Armitstead's road race silver gives GB first medal - ESPN.co.uk
Team GB picked up their first medal of London 2012 as Lizzie Armitstead snatched silver in a pulsating conclusion to the women's cycling road race.
In a sprint finish contested in treacherous conditions, with heavy rain a near-constant throughout the race, Netherlands' Marianne Vos took gold, while Olga Zabelinskaya of Russia grabbed bronze.
Armitstead's team-mates - Nicole Cooke, the 2008 Olympic champion, Lucy Martin and Emma Pooley - laid the platform, with Pooley making a particularly decisive contribution.
There were a host of ill-fated breakaway attempts in the early and middle parts of the race, most of which came from the Dutch riders. Although no-one was able to streak clear, the bursts did serve to spread out the field - and the pace was too hot for Lucy Martin to handle as she dropped off the back of the peloton. It was Pooley who stationed herself at the head of the pack and had the responsibility for reeling in those who surged out front.
The first effective breakaway came from Zabelinskaya with around 40km remaining, and she was joined by Armitstead, Shelley Olds and Vos in building the biggest gap of the race, which was ultimately too significant for the chasers to bridge.
As the rain lashed down, Olds dropped off from the leading group just inside the 30km mark, leaving just three frontrunners incentivised by a guaranteed medal if they could stay at the head of the action. They worked together to shoulder the burden as the stripped-down peloton continued to lose decisive ground, with around 40 seconds the gap with 5km remaining.
They meandered towards an inevitable closing sprint, with Zabelinskaya left behind, and Vos and Armitstead contesting the final few seconds. Despite Armitstead's brave effort, it was Vos, a former road race world champion, who crossed first in a breathtaking finish.
"It's just really strange," Armitstead said to the BBC. "I'm a bit shocked. My team-mates did exactly what was asked. I needed an aggressive race."
In other British action on Sunday, defending champion Rebecca Adlington qualified as the slowest of the eight 400m freestyle swimming finalists. Gemma Spofforth, Georgia Davies, Robbie Renwick and Liam Tancock also came through their heats.
Colin Oates shocked Khashbaater Tsagaanbaater, the bronze medallist in Beijing, in judo action before suffering defeat in the quarter-finals.
Ben Ainslie, the three-time sailing gold medallist, placed second in his first race of the Games.
Britain's defending rowing champions, Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter, reached the semi-finals of the lightweight men's double sculls.
Welsh boxer Fred Evans was too good for Ilyas Abbadi of Algeria in the men's welterweight round of 32.
In women's team event archery, GB were knocked out in the first round by Russia. The trio of Alison Williamson, Naomi Folkard and Amy Oliver looked on course for victory but their opponents finished the stronger to win through 215-208.
GB's men produced a valiant display in the volleyball but ultimately Bulgaria proved too strong at Earls Court. Bulgaria, ninth in the world standings, overcame their 92nd-ranked opponents 25-18 25-20 26-24. GB's women's pair Zara Dampney and Shauna Mullin fought from a set down to beat the Canadian team of Annie Martin and Marie-Andree Lessard. Having lost a close first set, Dampney and Mullin, cheered on by a partisan crowd at Horse Guards Parade, got back on level terms before sealing a 17-21 21-14 15-13 victory.
Badminton mixed doubles pair Chris Adcock suffered their second defeat in as many Group A matches, losing 11-21 21-17 21-14 to German duo Michael Fuchs and Birgit Michels.
In table tennis, Joanna Parker was outclassed by Germany's Kristin Silbereisen at the second-round stage - but Paul Drinkhall beat Yang Zi 4-1 in the second round.
© ESPN EMEA Ltd
Sangh backing for Ramdev, Hazare: Digvijaya - Hindustan Times
Singh's remarks came on the day yoga guru Ramdev and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi shared the dais at a function in Ahmedabad.
On Hazare joining the fast from Sunday, the Congress leader said "poor Anna will be forced to sit on fast, if Arvind Kejriwal and others from Team Anna cannot fast."
Team Anna had on Wednesday launched an indefinite fast in New Delhi demanding passage of the Janlokpal Bill by Parliament and action against "corrupt" ministers.
While Team Anna members had begun the fast on Wednesday, Hazare joined them in fasting from Sunday.
Rhode in record books, more chapters to come - Reuters UK
LONDON |
LONDON (Reuters) - Kim Rhode could finish her shooting career as the United States greatest Olympian ever but it will be one spent mostly in obscurity defending a sport she maintains is misunderstood.
A gold medal victory in the women's skeet on Sunday put Rhode into the record books as the first American to medal in five consecutive Olympics and at just 33-years-old, competing in a sport that has seen winners in their 60s, could easily take part in five more Games before putting away her shotgun.
With gold from London, Atlanta and Athens, a silver from Beijing and a bronze in Sydney, Rhode may be entering Michael Phelps like territory but there will be no long lineup of television appearances to schedule or massive endorsement deals to be signed when she returns home.
"Shooting isn't like Phelps or (Michael) Jordan or something, this is more of sport that you can, when you are at the top level, make a living but it is always a struggle," Rhode's father Richard told Reuters. "Shooting is an expensive sport, every time you pull the trigger it costs you money."
Rhode practises every day firing between 500 and 1,000 rounds, each training session costing between $400 and $600.
Certainly Rhode did not waste any ammunition on Sunday hitting 99-of-100 targets breaking the Olympic record and equalling the world mark to win the gold in style.
"I don't think it has hit me yet but I'm sure it will, the record and everything it represents," said Rhode, who will be back on the range on Monday preparing for the trap event. "The last few shots I was trying to keep myself from not crying.
"Every emotion hit me at once when I was out there."
TRAGIC BACKDROP
Rhode's record smashing day unfolded under a tragic backdrop with guns again at the centre of polarizing debate in the U.S. following the latest horrific shooting spree that left 12 people and 58 wounded after a gunman opened fire at a movie theatre in the Denver suburb of Aurora earlier this month.
Rhode, a poster girl for the powerful National Rifle Association (NRA), has faced questions about guns, the people who use them and the link to the Aurora shootings in almost every interview since arriving in London.
"Shooting teaches responsibility, discipline, focus and this is a sport, it's sad when those lines get blurred by someone who was obviously disturbed," she said. "Hopefully we continue on a positive path and teach others."
Shortly after they were married, Richard Rhode introduced his new wife Sharon to the sport and then their young daughter.
Richard became and remains his daughter's coach, he and his wife travelling the globe to every Olympics cheering her on.
"We both shoot, my husband taught me to shoot when we were married," said Sharon. "We go to the range like other people go bowling and shoot skeet or trap so Kim was just sort of born into it."
Rhode was just 13 when she claimed her first world title and three years later was the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic team taking gold at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games.
Later that year she was named one of the Top 10 Sports Phenoms by Time magazine.
"Her eye-hand coordination is very, very good," said Richard. "Even as a child with video games or a computer, what she sees she can make her hands do.
"She very focused and has very good eyesight too."
Rhode may not stick around as long as Swedish marksman Oscar Swahn, the oldest person to win an Olympic medal when he took a silver at the 1920 Antwerp Summer Games at 72 but she definitely has Rio in her sights.
"I'm not looking at this as my last Olympics," said Rhode. "I can go a very long time, that's the beauty of shooting.
"It's not a flash in the pan type thing. I definitely don't see an end in sight."
RSS backing Ramdev, Anna Hazare: Digvijay - zeenews.india.com
New Delhi: Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Sunday said the RSS and its affliate organisations were continuing to support yoga guru Ramdev and Anna Hazare and would back them even during elections.
"Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare had and will continue to have the support of the Sangh Parivar. Even during elections these people have been supportive of them (Sangh)," Singh told reporters.
On Hazare joining the fast from today, the Congress leader said "poor Anna will be forced to sit on fast, if Arvind Kejriwal and others from Team Anna cannot fast."
While Team Anna members had begun the fast on Wednesday, Hazare joined them in fasting from today.
PTI
Villas-Boas slams Adam tackle - Football
Published: 29 Jul 2012 - 07:17:10
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has criticised Liverpool midfielder Charlie Adam for a heavy challenge on Gareth Bale in their goalless pre-season friendly in the United States.
Spurs and Liverpool played out a 0-0 draw at the M&T Bank Stadium, home of NFL franchise the Baltimore Ravens. In a game which marked the Liverpool debut of summer signing Fabio Borini, Villas-Boas was critical of Adam who has previous history with Bale.
In quotes reported by several national newspapers, Villas-Boas said: "I think it was a very nasty challenge from Charlie. The player had gone and he came in from behind on Gareth's ankle. I did not know the previous history between the two. I do now."
He added: "It is a difficult one to be fair. You do not want to end up in a game with Liverpool with 10 men. At half-time Charlie came to me and said something about the challenge.
"I can accept that but I think he should go to the player to say sorry."
In May 2011 the Scotland international injured Bale in a tackle, an incident Villas-Boas was only made aware of following the game in Baltimore.
Bale was out for three months with ankle ligament damage after that incident. Adam's latest challenge left Villas-Boas waiting to hear on the seriousness of Bale's injury.
He added: "If the player escapes hospital it is because he is very lucky. The last time he was out for three months and in the end it is the Premier League that suffers without a player of Bale's talent."
Bale's appearance on Spurs' United States tour had already caused controversy as he scored in the game with Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday despite having pulled out of the Team GB squad for the Olympics with a back injury.
Related Liverpool News
RSS supports Hindu Jagaran Vedikeon on rave party - Times of India
MYSORE: RSS leadership in Karnataka seems to have no qualms on the issue of supporting violent opposition to the rave party at Mangalore on Saturday, but support comes only with a rider that the volunteers would not have assaulted the women.
Though the issue has it's own ramifications and seriousness, the RSS leadership is unperturbed and it's leaders feel that the issue whether women should participate in such rave parties needs a debate on larger scale.
Talking to TOI a RSS spokesman who initially was on record to say various things on the issue later does not wanted him to be quoted for the reasons best known to him.
Admitting Hindu Jagaran Vedike as one of the frontal organizations of the RSS like BMS and ABVP , spokesman said RSS is against rave parties , but it condemns the attack on the women involved in the rave party. But it does not mean RSS supports the rave parties, he clarified.
It is a fact that HJV volunteers have attacked the women participating in rave party, but RSS demands a debate on the issue of rave parties, he said wanting to know why the girls hid their participation in the rave parties to their parents." It goes to indicate that there is something amiss in the issue and rave parties" he said and added: RSS is against indecent culture of rave parties which are against the tenets of Hindutva which stood for decency and respect.
In reply, the spokesman said girls and women in the guise of freedom cannot indulge in immoral acts." Comparing RSS to Taliban is a fashion and a big word for RSS , but this allegation does not deter us from adhering to our ideology and doctrines " he replied, denying that incident smacked of fundamentalism.
Taylor replaces Bopara in England squad - ESPN.co.uk
James Taylor, the Nottinghamshire batsman, has been called up for the second Test at against South Africa at Headingley after Ravi Bopara was ruled out for what the ECB said were "personal issues".
The first match of the series at The Oval marked Bopara's return to the Test line-up after nearly a year out of the team but he struggled, making 0 and 22. He had been due to play in Essex's CB40 match against Worcestershire on Sunday.
Taylor, who has played one ODI against Ireland last year, will enter the match in good form after making a century in the current round of Championship matches against Sussex - although before that innings it had been a lean season in four-day cricket for him with one half-century in nine matches. However, he did hit a century for England Lions against the West Indians earlier this season.
He is the only change to the 13-man squad after the innings-and-12-run defeat in the opening Test at The Oval, although question marks remain over the make up of the bowling attack after England took just two wickets in 189 overs. Steven Finn and Graham Onions, who both played Championship cricket this week, are the other options should the selectors decide on a change.
The most vulnerable of the pace bowlers appears to be Tim Bresnan although he would bring local knowledge on his home ground and can bowl long spells. Stuart Broad was below his best at The Oval but it is unlikely that England will consider leaving him out after showing such faith in him during previous slips in form.
Finn took six wickets against Durham at Chester-le-Street while by the start of the third day Onions had four to his name. Both played against West Indies at Edgbaston when England rotated their pace attack and Finn showed excellent form against Australia in the one-day series.
Geoff Miller, the national selector, said: "We were outplayed during the first Test last week but it is important that this squad regroups and focuses on preparing for the second Test. This is a talented squad with plenty of international experience and they will be determined to improve on the performance during the first Test.
"We have made one change to the squad with James Taylor replacing Ravi Bopara who is unavailable for selection due to personal reasons. James has been part of the England Performance Programme for a number of years and has performed consistently for England Lions and now has an opportunity to step up and experience the Test environment.
"We have played a lot of good cricket over the last few years and it's important we remember that, learn from the mistakes that we made and retain the belief that we can level this series at Headingley."
Squad: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, James Taylor, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Graham Onions
Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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