The 2016 Rio Olympics have come to a close with Americans earning 121 medals -- 46 gold, 37 silver and 38 bronze -- their biggest haul ever, not counting the boycotted 1984 Los Angeles Games or the 1904 St. Louis Games, when hardly anyone else showed up.
Two Guinea athletes do not return home after Rio Olympics
The head of Guinea’s Olympic delegation says two athletes did not return to the West African nation after competing at the Rio Olympics.
Atef Chaloub said Saturday that swimmer Amadou Camara disappeared 48 hours before the team’s scheduled departure. He said Mamadama Bangoura, who competed in judo, also did not return to Guinea, having disappeared after leaving a message saying she wanted to “try her luck” abroad.
A friend of Bangoura’s, who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid punishment for failing to stop her from fleeing, said Bangoura was ashamed she didn’t earn a medal and wanted to try “working in a developed country.”
More than a dozen African athletes — including some from Guinea — did not return home after the London Olympics in 2012.
Rio police’s account of Ryan Lochte incident may not be entirely accurate either, report says
The extent of the property damage Ryan Lochte and three of his fellow U.S. Olympic swimmers caused to a gas station eight days ago might have been exaggerated by Rio de Janeiro police, according to a report by USA Today.
At a news conference Thursday, Fernando Veloso, the head of Rio de Janeiro’s civil police, said the Americans had broken a soap dispenser and mirror inside the restroom. Other reports have said the four also broke a bathroom door.
But one of the U.S. swimmers, Gunnar Bentz, said in a statement Friday that he didn’t see anyone vandalize the bathroom and the only damage caused by the group occurred when Lochte pulled a “loosely attached” advertising sign from a wall.
In examining all available surveillance footage from that night, including one aimed at the restroom doors, USA Today found no evidence the swimmers ever went near the bathroom, after relieving themselves behind the gas station.
A USA Today videographer visited the gas station and found no damage to the soap dispensers, mirrors or door, and none of those items appeared to be new.
The swimmers were eventually held at gunpoint by security guards at the station and were released after paying the equivalent of $50.
Fernando Deluz, a bilingual Brazilian who served as a translator between the swimmers and the security guards, told USA his understanding was the money paid was to cover vandalized property and that the only property that came up during the negotiations was the advertising sign Lochte had pulled down.
Deluz also said that because of the language barrier, the Americans might have believed they were being robbed.
NBC’s Olympics coverage was vast, and plenty of it mattered
On the first Saturday afternoon of the Olympics, NBC’s images of road cycling were so dazzling that the scenes could have been lifted from a travel promotion ad by the Rio de Janeiro tourist board.
The mostly aerial shots that tracked the bikes along the coastline displayed charmingly winding roads, granite peaks, blue-green ocean waves splashing against rocks and houses (some pink) quaintly clinging to hillsides.
Who among us did not consider firing up our laptops to begin researching our next possible vacation destination?
Of course, the bird’s-eye views neglected to capture Rio’s dark side — the slums and the crime, the shoddy transportation system and the pollution. Had our TV sets contained Smell-O-Vision, we might have whiffed the acrid odor that plagues parts of the host city.
Column: Kevin Durant wakes up and carries U.S. to more gold
He was branded a traitor, an opportunist, a coward. He was ridiculed in his neighborhood, resented in his workplace, mocked by his former fans.
When Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the powerful Golden State Warriors this summer, mere weeks after the Warriors knocked the Thunder out of the playoffs, he was generally described with a single adjective.
Weak.
Nearly two months later and 5,300 miles away, a flag on his chest and a country on his back, Durant changed both the narrative and the adjective Sunday, unleashing a brilliant performance that should provide him with an entirely different shade of moniker.
Gold.
These memories of the Rio Olympics are etched in the minds of our reporters
My medal platform of memories is filled by two people and a team that not only successfully defended their titles, but made history doing it.
The bronze goes to judoka Kayla Harrison, who become the first American to win two gold medals in her sport. The silver goes to middleweight boxer Claressa Shields, the first American — male or female — to win two Olympic boxing titles.
And the gold goes to the women’s water polo team, which not only became the first repeat champion in the history of its sport, but did it with a heavy heart after the brother of Coach Adam Krikorian died of a heart attack two days before the Games began.
Despite the grief, Krikorian insisted on coaching in Rio, and after the team beat Italy in the final, his players lined up on the side of the pool and, one by one, draped their goal medals around his neck.
— Kevin Baxter
Rio Games: A challenge met, although it wasn’t easy
The most difficult Games we have ever encountered.
— John Coates, IOC vice president regarding the Rio Games
Dark clouds hovered over Maracana Stadium at dusk, with a sudden wind tugging at flags and whipping the Olympic flame.
Then a drenching rain began to fall.
The storm that intruded on Sunday night’s closing ceremony at the Summer Olympics befit a mega-sporting event that, over the last few weeks, had blended spectacle with more than a few glitches and negative headlines.
“A Games in the middle of reality,” Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, had called them.
There were historic performances by some of the world’s greatest athletes, cheered on -- and sometimes booed -- by crowds exhibiting Brazil’s characteristic exuberance.
There were also reports of street crime, logistical gaffes and venue failures suggesting Brazil was not quite ready for prime time.
It was all part of the IOC’s gamble in coming to South America for the first time. The samba dancers and pop musicians who soldiered through Sunday’s inclement weather, and the fireworks that illuminated the gloomy sky at the end, embodied the host city’s determination.
2016 Rio Olympics in Pictures
See the best images from Times photographers Robert Gauthier and Wally Skalij
Rio Olympics: Live updates from the closing ceremony
10:45 p.m.: That’s all, folks, at least for the official part of the program. Partying might go deep into the night. Thanks, Rio.
10:40 p.m.: A taste of Carnival, some fireworks, some confetti. Athletes dancing with the performers.Exuberant and vibrant ending.
10:25 p.m.: Olympic flame is extinguished. Now, much dancing and merriment.
10:20 p.m.: IOC President Thomas Bach declares the Rio Games closed, calls upon world’s youth to reassemble in Tokyo in four years.
10:16 p.m.: Bach says Rio Olympics will leave a “unique legacy.” Seems to be the say-nothing equivalent of calling someone is ‘nice.’
10:15 p.m.: International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach praises unifying effect of athletes living and competing together at the Games. The scene of the two livid Mongolian wrestling coaches stripping in protest of a bronze-medal match result earlier Sunday and being escorted out by police wasn’t quite in line with that lofty ideal.
10 p.m.: Rio 2016 chief Carlos Arthur Nuzman continues the Olympic spin by saying the rain is coming to celebrate. It looks like it’s actually just making everyone cold.
9:55 p.m.: Tokyo offers a teaser about its Olympics. Looks pretty cool, actually.
9:47 p.m.: Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes booed as he’s introduced.
9:45 p.m.: Now for the flag handover ceremony from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo. Here’s hoping they complete the exchange better than the U.S. men’s 400-meter relay team exchanged the baton.
9:35 p.m.: Coming up soon: a ceremony recognizing the Games’ volunteers -- that workforce was one of the trouble spots for the event in both numbers and training -- then then Olympic flag will be lowered.
9:25 p.m.: Medal ceremony for marathon top three. Way cool.
9:15 p.m.: Now: a tribute to lacemaking. Really. As for the Olympic channel, will it show everything on delay, as NBC did?
9:12 p.m.: Next up: a heart-pounding segment on ... the launch of Olympic channel. At least the athletes have the waves of cold rain to keep them awake.
9:05 p.m.: The athletes have entered. Was wondering if they’d get into the stadium before the next Olympics. Hey, PyeongChang Games are only, what, 18 months away!
8:50 p.m.: Rain really coming down hard. Many athletes wearing ponchos, jackets with hoods.
8:40 p.m.: Inside the Games is reporting that major electrical problems at Maracana Stadium have required the use of generators to keep the show going.
8:35 p.m.: No sign yet of the shirtless Tongan guy from the Opening Ceremony. Did NBC delay his entrance, like it has delayed everything else??
8:30 p.m.: Loads of the big-name U.S. athletes have already departed Rio de Janeiro, including Katie Ledecky, Michael Phelps and, uh, Ryan Lochte. Simone Biles, however, is still here and is the U.S. flag-bearer.
8:25 p.m.: Athletes still parading in. Line looks as long as I’m anticipating the airline check-in line will be tomorrow morning at GIG.
8:20 p.m.: ‘Heroes of the Games’--the athletes--enter the stadium. Colorful display.
8:15 p.m.: The closing ceremony is underway on a rainy night in Rio de Janeiro. Maracana Stadium is about two-thirds full, continuing the Games-long problem with empty seats.
The 2016 Summer Olympics come to an today, with the closing ceremony scheduled to start at 4 p.m. Pacific time at Maracana Stadium.
You will not be able to watch it on TV, however, until 7 p.m. on NBC, with coverage scheduled to end at 9:30. So, some things could be edited out for time.
As usual, the closing ceremony will end with the official handover of the Olympic flag to Yuriko Koike, governor of Tokyo, host of the 2020 Games, and the extinguishing of the Olympic flame.
And, no, Ryan Lochte is not expected to be there.
Closing ceremony live: Lace and clay? Sounds like a Batman villain
Closing ceremony live: Anyone need a fill-up?
Kevin Durant leads U.S. to runaway victory over Serbia for men’s basketball gold
After Kevin Durant made a three-pointer early in the second quarter, he walked back down the court while pounding his fist on his chest and yelling at his teammates on the bench.
Turns out he was just clearing his throat.
It was Durant’s monster second quarter that ended any notion of an upset and put the U.S. on the gold-medal stand for the third consecutive Olympics with a 96-66 victory over Serbia, which surprised in these Olympics by taking the silver.
Durant had 30 points for the game, 18 of those in the second quarter, when he made Carioca Arena I marvel at both his shooting and athleticism and turned an unwatchable game into can’t-miss television before it eventually became a laugher.
Durant won his second gold medal. Veteran forward Carmelo Anthony and Mike Krzyzewski, coaching his last Olympics for Team USA before ceding to Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich, each picked up their third.
The U.S. had a rocky start to the game in the first quarter when Serbia mucked up the proceedings by fouling the Americans in transition and keeping them from developing an offensive rhythm.
The U.S. led 19-15 at the end of the first following a late three-pointer from Durant, who was beginning to catch fire. This team was often criticized for its lack of ball movement and a propensity for too much one-on-one basketball on offense. The thing is, when one of those players is feeling it as Durant was Sunday, even that brand of basketball looks effective.
The U.S. continued to pour it on in the second half, making it a smooth gold-medal game after an Olympics filled with bumps in the road. There were close victories against Serbia, France and Australia in pool play, but this team, though not as dominant over the tournament as some of its predecessors, avoided the embarrassment of coming home with anything less than gold.
Kyle Snyder becomes youngest American wrestler to win gold
American wrestler Kyle Snyder won gold on Sunday, becoming the youngest Olympic wrestling champion in U.S. history.
The 20-year-old Snyder beat Khetag Goziumov of Azerbaijan, 2-1, for gold at 97 kilograms during the men’s freestyle tournament on Sunday.
Snyder is the second consecutive American wrestler to win Olympic gold in this weight class. Jake Varner, who Snyder beat at the U.S. Olympic team trials in April, won in London four years ago.
Sunday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Sunday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
Basketball (Men)
Gold medal game
United States 96, Serbia 66
Bronze medal game
Spain 89, Australia 88
Boxing
Women’s middleweight gold medal bout
Claressa Shields, United States, d. Nouchka Fontijn, Netherlands, 3-0
Men’s flyweight gold medal bout
Shakhobidin Zoirov, Uzbekistan, d. Mikhail Aloyan, Russia, 3-0
Men’s light-welterweight gold medal match
Tony Victor James Yoka, France, d. Joe Joyce, Britain, 2-1
Men’s super-heavyweight gold medal match
Tony Victor James Yoka, France, d. Joe Joyce, Britain, 2-1
Cycling
Men’s cross-country mountain bike final
Gold--Nino Schurter, Switzerland, 1:33:28
Silver--Jaroslav Kulhavý, Czech Republic, 1:34:18
Bronze--Carlos Coloma Nicolas, Spain, 1:34:51
Handball (Men)
Gold medal match
Denmark 28, France 26
Bronze medal match
Germany 31, Poland 25
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Group final
Gold--Russia, 36.233 points
Silver--Spain, 35.766
Bronze--Bulgaria, 35.766
Track and Field
Men’s marathon
Gold--Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya, 2:08:44
Silver--Feyisa Lilesa, Ethiopia, 2:09:54
Bronze--Galen Rupp, United States, 2:10:05
Volleyball (Men)
Gold medal match
Brazil 3, Italy 0 (25-22, 28-26, 26-24)
Bronze medal match
United States 3, Russia 2 (23-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-19, 15-13)
Wrestling
Men’s freestyle 65 kilograms gold medal match
Soslan Ramonov, Russia, d. Toghrul Asgarov, Azerbaijan, 4-0
Men’s freestyle 97 kilograms gold medal match
Rio Olympics: Mongolian wrestling coaches strip in protest of loss
Two Mongolian wrestling coaches stripped in protest Sunday after their wrestler lost the bronze medal match.
The coaches had rushed to the mat in celebration minutes earlier at Carioca Arena, believing Ganzorigiin Mandakhnaran had defeated Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Navruzov in the 143-pound (65 kg) class. One coach fell to his knees in the center of the mat and appeared to be sobbing.
But the judges awarded the Uzbekistan wrestler a penalty point — and the victory.
The sudden turn of events enraged the Mongolian coaches. One removed his shirt in front of the judges’ table and flexed. The other took off his shirt and pants, wearing only a pair of underwear.
“This was a protest,” one of the coaches, Byambarenchin Bayaraa, said. “There was a problem with the refereeing.
“Three million people in Mongolian waited for this bronze medal and now we have no medal ... 100% of the stadium supported us.”
The coaches piled their clothes on the table. The crowd, meanwhile, roared approval and chanted “Mon-gol-ia! Mon-gol-ia!”
Officials pushed both men off the mat after the display. They eventually put on their clothes before members of Brazil’s National Public Security Force escorted them from the venue as the crowd serenaded them with cheers.
Mandakhnaran, the Mongolian wrestler, remained fully clothed during the incident.
Silver medalist Feyisa Lilesa shows solidarity with protesters in Ethiopia
Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia was nearing the finish line at the men’s marathon on Sunday morning when he crossed his wrists above his head.
The silver medalist did it again. And once more at the end of an extraordinary news conference -- standing alone and posing for photographers -- in which he explained his show of solidarity with protesters in his homeland, Ethiopia.
He explained that the gesture was in protest of the killing of the Oromo people, saying he stands with the resistance movement, adding that the government was “killing our people.”
Lilesa was asked about the consequences of his protest. He said maybe “they kill me…if not they kill me, they put me in prison.”
Later, it was mentioned that the International Olympic Committee frowned upon political protests/gestures at the Games.
Said Lilesa: “They can’t do anything. It’s my feeling.”
Rio Olympics: Claressa Shields makes history with her second boxing gold
Claressa Shields became the first American boxer to earn two Olympic titles Sunday when she won a unanimous-decision victory over Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands in the women’s middleweight final.
Shields dominated the Rio tournament, winning all 12 of her fights. And she may have been at her best in the gold-medal match. After a slow start, she took control of the fight early in the second round, staggering Fontijn with a strong right to the head.
She continued stalking the Dutch fighter in the third round, connecting twice with left jabs and landing another hard right. And rather than protect her big lead in the fourth round, she repeatedly waved her arms, begging Fontijn to come forward and fight.
Fontijn,who lost to Shields in the final of the world championship in May, was cheered Sunday by a huge contingent of orange-clad Dutch athletes and coaches. And she was game, landing a a couple of good punches in the opening two minutes.
The victory ran Shields’ record to 77-1, with her only loss coming before the London Games four years ago. It also closed a successful tournament for the U.S., which got a silver-medal performance from bantamweight Shakur Stevenson and a bronze-medal effort from light-flyweight Nico Hernandez.
The three medals are the most for a U.S. boxing team in the Olympics since 2000, when the Americans won four.
Rio Olympics: Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya wins men’s marathon; Galen Rupp of the U.S. takes bronze
Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya continued his nearly flawless marathon career, winning the Olympic men’s marathon on Sunday in 2 hours 8 minutes 44 seconds.
Second was Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia and Galen Rupp of the United States took the bronze. Rupp’s 2:10:05 was a personal best. American Jared Ward was sixth, in 2:11:30, also a personal best. Meb Keflezighi of the U.S. was 33rd in 2:16:46.
Rupp was 11 seconds out of second place.
Kipchoge and Lilesa dropped Rupp at the 35-kilometer mark and then Kipchoge put on a patented surge himself and won by a margin of 1 minute 10 seconds.
Heading into Rio, the 31-year-old Kipchoge had lost just once in seven career marathons, at Berlin in 2013. Only three years ago, he moved up to the marathon distance.
Column: Being the best is never boring
We could have just won by 10 or eight, but this team is different, this team had a mind-set I’ve never seen before.
— Diana Taurasi
Boring? Since when is nearly two hours of pure athletic destruction boring?
Bad for basketball? How can 20 years’ worth of consecutive victories on the world’s biggest stage be bad for basketball?
One of the most consistently dominant teams in the annals of the Olympics stepped on a Rio basketball court Saturday in front of empty seats, feigned yawns and misguided perceptions.
They turned them all into gold, untainted and unselfish gold, poured from the greatest of American sports legacies, decorated across the chests of the greatest American team athletes.
These two are trying to help seal the LA 2024 deal
Olympic Stadium comes alive at dusk with fans arriving for the late session, lots of chatter and laughter, everyone eager to watch Usain Bolt in a 200-meter semifinal.
Beneath the stands, in a dank concourse, Doug Arnot and Bill Hanway emerge from a meeting that ran longer than expected. It has been another tough day and they look a bit haggard in their matching purple shirts.
“This is not glamorous,” Arnot says.
Because we don’t have a lot to build, we can spend time on all the details that matter.
— Doug Arnot, consultant to LA 2024 Olympic bid
They are in Rio as paid consultants to help pitch Los Angeles’ bid for the 2024 Summer Games.
While Mayor Eric Garcetti and sports agent Casey Wasserman serve as the face of the campaign — schmoozing with International Olympic Committee members at cocktail receptions and private dinners — Arnot and Hanway do the grunt work.
A few surprises to top off Americans’ hefty medal haul
In track and field, there are always bumps in the road and each one of us had a unique journey to get here, but we pushed through.
— Allyson Felix
Medals came from rare and unexpected places for American runners on the last day of the track and field portion of the Rio Games, although they also tapped the reliable gold mine of the women’s 1,600-meter relay for a sixth straight Olympic championship in that event and Allyson Felix’s ninth career medal.
When the evening was over, the U.S. team total stood at 31 with Sunday’s men’s marathon to go, three more than the 2012 U.S. team won in London and the most at a nonboycotted Games since 1956. The breakdown was seven golds and 15 total for the men’s squad, to six goals and 16 for the women.
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FOR THE RECORD: An earlier version of a display quote said that the 1,600-meter relay victory was Allyson Felix’s seventh gold medal. It is her sixth Olympic gold.
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They did it in spectacular fashion Saturday, with Maryland-born Matt Centrowitz holding off several late challenges to become the first U.S. man to win the Olympic 1,500-meter race since 1908. It was so unlikely an outcome that even he couldn’t believe it.
“Doing my victory lap I literally kept screaming to everyone I know, ‘Are you kidding me?’” said Centrowitz, who said he felt his legs begin to buckle in the last 20 meters but held on to end a plodding race with a fast finish. His time was three minutes and 50 seconds, the slowest winning time in decades.
When water polo is much more than a game
It feels like the whole team has reached eternity.
— Dusan Mandic, after Serbia won the water polo gold
The men decorated with scratches and red marks trickled through a hallway at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium and insisted the past didn’t matter.
Their countries, Croatia and Serbia, share a 150-mile border and a bloody history. They battled in the early 1990s as part of the conflagration ignited by the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. They traded claims of genocide. Their sporting events against each other became about much more than who won or lost and regularly led to unseemly chants, riots, even diplomatic incidents.
On Saturday, they shared a pool in the water polo final at the Rio Games.
“We don’t have any enemies when we play against them,” Serbia’s Gojko Pijetlovic said after his country muscled its way to an 11-7 victory for the gold medal. “We don’t hate anybody. We just play water polo. We play everyone the same.”
U.S. men and women win 1,600-meter relay races
Doing my victory lap I literally kept screaming to everyone I know, ‘Are you kidding me?’
— Matt Centrowitz
Medals came from rare and unexpected places for American runners on the last day of the track and field portion of the Rio Games, although they also tapped the reliable gold mine of the women’s 1,600-meter relay for a sixth straight Olympic championship in that event and Allyson Felix’s ninth career medal.
When the evening was over, the U.S. team total stood at 31 with Sunday’s men’s marathon to go, three more than the 2012 U.S. team won in London and the most at a nonboycotted Games since 1956. The breakdown was seven golds and 15 total for the men’s squad, to six goals and 16 for the women.
They did it in spectacular fashion Saturday, with Maryland-born Matt Centrowitz holding off several late challenges to become the first U.S. man to win the Olympic 1,500-meter race since 1908. It was so unlikely an outcome that even he couldn’t believe it.
“Doing my victory lap I literally kept screaming to everyone I know, ‘Are you kidding me?’” said Centrowitz, who said he felt his legs begin to buckle in the last 20 meters but held on to end a plodding race with a fast finish. His time was three minutes and 50 seconds, the slowest winning time in decades.
Brazil tops Germany for soccer gold medal when Neymar buries final penalty kick in shootout victory
The only thing on my mind was I had to do this. I have fulfilled my dream and to have fulfilled it in my home country makes me very proud.
— Neymar
When Brazil’s long nightmare finally ended Saturday, the captain of its soccer team dropped to his knees and spread his arms in celebration.
If “Christ the Redeemer” is Rio de Janeiro’s iconic emblem, the image of a kneeling, sobbing Neymar, eyes looking to the heavens, will be how Brazilians remember the city’s Olympics.
The Rio Games have been plagued by crime, polluted water and venue problems. v There were half-empty stadiums, overcrowded streets and little approaching the excitement of past Olympics.
But when Neymar’s penalty kick ended a tiebreaking shootout with Germany on Saturday, it did more than give Brazil its first Olympic soccer title. It also gave the host country something to celebrate.
U.S. rolls to easy win over Spain for gold medal in women’s basketball
There never was a doubt.
The U.S. women’s basketball team dominated on its way to a sixth consecutive gold medal, clinching the top spot with a 101-72 victory over Spain on Saturday.
The U.S. team didn’t have to sweat on its path to the gold, defeating opponents by an average of 37.3 points over eight games.
Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings each collected their fourth gold medals, joining Lisa Leslie and Teresa Edwards as the only four-time gold medalists in basketball – men or women.
Spain trailed by only three points, 27-24, early in the second quarter when the U.S. broke it open. Taurasi hit a pair of three-pointers as the Americans scored 16 of the next 19 points to take a 43-27 lead.
The lead only increased from there.
Taurasi, who had a stellar Olympics for the U.S., finished with 17 points, making five three-pointers. Maya Moore, also a standout for the Americans, had 14 points, five rebounds and six assists.
Gwen Jorgensen earns the U.S. its first gold medal in triathlon
As she wobbled along on a flat tire four years ago in London, Gwen Jorgensen promised to turn that heartbreak at Hyde Park into a conquering of Copacabana Beach at the Rio Games.
She crushed both the course and the competition Saturday, giving the U.S. its first Olympic triathlon gold medal by cruising across the finish line in 1 hour, 56 minutes, 16 seconds.
That was 40 seconds ahead of silver medalist Nicola Spirig-Hug of Switzerland, who won gold at the 2012 Games after Jorgensen’s flat tire relegated her to a 38th-place finish.
Vicky Holland outsprinted British teammate Non Stanford for the bronze.
Jorgensen and Spirig-Hug were even until Jorgensen made her move with two kilometers left in the 10-kilometer final leg that followed a steep, 38.5-kilometer bike ride and a one-loop ocean swim.
As she approached the blue carpet, Jorgensen turned to look for Spirig-Hug, who wasn’t even in view around the bend.
Her goal within her grasp, Jorgensen lifted her sunglasses to her head, and that look of dogged determination she’d had since London dissolved into a smile.
After crossing the finish line, she reached down and grabbed the green, gold and blue ribbon and held it high above her head in triumph before breaking down in tears.
She said she was thinking of all the sacrifices, not just hers, but those of coach Jamie Turner and her husband, Patrick Lemieux, who abandoned his pro cycling career to serve as her operations manager .
“I’ve been pretty vocal about my goal for the past four years. After London, I said I wanted to go to Rio and I wanted to win gold,” Jorgensen said. “And for anyone that’s been around me, they know how much my husband, Patrick, has invested. He’s given up his career to support me. And then I also have Jamie Turner, who I’ve been on this four-year journey with, and he’s done so much for me.
“Just thinking about all the investments they’ve put into me and thinking about the four years, it all came down to one day,” Jorgensen said. “And to be able to actually execute on that day is pretty amazing.”
U.S. defeats the Netherlands to win bronze medal in women’s volleyball
Karch Kiraly’s top-ranked U.S. women’s volleyball team has earned an Olympic bronze medal, hardly the color the Americans planned for when they came to Brazil chasing the program’s first gold in history.
The U.S. topped the Netherlands, 25-23, 25-27, 25-22, 25-19, Saturday, bouncing back for bronze two days after a heartbreaking five-set defeat to Serbia in the semifinals.
After Kim Hill’s ace on match point, the U.S. women fell into an embrace, and Kiraly hugged his coaches and brought his team together for a cheer.
The Netherlands shined in its first Olympics since 1996 in Atlanta, where the team finished fourth and surprised many as the Dutch put women’s volleyball on the map with a gutsy, never-give-up style.
Saturday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Saturday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
Badminton
Men’s singles gold medal match
Chen Long, China, d. Lee Chong Wei, Malaysia, 2-0
Men’s singles bronze medal match
Viktor Axelsen, Denmark, d. Lin Dan, China, 2-1
Basketball (Women)
Gold medal game
United States 101, Spain 72
Bronze medal game
Serbia 70, France 63
Boxing
Women’s flyweight gold medal match
Nicola Adams, Great Britain, d. Sarah Ourahmoune, France, 3-0
Men’s bantamweight gold medal match
Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana, Cuba, d. Shakur Stevenson, United States, 2-1
Men’s middleweight gold medal match
Arlen Lopez, Cuba, d. Bektemir Melikuziev, Uzbekistan, 3-0
Canoe/Kayak
Men’s kayak single 200-meter sprint
Gold--Liam Heath, Great Britain, 35.19 seconds
Silver--Maxime Beaumont, France, 35.36
Bronze--Saul Craviotto Rivero, Spain, 35.66
Bronze--Ronald Rauhe, Germany, 35.66
Men’s canoe double 1,000-meter sprint
Gold--Germany (J. Vandrey and S. Brendel), 3:43.91
Silver--Brazil (I. Queiroz dos Santos and E. Silva), 3:44.81
Bronze--Ukraine (D. Ianchuk and T. Mishchuk), 3:45.94
Women’s kayak four 500-meter sprint
Gold--Hungary (D. Kozák, G. Szabó, K. Fazekas Zur and T. Csipes), 1:31.48
Silver--Germany (S. Kriegerstein, S. Hering, T. Dietze and F. Weber), 1:32.38
Bronze--Belarus (M. Pautaran, M. Makhneva, N. Papok, V. Khudzenka), 1:33.90
Men’s kayak four 1,000-meter sprint
Gold--Germany (M. Rendschmidt, T. Liebscher, M. Gross and M. Hoff), 3:02.14
Silver--Slovakia (T. Linka, D. Myšák, J. Tarr and E. Vlček), 3:05.04
Bronze--Czech Republic (D. Havel, J. Štěrba, J. Dostál and L. Trefil), 3:05.17
Cycling
Women’s cross-country mountain bike final
Gold--Jenny Rissveds, Sweden, 1:30:15
Silver--Maja Włoszczowska, Poland, 1:30:52
Bronze--Catharine Pendrel, Canada, 1:31:41
Diving
Gold--Aisen Chen, China, 585.30
Silver--German Sanchez, Mexico, 532.70
Bronze--David Boudia, United States, 525.25
Golf (Women)
Gold--Inbee Park, South Korea, 268
Silver--Lydia Ko, New Zealand, 273
Bronze--Shanshan Feng, China, 274
Handball (Women)
Gold medal match
Russia 22, France 19
Bronze medal match
Norway 36, Netherlands 26
Modern Pentathlon
Men’s individual
Gold--Alexander Lesun, Russia, 1,479 points (Olympic record)
Silver--Pavlo Tymoshchenko, Ukraine, 1,472
Bronze--Ismael Marcelo Hernandez Uscanga, Mexico, 1,468
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Gold--Margarita Mamun, Russia, 76.483
Silver--Yana Kudryavtseva, Russia, 75.608
Bronze--Ganna Rizatdinova, Ukraine, 73.583
Soccer (Men)
Gold medal match
Brazil 1, Germany 1 (Brazil wins 5-4 on penalty kicks)
Bronze medal match
Nigeria 3, Honduras 2
Taekwondo
Men’s 80 kilogram plus
Gold--Radik Isaev, Azerbaijan, def. Abdoulrazak Issoufou Alfaga, Niger, 6-2
Bronze--Maicon Siqueira, Brazil, def. Mahama Cho, Britain, 5-4
Bronze--Dongmin Cha, South Korea, def. Dmitriy Shokin, Uzbekistan, 4-3
Women’s 67 kilogram plus
Gold--Shuyin Zheng, China, def. Maria del Rosario Espinoza Espinoza, Mexico, 5-1
Bronze--Bianca Walkden, Britain, def. Wiam Dislam, Morocco, 7-1
Bronze--Jackie Galloway, United States, def. Gwladys Epangue, France, 2-1
Track and Field
Men
1,600 relay
Gold--United States (Arman Hall; Lashawn Merritt; Gil Roberts; Tony McQuay), 2:57.30
Silver--Jamaica (Javon Francis; Peter Matthews; Nathon Allen; Fitzroy Dunkley), 2:58.16
Bronze--Bahamas (Chris Brown; Alonzo Russell; Michael Mathieu; Steven Gardiner), 2:58.49
1,500 meters
Gold--Matthew Centrowitz, United States, 3:50.00
Silver--Taoufik Makhloufi, Algeria, 3:50.11
Bronze--Nicholas Willis, New Zealand, 3:50.24
5,000 meters
Gold--Mo Farah, Britain, 13:03.30
Silver--Paul Chelimo, United States, 13:03.90
Bronze--Hagos Gebrhiwet, Ethiopia, 13:04.35
Javelin
Gold--Thomas Rohler, Germany, 90.30 meters
Silver--Julius Yego, Kenya, 88.24
Bronze--Keshom Walcott, Trinidad and Tobago, 85.38
Women
1,600-meter relay
Gold--United States (Allyson Felix; Courtney Okolo; Phyllis Francis; Natasha Hastings), 3:19.06
Silver--Jamaica (Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby; Novlene Williams-Mills; Stephenie Ann McPherson; Shericka Jackson), 3:20.34
Bronze--Britain (Christine Ohuruogu; Emily Diamond; Anyika Onuora; Eilidh Doyle), 3:25.88
800 meters
Gold--Caster Semenya, South Africa, 1:55.28
Silver--Francine Niyonsaba, Burund, 1:56.49
Bronze--Margaret Nyairera Wambui, Kenya, 1:56.89
High Jump
Gold--Ruth Beitia, Spain, 1.97 meters
Silver--Mirela Demireva, Bulgaria, 1.97 meters
Bronze--Blanka Vlasic, Croatia, 1.97 meters
Triathlon
Women’s final
Gold--Gwen Jorgensen, United States, 1:56:16
Silver--Nicola Spirig, Switzerland, 1:56:56
Bronze--Vicky Holland, Great Britain, 1:57:01
Volleyball (Women)
Gold medal match
China d. Serbia, 3-1 (19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-23)
Bronze medal match
United States d. Netherlands, 3-1 (25-23, 25-27, 25-22, 25-19)
Water polo (Men)
Gold medal match
Serbia 11, Croatia 7
Bronze medal match
Italy 12, Montenegro 10
Spain 9, Brazil 8 (seventh place)
Hungary 12, Greece 10
Wrestling
Men
125 kilogram
Gold--Taha Akgul, Turkey, d. Komeil Ghasemi, Iran, 3-1
Bronze--Ibragim Saidov, Belarus, d. Levan Berianidze, Armenia, 3-1
Bronze--Geno Petriashvili, Georgia, d. Tervel Diagniv, United States, 4-0
86 kilogram
Gold--Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Russia, d. Selim Yasar, Turkey, 3-0
Bronze--J’Den Cox, United States, d. Reineris Salas, Cuba, 5-0
Bronze--Sharif Sharifov, Azerbajan, d. Pedro Francisco Ceballos Fuentes, Venezuela, 3-1
Shakur Stevenson falls in U.S. bantamweight boxing final, takes Olympic silver
Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez won a split-decision victory over Shakur Stevenson in the Olympic bantamweight boxing final Saturday, denying the U.S. its first men’s gold medal in the sport since 2004.
Ramirez, 22, danced into the half-full arena wearing a big smile and gesticulating to the crowd. The 19-year-old Stevenson, meanwhile, was all business.
But Ramirez started quickly and had the U.S. fighter backpedaling early in the opening round.
Stevenson tried to use a long, looping right to create some distance, but Ramirez slipped under it to land several hard, straight heads to the upper body. When the bell sounded at the end of the round, Ramirez smiled and shook his head at Stevenson.
Stevenson recovered to take the second round, going inside in an effort to take the sting away from Ramirez’s combinations. But the Cuban, an Olympic champion four years ago as a flyweight, was simply too quick and polished for Stevenson. And with 30 seconds, left he caught the American near the ropes, unleashing a series of punches. Though none did any damage, the flurry may have been enough to decide the fight.
The silver medal for Stevenson is the highest Olympic prize won by a U.S. male boxer since 2004, when Andre Ward captured the light-heavyweight title. And Claressa Shields’ medal, combined with Nico Hernandez’s bronze in the light flyweight division, make the Rio Olympics the most productive for USA Boxing since Athens, when the U.S. also won two medals.
Saturday’s fight was just the third of the Games for Stevenson — and his first in four days — after Russian Vladimir Nikitin was unable to answer the bell in the quarterfinals because of injury.
Stevenson won his first two bouts by unanimous decision.
U.S. loses appeal of disqualification in men’s relay
USA Track and Field’s appeal of the disqualification of the men’s 400-meter relay team has been denied, according to several reports.
The U.S. quartet finished third in the final on Friday but soon afterward was disqualified because of a faulty baton exchange between leadoff runner Mike Rodgers and Justin Gatlin in which Rodgers passed it too early. Jamaica won, followed by Japan. Canada, which had finished fourth, was elevated to third following the U.S. disqualification.
U.S. officials filed a protest with the Jury of Appeals of the International Assn. of Athletics Federations. The rejection of the appeal was first reported by Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated, who cited an official of the IAAF as saying all protests and appeals were rejected, leaving all results to stand. Associated Press also reported the protest had been rejected.
Gwen Jorgensen wins gold for U.S. in women’s triathlon
Four seconds is virtually nothing for a gifted runner like Gwen Jorgensen.
Jorgensen was a mere four seconds behind the leader, Mari Rabie of South Africa, in the bike-to-run transition of the women’s Olympic triathlon on Saturday morning.
Just like that Jorgensen erased the lead and surged into first in a matter of seconds. The only runner to stay right with Jorgensen during the 10-kilometer run along the scenic Copacabana course was veteran Nicola Spirig Hug of Switzerland.
The battle between Jorgensen and Spirig Hug came down to Jorgensen pulling away on the final lap. Jorgensen, of St. Paul, Minn., won the first triathlon gold for the United States, beating Spirig Hug by 40 seconds. Overcome by emotion, her smile quickly turned to tears after she crossed the finish line.
The only other medal the U.S. women have won in this event was a bronze by Susan Williams in 2004 in Greece.
For Jorgensen, it was a wildly different experience from London. In 2012, she suffered a flat tire and finished 38th.
This time, misfortune hit another U.S. athlete, Sarah True, who withdrew during the bike section. It appeared she injured her right knee, attempted to resume riding but was forced to quit.
Simone Biles picked as U.S. flag-bearer for closing ceremony
Simone Biles will carry the American flag during the closing ceremony for the Summer Olympics on Sunday, the U.S. Olympic Committee announced.
Biles won four gold medals during the gymnastics competition, including the all-around title.
“It’s an incredible honor to be selected as the flag-bearer by my Team USA teammates,” Biles said in a statement. “This experience has been the dream of a lifetime.”
She is the first female gymnast from the U.S. to be selected as a flag-bearer for the opening or closing ceremony.
Two U.S. swimmers apologize for gas station incident, paint poor picture of Ryan Lochte’s actions
Two of the U.S. swimmers involved in the incident with Ryan Lochte at a gas station in Rio early Sunday morning have apologized in separate statements that both assert that Lochte initiated a confrontation with two security guards at the business when he ripped a poster off a wall.
Gunnar Bentz said that the four swimmers -- including Lochte, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen -- stopped at the gas station near Olympic Park and urinated on the side of the building. At that point, Bentz said, Lochte pulled a “framed metal advertisement” off a wall.
Bentz disputed accounts by local police that the swimmers also damaged a restroom.
Two security guards told the swimmers to exit their taxi, Bentz said, and one of the men held up a badge and pulled his gun when Feigen and Conger walked away from the vehicle. The second guard drew his weapon and instructed the swimmers to sit on a sidewalk.
“Again, I cannot speak to his actions, but Ryan stood up and began to yell at the guards,” Bentz said. “After Jack and I both tugged at him in an attempt to get him to sit back down, Ryan and the security guards had a heated verbal exchange, but no physical contact was made.”
Conger recounted a similar scene in his statement.
“Although I cooperated with their requests while there was a heated exchange among others, at one point a weapon was pointed at me,” he said. “Eventually, a man appeared who was able to translate for us, helping to defuse the situation. We paid some money to compensate them for the torn poster and returned to the Village in a different taxi.”
Bentz confirmed the account by local authorities that the swimmers paid the equivalent of about $50 U.S. to resolve the matter before leaving.
Though the gunplay isn’t visible in security footage of the incident made public so far, Bentz said he is “confident video angles have not been shown that would further substantiate my account.”
Bentz and Conger were pulled off their U.S.-bound flight by local authorities earlier this week, then allowed to leave the country 24 hours later after being interviewed by police.
Their statements offered a markedly different tone -- both conciliatory and detailed -- than a three-paragraph apology Lochte issued Friday. He returned to the U.S. on Monday.
“First and foremost, I deeply regret the trouble and embarrassment this event has brought to the people of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro, and the distraction it has caused from the achievements of my fellow Olympians,” Conger said. “This has been an unsettling, humbling and frightening experience. It’s a reminder that all of us, when we travel and especially when we represent the U.S. in the Olympics, are ambassadors for our country and should be on our best behavior.”
Bentz added, “Without question, I am taking away a valuable life lesson from this situation. In everything I do, I am representing my family, my country and my school. I will not take that responsibility lightly.”
Feigen, who remains in Brazil, hasn’t issued a statement. A Rio de Janeiro court said he apologized Friday for his role in the incident.
Finding solace in a time of sorrow: U.S. women’s water polo team gives grieving coach a reason to smile
The thing I kept coming back to was it would be very selfish to let what happened to me personally affect this group and what we have set out to do.
— Adam Krikorian, U.S. water polo coach
It was less than three minutes to play in Friday’s women’s Olympic water polo final when the emotions started to kick in for Adam Krikorian.
No women’s team had ever won consecutive gold medals in the sport, something Krikorian’s team was about to do. No team had ever scored more goals, given up fewer or won by a larger margin than Krikorian’s U.S. team did in its 12-5 rout of Italy.
Yet Krikorian’s emotions had nothing to do with joy or accomplishment. Two days before the opening ceremony of the Rio Games, Krikorian’s brother Blake was found dead in his car at a Northern California beach. The coroner said he had gone paddle boarding and died of a heart attack. He was 48.
“It was hitting me pretty hard at the end of the game. Just thinking about my brother,” the coach said, taking a long pause to compose himself, “thinking about how hard this journey’s been.”
Column: Clipper’s D.J. is as good as gold
We wouldn’t be playing for a gold medal if DeAndre didn’t play that well.
— Mike Krzyzewski, U.S. men’s basketball coach
He’s always been third.
As much lovable cartoon character as feared NBA star, his missed free throws as celebrated as his highlight dunks, DeAndre Jordan has spent his career as a giant in a shadow.
Meet D.J., the flying, blocking, board-rattling Olympian.
Payback or not, this game is special for the Brazilians
This is what we wanted. We are fighting to conquer this.
— Gabriel Jesus, Brazil forward on defeating Germany
In the climactic scene of the iconic boxing moving “Rocky,” a bloodied and battered Apollo Creed pulls Rocky Balboa close and says, “There ain’t gonna be no rematch.”
But they do meet again.
It’s tough to pass up a rematch. Win once? Maybe you got lucky. Do it again, and no one can question who’s better. That’s why Muhammad Ali fought Joe Frazier three times. It’s why the Yankees play the Red Sox 19 times each season.
It’s also why Saturday’s Olympic soccer final between host Brazil and World Cup champion Germany has become, for Brazilians, the biggest event of the Rio Games.
The Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan is having the time of his life chasing gold at the Olympics
For eight seasons with the Clippers, DeAndre Jordan has never even been the most important player on his team.
Which made it fairly breathtaking Friday when he was the most important player in his country ...
Brazil-Germany a World Cup rematch? Not to the players or coaches
The soccer final between host Brazil and World Cup champion Germany has become, for Brazilians, the biggest event of the Rio Games.
Two years ago, Germany humiliated Brazil, 7-1, on its home soil in the most lopsided World Cup semifinal in history. It was a national embarrassment that will not soon be forgotten.
Saturday’s rematch offers a chance at both revenge and redemption, though it can’t completely atone for the World Cup debacle because it won’t be a true international match.
Here’s why ...
In 3 Olympics finals, Usain Bolt has run for less than 2 minutes
U.S. men celebrate a bronze in the 400-meter relay -- then get the bad news
Led by Usain Bolt, Jamaica won the men’s 400-meter relay at the Rio Olympics, with Japan taking silver.
The U.S. initially was declared third but was disqualified because of an illegal exchange outside the zone between leadoff runner Mike Rodgers and Justin Gatlin. Canada was elevated to third, with former USC star Andre De Grasse becoming a three-time Rio medalist as the anchor.
It was the ninth time since 1995 that a U.S. men’s relay team was disqualified or couldn’t get the baton around at an Olympics or world championship.
Usain Bolt completes golden triple-triple on the track
In perhaps the final Olympic race of his remarkable career, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt went a perfect three for three in his third consecutive Summer Games, an unprecedented feat and one that might stand untouched for years to come.
Bolt, who added the Rio 100- and 200-meter dash titles to the crowns he won in Beijing and London, anchored Jamaica’s 400-meter relay team to victory Friday at Olympic Stadium in 37.27 seconds.
Japan was a surprising second in 37.60 seconds. The U.S. team of Mike Rodgers, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay and Trayvon Bromell that took third in 37.62 seconds was later disqualified for what’s believed to be a lane violation on their first baton exchange. Fourth-place Canada (37.64 seconds) was elevated to the bronze.
Bolt ran away from the field in the last 30 meters or so, then promptly ran to the crowd to greet his adoring fans before rejoining his teammates for celebrations that included dancing, wrapping themselves in flags and generally savoring a historic moment.
Bolt, who will be 30 on Sunday, has said he will retire after these Rio Games, which would be a great loss to a sport that urgently needs not only his excellence but his genial, fan-friendly personality. He didn’t set any world records in Rio, but he created great excitement and brought thousands of spectators to a stadium that was largely empty throughout the competition.
Just before the men’s race, the U.S. women’s 400-meter relay team of Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner and Tori Bowie won gold with a time of 41.01 seconds. That was the eighth medal of Felix’s stellar career, a total comprising five gold-- the most for any female track athlete -- and three silver.
The Jamaican team of Christiana Williams, sprint-double champion Elaine Thompson, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was second in 41.36 seconds. Britain was third in 41.77 seconds.
The U.S. women had to run out of Lane 1 on Friday, making their task difficult. They were placed there because of their first-round mishap on Thursday, when Felix was elbowed by a Jamaican runner and couldn’t hand the baton cleanly to Gardner. That put them out of an automatic qualification, but the result was successfully appealed, and the relay -- with Morolake Akinosun as the anchor -- was allowed to run alone to try to get a top-8 time. They recorded the fastest time but were considered to have qualified on time and were relegated to the inside instead of a prime middle lane.
Earlier Friday, the U.S. women’s 1,600-meter relay team ran the fastest first-round time- -- 3:21.42 -- and moved on to Saturday’s final. The lineup of Courtney Okolo, Taylor Ellis-Watson, Francena McCorory and Phyllis Francis got the baton around cleanly, avoiding any mishaps of the variety that the 400-meter relay team experienced in its first-round heat on Thursday. The 1,600-meter lineup will change for the final, though the exact lineup won’t be announced until Saturday afternoon.
Jamaica (3:22.38) had the second-best time, followed by Ukraine, Britain, Canada, Italy, Poland and Australia.
The U.S. men’s 1,600-meter relay team finished second in its heat to Jamaica, which got a scorching anchor leg from Javon Francis. Arman Hall, Tony McQuay, Kyle Clemons and David Verburg of the U.S. were timed in 2:58.38, just behind Jamaica’s 2:58.29. Trinidad and Tobago was disqualified from that heat. Britain won the second heat but was disqualified, allowing Brazil to make Saturday’s final.
In the women’s 5,000, Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot of Kenya set an Olympic record with a time of 14:27.17 to win gold, ahead of Hellen Obiri of Kenya (14:29.77) and 10,000-meter champion Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia (14:33.59). Shelby Houlihan, who became the lone American entrant when Abbey D’Agostino had to withdraw because of a serious knee injury she suffered during a fall in the previous round, finished 11th in 15:08.89.
Allyson Felix gets record fifth gold medal when U.S. women win 400 relay
The U.S. women have retained the 400-meter relay title and helped Allyson Felix win her record fifth Olympic gold medal.
The Americans, who needed to set a qualifying time in a solo rerun hours after dropping the baton in the preliminaries and getting a second chance on protest, won Friday’s final in 41.01 seconds.
A Jamaican team including Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was second in 41.36. Britain won bronze in a national record 41.77.
The 30-year-old Felix entered the Rio Games as one of six women with four Olympic gold medals in track and field.
Germany wins its first women’s soccer gold medal with 2-1 victory over Sweden
Germany defeated Sweden, 2-1, to win the women’s soccer gold medal for the first time in the Olympics.
Germany opened the scoring with a goal by Dzsenifer Marozsan in the 48th minute and added to the lead with an own goal by Swedish defender Linda Sembrant in the 62nd.
Sweden pulled one closer with Stina Blackstenius in the 67th but was not able to get the equalizer despite some good late chances at the Maracana Stadium.
A two-time World Cup champion, Germany had previously won three bronze medals. It was playing in the Olympic final for the first time.
Sweden has won its first silver in women’s soccer. It had never been on the podium.
American Connor Fields finally brings home gold in men’s BMX racing
The United States ended its gold medal drought in BMX racing after Connor Fields won the men’s Olympic final in the American-born sport on Friday, and Mariana Pajon of Colombia successfully defended her title in the women’s final.
U.S. cyclist Alise Post took silver behind Pajon, while Stefany Hernandez of Venezuela won bronze.
A fan favorite, Pajon raised her bike in the air after pedaling to a stop across the finish line, acknowledging the adoring fans in the stands waving the yellow, blue and red flag of her home country.
Fields was just as jubilant after racing to the front and holding off Dutch rider Jelle van Gorkom at the finish line to take the gold.
There was a photo finish for third, with Carlos Ramirez Yepes of Colombia just edging out the United States’ Nic Long for the bronze. Officials went to a video replay to determine that medal.
Still, it was a banner day for the United States. The medals for Fields and Post snapped a podium drought in London in 2012.
It had been a trying few months for Fields, who broke a bone in his left hand in the spring. He only returned to the bike in June and needed a special brace to compete in Rio de Janeiro.
“There was kind of a point where I exited the last corner and realized I was winning,” said a smiling Fields, his new medal draped around his neck. “I was like, ‘Get to the line! Get to the line!’ I crossed that finish line and dropped to my knees. I couldn’t believe it.”
The reigning world champion, Pajon enjoyed home-continent advantage and acknowledged loud fans who wore Team Colombia shirts. Pajon rode to the front early in each of her three semifinal heats, and never looked back, either after the first turn in the final.
“My first gold was huge. But two is amazing,” said Pajon, struggling to find words after the race.
She’s a star in Colombia, so much so that a BMX track has been named in her honor. She won a world title on that course in May.
Pajon will take home a bigger prize when she returns to Medellin.
U.S. tops Spain to advance to gold-medal game in men’s basketball
It wasn’t pretty, but Team USA has advanced to Sunday’s gold-medal men’s basketball game.
The U.S. defeated Spain with a grinding 82-76 victory on Friday and now awaits the winner of the second semifinal between Australia and Serbia, two teams that the Americans defeated by 10 and three points, respectively, in group play.
In the first half, the U.S. grabbed 13 offensive rebounds that helped pace it to a 45-39 halftime edge. Klay Thompson, who finished with 22 points, had 17 by halftime.
Kevin Durant added 14 points and Kyrie Irving had 13 for the Americans.
But the U.S. could never quite put Spain away. In particular, the U.S. had trouble containing Pau Gasol, who scored 23 points.
The referees tried to wrestle control of the game early and doled out five technical fouls, giving the game a choppy pace. It didn’t help that both teams struggled to find their stride offensively.
Serbia gave the U.S. its closest game in preliminary play. The Americans pulled out a 94-91 victory in a game that went down to the final seconds, when the Serbs had a chance to tie the score.
Despite defeating Australia, 98-88, the Americans trailed by two points, 72-70, early in the fourth quarter. That’s when Carmelo Anthony got hot and scored 14 of Team USA’s next 18 points to help open an 88-80 lead.
U.S. women win second straight water polo title
The U.S. became the first two-time Olympic champion in women’s water polo history Friday, blitzing Italy, 12-5, at Rio’s Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
The U.S. won its first gold in London four years ago but just four women -- Maggie Steffens, Kami Craig, Melissa Seidemann and Courtney Mathewson -- from that team played in Rio. All four scored in Friday’s final, though, with Steffens’ third-period goal giving her a tournament-high 17.
The U.S., which trailed just once for less than a minute in six games in Rio, took the lead for good on Kiley Neushul’s goal less than four minutes into the first period.
By the end of the opening eight minutes, the Americans led 4-1 and were never seriously challenged after that. Neushul finished with three goals -- on four shots -- while Rachel Fatal and Mackenize Fischer scored two each. Goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson also came up big, making nine saves and stopping a penalty shot early in the second half before coming out of the game for Sami Hill with 2 1/2 minutes to play.
Hill made two saves in her brief appearance.
Friday’s final was the first matchup of former champions in five women’s water polo tournaments and both teams came into the gold-medal game unbeaten.
Italy won its gold in 2004.
U.S. men’s volleyball team loses to Italy in semifinals
They called a timeout to try to stop Italy’s momentum.
It didn’t work.
They tried it again.
Nothing, it seemed, was going to work late in the fifth set against a suddenly surging Italy.
The well-developed survival skills exhibited by the U.S. men’s volleyball team here vanished late in its semifinal against Italy on Friday at the Olympics. Italy won a thriller, 30-28, 26-28, 9-25, 25-22, 15-9. The U.S. had been trying to avenge an earlier loss to Italy in pool play as well as a devastating defeat four years ago at the London Olympics.
Italy saved five set points in the opening set and had one in the second set but missed the chance to take a two-set lead. It recovered its poise after a one-sided third set and won the fourth, finishing it off with a 6-0 run.
“At the end of the day, we just weren’t skilled enough,” said U.S. Coach John Speraw. “We just didn’t execute on some opportunities and Italy did.”
On trying to get up for the bronze-medal match after such a tough loss:
“It’s really really hard. I almost feel like today we need to mourn and just get it out of our system,” he said. “I know we will. Tomorrow we’re going to have to regroup to prepare ourselves for the next step.”
In Sunday’s bronze-medal match, the U.S. will play Brazil or Russia. Brazil and Russia were to play in a semifinal later on Friday.
The journey has been anything but easy for the U.S. in Rio. The team lost their first two games in pool play – to Canada and Italy – before finding the right touch and aggressive approach after a team meeting.
Friday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Friday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
Badminton
Women’s singles gold medal match
Carolina Marin, Spain, d. P. V. Sindhu, India, 2-1
Women’s singles bronze medal match
Nozomi Okuhara, Japan, d. Li Xuerui, China, walkover
Men’s doubles gold medal match
China (H.F. Fu and N. Zhang) d. Malaysia (W.K. Tan and V. S. Goh), 2-1
Basketball (men’s semifinals)
United States 82, Spain 76
Serbia 87, Australia 61
Boxing
Women’s lightweight (60kg)
Gold--Estelle Mossely, France
Silver--Junhua Yin, China
Bronze--Anastasiia Beliakova, Russia
Bronze--Mira Potkonen, Finland
Cycling
Women’s BMX final
Gold--Mariana Pajón, Colombia, 34.09 seconds
Silver--Alise Post, United States, 34.43
Bronze--Stefany Hernandez, Venezuela, 34.75
Men’s BMX finals
Gold--Connor Fields, United States, 34.64
Silver--Jelle van Gorkom, Netherlands, 35.31
Bronze--Carlos Ramirez, Colombia, 35.51
Diving
Men’s 10-Meter platform qualifiers
1. Thomas Daley, Britain, 571.85; 2. Bo Qiu, China, 564.75; 3. Aisen Chen, China, 545.35; 4. David Boudia, United States, 496.55; 5. Benjamin Auffret, France, 470.45; 6. Martin Wolfram, Germany, 468.80; 7. Sascha Klein, Germany, 463.40; 8. Viktor Minibaev, Russia, 462.25; 9. James Connor, Australia, 457.05; 10. Rafael Quintero, Puerto Rico, 456.55; 11. Haram Woo, South Korea, 438.45; 12. German Sanchez, Mexico, 430.05; 13. Hugo Parisi, Brazil, 422.45;
14. Vincent Riendeau, Canada, 419.50; 15. Ivan Garcia, Mexico, 418.90; 16. Nikita Shleikher, Russia, 418.15; 17. Domonic Bedggood, Australia, 413.85;
18. Steele Johnson, United States, 403.75
Equestrian
Individual jumping finals
Gold--Nick Skelton, Great Britain
Silver--Peder Fredricson, Sweden
Bronze--Eric Lamaze, Canada
Field Hockey (women)
Gold medal match
Britain 3, Netherlands 3, (Britain wins 2-0 in shootout)
Bronze medal match
Germany 2, New Zealand 1
Handball (men’s semifinals)
France 29, Germany 28
Denmark 29, Poland 28 (OT)
Modern pentathlon
Women’s combined (running and shooting)
Gold--Chrloe Esposito, Australia, 1,392 points (Olympic record)
Silver--Elodie Clouvel, France, 1,356
Bronze--Oktawia Nowacka, Poland, 1,349
Soccer (women)
Gold medal match
Germany 2, Sweden 1
Bronze medal match
Canada 2, Brazil 1
Synchronized swimming
Teams final
Gold--Russia, 196.1439
Silver--China, 192.9841
Bronze--Japan, 189.2056
Taekwondo
Men’s 80 kilogram
Gold--Cheick Sallah Junior Cisse, Ivory Coast
Silver--Lutalo Muhammad, Britain
Bronze--Oussama Oueslati, Tunisia
Bronze--Milad Beigi Harchegani, Azerbaijan
Women’s 67 kilogram
Gold--Hyeri Oh, South Korea
Silver--Haby Niare, France
Bronze--Ruth Marie Christelle Gbagbi, Ivory Coast
Bronze--Nur Tatar, Turkey
Track and field
Men
400-meter relay
Gold--Jamaica (Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake, Nickel Ashmeade, Usain Bolt, p-Kemar Bailey-Cole, p-Jevaughn Minzie), 37.27
Silver--Japan (Ryota Yamagata, Shota Iizuka, Yoshihide Kiryu, Aska Cambridge), 37.60
Bronze--Canada (Akeem Haynes, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney, Andre de Grasse, p-Mobolade Ajomale), 37.64
50-kilometer race walking final
Gold--Matej Tóth, Slovakia, 3:40:58
Silver--Jared Tallent, Australia, 3:41:16
Bronze--Evan Dunfee, Canada, 3:41:38
Women
5,000 meters
Gold--Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot, Kenya, 14:26:17 (Olympic record)
Silver--Hellen Onsando Obiri, Kenya, 14:29:77
Bronze--Almaz Ayana, Ethiopia, 14:33:59
400-meter relay
Gold--United States (Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner, Tori Bowie, Morolake Akinosun), 41.01
Silver--Jamaica (Christania Williams, Elaine Thompson, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Simone Facey, Sashalee Forbes), 41.36
Bronze--Britain (Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita), 41.77
20-kilometer race walking
Gold--Hong Liu, China, 1:28:35
Silver--Maria Guadalupe Gonzalez, Mexico, 1:28:37
Bronze--Xiuzhi Lu, China, 1:28:42
Volleyball (men’s semifinals)
Italy 3, United States 2 (30-28, 26-28, 9-25, 25-22, 15-9)
Brazil 3, Russia 0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-17)
Water polo (women)
Gold medal match
United States 12, Italy 5
Bronze medal match
Russia 19, Hungary 18
China 10, Brazil 5 (seventh place)
Spain 12, Australia 10 (fifth place)
Wrestling
Men’s freestyle 57 kg
Gold--Vladimer Khinchegashvili, Georgia
Silver--Rei Higuchi, Japan
Bronze--Haji Aliyev, Azerbaijan
Bronze--Hassan Sabzali Rahimi, Iran
Men’s freestyle 74 kg
Gold--Hassan Aliazam Yazdanicharati, Iran
Silver--Aniuar Geduev, Russia
Bronze--Soner Demirtas, Turkey
Bronze--Jabrayil Hasanov, Azerbaijan
As his story unravels, Ryan Lochte apologizes for ‘not being more careful and candid’
Ryan Lochte apologized Friday for his role in an altercation at a gas station near Olympic Park and for “not being more careful and candid” in how he described the incident.
Lochte, the 12-time Olympic medalist, initially gave a dramatic account of being robbed at gunpoint along early Sunday morning along with three other U.S. swimmers.
The story unraveled Thursday when Brazilian authorities said it was fabricated and the four swimmers instead damaged a bathroom at a gas station. They were detained by security guards, one of whom pulled a gun to prevent them from leaving, until the athletes paid about $50 in dollars and reals to resolve the matter.
“It’s traumatic to be out late with your friends in a foreign country -- with a language barrier -- and have a stranger point a gun at you and demand money to let you leave,” Lochte’s three-paragraph statement posted on his Twitter account said, “but regardless of the behavior of anyone else that night, I should have been much more responsible in how I handled myself and for that I am sorry to my teammates, my fans, my fellow competitors, my sponsors and the hosts of this great event.
“I am very proud to represent my country in Olympic competition and this was a situation that could and should have been avoided. I accept responsibility for my role in this happening and have learned some valuable lessons.”
Lochte’s statement followed the U.S. Olympic Committee’s apology to Brazil late Thursday for the behavior of the swimmers and USA Swimming promising a “thorough” review of the incident.
Rio 2016 spokesman Maria Andrada accepted Lochte’s apology, but said Brazilians felt humiliated by the situation.
“Understand that the Brazilian population was quite disappointed in the actions and the facts,” Andrada said during his daily news conference. “I think that the Brazilian population will accept his apologies and we want to put this matter to an end and I don’t see this as a fact that will mark these Games.”
Mark Adams, spokesman for the International Olympic Committee, called the apology “entirely appropriate.”
Earlier Friday, two of Lochte’s teammates, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, returned to the U.S. after being prevented from leaving Brazil 24 hours earlier.
Fernando Veloso, head of Rio de Janeiro’s civil police, said Bentz and Conger gave statements to police Thursday that contradicted Lochte’s account.
The fourth swimmer involved, Jimmy Feigen, remains in Brazil. He reached agreement to pay a fine of 35,000 reals, about $10,800, for falsely reporting a crime, according to a statement from Judge Tula Correa de Mello. The money will go to a local charity. A judge previously barred Feigen from leaving the country; his passport will be returned and he’ll be free to depart when the money is received.
Veloso has left open the possibility that Lochte, who returned to the U.S. on Monday, could face charges, saying “there’s very strong evidence that at least one of the swimmers, Ryan Lochte, made a false police report.”
The swimmers previously claimed in a statement issued by the USOC that they were robbed by armed men posing as police officers while traveling by taxi from France’s hospitality venue to the Olympic Village early Sunday morning. Lochte told NBC News earlier this week that one of the robbers put a gun to his head and cocked it.
Police said it wasn’t true.
USOC Chief Executive Scott Blackmun called the behavior of the four athletes “not acceptable” in a statement.
“We apologize to our hosts in Rio and the people of Brazil for this distracting ordeal in the midst of what should rightly be a celebration of excellence,” Blackmun said.
In a separate statement, USA Swimming Chief Executive Chuck Wielgus said, “That this is drawing attention away from Team USA’s incredible accomplishments in the water and by other athletes across the Olympic Games is upsetting. The athletes and their remarkable stories should be the focus.”
Eduardo Paes, Rio de Janeiro’s mayor, told reporters Friday that he pitied the four swimmers because of their “character flaws.” The mayor added that he didn’t believe the swimmers were representative of the more than 550 U.S. athletes competing in the Games.
Read Ryan Lochte’s apology for his actions in Rio
Ryan Lochte, at the center of controversy for making up a story about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro, tweeted an apology on Friday morning for “not being more careful and candid in how I described the events”.
You can read his full apology below and keep up with continuing developments on Lochte, his teammates and the actions in Rio here.
For some athletes, it’s a tough decision to stay when they’re eliminated from competition
I know some athletes in other sports are already back in the States. In London, a lot of the boxers left early after they lost. But all of our athletes are staying for the duration this time around, which is nice.
— Julie Goldsticker, press officer for USA Boxing
It was moving day at the Olympic village Thursday, and Michelle Carter had more than just a gold medal to pack.
“I was going to take this to the post office,” she said, clutching at the blue-and-green bedsheet she had tried to mail home. “But they don’t have a box big enough.”
Carter, the women’s shot put champion, was leaving Rio de Janeiro four days before Sunday’s closing ceremony. And she isn’t the only U.S. athlete who has decided to exit early.
The Americans came into these Olympics with more than 550 athletes, the largest delegation in the Rio Games. But nearly half of them have already left.
Column: There are many ways this story could have gone, and wrong was the one
You’re a media hound who suddenly has a story to tell, not the true but cowardly story of entitled American athletes breaking stuff, but a story that would make you seem tough and hip.
— Bill Plaschke
So you’re Ryan Lochte (heaven forbid), you’re an Olympic star with a dozen medals, you’re a cool cat with bluish hair and a wry smile, and you’re returning from a night in Rio with three Olympic teammates.
Someone orders the cab driver to pull into a Shell gas station so someone can use the bathroom, but then everyone allegedly destroys the bathroom, breaking a door, busting a soap dispenser and tearing down a poster.
Your band of idiots returns to the cab without apology or explanation, and is prepared to drive to the Olympic Village when a security guard intervenes. The guy wants everyone to pay for the damages, a couple of your fools try to run, a gun is pulled and your boorish bunch finally shells out the equivalent of $50 and drives away unharmed.
So you’re Ryan Lochte and you’re embarrassed, but by the time you return to the Olympic village, you’re also inspired.
You blame it on Rio. You say you were yet another victim of the lawless Brazilian streets. You claim you were robbed at gunpoint by men posing as Rio policemen. You even mention somebody putting a gun to your head, because what’s more gangster than that?
Usain Bolt wins 200, completes third straight Olympic sprint double
Although rivals are nipping at Usain Bolt’s golden heels and he grumbled last week that his schedule at the Rio Olympics was too hectic for him to run world-record times, the lanky Jamaican sprinter remains unequaled at producing stunning performances on the most momentous of occasions.
Bolt reaffirmed his place in sports history Thursday at Olympic Stadium by winning the men’s 200-meter dash and becoming the only man to win the 100- and 200-meter races in three straight Olympics. His time of 19.78 seconds wasn’t the sub-19 time he had been hoping for, but it was enough for him to defeat Andre De Grasse of Canada (20.02 seconds) and Christophe Lemaitre of France (20.12). LaShawn Merritt of the U.S., the bronze medalist in the 400, finished sixth in 20.19 seconds.
It was the second medal in these Games for De Grasse, who competed for USC and was an NCAA champion. He won bronze in the 100, and in the 200 semifinals cheekily pushed Bolt into running a faster time than Bolt had planned. But Bolt had plenty of energy left Thursday and turned the evening into a historic occasion.
Loose enough before the race to do a little samba while waiting to be introduced, Bolt ran confidently on the damp track as a light rain fell and never seemed threatened. He’s still pursuing a triple-triple of wins in the 100, 200 and 400-meter relay in three straight Games. The relay final will take place Friday.
Ashton Eaton wins second consecutive gold medal in decathlon
Ashton Eaton has defended his Olympic decathlon title, equaling the Games record with a surge on the last lap of the 1,500 meters — the last event in the two-day competition.
The 28-year-old American finished with 8,893 points to match the Olympic mark set by Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic in 2004.
Kevin Mayer of France was 59 points behind to take silver and Damian Warner of Canada took bronze with 8,666 points.
U.S. men win gold and silver in shot put
Ryan Crouser won the shot put gold medal with an Olympic record 22.52 meters, leading world champion Joe Kovacs in a 1-2 finish for the United States.
The 23-year-old Crouser recorded the three best throws of his career, starting with 22.22 on his second attempt to take an early lead and improving it to 22.26 before his biggest attempt of the night on his fifth put.
Kovacs, who had the season-leading mark heading into the final, took silver at 21.78 and world indoor champion Tom Walsh of New Zealand won bronze at 21.36.
Tomasz Majewski, who won the Olympic gold for Poland in 2008 and 2012, was a distant sixth with a mark of 20.72 after opening with two fouls.
So far, Ryan Lochte still seems to be golden to his sponsors
Ryan Lochte may have hightailed it out of Rio de Janeiro in the wake of his much-disputed tale of being a victim of an armed robbery, but his sponsors haven’t abandoned the 12-time Olympic medalist.
A Speedo spokesman confirmed Thursday that the now-notorious swimmer continues to be sponsored by the swimwear brand. As for whether they will stand by him, the spokesman said: “Speedo is following the situation, and has a policy not to comment on ongoing legal investigations.”
A Ralph Lauren spokesman said Thursday: “We are working closely with the [U.S. Olympic Committee] on the developments in Rio and are reviewing the situation.”
The four-time Olympian sparked an international firestorm Sunday, after claiming that he and teammates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen were pulled over and robbed by gun-toting men posing as police officers while on their way back to the Olympic Village after a night of drinking. Lochte has since retracted some of that storyline and Rio de Janeiro police claim he and his three fellow swimmers lied about the incident and vandalized a restroom in a gas station.
U.S. women defeat France, 86-67, to reach the gold-medal game
Team USA captain Sue Bird missed Thursday’s semifinal because of a right knee injury, but that did not much matter for the United States, which advanced to Saturday’s gold-medal game with a 86-67 victory over France on Thursday.
The United States led by just four at halftime but turned up the defensive intensity out of the locker room and outscored France 25-8 in the third quarter.
Diana Taurasi had 18 points for the United States while Maya Moore added 15.
Rio police say American swimmers’ story of robbery is a fabrication
The story that Ryan Lochte told four days ago was frightening and detailed, the Olympic gold medalist recalling a late-night robbery and a pistol pressed against his head.
On Thursday, Brazilian authorities presented evidence they say contradicts that account and could turn what at first had been a deeply embarrassing incident for the Summer Games’ host country into a different kind of international incident.
The head of Rio de Janeiro’s civil police, Fernando Veloso, said the version of the events told by Lochte and three U.S. swimming teammates was fabricated. The athletes, he said, damaged a gas station bathroom early Sunday morning and were involved in a confrontation with armed security before paying about $50 to resolve the matter.
“We can confirm that there was no robbery as they described, and they were not victims as they presented themselves,” Veloso told a packed news conference, alleging the athletes had given “a fantastical version of events.”
Contrary to reports, Veloso said none of the swimmers have been indicted.
U.S. women’s relay team makes most of second chance, advances to final
The U.S. women’s 400-meter relay team, given a second chance to reach the Rio Olympic final after successfully appealing its disqualification from its first-round heat, got the baton around the track safely in a rerun Thursday night and earned a chance to compete for a gold medal in Friday’s final.
The team of Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix, English Gardner and Morolake Akinosun had been disqualified from its heat Thursday morning after Felix was bumped by Brazil’s Kauiza Venancio and was thrown off stride, causing her to make a faulty exchange to Gardner. The baton fell and Gardner picked it up, on Felix’s urging, and they finished the race. However, they and the Brazilian teams were disqualified. USA Track and Field officials sought relief from a Jury of Appeals on the basis that Felix had been impeded; the jury agreed and granted the rerun.
The same four athletes ran in the same order, but they were the only runners on the track. Their handoffs were fine and they were timed in 41.77 seconds, the top qualifying time. However, because they earned the spot in a rerun they are considered to have qualified for the final on time and will run in Lane 1 or Lane 8 instead of a prime middle lane. China timed at 42.70 seconds — a few hundredths behind Canada — and was dropped out of the field for the final.
Gardner said it felt odd to be on the track, in Lane 2, with no other runners out there.
“Honestly I feel like it was a glorified practice. We just had fun out there,” Gardner said. “We were laughing and joking going in, staying light, and that was the whole point. We already knew we were going to execute the first time — it was just that we had an unforeseen circumstance. Now, all we had to do is the same thing and the same plan that we had the first time — just get out there and absolutely execute it.”
Felix said the experience was “different. It was really weird. But I think when we walked out and people were cheering for us, I think it uplifted us a little bit, encouraged us. We’re just grateful.”
Felix, a seven-time Olympic medalist, also said she had never been in a situation like that. “I think that anyone who’s impeded, I think the process was fair,” Felix said.
Gardner said she wished the best of luck to the Chinese sprinters, who are now out of the final. “It’s unfortunate, what happened,” she said. “I wish that it didn’t happen this way and that we were able to basically all compete because we all worked so hard to get here and those girls worked so hard to run the relay and they missed out on the opportunity. My heart is heavy for them but the protest ruled that we were able to run off and we got the opportunity and we seized it.”
A day of upsets and suspensions continues in Rio, from BMX to combat sports
The U.S. women’s volleyball team losing a semifinal and American wrestler Helen Maroulis defeating three-time gold medalist Saori Yoshida of Japan aren’t the only big upsets Thursday in Rio.
Two top BMX racers and two top-seeded taekwondo competitors also were eliminated from the Summer Games.
Two-time gold medalist Maris Strombergs of Latvia and reigning world champion Joris Daudet of France failed to advance out of their BMX quarterfinals.
Strombergs’ coach, Ivo Lakucs, says Strombergs had decided before the Olympics that this would be it. Lakucs says the disappointing result Thursday wouldn’t change Strombergs’ mind.
In taekwondo, Turkey’s defending Olympic champion Servet Tazegul was beaten, 19-6, by Russia’s Alexey Denisenko in their quarterfinal in the men’s 68-kilogram division. Second-seeded Dae-Hoon Lee of South Korea went out shortly afterward in a closely fought battle with Jordan’s Ahmad Abughaush.
Both Tazegul and Lee might have the chance to fight in the repechage competition for a bronze medal Thursday evening.
And then there was news that the International Canoe Federation suspended canoe sprint bronze medalist Serghei Tarnovschi of Moldova after he failed a pre-competition doping test while a Chinese swimmer and Brazilian road cyclist have been disqualified from the Olympics after failing doping tests.
The 19-year-old Tarnovschi was due to compete in the 1,000-meters double on Friday with his older brother Oleg. The ICF said he would “now no longer be eligible and will face provisional suspension” under anti-doping rules.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport issued final verdicts Thursday in the cases of swimmer Chen Xinyi and cyclist Kleber Ramos.
Helen Maroulis wins first gold ever for a U.S. women’s wrestler
Helen Maroulis of the United States defeated Japan’s Saori Yoshida 4-1 in the 53-kilogram freestyle final to win the first-ever gold medal for an American women’s wrestler.
Maroulis celebrated Thursday’s win by running around the mat in a circle and holding the United States flag with both hands while it was draped over her back.
Yoshida was a 16-time world champion who was going for her fourth gold. She hadn’t lost in a major tournament in years, but she had been less dominant in recent tournaments. Maroulis was on a two-year win streak of her own.
Yoshida was trying to become the second woman to ever win four Olympic gold medals in a single event across four Summer Games, and the second wrestler to win four Olympic golds. Yoshida’s teammate, Kaori Icho, accomplished the feats Wednesday by winning the 58-kilogram gold.
Top-ranked U.S. women upset in volleyball semifinal by Serbia
Serbia has stunned the top-ranked U.S. women’s volleyball team that was chasing its first-ever Olympic gold.
With star player Foluke Akinradewo injured early, the Americans came back from a 2-1 deficit to force a fifth set before falling 15-13.
Serbia won the five-set match, 20-25, 25-17, 25-21, 16-25, 15-13, on Thursday — handing the U.S. its first defeat in Rio.
Akinradewo’s teammates took over after she hurt her left knee late in the opening set.
With two-time defending Olympic champion Brazil also ousted in a five-setter by China in the quarterfinals, Serbia will now face either the young Chinese squad led by former U.S. coach Jenny Lang Ping or the surprising Netherlands team, which is back in the Olympic volleyball competition for the first time in 20 years.
Thursday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Thursday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
Badminton
Women’s doubles
Gold medal match
Japan (A. Takahashi and M. Matsutomo) d. Denmark (K.R. Juhl and C. Pedersen), 2-1
Bronze medal match
South Korea (S.C. Shin and K.E. Jung) d. China (Y.N. Tang and Y. Yu), 2-0
Men’s doubles
Bronze medal match
Great Britain (M. Ellis and C. Langridge) d. China (B. Chai and W. Hong), 2-1
Basketball (women’s semifinals)
Spain 68, Serbia 54
United States 86, France 67
Beach volleyball
Men’s gold medal match
Cerutti Alison and Oscar Schmidt Bruno, Brasil def. Nicolai Paolo and Lupo Daniele, Italy, 21-19, 21-17
Men’s bronze medal match
Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen, Netherlands, def. Konstantin Semenov and Viacheslav Krasilnikov, Russia, 23-21, 22-20
Boxing
Men’s light-heavyweight gold medal match
Julio César La Cruz, Cuba, d. Adilbek Niyazymbetov, Kazakhstan, 3-0
Canoe/Kayak
Men’s canoe 1,000-meter sprint
Gold--Germany (M. Rendschmidt and M. Gross), 3:10.78
Silver--Serbia (M. Tomićević and M. Zorić), 3:10.96
Bronze--Australia (L. Tame and K. Wallace), 3:12.59
Men’s canoe single 200-meter sprint
Gold--Yuriy Cheban, Ukraine, 39.27 seconds
Silver--Valentin Demyanenko, Azerbaijan, 39.49
Bronze--Isaquias Queiroz dos Santos, Brazil, 39.62
Men’s kayak double 200-meter sprint
Gold--Spain (S. Craviotto Rivero and C. Toro Carballo), 32.07 secondsfield
Silver--Great Britain (L. Heath and J. Schofield), 32.36
Bronze--Lithuania (E. Ramanauskas and A. Lankas), 32.38
Women’s kayak single 500-meter sprint
Gold--Danuta Kozák, Hungary, 1:52.49
Silver--Emma Jørgensen, Denmark, 1:54.32
Bronze--Lisa Carrington, New Zealand, 1:54.37
Diving
Women’s 10-meter platform final
Gold--Qian Ren, China
Silver--Yajie Si, China
Bronze--Meaghan Benfeito, Canada
Field hockey (men)
Gold medal match
Argentina 4, Belgium 2
Bronze medal match
Germany 1, Netherlands 1 (Germany wins in shootout)
Handball (women’s semifinals)
France 24, Netherlands 23
Russia 38, Norway 37
Sailing
Women’s 470 dinghy
Gold--Great Britain (H. Mills and S. Clark), 44 points
Silver--New Zealand (J. Aleh and O. Powrie), 54
Bronze--France (H. Defrance and C. Lecointre), 62
Men’s 470 dinghy
Gold--Croatia (Š. Fantela and I. Marenić), 43 points
Silver--Australia (W. Ryan and M. Belcher), 58
Bronze--Greece (P. Mantis and P. Kagialis), 58
Men’s 49er skiff
Gold--New Zealand (P. Burling and B. Tuke), 35 points
Silver--Australia (N. Outteridge and I. Jensen), 78
Bronze--Germany (E. Heil and T. Plössel), 83
Women’s 49er skiff
Gold--Brazil (M. Grael and K. Kunze), 48 points
Silver--New Zealand (M. Meech and A. Maloney), 51
Bronze--Denmark (K. Salskov-Iversen and J. Hansen), 54
Taekwondo
Men’s 68 kilogram
Gold--Ahmad Abughaush, Jordan, def. Alexey Denisenko, Russia, 10-6
Bronze--Joel Gonzalez Bonilla, Spain, def. Edgar Contreras, Venezuela, 4-3
Bronze--Lee Daehoon, South Korea, def. Jaouad Achab, Belgium, 11-7
Women’s 57 kilogram
Gold--Jade Jones, Britain, def. Eva Calvo Gomez, Spain, 16-7.
Bronze--Hedaya Wahba, Egypt, def. Raheleh Asemani, Belgium, 1-0
Bronze-- Kimia Alizadeh Zenoorin, Iran, def. Nikita Glasnovic, Sweden, 5-1
Track and Field
Men
200 meters
Gold--Usain Bolt, Jamaica, 19.78.
Silver--Andre de Grasse, Canada, 20.02.
Bronze--Christophe Lemaitre, France, 20.12.
400-meter hurdles
Gold--Kerron Clement, United States, 47.73 seconds
Silver--Boniface Mucheru, Kenya, 47.78
Bronze--Yasmani Copello, Turkey, 47.92
Shotput
Gold--Ryan Crouser, United States, (22.52), 73-10 1-2.
Silver--Joe Kovacs, United States, (21.78), 71-5 1-2.
Bronze--Tomas Walsh, New Zealand, (21.36), 70-1.
Decathlon
Gold--Ashton Eaton, United States, 8893 points
Silver--Kevin Mayer, France, 8834
Bronze--Damian Warner, Canada, 8666
Women
Javelin Throw
Gold--Sara Kolak, Croatia, (66.18), 217-1 1-2.
Silver--Sunette Viljoen, South Africa, (64.92), 212-12.
Bronze--Barbora Spotakova, Czech Republic, (64.80), 212-7 1-4.
Triathlon
Men’s final
Gold--Alistair Brownlee, Great Britain, 1:45:01
Silver--Jonny Brownlee, Great Britain, 1:45:07
Bronze--Henri Schoeman, South Africa, 1:45:43
Volleyball (women’s semifinals)
Serbia 3, United States 2 (20-25, 25-17, 25-21, 16-25, 15-13)
China 3, Netherlands 1, (27-25, 23-25, 29-27, 25-23)
Water polo (men)
Classification round
Hungary 13, Brazil 4
Greece 9, Spain 7
Semifinals
Croatia 12, Montenegro 8
Serbia 10, Italy 8
Wrestling
Women’s freestyle 53 kilogram
Gold--Helen Louise Maroulis, United States
Silver--Saori Yoshida, Japan
Bronze--Natalya Sinishin, Azerbaijan
Bronze--Sofia Magdalena Mattsson, Sweden
Women’s freestyle 63 kilogram
Gold--Risako Kawai, Japan
Silver--Maryia Mamashuk, Belarus
Bronze--Yekaterina Larionova, Kazakhstan
Bronze--Monika Ewa Michalik, Poland
Women’s freestyle 75 kilogram
Gold--Erica Elizabeth Wiebe, Canada
Silver--Guzel Manyurova, Kazakhstan
Bronze--Fengliu Zhang, China
Bronze--Ekaterina Bukina, Russia
India finally wins a medal at Rio Olympics
By winning a bronze medal in wrestling, 23-year-old Sakshi Malik helped India avoid a potentially embarrassing Olympic blackout.
The nation of 1.25 billion people awoke Thursday to the news that Malik had earned a place on the podium in the 58-kilogram category, the first medal for India at the Games in Rio de Janeiro.
“The entire nation is rejoicing,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
AIBA fights to quell boxing controversy as Stevenson advances to semifinals for U.S.
In its latest effort to quiet a controversy over disputed judging decisions in the Rio Olympic boxing competition, the International Boxing Assn. on Thursday removed the executive director in charge of the tournament.
Francco Falcinelli, vice president of the AIBA executive board and the chief of the European Boxing Confederation, will oversee the final four days of bouts.
On Wednesday, the AIBA said it had reviewed the decisions in the first 239 Rio bouts and found reason to send an undetermined number of judges home. The BBC and the Guardian reported six judges had been expelled.
Boxers and national team coaches have complained about a number of decisions in the Rio tournament, the most prominent among them Russian Vladimir Nikitin’s unanimous decision over Michael John Conlan of Ireland in a bantamweight quarterfinal Tuesday and Monday’s heavyweight final, in which Russian Evgeny Tischenko won a unanimous decision over Kazakhstan’s Vasiliy Levit.
Nikitin was so beat up in his win he will not be able to answer the bell in Thursday’s semifinal with American Shakur Stevenson, sending Stevenson on to Saturday’s final against Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez. Stevenson is the first U.S. male to reach a final in Olympic boxing since light-heavyweight Andre Ward in 2004.
Boxing officials were reportedly concerned about the possibility of fixed bouts even before the Rio Games even opened. Some AIBA authorities were so worried, according to the Guardian, they asked the International Olympic Committee to intervene and called for Wu Ching-kuo, the reform-minded president of the AIBA, to resign.
Since the London Games, the AIBA has changed its scoring system, adopting the 10-point must system used by professional boxing with judges awarding a fighter 10 points for each round he wins.
Women’s wrestling: Maroulis, Pirozhkova in medal hunt; Gray loses in quarterfinals
Adeline Gray’s footwear pretty much said it all on Thursday.
Gray, the face of women’s wrestling in the United States, was done much earlier than almost everyone expected at the Olympics, having lost, 4-1, in the quarterfinals of the 165-pound weight class (75 kg) to Vasilisa Marzaliuk of Belarus. It was Gray’s first defeat in more than two years.
“This is going to be something that takes a while to sink in,” Gray said. “I mean, I thought I wasn’t going to be taking my shoes off and now I’m in sandals. It’s definitely a different feeling. I haven’t had a loss in a long time, so I don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like.”
The U.S. team had approached Thursday as a legitimate opportunity to win three medals.
Now it’s down to two: Helen Maroulis will go for gold against Saori Yoshida of Japan in the 117-pound weight class (53 kg) and Elena Pirozhkova has a shot at a bronze medal in the 139-pound weight class (63 kg).
Maroulis and Pirozhkova are roommates in Huntington Beach, training in Orange County under the guidance of Valentin Kalika.
“We came to win gold. Helen has been practicing last few years like never before,” said Kalika. “Every day, at the beach, [working out] in the sand. She is ready for any battle.”
Even against the formidable Yoshida.
“We’ve been talking about beating Yoshida for last few years,” he said. “Again, all of our training was to beat Yoshida….We’ll see what happens tonight. She [Yoshida] is a great wrestler of course. We just got to make sure we’re not giving her [too much] respect.
“I believe mentally she’s ready to beat Yoshida.”
Gray, meanwhile, admitted to making a costly mistake in her match.
“I overlooked that girl,” she said. “You can’t overlook somebody who is a multi-medalist. She’s an Olympic medalist. She has world medals. I beat her nine out of 10 times and today she got the better of me. I got defensive....my passivity game is not great.”
Her future in the sport is unclear.
“No, I totally am not set on another cycle,” said Gray, who was trying to contain her emotions. “I’ve spent three years away from my boyfriend who I would love to spend more time with. This takes so much sacrifice. In these moments, it doesn’t feel like it was worth it. It’s going to take some soul-searching before this kind of sinks in and becomes something I can handle.”
A few months? Longer?
“I might move to New York and figure out my life,” she said.
Rio Olympics: U.S women win protest after dropping baton in 400-meter relay and will race again
A Jury of Appeals granted a protest by the United States on the outcome of second heat of the women’s 400-meter relay, in which the U.S. relay was disqualified after dropping the baton.
Ruling that the runner had been obstructed by a Brazilian runner at the second exchange (from Allyson Felix to English Gardner) the jury ruled that the U.S. women will rerun the race alone Thursday night. After Thursday’s first heats, China was in eighth place with a time of 42.70 seconds. If the U.S. beats that time, they will advance to Friday’s final.
Brazil was disqualified for obstructing the U.S.
After the race, Felix contended she felt contact from a runner on her right, where Brazil’s relay team was running, as she attempted to pass the baton to Gardner, who was running the third leg of the relay.
“I got bumped coming into the exchange zone, and it just completely threw me off balance,” Felix said. “I tried to hold it together to get it to English.”
Felix said she wasn’t injured, “just very upset.”
The other members of the relay team were Tianna Bartoletta and Morolake Akinosun.
The U.S. men’s 400-meter relay team successfully got the baton around and won its heat in 37.65 seconds to advance to Friday’s final. The relay was comprised of Mike Rodgers, Christian Coleman, Tyson Gay, and Jarrion Lawson.
Soon after the women’s relay incident, Kerron Clement of the U.S. won the men’s 400-meter hurdles in a season-best time of 47.73 seconds. Boniface Mucheru Tumuti of Kenya was second in 47.78 seconds, with Yasmani Copello of Turkey third in 47.92.
Clement, 30, was the silver medalist in the event in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a two-time world champion.
Winning in the ring has helped her out of it
I definitely feel like I’m the best fighter in the world here.
— Claressa Shields
In the ring, Claressa Shields is as direct and imposing as a punch to the jaw, something she wielded with uncommon regularity Wednesday in a unanimous-decision victory over Russian Iaroslava Iakushina in a Rio Olympics middleweight quarterfinal.
The win guarantees her at least a bronze medal, to go with the gold she won as a teenager four years ago in London. She hasn’t lost since the 2012 world championships; with the victory over Iakushina her record is 75-1. Her coaches call her the best boxer in the world, male or female.
“Claressa came out of nowhere,” said associate Coach Kay Koroma, “and now the world loves her because of the way she fights.”
Outside the ring, however, Shields can be as complex and hard to figure as trigonometry.
She’s the ‘it’ girl for now, but will that transcend the Olympics?
I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first Simone Biles.
— Simone Biles
In a hallway underneath the Rio Olympic Arena, a crush of journalists pushed against the metal fence in front of the world’s best gymnast. Simone Biles, not even 5 feet tall, seemed to be swallowed up by the crowd. She fiddled with the green strap of her credential, but otherwise appeared at ease with another day as one of the most recognizable faces at the Summer Olympics.
“We have an idea of just how big it is back home,” the 19-year-old said.
Biles won four gold medals, including the coveted all-around title, during an adjective-defying week where she made the sport’s most difficult feats look routine. The performance cemented her place as perhaps the most gifted gymnast in history.
She’s so well known that she can’t visit the Christ the Redeemer statue towering over Rio de Janeiro alone. More than a million people have followed her bubbly Instagram account this month. Limited-edition cereal boxes will celebrate her golden achievement.
Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross win bronze in beach volleyball
Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross have won the beach volleyball bronze medal, coming back after losing the first set to beat the host Brazilians at Copacabana.
The win comes less than 24 hours after Walsh Jennings lost on the Olympic beach for the first time in 27 matches over four Summer Games.
Walsh Jennings, a three-time gold medalist, delivered a pair of blocks for the final two points on Wednesday night to win 17-21, 21-17, 15-9.
Germany’s Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst won the gold medal, handing the host nation its second straight medal-round setback on the Copacabana sand.
The 21-18, 21-14 victory gave Germany its first medal in women’s beach volleyball, just four years after the German men took the top spot on the Olympic podium in London. Brazil’s Agatha and Barbara, the reigning world champions, took silver.
Tianna Bartoletta gets her gold in women’s long jump
Two-time world champion Tianna Bartoletta finally has an Olympic gold medal, winning the long jump final with a lifetime best 7.17 meters.
The 30-year-old American, who won her world titles a decade apart in 2005 and 2015, responded to two big jumps from Ivana Spanovic and Brittney Reese on the fifth attempt to regain the lead with one round remaining. The lead stood.
Defending Olympic champion Reese of the United States, after three fouls on her first four attempts, took silver Wednesday with a best of 7.15 on her last go.
Spanovic, bronze medalist at the last two world championships, won the Olympic bronze with a Serbian national record of 7.08.
More intrigue in Rio as 2 U.S. swimmers pulled off plane
NBC News is reporting that two U.S. swimmers who were in a group with Ryan Lochte that were allegedly mugged in Rio were pulled off a plane at the airport there as they attempted to return to the United States.
According to tweets by NBC national correspondent Peter Alexander, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were on a plane leaving Rio when authorities asked them to deplane and their passports were seized.
Brianna Rollins leads U.S. sweep in women’s 100 hurdles; Elaine Thompson completes sprint double
Brianna Rollins, the 2013 world champion, has led an American sweep of the women’s 100-meter hurdles on Wednesday night in Rio.
Rollins clocked 12.48 seconds and was followed by teammates Nia Ali (12.59) and Kristi Castlin (12.61), who edged Britain’s Cindy Ofili (12.63) with a lean at the finish line.
Earlier in the evening, Elaine Thompson got another sprint double for Jamaica. She blasted out of the blocks and never gave Dutch sprinter Dafne Schippers a chance to catch her on the straightaway of the 200 meters.
After winning the 100 on Saturday, Thompson now has a double that compatriot Usain Bolt has specialized in. Thompson can make it triple gold during the relay races Thursday and Friday.
Thompson ended in a season’s best 21.78 seconds, for an edge of .10 over Schippers. Tori Bowie of the United States took bronze with 22.15.
Japan’s Kaori Icho becomes first wrestler to win gold medals in four consecutive Olympics
Japan’s Kaori Icho has become the first wrestler in Olympic history to win four gold medals.
Icho scored a takedown with less than five seconds left to beat Russia’s Valeriia Koblova Zholobova, 3-2, in the 58-kilogram women’s freestyle.
Icho also is the first woman to win an individual gold medal in four straight Olympics, having started her historic run at the inaugural women’s tournament at the 2004 Athens Games.
Russia’s Alexander Karelin leads the short list of men with three wrestling golds.
Icho’s teammate, Saori Yoshida, will try to match the four consecutive golds on Thursday.
Sakshi Malik won bronze to give India its first medal of the Rio Games.
Michael Phelps says he is ready to become a volunteer assistant coach at Arizona State
Most people don’t believe that Michael Phelps, the most-decorated Olympian in history, is ready to quit competitive swimming, but he’s given clear signals that it is true.
He recently told reporters that he will begin his post-competitive era as a volunteer assistant coach at Arizona State, where his personal coach, Bob Bowman, runs the program.
“He’s a father figure to me,” Phelps said of Bowman, who began coaching the 23-time gold-medal winner at age 11 in Baltimore. “He’s helped me through some of the worst times in my life and he’s been there every step of the way and I’m forever thankful.”
Phelps ended the Rio Games with a record 28 medals in his career. Soon he could be helping train others to follow in his Olympic-sized footsteps.
U.S. dispatches Argentina rather easily to advance to men’s basketball semifinals
After three consecutive close games that made many doubt whether the United States men’s basketball team was ripe for an upset in the knockout rounds, the Americans played perhaps their best game of the Olympics on Wednesday in a 105-78 victory over Argentina.
The U.S. advances to the semifinals on Friday when it will meet Spain, which defeated France earlier in the day.
Argentina started fast behind a raucous crowd that was singing and dancing through pre-game warmups and into the first quarter.
The U.S. trailed by 10 points, 19-9, but after that, the Americans were jolted awake. They scored 25 of the next 27 points and took a 56-40 lead into halftime.
Kevin Durant had the hot hand for the U.S. and scored 27 points.
Maggie Steffens leads U.S. into gold-medal game of women’s water polo
It will be the United States versus Italy for women’s water polo gold.
Maggie Steffens scored four times and the U.S. beat Hungary, 14-10, in the Rio semifinals.
Maddie Musselman and Kiley Neushul had two goals apiece for the U.S., which is trying to become the first country to repeat as Olympic champions.
Italy advanced with a 12-9 victory over Australia in the first semifinal. Arianna Garibotti pumped in five goals and Roberta Bianconi scored twice as Italy improved to a perfect 5-0 in Rio de Janeiro.
Italy won the gold medal in 2004, but slipped to sixth in Beijing and finished seventh in London four years ago.
The United States has won 21 in a row, including its five games in Rio by a combined score of 61-27. It’s the only country to finish on the podium in each of the five Olympics for women’s water polo.
Neymar scores early, Brazil scores often to advance to men’s soccer final
With the fastest goal in Olympic history, Neymar led Brazil back to the gold-medal match.
The striker scored 15 seconds into the game and converted a penalty kick in second-half injury time Wednesday to lead Brazil over Honduras, 6-0, in the semifinals of the men’s tournament.
Gabriel Jesus added two goals in the first half at the packed Maracana Stadium, and Marquinhos and Luan scored a goal each in the second.
Brazil lost in the final at the 2012 London Games. The Olympic gold medal is the only major title the five-time World Cup champions haven’t won in soccer.
“We won and we won well, but if in the final we don’t play well again, all of this will be for nothing,” Brazil midfielder Renato Augusto said. “We don’t want to disappoint the fans. They want us to play well, and they want us to win the gold.”
The host country will play Germany, a 2-0 winner over Nigeria, in Saturday’s final.
Brazilian fans were hoping for a sort of rematch against Germany, whose senior team embarrassed Brazil, 7-1, in the semifinals of the World Cup two years ago.
“Hey Germany, just wait, your turn is coming up,” the fans chanted at Maracana Stadium.
Only the gold will be enough for a talented Brazilian team playing at home and considered the main title favorite in a tournament played mostly with under-23 squads and very few stars.
U.S. wins fourth in a row to advance to semifinals in men’s volleyball
The U.S. men’s volleyball team is in the semifinals after beating Poland in straight sets Wednesday for a fourth straight victory since a surprising 0-2 start in the Rio Olympics.
The fifth-ranked Americans topped second-ranked Poland, 25-23, 25-22, 25-20, building some serious momentum at Maracanazinho arena after dropping their initial two matches to Canada and Italy.
Now, both the U.S. men’s and women’s teams are on to the final four of the Rio de Janeiro Games. The men will take on the winner of Italy-Iran on Friday, while the women face Serbia on Thursday.
Rio Olympics: Claressa Shields wins quarterfinal to secure U.S. another boxing medal
Defending Olympic champion Claressa Shields pounded her way to a unanimous-decision victory over Russian Iaroslava Iakushina in a women’s middleweight boxing quarterfinal Wednesday, guaranteeing her at least a bronze and giving the U.S. its third boxing medal of the Rio Olympics.
Shields, of Flint, Mich., controlled the fight from the opening bell, dancing and peppering the Russian with a strong right and an effective left cross. And she proved too quick for Iakushina to land any damaging blow, even when the game Russian had her pinned in the corner midway through the third round.
In the final seconds of the fourth and final round, Shields raised her hands in celebration.
The bout was the first in Rio for Shields, who was given a bye into the quarterfinals. With the victory Shields, arguably the most dominant fighter in amateur boxing, male or female, raised her career record to 75-1. Her only loss came at the 2012 World Championships, before the London Olympics where she won a gold medal as a teenager.
IOC executive Patrick Hickey targeted in police probe into ticket scalping
International Olympic Committee member Patrick Hickey of Ireland, a longtime fixture on the global sporting stage, was arrested early Wednesday morning at his Rio hotel and is facing charges of ticket touting, forming a cartel and illegal marketing as part of a broader police investigation, according to media reports .Hickey has temporarily stepped down from his duties as a result.
An update on Hickey’s status came during the IOC’s daily briefing with spokesman Mark Adams. The Brazilian newspaper Estado also reported that Hickey, 71, went to the hospital “feeling sick.” Adams said Hickey went to the hospital around 7:30.
“Like the rest of you, we’re still trying to establish the facts this morning and find out exactly what happened,” Adams said. “Mr. Hickey was taken to hospital this morning. I believe police have had a press conference this morning and confirmed there was a search warrant and an arrest warrant.
“Needless to say, we’ll be fully cooperating with any police investigation, should there be one…What I can tell you is what I told you the other day, this involves 1,000 tickets … involves the NOC (National Olympic Committee) of Ireland, which has already launched an inquiry.”
The Irish newspaper, the Journal, said that Hickey has been formally charged by the local police but the case will transfer to prosecutors, who make the decision whether to proceed.
The Olympic Council of Ireland later released a statement that read: “In light of this morning’s developments and his ill health, Mr Hickey has taken the decision to step aside temporarily as President of the OCI and all other Olympic functions (IOC member in Ireland, European Olympic Committee President, Association of National Olympic Committees Vice President) until this matter is fully resolved.”
Video and pictures surfaced on line of the police activity at the hotel and of Hickey opening the door of his hotel room. It was high drama, Brazilian police style. Adams dealt with all forms of questions about the incident, including whether the IOC was “embarrassed” by the arrest.
Later, an Australian TV got straight to the point, asking: “Is the IOC concerned that one of the enduring images from the Games may well be one of its senior members opening the door naked to a police raid?”
Adams: “We follow the system of justice here and that’s how things are done in Brazil. We respect the justice system. As I said before, he’s innocent until proven guilty…Let’s wait before we get ahead of ourselves.”
Rio Olympics: Kenya’s Conseslus Kipruto wins steeplechase; Evan Jager of the U.S. wins silver
The U.S. apparently has become a steeplechase power in Olympic competition.
Evan Jager of Algonquin, Ill., won a silver medal in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase Wednesday, finishing behind the Olympic-record time of 8:03.29 run by Conseslus Kiproto of Kenya. Jager’s time of 8:04.28 was a season-best. Earlier this week, Emma Coburn won a bronze medal in the women’s steeplechase, a first for American women.
Ezekiel Kemboi, the 2004 and 2012 Olympic champion, was third in 8:08.47. That extended the Kenyan men’s gold-medal streak in this event to nine in a row, starting in 1984.
“Beating the Kenyans in championship steeplechases, it’s a very hard achievement and a very hard task,” Jager said. “Since I started steeplechasing, it’s been one of the goals of mine just to be in the mix with the Kenyans and beat some of them on the day at championship races. Beating Kemboi, who has been so dominant over his entire career and I believe is the greatest steeplechaser of all time, it’s a huge accomplishment for me and it makes me very proud.”
He also said the parallel success of compatriot Coburn in the women’s steeplechase is “very cool.” He added, “I feel like our careers have kind of gone hand in hand. We both continue to get better each year. It’s cool that we’ve been able to share the same career at the same time.”
Jager’s medal was the first by an American man since Brian Diemer won bronze in 1984, and it also was faster than the previous Olympic record of 8:05.51 set at the 1988 Seoul Games by Julius Kariuki of Kenya.
Controversial decisions lead to suspension of boxing judges
After Russian fighters were awarded victories in a pair of controversial decisions at the Rio Olympics, boxing’s ruling federation has expelled a number of judges and referees it determined were not performing “at the level expected.”
The International Boxing Assn., known as AIBA, did not disclose the number of officials suspended, but the BBC reported six of the 60 judges in Rio will no longer work at the Games.
AIBA spokesman Nicolas Jomard would neither confirm nor deny that number.
Boxers and national team coaches have complained about a number of decisions, prominent among them Russian Vladimir Nikitin’s unanimous decision over Michael John Conlan of Ireland in a bantamweight quarterfinal Tuesday and Monday’s heavyweight final, in which Russian Evgeny Tischenko won a unanimous decision over Kazakhstan’s Vasiliy Levit.
Conlan lost a medal even though he appeared to win all three rounds of his fight. After the decision was announced Nikitin dropped to his knees and covered his face with his hands in obvious relief while Conlan refused to leave the ring, tearing off his top, flipping off the judges and flexing his muscles to the crowd, which cheered him.
In the heavyweight bout, Tishchenki won the decision despite sustaining a serious cut to the head and spending the whole bout backpedaling.
Vietnam’s Vuong Trong Nghia and Brazil’s Jones Kennedy Silva do Rosario judged both bouts. Nghia also worked Claressa Shields’ women’s middleweight bout Wedneday without incident.
AIBA rules do not allow for an appeal of either decision.
After his loss, Conlan accused the judges of being corrupt, noting the two most controversial decisions favored Russian fighters.
Rio is the first Olympics in which scoring is being done on the 10-point must system used in professional boxing. In past Olympic computers, judges used a computer system to count each punch, no matter how damaging the blow, and award the bout to the fighter who was most active.
Under the new system, judges declare a winner after each round based on a criteria including quality of punches landed, aggression and tactics. Five judges score each bout with a computer randomly selecting which scorecards will count.
Some judges complained that they were having trouble transitioning fom the old scoring system to the new one and the AIBA’s executive committee conceded that it was very concerned with the scoring after the Conlan and Levit fights.
The AIBA said it reviewed all 239 bouts conducted before Wednesday and determined that “less than a handful ... were not at the level expected” it said in a statement.
The AIBA also dismissed the corruption allegations saying that “ unless tangible proof is put forward, not rumors, we will continue to use any means, including legal or disciplinary actions to protect our sport.”
Brazilian judge bars U.S. swimmers Ryan Lochte, Jimmy Feigen from leaving country after they’ve already left
A Brazilian judge ordered local police to seize the passports of U.S. swimmers Ryan Lochte and Jimmy Feigen on Wednesday to bar them from leaving the country after the athletes said they were part of a group robbed at gunpoint earlier this week.
In a statement, Judge Keyla Blanc de Cnop said Lochte and Feigen gave contradictory accounts of what occurred during the incident early Sunday morning and also issued search warrants in the matter.
Local police attempted to question the swimmers and collect their passports at the Olympic Village on Wednesday.
“The swim team moved out of the village after their competition ended, so we were not able to make the athletes available,” the U.S. Olympic Committee said in a statement.
Lochte, the 12-time Olympic medalist, is reported to have returned to the U.S. Feigen’s whereabouts aren’t known. The USOC wouldn’t confirm the athletes’ location. Lochte’s dad told the Associated Press that his son is in the U.S.
Jeff Ostrow, Lochte’s U.S.-based attorney, didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
Lochte and Feigen, along with teammates Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, said they were robbed of cash and personal items by individuals posing as police officers during a taxi ride from France’s hospitality venue to the Olympic Village early Sunday morning. Local police said they haven’t found any evidence of a crime.
The judge’s statement said noted that footage from security cameras at the Olympic Village showed the four swimmers appearing unconcerned as they returned that morning.
Food choices aplenty, but healthy options in short supply
I would give them a bronze medal. While they have a few healthy options, there aren’t many.
— Lori Zanini, a dietitian-nutritionist on the food offerings at Olympic Park
In the U.S., the hot dogs always taste better at the ballpark. So by that logic, in Brazil shouldn’t the acai taste better at the Olympics?
That’s a trick question, of course. Acai, a yogurt-like dish of frozen, mashed palm fruit topped by granola that Brazilians are crazy about, tastes great everywhere. But apart from that, a tour of 13 venues in the Olympic Park and the nearby Riocentro cluster of arenas showed the Rio Games to be a veritable gastronomic wasteland.
Make that gastronomic waistland. Because the stuff they’re offering the fans here will make you fat: hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pizza and potato chips are the four food groups of these Olympics.
“It’s not very sports-minded,” Dutch fan Sjoerd Verlaan said.
Injuries will keep runner Abbey D’Agostino out of 5,000-meter final
Abbey D’Agostino, who won praise for her sportsmanship in helping rival runner Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand to her feet after they collided during the first round of the women’s 5,000-meter race on Tuesday, suffered a torn ACL and other injuries that will prevent her from competing in Friday’s final.
D’Agostino helped Hamblin get up from the track after the collision, and Hamblin returned the favor when D’Agostino tried to continue the race but was in too much pain to resume a competitive pace. Both finished well behind the pack but were advanced to the final on appeal.
Their selflessness gained worldwide attention and stands as one of the most memorable moments of the Rio Games.
“By far the best part of my experience of the Olympics has been the community it creates, what the Games symbolizes,” D’Agostino said in a statement released Wednesday by USA Track and Field.
“Since the night of the opening ceremonies, I have been so touched by this -- people from all corners of globe, embracing their unique cultures, yet all uniting under one celebration of the human body, mind, and spirit. I just keep thinking about how that spirit of unity and peace is stronger than all the global strife we’re bombarded with and saddened by on a daily basis.”
The rest of the statement is here.
Rio Olympics: Watch Martin Short and Harry Shearer’s synchronized swimming sketch
Every four years, synchronized swimming becomes relevant when the Summer Olympics take place. And every four years, thoughts turn to the classic “Saturday Night Live” skit featuring Harry Shearer, Martin Short and Christopher Guest.
First shown in 1984, the skit is just as funny today as it was then. Watch and enjoy.
NBC should do a “Where are they now?” short film on their broadcast, catching up with their characters in their continuing quest for Olympic gold.
A long journey ends in a victory for one and all
This has been a long ride of highs and lows, and hopefully every American watching my race tonight, I want each of them to feel they can take a small piece of ownership in this medal.
— Jenny Simpson, American bronze medalist
Jenny Simpson was more nervous before the semifinal of the Rio Olympic 1,500-meter race than she was before Tuesday’s final, with the world watching. Her mind clear and her legs strong, she took to heart her coaches’ advice to use the first two laps to establish position and the last two laps “to be a predator.” She was fully prepared for this moment.
“This is what I prayed for. This is what I worked for, just to have a shot,” she said. “Standing on the starting line I feel the only thing ahead of me is opportunity.”
Simpson later didn’t recall much about a slow, tactical race that took a late fast turn. She knew she fell to the ground afterward and “ugly-cried” only because people told her that’s how she reacted following her third-place finish, which secured the first medal for a U.S. woman in the event.
Faith Kipyegon of Kenya overtook world-record holder Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia in the final 200 meters to win in 4 minutes, 8.92 seconds, with Diababa in at 4:10.27. Simpson, who won the 2011 world championship, was second in 2013 and unlucky last year when she lost a shoe in mid-race, finished in 4:10.53 to etch her name in history.
This young lady is light-years ahead of the competition
It’s amazing. It’s hard to put into words. I don’t even consider myself competing against her. It’s like she’s on another level.
— Aly Raisman, U.S. teammate regarding Simone Biles’ talent
Simone Biles didn’t quite feel like she truly belonged to the Famous U.S. Olympian Club. She admitted to feeling a “little nervous” around the likes of swimmers Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky during a recent photo shoot.
She was underestimating herself.
Another gold-medal performance by the transcendent talent suggested the club membership had expanded with proper justification. Biles sparkled and soared in her celebratory floor exercise routine Tuesday and won her fourth gold medal here. U.S. teammate Aly Raisman took the silver and 16-year-old Amy Tinkler of Britain the bronze.
Biles’ takeaways from Rio: five medals, four of them gold and one bronze. The teenager from Spring, Texas, joined three other women in winning four gymnastics golds at an Olympics, last accomplished 32 years ago by Ekaterina Szabo of Romania.
Wednesday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Wednesday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
Badminton
Mixed Doubles
Gold--Indonesia (Tontowi Ahmad, Liliyana Natsir) d. Malaysia (Peng Soon Chan, Liu Ying Goh), 21-14, 21-12
Bronze--China (Nan Zhang, Yunlei Zhao) d. Chen Xu and Jin Ma (China), 21-7, 21-11
Men’s singles
Quarterfinals
Chong Wei Lee (Malaysia) d. Tien Chen Chou (Taiwan), 21-9, 21-15.
Dan Lin (China) d. Srikanth Kidambi (India), 21-21, 11-11, 21-21.
Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) d. Rajiv Ouseph (Britain), 21-12, 21-16.
Long Chen (China) d. Wan Ho Son (South Korea), 21-11, 18-21, 21-11
Basketball (men’s quarterfinals)
Australia 90, Lithuania 64
Spain 92, France 67
United States 105, Argentina 78
Serbia 86, Croatia 83
Beach Volleyball
Women
Gold--Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst (Germany) d. Barbara Seixas de Freitas and Agatha Bednarczuk (Brazil), 21-18, 21-14
Bronze--Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross (United States), d. Larissa Franca Maestrini and Talita Rocha (Brazil), 17-21, 21-17, 15-9
Boxing
Men’s light-middleweight (69-kilograms)
Gold--Daniyar Yeleussinov, Kazakhstan.
Silver--Shakhram Giyasov, Uzbekistan.
Bronze--Souleymane Diop Cissokho, France.
Bronze--Mohammed Rabii, Morocco
Men’s fllyweight (52-kilograms)
Quarterfinals
Shakhobidin Zoirov (Uzbekistan) d. Elvin Mamishzada (Azerbaijan), 3-0
Yoel Segundo Finol (Venezuela), d. Mohamed Flissi (Algeria), 3-0
Misha Aloian (Russia) d. Ceiber David Avila (Colombia), 3-0
Jianguan Hu (China) d. Yosbany Veitia (Cuba), 2-1
Women’s lightweight (57-60 kilograms)
Semifinals
Junhua Yin (China) d. Mira Potkonen (Finland), 3-0
Anastasiia Beliakova (Russia) d. Estelle Mossely (France), TKO (R1, 2:00)
Middleweight (69-75 kilograms)
Quarterfinals
Claressa Shields (United States) d. Iaroslava Iakushina (Russia), 3-0.
Dariga Shakimova (Kazakhstan) d. Khadija Mardi (Morocco), 3-0.
Qian Li (China) d. Andreia Bandeira (Brazil), 3-0.
Nouchka Fontijn (Netherlands), d. Savannah Marshall (Britain), 2-0
Diving
Women’s 10-meter platform qualifiers
1. Yajie Si, China, 397.45; 2. Qian Ren, China, 385.80; 3. Jessica Parratto, United States, 346.80; 4. Melissa Wu, Australia, 342.80; 5. Tonia Couch, Britain, 332.80; 6. Pandelela Rinong Pamg, Malaysia, 332.45; 7. Meaghan Benfeito, Canada, 329.15; 8. Nur Dhabitah Sabri, Malaysia, 325.85; 9. Roseline Filion, Canada, 323.55; 10. Minami Itahashi, Japan, 320.20; 11. Ekaterina Petukhova, Russia, 317.25; 12. Katrina Young, United States, 313.85; 13. Paola Espinosa, Mexico, 313.70; 14. Ganna Krasnoshlyk, Ukraine, 300.80; 15. Iuliia Prokopchuk, Ukraine, 297.95; 16. Elena Wassen, Germany, 291.90 ; 17. Brittany O’Brien, Australia, 290.30; 18. Un Hyang Kim, North Korea, 289.45.
Equestrian
Jumping team finals
Gold--France
Silver--United States
Bronze--Germany
Field Hockey (women’s semifinals)
Netherlands 1, Germany 1 (Netherlands wins 4-3 in shootout)
Britain 3, New Zealand 0
Handball (men’s quarterfinals)
France 34, Brazil 27
Germany 34, Qatar 22
Denmark 37, Slovenia 30
Poland 30, Croatia 27
Sailing
Medal races in men’s 470 and women’s 470 postponed
Soccer (men’s semifinals)
Brazil 6, Honduras 0
Germany 2, Nigeria 0
Table Tennis
Gold--China (Long Ma, Jike Zhang, Xin Xu) d. Japan (Jun Mizutani, Koki Niwa, Maharu Yoshimura), 3-1
Bronze--Germany (Bastian Steger, Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Timo Boll) def. South Korea (Youngsik Jeoung, Saehyuk Joo, Sangsu Lee), 3-1
Taekwondo
Men’s 58-kilogram
Gold--Shuai Zhao (China) d. Tawin Hanprab (Thailand), 6-4
Bronze--Luisito Pie (Dominican Republic) d. Jesus Tortosa Cabrera (Spain), 6-5
Bronze--Taehun Kim (South Korea) d. Carlos Ruben Navarro Valdez (Mexico), 7-5.
Women’s 49-kilogram
Gold--Sohui Kim (South Korea) d. Tijana Bogdanovic (Serbia), 7-6.
Bronze--Patimat Abakarova (Azerbaijan) d. Yasmina Aziez (France), 7-2
Bronze--Panipak Wongpattanakit (Thailand) d. Itzel Adilene Manjarrez Bastidas (Mexico), 15-3
Track and Field
Men
3,000-meter steeplechase
Gold--Conseslus Kipruto, Kenya, 8:03.28
Silver--Evan Jager, United States, 8:04.28
Bronze--Ezekiel Kemboi, Kenya, 8:08.47
Women
200 meters
Gold--Elaine Thompson, Jamaica, 21.78
Silver--Dafne Schippers, Netherlands, 21.88
Bronze--Tori Bowie, United States, 22.15
100 Hurdles
Gold--Brianna Rollins, United States, 12.48
Silver--Nia Ali, United States, 12.59
Bronze--Kristi Castlin, United States, 12.61
Long jump
Gold--Tianna Bartoletta, United States, (7.17), 23-6 1-4
Silver--Brittney Reese, United States, (7.15), 23-5 1-2
Bronze--Ivana Spanovic, Serbia, (7.08), 23-2 3-4
Volleyball (men’s quarterfinals)
Russia 3, Canada 0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-18)
United States 3, Poland 0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-20)
Italy 3, Iran 0 (31-29, 25-19, 25-17)
Brazil 3, Argentina 1, (25-22, 17-25, 25-19, 25-23)
Water Polo (women)
Semifinals
Italy 12, Russia 9
United States 14, Hungary 10
Classification matches
Australia 11, Brazil 4
Spain 11, China 6
Wrestling
Women
Freestyle
48 kilogram
Gold---Eri Tosaka (Japan) def. Mariya Stadnik (Azerbaijan), 3-2
Bronze--Yanan Sun (China) def. Zhuldyz Eshimova, (Kazakhstan) 10-0
Bronze--Elitsa Atanasova Yankova (Bulgaria) def. Patricia Alejandra Bermudez (Argentina), 7-6
58 kilogram
Gold--Kaori Icho (Japan) def. Valeriia Koblova Zholobova (Russia), 3-2
Bronze--Marwa Amri (Tunisia) def. Yuliya Ratkevich (Azerbaijan), 6-3
Sakshi Malik (India) def. Aisuluu Tynybekova (Kyrgyzstan), 8-5
69 kilogram
Gold--Sara Dosho (Japan) def. Natalia Vorobeva (Russia), 2-2
Bronze--Elmira Syzdykova (Kazakhstan) d. Enas Mostafa Youssef Ahmed (Egypt), 7-4
Bronze--Anna Jenny Fransson (Sweden) d. Dorothy Erzsebet Yeats (Canada) 2-1
Column: Here is the reason why American women are dominating at the Olympics
I was always grown up with encouragement, I was never taught I couldn’t compete. This is just an accepted part of our culture.
— Maya DiRado, U.S. gold medalist in swimming
The girl wanders into a Houston gym on a school field trip, a worker loves her spark, and a dozen years later she wins four Olympic gold medals.
A girl jumps into a suburban Washington, D.C., swimming pool to make friends, a coach notices her stroke, and a dozen years later she wins four Olympic gold medals.
With five days remaining in the Rio Olympics, the final verdict is in and the winners are the U.S. women.
After 11 of the Olympics’ 16 days, American women have filled the podium, dominated the broadcasts and opened the curtain on an inclusive sports society absent in many parts of the world.
Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross lose in semifinals of women’s beach volleyball
Kerri Walsh Jennings’ gold-medal streak is over after Brazil’s Agatha and Barbara defeated the heralded American and partner April Ross in the semifinals of women’s beach volleyball on Tuesday night.
The Brazilians advanced to play against Germany’s Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst with the 22-20, 21-18 victory.
Walsh Jennings and Ross will now play for the bronze medal on Wednesday against Brazil’s other duo.
Walsh Jennings, a native of Northern California who has spent her professional career training on the sands of Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach near her residence, had won three gold medals with Misty May-Treanor and had never lost an Olympic match. In fact, she had only lost two sets in her Olympic career before falling in straight sets at the Copacabana venue.
“Kerri does so much for us and I didn’t step up today,” Ross said. “I’m very upset with myself.”
Agatha and Barbara are the defending world champions, but they were the second-seeded team in the tournament to fellow Brazilians Talita and Larissa, a pair of three-time Olympians, who lost to the Germans, 21-18, 21-12, earlier Tuesday.
Brazil still has a chance to match its 2004 Olympic haul of three medals. Despite failing to make the final, Talita said she would never forget playing in front of the hometown crowd on the iconic beach.
“I am so proud of my people, the Brazilian people,” Talita said.
Lasha Talakhadze sets world record to claim gold in over 105-kilogram weightlifting
Lasha Talakhadze of Georgia has set a new world record in the over 105-kilogram weightlifting division with 473 total kilos to win the gold medal in a surprising upset over the heavily favored Behdad Salimi of Iran.
The 22-year-old Talakhadze lifted 215 kilos on the snatch and 258 on the clean and jerk to set the new mark.
Salimi set the world record for the snatch with 216 kilos. But he could not complete any of his three attempts on the clean and jerk. Salimi appeared to disagree with the judges’ ruling on his first two tries and didn’t have the energy to complete the third.
Gor Minasyan of Armenia won silver and Georgia’s Irakli Turmanidze took home the bronze.
U.S. women defeat Japan, 110-64, to advance in women’s basketball semifinals
The U.S. women’s team isn’t accustomed to close games.
Early in the third quarter on Tuesday, however, the U.S. couldn’t shake off a smaller but determined Japan.
But beating Team USA requires a near-perfect effort on both ends of the floor – and eventually the U.S. overwhelmed Japan.
Behind a strong defensive effort in the second half, the U.S. coasted to a 110-64 victory after Japan had cut the lead to six early in the third quarter.
The U.S. advances to the semifinals on Thursday when it will face the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between France and Canada.
U.S. women grind past Japan and into the women’s volleyball semifinals
Patience has been a key word for the U.S. women’s volleyball team at these 2016 Summer Games.
The Americans are ranked No. 1 in the world but chasing their first Olympic gold after near misses in the past, and they know it will take a match-by-match approach.
This attitude served them well Tuesday in a quarterfinal victory over Japan at Maracanazinho Arena.
The Japanese are a relatively short team that compensates with quickness and tenacity. The U.S. had to keep hammering away at the net with its size advantage.
“It’s frustrating against a great defensive team like Japan,” captain Christa Harmotto Dietzen said. “It takes four or five swings sometimes for us to put the ball down.”
So their straight-set win -- 25-16, 25-23, 25-22 -- was fueled by spikes and blocks.
“We don’t have many tall players in our team,” Japanese Coach Masayoshi Manabe said.
The U.S. now advances to the semifinals against the winner of the Russia-Serbia match.
U.S. triple jumper Christian Taylor repeats as Olympic champion; Will Claye earns silver
In an amazing turnaround with the same golden result, Christian Taylor fundamentally changed his triple jump technique — changing his lead-off foot — and it paid off.
Taylor now starts his triple jump with a right-foot hop in what is a major change to his whole routine since he won gold in London. His pains and aches eased, and the results stayed exemplary.
On Tuesday, he and Will Claye again swept gold and silver for the United States at back-to-back Olympics. Taylor had a world-leading mark of 17.86 meters on his first attempt. He posted the three best jumps of the competition.
“I never thought on my first jump that would be the gold medal jump. I stayed sharp and stayed ready,” he said.
Claye took the silver with a personal record of 17.76 meters and went straight up in the stands to propose to his girlfriend, American sprinter Queen Harrison. She accepted.
Tuesday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Tuesday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
Badminton
Mixed Doubles
Bronze--Nan Zhang and Yunlei Zhao, China, def. Chen Xu and Jin Ma, China, 21-7, 21-11
Men’s doubles
Semifinals
V Shem Goh and Wee Kiong Tan, Malaysia, def. Biao Chai and Wei Hong, China, 21-18, 12-21, 21-17
Haifeng Fu and Nan Zhang, China, def. Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge, Britain, 21-14, 21-18
Women’s doubles
Semifinals
Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi, Japan, def. Kyung Eun Jung and Seung Chan Shin, South Korea, 21-16, 21-15
Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl, Denmark, def. Yuanting Tang and Yang Yu, China, 21-16, 14-21, 21-19
Women’s singles
Quarterfinals
Carolina Marin, Spain, def. Ji Hyun Sung, South Korea, 21-12, 21-16
Xuerui Li, China, def. Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, Thailand, 21-12, 21-17
Nozomi Okuhara, Japan, def. Akane Yamaguchi, Japan, 11-11, 21-21, 21-21
V. Sindhu Pusarla, India, def. Yihan Wang, China, 22-20, 21-19
Basketball (Women’s quarterfinals)
Serbia 73, Australia 71
Spain 64, Turkey 62
United States 110, Japan 64
France 68, Canada 63
Beach Volleyball (Men’s semifinals)
Alison/Bruno Schmidt (Brazil) d. Brouwer/Meeuwsen (Netherlands), 21-17, 21-23, 16-14
Nicolai/Lupo (Italy) d. Semenov/Krasilnikov (Russia), 15-21, 21-16, 15-13
Beach Volleyball (Women’s semifinals)
Ludwig/Walkenhorst (Germany) d. Larissa/Talita (Brazil), 21-18, 21-12
Agatha/Barbara (Brazil) d. Walsh-Jennings/Ross (United States), 22-20, 21-18
Boxing (Men)
Lightweight (60 kilograms)
Gold--Robson Conceicao, Brazil, d. Sofiane Oumiha, France, 3-0
Bronze--Otgondalai Dorjnyambuu, Mongolia
Bronze--Lázaro Álvarez, Cuba
Light-heavyweight (81 kilograms)
Semifinals
Julio Cesar la Cruz, Cuba, def. Mathieu Albert Daniel Bauderlique, France, 3-0
Adilbek Niyazymbetov, Kazakhstan, def. Joshua Buatsi, Britain, 3-0
Canoe/Kayak
Men’s canoe single 1,000-meter sprint finals
Gold--Sebastian Brendel, Germany, 3:56.92
Silver--Isaquias Queiroz dos Santos, Brazil, 3:58.52
Bronze--Serghei Tarnovschi, Moldova, 4:00.85
Women’s kayak double 500-meter sprint finals
Gold--Hungary, 1:43.68
Silver--Germany, 1:43.73
Bronze--Poland, 1:45.20
Women’s kayak single 200-meter sprint finals
Gold--Lisa Carrington, New Zealand, 39.86 seconds
Silver--Marta Walczykiewicz, Poland, 40.27
Bronze--Inna Osypenko-Radomska, Azerbaijan, 40.40
Men’s kayak single 1,000-meter sprint finals
Gold--Marcus Walz, Spain, 3:31.44
Silver--Josef Dostál, Czech Republic, 3:32.14
Bronze--Roman Anoshkin, Russia, 3:33.36
Cycling
Men’s keirin
Gold--Jason Kenny, Britain, 10.113
Silver--Matthijs Buchli, Netherlands, +0.040
Bronze--Azizulhasni Awang, Malaysia, +0.085
Women’s sprint
Gold---Kristina Vogel, Germany, d. Rebecca James, Britain, w-11.237, w-11.312.
Bronze--Katy Marchant, Britain, def. Elis Ligtlee, Netherlands, w-11.237, w-11.424.
Women’s omnium
Gold--Laura Trott, Britain, (38, 40, 40, 38, 40), 196
Silver--Jolien D’hoore, Belgium, (36, 36, 38, 34, 28), 172
Bronze--Sarah Hammer, United States, (34, 38, 36, 32, 32), 172
Diving
Men
Gold--Yuan Cao, China, 547.60
Silver--Jack Laugher, Britain, 523.85
Bronze--Patrick Hausding, Germany, 498.90
Field Hockey (Men’s semifinals)
Argentina 5, Germany 2
Belgium 3, Netherlands 1
Gymnastics (Men)
Individual final, parallel bars
Gold--Oleg Verniaiev, Ukraine, 16.041
Silver--Danell Leyva, United States, 15.900
Bronze--David Belyavskiy, Russia, 15.783
Individual final, high bar
Gold--Fabian Hambuechen, Germany, 15.666
Silver--Danell Leyva, United States, 15.500
Bronze--Nile Wilson, Britain, 15.466
Gymnastics (Women)
Individual final, floor exercise
Gold--Simone Biles, United States, 15.966
Silver--Aly Raisman, United States, 15.500
Bronze--Amy Tinkler, Great Britain, 14.933
Handball (Women’s quarterfinals)
Netherlands 32, Brazil 23
France 27, Spain 26
Norway 33, Sweden 20
Russia 31, Angola 27
Sailing
Women’s Laser Radial
Gold--Marit Bouwmeester, Netherlands
Silver--Annalise Murphy, Ireland
Bronze--Anne-Marie Rindom, Denmark
Men’s Laser Dinghy
Gold--Tom Burton, Australia
Silver--Tonči Stipanović, Croatia
Bronze--Sam Meech, New Zealand
Mixed Nacra 17 (multihull)
Gold--New Zealand, G. Jones and J. Saunders
Silver--Australia, J. Waterhouse and L. Darmanin
Bronze--Austria, T. Frank and T. Zajac
Men’s Finn
Gold--Giles Scott, Great Britain
Silver--Vasilij Žbogar, Slovenia
Bronze--Caleb Paine, United States
Soccer (women’s semifinals)
Sweden 0, Brazil 0 (Sweden advances on penalty kicks, 4-3)
Germany 2, Canada 0
Swimming (Men)
Open water marathon 10-kilometer final
Gold--Ferry Weertman, Netherlands, 1:52:59
Silver--Spyridon Gianniotis, Greece, 1:52:59
Bronze--Marc-Antoine Olivier, France, 1:53:02
Synchronized Swimming
Duets
Gold--Russia, N. Ishchenko and S. Romashina, 194.9910
Silver--China, X.C. Huang and W. Sun, 192.3688
Bronze--Japan, R. Mitsui and Y. Inui, 188.0547
Table Tennis
Women’s team
Gold--China (Ning Ding, Shiwen Liu, Xiaoxia Li) def. Germany (Ying Han, Xiaona Shan, Petrissa Solja), 3-0
Bronze--Japan (Ai Fukuhara, Kasumi Ishikawa, Mima Ito) def. Singapore (Mengyu Yu, Tianwei Feng, Yihan Zhou), 3-1
Track and Field (Men)
110-meter high hurdles
Gold--Omar McLeod, Jamaica, 13.05
Silver--Orlando Ortega, 13.17
Bronze--Dimitri Bascou, France, 13.24
High jump
Gold--Derek Drouin, Canada, 2.38 meters
Silver--Mutaz Essa Barshim. Qatar, 2.36
Bronze--Bohdan Bondarenko, Ukraine, 2.33
Triple jump
Gold--Christian Taylor, United States, 17.86 meters
Silver--Will Claye, United States, 17.76
Bronze--Dong Bin, China, 17.58
Track and Field (Women)
1,500 meters
Gold--Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon, Kenya, 4:08.92
Silver--Genzebe Dibaba, Ethiopia, 4:10.27
Bronze--Jennifer Simpson, United States, 4:10.53
Women’s discus final
Gold--Sandra Perković, Croatia, 69.21 meters
Silver--Mélina Robert-Michon, France, 66.73
Bronze--Denia Caballero, Cuba, 65.34
Volleyball (women’s quarterfinals)
Netherlands 3, South Korea 1
United States 3, Japan 0
Serbia 3, Russia 0
China 3, Brazil 2
Water polo (Men’s quarterfinals)
Montenegro 13, Hungary 11
Serbia 10, Spain 7
Croatia 10, Brazil 6
Italy 9, Greece 5
Weightlifting
Men’s 105+-kilogram final
Gold--Lasha Talakhadze, Georgia, 473kg (world record)
Silver--Gor Minasyan, Armenia, 451kg
Bronze--Irakli Turmanidze, Georgia, 448kg
Wrestling
Men’s 66-kilogram
Gold--Davor Stefanek, Serbia
Silver--Migran Arutyunyan, Armenia
Bronze--Shmagi Bolkvadze, Georgia
Bronze--Rasul Chunayev, Azerbaijan
Men’s 98-kilogram
Gold--Artur Aleksanyan, Armenia
Silver--Yasmany Lugo Cabrera, Cuba
Bronze--Celk Ildem, Turkey
Bronze--Ghasem Rezaei, Iran
Live gymnastics: Simone Biles wins gold in floor exercise, Aly Raisman silver; Danell Leyva wins silver in parallel bars
Simone Biles went airborne to secure her fourth gold medal at the Olympics, soaring high on the floor exercise with an untouchable effort on Tuesday.
Her U.S. teammate Aly Raisman, the champion on the floor at the London Olympics, took the silver and 16-year-old Amy Tinkler of Great Britain, in a surprise, the bronze.
The four golds for Biles came in the team event, the all-around final, the vault and the floor exercise. She has five medals, in all, having captured the bronze on the balance beam.
After the balance beam effort on Monday, Biles was asked how much she had left. The answer: More than enough.
She won by 0.466.
Biles scored 15.966 to Raisman’s 15.500. Tinkler earned a score of 14.933.
Four women have won four gymnastic gold medals at a single games: Larisa Latynina in 1956, Vera Caslavska in 1968, Ekaterina Szabo of Romania in 1984 and now Biles.
The gymnast who wasn’t even on the U.S. Olympic team after trials -- Danell Leyva -- produced the best result for the men’s team in Rio, taking silver on the parallel bars on Tuesday.
Oleg Verniaiev of Ukraine (16.041) was the only competitor to record a score over 16.000 in the eight-man field. Leyva was the first competitor of the afternoon at Rio Olympic Arena, getting 15.900, and had to endure the long wait to see if he would make the podium. David Belyavskiy of Russia took the bronze.
At one point, Leyva, as he often does, put a towel over his head on the sideline as he was waiting it out during one of the other competitor’s routines. That caused the often goofy public-address announcer here to over-emote, saying: “Leyva can’t take it.”
His silver has been the highest finish for the U.S. men here. Earlier, Alex Naddour took the bronze on the pommel horse. In 2012, Leyva was third in the all-around event in London, bringing home a bronze medal.
Leyva, who was born in Cuba and raised in Miami, was named an alternate after the Olympic trials in St. Louis and got on the team when John Orozco suffered torn knee ligaments in training.
There was more drama for Leyva here at the Olympics when he fell off the high bar in the team final. He blamed himself for the team failing to make the podium, but that instinct was misplaced because the U.S. was essentially out of it after the first rotation.
Runners Abbey D’Agostino, Nikki Hamblin are the real winners in Rio
Distance runners Abbey D’Agostino of the U.S. and Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand weren’t favored to win medals in the women’s 5,000-meter event. But they deserve some special and public recognition for the sportsmanship they displayed toward one other after they collided during Tuesday’s first-round race.
D’Agostino, of Topsfield, Mass., collided with Hamblin about 3,200 meters into the race, possibly because Hamblin had slowed her pace to avoid contact with another runner who was being lapped. D’Agostino appeared to hit Hamblin from behind and both fell to the track.
D’Agostino got up but saw Hamblin was in distress and paused to help her up. They tried to continue, but D’Agostino was in pain because of injuries to her leg. “She could hardly stand,” Hamblin said.
Hamblin then helped her up, but D’Agostino couldn’t resume running and told Hamblin to go continue without her. Hamblin finished 16th in 16:43.10, and D’Agostino limped to the line in 17:10.02. Following a protest, both runners were advanced to Friday’s final, as was a third runner who was affected by the collision, Jennifer Wenth of Austria.
D’Agostino was taken off the track for treatment, but Hamblin lingered and spoke to reporters afterward to praise D’Agostino’s kindness.
“I went down, and I was like, ‘What’s happening? Why am I on the ground?’ ” Hamblin said. “Then suddenly, there’s this hand on my shoulder [and D’Agostino saying], ‘Get up, get up, we have to finish this.’ And I’m like, ‘Yup, yup, you’re right. This is the Olympic Games. We have to finish this.’
“I’m so grateful for Abbey for doing that for me. That girl is the Olympic spirit right there. I’ve never met her before. I’ve never met this girl before, and isn’t that just so amazing? Regardless of the race and the result on the board, that’s a moment that you’re never, ever going to forget for the rest of your life, that girl shaking my shoulder like, ‘Come on, get up.’ ”
No matter what happens in the final, they’re big winners here.
These gold medalists will challenge your idea of ‘normal’
I didn’t have to conform my body or my ideals or my looks to get where I am. I have a bronze medal and I was able to be myself, embrace my body, do the things I’m naturally fitted to do to help make my dreams come true.
— Sarah Robles, U.S. champion weightlifter
The strongest woman in America holds a plastic fork against her forehead.
She wrinkles her brow and the fork folds into a crease. She smiles and holds out her hands — ta-da! — as the fork remains literally stuck inside her head.
“I have a huge forehead wrinkle,” says Sarah Robles with a laugh. “This is real life.”
The strongest woman in America loves her forehead. She loves the female weightlifter tattoo on her right biceps. She loves that she can lift major appliances while wearing a fancy black striped headband, flowery kneepads and shiny earrings.
She’s 5-10, 315 pounds and she loves every inch of herself. She loves the independence that comes from her size, and the power that comes from strength, which earned her an Olympic bronze medal earlier this week in the super-heavyweight division. It was America’s first weightlifting medal of any sort in 16 years.
This winning combination is more than gymnast and coach
When I first saw her, I was like, ‘Wow, this kid has something.’ But what it was and how far she could go with it, I had no idea.
— Aimee Boorman, Simone Biles’ personal coach
The day before the women’s gymnastics team final, a Twitter user suggested Simone Biles and her coach Aimee Boorman were their sport’s equivalent to Walter Payton and Mike Ditka.
“Sounds about right,” Payton’s son, Jarrett, chimed in on Twitter.
Never mind that the Chicago-born Boorman doesn’t smoke cigars, has never thrown a wad of chewing gun at a spectator and is the antithesis of abrasive. She loved Payton’s affirmation.
She has also grown rather fond of these Olympic Games, where her student has picked up golds in team, all-around and vault. Monday, she took home the bronze in the balance beam.
Why female boxers have a fighting chance at equality
We’re getting sponsors, endorsements ... monthly stipends. We’re able to make this our living right now.
— Mikaela Mayer, female boxer from West Hill, Calif.
Mikaela Mayer has toured with a rock band and worked as a model so there aren’t many career options off the table for her. Still Mark Mayer was stumped when asked what his daughter might be doing if she hadn’t become an Olympic boxer.
“It’s changed her life completely. It’s all she lives for,” he said Monday. “She eats and breathes boxing.”
Eight years ago she would not be in the ring because boxing was limited to men. The International Boxing Assn. and its president, Ching-Ku Wu, changed that in 2009, when they announced women’s boxing would join the Olympic calendar for the London Games.
Halfway through its second Olympics in Rio, women’s boxing has not only proved it belongs, it has shown it deserves to grow, with the AIBA discussing the possibility of doubling the weight classes to six by the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
A cycling event was built out of a need for speed
You’re talking about top speed, and you’re allowed to bump each other. It’s pretty much the worst of all situations.
— Matt Baranoski, U.S. cyclist competing in keirin
The keirin is a fast, dangerous race, with riders following the derny at gradually increasing speeds for several laps before the scooter steers aside, triggering an all-out sprint that often results in crashes and photo finishes.
Like NASCAR on two wheels.
Japanese gamblers created the keirin in the late 1940s, the race’s name roughly translating to “racing wheels.” They wanted something exciting and unpredictable to bet on, so they stuck a motorized bicycle manufactured by Roger Derny et Fils of France in front of the cyclists.
Brazil gets its second gold of the Games, and the U.S. another bronze, in men’s pole vault
Brazil won its second gold of the Rio Games when 22-year-old Thiago Braz Da Silva upset Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie of France.
Lavillenie first set the Olympic record at 19 feet 7 1/4 inches. Boosted by the boisterous home fans, Da Silva cleared 19-9 1/4.
Sam Kendricks of the United States took bronze with 19-2 1/4.
Allyson Felix narrowly loses 400 to Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas
A valiant effort by Allyson Felix to overcome an ankle injury that threatened to derail her Olympic dreams months before she reached Rio wasn’t quite enough for her to win gold in the women’s 400-meter dash on Monday night, when Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas dived at the line and won the race by perhaps half an arm’s length.
Miller won with a time of 49.44 seconds, to a season-best 49.51 for Felix, who grew up in Los Angeles and attended USC. Shericka Jackson of Jamaica was third in 49.85.
No one was initially sure who had won. Miller, gasping for air after holding off Felix’s late surge, fell forward onto the track and rolled over onto her back. Felix sat on the track, arms clasped around her knees, as she looked to the scoreboard for the result.
The crowd at Olympic Stadium let loose a roar when Miller’s name was listed first, followed by Felix.
Felix won the gold medal in the 200-meter dash at the London Games four years ago and had hoped to pursue a 200-400 double here. However, a training accident that damaged ligaments in her ankle in late April led her to struggle at the U.S. Olympic trials and she didn’t make the team in the 200 and so was unable to defend her title. However, she is expected to run both the 400-meter and 1,600-meter relays here.
Running in Lane 4 on a track dampened by rain that had delayed the start of several races, she made a strong surge down the stretch and appeared in position to win. But that’s when Miller made her desperate and successful dive and came up a winner.
American Clayton Murphy uses a personal best to capture bronze in the 800
Middle-distance runner David Rudisha won gold — but didn’t get a world record this time — while American Clayton Murphy set a personal best to earn the bronze.
The Kenyan won his second Olympic title in a row on Monday by swerving into the lead just after halfway and using his long strides to kick for home.
The only one to keep close was Taoufik Makhloufi, the 1,500 gold medalist at the London Games four years ago.
Between the two middle-distance champions, Rudisha never gave the Algerian a chance and won in 1 minute 42.15 seconds, more than a second over the time he set at the Olympics four years ago.
Makhloufi ran an Algerian record of 1:42.61 to capture the silver. Murphy finished in 1:42.93.
U.S. women advance to water polo semifinals with easy win over Brazil
The U.S. women’s water polo team pushed around Brazil for most of Monday afternoon during a 13-3 victory that put them into the semifinals against Hungary.
Led by Ashleigh Johnson’s six saves, the Americans carried a shutout into the fourth quarter.
Maggie Steffens, Kiley Neushul, Makenzie Fischer and Kaleigh Gilchrist scored two goals apiece to lead the Americans.
“Not happy with how we played in the fourth quarter,” Coach Adam Krikorian said. “I know it’s a tough position to be in in some ways. But I thought we relaxed.”
The United States showed off its depth with nine different scorers. Melissa Seidemann got her first goal in Rio de Janeiro.
“We don’t know who is going to be the one who scores the goals in the game,” Fischer said, “and [you] just have to be ready to step up and take your shot.”
Hungary went to penalty shots against Australia before emerging with a 13-11 win. Russia, a surprise 12-10 winner against Spain, takes on Italy in the second semifinal match on Wednesday at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
The U.S. led 10-0 after three, and Sami Hill replaced Johnson in net for the fourth. Brazil’s late run delighted another supportive crowd.
“I can’t say enough about the Brazilian fans, though. I mean they’re awesome,” Krikorian said. “These were some of the best fans I’ve ever seen.”
The U.S. stretched its win streak to 20 games, including four victories in Rio by a combined score of 47-16. The London gold medalists beat Hungary, 11-5, on Saturday after sweeping a three-game series against the country earlier this year, but Hungary is brimming with confidence after reaching the semifinals for the third straight Olympics.
“Everybody’s beatable,” Hungary center back Orsolya Takacs said.
Hungary trailed Australia, 5-3, at halftime, and Orsolya Kaso replaced Edina Gangl in goal at the start of the second half. After captain Bronwen Knox made it 8-6 Australia with 5:53 remaining, Barbara Bujka and Dora Antal responded for Hungary.
“We got our defense together for the second half of the match when we changed our goalkeeper,” Hungary’s Ildiko Toth said through a translator. “We had left Edina alone for too much of the match, so we needed to swap things around and be stronger without the ball.”
Paralympic sprinter Blake Leeper deemed ineligible for 2016 Paralympics
Paralympic sprinter Blake Leeper has lost his appeal to run at the upcoming 2016 Paralympics, an international court announced Monday.
Leeper, who was born without lower legs and runs on prosthetics, now appears to have reached the end of a long battle to compete in Rio de Janeiro this summer.
“We’ll keep training,” said Bob Lorsch, his advisor. “Nothing is going to stop him.”
Leeper became something of a celebrity after finishing second to Oscar Pistorius in the 400 meters at the 2012 London Paralympics. He made numerous television appearances, played in the celebrity game during NBA All-Star weekend and was negotiating a book deal.
But the Tennessee native later acknowledged to The Times that he had been battling alcoholism and occasional drug use since his teens.
In June 2015, Leeper tested positive for a metabolite of cocaine at the U.S. Paralympic championships. He initially received a two-year suspension, which the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency reduced to one year after he cooperated with authorities.
The International Paralympic Committee did not agree with USADA’s decision, insisting Leeper serve the full suspension. The case ultimately went before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“The International Paralympic Committee has no obligation to recognize the settlement agreement,” the court said.
Leeper says he has been sober for months. At the recent U.S. Paralympic trials, he qualified for the American team in the T43 classification, finishing second in the 100 meters despite losing one of his prosthetics near the finish line.
“Leeper will be eligible to return to competition on June 21, 2017,” the IPC said in a statement. “In addition, the athlete shall make a contribution towards the legal fees and expenses incurred by the IPC in connection with the CAS arbitration proceedings.”
U.S. Consulate General reminds visitors to be ‘alert and cautious’ in Rio de Janeiro
A day after Ryan Lochte and three other American swimmers were robbed at gunpoint, the U.S. Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro issued a security message reminding visitors to be “alert and cautious” while traveling around the city.
The one-paragraph “security message” Monday singled out criminal activity on beaches and traffic jams.
“Groups of thieves who may be armed are know to sweep areas targeting victims,” the message said. “The local term for this activity is ‘arrastao.’”
The message also advised U.S. citizens not to bring valuables to the beach.
Americans Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucerna eliminated from men’s beach volleyball
The United States will not medal in men’s beach volleyball after the top duo of Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucerna lost to the reigning world champions from Brazil.
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For the record
1:57 p.m.: The caption on an earlier version of this post identified Bruno Schmidt as being on the German team. He is on the Brazilian team.
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Alison Cerutti and Bruno Schmidt advanced to the semifinals by beating the Americans, 21-14, 12-21, 15-9.
Rebounding from a disastrous first set to force a tiebreaker, Dalhausser, the 2008 gold medalist, and Lucena fell behind 12-6 in the second. Then Cerutti and the crowd took over.
With a block to force match point and then a spike off Dalhausser for the winner, Cerutti, the man known as the “Mammoth,” moved to within one win of a second consecutive Olympic medal.
Germany defeats U.S., 2-1, in women’s field hockey quarterfinal
The United States has been knocked out of the women’s field hockey tournament with a 2-1 loss to Germany in the quarterfinals.
Germany’s Marie Mavers opened the scoring Monday with a goal midway through the first period. Lisa Altenburg knocked in a backhanded shot high over USA goalie Jackie Briggs to put Germany up 2-0 late in the first.
The Americans came up empty on a penalty corner with two minutes left in the third period. Katelyn Falgowski’s goal with 3:54 remaining gave the Americans a chance, but the Germans held on.
The United States failed to medal after a strong start. The Americans beat No. 2 Argentina and No. 3 Australia in their first two matches at the Games, then beat Japan and India to take the lead in their pool.
The United States led their final pool play match against Britain heading into the fourth period before losing 2-1.
Mikaela Mayer falls one win short of a boxing medal
Mikaela Mayer of West Hills lost her women’s lightweight quarterfinal Monday at the Riocenter boxing pavilion, falling to hard-punching Russian Anastasiia Beliakova.
Two judges scored the fight 39-37 for the Russian while the third judge ruled it a draw.
Beliakova controlled the bout from the opening bell, fighting off her front foot and keeping Mayer on the retreat.
Although neither fighter landed any particularly damaging blows, Beliakova’s punches were crisper and she landed them more frequently than Mayer, who falls a win short of an Olympic medal.
Men’s lightweight Nico Hernandez, who earned a bronze in men’s boxing last week, is the only American medalist in boxing at these Games.
German coach Stefan Henze dies after he’s injured in car accident
A canoe slalom coach from Germany died Monday after sustaining head injuries last week in a car crash in Rio de Janeiro, the country’s Olympic team said.
Stefan Henze, who was 35 and won a silver medal in canoe slalom at the 2004 Athens Games, died surrounded by his family, the team said.
“We know that Stefan’s own Olympic thoughts live on in many people,” Henze’s family said in a statement.
Henze had been in a Rio hospital since undergoing emergency surgery following the taxi accident on Friday.
“Today the sport which the whole team came to Rio for recedes into the background,” Germany team leader Michael Vesper said. “Our thoughts are with Stefan’s loved ones, who had the opportunity to say goodbye here.”
Sports scientist Christian Kaeding was in the taxi with Henze but had only slight injuries.
Germany will commemorate Henze’s death in the Olympic Village on Tuesday, and the country’s flag will be flown at half-staff at all Olympic sites in Rio.
“The IOC is mourning the loss of a true Olympian,” IOC President Thomas Bach said. “Our sympathy is with the family of Stefan Henze, his friends and all of the German Olympic team.”
Germany’s canoe slalom team posted a black and white image of Henze on its Twitter account.
“We are deeply sad,” read an accompanying tweet . “Rest in peace, Stefan. You will stay in our hearts forever.”
American Laurie Hernandez wins silver in women’s balance beam; Simone Biles gets bronze
Simone Biles stayed on the balance beam -- barely -- grabbing it with both hands to stay on.
But that mistake, and others during her routine, was enough to cost her a gold medal on Monday in Rio. Biles had been going for her fourth gold medal of this Olympics after having won gold in the team event, the all-around final and the vault.
Winning was 24-year-old Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands with a big score, 15.466. Sixteen-year-old Laurie Hernandez of the U.S. took second with a polished and poised routine, and Biles took the bronze. Hernandez scored 15.333 and Biles 14.733
Wevers, who went right after Biles, was always going to be a legitimate threat to win the event, having taken second to Biles at the World Championships last year.
Biles will have a chance at one more gold medal on Tuesday in her final event of the Games, the floor exercise. After she nearly fell off the beam, Biles had to wait through the routines of five more gymnasts, including Wevers, to see if she would make the podium.
Simone Biles goes for another gold, this time in women’s balance beam
Why not use some down time productively?
U.S. gymnast Simone Biles took to Twitter a couple of hours before her balance-beam final at the Olympics and reached back into the past.
She tweeted two photos of two young gymnasts: Biles and her U.S. teammate Laurie Hernandez. One was present day, the other from when they were younger.
Biles is 19. Hernandez is 16.
“Who would have thought WAY back then we would be competing in beam finals together at the Olympics,” Biles tweeted.
Rio 2016 apologizes to Ryan Lochte, three other U.S. swimmers after they were robbed at gunpoint
The spokesman for Rio 2016 apologized Monday to Ryan Lochte and three other U.S. swimmers who said they were robbed at gunpoint a day earlier.
“We regret the violence has got so close to the athletes,” Mario Andrada said during the daily media briefing at the Games. “We have requested the security authorities … need to make sure everybody is safe everywhere in the city. We apologize to those involved and regret that violence is an issue in these Games.”
Lochte, the 12-time Olympic medalist, was in a taxi early Sunday from France’s hospitality venue to the Olympic Village along with teammates Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen. They said they were pulled over and robbed by men posing as police officers.
Andrada said police have spoken to some of the swimmers and are looking for the cab driver.
None of the swimmers were injured.
Also Monday, the International Olympic Committee’s spokesman, Mark Adams, explained his initial denial that any incident involving Lochte had occured.
“I contacted the [U.S. Olympic Committee and] they told me the story was not correct. I reported it was not correct,” Adams said. “I was asked to get an update from USOC, I got an update from USOC, I gave you USOC’s update and there was another one after that.”
Sprinter Ameer Webb’s path to Rio Olympics went through Cerritos College
After standout performances at Tustin High as a sprinter and a running back, Ameer Webb went to Cerritos College to play football. But he decided he wanted to change the position he played, and that ended up altering his career path.
Cerritos football coach Frank Mazzotta and then-track coach Doug Wells, now retired after a 39-year career, sat down with Webb after his first year to discuss his options.
“He came to Cerritos and wanted to play on the defensive side of the ball,” Mazzotta said in a recent phone interview. “We convinced him that if he wanted to pursue the defensive side, he’d probably be better off just staying with track. He’s such a fast runner he probably would have been one of the fastest running backs we’ve had at Cerritos College. But his heart was set on playing defense, and he chose track and concentrated on that, and the rest is kind of history for us.”
Webb went on to finish his college career at Texas A&M, where he won NCAA championships in the 200-meter sprint indoors and outdoors in 2013. After struggling for a few years, he has righted himself and made the U.S. Olympic team for the Rio Games in the 200 meters by finishing third behind Justin Gatlin and LaShawn Merritt at the Olympic trials. He will run his first-round heat on Tuesday.
Remarkably, he’s not the only Cerritos College alumnus competing in Rio: Discus thrower Whitney Ashley of Moreno Valley also went there before she moved on to San Diego State.
“When you coach your whole life and for us to try to get an athlete in football to play in, say, the Super Bowl, or an athlete to get in the Olympics, it’s kind of our goal to see a kid go that far and graduate from college do all those things,” Wells said.
“You have an unbelievable sense of accomplishment because in 39 years of coaching that’s the first United States two athletes that I’ve had actually make it into the Olympics. I’ve had some get real close and I’ve had some Olympians, but they weren’t U.S. citizens. Kind of a big deal.”
Not “kind of.” It is a big deal.
“You’ve got to give Cerritos College a lot of credit because academically now it’s so hard for athletes to matriculate, and our school matriculation rate is probably better than any college in California,” Mazzotta said. “Him going to Texas A&M has a lot to do with our academics at Cerritos.”
Webb worked hard to improve while at Cerritos. “I don’t honestly think I realized his true potential until his second year at Cerritos,” Mazzotta said. “We probably realized then that this kid is definitely Olympic material.
“All the weight training and core training that he went through, he just got so much better. He was good, but now he moved into that elite class. He ran the fastest sprint double in California history at the Southern California finals. And there’s been some unbelievable Olympians go through the California system in track and field, so he’s the best of all of them with the time he ran. By then you’re going, ‘This guy is the real deal.’”
Mazzotta said Webb has stayed in contact with coaches and friends from Cerritos. “He’s like family. It’s close relationship,” Mazzotta said. “He’s such an honorable young man. He’s so humble, and he hasn’t forgotten where he came from and appreciates everything that people do for him. He’s a great young man.”
Monday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Monday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
For Tuesday’s schedule and results, go here.
Badminton
Men
Singles
Round of 16
Tien Chen Chou, Taiwan, def. Yun Hu, Hong Kong, 21-10, 21-13.
Srikanth Kidambi, India, def. Jan O Jorgensen, Denmark, 21-19, 21-19.
Rajiv Ouseph, Britain, def. Tommy Sugiarto, Indonesia, 21-21, 14-14, 21-21.
Viktor Axelsen, Denmark, def. Scott Evans, Ireland, 21-16, 21-12.
Wan Ho Son, South Korea, def. Ka Long Angus Ng, Hong Kong, 23-21, 21-17.
Doubles
Quarterfinals
Biao Chai and Wei Hong, China, def. Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov, Russia, 21-13, 16-21, 21-16.
V Shem Goh and Wee Kiong Tan, Malaysia, def. Yong Dae Lee and Yeon Seong Yoo, South Korea, 17-17, 21-21, 21-21.
Haifeng Fu and Nan Zhang, China, def. Gi Jung Kim and Sa Rang Kim, South Korea, 11-11, 21-21, 24-24.
Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge, Britain, def. Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa, Japan, 21-19, 21-17.
Women
Singles
Round of 16
Ji Hyun Sung, South Korea, def. Linda Zetchiri, Bulgaria, 21-15, 21-12.
Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, Thailand, def. Maria Ulitina, Ukraine, 21-14, 21-16.
Nozomi Okuhara, Japan, def. Yeon Ju Bae, South Korea, 21-6, 21-7.
Akane Yamaguchi, Japan, def. Ratchanok Intanon, Thailand, 21-19, 21-16.
V. Sindhu Pusarla, India, def. Tzu Ying Tai, Taiwan, 21-13, 21-15.
Doubles
Quarterfinals
Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi, Japan, def. Vivian Kah Mun Hoo and Khe Wei Woon, Malaysia, 21-21, 18-18, 21-21.
Kyung Eun Jung and Seung Chan Shin, South Korea, def. Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek, Netherlands, 21-21, 20-20, 21-21.
Yuanting Tang and Yang Yu, China, def. Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and Greysia Polii, Indonesia, 21-11, 21-14.
Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter juhl, Denmark, def. Ye Na Chang and So Hee Lee, South Korea, 28-28, 18-18, 21-21.
Mixed Doubles
Semifinals
Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir, Indonesia, def. Nan Zhang and Yunlei Zhao, China, 21-16, 21-15.
Peng Soon Chan and Liu Ying Goh, Malaysia, def. Chen Xu and Jin Ma, China, 21-12, 21-19.
Basketball (men)
Brazil 86, Nigeria 69
Spain 92,. Argentina 73
Croatia 90, Lithuania 81
Beach volleyball (men)
Quarterfinals
Alison Cerutti and Bruno Schmidt, Brazil, def. Phil Dalhausser and Nicholas Lucena, United States, 21-14, 12-21, 15-9
Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen, Netherlands, def. Reinder Nummerdor and Christiaan Varenhorst, Netherlands, 25-23, 21-17
Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo, Italy, def. Nikita Liamin and Dmitri Barsuk, Russia, 21-18, 20-22, 15-11
Viacheslav Krasilnikov and Konstantin Semenov, Russia, def. Nivaldo Nadhir Diaz Gomez and Sergio Reynaldo Gonzalez Bayard, Cuba, 22-20, 22-24, 18-16
Boxing
Men’s heavyweight
Gold--Evgeny Tishchenko, Russia
Silver--Vassiliy Levit, Kazakhsta.
Bronze--Rustam Tulaganov, Uzbekistan
Bronze—Erislandy Savon, Cuba
Cycling
Men
Omnium
Gold--Elia Viviani, Italy
Silver--Mark Cavendish, Britain
Bronze--Lasse Norman Hansen, Denmark
Diving
Men’s 3-meter springboard qualifiers
1. Yuan Cao, China, 498.70.
2. Rommel Pacheco, Mexico, 488.25).
3. Kristian Ipsen, United States, 461.35).
4. Evgenii Kuznetsov, Russia, 449.90.
5. Sebastian Morales, Colombia, 447.05.
6. Patrick Hausding, Germany, 440.00.
7. Jack Laugher, Britain, 439.95.
8. Rodrigo Diego, Mexico, 430.70).
9. Stephan Feck, Germany, 423.50).
10. Mike Hixon, United States, 421.60).
11. Yona Knight-Wisdom, Jamaica, 416.55.
12. Philippe Gagne, Canada, 400.75.
13. Oliver Dingley, Ireland, 399.80.
14. Cesar Castro, Brazil, 398.85.
15. Illya Kvasha, Ukraine, 398.20.
16. Grant Nel, Australia, 395.05.
17. Michele Benedetti, Italy, 390.85.
18. Ilia Zakharov, Russia, 389.90.
Equestrian
Dressage individual Grand Prix freestyle
Gold--Charlotte Dujardin, Britain
Silver--Isabell Werth, Germany
Bronze--Kristina Sprehe, Germany
Field Hockey (women’s quarterfinals)
New Zealand 4, Australia 2
Germany 2, United States 1
Britain 3, Spain 1
Netherlands 3, Argentina 2
Gymnastics (men)
Rings final
Gold--Eleftherios Petrounias, Greece, 16.000
Silver--Arthur Zanetti, Brazil, 15.766
Bronze--Denis Ablyazin, Russia, 15.700
Vault final
Gold--Ri Se-gwang, North Korea, 15.691
Silver--Denis Ablyazin, Russia, 15.516
Bronze--Kenzō Shirai, Japan, 15.449
Gymnastics (women)
Gold--Sanne Wevers, Netherlands, 15.466
Silver--Lauren Hernandez, United States, 15.333
Bronze--Simone Biles, United States, 14.733
Handball (men)
Slovenia 25, Poland 20
Germany 31, Egypt 25
France 33, Denmark 30
Sweden 30, Brazil 19
Croatia 41, Tunisia 26
Qatar 22, Argentina 18
Swimming
Women’s open water 10-kilometer
Gold--Sharon van Rouwendaal, Netherlands, 1:56:32
Silver--Rachele Bruni, Italy, 1:56:49
Bronze--Poliana Okimoto, Brazil, 1:56:51
Table tennis
Women’s team semifinals
Ning Ding and Shiwen Liu and Xiaoxia Li, China, def. Tianwei Feng and Yihan Zhou and Mengyu Yu, Singapore, 3-0.
Jun Mizutani and Maharu Yoshimura and Koki Niwa, Japan, def. Timo Boll and Bastian Steger and Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Germany, 3-1.
Men’s team semifinals
Long Ma and Xin Xu and Jike Zhang, China, def. Saehyuk Joo and Youngsik Jeoung and Sangsu Lee, South Korea, 3-0.
Jun Mizutani and Maharu Yoshimura and Koki Niwa, Japan, def. Timo Boll and Bastian Steger and Dimitrij Ovtcharov, Germany, 3-1.
Track and field
Men
800 meters
Gold--David Lekuta Rudisha, Kenya, 1:42.15
Silver--Taoufik Makhloufi, Algeria, 1:42.61
Bronze--Clayton Murphy, United States, 1:42.93
Pole vault
Gold--Thiago Braz da Silva, Brazil, 19-9 1/4
Silver--Renaud Lavillenie, France, 19-7 1/4
Bronze--Sam Kendricks, United States, 19-2 1/4
Women
400 meters
Gold--Shaunae Miller, Bahamas, 49.44
Silver--Allyson Felix, United States, 49.51
Bronze--Shericka Jackson, Jamaica, 49.85
Hammer throw
Gold--Anita Włodarczyk, Poland, 82.29 meters (world record)
Silver--Zhang Wenxiu, China, 76.75 meters
Bronze--Sophie Hitchon, Great Britain, 74.54 meters
3,000-meter steeplechase
Gold--Ruth Jebet, Bahrain, 8:59.75
Silver--Hyvin Jepkemoi, Kenya, 9:07.12
Bronze--Emma Coburn, United States, 9:07.63
Volleyball (men)
Argentina 3, Egypt 0
United States 3, Mexico 0
Russia 3, Iran 0
Poland 3, Cuba 0
Canada 3, Italy 1
Brazil 3, France 1
Water polo (women’s quarterfinals)
United States 13, Brazil 3
Hungary 13, Australia 11
Russia 12, Spain 10
Italy 12, China 7
Weightlifting
Men’s 105-kilogram
Gold--Ruslan Nurudinov, Uzbekistan
Silver--Simon Martirosyan, Armenia
Bronze--Alexandr Zaichikov,Kazakhstan
Wrestling
Men
Greco-Roman 85-kilogram
Semifinals
Zhan Beleniuk, Ukraine, def. Javid Hamzatau, Belarus, 6-0.
Davit Chakvetadze, Russia, def. Viktor Lorincz, Hungary, 7-1.
Quarterfinals
Zhan Beleniuk, Ukraine, def. Nikolay Nikolaev Bayryakov, Bulgaria, 10-1.
Javid Hamzatau, Belarus, def. Amer Hrustanovic, Austria, 9-0.
Viktor Lorincz, Hungary, def. Rustam Assakalov, Uzbekistan, 2-1.
Davit Chakvetadze, Russia, def. Denis Maksymilian Kudla, Germany, 8-0.
Greco-Roman 130-kilogram
Semifinals
Riza Kayaalp, Turkey, def. Eduard Popp, Germany, 8-0.
Mijain Lopez Nunez, Cuba, def. Sergey Semenov, Russia, 3-0.
Quarterfinals
Riza Kayaalp, Turkey, def. Sabah Shariati, Azerbaijan, 5-0.
Eduard Popp, Germany, def. Bashir Asgari Babajanzadeh Darzi, Iran, 3-1.
Mijain Lopez Nunez, Cuba, def. Johan Magnus Euren, Sweden, 4-0.
Sergey Semenov, Russia, def. Iakobi Kajaia, Georgia, 5-0.
Rio Olympics: French gymnast who broke leg continues recovery
The horrifying injury suffered by French gymnast Samir Ait Said on the men’s vault on Aug. 6 at the Olympics sparked worldwide attention and sympathy.
His leg was severely broken from the vault landing and required surgery. In many parts of the world, the vault was shown live and the video clip of it and subsequent photos went viral, as did the shots of Said being carried off on a stretcher.
In the aftermath, his attitude has been relentlessly positive. The gymnast responded to a Facebook message from The Times earlier on Monday with a quick response.
“I am OK, thank you very much,” he said, adding a happy-face emoji for emphasis. “I stay in Rio until the 17 August.”
That is Wednesday, which happens to be the day after the gymnastics competition concludes.
He has kept his followers updated with postings on his Facebook page, a video from the hospital bed and another recent video of Said moving down the hallway with the aid of a walker.
The 26-year-old who was born in Tunisia was considered a medal hope in the rings. In a newspaper interview last week, he left no doubt that he intends to try to return to competition.
“The moment I get the green light, I’ll be back in training,” he told the French sports daily L’Equipe, adding that he wanted to be at the European Championships in March and vowed to be in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics.
Usain Bolt wins third consecutive Olympic gold in 100-meter dash
Usain Bolt, the consummate showman in a sport that badly needs its credibility and entertainment value restored, again showed why one short sprint and one tall sprinter can captivate millions of people around the world.
The lanky Jamaican on Sunday became the first man to win the 100-meter dash in three consecutive Olympics, blazing to the finish line at Olympic Stadium in 9.81 seconds. He went past American Justin Gatlin as if Gatlin were standing still, which he certainly wasn’t. Gatlin was second in 9.89 seconds, and Andre De Grasse of Canada -- who won NCAA titles in the 100 and 200 while competing for USC -- was third in a personal-best 9.91 seconds.
Bolt soaked up the crowd’s attention before the race, as he always does, animated while others are quiet, outwardly expressive while others are straight-faced and focused. He pointed to the camera, gestured to the adoring crowd and performed his usual routine of putting his index finger over his mouth and then, as he settled into the blocks, crossing himself and pointing his index finger to the sky.
He had served notice during his semifinal heat, a few hours earlier, that he was poised to do something special when he was clocked in 9.86 seconds despite easing up about 15 meters from the finish line. He lived up to that promise in the final, running in Lane 6, again next to De Grasse, who seemed to be pulled along in Bolt’s magnetic wake.
Bolt walked a victory lap around the stadium, holding a stuffed version of the Rio Olympic mascot that someone had handed him before going over to the stands to embrace and be embraced by fans. De Grasse wrapped himself in a Canadian flag and jogged around the track joyously.
Bolt will also compete in the 200, the event he won in the last two Olympics, and will go for a triple-triple of winning the 100, the 200 and the 400-meter relay in three straight Games.
He didn’t have a great start Sunday but hit stride in the middle of the race and easily passed the front-running Gatlin, who was to his left, and everyone else.
That he would win a third straight gold in the event seemed unlikely when he injured a hamstring and missed the Jamaican national championships, but he was given a medical bye onto his country’s Olympic team and healed quickly.
Wayde van Niekerk sets world record of 43.03 in winning men’s 400 gold
Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa set a world record Sunday in winning the men’s 400-meter race at Olympic Stadium.
Niekerk’s time of 43.03 seconds smashed Michael Johnson’s record of 43.18, set in 1999. It also broke Johnson’s Olympic record of 43.49 seconds.
Kirani James of Grenada, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, was second in 43.76 seconds. LaShawn Merritt, the 2008 Olympic champion, was third in 43.85 seconds.
Merritt will also compete in the 200-meter dash here.
The 24-year-old Van Niekerk, who is the reigning world champion, dominated the stellar field while running in Lane 8 and seemed overcome with his huge victory.
His previous best time in the 400 was 43.48 seconds. His best time this season had been 44.11 seconds.
Andy Murray repeats as men’s singles champion with four-set victory over Juan Martin del Potro
Britain’s Andy Murray became the first men’s tennis player to win consecutive Olympic singles titles by beating Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro in four sets, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, on Sunday.
It was an entertaining, back-and-forth final but it was also a clash of styles in which Del Potro’s big game – a huge serve and a massive forehand – served him well at times but seemed to get away from him at others. Murray, meanwhile, stayed on the baseline and put his counterpunching style to good use.
And counterpunchers are notoriously hard to put away.
Del Potro climbed off the ropes repeatedly in a first set he trailed 4-1, then came back to win a tight second set. But with the third set tied, 2-2, Del Potro began to wilt and Murray took advantage, winning four straight games and the set.
The Argentine wouldn’t quit though. And neither would Murray, who opened these Games carrying the British flag in the opening ceremony and will end it carrying away a gold medal.
After splitting the first two games of the fourth set, Murray graciously helped Del Potro win the third with a double fault. Del Potro then won a couple on his own as Murray seemed to grow frustrated with the pro-Argentine crowd, which refused repeated warnings to be quiet on serves.
That seemed to give the Argentine new life. But that could only carry him so far. The exhausted Del Potro, who had played a three-hour semifinal that ended less than 24 hours then the start of the final, began taking long pauses between serves – once bending over the net for support after a lengthy point.
And in the end he couldn’t keep up. By the time Sunday’s final finished, he had played more than seven hours of tennis in a little over a day.
But that wasn’t the only advantage Murray had because in addition to fresh legs – his semifinal lasted less than 80 minutes -- the defending champion was also helped by creativity and poise Sunday, the latter a needed addition he picked up four years ago at the Summer Games.
Four years ago in London, a boisterous home crowd cheered Murray to the first Olympic singles by a British player in the Open era. And the resulting confidence pushed him on to wins in three Grand Slam events since then.
This year is shaping up as the best-ever for Murray, who came to Rio ranked second in the world. In addition to the Olympic title, he won his second Wimbledon crown and made the finals of the Australian and French Opens. He’ll go for his second U.S. Open title next month and if history is any guide, he has a pretty good chance: he won his first title there just weeks after the London Games.
Del Potro, meanwhile, has become an escape artist. He not only survived the exhausting semifinal with Rafael Nadal but he also beat Novak Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked player, in straight sets in his opener. And that same day he was trapped in an Olympic village elevator for more than half an hour before an Argentina team handball player heard his shouts and rescued him.
However there would be no escape Sunday.
Ryan Lochte issues statement about robbery in Rio de Janeiro
Gabby Douglas responds to her critics after finishing her final event at Rio
U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas was criticized in some quarters for not placing her hand over her heart during the playing of the national anthem, and then got hit hard for a seeming lack of support for teammates Simone Biles and Aly Raisman during their all-around final event.
Douglas responded at length Sunday after finishing seventh in the uneven bars, her only individual event.
“I support them and I’m sorry that I wasn’t showing it,” Douglas said. “And I should have but for me, it’s been a lot. And I’ve been through a lot. I still love the people who love me. Still love them who hate me. I’ve just got to stand on that.”
She also reiterated that she stood at attention in respect for the anthem and wondered why it was perceived as disrespectful. Douglas said she had “no regrets” in coming back for a second Olympics run.
“For me, when you go through a lot and you have so many difficulties and people against you, sometimes it just determines your character,” she said. “Are you going to stand or are you going to crumble? In the face of everything, still stand.”
Douglas had sought a “little bit of redemption” on the uneven bars, and like most of her time at the Olympics in Rio, it did not proceed according to plan. She had a small flub on her opening handstand and earned a score of 15.066, well below her 15.776 from qualifying.
The all-around gold medalist from the 2012 London Games will leave Rio with one medal, gold from the team competition.
Her mother, Natalie Hawkins, told Reuters that she felt her daughter was being bullied on social media, noting that #CrabbyGabby was making the rounds on the Internet.
“You name it and she got trampled,” Hawkins told the wire service.
Douglas referenced some of that and alluded to the nasty remarks made on the Internet about her hair from the 2012 Olympics.
“For me, when I read certain comments, I’m just like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa.’ That’s far from me and far from my personality,” she said. “It’s the comments and social media and people attacking you, ‘Your hair is like, blah, blah, blah.’
“I’m like, ‘Did I choose my hair texture? No.’ I’m actually grateful for having this hair on my head. Sometimes when you read hurtful stuff, you’re like, ‘OK, wow.’”
Ryan Lochte and three other U.S. swimmers were robbed at gunpoint early Sunday morning
Ryan Lochte and three other U.S. swimmers were robbed early Sunday morning by individuals posing as armed police officers, according to the U.S. Olympic Committee.
The four swimmers — including Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen — were in a taxi traveling from France’s hospitality venue to the Olympic Village when the incident occurred, the USOC said.
“We got pulled over, in the taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge, no lights, no nothing just a police badge and they pulled us over,” Lochte told NBC Sports in an interview. “They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground — they got down on the ground. I refused, I was like we didn’t do anything wrong, so — I’m not getting down on the ground.
“And then the guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, ‘Get down,’ and I put my hands up, I was like ‘whatever.’ He took our money, he took my wallet — he left my cell phone, he left my credentials.”
The USOC added in its brief statement on the matter that the four athletes are safe and cooperating with authorities.
Bentz later tweeted: “We are all safe. Thank you for your love and support.”
Later Sunday, Lochte said on Twitter that “what is most important is that we are safe and unharmed”
The morning began with reports that Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medalist who won a relay gold medal at these Games, texted his mother, Ileana, and said he had been robbed at gunpoint. Not long after that was reported, the swimmer said the story wasn’t accurate. International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said that he understood from the USOC that the report was “absolutely not true.”
Then Lochte’s mom again said he was robbed and a Brazilian swimmer confirmed it. That was followed by Lochte telling NBC Sports it was true.
The IOC later referred comment on the matter to the USOC and didn’t immediately respond to a request to clarify the organization’s initial comment on the matter.
Feigen and Lochte room with Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, in the athletes’ village. Phelps said he has visisted Brazil multiple times and never felt unsafe.
In a question-and-answer session on Reddit last week, Feigen sounded excited about the possibilities to enjoy in Rio de Janeiro after the eight-day swimming competition ended Saturday.
“Once the games are over the party begins!” he wrote. “That is outside the village though.”
During a previously scheduled news conference Sunday, U.S. swimmer Nathan Adrian said he’s not concerned about security in Rio de Janeiro.
“Rio’s an amazing city and there’s going to be problems anywhere you go,” he said. “We have been briefed on how to mitigate those risks as well as possible.”
U.S. women roll to another lopsided victory in basketball
Coach Geno Auriemma could only smile after his U.S. women’s basketball team dominated another opponent.
It wasn’t so much the final score of the game, but the coach was really excited about the record number of assists the Americans dished out.
Tina Charles and Brittney Griner each scored 18 points and the U.S. had 40 assists on its 46 baskets to beat China, 105-62, on Sunday. The Americans were unchallenged in group play, winning the five games by an average of 40.8 points, eclipsing the 100-point mark in four of them.
“When you have 40 assists, that means something,” Auriemma said beaming. “I talked to a team about that. There can’t be anything better in the game of basketball then when you get an assist. When you know that you made it possible for one of your teammates to get an easy basket, that’s basketball. Can’t play it any better than we played in the first half that was fun to watch.”
It was fun for those playing as well.
The U.S. is on a record-setting scoring pace averaging 104 points, just above the 102.4 mark set by the 1996 team that started the run of five gold medals and 46 consecutive Olympic wins.
Things get more serious as the single-elimination quarterfinals begin Tuesday with the U.S. (5-0) facing Japan. Whether the games get more challenging remains to be seen, but the heavily favored Americans need three more wins to capture their sixth consecutive gold medal.
“In some ways the mindset stays the same, we use our practice sessions and shootarounds to get better,” said point guard Sue Bird. “At the same time, it has to be a shift. You can’t make a mistake now. You have to be ready every single game. Everyone is going to be playing their best.”
About the only thing that went wrong for the Americans Sunday happened before the game even started. Elena Delle Donne was accidently poked in the eye by Tamika Catchings during warmups and didn’t play. Delle Donne spent most of the first quarter icing her right eye.
“I couldn’t see at the beginning,” said Delle Donne, who still had some redness on her cheekbone after the game. “Be good to go for the next one for sure.”
Even without the reigning WNBA MVP, the U.S. was too much for China.
The Americans jumped out to a 22-point lead after the first quarter as Charles, Maya Moore, Brittney Griner and Sylvia Fowles all got easy layups.
Griner also had 13 rebounds to go with her points. The quartet has spent time playing in the Chinese Basketball League in the winters.
Mengran Sun scored 16 to lead China (1-4), which failed to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2004. The Asian country fell to 0-8 against the U.S. in the Olympics.
In other games on Sunday, Serbia beat Senegal after securing the fourth seed with China’s loss. Spain beat Canada 73-60 to finish second in the group.
U.S. men’s basketball team ends group play unbeaten after narrow win over France
Three wins from gold, and there’s still no reason to think it will be easy for the U.S. men’s basketball team.
Klay Thompson ended an Olympic-long slump with seven three-pointers and 30 points, and the Americans needed almost all of them to hold off France, 100-97, on Sunday.
The U.S. won its 50th consecutive tournament game, but the last three have been nothing like most of the previous 47.
Winning by three for the second consecutive game, the U.S. improved to 5-0 and clinched first place in Group A. The Americans open quarterfinal play Wednesday, still the favorite but looking as beatable as ever under Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Their opponents couldn’t be determined until the completion of play Monday in the log-jammed Group B, where all six teams are still alive. The U.S. will play whichever team finishes fourth.
“This isn’t a tournament that we’re going to just dominate,” U.S. guard Paul George said. “There’s talent around this world and they’re showcasing it. For us, it’s just figuring out how we’re going to win. We’re having spurts of dominating, but we’re just not finding ways to put a full 40 minutes together.”
Nando de Colo and Thomas Heurtel each scored 18 points, carrying France while Tony Parker sat with a toe injury.
Kevin Durant scored 17 points after he took just four shots in the previous game, the Americans’ 94-91 victory over Serbia on Friday.
After pounding China and Venezuela to open the Olympics, the Americans pulled away late to beat Australia, 98-88, before edging the Serbs when Bogdan Bogdanovic missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.
The Americans could never put away the French in this one, even with Thompson finally having his first good performance in Rio de Janeiro.
Banished to the bench earlier in the tournament, he rejoined the starting lineup Sunday and came out firing — and this time, making his shots. He had come into the game with just 11 points on 4-for-26 shooting in the first four games.
He hit five three-pointers in the third quarter alone Sunday, the last making the lead seem safe at 78-62. But the French were back within four by midway through the fourth.
All that came without Parker, the four-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs who had been limited to about 20 to 25 minutes per game here as he gets back into game shape after missing time during their training when his wife gave birth to their second son last month.
This time he didn’t play at all, with the French federation saying during the game he injured his toe in their previous victory over Venezuela.
Parker sat on the bench with his teammates in the first half but then didn’t return when they came back from the locker room at halftime, finally emerging with a little less than three minutes left in the third quarter.
“He’s fine. He’s resting,” said French Coach Vincent Collet, who also took De Colo out in the final minutes after he banged his leg.
Madison Kocian takes silver in women’s uneven bars; Alex Naddour earns bronze in men’s pommel horse
The medal collection for the U.S. gymnastics team continued to accumulate Sunday: UCLA-bound Madison Kocian took the silver in the women’s uneven bars, following Alex Naddour’s bronze-medal effort on the men’s pommel horse.
Naddour’s performance ended a 32-year medal drought on the pommel horse for the United States. Max Whitlock and Louis Smith, both of Britain, went one-two on the horse. It was the first medal for the U.S. men’s gymnastics team in Rio.
“I’m very very happy right now,” said Naddour, who said later he felt like he hit the “lottery.”
“I keep thinking, ‘Wake up.’ I feel like I’m dreaming. This is exactly what I wanted since I was a young kid, to go out and hit a great routine, score the highest I’ve ever scored in my life, out of country.
“At the Olympic Games. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
The uneven bars is a specialty of Kocian’s. She finished in a four-way tie for first place at the world championships last year in this event.
She had a tough act to follow here on Sunday. Defending Olympic champion Aliya Mustafina put down a 15.900 to win gold and Kocian’s routine was just after Mustafina’s.
Kocian (15.833) managed to hold off Sophie Scheder of Germany (15.666), who took the bronze.
Venus Williams falls short of Olympic history in mixed doubles final
Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock rolled to an upset victory in the mixed-double final Sunday, beating fellow Americans Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram, 7-6 (3), 6-1, 10-7, denying Williams a chance to become the first five-time champion in Olympic tennis history.
Williams has won four gold medals since 2000 and another Sunday would have broken a tie with sister Serena.
After a back-and-forth first set that lasted 55 minutes, Mattek-Sands and Sock jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second set before Williams and Ram clawed back, thanks in part to Mattek-Sands, who suddenly lost her serve.
But they recovered to win the set when a Williams return sailed long, forcing a 10-point tiebreak they also won.
Mattek-Sands, known as much for her colorful hair and outfits as for her tennis, wore knee-high socks in the colors of the U.S. flag Sunday. When the match ended, she threw her racket in the air, embraced Sock and was then wrapped in a warm hug by Williams.
Williams, 36, who was also bidding to become the first player to win gold medals in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, came to Rio slowed by a virus and wasn’t planning on playing mixed doubles. But after losing in the first round of the singles and doubles competitions, she teamed with Ram and entered the 16-team draw for the mixed competition
Ram, 32, who played at the University of Illinois, was supposed to be watching the Olympics on TV. But when defending men’s doubles champions Bob and Mike Bryan pulled out, Ram was rushed to Rio a few days before the opening ceremony.
He was paired with Brian Baker in the doubles competition, losing in the second round.
Sunday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Sunday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
Basketball (Men)
United States 100, France 97
Australia 81, Venezuela 56
Serbia 94, China 60
Basketball (Women)
United States 105, China 62
Serbia 95, Senegal 88
Spain 73, Canada 60
Beach Volleyball (Women)
Quarterfinals
Larissa Franca Maestrini and Talita Rocha, Brazil, d. Joana Heidrich and Nadine Zumkehr, Switzerland, 21-23, 27-25, 15-13.
Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst, Germany, d. Heather Bansley and Sarah Pavan, Canada, 21-14, 21-14.
Barbara Seixas de Freitas and Agatha Bednarczuk, Brazil, d. Ekaterina Birlova and Evgenia Ukolova, Russia, 23-21, 21-16.
Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross, United States, d. Louise Bawden and Taliqua Clancy, Australia, 21-14, 21-16
Boxing
Men’s light-flyweight
Gold--Hasanboy Dusmatov, Uzbekistan
Silver--Yuberjen Herney Martinez Rivas, Colombia
Bronze--Joahnys Argilagos, Cuba
Bronze--Nico Hernandez, United States
Diving
Women’s three-meter springboard
Gold--Tingmao Shi, China
Silver--Zi He, China
Bronze--Tania Cagnotto, Italy
Fencing
Men’s team epee
Gold--France (Yannick Borel, Gauthier Grumier, Daniel Jerent, Jean-Michel Lucenay)
Silver--Italy (Enrico Garozzo, Marco Fichera, Paolo Pizzo, Andrea Santarelli)
Bronze--Hungary (Geza Imre, Gabor Boczko, Andras Redli, Peter Somfai)
Field hockey (Men’s quarterfinals)
Argentina 2, Spain 1
Belgium 3, India 1
Netherlands 4, Australia 0
Germany 3, New Zealand 2
Golf (Men)
Gold--Justin Rose, Britain
Silver--Henrik Stenson, Sweden
Bronze--Matt Kuchar, United States
Gymnastics (Men)
Individual apparatus finals
Floor exercise
Gold--Max Whitlock, Britain
Silver--Diego Hypólito, Brazil
Bronze--Arthur Mariano, Brazil
Men’s pommel horse
Gold--Max Whitlock, Britain
Silver--Louis Smith, Britain
Bronze--Alexander Naddour, United States
Gymnastics (Women)
Individual apparatus finals
Vault
Gold--Simone Biles, United States
Silver--Maria Paseka, Russia
Bronze--Giulia Steingruber, Switzerland
Women’s uneven bars
Gold--Aliya Mustafina, Russia
Silver--Madison Kocian, United States
Bronze--Sophie Scheder, Germany
Handball (Women)
Brazil 29, Montenegro 23
France 27, Sweden 25
Russia 38, Netherlands 34
Norway 28, Romania 27
Spain 26, Angola 22
South Korea 28, Argentina 22
Sailing
Men’s RSX
Gold--Dorian van Rijsselberghe, Netherlands
Silver--Nick Dempsey, Great Britain
Bronze--Pierre le Coq, France
Women RSX
Gold--Charline Picon, France
Silver--Peina Chen, China
Bronze--Stefaniya Elfutina, Russia
Shooting
Men’s 50-meter rifle 3-positions final
Gold--Niccolò Campriani, Italy, 458.8
Silver--Sergey Kamenskiy, Russia, 458.5
Bronze--Alexis Raynaud, France, 448.4
Synchronized Swimming
7 a.m.--Duets free routine prelims
Table Tennis
6 a.m.-11 a.m.--Men’s team quarterfinals
3:30 p.m.--Women’s team semifinals (Japan vs. Germany)
Tennis
Women’s doubles
Gold--Makarova/Vesnina (Russia) d. Bacsinszky/Hingis (Switzerland), 2-0
Bronze--Safarova/Strycova (Czech Republic), def. Hlavackova/Hradecka (Czech Republic), 2-0
Mixed doubles
Gold--Mattek-Sands/Sock (United States) d. Williams/Ram (United States), 2-1
Bronze--Hradecka/Stepanek (Czech Republic) d. Mirza/Bopanna (India), 2-0
Men’s singles
Gold--Andy Murray (Britain), d. Juan Martin del Potro, (Argentina), 3-1
Bronze--Kei Nishikori (Japan) d. Rafael Nadal (Spain), 2-1
Track and field
Men
100 meters
Gold--Usain Bolt, Jamaica
Silver--Justin Gatlin, United States
Bronze--Andre de Grasse, Canada
400 meters
Gold--Wayde van Niekerk, South Africa
Silver--Kirani James, Grenada
Bronze--Lashawn Merritt, United States
Women
Marathon
Gold--Jemima Sumgong, Kenya, 2:24:04
Silver--Eunice Kirwa, Bahrian, 2:24:13
Bronze--Mare Dibaba, Ethiopia, 2:24:30
Triple jump
Gold--Caterine Ibarguen, Colombia
Silver--Yulimar Rojas, Venezuela
Bronze--Olga Rypakova, Kazakhstan
Volleyball (Women)
Netherlands 3, Serbia 2
South Korea 3, Cameroon 0
Italy 3, Puerto Rico 0
United States 3, China 1
Japan 3, Argentina 0
Brazil 3, Russia 0
Water polo (Men)
Montenegro 9, Spain 9
Australia 12, Greece 7
United States 10, Italy 7
France 9, Croatia 8
Serbia 12, Japan 8
Hungary 10, Brazil 6
Weightlifting
Women’’s 75-kilogram
Gold--Suping Meng, China
Silver--Kuk Hyang Kim, North Korea
Bronze--Sarah Elizabeth Robles, United States
Wrestling
Men’s Greco-Roman 59-kilogram
Gold--Ismael Borrero Molina, Cuba
Silver--Shinobu Ota, Japan
Bronze--Elmurat Tasmuradov, Uzbekistan
Bronze--Stig-Andre Berge, Norway
Men’s Greco-Roman 75-kilogram
Gold--Roman Vlasov, Russia
Silver--Mark Overgaard Madsen, Denmark
Bronze--Hyeonwoo Kim, South Korea
Bronze--Saeid Morad Abdvali, Iran
Rio Olympics: Simone Biles wins women’s vault
Three down … two to go.
U.S. gymnast Simone Biles captured her third gold medal of the Olympics, crushing the field in the women’s vault on Sunday at the Rio Olympic Arena.
Biles owned the vault. Now she’s owning the podium.
In the vault final, gymnasts vault twice and the scores are averaged. Biles scored 15.900 on her first -- an Amanar -- with a short hop back. She spoke briefly with her personal coach, Aimee Boorman, between vaults and came back with an even better showing on her second one, the Cheng, and scored 16.033.
Biles is the first U.S. woman to win the Olympics on vault and the first to win three Olympic golds in a single Games in gymnastics.
The average of her two vaults was 15.966.
The silver went to Maria Paseka of Russia (15.253) and the bronze to Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland (15.216). Of note, a 41-year-old took part in the vault final, Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan, who was competing in her seventh Olympics.
Rio Olympics: Kenya’s Jemima Sumgong wins women’s marathon
Jemima Sumgong, a Kenyan who won the London marathon earlier this year, won the women’s Rio Olympic marathon Sunday by fending off punishing heat and several challenges along the 26.2-mile course through the city’s streets.
Sumgong, 31, crossed the finish line at the Sambrodomo in 2 hours 24 minutes 4 seconds, pumping her right fist in the air. She held off Eunice Kirwa, a native of Kenya who switched allegiances to Bahrain in 2013, and Mare Dibaba of Ethiopia, one of the pre-race favorites. Kirwa’s time was 2:24:13, with Dibaba in at 2:24:30.
Americans Amy Cragg, Shalane Flanagan and Desiree Linden were factors for much of the race, with Flanagan remaining a factor the longest of the three. However, none of them could keep up when Sumgong, Kirwa, Dibaba and a few others broke away from the field. Flanagan was sixth at 2:25:26, and Linden seventh at 2:26:08. Cragg was ninth in 2:28:25
No U.S. woman has won an Olympic marathon medal since Deena Kastor won bronze at Athens in 2004.
The Rio marathon route began at the Sambodromo, the backdrop of Rio’s famous Carnival parade. It then led runners through the streets of the city before taking them to three laps of a loop along the bayfront.
The course took competitors along major thoroughfares and past museums, parks and other landmarks but it offered little shade on a day that began as warm and became hotter as the race went on. Runners began to show the stress early, as some slowed dramatically.
Hastings, Flanagan and Linden stuck together in a pack, not far behind the leaders for the early part of the race. Linden, a native of Chula Vista, took the lead at about the eight-kilometer mark but a group of about a dozen other runners was close on her heels. Linden wore her trademark sunglasses but didn’t wear a hat; some runners chose to wear visors or caps. Hastings and Flanagan were part of that pack, along with several Kenyans and Ethiopians.
Cragg and Flanagan ran together for much of the Olympic marathon trials race in Los Angeles in February, though Cragg separated herself from the pack and waited anxiously while a struggling Flanagan kept hold of third place and a berth on the Olympic team. Runners from several countries seemed to cluster together Sunday to help each other.
Linden was the leader at the 14-kilometer mark, or about one-third of the way through. Flanagan and Hastings weren’t far behind.
At 15 kilometers, Rose Chelimo—a native of Kenya who now represents Bahrain—was in the lead, with Visiline Jepkesho of Kenya right behind and Mare Dibaba of Ethiopia third. Cragg, Flanagan and Linden were 12th, 13th and 14th in the quickly changing standings. Chelimo’s time at that point was 51:43, reflecting the growing impact of the heat in slowing the pace. Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia, the 2015 London marathon champion, dropped out after about 18 kilometers.
The leaders changed at the 20-kilometer mark. Jepkesho was in front, followed by Tirfi Tsegaye of Ethiopia and Eunice Kirwa of Bahrain. Flanagan was ninth, Cragg 10th and Linden 13th. Linden resisted following other runners’ surges and maintained a smooth rhythm.
At the halfway point, Volha Mazuronak of Belarus—a former racewalker--was the leader with a time of 1:12:56. A pack of about eight runners was close behind her, with the three Americans among them.
At the 25-kilometer mark, Cragg and Flanagan were near the front, at 1:26:08, but Linden had dropped about 30 seconds off the lead. Chelimo was leading.
But at the 30-kilometer mark, Linden had pulled within about 13 seconds of the front. Flanagan, Linden and Cragg were clustered together. Tsegaye was the leader at 30K, at 1:43:21.
Flanagan held on closest as the runners headed into the last 10 kilometers, part of a pack of seven. Linden was about 15 to 20 seconds back at that stage, and Cragg was well behind.
With seven kilometers to go Flanagan dropped back and Linden also fell too far behind to get into medal contention.
U.S. women continue rowing dominance in the eights
There’s no room for complacency. If you get complacent, there is another woman that will take your spot.
— Meghan Musnicki
The first time Kerry Simmonds tried rowing was the summer before her freshman year in college. It was a nice day. Her mother suggested they go to San Diego’s Mission Bay and, what the heck, take a learn-to-row class.
“It was terrible, Simmonds said, “a terrible time.”
It wasn’t so bad Saturday on Rio’s Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, where the U.S. women’s eight won the gold medal and perpetuated one of the great runs of dominance in Olympic sports. That makes it 11 straight Olympic or world championship titles, or one more than the Soviet Union men’s hockey team ran off from 1963 to 1972.
The most impressive part, though, was that the nine-woman U.S. boat (eight on oars plus a coxswain) had only two holdovers from London: Eleanor Logan and Meghan Musnicki. And four of the eight rowers were college walk-ons.
They’re wet behind the ears, but full of potential
We don’t compare ourselves to anybody. We’re going to our expectations.
— Aria Fischer
Aria Fischer says her earliest memories of Olympic water polo date back just four years, to when she watched the U.S. women win their first-ever gold medal in the London Games.
For Brenda Villa and Heather Petri, who pioneered the sport and played in the semifinals of four Olympic Games before winning a title, that game ended a quest that began when Fischer was still in diapers.
Villa and Petri are gone now, having retired as champions. And the players who have replaced them said their goal in the Rio Games is to write a new history by becoming the first team to repeat as Olympic champion.
They got a good start on that by cruising through preliminary-round play unbeaten, blitzing Hungary, 11-6, Saturday behind four goals from Maggie Steffens, one of four holdovers from the London team. The U.S. begins play in the quarterfinals Monday when it meets Brazil at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
Column: Michael Phelps continues to find the path to greatness
This is a cherry on top of the cake that I wanted.
— Michael Phelps
He left it all in the pool, every inch of his lean and bruised body, every dazzling and dark moment of his career, all swirling behind him in the roiling waters of the Olympic Aquatics Center.
He bent down over the deck in exhaustion. He stayed down, staring at the blue floor, basking, breathing, until he finally found the strength to straighten, thrust up his arms and wave his hands in a universal gesture of goodbye.
Thousands of fans wearing a dizzying diversity of colors and flapping many-hued flags stood for the guy wearing the red, white and blue.
And soon thereafter, in accents and tongues from all over the globe, they chanted his name.
These fencers are on point and ready to be bronzed
We are just so blessed and thankful that we made it. I’ll never forget this moment ever.
— Ibtihaj Muhammad
The women of the U.S. saber squad had not been pleased by their performances in the individual competition at these 2016 Summer Games, but they broke through Saturday with Ibtihaj Muhammad becoming the first American in a hijab to step on the Olympic podium.
After the U.S. fell short of the medal rounds earlier in the week, veteran Mariel Zagunis predicted that, for the team event, “I think we’re all going to be really fired up.”
Zagunis was right as the U.S. defeated Italy, 45-30, to win bronze.
This island girl brings home her country’s biggest bounty
That island has given me so much love and support my whole career. I just owe this one to them.
— Monica Puig
The email from her father, Jose Puig, contained lyrics to Puerto Rico’s anthem: “La Borinquena.”
Just in case.
Or in this case, father knew best. Tennis player Monica Puig won the first Olympic gold medal for Puerto Rico, defeating Angelique Kerber of Germany, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, in the women’s singles final on Saturday, culminating the best week of her sporting life.
“It’s just amazing,” Puig said. “I know my country really appreciates this and I really wanted to give this victory to them.”
She’s the fastest woman in the world, or at least in Rio
There is a big screen back home in my community in Jamaica. I can’t imagine what is happening there right now.
— Elaine Thompson
The good citizens of Banana Ground, Manchester Parish, Jamaica, might still be partying in honor of their most famous resident, Elaine Thompson, now known as the world’s fastest woman.
Thompson, raised by her grandmother in that remote Jamaican community, ended the Olympic reign of her compatriot, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, with a strong and powerful performance Saturday in the women’s 100-meter dash. Pulling away over the last 30 meters from Fraser-Pryce — who won gold in the two previous Games — and from American Tori Bowie, Thompson won in 10.71 seconds before a joyful crowd at Olympic Stadium.
Bowie, a first-time Olympian, finished second in 10.83 seconds. Fraser-Pryce, she of the green-and-yellow hair dyed to show her Jamaican pride, won bronze with a time of 10.86 seconds.
Michael Phelps ends record-breaking career with 23rd Olympic gold medal
Even Michael Phelps couldn’t imagine an ending this good.
In his final race before retirement, the most decorated Olympian in history led the U.S. to victory in the 400-meter medley relay at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on Saturday.
Phelps finished a career that spanned five Olympics with 28 medals, 23 of them gold. No other athlete in any sport has more than nine gold medals.
Ryan Murphy (backstroke), Cody Miller (breaststroke) and Nathan Adrian (freestyle) joined Phelps on the relay that finished in 3 minutes 27.95 seconds. Phelps dove into the pool on the third leg as the U.S. tailed by .61 seconds. He touched the wall after his 100 meters of butterfly with the relay ahead by almost a half-second.
Phelps retired following the London Olympics -- disappointed with his performance and tired of the sport -- but returned 18 months later in search of a better ending to more than two decades in the pool.
The comeback produced more success than the 31-year-old expected. Phelps captured five gold medals and one silver at these Games, including his fourth consecutive Olympic gold in the 200-meter individual medley and another gold in the 200-meter butterfly.
Phelps looked like the same dominant swimmer who holds three individual world records and revolutionized the sport, only more at ease, comfortable with himself and able to enjoy the moment. At times during the last week, Phelps shook his head in disbelief at the stream of victories. He repeatedly laughed, kissed his son, Boomer, after races and shed tears during some medal ceremonies.
Phelps is more aware of his place in history, too. His feats in the pool inspired a generation of young swimmers. Some of his teammates on this edition of the U.S. Olympic swimming team grew up seeking his autograph or decorated their bedroom walls with his picture. Katie Ledecky, the 19-year-old sensation who won four gold medals at these Games, posed for a photograph with Phelps and got his autograph when she was 9.
The success in Rio de Janeiro fueled speculation that Phelps would relent on retirement once again and return for the Tokyo Olympics in four years. Ryan Lochte, his longtime rival and friend, repeatedly predicted during the past week. Phelps’ mother, Debbie, and fiancee, Nicole Johnson, both floated the possibility, too.
But Phelps has remained adamant that his days in the pool are finished.
“This is over. This is it. Tonight’s the last one,” Phelps said earlier Saturday during a Facebook Live broadcast.
Elaine Thompson unseats Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as women’s 100-meter champion
All eyes were on two-time defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. But it was fellow Jamaican Elaine Thompson who ran away with gold in the 100 meters.
Though Fraser-Pryce may have been first out of the blocks Saturday, Thompson powered through for the title in 10.71 seconds. American Tori Bowie lunged at the line for 10.83 to edge Fraser-Pryce by 0.03 seconds.
European champion Dafne Schippers had a bad start and finished fifth with 10.90.
Fraser-Pryce was seeking to become the first woman in track to win three Olympic gold medals in a row.
Simone Manuel helps U.S. to gold in 400 medley relay
Behind a blazing anchor leg from Simone Manuel, the U.S. captured the women’s 400-meter medley relay at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on Saturday.
Kathleen Baker (backstroke), Lilly King (breaststroke) and Dana Vollmer (butterfly) combined with Manuel to finish in 3 minutes 53.13 seconds.
The victory gave the United States its 1,000th gold medal in the Summer Olympics, dating to the start of the modern Games in 1896.
Manuel, who won gold in the 100-meter freestyle earlier this week, took silver in the 50-meter freestyle, as well, Saturday.
American Jeff Henderson wins gold in the long jump by flying nearly 27 1/2 feet
Jeff Henderson of the United States overtook Luvo Manyonga of South Africa on his last jump to win the Olympic long jump gold medal.
Manyonga took the lead on his penultimate jump with a mark of 8.37 meters (27 feet and 5.5 inches) during a tense sixth and final round, Henderson bettered it by 1 centimeter.
Defending champion Greg Rutherford of Britain took bronze on Saturday.
U.S. men keep hopes alive to advance in volleyball with win over France
Way behind in the first set Saturday against France, the Americans slowly began chipping away to end up on top. While none of the U.S. players can quite explain it, they have a propensity for doing that very thing, coming back with the odds stacked against them.
That’s been no more evident than on the Olympic stage in Rio de Janeiro, where they have won two straight following a pair of unimpressive defeats.
“We just trusted each other, played our volleyball, played how we play,” Matt Anderson said.
Seemingly down and out in these Olympics only a few days ago, the U.S. men’s volleyball team is suddenly right back in the mix of the Rio Games. Even coach U.S. John Speraw acknowledged he had doubts about the Americans’ fortunes.
“All of a sudden you lose that first match and you wouldn’t be human if you didn’t think, at some moment when you’re sitting alone in your room, `Uh oh,“’ Speraw said. “I think we probably all did, but then you just take a deep breath and you go to work, and I think this team has done a really great job with resilience.”
Fresh off Thursday night’s stunning four-set victory against host Brazil, the Americans rallied to beat France, 25-22, 25-22, 24-25, 25-22, and improve their position in Pool A. Next up is Mexico on Monday in the final preliminary match before the knockout quarterfinals.
“We knew that we had to win these or else we’d pretty much be out,” outside hitter Aaron Russell said. “We just kind of stayed strong together, bonded together and were able to come up with some big wins. There is no choice.”
They might have heard the message four times the past couple of days after a thrilling win against the Brazilians.
New day. Next one. Do it again.
“This tournament is an emotional rollercoaster ride,” Speraw said.
After being swept in their Olympic opener by Canada and then losing to Italy, the Americans (2-2) found their groove against Brazil and carried that into Saturday. This young group, with eight first-time Olympians and a trio of veterans leading the charge, has shined during this four-year cycle leading up to Rio when under the most pressure.
It was difficult not to think about leaving Brazil far too early, without at least a chance at the big prize. “It’s playing for each other, not for yourself, not just for your team, not just for your coaches, for your country,” Anderson said.
Tennis player Monica Puig wins historic gold for Puerto Rico
Olympic gold-medal history was crafted for Puerto Rico by a 22-year-old tennis player, who was born in San Juan and moved to Miami as an infant.
Monica Puig, who had never been past the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament, won the first-ever gold medal for Puerto Rico, defeating Angelique Kerber of Germany, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, in the women’s singles final. Puerto Rico, a territory of the U.S., has fielded teams in the Summer Olympics since 1948, and this was the first medal, of any variety, for a woman representing Puerto Rico.
There was joy and disbelief for Puig.
She dissolved in tears with her shoulders shaking as she knelt on the court, taking in the moment after a tense two-hour, nine-minute match.
Puig took out the No. 2-ranked Kerber with a barrage of hard-hitting groundstrokes and displayed a deft touch when required. She won it on her fourth match point when Kerber, who won the Australian Open in January, pushed a groundstroke just wide.
It was a nervy final game for both players. Kerber squandered six break points and Puig had three match points in it and watched one vanish when Kerber hit a net-cord winner.
U.S. women cyclists earn silver medal in team pursuit
Britain beat the world champion United States in the finals of the women’s team pursuit at the Rio Olympics, the exact same result from four years ago at the London Games.
The team of Katie Archibald, Laura Trott, Elinor Barker and Joanna Rowsell-Shand finishing in 4 minutes 10.236 seconds, breaking its own world record of 4:12.152 set in the previous round.
The U.S. team of Sarah Hammer, Kelly Catlin, Chloe Dygert and Sarah Hammer finished in 4:12.454.
Canada beat New Zealand to win the bronze medal.
Ibtijah Muhammad helps U.S. women fencers take bronze in team sabre
U.S. fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad came to the Rio Games determined to show the world that Muslim-American women can excel in sports.
Muhammad will return home to New Jersey with proof that she was right.
Muhammad, who became the first U.S. Olympian to wear a hijab during competition earlier this week, won a bronze medal Saturday along with her teammates in the women’s team sabre event.
The U.S. routed Italy, 45-30, to clinch third place and the first women’s medal in fencing for the Americans in Rio.
“This is sport. It doesn’t matter what hair color you have, or what religion you are. The point is to go out there and be the best athlete you can be,” said U.S. teammate Dagmara Wozniak. “We’re the best explanation of what American is. A mix of so many different cultures and races, and everything all together.”
Muhammad made headlines around the world Monday simply by wearing a head scarf on the piste, adhering to the tenets of her Muslim faith.
The attention for the team event was much more focused simply on fencing — and Muhammad reminded folks why she made the Olympic team in the first place.
“This has been a long journey for us,” Muhammad said. “To be able to compete at the level that we’ve worked toward, on the world’s biggest stage, the Olympic Games, is truly a blessing for us. I’ll never forget this moment.”
The Americans opened against Poland, blowing an 11-point lead before two-time Olympic champion Mariel Zagunis got the U.S. through with a deft torso touch for the win.
Russia won the first four of the nine-bout semifinals to go ahead 20-12, but Muhammad slowed Russia’s momentum with a narrow victory over second-ranked Yana Egorian.
After Zagunis picked up another win, Muhammad had by far her best moment of the Olympics.
Muhammad peppered Ekaterina Dyachenko with touch after touch, 10 in all, until the U.S. found itself with an improbable 35-34 edge.
“Our plan was that, no matter what happened, to just focus on these four voices,” said Muhammad said of teammates Zagunis, Wozniak and Monica Aksamit. “We were only listening to each other, and I just kept hearing `Just get one. Just get one.“’
But Sofia Velikaya pulled the Russians back in front with six straight points, a margin even Zagunis was unable to overcome.
Still, the U.S. team had yet to medal in a tournament all season.
The Americans seized their chance to do so in Rio.
The U.S. built a 25-15 lead after five matches, and Zagunis — who declined to speculate on her future in the immediate aftermath of her fourth straight Olympics — made that edge insurmountable.
U.S. soccer team tries to find positives in earliest Olympic exit
Some players were in tears. Others, like Hope Solo, were angry -- which we’ll get back to a minute.
But most members of the U.S. women’s soccer team were simply in shock after being eliminated from the Olympic Games by Sweden on penalty kicks in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Coach Jill Ellis was feeling all those emotions when she rose to speak to her team in the locker room afterward. Her message: feel the pain, then get over it.
“I said to the players no words at this point are going to take away how they feel at this moment,” Ellis recounted. “But the great thing about sports is there is another game. You have to move forward.
“You have to feel and let yourself feel. But at some point there’ll be games ahead of us. And this will be motivation to continue and want to grow and push the bar.”
The U.S. had already pushed the bar pretty high before tumbling off it Friday, when they made their earliest exit ever from an Olympic soccer tournament, playing Sweden to a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes, then losing in the shootout. The U.S., the top-ranked team in the world and the three-time defending Olympic champion, had played in the final of the previous five Summer Games, winning four of them.
And after capturing a Women’s World Cup title last summer in Canada, Ellis’ mission was to make the Americans the first team to win a world and Olympic title in consecutive years.
The team came up well short of that goal. Yet as she walked to the team bus, co-captain Carli Lloyd had already begun processing Ellis’ message.
“That was disappointing, but what are you going to do?” she said. “I know my head is held high. I’m proud of the team. We can learn from this moment, make us hungrier, make us dig deeper.
“And you best believe that in 2019 we’re going to win a World Cup.”
That was the tournament Ellis was pointing toward when she chose a roster for Rio that included just seven Olympic veterans. One of the new players, 18-year-old forward Mallory Pugh, is the second-youngest American women to make an Olympic roster and the youngest-ever to score an Olympic goal.
Pugh’s future looks bright, as does that of forward Crystal Dunn, another Olympic rookie who also played well in Brazil. So even in defeat, the U.S. team may have made progress.
“We’re in the process of an evolution. And we took some big steps,” Ellis said. “It was to be determined whether we were there yet.”
There will probably be more changes coming.
Solo, the goalkeeper and oldest player on the team at 35, may not last until the next World Cup. Although she’s talked about playing in that tournament, she’s also talked of retiring to start a family. And after winning three Olympic gold medals, a World Cup title and setting all-time records for appearances (202), wins (153) and shutouts (102), there would appear to be little reason for her to stick around until 2019.
She’s also coming off a very bad week. After playing one of the best games of her career in group play against France, she gave up two goals on set pieces to Colombia – including one on a shot that inexplicably bounced off her hands and through her legs – conceded a goal to Sweden, then saved just one of five penalty-kicks in the shootout.
After the game she really fell apart, calling the Swedes “cowards” for hunkering down and playing defensively rather than trying to match the Americans in a free-flowing game of soccer.
“The best team did not win today,” Solo said.
On Saturday, U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati told Sports Illustrated that Solo’s comments “were highly inappropriate and not in line with the expectations of U.S. Soccer or the ideals of the Olympic movement.”
Gone are the days when the U.S. women’s team could simply roll out the ball and intimidate opponents or dominate tournaments. Seven of the world’s top 10 teams were in the 12-nation Olympic tournament. The U.S. beat one in France and played another, Sweden, to a draw before being knocked out of the Olympic tournament in the shootout.
And Ellis said that, too, is progress.
“The game, the sport, is so far ahead,” said Ellis, whose team is unbeaten this year at 16-0-3. “It’s just constantly growing. It’s at a place now where they’re parity, there’s resources, there’s coaching.
“All the things you now need behind the scenes to be successful are being funded and being supported.”
It’s not easy being green: Rio officials to drain discolored pool water and start over
After five days of trying unsuccessfully to clean the green-tinged water at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Center, Rio Olympics officials began Saturday to drain the larger of two pools and refill it with nearly 1 million gallons of clean water from a nearby practice pool.
The transfer, which was expected to take about 10 hours, was scheduled to be completed early Sunday morning, in time for the start of synchronized swimming. The pool had earlier been the site of the water polo competition, which is moving to the larger Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
“Some radical measures are taking place,” Rio Games spokesman Mario Andrada said. “And one of those radical measures is to replace a big part of the water.”
The water in the diving well and the adjacent water polo pool turned olive green in the middle of last week. Gustavo Nascimento, the director of venue management for Rio 2016, blamed a contractor dumping large amounts of hydrogen peroxide into the pool, which caused the water to change color when mixed with chlorine.
The water in the larger pool had started to clear this weekend and was a cloudy turquoise for the final water polo games Saturday. But Nascimento said that wasn’t good enough for synchronized swimming, which “requires clear water for refereeing and clear water for the athletes to see each other.”
Both Andrada and Nascimento said the water has been tested and is safe, although some athletes have complained of itchy eyes. There are no plans to change the water in the diving pool, where competition continued Saturday night. The water remains green but Nascimento said because there have “not been huge complaints” from the divers, organizers will continue trying to clean that pool with a filtration system.
“Now it’s time to fix the problem,” Andrada said. “To understand what caused the problem and how the problem can be fixed in the shortest amount of time.”
The Rio Olympics have been plagued by concerns over water quality, although most of those have centered on the dangers of the pollution in Guanabarra Bay and the nearby Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, site of the sailing and rowing competitions. The green pool water only added to those headaches.
“Of course it is an embarrassment because we were hosting the Olympic Games. The world is here,” Andrada said. “We didn’t want the water to be an issue. It should be light blue, transparent.
“We could have done better in fixing it quickly. We learned a painful lesson the hard way.”
Rio Olympics: Juan Martin del Potro upsets Rafael Nadal, will face Andy Murray in men’s tennis final
Rafael Nadal’s bid for an unprecedented second Olympic singles gold medal ended with a thrill-a-minute semifinal loss to the resurgent Juan Martin del Potro.
Del Potro, who earned a bronze for Argentina four years ago, will add a silver or gold to that after advancing to the Summer Games’ final by coming back to stun the third-seeded Nadal, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (5), on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro.
Using the same ferocious forehands that carried him past No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the first round a week ago, del Potro now will try to pull off a third surprise Sunday, when he meets defending champion Andy Murray in the best-of-five final.
The No. 2-seeded Murray earned a gold in singles and a silver in mixed doubles for Britain at the 2012 London Games.
No tennis player has won two Olympic singles golds, let alone two in a row.
“It would mean a lot, obviously,” Murray said after beating fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan, 6-1, 6-4, to stretch his winning streak to a career-high-tying 17 matches. “It’s obviously not an easy thing to do. That’s why it’s not been done before.”
Standing in Murray’s way now will be del Potro, who won the 2009 U.S. Open but has fallen to 141st in the rankings after missing 2 1/2 years’ worth of Grand Slam tournaments because of three operations on his left wrist.
He beat two-time major title winner Stan Wawrinka at Wimbledon in June, then used all of his 6-foot-6 frame to produce intimidating forehand after forehand that Djokovic couldn’t fend off a week ago. That same formula worked against Nadal, with 18 of del Potro’s 19 groundstroke winners coming off his preferred wing.
It’s been a tough road back for del Potro, who got down on his back, spread-eagle, near the Olympic logo after the riveting semifinal ended with Nadal sailing a forehand wide. Moments later, del Potro knelt down and kissed the dot atop the middle letter of “Rio” near the five rings.
Del Potro’s celebration wasn’t finished: He leaped into the front row of stands for a group hug with some of the thousands of flag-waving, name-chanting fans who rooted so vociferously for their man.
Nadal, a 14-time Grand Slam champion, earned the singles gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games and added a doubles gold on Friday night, teaming with his good pal Marc Lopez. But instead of another medal of that color, he will be trying to go home with a bronze now by beating Nishikori on Sunday — not bad, considering he missed 2 1/2 months with an injured left wrist.
Rio Olympics: Justin Rose leads men’s golf tournament heading into final round
Justin Rose is one round away from winning golf’s first Olympic gold medal in 112 years.
Rose did a little shimmy when his 10-foot par putt on the final hole Saturday swirled in the back side of the cup for a six-under-par 65, giving him a one-shot lead over British Open champion Henrik Stenson going into the final round — the medal round — at Olympic Golf Course.
It’s not a two-man race, even if it felt like one.
Rose was at 12-under 201 and had the lead after Stenson narrowly missed a birdie putt and had to settle for a 68, capping a day in which he poked a caiman with the end of his wedge in the water to the left of the 10th hole.
Marcus Fraser, the leader after the first two rounds, stumbled to a 72 and was four shots out of the lead.
“It’s like a lot of other sports,” Rose said. “You work hard to get into the finals. It’s about a great performance tomorrow.”
Rose, the U.S. Open champion three years ago at Merion, is used to playing alongside Stenson when the competition is more about flag than money. They were partners in the Ryder Cup in 2014 at Gleneagles, winning all three of their matches for the European flag.
That won’t be the case Sunday. It will be Britain against Sweden, with other countries still looking to break into contention.
Bubba Watson kept American hopes alive with a five-under 67 that featured his own surreal moment. Watson had a 30-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole, but when he took his putter back, a clump of mud dropped to the ground. Watson tried to stop his stroke and failed, so the ball traveled only about 6 feet.
He still wound up with a 67 and was in the group six shots behind — and three shots out of a medal — along with Emiliano Grillo of Argentina and David Lingmerth of Sweden, both of whom shot 68. They were at six-under 207, with Matt Kuchar and Padraig Harrington one shot behind.
Rickie Fowler had the low round of the blustery day with a 64, though he remained nine shots behind.
Rose was four shots out of the lead to start the second round, but not for long. He holed a 75-foot pitch for eagle from just short of the third green, where the tees were moved up to make it a 285-yard hole into the wind. Then, he hit a seven iron to within 15 feet on the downwind, par-five fifth hole and made that for another eagle. He took the lead for the first time with a 35-foot putt from off the 12th green.
Stenson’s day was exciting because of a wedge, just not for a shot that he played with it.
Walking along the edge of the water on the par-five 10th, he spotted a caiman — a small crocodile — and reached over to poke it with the end of his wedge.
“It was a little lob wedge,” he said. “If it was twice the size, you probably needed to go to a longer iron.”
He wound up making birdie on that hole, and two birdies late on the back nine kept him in range of Rose.
For all the talk about the stars who stayed home, this is just what golf needed in its return to the Olympics. Stenson is coming off the lowest score in major championship history when he won the British Open at Royal Troon, among the greatest final rounds played. He is No. 5 in the world, the highest-ranked player in the field.
Rose is another major champion at No. 12 in the world, slowed by a back injury in the middle of his season, but excited about the Rio Games. He was part of the Games’ opening ceremony and kept busy in the week leading to the golf competition, going to other sports, spending time in the gym with Britain’s other athletes and soaking it all in.
The only thing better would be leaving with a gold medal.
“It would mean an awful lot,” Rose said. “You see what it means to the other Olympic athletes. Once a guy slips a gold medal around his neck, we’ll all understand how important it is.”
Saturday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Saturday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
For Sunday’s schedule and results, go here.
Badminton
4 a.m.-3:30 p.m.--Group play in men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles
Basketball (Men)
Argentina 111, Brazil 107
Spain 109, Lithuania 59
Nigeria 90, Croatia 76
Basketball (Women)
Australia 74, Belarus 66
Turkey 79, Brazil 76 (2 OT)
Japan 79, France 71
Beach Volleyball
Men
Round of 16
Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt, Brazil, def. Pablo Herrera Allepuz and Adrian Gavira Collado, Spain, 24-22, 21-13.
Nikita Liamin and Dmitri Barsouk, Russia, def. Evandro Goncalves Oliveira Junior and Pedro Solberg, Brazil, 16-21, 21-14, 15-10.
Alexander Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen, Netherlands, def. Chaim Schalk and Ben Saxton, Canada, 21-12, 21-15.
Philip Dalhausser and Nicholas Lucena, United States, def. Robin Seidl and Alexander Huber, Austria, 21-14, 21-15.
Women
Round of 16
Sarah Pavan and Heather Bansley, Canada, def. Jamie Lynn Broder and Kristina Valjas, Canada, 21-16, 21-11.
Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst, Germany, def. Isabelle Forrer and Anouk Verge-Depre, Switzerland, 21-19, 21-10.
Nadine Zumkehr and Joana Heidrich, Switzerland, def. Marleen van Iersel and Madelein Meppelink, Netherlands, 19-21, 21-13, 15-10.
Louise Bawden and Taliqua Clancy, Australia, def. Monika Brzostek and Kinga Kolosinska, Poland, 15-21, 21-16, 15-11.
Boxing
Men’s welterweight (69kg)
Quarterfinals
Mohammed Rabii, Morocco, def. Steven Gerard Donnelly, Ireland, 2-1
Shakhram Giyasov, Uzbekistan, def. Roniel Iglesias, Cuba, 3-0
Souleymane Diop Cissokho, France, def. Saylom Ardee, Thailand, 3-0
Daniyar Yeleussinov, Kazakhstan, def. Gabriel Maestre, Venezuela, 3-0
Men’s heavyweight (91kg)
Semifinals
Evgeny Tishchenko, Russia, def. Rustam Tulaganov, Uzbekistan, 3-0
Vassiliy Levit, Kazakhstan, def. Erislandy Savon, Cuba, 3-0
Cycling
Women’s keirin
Gold--Elis Ligtlee, Netherlands
Silver--Rebecca James, Britain
Bronze--Anna Meares, Australia
Women’s team pursuit
Gold--Britain (Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Joanna Rowsell-Shand, Laura Trott)
Silver--United States (Kelly Catlin, Chloe Dygert, Sarah Hammer, Jennifer Valente)
Bronze--Canada (Allison Beveridge, Jasmin Glaesser, Kirsti Lay, Georgia Simmerling, Laura Brown)
Diving
Noon--Women’s 3-meter springboard semifinals
Fencing
Women’s sabre team
Gold--Russia (Sofya Velikaya, Yuliya Gavrilova, Yana Egorian, Ekaterina Dyachenko)
Silver--Ukraine (Olena Voronina, Olga Kharlan, Olena Kravatska, Alina Komashchuk)
Bronze--United States (Monica Aksamit, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Dagmara Wozniak, Mariel Zagunis)
Field Hockey (Women)
Argentina 5, India 0
Netherlands 2, Germany 0
Spain 3, South Korea 2
Britain 2, United States 1
Australia 2, Japan 0
New Zealand 1, China 0
Handball (Men)
Germany 28, Slovenia 25
Croatia 29, France 28
Denmark 26, Qatar 25
Egypt 27, Brazil 27
Poland 25, Sweden 24
Argentina 23, Tunisia 21
Rowing
Men’s single sculls
Gold--Mahé Drysdale, New Zealand, 6:41.34
Silver--Damir Martin, Croatia, 6:41.34
Bronze--Ondřej Synek, Czech Republic, 6:44.10
Women’s single sculls
Gold--Kim Brennan, Australia, 7:21.54
Silver--Gevvie Stone, United States, 7:22.92
Bronze--Duan Jingli, China, 7:24.13
Women’s coxed eight
Gold--United States, 6:01.49
Silver--Great Britain, 6:03.98
Bronze--Romania, 6:04.10
Men’s coxed eight
Gold--Great Britain, 5:29.63
Silver--Germany, 5:30.96
Bronze--Netherlands, 5:31.59
Sailing
9 a.m.--Races of men’s Laser and women’s 49erFX
Shooting
Men’s 25-meter rapid-fire pistol final
Gold--Christian Reitz, Germany
Silver--Jean Quiquampoix, France
Bronze--Li Yuehong, China
Men’s skeet
Gold--Gabriele Rossetti, Italy
Silver--Marcus Svensson, Sweden
Bronze--Abdullah Alrashidi, Independent
Soccer (Men’s quarterfinals)
Germany 4, Portugal 0
Nigeria 2, Denmark 0
Honduras 1, South Korea 0
6 p.m.--Brazil vs. Colombia
Swimming (Men)
1,500-meter freestyle
Gold--Gregorio Paltrinieri, Italy
Silver--Connor Jaeger, United State
Bronze--Gabriele Detti, Italy
400-medley relay
Gold--United States (Ryan Murphy, Cody Miller, Michael Phelps, Nathan Adrian, p-Kevin Cordes, p-Caeleb Dressel, p-David Plummer, p-Tom Shields)
Silver--Britain (Chris Walker-Hebborn, Adam Peaty, James Guy, Duncan Scott)
Bronze--Australia (Mitchell Larkin, Jake Packard, David Morgan, Kyle Chalmers, p-Cameron McEvoy).
Swimming (Women)
50-meter freestyle
Gold--Pernille Blume, Denmark
Silver--Simone Manuel, United States
Bronze--Aliaksandra Herasimenia, Belarus
400-medley relay
Gold--United States (Kathleen Baker, Lilly King, Dana Vollmer, Simone Manuel, p-Catherine Meili, p-Olivia Smoliga, p-Abbey Weitzeil, p-Kelsi Worrell)
Silver--Australia (Emily Seebohm, Taylor McKeown, Emma McKeon, Cate Campbell, p-Brittany Elmslie, p-Madeline Groves, p-Madison Wilson)
Bronze--Denmark (Mie Nielsen, Rikke Moller Pedersen, Jeanette Ottesen, Pernille Blume)
Tennis
Women
Singles
Gold--Monica Puig, Puerto Rico, def. Angelique Kerber, Germany, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
Bronze--Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic, def. Madison Keys, United States, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.
Doubles
Bronze--Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova, Czech Republic, def. Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka (6), Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-1.
Men
Semifinals
Andy Murray (2), Britain, def. Kei Nishikori (4), Japan, 6-1, 6-4
Juan Martin del Potro, Argentina, def. Rafael Nadal (3), Spain, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (5)
Mixed doubles
Semifinals
Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram, United States, def. Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna (4), India, 2-6, 6-2, 10-3.
Track and Field
Men’s discus
Gold--Christoph Harting, Germany, 68.37 meters
Silver--Piotr Małachowski, Poland, 67.55 meters
Bronze--Daniel Jasinski, Germany, 67.05 meters
Men’s 10,000 meters
Gold--Mohamed Farah, Britain
Silver--Paul Kipngetich Tanui, Kenya
Bronze--Tamirat Tola, Ethiopia
Men’s long jump
Gold—Jeff Henderson, United States
Silver--Luvo Manyonga, South Africa
Bronze--Greg Rutherford, Britain
Women’s 100 meters
Gold--Elaine Thompson, Jamaica
Silver--Tori Bowie, United States
Bronze-- Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
Women’s heptathlon
Gold--Nafissatou Thiam, Belgium
Silver--Jessica Ennis-Hill, Britain
Bronze--Brianne Theisen Eaton, Canada
Trampoline
Men’s individual
Gold--Uladzislau Hancharou, Belarus
Silver--Dong Dong, China
Bronze--Gao Lei, China
Volleyball (Men)
Iran 3, Egypt 0
Argentina 3, Cuba 0
Russia 3, Poland 2
United States 3, France 1
Canada 3, Mexico 0
Italy 3, Brazil 1
Water Polo (Women)
Spain 12, China 8
Italy 10, Russia 5
Australia 10, Brazil 3
United States 11, Hungary 6
Weightlifting
Men’s 94-kilogram
Gold--Sohrab Moradi, Iran
Silver--Vadzim Straltsou, Belarus
Bronze--Aurimas Didzbalis, Lithuania
Rio Olympics: Fans turn Rafael Nadal-Juan Martin del Potro tennis match into a soccer competition
By midway through the first set, the chair umpire at the Olympic tennis center had grown exasperated.
“This is a tennis match,” he scolded the crowd.
The problem?
Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina was playing Rafael Nadal of Spain in the men’s semifinal and a contingent of Del Potro’s fans had hung their country’s blue-and-white flags around the stadium. Between games, they chanted and sang the “Ole” soccer song.
That did not sit well with the Brazilians in attendance, who had suddenly become big Nadal fans and answered with a chorus of boos.
Brazil and Argentina have a long-standing soccer rivalry that has spilled into Olympic events – with some uncharacteristic rowdy behavior – over the past week.
Tensions have run particularly high in anticipation of Saturday afternoon’s showdown between the two countries in men’s basketball.
According to the Associated Press, the captains of both basketball teams took the court before the start of the game and asked the crowd to behave.
“We take every game very seriously and all the necessary security precautions are taken,” said Mario Andrada, a spokesman for the Rio 2016 organizing committee. He added “we are both responsible for showing the world how we can make sport here iconic and passionate.”
Rio Olympics: Swimming platform breaks loose and washes up on beach
Beachgoers were met with a huge surprise on Saturday in Copacabana. Locals and tourists arriving at the shore found a huge blue Olympic swimming platform washed up on the sand right where dozens of people swim every day.
“Yeah, it’s clearly a bit dangerous to smash up right there. That’s why they put up those little guard rails and tape,” says Roberta Tostes, whose mother runs a beach business in front of the ocean and was kind enough to let the L.A. Times use her phone to snap the scene (since your correspondent had intended to take a dip right there).
A small group of men in Rio 2016 gear milling about at the scene said the powerful ocean had snapped the cable and someone should be around to get it sometime. Workers at the Tostes family business, which sells coconuts and drinks on the sand, said the structure was there when they arrived at 7 a.m. As of 2:30 p.m. Rio time, it remained beached in front of them, with locals ignoring it. A few meters to each side of the platform, children swam in the waves.
Just before 3 p.m, a boat came and towed the platform away.
The platform was to be used for the marathon swimming events, which start in just 48 hours.
“Security measures have been adopted, and there are no risks for the swimmers,” a Rio 2016 spokesperson said. “So that these measures can be carried out, the training scheduled for Saturday has been canceled.”
The women’s 10k race is still scheduled for Monday, with the start to be performed on a reserve platform.
Strong winds have been a problem for the Rio Games, with two days of the rowing regatta canceled by heavy winds.
Rio Olympics: Justin Gatlin defends his past, moves forward in men’s 100
Sprinter Justin Gatlin on Saturday dismissed a suggestion made last week by gold medal-winning U.S. swimmer Lilly King that he should not be allowed to compete in the Rio Olympics because he has served two drug suspensions.
King, who won the women’s 100-meter breaststroke last week, was contemptuous of Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova, who has served a 16-month suspension and tested positive for meldonium this year but appealed and won the right to compete in these Games. After swimming against Efimova, King called for the exclusion of any athlete who has served a drug-related ban. Asked whether she meant to include fellow American Gatlin — who is expected to contend for medals here in the 100- and 200-meter dashes — she didn’t back down.
“Do I think people who have been caught doping should be on the team? They shouldn’t. It is unfortunate we have to see that,” she said.
Gatlin was suspended for two years in 2001 after testing positive for a substance in the medication he was taking for attention deficit disorder, but his term later was reduced to one year. He won gold in the 100 in Athens in 2004 but served a four-year ban from 2006 to 2010 after testing positive for testosterone. He returned to win bronze in the 100 at London in 2012.
“I don’t even know who Lilly King is. She does swimming and I’m track and field, so I’m not worried about that,” he said Saturday after being timed in 10.01 seconds in the first round of the men’s 100-meter dash, the swiftest time of the day.
Gatlin added that he has confidence in the work of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and in his own policies.
“I’ve come back and did what I need to do, and I’ve worked hard and I get tested just like everybody else and I’m back here,” he said. “I believe in the system. Everybody else believes in the system, too.”
A female Bulgarian steeplechase runner, Silvia Danekova, on Friday was declared ineligible to compete because of an anti-doping rule violation. The decision was made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Gatlin’s first-round 10.01 was effortless, as was the 10.07 run by two-time defending Olympic champion Usain Bolt, who eased to the finish line. Ben Youssef Meite of Ivory Coast had the second-best qualifying time, 10.03. Canada’s Andre De Grasse, who briefly competed for USC, advanced with a 10.04. Americans Trayvon Bromell (10.13) and Marvin Bracy (10.16) also advanced, as did 40-year-old Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis (10.18).
Bolt, as always, was a favorite of the sparse crowd at the Olympic Stadium, and he put on a typically animated show. “I feel good. I’m happy that I got through the first round,” he said.
Rio Olympics: U.S. women’s eight continue their dominance in rowing
The U.S. women’s eight rowing team won its 11th consecutive major title Saturday, including its third Olympic gold medal in a row. The Americans haven’t been beaten since 2006, winning every world championships and Olympic title since then.
The U.S. squad won easily, defeating second-place Great Britain and third-place Romania by more than two seconds.
Every touch seems to be golden for Katie Ledecky
The Olympics are the pinnacle of our sport and I have to wait four more years to have that moment again, so I wanted the last one to be special.
— Katie Ledecky, who won her fourth gold medal Friday night
Among the 32 events contested at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium, none came with less drama than Katie Ledecky’s final race of the Summer Games.
The 19-year-old’s biggest competitor in the 800-meter freestyle Friday — the clock — hung from the stadium’s rafters high above blue and green seats. The question wasn’t if Ledecky would touch the wall first, but by how much she would break her world record in the test of endurance.
The youngest member of the U.S. Olympic swimming team, as usual, made history look easy.
Ledecky finished in 8 minutes, 4.79 seconds, to better the mark set in January by almost two seconds — her second world record at these Games — and win her fourth gold medal.
The good, the bad and the Olympics, all rolled into one
“We played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today. I strongly believe that.
— U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo
In a stadium far north of the Olympic heart, a goalkeeper spewed ugly.
“We played a bunch of cowards,” Hope Solo said. “The best team did not win today. I strongly believe that.”
In a news conference room in the center of the Olympic soul, a mom spread grace.
“We started talking to [Simone] about how swimming isn’t just going to be about her,” said Sharron Manuel, the mother of the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming for the United States. “She will have to share that gift with the world and it will carry a message.”
In the stadium, the goalkeeper reacted to the U.S. women’s soccer team’s stunning Friday afternoon shootout loss to Sweden by epitomizing the word she had assigned the Swedes. Solo ran from responsibility and accountability like a coward.
“Sweden dropped off, they didn’t want to open play, they didn’t want to pass the ball,” Solo said. “I don’t think they’re going to make it far in the tournament.”
In the news conference room, the mom reacted to daughter Simone’s historic gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle the previous night by epitomizing wisdom and grace. Manuel explained how she had spent years preparing Simone for this milestone moment.
Time, testing and track: The scenarios that will define athletics in the Olympic Games
Swedish runner Sarah Lahti told Swedish media she didn’t believe Ayana ‘is 100 percent. It is too easy for her.’
Whether cynical or a reflection of doping’s deep incursion into track and field, it’s now customary to view exceptional performances with a dollop of skepticism. So it wasn’t surprising when Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia faced doping questions Friday, after she shattered the world record in the women’s 10,000 by more than 14 seconds at Olympic Stadium to win the first track and field gold medal of the Rio Games.
Swedish runner Sarah Lahti told Swedish media she didn’t believe Ayana “is 100 percent. It is too easy for her,” and Ayana was asked for her response. She replied through an interpreter. “I did my training. I praise the Lord,” said Ayana, whose time of 29 minutes, 17.45 seconds erased the mark set by China’s Wang Junxia in 1993. “My doping is my training. My doping is Jesus. Otherwise nothing. I am crystal clear.”
Time and testing will reveal the truth, but doping likely will be an ongoing issue during the track and field competition.
The International Assn. of Athletics Federations — the sport’s governing body — banned Russian athletes from competing here following a World Anti-Doping Agency investigation that found evidence of widespread, state-sponsored doping.
The only Russian allowed to participate is long jumper Darya Klishina, who will compete as a “neutral” athlete. Russians won 16 track and field medals at London in 2012.
In addition, more than a dozen Kenyan athletes have been suspended for doping, and a sprint coach was sent home Thursday after being accused of posing as an 800-meter runner to facilitate cheating on a drug test.
Bouncing with Canada and how to break a tie
If you have to have a country next door, you would want it to be Canada. Everybody loves them. They talk like we do but with some funny affectations, eh! And they are just all-around good people. So, it’s with great pleasure to see that they are continuing their role as a world power in trampoline.
This isn’t don’t-get-any-potato-salad-on-it trampoline; this is a scary, high-flying type of bungee jumping without the bungee.
Four years ago, Rosie MacLennan won the trampoline competition for Canada’s only gold medal of the London Games.
It was as if the Canadians’ motto was “own the bronze” as they won 12 of those medals to go with five silver and MacLennan’s gold. MacLennan did it again in Rio on Friday.
When you add in the shared gold by swimmer Penny Oleksiak in the 100-meter freestyle, our friends to the north have doubled their gold total in these Games.
Rio 2016: Katie Ledecky gives thanks
Bad form at the Olympics in Daily Beast’s Grindr-baiting story
Our initial reaction was that the entire removal of the piece was not necessary. We were wrong.
A special moment of Olympic proportions
Michael Phelps tied for silver in the 200-meter butterfly after Maya DiRado pulled off a stunning win in the women’s 200-meter backstroke on Friday night in Rio.
Phelps, the most-decorated Olympian in history with 22 gold medals and 27 overall, caught up with DiRado after she denied Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu a fourth gold in Rio, and capped off a remarkable one-and-done Olympics for the American.
Anthony Ervin wins 50 freestyle gold
Anthony Ervin, the oldest U.S. man to swim an individual event in the Olympics since 1904, captured the 50-meter freestyle at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on Friday.
The 35-year-old from Valencia, who tied for gold in the same race 16 years ago at the Sydney Olympics, finished in 21.40 seconds to become the oldest individual swimming winner in Summer Games history.
France’s star sprinter Florent Manaudou, the event’s heavy favorite, finished second by one hundredth of a second. Ervin’s U.S. teammate, Nathan Adrian, touched the wall third.
“It’s almost absurd I was able to do it again,” Ervin said.
Katie Ledecky breaks world record in 800 freestyle to win fourth gold
Katie Ledecky completed a gold-plated Olympics on Friday by breaking her world record in the 800-meter freestyle.
The fourth gold medal of these Games for the 19-year-old from the Washington area wasn’t a surprise -- she he now holds the 13 fastest times ever in the event.
She finished in 8 minutes 4.79 seconds, about 11 seconds ahead of second-place Jazz Carlin of Britain. The previous record was 8:06.68.
“I had a lot of fun tonight,” Ledecky said. “I just wanted to push myself and see what I could do.”
The victory gave Ledecky another milestone. She is the first woman to sweep the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle races at the same Olympics since U.S. swimmer Debbie Meyer did so at Mexico City in 1968.
Ledecky, the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic swimming team, also won gold in the 800-meter freestyle relay and silver in the 400-meter freestyle relay.
Michael Phelps ties for silver in final individual race
Michael Phelps finished in a three-way tie for silver in the 100-meter butterfly at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on Friday in the final individual race of his storied career.
Singapore’s Joseph Schooling finished in 50.39 seconds, an Olympic record, to outdistance Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, who touched the wall in 51.14 seconds.
“It’s what I had,” said Phelps, who reiterated his plans to retire following the Olympics. “It’s been a really long week and I knew it was going to be a tough one.”
Phelps, with four gold medals at these Games to give him 22 in his career, will compete in the 400-meter medley relay Saturday.
Maya DiRado pulls off surprise win in 200 backstroke
Maya DiRado touched the wall an instant ahead of Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu to pull of a surprising victory in the 200-meter backstroke Friday at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
Hosszu, who swam for USC, had already won three gold medals at these Games. Her qualifying time in the 200 backstroke was a second and a half faster than DiRado.
But the 23 year old Stanford graduate swam down Hosszu in the final 25 meters. A look of shock covered her face when she turned to see the result on the scoreboard.
“That’s just pure joy and surprise and excitement,” she said.
DiRado, winner of medals in three other events during the past week, plans to retire from swimming following the Games. She already has a job lined up in Atlanta.
After difficult week at Olympics, Missy Franklin pledges to return ‘stronger than ever before’
Missy Franklin pledged to return “stronger than ever before” a day after her Olympics came to an abrupt and disappointing end.
In a message to more than 200,000 followers on Facebook, Franklin seemed baffled by the long-running struggles that kept her from advancing to the finals of the 200-meter freestyle or 200-meter backstroke at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
“I understand so very little about this past week, about how many sacrifices and endless hours of hard work would leave me so far behind where I thought I was capable of being,” the 21-year-old wrote. “But understanding will not bring me peace. People knowing that I did everything I possibly could have done, that something beautiful will come out of this and that I will come back stronger than ever before.”
A breakout star at the London Olympics with four gold medals and an ever-present smile, Franklin’s good humor remained at these Games, but her performance in the pool wasn’t the same.
She won a gold medal for swimming in the preliminary heat for the 800-meter freestyle relay, but was dropped from the team for the final and faded in the semifinals of both her individual events.
In the 200 backstroke, Franklin’s signature event, her semifinal time was about six seconds slower than the world record she set in 2012.
The reasons for the slower swims -- she hasn’t recorded a best time since 2014 -- aren’t clear. Franklin insisted she’s healthy and in the best shape of her career. After her final race Thursday, she called the last week the most difficult of her life and expressed relief it was over.
“I felt a little bit like David facing Goliath, but I felt like I didn’t have any stones in my pocket,” Franklin told reporters.
U.S. fends off Serbia’s comeback to win 94-91 in men’s basketball
Team USA had another struggle in men’s basketball but stayed perfect in preliminary play with a 94-91 victory over Serbia on Friday.
The U.S., which suffered a scare in a victory over Australia on Wednesday, raced out to a 23-5 lead in the first quarter Friday.
Serbia, however, refuse to play the patsy – it cut the deficit to 50-41 at halftime and 77-73 in the fourth quarter, but could not quite complete the comeback.
Kyrie Irving finished with 15 points while DeAndre Jordan had 13.
The U.S. plays France on Sunday in its final preliminary game.
Bradley Wiggins becomes Britain’s most-decorated Olympian with gold in cycling’s team pursuit
Bradley Wiggins slowly dismounted his track bike for the final time, basking in the cheers of an adoring crowd, and was greeted by two of the most decorated Olympians in British history.
Not the most decorated, mind you. That title now belongs solely to him.
Wiggins teamed with Ed Clancy, Steven Burke and Owain Doull to beat Australia in record-setting time at the Rio Games on Friday night, winning gold in the team pursuit for the third consecutive time and giving the former Tour de France champion his eighth Olympic medal overall.
That breaks a tie with retired track cyclist Chris Hoy and gives Wiggins two more medals than retired rower Steve Redgrave, long considered Britain’s golden standard.
“It was never about that for me,” Wiggins said, his new medal dangling from his neck. “They’re my heroes in Olympic sport, and just to be in the same breath as those guys is an honor, really.”
Britain stopped the clock in 3 minutes 50.265 seconds to lower the world record it set in the semifinal round. That beat the Australian team of Alexander Edmondson, Jack Bobridge, Michael Hepburn and Sam Welsford, who finished in 3:51.008 to earn the silver medal.
“We knew going in we had a small chance,” Edmondson said. “We had to try.”
Denmark easily beat New Zealand to earn bronze.
Earlier in the night, the Chinese pair of Gong Jinjie and Zhong Tianshi won gold in the women’s team sprint, beating the Russian team of Daria Shmeleva and Anastasia Voinova in the finals.
China broke its own world record in the semifinals, beating Spain with a time of 31.928 seconds, before knocking off the Russians to earn the nation’s first track cycling gold medal.
The German team of Miriam Welte and Kristina Vogel, the reigning Olympic champions, beat the Australian pair of Anna Meares and Stephanie Morton to claim bronze.
American tennis players Steve Johnson and Jack Sock win bronze medal in men’s doubles
Steve Johnson and Jack Sock have won the bronze medal in men’s doubles for the United States, the first medal of the Rio Olympics tennis competition.
Johnson and Sock beat the Canadian pair of Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil, 6-2, 6-4 on Friday night.
Sock and Pospisil won the Wimbledon doubles championship together in 2014.
Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez of Spain are facing Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau of Romania in the gold-medal match.
Rosie MacLennan wins in trampoline for first set of back-to-back golds in Summer Games by a Canadian athlete
Defending Olympic champion Rosie MacLennan opted for her easier routine during women’s trampoline finals on Friday, a rare moment of caution in a sport that thrives on daring.
“I was a lot more confident in it,” MacLennan said. “The other one was a little more shaky. I knew it would be a bit of a gamble and the Olympics isn’t a time to gamble.”
Considering what MacLennan has been through over the last year as she recovered from a pair of concussions that threatened her career, hard to blame her. Yet she never lost faith, and it paid off with a second gold medal to bookend the one she captured in London.
Soaring effortlessly and precisely through the air inside the Rio Olympic Arena, MacLennan posted a score of 56.465 to become the first Canadian athlete to win gold medals in consecutive summer games. Bryony Page of Great Britain was second, followed by Li Dan of China.
Page admitted she was “shellshocked” and could barely stand after putting together the best set of her life, the 25-year-old’s legs buckling when her score posted.
MacLennan’s response was more measured. She’s been here before, even if she wasn’t sure she would be back after sustaining two concussions in the span of a month in 2015. The first one came during a training mishap, the other when her head was smacked by a car door.
Her recovery was slow. Though she managed to qualify for Rio by finishing fourth at the world championships last November, she noticed an odd and troubling symptom when she ramped up her training program early this year: her eyes would start shaking in the middle of her routine.
“If you can’t spot the trampoline you don’t know where you are and I was afraid of getting lost in skills,” MacLennan said. “That fear and that uncertainty took a long time to get back.”
It wasn’t until March that MacLennan felt her confidence return. Working methodically so she wouldn’t get too far ahead of herself, MacLennan felt the trust in her talent return.
“In some ways it was really tough but it was also a reminder of how much I really did love the sport,” she said. “If I didn’t I would have given up.”
Instead she pressed on in an event that requires gymnasts to leap two stories in the air 20-25 times over the course of a minute, getting scored on a combination of “air time” and their series of 10 connected flips and twists. MacLennan placed third in qualifying. Another shot at gold on the line, she could have taken the riskier route and hoped the difficulty would offset any mistakes in execution. Pragmatism won out, a decision that ended with her atop the medal stand once again.
Korea’s Ku Bonchan survives shootout to get the gold medal in archery
As soon as the final arrow struck the board, Ku Bonchan pumped his fist, doubled over and came up looking to the sky.
The Korean then gave his chest a double tap knowing the gold was officially his after a 7-3 defeat of Frenchman Jean-Charles Valladont in the men’s individual archery on Friday.
Ku had to outlast American Brady Ellison in a shootout in the semifinal just to advance, but then rolled through Valladont with all 10s and nines — except for the final eight that clinched the gold.
Valladont defeated Netherlands’ Sjef van den Berg, 7-3, to reach the gold medal round before taking silver.
Ellison rallied from a poor final arrow in the shootout against Ku to defeat Van den Berg 6-2. He had to immediately put away the disappointment of the loss because the bronze medal round began moments later. Ellison has two team silver medals, but this was his first as an individual.
Marathoner Desiree Linden has had a long wait for a long run
Most of the U.S. Olympic track and field team was determined last month, during the trials held in Eugene, Ore. But the three female and three male marathoners clinched their berths six months ago in Los Angeles, so they’ve been waiting quite awhile for their respective Olympic moments.
The wait soon will end for the women, who are scheduled to compete Sunday morning in Rio. The men, however, must wait until the final day of the Games, as has become traditional.
For Chula Vista native Desiree Linden, who was second at the trials, the wait has sometimes seemed interminable.
“When I think about crossing the finish line, it feels like forever. I forgot how hot and miserable it was,” she said in a telephone interview before she arrived in Rio. “But it sort of seems like it’s been a blink of the eye since the training has gone by, and all of a sudden, it’s time to do another one.”
Linden finished second on an unusually warm day in a time of 2 hours 28 minutes 54 seconds, behind Amy Hastings Cragg (2:28:20), and ahead of Shalane Flanagan (2:29:19). Afterward, she took three weeks completely off to recover before starting back up again. “Then I was able to get into a fun training segment, really low-pressure races that were just fun for me,” she said. “An 8K, a half-marathon. We kept the mileage low to make sure I was healthy.”
But since she ran the Columbus, Ohio, half-marathon in late April, “it’s been all business,” said Linden, who trains in Rochester, Mich.
Linden, 33, made the U.S. marathon team for the 2012 London Olympics but had to drop out of the race early because of what later was diagnosed as a femoral fracture. She was so determined to stay healthy leading up to the Rio Games that she took a more cautious approach in training before the U.S. trials, which was something of a risk in itself.
“That was one of the learning things we took away from London. I felt like I just was really aggressive getting ready for the trials last time, and this time, we scaled it back just to make sure I was healthy,” she said. “It was a little bit of a gamble going into the trials at only 90, 95 percent, but I felt like I could get on the team like that and build from there. It really paid off. I feel great right now. I feel like I’m the fittest I’ve ever been, and that’s exciting.”
Making the team again, she said, helped put her London disappointment behind her. “I think that’s when you go, ‘OK, that part’s done. Now that I’m on the team again, I get another opportunity.’ It still really motivates me,” she said.
“I want to go out there and have a really great experience. It was a big learning tool for me. I think if you just completely forget it and don’t take anything away from it, it’s a huge missed opportunity. I use it as a learning tool and a motivator every day. I want to go and have an awesome experience and be better than last time out.”
As soon as she knew she’d be going to Rio, she and her coaches, Kevin and Keith Hanson, planned a visit to scout out the course. She said the weather in Michigan closely simulated the weather she’s likely to encounter in Rio.
“The course is flat and there’s not a whole lot to it that you have to come back and train for, but it was good to know that,” said Linden, who made the trip in June. “And also, I picked up on a bunch of landmarks to have those visuals in training where I can use that and think, ‘Just pretend you’re at this part of the course.’ That was definitely helpful.
“I think it’s going to be spectacular when you get out there on race day and you kind of head down, looking between the curves and eyeing up the competition. It was fun for me to go out there and see the course and see how beautiful Rio is and a lot of the landmarks that are going to be showcased. I think it’s going to be spectacular viewing.”
No American man or woman has won a marathon medal since 2004, when Deena Kastor won bronze and Meb Keflezighi —who made the Rio team — won silver in Athens. The marathon is difficult to predict because of variations in courses and in weather, but Linden has done all she can to prepare for anything.
“I feel I’m in shape where I’ve got a great shot,” she said. “All you can do is get yourself really fit and go out there and do the best you can and see where it lands you.
“But across the board, the three Americans on the women’s side, I think we all have the potential to be on the podium. It’s really exciting. It’s going to be fun to see what happens.”
France’s Teddy Riner successfully defends heavyweight judo title
France’s Teddy Riner has successfully defended his Olympic judo title in the men’s heavyweight division at the Rio Olympics.
In an uneventful final against Japan’s world number two Hisayoshi Harasawa on Friday, Riner won on penalties. He had only one versus the two that Harasawa compiled.
Riner hasn’t lost a match since 2010 and never looked in danger on Friday.
It is France’s second judo gold medal of the Rio Olympics — and of Friday. Earlier on the same tatami mat, France’s Emilie Andeol triumphed over defending Olympic judo champion Idalys Ortiz of Cuba.
The men’s bronze medals were won by Brazil’s Rafael Silva and Israel’s Or Sasson.
North Korea has its first gold medal of Rio Olympics
North Korea has its first gold medal of the Rio Olympics after Rim Jong Sim won the women’s 75-kilogram weightlifting class.
Rim was utterly dominant, lifting 117 kilograms in the snatch and 153 in the clean and jerk for a total of 274, way ahead of the 258 managed by Belarusian silver medalist Darya Naumava, or 257 for Spain’s Lidia Valentin Perez.
North Korea won four gold medals in London four years ago but has started slowly in Rio, with only two silver and two bronze medals before Rim’s win.
Rim was the gold medalist in the 69-kilogram class four years ago and had few serious rivals at 75 kilograms partly because the gold, silver and bronze medalists from that event in 2012 are all suspended after failing drug tests.
U.S. women’s basketball team clinches Group B with 45th straight Olympic win
Maya Moore scored 12 points, and the U.S. routed Canada, 81-51, Friday to clinch Group B in women’s basketball.
The U.S. won its 45th straight Olympic game after a sloppy start in which the Americans (4-0) had their two lowest-scoring quarters in Rio. They led only 18-16 after the first quarter, and could only match that total in the second.
Yet the U.S. led 36-22 at halftime after forcing Canada into 15 turnovers and limiting the Canadians to one field goal in the second quarter. Diana Taurasi also had 12 points, and Tina Charles added 10.
After losing to the Americans by 40 in a pre-Olympic exhibition contest, Canada (3-1) came in with its first undefeated start in the Games. Kia Nurse, who plays at UConn for U.S. Coach Geno Auriemma, was 1-of-9 and finished with just three points.
Hope Solo: ‘We played a bunch of cowards’
Tough loss for the U.S. women’s soccer team Friday in Rio. The U.S. were eliminated from the Olympics by Sweden on penalty kicks following an Olympic quarterfinal game that ended in a 1-1 draw.
Apparently, it’s not sitting well with goalie Hope Solo.
Here’s more of what Solo had to say after the game concluded:
“We played a creative game. We had many opportunities on goal. We showed a lot of heart. We came back from a goal down. I’m very proud of this team.”
“We played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today. I strongly, firmly believe that.”
“Sweden dropped back. They didn’t want to open play. They didn’t want to pass the ball around. They didn’t want to play great soccer, entertaining soccer. It was a combative game. A physical game. Exactly what they wanted. Exactly what their game plan was. We had that style of play when Pia was our coach. I think it was very cowardly. But they won, they’re moving on. And we’re going home,”
Meanwhile, Swedish coach and former U.S. national team coach Pia Sundhage had a stern reply to Solo.
“According to Hope Solo, I think you should define what is a good team. Well, usually – especially with the Americans – a good team is when they’re winning.
“And they’re winning all the time. That’s the best team in the world. But for once they didn’t go the whole way through. We won the game. They played more attacking football than we did. We defend very well. And the fact that…it went to penalty kicks says something about our defending. U.S. played better in the attack, we played better in the defense. And at the end of the day we won the game and that’s what all counts.
“It’s OK to be a coward if you win.”
After the initial outburst, Solo tried to soften her earlier comments.
“You’ve got to take your hat off to them because they beat us. So they’re going on, like I said, and we’re going home. They don’t have as quality of players as the American team does or as Brazil does, so they have to play a way that’s going to give them hope to beat a team like Brazil or the USA.”
“And I think that’s part of the tactical side of things. And Pia is somewhat of a tactician, so she dropped her team into a 50 and tried to hit long balls. They could only really score on the opportunity for a long ball or on set pieces. So I guess you can say it’s smart, but I don’t think it’s respectful to the game.”
Three Olympians punished for doping
A Chinese swimmer, a Polish weightlifter and a Bulgarian steeplechaser on Friday were expelled or suspended from the Olympics for doping, the first athletes sanctioned after failing drug tests at the Games.
Weightlifter Tomasz Zielinksi and steeplechaser Silvia Danekova were kicked out of the Games after testing positive for banned substances, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said.
Swimmer Chen Xinyi accepted a “provisional suspension” after testing positive for a diuretic. The court said her case will continue, with a final decision to be issued before the end of the Games.
The 18-year-old Chen’s Olympics were over anyway. She finished fourth Sunday in the 100-meter butterfly and pulled out before Friday’s 50-meter freestyle, her final event of the Games.
These were the first decisions issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which is handling doping cases at the Olympics for the first time. The International Olympic Committee handed over responsibility to the court in a bid to make the process more independent.
Chen tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide, which is listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a “specified substance.” Athletes testing positive for those substances can receive reduced penalties because of the possibility the drug was taken inadvertently.
“The athlete accepted a provisional suspension on a voluntary basis,” the court said of Chen. “As a consequence, the athlete is provisionally suspended from competing at the Olympic Games. The procedure will continue and the CAS (anti-doping division) will issue a final award before the end of the games.”
Zielinski, who was scheduled to compete in the 94-kilogram division, tested positive for the steroid 19-Norandrosterone, while Danekova tested positive for EPO, a blood-boosting hormone that aids stamina and endurance.
Both were excluded from the Games and stripped of their Olympic accreditation. Their cases were handed over to their international federations for possible further sanctions. Both could face two-year bans.
Danekova, 33, was not considered a medal contender in the steeplechase, which starts with heats Saturday. Zielinski already had been sent home from Rio after his positive test. On Friday, the Polish weightlifting federation said his brother, Tomasz, a gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, tested positive for the steroid nandrolone in Poland on July 1 and faces being sent home from Rio.
Australia rolls, 93-68, even as Andrew Bogut sits
Australia played without center Andrew Bogut and easily handled China, 93-68, on Friday in men’s basketball.
Bogut, who came back from a left knee injury sustained in the NBA Finals to represent his country in Rio, sat on the bench in street clothes and cheered his teammates on to their third win of the tournament. Bogut’s chances of playing in these games looked slim when he badly bruised his knee while playing for the Golden State Warriors in June, but the former No. 1 overall draft pick pushed himself hard to make it to Brazil
Cameron Bairstow scored 17 points and Aron Baynes 12 for the Aussies, who lost to the United States by only 10 on Wednesday and are eyeing their first Olympic medal.
Australia will conclude pool play on Sunday against Venezuela.
Yi Jianlian scored 20 to pace China. The 29-year-old played four seasons in the NBA with Milwaukee, New Jersey, Washington and Dallas.
U.S. bounced from women’s soccer tournament by Sweden on penalty kicks
Pia Sundhage says her best memory as a soccer coach came in 2011 when the U.S. beat Japan in the waning minutes of overtime in a World Cup quarterfinal.
Sundhage was the U.S. coach then, and the Americans hadn’t played an overtime period in the quarterfinals of a major international tournament again until Friday, when they met Sweden in the quarterfinals of the Rio Olympics.
Sundhage’s memories of this match may be even fonder, now that she’s now coaching Sweden, which upset the top-ranked Americans on penalty kicks following a game that ended in a 1-1 draw.
Lisa Dahlkvist delivered the winning penalty in the fifth round. Lotta Schelin, Kosovare Asllani and Caroline Seger also scored for Sweden.
Lindsey Horan, Carli Lloyd and Morgan Brian scored for the U.S., but Swedish keeper Hedvig Lindahl made a first-round save on Alex Morgan before Christen Press sent her kick well over the bar in the final round.
With the win, Sweden goes on to the quarterfinals, where it will meet the winner of Friday’s late quarterfinal between Australia and Brazil. The U.S., the three-time defending champions, will go home, after failing to reach the final for the first time in the history of women’s Olympic soccer.
Gone, too, is the Americans’ dream of becoming the first team to win a World Cup and Olympic title in consecutive summers.
The U.S. was lucky to even force overtime, scoring a Morgan shot in the 75th minute. Sweden’s goal came from Stina Blackstenius in the 61st minute.
Well acquainted with the Americans’ offensive firepower, Sundhage elected to have her team sit back and play defense, showing only an occasional interest in trying to score. So the U.S. put Sweden on the ropes and kept it there, delivering shot after shot.
If it had been a boxing match instead of a soccer game, it would have been stopped in the early rounds. Instead, Sweden absorbed the blows, hoping for a one-punch knockout.
And the Swedes almost got it when a long pass from deep in the U.S. end launched Blackstenius on a counterattack midway through the second half.
With U.S. defender Julie Johnston in hot pursuit, Blackstenius dashed up the right wing and into the box before sliding a low-right-footed shot past U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo and into the net at the far side to give Sweden a 1-0 lead.
It marked the first time Solo, who gave up two goals in the group-play final with Colombia, had allowed scores in back-to-back games since October.
Morgan answered 14 minutes later on a play that started with a long Tobin Heath service for Crystal Dunn that was just a bit too high. After the ball cleared the leaping Dunn, it continued into the box, where it struck Sweden’s Jessica Samuelsson in the upper body and caromed right to Morgan.
Morgan alertly jumped on the lucky bounce and turned it into a game-tying goal.
That may have been the only time the ball bounced the Americans’ way, though. In the opening half, the U.S. controlled the ball for more than three-quarters of the time, getting off more than half a dozen shots. Yet it had nothing to show for it, sending shots over, around and off the goal frame but never between the posts.
Although Swedish keeper Lindahl was responsible for some of that, the U.S. was frequently its own worst enemy, occasionally rushing shots while at other times blowing scoring chances by being too ambitious with attempts.
Friday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Friday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
For Saturday’s schedule and results, go here.
Archery
Men’s individual
Gold--Bonchan Ku, South Korea
Silver--Jean-Charles Valladont, France
Bronze--Brady Ellison, United States
Badminton
4 a.m.-3:30 p.m.--Group play in men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles
Basketball (men)
Australia 93, China 68
United States 94, Serbia 91
6:30 p.m.--France vs. Venezuela
Basketball (women)
Serbia 80, China 72
United States 81, Canada 51
Spain 97, Senegal 43
Beach Volleyball
Men
Round of 16
Konstantin Semenov and Viacheslav Krasilnikov, Russia, def. Jefferson Santos Pereira and Cherif Younousse Samba, Qatar, 21-13, 21-13.
Sergio Reynaldo Gonzalez Bayard and Nivaldo Nadhir Diaz Gomez, Cuba, def. Alexander Horst and Clemens Doppler, Austria, 21-17, 21-14.
Reinder Nummerdor and Christiaan Varenhorst, Netherlands, def. Rodolfo Lombardo Ontiveros Gomez and Juan Ramon Virgen Pulido, Mexico, 21-18, 21-15.
Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo, Italy, def. Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Ignacio Carambula Raurich, Italy, 21-12, 23-21.
Women
Round of 16
Larissa Franca Maestrini and Talita Rocha, Brazil, def. Britta Buthe and Karla Borger, Germany, 21-17, 21-19.
Barbara Seixas de Freitas and Agatha Bednarczuk, Brazil, def. Fan Wang and Yuan Yue, China, 21-12, 21-16.
Ekaterina Birlova and Evgenia Ukolova, Russia, def. Liliana Fernandez Steiner and Elsa Baquerizo McMillan, Spain, 23-21, 24-22.
Cycling
Men’s team pursuit
Gold--Britain (Steven Burke, Edward Clancy, Owain Doull, Bradley Wiggins)
Silver—Australia (Jack Bobridge, Alexander Edmondson, Michael Hepburn, Sam Welsford, Callum Scotson)
Bronze--Denmark (Lasse Norman Hansen, Niklas Larsen, Frederik Madsen, Casper von Folsach, Rasmus Christian Quaade)
Women’s team sprint
Gold--China (Jinjie Gong, Tianshi Zhong)
Silver--Russia (Daria Shmeleva, Anastasiia Voinova)
Bronze--Germany (Kristina Vogel, Miriam Welte)
Equestrian
Mixed dressage team
Gold--Germany (Kristina Broring-Sprehe, Sonke Rothenberger, Dorothee Schneider, Isabell Werth)
Silver--Britain (Fiona Bigwood, Charlotte Dujardin, Carl Hester, Spencer Wilton)
Bronze--United States (Allison M. Brock, Laura Graves, Kasey Perry-Glass, Steffen Peters)
Fencing
Team foil
Gold--Russia (Artur Akhmatkhuzin; Dmitry Zherebchenko; Alexey Cheremisinov; Timur Safin)
Silver--France (Erwan le Pechoux; Enzo Lefort; Jeremy Cadot; Jean-Paul Tony Helissey)
Bronze--United States (G. Meinhardt, A. Massialas, M. Chamley-Watson, Race Imboden)
Field Hockey (men)
India 2, Canada 2
Germany 2, Netherlands 1
Britain 1, Spain 1
New Zealand 3, Belgium 1
Argentina 3, Ireland 2
Australia 9, Brazil 0
Field Hockey (women)
South Korea 0, China 0
New Zealand 1, Netherlands 1
Handball (women)
Brazil 28, Angola 24
Sweden 29, Netherlands 29
Romania 24, Spain 21
Norway 28, Montenegro 19
Russia 35, Argentina 29
France 21, South Korea 17
Judo
Men 100-kilogram
Gold--Teddy Riner, France
Silver--Hisayoshi Harasawa, Japan
Bronze--Rafael Silva, Brazil
Bronze--Or Sasson, Israel
Women 78-kilogram
Gold--Emilie Andeol, France
Silver--Idalys Ortiz, Cuba
Bronze--Kanae Yamabe, Japan
Bronze--Song Yu, China
Rowing
Women’s lightweight double sculls
Gold--Netherlands, 7:04.73
Silver--Canada, 7:05.88
Bronze--China, 7:06.49
Men’s lightweight double sculls
Gold--France, 6:30.70
Silver--Ireland, 6:31.23
Bronze--Norway, 6:31.39
Women’s coxless pair
Gold--Great Britain, 7:18.29
Silver--New Zealand, 7:19.53
Bronze--Denmark, 7:20.71
Men’s coxless four
Gold--Great Britain, 5:58.61
Silver--Australia, 6:00.44
Bronze--Italy, 6:03.85
Shooting
Men’s 50-meter rifle prone
Gold--Henri Junghaenel, Germany
Silver--Kim Jong-hyun, South Korea
Bronze--Kirill Grigoryan, Russia
Women’s skeet final
Gold--Diana Bacosi, Italy
Silver--Chiara Cainero, Italy
Bronze--Kim Rhode, United States
Soccer (women)
Quarterfinals
Sweden 1, United States 1 (Sweden advances on penalty kicks, 4-3)
Germany 1, China 0
Canada 1, France 0
6 p.m.--Brazil vs. Australia
Swimming (men)
Men’s 100-meter butterfly
Gold—Joseph Schooling, Singapore
Silver--Michael Phelps, United States
Silver--Chad Guy Bertrand le Clos, South Africa
Silver--Laszlo Cseh, Hungar.
Women’s 800-meter freestyle
Gold--Kathleen Ledecky, United States
Silver--Jazz Carlin, Britain
Bronze--Boglarka Kapas, Hungary
Women’s 200-meter backstroke
Gold--Madeline Dirado, United States
Silver--Katinka Hosszu, Hungary
Bronze--Hilary Caldwell, Canad
Table tennis
6 a.m.--Women’s team, round one
3:30 p.m.--Men’s team, round one
Tennis
Men’s doubles
Gold--Lopez/Nadal (Spain) def. Mergea/Tecau (Romania), 2-1
Bronze--Johnson/Sock (United States) def. Nestor/Pospisil (Canada), 2-0
Women’s singles semifinals
Monica Puig (Puerto Rico) d. Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic), 2-1
Angelique Kerber (Germany) d. Madison Keys (United States), 2-0
Women’s doubles semifinals
Makarova/Vesnina (Russia) d. Safaroba/Strycova (Czech Republic), 2-0
-Bacsinzky/Hingis (Switzerland) vs. Hlavackova/Hradecka (Czech Republic)
Track and field
5:30 a.m.--Men’s discus qualifying, women’s shotput qualifying, men’s 800 meters round one, women’s 100 meters preliminaries
Women’s 10,000 meters
Gold--Almaz Ayana, Ethiopia, 29:17.45 (world record)
Silver--Vivian Cheruiyot, Kenya, 29:32.53
Bronze--Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia, 29:42.56
6:50 a.m.--Heptathlon high jump
Men’s 20-kilometer race walking final
Gold--Wang Zhen, China, 1:19:14
Silver--Cai Zelin, China, 1:19:26
Bronze---Dane Bird-Smith, Australia, 1:19:37
4:20 p.m.--Women’s 1,500 meters round one, women’s hammer throw qualifying, men’s 400 meters round one, men’s long jump qualifying, women’s shotput final, women’s 100 meters round one
4:35 p.m.--Heptathlon shotput
Trampoline
Women
Gold--Rosannagh Maclennan, Canada
Silver--Bryony Page, Britain
Bronze--Dan Li, China
Volleyball (women)
Serbia 3, China 0
Argentina 3, Cameroon 2
United States 3, Italy 1
Netherlands 3, Puerto Rico 0
Russia 3, Japan 0
Brazil 3, South Korea 0
Water polo (men)
Hungary 17, Japan 7
Croatia 10, Italy 7
Montenegro 8, United States 5
Greece 9, Brazil 4
Spain 10, France 4
Serbia 10, Australia 8
Weightlifting
Women’s 75-kilogram
Gold--Jong Sim Rim, North Korea
Silver--Darya Naumava, Belarus
Bronze--Lidia Valentin Perez, Spain
Men’s 85-kilogram
Gold--Kianoush Rostami, Iran
Silver--Tao Tian, China
Bronze--Gabriel Sincraian, Romania
Ryan Lochte gives ‘guarantee’ that Michael Phelps will swim at Tokyo Olympics
Will Michael Phelps really retire after the Rio Olympics?
Ryan Lochte continues to insist that it won’t happen.
In an interview with NBC’s “Today” on Friday, the longtime rival and friend of Phelps discussed racing against him at the Tokyo Olympics in four years.
“You know what, I can definitely say that, because I guarantee he will be there,” Lochte said. “I think so. I really think so. So, Michael, I’ll see you in Tokyo.”
On Thursday, Phelps won the 200-meter individual medley for his fourth gold medal of the Rio Games -- and the 26th Olympic medal of his career. Lochte faded to fifth place in the race that Phelps has captured at four consecutive Olympics.
Following the event, Lochte wasn’t as adamant about Phelps returning.
“He said that’s it,” Lochte told reporters. “I think I said in the call room that I’m not going to believe it until I see it, so we will see what happens.”
Simone Manuel: “I’m glad I can be an inspiration”
When Simone Manuel returned to the Olympic Village early Friday morning after becoming the first black woman to ever win an individual gold medal in swimming at the Games, roommate Katie Ledecky was waiting in their apartment.
“She said, ‘I wasn’t going to fall asleep until I have you a hug,’” Manuel said Friday afternoon at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium. “That really meant a lot to me. Her staying up said enough in itself.”
Manuel, a 20-year old who attends Stanford, remained even-keeled about making history. The feat came after one the most dramatic finishes of the swimming competition where Canada’s Penny Oleksiak and Manuel both touched the wall in 52.70 seconds to tie for the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle and set an Olympic record.
“I’m glad I can be an inspiration to others, but I haven’t really thought about how much life has changed yet,” Manuel said.
She’s tried not to think much about the flood of people congratulating her, either, after a moment that quickly transcended sports.
Teammate Lia Neal alerted Manuel that LeBron James tweeted that she was “inspiring” and Serena Williams called her “so amazing.”
Even Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the ‘Hamilton’ musical, sent a message.
“I am watching the glorious mermaid Simone Manuel make history,” he tweeted. “Well done, incredible mermaid.”
Manuel, meanwhile, had to focus on more swimming Friday. She advanced to the semifinal of the 50-meter freestyle in 24.71 seconds, the 11th-fastest qualifier of the afternoon.
Yulia Efimova’s defense against doping criticism from Lilly King: ‘What would she say about Michael Phelps?’
Yulia Efimova is clearly frustrated with all the criticism she’s receiving for being allowed to compete in the Rio Olympics despite multiple doping offenses.
So perhaps it was in frustration that the Russian swimmer, who has won two silver medals in Rio de Janeiro, offered this response to a question about her most vocal critic, U.S. swimmer Lilly King, during a news conference Thursday:
“What would she say about Michael Phelps?”
We can only guess at this point, but King might say something about the fact that Phelps has never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, while Efimova has twice.
In 2013, Efimova served a 16-month suspension for a substance she said she didn’t realize was in a supplement she took; earlier this year she tested positive for meldonium, which she said she hadn’t taken since it was banned in January.
A spokeswoman for the Russian Swimming Federation later said Efimova was referring to Phelps being suspended twice in the past, once after a photo surfaced of him using a bong and the other time for receiving a DUI.
Neither of those offenses seem the same as allegedly cheating, so Efimova’s question regarding Phelps really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Efimova went on to name Dave Salo, her former coach at the Trojan Swim Club, as one of only two Americans she respects and trusts.
She might not have seen this quote from an email Salo sent to The Times’ Bill Plascke earlier this week.
“Should she be in the Olympics? If we are going to have clean sport — probably not,” Salo said of Efimova. “Despite my 38-year protestation of any performance-enhancement supplementation of any kind, I’m afraid we might have lost that battle.”
Olympic diving practice postponed as pool remains green
Poolgate continued for another day at the Rio Olympics.
(Naturally, it would be far too easy to say #WaterGate.)
Rio officials, citing FINA approval, took the unusual measure of shutting down training for the divers for a while Friday because of the continued green water at the diving pool, one of the most visible facility failures of the Olympic Games.
They are attempting to get things right in time for Friday’s three-meter springboard event for the women.
British star diver Tom Daley, an active and witty social media presence, commented on the development, via Twitter:
“Diving pool is closed this morning. Hopefully that means we haven’t been diving in anything too bad the last couple of days!”
U.S. diver Abby Johnston also took to Twitter with a message:
Rio 2016 issued a statement that said:
“We confirm that diving training in Maria Lenk Aquactics Centre’s pool is cancelled this morning. FINA is aware and supports our decision. The reason is that the water must be still so the pool can return to its blue color as soon as possible. Athletes are performing dry training this morning in Maria Lenk. Diving training will resume at 1pm and the preliminaries at 3.30pm.”
Training indeed resumed at 1:30 p.m. in Rio.
Canadian diver Vincent Riendeau said that they were warned to take precautions once practice resumed.
“There’s a bit more chlorine,” he said. “They told us not to open our eyes too much in the water. It’s just a question of health and not getting our eyes too itchy. I haven’t felt anything. I dove for two hours and I really didn’t feel my eyes starting to itch. I think it’s going to be all right for all the athletes.”
He noted that the condensed training period meant many more divers on the deck. They got the training session in before preliminaries for the women’s three-meter springboard started at 3 p.m.
Some divers were quoted about the pungent smell at the venue.
“This morning it might have been a bit worse,” Riendeau said. “I wasn’t here but some of the athletes said it did smell a little weird. I got here around noon, there was a weird smell. When we went in the water around 1, 1:30, it was gone.”
Diving into green pool water was a new thing for the diver from Montreal. His theory was that the problems started when the weather turned cooler in Rio earlier in the week.
“I think because it was a bit cold outside, they raised the temp of the pool,” he said. “There was some algae that grew and they raised the level of chlorine in the water to kill that algae.”
Rio Olympics: Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana sets world record in winning women’s 10,000 meters
The Rio Olympic track and field competition began with a world record, as Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia shattered the world record in the women’s 10,000-meter race at Olympic Stadium with a time of 29 minutes, 17.45 seconds.
Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot of Kenya was second in 29:32.53, with Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia third in 29:42.56.
The previous world record of 29:31.78 was set by Wang Junxia of China in 1993. Dibaba held the previous Olympic record of 29:54.66, set when she won the 10,000 meter at the 2008 Beijing Games.
American Molly Huddle was sixth, but set an American record in 30:13.17, with Emily Infeld 11th in a personal-best time of 31:26.94. The third American entrant, Marielle Hall, was 33rd with a time of 32:39.32.
In other morning action, Charles Jock of San Diego and UC Irvine, didn’t advance out of his first-round heat in the men’s 800. Boris Berian, who trains at Big Bear Lake, and Clayton Murphy advanced. American shot putters Michelle Carter and Raven Saunders advanced to Friday night’s final but Felisha Johnson did not advance.
Rio Olympics: Watch an emotional Simone Manuel discuss her history-making gold medal in swimming
Simone Manuel became the first African American female swimmer to win a gold medal in an individual event when she won the women’s 100 meter freestyle event Thursday night.
Manuel told the media afterward that her victory had extra meaning.
“It means a lot, especially with what is going on in the world today, some of the issues of police brutality,” Manuel said. “This win hopefully brings hope and change to some of the issues that are going on. My color just comes with the territory.”
While those comments came in the post-race news conference, she was equally emotional when interviewed by NBC just after the race. You can see that interview above.
A friend is now a foe, but does it spell trouble for the Americans?
All I’m focused on is my performance and our team’s performance. We are a different team than when Pia was here.
— Carli Lloyd, U.S. captain on facing her former coach
Pia Sundhage is well aware of the U.S. team’s unparalleled success in women’s Olympic soccer. She’s partly responsible for it: When the Americans won their last two gold medals, in Beijing and London, Sundhage was their coach.
She’ll be standing in front of the other bench Friday, coaching Sweden against the U.S. in a quarterfinal contest in Brasilia. She has no illusion about the difficulty of the task she and Sweden are facing.
“We’re going to play the best team in the world,” Sundhage said Thursday. “Olympic champions and the world champions. That is challenging and inspiring.
“Everybody knows, when it comes to the quarterfinals, anything can happen.”
Jill Ellis, the current U.S. coach, was Sundhage’s assistant in London, and the two remain friendly. The same isn’t necessarily true of some of Ellis’ players, however. Before the Women’s World Cup last summer, Sundhage was quoted in the New York Times making comments critical of midfielder Carli Lloyd, goalkeeper Hope Solo and forward Abby Wambach, who has since retired.
Lloyd took exception to Sundhage’s description of her as “a challenge to coach” and a player whose temperament could be “so, so delicate.”
Egyptian booed after refusing judo handshake
Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby was loudly booed at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics after his first-round loss to Israel’s fifth-ranked Or Sasson, when he refused to bow or shake Sasson’s hand, in a major breach of judo etiquette.
Sasson defeated El Shehaby with two throws for an automatic victory, with about a minute and a half remaining in the bout.
Afterward, El Shehaby lay flat on his back for a moment before standing to take his place before Sasson, in front of the referee. When Sasson extended his hand, El Shehaby backed away, shaking his head. El Shehaby refused to comment afterward.
Judo players always bow or shake each other’s hands before and after the match as a sign of respect in the Japanese martial art.
El Shahaby had come under pressure from Islamist-leaning and nationalist voices in Egypt to withdraw entirely from the fight.
Meet the new face of swimming: Katie Ledecky
For Katie, even with the immense pressure that’s been placed upon her since London, it doesn’t faze her.
— Janet Evans, former Olympic champion swimmer
The youngest member of the U.S. Olympic swimming team paused in a stuffy hallway at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium minutes after winning another gold medal.
Katie Ledecky had just gutted out 200 meters of freestyle that hurt her entire body. She considers that fun. The 19-year-old resisted the urge to vomit during the final meters and accelerated to the wall less than a second off the world record in her weakest individual event.
Ledecky was asked whether she represented the future of American swimming.
“I’m kind of the present too,” she said.
As Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, completes the final week of his gold-plated career before retirement and onetime teenage sensation Missy Franklin struggles in the pool, Ledecky has become the world’s most dominant swimmer. She won four medals — three gold — during the first six days of competition at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium, thanks to a methodical blend of speed, endurance and an almost supernatural ability to remain calm.
Column: Hockey can still be fun even with no ice
I always say it’s a mix between ice hockey and soccer, is how I describe field hockey.
— Lauren Crandall, captain of the U.S. women’s hockey team
Go cover a hockey game, my editor said.
OK, boss. Gladly. From the long list of Olympic sports that we generally see only every four years, he plucked the one I’m most familiar with. Good thing my Professional Hockey Writers’ Assn. card is tucked into my wallet.
So I get on a bus that’s as cold as Winnipeg in January — the better to get in that hockey mood, no doubt — and about 25 minutes later, there’s the sign: Olympic Hockey Centre. Found it.
Wait.
No rink. No skates. Illuminated by floodlights is a cobalt-blue synthetic field open to the chilly night air in Deodoro, where two women’s teams are running up and down the 100-yard-by-60-yard field wearing skirts and carrying sticks about half the size of those used by NHL players.
What gives?
He just continues to leave rivals in his wake
As a kid, I wanted to do something that no one had ever done before, and I’m enjoying it. Being able to finish how I want is something very special to me.
— Michael Phelps after winning his fourth gold medal in Rio
The showdown between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte brought the thousands of fans inside the Olympic Aquatics Stadium to their feet, twirling T-shirts over their heads, waving flags and roaring in anticipation of the final act in a rivalry that’s extended more than a decade.
But this one wasn’t even close.
In the latest demonstration of dominance during what is likely the final week of his swimming career, Phelps easily outdistanced Lochte and the rest of the field to win the 200-meter individual medley and his fourth gold medal of the Games.
As much as Phelps and Lochte have a long history, there was a milestone of another nature on Thursday night. Simone Manuel became the first African American woman to ever win an individual swimming gold medal at the Games.
Manuel, 20, had to share her 100-meter freestyle gold with Canadian Penny Oleksiak, 16.
“I never thought I would be in this position, but I’m so blessed and honored to be on the medal stand,” Manuel said of her achievement.
Still, the night belonged to Phelps and a career that gets more memorable with every race.
Column: Emotional win a thing of beauty for Simone Biles
When I knew I had finally done it, every emotion hit me at once. It was kind of a train wreck.
— Simone Biles
She joked, poked, pointed into the stands, sprawled on the floor, laughingly yawned, flitted around the tense Rio Olympic Arena like it was a Thursday afternoon at Gymboree.
But when the announcement came, seconds after one of the most dominating all-around gymnastics performances in Olympic history, she performed her most dramatic leaping twist yet.
Simone Biles cried.
The sunniest woman at these Olympics stepped away from a skyscraping, jaw-dropping floor routine, heard the announcer intone, “She’s the Olympic champion 2016,” and finally, actually, lost it.
Biles cried, teammate Aly Raisman cried, mentor Martha Karolyi cried, Biles’ 17-person cheering section cried, tears everywhere to mark the emotional end to an extraordinary American journey.
Michael Phelps wins 200 IM showdown for 22nd career gold medal
The final showdown between longtime rivals Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte in the 200-meter individual medley instead turned into another display of Phelps’ dominance at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on Thursday.
Phelps touched the wall almost two seconds ahead of Japan’s Kosuke Hagino, who finished second, to win his fourth gold medal at these Games.
Lochte, who holds the world record in the event, faded during the final leg to place fifth.
Phelps finished in 1 minute 54.66 seconds to win the event at his fourth consecutive Olympics.
He now owns 26 Olympic medals, 22 of them gold, and plans to retire after the Games.
“I say this a lot, but every single day I’m living a dream come true,” Phelps said. “As a kid, I wanted to do something that no one had ever done before, and I’m enjoying it. Being able to finish how I won is just something very special to me and this is why you are seeing more and more emotion on the medal podium.”
Missy Franklin fails to advance in 200 backstroke as her difficult Olympics end
Missy Franklin’s disappointing Olympics came to an abrupt end Thursday in her signature event.
Franklin, who owns the world record in the 200-meter backstroke, finished 14th out of 16 swimmers in the semifinals and failed to advance. Her time -- 2 minutes 9.74 seconds -- was almost six seconds slower than the record she set in 2012.
“I felt like David facing Goliath but I didn’t have any stones in my pocket,” Franklin said.
Four years ago, Franklin became the breakout star of the London Olympics when she captured four gold medals -- including both backstroke races -- and won over fans with her wide smile and bubbly personality.
Similar success eluded Franklin, 21, at these Games. She finished last in her semifinal heat of the 200-meter freestyle earlier this week and didn’t advance.
On Wednesday, she swam the second leg of the U.S. 800-meter freestyle relay during the preliminaries but was dropped for the final. She still collected a gold medal -- the fifth of her career -- after her American teammates won the final later in the day.
Simone Manuel and Canada’s Penny Oleksiak tie for gold in 100 freestyle
Simone Manuel and Canada’s Penny Oleksiak tied for the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle in a thrilling finish at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on Thursday.
Manuel and Oleksiak touched the wall in 52.70 seconds, an Olympic record.
Australia’s Cate Campbell, who set the world record in the event last month, faded to sixth.
Ma Long continues China’s domination in table tennis
World No. 1 Ma Long has extended China’s utter domination of table tennis with his 4-0 gold medal win over countryman Zhang Jike, the reigning London champion.
The victory Thursday comes a day after Chinese women took gold and silver.
Ma, the reigning world champion, came into the tournament expected to win, and he dismantled Zhang, whose first name was inspired by Brazilian soccer star Zico.
Despite putting together erratic performances since London, Zhang is known for showing up for big matches.
But it was all Ma on Thursday.
China has won all but four gold medals since table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988 — and all the golds at the last two Games. If its men and women can take the team titles, as expected, they will have swept gold in Rio, too.
Jun Mizutani of Japan beat Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus in the bronze-medal match.
Ryan Murphy captures 200 backstroke for second gold medal at the Olympics
Ryan Murphy won gold in the 200-meter backstroke at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on Thursday, continuing an impressive showing at the Games.
Murphy finished in 1 minute 53.62 seconds, ahead of Australia’s Mitchell Larkin (silver) and Russia’s Evgeny Rylov (bronze).
Earlier this week, Murphy set an Olympic record as he captured gold in the 100-meter backstroke.
Romania gets its first gold of the Rio Games by winning women’s team epee
Romania’s fencers beat top-ranked China to win the gold medal in women’s team epee Thursday.
It’s the first medal of the Rio Games for the Romanians, who outscored China, 44-38.
Ana Maria Popescu helped Romania widen its early gap, scoring four unmatched touchés. Yujie Sun got China back to within 30-25 ahead of its final bout, but four early scores from Popescu clinched it for the Romanians.
Russia beat Estonia, 37-31, to claim bronze and an Olympic-leading fifth fencing medal.
Jason Kenny and his ‘mates’ win another cycling gold for Britain in team sprint
It doesn’t matter who lines up with Jason Kenny in the team sprint at the Olympics.
The result is always the same.
The new-look British squad of Kenny, Philip Hindes and Callum Skinner rallied past New Zealand on the final lap Thursday, winning its third consecutive gold medal in the event.
Kenny is the only one who’s been part of them all.
“The team event is always the best. You get to win it with your mates,” said Kenny, who will try to defend his individual sprint title later in the track cycling program. “I remember that in Beijing and again in London, and here with a completely fresh team from Beijing.”
Hindes replaced Jamie Staff on the squad four years ago in London. Skinner joined the team this year, replacing the retired Chris Hoy, the most decorated Olympian in British history.
“We knew Callum could get on,” Hindes said. “We knew he was on form. He had big shoes to fill, but I’m not sure Callum ever felt the pressure. He just did his own ride.”
Britain trailed New Zealand when their second and third riders dropped away, but Skinner was able to make up the difference on the final lap. Britain set a time of 42.440 seconds, lowering the Olympic record that the Kiwis set in the previous round of competition.
Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster and Ed Dawkins stopped the clock in 42.542 seconds.
“You can’t really fault what we did,” Dawkins said. “Three personal bests and one Olympic record. I’m gutted that it’s not gold, but it’s what we had in the tank.”
The French team of Gregory Bauge, Francois Pervis and Michael D’Almeida rallied on the final lap to swipe bronze from the Australian team of Nathan Hart, Matt Glaetzer and Patrick Constable.
Rugby sevens team gives Fiji its first gold medal in Olympic history
Osea Kolinisau and his rugby sevens teammates can call themselves Fiji’s first Olympic champions, capping their domination the last two years with an emphatic 43-7 win over Britain in the gold-medal match at Rio.
Both teams were unbeaten going into the final, but only one of them has rugby sevens as a national sport. It was all but over at halftime, with the Fijians scoring five tries before the break to 29-0. Kolinisau scored the first of those, reaching back over his head to touch down.
Rugby is back in the Olympics for the first time since a 15-a-side tournament was played in 1924. The International Olympic Committee took the decision in 2009 to add the sevens format for Rio, and the Fijians have been preparing ever since to end a drought at the Summer Games.
South Africa won the silver medal with 54-14 win over Japan, which shook up the tournament on day one with an upset win over New Zealand.
Medal winners from California have to pay taxes on their bonuses
A long way from Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, California lawmakers squashed any hopes of tax-free Olympic victories.
An effort to exempt winnings from state taxes was killed by a legislative panel in Sacramento. The issue in question: bonuses paid by the U.S. Olympic Committee for athletes who win gold, silver or bronze medals.
Those payments — $25,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze — are considered taxable income under California law. Had it survived, the bill would have exempted those winnings for a four-year period starting this tax year.
Legislative efforts in 2012 and 2014 also failed to win passage.
Green pool water? A couch tossed in the kayaking venue? ‘No regrets,’ says IOC spokesman
Stray bullets. Green water in the diving pool. Reports of a submerged couch in the kayaking venue.
The 2016 Summer Games have had their share of problems through the first six days, but an International Olympic Committee spokesman insisted Thursday that his organization does not regret awarding the Games to Rio de Janeiro.
“No regrets at all,” Mark Adams said. “We will look back at these Games as being a good, good thing for the Olympic movement.”
With Brazil enduring a deep recession, the Rio 2016 organizing committee has been forced to make significant cutbacks. There have been venue and transportation problems and long lines for fans at some arenas.
IOC Vice President John Coates of Australia told the BBC these were the “most difficult” Games ever in terms of dealing with the economy and the upheaval surrounding Brazil’s suspended president, Dilma Rousseff, who is facing an impeachment trial.
Adams remained optimistic.
“There are problems here, there are problems at every Games,” the spokesman said. “What is important is how those difficulties are dealt with.”
Athletes and companies protest Rule 40 with a pile of snark
Under the Olympic Charter, almost all businesses are forbidden to mention the Olympics or the athletes they sponsor in any way for the duration of the Games and then some. Athletes are likewise not allowed to acknowledge their sponsors during that period.
The policy known as Rule 40 applies even on social media, where banned words include the wholly expected (such as “Olympics,” “medal” and “Rio”) and the vague (including “performance, “challenge” and “effort”). Companies aren’t even allowed to retweet news stories about the Olympics.
This year, companies and athletes are fighting back.
Simone Biles wins gold, Aly Raisman takes silver in women’s all-around
The pent-up emotion was unleashed by Simone Biles and Aly Raisman in their respective floor exercises and they captured the emotion of the crowd at Rio Olympic Arena on Thursday.
Then the Americans captured gold and silver.
Biles, who came to Rio as the most-decorated gymnast of her era, fulfilled her Olympic gold-medal destiny and won women’s all-around event. Raisman seized the silver with an emotional floor routine, which left her in tears of joy.
Aliya Mustafina of Russia, a bronze medalist in 2012, took the bronze again. An all-around medal was a long-time goal for the 22-year-old Raisman, who lost out to Mustafina on a tiebreaker in London.
Biles was in second place after the second rotation, took the lead after the third and punctuated the brilliant day with a 15.933 on the floor. Raisman’s act -- 15.433 on the floor -- would have been tough for anyone other than Biles to follow.
After third rotation
Simone Biles retook the lead with her trademark balance-beam routine. She had a small wobble near the beginning of it but seemed to regain strength and confidence as the routine went along, scoring, 15.433.
Aly Raisman moved up one spot, from fourth to third with a consistent and clean routine, 14.866.
As for the chief competition? The balance beam was not kind either Aliya Mustafina or Seda Tutkhalian, who scored 13.866 and 13.800, respectively.
Mustafina had a big step back on her landing and Tutkhalin botched her landing and fell back.
There were appeals -- called inquiries -- to the judges on the Biles, Raisman and Mustafina beam routines but all were quickly rejected, like most inquiries here so far.
After three rotations: 1.) Simone Biles 46.265. 2.) Aliya Mustafina 44.732 3.) Aly Raisman 44.665.
After two rotations
This apparatus, the uneven bars, is considered the weakest event for Simone Biles, who dropped to second place behind Aliya Mustafina of Russia.
It’s all relative, naturally. The uneven bars is the only individual event final that Biles did not qualify for in Rio. Given that, she seemed quite pleased when she saw her score: 14.966.
In fact, that was better than she did on the bars at the world championships last year in the all-around event.
Less pleased was Aly Raisman, who finished her routine with a small hop and received, 14.166, below her usual standard. In the preliminaries here in the team event, Raisman had a 14.733 on the bars.
Mustafina’s lead over Biles is 30.866 to 30.832. Seda Tutkhalian of Russia moved into third and Raisman dropped to fourth. Mustafina is the reigning Olympic champion on the uneven bars.
After first rotation
Aly Raisman and Simone Biles both unleashed Amanar’s on their respective vaults, and both had a hop on their landings but the difficulty of the demanding vault resulted in a high score for both.
Biles, in fact, had a hop and big step forward. She received a score of 15.866 and Raisman 15.633. Opening the vault rotation was crowd favorite Rebeca Andrade, of Brazil, who pleased her many supporters with a 15.566.
After one rotation, Biles was in first place, followed by Raisman, Andrade and Elisabeth Seitz of Germany, who opened on the uneven bars.
Before the event
Will the Rio Olympic Arena be the site of a coronation of U.S. star Simone Biles in the women’s all-around gymnastics final on Thursday?
Biles already has one gold medal, having led the U.S. women to the team title on Tuesday. She is the heavy favorite to double her gold-medal output and could possibly win three more in individual events next week.
But first, the all-around.
Think of it as the decathlon of women’s gymnastics. Biles and her gifted U.S. teammate Aly Raisman start in the same rotation, on the vault, before moving to the uneven bars, the balance beam and then finish with the floor exercise.
The defending Olympic gold medalist in the all around, U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas, did not make the all-around final,as rules dictate each country can only qualify two gymnasts.
Raisman finished fourth in London, losing the bronze to Russian gymnast Aliya Mustafina on a tiebreaker. Mustafina happens to be in the same rotation as Biles and Raisman today.
Biles and her camp have been treating the Olympics like another World Championships, logical considering she has won the all-around at the worlds the last three years.
In 2015, Biles beat Douglas by more than a point at the championships in Glasgow, Scotland. The bronze went to Larisa Iordache of Romania, who is not in the all-around final in Rio. Shang Chunsong of China and Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland finished fourth and fifth, respectively, and both are at the Rio Olympics in the all-around.
Justin Rose figured hole-in-one was great shot ... or a mean joke
Justin Rose did not have a clear view of the hole on No. 4 at the Olympic golf course.
So, even though the British player knew he had hit a good tee shot there during Thursday’s first round, he wasn’t sure about what happened next.
“It was either in or it was off the back edge,” Rose said. “And the way the reaction was from the few people around the green, we figured it had gone in. Although it would have been a great trick to play on me if it had gone 20 yards over the back.”
Given that golf has not been played at the Games in more then 100 years, it probably isn’t surprising that Rose’s ace ranks as the first in Olympic history.
It helped him finish the day at four-under, tied for fourth, four stokes behind Marcus Fraser of Australia.
“It was one of those hole-in-ones that I was probably aiming just right of the pin and it was a lovely golf shot, landed on line and went in,” he said. “There is always an element of luck but you could chalk it up as a good hole-in-one.”
Kayla Harrison repeats as Olympic judo champion
Kayla Harrison won her second consecutive Olympic gold medal in judo, beating Audrey Tcheumeo of France in the 78-kilogram (172-pound) final and establishing herself as the best judoka in U.S. history Thursday before a packed house at Arena Carioca 2 in Rio’s Barra Olympic Park.
Harrison rolled through the brackets, winning her first two bouts by ippon, beating China’s Zhang Zhehui in 43 seconds and Hungary’s Abigel Joo in a minute and 45 seconds.
(An ippon, which immediately ends a fight, is awarded for a move or hold judged as decisive.)
Harrison, ranked No. 1 in the world in her division, had a tougher time with the much-taller Anamari Velensek of Slovakia in the semifinals but eventually got her into a leg lock halfway through the fight, forcing Velensek to tap out. That victory assured Harrison at least a bronze medal, making her just the second American to win two Olympic medals in judo.
The first, Jimmy Pedro, is Harrison’s coach.
Harrison had been expected to fight Brazilian Mayra Aguiar, ranked fourth in the world, in the final. The two have built an epic rivalry over the years, meeting 17 times, with Harrison winning nine of those bouts. But the second-ranked Tcheumeo beat Aguiar in the semifinals, winning a scoreless match that was decided by penalties.
The fight left Tcheumeo with a bloody mouth while the judo-mad Brazilian crowd booed the decision. Aguiar, however, came back to beat Cuban Yalennis Castillo in a bronze-medal fight, earning a standing ovation.
Aguiar celebrated by climbing into the stands, where she was hugged by family and friends.
Brazil has won more Olympic medals in judo then in any other sport.
Thursday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Thursday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
Archery
Women’s individual
Gold--Hyejin Chang, South Korea
Silver--Lisa Unruh, Germany
Bronze—Bobae Ki, South Korea
Badminton
4 a.m.--Group play in men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles.
Basketball (men)
Croatia 80, Brazil 76
Spain 96, Nigeria 87
Lithuania 81, Argentina 73
Basketball (women)
Turkey 74, Belarus 71
France 74, Brazil 64
Australia 92, Japan 86
Beach volleyball
6 a.m.-6 p.m.--Men’s and women’s preliminary matches
7 p.m.-8 p.m.--Men’s and women’s lucky loser matches
Boxing
7 a.m.--Men’s bantamweight preliminaries, men’s light-heavyweight preliminaries, men’s welterweight preliminaries, men’s light-heavyweight preliminaries.
1 p.m.--Men’s bantamweight preliminaries, men’s light-heavyweight preliminaries, men’s welterweight preliminaries, men’s light-heavyweight preliminaries.
Canoe/Kayak
Men’s canoe double slalom
Gold--Slovakia, 1:41.98
Silver-Great Britain, 1:32.01
Bronze--France, 1:43.24
Women’s kayak single
Gold--Maialen Chourraut, Spain, 1:38.65
Silver--Luuka Jones, New Zealand, 1:41.82
Bronze--Jessica Fox, Australia, 1:42.49
Cycling
Men’s team sprint
Gold--Britain (Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny, Callum Skinner)
Silver--New Zealand (Edward Dawkins, Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster, Zac Williams)
Bronze--France (Gregory Bauge, Michael D’Almeida, Francois Pervis)
Equestrian
6 a.m.--Dressage Grand Prix Day 2
Fencing
5 a.m.--Women’s team epee Round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals.
1 p.m.--Women’s team epee finals.
Field hockey (men)
Netherlands 2, India 1
Ireland 4, Canada 2
Argentina 4, Germany 4
Belgium 3, Spain 1
Field hockey (women)
Spain 2, Germany 1
Australia 1, Argentina 0
United States 3, India 0
4:30 p.m.--Japan vs. Britain
Golf (men)
3:30 a.m.--First round
Gymnastics (women)
All-around
Gold--Simone Biles, United States
Silver--Aly Raisman, United States
Bronze--Aliya Mustafina, Russia
Handball (men)
Tunisia 26, Qatar 25
Poland 33, Egypt 25
Croatia 27, Denmark 24
Brazil 33, Germany 30
Slovenia 29, Sweden 24
France 31, Argentina 24
Judo
Men’s 100-kilogram
Gold--Lukas Krpalek, Czech Republic.
Silver--Elmar Gasimov, Azerbaijan.
Bronze--Cyrille Maret, France.
Bronze--Ryunosuke Haga, Japan.
Women’s 78-kilogram
Gold--Kayla Harrison, United States
Silver--Audrey Tcheumeo, France
Bronze--Mayra Aguiar, Brazil
Bronze--Anamari Velensek, Slovenia
Rowing
Men’s quadruple sculls
Gold--Germany, 6:06.81
Silver--Australia, 6:07.96
Bronze--Estonia, 6:10.65
Women’s quadruple sculls
Gold--Germany, 6:49.39
Silver--Netherlands, 6:40.33
Bronze--Poland, 6:50.86
Men’s coxless pair
Gold--New Zealand, 6:59.71
Silver--South Africa, 7:02.51
Bronze--Italy, 7:04.52
Women’s double sculls
Gold--Poland, 7:40.10
Silver--Great Britain, 7:41.05
Bronze--Lithuania, 7:43.56
Men’s double sculls
Gold--Croatia, 6:50.28
Silver--Lithuania, 6:51.39
Bronze--Norway, 6:53.25
Men’s coxless lightweight four
Gold--Switzerland, 6:20.51
Silver--Denmark, 6:21.97
Bronze--France, 6:22.85
Rugby (men)
Gold--Fiji 43, Britain 7
Bronze--South Africa 54, Japan 14
Fiji 20, Japan 5 (semifinals)
Great Britain 7, South Africa 5 (semifinals)
New Zealand 24, France 19 (placing 5-8)
Argentina 26, Australia 21 (placing 5-8)
United States 24, Spain 12 (ninth-place game)
Kenya 24, Brazil 0 (11th-place game)
Shooting
Women’s 50-meter rifle, three positions final
Gold--Barbara Engleder, Germany, 458.6
Silver--Binbin Zhang, China, 458.4
Bronze--Du Li, China, 447,4
Swimming (men)
200-meter backstroke
Gold--Ryan Murphy, United States
Silver--Mitchell Larkin, Australia
Bronze--Evgeny Rylov, Russia
200-meter individual medley
Gold--Michael Phelps, United States
Silver--Kosuke Hagino, Japan
Bronze--Shun Wang, China
Women
200-meter breaststroke
Gold--Rie Kaneto, Japan
Silver--Yulia Efimova, Russia
Bronze--Jinglin Shi, China
100-meter freestyle (tie for 1st)
Gold--Simone Manuel, United States
Gold--Penny Oleksiak, Canada
Bronze--Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden
Table Tennis
Men’s singles
Gold--Ma Long, China 4, Zhang Jike, China 0
Bronze--Jun Mizutani, Japan 4, Vladimir Samsonov, Belarus, 1
Semifinals
Ma Long (China) 4, Jun Mizutani (Japan) 2
Zhang Jike (China) 4, Vladimir Samsonov (Belarus) 1
Volleyball (men)
Iran 3, Cuba 0
Russia 3, Egypt 0
Poland 3, Argentina 0
France 3, Canada 0
Italy 3, Mexico 0
United State 3, Brazil 1
Water Polo (women)
Russia 14, Brazil 7
Italy 8, Australia 7
United States 12, China 4
Spain 11, Hungary 10
It’s already a big week for high jumper Chaunte Lowe
This has been a big week for former Riverside North High School standout Chaunte Lowe, and not just because the top-ranked U.S. high jumper is about to compete in her fourth Olympics.
Lowe’s 5-year-old daughter, Aurora, who has a learning disability and required special-needs educational services, started mainstream kindergarten near the family’s home in Florida, a happy occasion Lowe had to experience by phone. Lowe and her husband, Mario, have two other children, 9-year-old Jasmine and 2-year-old Mario, who thinks his name is Superman, she said with a smile.
“This is the first Olympic Games that I’ve attended that I wasn’t either a sophomore in college or nursing a 1-year-old,” Lowe said at a news conference Thursday. “And so this time I put myself to the best advantage.”
Lowe, 32, owns the best women’s high-jump mark in the world this year at 2.01 meters (6-foot-7). She has finished sixth in the last two Olympics after failing to advance to the final in 2004.
Like cycling time trial gold medalist Kristin Armstrong, who is the mother of a 5-year-old son, Lowe must balance many roles and keep to a rigid schedule to make everything work. Lowe said she usually wakes up at 4:30 or 5 a.m. to get in some training before her children wake, “so that I’m not taking those hours away from them, because I don’t want to sacrifice their time.” She then returns home to send them off to school each day.
She also spends time as a day trader and plans to take classes in accounting to further her work with online broker Ameritrade in devising a program to help athletes become financially literate now so they can be secure after they retire. That’s an important project for her because she said she and her husband lost two homes to foreclosure early in her career, when she spent much more than she was earning.
It’s a lot to do, especially with a 32-year-old body. Fellow Olympic high jumper Vashti Cunningham, for example, is 18.
“It’s a lot easier when you’re young and your joints move the way they’re supposed to,” Lowe said. “We have 555 people on our team and only 11 of them are mothers. Forty-nine are parents, but only 11 are mothers. It’s a great blessing to be able to be on top for so long, and I’m so excited to see there is a next generation upcoming.”
Track and field events will begin Friday at the Olympic Stadium. Three events will stage their finals: the women’s 10,000-meter race, men’s 20-kilometer race walk and women’s shotput.
Simone Biles gets lavish praise from gymnastics greats Cathy Rigby, Mary Lou Retton and Kim Zmeskal
You’ve heard plenty about the greatness of U.S. gymnast Simone Biles. And you will be hearing much much more by the time the last Amanar vault is unleashed in Rio and everyone goes home.
With women’s gymnastics, it’s virtually impossible to compare generations because the sport advances at such a rapid speed. But who better to check in with than former champions, former Olympians about the excellence of Biles, who will compete in Tuesday’s team final and is the heavy favorite for the all-around gold medal on Thursday.
An impressive array of gymnasts was on hand at the U.S. Olympic trials last month in San Jose, spanning several generations and several offered their observations on Biles.
CATHY RIGBY
Long before she “became” Peter Pan, she was America’s sweetheart, a two-time national champion. Rigby was the first American win a medal at the World Championships, achieving the feat with a silver on the balance beam in 1970. Rigby competed in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics.
Rigby: “I think you feel the routine with her. You feel the moment before she mounts the balance beam or the uneven bars and you breathe with them because you anticipate everything they’re doing and because your eye is used to seeing every angle, the momentum, enough spring going into a move. You are living it with them. You feel it with them.
“You see that confidence in certain people. They’re not intimidated. They’re not afraid. They’re not careful. They don’t white-knuckle things. That’s when you see a real champion. They just go for it.
“People love the medals. They love the tricks. But they like the humanity. That’s always going to win out over everything. They are people with that, ‘It factor,’ They’re going to capture the imagination with their personality and all the other things. Olga Korbut, in ’72, she didn’t win the all-around. Here was a girl from Russia who smiles and cried and did fantastic things. It was Olga that you remember.”
MARY LOU RETTON
Another gymnast primarily known by her first name. Retton was the darling of the 1984 Olympic Games, winning gold in the all-around competition and two silvers and two bronzes in Los Angeles. Retton is just as vivacious now as she was in her gymnastics prime, saying Biles is the best gymnast she has ever seen.
Retton: “Simone Biles is not forgettable by any way, shape or form. It’s an excitement that people are glued to the television set. She absolutely has that capability. The last World Championships I think she had a fall or two and still beat everybody by a couple of points.
“Everyone knew that little girl in Spring [Texas] was going to be something great and here we are.”
KIM ZMESKAL BURDETTE
Another Bela Karolyi-coached gymnast, Zmeskal was the all-around world champion in 1991 and was the cover girl heading into the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, landing on the front of Time and Newsweek.
She was a member of the bronze-medal-winning U.S. team at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, and is now the personal coach of a promising youngster, 16-year-old Regan Smith, who is an alternate on the U.S. women’s team in Rio.
Zmeskal Burdette: “I remember first seeing her, thinking, ‘Wow, she’s very powerful.’ It wasn’t above and beyond. Over time she has truly maximized that.
“It’s exactly what happens when you have success and then you are also praised for it. She has risen with every bit of her success. You’re either going to go one way or another: It’s going to make you more nervous or it’s going to build you up. Somebody says you are great and you can do it. It’s a choice in your mind.
“When you put her out in this type of environment, she is that. She feeds off the environment.”
Rio Olympics: Rower Katherine Grainger becomes Britain’s most decorated Olympian
Rower Katherine Grainger has become Britain’s most decorated female Olympian after winning a silver medal in the women’s double sculls on Thursday.
Grainger, competing in her fifth straight Olympics, and Victoria Thornley were beaten to the finish line by Poland’s Magdalena Fularczyk-Kozlowska and Natalia Madaj. Lithuania got the bronze.
Grainger won a gold medal in London four years ago and silver medals in Sydney, Athens and Beijing. She is the only British woman with five Olympic medals.
Also, brothers Martin and Valent Sinkovic clinched Croatia’s first Olympic gold medal in rowing by winning the men’s double sculls.
The double world champions persevered in a tight race against Lithuanians Mindaugas Griskonis and Saulius Ritter.
The Croatians are the third sibling pair to win Olympic gold in either the men’s or women’s double sculls.
Kjetil Borch and Olaf Tufte finished third to collect Norway’s first medal at the Rio Olympics.
Rio Olympics: New Zealand rowers win men’s pair; German rowers win men’s and women’s quadruple sculls
New Zealand rowers Eric Murray and Hamish Bond defended their Olympic gold Thursday and extended their winning streak in the men’s pair.
The six-time world champions, who are undefeated since they first started competing in the event in 2009, finished more than a boat-length ahead of silver medalist South Africa. Italy’s pair placed third.
In the first medal race of the Rio regatta, defending Olympic champion Germany held off Australia at the finish line to win gold in the men’s quadruple sculls. Estonia got the bronze.
Germany also won the women’s quadruple sculls thanks to a late surge that pushed the German boat past Poland, which had led the race from the start.
The Netherlands also sprinted past the fading Poles, who had to settle for bronze. The United States, world champion in the event last year, finished in fifth place.
A child’s vision turns into an Olympic-sized journey
Happy that I competed. Happy that I left it all out there.
— Daryl Homer, after winning the silver medal in men’s individual saber
There’s not always a storybook ending, but there’s always that smile
I want what’s best for us and best for our country, no matter what.
— Missy Franklin, after being replaced on the 800-meter freestyle relay team
An ageless wonder, champion and advocate
You can set a goal and accomplish anything you want. It doesn’t matter your age.
— Kristin Armstrong, after winning her third gold medal at 43
Gabby Douglas and podium decorum become a star-spangled debate
When it comes to Olympics athlete celebrities, a word to the wise — be careful what you do on the medal stand, you can alienate a lot of your customer base.
— Mark Dyreson, Penn State professor and Olympic scholar
By the dawn’s early light Wednesday, lovable gymnast Gabby Douglas found herself in the middle of a perilous fight, and it’s one she can’t win.
During the medal ceremony for her gold-winning USA gymnastics team on Tuesday at the Rio Olympic Arena, Douglas failed to show what many considered appropriate reverence. As her four teammates stood at full attention with their hands over their hearts, Douglas was slumped with her hands held casually in front of her as if she had just finished last.
At Russia’s Olympics party house, fans grumble about doping bans
As Beslan Mudranov walked into the Marimbas Yacht Club overlooking Copacabana beach the other day, he was met with hushed awe.
A dozen or so photographers, VIPs and fans respectfully followed as Russian Olympic Committee President Alexander Zhukov led the gold medalist judoka on a tour. This month, the luxury venue is rented out by the federation and renamed the Russia Fans House.
The walls were decorated with massive photographs of Russian synchronized swimmers, gymnasts, and fencers — some of the sports in which the country was allowed to compete.
There was no sign of track and field or weightlifting, events from which all Russian athletes were banned ...
Katie Ledecky helps U.S. team to gold in 800 freestyle relay
Behind a strong anchor leg from Katie Ledecky, the U.S. 800-meter freestyle relay team held off Australia to win the gold medal at Olympic Aquatics Stadium on Wednesday.
The gold is the third of the Games for Ledecky, whose best event, the 800-meter freestyle, is still to come later in the week.
The U.S. finished in 7 minutes, 43.03 seconds, the third-fastest time in history.
The U.S. added Ledecky, Leah Smith and Maya DiRado to the relay for the final, joining three-time Olympian Allison Schmitt.
Missy Franklin was among the preliminary swimmers dropped for the final.
Australia’s Kyle Chalmers takes the gold in men’s 100-meter freestyle
Eighteen-year-old Kyle Chalmers of Australia is the new king of speed at the Olympics.
Chalmers dethroned defending champion Nathan Adrian of the United States in the final of the 100-meter freestyle Wednesday night.
In a furious down-and-back sprint, Chalmers rallied on the return lap to win with a time of 47.58 seconds. Pieter Timmers of Belgium claimed the silver in 47.80, while Adrian made it onto the medal podium — albeit with a bronze this time — in 47.85
Spain’s Mireia Belmonte Garcia earns her first gold with women’s 200 butterfly victory
Mireia Belmonte Garcia finally has her gold medal.
After two silvers and a bronze, the Spanish swimmer made it to the highest podium with a victory Wednesday night in the women’s 200-meter butterfly.
Belmonte Garcia was silver medalist in that event at the 2012 London Games, where she also took silver in the 800 freestyle behind American Katie Ledecky.
After picking up a bronze in the 400 individual medley earlier in the Rio Games, Belmonte Garcia used one last half-stroke to get to the wall ahead of Madeline Groves in 2 minutes 4.85 seconds. The Australian settled for the silver, just three-hundredths of a second behind.
Japan’s Natsumi Hoshi claimed the bronze, beating out Cammile Adams of the United States.
Dmitriy Balandin gives Kazakhstan its first swimming medal, and it’s golden
Kazakhstan has its first Olympic swimming medal. A gold one, at that.
Dmitriy Balandin pulled off a stunning upset in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke on Wednesday night, winning from the eighth lane to put his central Asian country on the swimming medal stand for the first time.
Yasuhiro Koseki of Japan went out fast and was more than a second under world-record pace at the final turn. But Balandin was right with him in the outside lane, and Koseki couldn’t keep up the pace.
Balandin touched in 2 minutes, 7.46 seconds. Josh Prenot of the United States claimed silver in 2:07.53, while Russia’s Anton Chupkov landed the bronze in 2:07.70. Koseki faded to fifth.
Kazakhstan’s Nijat Rahimov sets world record in winning 77-kilogram weightlifting gold
Kazakhstan’s Nijat Rahimov shattered the clean and jerk world record to take gold in the men’s 77-kilogram weightlifting class.
With reigning champion Lyu Xiaojun of China looking a surefire bet for gold, Rahimov took the audacious step of moving up 12 kilograms on his second clean and jerk attempt for a world record 214.
That gave him a total of 379, equal with Lyu. Rahimov won thanks to weighing in lower for the competition. Lyu took silver.
Rahimov served a doping ban between 2013 and 2015 and had been in doubt for the Olympics after the International Weightlifting Federation tried to exclude the entire Kazakh team over repeated doping positives, but the procedure was not completed in time for Rio.
Bronze went to Egyptian Mohamed Mahmoud on 361.
Armenia’s Andranik Karapetyan had been second after the snatch but an arm injury during a lift left him screaming in pain, and he had to withdraw.
Nico Hernandez ends U.S. boxing’s medal drought with some help from a friend
Nico Hernandez earned the U.S. its first medal in men’s boxing in eight years Wednesday, although what color medal he gets might not be determined until Sunday.
Hernandez assured himself of no worse than a bronze with a unanimous decision over Ecuador’s Carlos Quipo in a light-flyweight quarterfinal. But he didn’t do it alone.
Before each fight, Hernandez climbs into the ring, turns toward the turnbuckle, kneels and then prays. With him, he says, is Tony Losey, a former training partner he long considered a big brother.
Losey, a talented light-heavyweight, died two years ago in a workplace accident, ending the dream Hernandez had of competing alongside his friend in Rio. Hernandez, grieving, quit boxing, deciding he couldn’t go on without Losey.
Then he hit on another idea: He would go to Brazil and win a gold medal. And Losey would go with him.
“[He’s] always with me,” Hernandez said after Wednesday’s victory. “My brother, he’d be so happy right now.
“When I’m in my corner praying, I know he’s right there with me. And I know he’s looking after me, watching over me.”
That Hernandez made it to Rio is almost as miraculous as the run he’s been on since arriving here. The 20-year-old failed in his first two attempts at making the Olympic team before qualifying in March.
“His transition between October and now has been amazing,” said Coach Billy Walsh, who joined U.S. Boxing last fall, about the time Hernandez caught fire.
Hernandez has been even better in the Olympics, upsetting Russia’s Vasilii Egorov, the No. 2 seed, in his second fight.
But he got off to slow start against Quipo, a two-time Olympian, losing the first round on two of the judges’ scorecards.
So Walsh, who coached Irish fighters to seven medals in the last two Olympics before leaving for a five-year contract to turn U.S. boxing around, made some changes between rounds. Stay back, he told Hernandez, use feints and force the smaller Quipo to come to him. And when he does, counter with uppercuts and body shots.
The strategy worked -- though when the referee raised Hernandez’s hand in victory, the stunned Quipo dropped to the canvas in tears. However the decision didn’t surprise the American.
“I definitely thought I had the victory,” he said.
Next up is Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan, the reigning Asian champion. Win that bout, and Hernandez advances to the final. Lose and he still goes home with a bronze.
But Hernandez didn’t promise Losey a third-place medal, even if it is the first prize the U.S. has won since heavyweight Deontay Wilder won a bronze in 2008.
“I know he’s with me here in spirit,” Hernandez said of his big brother. “I know he’s happy up there. He’s smiling right now.
“I’m not going to focus on the bronze medal. I came here to get a gold medal, and I won’t be satisfied until I get the gold.”
Carmelo Anthony helps U.S. men pass first test with 98-88 victory over Australia
The U.S. men’s basketball team faced it first significant test of the Rio Olympics on Wednesday, but came away with a 98-88 victory over Australia.
The Americans trailed by five points at halftime and were behind early in the fourth quarter when Carmelo Anthony, who is playing in his fourth Olympic games, put a U.S. roster of NBA All-Stars on his shoulders. Anthony finished with 31 points, including nine three-pointers. At one point in the fourth quarter, Anthony scored 10 consecutive points for the U.S.
The Australian team and its “Boomer” lineup, led by NBA players Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova, gave the U.S. fits with its motion offense and a 68% shooting performance in the first half. But the U.S. clamped down enough defensively in the second half to get the win.
Mills had 30 points to lead Australia.
Anthony helped lift an otherwise lackluster offensive night for the U.S., which shot 39%.
China’s Xiang Yanmei wins gold in the women’s 69-kilogram weightlifting class
Taking a 118-kilogram weight to the back of the head? Even that couldn’t stop China’s Xiang Yanmei from winning Olympic gold.
Xiang was already the favorite for gold in the women’s 69-kilogram weightlifting class when she dropped the bar on her third attempt in the snatch, and it delivered a glancing blow to her head on the way down. That prompted fears that weightlifting superpower China could see another surprise withdrawal in the middle of the competition after it lost world-record holder Chen Lijun to a cramp in Monday’s men’s 62-kilogram class.
Xiang briefly appeared dazed and admitted to some pain but was fully alert as she closed out China’s fourth weightlifting gold of the Rio Olympics with 116-kilograms in the snatch and 145 in the clean and jerk for a total of 261.
“I got hurt a little bit and I feel hurt when I nod my head,” she said. “I didn’t think about it when lifting weights.”
Xiang said she had not seen a doctor.
She added Olympic gold to the world titles she won in 2013 and 2015, and continued a resurgence for China’s lifters in Rio following a slow start.
The silver medal went to Kazakhstan’s Zhazira Zhapparkul with a 259 total, while Egypt’s Sara Ahmed won bronze with 255 kilos, becoming the first woman from an Arab country to win an Olympic weightlifting medal. The 18-year-old is also Egypt’s first female medalist in its 104-year history at the Olympics.
Egypt could also receive a silver medal from the women’s 75-kilogram class in the 2012 London Olympics, in which Abeer Abdelrahman finished fifth behind three lifters currently under investigation after failing retests of their samples.
Japan’s Kohei Uchimura repeats as men’s gymnastics all-around champion
Kohei Uchimura’s gold-medal haul keeps growing.
The superstar gymnast from Japan won the men’s all-around title on Wednesday night, edging Ukranian Oleg Verniaiev by less than a tenth of a point to capture his second consecutive Olympic gold. Uchimura trailed heading into the final rotation but put up a dazzling 15.8 on high bar. Verniaiev followed with a less challenging routine and hopped forward on the dismount.
Needing 14.9 to win, Verniaiev instead earned a 14.8. The crowd groaned when the score was revealed, though Verniaiev shrugged his shoulders as if to say “what can you do?”
Uchimura finished with a total of 92.365, just ahead of Verniaiev’s 92.266.
Max Whitlock of Britain was third, just ahead of Russia’s David Belyavskiy. American Sam Mikulak recovered from a fall on vault to rally to seventh, and his teammate Chris Brooks was 14th.
Uchimura arrived in Rio as the overwhelming favorite to back up the all-around gold he won in London four years ago. Yet the six-time world champion said repeatedly his ultimate goal was a team gold for Japan. He got that triumphant moment on Monday night, when he guided the Japanese to the top of the podium for the first time since 2004 with a nearly flawless finishing kick on floor exercise.
The 27-year-old was visibly gassed when he completed his routine, a victory he said was set in motion when his team won the world title last fall. It offered proof to the judges the Japanese could come through when it mattered.
While Uchimura was exulting in triumph, Verniaiev was basically just warming up. Ukraine qualified for the team final but basically gave up when Maksym Semiankiv couldn’t participate in the finals becaue of an injury. Rather that put in a replacement athlete to fill in for Semiankiv, Ukraine instead just entered two athletes instead of three, dooming whatever medal chances they had.
Verniaiev shrugged off the decision, saying it gave him freedom to just go out and have fun. It also allowed him to move his focus toward the all-around.
He looked well-prepared, taking the lead through two rotations and answering every time it seemed Uchimura threw down a challenge. When Uchimura drilled a 15.566 on vault — the highest of the night on the event — Verniaiev responded with a 15.500. His superb 16.1 on parallel bars — his legs straight as pencils during his handstands — gave him a commanding lead going into the final event on high bar.
Yet Uchimura, the world champion on high bar, put on a spectacular show. He threw four difficult release moves, his body soaring over the bar before catching it just in time. Verniaiev took a slightly different tack. Knowing what he needed to win Ukraine’s first ever all-around Olympic gold in the sport, he put together an easier and less risky routine.
When he landed, he took a hop forward and leaned ever so briefly to the left. He pumped his fist and encouraged the crowd as he exited the podium, then bent over in disappointment afterward.
Mikulak and Brooks, hoping to take some of the sting out of another fifth-place finish in the team event, couldn’t match the bronze in the all-around that teammate Danell Leyva captured in London. Brooks, the 29-year-old captain, hit all six of his sets without a major mistake to end a remarkable run in which he came from nowhere to make his first Olympic team. Mikulak, a four-time national champion, was hoping to make an international splash but saw his hopes of reaching the podium end when he shorted his vault landing during his third rotation.
Defending champion Mexico is eliminated from men’s soccer competition
Defending champion Mexico has been eliminated from the men’s soccer tournament after 1-0 loss to South Korea.
Kwon Chang-hoon scored a 77th-minute winner in Brasilia to end Mexico’s hopes of repeating as Olympic champion on Wednesday. The Mexicans upset Brazil in the final of the London Games four years ago.
South Korea finished Group C with seven points, two more than Germany and three more than Mexico.
Germany secured its spot in the quarterfinals by thrashing newcomer Fiji, 10-0. Nils Petersen scored five goals and Maximilian Meyer added three in Germany’s win at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte, the same venue where Germany’s senior team routed Brazil, 7-1, in the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup.
Fiji had already lost 5-1 to Mexico and 8-0 to South Korea. In its other group game, Mexico tied Germany, 2-2.
Diana Taurasi leads unbeaten U.S. to 110-84 victory over Serbia in women’s basketball
Diana Taurasi knocked down a personal Olympic best six three-pointers and finished with 25 points as the United States took a big step Wednesday toward the quarterfinals, routing Serbia, 110-84.
Taurasi scored 16 in the first quarter and made five three-pointers in the first half, and the Americans (3-0) needed her scoring. After beating their first two opponents by an average of 52.5 points, the Americans had trouble early against the Serbians.
Serbia (0-3) had blown leads against both Spain and Canada. The Serbians struggled inside against the bigger Americans, so they shot over the United States and hit 12 of 20 outside the arc.
They played the first quarter almost as well as they could have hoped, taking a 17-16 lead before Taurasi keyed a 15-4 run with three straight long-distance shots.
The U.S. led 56-34 at halftime, leaving only the final margin to be decided.
British pair upsets Chinese men to win three-meter springboard synchronized diving gold
There won’t be a golden sweep in the green Olympic diving pool.
Britain and the United States both topped China in the men’s three-meter synchronized springboard diving competition Wednesday. Jack Laugher and Chris Mears totaled 454.32 points for the gold, and Americans Sam Dorman and Mike Hixon took silver at 450.21. China’s Cao Yuan and Qin Kai settled for bronze at 443.70, ending their country’s bid to sweep the eight diving medals at the Rio Games.
The Chinese had won the first three synchronized diving events.
On a dreary day at Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre, a steady drizzle fell throughout the six-round final. The pool’s water was green for the second straight day, with Games officials struggling to correct what they say is decreased alkalinity that is to blame for the change from clear blue to murky green.
Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte advance in 200 individual medley
Michael Phelps advanced to the 200-meter individual medley semifinal Wednesday, about 12 hours after winning his third gold medal at these Olympics.
Phelps, who expects to retire after the Games, admitted to some fatigue at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium following a historic night.
“I guess I have been able to put my body through things like this over the years, and hopefully I can keep it rolling one last time,” he said.
On Tuesday, Phelps captured gold in the 200-meter butterfly, then anchored the Americans’ winning 800-meter freestyle relay about 70 minutes later.
The two gold medals — combined with the one he won Sunday in the 400-meter freestyle relay — give him 25 career Olympic medals, 21 gold. No Olympian has ever won more medals.
Phelps said he plans on “leaving everything in the pool one last time.”
Longtime rival Ryan Lochte recorded the top preliminary time in the event. He and Phelps will swim next to each other in lanes four and five later Wednesday.
This is the only individual event for Lochte, who has 12 Olympic medals of his own.
Rio Olympics: Overweight, slow Ethiopian swimmer draws attention
Robel Kiros Habte is not an elite swimmer. And he certainly doesn’t look like one.
But he’s an Olympic athlete. He represented Ethiopia in the men’s 100-meter freestyle at the Rio Games on Tuesday -- finishing dead last out of 59 competitors, with a time of 1:04.95.
No one else took more than a minute to finish the race. Habte was still swimming off screen when the other two participants in his heat finished.
Still, Habte was very pleased after the race.
“I am so happy because it is my first competition in the Olympics,” the 24-year-old college student said. “So thanks for God.”
For some, Habte has become a favorite part of the Rio Games.
(Translation: When I think about my ideal of sportsmanship, I think of Robel Kiros Habte.)
“Eric the Eel” was the popular nickname for another slow Olympican swimmer, Equatorial Guinea’s Eric Moussambani, who finished 100 at the 2000 Sydney Games in 1:52.72.
Memories of Moussambani seem to have inspired a not-so-nice nickname for Habte: Robel the Whale.
Yes, unsurprisingly, not everyone finds Habte to be inspiring or even amusing. And some people aren’t being too nice about it. Many folks believe that he made the Games because his father is rumored to be the president of the Ethiopian swimming federation (although Reuters said Habte got the Olympics gig because of a a special invitation from world body FINA for athletes from under-represented countries).
(The comments on that Instagram post are particularly cruel.)
Hopefully, Habte isn’t letting any of the negativity bother him -- he was in such a great mood after Tuesday’s race.
“I wanted to do something different for my country, that’s why I chose swimming,” he said at the time. “Everybody, every day you wake up in Ethiopia, you run. Not swimming. But I didn’t want to run, I wanted to be a swimmer.”
Runner Allyson Felix still healing physically, emotionally
The ankle injury that undermined Allyson Felix’s chance to earn an Olympic berth in the 200-meter dash feels “close to normal,” she said Wednesday, but the Los Angeles native still hasn’t recovered emotionally from the misfortune that cost her an opportunity to defend her Olympic 200-meter title.
Felix tore ligaments in her ankle in a weight-room accident in late April and labored at the U.S. track and field trials last month. She qualified to run the 400 in the Rio Games but didn’t make the top three in the 200, derailing her plans of pursuing a 200-400 double. She is in the pool to run both the 400-meter and 1,600-meter relays and has practiced with both groups, so she still might match her London medal haul of three golds. Felix, 30, owns six Olympic medals from her three previous Games, four gold and two silver.
“It’s definitely heartbreaking for me not to be there. It’s my favorite race,” she said at a news conference in advance of Friday’s first Rio Olympic track and field events. “I wish things would have gone differently for me but that’s just a part of work and things you have to deal with and I just had to regroup and keep moving on.
“Of course I’ll watch. It will be difficult, especially with how I feel now. I would love to defend my title and see where I’m at in the 200 meters but that’s not the case. It’s going to be a great race and a lot of talent in there so it will be tough for me to watch.”
Felix said she has made a lot of progress in healing but acknowledged she has “some issues with recovery.” She said she has brought the physiotherapist she works with at home and is also working with a chiropractor.
Adjusting her expectations might have been the most difficult part of preparing for these Games.
“Definitely I had to refocus,” she said. “I was disappointed with my 200 performance at trials but I just had to put everything in perspective with what’s happened to me this year and just be grateful to even be on the Olympic team and go after this new challenge.”
Rio Olympics: Joseph Clarke of Britain wins men’s kayak single slalom
British slalom canoeist Joseph Clarke, initially turned away from his local club because he was too young to join, has won the kayak gold medal at Whitewater Stadium.
He’s only the second British Olympic champion in kayak slalom.
Coming down the course eighth in the 10-man final, Clarke enjoyed a clean run in 88.53 seconds. He took over first place 0.17 seconds faster than the previous paddler, Peter Kauzer of Slovenia, a two-time world champion and the world series title holder.
There were two paddlers left, but Jiri Prskavec of the Czech Republic, the world champion, was penalized for touching a gate with his head. Last man Jakub Grigar of Slovakia, the world junior champion, could place only fifth.
Kauzer finished with the silver, and Prskavec the bronze.
Rio Olympics: Independent athlete Fehaid Deehani wins gold medal in men’s double trap
Kuwait’s Fehaid Deehani, competing as an independent, captured men’s double trap gold Wednesday by defeating Italy’s Marco Innocenti in the final match.
With Kuwait suspended by the IOC, Al Deehani and seven other athletes were allowed to compete as independents in Rio.
The veteran of six Olympics needed a shoot-off with American Joshua Richmond to get into the finals, but hit 28 targets to reach the gold medal match against Innocenti.
An officer in the Kuwait army, Deehani dropped to the ground and kneeled after reaching the final, then pounded his chest as he walked away.
In the gold medal match, Deehani hit 26 targets and Innocenti 24. Deehani raised his arms in triumph after hitting the final two targets, then turned and again pounded his chest at the crowd.
Deehani became the first Kuwaiti athlete to win an Olympic medal with a bronze at Sydney in 2000, and added another in London four years ago.
Steven Scott hit all 30 targets to defeat Great Britain shooter Tim Kneale for the bronze medal.
Wednesday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Wednesday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
Basketball (men)
France 76, Serbia 75
U.S. 98, Australia 88
Venezuela 72, China 68
Basketball (women)
Spain 89, China 68
United States 110, Serbia 84
Canada 68, Senegal 58
Canoe/Kayak
Men’s kayak single slalom final
Gold--Joseph Clarke, Great Britain, 1:28.53
Silver--Peter Kauzer, Slovenia, 1:28.70
Bronze--Jiri Prskaven, Czech Republic, 1:28.99
Cycling
Women’s individual time trial
Gold--Kristin Armstrong, United States, 44:26.42
Silver--Olga Zabelinskaya, Russia, 44:31.97
Bronze--Anna van der Breggen, Netherlands, 44:37.80
Men’s individual time trial
Gold--Fabian Cancellara, Swtizerland, 1:12.15
Silver--Tom Dumoulin, Netherlands, 1:13.02
Bronze--Chris Froome, Great Britain, 1:13/17
Diving
Men’s synchronized 3-meter springboard
Gold--Britain (Jack Laugher; Chris Mears)
Silver--United States (Sam Dorman; Mike Hixon)
Bronze--China (Yuan Cao; Kai Qin)
Fencing
Men’s sabre individual
Gold--Aron Szilagyi, Hungary.
Silver--Daryl Homer, United States.
Bronze-Junghwan Kim, South Korea.
Women’s foil individual
Gold--Inna Deriglazova, Russia
Silver--Elisa di Francisca, Italy
Bronze--Ines Boubakri, Tunisia
Field Hockey (men)
New Zealand 9, Brazil 0
Australia 2, Britain 1
Field Hockey (women)
New Zealand 2, Spain 1
Australia 6, India 1
Germany 2, South Korea 0
Britain 3, Argentina 2
United States 6, Japan 1
Netherlands 1, China 0
Gymnastics (men)
Men’s individual all-around
Gold--Kohei Uchimura, Japan
Silver--Oleg Verniaiev, Ukraine
Bronze--Max Whitlock, Britain
Handball (women)
Spain 29, Brazil 24
Romania 25, Montenegro 21
Russia 36, Sweden 34
Norway 30, Angola 20
Netherlands 32, South Korea 32
France 27, Argentina 11
Judo
Men’s 90-kilogram
Gold--Mashu Baker, Japan, def. Varlam Liparteliani, Georgia.
Bronze--Donghan Gwak, South Korea, def. Marcus Nyman, Sweden.
Women’s 70-kilogram
Gold--Haruka Tachimoto, Japan, def. Yuri Alvear, Colombia
Bronze--Laura Vargas Koch, Germany, def. Maria Bernabeu.
Bronze--Sally Conway, Britain, def. Bernadette Graf, Austria.
Rugby (men)
France 26, Spain 5
Australia 12, South Africa 5
Japan 31, Kenya 7
Britain 21, New Zealand 19
Argentina 31, Brazil 0
Fiji 24, United States 19
Noon
United States 24, Brazil 12 (placing 9-12)
Spain 14, Kenya 12
Quarterfinals
Fiji 12, New Zealand 7
Britain 5, Argentina 0
Japan 12, France 7
South Africa 22, Australia 5
Shooting
Men’s 50-meter pistol final
Gold--Jin jong-Oh, South Korea
Silver--Hoang Xuan Vinh, Vietnam
Bronze--Kim Song Guk, North Korea
Men’s double trap final
Gold--Fehaid Aldeehani, Independent Olympic Athletes
Silver--Marco Innocenti, Italy
Bronze--Steven Scott, Great Britain
Soccer (men)
Algeria 1, Portugal 1
Argentina 1, Honduras 1
Germany 10, Fiji 0
South Korea 1, Mexico 0
Colombia 2, Nigeria 0
Japan 1, Sweden 0
Brazil 4, Denmark 0
South Africa 1, Iraq 1
Swimming (men)
200-meter breaststroke
Gold--Dmitriy Balandin, Kazakhstan
Silver--Josh Prenot, United States
Bronze--Anton Chupkov, Russia
100-meter freestyle
Gold--Kyle Chalmers, Australia
Silver--Pieter Timmers, Belgium
Bronze--Nathan Adrian, United States
Swimming (women)
200-meter butterfly
Gold--Mireia Belmonte Garcia, Spain
Silver--Madeline Groves, Australia
Bronze--Natsumi Hoshi, Japan
800-meter freestyle relay
Gold--United States (Allison Schmitt; Madeline Dirado; Leah Smith; Katie Ledecky)
Silver--Australia (Leah Neale; Tamsin Cook; Bronte Barratt; Emma McKeon)
Bronze--Canada (Katerine Savard; Brittany Maclean; Taylor Madison Ruck; Penny Oleksiak)
Table tennis
Women’s singles
Gold--Ning Ding, China
Silver--Xiaoxia Li, China
Bronze--Song I Kim, North Korea
Volleyball (women)
China 3, Puerto Rico 0
Netherlands 3, Italy 0
United States 3, Serbia 1
Russia 3, Cameroon 0
South Korea 3, Argentina 0
Brazil 3, Japan 0
Water polo (men)
Australia 8, Japan 6
Greece 8, Hungary 8
United States 6, France 3
Italy 6, Montenegro 5
Brazil 6, Serbia 5
Spain 9, Croatia 4
Weightlifting
Women’s 69-kilogram
Gold--Xiang Yanmei, China
Silver--Zhazira Zhapparkul, Kazakhstan
Bronze--Sara Ahmed, Egypt
Men’s 77-kilogram
Gold--Nijat Rahimov, Kazakhstan
Silver--Xiaojun Lyu, China
Bronze--Mohamed Mahmoud, Egypt
Rio Olympics: Anyone want to give a home to some stray capybaras?
You remember the stray dogs of Sochi? Well, now we have the capybaras of Brazil. One big difference in this tale of animal adoption is that you can bring a dog into California but not a capybara. California has the most restrictive laws when it comes to what kind of pet you can have. It doesn’t even allow ferrets.
So, it should come as no big surprise that an animal with a tag of “world’s largest rodent” wouldn’t be able to make it past the San Clemente checkpoint. However, if you live in Texas or Pennsylvania you’re home free. Not sure what commonalities those two states have that would find it OK to have a 150-pound hamster-like creature.
Now if you had a capybara, which you can’t, it would probably be better to have more than one. They are pack animals and tend to get lonely by themselves. So, as an owner, you would probably have to monitor their time on any capybara dating websites.
Next, they need a body of water nearby. They have webbed feet so that says something about where they like to spend part of their time. They also use the water to take care of excretory functions. So, unless you can teach one to sit on a toilet, you need to keep that in mind.
They are really very friendly. Reporter David Wharton, who took this picture at the Olympics golf course, could have actually patted the creature, although he chose to leave it alone.
Just a few things to think about should you leave California and move to Texas and own a capybara.
FINA attempts to explain mystery of green pool water
It’s not easy being green.
Except at the diving pool at the Rio Olympics. Curiously, the water turned green at the pool on Tuesday -- causing a social media firestorm and raising questions from the divers.
There was no official explanation why it occurred until Wednesday afternoon when FINA, the international governing body of aquatics, issued a statement:
“FINA can confirm that the reason for the unusual water color observed during the Rio diving competitions is that the water tanks ran out of some of the chemicals used in the water treatment process.
“As a result, the pH level of the water was outside the usual range, causing the discoloration. The FINA Sport Medicine Committee conducted tests on the water quality and concluded that there was no risk to the health and safety of the athletes, and no reason for the competition to be affected.”
Pictures and reports were surfacing -- at about the same time as FINA’s statement –- of the water apparently starting to turn green over at the water polo pool, which is next to the diving pool.
“A sudden change in alkalinity, that was the reason. The water polo pool has been effected the same way,” Rio 2016’s Mario Andrada said during a news conference. “PH levels are at the required standard. We treated both pools in the night and the alkalinity levels have improved, we expect the color to be back to blue soon. People in charge could and should have done more intensive testing during the day.”
Idle thought(s): Did someone not order enough chemicals -- or did they just forget to pay the bill?
“I’ve never dived in anything like it,” British diver Tonia Couch told BBC Sport.
Meanwhile, Times colleague Nathan Fenno, who was covering swimming preliminaries at the Olympics Aquatics Stadium, was happy to report that the water was the correct color on Wednesday.
Rio Olympics: Jin Jongoh of South Korea wins men’s 50-meter pistol competition
An unexpected miscue was not enough to derail Jin Jongoh’s bid for a third straight gold.
The South Korean overcame an inexplicable 6.6 on his ninth shot of the finals with some stellar shooting, tracking down Vietnam’s Hoang Xuan Vinh to win gold in the men’s 50-meter pistol at the Rio Olympics.
Jin dropped to the bottom of the standings with a surprising ninth shot that put him on the cusp of elimination. He survived and continued to climb up the standings with a series of shots in the 10-ring after falling 4.4 points behind Hoang.
Jin passed Hoang on the penultimate shot of the finals and finished 2.4 points ahead of Hoang, who became Vietnam’s first gold medalist with his victory in 10-meter air pistol on Saturday.
North Korea’s Kim Song Guk captured bronze.
Rio Olympics: Fabian Cancellara wins gold in men’s cycling time trial; Chris Froome wins bronze
Fabian Cancellara has denied Chris Froome the Tour de France-Olympic double. The retiring Swiss star instead capped his own remarkable career with another time trial gold medal at the Rio Games.
Cancellara looked like the same powerful youngster who cruised to gold at the 2008 Beijing Games, decimating the hilly, rain-slicked course along the coast in 1 hour, 12 minutes, 15.42 seconds.
He finished 47 seconds ahead of Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands, who competed despite breaking his hand during the Tour de France, and Froome had to settle for the bronze medal.
Cancellara, 35, began weeping the moment Froome, the last rider of the day, crossed the finish line Wednesday. He announced more than a year ago that this would be his final season as a cyclist.
Is there any way L.A.’s 2024 bid could be Trumped?
This bid does not depend on any election. This bid transcends politics.
— Mayor Eric Garcetti
Cyclist Kristin Armstrong wins third consecutive gold medal in women’s time trial
Kristin Armstrong of the United States on Wednesday won her third consecutive Olympic time trial, her gold-medal effort on the brutal course leaving her in an exhausted heap on the road at the finish line.
Armstrong covered the course through driving wind and rain in 44 minutes, 26.42 seconds, beating reigning bronze medalist Olga Zabelinskaya of Russia by just 5.55 seconds.
Anna van der Breggen of the Netherlands added a bronze medal to her gold from the road race.
Armstrong, who turns 43 on Thursday, joined speed skater Bonnie Blair as the only American women to win three gold medals in the same event at any Olympics. She also won in Beijing and London.
Dutch rider Ellen van Dijk slid off the course, likely costing her a medal. She finished fourth.
That did not go as planned, but at least they’re still going
I have also learned to have a short-term memory. So I’m planning to put this behind me and move on.
— Hope Solo, U.S. goalkeeper on playing to a 2-2 draw against lowly Colombia
The ‘Final Five’ make their mark in history
I haven’t found the word for this yet. I need a dictionary.
— Simone Biles, after helping the U.S. win the gold medal in gymnastics
A man, a mission and some more memorable moments
I came into the pool on a mission, and the mission was accomplished.
— Michael Phelps on winning two more gold medals Tuesday
Michael Phelps adds to medal haul, anchors gold-medal 800 freestyle relay for U.S.
Michael Phelps added to his record Olympic medal haul Tuesday, swimming the final leg as the U.S. won the 800-meter freestyle relay.
The victory came less than 10 minutes after Phelps exited the pool deck at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium following the medal ceremony after capturing gold in the 200-meter butterfly.
The relay win gives Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, 25 medals. Twenty-one of them are gold.
Phelps has won three medals, all gold, so far in Rio de Janeiro.
Michael Phelps wins gold in 200 butterfly for 24th career Olympic medal
Michael Phelps won gold in the 200-meter butterfly Tuesday, the 20th Olympic gold and 24th Olympic medal of his storied career.
Phelps, who set the world record in the event in 2009, touched the wall in 1 minute 53.36 seconds. Japan’s Masato Sakai took silver in 1:53.40.
After finishing, Phelps raised his arms in the air, urged the deafening crowd to shout louder, then pumped his right fist.
This is the third time Phelps has won Olympic gold in the event.
Katie Ledecky wins 200 freestyle for her second gold medal at Rio Olympics
Katie Ledecky continued her dominant performance at the Olympics as she held off Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom down the stretch to win gold in the 200-meter freestyle on Tuesday.
Ledecky finished in 1 minute 53.73 seconds at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium, less than a second away from the world record. Sjostrom finished second in 1:54.08.
This is the second gold medal for Ledecky at these Games. She broke her world record in the 400-meter freestyle Sunday for her first win. The finals of the 800-meter freestyle, where she owns the 10 fastest times in history, are Friday.
Shi Zhiyong gives China another gold medal in weightlifting
China earned its third weightlifting gold of the Rio Olympics on Tuesday as Shi Zhiyong took victory in the men’s 69-kilogram category.
Shi lifted 162 kilograms in the snatch and 190 in the clean and jerk for a total of 352, but failed on a world-record attempt with his last lift, which would have meant a total of 360. After dropping that weight, he gave roars of disappointment before celebrating the win with his coach.
Silver went to Turkey’s Daniyar Ismayilov, who used to represent Turkmenistan, with 351, while Kyrgyzstan won only its fourth Olympic medal ever thanks to Izzat Artykov’s 339.
Last year’s world silver medalist, Oleg Chen, did not compete because Russia’s team was banned because of a doping scandal.
Pele tweets that he’s hoping to attend Rio Olympics closing ceremony
It was an Olympic-sized disappointment when ailing Brazilian soccer legend Pele could not attend the opening ceremony for the Rio Summer Games on Friday, when many expected him to take the Olympic torch and light the flame.
On Tuesday, he announced his intention on Twitter (below) to attend the closing ceremony on Aug. 21.
Earlier in the day, he took to Twitter (above) to say thanks to his fans.
The 75-year-old has been in poor health for some time. He was hospitalized because of a urinary infection in 2014 and ended up in the hospital twice in 2015 for surgery on his prostate and back.
Report: Stray bullets hit media bus at Olympics; journalist injured
Women’s soccer team wins group despite unimpressive tie with Colombia
The U.S. women’s soccer didn’t get a win Tuesday, but it did win its group after playing Colombia to a 2-2 tie in Manaus.
And while the draw will send the Americans to the quarterfinals with the least-challenging route to the gold-medal game, their trip might still be a short if they don’t play better than they did in their group-play final.
Colombia came into the game with two losses and no goals, but a pair of free-kick goals from midfielder Catalina Usme ended both those streaks.
The first goal, from just outside the box in the 26th minute, bent around the wall, hit the grass just in front of U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo and skipped through Solo’s legs. The second, a spectacular shot from a difficult angle to the right of the penalty box in the final minute, sailed over both Solo and her leaping defenders to hit the side netting at the far post.
The United States, which got a first-half goal from Crystal Dunn and a second-half score by Mallory Pugh, will play again Friday in the quarterfinals against a third-place team, either Sweden or Australia. If the Americans win, they will advance to Rio, where the semifinals and final will be held.
But while the United States remained unbeaten in Brazil, it remained unimpressive as well, failing to take advantage of several chances to put the stubborn Colombians away.
The United States fell behind for the first time after midfielder Megan Rapinoe, making her first appearance in the tournament, was whistled for a foul just outside the U.S. penalty area midway through the first half. Usme made Rapinoe pay, confusing Solo with the left-footed shot the keeper couldn’t corral.
The deficit lasted only 14 minutes, though, with Dunn tying the score by knocking home the rebound of a Carli Lloyd shot that Colombia keeper Sandra Sepulveda deflected off the crossbar.
The United States nearly took the lead six minutes into the second half on a torrid shot from Lindsey Horan from the edge of the penalty area, but Sepulveda, who played a splendid game, stood her ground to make the save.
However, Pugh didn’t miss nine minutes later, collecting an errant pass on the right side of the area, dribbling across the front of the goal before pushing a left-footed shot past Sepulveda.
Usme’s first chance to tie the score came on another free kick in the 77th minute, but her shot from distance, which cleared the outstretched hand of the leading Solo, skipped off the crossbar and over the goal.
She then beat Solo cleanly 12 minutes later.
U.S. Coach Jill Ellis promised to use a variety of lineups in the tournament, a concession to a difficult Olympic schedule that will force the two finalists to play six games in 17 days. And she made good on that pledge Tuesday, emptying her bench and giving midfielders Rapinoe and Horan, forward Christen Press and defender Ali Krieger their first starts of the tournament Tuesday.
Rapinoe, who hasn’t played since undergoing knee surgery in December, proved immediately dangerous on the left wing, bending a cross into the box for Lloyd, who headed it off the crossbar in the third minute. That was one of three shots the Americans knocked off the goal frame in the first half.
Rapinoe later targeted Press with a pair of centering passes. Press sent the first over the bar and the second proved a step too long. Rapinoe was then denied on a shot by Sepulveda at the near post just after the half-hour mark.
Rapinoe came out in favor of Pugh in the 33rd minute.
Serena Williams is upset in Rio by Elina Svitolina
Out of sorts and out of answers, defending champion Serena Williams is out of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Shanking shots of all sorts, including five — yes, five! — double-faults in one game alone, Williams lost to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, 6-4, 6-3, in the third round in a real shocker Tuesday, ending the No. 1-seeded American’s bid to become the first tennis player to collect a pair of singles golds.
Against an unheralded opponent who at times couldn’t seem to miss, Williams had problems right from the start, when she got broken to fall behind 2-1 with a badly missed overhead into the net.
That set a pattern.
By match’s end, Svitolina had won 63 points, but merely nine came via clean winners of her own doing. The others came thanks to Williams’ 37 unforced errors and 17 forced errors.
After winning golds in singles and doubles at the 2012 London Olympics, Williams heads home from Brazil with nothing. She and her older sister Venus, who sat in the stands Tuesday, lost in the first round of doubles — their first defeat in the Olympics after going 15-0 with three golds.
The 20th-ranked Svitolina, meanwhile, never before played in the Olympics and only once has been to a major quarterfinal. She also entered the night 0-4 against Williams, the owner of 22 Grand Slam singles championships.
The future of men’s fencing has arrived as Sangyoung Park wins gold in epee
The future of men’s fencing might well be Sangyoung Park.
The 20-year-old South Korean sure looked like the sport’s next big star on Tuesday, dispatching more experienced and accomplished fencers on his way to a gold medal. Park stormed back to score the final five points and win men’s epee in a matchup of the youngest and oldest competitors in the field.
Park missed much of 2015 with a serious knee injury that helped push his world ranking down to 21st. But he beat 41-year-old Geza Imre of Hungary, 15-14, after perhaps the best rally of this tournament.
“It was very hard for me to come back from my injury. I kept thinking about the Olympics and taking part in it. That’s what got me back on track,” Park said.
Despite the loss, Imre is fencing’s oldest Olympic individual medalist since 1952, when another Hungarian, Aladar Gurevich, won the silver in men’s sabre at 42.
“It’s big,” said Imre, who won bronze at the Atlanta Games 20 years ago. “But silver is the first loser.”
Top-ranked Gauthier Grumier won the bronze after not letting anyone get within six points of him before the semifinals. But Imre, who also beat Grumier in the 2015 world championships, pulled ahead by three points and countered Grumier’s attack with simultaneous touches to clinch the match.
Park dominated Switzerland’s Benjamin Steffen 15-9 to make it to the finals.
No. 2 Enrico Garozzo of Italy was hoping to join his brother Daniele, who upset top-ranked American Alexander Massialas on Sunday, as an Olympic champion in Rio. But Park beat Enrico Garozzo as well in the round of 16.
American Jason Pryor’s tournament ended after just one match. He fell to Steffen, 15-14.
“That was the most difficult bout I’ve ever fenced in my life. There’s enough adrenaline to kill an elephant,” Pryor said. “You try to be disciplined, but your body is trying to jump on the touches like a broken jack-in-the-box.”
Rapinoe makes return for women’s soccer team in group final
Midfielder Megan Rapinoe gets her first start of the Rio Olympics for the U.S. women’s soccer team Tuesday in its group-play final against Colombia in Manaus.
The Americans have already clinched a berth in the quarterfinals, though a win or draw against Colombia would also give them the group title, opening a much easier path to the final.
Rapinoe, a world and Olympic champion, hasn’t played in a game since October, after tearing an ACL during training in December. Defender Ali Kreiger, midfielder Lindsey Horan and forward Christian Press are also getting their first starts of the Games against Colombia while Alex Morgan and Tobin Heath will begin on the bench for the first time.
The lineup: Hope Solo, Ali Krieger, Becky Sauerbrunn, Whitney Engen, Kelley O’Hara, Morgan Brian, Lindsey Horan, Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, Christen Press and Crystal Dunn.
China’s Chen Ruolin and Liu Huixia win women’s 10-meter synchronized platform diving gold
It’s another Olympic diving gold for the Chinese.
Chen Ruolin and Liu Huixia won the women’s 10-meter synchronized platform title Tuesday, making China 3-for-3 in the competition so far.
Chen and Liu led all five rounds and totaled 354.80 points, winning by just over 10 points in the closest diving contest yet in Rio.
The Chinese have never lost the event at the Olympics. Chen earned her third consecutive gold medal in 10-meter synchro, having won in 2008 and 2012 with different partners.
Malaysia earned silver with 344.34 points. Canada took bronze with 336.18.
The United States finished seventh among eight teams.
U.S. women win gold in gymnastics team final
Aly Raisman stretched her legs. So did Simone Biles. Madison Kocian briefly rubbed the shoulders of her teammate Laurie Hernandez.
The three American gymnasts - Raisman, Biles and Hernandez - were trying to stay loose and limber before their final event, the floor exercise, in the women’s Olympic gymnastics team final on Tuesday at Rio Olympic Arena.
With a nearly five-point lead heading into the final rotation, the U.S. completed its mission with aplomb, winning gold on Tuesday with an effort that featured a devastating mix of skill and showmanship under major pressure.
This was a second straight Olympic gold medal in the team event for the U.S. women and was the final international campaign for the legendary Martha Karolyi, the team’s national coordinator. In 2012, the U.S. beat second-place Russia by more than five points
This time it was by an 8.2-point margin.
China captured bronze.
Karolyi said it may have been the first time she had cried at an Olympics since Nadia Comaneci of Romania won her first gold medal in Montreal in 1976.
“I think that was the only time, probably,” Karolyi said. “From my nature, I’m really not a sentimental person.”
That drew some laughter from the assembled media members.
“I’m known (for) being very tough,” she said. “I felt like, ‘Oh, what’s happening to me? What is this?’”
Many of the gymnasts can’t imagine the sport without Karolyi coaching. She said she won’t change her mind, smiling: “I guess I will have to become a normal person.”
Rio Olympics: Deng Wei of China sets world record in the women’s 63-kilogram weightlifting event
China’s Deng Wei broke the world record as she won Olympic weightlifting gold in the women’s 63-kilogram category Tuesday.
Deng lifted 147 kilograms in the clean and jerk and 115 in the snatch for a world-record total of 262 across the two lifts.
Silver went to North Korea’s Choe Hyo Sim, who briefly broke the Olympic clean and jerk record at 143 but had finished too far behind Deng in the snatch to challenge for gold. Kazakhstan’s Karina Goricheva took bronze.
Weightlifting has been ravaged by doping in recent years, with the women’s 63-kilogram class particularly badly hit.
Kazakhstan’s 2012 gold medalist Maiya Maneza missed the Olympics after failing a drug test, while two of the top four from last year’s world championships were also out for doping-related reasons.
Live updates: U.S. leads by nearly five points after third rotation of women’s gymnastics team final
The U.S., which led by 4.026 points after the second rotation, expanded its lead to almost five points over second-place China.
It was sparked by Aly Raisman (15.000), Laurie Hernandez (15.233) and Simone Biles (15.300). Biles wobbled but managed to stay on the balance beam.
The Russians continued to struggle in a big way after their strong opening rotation, dropping to four after sub-par showing by their three gymnasts on the floor exercise.
After three rotations: 1) USA 138.898. 2) China 133.937 3) Japan 131.772.
After second rotation
Just call Madison Kocian, the closer.
It speaks to the depth of the U.S. that it can bring a world champion on the bars in for one event in the team competition. Kocian, who is headed to UCLA this fall, did the required job and then some, finishing off the rotation for the Americans, scoring 15.933.
This will be the only individual event for 2012 all-around gold medalist Gabby Douglas, who was on her game, scoring 15.766. Simone Biles started off the rotation with a decent 14.800.
Russia, which had been in second, slipped to third after some woes on the balance beam
After two rotations: 1. USA 93.365 2. China 89.339. 3. Russia 88.923
After first rotation
They couldn’t have asked for a much better start on the vault as the U.S. led after the first rotation.
The youngest member of the team, 16-year-old Laurie Hernandez went first and had a short hop on her landing, scoring 15.100.
Then came two dazzling vaults, both Anamars, from Aly Raisman and Simone Biles, as they scored 15.833 and 15.933, respectively.
The other massive score in the first rotation came from star Russian gymnast Aliya Mustafina, who had a 15.933, on the uneven bars.
After one rotation: 1. USA – 46.866. 2. Russia 46.166 3. Great Britain 44.866.
Before the event
Will the U.S. Olympic women’s gymnastics team – Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Laurie Hernandez and Madison Kocian – give Martha Karolyi the ultimate retirement send-off gift: a gold medal in the team event?
Heavy favorite might be a serious understatement of U.S. prospects as the team final is about to begin Tuesday night at Rio Olympic Arena. The bigger question may be: What will be the margin between first and second?
The United States finished nearly 10 points ahead of second-place China in the preliminaries. Scores do not carry over to the final.
Raisman and Douglas were members of the team that won gold in London in 2012, beating silver medalist Russia by more than five points.
Karolyi, the women’s national team coordinator, took over the program in 2001 and the gymnastics legend announced that she would retire after this campaign. Her husband, coaching legend Bela Karolyi, retired in 1996.
“Every good thing comes to an end,” Karolyi told NBC’s “Today” show.
Biles talked about Karolyi’s importance to the sport and the pressure of trying to win gold in Karolyi’s last Olympics and joked about keeping the program at a high level.
“It’s insane whoever takes her place,” Biles said in an interview after the Olympic trials in San Jose. “That’ll be a very special person. They’ll have a lot to live up to and to keep the USA going. If Martha sees a drop in eight points … she’ll come out of retirement.
“She’ll be back.”
Biles was joking.
Maybe.
The first rotation, of four, for the United States will be on the vault. Following that is the uneven bars, the balance beam and the floor exercise.
Rio Olympics: French fencer’s phone falls out of his back pocket during a match
It’s pretty common for folks to carry their smartphones in their back pockets.
Probably not so common, however, for someone who happens to be fencing in the Olympics at that very moment.
Video and photos from a men’s foil match Sunday between France’s Enzo Lefort and Germany’s Peter Joppich appear to show a black smartphone falling out of Lefort’s left back pocket as he moves backward while trying to fend off his opponent.
I guess a fencer never knows when the opportunity for taking an awesome selfie or catching a Pokemon might arise.
Lefort was booed as he accidentally kicked the object around a couple times before handing it to someone off the mat.
Joppich went on to win the match, 15-13.
Rio Olympics: Denis Gargaud Chanut of France wins gold medal in men’s canoe slalom
France’s Denis Gargaud Chanut paddled his way to gold at the Rio Olympics, ending a two-man stranglehold in men’s canoe slalom that dated to the 1992 Barcelona Games.
Slovakia’s Michal Martikan and France’s Tony Estanguet had won every gold medal in men’s C1 since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, but Estanguet retired and Martikan failed to make the Slovakian team.
Gargaud Chanet qualified third and covered the churning course in 94.17 seconds to beat Slovakia’s Matej Benus by 0.85 seconds.
Japan’s Takuya Haneda captured bronze and began weeping in his canoe after the final paddler went past the finish line to secure his medal.
Tuesday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Tuesday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
Archery
5 a.m.--Men’s and women’s individual Round of 64 and 32
Basketball (Men)
Brazil 66, Spain 65
Lithuania 89, Nigeria 80
Argentina 90, Croatia 82
Basketball (Women)
Australia 89, France 71
Belarus 65, Brazil 63
Turkey 76, Japan 62
Beach Volleyball
6 a.m.--Men’s and women’s preliminary matches
Boxing
7 a.m.--Men’s lightweight preliminaries, men’s middleweight preliminaries, men’s super-heavyweight preliminaries
Canoe/Kayak
Men’s canoe single final
Gold--Denis Gargaud Chanut, France, 1:34.17
Silver--Matej Benus, Slovakia, 1:35.02
Bronze--Takuya Haneda, Japan, 1:37.44
Diving
Women’s synchronized 10-meter platform
Gold--China (Liu Huixia; Chen Ruolin)
Silver--Malaysia (Jun Hoong Cheong; Pandelela Rinong Pamg)
Bronze--Canada (Meaghan Benfeito; Roseline Filion)
Equestrian
Team eventing
Gold--France
Silver--Germany
Bronze--Australia
Individual eventing
Gold--Michael Jung, Germany
Silver--Astier Nicolas, France
Bronze--Phillip Dutton, United States
Fencing
Men’s individual epee
Gold -- Sangyoung Park, South Korea
Silver -- Geza Imre, Hungary
Bronze -- Gauthier Grumier, France
Field hockey (Men)
Spain 3, New Zealand 2
India 2, Argentina 1
Germany 3, Ireland 2
Netherlands 7, Canada 0
Britain 9, Brazil 1
Belgium 1, Australia 0
Gymnastics (Women)
Gold -- United States
Silver -- Russia
Bronze -- China
Handball (Men)
France 35, Qatar 20
Germany 32, Poland 29
Denmark 31, Tunisia 23
Slovenia 31, Brazil 28
Egypt 26, Sweden 25
Croatia 27, Argentina 26
Judo
Women’s 63-kilogram
Gold--Tina Trstenjak, Slovenia
Silver--Clarisse Agbegnenou, France
Bronze--Mariana Silva, Brazil
Bronze--Miku Tashiro, Japan
Men’s 81-kilogram
Gold--Khasan Khalmurzaev, Russia
Silver--Travis Stevens, United States
Bronze--Avtandil Tchrikishvili, Georgia
Bronze--Sergiu Toma, United Arab Emirates
Rowing
5 a.m.--men’s single sculls quarterfinals, women’s single sculls quarterfinals, men’s coxless pairs semis, men’s double sculls semis, women’s double sculls semis, men’s coxless lightweight four semis, women’s coxless pairs semis, women’s lightweight double sculls semis.
Rugby (Men)
7 a.m.
France 31, Australia 14
South Africa 24, Spain 0
Great Britain 31, Kenya 7
Japan 14, New Zealand 12
Argentina 17, United States 14
Fiji 40, Brazil 12
Noon
Australia 26, Spain 12
South Africa 26, France 0
Great Britain 21, Japan 19
New Zealand 28, Kenya 5
United States 26, Brazil 0
Fiji 21, Argentina 14
Sailing
9 a.m.--Men’s Finn and women’s RS:X races
Shooting
Women’s 25mm pistol final
Gold--Anna Korakaki, Greece
Silver--Monica Karsch, Germany
Bronze--Heidi Diethelm Gerber, Switzerland
Soccer (women)
Australia 6, Zimbabwe 1
Canada 2, Germany 1
U.S. 2, Colombia 2
France 3, New Zealand 0
South Africa 0, Brazil 0
China 0, Sweden 0
Swimming (Men)
Men’s 200-meter butterfly
Gold--Michael Phelps, United States
Silver--Masato Sakai, Japan
Bronze--Tamas Kenderesi, Hungary
Swimming (Women)
Women’s 200-meter freestyle
Gold--Katie Ledecky, United States
Silver--Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden
Bronze--Emma McKeon, Australia
Table tennis
6 a.m.--women’s singles quarterfinals
Noon--men’s singles quarterfinals
4:30 p.m.--men’s singles quarterfinals
Tennis
6:45 a.m.—men’s singles second round; women’s singles third round; men’s doubles quarterfinals; women’s doubles second round
Volleyball (Men)
Argentina 3, Russia 1
France 3, Mexico 0
Italy 3, United States 1
Poland 3, Iran 2
Egypt 3, Cuba 0
Brazil 3, Canada 1
Water Polo (women)
Hungary 13, China 11
Italy 9, Brazil 3
United States 11, Spain 4
Australia 14, Russia 4
Weightlifting
Women’s 63-kilogram
Gold--Deng Wei, China
Silver--Choe Hyo Sim, North Korea
Bronze--Karina Goricheva, Kazakhstan
Men’s 69-kilogram
Gold--Shi Zhiyong, China
Silver--Daniyar Ismayilov, Turkey
Bronze--Izzat Artykov, Kyrgyzstan
Rio Olympics: Michael Jung wins gold in equestrian individual eventing, Phillip Dutton of U.S. wins bronze
Defending champions Michael Jung of Germany and Sam FBW won a second successive equestrian gold medal in eventing, with another clear round in show jumping.
Jung, who had picked up no penalties in the cross-country phase or the first jump on Tuesday, had another perfect round to become only the third rider in Olympic history to win back-to-back individual gold medals.
He is also the only rider to have finished on his dressage score in the Olympics — and already achieved that feat in London, four years ago.
Nicolas Astier and Piaf de B’Neville had four jumping penalties and two time as they added individual silver to the team gold they won with France earlier in the day.
Phillip Dutton of the United States, who had come to within one fence of an individual medal in every major championship since 1994, won bronze on Mighty Nice.
Carlos Balderas makes his father proud from afar
Carlos Balderas wouldn’t be in Brazil -- and certainly wouldn’t be fighting in the Rio Olympics -- without his father, Zenon, who kept his son out of trouble and in the ring when he was growing up in Santa Maria.
Yet that’s exactly where Balderas, 19, was Tuesday -- in Brazil without his father -- following the biggest fight of his young career.
While Balderas was slugging his way to a unanimous decision over Japan’s Daisuke Narimatsu to advance to the quarterfinals of the lightweight competition, his father was 6,500 miles away, watching the fight on television after giving up his seat on the flight to Rio so 11 other relatives could make the trip.
“My dad was the one that was doing a lot of the fundraising. My dad and my uncle,” Balderas said. “And he fell short. He couldn’t come.”
Balderas was 7 when he fought -- and won -- his first bout. And for much of their childhoods, Zenon trained Balderas and his older brother, Jose, every night.
If the boys skipped a workout, then the father fought them himself.
It was tough love -- so tough that Zenon wondered years later if he had been too hard on his sons. But he wanted to keep them out of the gangs and out of a dead-end future in the strawberry fields that ring Santa Maria. Boxing, he believed, would give the boys the discipline and the courage they would need to make it.
“I told myself I needed to do something. I didn’t want them to be the same as me when I was young,” Zenon said.
“At the end of the day, Carlos is an Olympian. So something good came of it.”
On Tuesday, Balderas put that discipline and courage to good use, repeatedly banging away at Narimatsu’s body while landing a couple of straight rights to the head.
“I knew it was going to be a tough fight. But it was a lot harder than I thought,” Balderas said. “This guy kept eating everything, he just kept coming forward.
“He was in great shape because he was taking a lot of hard body punches. And was giving them back as well.”
The win, Balderas’ second in as many bout in Rio, earned him a date with top-seeded Lazaro Alvarez of Cuba in Friday’s quarterfinals.
And though he expects his father will again be watching on TV, Balderas said the support from the family members Zenon sent in his place has helped.
“I saw everybody was in the crowd behind the blue corner. Right when I was about to step in the ring, I looked up and saw my cousins and all my family screaming and yelling,” he said.
But Balderas, like all the Americans who have boxed in Rio, was also booed by the Brazilian crowd. And that helped too, he said.
“The ‘USA’ chant helped me out because it showed how much people I got behind me,” he said. “And the boos showed that I’m doing something right. If I was getting beat up, I’m sure that wouldn’t be booing.”
NBC’s Al Trautwig may know gymnastics, but he needed schooling on who Simone Biles’ parents are
U.S. gymnast Simone Biles’ parents are Ron and Nellie Biles. They adopted her and her little sister 15 years ago.
Ron Biles is Biles’ biological grandfather, a man whose daughter struggled with drugs and alcohol and wasn’t able to raise her children.
“When I was younger, I was adopted by my grandparents, which are now my parents,” Biles told USA Today in December. “I call them Mom and Dad.”
That’s not what gymnastics announcer Al Trautwig called them during the NBC’s Olympic broadcast on Sunday night.
After the network aired a segment about Biles’ family that referred to Ron and Nellie as the three-time defending all-around world champion’s mother and father, Trautwig told viewers that Simone “was raised by her grandfather and his wife and she calls them mom and dad.”
When someone corrected him on Twitter, Trautwig made matters worse by responding, “They may be mom and dad but they are NOT her parents.”
That tweet has since been deleted from Trautwig’s account but lives on via screensaves.
The Associated Press said NBC ordered Trautwig to apologize. He issued a statement Monday:
“I regret that I wasn’t more clear in my wording on the air,” he stated. “I compounded the error on Twitter, which I quickly corrected. To set the record straight, Ron and Nellie are Simone’s parents.”
Lilly King says Justin Gatlin, other U.S. doping offenders shouldn’t be allowed at Olympics
Lilly King doesn’t think Justin Gatlin, the star sprinter, or other athletes previously banned for doping should be allowed to compete for the U.S. in the Olympics.
“Do I think people who have been caught for doping offenses should be on the team? No, they shouldn’t,” King said when asked about Gatlin on Monday after winning gold in the 100-meter breaststroke.
Gatlin, the 100-meter dash champion at the Athens Olympics, served a four-year ban after testing positive for a banned substance in 2006. He previously had been suspended in 2001 for amphetamines, though the penalty was reduced on appeal.
“It’s unfortunate that we have to see that, and it is such a toss-up between sports and between countries,” King said. “It’s something that should be set in stone: This is what we are going to do. We need to settle this, and that should be the end of it. There should not be any bouncing back and forth.”
Past U.S. doping offenders on the Olympic team include another sprinter, Tyson Gay, who received a one-year ban in 2013 and was stripped of his silver medal from the 400-meter relay at the London Olympics.
King’s criticism of Russia’s Yulia Efimova before — and after — beating her in the 100 breaststroke became one of the early stories of the Games. Efimova has twice been suspended for doping, though the second ban was overturned earlier this year.
“I do think it is a victory for clean sport and to show you can do it while competing clean,” King said.
Rio Olympics: France wins eventing gold in equestrian
Double-clear show jumping rounds helped France win eventing gold in equestrian.
Nicolas Astier rode Piaf de b’Neville and Thibaut Vallette was on Qing du Briot for the win. France also included Mathieu Lemoine on Bart L. They finished with a score of 169.0, 3.8 ahead of Germany, which was bidding for a third straight Olympic title.
It is France’s second ever Olympic gold medal in eventing after victory in Athens in 2004.
Germany had started the day in fourth but superb double-clear rounds for reigning World Champions Sandra Auffarth and Opgun Louvo, Ingrid Klimke and Hale-Bob OLD, and Olympic champion Michael Jung and Sam FBW propelled the team to silver.
Australia slipped to third after Christopher Burton put two rails down. Sam Griffiths went clear but Stuart Tinney had 16 jumping and one-time penalties.
U.S. women’s water polo team defeats Spain, 11-4
Maggie Steffens, Courtney Mathewson and Kiley Neushul each scored two goals Tuesday as the U.S. women’s water polo team opened defense of its Olympic championship with an 11-4 rout of Spain at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre. The U.S. women had defeated Spain to win the gold medal four years ago at London.
Goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson, who later said she was nervous as she walked onto the pool deck for her Olympic debut, stopped 11 of 15 shots in a strong, aggressive performance.
U.S. Coach Adam Krikorian, who had returned to the U.S. briefly last week following the death of his brother Blake, rejoined the team in Rio in time to coach Tuesday’s match.
The U.S. women next will face China, on Thursday.
Donald Trump’s presidential bid should have no effect on L.A.’s bid for 2024 Games, Eric Garcetti says
In their quest to bring the Summer Games back to Southern California, LA 2024 leaders have spent the last two weeks in Rio de Janeiro forging relationships with Olympic officials and gathering information for their impending bid.
They have also spent a fair amount of time answering questions about Donald Trump.
The American bid has been politicized if only because Trump is unpopular in many parts of the world where International Olympic Committee members – the men and women who will select the 2024 host – reside.
Mayor Eric Garcetti, who is leading the city’s 25-person contingent in Rio, acknowledged Tuesday that he has heard complaints about Trump from IOC members.
During a news conference at the Olympic media center, Garcetti and other LA 2024 officials predicted the presidential campaign will have no effect on the IOC’s vote in the fall of 2017.
“This does not depend on any election, no matter what the outcome,” the mayor said of L.A.’s bid.
At the same time, Garcetti appeared to be referring to Trump’s isolationist platform when he said: “An America that turns inward isn’t good for world peace, isn’t good for world progress.”
It’s getting a little intense when it comes to rivalries in the pool
If I was in Yulia’s position, I would not want to be congratulated by someone who wasn’t speaking highly of me.
— Lilly King on her bitter rivalry with Russia’s Yulia Efimova
There’s a new leader in this star-studded NBA clubhouse
He’s done a great job at being an unbelievable vocal leader and showing it by example.
— Kyle Lowry on the impact of four-time Olympian Carmelo Anthony
Rio Olympics: 12 things you need to know about the rowing competition
Men
Key dates: Aug. 10-13
Venue: Lagoa Stadium
Big story: Water quality will be the top story out of the rowing venue, where organizers have removed thousands of dead fish from Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas in preparation for the Games. The fish are said to have died from a lack of oxygen caused by pollution. The International Rowing Federation declared the water “very acceptable” at the Junior World Championships last year, though its medical commission warned athletes to “avoid inadvertent immersion, including splashing.”
Top U.S. prospects: Henrik Rummel and Charlie Cole, who won bronze in the men’s four in London, are looking to return to the medal stand along with new teammates Matt Miller and Seth Weil. The men’s eight – which did not make the finals at last year’s world championships – is not expected to medal.
Others to watch: New Zealand’s Eric Murray and Hamish Bond haven’t lost a major men’s pair competition since 2008, so anything less than a second gold medal would be a disappointment for the Kiwis. In the double sculls, brothers Martin and Valent Sinkovic are heavily favored to win Croatia’s first Olympic gold in rowing.
Little-known fact: Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, was a rower.
Women
Key dates: Aug. 10-13
Venue: Lagoa Stadium
Big story: The U.S. women’s eight enjoys one of the strongest dynasties in international sports, having won every world championships and Olympic competition since 2006. To maintain their crown, they’ll have to hold off competitive crews from New Zealand and Great Britain.
Top U.S. prospects: Tracy Eisser and Megan Kalmoe — who won gold at the 2015 world championships in the women’s quadruple sculls — could find themselves atop the podium along with crewmates Adrienne Martelli and Grace Latz.
Others to watch: Great Britain is looking to repeat its performance in London, where its rowers topped the medal table. Team GB’s Helen Glover and Heather Stanning are expected to win the coxless pair’s event, while 40-year-old Katherine Grainger – a five-time Olympian – looks to defend her gold in the double sculls with teammate Vicky Thornley.
Little-known fact: The U.S. rowers will wear special suits with antimicrobial features during the Rio Games.
Rio Olympics: 12 things you need to know about the modern pentathlon competition
Men
Key date: Aug. 20
Venue: Deodoro Aquatics Center, Deodoro Stadium and Youth Arena
Big story: Reigning world champion Pavlo Tymoshchenko of Ukraine typically excels at riding, but he’ll need to overcome previously lackluster performances in swimming and fencing if he wants to win gold.
Top U.S. prospects: The United States will be represented by Army Sgt. Nathan Schrimsher, who is ranked 40th in the world.
Others to watch: Aleksander Lesun, who won the world title in 2014, will challenge Tymoshchenko for the top spot, along with Ukrainian Andriy Fedechko and Amro El Geziry of Egypt.
Little-known fact: General George S. Patton, then a 26-year-old lieutenant, finished fifth after receiving an abysmal score in the shooting event in the 1912 Games.
Women
Key date: Aug. 19
Venue: Deodoro Aquatics Center, Deodoro Stadium and Youth Arena
Big story: After winning the bronze in London, Brazilian Yane Marques became the pentathlon’s first Olympic medalist from the Southern Hemisphere. With a bronze at last year’s world championships, she’s hoping her familiarity with the arenas helps secure a home gold.
Top U.S. prospects: After missing the London podium by two seconds, Margaux Isaksen hopes to medal at her third Games. She’ll be joined in Rio by her younger sister, Isabella Isaksen, who is making her Olympic debut.
Others to watch: Reigning Olympic champion Laura Asadauskaite of Lithuania and 2008 gold medalist Lena Schoneborn of Germany are expected to be in medal contention.
Little-known fact: The modern pentathlon is the only sport created specifically for the modern Olympic Games.
Rio Olympics: 12 things you need to know about the judo competition
Men
Key dates: Aug. 6-12
Venue: Carioca Arena 2
Big story: French heavyweight Teddy Riner, a two-time Olympic medalist considered the most successful judoka of all-time, hasn’t lost in nearly six years. But the eight-time world champion, who stands an imposing 6-foot-8, has been slowed by shoulder injuries, and he’ll take on a field of fighters he has never faced before.
Top U.S. prospects: Travis Stevens (Wakefield, Mass), a three-time Olympian, is still looking for his first medal, having lost early bouts to the eventual champion in the last two Olympics; Nick Delpopolo (Davie, Fla.), a former Pan American champion, is competing in his second Olympics
Others to watch: An Chang-rim, ranked No. 1 in the world at 73 kilograms (161 pounds), has made the podium in his last 12 events and leads a strong South Korean team.
Little-known fact: A number of rule changes have been adopted since the London Games, the most significant of which bans leg grabs. The changes were made in part to distinguish judo from other combat sports, such as wrestling, and to inspire more of the big throws judo is known for.
Women
Key dates: Aug. 6-12
Venue: Carioca Arena 2
Big story: Kayla Harrison, who in London became the first U.S. athlete to win a judo gold medal, will try to become the first non-Asian woman to win multiple titles.
Top U.S. prospects: Harrison (Wakefield, Mass.) is the defending Olympic champion at 78 kilograms (172 pounds) and is ranked No. 1 in the world; Marti Malloy (San Jose), the current Pan American champion and a bronze medalist in London, is ranked third in the world in at 57 kilograms (126 pounds).
Others to watch: Brazil’s Mayra Aguiar, a former world champion and five-time Pan American champion, has won eight of 17 career bouts with Harrison. Idalys Ortiz of Cuba, a two-time Olympic medalist, is the defending heavyweight champion and ranked No. 1 in the world.
Little-known fact: Brazil has won more medals in judo, 17, than in any other Olympic sport. In April’s Pan American Championships in Havana, Brazil won 19 medals, nine more than the next-best country.
Social media have some fun with Michael Phelps’ death stare
Minutes before Michael Phelps’ 200-meter butterfly semifinal Monday night, NBC cameras showed the 19-time gold medalist with a determined, almost sinister look as South African rival Chad le Clois bounced in front of him.
Internet users, as they’re wont to do during big sporting events, had their fun with the image. Click below to see the entire gallery compiled by Mark Selig of the Baltimore Sun.
A groundbreaking journey that has never been a burden
I wouldn’t say I felt down and out. I realize this moment is bigger than me.
— Ibtihaj Muhammad, American fencer, after losing
Monday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Schedule and results from Monday’s Rio Olympics competition. All times Pacific.
Basketball (men)
Australia 95, Serbia 80
United States 113, Venezuela 69
France 88, China 60
Basketball (women)
United States 103, Spain 63
Canada 71, Serbia 67
Japan 82, Brazil 66
China 101, Senegal 64
Beach volleyball (women)
6 a.m.--Preliminary matches
Boxing
7 a.m.--Men’s light-flyweight preliminaries; men’s welterweight preliminaries, men’s middleweight preliminaries; men’s heavyweight preliminaries
Canoe/Kayak
8:30 a.m.--Men’s canoe double slalom heats; women’s kayak single slalom heats
Diving
Men’s synchronized 10-meter platform
Gold -- China (Lin Yue; Chen Aisen)
Silver -- United States (David Boudia; Steele Johnson)
Bronze -- Britain (Thomas Daley; Daniel Goodfellow)
Equestrian
6 a.m.--Individual eventing and team cross country
Fencing
Women’s individual sabre
Gold -- Yana Egorian, Russia, def. Sofya Velikaya, Russia, 15-14.
Bronze -- Olga Kharlan, Ukraine, def. Manon Brunet, France, 15-10.
Field hockey (men)
Germany 2, India 1
Argentina 3, Canada 1
Field hockey (women)
U.S. 2, Australia 1
Germany 2, New Zealand 1
Netherlands 4, South Korea 0
Britain 3, India 0
China 2, Spain 0
Argentina 4, Japan 0
Gymnastics (men)
Gold - Japan (Ryohei Kato; Yusuke Tanaka; Koji Yamamuro; Kenzo Shirai; Kohei Uchimura)
Silver - Russia (Denis Abliazin; Nikolai Kuksenkov; Ivan Stretovich; David Belyavskiy; Nikita Nagornyy)
Bronze - China (Liu Yang; Lin Chaopan; Zhang Chenglong; Deng Shudi; You Hao)
Handball (women)
Sweden 31, South Korea 28
Russia 26, France 25
Norway 27, Spain 24
Brazil 26, Romania 13
Netherlands 26, Argentina 18
Angola 27, Montenegro 25
Judo
Men’s 73-kilogram
Gold -- Shohei Ono, Japan, def. Rustam Orujov, Azerbaijan.
Bronze -- Lasha Shavdatuashvili, Georgia, def. Sagi Muki, Israel.
Bronze -- Dirk van Tichelt, Belgium, def. Miklos Ungvari, Hungary.
Women’s 57-kilogram
Gold -- Rafaela Silva, Brazil, def. Sumiya Dorjsuren, Mongolia.
Bronze -- Telma Monteiro, Portugal, def. Corina Caprioriu, Romania.
Bronze -- Kaori Matsumoto, Japan, def. Chen-Ling Lien, Taiwan..
Rowing
5:30 a.m.--Heats in men’s coxed eight; men’s single sculls; women’s single sculls; men’s coxless pair; women’s coxed eight
Rugby (Women)
Gold -- Australia 24, New Zealand 17
Bronze -- Canada 33, Britain 10
Fifth -- United States 19, France 5
Seventh -- Spain 21, Fiji 0
Ninth -- Brazil 33, Japan 5
11th -- Kenya 22, Colombia 10
France 24, Spain 12 (placing 5-8)
United States 12, Fiji 7 (placing 5-8)
Australia 17, Canada 5, semifinals
New Zealand 25, Great Britain 7, semifinals
Sailing
9 a.m.--Men’s RS:X preliminaries; women’s Laser Radial preliminaries
Shooting
Men’s 10-meter air rifle final
Gold--Niccolo Campriani, Italy, 206.1
Silver--Serhiy Kulish, Ukraine, 204.6
Bronze--Vladimir Massienikov, Russia, 184.2
Men’s trap final
Gold--Josip Glasnovic, Croatia
Silver--Giovanni Pellielo, Italy
Bronze--Edward Ling, Great Britain
Swimming
Men’s 200 freestyle
Gold - Sun Yang, China
Silver - Chad Guy Bertrand le Clos, South Africa
Bronze - Conor Dwyer, United States
Men’s 100 backstroke
Gold - Ryan Murphy, United States
Silver - Xu Jiayu, China
Bronze - David Plummer, United States
Women’s 100 backstroke
Gold - Katinka Hosszu, Hungary
Silver - Kathleen Baker, United States
Bronze - Kylie Masse, Canada
Bronze - Yuanhui Fu, China
Women’s 100 breaststroke
Gold - Lilly King, United States
Silver - Yulia Efimova, Russia
Bronze - Catherine Meili, United States
Table tennis
6 a.m.--Men’s and women’s third- and fourth-round singles
Tennis
6:45 a.m.--Men’s and women’s singles and doubles, second round
Volleyball (Women)
China 3, Italy 0
Japan 3, Cameroon 0
United States 3, Netherlands 2
Serbia 3, Puerto Rico 0
Russia 3, South Korea 1
Brazil 3, Argentina 0
Water polo (Men)
Serbia 9, Greece 9
Italy 11, France 8
Spain 10, United States 9
Hungary 9, Australia 9
Brazil 16, Japan 8
Croatia 8, Montenegro 7
Weightlifting
Women’s 58 kilogram
Gold -- Sukanya Srisurat, Thailand
Silver -- Pimsiri Sirikaew, Thailand
Bronze -- Kuo Hsing-Chun, Taiwan
Men’s 62-kilogram
Gold - Oscar Albeiro Figueroa Mosquera, Colombia
Silver - Eko Yuli Irawan, Indonesia
Bronze - Farkhad Kharki, Kazakhstan
All is shipshape for U.S. men’s basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski
U.S. men’s basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski is normally stern and serious, but he displayed a hint of his sense of humor Monday when he was asked about his team’s Olympic housing arrangements.
The U.S. men’s team has traditionally stayed outside the athletes’ village because players are international celebrities, which draws autograph seekers and could cause distractions and security issues. In Rio the U.S. men’s and women’s teams are staying on a luxury ship, the Silver Cloud, where it is — at least theoretically — easier to protect them and narrow their focus to basketball.
During a news conference that followed the U.S. team’s 113-69 victory over Venezuela, a French journalist asked Krzyzewski about the choice of isolating the team from the bigger Olympic experience and “living on a boat.” Krzyzewski surprised his audience by performing a mini-standup comedy routine.
“Well, we don’t live on a boat. We’re staying on a boat. I actually live in Durham, N.C. I have a swimming pool and once in a while I get on a raft but I never really thought about living on a boat,” he said.
“Since 1992 the U.S. teams have stayed in different locations and because of the accommodations here, that was good. And it’s not our boat, you know. We’re not the only people on the boat. There are other people on the boat that you say, ‘Good morning,’ to, ‘Hello.’ We’ve actually made friends on the boat. I never knew I would have boat friends. But now that I’m talking about it I might go buy a boat and put it in my swimming pool. But I’d have to have a bigger swimming pool.
“It’s a place to stay. We’re here to play basketball. The people in Rio have been unbelievable as far as their treatment of us and their hospitality. We’re fortunate to be here for the Olympics whether we’re on a boat or not.”
Said Chicago Bulls and Team USA guard Jimmy Butler, who also attended the news conference: “I just do what I’m told. I’m told to sleep on a boat, so I sleep on a boat.”
But Krzyzewski wasn’t quite ready to let the boat conversation end. The final question directed to him concerned Australia, the team the U.S. will face Wednesday, and Krzyzewski said the Aussies’ coaches undoubtedly saw some weaknesses they will try to exploit based on the Americans’ slow start against Venezuela on Monday.
“I don’t think they’ve gone back to their boat or home or apartment or wherever they’re staying, thinking they can’t beat us,” he said.
As long as no one’s staying on the Titanic or the S.S. Minnow it should all be fine.
Lilly King tells it like it is on doping
It just proves that you can compete clean and still come out on top with all the work you put in.
— American swimmer Lilly King referring to Russian Yulia Efimova, who twice had failed drug tests for banned substances. King beat Efimova for the gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke.
Michael Phelps’ death stare breaks Internet
We finally have the definition of what a game face is. Michael Phelps was getting ready for his 200-meter butterfly semifinal and didn’t let his dancing rival interfere with his preparation.
The live NBC feed of the warm-up area caught Phelps getting himself ready for the race and quickly became the talk of Twitter.
Behold Phelps’ face.
Lilly King beats Yulia Efimova to win gold in 100-meter breaststroke duel
America’s Lilly King beat Russia’s Yulia Efimova to win gold in the 100-meter breaststroke Monday at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in one of the most anticipated contests of the Games.
King finished in 1 minute 4.93 seconds, more than a half-second ahead of Efimova.
Efimova, twice banned for doping, was once again loudly booed before the race. She’s become a symbol at the Games of frustration over Russia’s state-sponsored doping scandal.
Katie Meili, another U.S. swimmer, finished third.
The posturing between King and Efimova became one of the early stories of the Games. During Sunday’s semifinals, Efimova shook her finger in the No. 1 sign. King later said that “I’m not a fan” of the Russian and voiced her disapproval with the International Olympic Committee’s decision to allow her to participate.
After Monday’s race, Efimova left the pool deck alone. King strode past her without acknowledgement.
“Tonight has been so crazy,” King said after the race. “My life is changing right now. I’m a gold medallist and it’s what I’ve always wanted to be and it’s an incredible feeling.
“It just proves that you can compete clean and still come out on top with all the work you put in.”
The International Swimming Federation announced last month that Efimova and six other Russian swimmers were banned from the Olympics for either previously failing doping tests or were named in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s investigation into state-sponsored doping in the country.
Efimova and at least five of the swimmers were quietly cleared last week to compete in the Games.
“A week ago, I didn’t even know if I could race because I’m Russian. I’m just happy to be here,” Efimova said after the race.
Neither the International Swimming Federation or the IOC has explained the reversal or responded to requests for comment on the matter.
King, a 19-year-old from Indiana, held the world’s top time in the event this year entering the Olympics.
Ryan Murphy of the U.S. wins gold in 100 backstroke
Ryan Murphy narrowly missed a world record as he took gold in the 100-meter backstroke Monday at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
Murphy finished in 51.97 seconds, three-hundredths of a second off the record set by Aaron Peirsol in 2009. The time set a new Olympic record.
It is the sixth consecutive gold medal for the U.S. in the event.
David Plummer of the U.S., who entered the Games with the world’s fastest time this year, finished third.
Missy Franklin fails to advance in 200 freestyle
Missy Franklin’s difficult stretch in the pool continued Monday when she failed to advance in the 200-meter freestyle at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
The star of the London Olympics finished last in her semifinal heat in 1 minute 57.56 seconds, fourth-tenths of a second slower than her preliminary time.
During the U.S. Olympic trials, Franklin didn’t qualify to defend her Olympic gold in the 100-meter backstroke and placed second in two other individual events.
Last week, however, Franklin declared herself to be in the best shape of her life and attributed her problems at the trials to feeling the pressure of being a four-time Olympic gold medalist.
Franklin still has the 200-meter backstroke, her signature event, and the 800-meter freestyle relay left to swim.
U.S. men pull away for 113-69 victory over Venezuela
Could it be? Could it be that Venezuela, hanging tough and on even footing with the U.S. men’s basketball team after one quarter Monday, was building up to deliver a shocking upset in the Rio Olympic basketball tournament — and on the 24th anniversary of the original U.S. Dream Team’s gold-medal triumph at Barcelona, no less?
No, it couldn’t.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s team labored early but pulled away in the second quarter and rolled to a 113-69 victory at Carioca Arena 1, improving its record here to 2-0. A 30-8 scoring binge in the second quarter made the difference for Team USA, which had been even with Venezuela at 18-18 after the first quarter. The U.S. will put its 19-game Olympic winning streak on the line against Australia on Wednesday.
Paul George of the Indiana Pacers had 20 points, Kevin Durant of Golden State had 16, Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls had 17, and Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks had 14 points and moved up to third on the U.S. men’s Olympic all-time scoring list when he reached 258 career points, vaulting past Michael Jordan. Anthony has hit double figures in scoring in 11 of the 25 Olympic contests he has played in four tournaments. Jordan played in two Olympic basketball tournaments.
Clippers center DeAndre Jordan was credited with nine rebounds to go with 14 points. He also had a few rim-rattling dunks and an air-balled free throw.
The U.S. team’s slow start wasn’t entirely a surprise. Venezuela was the only opponent that didn’t give up 100 points to Team USA during exhibition play, and Team USA’s 35-point margin of victory in the pre-Rio tour was its smallest in its five exhibition games.
Venezuela guard John Cox, who played at the University of San Francisco, had 19 points. Beefy center Gregory Echenique, who played at Rutgers and Creighton, had 18 points for Venezuela (0-2).
China wins men’s synchronized diving, with U.S. taking second
China easily won its second gold medal in diving at the Rio Olympics, dominating the men’s 10-meter synchronized event while showing the rest of the world how to barely make a splash.
Chen Aisen and Lin Yue totaled 496.98 points on Monday, cruising to victory by 39.87 points.
American teammates David Boudia and Steele Johnson took silver at 457.11. Tom Daley and Daniel Goodfellow of Britain rallied to claim bronze in 445.45.
China is aiming to sweep the eight diving events in Rio de Janeiro for the first time in the Olympics. A day earlier, the Chinese won the women’s 3-meter synchro title.
“We did our best, but I don’t think it was perfect,” Lin said.
Chen and Lin were especially impressive on their final two dives, totaling the most points of any team in both rounds.
China, the United States and Britain all performed the same dive in the fifth round, a forward 4 1/2 somersaults tuck that carries one of the highest degrees of difficulty.
The Americans went first, scoring 85.47 points. China was next, with Chen and Lin putting on a clinic with a score of 106.56. They plunged into the water off the 33-foot tower with very little splash and earned a perfect 10 for synchronization.
Daley and Goodfellow went last, scoring 92.13 and good enough to move the Brits from fifth to third after the German duo of Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein performed a less difficult dive that earned fewer points and dropped them to fourth.
“Going into the last round there is always pressure. When it’s the Olympics, multiply that by a million,” Daley said. “It was windy, it was cold and we were two points behind the Germans.”
In the last round, the Americans and Chinese did the same dive, a back 2 1/2 somersaults with 2 1/2 twists pike only slightly less difficult than their previous one.
Boudia and Johnson went first, scoring 95.04 points with marks as high as 9.0.
Chen and Lin did even better, hitting the water in unison and being rewarded with 9.5s and 9.0s.
Lin earned his first gold in the event since 2008, when he and Huo Liang teamed to win synchro platform in their home country. He didn’t compete in the event four years ago in London.
With lots of Chinese flags and fans in the stands, the crowd booed heartily when it saw the judges’ marks for Chen and Lin in the fourth round. Fans didn’t think the scores ranging from 8.0 to 8.5 were nearly high enough, but it hardly mattered.
“The mistake we made is that we had a little bit of hesitation during our jump, so we did not handle it very well,” Lin said.
Chen and Lin were in front from the start of the six-round final and never faltered.
Boudia and Johnson controlled second place throughout, leaving only the bronze medal up for grabs. Four years ago in London, Boudia earned bronze in platform synchro with a different partner and gold in the individual 10-meter competition.
“One of every color,” Boudia said. “I’ve never felt so content and so calm. You’re at the Olympic Games with millions of people watching you, so it’s a pretty good feeling.”
Johnson, a 20-year-old diver at Indiana University, was clearly thrilled with winning a medal in his Olympic debut. He and Boudia shared a watery hug after their final dive, knowing they had clinched a spot on the podium. Johnson then covered his eyes with his hand and couldn’t stop smiling.
In 2009, Johnson struck his head on the platform and was saved from bleeding out by his coach, who jumped in the pool and held his head together. He received 33 stitches and had a tube in his head to drain the chlorine.
“It all worked out in the end,” Johnson said, the silver medal around his neck. “The fact that I’m still alive is just more than I can ask for.”
Australian cyclist taken to hospital after crash at velodrome
Australian cyclist Melissa Hoskins was taken from the Rio Olympics Velodrome on a stretcher after her pursuit team crashed hard while doing a training effort at race speed.
The team of Hoskins, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Georgia Baker, Amy Cure and Annette Edmondson were at the end of the back straight when the crash occurred. Edmondson stayed on her bike as three riders fell hard onto the banked wooden track.
Cycling Australia spokeswoman Gennie Sheer told the Associated Press that Hoskins was put in a back brace as a precaution and taken to a Rio de Janeiro hospital for further examination.
The other fallen cyclists walked off the track and were being treated for bruises and burns.
The team pursuit competition begins with qualifying on Thursday.
Rafaela Silva earns Brazil’s first gold medal by winning judo division
From the favela to the top of the podium, Rafael Silva earned Brazil’s first gold medal of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Silva, the country’s first female world champion in judo, won the 57-kilogram division of the Japanese martial art on Monday as the crowd chanted “Rafa” and waved the green and yellow Brazilian flags.
The 24-year-old Silva beat Sumiya Dorjsuren of Mongolia after two days of disappointment on the mat for Brazil.
She also settled an old Olympic score. At the 2012 London Games, Silva was disqualified for an illegal leg grab during a fight against Hedvig Karakas of Hungary. This time, it was Silva who advanced from their quarterfinal match.
Silva, who is from Brazil’s largest favela and trained at a judo dojo founded by former Olympic bronze medalist Flavio Canto, was in top form for much of the day. Her first match lasted only 46 seconds.
“Everybody here knows Rafaela’s history,” said Eduardo Colli, a Brazilian fan watching the final in the stands. “This is more than just a medal, it’s a victory for poor people. It’s hope for all of them.”
The women’s bronze medals went to Kaori Matsumoto of Japan — the defending Olympic champion — and Telma Monteiro of Portugal.
With its strong martial arts culture — including many shared techniques between Brazilian jiu jitsu, mixed martial arts and judo — Brazil had been expected to do well early in the judo competition.
But defending Olympic champion Sarah Menezes narrowly lost out on a bronze on Saturday in the 48-kilogram category, and so did Erika Miranda at 52 kilograms on Sunday.
Josip Glasnovic of Croatia wins gold in men’s trap competition
Croatia’s Josip Glasnovic has captured gold in men’s trap at the Rio Olympics after defeating Italy’s Giovanni Pellielo in a final match that went to a shoot-off.
Glasnovic and Pellielo each hit 13 of 15 targets in the gold medal match and were on the mark with their first three in the shoot-off.
Shooting first, Pellielo missed on his fourth shot. Glasnovic calmly hit his fourth and triumphantly raised his gun in the air as pink dust from the target blew in the gusting wind.
The loss in the gold medal match adds to Pellielo’s near misses. The world record holder has a pair of silver medals and a bronze in trap, but no gold.
Great Britain’s Edward Ling hit 13 of 15 targets to beat David Kostelecky of the Czech Republic in the bronze medal match for his first medal in three Olympics.
NBC wants to make Leslie Jones part of its Rio Olympics coverage
Unlike her experience earlier in the summer, Twitter seems to be bringing “Ghostbusters” actress Leslie Jones good fortune instead of bad, now that the 2016 Summer Olympics have arrived.
Just a few short weeks after the comedian was driven off Twitter by the invective of Internet trolls angry about the all-women reboot of 1984’s “Ghostbusters,” Jones has found support and success with her enthusiastic live tweeting of the opening days of the Rio Olympics.
U.S. women rout Spain in basketball, 103-63
Another game, another rout for the U.S. women’s basketball team. This time though, it wasn’t record setting.
Diana Taurasi scored 13 points and Elena Delle Donne added 12 to help the Americans beat Spain 103-63 on Monday in women’s group play.
The victory was the 43rd consecutive for the U.S. (2-0) in the Olympics. The contest was a rematch of the 2014 world championship gold medal game that the Americans won by 13. While this win didn’t come in the same record fashion the U.S. opened the Olympics with when it beat Senegal by 65 points, the Americans coasted after the first few minutes.
Spain (1-1) led 8-6 before the U.S. closed the quarter on a 23-6 burst. Once again first-time Olympian Delle Donne was in the middle of it. She had seven points, including a 3-pointer from the wing that made it 27-11 during the game-changing spurt. The Spaniards couldn’t get within single digits the rest of the way.
The U.S. was nowhere as crisp as it was in the opening rout of Senegal.
Coach Geno Auriemma experimented with different lineups trying to come up with a combination that could execute. He put the four Minnesota Lynx players on the court together for the first time. Maya Moore had been in the starting group while Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles have been playing with the second unit. While the group couldn’t increase the lead much in their brief time playing together, it was surely a delight for Minnesota fans.
Spain fought just to stay within 20 in the second quarter, thanks in part to the play of guard Leticia Romero, who stars at Florida State. The Olympic newcomer got her first playing time of the tournament and scored five straight points as Spain trailed 54-37 at the half. She finished with nine points.
Sue Bird wouldn’t let Spain get any closer. Playing in her fourth Olympics, Bird started the second half with a steal and then raced down the court for the layup. A few minutes later the lead was over 20 and the rout was on as Taurasi and Brittney Griner waved their arms to get a “USA” chant started. In Sunday’s win over Senegal, the crowd was behind the underdogs, shouting down any American cheers. This time they wouldn’t be drowned out.
Alba Torrens, whom the Connecticut Sun have the rights to in the WNBA, led Spain with 20 points.
Spain missed the 2012 Olympics, but won the silver at the worlds. The Spaniards have never beaten the U.S. in a major competition, falling to 0-10 at the Olympics and world championships.
The U.S., which scored 100 or more points in consecutive games for the first time since the 2004 Olympics, next plays Serbia on Wednesday while Spain faces China.
Niccolo Campriani of Italy wins gold medal in men’s 10-meter air rifle
Niccolo Campriani of Italy won the men’s 10-meter air rifle competition at the Rio Olympics on Monday, the third Olympic medal of his career.
Campriani, 28, won silver in this event in 2012 and also won a gold in 2012 in the men’s 50-meter rifle three-way.
Campriani finished with a final score of 206.1, defeating silver medalist Serhiy Kulish, 23, of Ukraine, who scored 204.6 points. Bronze went to Vladimir Maslennikov of Russia.
Chinese fans are counting medals and grievances at the Rio Olympics
As of early Monday, China had scored eight medals at the Rio Olympics, leaving the country in second place behind only the United States, which has 12 so far. But the Middle Kingdom has found more to gripe about than celebrate so far.
Chinese fans are furious that Australian swimmer Mack Horton called Chinese rival Sun Yang a “drug cheat” before going on to best him Saturday in the 400-meter men’s freestyle. The two apparently got into a spat last week in the training pool, with Sun reportedly splashing Horton and trying to distract him.
China’s anti-doping agency imposed a three-month suspension on Sun in 2014 for taking a banned stimulant. The suspension was served in secret and not revealed until after the fact. Sun has said he took the stimulant, trimetazidine, for angina.
Chinese fans took to the Internet over the weekend to call Horton a racist and demand an apology for his “arrogance” and “slander.”
Rio Olympics: Six things you need to know about the handball competition
Key dates: Women’s final on Aug. 20; Men’s final on Aug. 21
Venue: Future Arena
Big story: The men’s draw has past Olympic champions France and Croatia in the same group with upstart Qatar.
Top U.S. prospects: This is one of three sports in which the U.S. has never medaled. Neither team qualified for Rio.
Others to watch: Norway is defending Olympic and world champion on the women’s side. Romania and the surprising Netherlands should also be tough.
Little-known fact: The men’s team from France is trying for a third consecutive gold.
Rio Olympics: Six things you need to know about the women’s gymnastics competition
Key dates: Aug. 9, team final. Aug. 11, all-around final.
Venue: Rio Olympic Arena.
Big story: Simone Biles could realistically win four gold medals, possibly five, and land on magazine covers and cereal boxes worldwide. The U.S. is heavily favored to defend its team title. and Biles has won the last three all-around World Championships. Golds on the floor, balance beam and vault are not a stretch for a gymnast, with her ability and big-event poise.
Top U.S. prospects: Biles, Laurie Hernandez, Gabby Douglas, Aly Raisman and Madison Kocian.
Others to watch: China and Russia in the team competition, and U.S. national team coordinator Martha Karolyi added Britain (bronze at the world championships in 2015) to the list of contenders on a recent conference call. Also worth watching: Shang Chunsong of China in the all-around and Dipa Karmakar of India in the vault.
Little known fact: Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan, 41, will make her seventh Games appearance in Rio. A bit of perspective: She made her first Olympic appearance in 1992, long before Biles and Hernandez were born.
Rio Olympics: Six things you need to know about the men’s gymnastics competition
Key dates: Team final on Aug. 8. All-around final on Aug. 10.
Venue: Rio Olympic Arena.
Big story: How the U.S. men bounce back after a disappointing fifth in London four years ago. They were admittedly nervous in 2012 and have matured since that rocky first moment in prime time. Three of the five — Sam Mikulak, Danell Leyva and Jake Dalton — are back for the second time.
Top U.S. prospects: Mikulak, Leyva, Dalton, Chris Brooks and Alex Naddour.
Others to watch: Britain, bronze medalists at the Olympics in 2012. Japan and Britain went one-two, respectively, at the World Championships in 2015. Individually, Kohei Uchimura of Japan is the reigning Olympic all-around champion and has won the last six world titles. Manrique Larduet of Cuba is a medal contender in the all-around and high bar.
Little-known fact: The best-known men’s gymnast from Cuba before Larduet was Eric Lopez, who won a silver medal in the parallel bars at the World Championships in 2001 and finished 17th in the all-around at the 2000 Olympics. Cuba has not won a medal in men’s gymnastics at the Olympic level.
Rio Olympics: 12 things you need to know about the golf competition
Men
Key dates: Aug. 11-14
Venue: Olympic Golf Course (links-style plays to 7,132 yards)
Big story: The absence of top players Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy are making people question golf’s Olympic return following a 112-year absence.
Top U.S. prospects: Any of the four Americans – Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed, Matt Kuchar – could win.
Others to watch: British Open champion Henrik Stenson will represent Sweden and has no fear of the Zika virus: “I’m not afraid of mosquitos. I’m more afraid of bears.”
Little-known fact: Until the Olympic course opened, Rio had just two 18-hole golf courses.
Women
Key dates: Aug. 17-20
Venue: Olympic Golf Course
Big story: Zika didn’t scare off the top female golfers. They’re either more patriotic or more eager for potential marketing and endorsement opportunities.
Top U.S. prospect: At 21, Lexi Thompson is already an LPGA veteran, having won an event at 16.
Others to watch: New Zealand’s Lydia Ko is the world No. 1. Korea’s Inbee Park is recovering from a thumb injury and the sport’s new darling is 18-year-old Brooke Henderson of Canada.
Little-known fact: Brazil has two women in the 60-player field, but neither is ranked in the world’s top 400.
--Teddy Greenstein
Rio Olympics: 18 things you need to know about the equestrian competition
DRESSAGE
Key dates: Aug. 12, team. Aug. 15, individual.
Venue: Deodoro Olympic Equestrian Center.
Big story: Four-time Olympian Isabell Werth of Germany, a former practicing attorney, will be attempting to win her sixth gold medal. Four of the five golds have come in the team event, the other in individual dressage at Atlanta in 1996.
Top U.S. prospects: Allison Brock, Kasey Perry-Glass, Laura Graves and Steffen Peters.
Others to watch: Werth, Germany; Charlotte Dujardin, Great Britain.
Little-known fact: Dressage rider Hilda Lorna Johnstone, at age 70, was the oldest female competitor ever at the Olympics when she took part in the 1972 Games, representing Great Britain. This year, Australia has two 60-plus representatives on its four-member dressage team: Sue Hearn, 60, and Mary Hanna, 61.
EQUESTRIAN: EVENTING
Key dates: Aug. 6-9.
Venue: Deodoro Olympic Equestrian Center.
Big story: Double gold medalist Michael Jung was forced to switch horses shortly before the animals were to be transported to Brazil when his top horse, Takinou, came down with an infection. The German rider won gold in London in individual eventing and another as part of the team effort.
Top U.S. prospects: Phillip Dutton, Lauren Kieffer, Boyd Martin, Clark Montgomery.
Others to watch: Jung.
Little-known fact: The guidelines for shipping equestrian freight and equipment to Rio are quite extensive, including these two nonstarters: Straw cannot be imported into Brazil, and no wood.
EQUESTRIAN: JUMPING
Key dates: Aug. 17, team. Aug. 19, individual.
Venue: Deodoro Olympic Equestrian Center.
Big story: The iconic Ian Millar of Canada had been on track to appear in his 11th Olympics but his plan was derailed when his horse, Dixson, required sinus surgeries. But the Millars will be represented in Rio: Millar’s daughter, Amy, was named to Canada’s show jumping team.
Top U.S. prospects: Lucy Davis, Kent Farrington, Beezie Madden and McLain Ward.
Others to watch: Fast-rising youngster Bertram Allen of Ireland.
Little-known fact: Foxhunter became a cult hero with a show jumping gold at the 1952 Olympics for Great Britain. Subsequently, the horse was said to have received a telegram of congratulations from Winston Churchill.
Rio Olympics: 12 things you need to know about the diving competition
Men
Key dates: 3-meter springboard final on Aug. 16; 10-meter platform final on Aug. 20
Venue: Maria Lenk Aquatics Center
Big story: David Boudia (U.S), Qiu Bo (China) and Tom Daley (Britain) compete in the 10-meter platform.
Top U.S. prospects: Boudia won gold in the 10-meter platform in London but hasn’t won an international competition since. He’ll team with Steele Johnson in the synchronized 10-meter competition.
Others to watch: China’s Qiu (10-meter platform) won world championships in the event in 2013 and 2015, ande Russia’s Ilya Zakharov is the defending Olympic champion in the 3-meter springboard.
Little-known fact: The diving venue is much smaller than London, seating 6,500 instead of 17,500.
Women
Key dates: 3-meter springboard final on Aug. 14; 10-meter platform final on Aug. 18
Venue: Maria Lenk Aquatics Center
Big story: Chinese women won five medals -- four gold -- in London and their dominance looks as if it will continue.
Top U.S. prospects: Abby Johnston won silver in the synchronized 3-meter springboard in London, but will compete in the solo event this time. Kassidy Cook will join her in the springboard event after just missing out on qualifying last time.
Others to watch: China’s Wu Minxia has six Olympic medals, tied for the most ever by a diver. She’s part of a stacked team that includes Chen Ruolin and He Zi.
Little-known fact: Johnston recently finished her second year at the Duke University School of Medicine.
U.S. fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad makes history, then wins in opening round
Merely by stepping onto the strip at Carioca Arena 3, fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad made a bit of Olympic history.
The 30-year-old New Jersey native became the first American athlete to compete at the Games in a hijab, the traditional headscarf worn by Muslim women.
“I feel like this is a great moment for Team USA to be even more diverse than we have in the past and I’m just looking forward to representing myself, my community and my country,” Muhammad said in the days before the competition.
The eighth-ranked saber fencer made the most of her moment on Monday, defeating 33rd-ranked Olena Kravatska of Ukraine, 15-13, in the round of 32.
In the round of 16, Muhammad took an early lead against ninth-ranked Cecilia Berder of France but surrendered a string of touches mid-bout and ended up losing, 15-12. She will take part in the team competition later in the Games.
Though he lost the gold-medal match, this American makes some history
Obviously, I wish I could have got the gold … I was a little sad.
— Alexander Massialas, American fencer
Like storm clouds on the horizon, Brazilians’ excitement about hosting the Olympics may be building
In the beginning, we were shy. Now, we are beginning to participate.
— Luciane Contani
Brazilian soccer in crisis again after draw against 99th-ranked Iraq
The last time the Brazilian soccer team played a major international tournament game at home it was embarrassed, 7-1, by Germany in the most-lopsided World Cup semifinal in history.
That was two years ago. Things have gotten considerably worst since.
On Sunday, Brazil failed to score for the second time in many games in group play of the Rio Olympics, stumbling to a scoreless draw against Iraq. That’s the same result Brazil got in its opener against South Africa, leaving the winless team needing a victory over Denmark on Wednesday in Salvador to advance to the second round.
All this comes on the heels of the team’s elimination in group play of the Copa America earlier this summer in the U.S. That disaster cost Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri, commonly known as Dunga, his job as coach of the national team for the second time in six years.
Barring a miraculous turnaround, Olympic Coach Rogerio Micale can probably expect a similar fate.
“We need to apologize to the fans, to the people of Brasilia,” Micale said after Sunday’s game. “We didn’t play our best football. We feel like we left our fans frustrated.”
The 60,000 fans who packed the national stadium in Brasilia didn’t bother waiting for any mea culpas, jeering the players as they left the field at halftime and breaking into chants of “Marta! Marta!” in reference to the star of Brazil’s women’s team, which is unbeaten through two games of its Olympic tournament.
And it could have been worse for Brazil; Iraq would have won the game had Mohanad Abdulraheem’s first-half shot gone in rather than bouncing off the inside of the post.
At the final whistle, the Brazilian fans applauded Iraq, which earned the draw despite allowing the hosts 77% possession and 20 shots. Brazilian talisman Neymar, held out of the Copa America to prepare for the Olympics, had his second straight poor game, as did Gabriel Jesus, who last week secured a multimillion-dollar transfer to Manchester City.
Jesus was booed loudly when he was substituted in the second half.
The only five-time World Cup champion, Brazil has never won an Olympic gold medal, finishing second to Mexico four years ago in London. And Micale admitted the pressure of trying to end that at home may be getting to his team.
“As the time passes and we can’t score, the anxiety increases, and in this situation it’s easier to make mistakes,” he said. “It’s natural.”
Brazil is ranked ninth in the world by FIFA. South Africa is 67th and Iraq is 99th.
“It’s a historic day for Iraq to be able to draw against Brazil at its home,” Iraq Coach Abdulghani Alghazali said. “It’s a great achievement for Iraqi football.”
Meanwhile, Mexico ran into trouble of its own in its attempt to successfully defend its title. Although El Tri beat Fiji, 5-1, on Sunday, it lost 2012 Olympic hero Oribe Peralta to a broken nose.
Unbeaten in its two games, Mexico has already clinched a berth in this weekend’s quarterfinals.
She’s a year out of high school and seems blissfully unaware of the fame that awaits her
I just let it all out. I was really relaxed. Not shaking.
— Katie Ledecky
Raisman reflects on the long road back to the Olympics
Their athleticism may look smooth on the floor exercise, uneven bars and balance beam and achieved with the greatest ease on the vault.
But gymnast Aly Raisman talked about the hours of hard work in the gym to get that magical payoff, the heavy lifting rarely seen by the public. On Sunday, she reflected on her latest accomplishment with a rightful sense of pride, having qualified for the Olympic all-around event for the second time.
“It feels really good,” said the 22-year-old Raisman, a member of the gold-winning U.S. Olympic team in 2012. “I’ve been working so hard. It’s been a rough last year and a half just because it’s been so hard in the gym.
“A lot of times people look at us here and they think it looks easy, but people that follow gymnastics, they know since I’ve been back it’s taken me three years to finally compete in that vault.
“My vault is even better than it was in 2012. It’s not something that comes overnight. I’ve literally been training three years to get it to that point.”
There had been so much talk about the emergence of 16-year-old Laurie Hernandez, who finished second to Simone Biles at the Olympic trials in July. And how could anyone forget the reigning all-around Olympic champion Gabby Douglas?
The spiritual anchor of the team, Raisman, was almost lost in the shuffle. Making the all-around final meant more to her than she let on.
“It’s awesome. It definitely was my goal,” she said. “I think the media kept asking about it and I kept trying to downplay it because you don’t want to add the extra pressure. It’s something I obviously think about. It’s exciting I get to compete with Simone.”
U.S. swimmer Lilly King spars with Russia’s Yulia Efimova over doping
Simmering discontentment over Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova participating in the Olympics after twice being banned for doping boiled over on national television Sunday.
After U.S. swimmer Lilly King recorded the fastest semifinal time in the 100-meter breaststroke, she didn’t hide her feelings about Efimova during a brief interview with NBC.
“You’re shaking your finger ‘No. 1’ and you’ve been caught for drug cheating,” King said. “I’m not a fan.”
Efimova, who has the world’s second-fastest time in the event this year, shook her finger as she was loudly booed before and after her semifinal race at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
King didn’t back down from her comments when speaking with reporters in the mixed zone.
“That’s kind of my personality,” she said. “I’m not just this sweet little girl.… If I do need to stir it up to put a little fire under my butt or anybody else’s, then that’s what I’m going to do.
“It’s unfortunate that that’s going on in the sport right now, but that was her decision and [boos] are what’s going to happen.”
Last month, the International Swimming Federation announced Efimova’s Olympic ban as part of Russia’s doping scandal. She was one of seven Russian swimmers barred from the Games who had either failed doping tests or were named in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s investigation into state-sponsored doping by the country.
Efimova, 24, previously served a 16-month suspension for doping and earlier this year failed a test for meldonium, a banned substance, though the result was overturned.
She was quietly reinstated last week. Neither the International Swimming Federation or the International Olympic Committee has provided an explanation for the decision.
Efimova declined to answer questions after the semifinal.
Should she be swimming in Rio de Janeiro?
“It was the IOC’s decision and I’m going to respect that decision even though it’s not something that I agree with,” King said.
U.S. wins gold in men’s 400 freestyle relay as Michael Phelps captures 23rd Olympic medal
Behind a dominant swim by Michael Phelps, the U.S. won gold in the 400-meter freestyle relay Sunday at the Olympic Aquatics Center.
France finished second and Australia took third.
After Caeleb Dressel led off, Phelps gave the U.S. the lead on the relay’s second leg. Ryan Held and Nathan Adrian didn’t relinquish it.
This is the 23rd Olympic medal for Phelps and his 19th gold, both records.
Katie Ledecky sets world record, wins gold in 400 freestyle
Katie Ledecky broke her own world record as she cruised to the gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle Sunday at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
The 19-year-old phenom from Washington finished in 3 minutes 56.46 seconds, almost five seconds faster than second-place Jazz Carlin of Britain. American Leah Smith won bronze.
Ledecky almost took down the record she set in 2014 during the preliminaries earlier Sunday, but she blamed a “lackadaisical” finish for missing the mark.
She didn’t leave anything to chance during the final, swimming much of the race alone because she was so far ahead of the other competitors.
Ledecky holds nine of the 10 fastest times recorded in the event.
Novak Djokovic upset by Juan Martin del Potro in Olympic opener
Juan Martin del Potro is back, and Novak Djokovic is gone.
The top-ranked Djokovic was swept out of the Olympic tennis tournament in the first round Sunday by the 2009 U.S. Open champion, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2). Because of three left wrist surgeries, del Potro is ranked just 145th in the world. But when the big Argentine is healthy and smacking his signature forehand around the court, his play is worthy of the gold-medal match.
It would be a forehand off the net cord that clinched victory on his second match point. The two shared a long embrace at the net, with both players left sobbing.
These two men faced off for bronze in London four years ago, with del Potro winning. When he arrived at Wimbledon this year, though, he hadn’t appeared at a major in 2 1/2 years. He would upset fourth-seeded Stan Wawrinka in the second round there, a hint that he might yet still have some greatness left in him.
Del Potro was just 20 when he rallied from a two-sets-to-one deficit to stun five-time defending champion Roger Federer in the U.S. Open final. With the way his forehand rocked Federer that day, more Grand Slam titles seemed certain for the young Argentine.
Then came a string of wrist injuries, first to the right, then the left — which the righty needs for his backhand. He was still slicing often Sunday, but the two-handed shot is beginning to look more comfortable. And with the way he was booming his serves and forehand, del Potro put the pressure on Djokovic from the start.
In the second-set tiebreaker, del Petro crushed two straight forehand winners on Djokovic’s serve to take a 3-0 lead. It would be 5-0 before Djokovic scored a point.
At 2-2 in the first-set tiebreaker, del Potro won three straight points to take control. A big forehand that Djokovic couldn’t get back gave him three set points, and he converted the second when Djokovic’s forehand sailed wide.
It was a raucous atmosphere in the last match of the night on center court, where Argentine fans chanted for del Potro and Brazilians would try to drown out their rivals with cheers for Djokovic.
Djokovic, still left seeking his first Olympic gold medal, was upset in the third round at Wimbledon by 41st-ranked Sam Querrey after winning the Australian Open and French Open. He won a hard-court tuneup in Toronto before coming to Rio de Janeiro.
Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom sets world record in 100 butterfly
Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom broke her own world record in the 100-meter butterfly Sunday to win gold at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
Sjostrom finished in 55.48 seconds, ahead of second-place Penny Olesiak of Canada, and drew a loud cheer from the half-full building.
Dana Vollmer, the event’s defending Olympic champion who returned to swimming after giving birth 16 months ago, took bronze.
Williams sisters upset in first-round doubles match in Rio
Three-time doubles gold medalists Serena and Venus Williams lost an Olympic match as partners for the first time, stunned in the opening round of the Rio de Janeiro Games by the Czech Republic’s Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova, 6-3, 6-4.
The Williams sisters entered Sunday’s match with a 15-0 career record in the Olympics, winning the gold medal in women’s doubles every time they entered the event: 2000, 2008 and 2012.
The American duo was seeded No. 1 in Rio and coming off a 14th Grand Slam championship together at Wimbledon a month ago.
Neither Safarova nor Strycova, meanwhile, had won an Olympic doubles match, going a combined 0-3 with other partners. They are unseeded in Rio.
And get this: They weren’t even supposed to be playing together at the Olympics. Strycova was a late replacement for Karolina Pliskova, who withdrew from the tournament.
Strycova and Safarova only had played one match as a team before Sunday night — and they lost that in a Fed Cup match last year.
This was Serena’s second match of the day. She won her first-round match in singles earlier Sunday. Venus, meanwhile, now has two first-round exits at the Rio Olympics, because she was beaten in singles on Saturday night.
Kosovo finally wins an Olympic medal, Majlinda Kelmendi’s gold in judo
Kosovo’s Majlinda Kelmendi has won her country’s first Olympic medal — and it’s a gold.
Kelmendi defeated Italy’s Odette Giuffrida in the women’s 52-kilogram judo division final in a tight contest Sunday marked by aggressive grip-fighting as both competitors struggled to get a decisive hold on the other’s uniform.
Kelmendi only managed to score once, but it was enough. After her victory was announced, Kelmendi hugged Giuffrida and then walked off the mat in tears.
Wearing a blue uniform that matched some of the Kosovo flags being waved in the arena, a teary Kelmendi waved to the crowd and raised her arms in victory.
The bronze medals were won by Japan’s Misato Nakamura and Natalia Kuziutina of Russia.
Taiwan’s Shu-Ching Hsu wins her first Olympic gold in weightlifting
Shu-Ching Hsu of Taiwan won her first Olympic gold medal Sunday when Yajun Li of China failed to complete the clean and jerk in women’s weightlifting 53-kilogram category at the Rio de Janeiro Games.
Yajun set an Olympic record in the first round snatch by lifting 101 kilos to take the lead into the clean and jerk. She was the last lifter to compete in the second round, and only needed to lift 126 kilos to win gold.
When she failed, the gold went to Shu-Ching, who lifted 100 kilos in snatch and 112 in clean and jerk for an overall score of 212 kilos. Her gold goes with the silver she won four years ago at the London Games.
A tearful Hidilyn Diaz of Philippines won silver after failing to medal in the last two Olympics.
Jin Hee Yoon of South Korea won bronze. She had won silver at Beijing in 2008.
Russia’s Yulia Efimova, caught up in doping scandal, booed in Olympics debut
An unfamiliar sound echoed through the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on Sunday.
Boos greeted Russia’s Yulia Efimova during her preliminary heat of the 100-meter breaststroke, after a confusing two-week odyssey in which she was barred from the Olympics then quietly reinstated.
Last month, the International Swimming Federation announced Efimova’s Olympic ban as part of Russia’s doping scandal. She was one of seven Russian swimmers barred from the Games who had either failed doping tests or were named in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s investigation into state-sponsored doping.
Efimova, 24, previously served a 16-month suspension for doping and earlier this year failed a test for meldonium, a banned substance, though the result was overturned.
“I don’t know what to do,” she said after recording the second-fastest preliminary time. “It was crazy the last year and a half. I didn’t understand what was going on. I’m just happy to be here and ready to race.”
Efimova declined to answer further questions.
She has trained with the USC-based Trojan Swim Club. Same with Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev, who are among the once-banned Russians who have been added to Olympic start lists without explanation.
American Lilly King, a first-time Olympian, recorded the top preliminary time in the event. The final is Monday.
Katie Ledecky narrowly misses world record in 400 freestyle preliminary
About fourth-tenths of a second separated Katie Ledecky from a world record Sunday during a preliminary heat of the 400-meter freestyle, but she still found room for improvement.
“I think my last stroke was a little lackadaisical, so I shouldn’t have done that,” Ledecky said. “But whatever. I think I’ll be fine tonight.”
She finished in 3 minutes 58.71 seconds, the top qualifying time for Sunday’s final at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium by more than four seconds.
Britain’s Jazz Carlin had the second-fastest time at 4:02.83.
Ledecky set the world record in the event in 2014. The 19-year-old managed to sound nonchalant about putting the mark in jeopardy.
“I didn’t know exactly what [my time] was going to be, but it felt good throughout and I just wanted to get myself in good position for tonight,” she said.
On the men’s side, the U.S. recorded the second-fastest qualifying time in the 400-meter freestyle relay. Michael Phelps is expected to swim in the final Sunday, his first event of the Olympics.
Dana Vollmer, the defending gold medalist in the 100-meter butterfly, is the lone U.S. swimmer in the finals Sunday while breaststrokers Kevin Cordes and Cody Miller will swim in that event’s final.
Rio Olympics: Mara Abbott of U.S. just misses medal in cycling road race when three riders pass her in final seconds
Anna van der Breggen made it back-to-back golds for the Netherlands in the women’s Olympic road race.
It took everything she had to do it.
Van der Breggen joined Sweden’s Emma Johansson and Elisa Longo Borghini in a frantic race to catch American rival Mara Abbott, sweeping her up within sight of the finish line, then had just enough kick to win the sprint along Copacabana Beach on Sunday.
Van der Breggen thrust her arms in the air as thousands of fans lining the course roared approval, and a light mist that had been threatening for hours finally began to fall.
It would have taken a downpour to dampen her spirits.
She was greeted moments later by Marianne Vos, who won the race at the London Olympics in 2012, the compatriots wrapping themselves in the Dutch flag.
Abbott coasted across in fourth in another shattering disappointment for the United States, which entered the race as arguably the strongest team. American rider Shelley Olds was in position to medal four years ago before a puncture on the run-in to the finish line cost her.
In Abbott’s case, it was simply a matter of tired legs. The climbing specialist shattered most of the field on the hard climb of Vista Chinesa, then stayed upright when Dutch race leader Annemiek van Vleuten crashed on the same ruthless downhill that claimed the leaders of the men’s race.
Van Vleuten was conscious but there were no other reports on her health.
Johansson added another silver to her one from Beijing in 2008. Borghini matched Imelda Chiappa’s performance at the 1996 Atlanta Games for the best finish by an Italian woman.
World champion Lizzie Armitstead was among those dropped by Abbott on the final climb, though she chased hard enough to finish fifth. Katarzyna Niewiadoma of Poland was sixth, and Vos finished ninth — a strong performance after her 10-month hiatus because of injury.
Unlike the men’s race, the women stuck together the first 100 kilometers, each attack quickly shut down by the powerhouse teams trying to set up their leaders.
Lotte Kopecky of Belgium spent time off the front early, and Britain’s Emma Pooley tried in vain to animate the race. But the field was together again after two trips of the Grumari Circuit, where jarring cobblestones caused so much trouble in the men’s race.
Seven riders sprung away in sight of Vista Chinesa, the hard climb and harrowing descent that helped crown Greg Van Avermaet a day earlier. Among them was Vos, Trixi Worrack of Germany and former road race world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot of France.
The Americans missed the break and were forced to work hard to bring it back.
Abbott accomplished it almost single-handedly, the world’s top climber quickly catching them as the race tilted uphill. She also succeeded in splintering the peloton, pushing a tempo so strong that Vos and Armitstead — the silver medalist at the London Games — slowly dropped off the pace.
With stretches approaching 20% in grade, Abbott and Van Vleuten shook loose the survivors of the first part of the climb and turned it into a two-woman race on the slick downhill.
On the last tight curve, Van Vleuten locked up her wheels and crashed hard off the road.
Abbott cautiously navigated the same corner where Van Vleuten lay unmoving, then realized just 10 kilometers of flats to Fort Copacabana stood in her way of gold. She got into her handlebar drops, sucked down one last energy gel and began to accelerate through streets lined with fans.
Three riders, working together behind her, caught Abbott just before the finish line.
Sunday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Results from Sunday’s competition.
Archery
Women’s team Round of 16
Japan 6, Ukraine 2
Mexico 6, Georgia 0
Italy 6, Brazil 0
India 5, Colombia 3
Quarterfinals
South Korea 5, Japan 1
Taiwan 5, Mexico 4
Italy 5, China 3
Russia 5, India 4
Semifinals
South Korea 5, Taiwan 1
Russia 5, Italy 3
Women’s team finals
Gold-South Korea 5, Russia 1
Bronze-Taiwin 5, Italy 3
Basketball (Men)
Lithuania 82, Brazil 76
Croatia 72, Spain 70
Argentina 94, Nigeria 66
Basketball (Women)
United States 121, Senegal 56
Spain 65, Serbia 59
Australia 61, Turkey 56
France 73, Belarus 72
Cycling
Women’s road race
Gold--Anna van der Breggen, Netherlands
Silver--Emma Johansson, Sweden
Bronze--Elisa Longo Borghini, Italy
Diving
Gold-China (Shi Tingmao; Wu Minxia Wu), 345.60.
Silver-Italy (Tania Cagnotto; Francesca Dallape’), 313.83.
Bronze-Australia (Maddison Keeney; Anabelle Smith), 299.19.
Fencing
Gold-Daniele Garozzo, Italy, def. Alexander Massialas, United States, 15-11.
Bronze-Timur Safin, Russia, def. Richard Kruse, Britain, 15-13.
Field Hockey (Men)
New Zealand 2, Britain 2
Netherlands 5, Ireland 0
Belgium 12, Brazil 0
Spain 1, Australia 0
Field Hockey (Women)
New Zealand 4, South Korea 1
Japan 2, India 2
Netherlands 5, Spain 0
China 1, Germany 1
Handball (Men)
Qatar 30, Croatia 23
Germany 32, Sweden 29
Denmark 25, Argentina 18
Brazil 34, Poland 32
France 25, Tunisia 23
Slovenia 27, Egypt 26
Judo
Women’s 52kg
Gold-Majlinda Kelmendi, Kosovo, def. Odette Giuffrida, Italy.
Bronze-Misato Nakamura, Japan, def. Erika Miranda, Brazil.
Bronze-Natalia Kuziutina, Russia, def. Yingnan Ma, China.
Men’s 66kg
Gold-Fabio Basile, Italy, def. Baul An, South Korea.
Bronze-Rishod Sobirov, Uzbekistan, def. Adrian Gomboc, Slovenia.
Bronze-Masashi Ebinuma, Japan, def. Antoine Bouchard, Canada.
Rugby (Women)
7 a.m.
Spain 19, Kenya 10
New Zealand 26, France 7
Brazil 26, Japan 10
Great Britain 22, Canada 0
Fiji 36, Colombia 0
United States 12, Australia 12
Noon
Japan 24, Kenya 0 (ninth-place game)
Brazil 24, Colombia 0 (11th-place game)
Quarterfinals
Australia 24, Spain 0
Canada 15, France 5
Britain 26, Fiji 7
New Zealand 5, United States 0
Shooting
Women’s 10-meter air pistol
Gold--Zhang Mengxue, China, 199.4
Silver--Vitalina Batsarashkina, Russia, 197.1
Bronze--Anna Korakaki, Greece, 177.7
Women’s trap final
Gold--Catherine Skinner, Australia
Silver--Natalie Rooney, New Zealand
Bronze--Corey Cogdell, United States
Soccer (Men)
Mexico 5, Fiji 1
Portugal 2, Honduras 1
South Korea 3, Germany 3
Argentina 2, Algeria 1
Nigeria 1, Sweden 0
Denmark 1, South Africa 0
Japan 2, Colombia 2
Brazil 0, Iraq 0
Swimming (Men)
100 breaststroke
Gold - Adam Peaty, Britain, 57.13.
Silver - Cameron van der Burgh, South Africa, 58.69.
Bronze - Cody Miller, United States, 58.87.
400 freestyle relay
Gold - United States (Ryan Held; Michael Phelps; Caeleb Dressel; Nathan Adrian), 3:09.92.
Silver - France (Fabien Gilot; Florent Manaudou; Mehdy Metella; Jeremy Stravius), 3:10.53.
Bronze - Australia (James Magnussen; James Roberts; Kyle Chalmers; Cameron McEvoy), 3:11.37.
Swimming (Women)
100 butterfly
Gold - Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden, 55.48.
Silver - Penny Oleksiak, Canada, 56.46.
Bronze -- Dana Vollmer, United States, 56.63.
400 freestyle
Gold - Katie Ledecky, United States, 3:56.46.
Silver - Jazz Carlin, Britain, 4:01.23.
Bronze - Leah Smith, United States, 4:01.92.
Volleyball (Men)
Italy d. France 3-0
Brazil d. Mexico 3-1
Poland d. Egypt 3-0
Canada d. United States 0
4:30 p.m.--Russia vs. Cuba
6:30 p.m.--Argentina vs. Iran
Weightlifting
Women’s 53kg
Gold--Hsu Shu-ching, Taiwan
Silver--Hidilyn Diaz, Philippines
Bronze--Yoon jin-Hee, South Korea
Men’s 56kg
Gold-Long Qingquan, China
Silver-Om Yun-Chol, North Korea
Bronze-Sinphet Kruaithong, Thailand
Catherine Skinner of Australia wins gold in women’s trap shooting
Australia’s Catherine Skinner has captured women’s trap gold at the Rio Olympics after hitting 12 of 15 shots in the finals against New Zealand’s Natalie Rooney.
Skinner hit 14 of 15 shots in the first stage of the finals to earn a spot in the gold medal match. Rooney won a shoot-off with American Corey Cogdell-Unrein after tying for second.
Skinner missed two of her first four shots in the gold medal match, but Rooney twice missed consecutive shots to fall behind. Skinner needed to hit her final two shots and did to take home gold in her first Olympics.
Cogdell-Unrein went to another shoot-off after tying Spain’s Fatima Galvez with 13 in the bronze medal match, but hit her first shot this time. Galvez missed hers, giving Cogdell-Unrein her second Olympic bronze (Bejing).
Defending gold medalist Jessica Rossi of Australia hit 10 targets in the finals and finished sixth.
Injured French gymnast Samir Ait Said thankful for strong show of support
Not so long ago, gymnast Samir Ait Said would have held a news conference after his leg surgery.
In this age of social media, the Frenchman delivered the message from his hospital bed and a video was posted on his personal Facebook page. Ait Said suffered a horrific injury in the men’s qualifications rounds on Saturday, breaking his lower left leg.
Pictures and video of the gruesome-looking mishap -- which occurred on his vault landing -- immediately went viral. In the video, he thanked the fans for their support and encouragement and wished his French teammates good luck.
He posted it on Sunday morning – adding he planned to stay in the sport -- and by the afternoon, it had more than 876,000 views and 2,669 comments.
U.S. Olympic basketball player Paul George of the Indiana Pacers also offered his support, via Twitter. George suffered a particularly horrific broken lower right leg during a national team scrimmage in 2014.
“I feel for you brother,” George tweeted on Saturday. “You’ll be in my prayers! You’ll come back stronger than ever from this. Trust me I know! #GodBlessSamir
--Times staff writer Helene Elliott contributed to this report
Rio Olympics: The 10 best quotes of the day
Everyone has something to say about the Olympics. Here are the top 10 things said on Sunday.
THAT GOOD OL’ OLYMPIC SPORTSMANSHIP
Georgii Zantaraia of Ukraine, a former world judo champion, after losing to Sergiu Oleinic of Portugal in a 66-kilogram match: “He was not a top athlete. Maybe he was lucky.’’
TOUGH BOSS
Shang Chunsong, Chinese gymnast, after struggling during the qualifications: “I was worried because the coach said that I might get replaced on the team since I had a fever.”
YOU THINK?
Segun Toriola of Nigeria, when explaining why his table tennis team will not repeat a previous medal celebration by collectively pulling down their pants: “Pants down in public is not a good idea, it’s not good on camera.’’
OPENING CEREMONY SPEED RECORD
Ruy Fonseca, a Brazilian equestrian rider, on how he enjoyed marching for his country in the opening ceremony: “I was in the arena for only two minutes. I walked in and walked out again because I needed some sleep.’’
PATRIOTIC REMORSE
Marko Bagaric, a Croatian playing handball for Qatar in a victory over Croatia: “The worst feeling was during the national anthem. Ah, but what can I do? Qatar gave me the opportunity to play.”
FORTUNATELY FOR WHO?
Mario Andrada, Rio Olympics executive communications director, in explaining one of many crimes committed recently here: “Outside Maracana after the Opening Ceremony there was a robbery attempt. Fortunately, they tried to rob two plain-clothes officers.”
IT WAS OVER BEFORE IT STARTED
Colin Oates of Britain after losing to France’s Kilian Le Blouch in a 66-kilogram judo match: “He’s one of those fighters you do not really want to get involved in when you get involved in a fight.’’
THAT’S ONE WORD FOR IT
Diana Taurasi, USA basketball player, after the women’s team defeated Senegal 121-56: “It was just a party.’’
THE TRUTH DOESN’T ALWAYS HURT
Rogerio Dutra Silva, Brazilian tennis player, after his victory over Italy’s Thomas Fabbiano: “A year ago I was number 533 in the world…. if anyone told me that I’d be here winning a match at the Olympics, I’d say it was a lie.’’
PRESSURE PERSONIFIED
Kanae Yagi, Japanese woman’s weightlifter, on her first day of action after taking the lead in the 53-kilogram competition: “I was so tied up and my sweat was coming down.’’
Serena Williams wins first-round Olympic match
Top-seeded Serena Williams on Sunday took the first step toward defending her Olympic singles tennis title, taking 91 minutes to defeat Daria Gavrilova of Australia, 6-4, 6-2, on Centre Court at the Olympic Tennis Centre.
The heavy wind made conditions difficult and both players seemed tentative in the first set, but the match also featured some long, splendid rallies on the slow court.
Williams has won four Olympic tennis gold medals: in doubles in 2000, 2008 and 2012, and in singles four years ago at London.
She and her sister Venus—who lost her first-round match Saturday—were scheduled to team up in doubles later Sunday to face Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic.
Zhang Mengxue wins gold medal in women’s 10-meter air pistol for China
China’s bid for shooting gold came up short on the opening day of the Rio Olympics and was not looking good on Sunday, Day 2, after a two-time defending gold medalist failed to qualify.
Zhang Mengxue gladly picked up the slack, continuing China’s dominance in women’s 10-meter air pistol.
Zhang overcame some early jitters in the finals with some big scores on Sunday, earning China’s fourth air pistol gold in the past five Games.
“I remember a coach told me once, the only person who could destroy me was myself,” Zhang said through an interpreter. “So I just did my utmost to be myself today.”
China has dominated the air rifle and pistol shooting events at the Olympics, earning nine gold medals since the 2000 Sydney Games.
The Chinese came up short of gold the first day in Rio, finishing with a silver and a pair of bronze medals.
China’s bid for gold in women’s air pistol seemed to take a big hit when Guo Wenjun, the two-time defending champion, struggled in qualifying and finished 30th.
Zhang qualified sixth for the eight-person elimination finals and opened with three straight 9s with a field that seemed to struggle with nerves early. She steadied herself with a 10.8 on her fifth shot and took the lead after eight shots.
Zhang stretched her lead as the competition continued and all but locked up gold with a perfect 10.9 in the penultimate round. She finished with 199.4 points in the 20-round final, putting her 2.3 ahead of Russia’s Vitalina Batsarashkina.
“Before the last shot, I knew I was in an advantage, but I wanted to concentrate,” Zhang said. “So I did my utmost on the last shot.”
All three medals went to first-time Olympians after Anna Korakaki captured bronze to become the first Greek woman to earn an Olympic medal in shooting.
“I’m really excited that I’m the first woman through all these years to win an Olympic medal,” said Korakaki, who had 177.7 points through 18 rounds.
Wind tears panel loose at Olympic Aquatics Stadium
Wind whipped through Barra Olympic Park on Sunday.
The gusts knocked over signs, swirled clouds of dust and debris, kicked up whitecaps on the fetid lagoon next to the sprawling complex and left their mark on the Olympic Aquatics Stadium.
The wind tore loose one of the 89-foot-tall panels that cover the temporary venue, leaving it flapping like a giant, tattered flag before the second day of the swimming competition started.
Sixty-six of the drape-like panels encase the stadium. They reproduce work by Brazilian artist Adriana Varejao that organizers say is supposed to “mix imagery of the sea and angels.”
The panels are also supposed to help regulate the temperature inside the stadium since it doesn’t have air conditioning.
Russia’s entire team is banned from Rio Paralympics
The entire Russian team has been banned from competing in the Paralympic Games in September as punishment for the country’s systematic doping program.
The International Paralympic Committee’s blanket ban on Russia is in sharp contrast to the earlier decision by the IOC to allow individual sports to decide whether Russians can compete in the Olympics.
The IPC has strongly condemned Russia’s years of doping deception, including the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi, that were exposed by World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren last month.
McLaren reported that Russia’s state-backed doping led to samples from Paralympic athletes being made to disappear.
Russia finished second in the medal standings at the 2012 London Paralympics and had 267 athlete slots for Rio in 18 sports.
Rio Olympics: Six things you need to know about the field hockey competition
Key dates: Men’s and women’s tournaments begin on Aug. 6; Men’s gold medal match on Aug. 18; Women’s gold medal match on Aug. 19.
Venue: Olympic Hockey Centre.
Big story: Can the German men win a third straight gold medal?
Top U.S. prospects: U.S. men’s team didn’t qualify. U.S. women are ranked fifth in the world.
Others to watch: No. 1-ranked Netherlands women’s team is trying for a third straight gold medal. The country’s men’s team is ranked No. 2. The Australian men’s team is ranked No. 1 and the women are No. 3.
Little known fact: Drawings of men playing a version of field hockey have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back 4,000 years.
Rio Olympics: 12 things you need to know about the fencing competition
Men
Key dates: Aug. 10 men’s saber final on Aug. 10; men’s team foil final on Aug. 12
Venue: Carioca Arena 3
Big story: Daryl Homer has a shot at becoming the first U.S. man to win gold in saber. He finished second at the 2015 world championships.
Top U.S. prospects: All three men on the foil team have been ranked No. 1 or 2 in the world. Alexander Massialas is the current top foilist.
Others to watch: Look for Russia’s Alexey Yakimenko in saber and Gauthier Grumier of France in epee.
Little-known fact: Baron Pierre de Coubertin, father of the modern Games, was a fencer. So was current IOC President Thomas Bach, who helped Germany to a 1976 gold in team foil.
Women
Key dates: women’s saber final on Aug. 8, women’s epee final on Aug. 6
Venue: Carioca Arena 3
Big story: Ibtihaj Muhammad will be the first U.S. athlete to compete at the Olympic Games in a hijab, the headscarf worn by Muslim women.
Top U.S. prospects: Mariel Zagunis is the most-decorated fencer in U.S. history with three medals – including two golds – in women’s saber.
Others to watch: Russia’s Sofya Velikaya and Olga Kharlan of Ukraine should contend in saber. Arianna Errigo of Italy is ranked No. 1 in foil.
Little-known fact: Kelley and Courtney Hurley are sisters making their second-consecutive trip to the Games for the U.S. They compete in epee.
Rio Olympics: 10 things you need to know about the cycling (road) competition
Men
Key dates: Aug. 6, 7, 10.
Venues: Fort Copacabana, Pontal.
Big story: Top American cyclist Tejay van Garderen pulled out of Rio, citing concerns over Zika. Based on disappointing 2015 world results, the U.S. was given only two slots, out of a possible five.
Top U.S. prospects: Taylor Phinney and Brent Bookwalter are the only two U.S. road cyclists.
Little-known fact: Cycling is one of only three sports (with track and fencing) that has been in every Olympics.
Women
Key dates: Aug. 6, 7, 10.
Venues: Fort Copacabana, Pontal.
Big story: Kristin Armstrong, who turns 43 on Aug. 11, is going for her third straight time trial gold medal.
Top U.S. prospects: Mara Abbott, Armstrong, Megan Guarnier, Evelyn Stevens.
Little-known fact: Four-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist Armstrong was a world-class triathlete, but after she was diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the hips she gave up running and focused on cycling.
Rio Olympics: 12 things you need to know about the canoe slalom and canoe sprint competition
CANOE SLALOM
Key dates: Aug. 7-11
Venue: Deodoro Whitewater Stadium, Rio de Janeiro
Big story: The U.S. will be looking to break a 12-year medal drought in slalom dating to 2004 when Rebecca Giddens won a silver in Athens.
Top U.S. prospects: K1 Men: Michal Smolen (Gastonia, N.C.) was the bronze medalist in the 2015 World Championships. C1 Men: Casey Eichfeld (Drums, Penn.), a three-time Olympian, was a double gold medalist in the 2015 Pan American Games. K1 Women: Ashley Nee (Darnestown, Md.) won a bronze in the 2015 Pan American Games C2 Men: Casey Eichfield and Devin McEwan (Salisbury, Conn.). McEwan’s father was the first American medalist in canoe slalom, winning a bronze in 1972.
Others to watch: K1 Men: Jiri Prskavec (Czech Republic) won two golds in the 2015 world championships; Peter Kauzer (Slovenia) is a three-time Olympian. C1 Men: David Florence (Great Britain) is a three-time world champion and two-time Olympic medalist; Matej Benus (Slovakia) is a seven-time world championship medal-winner and a two-time world champion; K1 Women: Melanie Pfeifer (Germany) is the reigning European champion; Katerina Kudejova (Czech Republic) is a three-time world champion. C2 Men: Cousins Skantar/Skantar (Slovakia) have won five world championship medals; Klauss/Peche (France) won a world championship in 2015.
Little-known fact: This will be one of the few aquatic sports in which water quality will not be an issue. The course will use water pumped from an artificial lake that is filtered and chlorinated.
CANOE SPRINT
Key dates: Aug. 15-20
Venue: Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, Rio de Janeiro
Big story: The conditions in the lagoon could overshadow the competition. During a 2015 test meet, in the lagoon, competitors complained of polluted water that made them sick and aquatic plants that became entangled in their paddles.
Top U.S. prospects: Maggie Hogan (Huntington Beach), a 14-time national champion, is the lone U.S. qualifier in canoe sprint, earning her first Olympic berth by placing second in the women’s single kayak 500-meter event at the 2016 Pan American championships.
Others to watch: New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington, a gold medalist at 200 meters in London, is going for the 200-500 meter double in Rio, which would make her the first paddler from her country to win two events in the same Games. She won both races in the 2015 world championships and has five straight global titles at 200 meters.
Little-known fact: Four-person sprint canoes can reach speeds fast enough to pull along a water skier.
Allyson Felix says faith is her fitness fuel
Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix, 30, is the definition of steady discipline as she heads into the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, her fourth and possibly final Olympic competition.
We chatted with the Los Angeles-born track and field star about her recovery from a hamstring injury, how her Christian faith drives her running, and how she struggles to eat up to 3,500 “clean” calories a day to fuel her intense, five-hours-a-day training ...
Venus Williams loses in opening round
The stunner from the first day of tennis was Venus Williams losing to Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5). Flipkens was ranked 62nd in the world. Mary Joe Fernandez, the U.S. women’s coach, said Williams was sick before arriving in Brazil. Williams did not talk after the match. She is scheduled to play doubles with her sister Serena on Sunday.
Refugees who fled violence at home compete under the Olympic flag
Just before the start of the race – her first as an Olympic swimmer – Yusra Mardini took a moment to look down.
The 18-year-old Syrian was trying to keep things simple, focusing on what she needed to do to in the first heat of the women’s 100-meter butterfly.
“I was only thinking about water,” she said.
Competing at these 2016 Summer Games is not so straightforward for Mardini, who less than a year ago was fighting for her life in the bitterly cold Aegean Sea ...
Durant wanted a chance to be part of the Olympic solution
Kevin Durant really wanted to be chosen for the 2008 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball roster. He had seen the 2004 squad implode in Athens and settle for a bronze medal, and he felt the pain when the 2006 world championships team lost to Greece in the semifinals. He wanted to be part of the solution to a vexing problem, but he and then-Seattle teammate Nick Collison were the final two cuts before the Beijing Games.
“I knew I had to wait my turn. But I just wanted to be a part of that,” he said ...
Garcetti says a Trump victory could spoil L.A.’s bid for 2024 Olympics
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti acknowledged Saturday that the results of November’s U.S. presidential election could weigh heavily on his city’s chances of hosting the 2024 Olympics, saying that a victory by Donald Trump could turn off IOC voters.
In an exclusive interview with the Associated Press, Garcetti also said Los Angeles could offer “the last best hope” for the United States to host the Summer Olympics again before the American people begin “tuning out” from the Games.
Garcetti, a Democrat and supporter of Hillary Clinton, is in Brazil to observe the Rio de Janeiro Games and pitch his city’s bid to members of the International Olympic Committee. One of the main topics of conversation with IOC delegates has been the U.S. election — and the prospects of a Trump presidency.
A new U.S. president will be in office when the IOC selects the 2024 host city in September 2017. Los Angeles, which hosted the Olympics in 1932 and 1984, is competing with Paris, Rome and Budapest, Hungary.
Solo quiets the crowd and France in record-setting 1-0 win
Hope Solo is arguably the best goalkeeper in women’s soccer history. But she’s not the most popular.
For the second time is as many games at the Rio Olympics, Solo was booed mercilessly every time she touched the ball Saturday. And for the second time Solo answered the taunts with a shutout, helping the U.S. top France, 1-0, on a goal from Carli Lloyd in the 63rd minute.
With the victory the U.S., the three-time defending Olympic champion, earned a berth in the quarterfinals and moved a big step closer to winning its group, needing only a tie Tuesday against Colombia in a game that will be played on the edge of the Amazon in steamy Manaus.
And much of the credit for that goes to Solo, who made the 200th appearance of her international career -- most by any goalkeeper, male or female, in history – a memorable one, saving five shots, most in spectacular fashion.
“She just had a fantastic game,” U.S. Coach Jill Ellis said. ““That’s why she’s here: because she can be a game-changer at times.
“She just gets dialed in when it matters.”
The Brazilian crowd was in no mood to help Solo celebrate her milestone. Each time she touched the ball the crowd booed loudly – or as loudly as a crowd of 11,782 people can boo – then chanted “Zika!” each time she took a goal kick.
Last month Solo, who had earlier said she considered skipping the Olympics because of the Zika virus, posted photos of herself on Twitter wearing an anti-mosquito mask and holding a bottle of insect repellent, angering many Brazilians.
She later apologized, but the apology wasn’t accepted by everyone. After Wednesday’s opening win over New Zealand, in which Solo was also booed loudly, three American players said they were told by Brazilians near the U.S. bench that some fans had mixed anti-gay slurs in with the Zika chant.
Whatever they were saying Saturday, Solo seemed to use it to fuel one of the best performances of her long career – though afterward she feigned indifference.
“I really don’t care what’s chanted at me in any game,” she said. “If they’re having fun, great. I love a loud stadium. But really it doesn’t mean anything to me.
“They can love me or hate me. I’m going to continue to do the same thing.”
Lloyd wasn’t so sure.
“Hope’s ice,” she said. “Nothing can rattle her. I think she kind of likes it. Pumps her up a little bit.”
She certainly came up big Saturday.
In the 16th minute she lifted a header by Wendie Renard over the crossbar. In the 26th minute, Marie-Laure Delie came in alone on Solo, who stood her ground, using both fists to bat away a point-blank shot and prevent a rebound, which likely would have ended in a goal.
Then just before the intermission she one-upped both those plays. After Delie fought her way around left back Meghan Klingenberg, she found herself in another one-on-one confrontation with Solo, who stopped the shot with her thigh, then landed atop the ball.
“When I saw that play happening, I was like ‘OK, this could be dangerous,’ ” Lloyd said. “The thing with Hope is, she’s so intimidating that even if you do have a clear opportunity she’s going to come up big with the save.
“That’s what Hope has done. And that’s what she’s known for.”
France easily could have led by three goals at the break. Instead the game was scoreless.
The U.S. changed that 18 minutes into the second half when Tobin Heath got off a strong left-footed shot from inside the box on the left flank. French keeper Sarah Bouhaddi got a hand on the ball, deflecting it off the right post, but it ricocheted directly to Lloyd, who had an easy tap-in for the goal.
Two of the three U.S. goals in this tournament have been scored by Lloyd, the reigning FIFA world player of the year, and both have been set up by Heath.
Given a lead, Solo then closed the game out by making a diving two-handed stop of a Delie header and a leaping save on a corner kick before coming off her line twice to make another pair of stops seconds apart to preserve the 102st shutout of her career.
That, too, is a record.
By the final whistle, Solo might have won more than just a game. As she stood next to Lloyd behind the goal, the fans still in the stadium began another chant.
“Hope, Hope, Hope,” they said, prompting Solo to look up, smile and wave.
U.S. men’s basketball team routs China, 119-62
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Kevin Durant had 25 points as the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team opened its Rio de Janeiro schedule with a 119-62 romp over China Saturday before a lively, near-capacity crowd at Carioca Arena 1.
The victory was the 18th straight in Olympic competition for Team USA. Overall, the U.S. men’s team has won 69 consecutive games in international competitions since 2006.
Durant, who signed with Golden State as a free agent this summer, also had six assists, and DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings had 17 points. Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks, who has become the team’s unquestioned leader in his fourth Olympic tournament, had nine points, seven rebounds and two assists as the U.S. team used its superior depth and skill to pull away midway through the first quarter.
Clippers center DeAndre Jordan came off the bench to pull down seven rebounds and was credited with one steal, while going three for 10 from the free-throw line.
Yi Jianlian had 25 points for China, which had lost to the U.S. by 49 points and by 50 points in pre-Olympic exhibition games at Staples Center and in Oakland.
The U.S. men’s next opponent will be Venezuela on Monday, also at Carioca Arena 1.
Saturday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Events scheduled to take place today in Rio. All times Pacific.
Click here for Monday’s schedule and results
Archery
Men’s team Round of 16
Netherlands d. Spain, 5-1
China d. Brazil, 6-2
France d. Malaysia, 6-2
Indonesia d. Taiwan, 6-2
Men’s team quarterfinals
South Korea 6, Netherlands 0
Australia 5, France 3
China 6, Italy 0
United States 6, Indonesia 2
Men’s team semifinals
South Korea 6, Australia 0
United States 6, China 0
Men’s team finals
Gold - South Korea 6, United States 0
Bronze - Australia 6, China 2
Basketball (Men)
Australia 87, France 66 (Group A)
U.S. 119, China 62 (Group A)
6:30 p.m.--Venezuela vs. Serbia (Group A)
Basketball (Women)
France 55, Turkey 39 (Group A)
Canada 90, China 68 (Group B)
Australia 84, Brazil 66 (Group A)
Japan 77, Belarus 73 (Group A)
Cycling
Men’s road race
Gold - Greg Van Avermaet, Belgium
Silver - Jakob Fuglsang, Denmark
Bronze - Rafal Majka, Poland
Fencing
Women’s individual epee
Gold - Emese Szasz, Hungary
Silver - Rossella Fiamingo, Italy
Bronze - Yiwen Sun, China
Field Hockey (Men)
Argentina 3, Netherlands 3
India 3, Ireland 2
Belgium 4, Great Britain 1
Australia 2, New Zealand 1
Germany 6, Canada 2
Spain 7, Brazil 0
Field Hockey (Women)
United States 2, Argentina 1
Britain 2, Australia 1
Handball (Women)
Brazil 31, Norway 28
France 18, Netherlands 14
Brazil 31, Norway 28
France 18, Netherlands 14
Russia 30, South Korea 25
Spain 25, Montenegro 19
3:50 p.m.--Romania vs. Angola
5:50 p.m.--Sweden vs. Argentina
Judo
Men’s 60 kg
Gold - Beslan Mudranov, Russia.
Silver - Yeldos Smetov, Kazakhstan.
Bronze - Naohisa Takato, Japan.
Bronze - Diyorbek Urozboev, Uzbekistan.
Women’s 48 kg
Gold - Paula Pareto, Argentina.
Silver - Bokyeong Jeong, South Korea.
Bronze - Ami Kondo, Japan.
Bronze - Otgontsetseg Galbadrakh, Kazakhstan.
Rugby (women)
France 24, Spain 7
New Zealand 52, Kenya 0
Great Britain 29, Brazil 3
Canada 45, Japan 0
Fiji 12, United States 7
Australia 53, Colombia 0
France 40, Kenya 7
New Zealand 31, Spain 5
Britain 40, Japan 0
Canada 38, Brazil 0
United States 48, Colombia 0
Australia 36, Fiji 0
Shooting
Women’s 10m air rifle
Gold- - Virginia Thrasher, U.S.
Silver - -Du Li, China
Bronze - -Yi Siling, China
Men’s 10m Air Pistol
Gold - Xuan Vinh Hoang, Vietnam
Silver - Felipe Almeida Wu, Brazil
Bronze - Wei Pang, China
Soccer (Women)
Canada 3, Zimbabwe 1 (Group F)
United States 1, France 0 (Group G)
Australia 2, Germany 2 (Group F)
China 2, South Africa 0 (Group E)
New Zealand 1, Colombia 0 (Group G)
Swimming (Men)
6 p.m.--400 IM final, 400 free final, 100 breaststroke semifinals
Swimming (Women)
6 p.m.--400 IM final, 100 butterfly semifinals, 400 free relay final
Volleyball (Women)
South Korea d. Japan, 3-1
China d. Netherlands, 3-2
Brazil d. Cameroon, 3-0
U.S. d. Puerto Rico, 3-0
Russia d. Argentina, 3-0
6:30 p.m.--Serbia vs. Italy
Water polo (Men)
Serbia 13, Hungary 13
Croatia 7, United States 5
Italy 9, Spain 8
Greece 8, Japan 7
Montenegro 7, France 4
Brazil 8, Australia 7
Weightlifting (Women)
Gold - Sopita Tanasan, Thailand
Silver - Sri Wahyuni Agustiani, Indonesia
Bronze - Hiromi Miyake, Japan
French gymnast breaks a leg competing in vault
U.S. Olympic gymnast Chris Brooks was at the other end of the floor getting ready for his turn on the high bar, in the third rotation, far away from the vault where the French gymnasts were competing.
For an update on his condition, go here.
“I saw him come off the table a little bit awkwardly and I kind of looked away from there,” Brooks said. “You just don’t want to see it.”
He was talking about French gymnast Samir Ait Said. What many in the arena saw was Ait Said breaking his lower left leg on his vault landing, a particularly gruesome injury to witness. It shocked the crowd on Saturday at the Rio Olympic Arena and the upbeat mood turned grim during the men’s qualification rounds.
Fans sitting closer to the vault area, and even from far away, said they could hear his leg snap.
Ait Said was later taken by stretcher off the floor, receiving a loud round of applause from the crowd. The veteran Ait Said, 26, was considered a legitimate medal contender on rings in Rio.
“This is a hard sport, getting harder,” said Yin Alvarez, the coach and stepfather of Danell Leyva, one of the U.S team members. “Not only gymnastics, any sport, things happen.”
Why all that song and dance of the opening ceremony should matter long after the last medal gets handed out
The threat of calamity hung in the air, but only a fool would doubt Brazilians’ ability to throw a lively party.
The Rio 2016 Olympics have been dogged by turmoil, scandal, ineptitude and protest, with a Zika epidemic and a foiled terrorist plot adding menace to the mix. But Friday’s opening ceremony provided an opportunity to reframe a sporting event that was in danger of becoming the embodiment of the world’s brooding mood.
There wasn’t the graceful historical pageantry of Athens, the commanding special effects of Beijing, or the theatrical prowess of London. But Rio de Janeiro’s sambaing shindig uniquely combined gravitas with gravity-defying bounce.
The country’s preeminent resource — the spirit of its people — was the show’s most dazzling attraction.
Britain’s Adam Peaty sets world record in 100-meter breaststroke
The first world record didn’t take long to fall as the swimming competition started Saturday at the Olympic Aquatic Stadium.
Britain’s Adam Peaty finished his preliminary heat of the 100-meter breaststroke in 57.55 seconds, breaking the mark he set last year by almost a half-second.
“I wasn’t even pumped up in the call room,” said Peaty, competing in his first Olympics. “But as soon as I walked in, it was either fight or flight and I chose to actually get something out of it. You can either be shy of the arena or get something out of it.”
U.S. swimmers Kevin Cordes and Cody Miller also advanced. The event’s semifinals are later Saturday and the final is Sunday.
Chase Kalisz leads the way in strong U.S. showing during first day of Olympic swimming prelims
Chase Kalisz, the training partner and protege of Michael Phelps, recorded the top preliminary time in the 400-meter individual medley at the Olympics Aquatics Stadium on Saturday in advance of the event’s finals later in the day.
Kalisz, one of 30 first-time Olympians on the U.S. swimming team, finished in 4 minutes 8.12 seconds. It’s the fastest time in the world this year.
“I didn’t expect to be anywhere near that time ever,” he said.
In fact, Kalisz expected to swim about three seconds slower in the preliminaries. Instead, he outdistanced Japan’s Daiya Seto, who will again be his main competition for a gold medal.
All 10 U.S. swimmers who competed in individual events Saturday advanced to the finals or semifinals.
That included Conor Dwyer, who trains with the USC-based Trojan Swim Club, clocking the fastest time in the 400-meter freestyle.
In the women’s 400-freestyle relay, Katie Ledecky’s blazing anchor leg helped the U.S. to a second-place finish behind Australia.
Johnston, Pugh on bench for U.S. soccer game with France
The lineup is out for the U.S. women’s soccer team’s game with France and it has two changes from Wednesday’s opener. Rolling Hills Estates’ Whitney Engen gets the start in central defense, replacing Julie Johnston, who is sidelined with groin soreness. And teenager Mallory Pugh, who injured an ankle in the opening win over New Zealand, will be replaced by speedy Crystal Dunn at forward.
In goal, Hope Solo makes her 200th international appearance, the most ever for a goalkeeper, male or female.
A win by either the top-ranked U.S. or No. 3 France will all but clinch first place in Group G, assuring an easier path to the final. The loser, meanwhile, would likely finish second in group play and will probably face second-ranked Germany in the quarterfinals.
The lienup: Hope Solo, Allie Long, Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelley O’Hara, Whitney Engen, Meghan Klingenberg, Carli Lloyd (c), Alex Morgan, Morgan Brian, Crystal Dunn, Tobin Heath
The ridiculous, exuberant, ‘Simpsons’-ready moment from Rio’s opening ceremony ... plus Gisele Bundchen
Percussion thumped as if in perpetual motion inside Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro for the opening of the 2016 Olympics.
But would Brazil have it any other way?
While athletes from around the world entered the arena as part of the Parade of Nations, drummers and bell-shakers dressed in vibrant-colored tuxedos and matching face paint pounded out a rhythm. Audience members got onstage samba lessons and erupted with joy during musical interludes. The beat kept moving.
It was the kind of over-the-top extravaganza normally seen during a parody dance number on ‘The Simpsons.’
Pomp of such magnitude can’t exist without music, and this being Brazil, the samba and its many variants drove the night. But so did jumping up and down while screaming along to Jorge Ben Jor.
Just ask supermodel Gisele Bundchen, whose work bouncing in the crowd nearly eclipsed her catwalk entrance (which was accompanied by “The Girl From Ipanema”).
Rio Olympics: Six things you need to know about the women’s boxing competition
Key dates: Aug. 12, Aug. 14-21
Venue: Riocentro Pavilion 6
Big story: Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) can become the first U.S. boxer, male or female, to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals. She has lost just once in her career and is unbeaten since the London Games.
Top U.S. prospects: Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles), who narrowly missed a spot on the Olympic team four years ago, fought her way through a challenging draw to win gold at the Americas Qualifier and earn a trip to Brazil.
Others to watch: Britain’s Nicola Adams and Ireland’s Katie Taylor will join Shields as all three champions return from the first women’s Olympic tournament four years ago in London.
Little-known fact: Los Angeles is the only metropolitan area that has had a boxer on every U.S. Olympic boxing team since 2000.
Rio Olympics: Six things you need to know about the men’s boxing competition
Key dates: Aug. 6-21
Venue: Riocentro Pavilion 6
Big story: The U.S., trying to rebound from a disastrous 2012 Games in which it didn’t medal for the first time in history, comes with a young team of six between the ages of 18 and 20.
Top U.S. prospects: Bantamweight Shakur Stevenson (Newark, N.J.), a junior and youth world champion, is undefeated internationally at 23-0 and was the first American male to win Youth Olympic Games gold. Flyweight Antonio Vargas (Kissimmee, Fla.) is the 2015 Pan American Games champion, having beaten Olympians from Puerto Rico and Cuba en route to his title.
Others to watch: Cameroon’s Hassan N’Dam, Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng and Italy’s Carmine Tommasone will become the first three professional boxers to compete in the Olympics, which has opened its doors to pros for the first time. Cuba will have a fighter in all 10 weight classes, among them three-time world champions Julio Cesar La Cruz and Lazaro Alvarez.
Little-known fact: With just six boxers, this is the smallest men’s team the U.S. has ever sent. Under AIBA rule changes, this will be the first Games in which male boxers will fight without headgear with judging on a 10-point must system similar to pro boxing.
Rio Olympics: 12 things you need to know about the beach volleyball competition
Men
Key dates: Group play begins Aug. 6; gold-medal game is Aug. 18
Venue: Copacabana Stadium.
Big story: After getting silver in 2012, will Brazil’s Alison Cerutti claim his first gold on home soil with partner Bruno Schmidt, or can Brazil’s other top team, Pedro Solberg and Evandro Goncalves, spoil the party?
Top U.S. prospects: Phil Dalhausser won a gold medal with Todd Rogers in 2008. He and Nick Lucena are third in the FIVB Olympic rankings. Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson are sixth.
Others to watch: Outside of the Brazilians and Americans, the Netherlands has a pair of teams in the top five, Alexander Brouwer-Robert Meeuwsen and Reinder Nummerdor-Christiaan Varenhorst.
Little-known fact: Schmidt’s uncle Oscar is an accomplished international basketball player and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
Women
Key dates: Group play begins Aug. 6; gold-medal game is Aug. 17.
Venue: Copacabana Stadium.
Big story: Misty May-Treanor, who won the last three gold medals with Kerri Walsh-Jennings, is retired, meaning a new team will take home the gold in Rio for the first time since 2000.
Top U.S. prospects: Walsh is still playing, this time with partner April Ross, and the duo is ranked No. 3 in the FIVB Olympic rankings. The other American team, Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Sweat, will be a long shot.
Others to watch: Brazil has a pair of teams with a legitimate shot of winning the gold medal on its home turf. Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes are No. 1 in the Olympic rankings while Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas are No. 2.
Little-known fact: Ross, now partnered with Walsh, lost with Jennifer Kessy in the gold-medal match to Walsh and May-Treanor at the London Olympics.
Rio Olympics: Six things you need to know about the women’s basketball competition
Key dates: Tournament begins Aug. 6; bronze- and gold-medal game Aug. 21.
Venue: Youth Arena; Carioca Arena 1 (quarterfinals onward).
Big story: The U.S. women are trying for a sixth straight gold medal and eighth gold medal overall since women’s basketball was added to the program in 1976.
Top U.S. prospects: Forward Breanna Stewart, one of five University of Connecticut players on a squad coached by UConn Coach Geno Auriemma, was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 WNBA draft. She’s a four-time NCAA champion and one of three first-time Olympians on the 12-women roster. Stewart was selected over two-time Olympian Candace Parker, a controversial decision.
Others to watch: Canada, led by guard Kia Nurse of UConn and former UCLA guard Nirra Fields, has a chance to win a medal. Nurse — sister of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse -- helped UConn win NCAA titles in each of her first two college seasons. Australia has won a medal at each of the last five Olympic tournaments (three silver, two bronze) but has lost mainstay Lauren Jackson to retirement.
Little-known fact: American Teresa Edwards is the leader in Olympic medals won by a basketball player (man or woman) with four gold and one bronze.
Rio Olympics: Five things you need to know about the men’s basketball competition
Key dates: Aug. 6, 12-team tournament begins. Aug. 21, bronze medal game, gold medal game.
Venue: Carioca Arena 1
Big story: The notion of another U.S. Dream Team faded away when LeBron James, Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin and others decided to skip the trip, but this team is still deep enough to dominate. Coach Mike Krzyzewski focused on defensive play during a brief training camp and short exhibition schedule but has enough scoring depth to win a third straight gold medal in his final Olympic coaching appearance.
Others to watch: Spain, ranked No. 2 and winner of silver medals at each of the last two Olympic tournaments, won’t have 7-foot-1 center Marc Gasol, who hasn’t recovered from the broken foot he suffered with the Memphis Grizzlies. His brother, former Laker Pau Gasol -- who recently signed with San Antonio -- will play in his fourth Olympic tournament. France, with Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum (Charlotte), and Boris Diaw and Nicolas Batum (Utah), is ranked No. 5 in the world and could contend for a medal. Domantas Sabonis, the 6-foot-10 son of Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis, is expected to play a key role for No. 3-ranked Lithuania.
Little-known fact: Domantas Sabonis, drafted 11th by Orlando but subsequently traded to Oklahoma City, was born in Portland, Ore., in May 1996, while his father played for the Trail Blazers.
Rio Olympics: Six things you need to know about women’s archery
Key dates: Aug. 7 and 11
Venue: Sambódromo
Big story: Led by reigning Olympic gold medalist Ki Bo-bae, the South Korean women will attempt to break the world record in the team event – a record they set with 2,045 points on the World Cup circuit earlier this summer.
Top U.S. prospects: Mackenzie Brown will be the sole female archer for the United States after the American women failed to qualify in the team event. The 21-year-old Texan, who is ranked fourth in the world, took home bronze in the Olympic test event in Rio last year.
Others to watch: Chinese Taipei’s team, which upset the South Korean women in international competition last year, is looking for another surprise victory in Rio.
Little-known fact: At the St. Louis Games in 1904, archery became one of the first sports to allow women to compete.
Rio Olympics: Six things you need to know about the men’s archery competition
Key dates: Aug. 6 and 12
Venue: Sambódromo
Big story: Anchored by reigning world champion Kim Woo-Jin, South Korea is expected to dominate both the individual and team events. In fact, the South Koreans squad is so strong, 2012 Olympic Gold medalist Oh Jin-Hyek was left off the Rio roster.
Top U.S. prospects: Brady Ellison, who led the U.S. team to a surprise silver medal at the London Games, is ranked second on the World Cup circuit as he heads to his third Olympics. Along with teammates Zach Garrett and Jake Kaminski, Ellison earned bronze in June in a World Cup team competition.
Others to watch: Currently ranked third in the world cup standings, Wei Chun-Heng of Chinese Taipei could make the podium in Rio. Jean-Charles Valladont of France also has a strong shot at a medal, following his victory at the European Championships in May.
Little-known fact: The recurve bows used in Olympic competition average a draw weight of nearly 49 pounds for the men and 33 pounds for the women.
U.S. women’s water polo coach Adam Krikorian leaves team following brother’s death
U.S. women’s Olympic water polo coach Adam Krikorian has left Rio to be with family following the death of one of his brothers, a team spokesman said. Blake Krikorian, 48, died as the result of an apparent heart attack while surfing earlier this week in Northern California.
Blake Krikorian teamed with another brother, Jason, to invent Slingbox.
Adam Krikorian is expected to rejoin the team here in time for its Olympic opener on Tuesday against Spain. The U.S. women won the gold medal at the London Games and are favored to repeat as champions.
Both brothers attended UCLA and played water polo for the Bruins.
A spokesman for USA Water Polo said that Kirkorian is scheduled to arrive back in Rio on Monday and coach the team against Spain on Tuesday.
Team captain Maggie Steffens said that before he left Rio, Krikorian gathered the team together and told them of the tragedy in his life. “Obviously it affected us, in a way,” she said at a news conference Saturday. “Adam is our fearless leader and he is our coach. He is the ultimate captain and we all have known him for a while now, whether it’s two years or 10 years. He is somebody that we look up to and admire as a friend, as a coach, as a mentor.”
But something he told the assembled athletes reinforced in her mind Krikorian’s extraordinary strength.
“As a player looking up to a coach, you know they’re strong and we’ve seen that in Adam every time we play games or practiced. He’s a passionate person. He’s got a great heart,” Steffens said. “But that was a moment I really realized he’s one of the strongest people I know. ... One thing that he told us was to go out there and enjoy the moment, and I think that’s something that’s really telling of his character. To know that he wants us to just enjoy this and enjoy the Olympics, enjoy opening ceremonies even though he couldn’t be there with us and to have fun and just be how we are every day. I think that is just telling of how strong of a person he is and how strong he is with his team and we’re definitely looking forward to having him back. We’re a family. We’re a team. That’s the most important part of this whole situation.”
Rio Olympics: Watch the activity at the Barra Olympic park
Rio Olympics: Cab ride is a good place to hear experience talk
Virginia Thrasher of the U.S. wins first gold medal of the Rio Olympics
Virginia Thrasher of the United States won the first gold medal handed out at the Rio Olympics for finishing in first place in the women’s 10-meter air rifle event Saturday morning.
Thrasher, 19, beat Du Li in the final round with a total score of 208.0, setting an Olympic record. Du Li finished with 207.0.
Yi Siling of China took bronze.
Sarah Scherer of the U.S. finished eighth.
A touch of green
Same ceremony, different viewpoint
A message from Rio
TV’s best bets today: swimming and beach volleyball
Here’s a daily list of best bets. Most can be seen on NBC’s prime-time telecast, while a few will be handed off to the network’s weekend afternoon windows or to other channels.
Today’s top events include men’s and women’s swimming and beach volleyball ...
As Rio Games open, Brazil downplays politics — including its interim president
After weeks of speculation that Rio 2016 wouldn’t be able to pull it off, all went according to plan on Friday night – except for one thing. Despite being part of the official program, interim President Michel Temer was not introduced as the opening ceremony began.
Temer, an unpopular vice president who took power in May as the result of a controversial impeachment process, was nowhere to be found ...
Six memorable moments from the opening ceremony
Given that it’s home to Carnival, it was never a question of whether the opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio would be full of color and spectacle. But what was surprising was how the production tackled complicated issues head-on.
With that in mind, here are the big winners of Friday night’s ceremony, starting with the rainforest. ...
Photos: Standout style -- good and bad -- at Rio’s opening
Rio 2016 Olympics: Opening Ceremony live updates
So you’re on the East Coast, watching the Opening Ceremony almost live, and you just don’t think you can stomach the sanitized celebration of NBC’s billion buck investment. Or, it’s a couple hours later, and once again the West Coast is treated like a tape-delayed red-haired stepchild.
Either way, join us for a true second screen experience during the opening shindig in Rio. We’ll be sharing our microscopic knowledge of Brazil and a lot of what is happening in the always too symbolic opener.
So sit down, pull up a chair, and join Times staffers in Rio: Lisa Dillman, Nathan Fenno, columnist Helene Elliott and me, John Cherwa, deputy sports editor. Between us we have been to 33 Olympics, so who knows if we know what we’re talking about.
It all starts right about …
8:00
John: The festivities have started with a video of how great Rio is.
8:06
John: National anthem of Brazil is up. Catchy although the crowd doesn’t seem to be into it.
8:11
Helene: I’m still looking for the stilt-walkers from Albertville
Nathan: Is there any aluminum foil left in Brazil after the opening bit?
8:14
John: So, friends, do you have any idea what’s going on right now?
Nathan: Are they weaving friendship bracelets?
8:17
John: It’s suddenly shifted from Pirates of the Caribbean to Cirque du Soleil.
Nathan: Performers are noting Brazil’s sordid history with slavery. It didn’t outlaw slavery until 1888 -- the last Western country to do so.
Helene: That parkour demonstration might have been a good way to get parkour added to the Olympics.
Helene: Gisele Bundchen enters the stadium. Where’sTom Brady?
John: I could swear the piano that welcomed her has been altered for maximum performance.
8:32
John: You know, the Girl from Ipanema bit with Gisele underwhelmed.
Nathan: Don’t let Tom Brady hear that.
Lisa: I’m missing Ray Davies. #LondonMemories
Lisa: I think I saw Valderrrama a few minutes ago. Or his hair.
Nathan: And now we take a hard turn into global warming. The transition must’ve been edited out.
8:45
John: Give them credit for tackling a social issue. They did graphics--better than the Al Gore powerpoint--to show how cities will be overtaken by the melting polar cap.
Lisa: Dame Judi Dench, solid. Thinking about her role as “M” and wondering if we should put on a Bond film in the office during the parade of nations.
Lisa: My twitter feed is delightfully random, just like this global show. An occasional “insider” tweet from about the NHL. Little jarring, too.
Nathan: New Olympic sport: racing giant, brightly-colored tricycles.
Helene: Luis Scola carries Argentina’s flag into the stadium. Tallest flagbearer?
John: Favorite memory in Rio so far?
Lisa: Favorite memory so far? The Treehouse adventure, of course. The long journey into the night for fine food and great company.
Nathan: Off topic, but I believe I just got my first mosquito bite, 10 minutes after dousing myself with bug spray. But the trek earlier this week to the treehouse-style restaurant high above the city won’t soon be forgotten. Rio de Janeiro is an endlessly fascinating place.
9:26
Lisa: Pele just tweeted he is “there with you in energy and spirit.”
Nathan: Djibouti just passed. An Esquire story a few years back called it the “worst place on earth.” It wasn’t so bad during my visit. Well, other than the flies.
Nathan: Well, it took until Slovenia for the first yawn in our office at the Main Press Center.
9:32
Helene: Unlike Disneyland, the Olympics don’t ban selfie sticks.
9:34
Nathan: Here comes the U.S. Michael Phelps looks like an old hand at flag-bearing.
John: I notice that athletes are planting seeds in these little growing cups. The question is will the plants grow full before the parade of nations is over or not?
Nathan: Man, Estonia has the most enthusiastic flag-waver in the parade. That fellow’s arms are going to be sore tomorrow.
Nathan: And Phelps has left the building. Another world record for the most decorated Olympian of all-time, this time for the shortest appearance by a flag-bearer?
9:44
Helene: Surprisingly, no really hideous uniforms. Yet.
Lisa: Tennis players are repping. Rafa the flag bearer for Spain and Andy Murray for Britain.
Nathan: Rio’s Globo newspaper reports that interim President Michel Termer requested not to be introduced at the opening ceremony to avoid being booed. There was discussion of loud music being played if he was mentioned to drown out any murmurs (or more) of discontent.
9:51
John: If you were an Amazonian rainforest tree, what kind of tree would you be?
Nathan: That’s probably a question that Tom, the official Rio de Janeiro Paralympics mascot with a head made of leaves, asks often.
John: So we’re in the I’s now. Reminds me of the other day when a photographer was robbed at knifepoint at Ipanema Beach. Is it too much of a stretch to believe when asked for a description he said: “Tall and tan and young and lovely …”
Lisa: Now looking at the bios of the “executive team” responsible for this show. One line about one of the creative guys: “...A word that defines him is boldness; he does not know the meaning of the words “no” and “impossible.” Sounds like the now-exiled guy in the Dos Equis advert. #WorldsMostInterestingMan
Nathan: Tom’s official bio (yes, a mascot has a bio) describes himself as a “magical creature, a fusion of all the plants in the Brazilian forests” who was born from the “explosion of happiness” that followed Rio de Janeiro being awarded the Paralympics in 2009.
Lisa: Music director Antonio Pinto did the score for “Central Station.” Outstanding movie. Two thumbs up.
9:59
Helene: Until this moment, I was not aware that Kiribati was a country. Learn something new every day.
Lisa: Question for everyone ... Olympic relegation? For it? Against it?
John: Relegation in the Olympics? We already have it. It’s called the U.S. men’s soccer team.
Nathan: I think Olympic organizers would love to relegate golf after so many big-name players took a pass on playing in Rio de Janeiro (and probably didn’t help the high-end condo project that’s going up around the course).
Helene: Relegation to the American Hockey League?
Nathan: Overheard in our office: “This parade is much shorter during the winter.” On the other hand, it is the middle winter in Rio de Janeiro. And, of course, the Summer Olympics are starting. Enough to make you want another caipirinha.
10:09
Nathan: Not pictured during the made-for-television parade: the tear gas police deployed earlier this evening near Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro to break up protests.
John: Colleague Lisa asked if the water polo team marched given their early match tomorrow. Do you think it’s uncomfortable for them to be on solid ground?
Nathan: From the sound of stateside tweets, NBC is certainly cramming every commercial it can into the opening ceremony. It’s broadcast uninterrupted here in Brazil.
10:21
Nathan: Wait, Portugal’s team is wearing jeans?
10:25
Helene: Rwanda’s jackets were Forum Blue (also known as purple).
John: About 50 more countries to go.
Nathan: It’s Russia’s turn. Happy group after that, uh, little doping problem.
John: The Russian delegation just came in. Probably shaved a few seconds off the projected time of the march. Still, reminds me of my flight to Rio with a lot of U.S. athletes on the plane from Houston. U.S. athletes window and aisle. Russian athletes, all center seats.
Nathan: No truth to the rumor the tree seeds the Russian athletes are planting will grow twice as fast (and twice as tall) as those from other countries.
10:30
Lisa: Idle thought: Wonder where Dilma is watching the Opening Ceremony from. Second idle thought: Sure wish she tweeted.
John: For those watching at home, the wildly popular Trinidad and Tobago team will be the 170th nation to enter. Their flagbearer is Kenshorn Walcott, the 2012 Olympic javelin champion.
Nathan: Already 170 countries? It doesn’t seem a bit over 168.
10:35
Lisa: Dilma was asked by Time magazine if she planned on going to the Opening Ceremony. Rousseff didn’t hold back, saying: “I was elected President with 54.5 million votes. They are inviting me to participate in the Olympic Games in a very secondary position. I will not play a role that does not correspond to my presidential status.”
Nathan: Bruce Arthur, the great columnist for the Toronto Star, tweeted that Maracana Stadium smells like a mix between “something burning” and “light manure.” Certainly gets one into the Olympic spirit.
10:42
Nathan: Tunisia enters with USC swimming great Ous Melloui carrying the flag.
John: One reader wondered what’s the deal with all the marijuana plants? Good question. It’s a banned substance but only performance enhancing in a Doritos eating contest, not an Olympic sport.
Helene: Uganda, team 196 of 207, entering Maracana Stadium.
10:47
Nathan: As John just pointed out, this is a personal best for all of us for the longest time listening to Portuguese commentary. No performance-enhancing drugs needed. Well, unless junk food counts.
John: Death is not an option: The parade of nations or the roll call of states at BOTH political conventions?
Nathan: Given the widespread transportation problems getting folks to Maracana Stadium earlier today, the real Olympic sport could be getting everyone (including the athletes) home from the opening ceremony. My favorite anecdote was the bus driver who detoured through a neighborhood to drop off a buddy.
10:52
John: We’ve filled you with snark, but what’s great about the Olympics? All the cheers in the stadium for the refugee team.
Nathan: With all the protests, doping, tear-gassing, robberies, gunfights, muggings, pollution, traffic snarls, construction problems, logistical woes, Zika consternation and political problems that have dominated the start of these Olympics, the refugee team certainly puts a smile on your face. Something everyone can support.
Lisa: Brazil .. or Brasil...feeling the love. Great sights and sounds.
10:58
Nathan: A few hours before the closing ceremony, one of the creative directors, Fernando Meirelles, tweeted that Donald Trump would “hate” the show. All quiet on the Donald’s Twitter feed, however.
Nathan: Green trees form the Olympic rings as the opening ceremony winds down.
Helene: Brazil welcomes the world! Thanks, Brazil. Happy to be here.
11:04
John: The parade of nations is over. The speeches are starting. The rest is reasonably scripted although people are anxious about what the acting president might say. And, of course, who is the torchbearer.
Nathan: IOC President Thomas Bach will speak in a bit. You may recall a couple of days ago IOC member Samih Moudallal lauded Bach during a televised session: “day after day you are more generous, you are more brilliant, you are the reason for our progress.” Can’t make up that stuff.
11:10
Nathan: We’re over three hours. The torch isn’t even in the stadium.
11:16
Nathan: Bach isn’t mentioning Brazil’s government. Good move since he’s not interested in being booed off the stage.
Helene: I don’t suppose this is the time to ask IOC President Bach if NHL players are going to play in the next Winter Games, in Pyeongchang, in 2018.
Lisa: Even by IOC overlord standards, that was one dull speech by Bach.
11:20
Nathan: Childs Walker of the Baltimore Sun tells me from the adjacent desk that only four members of the U.S. swimming team attended the opening ceremony. Understandable with the competition starting Saturday.
Helene: It’s after 11:20 p.m. here and some athletes compete Saturday morning...forces athletes to make a terribly difficult choice. miss the Opening Ceremony or be at less-than-peak form in competition.
Nathan: The script called for the speeches by Thomas Bach and Carlos Nuzman, president of the Rio 2016 Committee, to run a combined six minutes. Each went well over his alloted time. The ceremony is well behind schedule.
11:26
Lisa: Nathan, did Bach go over his expected minutes in his speech? Where was the Oscar cut-off music when we needed it?
Nathan: Ha. Maybe play the Olympic anthem early to pull him off?
Nathan: Fireworks drown out boos of Brazil’s interim President Michel Temer as he declares the Games open. The pyrotechnics operator did their job.
11:30
John: The Olympic flag has entered the stadium. We’re in the homestretch. There is still a sliver of hope that Pele’s announcement that he won’t be there is a work right out of the WWE playbook.
Nathan: Olympic flag bearers include Brazilian soccer star Marta and basketball player Oscar Schmidt. I guess Vinicius, the slightly frightening Olympic mascot, didn’t make the cut.
Lisa: It wasn’t just me. One of my delightfully less jaded friends just sent me an email, “Listening to Thomas Bach bore the heck out of me.”
11:33
John: The Olympic flag is being raised while a choir of youngsters sing.
Nathan: Here’s the Olympic anthem. Yes, the Olympics have an anthem. Sample lyrics: Crowned with glory and fame / And let fraternity and fellowship / Surround the soul of every nation. Perhaps that “fraternity and fellowship” is why organizers handed more than 450,000 condoms to athletes.
Nathan: Vincent Bevins, Brazil correspondent for The Times, notes that ceremony organizers never actually introduced interim President Temer by name or title. The president just started talking. Good move to minimize a negative reaction by the crowd.
Lisa: Taking note of the booing of the acting President of Brazil, Michel Temer ... Raleigh News and Observer columnist Luke DeCock tweeted: “They booed the interim president of Brazil like he was Gary Bettman.”
11:41
John: In a bit of a swerve, we’ve gone back to more music after the obligatory speeches and oaths. A new day dawns in Brazil in about 20 minutes. And yet, we haven’t seen the torch yet.
Lisa: This music is fab. Love it.
Nathan: Confetti showering the crowd. Doesn’t exactly fit into the Games’ mantra of sustainability, but it’s fun.
11:46
Nathan: Time for the Olympic flame. Finally.
John: Finally a sighting of the Olympic flame.
Lisa: Guga! Covered a few of his French Open wins. Class act.
11:50
Nathan: Vanderlei de Lima, who won bronze in the marathon during the Athens Olympics after being attacked on the course, lights the torch.
Nathan: More fireworks as midnight approaches. The ceremony may have been on a budget, but, wow, they didn’t skimp on stuff that explodes.
Nathan: Organizers say the cauldron is a small, low-emission model to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It’s framed by massive sculpture by American kinetic sculptor Anthony Howe that’s supposed to represent the sun.
11:58
John: At long last, the flame has been lit, the fireworks have started and the Opening Ceremony is in its final moments. I give the ceremony a B. Obviously if Pele had been able to light the flame it might have graded higher.
John: If Chicago had won these Games, would an old 1984 Bears player have been the one to light the flame?
Nathan: Here’s Helene’s story on Vanderlei de Lima’s wild marathon encounter in 2004.
12:03
Nathan: And NBC’s tape-delayed broadcast of the opening ceremony just started on the West Coast. Iif you’ve been reading along with us over the last four hours, you already know what happened.
Lisa: None other than Helen covered de Lima’s famous marathon in 2004, in which de Lima was attacked and finished third. He was leading at the time of the attack. Athens was the only Olympic marathon he competed in. You will be happy to know that he won gold in the marathon at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg in 1999.
Nathan: I’m still surprised Pele didn’t arrive at the last minute to light the torch. He must really be sick to miss such a moment.
12:10
Lisa: Kings center and newly named captain Anze Kopitar weighed in on twitter: “Good luck to all the Slovenian Olympians in #Rio2016.”
Helene: A nifty Opening Ceremony. Let’s hope the rest of the Rio Games go as well as this. And I hope stadium empties before 6 a.m.
Nathan: U.S. diver Steele Johnson tweeted that the opening ceremony was “the most incredible experience of my life.Let the Games begin!”
12:16
Nathan: OK, final thoughts?
Lisa: My grade? How about a B-plus? Only a few hours until men’s water polo!
Nathan: Long, but impressive. Makes you think Rio de Janeiro could brush off its slew of problems and actually pull off the Games. It’s a good step after a tough week for organizers.
Photos: The 2016 Rio Olympics opening ceremony
Check out the photos from the opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The flame is lit at Olympic opening ceremony, but Pele misses show
Opening ceremony live: Brazilian marathoner Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima light the Olympic cauldron
The Rio Olympics are open
Rio opening ceremony live: Watch athlete-shot footage of Team USA entering the stadium
Rio opening ceremony live: Children bring messages of peace
‘Dickens and dazzle’: Clues about Fernando Meirelles’ political opening ceremony in his Oscar-nominated ‘City of God’
There are those who wonder why the edgy film director Fernando Meirelles was chosen to orchestrate the opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics. After all, his most famous film, “City of God,” depicts drugs and violence in Rio’s crime-ridden favelas, which Brazil’s government officials would love to hide from the media.
But even before the world saw the color-filled spectacle that he, choreographer Deborah Colker and fellow film director Daniela Thomas unleashed on Rio Friday night, Times film critic Kenneth Turan noted that Meirelles’ film, which was nominated for four Oscars, showed “a potent and unexpected mixture of authenticity and flash.” In his review of “City of God,” originally published Jan. 17, 2003, Turan’s description of the film could also be applied to Meirelles’ opening ceremony depicting the story of Brazil and of climate change: “It’s Dickens and dazzle crossed with Social Darwinism.”
The boos had to come at some point during Rio’s opening ceremony
Rio Olympics live: Refugee team brings hope to others
Hillary Clinton recognizes an Olympic pioneer with a tweet during opening ceremony
The random tweet came during the early part of the long-and-winding opening ceremony at the Olympics on Friday night.
Seemingly out of the blue, it hailed golfer Margaret Abbott, who became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Abbott won at the 1900 Olympics in Paris.
(Incidentally, Abbott was one fascinating woman. Reports indicated that she was only in Paris because she happened to be studying art under the likes of Edgar Degas and Auguste Rodin.)
The tweet about Abbott came from none other than Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s account.
This wasn’t her first foray into Olympic sports on Friday. Earlier, the Clinton account tweeted an old picture of the 1996 gold-medal-winning U.S. women’s gymnastics team, posing with a very young-looking Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton at the White House.
United Selfies of America
Matt Lauer called it the “selfie capital of the universe,” and he’s probably not wrong. With more than 550 athletes in the Olympic delegation, the United States selfie game at the opening ceremony is strong. Here are a few of our favorites from Team U.S.A.
Opening ceremony live: Serena Williams is a center of attention
2016 Rio opening ceremony: Team Brazil enters the stadium
Opening ceremony live: Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki are in the building
Watch the fireworks that marked the beginning of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics
The Olympics always start with a bang, and the 2016 Summer Games are no exception. Watch video of the fireworks that marked the start of Rio’s opening ceremony as filmed from outside Maracanã Stadium.
Rio opening ceremony live: Left shark finds a friend!
Are they on the ‘Go’ during Rio’s opening ceremony?
Opening ceremony live: A view of Rio from the International Space Station
Rio opening ceremony live: U.S. men’s basketball team strikes a pose
Russian athletes get a roar from the crowd at Rio’s opening ceremony
The innocence of youth makes an entrance in Rio
Opening ceremony live: A view from above as the stadium fills with athletes
Rio Olympics live: This is what the opening ceremony is all about
Yep, 555 athletes is not a normal Olympic contingent
The endless parade of athletes in Rio . . . and a chance to write
Rio Olympics opening ceremony: See what it is like to be on the stadium floor
Rio Olympics Live: Team USA enters the arena
Rio Olympics live: President Obama sends a message to Team USA
A spectacle to behold at Rio’s opening ceremony
Rio opening ceremony live: Behind the scenes with Team USA
Michael Phelps leads the U.S. contingent into the opening ceremony
Before the Brazilian forests began to disappear
2016 Rio Olympics: Not everyone could make it to the opening ceremony
A message to Rio Olympics from Pele
2016 Rio Olympics: Here’s what the opening ceremony looks like to a bird
Rio Olympics opening ceremony live: USA is on the way
Rio 2016 Olympics: Gisele struts the stadium in a glittery gold Alexandre Herchcovitch gown
It didn’t take long for the 2016 Rio Olympics opening ceremony to serve up its first memorable fashion moment -- supermodel Gisele Bundchen making waves and turning heads in a glittery gown with a daring (well, daring on anyone but one of the best models in the dress-wearing business) thigh-high slit, deep V-neck.
According to an exclusive interview posted to vogue.com the gold sequined column dress was designed by Brazilian designer Alexandre Herchcovitch, who describes the fabric as “a mesh, covered with bright golden sequins, double-sided [and] embroidered horizontally.”
Bundchen, according to reports, made her entrance to the strains of “Girl From Ipanema.”
Rio commentary is lost in translation (or before)
Pele said poor health will sideline him for the opening ceremony
Brazil’s most accomplished international athlete, three-time World Cup soccer champion Pele, said that declining health had forced him to turn down an invitation to light the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.
“At this point I’m not physically able to attend the opening of the Olympics,” he said in a statement released to a Brazilian newspaper this week.
Pele, 75, appeared at the Olympic closing ceremony in London four years ago but wasn’t invited to the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Brazil two years ago. He then missed Brazil’s first game in that tournament after reportedly getting stuck in traffic.
Pele, who has been in poor health for some time, was hospitalized with a urinary infection in 2014 and twice in 2015 for surgery on his prostate and back.
Pele said on Brazilian television that he had been invited by IOC President Thomas Bach to light the Olympic cauldron, but Pele’s spokesman said he was physically unable to do so.
“Getting free is not a problem now, but he has muscle pain which is affecting his mobility. He has gone to the doctor to see how things are,” Jose Fornos Rodrigues told Agence France-Presse.
Opening ceremony live: Greece has entered the building
Rio Olympics opening ceremony: Team USA is heading toward the stadium
Rio Olympics: Where’s an usher when you need one?
Giancarlo Esposito lends his voice to NBC Olympics opening film
Can’t place the voice from NBC’s Olympics opening ceremony film?
That’s Giancarlo Esposito, best known for his portrayal of villainous Gus Fring on AMC’s critically acclaimed series “Breaking Bad.”
Esposito also lent his voice to this summer’s highly successful remake of Disney’s “The Jungle Book” and can be seen (and heard) in Netflix’s upcoming series about the birth of hip-hop, “The Get Down,” premiering on the streaming service Aug. 12.
‘The Girl’ gets her due in Rio
Rio Olympics live: Is that Leonardo DiCaprio in there?
Rio Olympics live: The Girl From Ipanema
Brazil’s most super of models makes her Rio entrance
Rio Olympics opening ceremony live: Just happy to be here
Fireworks tower over Maracana Stadium in Rio
Rio 2016 Olympics: Team USA looks ready to roll in Polo Ralph Lauren
A behind-the-scenes Tweet from Olympic gymnast Sam Mikulak shows a quintet of Team USA athletes looking sharp in their Polo Ralph Lauren opening ceremony uniforms that include navy blue blazers, white jeans and white, blue and red striped crewneck T-shirts.
As the Americans enter the stadium this evening, keep a look out for flag bearer Michael Phelps whose jacket is fitted with electorluminescent panels that will have the letters “USA” on the back -- as well as the crest on the right breast pocket -- lighting up with patriotic brilliance.
Rio Olympics: Hey, NBC, this should apply to the West Coast too
History lesson continues at Rio’s opening ceremony
Lights, and dancers, shine during Rio’s opening ceremony
Rio Olympics live: U.S. women’s volleyball team is ready for their closeup
They’re going bold to start Rio’s opening ceremony
Rio Olympics opening ceremony live: Will Team USA please find a seat?
France poses next test for U.S. women’s soccer team at Rio Games
Saturday is the fourth anniversary of the U.S. soccer team’s dramatic extra-time victory over Canada in the semifinals of the 2012 Olympic women’s soccer tournament.
But it’s also the eighth anniversary of the last game the U.S. lost in Olympic competition, a 2-0 defeat against Norway in the Beijing Games. So that makes Aug. 6 either a good day or bad day for the Americans, depending on your point of view.
Either way, the top-ranked U.S. will try to make the date even more significant Saturday when it meets No. 3 France in Belo Horizonte in the second group-play game for both teams of the Rio Olympics (NBCSN, NBC Universo, 1 p.m. PT).
“It’s always tight between the two teams. Neither gives very much,” said U.S. Coach Jill Ellis, whose team is chasing its fourth consecutive gold medal. “So I’m looking forward to a really competitive game against a very formidable [team].”
History will be made regardless of who wins just by stepping on the field. Hope Solo of the U.S. will become the first goalkeeper – male or female – to play in 200 international games. More than half of those appearances have ended in shutouts.
“Two hundred? Dang! I’m coming up on [70],” defender Meghan Klingenberg said. “Hope is obviously such an experienced player. And having been through so many world tournaments and the limelight, the pressure, the focus that’s on you. It’s an incredible resource to have her back there.
“It’s also a safety net that we fall back on a lot.”
In addition to Solo’s record, a couple of other streaks will be on the line Saturday. The U.S., unbeaten in 16 games this year, has won an Olympic-record 12 consecutive games while France hasn’t fallen since back-to-back 1-0 losses to Germany and the U.S. in March.
And though there’s a growing rivalry between the two sides, it’s one that has favored the Americans. Not only has France won only one of 19 games against the U.S., the last two times the teams met in a world championship competition, in the 2011 Women’s World Cup and in the 2012 Olympics, the U.S. won both games.
“They’re good on the transition, and so are we,” U.S. forward Alex Morgan said. “So it’s going be the completion of those forward passes for transition and the options that we’re able to give each other in the final third. We’ve played them a lot in the last year or two, so we know their players very well — as much as they know us.”
Both teams posted shutout wins in their group-play openers here, with France beating Colombia, 4-0, and the U.S. dumping New Zealand, 2-0. That goal differential — thanks to two goals on free kicks — leaves France atop the group standings. But French Coach Philippe Bergeroo, speaking through an interpreter, said that isn’t likely to have an impact Saturday.
“No, the pressure is not on the U.S., the team that wins everything,” said Bergeroo, whose team has outscored opponents 21-0 through seven qualifying games for next summer’s European Championships. “I’m pretty sure that team knows pressure. They are sure of their strength.”
The top teams in each four-country group advance to the next round, along with the two best third-place teams. So a draw Saturday would virtually guarantee both France and the U.S. a spot in the quarterfinals. But a win would be even better since it would move that team a huge step closer to the group championship, likely avoiding a possible quarterfinal matchup with powerful Germany.
Ellis said teenage forward Mallory Pugh, who came out of the first game early in the second half because of an ankle injury, would be available Saturday, although Ellis stopped short of saying Pugh would play against France.
“It’s going to be a fantastic test for us,” Ellis said.
Rio 2016 Olympics: A sneak peek at Team Italy’s double-breasted Armani opening ceremony suits
In advance of tonight’s opening ceremony, Giorgio Armani has released sketches of the uniforms that the Italian Olympic team will wear into Maracanã Stadium.
Expect to see the athletes -- both the men and the women -- kitted out in stretch-cotton double-breasted blue suits with detachable hoods and “Italia” embroidered in gold across the back. Rounding out the uniforms will be blue polo shirts and sneakers accented with the colors of the Italian flag.
2016 Rio Olympics: Randy Jackson says he is in it to win it
2016 Rio Olympics: What does gambiarra mean?
Rio Olympics opening ceremony live: Watch Ireland do the samba
Rio Olympics opening ceremony live: Shiny silver people
In Rio’s Maracana Stadium, this will have to do
Fun before the Games (or opening ceremony)
They’re already dancing at the stadium
Russian swimmers Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev cleared to swim in the Olympics
Russian swimmers Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev, members of the USC-based Trojan Swim Club, have been cleared to compete in the Olympics.
The International Swimming Federation banned Morozov and Lobintsev last week because they were named in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s report by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren on state-sponsored doping in Russia.
The swimmers appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but withdrew it after a three-member International Olympic Committee panel cleared them Thursday to participate in the Games.
Morozov, a sprinter who holds three school records at USC, will swim four events.
“Thank you for all your notes during these tough times,” he wrote on Facebook.
Dave Salo, head coach of the Trojan Swim Club and the USC men’s and women’s swimming teams, said in an email that he’ll examine the place of international swimmers in the program.
“Regardless of the decision to allow Vlad and Nikita swim at the games, I will be reviewing our program and the allowance for international athletes to train with Trojan Swim Club,” he said. “I have felt all along that the testing procedures that have been employed at our program by [the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency] and WADA has been significant enough to send the message to athletes to be careful, play it clean and go out and compete.”
The swimmers’ agent, Andrey Mitkov, posted a four-paragraph letter from the panel on Facebook. It said that two members voted to allow Morozov and Lobintsev to swim and one abstained, but no reason for the decision was given.
That does not look like food an athlete would eat
Isn’t that Michael Phelps?
Tony Azevedo brings unique advantages to U.S. men’s water polo team
Tony Azevedo should have several advantages when the U.S. men’s Olympic water polo team opens its Rio schedule Saturday against Croatia.
Azevedo, a five-time Olympian and Team USA’s captain, was born in Rio de Janeiro and moved to the U.S. with his family when he was an infant. The Long Beach Wilson High and Stanford graduate returned to Brazil to play for the SESI team in Sao Paulo, so he will have a sort of home-country advantage — and more.
“It’s been a dream to play in front of all these family and friends,” Azevedo said Friday at a news conference, adding that more cousins and other relatives continue to pop up to greet him the longer he’s here, making this a surreal moment.
“It’s hard for this many Brazilians to get out to all the other Olympics, let alone your immediate family, so to have them here with me right now is great, and then to be playing in a pool that I’ve played probably 12 games in. The first championship that I won in Brazil was at this pool, Maria Lenk, so everything’s kind of familiar. And that’s what you want going into the Olympics, just having things feel a lot more comfortable than others.”
The U.S. men won a silver medal in the 2008 Beijing Games but were eliminated by Croatia in the quarterfinals of the 2012 London water polo tournament. The team has undergone a lot of changes since then; the roster includes nine first-time Olympians and there’s a new coach, Dejan Udovicic, who previously coached Serbia to a bronze medal in 2012. Udovicic was named coach in May 2013.
Azevedo has offered advice when asked, but his most frequent recommendation has been for his teammates to leave it all in the pool, so to speak. The London team didn’t do that, and he has regretted that.
“My push, since I’ve been back, is really pushing each and every one of these guys and getting them ready for what it’s going to be like and making sure that there’s literally no way we can finish these Games and look back and say, ‘We maybe could have done more,’” he said. “Because in London, it wasn’t like that. We didn’t train as hard as we should have at a lot of moments.”
Udovicic said the team is so young that its realistic goal is to contend for gold in 2020 at the Tokyo Games. The players have been together only since January, but they did finish second to Serbia in the most recent Super League final.
“We cannot change some things so quickly. We are trying to do our best, but this is the reality,” he said. “For the future men’s side, we don’t need to worry because the majority of this team will stay together until the next Olympics. … Some things you can achieve to change, but some things you must be patient and be clever. Right now we are somewhere in the middle.”
Behind the scenes look at opening ceremony
Counting down to the opening ceremony
Gymnastics notebook: Laurie Hernandez refutes report of injury
So much for the gymnasts staying off social media.
In this case, it turned into a newsworthy event. OK, maybe slightly newsworthy during this quiet period before action really picks up at the Olympics.
International Gymnast Magazine, a respected industry publication, reported Friday that 16-year-old U.S. gymnast Laurie Hernandez had suffered a pulled hamstring, wondering if she would compete at all or be replaced by an alternate.
(An hour later, it turned into a pulled stomach muscle, according to the magazine.)
Hernandez quickly hit back on social media, tweeting: “This is false info! Our team is healthy and prepared to compete.”
She was seconded by her personal coach, Maggie Haney, and later by USA Gymnastics, which tweeted, “…At this time, she is fine and training on all apparatus.”
The magazine offered the scenario as a possible explanation as to why Hernandez may not compete on the uneven bars in the team qualification round, which would keep her out of contention for the later all-around event.
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The lineup for the U.S. men for the qualification round on Saturday was submitted. Sam Mikulak of Newport Coast and Chris Brooks will be competing in all six events, putting them in position to qualify for the all-around final.
Danell Leyva, a bronze medalist in 2012 in London in the all around, will be in three events in the qualification round. Leyva was named an alternate after trials but got on the team when John Orozco required knee surgery after tearing ligaments at training camp.
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USA Gymnastics issued another statement on behalf of its president, Steve Penny. He was not made available to take questions about the Indianapolis Star’s report on Thursday, which contended that USA Gymnastics failed to notify authorities to “many allegations of sexual abuse by coaches.”
“…It is heartbreaking and unacceptable for a young person to have the intolerable burden that results from being a victim of sexual misconduct,” Penny said in Friday’s statement. “We share the outrage that sexual assault victims and their families feel.
“This is why USA Gymnastics has implemented Safe Sport training and created educational materials that encourage members to contact law enforcement first when reporting incidents of abuse. We will continue to work with the USOC and the National Center for Safe Sport, along with our clubs, parents, and athletes to protect every child.”
Women’s soccer team addicted to the local flavor in Brazil
The U.S. women’s soccer team has had its meals closely monitored in Brazil. But it has found one local food offering it can’t do without.
Acai is a smoothie-like dish made of frozen and mashed acai palm fruit, commonly topped with granola and banana and then mixed with other fruits and guarana syrup. And it has become the team’s go-to treat in Brazil.
“About 20 were consumed today. They’re addicting,” Coach Jill Ellis said Friday.
“Culturally we’ve trying to dive in and just get to know Brazil a little better,” forward Alex Morgan added. “From the beginning we wanted to search some authentic places. And we found them pretty close to our hotel.
“I’d say that every time we walk in there, we have a familiar face. It’s a big part of our diet here.”
Greek athlete heads home after failed doping test is revealed
Hours before the opening ceremony for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the Greek Olympic committee has announced the first positive doping test of the 2016 Summer Games.
The committee announced Friday that an unnamed member of the Olympic team failed a doping test in July in Athens. The Greeks say the athlete has left the Olympic Village in Rio.
Dozens of athletes have failed doping tests at the last two Olympics, most caught in recent retests of stored samples.
The International Olympic Committee stores doping samples for 10 years so they can be retested when new methods become available, meaning drug cheats who escaped detection at the time can be caught years later.
Team USA members sing ‘God Bless America’
Elizabeth Beisel, one of the U.S. Olympic swimming team’s captains, recorded members of Team USA singing ‘God Bless America’ on Thursday.
The silver medalist from the London Olympics will swim the 400-meter individual medley when competition starts Saturday.
Anti-doping agency’s president defends himself amid widespread criticism
This has not been an easy week for Craig Reedie.
The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency has endured repeated criticism from International Olympic Committee members over his organization’s handling of the Russian doping scandal.
There has also been a report by Pro Publica quoting a former WADA investigator who claims Reedie ignored – and in some cases actively deterred – the ongoing probe.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Reedie echoed a common theme for him in recent days.
The anti-doping leader said he moved as quickly as possible to investigate allegations of systemic cheating among Russian athletes, coaches and officials, calling for further action whenever he had sufficient evidence to proceed.
“You can’t investigate a rumor,” he said.
The timeline of WADA’s multiple investigations and reports created a bottleneck at these 2016 Summer Olympics, with officials scrambling all week to determine which Russian athletes should be allowed to compete.
WADA first received allegations against the Russians in 2010, some four years before Reedie became president.
Former chief investigator Jack Robertson told Pro Publica that he had to pressure Reedie into continuing the probe. Robertson soon grew frustrated and provided information to the German broadcaster ARD.
A resulting documentary prompted WADA to form an independent commission headed by IOC member and former WADA president Dick Pound. That investigation resulted in WADA declaring the Russian Anti-Doping Agency noncompliant and the international track federation banning the country’s entire track team.
Reedie insisted that only when the German documentary unearthed information could he proceed.
“Let’s be clear, when you say move quickly, the issue was the creation of the Pound commission at the end of 2014,” Reedie said. “We had the independent commission set up within six working days.”
As for Robertson’s complaint that Reedie hardly ever spoke to him, the WADA leader said that he often stays out of the way when it comes to his investigators.
“That last person you want to talk to is the head of the organization,” he said.
Further criticism has focused on WADA’s actions – or lack thereof – after the Pound commission, when many called for the agency to scrutinize sports beyond track and field.
Robertson pointed to emails Reedie sent to Russian officials stating that WADA had no intention of harming their relationship.
“To me, these showed his mind-set, more committed to preserving his friends’ reputations than discovering the truth,” Robertson was quoted as saying.
Reedie insists he was merely trying to assure the Russians there that was no truth to claims that WADA was attacking them.
“We don’t attack anyone,” he said.
However, he added, “I’m sorry I didn’t just say ‘Yours, sincerely.’”
Ultimately, reports by “60 Minutes” and the New York Times spurred yet another independent commission, headed by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, that in mid-July alleged cheating in Russian drug-testing labs and involvement by Russian government agencies.
Amid calls for an outright ban of Russia from the Summer Games, the IOC instead asked the international federations that govern each sport to rule on each athlete individually.
The resulting turmoil led to last-minute rulings before 271 Russians were officially cleared to compete and more than 100 were excluded on Thursday.
Reedie acknowledged that the anti-doping system is at least partially broken, though he said a fix “is not easy.”
Video: Olympians discuss their road to Rio
Six Californians competing in the Olynpics in badminton, soccer, skeet shooting, archery and water polo talk about their long journey to Rio.
Can you spot the fake Olympic sports?
This year’s Summer Olympics will have 306 events in 42 sports at dozens of venues throughout Rio de Janeiro and beyond. But there are some notable omissions. For example, tug-of-war, a historical Olympic sport, hasn’t been part of the competition since 1920.
We came up with a list of 14 events, some of which will be in this year’s Olympics. See if you can tell which are real and which are fake.
Rio police arrest Moroccan boxer on suspicion of sex assaults
Brazilian police say they have jailed a Moroccan Olympic boxer after he was accused of sexually assaulting two Brazilian women.
In a statement, police say they arrested boxer Hassan Saada on Friday on suspicion of assaulting two Brazilian women who worked as waitresses in the Olympic Village.
According to the police statement, the attacks are alleged to have happened on Wednesday.
Police say Saada will be jailed for a period of 15 days while they conduct a rape investigation. Under Brazilian law, suspects can be held for a long period of time while a case is examined. He was due to compete Saturday. A light heavyweight boxer, he was set to fight Mehmet Nadir of Turkey in the preliminary rounds Saturday at 12:30 p.m. He was not predicted to be a medal contender.
Will Michael Phelps really retire after the Olympics? The speculation continues
Will Michael Phelps really retire after the Olympics?
Earlier this week, the 22-time Olympic medalist used the word “potentially” to describe his previously unwavering plans to step away from swimming.
Then Ryan Lochte, Phelps’ longtime rival and roommate in Rio de Janeiro, predicted he would return for another Games. He correctly forecast that Phelps’ 18-month retirement after the London Olympics wouldn’t last.
On Friday, Phelps’ fiancee, Nicole Johnson, added to the speculation.
In a series of tweets about her excitement over Phelps carrying the U.S. flag during Friday’s opening ceremony at Maracana Stadium, Johnson seemed to leave open the possibility of a return.
“And well Michael will be walking this evening in his final (maybe -- never know since he already retired once) Olympic opening ceremony carrying the American flag,” she wrote.
Let the guessing games begin.
Rio 2016 Olympics: Friday’s schedule
4 p.m.: opening ceremony. TV: NBC, 7:30 p.m.
NWSL already making a statement in Olympic soccer tournament
Major League Soccer may still be trying to establish itself as one of the world’s top leagues but on the women’s side, the National Women’s Soccer League, now in its fourth season in the U.S., has clearly become the destination of choice for top international players.
According to statistics complied by the NWSL’s public relations staff, in the first round of Olympic group-play games on Wednesday, 32 of the 38 league players on the 12 national team rosters saw action, playing more than 36% of the total minutes combined for their respective teams.
Two NWSL goalkeepers, Hope Solo of the U.S. and the Seattle Reign and Stephanie Labbe of Canada and the Washington Spirit, posted shutouts in their first games while five NWSL players scored goals.
All 10 NWSL teams had at least one player participate in the opening games but the Houston Dash and Portland Thorns were especially well represented, with 13 women combined making an appearance.
One of those, Houston forward Janine Beckie of Canada, set a record, beating clubmate and Australian goalie Lydia Williams just 19 seconds into the game, the fastest opening goal, male or female, in Olympic history. Later in the game, Williams salvaged a measure of revenge by saving a penalty shot from Beckie.
“To be there day in and day out with the training and the players that [you] play with, you just up your level every single day. You just get better and better,” Becky Sauerbrunn, captain for FC Kansas City and co-captain of the U.S. national team, said of playing in the NWSL. “And then you come to the national side and you bring that confidence and you bring that skill that you learned with your club team and you just roll with it.”
Seventeen of the 18 players on the U.S. team play in the NWSL, the lone exception being teenager Mallory Pugh, who just graduated from high school and has committed to UCLA. In last summer’s Women’s World Cup, 22 of the 23 players on the champion U.S. team came off NWSL rosters. NWSL veteran Abby Wambach, who sat out the 2015 season to prepare for the World Cup, was the exception then.
The NWSL, which is on a three-week Olympic break, is already the longest-lasting women’s professional soccer league in U.S. history but Sauerbrunn said it can be an even bigger force in the domestic and the international game.
“As far as just building the league, right now a lot of it is financial things,” she said of the room for improvement. “If we can side more with MLS teams, that will be a help. If you look at Orlando and Portland and Houston, they seem to do really well because they can kind of share that brand and share the fan base and things like that.”
Those three teams, which are partnered with their local MLS franchises, lead the league in average home attendance, topped by Portland, which is drawing 16,772 a game, slightly more than the Tampa Bay Rays baseball franchise.
“In that respect,” Sauerbrunn said, “it would help us just be a little bit more visible in our communities.”
Welcome to the Games. In case you never heard of me, I am Brazil’s president
“I declare open the Games of Rio, celebrating the 31st Olympiad of the modern era.” These are the words Brazil’s leader must pronounce at the opening ceremony of the Summer Games.
But when interim President Michel Temer utters those words at the historic Maracanã Stadium on Friday night, the international audience may well wonder: Who is that guy? As for the Brazilian audience in the stadium, Temer said that he is “extremely prepared” to be booed.
Quoting a famous Brazilian author, he told local media: “As Nelson Rodrigues said, at the Maracanã they even boo the moment of silence. I have to carry out my institutional duty.”
Brazil fans boo after soccer team is held to 0-0 draw by South Africa
BRASILIA -- Brazil started its quest for an Olympic gold medal in men’s soccer with a disappointing 0-0 draw against South Africa, a result that prompted loud jeers by some of the home fans.
Despite an attack led by Barcelona striker Neymar Jr. and talented youngsters Gabriel Jesus and Gabigol, Brazil was not able to find the net at the packed Mane Garrincha Stadium.
Gabriel Jesus, newly signed by Manchester City, had the game’s best chance in the 69th minute but missed an open net with a close-range shot that struck the post.
“I have the obligation to score that goal,” he said. “I’m not used to missing those chances. I’m disappointed. I won’t be able to sleep tonight because of that one.”
Neymar and Gabigol threatened a few times but also couldn’t score.
“We had the best chances but the ball didn’t go in,” Brazil Coach Rogerio Micale said. “And we also have to give credit to South Africa, which has a very determined team and made it difficult for us to impose our game.”
South Africa played a man down from the 59th after defender Mothobi Mvala earned a second yellow card for a hard foul on Brazil right back Zeca.
In the other Group A match in Brasilia, Iraq and Denmark also played to a scoreless draw, leaving all four teams tied.
Brazil plays Iraq on Sunday, also in Brasilia, while South Africa faces Denmark.
In Rio de Janeiro, Portugal defeated two-time Olympic champion Argentina, 2-0, with goals by Paciencia in the 66th and Pite in the 84th in front of 45,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium, the vast majority cheering for Portugal. Earlier, Honduras defeated Algeria, 3-2, in the other Group D game in Rio.
In the jungle city of Manaus, Colombia and Sweden drew 2-2 in Group B. The Colombians got on the board with Teo Gutierrez in the 17th but allowed the Swedes to move ahead with goals by Mikael Ishak in the 43rd and Astrit Ajdarevic in the 62nd. Colombia’s equalizer came from a 75th-minute penalty kick converted by Dorlan Pabon.
In Group C, defending champion Mexico drew 2-2 with Germany despite twice having the lead in the northeastern city of Salvador. Oribe Peralta scored Mexico’s first goal, and Germany’s 78th-minute equalizer came from 2014 World Cup champion Matthias Ginter.
The Olympic gold is the only major trophy Brazil hasn’t won in soccer. The country’s team has won the silver medal three times, including four years ago in London, when Neymar was in a squad that lost the final to Mexico.
Brazil controlled possession but wasn’t able to create many significant chances until late in the second half. South Africa, playing at the Olympics for the first time since 2000, also came close several times.
The Olympics is Brazil’s first tournament since the senior team was embarrassed at the Copa America after failing to advance past the group stage of the continental competition. Neymar skipped that tournament to be able to play at the Rio Games.
Brazil also finished second at the Olympic tournament in 1984 in Los Angeles and in 1988 in Seoul, the second time with a team that included Romario and Bebeto. The five-time World Cup champions won the bronze in 1996 in Atlanta with striker Ronaldo, and in 2008 in Beijing with playmaker Ronaldinho.
South Africa defeated Brazil, 3-1, in the group stage of the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
IOC confirms that 271 Russian athletes will compete in Summer Games
The IOC has approved the entry of 271 Russian athletes for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, it was announced Thursday night, about 24 hours before the opening ceremony of the Summer Games.
The 271 approved athletes come from Russia’s original entry list of 389.
The IOC asked international sports federations to decide which Russian athletes should be cleared to compete after a review of their doping records. That followed an investigation for the World Anti-Doping Agency that detailed state-sponsored cheating in Russia.
The final decision on entries was up to a three-member IOC panel, which received advice from an independent sports arbitrator.
Earlier Thursday, the head of Russia’s Olympic committee, Alexander Zhukov, said “we have good news for the fans of the Russian Olympic team — the majority of the sports have been admitted in full.”
Zhukov told a news conference that full Russian teams were approved in several sports, including badminton, boxing, judo and volleyball.
The international gymnastics federation says 20 Russians, including Olympic champion Aliya Mustafina, have been cleared to compete.
Five women and five men will take part in the gymnastics competition, while seven others will be in rhythmic gymnastics and three in trampoline.
Mustafina won the gold medal in the uneven bars at the 2012 London Olympics.
U.S. Olympic swim team does carpool karaoke
Before the London Olympics, the U.S. swim team’s lip-sync rendition of “Call Me Maybe” went viral with more than 10 million views on YouTube. In a sequel released Thursday, the team gave carpool karaoke a try.
Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky and Ryan Lochte are among the Olympians who appear in the video.
There are plenty of popular songs, costumes and even Ledecky fretting over the responsibility of driving four Olympians.
Not all is shipshape for U.S. men’s basketball team
Apparently, life on a luxury ship isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, even when it’s a ship that’s dedicated to housing the U.S. men’s and women’s Olympic basketball teams during the Rio Games.
Because of distractions and security concerns generated by the high profile of the men’s team, USA Basketball has placed players outside the Olympic Village since NBA stars began representing their homelands at the 1992 Barcelona Games. This time, the U.S. men’s and women’s teams are sharing the 514-foot ship called the Silver Cloud, which is docked at Pier Maua and rigorously protected by walls of bulletproof glass and tight security. The ship reportedly was rented out by computer networking titan Cisco, which sponsors Team USA and is an Olympic “supporter.”
But four-time Olympian Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks hasn’t seen many reasons for Team USA to be on anything but dry land. Asked Thursday to list the advantages of the situation, he frowned. “I don’t know. I see disadvantages, I’ll tell you that,” he said. “The beds are not big. The rooms are small. There are some disadvantages of staying on the ship.”
He added: “They put us there. We don’t make that call. It’s an Olympic sponsorship so we’re staying on a ship that’s sponsored by an Olympic sponsor. It’s no different than us staying it a hotel. It’s not like we’re cruising around. We’re docked. We have the same amenities if we were staying in a hotel. I don’t really see why.”
The U.S. men begin play Saturday against China. The women will face Senegal on Sunday.But at least the rooms on board aren’t as bad as Australian basketball player Andrew Bogut’s room in the Olympic Village. Using the sarcastic hashtag #IOCLuxuryLodging, he tweeted a photo of himself assembling a plastic shower curtain and said, “putting together a shower curtain so we can shower and not flood the place.”
However, Clippers center DeAndre Jordan had nothing but praise for his cruise-ship lodgings. In fact, Jordan was enthusiastic about everything connected with his first Olympic experience. “It’s been great. The hospitality here has been amazing,” he said. The people have been extremely nice to us. The boat’s super cool.”
Jordan said he loves his Team USA gear, especially the jackets. “And the shorts are nice. I get to show off my legs,” he said. “Anything I get, I’m looking at it like, ‘Wow, Olympic national team.’ That’s crazy just to look at it and put it on and be like, ‘I’m DeAndre and I’m representing our country along with 11 other great guys.’”
Facing golden expectations, Katie Ledecky isn’t feeling the pressure
The cavernous Olympic Aquatics Stadium -- holding about 15,000 spectators in a temporary building that resembles an aircraft hanger -- seems to be an appropriate size to house the expectations that follow Katie Ledecky into the Olympics.
She’s just 19 years old, the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic swimming team, but already holds three individual world records and is a heavy favorite to win multiple gold medals. But don’t expect Ledecky to feel the pressure.
“I mean this in a positive way, but she doesn’t care,” her coach, Bruce Gemmell, said at the stadium Thursday. “She doesn’t care it’s the Olympics any more than she cares if it’s a championship meet at home, any more than she cares if it’s her high school championship. She gets excited about all of them.”
Ledecky, who won gold in the 800-meter freestyle at the London Olympics, isn’t one to get caught up in the circuslike atmosphere or the talk of history.
“I think that absolutely allows her to compete at the level that she does and do so consistently,” Gemmell said.
They’ve been working toward this meet for years. There is one simple, overriding aim.
“The focus was always to swim fast here,” Gemmell said.
Ledecky’s first individual race is the 400-meter freestyle on Sunday.
Investigation alleges USA Gymnastics turned ‘blind eye’ to abuse
A painstaking investigation, based on numerous interviews and lengthy reviews of public records, alleged that USA Gymnastics failed to notify authorities of “many allegations of sexual abuse by coaches.”
Thursday’s report by the Indianapolis Star, “Out of Balance,” started when the newspaper began investigating schools, day-care centers and notification procedures, according to an editor’s note.
The Star reported that USA Gymnastics “compiled complaint dossiers on more than 50 coaches and filed them in a drawer in its executive office in Indianapolis.”
This was not the first story of such an explosive nature in women’s gymnastics. In 2011, the Orange County Register conducted an extensive investigation in which three gymnasts accused Don Peters of sex abuse. Peters was later expelled from the sport for life.
USA Gymnastics issued a lengthy response to the Star’s investigation, a statement from Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics.
“Addressing issues of sexual misconduct has been important to USA Gymnastics for many years, and the organization is committed to promoting a safe environment for its athletes,” Penny said. “We find it appalling that anyone would exploit a young athlete or child in this manner, and recognize the effect this behavior can have on a person’s life. USA Gymnastics has been proactive in helping to educate the gymnastics community over the years, and will continue to take every punitive action available within our jurisdiction, and cooperate fully with law enforcement.
“USA Gymnastics believes it has a duty to report to law enforcement whenever circumstances warrant, as was the case when I initiated the report of Marvin Sharp. USA Gymnastics has been assured by law enforcement that it went above and beyond its legal obligations to report on this matter. USA Gymnastics has, in the strongest terms, encouraged anyone who believes abuse has occurred to contact law enforcement and frequently works with law enforcement on these matters.”
Sharp, who was named USA Gymnastics coach of the year in 2010, was charged with multiple counts of child molestation and sexual misconduct with a minor. In 2015, he took his own life, according to media reports, while being held in jail on the charges.
He coached two members of the silver-medal-winning women’s team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Many aspects of the Star’s investigation and allegations and subsequent reaction sounded familiar to former gymnast Jennifer Sey. Sey, a national champion in 1986, wrote a thought-provoking memoir about her time in the sport, “Chalked Up: My Life in Elite Gymnastics.”
She said in an interview with The Times on Thursday that she felt that USA Gymnastics tended to be more interested in protecting the coaches than the athletes.
“All I can think of is that the [USA Gymnastics] doesn’t want the sport to be tainted in that way,” she said. “…I don’t think anything changes naturally. It changes because you drive change. You want to. To me, it’s really pretty easy. Like schools, you are immediately obligated to turn it over to the authorities. I don’t understand why the same rules don’t apply.”
Mihai Brestyan, the personal coach of Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, is here with the women’s team in Rio. After the team’s podium training on Thursday night, he said he didn’t understand the timing of the story.
“Every negative thing – it’s a distraction – but we try to keep the kids away (from) that,” he said. “We have concerns, but we are here to do the best we can. It’s a distraction.
“…It’s a real issue. It’s a problem. But we cannot resolve this right now.”
Brestyan owns and runs a gym with his wife in Burlington, Mass., and the issue especially strikes home because of the responsibility of hiring coaches to work in the gym’s programs.
“We make a background check,” he said. “We look into their eyes. We’re looking at the way they’re acting with the kids. We’re looking at everything. I’m very cautious. I really, really check every single one.
“(But) you cannot check 24 hours and you cannot check when you are not there….It doesn’t matter how many papers you sign, doesn’t matter how many cameras you have in the gym. You still cannot cover 24 hours, 365 days.”
Penny’s statement also said that there were “limits” to what USA Gymnastics could say, citing a pending lawsuit in Georgia.
“Gymnastics seeks firsthand knowledge whenever allegations of abuse arise as the most reliable source to take action and as outlined in its bylaws and policies,” he said in the statement. “The organization has continually reviewed its best practices on how it addresses these issues and has been among the first to initiate new policies and procedures including publishing a list of banned coaches and instituting national background checks.
“We remain committed to this effort and have been working closely with the U.S. Olympic Committee to help keep athletes safe in all sports.”
One hotel + four teams = uncomfortable moments
The four women’s soccer team competing in Olympic group play in Belo Horizonte are sharing the same hotel. It’s easily identifiable because it’s the only one in town with the phalanx of armed soldiers standing by the door.
And though many of the players have played with or against one another several times in their careers, being cooped up together for more than a week has made for some uncomfortable moments for the women from Colombia, France, New Zealand and the U.S.
When the door to an elevator full of members of the U.S. delegation opened for a reporter on the second floor Thursday, there was a notable sigh of relief. Asked if seeing a journalist step inside was preferable to seeing a player from France, which the U.S. plays next, one women rolled her eyes and said “or Colombia, or New Zealand.”
The tight quarters really haven’t been that bad, the staff member said, “expect when they steal our tables [in the restaurant].”
Thursday’s Rio Olympics schedule and results
Men’s soccer
Iraq 0, Denmark 0 (Group A)
Honduras 3, Algeria 2 (Group D)
Brazil 0, South Africa 0 (Group A)
Mexico 2, Germany 2 (Group C)
Portugal 2, Argentina 0 (Group D)
Sweden 2, Colombia 2 (Group B)
South Korea 8, Fiji 0 (Group C)
Nigeria 5, Japan 4 (Group B)
IOC President Thomas Bach faces questions about Olympic troubles
In an often defensive and vague news conference at the 2016 Summer Games, the president of the International Olympic Committee on Thursday promised some closure on the Russian doping scandal.
Thomas Bach met with reporters at the conclusion of the IOC’s annual three-day session here.
Media interest focused mainly on the confusion that persists as officials scramble to decide which Russian athletes will be allowed to compete.
“We expect the final results ... to be ready for publication later today,” Bach said.
Some anti-doping authorities and athletes had called for an outright ban on Russia.
Instead, the country’s athletes have been scrutinized in a three-stage process that includes the international federations that govern their sports, an international court of arbitration and a three-person IOC panel that will make the final call.
Asked if the IOC has been tough enough on a nation accused of widespread and systemic cheating, Bach said: “We have applied a system of justice. ... I think this is a very thorough, strict and clear procedure.”
The Olympic leader was also questioned about an economic model in which host cities spend billions of dollars to stage the Games.
Rio has struggled mightily -- making extensive cuts in recent months -- as Brazil suffers through a historic recession.
“You can say very clearly that the financial model of the Olympic Games has really stood a stress test which I hope we will not have to stand again in the future,” Bach said.
Rio 2016 Olympics: Here are six things you need to know about the men’s soccer competition
The Rio Olympics men’s soccer competition began on Friday. Here are six things you need to know about the event.
Key dates: Competition opened Aug. 4; final is Aug. 20
Venue: Games will be played at seven stadiums in six cities
Big story: Brazil has never won an Olympic soccer title and after the national team failed to reach the final of the 2014 World Cup it hosted, the pressure to win a gold medal is immense. That’s why Brazil held its captain, Neymar, out of the Copa America Centenario, saving him for the Olympics where he will be one of three overage players in what otherwise is an under-23 age-group tournament.
Top U.S. prospects: The U.S. did not qualify.
Others to watch: Mexico is the defending champion and has a strong youth program, having finished in the top four of the last three U-17 World Cups.
Little-known fact: The Olympic host country has won the men’s soccer competition three times but only Spain, in 1992, has done that in the last 96 years.
Rio 2016 Olympics: Six things you need to know about the women’s soccer competition
The Rio Olympics women’s soccer competition got underway on Wednesday. Here are six things you need to know about the competition:
Key dates: Competition opens Aug. 3; the final is Aug. 19.
Venue: Games will be played at seven stadiums in six cities.
Big story: The reigning World Cup champion U.S. team will be going for its fourth consecutive Olympic title, but winning this summer would make the U.S. the first team in history to hold World Cup and Olympic titles at the same time. The U.S. had made the final of the five previous Olympic tournaments and is 24-2-3 overall in the Summer Games.
Top U.S. players: Carli Lloyd (Delran Township, N.J.), goalkeeper Hope Solo (Kirkland, Wash.), forward Alex Morgan (Diamond Bar), defender Becky Sauerbrunn (St. Louis, Mo.).
Others to watch: Brazil, led by Marta, a five-time world player of the year, has never won an Olympic title and would like to end that drought at home. Japan, the World Cup runner-up, did not qualify for these Games, but the 12-team field features six World Cup quarterfinalists in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, China and the U.S.
Little-known fact: Lloyd, the reigning world player of the year, scored the winning goals in each of the last two Olympic finals, making her the only player — male or female — to accomplish that feat.
Report: Appeal of doping ban by Russian swimmers Vladimir Morozov, Nikita Lobintsev upheld
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled in favor of an appeal by swimmers Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev to compete in the Olympics, the Russian news agency Tass reported Thursday.
The swimmers from the USC-based Trojan Swim Club were banned from the Games last month by the International Swimming Federation because they were included in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s report on state-sponsored doping in Russia.
The CAS didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
A three-member committee from the International Olympic Committee will make the final decision on the swimmers’ eligibility for the Games before Friday’s opening ceremony.
Morozov and Lobintsev arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday with the rest of Russia’s swimming team and are staying in the athletes’ village, the country’s Olympic federation said.
If cleared, Morozov will swim the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter freestyle in addition to two relays. Lobinstev will compete in the 800-meter freestyle relay.
Preview: Recap in Rio ahead of the Friday’s opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Olympic opening ceremony will take place on Friday, but the games and drama are already underway. Here’s a recap of what’s happened so far.
Women’s soccer at the 2016 Rio Olympics: France makes it look easy in 4-0 win over Colombia
France routed Colombia, 4-0, to take the lead in Group G of the women’s Olympic soccer tournament at the Rio Games.
France got on the board with an own goal by Colombia’s Carolina Arias 2 minutes into the match at the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte. France’s Eugenie Le Sommer scored in the 14th minute, Camille Abily added to the lead in the 42nd, and Amel Majri closed the scoring in the 82nd.
France and the United States each have 3 points in Group G, but the French have a better goal differential. The U.S. defeated New Zealand, 2-0, earlier Wednesday at the Mineirao.
France and the U.S. meet on Saturday in Belo Horizonte.
Brazilian fans strike back at Solo over Zika comments
Poor Hope Solo.
Few athletes have become more of a lighting rod for controversy than the record-setting goalkeeper for the U.S. women’s soccer team.
Wednesday, in the U.S. team’s opening game of the Rio Olympics, Solo was the target of boos, a vulgar chant used by fans of the local men’s soccer team, and repeated jeers of “Zika! Zika!”
“I was focused on the game. So what goes on around me in the stadium, honestly it doesn’t matter,” said Solo. She said she heard the fans but didn’t know what they were saying during the United States’ 2-0 win over New Zealand.
In last summer’s Women’s World Cup in Canada, Solo was pressured by some reporters for details of her domestic-violence case in Washington state. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) even called for her to be dismissed from the team.
Now one game into the Summer Olympics, she’s drawing unwanted attention over comments she made about the Zika virus that has plagued Brazil.
Last month Solo posted a photo on Twitter of herself wearing mosquito netting and holding a bottle of insect repellent. After arriving in Brazil, she blamed the U.S. media for being “really tough” on the people of Brazil, then tried to make nice by praising the Brazilians as nice, genuine and warm.
She seemed untroubled that her attempt at rapprochement was rejected.
“I’ve played in Mexico. I’ve played overseas,” Solo said after posting her record 101st career shutout. “Oftentimes it’s part of the football culture to boo the goalkeeper. So I’m OK with it.”
Last summer in Canada, Solo’s teammates, led by Carli Lloyd, rallied around their keeper. The same got-your-back mentality surfaced again Wednesday.
“I was like, OK, they’re getting loud,” said Lloyd, who scored the first U.S. goal. “We’re expecting that. We’re expecting boos and people yelling stuff. But it doesn’t change our mindset. We stay focused on the game.”
Coach Jill Ellis also played down the chanting.
“Hope has apologized to the Brazilian people,” she said. “Sometimes mistakes are made. We are used to getting booed in other countries.”
2016 Rio Olympics, women’s soccer: Brazil players give hosts a winning start to Olympics
The first Olympics in Brazil are underway — aptly with soccer games in the sport’s spiritual home and a win for the hosts.
In Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic Stadium, the Brazilian women’s team eased to a 3-0 victory at the start of its quest for a first Olympic gold.
It’s an early sporting high for Brazil, where reservations about the cost of bringing the Olympics to South America for the first time have produced violent reactions.
As the Olympic torch relay, which began with a ceremonial lighting in Greece in April, reached Rio there were fresh signs that strife could disrupt the games.
Police used tear gas to break up protests against salary delays for public workers. Other protesters are demanding improvements in education and healthcare, with some angered by the 39.1 billion Brazilian reals ($12 billion) — a mix of public and private money — being spent on building venues and infrastructure for the Olympics.
Brazil embarked on its Olympics bid at a time of prosperity in 2006, but the Games are opening with the country in the grip of its worst recession in decades.
But there was a cause for celebrations on the football field as headers from Monica and Cristiane either side of Andressa Alves’ 59th-minute strike secured Brazil’s opening win over China.
2016 Rio Olympics, women’s soccer: Canada nets fastest Olympic goal in 2-0 win over Australia
The Canadian women’s soccer team took only 20 seconds to make a mark on the Rio de Janeiro Games by scoring the fastest goal ever at the Olympics.
Janine Beckie’s record-breaking goal in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Australia on Wednesday was nine seconds faster than Oribe Peralta’s strike for Mexico in the men’s gold medal match against Brazil four years ago in London.
In Sao Paolo, Canada had to cope from the 19th minute with only 10 women after Shelina Zadorsky was sent off for dragging down Michelle Heyman on her way to goal.
But Canada still prevented Australia from equalizing, and captain Christine Sinclair added a second in the 78th.
2016 Rio Olympics, women’s soccer: Germany posts 6-1 win in opener
Melanie Behringer scored a pair of goals as three-time bronze medalist Germany routed newcomer Zimbabwe 6-1 in the women’s Olympic soccer tournament at the Rio Games.
The two-time world champions opened a two-goal lead with Sara Dabritz in the 22nd minute and Alexandra Popp in the 36th before Kudakwashe Basopo scored for Zimbabwe in the 50th.
The Germans continued to dominate in the second half at Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo, with goals from Behringer in the 53rd and 78th minutes. Melanie Leupolz added another in the 83rd before the final score came with an own goal by Eunice Chibanda in the 90th.
In the earlier Group F match in Sao Paulo, Canada defeated Australia 2-0.
On Saturday, Germany plays Australia and Zimbabwe faces Canada. Both matches are in Sao Paulo.
Zimbabwe is playing in the women’ soccer tournament for the first time.
U.S. soccer team gets off to a winning start
A first-half goal from Carli Lloyd and a second-half score from Alex Morgan lifted the defending champion U.S. women’s soccer team to a 2-0 win over a physical New Zealand team on Wednesday in an opening game of the Rio Olympics.
Lloyd’s goal, her seventh in Olympic competition, came on a header in the ninth minute off a picture-perfect cross from Tobin Heath. Morgan then doubled the lead in the opening seconds of the second half when she latched on to a Morgan Brian pass in the box and slipped a low left-footed shot just inside the near post.
The U.S., which won the World Cup last summer, is chasing its fourth consecutive Olympic title, which would make it the first team to win world and Olympic titles in back-to-back summers.
The U.S. team, ranked No. 1 in the world, next plays Saturday when they meet third-ranked France.
Serena Williams is asked about Donald Trump, and a gymnast fields a question about condoms
Wimbledon champion Serena Williams was asked questions about Maria Sharapova, equal pay issues, Team Great Britain flagbearer Andy Murray and one about Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
The gist of the Trump question wasn’t entirely clear but the essence was: How did she, as an American, feel about a candidate like Donald Trump?
“I don’t involve myself in politics,” she said, adding, “but I think it is important we should pass the message of love, as opposed to hate.”
Williams, 34, is the defending Olympic gold medalist in singles. She is planning to also play doubles with her sister, Venus. The Olympics have been a consistent fixture on their schedule, dating to when they won the women’s doubles in Sydney in 2000.
Venus won the gold medal in singles that year, beating Elena Dementieva of Russia in the final. Dementieva has retired and the bronze medalist in Sydney was Monica Seles, who has long since retired.
For the record, Venus was not asked about Trump.
There is always a bit of a Super Bowl media day vibe at the Olympics in the days leading up to the opening ceremony. Which is to say some of the questions at the news conferences can trend to the unconventional.
Another example of that came during the informal session after the U.S. men’s gymnastics press availability. Danell Leyva was slightly taken aback with a line of questioning about condoms but rallied.
Question: “Speaking of the village, as you know there were 450,000 condoms available to the athletes this year … “
Leyva: “Is that more than last time?”
Question: “I don’t know if it’s twice as many, but it’s a lot…. So my question is: Will that be enough?”
Leyva: “For me?”
That may have been the answer of the day.
U.S. and China are the heavy medal favorites, sports book says
The United States and China are the heavy favorites to win the most medals at the Summer Games. Meanwhile, oddsmakers at Bovada, an online sports book, have picked the U.S. to win the gold in men’s basketball, followed by Spain and France. U.S. women are the top pick in basketball as well.
Olympics Medal Odds
Olympics 2016 - Most Gold Medals
U.S. 2-13
China 4-1
Britain 50-1
Australia 66-1
Germany 66-1
Russia 66-1
France 75-1
Japan 75-1
South Korea 80-1
Olympics Basketball Men - Winner
U.S. 1-16
Spain 10-1
France 14-1
Serbia 22-1
Brazil 28-1
Lithuania 28-1
Argentina 33-1
Croatia 50-1
Australia 125-1
China 500-1
Nigeria 500-1
Venezuela 500-1
Olympics Basketball Women - Winner
U.S. 1-14
Australia 17-2
Spain 14-1
France 20-1
Serbia 28-1
Brazil 33-1
Canada 40-1
Turkey 50-1
Belarus 125-1
China 150-1
Japan 500-1
Senegal 750-1
Olympics 100m Men - Winner
Usain Bolt (JAM) 1-2
Justin Gatlin (USA) 8-5
Trayvon Bromell (USA) 11-1
Yohan Blake (JAM) 12-1
Andre De Grasse (CAN) 22-1
Jimmy Vicaut (FRA) 28-1
Marvin Bracy (USA) 50-1
Nickel Ashmeade (JAM) 50-1
Jaques Harvey (JAM) 66-1
Keston Bledman (TTO) 80-1
James Ellington (GBR) 100-1
Olympics 2016 100m Women - Winner
Dafne Schippers (NED) 3-2
Elaine Thompson (JAM) 9-4
Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) 17-4
Tori Bowie (USA) 9-2
English Gardner (USA) 11-2
Olympics 2016 Decathlon Men - Winner
Ashton Eaton (USA) 1-9
Damian Warner (CAN) 17-2
Rico Freimuth (GER) 22-1
Larbi Bourrada (ALG) 40-1
Jeremy Taiwo (USA) 40-1
Olympics 2016 100m Butterfly Men - Winner
Michael Phelps (USA) 1-1
Chad Le Clos (RSA) 2-1
Laszlo Cseh (HUN) 7-2
Joseph Schooling (SIN) 19-2
Tom Shields (USA) 14-1
Olympics 2016 200m Individual Medley Men - Winner
Michael Phelps (USA) 4-5
Ryan Lochte (USA) 2-1
Kosuke Hagino (JPN) 3-1
Thiago Pereira (BRA) 14-1
Olympics 2016 200m Butterfly Men - Winner
Laszlo Cseh (HUN) 6-5
Michael Phelps (USA) 5-4
Chad Le Clos (RSA) 13-4
Daiya Seto (JPN) 14-1
Joseph Schooling (SIN) 18-1
Olympics 2016 Beach Volleyball Men - Winner
Cerutti-Oscar Schmidt (BRA) 5-2
Dalhausser-Lucena (USA) 13-4
Brouwer-Meeuwsen (NED) 11-2
Nummerdor-Varenhorst (NED) 9-1
Pedro Solberg-Evandro (BRA) 9-1
Olympics 2016 Beach Volleyball Women - Winner
Larissa-Talita (BRA) 2-1
Walsh Jennings-Ross (USA) 9-4
Ludwig-Walkenhorst (GER) 4-1
Agatha-Barbara (BRA) 11-2
Meppelink-Van Iersel (NED) 14-1
Twitter: @erskinetimes
Mallory Pugh gets start in U.S. soccer opener
Teenager Mallory Pugh is in the starting lineup for the defending Olympic champion U.S. women’s soccer team in its opener Wednesday with New Zealand.
Here’s the rest of the lineup: Hope Solo, Kelley O’Hara, Julie Johnston, Becky Sauerbrunn, Meghan Klingerberg, Morgan Brian, Tobin Heath, Carli Lloyd, Allie Long and Alex Morgan.
Olympic security: Safety with a smile
The Rio Olympics will officially get underway for the U.S. this evening when the women’s soccer team faces New Zealand in Belo Horizonte, a provincial capital about 215 miles north of Rio de Janeiro.
The U.S. women are the reigning World Cup and Olympic champions but are bidding to become the first team to win both the world and Olympic titles in consecutive years.
The game also provides an early look at the security measures in place for at least one venue in this games. And if Belo is any example, the police are going to be thorough but polite.
Security around Estadio Mineirao was tight but not oppressive. As photographer Wally Skalij and I walked from our hotel to the stadium, we passed several dozen military police and state police officers (não há fotos, por favor!) in helmets — some carrying shotguns.
The street closed to vehicles about half a mile from the stadium, where we were directed into a series of about eight lanes separated by steel barriers. The first officer to approach spoke only halting English but smiled when he did, very politely guiding us into the proper lanes to be searched. Another officer went through our bags carefully.
Once beyond that checkpoint, we walked more than a quarter-mile further, passing dozens more security personnel — who greeted us politely, with smiles — before arriving at the stadium. Again we were searched, wanded and had our bags checked.
Wally’s photo equipment was searched a third time before he was allowed on the field.
Maybe it was just coincidence, but it seems the Brazilians have learned some lessons from the recent tragedies in France by moving the security corridor well away from the stadium and placing dozens of armed officers inside the “safe zone,” creating a perimeter around the venue.
We’ll find out Friday at the Opening Ceremonies whether this practice is only for the smaller venues outside Rio de Janeiro or whether it’s being used all over Brazil.
Wednesday’s Rio 2016 Olympics schedule and results
Here is what’s happening at the Rio Olympics on Wednesday. All times Pacific.
Women’s Soccer
9 a.m.--Sweden 1, South Africa 0 (Group E)
11 a.m.--Canada 2, Australia 0 (Group F)
Noon--Brazil 3, China 0 (Group E)
2 p.m.--Germany 6, Zimbabwe 1 (Group F)
3 p.m.--United States 2, New Zealand 0 (Group G)
6 p.m.--France 4, Colombia 0 (Group G)
Baseball, softball to return to Olympics in 2020
The International Olympic Committee on Wednesday approved the return of baseball and softball to the Olympic program for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. The two sports, which had been eliminated after the 2008 Games, were restored only for the 2020 Games.
The international federations that oversee baseball and softball had vigorously campaigned for the return of both sports to the Olympics.
“What a truly great day for the sports of softball and baseball,” USA Softball Executive Director Craig Cress said. “For softball and baseball to be added to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games program is a dream come true for many athletes across the world. USA Softball is proud to be the national governing body for the sport of softball and will continue to work diligently every day to promote our great sport of softball on the world stage.’
Also approved for inclusion were karate, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing, in an effort to appeal to a younger audience.
“We want to take sport to the youth,” IOC President Thomas Bach said. “With the many options that young people have, we cannot expect any more that they will come automatically to us. We have to go to them. Tokyo 2020’s balanced proposal fulfils all of the goals of the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendation that allowed it. Taken together, the five sports are an innovative combination of established and emerging, youth-focused events that are popular in Japan and will add to the legacy of the Tokyo Games.”
“The inclusion of the package of new sports will afford young athletes the chance of a lifetime to realize their dreams of competing in the Olympic Games – the world’s greatest sporting stage – and inspire them to achieve their best, both in sport and in life,” Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said,
Will Michael Phelps retire after Rio? Ryan Lochte doesn’t think so
Ryan Lochte has a feeling that Michael Phelps won’t retire from swimming after the Olympics.
“I honestly don’t think this is going to be his last Olympics,” Lochte said Wednesday. “I’m saying he’s going to come back again.”
The 11-time Olympic medalist is rooming with Phelps, but claimed no inside knowledge about plans after the Games. Instead, Lochte, hair dyed blue-gray to “make a bold statement,” attributed his prediction to a “weird feeling.”
“You miss it really quick [after retiring],” he said.
Phelps retired for 18 months after the London Olympics. Back then, Lochte correctly predicted that Phelps would return.
Speaking a few minutes before Lochte at a news conference Wednesday, Phelps quipped that the these Games were “potentially” his last. The remark drew laughter, as he has previously been unequivocal about retirement.
Michael Phelps: ‘I don’t think I’ve ever competed in a clean sport’
Michael Phelps and Bob Bowman, star and head coach of the U.S. Olympic men’s swimming team, respectively, voiced frustration Wednesday with the lack of a solution to doping problems that continue to shadow the Games.
“We’ve had this problem for how many Olympics now? It seems every time it’s something that comes up,” Phelps said. “It’s sad. That’s really what it is. It’s really sad that we can’t control it, that somebody who is in charge cannot control this.”
Seven Russian swimmers were barred from the Olympics last week as a result of the country’s ongoing state-sponsored doping scandal; at least three have appealed the punishment.
Phelps, who will compete in his fifth Olympics next week, called the issue “upsetting.”
“I think I can honestly say as well that in my career I don’t think I’ve ever competed in a clean sport,” he said.
Bowman didn’t hold back, either.
“It’s very concerning to me that our governing bodies have dropped the ball in many ways on this,” he said. “The system is broken and it has to be fixed.”
2016 Rio Olympics, women’s soccer: Sweden beats South Africa, 1-0
The first Olympics in Brazil are underway — aptly with a game of soccer in the sport’s spiritual home. Just not a very memorable one.
Sweden’s women beat South Africa, 1-0, in a drab group-stage game Wednesday in front of a sparse crowd of only a couple of thousand spectators in Rio de Janeiro. It was settled by veteran defender Nilla Fischer opening her third Olympics by scoring in the 75th minute.
The Olympic Stadium should be far fuller and more boisterous later in the day when the hosts are in action. Brazil’s women begin their quest for a first Olympic soccer title against China, a day before the men’s team opens against South Africa in the capital Brasilia.
Organizers will be hoping the 14 soccer games being played over Wednesday and Thursday will see excitement build ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony at the Maracana Stadium, which hosted the World Cup final two years ago.
Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad finished second to Michael Phelps in U.S. flag-bearer vote
Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first American to compete at the Olympics in a hijab, finished a close second to Michael Phelps in the U.S. flag-bearer vote.
Phelps was elected Wednesday by his teammates to carry the flag at the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.
“I’m honored to be chosen, proud to represent the U.S., and humbled by the significance of carrying the flag and all it stands for,” Phelps said.
Each sport nominates one athlete for the honor. Though officials do not release the final vote count, someone familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly said Muhammad barely missed being elected.
The 30-year-old Muslim has been a lightning rod for attention in recent months because of her religion and the traditional headscarf she wears under her fencing mask.
Muhammad will compete in women’s saber next week. She was not available for comment.
Star gymnast Kohei Uchimura racks up a $5,000 phone bill playing ‘Pokemon Go’ before Olympics
Japanese gymnast Kohei Uchimura had some spare time on his hands last week after landing in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with his teammates for some final preparations before the Rio Games.
So the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the men’s all-around did what many folks these days do in such situations — he played ‘Pokemon Go.’ A lot of it.
It apparently didn’t bother him that the popular mobile game isn’t even available in Brazil yet, meaning there weren’t even any virtual Pokemon out there for him to catch.
But what did bother him was the enormous bill he received from his wireless carrier due to roaming charges racked up during his pursuit of Pikachu and company. Uchimura shook his head in embarrassment Tuesday when revealing to Kyodo News he had been charged 500,000 yen, which comes out to $4,954 in American dollars.
Teammate Kenzo Shirai added: “He looked dead at the team meal that day.”
Fortunately for Uchimura, he was able to convince his carrier to reduce the charges to a flat fee of around $30 a day.
“I really lucked out,” he said.
Michael Phelps selected as Team USA flag bearer
Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, will be Team USA’s flag bearer during the opening ceremonies for the Games at Maracana Stadium, the U.S. Olympic Committee announced Wednesday.
“I’m honored to be chosen, proud to represent the U.S. and humbled by the significance of carrying the flag and all it stands for,” Phelps said in a statement.
Members of Team USA voted for Phelps to carry the flag.
Phelps, competing in his fifth and final Olympics, has won 18 gold medals and holds three individual world records.
The opening ceremonies are Friday. Phelps will swim three individual events at the Games. His debut -- in the preliminaries of the 200-meter butterfly -- is Aug. 8.
Group is networking in Rio de Janeiro to give L.A. an inside track at 2024 Olympics
It was well past noon when the members of the International Olympic Committee, who had been meeting all morning, finally came out for a break.
Amid the crowd of representatives from countries such as Argentina and Nigeria, a few unexpected faces popped up.
A smiling Mayor Eric Garcetti was there, followed closely by sports entrepreneur Casey Wasserman and former swimmer Janet Evans, all of them visiting from Los Angeles.
As leaders of the LA 2024 bid committee, they have come to Rio de Janeiro for more than two weeks of watching and listening, glad-handing and chatting — the delicate business of trying to win an Olympic Games for their city.
“It’s all about who you sit down with at lunch,” Garcetti said.
Olympic shotputter Joe Kovacs learns the sport from a surprise teacher: his mom
The big man had come so close.
If Joe Kovacs had thrown the shotput just a few inches farther, he would have made the 2012 Summer Olympics.
As the fourth-place finisher at the U.S. track and field trials, he settled for the role of alternate, which meant he had to stay ready in case someone got hurt but would probably end up watching the Games from home.
The morning after the trials, officials summoned him to the team processing center.
“They make you get fitted for a uniform you’ll probably never wear,” he said. “You have to try everything on.”
While the athletes who qualified for the American team eagerly collected their gear, the alternates quietly endured the routine.
“It was kind of sad,” he said. “You looked around and could see them crying.”
So why did Kovacs have a grin on his face?
Two Russian swimmers who compete for Trojan Swim Club not yet cleared for Olympics
Russian swimmers Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev still aren’t cleared to compete in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics despite a report to the contrary, the International Swimming Federation said Tuesday.
The Federation banned Morozov and Lobintsev banned from the Games last week after they were mentioned in the World Anti-Doping Association report by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren that alleged Russia engaged in widespread state-sponsored doping.
Morozov and Lobintsev, both Olympic medalists, swim for the USC-based Trojan Swim Club.
The Russian news agency Tass reported earlier Tuesday that the Federation reversed course and cleared Morozov and Lobintsev to participate in the Games. The report cited Artem Patsev, an attorney representing the swimmers.
The Federation, however, denied any such decision in a five paragraph statement.
The swimmers appealed the ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week. The Federation said the CAS forwarded the case to a three-person International Olympic Committee commission to make a final decision.
Full International Olympic Committee supports decision not to ban Russia from the Rio Games
Gathering in advance of the 2016 Summer Games, members of the International Olympic Committee confirmed their support Tuesday for the decision not to bar Russia from the upcoming competition.
When the IOC declined to issue a blanket ban last month, it was acting under a time crunch and only the small but influential executive board had a chance to vote.
With organization starting a three-day meeting in Rio de Janeiro, IOC President Thomas Bach asked for a show of support from the entire membership.
All but one — Adam Pengilly of Britain — voted their approval.
The IOC has drawn criticism from anti-doping authorities, athletes and the media for its handling of Russia, which has been hit with repeated allegations of widespread, systemic doping.
Olympic leaders have let the international federations that govern each sport rule on the matter case by case. So far, more than 100 Russians have been banned and more the 250 cleared.
The IOC has also established a three-person panel to make the final call on athletes who have been deemed eligible to compete in Rio.
Bach said Tuesday it would have been a “nuclear option” to bar the entire Russian team and potentially exclude some athletes who had not cheated.
“The result is death and devastation,” he said at the morning session. “This is not what the Olympic Movement stands for.”
During a two-hour debate, numerous members — including Larry Probst and Angela Ruggiero of the United States — agreed.
“I completely understand that it was a complicated and difficult decision without a perfect solution,” Probst said.
Dick Pound, an IOC member from Canada and former leader of the World Anti-Doping Agency, complained that the full membership was “not asked for our opinion.”
“The decisions have been very unpopular in a number of countries and it’s difficult for IOC members to explain why this particular option was taken,” he said.
Australia’s Andrew Bogut tweets about #IOCLuxuryLodging. (Yes, he’s being sarcastic)
NBA veteran and Team Australia player Andrew Bogut doen’t seem too happy about the athletes’ accommodations in Rio.
Using the sarcastic hashtag #IOCLuxuryLodging, the Dallas Mavericks center unleashed a series of tweets over the last 12 hours documenting some of his complaints.
Tranquil scene at Olympic Park can’t ease fears as opening ceremony approaches
A gentle sound of splashing echoed across the arena, all those rows of empty seats, as swimmers took midday laps with no great sense of urgency.
The peaceful scene inside the aquatics center at Olympic Park, where athletes from various nations practiced in a closed-door session Monday, belied the clamor that has surrounded the 2016 Summer Games.
Organizers have faced a raft of problems that include the Zika virus outbreak, a slumping economy, political turmoil and concerns about raw sewage dumped into a bay where sailors, rowers and open-water swimmers will compete.
With the opening ceremony scheduled for Friday evening, an ongoing doping scandal has officials scrambling to decide which Russian athletes will be allowed to compete.
As if all that weren’t enough, when the head of the International Olympic Committee arrived last week, he went straight from the airport to the athletes’ village to check on reports of blocked toilets, exposed electrical wiring and leaky pipes.
IOC President Thomas Bach tried his best to put a positive spin on the situation when talking to reporters.
“We are able to see how our Brazilian friends are able to address challenges,” he said. “Everything is coming together.”
Anti-doping authorities cancel press conference, issue response to Olympic leader’s criticism
A day after being criticized by the top Olympic official, the World Anti-Doping Agency abruptly canceled its news conference scheduled for later this week at the 2016 Summer Games.
WADA officials also issued a response to comments made by Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, who questioned the urgency with which they had pursued suspicions of widespread cheating in Russia.
“WADA wishes to factually clarify that the agency acted immediately on allegations concerning Russia when it had corroborated evidence and the power to do so under the World Anti-Doping Code,” officials said in a statement on Monday.
At issue is the timing of a WADA report, published last month, that broadened the doping allegations and led to the agency suggesting that Russia be banned outright from the Games.
The IOC declined to issue a blanket ban, setting into motion a process by which the international federations that govern each sport consider every Russian athlete individually.
The last-minute rush to adjudicate scores of cases has led to some Russians being cleared and others being excluded. The exact composition of the team is still not decided.
On Sunday, Bach noted the turmoil as well as the timing of WADA’s latest report, saying “information which was offered to WADA already a couple of years ago was not followed up.”
The anti-doping agency responded Monday that it had initially pursued several leads but could not find corroborating evidence. Such evidence later came to light in separate reports by “60 Minutes” and the New York Times.
WADA had been planning to address other topics at its Thursday press conference in Rio but decided to cancel because they might be overshadowed by the ongoing Russian scandal.
Rio Olympics more than just a numbers game
The folks at the personal-finance website WalletHub spend most of their time poring over spreadsheets and other boring bank stuff. But every four years or so they get to have fun with the math by producing a numerical look at the Olympics.
The version for this summer’s Games was released Monday and here are some of the figures it included:
$11.5 billion – Estimated cost of hosting the 2016 Rio Olympics.
85,000 – Number of security personnel who will work the Rio Games, more than twice as many as the 2012 London Olympics.
26,000 – Cases of Zika that were reported in Rio in the first three months of 2016.
32 tons – Amount of dead fish to be removed from the rowing and canoeing lagoon before the water-based activities take place.
16 – age of gymnast Laurie Hernandez and hurdler Sydney McLaughlin, both from New Jersey, who are the youngest members of the U.S. team.
10,500 – number of athletes expected to compete.
If you want to check their math, the report can be found here.
Mindful of water pollution in Rio, U.S. equestrian team gives horses filtered water
The horses for the U.S. equestrian team will get special treatment at the 2016 Summer Olympics the next few weeks.
Given the questionable water quality in Rio de Janeiro, the team will have its animals drinking only filtered water.
“It’s something we’re keeping an eye on,” team spokesman Leah Oliveto said. “But it’s not something we’re extremely concerned about.”
The riders will also take extra precautions after being briefed by U.S. team officials on the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil.
The virus is carried mainly by mosquitoes but can also be transmitted through sexual contact, and there have been widely reported cases of birth defects when pregnant women are infected.
Asked about the situation, eventing rider Boyd Martin said: “All of us are benched for two months after the Olympics with our respective partners.”
L.A.’s 2024 bid gets boost as U.S. hockey player Angela Ruggiero is elected to Olympic post
Los Angeles’ bid for the 2024 Summer Games got some good news — and some not-so-good news — as International Olympic Committee meetings continued here at the site of the 2016 Summer Games.
Former U.S. hockey player Angela Ruggiero — who serves as chief strategy officer for the L.A. bid — was elected as the new chair of the IOC athletes’ commission on Monday morning.
In a world where connections make a difference, Ruggiero now leads a small contingent of athletes who will eventually take part in the vote to select the 2024 host.
She also earns a seat on the IOC’s influential executive board.
“It is an important time within the Olympic movement and our [athletes’] commission has a great responsibility,” Ruggiero said in a statement. “I will make sure our voices aren’t just heard but that they are effective and that we empower athletes around the world to do the same.”
If L.A. got a boost from the athletes’ commission election, so did rival bidder Paris.
One of its leaders, former canoeist Tony Estanguet, was named vice-chair of the commission.
Rome and Budapest are also contending for the 2024 Games.
Hollywood Park rescue horse finds himself in the Olympics
There wasn’t much question about Blackfoot Mystery’s career as a racing thoroughbred.
The big chestnut had three starts at the now-defunct Hollywood Park, finishing at or near the back of the pack every time.
“He was a terrible racehorse,” Boyd Martin says.
But Martin, a top equestrian rider, could see an extraordinary quality in Blackfoot Mystery – the kind of talent that has them both competing for the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The Kentucky-bred horse and its rider arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, more than a week ahead of the eventing competition. Martin talked about their journey at a news conference Sunday afternoon.
Though only a small percentage of thoroughbreds have the speed to win at the track, they are nonetheless strong, talented animals.
And if they fail at racing, they can be had cheap.
That’s why equestrian riders often keep their eye on racing, looking for promising candidates that might be worth a gamble.
On eve of the Games, Thomas Bach defends IOC over Russian doping crisis
When the head of the International Olympic Committee faced reporters here Sunday – less than a week before the start of the 2016 Summer Games – certain words kept getting thrown at him.
Chaos. Embarrassment. Failure.
The questions were tough because these Games are embroiled in a doping crisis unprecedented in the history of the Olympic movement. And IOC President Thomas Bach seemed clearly on the defensive.
“The IOC cannot be made responsible, neither for the timing nor for the reasons of these incidents we face now,” he said at an afternoon news conference.
The turmoil centers on the Russian contingent and hurried deliberations over which of its athletes should be allowed to compete when the Games begin on Friday.
Amid allegations of widespread cheating in Russia, the IOC has drawn criticism from athletes, anti-doping officials and the media for its recent decision not to ban the country entirely.
Brazil’s Marcelo Melo ready for Rio despite travel woes
Marcelo Melo had a good laugh when asked when he was headed back to his native Brazil for the Olympics.
“Yesterday,” said the world’s sixth-ranked doubles player, smiling widely.
Such are the problems created by winning. Melo and his doubles partner, Ivan Dodig, of Croatia won the rain-interrupted final on Sunday afternoon at the Rogers Cup. They beat the duo of Jamie Murray of Great Britain and Bruno Soares of Brazil, 6-4, 6-4.
Soares, incidentally, will be Melo’s doubles partner in Rio. The longtime colleagues were rivals on Sunday and will be a team again when they take the court in Rio.
Assuming, Melo gets there. Melo was sounding one part travel agent, one part professional tennis player as he detailed his logistical woes, created by getting to the final and winning it here.
“We have been trying to buy some flights [tickets],” said Melo, who has won at least one doubles title on the tour for 10 straight years.
“Every flight is full. But we will try to go tomorrow. I don’t know by where. Maybe through Europe. I’ve tried from Philadelphia. New York. Los Angeles. Orlando. Miami. Houston. Dallas. Chicago.
“Not one single seat. It doesn’t matter. Economy, business.”
He does have a little bit of time in his favor. Tennis does not start until Aug. 6. The opening ceremony for the Olympic Games will be on Aug. 5, and Melo certainly wants to be in it.
Rajeev Ram will play doubles for Team USA
At 32, Rajeev Ram will be a first-time Olympian. On Sunday, the U.S. Tennis Assn. announced that Ram will play in the men’s doubles event with Brian Baker.
The addition of Ram came after Saturday’s withdrawal of Bob and Mike Bryan, who cited health concerns. The Bryans won gold medal in doubles at the 2012 Games in London.
Ram came through qualifying in singles to reach the third round in Toronto.
LA 2024 brings large crew to Rio Olympics
Mayor Eric Garcetti leads a 25-person contingent traveling from Los Angeles to Rio de Janeiro this week to promote their city’s bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The LA 2024 team will spend much of its time at the Rio Games getting a backstage look through the International Olympic Committee’s “observer program” and grabbing face time with IOC voters and influential officials from the federations that govern each sport.
“I am looking forward to meeting members of the Olympic Family, athletes and as many ‘Cariocas’ as possible, and sharing in this wonderful Olympic atmosphere,” Garcetti said in a statement Sunday, using the name for Rio residents. “I have no doubt the LA 2024 team will learn a great deal from our experiences here.”
With the bid committee sending its entire staff to Brazil, chairman Casey Wasserman, chief executive Gene Sykes and vice chair Janet Evans will also be on hand.
“Rio 2016 is a fundamental part of our listening and learning phase and we would like to thank the IOC for this very special opportunity,” Sykes said.
Can you survive the crushing feeling of seeing your Olympic dream die?
Charlotte Drury spent nearly seven years preparing for the Rio Olympics, and now she’s not sure if she’ll even watch them.
She spent the summer trying not to think about them. She watched “House” and “Gilmore Girls” in their entirety. She read books, fought back tears and woke up every morning hoping she could move on with her life.
But she hasn’t.
The broken bone in her right ankle and the black boot covering it are a constant reminder of how close she came to representing the United States as its top trampoline gymnast.
“It was devastating, it still is devastating,” Drury said recently. “There aren’t really any words to describe what it is, but it’s kind of like I lost all my purpose in life. I gave up everything to make this dream happen.”
On Friday, thousands of athletes from around the world will march in the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics. For most, that alone fulfills their dream. Others will not be satisfied until they compete or even better, win a medal.
But on the other side are all the athletes who had their Olympic dream shattered.
New panel will rule on Russians at Olympics
The International Olympic Committee has established a three-person panel to have final say on which Russian athletes get to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The panel will examine every case in which a Russian has been cleared to play through a process that includes the international federation governing his or her sport and an international arbitrator.
Barred athletes will not be reconsidered.
“It’s very important that the IOC makes the final decision,” spokesman Mark Adams said after an executive board meeting at which the panel was created.
Earlier this month, despite allegations of widespread doping in Russia, the IOC declined to exclude the country’s entire contingent.
Instead, Olympic leaders asked the federations to adjudicate each case individually under strict guidelines. Athletes who are banned have the option of appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
On Friday, Adams disagreed with critics who accused the IOC of shirking its responsibilities.
“We want to make it absolutely clear that we are the ones making the final call,” he said.
The new panel consists of: Ugur Erdener, chairman of the IOC medical commission; Claudia Bokel, head of the athletes’ commission; and Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., vice president of the modern pentathlon federation.
So far, more than two-thirds of the Russian team is cleared to compete.
Officials face a challenge with so many cases to adjudicate before the opening ceremony next Friday.
“Clearly we’re working on a very tight deadline,” Adams said.
Megan Rapinoe and the women’s soccer team get by with a little help from their friends
Ben Dragavon has been many things to many people.
He was a goalkeeper for the Seattle Sounders in their first Major League Soccer season. He’s been an assistant coach in the team’s academy system, the strength and goalkeeper coach for the Seattle Reign of the National Women’s Soccer League and a personal trainer to athletes ranging from weekend warriors to world champions.
However, the women’s national team knows him simply as a savior after he and physical therapist Brent George brought midfielder Megan Rapinoe back to health from a torn ligament in her right knee last December that left her career and Olympic dreams in doubt.
“I’ve seen players come back in five months. And I’ve seen players take 18 months,” U.S. Coach Jill Ellis said.
Some never come back at all after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
But Dragavon, a Bellevue, Wash.-based specialist in MAT, or muscle activation techniques, had Rapinoe sprinting and cutting well ahead of schedule. And that was enough to convince Ellis that she deserved a spot on the roster for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, which begin Wednesday with the U.S. playing New Zealand in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad is about to make U.S. Olympic history
Reporters crowd around Ibtihaj Muhammad for the better part of an hour, standing two and three deep, pushing close, a jostling mass of cameras, lights and microphones.
Her smile remains steady, her voice measured as she faces question after question.
“I have a very short window as an athlete,” she says. “And I’m going to try to take advantage.”
Muhammad ranks among the top fencers in the world, but that isn’t what the media asks her about.
When the 2016 Summer Olympics begin in Rio de Janeiro, the 30-year-old Muslim will become the first American woman to compete in the Games wearing a traditional headscarf known as a hijab.
At a time of terrorist attacks worldwide and Donald Trump calling for a ban on Muslim immigration, Muhammad’s religion has made her a lightning rod for attention.
Bryan brothers cite health concern when withdrawing from Olympics
The Olympic tennis field, already hit with several high-profile withdrawals, suffered another big blow when 2012 men’s doubles gold medalists Bob and Mike Bryan pulled out of the upcoming event in Rio de Janeiro.
The twins announced their decision on Saturday on their Facebook page, citing health issues. It is believed that personal concerns over the Zika virus was one of those issues.
“After countless hours of deliberation Mike and I have decided to forego the Rio Olympics,” Bob and Mike said in a statement. “Though we’d love to compete again, as husbands and fathers, our family’s health is now our top priority.
“Representing Team USA is one of our proudest tennis moments to date and winning Gold in 2012 will always remain the pinnacle of our career.”
Bob Bryan and his wife have three young children, and Mike Bryan was married in 2012. The Bryans, who are 38 and grew up in Camarillo, spoke in a recent interview about the balancing act of their personal and professional lives, talking about the possibilities of a reduced schedule.
The Bryans beat the French team of Michael Llodra and Jo-Wilfried Tsogna to win Olympic gold in London in 2012. They’ve won 16 Grand Slam singles titles in men’s doubles and also competed in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, taking the bronze medal in China.
Several players, including Milos Raonic of Canada, Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic and Simona Halep of Romania, have cited the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects, as a reason for skipping Rio.
The U.S. tennis team is already without two of its top singles players in Rio, Sam Querrey and John Isner, both skipping the Games because of scheduling concerns.
Russian swimmers Nikita Lobintsev and Vladimir Morozov appeal Olympic bans
Russian swimmers Vladimir Morozov and Nikita Lobintsev asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Saturday to overturn their ban on competing in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
The International Swimming Federation barred the swimmers, who train with the USC-based Trojan Swim Club, from the competition earlier this week after they were named in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s investigation into state-sponsored doping in Russia.
Morozov and Lobinstev, both Olympic medalists, asked the CAS to set aside the swimming federation’s ruling and invalidate the International Olympic Committee’s decision that allows each sport’s ruling federation to decide which Russian athletes are eligible to participate in the Games.
The cases will be heard by a CAS arbitration panel in Rio de Janeiro.
Neither swimmer has responded to requests for comment.
In all, seven Russian swimmers have been barred from the Games. One of them, Yulia Efimova, who also trains with the Trojan Swim Club and is one of the world’s top breaststrokers, is also expected to appeal.
Olympic leaders meet on site in Rio de Janeiro
The executive board of the International Olympic Committee will gather at a waterfront hotel this weekend to hold its final meetings before the 2016 Summer Games.
The IOC’s ruling body is scheduled to hear updates from Rio 2016 organizers on Saturday afternoon.
In addition to the many issues these Games have faced — the Zika virus outbreak, water pollution, political and civic turmoil — there have been last-minute problems with the athletes village leading up to Friday’s opening ceremony.
The executive board also is expected to address the ongoing doping scandal that has seen scores of Russian athletes barred from the Games.
IOC President Thomas Bach is scheduled to address the media Sunday evening.
Russian Olympic medalist, a Trojan Swim Club member, tests positive for meldonium but won’t be punished
Nikita Lobintsev, who trains with the USC-based Trojan Swim Club, tested positive for meldonium, but won’t be punished for the infraction, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced Friday.
The World Anti-Doping Agency banned the use of meldonium earlier this year. Lobinstev, a two-time Olympic medalist, told the USADA that he stopped using the drug last October after being introduced to it eight years ago by a Russian national team doctor.
USADA concluded that Lobinstev’s positive test in June stemmed from use before the ban on meldonium.
“The disturbing pattern of use associated with this performance-enhancing drug,” USADA chief executive Travis Tygart said, “appears to be one more example of a growing practice in sport in which coaches ask for, physicians prescribe, and athletes use pharmaceuticals not for their primary purpose of health and wellness, but to enhance athletic performance.”
Earlier this week, Lobintsev and two other Russian swimmers were barred from competing in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics by the International Swimming Federation because they were named in a WADA investigation headed by Canadian law professor Richard McLaren.
The swimmers are expected to appeal the decision.
LA 2024 releases renderings of updated Coliseum, temporary swim stadium
LA 2024 officials have released artist renderings of an updated Coliseum and temporary swim stadium that would be used if Los Angeles is awarded the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Some of the proposed upgrades to the Coliseum would be included in USC’s planned renovation of the historic stadium, a project that is currently estimated at $270 million but could grow larger.
L.A. Olympic officials would add a track by creating a temporary floor above the football field. There would be room underneath this athletics deck for warm-up areas.
“Our goal with all of our venue choices has been first and foremost to deliver an excellent field of play and the perfect conditions for the athletic performances of a lifetime,” LA 2024 chairman Casey Wasserman said. “After that, we have tried to create an interesting blend of ultra-modern venues and upgraded iconic sites.”
The temporary swim stadium would be built in and around USC’s baseball facility, Dedeaux Field.
LA 2024 had earlier considered putting a pool inside the Los Angeles Football Club’s proposed stadium, which would be constructed on the Sports Arena site.
“When I look at the aquatics venue, it’s perfect to have the world’s greatest stage in such a stadium,” USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus said.
LA 2024 has put forth an Olympic budget that could exceed $6 billion. Bid officials predict they can pay for the Games and generate a $161-million surplus through broadcast rights, sponsorships, ticket sales and other revenue sources.
Young soccer star Mallory Pugh takes uncommon road to Rio Olympics
The day before she officially made the U.S. women’s soccer team for the Rio Olympics, Mallory Pugh grabbed Coach Jill Ellis’ attention one more time.
The 18-year-old dribbled down the left side, peeked into the box before reaching the end line then swung a cross toward the middle. The pass skipped in front of South African goalie Roxanne Barker and found a wide-open Crystal Dunn, who scored the only goal in a 1-0 U.S. win.
It wasn’t the first time Pugh made this exact play, or the second or the third. Watching from home, Real Colorado Coach Jared Spires could only laugh at what seemed like a fitting snapshot of Pugh’s whole soccer career.
He first met Pugh when she would tag along to her older sister’s club practices, and right away, he saw something special. She excelled as a 13-year-old playing with older girls, then as a high school star in Colorado. She became the leader of the U.S.’ U-20 team and consensus top recruit, once headed for UCLA but now mulling the blueprint of an already uncommon women’s soccer career.
In Rio, Pugh will be the only non-professional player on Ellis’ roster and the second-youngest woman to suit up for a U.S. Olympic soccer team.
When do the 2016 Rio Olympics start?
The 2016 Rio Games run Aug. 5-21 — that is, the date of the opening ceremony to the date of the closing ceremony.
The first-night festivities at Maracana Stadium, including the Parade of Nations, start at 4 p.m. PT, but viewers in the U.S. won’t be able to watch it live.
Because NBC wants to show the popular event in prime time, the opening ceremony will be broadcast on a four-hour tape delay on the West Coast, starting at 8 p.m. PT.
The tape-delayed local broadcasts will begin at 8 p.m. in the Eastern time zone and 7 p.m. in the Central and Mountain time zones.
To make things even more confusing, the soccer tournament begins two days before the opening ceremony. The group round of the women’s competition starts Aug. 3, with a slate of six games from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT.
The U.S. women take on New Zealand at 3 p.m. PT.
The men’s action starts the next day, with eight games in the same time frame.
The only sport with events scheduled on Aug. 5 is archery, with men’s ranking rounds at 5 a.m. and women’s at 9 a.m. PT.
A father’s tough love mixed with a son’s talent puts boxer Carlos Balderas in the Olympics
The boxer dances across an empty ring, moving to a beat only he can hear. His punches snap with a grace honed by years of hard work.
All the times he rose early as a boy, running cold streets while classmates watched from a passing school bus, made him quick. All the times he trudged across town, lugging a duffel bag full of gear, made him strong.
Carlos Balderas remembers wanting to skip workouts.
“Growing up, I had friends and they always hung out,” he says. “My dad made me go to the gym.”
International Olympic Committee decides against banning all Russian athletes from Rio Games
With the 2016 Summer Games drawing near, Olympic leaders now find themselves facing questions — if not outright criticism — over their decision not to ban Russia from the competition.
The International Olympic Committee had felt the pressure to take action in response to allegations of systemic doping among Russian athletes.
Yet, on Sunday, the IOC’s executive board asked the international federations that govern each sport to do most of the work in deciding who is eligible for Rio de Janeiro next month.
The IOC did, however, lay down strict ground rules, suggesting that Russians should be presumed guilty unless they can prove otherwise.
Through the darkness, blind veteran Brad Snyder becomes one of the best swimmers in the world
“I’m dead.” The thought settled on Brad Snyder in the middle of a cloud of dust and smoke raised by the blast of a homemade land mine. He lay in a fetal position on a patch of grass next to a ravine in southern Afghanistan. The Navy lieutenant couldn’t make out any blood through the haze. His arms and legs were still attached. He didn’t know anyone who survived one of these explosions with all of their limbs intact.
An instant earlier, Snyder rushed past the patrol’s Navy SEALs and Afghan commandos with a stretcher for two Afghans torn apart by a similar device. He heard a loud pop. The blast slammed him backward and bent his rifle across his body armor. The world sounded like a flatlining heart monitor.