Inside the rings : U.S. women’s basketball in medal round
Posted on Wednesday, August 20, 2008
BEIJING — Not that there was much doubt, but the U. S. women are headed back to the Final Four of this tournament. Sylvia Fowles had 26 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Americans on their latest rout, a 104-60 victory over South Korea. The Americans have made the medal round in every Olympics they’ve entered, and have won 31 consecutive games since losing in the 1992 semifinals. The Americans will play Becky Hammon and Russia in the semifinals at 7 a. m. Central on Thursday. Russia advanced with an 84-65 victory over Spain. China plays Australia in the other semifinal. The Aussies advanced with a 79-46 victory over the Czech Republic. China moved on with a 77-62 victory over Belarus. It’s the first time the Chinese are in the medal round since taking silver in 1992.
BASEBALL U. S. eyes medal Despite losing its opener, losing one key player to a gruesome injury and seeing another key player get hurt, the U. S. is headed to the medal round. The Americans advanced with a 4-2 victory over Taiwan, powered by John Gall’s go-ahead home run and a solid outing by pitcher Brandon Knight. The final prelim test comes against medal favorite Japan. The semifinals start Friday. South Korea and Cuba are advancing, too. Those teams squared off in a battle of unbeatens, and South Korea won 7-4. “Since we beat the U. S. in our opener, the good luck has stayed with us so far,” South Korea Manager Kim Kyungmoon said. Also, Canada beat the Netherlands 4-0 and Japan beat China 10-0.
DIVING China golden China is up to 6 for 6 in its bid for all eight golds. He Chong easily won the men’s 3-meter springboard, getting 11 perfect marks of 10. 0 in the six-round final. This is the fourth consecutive Olympics China has won this event. American Troy Dumais was sixth for the third consecutive Olympics. Teammate Chris Colwill was 12 th and last. MEN’S SOCCER Title on line The final is set: Argentina vs. Nigeria. Argentina is headed back to the Olympic final with the chance to become the first nation in 40 years to defend its title — and to avenge a loss to Nigeria in the 1996 final. Sergio Aguero scored goals six minutes apart in the second half and later set up another to lead Argentina past Brazil 3-0. Nigeria advanced with a 4-1 victory over Belgium that included two scores from long distances. WEIGHTLIFTING German super Germany’s Matthias Steiner won the men’s super heavyweight division, getting gold and the right to call himself the world’s strongest man. At the medal ceremony, Steiner held up a picture of his wife, Susann, who died in a car accident last year. “I thought of her before the competition,” he said. “I won this for her, for friends and family. But mostly for her.” Steiner lifted a total of 461 kilograms (1, 016. 3 pounds ), clinching the victory with a clean and jerk of 258 kg (568. 8 pounds ).
CYCLING Brits prevail This wasn’t Olympic cycling. It was the British Open. With Victoria Pendleton winning the women’s track sprint and Chris Hoy taking the men’s version, the Brits won seven events and 12 medals in cycling, with Hoy claiming three golds. They were favored to also win the men’s madison, but Argentina took it. The Americans ? Not a single medal in the five-day competition. Just like in Athens, Greece. 1 It ended with Michael Friedman and Bobby Lea 16 th in the madison, and Jennie Reed seventh in the women’s sprint 5 th-8 th placement race. WRESTLING American letdown American Mike Zadick worked so hard to get to the Olympics. Was it worth it ? He wrestled for less than 10 minutes over two matches and didn’t score in either one. “This is an opportunity I’ve wanted since I started wrestling at 5, 25 years ago, and it’s pretty sour to have on me,” he said. “It happened so quick, it’s just kind of a shock to me, and it’s something I’ll deal with.” He competed in the 60-kilogram freestyle division, which was won by Russia’s Mavlet Batirov. Three-time Olympic gold medalist Alexander Karelin was in Batirov’s corner during the match. WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL U. S. roars back After a slow start, the U. S. took down Italy in five sets to advance to a semifinal matchup with undefeated Cuba. Afterward, the team celebrated with abandon. Ogonna Nnamani was joined by her teammates in a dance. They chanted “U-U-U-U-U-S-A !” And, of course, there were hugs all around. Brazil plays defending champion China in the other semifinal Thursday. WOMEN’S WATER POLO U. S. center hurt The U. S. will be playing for gold, taking on the Netherlands, but will do so without center forward Lauren Wenger. Wenger, the team’s most versatile player, broke her right hand in the closing minutes of a 9-8 semifinal victory over Australia. Brenda Villa scored three goals, including the winner with a minute left. The U. S. is guaranteed to keep alive its streak of winning a medal at every Olympics that has included women’s water polo. The Americans won silver in 2000 and bronze in 2004. The Dutch advanced by upsetting Hungary 8-7 in the other semifinal.
CANOE-KAYAK Big comeback American Rami Zur left Athens, Greece with a broken neck because of a freak pool accident. He might leave Beijing with two medals. Zur has reached the semifinals of two kayak single (K-1 ) events. His berth in the 500 meters was secured a day after making it in the 1, 000 meters. Carrie Johnson advanced to the women’s semis, giving the U. S. hope of returning to the Olympic flatwater medal stand for the first time since 1992. Also, Canadian kayaker Adam van Koeverden set a world-best time in the 500-meter kayak single in a qualifying heat. Van Koeverden, who carried Canada’s flag at the opening ceremony, is the defending Olympic champion in the 500. BEACH VOLLEYBALL Old story for U. S. Get ready for a rumble. Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor — the winners of 107 consecutive matches, including the last Olympic title — are headed to the final against the Chinese duo of Tian Jia and Wang Jie. The Americans easily beat a Brazilian tandem in the semifinals. Tian and Wang advanced by beating another team from China. The United States has now reached the podium in all four Olympics since beach volleyball was added to the Games in 1996. “I think they are going to be the Olympic champions, for sure,” said Renata, part of the Brazilian team defeated by the Americans. MEN’S TRIATHLON German gets gold Germany’s Jan Frodeno, who was seventh at last year’s world championship, worked his way past a pack of foes with more glittering resumes and won the gold medal. The top American was Hunter Kemper, who finished seventh. Jarrod Shoemaker was 18 th, Matty Reed 32 nd. Reed’s brother, Shane, competes for New Zealand and was 34 th.
BOXING Biting victim A light heavyweight from Tajikistan was disqualified for biting his opponent on the shoulder — and Evander Holyfield, boxing’s most famous biting victim, just missed seeing it. Holyfield was at the arena for much of the evening card, but apparently was gone when Dzhakhon Kurbanov chomped on Kazakhstan’s Yerkebulan Shynaliyev during a clinch, drawing blood. Also, China clinched at least four medals after managing just one at all previous Olympics. Lightweight Alexey Tishchenko, one of three Russians left after their powerful team’s collapse, stayed in contention with a victory. He won the featherweight gold in Athens before moving up in class two years ago. SAILING U. S. takes gold The U. S. got its first gold from the regatta when British-born Anna Tunnicliffe won the women’s Laser Radial class. China’s Xu Lijia got bronze, marking the third sailing medal for the hosts. Great Britain got its third gold in sailing when Paul Goodison won the men’s Laser. Also, a jury rejected yet another protest about the 49 er class gold medal that went to Denmark in a boat borrowed from Croatia. Spain, which would’ve moved from silver to gold if the Danes were disqualified, said they saw the markings for Croatia and didn’t realize it was really the Danes. SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING Champs roll on Russia’s four-time world champion duo, both named Anastasia, kept their front-runner status going through the duet free preliminaries. The final is today. Americans Christina Jones and Andrea Nott came out of prelims fifth. WOMEN’S HANDBALL Russia works OT Russia needed two overtimes to beat France 32-31 and advance to a semifinal game against Hungary. The Russians came out of pool play undefeated. South Korea will play Norway in the other semifinal. MEN’S FIELD HOCKEY Semifinals set Australia advanced to the semifinals against Spain. Germany will play the Netherlands.
EQUESTRIAN Dutch treat Anky van Grunsven of the Netherlands won her third consecutive gold in individual dressage. — Democrat-Gazette Press Services Day 11 at a glance MEDALS The United States secured its 26 th gold medal, and a total of 79 medals overall, while China has 43 golds and 76 medals overall. GYM DANDY China’s men swept both events on the final day, with Zou Kai winning high bar and Li Xaiopeng winning parallel bars. China took all but one men’s event, the vault — in which there was no Chinese finalist. China’s men won the team title, Yang Wei took the allaround, and the Chinese also took the still rings, pommel horse and floor exercise. A-HOY ! Britain’s Chris Hoy won his third gold medal, beating teammate Jason Kenny in the men’s track cycling sprint. Hoy’s earlier medals were in the men’s team sprint and the keirin. CHINESE TAKEOUT American Henry Cejudo won the gold medal in men’s freestyle 55-kilogram wrestling by defeating Tomohiro Matsunaga of Japan.... American Anna Tunnicliffe came from behind to win women’s Laser Radial class sailing.
QUOTE “There’s so many people concerned about me and who support me. I feel very sorry. But there’s really nothing I could do.” — Popular Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang, who pulled out of the 110-meter hurdles Monday because of injury
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