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.

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.

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.’

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.

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.

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."

US coaches not marching in Olympic ceremony

Don't expect to see Geno Auriemma or Mike Krzyzewski marching with the U.S. delegation Friday night at the opening ceremony.

They aren't allowed because Olympic organizers decided to cut down the number of people marching to shorten the ceremony.

"It really was something special to do, but to be honest the Olympics are about the athletes," Auriemma said. "No one really remembers who the coaches were. No one remembers who coached Jesse Owens.

"I'm OK with it. The focus is, as it should be, on the athletes. They are the ones who got here and deserve the attention and praise."

Auriemma has already marched once when he was an assistant for the 2000 women's basketball team. He has fond memories of the ceremony, walking alongside some of the U.S. greats.

"On one side you have the best swimmers and the other the best track and field stars. It really is something very, very cool," he said.

While the coaching staff is fine with not participating, their athletes were disappointed.

"It really is unfortunate that coaches can't do it," Diana Taurasi said. "They put as much, if not more, time into it than we do. They have 12 or 14 hours days, we show up for practice for two or three hours.

"We'll have to tape that experience for them and let them see it through our eyes."

U.S. track and field men's coach Andrew Valmon also won't be participating in Friday's ceremony. He marched as an athlete in Barcelona at the 1992 Olympics before helping the 4x400 relay team win a gold medal. He'd much rather see someone go who hasn't had the chance to experience it.

"I'm actually trying to figure that out now," Valmon said. "I've done it from the athletes' standpoint. I want to make sure if someone else wants an opportunity to, I'll pass that along, since I've done it once before. It's an honor to put on the Ralph Lauren jacket and pants and hat. That's part of the whole experience."

Neither Valmon or Auriemma have a ticket to the opening ceremony. Auriemma plans to spend the time getting ready for the team's first game the next day against Croatia.

US flag bearer seldom obvious alternative

A four-time Olympian who has won fourteen gold medals and has said he's retiring at the top of the London Games, Michael Phelps would seem the perfect athlete to guide the us into the gap ceremony on Friday.But the respect of leading the U.S. team into a Summer Games has seldom gone to the apparent alternative.Since gap ceremonies became a part of the Olympics in 1906 and U.S. team manager Matthew Halpin was named flag-bearer, few, if any, of these chosen for the work may well be described as being household names.Four-years ago at the Beijing Games the honour fell on refugee Lopez Lomong, one amongst the "Lost Boys" from war-ravaged Sudan who found a home within the us, an unknown one,500 meter runner who has never appeared in an Olympic final.

At the 2004 Athens Olympics, it absolutely was Dawn Staley, a triple gold medalist on the women's basketball team charged with carrying the flag whereas kayaker Cliff Meidl, who nearly lost each his legs during a construction accident then battled back to become a two-time Olympian, handled duties in Sydney.This year the U.S. flag-bearer can come back from a pool of 530 athletes.The captains from twenty six groups every recommend a nominee followed by a secret vote where inspirational stories and long service have typically carried the maximum amount weight as performance and results.

"That's what makes it special, they're not solely representing their country however they're conjointly representing their teammates," said us Olympic Committee (USOC) spokesperson Patrick Sandusky."This is someone the athletes themselves have selected, they need gotten along during a space and determined who they need to carry the flag."It's not one thing from a bureaucratic standpoint or trading a favour, it is the athletes themselves deciding who they assume is the right person."

By any customary, Phelps is also deserving of the respect however won't even be swimming's nominee.Competing within the 400m individual medley on the primary day of the Games, Phelps has removed himself from thought and can watch the gap ceremonies from the comfort of couch as he prepares to chase a lot of Olympic glory."There isn't any probability he can try this [carry the flag] as a result of he swims consecutive day," Phelps long-time coach Bob Bowman told Reuters. "Unfortunately he's not getting to have that have."

No swimmer has led the U.S. into an Olympic stadium since Gary Hall Sr. at the 1976 Games however even while not Phelps there are no shortage of deserving candidates, some globally famous others unknown outside of their respective sports.Los Angeles Lakers all-star guard Kobe Bryant, one amongst the world's best known athletes, are going to be given serious thought as
will five-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams, who is attempting to feature to her haul of 2 Olympic gold medals when winning the doubles at the 2000 and 2008 Games.

At the opposite finish of the spectrum are candidates like equestrian Karen O'Connor, the oldest athlete within the team who is competing in her fifth Games and world champion judoka Kayla Harrison, who was sexually abused by a former-coach and has
become a flagbearer for abuse victims and can try and become America's initial gold medalist within the sport

Rain forecast for London 2012 Ceremony

While the sun is also shining on Team GB’s cyclists when their historic leads to the Tour de France, there's a risk of showers for London on the day of the Olympic gap ceremony.While Danny Boyle’s formidable plans for the gap ceremony embrace clouds that may rain down over the stadium in Stratford, east London, fingers had been crossed that the much-anticipated event would otherwise keep dry.After weeks of wet weather the outlook has brightened for the approaching week.Pictures from Cardiff and London as Olympic countdown continues The mercury is about to rise to 29C (84F) or maybe 30C (86F) tomorrow, and can keep within the high 20s for the remainder of the week, however forecasters said temperatures are set to fall once more by Friday.

Billy Payne, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: “Today is wanting to induce up to 27C (80.6F) or 28C (82.4F) within the South East and it'll be dry, hot and sunny in most elements of England and Wales.

“But there'll be plenty of cloud across southern Scotland and Cumbria, with persistent rain.“Tomorrow are going to be a lot of of a similar and will rise up to 29C (84F) or 30C (86F) within the London space.“Towards the top of the week it's getting to get plenty cooler and a lot of unsettled.“It appearance like there’s a risk of serious showers, definitely within the south-east corner of the country.“Temperatures ought to still be somewhere round the mid-twenties on Friday, and it's probably to be cooler over the weekend.”Widespread flooding, the wettest amount of April to June on record and a lot of serious rain up to now this month are caused by the jet stream settling unusually way south.

But forecasters said it's on its manner back north, resulting in a lot of ancient summer weather in the week.Bookies are taking bets on what consecutive few weeks can bring, with William Hill providing odds of 3/1 that it's raining throughout the gap ceremony and 66/1 that the Olympic flame is extinguished whereas te than 100F (38C) are going to be registered within the UK whereas the Games are going down.William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said: “There will be very little doubt that the British weather can have its say at the Olympics, possibly it'll be we have a tendency tot however we may well be in for a scorcher.”

2012 Summer Olympics: History of the gap Ceremony

The gap Ceremony at the Summer Olympics wasn't invariably the spectacle that it's these days. In fact, there was little or no fanfare concerned within the 1896 Games of the I Olympiad in Athens. As time went on, the gap Ceremony became the stage for not solely the world's greatest athletes, however conjointly the host country's innovation and, in some cases, political statements.Here could be a rundown of how the gap Ceremony has evolved:First gap Ceremony: Athens, 1896. Spiros Samaras and Kostis Palamas created the Olympic Anthem for the games, which has been the official anthem since the 1960 Olympics. The games were officially opened by King George I.First parade of the delegations: London, 1908. it absolutely was the primary time that the athletes paraded behind their country's flag in sport apparel. But, it wasn't till the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam that the order of the Parade of countries (Greece initial, host country last) would become protocol.Unity when World War I: Antwerp, 1920. The gap Ceremony in Belgium saw several firsts: the employment of the Olympic flag (five interlocking rings, the colours of that represented a minimum of one color from each flag collaborating within the games; conjointly represented the unity of 5 continents), the introduction of the Athlete's oath (which was created by a competitor from the host country on behalf of all the athletes), and also the unleash of doves as a logo of peace.

Use of fire: Amsterdam, 1928. A cauldron at the highest of a tower within the stadium was lit with symbolic fireplace, the primary time fireplace was employed in the Olympic Games.Political pageantry: Berlin, 1936. The Olympic organizers, namely Dr. Carl Diem, came up with the thought of a torch relay that would begin in Olympia, Greece, and finish in Berlin. it absolutely was a move to showcase the ability of Nazi Germany. And, the assembly of it all, from the planning of the torches to the media coverage, proved that time. Despite the political implications of that particular torch relay, it absolutely was the beginning of a practice that continues within the gap Ceremony of the Olympics to the present day.Paying homage to the fallen: Tokyo, 1964. the ultimate leg of the torch relay was run by a young man who was born in Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945 -- the day the atomic bomb was dropped on his town by the us. it absolutely was Japan's manner of honoring the victims of the attack that left tens of thousands of individuals dead.The end of twenty years of boycotts: Barcelona, 1992. From 1972 to 1992, the Olympic Games experienced one boycott or another.


Finally, it all ended with the Barcelona Olympics, and also the country celebrated during a huge manner. The gap Ceremony was replete with colourful puppetry and a paralympic archer that sent a flaming arrow over the gang to lightweight the Olympic cauldron.Memorable moment: Athens, 2004. Singer Bjork performed "Oceania" at the gap Ceremony, a song that she wrote for the Olympics. throughout her performance, her dress unfurled across the ocean of athletes, turning into a ten,000 sq. foot map of the world.Most spectacular ceremony: Beijing, 2008. Few would disagree that the Chinese outdid themselves with the gap Ceremony of the 2008 Olympics. With virtually fourteen,000 participants, the host country placed on an awe-inspiring show of meticulous precision, skill, and theatrics.

Wiggins on course For Olympics when Tour Win

Hours when winning the Tour de France, Bradley Wiggins has came to London to start out making ready for the Olympics.

Wiggins created history on Sunday when he became the primary British man to win the gruelling race.

But it's a case of no rest for the winner - in 5 days’ time he are going to be back on the bike for the Olympic road race. And in 9 days, he are going to be favoured to win the time trial event he excels in.

He is already the bearer of six Olympic medals, 3 of them gold.

But for Wiggins, the Olympics could be a step down from the Tour.

"The Tour is that the final - additional thus than the Olympics. To be the winner of the Tour de France is that the final accolade in cycling."

But still, Wiggins says Britain is in with a "fantastic chance" for the Olympics.

"We have Olympics to assume about… on to subsequent factor currently," he said.

"We perpetually knew it, we have a tendency to planned for it. lots people are flying out [Sunday] evening."

After crossing the end line on Paris' Champs-Elysees, the 32-year-old said: "Job done."

Prime Minister David Cameron led the congratulations, describing Wiggins' victory as an "immense feat of physical and mental ability".

Wiggins' victory propels him into the league of 1 of Britain's greatest sportsmen with needs him to be knighted.

Supporters at Herne Hill Velodrome, in south east London, where he began racing as a boy, celebrated his result, with one describing how she remembered the young Wiggins telling her he would in the future win the Tour de France.

"When he was concerning twelve he would tell everybody that he was reaching to win the Tour de France and here we have a tendency to go, he was right," said Jan Slater, 74, from Forest Hill, south east London.

The final stage was the thirteenth consecutive day that he had worn the race leader's yellow jersey within the 99th edition of the gruelling twenty stage, 3,497 kilometre race.

He completed the day 3 minutes and twenty one seconds earlier than Team Sky colleague Chris Froome, who became solely the second Briton to require the arena within the history of the event.

Their team-mate and fellow Brit Mark Cavendish won the ultimate stage of the race into Paris when powering to the front in his rainbow jersey four hundred metres from the road.