Month: August 2012

 

The penultimate day of the games sees the start of the boxing finals where 13 nations are represented. Team GB have 3 boxers through to the finals as do Ukraine with Cuba, Italy and Kazakhstan all supplying 3 fighters. Other highlights are the men’s 5000m final, the women’s Elliott 6m gold medal match and the men’s football final. Ed Mckeever has medal chances in the K1 200. Canoeing final while the men’s modern pentathlon celebrates 100 years at the Olympics. There are women’s finals in Basketball, Handball and Volleyball and in the Diving Tom Daley is a medal hope in the men’s 10m platform final.

The first gold medal of the day may well be won in the 50k race walk with women’s 20k event starting at 5.00. Athletic relays including Usain Bolt and the Jamaican team. , women’s high jump and the women’s mountain bike race are other highlights in the proverbial packed programme.

We are underway with the 50K walk which will take about 3.5 hours. The Russians are in the lead group early doors.

Ed McKeever looking supremely confident wins gold for GB. More action at Eton Dorney and Ukraine win the C200m men’s event.

They have started fencing in the modern pentathlon and our guy is 5^th mid way through the fencing but there is a long way to go. We are 90 minutes into the 50K walk and there are 3 Russians in the lead group. There are also two from Guatemala so I will be supporting them. It is always good to see the medals spread around – like the Tunisian who won gold in the open water swim yesterday. Erick Barrondo won silver in the 20K walk so he has to be in with a squeak here.

Lisa Carrington of New Zealand times her race to perfection to win gold in the women’s K1.

The race walk has been going nearly 3 hours and the Russians are 1-2-3. Finland and Russia are lining up for the women’s Elliott bronze match.

Evening now and a good deal has happened – where do we start?

The sailing has been a pleasure to watch and today provided two close races. Finland came from behind to pip Russia for the bronze and the surprise package Spain beat the hot favourites Australian 3.2.

The modern pentathlon is a gruelling event but the winner David Svoboda put in a confident run at the finish to get the better of Cao of China with the Hungarian Adam Marosi taking bronze.

After the success of our women’s hockey team yesterday there was no such success for the GB men’s team who were always second best in the bronze medal match going down 3.1. Germany retained their gold medal beating Holland 2.1.

This afternoon’s football final produced a major upset with the compact, organised Mexico beating the odds on favourites Brazil 2.1. Brazil gained some consolation in the women’s volleyball final. Despite being well beaten 25.11 in the first set they came back to win gold.

In the women’s basketball Australia beat Russia 83.74 but it was a good day for Russia in the athletics. They won both the 50k men’s walk and the 20k women’s walk. They also won the women’s 800m with Savinova coming home untroubled. The women’s high jump also went to Russia thanks to a commanding performance from Anna Chicherova.

Performance of the day though came from GBs Mo Farrer who completed the double by adding the 5,000m gold to the 10,000m he won last week. This was a really wonderful performance from Mo getting the tactics absolutely spot on. Two sports that proved watchable today were the Rhythmic gymnastics and the mountain bike race. Once again it was Russian gold in the gymnastics thanks to Evgeniya Kanaeva while the mountain bike gold went to Julie Bressett of France who made most of the running.

The final athletics track event were the remaining relays where the USA “dream team” stormed to victory in the women’s 400m x 4 while in the men’s 4 x 100m there was no stopping Usain Bolt and Jamaica.

As I am typing this there is a cracking woman’s handball final taking place. There are 7 minutes left Norway lead Montenegro 21.20 and the Montenegrin goalkeeper has just made a triple save.

We have had some boxing finals tonight. First up was the light flyweight division where Zou Shimming of China defended his title beating hi Thai opponent, a result that did not go down well with the crown after the Thai boxer had received a controversial public warning.

The bantam weight final made history as the first ever final between boxers from GB and Ireland. The straight punching Luke Campbell took gold against the busy, aggressive Irishman John Hoe Nevin.

Cuba, so dominant in Olympic boxing until recently failed to win a single gold in the 2008 games but Iglesias scored a well earned first gold for them in 2012 with some skilled boxing against a Ukrainian opponent who never stopped coming forward.

Norway retain Handball gold but what a commendable performance from Montenegro. The Norwegian royal family were in the crown. Spain won bronze.

Tom Daley has the bronze – good effort in a high quality final with USA winning gold thanks to David Boudia.

In the middleweight final it’s Brazil v Japan. Japan have it by one point – it’s been an up and down sort of day for the Brazilians. Once again a public warning for the Brazilian was crucial.

One for more to go in the heavyweight division and it’s Russo of Italy v Usyk of the Ukraine. In the basketball USA are running away with it 63.37. No big surprise there. Russo gives it everything in a close bruising contest but the Ukrainian gets it by 14.11.

 

Day 14 of the Olympics and Team GB won 2 silver medals in the men’s and women’s 470 class sailing. There was also a bronze for the women’s hockey team who beat New Zealand 3.1 with all the goals coming as a result of penalty corners.

Sweden were the first to qualify for the men’s handball when they edged out Hungary in a thrilling encounter 27.26. France are playing Croatia in the other semi.

Russia are through to the men’s volleyball final beating Bulgaria 3.1. Brazil are already two sets up in the other semi against Italy.

Spain beat Russia in the first men’s basketball semi final and will meet either USA or Argentina while Croatia beat Montenegro 7.5 in the first of the men’s water polo semis. Italy currently leads Serbia 6.5 in the other semi.

In the men’s football bronze medal match Park has put Korea one up after 38 minutes.

It was a messy old 1500m women’s final with the race turning into a bit of a sprint over the last 600. Alptekin of Turkey was not an altogether popular winner as she has served a drugs ban but she became her country’s first ever track and field gold medallist. Gamze Bulut made it a Turkish 1-2.

In the women’s relays the USA women broke the world record in winning the sprint relay. The men’s 400m relay went to the Bahamas who beat the USA.

Korea have bronze in the men’s football 2.0.

France have beaten Croatia in the handball semi in a superb match with 20 saves by their ‘keeper. Italy have beaten Serbia 9.7 in the water polo semi.

Holland won the women’s hockey gold beating Argentina 2.0.

The BMX cycling finals proved entertaining TV viewing. Mariana Pajon won Columbia’s second gold medal ever while Strombergs of Latvia took the men’s gold.

We have done well in the boxing. Luke Campbell, our bantamweight outpointed his Japanese opponent and will meet John Joe Nevin of Ireland in the final. The GB welterweight is also through to the final having accounted for the number 1 seed Taras Shelestyuk of the Ukraine. Our middleweight Anthony Ogogo has to settle for bronze after losing his semi final to a Brazilian.

 

The canoeing sprints were the pick of the morning’s action. The Kayak 4 comes across well on the TV and the men’s K4 1000m was no exception. Although Australia were the only non European crew they proved too strong for their rivals with Hungary taking silver and the Czech Republic bronze. Hungary gained compensation for that defeat thanks to Danuta Kozak in the Women’s K1. Josefa Idem was 5^th for Italy in her 8^th Olympic Games.

The Women’s 10K open water swim was a gruelling event. Hopes were high for Team GBs Keri-anne Payne but she just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth by only a matter of inches. Eva Riszstov of Hungary won Gold making almost all the running and although getting tired she just held off the challenge of American Haley Anderson, who finished second to claim silver, with Italy’s Martina Grimaldi taking bronze.

The desperately close finishes continue with Canada scoring the only goal of the women’s football bronze medal match in the last minute and that after France had twice hit the woodwork. USA took gold beating Japan 2.1.

The track finals followed the form book. Usain Bolt ran a fantastic bend to successfully defend the 200m crown in a clean sweep for Jamaica with Blake second and Weir third. David Rudisha broke the Olympic record to win the 800m for Kenya in majestic fashion and Ashton Eaton as expected took the decathlon for the USA.

There were two more golds for team GB in sports as diverse as boxing and dressage. Nicola Adams made history by becoming the first woman to win Olympic gold with a stunning display against her Chinese opponent in the flyweight division. We won gold and bronze in the individual dressage thanks to Charlotte DeJardin and Laura Bechtolsheimer.

Our only competitor in the wrestling, Olga Butkevych was beaten by her opponent from Ecuador despite taking an early lead.

Ireland won their first medal of the games in the women’s boxing when Katie Taylor outpointed Russian Sofya Ochigava amid an extraordinary atmosphere at ExCeL.

The women’s team events have reached their final stages. In the water polo USA won gold beating Spain 8.5 while Australia edged out Hungary 13.11.

Norway will meet Montenegro in the handball final after they had beaten Korea and Spain. Brazil and the USA won their volleyball semis against Japan and Korea.

Team GB were thrashed 9.2 in the men’s hockey semi final by Holland who will meet Germany in the final after Germany had beaten Australia 4.2.

The women’s javelin crown went to Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic.

 

Day 12 began with 4 canoe finals at Eton Dorney.

Tim Brabant won gold in Beijing in the K1 1000m but after having suffered injury problems he was last of the 8 finalists’ today. European champion Hoff was fancied but could only finosh 3^rd with Larsen of Norway getting the gold medal.

The men’s C1 1000m gold went to German Brendel. Spain grabbed the silver with the fast finishing David Cal Figueroa becoming most successful Spanish Olympian of all time. Oldershaw won bronze for Canada. His grandfather competed in the London 1948 games.

The men’s K2 1000m went to a photo finish with Hungary just holding off the fast finishing Portuguese. In the Women’s K4 500m Hungary claimed gold in a very close finish with Germany and Belarus in the minor places.

Team GB are guaranteed at least silver in the women’s boxing flyweight division with another accomplished display from Nicola Adams who outpointed her Indian opponent. Later we saw the very talented American teenager Claressa Shields move into the final of the middleweight class defeating Volnova of Kazakhstan.

There have been some close finishes in a lot of sports but the Hungary v Iceland clash in the men’s handball quarter final was quite something. Missed penalties, goalkeepers subbed for outfield players and all manner of shenanigans. It was 27 all after normal time and the teams were still level after extra time. A further 5 minutes each way followed and Hungary finally sealed a famous victory 33.31. The other quarterfinals were also tense close affairs. Sweden beat European champions Denmark 24.22 while France accounted for Spain 23.22. France met Spain in the men’s basketball quarter finals but this time Spain came out on top.

We have also reached the quarter finals of the men’s volleyball. Brazil are through beating Argentina 3.0. They will meet Italy in the semis after the Italians beat the USA.

Italy had a good day in the men’s water polo beating Hungary and will meet Serbia in the semis.

There were six clear round in the first phase of the show jumping and as 2 of those were from Team GB things looked promising for a medal or two. In the end though we finished out of the medals with gold going to Steve Guerdat of Switzerland. In a jump off for the silver Cian O’Connor of Ireland had the last fence down which cost him and he had to settle for bronze behind Gerco Schroder of Netherlands.

There was yet another close encounter in the first women’s hockey semi final with Holland edging past New Zealand in a penalty shoot out after a 2.2 draw extra time. In the second semi GB trail Argentina 2.0 at half time. Argentina are also leading in the men’s basketball against South American rivals Brazil 46.40.

The beach volleyball women’s final is about to get started. An all American match between Ross/Kessy and May’Traenor/Walsh.

Argentina have beaten GB in the hockey 2.1 and meet Holland in the final.

Russia’s Natalya Antyukh claimed the first gold medal of the evening at the Olympic Stadium in the 400m Hurdles.

Mens 110m hurdles final – Aries Merritt looks the one to beat – it’s gold for Merritt of the USA. Another gold for USA as Alison Felix beats the Jamaicans in the 200m.

Usain Bolt is on course for Gold as he qualifies easily for the 200m final.

May- Traenor and Walsh have won gold for the third time in straight sets against their less experienced opponents.

Boxing next and Italy are having a good day across different sports. Their light welterweight Mangiacapre has outpointed his Kazakhstani opponent to progress into the semis. Next up is Thomas Stalker for team GB against a Mongolian. The prize a place in the semis and a guaranteed a bronze at least.

We have a chance of a sailing medal tomorrow. It is the medal race in the men’s 470 and Patience and Bithell are lying second.

Back to the boxing – all square after round 1.

Our only wrestler is in action tomorrow in the women’s 55kg class. She meets a wrestler from Ecuador.

Stalker is 7.8 down after round 2. Hard last round. Has Stalker done enough? The Mongolian has won it 23.22.

What have we got tomorrow? Men’s 200m and 800m and the women’s javelin. Semi finals in the women’s Basketball, the women’s football medal matches, and the semis in the women’s handball and volleyball. USA meet Spain in the women’s water polo final, there are 4 canoeing finals and it’s the men’s hockey semis, and of course there is more boxing including Nicola Adams going for gold. It will be a long day!

 

Day 11 and they are playing on the blue hockey pitch. It is the last day of the group stages in the men’s competition and Korea are playing Holland. Korea has to win to stand any chance of progressing further. Team GB play Spain tonight by which time we will know what we need to do to reach the semi finals.

The highlights today include the 1500 men’s final, the Triathlon, the men’s football semis and the team dressage.

The Dutch score from a penalty corner 1.0.Holland could win both hockey golds.

Verga makes it 2.0 with a fine individual goal. Really entertaining game now with the Koreans coming back from 0.3 to 3.2 only for the Dutch extend their lead to 4.2 which is the final score.

Australia are well on their way to the semi finals as they lead Pakistan 5.0 at the beginning of the second half. Final score 7.0 and some awesome finishing from Australia.

In the women’s handball champions Norway have come back from a half time deficit and beaten Brazil 21.19. The gold medallists from Beijing have found their form at last. In the women’s table tennis team bronze medal match Korea and playing Singapore.

Evening session now and there has been plenty of excitement today. Team GB continued to dominate the track cycling and Chris Hoy won the Keirin to claim his 5^th gold medal while Laura Trott won gold in the Omnium. Victoria Pendleton was denied gold in the individual sprint and had to settle for silver behind Australian Anna Meares.

There was gold this morning for Alistair Brownlee who triumphed in the Triathlon with brother Jonny getting bronze despite having to overcome a 15 second penalty for mounting his bike too early. Spaniard Javier Gomez did well to split the Yorkshiremen and win silver. There was also gold for team GB in the team dressage to continue the good results for our equestrian team.

China’s dominance of the table tennis continued as they won gold in the women’s team event beating Japan. The Japanese got their revenge in the women’s volleyball winning a marathon 5 setter against China beating their arch rivals for the first time in 11 years. The final score was 28-26, 23-25, 25-23, 23-25, 18-16 in a tussle lasted two hours and 15 minutes. In the beach version of the game Americans Walsh and May-Treanor beat the Chinese pair in a titanic battle 22.20, 22.20.

With just 3 minutes left in the first half GB have gone 1.0 up against Spain thanks to Jackson from a penalty corner. A point will put us into the semi finals.

There have been some surprises in the women’s handball quarter finals. Norway beat the in form Brazil and Korea surprised Russia. Spain edged out Croatia 25.22. France play Montenegro later tonight.

This afternoon there was a high quality competition in the women’s floor exercise final. The gold went to Alexander Raisman, of the USA, Romania’s Catalina Ponor in silver and Russian Aliya Mustafina took bronze.

In the women’s water polo Spain lead Hungary 1.0 in the semi final with the USA to meet the winners in the final. Another goal for Spain, 2.0.

Mexico are through to the men’s football final beating Japan 3.1. The second semi is tonight with Brazil facing Korea.

The highlight on the track is the men’s 1500m final. Back to the hockey and Spain have equalised from a penalty corner – it is going to be a tense last 13 minutes.

In the football Brazil and Korea are 0.0 after 30 minutes. Spain lead Hungary 7.5 in the water polo. In the women’s basketball quarter final Russia are looking good against Turkey. It ends 1.1 in the hockey – the Spanish players are not happy. More good news for GB as Robbie Grabarz gets bronze in the high jump. Russia win gold with Ivan Ukhov.

Early days in the handball but France lead Montenegro 3.2. The big guys have been on stage in the weightlifting. Big guys with long names. Gold for Behdad Salimikordasiabi and silver for Sajjad Anoushiravani Hamlabad. They are both Iranians. More success for Iran with Hadadi getting silver in the discus – the first ever track and field medal for Iran. Harting won the gold for Germany.

Spain have edged out Hungary in the water polo and face the USA in the final. Brazil 1.0 up in the football with the keeper beaten as his near post.

Women’s 100m hurdles final coming up. Sally Pearson for Australia – new Olympic record.

Brazil are 2.0 up in the football and it’s Italy v Korea in the women’s volleyball. Michael Conlon is fighting Oubaali of France in the flyweight quarter final. All square after round 1. 1500m final coming up.

Basketball and Turkey have come back against Russia and lead 52.51. Boxing again and it’s 12.12 – come on Ireland. Conlon’s gets the decision.

Algerian Makhloufi absolutely blows them away in the 1500m – controversial as he had a doctor’s note yesterday!

There are some close games going on. The handball is 17.14 to France who are edging towards the semis. Turkey and Russia are 62 all with 28 seconds left. My money’s on Russia. Tense stuff. Russia it is 66.63.after a flurry of time outs in the last 13 seconds. In the volleyball Italy have won the first set against Korea.

Another nail biter. IN the handball France and Montenegro are 21 all. Three minutes left. Amazing stuff with Montenegro winning 23.22 with a penalty in the last second.

 

Day 10 of the Olympics and as usual it is early morning hockey. Germany take on New Zealand in an important game for both teams. Midway through the first half and there is no score. A win for New Zealand will ensure them a semi final place but the Germans must win by 3 clear goals to have a chance of staying in the tournament. The all blacks are playing in all white! The game ended goalless which was enough to put New Zealand into the last four.

Plenty to come later including the medal race of the Laser class in the sailing where Tom Slingsby of Australia is on course for gold.

Evening now and plenty to report on today. Gold for GB in the Show Jumping team event and for Jason Kenny in the cycling sprint. There was also a bronze for Beth Tweddle in the Gymnastics. Saudi Arabia took bronze in the team Show Jumping which was their first medal of the games while in the Gymnastics Brazil’s Arthur Nabarrete Zanetti won the rings, claiming the first ever gymnastics gold for his country.

It is the women’s football semi finals today and Japan beat France 2.1 with France missing a penalty (put it wide) and squandering numerous chances to equalise in the last 20 minutes.

In Group A of the women’s hockey Japan did GB a huge favour earlier today beating China 1.0 which means we qualify for the semi finals. We are into the second half in the women’s hockey and it is 1.1 between GB and Holland. Both teams have already qualified but GB need to win to top the group.

There is plenty going on at the various venues. In the football semi final there is no score after 12 minutes between USA and Canada.

In the women’s boxing Nicola Adams earned at least a bronze medal with a stylish points win against Petrova of Bulgaria in the flyweight division. She meets an Indian boxer in the semi final.

Our flyweight boxer Andrew Selby is in action tomorrow and meets a boxer from Cuba in the quarters. The Cubans are always tough opponents. In the welterweight quarter finals GBs Freddie Evans meets Custio Clayton.

Some sloppy defending and it’s Holland 2 GB 1 meanwhile up at Old Trafford Christine Sinclair has put Canada 1 up with the very cool finish. Game on!

Ostapchuk has won the women’s shot for Belarus beating the defending champ Valerie Adams of New Zealand.

Our pole vaulter Holly Bleasdale has had a bad day and is in tears. You have to feel for her.

We are getting to the quarter final stages in the team sports.

Women’s Basketball – Australia v China; USA v Canada; Turkeyv Russia; France v Czech Republic.

Women’s handball – Brazil v Norway; Russia v Korea; Spain v Croatia; France v Montenegro.

Women’s Volleyball – Russia v Brazil; Japan v China; Italy v Korea; USA v Dominixcan Republic.

In the Water Polo the women are down to the semi finals tomorrow with USA playing Australia and Hungary playing Spain.

Holland win the hockey 2.1 but GB are in the semi finals.

Men’s 400m hurdles final coming up. Dai Green looks up against it after scraping into the final. Fingers crossed though. Green is 5^th. Sanchez of the Dominican Republic takes gold and he seems rather pleased!

USA v Canada is now 1.1.

Alternating between the Women’s steeplechase and the women’s pole vault. Zaripova makes all to win gold for Russia in the steeplechase in the 3^rd fastest time ver.

3 all at Old Trafford in what is becoming an epic and Womack misses a sitter for the USA. Sinclair has a hat trick for the Canadians.

It’s all happening now. Kirani James of Granada wins the men’s 400m in style to beat fellow teenager Santos of the Dominican Republic. No runner from the USA in the final for the first time in donkey’s years and we had twin brothers from Belgium. Off to the boxing Anthony Ogogo fights Stefan Hartel from Germany. It’s extra time at Old Trafford. There is a vital hockey match in the women’s competition where Australia play Argentina with the winners going through to the semi finals.

Ogogo 5.2 up at the end of round 1. I wonder how the pole vault is going on. Ogogo leads 10.6 at the end of round 2. Ogogo in the semi finals winning 15.10 but the German was no pushover.

Jennifer Suhr has won the pole vault for the USA and the hockey is 0.0 at half time.

Fantastic header by Morgan wins it for USA in the third minute of stoppage time in extra time. They were only ahead in the game for 30 seconds. The hockey ends 0.0 and Argentina go though.It is still 0.0 in the hockey and a draw will do for Argentina.