China rules in gymnastics

The raised index fingers of China's gymnasts left little doubt that men's team had won the Olympic title except for quarter-hour, British fans clapped and cheered because the hosts snared an surprising silver on Monday.

Except they'd not.

Three-time world champion Kohei Uchimura couldn't believe his eyes, or the scoreboard, when his pommel horse score of thirteen.466 flashed up to point out that Japan, who had been lying second going into the ultimate rotation, had dived out of the medals to fourth.

That left Louis Smith and his British teammates leaping for joy whereas the quintet from Ukraine exchanged high fives as they celebrated grabbing a last-gasp bronze.

However, at the same time as the roaring fans stamped their feet in approval and Princes William and Harry joined in to grant Britain's famous 5 a standing ovation, Japanese officers scrambled to lodge an charm against Uchimura's score.

Suddenly all celebrations came to a standstill as fifteen,500 pairs of eyes turned to the large screen hanging from the domed roof of the North Greenwich Arena as gymnasts, fans and media waited for the decision.

For quarter-hour, officers huddled around a video screen as they reviewed once more and once more Uchimura's dismount from the pommel horse.

As the big scoreboard flashed the message, "Men's pommel horse inquiry accepted", Uchimura and his teammates sat stone-faced as officers scrutinized the image of the 23-year-old finishing a messy dismount once going into a handstand with legs splayed on the block of wood.

Japan silver

When the judgement was finally announced, it showed that Uchimura's score had been increased by zero.7 of some extent, enough to bump Japan up to silver and Britain right down to a bronze.

The crowd booed, Uchimura and co, who had been going for gold, smiled in relief and Ukraine's dejected gymnasts stormed out in disgust.

Smith, Daniel Purvis, Kristian Thomas, Max Whitlock and Sam Oldham couldn't care less as they whooped in delight, knowing Britain had won their initial Olympic team medal during a century.

"We knew whichever approach it we have a tendency tont we were obtaining a medal," coach Eddie Van Hoof told a news conference. "A silver would are nice however we'll take the bronze anyway."

The whole episode revived reminiscences of the 2004 Athens all-around judging scandal when it transpired that the gold medal would have gone to South Korea's Yang Tae-young and not Paul Hamm had it not been for a scoring error.

While Hamm had to attend for 3 months before discovering he may keep the gold medal once being drawn into a legal wrangle, the presence of the moment replay system on Monday settled the dispute before any medals were handed out.

"I assume it's the primary Olympics where this happened, that we have a tendency to had to alter a score that modified a ranking within the medals, as so much as I keep in mind," Andre Gueisbuhler, secretary-general of the sport's ruling body FIG, told reporters.

All the late drama stole the spotlight faraway from the triumphant Chinese, who obliterated the opposition by four.045 points to win their third team crown in four Olympics.

Reports of the Chinese team's demise, following a sloppy performance in qualifying once they finished sixth, turned out to be greatly exaggerated as they kept their poise on all six equipment to end with a complete of 275.997.

No smokescreen

Asked if they'd been attempting to fool folks with their qualifying performance, Zou Kai, who along side Chen Yibing is one among the 2 survivors from the category of 2008 that won seven of the eight golds up for grabs in Beijing, said: "It wasn't a smokescreen."

Monday's awe-inspiring show, once they were the sole ones not fall off any equipment, meant the team who have won 5 successive world crowns and 2 successive Olympic titles haven't been overwhelmed for eight years.

"From the Beijing Games we've got been watching the rear of the Chinese and even if the athletes have modified, they're still robust. The Chinese team had no mistakes in any respect," observed Uchimura.

Mistakes, and plenty of them, price the us expensive in one among the foremost action-packed Olympic men's finals.

Tipped to become the primary yank men's team to win the title since 1984, they spectacularly imploded and finished fifth once the pommel horse once more proved to be their nemesis.

Danell Leyva fell off throughout his swivels whereas John Orozco sat down on the picket block and did not regain his momentum as he wobbled through the remainder of his routine to draw twelve.733 - rock bottom mark earned amongst the highest six groups.

The man nicknamed Silent Ninja owing to his inability to point out any emotions - win or lose - struggled to carry back his tears on Monday and many minutes later, they were welling up once more as he crash landed from the vault.

It was a sense all too acquainted to Japan's Koji Yamamuro who drew gasps once landing on his face and knees.

Pain etched on his face, Yamamuro hopped off the platform on his right foot and was given a piggy-back ride out of the podium as his day ended.

But when it absolutely was time for the presentation ceremony, he was hopping back out once more, together with his arms around 2 teammates as they created their thanks to stage.

Djokovic faces unseeded Roddick

In Andy Roddick's words, he and Novak Djokovic are through the tense mechanics of an enormous match "a million" times: the pressure, the occasion, the formidable opponent. The Olympics, though, bring an uncommon twist.

Roddick, a three-time Wimbledon finalist, and Djokovic, the 2011 champion at the All England Club, can play Tuesday within the second spherical of the Olympics. each are cautious of every other's strengths, and aware that this match is a few ton quite a private victory.

"Ninety-five p.c of the time, when a tennis player plays, it's for pretty selfish motives, and in the week isn't one among those," Roddick said Monday once defeating Martin Klizan of Slovakia, 7-5, 6-4.

Serena Williams beat Urszula Radwanska of Poland, 6-2, 6-3 within the second spherical on Court one, simply weeks once defeating Radwanska's sister, Agnieszka, within the Wimbledon final this month. On Wednesday, the five-time Wimbledon champion plays No. 13-seeded Vera Zvonareva, the Russian she beat in 2010 for the fourth of these titles.
"She's taking part in therefore well, moving well, doing everything nice," Williams said. "It's not a simple tournament. you've got to induce out there. taking part in somebody therefore robust therefore soon, it's aiming to be an honest challenge on behalf of me."
Top-seeded Roger Federer created a quick look on Centre Court, beating Julien Benneteau of France 6-2, 6-2 in but an hour to succeed in the third spherical.
Second-seeded Djokovic, who lost to Federer within the semifinals at Wimbledon, would appear to possess the sting over Roddick, whose world ranking has slipped to twenty two. The Serb wasn't complacent.
"Andy has one among the strongest serves within the world, ever, and it's his biggest weapon," Djokovic said. "The grass courts this year are terribly quick and it is a low bounce, therefore i feel i will be able to ought to be on high of my game so as to win that match."
Even as he ready for the competition, Djokovic relished the "special feeling" of being a part of one thing larger, a team that represents his country.
"We all support one another, we have a tendency to all keep near one another, and this is often the necessary issue," he said. "We all try and fancy each moment of it."
Roddick created similar remarks, saying it absolutely was an honor to be asked to play for the us within the Olympics, which he was happy that London was chosen for the event as a result of it's an area he is aware of well. He said it absolutely was "my own fault" that he was facing Djokovic therefore soon within the tournament as a result of he's unseeded.
"The guy has been the most effective player within the world over the last few years. It's aiming to be robust," Roddick said. "But things, we've each been through it 1,000,000 times. i am aiming to ought to serve well and take some probabilities on returns."
Roddick's Olympic match, delayed daily by rain, was his initial in eight years. He lost within the third spherical at the 2004 Games and skipped Beijing in 2008.
The Olympics have dazed a number of the tradition at Wimbledon, erecting purple backdrops and discarding the white-only rule for tennis garb. Roddick said he had taken some "wrong turns" round the grounds as he gets used to the various setup.
"We grasp that Wimbledon are going to be Wimbledon once more next year," Federer said. "But right away, it is the Olympic Games. it's imagined to show a discrepancy."
The seven-time Wimbledon winner said the prices for Olympic tennis were low as a result of an existing facility is getting used. He noted the Olympic website in Sydney hosts an enormous tournament, and said it absolutely was a pity that an equivalent website in Athens does not have a tournament.
"Beijing was additionally a good stadium," Federer said. "It has its edges still for tennis, that they still use the Olympic sites then. they do not use it in Barcelona, i do not assume either, as a result of i used to be simply there recently. however you'd hope that they'd as a result of they are doing build one thing huge."
Also Monday, Venus Williams began her bid for a record fourth gold medal in Olympic tennis by beating Sara Errani of Italy, 6-3, 6-1.
It was a formidable showing from Williams, who is unseeded and drew a tricky first-round foe. Errani has won four titles this year, was the runner-up at the French Open and is ranked a career-high No. 9.
But Williams was in fine kind on the Wimbledon grass, where she has won 5 of her seven Grand Slam titles.
Venus Williams was diagnosed last year with an autoimmune disease that may cause fatigue, however she nonetheless began 2012 determined to create the Olympics for the fourth time. She won the gold medal in singles at the 2000 Games and teamed with Serena to require the gold in doubles in 2000 and 2008.
Top-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus defeated Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania on Centre Court, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.
Lleyton Hewitt of Australian and Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, each three-time Olympians, won their gap matches. No. 9-seeded Juan Monaco of Argentina, No. thirteen Marin Cilic of Croatia, No. sixteen Richard Gasquet of France and big-serving Milos Raonic of Canada additionally advanced.
In doubles, the Williams sisters began a bid for his or her third Olympic doubles gold medal by eliminating Sorana Cirstea and Simona Halep of Romania 6-3, 6-2. They won in 2000 and 2008. Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, who won gold in 2008, defeated Kei Nishikori and Go Soeda of Japan, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material might not be revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Missy Franklin captures gold in one hundred back

Her dad cried Monday night. therefore did her mom. Even her coach welled up over what they'd simply witnessed, Missy Franklin, the new pride of yankee swimming, turning into an Olympic gold medalist for the primary time.
Dick Franklin, Missy's father, could be a huge hulking ex-Canadian soccer player. He hadn't cried during a long term, he said. When was the last time?
"The day she was born," he said.
On that day, seventeen years ago, Dick never thought he'd sooner or later stare down from the Olympic Aquatics Centre and see his daughter hear the national anthem with a gold medal round her neck. Frankly, neither did his daughter.
Not now. Not once Missy recently finished her junior year of highschool in Colorado.
"I cannot even place into words," a beaming Franklin said afterward. "It was completely indescribable. once considering it and imagining it for thus long, it does not appear real. It extremely does not. you think that regarding it therefore usually you're feeling like you are dreaming.
"I still feel like somebody must pinch me."
She required to pinch the opposite swimmers. Were they dreaming, or did they extremely see this 17-year-old lady roar from behind to win the 100-meter backstroke and break the yank record with a fifty eight.33-second time shortly once swimming a 200-meter freestyle semifinal?
Yes, they did. Franklin's exceptional feat can go down in yank swimming lore. She qualified eighth for Tuesday night's two hundred freestyle final, jumped out of the pool,


jumped into the diving pool, swam many laps, jumped out and won a gold medal. All within the area of quarter-hour.
Afterward, one among teammates came up to her, gave her a high-five and said quantity} amount of your time he is had between Olympic swims was half-hour.
"I cannot believe you simply did that!" Michael Phelps told her.
Neither did her oldsters.
"We could not believe it," said her mom, D.A. "The one hundred back is not even her event. it is the two hundred back. She feels she gets stronger the longer the race. If there was a four hundred back, nobody would ever bit her."
Franklin trailed a lot of of the race however surged to the end to edge Australia's Emily Seebohm, second at fifty eight.68. Seebohm came in red hot. She had broken the Olympic record in Sunday morning's prelims with a fifty eight.23 then blazed to a fifty eight.39 within the semis. Franklin, who had the most effective time within the world coming into the meet at fifty eight.85, was suddenly the hunter rather than the hunted. And Seebohm had rested all day.
"That's Missy," her coach, Todd Schmitz, said. "She's wired a bit differently than everyone else."
Franklin started as if swimming the two hundred freestyle was the worst call of her life. Her begin within the backstroke was horrific. once twenty five meters, she stood seventh. And Seebohm, within the lead, was cooking.
"You extremely cannot have those moments in swimming, however swimming is therefore mental," Franklin said. "You ought to simply grasp you'll be able to do it. you've got to possess religion in yourself. If you've got those moments, honestly, you've got to stay telling yourself you'll be able to do it."
Always a powerful nearer, Franklin cut a swath to the primary wall. She created the flip in second in twenty eight.82. however Seebohm turned in twenty eight.57.
Franklin, swimming in lane 5, caught Seebohm, in lane four, with regarding twenty five meters left and hit the wall at fifty eight.33, breaking Natalie Coughlin's 2008 U.S. record of fifty eight.94.
On the victory stand, Franklin wasn't in far better form -- except for a distinct reason.
"I was attempting to sing, however i used to be crying at an equivalent time," Franklin said. "Then I forgot the words, however I did not grasp what i used to be doing. however simply seeing that flag being raised it absolutely was therefore incredibly unbelievable, I may never have dreamed it might feel like that."
She currently includes a bronze and a gold and 5 events left to swim. The record for many Olympic medals by an yank girl is Coughlin's six in Beijing. Franklin has 2 a lot of relays, the two hundred and one hundred freestyle and eventually, her best event, the two hundred backstroke.

Mark Todds ride for an area in history

Early tomorrow morning New Zealand equestrian rider Mark Todd can ride off for a trial at his fifth Olympic medal and potential third gold, which is able to arguably rank him as New Zealand's greatest ever Olympian.

After surviving a brush with a bull elephant earlier within the year Todd, competing during a record seventh Olympics, currently faces an equally imposing challenge of reaching the heights of recent Zealand's most successful Olympians with 2 a lot of medals up for grabs.

Here's a breakdown of when and the way New Zealand's initial medal of London 2012 may be won.

WHAT:
Todd and his horse Campino sit in third place heading into the third and final stage of the three-day eventing, the showjumping. once a 3rd putting within the dressage stage, Todd rode a near-perfect run within the cross country together with his solely mistake drawing close the ultimate jump across the end line.


A mistake-free run would have seen him sit in gold medal position however the one error places him solely zero.20 penalty points behind Germany's Ingrid Klimke and Sweden's Sara Algotsson Ostholt who share high spot.

With four penalty points for a dropped rail within the showjumping, one mistake from his rivals may see Todd move into gold. Conversely with but 3 points separating the highest six, a slip-up by Todd may see him drop of the medals utterly.

WHEN:
The team section of the showjumping begins at nine.30pm NZT and can finish simply once midnight. New Zealand currently sit in fourth simply behind Sweden, therefore Todd may have a his fifth Olympic medal before his individual ride begins.

From 1.30am the highest twenty five riders have a second shot at the showjumping course with their scores counting towards the individual medals. Todd can jump third to last which is able to be around a pair of.30am.

RIVALS:
Current leader Klimke won gold within the team event with Germany four years ago and finished fifth within the individual event, an equivalent putting she had in Athens in 2004. With Germany leading the team event, Klimke is in line to become the primary rider since Britain's Richard Meade in Munich forty years ago to win 2 golds in eventing.

Algotsson Ostholt is trying to become the primary Swede to win a medal within the individual eventing since 1972. The country's last individual eventing gold was in 1956. The pressure is additionally on the Swedish team with their drought within the team event going additional back to 1952.

Fourth placed Michael Jung from Germany is taken into account one among the most effective in eventing showjumping and would have an opportunity to place real pressure on the highest 3 with a transparent spherical.

British pair Kristina Cook and Mary King are each but three.0 penalty points behind Todd and can have the house crowd on their aspect.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?:
Todd, who was named rider of the twentieth Century by equestrian's governing body, may achieve a rare feat of 3 Olympic gold medals over a span of twenty eight years.

A third gold would place him during a share of second amongst New Zealand's most successful Olympians with middle distance runner Peter Snell and canoiest Paul MacDonald.

Ian Ferguson is that the most successful with four golds.

Any medal would take his overall haul to 5, a tie with Ferguson and MacDonald, however he may finish the day with 2 medals in London putting him on high of the list.

Todd's second triumph in 1988 was ranked no.11 within the Herald's list of twenty NZ Olympic Moments.

ODDS:
Australian bookies sportsbet.com.au have listed Todd as joint-favourite with Jung to require the gold at $3.75. Klimke is listed at $5.50 and Algottson Ostholt at $4.50.

TODD'S CV
1984 - Gold - Individual 3 Day Event
1988 - Gold - Individual 3 Day Event
1988 - Bronze - Team 3 Day Event
2000 - Bronze - Individual 3 Day Event

China Adds Shooting Diving Golds London Olympics Medals

China added gold medals in shooting and diving to elevate its London Olympics total to 6 as U.S. shooter Kimberly Rhode became the primary yankee girl to win a medal in a private sport in 5 straight games.

Wenjun Guo took the women’s 10-meter air pistol title yesterday, with compatriots Wu Minxia and He Zi taking gold within the women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard diving. France won the men’s 400-meter freestyle relay at hand the U.S. solely its third loss within the event.

The victories helped offer China twelve total medals, another than the U.S. Italy has 2 golds, 3 silvers and 2 bronze medals. Wu secured her third consecutive Olympic title within the event once the Chinese combine led from the primary to last dive.

“It is already a miracle what I even have achieved,” Wu, whose early career was blighted by injuries, told reporters.

Rhode set an Olympic record in winning the women’s skeet shooting event, finishing with a final score of ninety nine once setting a qualifying record with seventy four. Ning Wei of China won the silver, whereas Danka Bartekova of Slovakia won a shootout with Marina Belikova of Russia to require the bronze.

Wenjun had 488.1 points within the one0-meter air pistol. France’s Celine Goberville got the silver by beating Ukraine’s Olena Kostevych during a shootout once they tied with 486.6 points. Wu and He finished previous the yankee team of Kelci Bryant and Abigail Johnston, and Canada’s Jennifer Abel and Emilie Heymans within the diving.


Swimming Records


Dana Vollmer of the U.S. won the women’s 100-meter butterfly during a world record time of fifty five.98 seconds to beat the mark set by Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom in Rome in 2009.

“Everything went as I might have needed,” Vollmer said.

South African Cameron van der Burgh set a world record of fifty eight.46 seconds to win the men’s 100-meter breaststroke.

Marianne Vos of the Netherlands out-sprinted Britain’s Elizabeth Armitstead and Russia’s Olga Zabelinskaya within the women’s cycling road race. Armitstead’s silver was the primary medal for the host nation.

The 3 riders led a breakaway and, with the most pack unable to catch them, it became a fight between the trio for the medals. Vos accelerated toward the road and Armitstead and Zabelinskaya were unable to bridge the gap.

Gold medals are going to be awarded these days in diving, fencing, judo, shooting, weightlifting and men’s team inventive gymnastics. Four swimming finals are scheduled, together with the men’s 200- meter freestyle.


Radcliffe Out


Paula Radcliffe, holder of the women’s marathon world record, can miss her likelihood to win an Olympic medal for Britain once being dominated out with a foot injury. Britain can ask for to interchange her with Freya Murray for the Aug. 5 race.

Kevin Durant scored twenty two points to guide the U.S. men’s basketball team to a 98-71 victory over France in their gap game. Kevin Love had fourteen points and Kobe Bryant scored ten. Ali Traore got twelve points and Tony Parker added ten for France.

Nigeria defeated Tunisia 60-56 within the alternative cluster A match, whereas in cluster B, Brazil remained to beat Australia 75-71 and Spain defeated China 95-80. Russia beat Britain 95-75.

In men’s soccer, world and European champion Spain was eliminated following a shock 1-0 loss to Honduras.

Uzbek gymnast Luiza Galiulina was suspended once testing positive for the banned drug furosemide during a urine sample given on July twenty five, the International Olympic Committee said.


Drug Suspension


A final call are going to be created concerning her punishment by the disciplinary commission once the receipt of her backup testing sample, the IOC said. She’s the second athlete since the games began to be banned as a result of a failed drug take a look at once Albanian weightlifter Hysen Pulaku was suspended 2 days ago.

Team USA hardly tested in blowout mens basketball victory over France

Consider it passed -- even though the take a look at was primarily the basketball equivalent of coloring within the lines.
Kevin Durant scored twenty two points in his Olympic debut and also the U.S. men's team cruised past overmatched France 98-71 in its gap game at the London Olympics on Sunday afternoon.
The outcome left very little question that there is something to a lot of hassle the star-studded Americans on their thanks to the gold medal -- even though they can not ever live up to the "Dream Team."
"We simply played with angle," Durant said, "fighting for every ball, defending onerous and obtaining each rebound. that is how we have a tendency to beat groups that are onerous to beat."
Hard to beat?
The French offered very little resistance once a foul-plagued 1st quarter, never leading despite having 5 NBA players on their roster -- together with purpose guard Tony Parker, sporting black-rimmed goggles to shield the attention he injured during a big apple town nightclub melee last month.
"USA played an excellent game," Parker said, "especially defensively."
Kevin Love scored fourteen points off the bench for the Americans, and Kobe Bryant added ten before answering queries in fluent Italian once the sport. The Americans held the French to thirty-nine % shooting -- it had been even lower before a throwaway fourth quarter -- together with only 1 of their 1st sixteen 3-point tries.
"Not too unhealthy," purpose guard Chris Paul said. "Like we've been saying all along, our defense is what


makes us therefore sensible. As long as we have a tendency to leave and do this each night, we have a tendency to offer ourselves an opportunity to win."
The Americans can have over an opportunity -- attempt, a certainty -- once they meet No. 32-ranked Tunisia in their next game Tuesday. that may create the opener against No. 12-ranked France look as if it lessened to the wire.
"As long as we have a tendency to defend as we have a tendency to did these days, and that we get rebounds, we'll be fine," guard Russell Westbrook said.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski started Paul and Durant beside Bryant, LeBron James and center Tyson Chandler, the 3 regular starters throughout the team's pre-Olympic exhibition tour. however he was ready to substitute freely, using virtually everyone on the roster for a minimum of one quarter.
Even last man off the bench Anthony Davis played eight minutes.
"Overall, an honest 1st step," Krzyzewski said.

Kobe Brings His Drive to the Olympics

Kobe Bryant of the l.  a.   Lakers likes to compete. you'd assume that being on Team USA may be a bit additional relaxing for the accomplished star, however one thing tells me that Kobe still desires to win and isn't getting to place up with teammates that slack off on the court. additionally to rings and plenty of individual NBA awards, Bryant already encompasses a gold medal from the 2008 Olympics. Is that enough? fully not. can he be disappointed if Team doesn't get a gold medal in 2012? Yes.
A different venue
This is primarily an All-Star team that's taking their skills on the road. Granted, these don't seem to be essentially the highest players within the NBA, however this can be a bunch of men who are stars within the Association. However, this can be a distinct venue than the NBA All-Star Game, that is actually an over-produced defense-free exhibition. Here, there's a subject of national identity, and whereas not all of the players could grasp the importance of representing their country, this can be concerning pride.
Team leader?
There are many guys on this team that might be a considered the team "leader." However, is Kobe the default leader on this team? you'll actually argue that he's the foremost accomplished member of Team USA. additionally, he could also be the foremost competitive player on the squad, although he's the oldest athlete on the roster. the thought of being the "elder statesman" could also be partially applicable, however he'll still rip your heart out with a clutch jumper.
An unquenchable drive
You have to marvel if Kobe will relish this expertise or if his competitive fireplace causes him to invariably be centered even when the team beats France by twenty seven points. He has done the Olympic issue before, however Bryant is that the sort of guy who looks to own a competitive drive that never stops. One should marvel what he can do to feed that fireplace when he retires. Team USA ought to be ready to win another gold medal while not an excellent deal of hassle, however you have got to assume that Kobe can still push this team to win with authority.

French swimmers get relay revenge against US

We interrupt the coronation of Ryan Lochte to raise whether or not he had any business representing his country within the marquee relay of the Olympic Games.

Lochte could be America's best swimmer, however he blew the lead — and also the gold medal — within the final leg of the 400-meter freestyle relay on Sunday.

France won, leaving second place and second-guessing to the Americans.

From the French perspective, this was a wonderful response, four years within the creating. once Jason Lezak delivered a miracle final leg during a come-from-behind U.S. victory over France four years ago, Yannick Agnel did an equivalent for France against the Americans.

From the yankee perspective, there was Michael Phelps, cradling a silver medal that dangled from a necklace of purple ribbon.

"This is my 1st silver," he said.

That silver — to travel with fourteen golds and 2 bronzes — moves him to among one among tying the career record for Olympic medals. He said he couldn't complain concerning winning a medal, however he hardly embraced its color.

"It is incredibly frustrating," he said. "This are going to be one thing which will inspire us."

So would possibly the performance of Dana Vollmer, who set a world record in winning the women's a hundred butterfly, the second gold for the U.S. Vollmer swam the race in fifty five.98 seconds, changing into the primary yankee girl — and second overall — to ascertain a world record since the high-tech swimsuits were banned however the records set in them weren't.

"Being the Olympic champion is most significant," she said. "The world record is that the icing on the cake."

Vollmer, a former Cal swimmer, did not qualify for Beijing four years ago. She expanded her coaching from swimming to incorporate hip-hop dance, yoga and Pilates, switched to a gluten-free diet and failed to keep from publicly stating her goal of breaking the 56-second barrier.

"I grasp I are often faster," she said.

Allison Schmitt set an yankee record in winning silver within the women's four hundred freestyle, behind Camille Muffat of France. Brendan Hansen won bronze within the a hundred breaststroke, duplicating his end within the 2004 Olympics. He finished fourth within the event in 2008.

The relay that resulted in disappointment started, well, swimmingly.

Nathan Adrian swam the primary leg, giving the U.S. the lead. Phelps swam the second leg, redeeming himself for a dismal Saturday by tripling the lead. Cullen Jones swam the third leg, maintaining a cushty lead.

Lochte had a hundred meters to victory. He lost the lead among fifty meters and had nothing left.

"The a hundred free, i do not extremely swim it," Lochte said. "I haven't swam it during a lasting. i believe i used to be simply extremely excited. I overswam the primary fifty, which type of hurt me for the last fifty.

"You would assume, doing distance events, i would not get tired, however sprinting undoubtedly takes lots out of you."

U.S. Coach Gregg Troy noticed hassle in Lochte's 1st few strokes.

"That's not his race," Troy said. "The 1st fifty was manner too quick for him. Coaching error."

Michael Phelps Redemption

Another night of the summer games in London for the 2012 Olympics are underway, and already, there have been several things that stood out.
Whether or not it's victories, disappointing losses, vital faces within the crowd or some questionable fashion choices—we created certain to highlight a number of the foremost memorable moments from today's games.
Read yesterday's Olympic roundup!
Lemme See Yo' Grill: once bringing home the gold yesterday, we have a tendency to realized that Ryan Lochte wasn't simply sporting some precious metals around his neck, however his teeth, too! The swimming heartthrob showed off his studded grill, that was the planning of the yankee flag. How patriotic of him!
Role Reversal: Last night, viewers—although terribly happy with Lochte for winning the gold—were surprised to check Michael Phelps end while not a medal throughout the four hundred individual medley...but that each one modified tonight. The pair perceived to have switched places throughout the 4x100-meter relay when Phelps helped maintain the lead for Lochte, who was the anchor, however fell short within the finish. Team USA got the silver.
Danny Boyle's gap ceremony breaks records
Presidential Hugs: Michelle Obama, a awfully concerned audience member of the Olympics, gave a heat embrace to basketball players from Team USA these days once they won their game against France, 98-71.
Stunna Shades: Speaking of shooting hoops, San Antonio Spurs player Tony Parker, who was conjointly gift on the court these days for France showed off a motivating combine of protecting eyewear. though we do not need to discredit Parker's ability to form hipster goggles a trend, he was really sporting them as a result of the injury he suffered from the Chris Brown and Drake club brawl.
Ryan Lochte wins the gold!
Breakout Star: Raise the roof for Dana Vollmer! The yankee swimmer might need lost a swim cap mid-race, however she ultimately broke the 100m butterfly world record tonight once finishing during a time of fifty five.98 seconds.
Medal Count: to this point, the us has acquired eleven medals (three gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze), taking the runner-up position to China, who currently has twelve medals.
Watch the yankee swim team sing "Call Me Maybe"
Wieber's Tumble: Shockingly, the 17-year-old USA gymnast did not place within the finals. Jordyn Wieber continued to congratulate teammates Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas, who were moving forward, via Twitter by writing, "Thank you all for your love and support. i'm therefore happy with our team these days and that i cannot sit up for team finals!!"
Royal Riding: The Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips created her Olympic equestrian debut these days, and she or he did as good as. consistent with NBC News, Phillips placed twenty fourth within the 1st 3 phases, despite a small mistake within the 1st "flying amendment."
"That was nothing to try to to with the group. it had been simply inexperience and obtaining stronger, and he is obtaining stronger all the time," she explained.

France explosive anchor leg

The term you’re yearning for is vengeance satisfaisante.That’s how you’d say “sweet revenge” in French.
Or, if you like, Le karma est un fiasco.
It took one among the foremost explosive anchor legs in Olympic history to catch the U.S. quartet within the 4x100-meter freestyle relay, however the French team reversed the miracle end by Jason Lezak within the same event at Beijing to steal the gold Sunday night, when Yannick Agnel overcame a sizeable deficit to beat Ryan Lochte to the wall.
But the fashionable Jersey guy, who had to accept a silver medal — four years once he and Lezak helped set the globe record and defeated the French on the strength of Lezak’s historic forty six.06 anchor — continues to be getting to mark this down as a reasonably sensible day.
“It’s a tough loss, however i do know we have a tendency to all swam to our greatest capabilities,” said Cullen Jones, who helped the us maintain an honest lead with a robust third leg. “All people swam sensible times, faster than we have a tendency to even expected. Since I checked out my Twitter, we have a tendency to created everybody happy. we have a tendency to created everybody proud.”
Whether Lochte agrees is unclear, as he wasn’t created offered to the media once the medals were awarded. Though it had been his third race of the day, he swam a solid forty seven.74, however it wasn’t nearly enough to carry off Agnel’s turbocharged forty six.74.
“You never grasp what’s doable — relays are relays, and folks get jacked up for relays, and swim out of their minds,” said Jones, who had a forty seven.60 himself. “For me, a 47.6 is maybe precisely where i want to be, where i want to line up for the a hundred freestyle.
“But I don’t grasp what goes through the mind of a forty six.7. It’s invariably doable, particularly within the relay.”
This is conjointly what’s possible: A team will lead a race for roughly 3 minutes, nonetheless still lose to the team that wins the gold in 3:09.93.
In fact, till Lochte hit the pool, the U.S. team was during a dream flow.
Nathan Adrian place the us in front fairly comfortably, his 47.89 split giving him the sting on the gunner everybody was worried concerning, James Magnussen of Australia (48.03). once the primary a hundred meters, France was third.
Then it had been Michael Phelps’ flip, and for a bloke who was coming back off one among the worst nights of his international career, he over absolved himself. He routed the sector, gap up a body-length lead at one purpose, and handing Jones a lead that was over three-quarters of a second (0.76) because the relay hit its midpoint.
It was Lochte who really saw that coming back. simply twenty four hours earlier, once his own win within the 400-meter IM, he said of Phelps, “Tell you this, successive race he’s in he’s getting to lightweight it up.”
Phelps’ 47.50 split was the fastest within the pool over the primary 3 legs. He even looked to a small degree ticked off as he was doing it, in fact.
“I felt lots higher these days than yesterday — i used to be ready to place yesterday behind me,” Phelps told a press attache.
“He said ‘I simply ought to recover from last night’s swim, and a relay’s an honest thanks to do this,’?” Jones relayed. “We all knew Michael was getting to improve and do what he will best.”
En route, Fabian Gilot of France was serving to disarm the WMDs (What Major Duds), because the Aussies slipped to 3rd and were sinking quick.
Jones’ leg came next, and also the Irvington product gave an honest account of himself. Indeed, the Americans were still on a world record pace halfway though his lap (he had the most effective 50-meter time within the entire race, at 22.07), however Frenchman Clement Lefert gained on Jones over the last thirty five meters.
So when Lochte took the plunge, he had a 0.55-second cushion. He stayed in front halfway through his lap, however Agnel thrashed his well past him within the last twenty meters, changing into the sole swimmer to swim a sub-47 during this event.
Ultimately, France stopped the clock at 3:09.93 to the Americans’ 3:10.38. Russia won bronze in 3:11.41.
Lochte failed to create himself offered to the media, however told a swim team publicist, “We are the four best guys. we have a tendency to went out there to win, however we have a tendency to came up short.”
Both Adrian and Jones came to their teammate’s defense, and it had been unwavering.
“Ryan’s like several of us: He doesn’t prefer to lose. None people do,” Adrian said. “He’s our teammate, there’s not a way of anger, there’s a way of, ‘Hey, you place yourself on the road for us, simply as we have a tendency to did for you, and sadly we have a tendency to came up short this point.’ I’m positive Ryan’s pushing for vengeance within the two hundred free (today).”
“He swam a forty seven.7. That’s an incredible race,” Jones said of Lochte. “Ryan, who usually doesn’t swim a hundred freestyle, swam out of his mind. therefore it had been an excellent race.
“You can’t predict a forty six — you simply can’t. You couldn’t predict Jason’s 46-oh in 2008. Ryan, i do know he’s the kind of person who’s getting to be on himself till successive Olympics. I already told him, ‘You simply have to be compelled to recover from that, it’s okay — we have a tendency to swam awesome.’

Olympics Ceremony Employment Well Done

There might are a lot of grandiose occasions to launch Olympic Games of the past. This one price £27m, £45m but China spent on theirs four years ago.

Regardless of price, London's was a complete triumph, straightforward as that, from the instant that Bradley Wiggins rang the twenty seven ton bell at around 9pm, right the means through to Sir Paul McCartney ending Hey Jude ith the words 'Welcome to London'.

If the Games of the thirtieth Olympiad are 0.5 nearly as good as what we tend to saw in Stratford last night, then we've got some show to seem forward to the current next number of weeks.

It was superbly choreographed by the Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle, and sometimes - thanks principally to Rowan Atkinson, Daniel Craig and Her Majesty The Queen - it had been hilarious.

Perhaps it being quite therefore quintessentially British, it's going to are somewhat befuddling for the numerous millions watching elsewhere within the world - however it might be churlish within the extreme to recommend that took something faraway from the general spectacle.

After all, Mr Bean is international, and who, from Afghanistan to Zambia, couldn't make fun of the British monarch, wearing pink, apparently leaping out of a helicopter.

It was the means that those moments leapt out of the 'Isles of Wonder' lecture that created this ceremony a specific delight.

We saw a superbly potted history of england from the time of the commercial revolution with soaring chimneys, punctuated by 2 world wars with a poppy and a sudden silence as its symbols.

Britain's recovery was illustrated through foundrymen operating molten metal into what turned out to be the Olympic rings, raised eventually higher than heads as they showered sparks. As a chunk of theatre it had been breathtaking.

Hard on its heels came the video send-up. James Bond - actor Daniel Craig - got hold of Buckingham Palace, the Queen's beloved corgies at his feet.

We held our breath. we tend to knew the lady in front of him, sitting together with her back to the actor, couldn't presumably end up to be Her Majesty. But it was. It very was.

"Good evening Mr Bond," said the Queen, not the faintest suggestion in her countenance that this was something out of the normal.

"I'll say it once more. 'GOOD EVENING, MR BOND'," said the Queen.

She was wearing pink, as she would be at the gap ceremony.

And she looked as if it would associate with Bond. To a helicopter, to fly across London to Stratford's new Olympic Stadium, and waved at by a statue of Winston Churchill.

What we'd see then was The Queen disembark from the helicopter beneath a Union flag parachute, with Bond following behind.

Once more, breathtaking. And, as if by magic, she arrived - within the pink dress - at the ceremony to be introduced to the IOC president Jacques Rogge. Brilliant. Totally sensible.

That high-minded stuffiness that typically goes hand in hand with these events was punctured. Anybody might get pleasure from this.

Even a tribute to the NHS - nurses and patients gyrating energetically around beds - was entertaining, before Harry Potter author JK Rowling had us spiralling through children's literature. Lord Voldemort. the kid Catcher of Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang fame. Mary Poppins.

Then, that theme forever currently mounted to the Olympic movement, the one from Chariots of fireplace, however with a twist. and also the twist was the addition of Rowan Atkinson in Mr Bean guise - for no specific reason apart from that it had been plain funny, which is reason enough surely.

That repetitive backnote in Vangelis's music is played by a bored-looking Atkinson on a keyboard.

We're then transported via video to Atkinson gooning among those Paris-bound athletes of the Nineteen Twenties - Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams - within the gap scene of the film, as they run on the beach. Frivolous however fantastically funny.

The parade of athletes from 204 competing countries was notable for a handful of moments particularly.

London Mayor Boris Johnson and also the Duchess of Cornwall appeared be obtaining along sort of a house on fireplace, and were clearly tickled by one gentleman's reaction to seeing the German team.

The other notable was the gold-trimmed Elvis jackets worn by Britain's parading athletes. the most effective you'll say is that they're completely different.

Nobody might very argue that the lighting of the cauldron by seven promising young athletes nominated by as several British Olympians wasn't a decent plan, since it appeals such a lot to those who've preached legacy down the last seven years since the bid was won in Singapore.

It may, however, have return as a disappointment to people who had joined a national discussion - and maybe placed bets within the method - on who would light-weight the flame to burn over the stadium these next 2 weeks.

But this was a ceremony that whetted the appetite. All Team GB has to follow laborious on its heels during a win in today's Olympic cycling road race. And then the Games will very begin.

London Olympics Opening Ceremony

Although unquestionably a sporting event, the Olympic Games, whose thirtieth summer edition officially got underway with a stimulating gap ceremony in London on Friday night, is additionally a form of theater -- an unscripted performance on the theme of athletics the maximum amount because it is an athletic contest. It attracts viewers who otherwise would possibly pay no time considering such things and weaves them in with narratives of individual excellence, hardship overcome and international unity (within a framework of world competition) that are troublesome to resist.

This quality has been amplified in recent years by the growing size and spectacle of the gap and shutting ceremonies that frame the Games. These will waver between magic and kitsch, between austere beauty and manipulative sentiment, however there's nothing on Earth to match them in scale or reach. they create a brilliant Bowl halftime show appear as if a campfire sing-along.

And as theater, these ceremonies also are a form of sport, with every successive host nation striving to outdo the last. The bar had been set high, notably in Beijing in 2008 with the astonishing precision of its performing lots, however there was additionally Athens in 2004 (cool, beautiful, stately) and Sydney in 2000 (warm, fanciful).

For many years, the parade of competing athletes was the spectacle -- thematically, it’s still the guts of the show, a many-colored cavalcade of beautiful humanity that stays unchanging inside the Games’ changing contexts -- with maybe a quick, proud show of folkloric arts to allow you to apprehend where you were. Now, while not losing its inspirational glow, it's became a form of breather between the high-tech wonders of the primary act and also the final uplift of the oath-taking, flag-raising, torch-lighting finale. There aren't any official judges to get these performances, however legions who watch worldwide can all have one thing to mention concerning them, to their friends and neighbors.

Titled “Isle of Wonder” and conceived by Danny Boyle, the director of “Trainspotting” and “Slumdog Millionaire,” Friday’s ceremony was by turns moving, bizarre, funny and exciting, and sometimes surprisingly dark; definitely it had been never boring. It had sometimes a high quality of seeming fully random as one suspected that repeated viewings would reveal all kinds of connections and echoes and interior rhymes.

If there's a through-line to be untangled from its $42-million, cast-of-thousands, higgledy-piggledy progress through fashionable Britain, with industrial revolutionary Isambard Brunel (played by Kenneth Branagh, quoting Shakespeare) and World Wide net inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee (as himself) at the opposite, it'd be one thing like, “Sorry for the unintended consequences, however we tend to did offer you steam engines, nice pop music and comedy and also the roots of social networking. it had been ugly there for a short time, however we’re fine -- and everyone dance currently.”

"I hope it'll reveal how peculiar and contrary we tend to are,” Boyle had said, “and how there is additionally, I hope, a heat concerning us." it had been an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink type of event, and that i might have simply blinked and missed the sink. there have been sure surefire things (singing youngsters, beloved oldsters). Renditions of William Blake’s “Jerusalem” and “God Save the Queen” (not the Sex Pistols song, though there was a protracted style of “Pretty Vacant”) were each a given, however Dizzee Rascal and also the Arctic Monkeys weren't.

Certainly i'd not have expected to check the agricultural idyll of the initial set -- with real soil and real grass, maypole dancers and cricket players -- destroyed, to a clamor of drums (led by the deaf Scots percussionist Evelyn Glennie), by the appurtenances of Blake’s “dark satanic mills,” as towering factory chimneys rose from the stadium floor, belching real smoke.

But these, too, were hyped up in flip. There was J.K. Rowling reading from “Peter Pan”; Mike Oldfield enjoying “Tubular Bells”; the workers of the nice Ormond Hospital (and a number of its patients) during a tribute to the beleaguered National Health Service; villains and monsters from children’s books vanquished by a fleet of Mary Poppinses, descending from the sky like D-Day paratroopers, however with umbrellas; Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean during a “Chariots of Fire” routine; and a protracted musical trip through time into that Boyle managed to insert to a small degree of romantic comedy.

There were nods to West Indian immigration and women’s suffrage. “Pearly” musicians and winged cyclists. Quiet moments to honor the departed; a river of “molten metal” forging 5 large rings, that ascended into the air to make the Olympic logo; David Beckham during a speedboat on the Thames, driving the torch from town Hall to the Olympic Park; and a brief film during which Daniel Craig, as James Bond, goes to fetch the queen -- the $64000, actual Queen Elizabeth II of England (“Good evening, Mr. Bond,” she said), simply off her own torch-like tour of the country to mark her latest jubilee -- who was seen to look to parachute into the Olympic stadium. i actually couldn't have expected that.

Finally, once the oaths were taken and also the torch lit -- a beautiful combination of 204 torches, actually, one for every taking part nation -- there was Paul McCartney, as there'll perpetually finally be Paul McCartney. When the planet ends, he are there, work as ever, for a final fifty choruses of “Hey Jude.” (“OK now,” Sir Paul said, turning it over to the gang, “just the lads, simply the fellas.… OK now, simply the ladies, simply the women.”)

And then it had been over, with a closing ceremony to return. In between there'll sports.

Olympic flame takes final tour around London

The Olympic flame took a festive, valedictory lap around London on Thursday, taking in a number of the sun-drenched capital's most famous landmarks and obtaining a royal welcome on the second-to-last day of its trek across Britain.

The torch - carried by athletes, charity employees and celebrities - thrilled thousands of Londoners because it swept across Regent's Canal in Camden, through the city's newly renovated neo-gothic train station at St Pancras and down the winding streets of the traditional town of London.

Prince William, his wife Kate, and his brother Prince Harry posed for images as torch bearers took the flame to the steps of Buckingham Palace.

At London's Hyde Park, where Thursday's torch relay ended, it absolutely was greeted by the London's mayor, who took a swipe at US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's suggestions that Britain won't be able to host the games, that formally embark Friday.

"There's a bloke known as Mitt Romney who needs to grasp if we have a tendency to are prepared," Johnson asked the screaming crowd. "Are we have a tendency to ready? Yes we have a tendency to are!"

For many Londoners, Thursday was their initial glimpse of a golden beacon that has spent the past sixty eight days traveling up and down the country, from Loch Ness to Land's finish, moreover as going across the water to eire, Northern eire and also the Channel Islands.

In the north London neighborhood of Camden, several families with young kids got up early to cheer because the torch come into being its relay at the Victorian-era Roundhouse music hall around 6:50am. Others merely hadn't been to bed.

"It was pretty cool to envision it truly," said 19-year-old Anastasia Gribaldi, a Goth who had been out all night clubbing. "It was like: 'Wow, it is the torch!' we have a tendency to weren't expecting it."

The torch completes its 70-day, 8,000-mile (12,900-kilometer) journey on Friday, lighting the Olympic Stadium's cauldron during a ceremony marking the official begin of the 2012 London Games. The identity of the ultimate torchbearer continues to be a closely guarded secret.

The torch cruised past a number of the city's most spectacular landmarks, as well as the homes of Parliament, ten Downing St and Buckingham Palace, where it absolutely was greeted by Prince William and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge.

Earlier within the day it sped across London's River Thames beside Paralympic champion Ade Adipitan, whose dreadlocks flapped within the wind as he propelled his wheelchair across the slender Millennium Bridge.

Londoners who have spent abundant of the past few weeks worrying concerning rain, Olympic security and doable strikes perceived to loosen up.

In the south London borough of Lambeth, flag-waving crowds chanted "We need the torch!" In nearby Wandsworth, 24-year-old John Lake - a cancer survivor who has raised thousands for the Brain analysis Trust - pumped his fist and waved the torch back and forth as he dried-up the road with a mile-wide grin.


"Make some noise!" somebody shouted because the crowd erupted into cheers.

The crowds thickened additional because the torch created its manner back across the Thames, with Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders - who played Patsy and Edina within the British comedy "Absolutely Fabulous" - taking the flame for a jaunty walk in London's wealthy Chelsea neighborhood.

On Oxford Street, London's famous searching thoroughfare, the torch rode on an open-topped, double-decker bus.

Still, not everybody was fixed within the Olympic excitement.

"It was pretty convenient that it came through as i used to be obtaining my morning low," said Jack Tate, a 28-year-old retail employee in Camden. "Now I will say I've seen it. there is no got to watch any further of this Olympics rubbish for ensuing few weeks."

London prepared for gap extravaganza

The stage is ready and also the athletes are primed because the seven-year countdown to the London 2012 Olympics reaches its finale with Friday's much-anticipated gap ceremony.
The three-hour spectacle, expected to be watched by a worldwide tv audience of up to 1 billion, will mark


But London is making ready for its own intense examination as queries over the city's creaking transport system and also the ever-present security threat droop over the event, able to overshadow on-track achievements.

Prime Minister David Cameron insisted on Thursday that Britain would deliver a memorable Games once US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney backtracked on barbed comments he created concerning the preparations.

The Republican hopeful, in London to attend Friday's gap, said the build-up had been "disconcerting", pointing to the failure of a non-public security contractor to produce the quantity of guards it had promised.

Cameron responded by saying he was certain Britons would get behind the Games despite an economic downturn -- and took an evident swipe at Romney's past as head of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake town.

"We are holding an Olympic Games in one in every of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere within the world," Cameron said.

"Of course it's easier if you hold an Olympic Games within the middle of nowhere."

Sneak previews of the £27 million ($42 million, thirty five million euros) gap ceremony -- filmed at Wednesday's final rehearsal -- counsel it'll be a grand however quirky production, reflecting the philosophy of director Danny Boyle.

The Slumdog Millionaire Oscar-winner has promised to form a "picture people as a nation" and revealed the eccentric show can feature live sheep and dancing surgeons from the National Health Service.

Thousands of VIPs as well as some one hundred twenty national leaders are in city for the event, with guests starting from Angelina Jolie and US initial woman Michelle Obama to the king of Swaziland.

Germany's Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda are among the leaders set to attend whereas Michelle Obama can head the US delegation.

Prince William and his wife Catherine beside a flock of European royals as well as Prince Albert of Monaco can watch Britain's 86-year-old monarch Queen Elizabeth II officially open the Games.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev can lead Russia's delegation though President Vladimir Putin has indicated he could fly in later to observe the judo, within which he's a black belt.

British soccer legend David Beckham said he can perform some role at the ceremony despite not being selected for Team GB, fueling gossip he could also be given the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron.

From the globe of showbusiness, Hollywood mega-couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt can attend once hosting a star-studded charity dinner for boxing icon Muhammad Ali on Wednesday, that counted racing driver Lewis Hamilton and actress Rosario Dawson among its guests.

Audience members at Wednesday's rehearsal promised the show would be a spine-tingling extravaganza.

The crowd at the eighty,000-seater Olympic Stadium in Stratford, a previously run-down space of east London, were full of enthusiasm as they flooded out.

"That was fully wonderful. I needed to whoop," said Hilary Midgley from Darwen in northwest England. "It was beyond my wildest expectations."

But with the spotlight of the globe on Britain, authorities are acutely alert to the phobia threat.

An additional four,700 troops are deployed in recent days to form up the shortfall in guards provided by large contractor G4S.

Anti-aircraft missiles are placed on rooftops and a warship is anchored within the River Thames as a part of the country's biggest ever peacetime security operation.

A force of over forty,000 military and civilian personnel, backed by an enormous intelligence operation, has turned the British capital into a fortress to shield venues, athletes and several guests.

Cameron on Thursday stressed that security "matters over something else".

"I suppose we've created as several preparations as we will. i believe we've got superb contingency plans in place," Cameron said at a press conference with chief Games organiser Sebastian Coe in front of the Olympic Stadium.

Ten times Olympic medallist Carl Lewis captured the building sense of anticipation on Thursday.

"The Olympics is that the solely event where the globe stops," he said.

"If you are the smallest country with the fewest individuals within the world or the largest country with the foremost individuals within the world, everyone's allowed and everybody is invited, thus it is a good thing as a result of you get to envision the globe and also the world sees you," he added.

Indian archers begin campaign at Lords

India may open their account within the London Olympics as early as Saturday as their archers are primed for his or her initial ever Olympic medal where they start their challenge on the morning of the gap ceremony here Friday.

Spearheaded by world No.1 Deepika Kumari, 18, a medal in all four events is expected from the six-member outfit.

Before the globe witnesses the $42 million gap ceremony of the thirtieth Olympic Games Friday night, the India men and ladies archers are aiming for the bulls eye within the ranking spherical of the team event at the long-lasting Lord`s cricket ground.

India may open its medal tally at London as early as Saturday when the medal spherical of the team championships is scheduled.

All eyes are on the globe No.2 women`s team of Deepika, Chekrovolu Swuro and Bombayala Devi as they're India`s best bet for a medal. The trio surprised fancied South Korea to end second within the 2011 World Championship, that conjointly helped them qualify for the London Games.

"We have done no matter we have a tendency to may throughout coaching. however you can`t totally prepare for a sport like archery. You never acumen the conditions would be on a specific day. To win an Olympic medal could be a dream for all people and that we are keeping our fingers crossed," said Deepika, who has become the centre of attraction once reaching the highest spot within the FITA rankings.




The men`s team of Tarundeep Rai, Rahul Banerjee and Jayanta Talukdar, too, is capable of a podium end. the actual fact that the globe No.3 team qualified for the Olympics at the eleventh hour can provide them a push to rise to the occasion.

Besides Bombayala, Tarundeep is that the only 1 who has Olympic expertise. With the present venue being Lord`s, the Athens 2004 participant is hoping the hallowed stadium can bring them success because it did to the cricket World Cup winning team in 1983. the boys can have to be compelled to battle with their counterparts from Ukraine, the US, France, South Korea and China.

The individual spherical can kick-off Sunday and also the whole of India are pinning hopes on Deepika. She has been in prime kind and recently won the globe Cup in Antalya, Turkey.


The archery competitions get underway with the ranking rounds within which each archer (64 men and sixty four women) can shoot seventy two arrows to work out their seedings for each the individual and team competitions.

The top scorer are seeded No one and can meet No sixty four within the initial individual elimination rounds on Monday. The cumulative several the team members can decide the seedings for the team events on Saturday and Sunday.

What they said at the London Olympics 2012

"I looked in his eyes ... he was depressed, he wasn't happy. they're your best friends." - Beijing silver medallist MEGAN JONES once turning into the second Australian equestrian rider to withdraw from the Games due as a result of a lame horse.

"The reality is, this {can be} the character of our sport - horses can sustain these injuries and before you recognize it, a sporting dream will come back to an finish." - Australia's equestrian section manager BRETT MACE once Beijing silver medallist Megan Jones was forced to withdraw from the Games as a result of a lame horse.

"It's near to what number toppings i need on my sundae." - yank swimming superstar MICHAEL PHELPS reflects on chasing a lot of gold medals to feature to his 14th.

"I simply fake the crowd's invariably on my facet and in spite of where i am going within the world I've got 6000 individuals cheering on behalf of me." - Australian track star ANNA MEARES on her techniques for handling with the psychological pressure within the Olympic velodrome.

"For me watching him, I see a brand new manner of sprinting and he is most likely the foremost spectacular swimmer I've seen most likely over the last decade." - Olympic nice IAN THORPE lots praise on Australian swimmer James Magnussen.

"I've seen a couple of bright kits over the years, however yellow knicks is taking it to a different level." - Australian men's road team director MATT WHITE on the cyclist's luminescent all-yellow Olympic kit.

"This is no doubt the largest peace-time policing operation we've ever had to modify." - British Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner CHRIS ALLISON on the huge security operation for the London 2012 Olympics.

"Still got to work effortlessly on my accent...at tesco I asked where am i able to get recent mint the guy took me to the recent meat section." - Australian 3000m steeplechase athlete YOUCEF ABDI includes a lost in translation moment whereas searching in London.

"I suppose in some people's mind he is not simply somebody that hides below the leaves too, he is out there, he is the flower and he is creating the statements." - Australian swim coach LEIGH NUGENT on Olympic freestyler James Magnussen.

"As a psychological blow, it'd be nice to own it." - Australia's Olympic chef de mission NICK inexperienced speculates concerning the harm Matt Goss, Cadel Evans or one in every of their teammates may inflict on Team GB if they took down gold-medal favorite Mark Cavendish on Saturday.

"It's been arduous to observe the Olympic lead up while not wishing i used to be work." - Australian basketballer ANDREW BOGUT laments being injured because the clock ticks all the way down to London.

"It depends who she's rooming with." - twin Olympic medallist JARED TALLENT on whether or not he'd take into account sneaking into his wife's area at the athletes village.

"But the $64000 legacy is that the inspiration to children who can need to require up sport, who are galvanized by the competitive ethos of the Olympics, who can see Britain at its best." - British Prime Minister DAVID CAMERON on the $64000 come back from investing within the London Olympic Games.

"It's fully acceptable that the prime minister is (in Australia) managing the country, that is the expectation on her." - Sports Minister KATE LUNDY defends the absence of Prime Minister Julia Gillard from the London Olympics.

"The purpose there's that everybody is at the highest of their game, however there is only 1 manner from being at the highest of your game and that is to come back off the highest of your game." - British Olympic sailor STUART BITHELL sums up the realities of competition at the Olympic Games.

Lauren Jackson to hold flag at Olympics Ceremony

The first issue Lauren Jackson did when she was raiseed to hold the Australian flag at the Olympics gap ceremony in London was ask why.
I can't consider something that might ever prime this. clearly a gold medal would be awesome, however I feel like this can be one thing that may never happen once more. This moment makes me feel like nothing's not possible.

Australia's chef de mission, Nick Green, who summoned the 31-year-old star basketballer into his workplace within the Games village on Monday, had many reasons. you're an impressive leader, he said. you're an inspiring and high-achieving lady, he said. you're already 3|a 3} time Olympian who has won three silver medals, and that i just like the manner you've got conducted yourself whereas taking part in at the highest level of your sport internationally, he said.


Jackson absorbed all this on the eve of the gap ceremony, however minutes once she was outed as flag bearer at an Australian Olympic Committee cocktail perform overlooking the Olympic park in London's East finish, Jackson still failed to believe it.
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"When Nick known as me into his workplace i believed, initially, that i used to be in hassle for one thing i would done," she said, still visibly reeling as she spoke to media once nervously practising the swing she is going to repeat before the eyes of the globe tonight.
"But he said 'No. are you able to keep a secret? you are the flag bearer.'"


Jackson is that the initial Australian lady to receive the honour since diver Jenny Donnet  was the chosen one in Barcelona in 1992. She could be a proud feminist however said that an occurrence like this was neither the place nor time to be mounting campaigns. For Jackson the story did not want subtext to be meaningful.
"Tomorrow night, even tonight, is simply the proudest moment of my life, little question concerning it. To be named the leader of the team, and to be able to walk in front of Australia at an Olympic Games are a few things that I never, in my wildest dreams, would have imagined I may achieve. i am unable to consider something that might ever prime this. clearly a gold medal would be awesome, however I feel like this can be one thing that may never happen once more.
"This moment makes me feel like nothing's not possible."

Australia's flag bearer ... Lauren Jackson. Photo: Getty pictures
In the hours before the announcement, Jackson had become such a favorite for the role that betting was suspended in Australia.
"It was bizarre," she said. "I kept that secret practically. i do not grasp what happened overnight, however clearly one thing happened."
Something is going on to Jackson, and large time. inexperienced forecast that whoever he selected for the role would have their life altered forever. at intervals ten minutes of being official, Jackson concurred: "I'm undecided how it'll amendment my life," she said, "but i believe it's positively getting to impact on the manner that I see things."

Greek triple jumper withdrawn for racist tweet

Greek triple jumper Paraskevi Papachristou was withdrawn from the London Olympics on Wednesday once inflicting an uproar at home for a tweet slammed as racist, the Greek Olympics team said.

"With such a big amount of Africans in Greece... the West Nile mosquitoes can a minimum of eat homemade food!!!" she had posted on her Twitter account.

The country's Olympic Committee said she was being pulled from the team as a result of her comments were against the Olympic spirit.

"She showed no respect for a basic Olympic price and sadly she is out," Greek mission chief Isidoros Kouvelos told SKAI TV. "She created an error and in life we have a tendency to pay money for our mistakes."

The 23-year-old athlete, who was scheduled to depart for her 1st Olympics next week, later apologised for what she said was "an unfortunate and tasteless joke".

"I am terribly sorry and ashamed for the negative responses I triggered, since I never wished to offend anyone," Papachristou, a blonde-haired athlete who sports a navel piercing, wrote on her Facebook page in Greek and English.

"My dream is connected to the Olympic Games and that i couldn't presumably participate if I didn't respect their values."

The Athens-born athlete was an extended shot for a medal with a season's better of fourteen.58 metres, virtually [*fr1] a metre behind the planet leaders.

Papachristou's coach attacked the choice to expel her, saying it absolutely was too harsh a sanction for somebody who had already apologised.

"It's an excessive amount of, the penalty mustn't are therefore strict," George Pomaski told Reuters.

"This may be a massive disappointment not just for her except for her family and for myself and anyone concerned within the Greek team."

One man has died in an exceedingly little outbreak of the West Nile virus in Athens this month and a minimum of 5 different cases are reported, Greece's disease management and prevention body said.

Papachristou's withdrawal may be a blow for Greece, that hoped its Olympics team would be a supply of pride for an austerity-hit nation deeply hurting from a debt crisis.

Greece is sending a hundred and five competitors in sixteen sports to the London Olympics starting on Friday.

"VILE JOKE"

Papachristou's tweet looked as if it would divide opinions in Greece, that has long struggled with an influx of illegal immigrants from Africa and Asia and has seen a pointy rise in anti-immigrant sentiment amid its economic crisis.

Those who pushed for her expulsion included the co-ruling Democratic Left party.

"She will create as several vile 'jokes' as she likes on social networking sites when she watches the Olympic Games on TV," it said in an exceedingly statement.

"But she definitely cannot represent Greece in London."

However, many fans rushed to Papachristou's defence, flooding her Facebook page with messages of support.

A group titled "We wish Voula Papachristou in London" was created at intervals minutes of the announcement and shortly counted over two,000 fans.

"Since when is clever humour a crime?" one fan posted. "Making mistakes is human. Recognising our mistakes demands character and compassion," another wrote.

Papachristou finished eleventh in last month's European championships in Helsinki with a jump of thirteen.89 and didn't create the ultimate within the 2011 world championships.

In 2009 she qualified for the ultimate of the eu indoor championships with the second-longest jump however then didn't register a jump within the final.

North Korean womens soccer team delays match

In did not take long for the primary controversy of the London Olympics.
As 1st reported by Daily News reporter Frank Isola on Twitter, the North Korean women's soccer team refused to require the sphere for its 1st Olympic match vs. Colombia as a result of the South Korean flag is flying in Hampden Park in Glasgow. The North Koreans conjointly took exception to the very fact that the incorrect Korean flag was being displayed on the scoreboard before the beginning of warmups. The scoreboard has since been corrected.
While the flag of South Korea is flying over the stadium, therefore is that the flag for North Korea. Flags for all the groups within the men's and women's soccer competition are being displayed.
An announcement was created within the stadium explaining the delay, saying "there is a difficulty behind the scenes." alittle cluster of North Korean fans left the stadium as different fans booed.
Both groups eventually took the sphere for warmups regarding forty five minutes once the match was imagined to begin.
In a political candidate statement Olympic organizers apologized for the error.

"Today before the women's soccer match at Hampden Park, the South Korean flag was shown on an enormous screen video package rather than the North Korean flag. Clearly, that's an error, we are going to apologise (sic) to the team and also the National Olympic Committee and steps are going to be taken to make sure this doesn't happen once more."
The U.S. is scheduled to play North Korea in Manchester, England next week.

USA beat France in Olympics 2012

Welcome to the  minute by minute gap ceremony for the 2012 Olympic soccer tournament. Predating the official games gap by a few of days, our version is an equally vibrant and spectacular gap warrant the best show on earth. It's edgy and fashionable and combines the pyrotechnic awe of Beijing with the whimsy of 1,000,000 below the road comments. And it's undoubtedly NOT simply a man with a laptop hoping the wifi holds up.


OK, let's skip the spectacle and obtain straight to the game - we're starting up the women's Olympic soccer these days and we're not messing regarding - nice Britain have gotten us underway against New Zealand, and currently the Gold medal favorites, the USA, are beginning their campaign against a French facet who aren't any slouches themselves. the 2 sides met in competition simply last year, of course, within the semi-finals of the planet Cup. The USA won that one (despite being given lots of issues by a awfully technically astute French side), and if Abby Wambach repeats her World Cup type, or Alex Morgan continues her fantastic goalscoring streak, they will fancy their probabilities of beginning their tournament with another win these days. France though, have all that ability on the ball, and a world category playmaker in Louisa Nécib, and if they have any longer inspiration on what's attainable, they need solely to appear at what happened to the US ladies against Japan in last year's World Cup Final.

Ah yes, Japan. Having dispatched Brazil (and Marta) with Wambach's famous last minute goal within the quarter finals, then prevailing against an rising French facet who were one amongst the harmful dark horses in last year's tournament, the US came up against a Japan facet whose fairy tale run was expected to finish within the final. Instead the japanese scored a late equalizer and won on penalties, as team USA continued their strange streak of alternating between World Cup (1999) and Olympic (1996, 2004, 2008) wins, however never quite managing to carry each titles promptly.

Sadly for his or her opponents, the loss to Japan solely looks to own strengthened the US women's resolve to try to to things right this year. They've looked in pretty typeidable form as they struggle to try to to simply that - and memorably beat the planet champions 4-1 in an exceedingly friendly in Sweden last month to hopefully lay the ghost of Frankfurt to rest. therefore they are in an exceedingly assured and determined mood as they hit Britain. will France dent that confidence? perhaps. this can be slightly begin for each side.

Womens soccer clash in olympics 2112

The thirtieth Summer Olympic Games officially opened this afternoon and there was an ideal begin for Team GB because the women's soccer team beat New Zealand 1-0.
But organsiers were forced to create a grovelling apology to the North Korean team who refused to start out theIR match against Colombia when the South Korean flag was displayed by mistake.
In the British match a free-kick from Steph Houghton once sixty five minutes split the perimeters at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, though the bottom was solely half-full for Britain's historic debut within the competition.


Talking regarding the mix-up with the North Korean flag organisers said: 'Today before the women's soccer match at Hampden Park, the South Korean flag was shown on an enormous screen video package rather than the North Korean flag.

'Clearly that's an error. we are going to apologize to the team and also the National Olympic Committee and steps are going to be taken to make sure this doesn't happen once more.'
The match against Colombia was delayed over an hour and was scheduled to start out shortly.

Despite all the organisers' claims that the Olympics would sell-out, Team GB commenced the London Games in front of swathes of empty seats.
But those in attendance saw a winning begin, as Houghton's excellent 25-yard free-kick proved the distinction in an exceedingly tightly-fought match.
Officially, an estimated forty,000 tickets had been sold - which might be a record for a women's soccer international in Britain - however there have been huge swathes of empty seats when the match began as fans drifted into the stadium.


Those that did arrive early would not are too impressed by a goalless first-half, however nice Britain gained the higher hand once half-time.
As of yesterday, 36,200 tickets had been sold prior to - just enough to fill 2 tiers of the seventy four,000-capacity stadium - with some thousand expected to select up £20 seats on the gate to observe Hope Powell's team.
The unfilled seats would have come back as a disappointment for Games organiser Lord Coe, who was in Cardiff to officially declare the Olympics open.
He said: 'We are prepared, the state is prepared - let the Games begin.

'It has been an extended journey however I’m convinced these games can raise the state and convey the country along.
'We’ve proved the doubters wrong by obtaining everything prepared on time and we’re wanting forward to creating these Olympics a large success.
'When I arrived in Cardiff I felt I had arrived in an exceedinglyn Olympic town - this can be the beginning of the Games in a fantastic setting.
'We haven’t left any stone unturned in giving the athletes the platform on that to perform.'
Millennium Stadium general manager Gerry Toms stressed the historic nature of the occasion as a Team GB women's soccer team played within the Olympics for the primary time.
He said: 'There was some criticism that price tag sales were slow.
'But a traditional women’s soccer game would attract regarding vi,000-8,000 and that we are near forty,000.
'Clearly there's an interest within the soccer and also the Olympics. folks that aren't normally soccer fans wish to be ready to say that they were there.'

Meanwhile, 41,000 are going to be at Hampden Park in Glasgow this evening for a women's soccer double-header of the u.  s. v France and North Korea v Columbia.
While this can fill most of the fifty two,000-seater Scottish national stadium, only 6,500 of the tickets have truly been sold.
The remainder are given away to charities, youth teams and sports clubs.
Organisers said overall eighty,000 free tickets had been distributed for Hampden's eight Olympic matches.
Two different games are going to be played these days at the town of Coventry Stadium, that holds thirty two,500.
The Millennium stadium had been cleaned and freshly painted for the occasion, the acquainted red of the Welsh national rugby and soccer groups replaced by purple Olympic paraphernalia.


Cardiff likes to shout regarding its sporting pedigree, and rightly therefore. Team GB boast a record variety of Welsh athletes — thirty (which beats the twenty seven who appeared in 1908) — together with 2 captains: Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs and four hundred metres hurdles world champion Dai Greene.
A giant set of Olympic rings, measuring 18m x 8m (59ft x 26ft), has been outside the town Hall since late April. Huge crowds cheered the Olympic torch when it visited Cardiff in could.


About £160,000 of taxpayers’ cash has been spent on ‘cleansing and animating’ the town centre, that is prettily wearing bunting to mark the eleven soccer matches it'll hold over future sixteen days.
But this hasn't translated into price tag sales. Tickets are going to be offered on the gate these days, beginning at £20 with below 16s paying their age.
The ease of catching a train from London conjointly suggests that the town has seen solely a modest rise in hotel bookings.

London boasts of costliest Olympic medals

The eight a lot of gold, silver and copper unearthed from mines in Mongolia and Utah and currently underneath guard at the Tower of London is that the largest ever haul used to form Olympic medals.

Olympics 2012 | Schedule | India at Olympics | Medals Tally

"The medals found out the tower on July a pair of, and that we can keep them underneath tight security" Tracey Sands, spokeswoman for Historic Royal Palaces, said.

The 4,700 Olympic and Paralympic medals are guarded alongside Britain's crown jewels till they're presented on stage.

"For centuries the Tower of London has protected a number of this country's greatest treasures therefore there are often no higher sanctuary for the 2012 medals - the foremost precious possession any athlete may hope to possess," said London Mayor Boris Johnson.

The winners' medals are actually precious, despite the fact that gold solely makes up a little portion of their alloy.

A gold medal weighing regarding 410 grams contains solely six grams of gold - one.34 p.c of its weight - the rest being silver compound (92.5 percent) and copper.

However, the recent gold and silver booms that have seen costs double since the 2008 Games in Beijing make sure that the medals are the foremost expensive in Olympic history.

Added to the present, the scale of the London medals (85 millimetres in diameter and 7 millimetres thick) create them the heaviest ever struck for the Summer Olympics.

In Beijing, the medals were around 0.5 as significant at two hundred grams.

But the London medals stay below the record set by the Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010, where the medals weighed up to 576 grams.

British artist David Watkins designed the medals, that depict Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.

The reverse bears the London Games brand in front of a radiating star motif, representing the spirit and tradition of the Olympics, and therefore the River Thames, for town of London.

"If there is the slightest blemish, we have a tendency to reject them," said Fergus Feeney, programme director at the one,000-year-old Royal Mint, that produces Britain's currency and created the Olympic medals.

The coveted discs were every processed fifteen times in a very huge hydraulic press called the Colossus.

The gold, silver and copper was extracted by Anglo-Australian world mining large Rio Tinto from its Oyu Tolgoi plant in Mongolia and therefore the Kennecott mine in Utah within the u.  s..

The choice was controversial as its extraction techniques in Utah are thought-about by some to be polluting.

"Rio Tinto isn't Olympic calibre in its behaviour toward its own staff and their families," said Ken Neumann, national director in Canada of the United Steelworkers trade union.

At least the winning athletes are often assured the medals are higher than those issued the last time London hosted the Olympics in 1948.

Then, post-war austerity meant that the medals were of poor quality and required regular regilding.

Twitter in London Olympics 2012

A modern titan has come back to challenge the mythic figure therefore usually invoked within the Olympics.

The ancient games might are introduced in honor of Zeus quite a pair of 1/2 millenniums ago. In 2012 London, however, the Greek king of gods stands to be upstaged by the unimposing very little blue birdie of Twitter.

Twitter tweets, Facebook standing updates, email updates and therefore the remainder of the ways that folks instantly exchange info have created it inevitable that NBC would ought to bend to new realities instead of cling to tradition.


Much of the TV network's Olympics programming are because it has been for quite a half-century, together with the tape-delayed prime-time coverage fastidiously packaged for max drama and reach.

But to satisfy people who may not mind adjusting their sleep habits or spending their lunch hour glued to a pill, it conjointly can create a live video stream of each Olympic sport for the primary time to quite one hundred million cable, satellite and telco customers who register via NBCOlympics.com, furthermore as a special NBC Olympics app.

There will not be the assembly polish usually seen on the network, and sister retailers like Telemundo, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo and NBC Sports Network. however it's still quite three,500 hours of live content at no cost, unless you are among people who do not pay money for tv service.

"It's an easy, simple business call that currently has been changed, I think, in an enlightened thanks to permit for the changes within the means folks consume info," NBC host Bob Costas said at a recent event with reporters.

"In the past perhaps the technology wasn't there to support that" commitment to measure streaming, added Mark Lazarus, chairman of the NBC Sports cluster. "We suppose that the streaming throughout the day can facilitate drive folks to prime time. ... It will not be packaged a similar on-line and live throughout the day (as in prime time). it'll be largely utilizing world feed, with some … lesser saying."

Few establishments prefer to wrap themselves within the past the maximum amount because the trendy Olympics, and therefore the networks that pay several millions for exclusive broadcast rights like to invoke their long tradition.

But the games and therefore the broadcast partners aren't any a lot of resistant to the pressures to adapt to trendy realities than any enterprise, whether or not it's restaurants tweaking their fare to fulfill changing tastes or factories realigning their workforce as dictated by new technology and market demands.

Holding back video is as pointless as anticipating Pheidippides to arrive in Athens for the results of the Battle of Marathon when nowadays the story would be obtainable live on-line, on mobile phones and tablets because it happened.

Twenty years ago, NBC thought it might satisfy demand for a lot of complete, live coverage in differently. It offered to supplement the one61 hours of largely taped coverage on free over-the-air TV from the 1992 games in Barcelona with 1,080 hours of programming unfold over 3 pay-cable channels for $125, or $29.95 a day.

Projections involved a pair of million subscribers to shop for in to the so-called TripleCast. A mere 125,000 took the bait.

NBC has said it does not expect to form cash on the London games. serving to to justify the expanded internet commitment is that the latest installment in an expansive analysis tool the network has dubbed "The Billion dollar Lab," tracking how viewers use totally different media platforms.

"We will live things we have a tendency to normally cannot live, and … we are able to see trends and behaviors rising and evolving over time, (which) provides us an excellent insight in seeing the longer term of media consumption," said Alan Wurtzel, president of analysis and media development for NBCUniversal. "What cross platform is, and it is the holy grail that won't extremely being measured straight away, is that the ability to require a personal, and perceive how they consume content — during this case the Olympics — on tv, on laptop net, on mobile, and on pill."

Among alternative things, Wurtzel said, "This are the primary Twitter Olympics, and we're getting to pay lots of your time making an attempt to grasp how folks are connecting with one another, and what it means that."

James Webster, a professor of communication studies at Northwestern University who has written extensively on changing media consumption patterns across digital platforms, has seen Twitter's water-cooler impact work to spice up viewership as folks tip their friends to one thing they've seen or expect to examine.

But he notes the Twitter impact is even a lot of possible to draw folks into the a lot of lucrative prime-time NBC coverage than the live on-line stream.

"The factor to recollect is that tv audiences, even in an age of anywhere-anytime consumption, are still driven by things like audience availability," Webster said. "Most folks are within the habit of returning home and watching stuff on TV in prime time. There are some folks that can watch within the wee hours of the night on their laptop, however I still suppose the overwhelming majority of the audience is tied into the linear delivery that we've all gotten used to."

In any case, there is a new Olympics mindset that has come back to power.

"There are traditionalists … who say, 'Now wait a moment, watch out regarding cannibalization,'" Steve Burke, put in last year as chief govt of NBCUniversal when Comcast gained management, told reporters. "But, in a very extremely highly fragmented world, i feel a lot of is best if it's done the proper means. they are complementary. the various (platforms) promote one another (if you) do it the proper means, and i am terribly optimistic that we're getting to prove that in London."

Serena Williams is at center of U.S. tennis story

If she wins the women's singles at the Games she is going to be the primary to win all Grand Slam events a minimum of once and Olympic singles and doubles gold. 'I do not suppose I knew that,' she says.

So, you've got never been clear what {proportion|what quantity} our pro tennis players embrace the Olympics, what quantity they love squeezing in another long plane flight each four years for a lot of three-hour matches.


Tuesday at the most Olympic media center here, they paraded within the U.S. team, contemporary from the flight that took them across the pond. just like the tennis balls they hit for a living, they were a little fuzzy.


"We all would like showers," she said.

When they got settled on the long dais required for twelve players and 2 coaches, the seating chart, under no circumstances a random happening, had Serena Williams within the center and therefore the others unfold left and right. it absolutely was the queen and her court.

She is that the story and presumably are, till the day she retires. she is going to be thirty one in September, simply won her fifth Wimbledon title a number of weeks ago and tube stops away, and currently can look for a milestone within these Games that may provide her a fair loftier spot in the sport's lore.

If she wins the women's singles here, she is going to be the primary to win every tennis Grand Slam event —Australian, French, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — a minimum of once, and an Olympic gold in each singles and doubles. She has done all however the Olympic singles.

For a short time, there have been solely 2 achieving a lifetime Golden Slam, and that they are married to every alternative — Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi. Graf, of course, really achieved it all in one year, 1988, wrapping up her unbelievable run at the Seoul Olympics. Agassi got his Olympic gold at Atlanta in 1996. At the Beijing Olympics, Rafael Nadal joined Mr. and Mrs. Agassi within the choose cluster by winning the singles gold. Serena, who has won Olympic gold in doubles twice with sister Venus, lost within the singles semifinals to Elena Demetieva.

There are others near reaching this somewhat odd tennis height. Tennis was contested within the Olympics from 1900 to 1924, and then dropped from the program till 1988 in Seoul. However, early-century players seldom visited Australia.

Helen Wills won each a singles and doubles gold in Paris in 1924, and had twenty four total titles within the U.S. and French Opens and Wimbledon, however never played within the Australian. Lindsay Davenport won her Olympic gold in Atlanta, however never won a French Open. Justine Henin won gold in Athens, however never won at Wimbledon. Venus Williams has Olympic gold in singles and doubles and titles at the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, however none in Australia and therefore the French.

Then, there's Roger Federer, who has all the most important titles and Olympic gold, except his gold is in doubles, at Beijing with Stanislas Wawrinka. If Federer and Serena win the gold singles here, they're going to really move a notch on top of the remainder with four majors every, and Olympic singles and doubles gold.

Pretty heady stuff, right? Serena Williams, when presented with the state of affairs, was either jet-lagged or unmoved by history.

"I do not suppose I knew that," she said. "Thanks. No pressure."

With Serena, you never recognize whether or not she is being cagey or is actually oblivious.

She continued with the same old programmed propaganda.

"It's nice simply to be here and to represent our country," she said. "The vital factor is to try and do the most effective I will for the U.S."

She was asked regarding her attendance at the gap ceremony, a matter that continuously looks to be a staple when outstanding U.S. professional athletes come back to the Olympics. With Serena, the solution carried further import as a result of there are stories advocating that she be the U.S. Olympic flag-bearer.

That, of course, would be a terrible plan — the flag bearer ought to be someone outside the prominence of U.S. professional sports who incorporates a compelling story (the Lost Boy of Sudan Lopez Lomong at the Beijing Games) or some Olympic longevity in a very sport that does not create them a zillionaire elsewhere (shooter Kim Rhode?).

But Serena just about took herself out of the running, anyway. She known as her past experiences within the gap ceremonies one thing that evoked "an unbelievably sensible feeling," however said that it all trusted what her taking part in schedule was. The tournament starts the day when Friday's gap ceremony and he or she said she wouldn't march if she had a match following day.

"This year, it's a little difficult," she said.

Other highlights included Andy Roddick's admission that he's tons a lot of excited regarding an Olympics here, on Wimbledon's grass, than he would be for alternative sites on slower surfaces. Roddick has created it to the Wimbledon final 3 times.

John Isner, currently the top-ranked U.S. men's player and creating his Olympic debut, was asked regarding his expectations here. He responded, with humor, that he had gotten on a plane immediately when taking part in in a very World TeamTennis match for the Boston Lobsters on Monday night and said, "The atmosphere at a Lobsters match is second to none."

Women's team coach Mary Joe Fernandez said her team was ok to "win medals in all classes." Men's coach Jay Berger did not speak. Nor did the Bryan brothers, doubles stars Mike and Bob. They were detained at the airport due to a minor accreditation glitch.

At the end, the media were informed that this could be the last availability for the U.S. team till when matches. That meant the athletes may file out of the area, still foggy, however happier.