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London 2012 Olympic Games 19
Rhode makes US history
LONDON: World recordequalling
shooter Kim Rhode
earned a place in the US record
books yesterday after destroying
the field to win women’s
skeet gold as China fired an
ominous warning to their rivals.
Thunderstorms lashed the Royal Artillery
Barracks throughout the day but the American
took advantage of a dry spell to put on a flawless
display in the final, hitting all 25 targets to
take her overall score to 99 out of 100.
Earlier, as rain hammered on the roof of
one of the temporary venues in south London,
China’s Guo Wenjun showed nerves of steel,
coming from behind on the very last shot to
successfully defend her 10m air pistol Olympic
title.
Rhode’s win means she becomes America’s
first individual medallist at five straight
Olympics after medals at Atlanta, Sydney,
Athens and Beijing.
China’s Wei Ning was a distant second, winning
silver with 91 hits. Danka Bartekova of
Slovakia took bronze after a shoot-off.
Rhode, 33, won golds in women’s double
trap in Atlanta in 1996 and in Athens in 2004,
taking bronze in the event in Sydney in 2000.
She switched to skeet full-time when
women’s double trap was discontinued as an
Olympic event after Athens, and grabbed silver
in the discipline four years ago in Beijing.
“One got away but everyone misses every now
and then,” said a delighted Rhode, who then
vowed to go on and on.
“I know that I felt very comfortable in that
final round and through the match and was
really ready. I felt that I had done everything I
could and there wasn’t anything more and I
was just going to let the chips lay where they
may.” “It’s just been an incredible journey and
ultimately I couldn’t be happier for bringing
home the gold for the United States,” she
added.
Speaking about her American first, she said:
“I don’t think it’s hit me yet. I’m sure later on
tonight that the record and everything that
represents (will hit me). Right now I’m just
focusing on my second event... and hopefully
we’ll be looking at 2016. I’m not looking at this
being my last Olympics.”
Rhode missed just one target out of 100, in
the morning qualifying session, equalling the
world record and setting a new Olympic mark.
Gold for Rhode, who will also entered in
the trap, comes after flight problems forced
her to miss her team’s training camp in
Denmark. Her four-month-old puppy even ate
her plane ticket.
Earlier, protected from the elements, China
won their second shooting gold of the Games,
when Guo, with her final effort, shot a 10.8,
just 0.1 points short of a maximum score,
LONDON: Tamas Kasas (left) of Hungary defends against Filip Filipovic of Serbia
in a preliminary water polo match at the 2012 Summer Olympics.— AP
Croatia and Spain open
water polo with wins
LONDON: Croatia used a
late surge to pull away
for a 8-6 win over Greece
yesterday in the opening
match of the men’s water
polo competition at the
London Olympics.
With the score level at 5-5 after three
quarters, Croatia netted three unanswered
goals from Niksa Dobud, Miho
Boskovic and Sandro Sukno to take control
of the match.
“It was a bit nervous start for us, the
first two quarters, and after we started
to play more aggressively our quality
came to give us the result,” Boskovic
said. The win puts Croatia, one of the
leading medal contenders in a crowded
field in London, atop Group A with
world champion Italy and Spain.
Spain opened its Olympic campaign
in Group A with an easy 14-6 victory
over Kazakhstan behind five goals from
Filipe Perrone Rocha.
“It was amazing, we feel like we were
flying in the water,” Rocha said. “To
score five goals is perfect, but the most
important thing is that we were playing
amazing and that we beat Kazakhstan.”
Alex Giorgetti scored twice to lead 2011
LONDON: US Kimberly Rhode competes in the skeet shooting women final at the London
2012 Olympic Games at the Royal Artillery Barracks. Rhode took the gold medal and
scored a new Olympic record of 99 points. —AFP
world champion Italy past Australia 8-5
in the third match.
The 12-team field is broken down
into two groups of six for the preliminary
stage, and the top four teams from
each group advance to the knockout
round.
The marquee matchup on day one of
the competition is later yesterday in
Group B between three-time defending
champion Hungary and gold medalfavorite
Serbia.
Hungary, which is looking to win an
unprecedented fourth consecutive gold,
hasn’t lost an Olympic match in 12 years,
a streak of 17 games that dates back to
the Sydney Games. Serbia, meanwhile,
has been the most impressive team in
the past few years, and has its sights set
on the nation’s first water polo gold as
an independent nation.
Two other serious medal contenders
also face off in the final game of the day
between the United States and
Montenegro. The U.S. is looking to
improve upon its second-place finish in
Beijing four years ago and win the
Americans’ first water polo gold since
1904. In the other Group B match,
Romania plays host Great Britain.—AP
drawing gasps from the packed crowd.
That meant she overhauled France’s Celine
Goberville, who had led going into the last
round. Goberville could only manage 8.8, putting
her level on points with Athens 2004
gold-medallist Olena Kostevych of Ukraine. In
a shoot-off, Goberville recovered from her disappointment
at missing gold and secured silver.
Ice-cool Guo, 28, who said her motto was,
“Never give up”, maintained she always felt
she had a chance of gold going into the final
shot-even though she was trailing by 0.5
points.
“I just focused on doing my best on the
final shot,” she said, adding: “I think everyone
is good, I just never give up.” Guo finished
with a total score of 488.1, 1.5 points ahead of
Goberville. —AFP
LONDON: Japan’s Yoshaki
Oiwa outshone a posse of
more established stars to take
the lead in the individual
Olympic Games eventing
standings at the conclusion of
a stormy dressage session yesterday.
Oiwa, riding Noonday de Conde, and
who begins every performance by spreading
salt over himself and his mount, leapt to the
top with a score of 38.10 — raising his top hat
in celebration at Greenwich Park.
Italian Stefano Brecciaroli, on 38.50, was in
second with New Zealand legend Mark Todd,
Olympic gold medallist in 1984 and 1988, and
last of the 74 competitors to step into the
ring, third on 39.10. The Germans, with three
of their riders in the top 10, were in pole in
the team competition from Australia with
Great Britain placed third and New Zealand
and Sweden in a tie for fourth.
Britain were helped by an honourable
Olympic debut from Zara Phillips, granddaughter
of Queen Elizabeth II, with grandfather
Prince Philip and mother the Princess
Royal, watching from the stands.
For Oiwa, third in the 2010 Asian Games,
but only 49th at the Beijing Olympics in 2008,
this was a red letter day, and after emerging
from the arena he lapped up the applause
from the Japanese fans. The 36-year-old,
whose pre-performance superstition involves
sprinkling salt over himself and his horse,
comes from a sporting family-his aunt was a
Japanese champion figure skater and uncle, a
swimming silver medallist at the 1960 Rome
Olympics.
“I still can’t believe I’m leading,” he
beamed. “Probably everybody in Japan is in a
state of shock! Just look around, there aren’t
many Japanese journalists here, no one was
expecting it.”
Oiwa added: “Before I began my horse was
spooked by lightning, but after a few minutes
listening to me she calmed down.”
Asked if he had ever dreamt of being in the
lead at the Olympics he shook his head, only
for Todd, appearing alongside him at a press
conference, to chip in: “Yes, he dreams about
this every night!”
Phillips, meanwhile, who just scraped into
Nation G S B Tot
China 6 3 2 11
US 3 3 2 8
Italy 2 3 2 7
South Korea 2 1 2 5
Kazakhstan 2 0 0 2
Brazil 1 1 1 3
Hungary 1 1 1 3
Netherlands 1 1 0 2
Russia 1 0 2 3
Australia 1 0 1 2
North Korea 1 0 1 2
Georgia 1 0 0 1
Japan 0 2 3 5
France 0 1 1 2
MONDAY, JULY 30, 2012
At London, yesterday 10 of 14 medal events 22 of 302 total medals.
the top 25 with a score of 46.10, was revelling
in her first Olympic appearance.
“It’s incredible to be selected for the team
and to be here at home in London is an amazing
feeling and I just want to do my best for
the team,” said the 2006 world champion.
“The Olympics is the greatest show on
Earth and it is incredible to be here and to be
competing for my country.” On her horse’s
performance she added: “This was High
Kingdom’s second biggest test, after the
Burleigh Horse Trials, he’s only getting better.”
“Although he’s inexperienced he’s coped
with the crowds well. He is a chilled character.”
Lying in 15th in the individual classification
was a Buddhist monk, Japan’s Kenki Sato,
who scored 40.20 with Chippieh. He commented:
“It is really special I am sure I am the
first monk to be an Olympic rider but I am not
so prefect a monk and not so perfect a rider.
“Every morning I close my eyes and think
of getting better.” After Saturday’s sunshine
came the storm, leaving one competitor positively
fuming.
Britain 0 1 0 1
Colombia 0 1 0 1
Cuba 0 1 0 1
Poland 0 1 0 1
Romania 0 1 0 1
Taiwan 0 1 0 1
Belgium 0 0 1 1
Canada 0 0 1 1
Moldova 0 0 1 1
Norway 0 0 1 1
Serbia 0 0 1 1
Slovakia 0 0 1 1
Ukraine 0 0 1 1
Uzbekistan 0 0 1 1
Japan’s Oiwa rubs salt into
dressage rivals’ wounds
LONDON: Veteran British
marathon runner Paula
Radcliffe withdrew from the
London Games with a foot
injury yesterday. There had
been prolonged speculation
the 38-year-old world record holder, who
has never won an Olympic medal of any color,
would pull out because of her foot problem
and Radcliffe confirmed her exit in a
statement yesterday.
“From the day when it was announced
that London had won the bid, taking part
and performing well in the London Olympic
Games has been a major goal in my life,”
Radcliffe said. “The goal of a fifth Olympics in
my home country, what better? The chance
to make amends to myself for bitter disap-
LONDON: Karin Donckers from Belgium competes with her horse Gazelle De La Brasserie
in the equestrian eventing dressage phase at Greenwich Park. —AP
pointments at the previous two Olympics.
“Through a lot of tough times it has kept
me fighting, motivated and focused. That is
why it hurts so much to finally admit to
myself that it isn’t going to happen,” added
Radcliffe, who will be 42 by the time of the
2016 Games in Rio. Radcliffe, whose career
has been blighted by injury and illness, tried
to put a brave face on her crushing disappointment.
“My sport is a beautiful sport, it
gives so much fun and enjoyment, I believe
it helps me to be a better person, and I have
been very fortunate to experience some
great success and have so many beautiful
and happy memories,” she insisted.
“However, the downside is that it can
break your heart and spirit many times over
when your body is simply unable to match
Todd’s veteran teammate Andrew
Nicholson was made to wait for 10 minutes by
the judges as the arena was hit by heavy rain
and lightning.
“They didn’t mind the thunder and the
lightning and the rain earlier, and then suddenly
it’s a 10-minute delay,” said the Kiwi. “It
was a disgrace, an absolute disgrace. I
thought the British were meant to be sporting
people. I’m serious.”
Britain’s Tina Cook was in the middle of her
routine when the roof on one of the judge’s
wooden huts came loose in the wind.
She commented: “When the judge’s roof
went up I was a bit worried and there was
some muttering from the crowd because they
didn’t like the weather, but it was okay
because he kept focussed and I was able to
keep a lid on things.”
The eventing continues today with the
cross country for which organisers are forecasting
a 50,000 crowd, with the competition
concluding in the show jumping ring tomorrow.
— AFP
Britain’s Radcliffe out of Olympics
what your heart and brain want it to do.
“Sadly mine is not a career or a hobby
where mind over matter can work when
your body is hurt, nor where giving less than
your best each day can ever work.”
UK Athletics head coach Charles van
Commenee added: “This is obviously a disappointing
day for Paula and our sport, but
it was important to her that if she made the
start line it would be in the best possible
shape. “It wasn’t meant to be and she has
taken the right decision to withdraw at this
stage,” the Dutchman added.
“I think it is important that we don’t look
at Paula’s career in Olympic cycles. She is
undoubtedly one of the greatest female distance
runners of all times and still holds the
marathon world record. —AFP