History-maker Phelps takes his gold tally to 11
Michael Phelps Wednesday rewrote the Olympic record books when he won his 10th and 11th gold medals in another awesome swimming session that saw six more world records tumble.He broke two records in the water and the record for the highest number of gold medals won in Olympic history by an individual athlete.
Fittingly the American superstar became the all-time leadingOlympian in a world record time in the men's 200m butterfly, and then also led the US 4x200m relay team into a new dimension in the sport.Phelps' 11th gold medal lifted him two clear at the top of the all-time list, past Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, Finnish athlete Paavo Nurmi, US swimmer Mark Spitz and US athlete Carl Lewis, who have nine each.
Phelps won six golds 2004 in Athens and has five golds in Beijing from as many races. He is set to compete in three more races at the Games eyeing an unprecedented eight golds at one Games.
His time of 1 minute 52.03 seconds in the 200m butterfly was six hundredths faster than his record set at the world championships in Melbourne last year, and Phelps' 25th career world record.
Hungarian Laszlo Cseh was second with a European record 1:52.70, while Japan's Takeshi Matsuda took the bronze in 1:52.97.
Phelps though, said that he was disappointed with his time. "I had water in my goggles and couldn't see anything. That made it very difficult and I'm disappointed with my time. I know I can go faster."Less than an hour after winning the butterfly event, Phelps helped the US 4x200m freestyle relay team become the first team to swim under seven minutes as they took an astonishing 4.68 seconds off their own world record set in Melbourne at the world championships last year.
Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay won in a time of 6:58.56, while Russia took silver in 7:03.70. Australia was third in 7:04.98.
Phelps was -- as he had done during the 4x100m freestyle relay on Sunday -- urging and encouraging his teammates after having swum the opening leg.
Berens said afterwards that Phelps had told them: "Don't screw up. And when a guy like Phelps tells you that, you listen."Phelps said that the realisation that he had made history left him speechless. "Growing up, all I wanted to do was become an Olympian. And now to be the leading Olympian, well, I suppose that's a pretty cool title to have."Stephanie Rice of Australia got gold in the women's 200m medley when she just managed to push past Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry on the final metres. The two had already finished in the same order in the 400m IM.
Rice clocked 2:08.45 minutes Coventry got silver in 2:08.59 which was also faster than Rice' previous world record 2:08.92 from March.The bronze medal went to Natalie Coughlin of the US in a time of 2:10.34.Rice said she was very happy with her swim. "I knew that I had to be fast to beat Kirsty. I always seem to have a little bit extra left right at the end and I needed it."
Earlier in the session, Federica Pellegrini won the women's 200m freestyle gold with another world record-breaking time. The Italian bettered her record of 1:55.45 from the semi-finals to 1:54.82.Slovenian Sara Isakovic won an unlikely first-ever swimming medal for her country as she took silver, 0.15 off the pace, while Pang Yiaying was a popular bronze medal winner for the hosts in a time 1:55.05 as all three medallists were faster then the old record.American favourite Katie Hoff had to be content with fourth place in 1:55.78.The Australian countered in the next semi-final, when he swam a 47.05 to reclaim the record.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Zhang lifts China to four Weightlifting golds
Zhang Xiangxiang won his first Olympic gold medal after lifting 319kg in the
Men's 62 kilogram Weightlifting final on August 11. This was the second weightlifting gold medal
won by China on that day, as well as their fourth Weightlifting gold medal in the tournament.
Twenty-five-year old Sydney bronze medalist Zhang had the best start by lifting 139kg in theSnatch. Although he failed to lift 143kg with his second attempt, he finally succeeded and toppedthe other finalists in this round. Ji Hun-min of the Republic of Korea also did well with a 142kg liftafter three attempts. Diego Salazar of Colombia and Im Yong-su of the Democratic People'sRepublic of Korea tied at 138kg.
Zhang's chance of winning the gold was settled even before stepping onto the floor in the Clean andJerk. First the ROK's Ji surprisingly failed all three attempts trying to lift 161kg and left thecompetition with no medal. Then the DPRK's Im also stumbled under the pressure, spending all hisattempts at 169kg to no avail. Salazar took his chance and succeeded in lifting 167kg after threeattempts for the silver medal. Zhang then lifted 169kg and then 176kg to seal his first gold, China's
fourth of the Weightlifting competition.Zhang also tried to break the world record with a final attempt of 184kg. Though he failed, his 319kgtotal weight fulfilled his dream of winning an Olympic gold medal. He kissed the weight discs andtook time to enjoy the crowd's cheers before waving farewell.
Water Cube witnessed the birth of four more gold medals
and five new world records
In one of the all-time great relay swims, the United States overhauled the French team in theshadows of the finish line to complete a stunning Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay win on Monday,smashing their own world record set on Sunday by nearly four seconds in the process.Another world record was broken in this event when Australia's Eamon Sullivan shaved 0.26seconds off French Alain Bernard's old record for the Men's 100m with a stunning lead-off leg of47.24.Briton Rebecca Adlington breathtakingly overtook Katie Hoff of the United States in the last meter tograb gold, becoming the first British woman in 48 years to win an Olympic Swimming event.Earlier in the morning, Kitajima Kosuke of Japan managed to defend his Olympic title and rewrote
his own WR in the Men's 100m Breaststroke final, stopping the clock at 58.91.
The Women's 100m Butterfly final went on more as expected. World champion Lisbeth Trickett ofAustralia took gold with a time of 56.73, though with some challenge from Christine Magnuson ofthe United States in the final 15 meters.
In the second semifinal of the Women's 100m Backstroke in the morning, Zimbabwean KirstyCoventry touched the wall a full shoulder length ahead of the competition to smash the world recordwith a time of 58.77.Federica Pellegrini of Italy set a new world record of 1:55.4 in the Women's 200m Freestyle prelimson Monday evening, slicing 0.07 seconds off the previous record set by Laure Manaudou of France
at Melbourne, Australia, in March.Pellegrini's stunning performance came after placing fifth in the morning's Women's 400m Freestyleinal. "I just couldn't get myself into shape. We Italians haven't got used to competition in the
morning," said Pellegrini after the morning's final.
Bindra shoots gold; ends 28 year Olympics drought
Abhinav Bindra ended India’s drought at Olympics by clinching first ever gold in
individual 10m freestyle shooting. With this gold India jumps to 10th place in overall Olympics medaltally in Beijing.
Bindra won by scoring 700.5 points, 596 in the qualifier and 104.5 in the final to claim the gold.India's other entry in the event, Gagan Narang, came ninth in the qualifier and failed to make it tothe final.However, Gagan Narang failed to make the final cut in the same event finishing ninth with a score of595/600. Narang shot a series of 97, 100, 100, 100, 98 and100.Bindra, a Khel Ratna awardee, finished the qualifying event joint fourth with Romania's George AlinMoldoveanu after the duo shot a score of 596/600.The bespectacled shooter managed a series of 100, 99,100, 98, 100 and 99.
Meanwhile, Finland's Henri Hakkinen qualified first for the event with a score of 598/600 aftershooting a series of 100,100, 99, 100, 100 and 99.
China's Qinan Zhu was a point adrift of Hakkinen with a series of 100, 100, 100, 100, 99 and 98.Bindra leading the way for India’s shooting contingent the spotlight will now move to RajyavardhanSingh Rathod who is a hot contender for gold when he takes to field on Tuesday.
Birth of a star
A star-starved nation found a new sporting icon in a babyface marksman as Abhinav Bindra shot hisway to history, winning India's first ever individual Olympic gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle event heretoday. The sharpshooter from Chandigarh lit up an otherwise gloomy day at the Beijing ShootingRange and sizzled in the finals to lift the gold, ahead of his Chinese and Fin rivals.Abhinav entered the event as world number 17 but showed scant respect for his opponents'reputations, pulling the rugs from under their feet. The Indian entered the final in fourth place and
then raised his game by a few notches to seal the issue.In the all-important final, he never scored below 10 as he topped the chart with a total of 700.5,
adding 104.5 to his qualifying round score of 596. Fellow Indian Gagan Narang too almost made it tothe final but was ruled out on countback.Gagan scored 595, levelled at the fifth place but lost out on a final place in countback. Bindraimply sizzled in the final and was quick to assert himself.
Zhang Xiangxiang won his first Olympic gold medal after lifting 319kg in the
Men's 62 kilogram Weightlifting final on August 11. This was the second weightlifting gold medal
won by China on that day, as well as their fourth Weightlifting gold medal in the tournament.
Twenty-five-year old Sydney bronze medalist Zhang had the best start by lifting 139kg in theSnatch. Although he failed to lift 143kg with his second attempt, he finally succeeded and toppedthe other finalists in this round. Ji Hun-min of the Republic of Korea also did well with a 142kg liftafter three attempts. Diego Salazar of Colombia and Im Yong-su of the Democratic People'sRepublic of Korea tied at 138kg.
Zhang's chance of winning the gold was settled even before stepping onto the floor in the Clean andJerk. First the ROK's Ji surprisingly failed all three attempts trying to lift 161kg and left thecompetition with no medal. Then the DPRK's Im also stumbled under the pressure, spending all hisattempts at 169kg to no avail. Salazar took his chance and succeeded in lifting 167kg after threeattempts for the silver medal. Zhang then lifted 169kg and then 176kg to seal his first gold, China's
fourth of the Weightlifting competition.Zhang also tried to break the world record with a final attempt of 184kg. Though he failed, his 319kgtotal weight fulfilled his dream of winning an Olympic gold medal. He kissed the weight discs andtook time to enjoy the crowd's cheers before waving farewell.
Water Cube witnessed the birth of four more gold medals
and five new world records
In one of the all-time great relay swims, the United States overhauled the French team in theshadows of the finish line to complete a stunning Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay win on Monday,smashing their own world record set on Sunday by nearly four seconds in the process.Another world record was broken in this event when Australia's Eamon Sullivan shaved 0.26seconds off French Alain Bernard's old record for the Men's 100m with a stunning lead-off leg of47.24.Briton Rebecca Adlington breathtakingly overtook Katie Hoff of the United States in the last meter tograb gold, becoming the first British woman in 48 years to win an Olympic Swimming event.Earlier in the morning, Kitajima Kosuke of Japan managed to defend his Olympic title and rewrote
his own WR in the Men's 100m Breaststroke final, stopping the clock at 58.91.
The Women's 100m Butterfly final went on more as expected. World champion Lisbeth Trickett ofAustralia took gold with a time of 56.73, though with some challenge from Christine Magnuson ofthe United States in the final 15 meters.
In the second semifinal of the Women's 100m Backstroke in the morning, Zimbabwean KirstyCoventry touched the wall a full shoulder length ahead of the competition to smash the world recordwith a time of 58.77.Federica Pellegrini of Italy set a new world record of 1:55.4 in the Women's 200m Freestyle prelimson Monday evening, slicing 0.07 seconds off the previous record set by Laure Manaudou of France
at Melbourne, Australia, in March.Pellegrini's stunning performance came after placing fifth in the morning's Women's 400m Freestyleinal. "I just couldn't get myself into shape. We Italians haven't got used to competition in the
morning," said Pellegrini after the morning's final.
Bindra shoots gold; ends 28 year Olympics drought
Abhinav Bindra ended India’s drought at Olympics by clinching first ever gold in
individual 10m freestyle shooting. With this gold India jumps to 10th place in overall Olympics medaltally in Beijing.
Bindra won by scoring 700.5 points, 596 in the qualifier and 104.5 in the final to claim the gold.India's other entry in the event, Gagan Narang, came ninth in the qualifier and failed to make it tothe final.However, Gagan Narang failed to make the final cut in the same event finishing ninth with a score of595/600. Narang shot a series of 97, 100, 100, 100, 98 and100.Bindra, a Khel Ratna awardee, finished the qualifying event joint fourth with Romania's George AlinMoldoveanu after the duo shot a score of 596/600.The bespectacled shooter managed a series of 100, 99,100, 98, 100 and 99.
Meanwhile, Finland's Henri Hakkinen qualified first for the event with a score of 598/600 aftershooting a series of 100,100, 99, 100, 100 and 99.
China's Qinan Zhu was a point adrift of Hakkinen with a series of 100, 100, 100, 100, 99 and 98.Bindra leading the way for India’s shooting contingent the spotlight will now move to RajyavardhanSingh Rathod who is a hot contender for gold when he takes to field on Tuesday.
Birth of a star
A star-starved nation found a new sporting icon in a babyface marksman as Abhinav Bindra shot hisway to history, winning India's first ever individual Olympic gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle event heretoday. The sharpshooter from Chandigarh lit up an otherwise gloomy day at the Beijing ShootingRange and sizzled in the finals to lift the gold, ahead of his Chinese and Fin rivals.Abhinav entered the event as world number 17 but showed scant respect for his opponents'reputations, pulling the rugs from under their feet. The Indian entered the final in fourth place and
then raised his game by a few notches to seal the issue.In the all-important final, he never scored below 10 as he topped the chart with a total of 700.5,
adding 104.5 to his qualifying round score of 596. Fellow Indian Gagan Narang too almost made it tothe final but was ruled out on countback.Gagan scored 595, levelled at the fifth place but lost out on a final place in countback. Bindraimply sizzled in the final and was quick to assert himself.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Jung bows out of 10 mt air pistol; Mansher, Manavjit hang on
Beijing, Aug 09: Continuing the disappointing show by Indian shooters, Commonwealth Games hero Samaresh Jung finished 42nd out of 48 competitors in the Men's 10m Air Pistol qualification on the opening day of competition at the Beijing Olympic Games on Saturday. Jung, who had bagged five gold medals in the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, shot only 570 out of 600 at the Beijing Olympic Shooting Range Hall। The topper, Pang Wei of China, logged 586 out of 600 to make the final easily. Jung came into the Games with a qualification score of 584, but Saturday he fell way short of that in his pet event, where he had finished fourth at the 2007 World Cup in Munich with 584 out of 600. Jung, however, is to compete in one more event, the 50m Pistol event. In men's trap, World champion Manavjit Singh Sandhu and Mansher Singh had contrasting fortunes. In the third round of the first day, both seemed to be struggling to ensure their place in the six-man final. The next two qualifying rounds will be on Sunday. Manavjit made up some lost ground with a 24 in the final set, while Mansher squandered a great start with a 20 in the final set. Mansher had shot 25 and 24 in first two rounds, while Manavjit Singh had identical 23 in both first and second sets. Neither can afford to miss anything on the second day if they are to advance to the final. "It seemed to be a case of pressure," said coach Sunny Thomas, while veteran shooter and Secretary-General of Indian Olympic Association Randhir Singh called it "very disappointing, especially after such a great start by Mansher. At 70 and 69, they still have an outside chance of making the final, but cannot afford to miss anything more." Coach Thomas said: "They shot way below what they have been doing even in practice. I cannot explain how this happened. Maybe pressure, maybe nerves. But there is one more day to go." At 70 out of 75, Manavjit was one of the four shooters tied at 70 with nine shooters ahead of him. Mansher was among the eight tied at 69 with 13 shooters before him. David Kostelecky of the Czech Republic finished first after the first three rounds of men's qualification as he hit 73 targets with 24-24-25 as his scores. The Czech was followed by two Italian shooters, Athens runner-up Giovanni Pellielo with 73 targets and Erminio Frasca with a score of 72. The 42-year-old Mansher, one of the most experienced shooters in the squad, seemed to be rolling back the years and getting the better of his younger teammate in the first two sets after a perfect start. He then missed just one target in the second set. In the third he began with eight perfect shots but then missed three in the next four on the ninth, 11th and 12th birds. That seemed to unnerve him and he missed two more on the 19th and 21st. for a very disappointing 20 out of 25. Manavjit was more steady with 23-23-24. Alexey Alipov of Russia, Erik Varga of Slovakia, Michael Diamond of Australia and Croatia's Josip Glasnovic took the next four places with identical 72 hits on targets. There are 50 shots still left and the top six will qualify for the final, with any ties to be decided to be a tie-break shoot.
Anjali, Avneet shoot off target, fail to make final cut
Indian shooters Anjali Bhagwat and Avneet Kaur Sidhu failed to qualify for the final round in the Women's 10 metre air rifle event at the Beijing Shooting Range Hall on Saturday. The biggest hopes of getting a medal for India at this Olympics perhaps rested on the 9 member shooting team। The start though for the Indians has been anything but great। Bhagwat and Sidhu couldn't make it past the qualifying round of the 10m event. While Anjali finished 29th with a score of 393 (99, 99, 97, 98), Avneet Kaur Sidhu was further down 10 places shooting a poor 389 (98, 100, 96, 95). However all is not lost yet for Anjali as she is also participating in the 50m 3P event. Meanwhile, Emmons Katerina of Czech Republic shot a world record equalling 400 to top the qualification round. Lioubov Galnika of Russia and Snjezana Pejcic of Croartia were sceond and third with an identical score of 399. Meanwhile, India's bas start to the Olympics continued as woman judoka Khumujam Tombi Devi lost to Ana Hormigo of Portugal in the round of 32 in the 48kg category at the Olympics Games here on Saturday. First gold medal given out in Beijing Katerina Emmons spoiled China's bid for the first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Saturday by winning the 10-meter air rifle for the Czech Republic. Emmons, the wife of American shooter Matt Emmons, finished with an Olympic record of 503.5 points after shooting a perfect 400 in qualifying. Lioubov Galkina of Russia won the silver and Snjezana Pejcic of Croatia took the bronze. The big surprise was a fifth-place finish by China's Du Li. She won the event four years ago in Athens. Du was just a point behind Emmons after qualifying. Du was greeted with a roar from the fans in the upper balcony of the shooting range when she came out for the final. She turned to face the crowd with a wide smile on her face, waved and bowed before heading over to her lane. However, she misfired immediately in the final round, scoring only 9.8 points on her first attempt, the worst shot of any of the eight finalists. Competitors can earn up to 10.9 points per shot in the final. Jamie Beyerle of Lebanon,finished fourth.Emmons won by 1.4 points, a comfortable margin for the event. She entered the final shot all but assured of victory. Of course, her husband was in a similar spot four years ago in the three-position rifle event. He missed out on a gold medal because he fired at the wrong target on the final shot -- an unthinkable gaffe. Matt Emmons did win a gold in prone rifle in Athens, and will compete in both prone and three-position rifle this year.
Saina storms into second round
New Indian badminton sensation Saina Nehwal storms into the second round of Beijing Olympics badminton event here on Saturday। World No 15 Saina took just 26 minutes to beat face 30th-ranked Russian Ella Karachkova at the Beijing University of Technology gymnasium on the opening day. In the second round she will meet the winner of the tie between Ukraine's world number 27 Gryga Larisa and Italy's Allegrini Agnese, ranked 55th. If the 18-year-old Hyderabadi progresses further, she could run into world number six Chen Wang of Hong Kong in the pre-quarters.
Women`s archery team on target; enters quarters
The Indian trio of Laishram Bombayla Devi, Dola Banerjee and Pranitha Vardineni did enough to ensure that the women's team, courtesy its sixth place finish in the ranking rounds, got a bye in the first round of the Olympic archery event.
Beijing, Aug 09: Continuing the disappointing show by Indian shooters, Commonwealth Games hero Samaresh Jung finished 42nd out of 48 competitors in the Men's 10m Air Pistol qualification on the opening day of competition at the Beijing Olympic Games on Saturday. Jung, who had bagged five gold medals in the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, shot only 570 out of 600 at the Beijing Olympic Shooting Range Hall। The topper, Pang Wei of China, logged 586 out of 600 to make the final easily. Jung came into the Games with a qualification score of 584, but Saturday he fell way short of that in his pet event, where he had finished fourth at the 2007 World Cup in Munich with 584 out of 600. Jung, however, is to compete in one more event, the 50m Pistol event. In men's trap, World champion Manavjit Singh Sandhu and Mansher Singh had contrasting fortunes. In the third round of the first day, both seemed to be struggling to ensure their place in the six-man final. The next two qualifying rounds will be on Sunday. Manavjit made up some lost ground with a 24 in the final set, while Mansher squandered a great start with a 20 in the final set. Mansher had shot 25 and 24 in first two rounds, while Manavjit Singh had identical 23 in both first and second sets. Neither can afford to miss anything on the second day if they are to advance to the final. "It seemed to be a case of pressure," said coach Sunny Thomas, while veteran shooter and Secretary-General of Indian Olympic Association Randhir Singh called it "very disappointing, especially after such a great start by Mansher. At 70 and 69, they still have an outside chance of making the final, but cannot afford to miss anything more." Coach Thomas said: "They shot way below what they have been doing even in practice. I cannot explain how this happened. Maybe pressure, maybe nerves. But there is one more day to go." At 70 out of 75, Manavjit was one of the four shooters tied at 70 with nine shooters ahead of him. Mansher was among the eight tied at 69 with 13 shooters before him. David Kostelecky of the Czech Republic finished first after the first three rounds of men's qualification as he hit 73 targets with 24-24-25 as his scores. The Czech was followed by two Italian shooters, Athens runner-up Giovanni Pellielo with 73 targets and Erminio Frasca with a score of 72. The 42-year-old Mansher, one of the most experienced shooters in the squad, seemed to be rolling back the years and getting the better of his younger teammate in the first two sets after a perfect start. He then missed just one target in the second set. In the third he began with eight perfect shots but then missed three in the next four on the ninth, 11th and 12th birds. That seemed to unnerve him and he missed two more on the 19th and 21st. for a very disappointing 20 out of 25. Manavjit was more steady with 23-23-24. Alexey Alipov of Russia, Erik Varga of Slovakia, Michael Diamond of Australia and Croatia's Josip Glasnovic took the next four places with identical 72 hits on targets. There are 50 shots still left and the top six will qualify for the final, with any ties to be decided to be a tie-break shoot.
Anjali, Avneet shoot off target, fail to make final cut
Indian shooters Anjali Bhagwat and Avneet Kaur Sidhu failed to qualify for the final round in the Women's 10 metre air rifle event at the Beijing Shooting Range Hall on Saturday. The biggest hopes of getting a medal for India at this Olympics perhaps rested on the 9 member shooting team। The start though for the Indians has been anything but great। Bhagwat and Sidhu couldn't make it past the qualifying round of the 10m event. While Anjali finished 29th with a score of 393 (99, 99, 97, 98), Avneet Kaur Sidhu was further down 10 places shooting a poor 389 (98, 100, 96, 95). However all is not lost yet for Anjali as she is also participating in the 50m 3P event. Meanwhile, Emmons Katerina of Czech Republic shot a world record equalling 400 to top the qualification round. Lioubov Galnika of Russia and Snjezana Pejcic of Croartia were sceond and third with an identical score of 399. Meanwhile, India's bas start to the Olympics continued as woman judoka Khumujam Tombi Devi lost to Ana Hormigo of Portugal in the round of 32 in the 48kg category at the Olympics Games here on Saturday. First gold medal given out in Beijing Katerina Emmons spoiled China's bid for the first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Saturday by winning the 10-meter air rifle for the Czech Republic. Emmons, the wife of American shooter Matt Emmons, finished with an Olympic record of 503.5 points after shooting a perfect 400 in qualifying. Lioubov Galkina of Russia won the silver and Snjezana Pejcic of Croatia took the bronze. The big surprise was a fifth-place finish by China's Du Li. She won the event four years ago in Athens. Du was just a point behind Emmons after qualifying. Du was greeted with a roar from the fans in the upper balcony of the shooting range when she came out for the final. She turned to face the crowd with a wide smile on her face, waved and bowed before heading over to her lane. However, she misfired immediately in the final round, scoring only 9.8 points on her first attempt, the worst shot of any of the eight finalists. Competitors can earn up to 10.9 points per shot in the final. Jamie Beyerle of Lebanon,finished fourth.Emmons won by 1.4 points, a comfortable margin for the event. She entered the final shot all but assured of victory. Of course, her husband was in a similar spot four years ago in the three-position rifle event. He missed out on a gold medal because he fired at the wrong target on the final shot -- an unthinkable gaffe. Matt Emmons did win a gold in prone rifle in Athens, and will compete in both prone and three-position rifle this year.
Saina storms into second round
New Indian badminton sensation Saina Nehwal storms into the second round of Beijing Olympics badminton event here on Saturday। World No 15 Saina took just 26 minutes to beat face 30th-ranked Russian Ella Karachkova at the Beijing University of Technology gymnasium on the opening day. In the second round she will meet the winner of the tie between Ukraine's world number 27 Gryga Larisa and Italy's Allegrini Agnese, ranked 55th. If the 18-year-old Hyderabadi progresses further, she could run into world number six Chen Wang of Hong Kong in the pre-quarters.
Women`s archery team on target; enters quarters
The Indian trio of Laishram Bombayla Devi, Dola Banerjee and Pranitha Vardineni did enough to ensure that the women's team, courtesy its sixth place finish in the ranking rounds, got a bye in the first round of the Olympic archery event.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
FACTFILE Beijing 2008
= Beijing was the capital city of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties of China. The largest palace of the world, the Forbidden City, is located on the central axis of Beijing city.
=Pierre Frédy, Baron de Coubertin designed an comissioned the Oly rings in 1914.
=Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games, is in the western part of the Peloponnese which, according to Greek mythology, is the island of
= Zeus is considered the most important of all the Olympic gods. He was originally worshipped as a god of meteorological change.
=The Olympic flag has a white background, with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red. This design is symbolic; it represents the five continents of the world, united by Olympism.
="One World One Dream" is the theme slogan for Beijing Olympics.
=The revival of the ancient Olympics attracted athletes from 14 nations, with the largest delegations coming from Greece, Germany, France and Great Britain.
= Beijing was the capital city of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties of China. The largest palace of the world, the Forbidden City, is located on the central axis of Beijing city.
=Pierre Frédy, Baron de Coubertin designed an comissioned the Oly rings in 1914.
=Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games, is in the western part of the Peloponnese which, according to Greek mythology, is the island of
= Zeus is considered the most important of all the Olympic gods. He was originally worshipped as a god of meteorological change.
=The Olympic flag has a white background, with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red. This design is symbolic; it represents the five continents of the world, united by Olympism.
="One World One Dream" is the theme slogan for Beijing Olympics.
=The revival of the ancient Olympics attracted athletes from 14 nations, with the largest delegations coming from Greece, Germany, France and Great Britain.
Largest Chinese Olympic delegation established in Beijing
( China's largest Olympic delegation ever was established in Beijing at 9:00 on July 25. The 1,099-member delegation will participate in all the competitions of 28 Olympic events and 38 disciplinesand includes 639 athletes from the sports associations of 31 provinces, municipalities andautonomous regions, and of the PLA, the Railway and the Chinese Police.The average age of the athletes is 24.2. Thirty-seven of the athletes participated in the 2000Sydney Olympic Games and 165 participated in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. This will be thethird Olympic Games for diver Guo Jingjing, shooter Tan Zongliang and basketball player Li Nan.Beijing 2008 will be the Olympic debut for 469 Chinese athletes.Liu Peng was appointed head of the delegation, while Yu Zaiqing, Duan Shijie, Xiao Tian, CuiDalin and Cai Zhenhua will serve as deputy heads. Cui Dalin will double as secretary-general.The Games of the 29th Olympiad will be held August 8-24 in Beijing. Events will also take place inShanghai, Qingdao, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao.
( China's largest Olympic delegation ever was established in Beijing at 9:00 on July 25. The 1,099-member delegation will participate in all the competitions of 28 Olympic events and 38 disciplinesand includes 639 athletes from the sports associations of 31 provinces, municipalities andautonomous regions, and of the PLA, the Railway and the Chinese Police.The average age of the athletes is 24.2. Thirty-seven of the athletes participated in the 2000Sydney Olympic Games and 165 participated in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. This will be thethird Olympic Games for diver Guo Jingjing, shooter Tan Zongliang and basketball player Li Nan.Beijing 2008 will be the Olympic debut for 469 Chinese athletes.Liu Peng was appointed head of the delegation, while Yu Zaiqing, Duan Shijie, Xiao Tian, CuiDalin and Cai Zhenhua will serve as deputy heads. Cui Dalin will double as secretary-general.The Games of the 29th Olympiad will be held August 8-24 in Beijing. Events will also take place inShanghai, Qingdao, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao.
India names 57-member squad for Beijing Olympics
Reena Kumari's Olympic hopes are all but over with the archer failing to make it to the list of 57athletes who will represent India in Beijing.Reena, who met Sports Minister MS Gill claiming foul play in the selection process, was left out ofthe archery contingent which includes Dola Banerjee, Pranitha Vardhineni and L Bombayala Devi,apart from the lone male competitor in Mangal Singh Champia.A 42-member support staff would accompany the contingent, according to sources.The 17-member athletics contingent, spearheaded by ace long jumper Anju Bobby George, is thelargest of all.Shooting comes next with nine Indians, including Athens Silver medallistRajyavardhan Singh Rathore, gunning for glory.India will also be fielding its largest ever boxing team and of the quintet, Vijender looks the bestbet, especially after his red hot form in recent past.Though the Indian swimmers are yet to make a splash, as many as four of them would be part ofthe field in Beijing.The number is same in tennis as well where Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza andSunitha Rao would have to live up to the expectation.The contingent will also include three grapplers and as many rowers. Two Indians each willrepresent the country in table tennis, judo and badminton, while weightlifting and yachting willhave one each.India’s Olympic team:Archery: Dola Banerjee, Pranitha Vardhineni, L Bombayala Devi, Mangal Singh Champia.
Athletics: Anju Bobby George (Long Jump), Krishna Poonia (Discus), Harwant Kaur (Discus),Preeja Sreedharan (10,000m), Manjit Kaur (400m), Chitra Soman (4x400m relay), Sini Jose(4x400m relay), MR Poovamma (4x400m relay), Mandeep Kaur (4x400m relay), S Geeta(4x400m relay), K Mridula (4x400m relay), J J Shobha (Heptathlon), Sushmita Singh Roy(Heptathlon), G G Pramila (Heptathlon), Vikas Gowda (Discus), Renjith Maheswary (Triple Jump),Surender Singh (10000m).Badminton: Anup Sridhar, Saina NehwalBoxing: Jitender (51kg), Akhil Kumar (54kg), A L Lakhra (57kg), Vijender(75kg) and DineshKumar (81kg)Judo: Khumujam Tombi Devi, Divya. Rowing: Bajrang Lal Takhar (Single M1X), DevnderKhandwal and Manjeet Singh (Light Weight Double Scull).Shooting: Manavjit Singh Sandhu (Clay Pigeon Trap), Mansher Singh (Clay Pigeon Trap),Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Clay Pigeon Double Trap), Gagan Narang (10m Air Rifle), AbhinavBindra (10m Air Rifle), Samresh Jung (10m Air Pistol), Sanjeev Rajput (50m Rifle 3 Position),Anjali Bhagwat (50m Rifle 3 Position), Avneet Kaur Sidhu (10m Air Rifle).Swimming: Virdawal Khade (50m, 100m, 200m Freestyle), Ankur Poseria (100m Butterfly),Sandeep Sejwal (100m, 200m Breaststrokes), Rehan Poncha (200m butterfly).Table Tennis: Achanta Sharath Kamal, Neha Aggarwal.Tennis: Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi (doubles), Sania Mirza (singles and doubles),Sunitha Rao (doubles). Weightlifting: L Monika Devi (69kg)Wrestling: Sushil Kumar (66 kg Freestyle), Yogeshwar Dutt (60 kg Freestyle), Rajiv Tomar (120kg Freestyle).Yachting: Major NS Johal (Heavyweight Dinghy).
Reena Kumari's Olympic hopes are all but over with the archer failing to make it to the list of 57athletes who will represent India in Beijing.Reena, who met Sports Minister MS Gill claiming foul play in the selection process, was left out ofthe archery contingent which includes Dola Banerjee, Pranitha Vardhineni and L Bombayala Devi,apart from the lone male competitor in Mangal Singh Champia.A 42-member support staff would accompany the contingent, according to sources.The 17-member athletics contingent, spearheaded by ace long jumper Anju Bobby George, is thelargest of all.Shooting comes next with nine Indians, including Athens Silver medallistRajyavardhan Singh Rathore, gunning for glory.India will also be fielding its largest ever boxing team and of the quintet, Vijender looks the bestbet, especially after his red hot form in recent past.Though the Indian swimmers are yet to make a splash, as many as four of them would be part ofthe field in Beijing.The number is same in tennis as well where Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza andSunitha Rao would have to live up to the expectation.The contingent will also include three grapplers and as many rowers. Two Indians each willrepresent the country in table tennis, judo and badminton, while weightlifting and yachting willhave one each.India’s Olympic team:Archery: Dola Banerjee, Pranitha Vardhineni, L Bombayala Devi, Mangal Singh Champia.
Athletics: Anju Bobby George (Long Jump), Krishna Poonia (Discus), Harwant Kaur (Discus),Preeja Sreedharan (10,000m), Manjit Kaur (400m), Chitra Soman (4x400m relay), Sini Jose(4x400m relay), MR Poovamma (4x400m relay), Mandeep Kaur (4x400m relay), S Geeta(4x400m relay), K Mridula (4x400m relay), J J Shobha (Heptathlon), Sushmita Singh Roy(Heptathlon), G G Pramila (Heptathlon), Vikas Gowda (Discus), Renjith Maheswary (Triple Jump),Surender Singh (10000m).Badminton: Anup Sridhar, Saina NehwalBoxing: Jitender (51kg), Akhil Kumar (54kg), A L Lakhra (57kg), Vijender(75kg) and DineshKumar (81kg)Judo: Khumujam Tombi Devi, Divya. Rowing: Bajrang Lal Takhar (Single M1X), DevnderKhandwal and Manjeet Singh (Light Weight Double Scull).Shooting: Manavjit Singh Sandhu (Clay Pigeon Trap), Mansher Singh (Clay Pigeon Trap),Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Clay Pigeon Double Trap), Gagan Narang (10m Air Rifle), AbhinavBindra (10m Air Rifle), Samresh Jung (10m Air Pistol), Sanjeev Rajput (50m Rifle 3 Position),Anjali Bhagwat (50m Rifle 3 Position), Avneet Kaur Sidhu (10m Air Rifle).Swimming: Virdawal Khade (50m, 100m, 200m Freestyle), Ankur Poseria (100m Butterfly),Sandeep Sejwal (100m, 200m Breaststrokes), Rehan Poncha (200m butterfly).Table Tennis: Achanta Sharath Kamal, Neha Aggarwal.Tennis: Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi (doubles), Sania Mirza (singles and doubles),Sunitha Rao (doubles). Weightlifting: L Monika Devi (69kg)Wrestling: Sushil Kumar (66 kg Freestyle), Yogeshwar Dutt (60 kg Freestyle), Rajiv Tomar (120kg Freestyle).Yachting: Major NS Johal (Heavyweight Dinghy).
Thursday, July 24, 2008
World's first sand hotel
The world's first ever sand hotel has been made in Dorset and is accepting its first guests for £10 a night.
It took 1,000 tonnes of sand and a team of four sculptors working 14 hours a day for seven days to build the structure on Weymouth beach.
Guests can book to stay in the hotel, which includes beds made out of sand, until the rain washes it away.
The structure was created by a hotel company to celebrate a resurgence of holidaymakers flocking to the seaside.
Research by Laterooms.com predicts 37 million people will enjoy British beaches this year.
The sand hotel offers a twin and double bedroom, while the roofless structure gives guests the chance to "star-gaze" at night, the firm said.
But there are no toilet facilities and people were warned the sand "gets everywhere".
Mark Anderson, creator of the sand hotel, said: "It is the biggest sandcastle-like structure ever in the UK.
"Four of us worked hard and with the help of a JCB we got it built. The beds are made of sand so it can get everywhere, especially between the toes.
"But the best thing is in the morning the tide laps through the door, what a great way to wake up."
The world's first ever sand hotel has been made in Dorset and is accepting its first guests for £10 a night.
It took 1,000 tonnes of sand and a team of four sculptors working 14 hours a day for seven days to build the structure on Weymouth beach.
Guests can book to stay in the hotel, which includes beds made out of sand, until the rain washes it away.
The structure was created by a hotel company to celebrate a resurgence of holidaymakers flocking to the seaside.
Research by Laterooms.com predicts 37 million people will enjoy British beaches this year.
The sand hotel offers a twin and double bedroom, while the roofless structure gives guests the chance to "star-gaze" at night, the firm said.
But there are no toilet facilities and people were warned the sand "gets everywhere".
Mark Anderson, creator of the sand hotel, said: "It is the biggest sandcastle-like structure ever in the UK.
"Four of us worked hard and with the help of a JCB we got it built. The beds are made of sand so it can get everywhere, especially between the toes.
"But the best thing is in the morning the tide laps through the door, what a great way to wake up."
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