Summer Olympics Briefs

Mon., Aug. 23, 2004

Compiled from wire reports The Spokesman-Review

Women’s basketball

Katie Smith, the U.S. team’s best outside shooter, reinjured her right knee early in a 100-62 win over China. The initial diagnosis was a sprain and Smith will undergo an MRI today.

The win extended the U.S. winning streak in the Olympics to 22. The United States already had secured first place in Group B.

Women’s volleyball

Desperate for a victory and in danger of an embarrassing elimination from the women’s volleyball tournament, the United States finally played like a gold medal contender.

Logan Tom scored 19 points to lead the Americans to a straight-set win over Cuba and a spot in the quarterfinals.

Gold medal favorite China, behind 16 points from Hao Yang, beat Russia in three sets to earn the top spot in Group B. The Chinese will face Japan in the quarterfinals.

Track and field

Fani Halkia of Greece thrilled the sold-out Olympic Stadium crowd with an Olympic record of 52.77 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles semifinals.

Stefan Holm of Sweden won the high jump, clearing 7 feet, 8 3/4 inches (2.36 meters). Matt Hemingway of the United States took the silver and Jaroslav Baba of the Czech Republic the bronze. Both cleared 7-8 (2.34).

Christian Olsson of Sweden won the gold medal with a triple jump of 58-4 1/2 (17.79 meters). Marian Oprea of Romania won silver and Danila Burkenya of Russia got bronze.

Adrian Annus of Hungary won the hammer throw gold medal with an effort of 272-11 (83.19 meters). Koji Murofushi of Japan won the silver medal. Ivan Tikhon of Belarus got the bronze.

Tennis

Nicolas Massu of Chile won his second gold medal of the Athens Olympics by beating American Mardy Fish 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a men’s singles final that lasted 4 hours.

Chile had never won a gold medal in any sport until Massu and Fernando Gonzalez won the doubles title in a match that lasted more than 3 1/2 hours and ended early Sunday.

Gymnastics

Americans Terin Humphrey and Courtney Kupets took the silver and bronze medals on uneven bars. Emilie Lepennec of France won the gold.

Humprhey and Kupets joined Annia Hatch, who won silver on the vault, as medalists in the event finals.

Kyle Shewfelt won the men’s floor exercise, giving Canada its first Olympic gold medal in gymnastics. Marian Dragulescu of Romania was second with the same score as Shewfelt, a 9.787, but tiebreakers dropped him to second. Jordan Jovtchev of Bulgaria won bronze.

Paul Hamm, who became the first U.S. man to win all-around gold Wednesday in what has become a disputed finish, was fifth on floor.

Dimosthenis Tampakos of Greece sent the gym into a frenzy, winning gold on the rings with 9.862 points. Jovtchev took silver with 9.850 points. Five-time world champion Yuri Chechi of Italy won bronze with 9.812.

Monica Rosu of Romania won the gold medal in the vault, followed by Hatch and Anna Pavlova of Russia.

Teng Haibin of China won gold on the pommel horse with a score of 9.837. Marius Daniel Urzica of Romania won silver with 9.825. Takehiro Kashima of Japan won bronze with 9.787.

Softball

Lisa Fernandez pitched a three-hitter and Crystl Bustos drove in two runs as the Americans rolled to their eighth shutout in eight days, beating Australia 5-0 to put them in the gold medal game.

Later, Kerry Wyborn hit a three-run double and Tanya Harding pitched her fourth shutout of the tournament as Australia beat Japan 3-0, setting up a rematch today with the United States in the gold medal game.

Baseball

Japan earned the top seed in the medal round by defeating Greece 6-1 while Cuba beat Italy 5-0 to complete group play.

Canada routed Australia 11-0 to earn the No. 3 seed in the semifinals, where it will face Cuba.

Beach volleyball

Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs beat the German pair of Stephanie Pohl and Okka Rau 21-17, 21-17 and top-seeded Misty May and Kerri Walsh beat Canadians Guylaine Dumont and Annie Martin, 21-19, 21-14. It will be an all-American semifinal today.

Stein Metzger and Dax Holdren lost to Swiss pair Patrick Heuscher and Stefan Kobel 21-16, 21-19 in the Olympic quarterfinals, ending U.S. hopes of a third straight gold medal on the men’s side.

Boxing

Heavyweight Devin Vargas couldn’t land the big punch he needed against Viktar Zuyev of Belarus, dropping a 36-27 decision. in the latest in a string of losses for the U.S. boxing team.

Vargas would have been guaranteed at least a bronze had he won.

Cycling

World champion Sarah Ulmer of New Zealand broke her own world record to win the gold medal in the 3,000-meter pursuit.

Ulmer finished in 3:24.537, nearly two seconds faster than her world record set in Friday’s qualifying. Australia’s Katie Mactier won silver while retiring Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel of the Netherlands got bronze.

Diving

Chantelle Newbery won Australia’s first gold medal in diving since 1924, easily holding off China’s Lao Lishi and Aussie teammate Loudy Tourky in women’s 10-meter platform.

Equestrian

American show jumping riders were solid in qualifying. Beezie Madden and Peter Wylde had problem-free rounds, putting the United States among the favorites for the gold when 16 countries compete for team medals Tuesday.

Fencing

France earned its third gold medal in Athens, defeating Hungary 43-32 in the men’s team epee final.

France’s Brice Guyart won the individual foil gold earlier, as did the French men’s saber team. Germany beat Russia to take the bronze.

Rowing

The American men’s elite eight crew ended a 40-year drought in rowing gold medals, taking a big lead and fending off a late charge by runner-up the Netherlands. Australia won the bronze.

The U.S. women’s eight won the silver medal.

Sailing

Also, two more gold medals were awarded. Brazil’s Robert Scheidt won gold in the Laser class, giving him three straight Olympic medals to go along with an unprecedented seven world championships. He won the gold in 1996 and the silver in 2000.

Norway’s Siren Sundby won the Europe class, her first Olympic gold.

Table tennis

China’s Zhang Yining won her second table tennis gold medal of the Athens Games, beating surprise finalist Kim Hyang Mi of North Korea 4-0 in the women’s singles final.

South Korea’s Kim Kyung-ah won bronze with a 4-1 win over Jia Wei Li of Singapore.

Wrestling

Patricia Miranda was the only American women’s wrestler who didn’t lose. Sara McMann advanced into the semifinals despite a loss but U.S. star Toccara Montgomery lost to five-time world champion Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan 8-4.

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