Month: August 2012

So we have come to the final day and they have made an early start in the women’s modern pentathlon. The first discipline is the fencing and Toth of Hungary leads with Rublevska of Latvia and Asadauskaite of Lithuania close behind. Team GBs Mhairi Spence is in 11^th. The volleyball bronze medal match is close. Bulgaria beat Italy 3.0 in the preliminary rounds but Italy took the first set. Bulgaria have won a tight second set and it is game on!

Midday on the last day and Italy have won the Volleyball bronze 3.1. The marathon is under way. It is hard to see beyond Kenya and Ethiopia for the medals. The basketball bronze medal match is close. Russia lead Argentina 40.38 at the end of the second quarter.

It is half time in the handball bronze medal match with Croatia leading Hungary 19.14. In the Wrestling India are hoping for their first gold of the games in the men’s 66k freestyle. Sushil Kumar faces a Japanese fighter in the final.

We are 15 miles into the marathon. Wilson Kiprotich of Kenya is clear but there is a long way to go. Kirui the other Kenyan is in a 3 man chasing group with Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda and the Ethiopian Abshero. Are the medals between these 4 or will someone come from the back when the front runners tire?

Six minutes left and it’s 27.22 to Croatia in the Handball. Inside the last 10 minutes and Russia have a 4 point advantage in the basketball.

There are going past Big Ben in the Marathon and the 2 Kenyans and the Ugandan are a leading group of 3.

Well, it’s all over and there was plenty of excitement on the last day. Here goes with a round up.

The marathon – It seemed a foregone conclusion that the Kenyans, or possibly the Ethiopians, would take gold. Stephen Kiprotich though had not read the script and he won going away to take the first athletics gold for Uganda in 40 years.

The ball games – The USA took the basketball gold as usual but they met with fierce resistance from Spain who only trailed by 1 point going into the final quarter. The final score was 107.100 with Russia getting a last gasp win over Argentina in the bronze medal match. The volleyball gold seemed destined for Brazil as they took a 2 set lead over Russia but the Russians fought back to win 3.2 and gain a gold medal that looked pretty unlikely for much of the game. France retained the handball gold in a real thriller 22.21 over Sweden – Hungary beat Croatia for the bronze. Italy won water polo gold when the Olympics last came to London in 1948 but this time they were beaten in the final by Croatia 8.6. Serbia pipped Montenegro for the bronze.

Boxing – The 5 finals were won by 5 different nations. Team GB’s Anthony Joshua won the Super Heavy class beating Cammarelle of Italy on count back. The other 4 golds went to boxers from Cuba, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. For my money the best boxer at the games was Lomachenko of Ukraine who won the lightweight gold.

The best of the rest – There was an exciting finish to the men’s mountain bike race with a sprint for the line. Kulhavy of the Czech Republic beat Scherter of Switzerland by a bike’s length with the Italian Fontana 3^rd.

The very last event of the games was the modern pentathlon an all day event involving Fencing, Swimming, Show jumping, Shooting and Running. It was fitting that team GB should end with a medal and Samantha Murray kept up a proud British tradition in the event to take silver. Lithuania’s Laura Asadauskaite was a worthy winner while the Brazilian Yane Marquez.