Zou Shiming repeats Beijing success

Zou Shiming repeats Beijing success

LONDON - Zou Shiming won his second successive Olympic gold medal on Saturday, beating Thailand's Kaeo Pongprayoon in a battle of two of the oldest fighters at the London Games to cap his total dominance of the light-flyweight division.

Zou, who won China's first Olympic boxing medal, a bronze, eight years ago and its first gold in front of home fans at the Beijing Games, added a second Olympic win to a career haul that also includes three world amateur championships.



Zou Shiming (L) fights Thailand's Kaeo Pongprayoon during their Men's Light Fly (49kg) gold medal boxing match at the London Olympics August 11, 2012.

The canny 31-year-old, who survived a couple of scares to reach the final, grinned all the way to the ring and was probably still smiling inside when he was slightly fortunate to be narrowly ahead after the first round.

Pongprayoon, at 32 the oldest among the men's 20 finalists, was cheered on by the majority of the crowd, including a noisy section of Thai fans, but their encouragement turned to boos after the second round when he was again unlucky to lose by a single point.

Pongprayoon continued to be a nuisance against his taller opponent in the final round, catching Zou with a big left but the now double Olympic champion, who was warned for holding, hung on to win 13-10.

Pongprayoon, who also received a warning in the final seconds of the bout, fell to the ground in tears and beat the canvass in frustration as a flag-waving Zou was booed.

Pongprayoon's cornerman even raised his fighter's hand in defiance to the delight of the crowd.

Losing semi-finalists Ireland's Paddy Barnes and David Ayrapetyan of Russia took bronze.



Zou Shiming of China poses with his gold medal during the presentation ceremony for the Men's Light Fly (49kg) boxing competition at the London Olympics August 11, 2012.

( Agencies)

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New wave surfaces as Phelps signs off

New wave surfaces as Phelps signs off

LONDON - He did not set any world records and won only half as many gold medals as he did in Beijing four years ago but Michael Phelps still stole the show in the swimming events at the London Olympics.

After winning eight gold medals in Beijing, London was always going to be a lap of honor for the American who said he would retire after the Games, but it proved to be a coronation worthy of a king.

Phelps was not as dominant as he was four years ago but through adversity he provided an everlasting reminder of why he is the greatest swimmer of all time.

After a slow start to the meet where he was beaten in his first two individual events, he finished strongly, winning gold medals in his last four events, setting records that may never be beaten.



Michael Phelps of the US celebrates with his trophy awarded to him by FINA honouring him as the most decorated Olympian of all time, after winning the men's 4x100m medley relay final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Center, Aug 4, 2012.

He won six medals in London, four golds and two silvers, more than any other athlete in any sport at the Games. When he won his third, he passed Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina's long-standing record of 18 career medals.

When he completed his final race, Phelps signed off with 22 medals, including 18 golds. No-one else, in any sport, has won more than nine.

"I always said nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself and work hard," he said.

"I couldn't ask to finish on a better note. I have done everything I wanted to do. I am very happy."

While he won more medals than anyone else and his farewell added a nostalgic touch to the London Games, Phelps was not alone in the spotlight.

US teenager Missy Franklin emerged as the new face of swimming by also winning four golds in her first Olympic appearance.

The 17-year-old broke the 200 meters backstroke world record and joined forces with her American team mates to break the medley relay world record.

Unfazed by the attention and magnitude of the Games, she gushed and giggled her way through an exhausting program to draw comparisons with Phelps.

No woman has won more than eight career gold medals in swimming and with half as many from her first appearance, Franklin has already raised the possibility she could end up as the greatest female swimmer of all time.

"I don't think his shoes will ever be filled. I think his footsteps are just huge," she said. "But hopefully I can kind of make little paths right next to his."



(Clockwise from top left) Michael Phelps, Ye Shiwen, Missy Franklin and Sun Yang.

While Phelps and Missy topped the gold medals count with four each, including two each in relays, only three other swimmers won two individual golds.

Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands won the women's 50 and 100 freestyle finals to complete the sprint double while Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen both won twice for China.

Sun became the first swimmer in 32 years to complete the 400-1500 double, smashing his world record in the gruelling 30-lap event, while 16-year-old Ye won the women's medley double, breaking the world record in the 200m with a sizzling final lap that triggered accusations of foul play.

"My results come from hard work and training and I would never use any banned drugs," she told reporters in London. "The Chinese people have clean hands."

China won five gold medals in swimming but could not match the strength and depth of the Americans who won 16 of the 34 medals on offer, 32 in the pool and two in open water.

France won four golds while the Netherlands, South Africa and Hungary won two each. Australia, one of the sport's traditional giants, won just one gold to be level with Tunisia and Lithuania, who won their first gold in swimming when 15-year-old Ruta Meilutyte won the 100 breaststroke in one of the biggest surprises in the pool.

( Agencies)

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Jamaicans celebrate Olympic medal sweep in men's 200m

Jamaicans celebrate Olympic medal sweep in men's 200m

Usain Bolt (C) of Jamaica celebrates with teammates Yohan Blake (R) and Warren Weir after men's 200m final, at London 2012 Olympic Games, London, Britain, Aug. 9, 2012. Jamaican athletes Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake and Warren Weir won gold, silver and bronze medals in this event.

MEXICO CITY, Aug. 9 -- Jamaicans everywhere celebrated on Thursday following their country's historic sweep of the gold, silver and bronze medals in the men's 200m sprint at the London 2012 Olympic Games, according to report reaching here.

After star sprinter Usain "The Lightening" Bolt scored the top medal by running the race in 19.32 seconds, followed by teammates Yohan Blake (19.44) and Warren Weir (19.84), who garnered the silver and bronze, residents in the capital Kingston and elsewhere poured into the streets, dancing, honking their horns and hugging each other, local media reported.

Under the headline "Lighting Bolt strikes again," leading newspaper Jamaica Observer blared the trio's achievement in an online article.

"Jamaica's sprint king Usain Bolt reaffirmed his status as a 'legend,'" the Observer said.

The article went on to mention that the 1-2-3 sweep took fellow sprinters by surprise, especially U.S. medal hopeful Wallace Spearmon, who came in fourth and congratulating the three at the finish line.

"There was never a doubt in my mind that I wouldn't finish in the top three," the observer quoted Spearmon saying afterwards. "Right now it is just surreal. Congratulations to them. I just have to work harder."

Jamaica's triple medal win is only the seventh time the 200m race has been swept by a single country at the Olympics, and the first six times it was done by the United States, reported online news magazine Go Jamaica.

"Jamaica has proven that we are the greatest sprint country. I've got nothing left to prove," Bolt told reporters after the race, adding "I'll never forget this. Lane seven has been good to me these past few days."

Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller praised the athletes, saying "Once again they have done us proud."

Jamaica may still win more gold at the upcoming 4x100m relay race on Sunday.

(Xinhua)

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Chen Ruolin wins women's 10m platform gold at london Olympic Games

Chen Ruolin wins women's 10m platform gold at london Olympic Games

China's Chen Ruolin competes during women's 10m platform diving final, at London 2012 Olympic Games in London, Britain, August 9, 2012. Chen Ruolin won gold medal in this event.

LONDON, Aug. 9 -- Chen Ruolin collected a high 422.30 points for the title of women's 10m platform diving at London Olympic Games on Thursday.

It is the 200th gold medal China won from all the summer Olympic Games it participated in.

Brittany Broben of Australia took the silver medal at 366.50 and Pamg Pandelela Rinong of Malaysia won the bronze medal at 359.20 points.

Another Chinese diver Hu Yadan made two bad dives and finished only 9th in the 5-dive final.

(Xinhua)

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Adams of UK claims first women's boxing Olympic gold

Adams of UK claims first women's boxing Olympic gold

Nicola Adams of Britain (in blue) celebrates after winning in women's boxing fly (51kg) final match, at London 2012 Olympic Games in London, Britain, on August 9, 2012. Nicola Adams of Britain defeated Ren Cancan of China.

LONDON, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Nicola Adams of Great Britain beat Chinese world number one fighter Ren Cancan 16-7 to take home the gold medal on women's 51kg boxing event on Thursday.

Adams lost nine time in the two's first ten meetings, but the home favourite produced a near-perfect performance in Thursday's match, outscoring Ren in the first three rounds, including flooring Ren with a left-right combination in round two.

"I still can't believe I've done it. It's literally like a dream come true. I've been dreaming about it since I was 5 years old. I'm so proud to have won a medal for Great Britain," said Adams.

Adams moved into the final after defeating Indian veteran Chungneijang Mery Kom Hmangte 11-6 in the semifinal. She had the home court advantage but Ren was also eager for the gold, for it would become the 200th Olympic gold medal for China if Ren wins the match.

Adams did a perfect job on home court, establishing a 4-2 lead after the first round. The 29-year-old fighter managed to extend the lead by a 5-2 lead in the second round. Ren tried hard to fight back, but Adams seemed unbeatable.

Adams was almost sure of her victory after the dominative 5-1 in the third round, finishing the match 16-7 by the end.

"During the fight all I could think about was getting points on the board. I couldn't control my nerves," said Adams.

"Now I'm going to go and show off my medal to all my family and friends and I'm eventually coming back to Leeds."

The Leeds-based fighter experienced a hard time before the Olympics. In 2009 she fell down the stairs at her home and suffered a career-threatening back injury which put her out of action for almost a year, eventually returning to competition in June 2010. She also had previously suffered a fractured knuckle and a broken thumb.

Ren celebrated together with Adams, saying that she was quite satisfied with the silver.

"As an athlete you have to accept the result, Adams is a great fighter and I was happy to win a medal," said Ren.

"I lost the match, but not my confidence. I will keep trying and keep fighting for my goal."

Four-time world champion Katie Taylor of Ireland fought a hard fight to beat Sofya Ochigava from Russia 10-8 on women's 60kg category, earning the first London Olympic gold medal for the Irish delegation.

"It is unbelievable. This is like a dream come true. I just became an Olympic champion. It's been the dream of my life. I'm very happy," said Taylor, who used to be a member of Irish women's football team.

"Now I'm looking forward to a massive celebration at home."

In the third and final women's final, Claressa Shields of the United States outlasted Russian fighter 19-12 to win the champion on women's 75kg class.

(Xinhua)

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Liu plans to return after Achilles surgery

Liu plans to return after Achilles surgery

Liu Xiang's surgeon, Nicholas Cullen, said he believes the injury was not as serious as feared, hinting the star hurdler might be able to resume training in six months.

Liu Xiang and Li Guoxiong, a leading fi gure on his back-up team, arrive at a London hospital prior to Liu’s surgery on Thursday.Fu Tian / CHINA NEWS SERVICE

The 29-year-old Chinese hurdler stunned the fans again as he crashed into the first barrier in the first round of the men's 110m hurdles and ended his third Olympic Games with a ruptured Achilles tendon.

He underwent surgery on Thursday at the Wellington Hospital in London. It is the largest independent hospital in the United Kingdom.

Cullen visited Liu in the Athletes Village on Tuesday night and made a preliminary assessment.

Liu seemed somewhat relieved and appeared to be in a good mood the next day. He sent a message to his father, Liu Xuegen.

"I had a very good sleep last night," the message read. "My doctor met me and confirmed the surgery last night. He will operate (Thursday).

"It's a small surgery and will not affect my life. Maybe I will be stronger after I come back. I treasure the hurdling event. I will be back. Since the hurdles are still there, I want to conquer them.

"The key is how I go about recovering after surgery. Just take it easy. Take care."

For the first time since the injury, Liu's parents were made available for a public interview on Wednesday.

His father said Liu's condition wasn't good when he arrived in London last Friday from Germany.

"I had phone calls with his coach after his arrival every day. It's like it would be a little better one day and then get even worse the next day," Liu Xuegen said.

His mother, Ji Fenhua, said she thought about asking Liu when he struck the barrier and hit the track in pain.

"I thought, OK, he could retire now …" she said. "But then we saw his message. He said he still wants to come back. We will not be against his returning after the recovery."

After arriving at the hospital at 11:25 am on Thursday, Liu went through a series of physical checks and was pushed into the operating room at 3 pm.

It was reported by qq.com that besides linking his tendon up, the doctor would also remove a calcified area left over from the last surgery.

Liu underwent his first surgery on the tendon at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston in December 2008, four months after withdrawing from the Beijing Olympic Games.

(China Daily)

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Imperious Bolt blazes to sprint double-double

Imperious Bolt blazes to sprint double-double

Jamaica's Usain Bolt reacts as he wins the men's 200m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 9, 2012. Seen are Jamaica's Warren Weir (L) and Wallace Spearmon of the US.

The world's quickest man, whose imperious performances in London have blown away all doubts that he deserves the unofficial title of greatest ever sprinter, stopped the clock at 19.32 seconds for victory in his favourite event.

Bolt has now matched his stunning Beijing 100 and 200 crowns four years ago following his shorter-dash victory on Sunday.

Compatriot Yohan Blake, as he did in the 100 behind his friend and training partner, took silver in 19.44 and Warren Weir completed a Jamaican podium sweep with bronze in 19.84.

Showman Bolt crossed the line with his finger to his lips before doing a handful of press-ups on the track. Then, taking a photographer's camera, he took snaps of the crowd and Blake who was posing as "The Beast", the nickname Bolt afforded his younger rival.

The 25-year-old is the first man to win two 200 Olympic golds and, as he did in 2008, he will look to complete the treble in the 4x100 relay.

Bolt's winning time matched that of American Michael Johnson who set a then world record of 19.32 to win Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996.

Bolt lowered that to 19.30 in Beijing before clocking a remarkable 19.19 at the Berlin world championships in 2009.

On a warm and windless evening with the electric atmosphere inside an expectant Olympic stadium already raised by Kenyan David Rudisha's 800m world record less than an hour earlier, Bolt, relaxed and smiling in the preliminaries, flew out of the blocks.

Drawn towards the outside in lane seven, Bolt glided around the bend and kicking powerfully down the home straight was always ahead of Blake.



Jamaica's Usain Bolt (L) celebrates as he wins the men's 200m final at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 9, 2012.



Jamaica's Usain Bolt competes in the men's 200m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 9, 2012.



Jamaica's Usain Bolt reacts as he wins the men's 200m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 9, 2012.



Jamaica's Usain Bolt does push-ups beside second-placed team mate Yohan Blake as he celebrates winning the men's 200m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 9, 2012.



Jamaica's Usain Bolt reacts after winning the men's 200m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 9, 2012.



(L to R) Third placed Warren Weir of Jamaica and compatriots first placed Usain Bolt and second placed Yohan Blake pose after the men's 200m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 9, 2012.

( Agencies)

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Phelps out on a golden high

Phelps out on a golden high

LONDON - "Before the race, I didn't say anything else other than 'let's go out and win it'."

After winning 17 Olympic gold medals in his total of 21, Michael Phelps wasn't going to let a fact that he was about to swim the last race of his competitive career disturb his concentration or ambition when there was another medal on offer.



Michael Phelps of the US poses with his gold medal after winning the men's 4x100m medley relay final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre August 4, 2012. Phelps ended his incredible Olympic career on the perfect note on Saturday, winning his 18th gold medal for the United States in the men's medley relay, the last time he will swim a competitive race. Swimming the butterfly leg, the most decorated Olympian of all time went out as the ultimate winner when he joined forces with Matt Grevers, Brendan Hansen and Nathan Adrian to crush their opponents and win the gold.

Phelps drew the curtain on his magnificent career Saturday by claiming his 18th gold medal - the 22nd Olympic medal.

He did so fittingly as part of the US 4X100 medley relay team which won the final indoor race of these Olympic Games.

Phelps followed Michael Grevers and Brandon Hansen into the water, swimming the butterfly leg, while 100 meters freestyle winner, Nathan Adrian had the job of swimming the US home and assuring Phelps' story ended on a the highest of notes.

Grevers swam the US into a lead, ahead of Japan, but Kosuke Kitajim pressured well in the second leg and Phelps dived into the water in second place going head to head with Katsumi Matsuda and overhauling him before the final change.

Once in the water Adrian knew he had to assure Phelps' story had the ending it deserved and he powered home to victory.

"I don't think in Olympic history the USA have ever lost this race. I finished my career how I wanted to," said Phelps afterwards.

Japan won silver, while Australia had to settle for bronze, a result which just about sums up their performance in the pool over the past week.

However, Saturday's final was not about anything or anyone else than Phelps, who will leave London with 4 gold medals. It is only half the total he won in Beijing 4 years ago, but more than enough to be able to call him the greatest Olympic swimmer and perhaps the greatest Olympian, of all time, something recognized when he was given the lifetime achievement award by FINA, the international governing body for swimming, although Phelps admitted having his own sporting heroes.

"It's kind of weird looking at this as it says 'The greatest Olympian of all time.' All my career I have looked up to (basketball player) Michael Jordan," said Phelps, who then discussed his decision to retire aged 27.

"I have been able to do everything that I've wanted. I told myself I did not want to swim when I'm 30 (years old). That will be in three years' time, and I don't want to be swimming then," he said, insistent that his decision would not change.

"I don't care what others say about it (retirement). As long as I could say I have gone out at the top that's all that matters," he said, looking back on his incredible medal haul.

"I have been able to do things that others have never been able to," continued the American, who admitted his achievements and retirement had not yet sunk in: "The memories I have got from the last few weeks will never go away and one day I'll be able put it into the diary."

"We're at the biggest sporting event in the world. To go out and have fun is not something you can experience every day," he concluded.

( Xinhua)

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Kaleidoscopic pageant sets London Games rolling

Kaleidoscopic pageant sets London Games rolling

Fireworks explode over the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games July 27, 2012.

LONDON - Britain's Queen Elizabeth declared the London Olympics open after playing a cameo role in a dizzying ceremony designed to highlight the grandeur and eccentricities of the nation that invented modern sport.

Children's voices intertwining from the four corners of her United Kingdom ushered in an exuberant historical pageant of meadows, steel mills and megapixels before an audience of 60,000 in the Olympic Stadium and a probable billion television viewers around the globe.

Many of them gasped at the sight of the 86-year-old queen, marking her Diamond Jubilee this year, putting aside royal reserve in a video where she stepped onto a helicopter with James Bond actor Daniel Craig to be carried aloft from Buckingham Palace.

A film clip showed doubles of her and Bond skydiving towards the stadium and, moments later, she made her entrance in person.

"Great Britain was the cradle of modern sport," International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge told reporters. "You invented modern sport in the second half of the 19th century."

To underline the point, Bradley Wiggins, crowned five days earlier as Britain's first winner of the Tour de France and hoping to add more road cycling gold in London, tolled the world's largest tuned bell to begin the ceremony.

David Beckham, the English soccer icon who helped to convince the IOC to grant London the Games, sped down the Thames in a speedboat bearing the Olympic flame on the penultimate leg of a torch relay that inspired many ordinary people around Britain.

And in one moment of simple drama, the stadium fell silent as five giant, incandescent Olympic rings, symbolically forged from British steel mills, were lifted slowly out of the stadium by weather balloons, destined for the stratosphere.

More than 10,000 athletes from 204 countries will compete in 26 sports over 17 days of competition in the only city to have staged the modern Games three times.

Most of them were there for the traditional alphabetical parade of the national teams, not least the athletes from Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen competing in their first Olympics since their peoples overthrew autocrats in Arab Spring revolutions.

Brunei and Qatar were led in by their countries' first ever female Olympians and so, along with Saudi Arabia, ended their status as the only countries to exclude women from their teams.



The Olympic cauldron is seen alight as fireworks are set off during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium July 27, 2012.



Britain's Queen Elizabeth attends the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games with International Olympics Committee President Jacques Rogge (L), German Olympic Sports Confederation (Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund, DOSB) President Thomas Bach (2nd L) and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams (back R) at the Olympic Stadium, July 27, 2012.

The opening show, costing an estimated 27 million pounds ($42 million), was inspired by William Shakespeare's play "The Tempest", his late-life meditation on age and mortality.

Children were center-stage throughout, starting from the moment when live pictures of junior choirs singing in the landscapes of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were beamed into the stadium's giant screens, four traditional songs woven together into a musical tapestry of Britain.

Oscar-winning film director Danny Boyle began his sweep through British history by grassing over the arena in a depiction of the pastoral idyll mythologized by the romantic poet William Blake as "England's green and pleasant land".

Idyll turned swiftly to inferno as the Industrial Revolution's "dark Satanic mills" burst from the ground, before those same mills forged the last of five giant rings that interlocked and were carried aloft by balloons.

Many sequences turned the entire stadium into a vast video screen made up of tens of thousands of "pixels" attached to the seats. One giant message, unveiled by Tim Berners-Lee, British inventor of the world wide web, read "This is for Everyone".

The performance included surreal and often humorous references to British achievements, especially in social reform and the arts, and was due to conclude with a performance by former Beatle Paul McCartney.

Until the last few days, media coverage had been dominated by security firm G4S's admission that it could not provide enough guards for Olympic venues. Thousands of extra soldiers had to be deployed at the last minute, despite the company's multi-million-dollar contract from the government.



Actors portraying the Queen and James Bond arrive via parachute after jumping from a helicopter during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium, July 27, 2012.

Counter-terrorism chiefs have played down fears of a major attack on the Games, and Prime Minister David Cameron said that a safe and secure Olympics was his priority.

Suicide attacks on London on July 7, 2005, the day after London was awarded the Games, killed 52 people. This year the Games will mark the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Munich massacre, when 11 Israeli Olympic team members were killed by Palestinian militants.

"This is the biggest security operation in our peacetime history, bar none," Cameron said, "and we are leaving nothing to chance."



Archery world record


Although no medals will be awarded until Saturday, the women's soccer tournament started on Wednesday, and on Friday South Korean archers set the first world records of the Games.


Im Dong-hyun, who suffers from severe myopia and just aims at "a blob of yellow colour", broke his own 72-arrow world record with a score of 699 out of a possible 720, leading his two colleagues to a record combined score as well.
The Games' first medals will be decided in the women's 10 meters air rifle final on Saturday, with the big action coming in the men's cycling road race, where world champion Mark Cavendish is favorite to become Britain's first gold medallist.


In the evening, Americans Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte are scheduled to line up for a classic confrontation in the men's 400 meters individual medley final.
Phelps, competing in seven events after winning a record eight gold medals four years ago in Beijing, is bidding to become the first swimmer to win gold in the same discipline three times in a row.


"This is going to be a special race," said Gregg Troy, head coach of the American men's team. "I can't imagine a better way to promote our sport than a race like this on the first day."




Fireworks explode over the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games July 27, 2012.



Fireworks explode over the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games July 27, 2012.



The Olympic flag is carried as fireworks explode during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium July 27, 2012.



The Olympic flag is carried as fireworks explode during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium July 27, 2012.

( Agencies)

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The opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games

The opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games

A scene from Friday's Opening Ceremonies for London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Park stadium in the British capital.



A scene from Friday's Opening Ceremonies for London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Park stadium in the British capital.



A scene from Friday's Opening Ceremonies for London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Park stadium in the British capital.



A scene from Friday's Opening Ceremonies for London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Park stadium in the British capital.



A scene from Friday's Opening Ceremonies for London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Park stadium in the British capital.



A scene from Friday's Opening Ceremonies for London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Park stadium in the British capital.



A scene from Friday's Opening Ceremonies for London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Park stadium in the British capital.

( Xinhua)

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James, Bryant return to US team for London Games

James, Bryant return to US team for London Games

Five members of the gold medal winning lineup at the 2008 Bejing Games were included in the 12-man US Olympic basketball team announced by USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo on Saturday.

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Deron Williams return for another bid for Olympic glory and will spearhead a potent roster in London where the US are favourites.

Colangelo announced the selections after two US team training sessions in Las Vegas, though final approval is still required by the US Olympic Committee.



Kobe Bryant (42) reaches for a ball while being guarded by Kyrie Irving (R) during the US Olympic basketball team practice at UNLV's Mendenhall Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 6, 2012.

"We projected we would have difficulty getting down to a roster of 12, regardless of the number of injuries that have taken place, because they are such an outstanding group of people and athletes," Colangelo said in a statement.

"The final selections keep us in concert with our game plan to have athleticism, versatility and strong depth on our roster. I think our final roster epitomizes all of that."

The US team had been hit by a recent rash of injuries to several leading candidates, including Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls, Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat players Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

"We have benefited so much from having a pool of outstanding players who are committed, and as a result the selection is difficult," US coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

"But it's the best challenge that you could have because everyone has been so committed."



US basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo (R) and the 12 players selected for the 2012 US Olympic men's basketball team pose during a news conference at the Wynn Las Vegas Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 7, 2012. Back row (L - R) Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin, Tyson Chandler, Kevin Love, Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Front row (L - R) Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams, James Harden, Andre Iguodala and Kobe Bryant.

The 2012 US Olympic team:

Carmelo Anthony (Knicks), Kobe Bryant (Lakers), Tyson Chandler (Knicks), Kevin Durant (Thunder), Blake Griffin (Clippers), James Harden (Thunder), Andre Iguodala (76ers), LeBron James (Heat), Kevin Love (Timberwolves), Chris Paul (Clippers), Russell Westbrook (Thunder) and Deron Williams (Nets)



LeBron James participates in the US Olympic basketball team practice at UNLV's Mendenhall Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 6, 2012.



Kevin Durant (45) passes the ball during the US Olympic basketball team practice at UNLV's Mendenhall Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 6, 2012.

( Agencies)

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S. Africa names Pistorius in London team

S. Africa names Pistorius in London team

JOHANNESBURG - Double-amputee Oscar Pistorius will compete in the individual 400 meters and the 4x400m relay for South Africa at the London Olympics, a member of South Africa's Olympic federation said on Wednesday.

Pistorius's inclusion in the relay team meant the double-amputee athlete would also be able to take part in the 400m individual race, Tubby Reddy, chief executive of South Africa's Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) said.

Pistorius, who races wearing carbon fibre prosthetic blades, will become the first double-amputee athlete to compete on the track at an Olympic Games.

His chance of taking in the 400m individual event looked to have eluded him when he failed to reach a second A qualifying standard time before SASCOC's cut-off on June 30.

The 25-year-old, known as the 'Blade Runner, had achieved the A qualifying time once this season when he clocked 45.20 in South Africa in March but SASCOC required their athletes to achieve the time twice, with one of the times being at an international meet.

However, Pistorius's inclusion on the relay team opened up his opportunity to race in the 400m.

"He was named in the Olympic team (in the 4x400m relay) and then the question arose as to whether he was allowed to run the 400m and he can because he is part of the team," Reddy told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"He has run the (individual) qualifying time but if he was not part of the relay team then he would not be going to the Olympics," he added.



Oscar Pistorius of South Africa runs in the men's 400 meters race at the Diamond League New York Grand Prix athletics meet in this June 9, 2012 file photo.

Proudest Day

Pistorius was, understandably, excited about the chance to represent his country at an Olympic Games.

"Today is truly one of the proudest days of my life. To have been selected to represent Team South Africa at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the individual 400m and the 4x400m relay is a real honor and I'm so pleased years of hard work, determination and sacrifice have all come together," he said in a statement.

"I have run two Olympic 'A' standard times over the past twelve months and with the time I ran at the African Championships last week I know my speed and fitness are constantly improving so I will peak in time for the Olympics.

"I have a phenomenal team behind me who have helped get me here and I, along with them, will now put everything we can into the final few weeks of preparations before the Olympic Games where I am aiming to race well, work well through the rounds, post good times and maybe even a personal best time on the biggest stage of them all," he added.

Peet van Zyl, Pistorius's manager said his charge was now focused on showing what he can do at the Games in the 400m.

"That (the individual 400m) is the big thing for us. He has shown that he can run the times and he is just grateful for the opportunity to compete at the Olympics," Van Zyl told Reuters.

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London's first cable car lifts off

London's first cable car lifts off

The Thames cable car is seen as it crosses the River Thames in London, June 28, 2012.

LONDON - London's first cable car service opened its doors to the public on Thursday, a spectacular ride high across the River Thames near the Olympic Park which will help visitors to the Games avoid any jams on the ground.

Called the Emirates Air Line, it soars almost 300 feet (91.44 meters) above the river, offering 360-degree views of the east of the capital including the O2 concert Arena and the Canary Wharf financial district.

It opens in time for the Olympics which begin next month and will help serve three venues south of the river as well as provide a link to the Olympic Park on its north side.

Passengers can embark at North Greenwich, where the O2 concert arena is based, which will be known as the North Greenwich Arena during the Games, and where artistic and trampoline gymnastics will be held as well as some basketball games.

Nearby Greenwich Park will host equestrian events.

North of the river lies the ExCel Center where a host of sporting events will take place including fencing, wrestling, table tennis, boxing, judo, taekwondo and weightlifting.

The Olympic Park is then a short journey away.

London Mayor Boris Johnson rides the Airline cable car that links North Greenwich Penninsula and the Albert Docks in east London, June 27, 2012.

"I think that this will now become one of the great sights of London," said Mayor Boris Johnson. "It will be something that people want to come and see, take their children up and it's the most incredible way of viewing the city."

The 45-million-pound ($70 million) crossing forms part of Johnson's plans to help revive the neighboring areas by creating jobs and stimulating growth.

"This is a developing area of London, this will help this area of London develop faster," Transport for London (TfL) Commissioner Peter Hendy told Reuters.

His comments follow criticism from Johnson's opponents, who wonder how much the taxpayer will have to contribute to the cost of the project and whether London commuters will actually use it once the Games are over.

"I think that people have got to bear in mind that the build cost of this cable car is 45 million pounds, of that 36 million pounds has been contributed by Emirates Airline, who are sponsoring it," Johnson told Reuters.

The cable cars have the capacity to carry up to 2,500 people per hour in each direction - the equivalent to 30 buses - and take five minutes to cross the river.

The stretch of Thames is currently served by road tunnels, but no bridges.

A cash single fare costs 4.30 pounds ($6.7) while those using London's popular "Oyster" travel cards pay 3.20 pounds.

London Mayor Boris Johnson opens the Thames cable car that links the O2 Arena in Greenwich with the ExCel exhibition centre in east London, June 28, 2012.

But not everyone was convinced the service will fly.

Restaurant Manager Bobby Chan, 38, who waited 7 hours to be the first to climb aboard the cable car, told Reuters he didn't think it would be used regularly by commuters because it was too expensive.

"It's really nice, it's beautiful, it's just too pricey... It's really a tourist attraction," he said. "People who live here, a lot of people who want to cross the river, I don't believe that they're going to really use it.

"It's just too much. You're better off just using the trains, it's a lot cheaper."

( Agencies)

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Olympic torch spotlights Northern Ireland coast

Olympic torch spotlights Northern Ireland coast

COLERAINE, Northern Ireland - Olympic torchbearers carried the symbolic flame of the London Games to some of Northern Ireland's most beautiful coastal attractions Monday, and then headed to two communities associated with moments of terror.

Charity fundraiser Denis Broderick carries the olympic torch across Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge near the village of Ballintoy in County Antrim, June 4, 2012.

This week's tour of Northern Ireland is putting an international spotlight on dramatically improved times in the British territory, where a cease-fire observed by most Irish Republican Army members since 1997 has allowed a lasting peace process to blossom.

But police say several small IRA factions still lurking in the background would like to disrupt the celebrations and they have deployed extra officers to suppress the threat.

In the city of Londonderry, the final destination for Monday's Olympic procession, police closed a road after spotting a potential IRA bomb at a junction near a Catholic high school. But British Army bomb disposal engineers declared it a hoax. The bomb alert took place away from the torch's planned route in a district.

And the start to Monday's torch relay provided a dream for the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, with three of the most memorable sights along the northern coast basking in rare sunshine.

Two torchbearers met in the middle of the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, a vertigo-inducing attraction that connects mainland cliffs to a tiny island, with one using her flame to light the other's torch.

Next, another torchbearer walked carefully along the Giant's Causeway, an up-and-down natural stairway composed of tens of thousands of six-sided basalt rocks that run right into the Atlantic. The carrier, 54-year-old Ironman athlete Peter Jack, said he had to concentrate not to slip or stumble on the wet, flat-topped columns of basalt. About 1,000 spectators and visitors cheered as he reached the highest rock nearest the waterline and raised the flame.

It next visited the ruins of Dunluce Castle, a cliffside residence that was abandoned after its kitchen and staff fell one night into the Atlantic. Then the day's torch relay properly began near the university town of Coleraine. The flame was loaded onto an eight-man rowing boat and ferried across the Bann, the major river of Northern Ireland that cuts the province into a predominantly British Protestant east and mostly Irish Catholic west.

The route west kept torchbearers hugging the broad-beached coast. Up ahead lay the villages of Ballykelly and Greysteel.

Londonderry planned a sold-out, 12,000-ticket street party for the torch's arrival Monday night. The torch route includes a journey across the new pedestrian Peace Bridge connecting the city's mostly Protestant east and Catholic west.

The torch travels Tuesday through more than a dozen Northern Ireland towns and villages, including Omagh. On Wednesday, it crosses the border for a circuit of Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland, before returning north for a tour of Belfast and party outside Belfast City Hall.

Charity fundraiser Denis Broderick (R) has his Olympic Torch lit by PE teacher Clare Leahy (L) on Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge near the village of Ballintoy in County Antrim, June 4, 2012.

Charity fundraiser Denis Broderick carries the olympic torch across Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge near the village of Ballintoy in County Antrim, June 4, 2012.

Charity fundraiser Denis Broderick carries the olympic torch across Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge near the village of Ballintoy in County Antrim, June 4, 2012.

( Agencies)

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Olympic torch starts 5-day Northern Ireland tour

Olympic torch starts 5-day Northern Ireland tour

Geraldine McCann carries the Olympic torch towards Parliament Buildings in Belfast June 3, 2012. On Sunday the Olympic flame - on a five-day visit to Northern Ireland - will be carried to the Titanic Building, recently opened in Belfast's docklands to commemorate the famous liner which was built in the city and sank 100 years ago. It will then make its way through more than 60 towns and villages across Northern Ireland, carried by about 600 local people aged between 12 to 93.

BELFAST, Northern Ireland - The Olympic torch began its five-day tour of Northern Ireland with plenty of excitement and no signs of trouble Sunday as the territory's Protestants and Catholics vowed to show the world how united the community has become after four decades of conflict.

Police said they had deployed extra security measures to deter the region's small Irish Republican Army factions from trying to disrupt the event. But the Olympic torch proceeded from Belfast's Titanic Quarter to the prosperous belt of towns along the County Down coast with no unusual security evident.

Just as during its first two weeks on British soil in England and Wales, the crowds were free to stand beside the passing torchbearer, who was flanked by four to six tracksuit-clad security staff jogging alongside. Between stops, a Northern Ireland police motorcycle unit well-accustomed to protecting VIPs from terrorist attacks sped ahead, blocking roads on the fly and ensuring that the torch convoy stuck to its ambitious schedule to reach every corner of this province of 1.7 million people by Thursday.

Sinn Fein, the Irish nationalist party that long supported IRA attacks but today helps govern Northern Ireland, said all of Ireland was excited to see the symbol of the 2012 London Games arrive. The flame will cross the border Wednesday into the Republic of Ireland to tour Dublin, a special concession to demonstrate today's exceptionally strong British-Irish relations and cooperation between the two governments on the island of Ireland.

Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Fein deputy leader of the Northern Ireland government and a former IRA commander, said both sides of the community were "exhilarated to be part of an event that's one of the greatest competitions in the world and to be part of a little bit of history."

Sunday's torch run started at dawn in the Belfast docklands where the city's most infamous export, the Titanic, was built a century ago. It headed east to Holywood, best known as the hometown of top-ranked golfer Rory McIlroy, then to the port of Bangor, the major town of a stretch of coastline known as the Gold Coast because of its affluence.

Along the sidewalks, sometimes the crowds of spectators grew to five deep in the hearts of town, but more often the torchbearer was able to wave to single groups of people cheering, whistling, hooting - or occasionally still rubbing sleep out of their eyes, bathrobes on, coffee mugs in hand.

Geraldine McCann carries the London 2012 Olympic torch leg between Newtownards and the Northern Ireland Assembly parliament buildings at Stormont, June 3, 2012.

The biggest crowd, estimated at 4,000, gathered outside Stormont Parliamentary Building, the home for Northern Ireland's power-sharing government, the cornerstone of the US-brokered peace accord here. Cancer activist Geraldine McCann, 56, received the flame and jogged up the steep slope to the Stormont hilltop with a beaming smile.

After a swing through Belfast Zoo, the torch convoy worked its way past some of the province's most spectacular scenery along the coastal road north past Ireland's best-preserved Norman castle in Carrickfergus, a series of glacier-carved forest glens, and the Giants Causeway, with its strange carpet of hexagonal rocks running down to the Atlantic waves.

As the torch passed through predominantly Protestant towns east of Belfast, the locals' loyalties were on display, with many waving British flags adorned with images of Queen Elizabeth II. Much of the torch's route in coming days goes through predominantly Irish Catholic turf, home to IRA extremists still committed to overthrowing Northern Ireland by force.

Underscoring the threat, a suspected IRA activist tossed a grenade at a police unit Saturday in Northern Ireland's second-largest city, Londonderry, where the Olympic cavalcade will spend parts of Monday and Tuesday.

The police, who were searching a property at the time, weren't injured, but their sports utility vehicle sustained heavy shrapnel damage. Officers arrested a 50-year-old man on suspicion of involvement in IRA activity in a follow-up house raid Sunday.

John Mcalpine carries the Olympic torch in front of Parliament Buildings in Belfast June 3, 2012.

In Belfast, a police deputy commander, Assistant Chief Constable Alistair Finlay, said the Northern Ireland public would see heavy deployments of officers both along the Olympic torch routes and at events associated with the queen's Diamond Jubilee, also being celebrated this weekend. He said IRA splinter groups "will take any opportunity to cause disruption."

He said people might find roads blocked, and other unexpected security delays. "We are taking these steps to keep communities and their officers safe. We would not do this if it was not absolutely necessary to protect life," Finlay said.

Several spectators said they doubted that any IRA splinter group would seriously disrupt the torch run. They said even if Irish republican extremists tried something, Northern Ireland's people were determined to keep partying anyway.

"We're not going to let that crowd of morons ruin our day. They represent zero-point-zero of the population. This is the real Northern Ireland," said Gareth Wilson, 35, standing with his wife and two sons by the roadside with cell phones in hand, each snapping pictures as the torch cavalcade passed.

( Agencies)

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Olympic torch relay continues across Wales

Olympic torch relay continues across Wales

British mountaineer Chris Bonnington holds the Olympic flame on top of Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales, in Snowdonia National Park, Wales, May 29, 2012. The flame was carried through Wales on day 11 of the Torch Relay, as part of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The Beaumaris RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) lifeboat crew assist torchbearer Elen Evans as she carries the Olympic Flame accross the Menai Strait during the Olympic Torch Relay, in north Wales, May 29, 2012.

Joanne Gregory carries the London 2012 Olympic torch on a hand drawn boat across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in North Wales, May 30, 2012.

A bearer carries the London 2012 Olympic torch towards the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in North Wales, May 30, 2012.

The Olympic torch passes the birthplace of William Penny Brookes the founding father of the modern Olympics in Much Wenlock, central England, May 30, 2012. The first Wenlock Olympian games were held in 1850 for "every grade of man" and athletic events included knitting, writing, and arithmetic. Wenlock, one of the London 2012 mascots is named after the Shropshire town.

( Agencies)

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