Liu knocked over the first hurdle, injuring his right ankle and inflaming an Achilles tendon injury that ruined his medal ambitions at the 2008 Games. Liu then hopped on his left foot down the remainder of the track in a symbolic completion of the race, pausing to kiss the final hurdle.

"What Liu Xiang did today reflected the true Olympics spirit," said Feng Shuyong, the leader of the Chinese athletics team, in quotes carried by Chinese state news agency Xinhua. "Winning is not so important, participation is what matters."

"We've all seen how hard it is for him. It is such a pity but his spirit is there," Feng continued. "I think he made a lot of efforts over the past four years trying to do well. But in competitive sports, anything can happen."

"Liu's spirit and sportsmanship won praise, not only from Chinese sport officials and millions of Chinese, but also from his foreign friends and opponents," wrote Xinhua.

Local newspapers in cities across China carried Liu's story on their front pages, urging fans to support the athlete as he struggles to recover from injury. "It is time for him to take a good rest," wrote the Chongqing Morning Post.

On the Sina Weibo microblogging platform, where Liu Xiang was the top trending term Wednesday, the topic page for the Liu Xiang hashtag included the subheading: "Liu Xiang fell and lost his chance to qualify for the semi-final. Write one sentence to comfort him."

All eyes in China were on Liu at the London Olympics Tuesday, as he sought to redeem himself after limping off the track at his first-round heat at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

The outpouring of sympathy toward Liu is a marked contrast to the sharp anger and widespread criticism lobbed at him at the Beijing Games. His abrupt withdrawal in what was China's most anticipated event brought his coach, fans, and reporters literally to tears in the stadium.

Back then, Chinese fans denounced him as a "coward" who should have finished the match before quitting.

Some complained that they had paid 20 times the retail price for tickets to see Liu compete in Beijing, and demanded a refund.

China's sympathetic response this time around may be attributed to Liu's symbolic completion of the race, as well as the Olympics not taking place on Chinese home turf. At 29, Liu is also not expected to compete in another Olympics.

The Shanghai native shot to international stardom when he won a gold medal in the 110-metre hurdles at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics. His victory secured China its first men's track and field gold medal.

After a 13-month recovery period, Liu returned to the track at the 2009 Shanghai Grand Prix, finishing in second place. He went on to place first in several 110-metre hurdles competitions, including the 2010 Asian Games, 2011 Asian Championships, and 2012 Diamond Leagues held in Oregon and Shanghai.

His coach, Sun Haiping, told Xinhua on August 3 that Liu's Achilles tendon injury had flared up at his training camp in Germany ahead of the London Olympics, although he said they were confident it was under control. Liu also pulled out of the London Diamond League in London in July, citing back problems.

Chinese media reported that Liu will undergo surgery for his Achilles tendon at a London hospital Wednesday.

At 12.91 seconds, Liu's performance in Athens is the fastest 110-metre Olympic record to date.

His performance of 12.88 seconds in 2006 IAAF Super Grand Prix is his personal best and the world's second-fastest record after Cuba's Dayron Robles.

source: CNN

Zara Phillips Makes Olympic Equestrian Debut

Following Queen Elizabeth II's appearance at the Olympics opening ceremony, the royals were back in full force at the games Sunday, watching the Queen's granddaughter, Zara Phillips compete in the Dressage portion of the equestrian event competition at Greenwich Park.

"To be here at home is an amazing feeling, and you just want to try and do your best for the team," Phillips told the Washington Post.

Although the Queen was missing in action this go round, her husband Prince Philip was on hand to watch Zara compete, as was Zara's mother Princess Anne.

Zara will return to the competition Monday for the Cross Country event, which Phillips's cousin, Prince William, and Kate Middleton are expected to attend, according to People.

source: eonline.com

China celebrates first swimming golds and a world record

(CNN) -- China had cause for a double celebration on Saturday after winning their first ever swimming gold medal as well as setting a new world record in the women's 400m medley.

Sun Yang sealed a place in China's Olympic history with an impressive swim in the 400m freestyle final that was only 0.07 seconds off the world record to take gold.

Defending Olympic champion Park Ta-Hwan was leading at the final turn, but the 20-year-old Sun surged past his South Korean rival in the final length to seal a place in Chinese Olympic history.

"The feeling is very nice, it's beautiful. It's a big dream come true for me," said Sun.

"Because it's the Olympic Games, I felt a little bit nervous at the start, and then at the end, I felt that I could get a medal."

Twenty minutes after Yang won China's maiden gold medal, 16-year-old Ye Shiwen triumphed in the women's 400m medley, as well as breaking the world record set in Beijing four years ago.

Ye rounded off a sparkling day in the pool for China as she claimed the title with a breathtaking final lap of 28.93 seconds.

"I thought at the 200 meters that the race was lost, but then I realized I was in the top two or three and I was confident I could win on the last leg," said Ye.

"I dreamed of winning the gold medal, but I never ever expected to break a world record, I'm overwhelmed."

source: CNN

Lochte Takes Gold in Medley; Phelps Is 4th

LONDON — For nearly a decade Ryan Lochte chased Michael Phelps in the pool, picking up bronzes to Phelps’s golds. But all the while, Lochte has been closing the gap, second by precious second.

Lochte took away one of Phelps’s world records, then his world championships.

On Saturday night, he raced past him on the stage Phelps has dominated since 2004.

Lochte crushed Phelps and the rest of the field to win the 400-meter individual medley at the London Aquatics Centre, finishing in 4 minutes 5.18 seconds. Thiago Pereira of Brazil was second in 4:08.86, edging Kosuke Hagino of Japan, who won the bronze.

Phelps — trailing most of the race and caught by Pereira and Hagino in the freestyle, one of his strongest strokes — finished fourth, more than four seconds behind Lochte.

After the race, while Lochte lounged in the pool accepting congratulations from other swimmers, Phelps was the first one out of the water. He slowly walked across the pool deck, never glancing at Lochte. But Lochte said he later offered his congratulations in the locker room and thanked him for keeping the medal in American hands.

“I kind of made Phelps sound like a jerk, and I think he was just massively disappointed,” Lochte said.

Lochte’s victory over Phelps was his first in four head-to-head races at the Olympics dating to 2004, and gave him a leg up at last in their decade-long rivalry. Lochte was 10 seconds behind Phelps in the 400 I.M. at the 2004 Olympic trials, but had cut that deficit in half by the time he won a bronze behind Phelps in Beijing.

This year Lochte beat Phelps by 0.83 second at the trials, and his victory Saturday night seemed to signal that the torch-passing complete.

Phelps was trying to become the first man to win gold in the same swimming event in three consecutive Olympics, but he is not out of chances. He is also the two-time defending champion in the 200 individual medley — a race in which he will again face Lochte — as well as the 100 butterfly and the 200 fly.

His defeat was his first in an Olympic final since 2004, a run of 12 straight gold medals that has made him the most decorated Olympic swimmer.

The showdown between Phelps, the world-record holder in the event since 2002, and Lochte, his colorful heir apparent on the United States team, was the first marquee matchup of the London Games, but it almost did not happen. Phelps qualified eighth in 4:13.33, coming from behind on the final lap to touch out Laszlo Cseh of Hungary, a two-time medalist in the event, in their preliminary heat. Lochte, meanwhile, coasted noticeably in the final meters of his event, finishing in 4:12.35 but allowing Chad Le Clos of South Africa to surge past him.

Cseh, the silver medalist four years ago and the bronze medalist in 2004, wound up ninth, which meant he would not be able to contend for a third consecutive podium finish.

“I would not have thought this would have been the result,” Cseh said.

The preliminary times meant Phelps and Lochte, instead of staring at one another across a lane rope, were on opposite sides of the pool in the final, with Lochte in Lane 3 and Phelps in Lane 8. There would be no staredown, no “cat and mouse game,” as Phelps once described their temptation in their many duels. More important, Phelps would have a harder time tracking all of his rivals from his position far to their right.

“The only thing that matters is getting a spot,” Phelps said after the morning session.

source: nytimes.com

China claims first gold, Phelps and Lochte do battle

London (CNN) -- China claimed the first Olympic gold of the London 2012 Games Saturday, with a victory for 23-year-old Siling Yi in the women's 10-meter air rifle shooting.

Meanwhile, rival American swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte are set to go head-to-head in a battle that will be a highlight of the first official day of the Games.

And Albanian weightlifter Hysen Pulaku became the first athlete to be sanctioned for failing an anti-doping test at the London Games.

Pulaku, 20, tested positive on Monday for the steroid stanozolol, the International Olympic Committee said, and has been excluded from the competition.

Queen Elizabeth II, who officially declared the Games open late Friday, made an appearance at the Aquatics Center Saturday to watch the action.

Phelps and Lochte are competing in the men's 400-meter individual medley -- a race that combines four different swimming strokes -- after both made it through the heats to the final, Phelps only by a whisker.

The 27-year-old Phelps, who already has 14 gold medals from previous Games, is looking to add to his pot of Olympic gold.

Lochte, thought of as the biggest threat to Phelps, is hoping to live up to the hype.

The highly anticipated match-up has had many choosing sides.

Presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he was leaning towards Phelps.

"I think it's more likely to be Phelps but I don't know," Romney said Friday during the opening ceremony.

Legendary swimmer Mark Spitz, winner of seven medals at the 1972 Olympics, said he thinks Phelps' experience will help him in the grueling 400-meter individual medley.

"I put my money on Michael," Spitz said. "It's going to be a good race. Any time they are swimming together it is going to be a great rivalry. A great competition."

But the Phelps-Lochte race is not the only highly anticipated swimming showdown Saturday.

The hosts will get to cheer for their own when Hannah Miley competes in the women's 400-meter individual medley. Miley, who has been called one of Britain's best swimmers, could be challenged by American Elizabeth Beisel and Hungarian Katinka Hosszu.

Team USA's Dana Vollmer set a new Games best of 56.25 seconds in the heats of the women's 100-meter butterfly.

Britain's hopes are high for a medal in Saturday's 250-kilometer cycling road race, in which newly-crowned Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins is expected to aid fellow Briton Mark Cavendish's quest for Olympic gold.

Rowing, another sport in which Britain hopes to excel, also got under way Saturday morning on the lake in Eton Dorney, to the west of London.

Women's basketball begins

Beijing bronze medal winner Russia squared off against Canada Saturday as women's basketball got under way. Later in the day, Team USA plays Croatia.

All teams may be trying to keep the U.S. women from winning their fourth straight gold medal. In fact, at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the 2004 Games in Athens and in Sydney in 2000, the gold medal match-up pitted Australia versus the United States.

Australia, led by 6-foot-5 Lauren Jackson, starts play late Saturday against Team GB.

Women footballers get the ball, men take a break

Women's football comes to the fore Saturday as the men take a break, with Team GB taking on Cameroon fresh from the host nation's rousing 1-0 victory over New Zealand.

Some 25,000 fans showed up to Wednesday's match against New Zealand, the biggest attendance for a women's international match in Britain.

Current FIFA Women's World Cup holder Japan kicked off against Sweden Saturday, with both teams coming off Wednesday victories. Team USA plays Colombia, after surviving a scare against France Wednesday.

source: CNN

Olympics: Phelps seals another London berth

OMAHA - Michael Phelps booked himself into another event at the London Olympics when he won the 200 meters butterfly final at the U.S. swimming trials on Thursday (Friday, PHL time).

The greatest Olympian of all time remained on course to emulate his incredible eight-gold haul from Beijing four years ago with another powerful display in America's midwest.

Showing no sign of fatigue or weariness despite his grueling schedule, the 26-year-old powered away from his rivals over the final two laps to win in one minute 53.65 seconds, more than two seconds outside his world record but still the fastest time in the world this year.

"It's not a good enough time to win a gold medal, but I think I'm okay with it," said Phelps.

"Today was the best my stroke has felt throughout the whole meet. So, in all I'm pleased, but I think I need to go faster if I want to win that at the Olympics."

Phelps's Baltimore club teammate Allison Schmitt, who is rapidly emerging as a star in her own right, clinched her second individual swim in the English capital when she won the women's 200m freestyle final ahead of teenage sensation Missy Franklin.

Schmitt followed up her impressive victory in the 400m freestyle on Monday (Tuesday, PHL time) when she led all the way to win the 200m in 1:54.40, the quickest time recorded since synthetic bodysuits were banned at the end of 2009.

Franklin, who won the 100m backstroke final on Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time), finished second in 1:56.79 to seal her second individual swim and her third overall with the top six finishers all securing places in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Caitlin Leverenz won the women's 200m individual medley to earn her second swim in London after finishing runner-up in the 400m medley. Ariana Kukors, the world record holder, flashed home over the last length to grab second spot.

Favorite event

Phelps has now qualified for London in five events and barring any slip-ups, he will swim the exact eight-event program he contested at each of the last two Olympics, winning six golds and two bronze medals in Athens then eight golds in Beijing.

But of all his events, the 200m butterfly is his favorite and the one he has dominated the most. It was the only event he qualified for at the 2000 Sydney Olympics when he was just 15 and it was the event where he set his first world record and won his first world title.

He won the event at five world championships, has held the world record for more than a decade and won the gold medal at the past two Olympics.

"This is my fourth Olympics Games in this event, so it's special to me, special to my family, special to my mom," Phelps said.

"I have a couple of weeks to perfect some things that I'm going to need if I want to end with a good one."

Tyler Clary, who had finished third behind Phelps and Ryan Lochte in the 400m medley, qualified for his first Olympics when he finished second.

Lochte qualified equal fifth fastest in the semi-finals of the 100m freestyle but later withdrew from the final because he is already swimming the 200m medley and 200m backstroke semis on Friday night.

Lochte could still swim in the 4x100m freestyle relay in London if his time in the semis is not bettered by at least five other swimmers.

"We made a plan going into this meet that I was just going to do semi-finals of 100m free and whatever happens, happens," he said.

Lochte's withdrawal provided a lifeline for Jason Lezak to swim the final. The 36-year-old, whose stunning anchor leg swim in Beijing set the platform for Phelps's record eighth gold medal, was a reserve for the final after qualifying ninth overall. - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Hosting 2020 Olympics would aid healing process - Tokyo bid chief

MOSCOW — The International Olympic Committee could give a huge boost to the healing process in Japan after the trauma of last year’s tsunami—if they award Tokyo the 2020 Games, bid leader Tsunekazu Takeda said on Saturday.

Takeda was leading the presentation to the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), as Tokyo and their four rivals for the hosting of the Games vie to make the short-list which is decided in Quebec, Canada, next month.

The vote for the winning bidder itself will be held in Buenos Aires next year.

Tokyo—which previously hosted the Games in 1964 and lost out to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 edition—is competing against dark horses Istanbul, Baku, Madrid and Doha.

Takeda, a former Olympic show jumper, said that he and his team were desperate to bring the Games back to Tokyo and help in the recovery of the country’s morale following the catastrophic tsunami.

Tokyo is seen as the early favorite, not only because technically it is seen as an outstanding bid, but also because it is the choice of the sentimental voter.

“The many comments we received during our discussions with Olympic Family members provided us with invaluable feedback about their expectations for future Games,” said Takeda, who is also president of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC).

“We believe that Tokyo 2020 offers a responsible and sustainable plan for compact, centralised Games with a showcase stadium to be built on the site of the historic 1964 Olympic Stadium.

“We are highly motivated to leverage the power of sport, with the firm commitment of the Tokyo and national governments, to help heal, unite and inspire Japan at a time of national rebuilding.”

Istanbul has been rebuffed five times previously but is seen as a genuine contender this time round, not only because the city is seen as a bridge between Asia and Europe but also thanks to its vibrant economy and huge young population.

Hasan Arat, the bid’s vice president, said that a Games in Istanbul would bring to a climax a period of unifying several different strands of society.

“Our commitment to you (the NOCs) goes beyond a robust Games plan,” said the 52-year-old former professional basketball player.

“We promise a spectacular Games, taking the Olympic Movement to new shores.

“This is a period of convergence for Istanbul; convergence of our economy with our vision for sport; convergence of our government support with our youthful population; convergence of our commitment to you with our ability to meet every promise.”

Doha’s bid team were led by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the heir to the throne.

He said he hoped they had laid to rest any debate over it being too hot for the athletes to compete—a criticism of the 2022 World Cup being awarded to Qatar, with the players due to perform in piping hot temperatures in July.

“Athletes are at the heart of this vision. They must have the right conditions to perform,” he said.

“That is why the QOC has been engaging with the International Federations on the timing of a possible Doha 2020 Games.

“This has resulted in our proposal to host the Olympic Games from the 2nd to the 18th of October and the Paralympic Games from the 4th to the 15th of November.

“We have chosen those dates to deal directly with the issue of temperature. To ensure excellent conditions for athletes, spectators, and media, similar to those of previous Olympic Host cities.

“We are grateful to the Federations for the support they have given to these proposals. You could say, we have finally taken the heat out of Doha’s so called ‘hot issue’.”

source: japantoday.com

Ryan Seacrest to join NBC London Olympics coverage team

NEW YORK - Ryan Seacrest on Wednesday said he will join NBC's Olympic Games coverage in London but shrugged off talk of a role on morning program "Today" preferring, for now, to stay the host of top-rated TV contest "American Idol."

The 37-year-old television personality said on NBC's "Today" show that he will help the network's primetime coverage of the summer Olympics games and joked with the chat show's anchor Matt Lauer about speculation he may take Lauer's job.

"Do you see yourself doing a job like this?" Lauer asked the popular host of the Fox network's "Idol," who also runs his own production company.

"I don't know," Seacrest replied. "I see you doing this for as long as you want to. Maybe the question is how long will you be on the 'Today' show."

Seacrest, whose contract with "American Idol" expires at the end of the current season, said he expects to stay on as host with "an official announcement very soon."

"I plan to stay there ... I expect to be on that show," he said of "Idol."

Seacrest added that he expects to expand his roles covering celebrity news for NBC sister network E! and producing reality programs such as his "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com