Big day for CdA’s Brown
Matt Brown of Coeur d’Alene got off to a hot start for the United States baseball team as play opened Wednesday and today in Beijing with a pair of games.
Brown belted a solo home run to help stake the Americans to a 6-0 lead over the Netherlands today in a game that was delayed in the eighth inning at press time.
Brown delivered a key ninth-inning hit for the U.S. in the first game Wednesday, before Lee Jong-wook hit a sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom of the ninth to lift South Korea to an 8-7 victory.
The Americans had seemed poised for a comeback victory after Brown hit a go-ahead two-run single with two outs in the top of the ninth, but South Korea rallied against closer Jeff Stevens.
Spanish players defend
Players on Spain’s Olympic basketball team defended a photo in an ad showing the players using their fingers to apparently make their eyes look more Chinese.
The photo, which has been running as a newspaper spread in Spain since Friday, shows all 15 players making the gesture on a basketball court adorned with a Chinese dragon. The photo was part of a publicity campaign for team sponsor Seur, a Spanish courier company, and is being used only in Spain.
“It was something like supposed to be funny or something but never offensive in any way,” said Spain center Pau Gasol, who also plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. “I’m sorry if anybody took it the wrong way and thought that it was offensive.”
U.S. men ousted
The United States men’s soccer team saw its Olympic medal dreams dashed in a 2-1 loss to Nigeria at Beijing Workers Stadium.
That defeat, combined with the Netherlands’ 1-0 victory over Japan in Shenyang, dropped the U.S. into third place in Group B and denied it a quarterfinal berth.
Federer advances
Switzerland’s Roger Federer avenged a defeat four years ago at the Olympics by beating Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-3, 7-6 (4) to reach the men’s singles tennis quarterfinals.
Federer wept after losing to Berdych in the second round at the Athens Games in 2004.
Federer’s nemesis Rafael Nadal of Spain also advanced, by beating Igor Andreev of Russia, 6-4, 6-2. Americans Venus and Serena Williams won to remain on course for a sibling showdown in the women’s final Saturday.
Leipheimer wins bronze
Levi Leipheimer, a Butte native won the bronze medal in the Olympic men’s road cycling time-trial in Juyongguan, China.
Leipheimer finished the 29.4-mile course near the Great Wall of China in 1 hour, 3 minutes, 21.11 seconds.
U.S. pair still perfect
Americans Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor wrapped up the beach volleyball round-robin with a perfect record, beating Norway in straight sets to head into the medal round with a 3-0 record.
The other American women’s team, Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs, was also 3-0 after completing pool play.