McLellan through to hurdles final
 

Monday, August 18, 2008 - 11:02 PM

Australia's Sally McLellan has qualified for the final of the women's 100 metres hurdles at the Beijing Olympics.

The 21-year-old clocked 12.70 seconds to finish fourth in her semi-final behind favourite LoLo Jones of the United States (12.43).

Jones's time was the fastest in the world this year as she up another US-Jamaican athletics showdown in Tuesday's final.

One night after Jamaican women swept the 100m medals with three Americans behind them, Jones and compatriot Damu Cherry won their heats, Cherry taking her semi-final in 12.62, and Dawn Harper advanced just .04 behind.

"We're going to go for an American sweep, 1-2-3, and see what happens," said Cherry, who is fighting the flu.

"I'm going to execute my race and see what happens."

Jones - whose heritage is French, Norwegian, Native American and African-American - would not predict a US sweep.

"I never say clean sweeps because anyhthing can happen when you have 10 obstacles in front of you," Jones said.

"I'm not going to worry about other lanes, but I hope we have a great day for the USA tomorrow."

Jones, who won the world indoor 60m hurdles crown earlier this year, beat the prior 2008 best and personal best of 12.45 she set to win at the US Olympic trials in July.

"I don't remember the start too much," Jones said.

"I just got in the rhythm and everything clicked. I am happy with the time, but as soon as I leave the stadium I'm forgetting the result and focusing on tomorrow.

"I did the same thing in the US Olympic trials. I ran a personal best in the semi-final but still improved it for the final so this will not be a problem."

Jamaicans Delloreen Ennis-London, second at the 2005 worlds and third at last year's worlds, and Bridgitte Foster-Hylton advanced to the final but a fall for Sweden's Susanna Kallur ended hopes of another Jamaican sweep.

Neighboring Vonnette Dixon was thrown off stride when Kallur stumbled over the first hurdle. The Jamaican struck her fourth hurdle and finished fifth in 12.86, .02 behind Britain's Sarah Claxton for the last spot in the finals.View historical results of the women's 100m hurdles.

Hockeyroos crash against China's wall
 

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 11:06 AM

Host China has entered the Olympic women's field hockey semi-finals at Australia's expense after holding the former champion to a 2-2 draw in a crucial league match.

The Chinese, who needed a draw to qualify, overcame a spirited Hockeyroos fight-back to finish second in pool A behind the Netherlands.

Both China and Australia finished level on 10 points each, but the home side went through on a superior goal difference of plus-two to qualify for its second successive Olympic semi-final.

"If we had five more minutes, we could have had the result we wanted," veteran Australian captain Nikki Hudson said.

"I guess things were not meant to be. You can't win everything.

"I am proud of our girls even though things did not go as we would have liked. This young team of ours has made a great start."

In Wednesday's semi-finals, China takes on defending champion and pool B winner Germany, while world number one the Netherlands clashes with number two Argentina.

China appeared secure when Li Hongxia scored once in each half to make it 2-0 before the Hockeyroos, the Atlanta and Sydney gold medallists, launched a breathtaking comeback.

Casey Eastham reduced the margin in the 51st and Sarah Young drew level in the 62nd, but time ran out on the Australians, who needed a win to make the semi-finals.

They will now play off for fifth and sixth place, as they did in Athens.

The Dutch meanwhile ended the league as the only team with five straight wins after beating Spain 2-0 through goals by Maartje Paumen and Ellen Hoog.

Germany, which defeated the Netherlands in the Athens Games final four years ago, topped the other pool with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Japan, its fourth success in five matches.

Newbery qualifies for 3m springboard final
 

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 3:00 PM

Australian diver Robert Newbery scraped into the final of the men's three-metre springboard with a points total of 460.35 in the semi-final on Tuesday.

With the first 12 of 18 divers qualifying for the final, Newbery was in 11th position after the semis behind China's Chong He, who led the field with 547.25 points.

World champion and team-mate Qin Kai was third in the semi-finals as China look to continue their domination of the diving after winning five out of five golds in the competition so far.

Australia's other diver in the semi, Matthew Mitcham, finished in 16th position on 427.45, not enough to qualify for the final.

Canada's Alexandre Despatie, a silver medallist in the event in Athens, finished second to also qualify, storming back in the semi-finals after finishing a lowly ninth in the preliminaries.

He, 21, performed one of the toughest dives of the semis, pulling off a forward two-and-a-half somersault with three twists in a pike position to earn 102.60 points from the judges.

World number two Mexico's Yahel Castillo finished fourth on 504.55, while five-time Olympian Russian Dmitry Sautin also qualified in eighth place.

McLellan facing race of her life
 

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 4:33 PM

Australian athlete Sally McLellan will be looking to spring an upset when she races the final of the women's 100 metres hurdles tonight.

McLellan ran 12.70 seconds to squeeze into tonight's final at the Bird's Nest, finishing fourth in her heat last night won by world number one American LoLo Jones in a time of 12.43 seconds.

McLellan, who grew up on Queensland's Gold Coast, will take to the blocks at around 12:30am AEST on Wednesday morning.

The 21-year-old, who is the first Australian woman to make the 100m hurdles final since Glynis Nunn back in 1984, is also shooting for Australia's first ever medal in the event.

McLellan will need to get past the American trio of Jones, Dawn Harper and Damu Cherry, as well as Jamaican gun Deloreen Ennis-London.

Aussies miss out in men's triathlon
 

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 7:37 PM

Australia's triathletes say they are disappointed with their results in the Olympic men's event.

German Jan Frodeno outlasted 2000 Olympic champion Simon Whitfield in a sprint finish in the final run leg to take gold in the race at the Ming Tomb Reservoir.

Whitfield looked set to wrap up his second Olympic gold before Frodeno mowed him down in the final stages to cross the line in a time of 1 hour, 48 minutes and 53 seconds. Whitfield took silver just five seconds behind and New Zealander Docherty took bronze.

Australian hopes Brad Kahlefeldt and Courtney Atkinson, who were looking to match the efforts of Emma Snowsill and Emma Moffat yesterday, finished in 16th and 11th respectively.

Atkinson finished 1:16 off the pace and Kahlefeldt was a further 26 seconds back.

Atkinson says it was a strong field and anyone had a chance of winning.

"Even the guys who placed in front of me and behind me, they were guys that I probably would have said were shuffled back or forth, or, you know, wherever," he said.

"Don't get me wrong, I would have liked to be up further toward the pointy end of the field. But at the same time, it was a great experience. I walk away and it's still been .. it's all good and I'm proud of what I did."

Kahlefeldt says a persistent hip injury flared during the cycle leg and dogged him throughout the race.

"It is disappointing when you know you're capable of doing more with 100 per cent preparation, with no problems, but unfortunately this preparation was dogged with a hip injury," he said.

"But I've done my best job I could under the circumstances and I'm pretty happy with that."

Four athletes - Frodeno, Whitfield, Docherty and world champion Javier Gomez - were together with 250 metres to go, before Canadian Whitfield and Frodeno broke clear.

"I think I slept about two hours last night," Frodeno said. "I knew I had trained very well but these guys who were with me at the front were really the big guys."

"I just tried to execute my own race. As Simon went I knew it was going to be tough, I just had to bite and fight.

"This year I've lost all my races on sprints. It teaches you a lesson and I've learned at the right time I guess."

Commonwealth champion Kahlefeldt and Atkinson were inside the top 10 coming into the final 10-kilometre run leg, but could not keep pace with the leaders and finished outside the medals.

Spain's Gomez, nicknamed the "Tiger Woods of triathlon", was the hot gold medal favourite after dominating the sport for the past two years, but could not keep up the pace when Whitfield broke away.

He finished 20 seconds behind Frodeno in fourth place.

Rank outsider


The 194cm Frodeno was nobody's pre-race tip, entering with a relatively modest record including 13 top-10 World Cup finishes and last year's German national title

But he put on a devastating burst of speed to run down Whitfield with just metres left and leave Gomez and Docherty trailing.

The four had been neck-and-neck entering the stadium but world champion Gomez faded at the final turn, dashing the Spaniard's hopes of a first Olympic medal.

Earlier, Russia's Alexander Bryukhankov led out the swim but it was New Zealander Shane Reed who landed first and made it through the transition followed by Frederic Belaube of France with Gomez not far behind.

Luxembourg's Dirk Bockel and Axel Zeebroek of Belgium broke away on the bike leg and established a lead of nearly a minute on the favourites going into the run.

Their advantage was chopped to just 20 seconds by the end of lap one and it disappeared entirely in the next lap as Gomez and Spanish team-mate Ivan Rana hit the front.

The smart money was on Gomez, 25, who has four World Cup victories this season after winning the series for the past two years running. He also won last year's World Cup race on this course.

But the expected surge never came as he was tracked all the way by Frodeno, Whitfield and Docherty, and ran out of steam at the last.View historical results for the men's triathlon.

Meares into sprint final
 

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 8:09 PM

Australian cyclist Anna Meares will race for the gold medal in the women's sprint at the Beijing Olympics.

China's Guo Shuang beat Meares 2-1 in their three-race semi-final but was relegated after officials reviewed their physical third race.

After Meares had evened the ledger, Guo crashed in the third leg, forcing the decider to be re-run.

Guo went on the win the third race, however she was later disqualified after a jury decision ruled she had entered the sprinters' lane while Meares was already there.

Meares will meet Great Britain's Victoria Pendleton in the final.

Pendleton, a three-time world champion in track cycling's blue riband event, coasted past Dutchwoman Willy Kanis over two legs of their semi-final.

Kanis will now meet Guo in the bronze medal match.

Meares, the reigning Olympic 500 metres champion, has saved Australia's blushes somewhat in Beijing.

Her feat means Australia - who has yet to win a medal from the seven finals so far - will avoid equalling an unwanted national record.

The last time Australia went home without a track cycling medal from the Games was at Moscow in 1980.

The Aussies were the kings of the velodrome in 2004, but since then have been playing catch-up to the dominant British team.

Australia finished just off the podium several times during the five-day competition, in which Britain has so far won five gold for a total of nine medals.

To rub salt into the wounds, Britain is set to win more gold on the final day.

They have two riders, Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny, in the gold medal match for the men's sprint gold, while Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish of Britain also went into the men's Madison as the world champions and gold medal favourites.

Meares' feat in making the Olympic final comes only seven months after she returned home from a World Cup race in a wheelchair following a crash which almost left her permanently paralysed.

As well as winning sprint bronze in Athens, she is also the champion in the now defunct Olympic event of the 500 metre time trial.

Meares takes Olympics sprint silver
 

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 - 9:50 PM

Australia's Anna Meares has finished with the silver medal in the women's sprint at the Beijing Olympics.

Meares was no match for Great Britain's Victoria Pendleton in the final, going down 2-0.

Her silver medal is one better than her third place in the sprint in 2004, and is Australia's only cycling track medal of the Games.

Her feat means Australia has avoided equalling an unwanted national record.

The last time Australia went home without a track cycling medal from the Games was at Moscow in 1980.

The Aussies were the kings of the velodrome in 2004, topping the table with five gold and nine in total, but since then have been playing catch-up to the dominant British team.

Meares's feat in making the final comes only seven months after she returned home from a World Cup race in a wheelchair following a crash which almost left her permanently paralysed.

As well as winning sprint bronze in Athens, she is also the champion in the now defunct Olympic event of the 500 metre time trial.

The 27-year-old Pendleton is the first British woman to win Olympic gold in track cycling's blue riband event.

Pendleton competed in Athens, where she came away with a ninth place in the sprint and a sixth place in the time trial, won by Meares.

Guo Shuang picked up the bronze, China's first track cycling medal of the Games, and just the second in Olympic history, following Jiang Yonghua's silver medal from the women's 500m time trial in Athens.

Guo had battled Meares for a place in the final and beat the Australian 2-1.

However Guo was disqualified by the race jury for entering Meares's lane as they rounded the final bend in the decider.

She went on to win bronze by dominating Willy Kanis of the Netherlands over two legs.

No laying down for this super Sally
 

Wednesday, August 20, 2008 - 9:01 AM

Australian Sally McLellan's surprise Olympic silver medal in the women's 100 metres hurdles last night came as American Lolo Jones lost control and "crashed and burned", giving the gold medal to compatriot Dawn Harper.

McLellan, the youngest runner in the field at 21, got off to a blistering start and held on in the dying stages to narrowly claim second in a time of 12.64, 0.1 behind the winner.

McLellan admitted that she had not believed her own prediction that she would win a medal.

"I lied to you," the 21-year-old said after a photo finish separated her from bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep.

"In my heart I didn't think I'd medal. But then I did."

Athletics Australia's high performance manager Max Binnington says McLellan's win provides a much-needed Olympic success and will have a positive impact on the sport.

"I think once Nathan Deakes and Jana Rawlinson had gone, I think the pressure was off the medals a bit, but we've always had a youth policy," he said.

"We are in a rebuilding phase and this is really icing on the cake.

"She's progressed very quickly and I think gone way ahead of where I think even she expected to be.

"Twelve months ago I don't think she'd be dreaming of it. Well, she might have been dreaming of it, but that's all it would have been."

Jones, 26, who used her athletic and academic prowess to get her out of poverty and was favourite to win the race, finished seventh after hitting the penultimate hurdle.

"You hit a hurdle about twice a year where it affects your race," Jones said, tears welling up in her eyes. "It's just a shame that it was on the biggest race of my life.

"The hurdles were just coming up very fast and I just told myself what I always tell myself, 'Keep things tight'.

"But it's kind of like when you are racing a car and going max velocity and you hit a curve, either you can maintain control or you can crash and burn. Today I crashed and burned."

Harper admitted she was a surprise winner.

"You have certain people that are supposed to be the favourites," she said. "On this particular day, and at this time, you have to run your best race.

"It's anyone's race ... we do hurdles, and they come at you really fast. You have to execute your race."

Jones remained kneeling on the track for a long time after the race.

"It was difficult to get back up," Jones said. "Tonight will be hard, tomorrow will be hard. I just have to get myself back up."

Spirit take bronze in semi-final epic
 

Wednesday, August 20, 2008 - 10:41 PM

Australia's softball team has taken the bronze medal after losing a marathon match against Japan at the Beijing Olympics.

Japan progressed to the gold medal match with a 4-3 win in the 12th inning after the two teams were equal at 2-2 after seven innings.

Despite having runners on third base multiple times during the extra innings, the Spirit could only manage one run at the top of the 11th when Stacey Porter ran home after a hit by captain Natalie Ward.

But the Japanese replied straight away before holding the Australian's scoreless at the top of the 12th and sealing a date with the United States with their next at bat.

It is the Aussies' fourth minor medal since softball's inception after claiming a bronze in Atlanta, bronze in Sydney and silver in Athens.

It is Australia's last match at an Olympics because softball has been left of the program for the 2012 London Games.

Mottram misses 5,000m final
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 12:00 AM

Australia's Craig Mottram has failed to make the final of the men's 5000 metres at the Beijing Olympics.

Mottram missed the chance to progress to the final, finishing fifth in his heat.

Compatriot Collis Birmingham also failed to qualify after finishing tenth in his heat.

Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele cruised into the final to keep his bid for an elusive long-distance running double on course.

Bekele finished third in Mottram's heat and advanced to Friday's final, where he will seek to emulate the 5000/10,000m double last achieved by compatriot Miruts Yifter in the 1980 Moscow Games.

The Ethiopian, who won his second consecutive 10,000m Olympic gold early on Monday morning (AEST), was happy to coast along at the back of the pack as Swiss Philipp Bandi set the early, slow pace.

Abdelaziz Ennaji el Idrissi of Morocco and Belgium's Monder Rizki took up the running with four laps to go, before Kenyan-born US runner Bernard Lagat hit the front.

James Kwalia C'Kurui then darted away, taking a 20-metre lead into the final lap.

But the Kenyan-born Qatari faded in the final straight and was caught by Lagat, who failed even to make the 1500m final in his own ambitious bid for a double.

Kenyan Thomas Pkemei Longosiwa finished in the fourth and final automatic qualifying berth ahead of Mottram.

American Matthew Tegenkamp was a surprise winner of the first heat, winning the race to the line in a five-man sprint to clock 13:37.36.

Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, Bekele's younger brother Tariku and Eritrean Kidane Tadesse followed him home.

The second heat winner was Edwin Chruiyot Soi of Kenya, who outsprinted Moses Ndiema Kipsiro of Uganda to the line, with Ethiopian Abreham Cherkos finishing third.

Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi, who won the 1500m on Tuesday, elected not to race.

Spirit take bronze in semi-final epic
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 1:21 AM

Australia's softball team has taken the bronze medal after losing a marathon match against Japan at the Beijing Olympics.

Japan progressed to the gold medal match with a 4-3 win in the 12th inning after the two teams were equal at 2-2 after seven innings.

Despite having runners on third base multiple times during the extra innings, the Spirit could only manage one run at the top of the 11th when Stacey Porter ran home after a hit by captain Natalie Ward.

But the Japanese replied straight away before holding the Australian's scoreless at the top of the 12th and sealing a date with the United States with their next at bat.

The Australia's forced the match to extra innings thanks to a last-gasp home run by Kerry Wyborn over centre field when the Spirit were down two outs at the top of the seventh and final innings.

It is the Aussies' fourth minor medal since softball's inception after claiming a bronze in Atlanta, bronze in Sydney and silver in Athens.

It is Australia's last match at an Olympics because softball has been left of the program for the 2012 London Games.

Boomers blown away by US
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 1:43 AM

The Boomers have been comprehensively thrashed 116-85 by the United States in their Beijing Olympics quarter-final.

Despite staying in touch with the star-studded Americans in the first quarter, thanks mainly to some brilliant outside shooting, the tournament's clear favourite flexed its muscles to streak clear after the first break.

The turning point came after a 30-19 second quarter by the US, which finished the game with a massive 11 more offensive rebounds.

NBA MVP Kobe Bryant and Cleveland superstar Lebron James both led the way with 25 and 16 points respectively, with Carmelo Anthony pitching in 15 of his own.

For Australia, US collegiate Patrick Mills was the standout with 20 points and combined well with fellow youngster Joe Ingles who produced a late cameo of 11 points. Glen Saville picked up 13 points.

"No matter how much you score it doesn't change the outcome, we lost by 30 points, but it was a great feeling to be out there," the 20-year-old Mills said.

"Personally it is just a great feeling to be involved in the greatest basketball tournament in the world."

Australia's star Andrew Bogut was limited to 11 minutes of game time and four points due to injury and early foul trouble.

Los Angeles Laker Bryant scored 11 of his game-high 25 points during a 14-0 run to start the second half, extending a 55-43 lead at the break to 89-61 at the start of the final period.

Frustrated with Australia's physical play in the early part of the game, the US upped the intensity on the defensive end in the third, diving for loose balls and turning missed Aussie shots into high flying fast break points.

"At the start of second half we wanted to come out and we had a particular set we wanted to run. I had a lot of good looks and knocked them down," Bryant said.

"We know they are a good team, they execute very well, (but) our biggest strength is our depth, we are going to wear you down."

As in previous games, the US shared the ball on the attack and found the open man, hitting 57 per cent from the field, including 12 out of 29 on three pointers.

"Standing on the sideline you are 25 down and it is late in the game and you look at the scorers table and they are bringing in Kobe and Carmelo, it was too much for us," Boomers coach Brian Goorjian said.

"Defensively, they are playing great together and everyone is making contributions... they will be tough to beat."

The team of NBA stars breezed through five preliminary round Olympic match-ups winning by an average of 32 points and appearing increasingly intent on turning a disappointing bronze at Athens 2004 into Beijing gold.

Many of James's 16 points came as he attacked the rim for hard fought points in the first half. Centre Chris Bosh and Deron Williams both had 10 points.

Team USA began the game running with Dwight Howard scoring from inside and Anthony hitting from the perimeter as the NBA stars opened an early 15-6 lead and look poised to blow the game away.

But five points by center Chris Anstey and a three pointers from Mills and David Barlow pulled the Boomers to within 25-24 at the end of the first quarter.

Bolt strikes twice to claim double
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 2:44 AM

Jamaica's Usain Bolt has roared to victory in the 200 metres final in a world record 19.30 seconds to secure the first men's Olympic sprint double since 1984.

In a run no less sensational than his world record performance in the 100m final, Bolt destroyed the field to clinch his first major title in his specialist event.

Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles initially took silver in 19.82 and bronze went to defending champion Shawn Crawford of the United States (19.96) after his compatriot Wallace Spearmon was disqualified for running out of his lane.

But the United States later lodged an appeal against Martina, saying he also ran out of his lane, and it was upheld.

It means that Crawford was elevated to the silver medal, with compatriot Walter Dix taking the bronze.

American Carl Lewis was the last man to win both sprints at the same Games in 1984 in Los Angeles and Bolt became just the ninth athlete to achieve the feat.

The previous world record was 19.32, set by American Michael Johnson in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics final.

Bolt started well again to hit the front before he came off the bend and he powered down the straight to win by at least five metres.

"I'm number one," he mouthed at TV cameras, beating his chest and blowing kisses at the 91,000 crowd in the Bird's Nest.

"I feel good. I have just proved to the world I am a true champion and with hard work anything is possible," he told BBC TV.

"This is more than I can handle really, I'm a bit overwhelmed. I didn't think a 200m record was on because I felt tired after the heats.

"But I told everyone I was going to come out here and leave everything on the track and I did just that."

Bolt had won the 100m in swashbuckling style at the weekend, clocking 9.69 to shave 0.03 off his own world record.

This time he again joked on his way to the block, firing an imaginary arrow in the air, but looked deadly serious as he opened up a big gap and steamed through the finishing line to surpass Johnson's longstanding mark.

'Superman 2'


"Superman 2 - incredible," Johnson told BBC TV.

"Incredible performance by Usain Bolt once again. He finished up in an incredible time. This was an incredible performance, he wanted that record. Congratulations Usain Bolt.

"He got an incredible start. I looked at his start and just went wow. It was more amazing than the 100 metres... guys that tall should not be able to start like that."This is his favourite event, he went for it, he came in focused on it, knowing he would most likely win the gold.

"My concern was he would not have the ability to hold that speed for the entire race but he showed he has been working on that.

"He used every ounce of energy, he wanted that record."

Nine men have now won the double sprint in Olympic history.

Bolt, who turns 22 on August 21, had "Happy Birthday" played to him over the stadium loudspeakers some 90 minutes early as he danced around the track on a victory lap.

He has established himself as the joint hero of the Games along with American swimmer Michael Phelps, who took an unprecedented eight golds.

Just as Phelps's exploits in the Water Cube have thrilled Americans, so Bolt has swelled national pride across his Caribbean homeland.The lanky runner started sprinting only when a school cricket coach noticed his speed as a fast bowler.

Walker wins women's 400m hurdles
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 3:25 AM

Jamaica's Melaine Walker has won the Olympic Games women's 400m hurdles gold medal in a Games record time of 52.64 seconds.

The 25-year-old - who eclipsed the record of 2004 champion Fani Halkia of Greece - beat home Sheena Tosta of the United States (53.70).

Great Britain's Tasha Danvers (53.84) took the bronze.

Kaniskina wins women's 20km walk
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 12:50 PM

World champion Olga Kaniskina of Russia led from gun to tape to win the women's 20 kilometres walk gold medal at the Olympics on Thursday.

In atrocious conditions on the course around the National Stadium, Kaniskina dominated the field and set an Olympic record of 1hr 26.31min.

Norway's Kjersti Platzer finished second, 0.36sec off the pace, with Italian Elisa Riguado a further 0.05sec adrift.

Defending champion Athanasia Tsoumeleka of Greece could only manage a 9th-placed finish in 1:27.54.

Australia's Jane Saville, competing in her fourth Olympics, finished 20th.

In driving rain, Kaniskina broke away from the main field early on and slowly but surely built up a steady lead on her rivals.

At the 8km mark she had a 41sec lead on the eight-strong chasing group, led by Platzer, Russian Tatyana Kalmykova and Belarus' Ryta Turava.

Kaniskin went through 12km at 51:19, 48sec ahead of Turava as the peloton thinned. Platzer and Spain's Maria Vasco, bronze medallist in the 2000 Games in Sydney, battled it out for third place a further 12sec adrift.

Kalmykova and China's Yang Mingxia were then red carded for breaking out of the correct walking style, which demands that one part of the foot is always on the floor.

Kaniskin raced through 16km at 1hr 08.31min, just under 1min ahead of Turava, who yielded her second place after dramatically pulling up in a bid to vomit. The Belarussian eventually finished 11th.

Platzer consolidated her second place as Vasco dropped back to fifth, overtaken by China's Liu Hong and Rigaudo, who claimed a first track and field medal at these Games for Italy.

Wu dives into 10m platform final
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 2:46 PM

Australian diver Melissa Wu has qualified for tomorrow's Olympic final of the women's 10 metres platorm in Beijing.

Wu went through in eighth position, while compatriot Alexandra Croak was one of four divers to miss out on the 12-person final

Chinese teenager Chen Ruolin led the way into the women's 10m platform final on Thursday, as the host nation eyed a seventh gold in the seventh diving event of the Bejing Games.

With a total of 444.60 points, Chen was 43.85 points clear of Mexico's Paola Espinosa after the semi-finals, with the final scheduled for later Thursday.

Wang Xin was lying third after the semis, giving China another good chance as they bid for a clean sweep of all eight diving golds.

Chen and Wang, who captured gold for China in the 10m synchronised platform on Tuesday, are trying to return the women's individual platform title to China.

At the Sydney Olympics, American diver Laura Wilkinson beat China's Li Na for the title while in Athens Australian Chantelle Newbery stunned favourite Lao Lishi for gold.

Wang, 16, is the reigning world champion while 15-year-old Chen is currently ranked number one in the world.

Australian sailors win Olympic silver
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 3:59 PM

Australia has picked up a silver medal in Olympic sailing on the final day of yachting in the Beijing Games.

World champions Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby had to finish two places ahead of the Spanish crew of Fernando Echavarri and Anton Paz to secure gold in the Tornados.

But in windy conditions off Qindao both teams were placed back in the field, leaving Spain to pick up the gold and Australia the silver.

The medal is Australia's third for sailing in the Beijing games, after gold in the men's and women's 470 class.

These games could be the last Olympic appearance for the Tornadoes - the class has been dropped from the sailing program for the London games in 2012.

Torrential rain in Beijing this morning forced organisers to postpone today's Olympic semi-finals of the BMX event.

But most events went ahead as scheduled despite the poor weather.

Australian athlete Jarrod Bannister struggled with the conditions, but still qualified for Saturday's final of the men's javelin.

Bannister managed a throw of 79 metres and 79 centimetres, to squeeze through to the 12-man final in 11th spot.

Australian diver Melissa Wu has qualified for tonight's final of the women's 10 metre platform.

Americans Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor have defended the title they won in Athens, by winning Gold in the women's beach volleyball.

Russian athlete Olga Kaniskina has won gold in the women's 20 kilometre walk, while Australian Jane Saville was 20th.

The Netherlands' Maarten van der Weijden took the gold medal in a thrilling finish to the men's 10 kilometre open water swim, just ahead of Britain's David Davies and German Thomas Lurz.

Time is running out to put a dent in China's runaway lead on the Olympic medal tally board.

With four days of competition to go, the host nation has almost twice the amount of gold medals won by the 2nd placed nation, the United States.

Australia's athletes are not done yet, with the men's hockey team and the women's basketball side closing in on their respective finals.

Australian through to javelin final
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 4:21 PM

Australian athlete Jarrod Bannister has qualified for Saturday's Olympic final of the men's javelin in Beijing.

Bannister managed a throw of 79.79 metres to squeeze through to the 12-man final in 11th spot.

Latvia's Vadims Vasilevskis recorded the best throw of 83.51 metres.

The preliminaries had to be postponed after the day begin with torrential rain inside the Bird's Nest.

The event did get underway eventually after the rain eased.

Disappointment for retiring Robinson
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 7:38 PM

Barcelona gold medallist Clint Robinson's Olympic career has ended in disappointment after the veteran and Jacob Clear failed to qualify for the final of the K2 kayaking.

In positive news for Australia, Ken Wallace has qualifed for the Olympic final of the K1 500 metres.

Torsten Lachmann is out of the C1 canoeing after finishing seventh in his semi-final.

Chantal Meek also came seventh in her semi-final of the women's K1 event and will not make the final.

Saville not happy with walk performance
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 8:43 PM

Australia's Jane Saville says she is disappointed with her placing in today's 20 kilometres walk at the Beijing Olympics.

The four-time Olympian and Athens bronze medallist came 20th in today's event, with Russia's Olga Kaniskina taking out the gold.

Saville says she had hoped to do better.

"This is my fourth Olympic Games," he said.

"I'm not here to get a tracksuit or to just make the Games, that's what I did in 1996. I think I came 26th there.

"I was satisfied then but 20th place today - I don't do this to make teams any more, I do this to win medals.

"Today I was hoping to do that again and that's why I continued on after Athens, because I really thought I had more in me and I could do it.

"I've had faith in my body and my mind that I could do it so it was just a horrible feeling when you don't do it."

Saville said she could not keep up with the pace.

"We were hoping for a bit hotter weather, it was fast at the start and basically I didn't have it to go with the girls," she said.

Campbell-Brown defends 200m crown
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 10:12 PM

Veronica Campbell-Brown has secured a Jamaican clean sweep of the sprint events at the Beijing Olympics, taking out the women's 200 metres event at the Bird's Nest.

It caps a successful defence of her title for Campbell-Brown, who also took gold in Athens four years ago, winning her second Olympic gold with the fastest time in the world this year.

One day after Usain Bolt won the men's event in world record time, Campbell-Brown ran a personal-best 21.74 to snatch gold from pre-race favourite Allyson Felix, who had won the past two world championships.

Felix, the youngest athlete in the final, fell behind on the bend and could not make up ground in the final straight to finish second in 21.93, her second-straight silver in the event.

Campbell-Brown's countrywoman Kerron Stewart took bronze in a time of 22.00.

Jamaica also took out the 100m events, with Bolt cantering home in the men's event and Shelley-Ann Fraser heading home a Jamaican trifecta in the women's.

American Muna Lee was fourth in 22.01 with compatriot Marshevet Hooker fifth in 22.34. Both times were personal bests. Jamaica's Sherone Simpson came sixth on 22.36.

Campbell-Brown jumped out fast and by the turn was ahead. She powered into the straight and opened a gap with Felix, who held off Stewart's late charge at the line.

Stewart claimed her second medal of the Games after a 100m bronze.

-

Aussie Stingers claim bronze in Beijing
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 10:40 PM

Australia's women's water polo team has taken the bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics, beating Hungary in a penalty shoot-out.

The Stingers broke away to a 2-0 lead early, but Hungary responded with five straight goals and led 5-3 at half-time.

Australia equalised at 6-6 late in the third quarter and then again with eight seconds remaining in the match via Rebecca Rippon to force extra time.

The Stingers led twice in extra time, with Hungary making it 9-9 with just 20 seconds left to force the shoot-out, which Australia won 3-2.

Captain Melissa Rippon says it was a thrilling result.

"Right now I'm relieved and excited, I can't really explain it," she said.

"It was just the most exciting game to be part of and I just put my faith in the girls and they came through and it was awesome."

She says while the team came to win gold, she is happy to walk away with a medal.

"Once we knew we couldn't get gold or silver we knew we had to come out here and get that bronze medal and I'm so glad we were able to do it."

US crashes out of 4x100m relays
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 11:34 PM

The United States's miserable Olympic track and field campaign has continued with both its men's and women's 4x100 metres relay teams crashing out in the first round.

The American men, who took silver in Athens 2004, blundered in the final exchange when the baton was dropped as it moved from Darvis Patton to Tyson Gay.

Patton had the lead when he rounded the final bend but Gay's outstretched left hand could not find its way around the baton and he eventually fumbled it on to the ground.

It capped a miserable Games for Gay, who failed to reach the final of the 100m.

"I don't know what happened," triple world champion Gay said.

"The stick was in my hand. I think I felt it hit my hand, but I don't think it was in all the way before I grabbed.

"It's probably my fault, I take the blame for it."

On a night of mishaps in the sprint relay heats, Britain's men, surprise winners in Athens four years ago, were disqualified from heat two after a botched changeover.

Nigeria, the bronze medallists from Athens, also failed to progress after dropping the baton.

Trinidad and Tobago won in a time of 38.26 to qualify fastest, ahead of a Jamaican outfit which rested Usain Bolt but still won its heat easily.

Women's failure


In women's qualifying, the Americans blundered again in the final exchange when the baton was dropped as it moved from Torri Edwards to Lauryn Williams on the final leg.

Williams in desperation ran back to pick up the baton, but it was an impossible task as she came in last.

For Williams it was a terrible case of deja vu as in the 2004 final she had gone beyond the safety zone on the final exchange when third leg runner Marion Jones was trying to hand on the baton.

The Americans had won this title nine times - most recently in 1996.

Jamaica has comprehensively outperformed the US in the sprint events at Beijing, making a clean sweep of the men's and women's 100m-200m double.

Dutch women beat US to win water polo gold
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 11:06 PM

The Netherlands has scored a goal in the final minute of the match to win gold in the Olympics women's water polo competition with a 9-8 victory over the United States.

Danielle de Bruijn masterminded the unexpected victory with a seven-goal haul that handed the Dutch their first Olympic title in the event. Women's water polo was introduced to the Games at Sydney in 2000.

"Danielle is a very experienced player and she has ... a talent and today we have seen it all," said Dutch coach Robin van Galen. "It is marvellous to play a match like this in the final."

The unheralded Dutch side raced to a four-goal lead within the first four minutes of the encounter, stunning the US, which was one of the tournament favourites.

"They came out on fire," US coach Guy Baker said. "We never quite got over the hump. We pulled even with them, but we could never quite pull ahead.".

The entire Dutch coaching team leapt fully dressed into the pool to celebrate the win, while many of the American players slipped back to the changing rooms in tears.

Australia took the bronze medal by beating Hungary 12-11 a penalty shoot-out.

The US is the world water polo champion and was widely expected to triumph in Beijing, especially after its showing in the preliminary stages when it was unbeaten.

The Dutch by comparison lost their first two games before finally finding their form at just the right moment, powering themselves to the Olympic podium for the first time.

Merritt beats Wariner for 400m gold
 

Thursday, August 21, 2008 - 11:58 PM

LaShawn Merritt has upset defending Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner to win gold in the men's 400 metres final at the Bird's Nest.

Merritt ran a personal-best time of 43.75 to take the victory ahead of Wariner (44.74) and another American, David Neville (44.80).

The two favourites for the race, Merritt and Wariner emerged even at the top of the final straight, but the Athens champion could not match his younger rival's pace in the final 50 metres.

Wariner, who went into the final having won 43 of his last 49 races, edged out Merritt at the World Championships in Osaka last year, but Merritt reversed the result at the US trials in Oregon earlier this year.

Merritt then lost twice to Wariner last month in Europe, setting the stage for their most meaningful meeting yet.

US men have dominated the Olympic men's 400m, winning the past six gold medals in the event and 11 of the past 13.

Robles emulates Garcia to take 110m hurdles
 

Friday, August 22, 2008 - 12:43 AM

Cuba's world record holder Dayron Robles has emulated compatriot Anier Garcia in Beijing, winning the 110 metres hurdles Olympic title, timing 12.93 seconds - the second-fastest time in Olympic history.

The 21-year-old beat home two Americans, 2007 world bronze medalist David Payne (13.17sec) and American champion David Oliver (13.18sec).

Robles showed no nerves and was never challenged after rising from the blocks, making the absence of defending champion Liu Xiang even more marked - and to a lesser extent two-time silver medal list Terrence Trammell.

Robles, who was repeating the success of Garcia from the 2000 Games, sailed over the hurdles while behind him Payne and Oliver had difficulty in not clipping them.

While Robles eased over the line - tapping his head with both hands - the two Americans held on to their placings.

Oliver - the only man to beat Robles this season - had to withstand a challenge from France's 2005 world champion Ladji Doucoure.

US women defend football title
 

Friday, August 22, 2008 - 2:15 AM

Defending champion the United States has produced an extra-time winner to again claim Olympic gold with a 1-0 win over Brazil in the women's football tournament.

The Americans replicated their extra-time triumph over the Brazilians in the Athens Olympics final four years ago to deny the South Americans yet again.

It was a courageous effort by the United States, who for long periods absorbed tremendous pressure from the Brazilians, spearheaded by their lethal strike pair of Marta and Cristiane to win it in the first period of extra time.

Midfielder Carli Lloyd proved America's hero with a rasping angled drive that eluded the despairing dive of Brazilian goalkeeper Barbara in the 96th minute.

The two great rivals produced a classic encounter, full of fierce physical contests and high levels of skill thrilling the capacity crowd at the Workers Stadium.

The Americans are rebuilding after a fractious campaign at last year's World Cup in China where they were taken apart by Brazil 4-0 in the semi-finals and finished with the bronze behind champions Germany.

In a breathless opening 45 minutes, US goalkeeper Hope Solo courageously saved at Cristiane's feet in the 31st minute.

Two-time world player of the year Marta thrilled the capacity crowd with her electrifying running, wriggling her way around two defenders but fired just wide three minutes later.

US right-back Heather Mitts was yellow carded for bringing down midfielder Formiga in full flight and minutes later it was the dangerous Marta again, this time swinging in a high free kick which Solo did well to hold under pressure.

Nearing half-time Marta again darted clear but her cross to Cristiane was put behind for a corner by defender Lori Chalupny.

Cristiane had enough time before the end of the half to let fly with a rasping volley over the bar.

But the Americans did well to stay in the contest, watched by Brazilian legend Pele sitting alongside FIFA boss Sepp Blatter.

Marta again accelerated around her marker and fired in a cross early in the second half but Solo defused it well in the goalmouth.

Mitts may have been lucky to stay on the field after her heavy challenge from behind on Daniela midway through the half, but the referee ignored Brazil's appeals for her to be red-carded and instead awarded a free kick.

The American defence was under siege for much of the second half as they stuck steadfastly to their task.

Marta again tested the US defence, unleashing a fierce volley that Solo somehow kept out with 18 minutes left.

The Americans had two great scoring chances to win it inside the final four minutes before the game went into extra time.

Angela Hucles brought out a diving save from Barbara and Amy Rodriguez was one-on-one and attempted to chip the goalkeeper, but Barbara leapt high to stop her.

Germany won its third consecutive Olympics bronze medal but made heavy weather of it against Japan with a hard-fought 2-0 victory.

Kookaburras lament golden opportunity missed
 

Friday, August 22, 2008 - 12:00 PM

The Australian men's hockey team says it is still reeling after crashing out of Olympic gold medal contention with a 3-2 loss to Spain in Beijing on Thursday night.

The reigning champion Kookaburras, who arrived in Beijing as favourities to win gold, blew a 2-0 lead in the semi-final and will now face the Netherlands in the bronze medal game.

Australian's retiring captain Bevan George says a comfortable lead over Spain was given up in the second half.

"You can't ask for any more than of the guys they left very everything out there, but honestly we just didn't play well enough today. They were just too good for us," he said.

George says he feels he let down his team-mates.

"The guys just gave it their all, I mean there are some disappointed boys and they have not had the privilege of playing off for a gold medal," he said.

"I am just disappointed I let them guys down, I suppose.

"Some of these guys are good enough to play another four years, and I am sure they will be there in London."

Coach Barry Dancer says the Kookaburras were outclassed the by their Spanish counterparts.

"We need to do the re-group thing we need to make sure we are strong mentally," he said.

"It is the last time some of these guys will be playing together in this group."

Tallent claims 50km walking silver
 

Friday, August 22, 2008 - 3:08 PM

Australian walker Jared Tallent won his second walking medal of the Beijing Olympics today, claiming silver in the men's 50 kilometres walk.

Tallent followed up his bronze medal in the 20km event with a superb performance in tough conditions in Beijing, crossing the line in the Bird's Nest behind Italy's Alex Schwazer.

The Italian set a new Olympic record after finishing in 3 hours, 37 minutes and 9 seconds, with Tallent coming in 2:18 behind him in 3:39.27.

Russian number one Denis Nizhegorodov won the bronze in 3:40.14.

Tallent's triumph serves to somewhat soften the blow on Australia's athletics team, which lost gold medal walking favourite Nathan Deakes to injury prior to the Games.

Tallent becomes the first Australian to win an Olympic medal in the 50km walk, and the first Australian male in more than 100 years to win more than one track and field medal.

He says missing a team selection last year drove him on.

"I just can't believe it. Everything I've done this year is really prepared for this," he said.

"I missed out on last year's world champs team in the 50km and that made me really determined, which is probably the best thing that ever happened to me.

"I just don't take anything for granted. I worked really hard, not just to make the team but to come away and do well. And I can't believe it. I'm just ecstatic."

Tallent says he had prepared well for the trying conditions.

"Training in the heat tent once a week in Canberra also the climatisation we did in Japan really paid off and made these conditions feel really easy so I am rapt," he said.

The race was down to five men at the 20 km mark with Tallent, Schwazer, China's Li Jianbo, who was appearing in his first global championships, Nizhegorodov and France's European champion Yohann Diniz slightly adrift in fifth.

Schwazer bided his time and then pounced to make what he hoped was the decisive break for gold at around the 42km mark and with 5km to race he had a relatively comfortable 40-second lead over Tallent and Nizhegorodov.

Tallent, who had blasted the Russian 20km winner Valeriy Borchin because of his being a stablemate of several walkers who had failed dope tests, ditched Nizhegorodov shortly after the 45km mark and quickly opened up an unassailable lead over the Russian.

Schwazer was so confident that he had the gold he raised his finger to illustrate he was number one as he passed some cheering Italian fans.

Wallace takes bronze in K1 1,000m
 

Friday, August 22, 2008 - 5:38 PM

Australian kayaker Ken Wallace stormed home in the dying stages to claim bronze behind Briton Tim Brabants in this afternoon's K1 1,000 metres event.

Wallace, from Queensland's Gold Coast, was in last position at the halfway stage of the race but mowed through the field in the final 300 metres to snatch bronze.

Wallace got to within a boat length of Brabants, who finished the race in a time of 3 minutes, 26.36 seconds.

The 25-year-old Wallace finished just behind in 3:27.485.

Aussie women snare K4 bronze
 

Friday, August 22, 2008 - 6:45 PM

Australia has edged out Poland for a bronze medal in the women's K4 500 metres event at the Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Park.

The team of Lisa Oldenhof, Hannah Davis, Chantal Meek and Lyndsie Fogarty finished only 0.48 seconds in front of the fast-finishing Poles.

Germany continued their dominance in the event, winning in a time of 1.32.31, with silver going to the crew from Hungary.

It is the fourth consecutive time Germany has won gold in the women's K4 500 metres.

Meek said the team was not sure if they has sneaked home for bronze but a thumbs up from the shoreline confirmed their achievement.

"We didn't know where we were to be honest, we really have been working on the last 150 metres of our race," she told ABC Grandstand.

"So many times we've been in close finishes and we have been in fourth, fifth or sixth and we just didn't want that to happen again."

"We've worked so hard over the last two years, we really have put everything into it."

Johnson baffled by AA relay snubbing
 

Friday, August 22, 2008 - 7:04 PM

Patrick Johnson says the decision not to send a men's sprint relay team to the Beijing Olympics was wrong, and could have cost Australia a place in tonight's final.

The US was among six teams to crash out of the men's 4 x 100 metres relay in last night's heats when they dropped the baton, while Great Britain and Italy were both disqualified.

Australia qualified a team in the event but Athletics Australia chose not to compete in Beijing.

Johnson says he is at a loss to explain the decision.

"Clearly disappointed that Australia wasn't represented... my clear understanding is that there was a focus in the funding for the 4 x100 relay and I have to ask the hard questions," he said.

"Why didn't the selectors not have the confidence or have the fortitude to allow the relay squad to be at the Olympic Games?"

Opals set to renew hostilities with US
 

Friday, August 22, 2008 - 7:12 PM

Bitter rivals the United States and Australia will contest the Olympics women's basketball final for the third straight time on Saturday with the underdog Opals looking to finally turn the tables.

The Americans won 74-63 in Athens four years ago and 76-54 in Sydney in 2000 and will start hot favourite again against the Australians, who are the reigning world champions from their triumph in Brazil in 2006.

The two sides were widely regarded as near certainties to contest the final before the Olympics began and they warmed up with a bruising encounter won 71-67 by the Americans that set the stage for a punishing physical battle in Beijing.

In the semi-finals, Australia took the luxury of resting injured forward Penny Taylor and still won with some ease 90-56.

The United States struggled early on in the first half against Russia, the side that stunned them in the last world championship semi-finals, before pulling away to win 67-52.

The Australians are confident key element Taylor will be fit enough to start in the final, having had time to recover from a twisted ankle. If not, her place will go to Jenni Screen, who filled in with style against the Chinese in the semis.

The Opals' other star player Lauren Jackson is also hurting with a painful right ankle that will require surgery after Beijing but she has said there was no way she would miss another tilt at the Americans.

"This doesn't stop me from playing but I am constantly hurting," the WNBA player said. "I'm used to playing while I'm injured."

Australian coach Jan Stirling admitted: "We are counting on her.

"We have to bring our 'A' game (against the United States). Any team who expects to beat them has to bring their 'A' game.

"We expect a hard physical game. We hope for a great spectacle for basketball."

Taylor said there was no doubt she would play.

"We know what we have to do and we did really well when we played them last time and we have improved since then. We have a lot of talent and more experience," she said.

US head coach Anne Donovan said that the Australians would provide the toughest of possible opponents.

"Our girls will be ready no matter who we play," she said.

"The media have been talking about USA versus Australia since the (pre-Olympic) Diamond Ball tournament."

The United States will be shooting for their sixth gold medal in the past seven, having only missed out in Barcelona in 1992 when they took bronze behind the Unified Team.

US Track & Field to review Beijing failures
 

Friday, August 22, 2008 - 8:00 PM

The United States will conduct a post-mortem into a disappointing Olympic athletics performance that has seen US sprinters eclipsed by their Jamaican rivals, the chief executive officer of USA Track & Field said.

"Once the Games are complete we will be conducting a comprehensive review of all our programs," Doug Logan said in a statement.

It is the first time since 1976 that the United States have competed and failed to win a sprint title at a Games.

A miserable Games for a team that billed itself the world's best was highlighted by relay botches by both the men's and women's 4x100 metres teams.

"I, like all fans of Team USA, am extremely disappointed with the performance of our relays," Mr Logan said, after the US men's and women's 4x100 teams dropped batons in the opening relay rounds.

Mr Logan said the review would be comprehensive, looking at all USA Track & Field's high performance programs.

One subject to be addressed, he said, would be "the way in which we select, train and coach our relays".

In remarks posted on his blog, titled "Shin Splints", Logan added the poor relay performance reflected a lack of preparation.

"These are professional athletes who are the best in their field, and anybody who ever ran a high school relay cringes when that baton hits the track," he said.

It is the first time since 1976 that the United States has competed and failed to win a sprint title at a Games.

The Americans led the medals table at the 2004 Olympics and 2005 and 2007 world championships.

Jamaican sweep


Jamaican athletes swept all four individual sprints, with Usain Bolt setting world records in the men's 100 and 200 metres.

"They (Jamaica) brought their A-game. I don't know where we left ours," said Lauryn Williams, who was involved in the women's botched relay exchange and missed out on a 100 metres medal after taking silver in 2004.

US world champions were hard hit by the doom and gloom.

Men's 100 and 200 metres world champion Tyson Gay, still recovering from a hamstring injury at the US Olympic trials, went out of the 100 metres in the semi-finals.

Then a relay, in which team-mate Darvis Patton and Gay failed to connect, added further frustration.

World women's 200 metres winner Allyson Felix and 400 metres favourite Sanya Richards also missed gold.

World 1,500 metres winner Bernard Lagat, a two-times Olympic medallist for Kenya, missed the final this time, his first in a US vest.

He will seek redemption in Saturday's 5,000 metres, where he is also the world champion.

The setbacks have implications beyond athletics, wiping out any chance the United States might have had of catching China for the Games's overall gold medals lead.

"We have to go back to developing our sprinters," high-profile sprint coach Bob Kersee, who led Dawn Harper to the women's 100m hurdles crown and Felix to a 200m silver, said.

"Whether it's the college system or just training and being prepared, we have to concentrate on taking it up to this level.

"We can be spoiled at times in the United States."

Aussie 4x400m relay team sneaks into final
 

Friday, August 22, 2008 - 10:40 PM

Australia has narrowly qualified for final of the men's 4x400 metres relay, finishing fourth in its heat at the Beijing Olympics.

The team of Joel Milburn, Mark Ormrod, John Steffensen and Clinton Hill took the second-last spot in the final after securing one of the two fastest times outside the automatic qualifiers.

The quartet finished in a time of 3.00.68, the third fastest time by an Australian team, after surrendering third spot to a fast-finishing Belgian team in the final straight.

Milburn was the only change to the four runners who won a shock silver in the same event in Athens.

Steffensen ran despite pulling out of the individual event with a hamstring strain.

Jamaica bombs out, Russia takes women's relay
 

Friday, August 22, 2008 - 11:36 PM

Russia has won the Olympic women's 4x100 metres relay title while favourite Jamaica failed to finish after botching the hand-off between the third and fourth legs.

The Russians, who settled for Olympic silver in 2004, broke through with Evgeniya Polyakova, Aleksandra Fedoriva, Yulia Gushchina and anchor Yuliya Chermoshanskaya winning in 42.31 seconds.

Belgium, third at last year's worlds, was second in 42.54 with Nigeria third in 43.04.

Jamaica surrendered a certain gold when Sherone Simpson could not find the hand of Kerron Stewart for the penultimate leg.

Maggi gives Brazilian women an Olympics first
 

Friday, August 22, 2008 - 11:38 PM

Maurren Maggi has landed Brazilian women their first ever Olympic track and field medal, winning the long jump with a best effort of 7.04 metres.

The 32-year-old took gold ahead of defending champion Tatiana Lebedeva of Russia (7.03m) while Nigerian Blessing Okagbare - who was only competing because Ukrainian finalist Lyudmila Blonska was thrown out for doping - was third with a best of 6.91m.

Maggi, who served a two-year drugs ban in 2003, delivered on her first jump and Lebedeva, who was second also in the triple jump, no-jumped on her next four attempts before going agonisingly close on her final try.

Earlier Sweden's 2004 heptathlon Olympic champion Carolin Kluft failed to make the cut for the final three jumps.

The 25-year-old Swede jumped a best of 6.49m but it was only good enough for ninth place, one place outside the competitors who contested the final three jumps.

The three-time world champion, who decided not to contest the heptathlon because she wanted more time to herself, earlier failed to reach the triple jump final.

Kluft admitted that she had not got her act together in the final.

"It wasn't very good today. My run up wasn't working and I couldn't get the speed up over the board," she said.

"When I don't get the speed I don't jump that far. I felt good in my body, but my technique wasn't working."

Brazil beats Belgium for men's football bronze
 

Friday, August 22, 2008 - 11:39 PM

Brazil has overcome its deep frustration at not making the men's Olympic football final by putting away Belgium 3-0 to take the bronze medal.

Goals to Diego and Jo in the first half and a second to Jo on full-time settled the outcome.

It was the second time they had met in these Olympics, after Brazil narrowly won their opening pool match 1-0, but this time the samba boys were not as laid back.

Although clearly demoralised by its 3-0 semi-final loss to Argentina, Brazil had inspirational captain Ronaldinho to re-ignite its motivation with a masterful display in the midfield.

The AC Milan star created numerous opportunities through the first half starting with a header that just sailed over the bar in the opening minutes.

The bronze medals adds to Brazil's collection of two silvers (1984, 1988) and another bronze at Atlanta in 1996, but again the one prize they want, an Olympic gold medal, has eluded the five times world champion.

Belgium at least has the history books to show they won the Olympic final at the 1920 Antwerp Games.




Brazil has overcome its deep frustration at not making the men's Olympic football final by putting away Belgium 3-0 to take the bronze medal.

Goals to Diego and Jo in the first half and a second to Jo on full-time settled the outcome.

It was the second time they had met in these Olympics, after Brazil narrowly won their opening pool match 1-0, but this time the samba boys were not as laid back.

Although clearly demoralised by its 3-0 semi-final loss to Argentina, Brazil had inspirational captain Ronaldinho to re-ignite its motivation with a masterful display in the midfield.

The AC Milan star created numerous opportunities through the first half starting with a header that just sailed over the bar in the opening minutes.

The bronze medals adds to Brazil's collection of two silvers (1984, 1988) and another bronze at Atlanta in 1996, but again the one prize they want, an Olympic gold medal, has eluded the five times world champion.

Belgium at least has the history books to show they won the Olympic final at the 1920 Antwerp Games.

Mitcham, Helm dive into 10m platform final
 

Saturday, August 23, 2008 - 1:37 AM

Australia's Matthew Mitcham and Mathew Helm have both qualified for the final of the men's 10 metre platform diving at the Beijing Olympics.

Mitcham moved through in second place with 509.60 points with Helm in fifth on 484.40.

China's Luxin Zhou finished the preliminaries in top spot with 539.80 points.

US into men's basketball final
 

Saturday, August 23, 2008 - 2:37 AM

Title favourite the United States has beaten defending champion Argentina 101-81 in a bruising game to reach the Olympic men's basketball final.

The Americans will take on Spain in Sunday's gold medal showdown, a team they blew out in the group stages of the Beijing Games.

Spain defeated Lithuania 91-86 in the other semi-final.

Fired up by an eyeball-to-eyeball clash with Argentina's Fabricio Oberto, Carmelo Anthony led the US victory drive with 21 points.

Luis Scola carried the fight for Argentina with 26.

Argentina lost Manu Ginobili, the tournament's leading scorer, in the first quarter after an apparent leg injury, making it virtually impossible to match the superior firepower of the Americans.

The United States has won 12 Olympic men's basketball titles but its dominance has waned in recent years, with bronze medals at the 2004 Athens Games and the 2006 world championships.