London Olympics:Katie Taylor wins Ireland's first gold medal

09/08/2012

London:Stung perhaps by the sour pre-fight accusation of her Russian opponent that she was "just another boxer", Katie Taylor exacted measured revenge over eight minutes in the lightweight final to deliver Ireland her first but maybe not only gold medal of these Olympics.

There are Paddy Barnes, John Joe Nevin and Michael Conlan to come, and they were as ecstatic as every other Irish supporter among the 16,000 fans who filled this arena with Fields of Athenry, that misleadingly rousing lament, when Taylor was announced a 10-8 winner over Sofya Ochigava.

Proving Ochigava wrong surely made victory all the sweeter, and, while Taylor is not one for gloating, relief, exultation and maybe just a little self-satisfaction mingled on her handsome features as she accepted the plaudits – even of the Russian, in the end.

Later, she settled the rumours that she would accede to the wishes of her father and trainer, Peter, and quit boxing to return to football – and maybe even listen to the offers of several clubs, including Arsenal.

"No," she said, "I know my father would like me to retire from boxing but I am going to box on, either in the amateurs or professional, I don't know yet. But I want to carry on, at 26."

Her father had said before the final: "She's got a good few teams interested in her at the moment, but she's got to get back playing. We'll stay away from boxing for a couple of months anyway. She needs to regenerate now because she has had a tough career, over 140 fights now I think and all senior fights, all international fights. They just take a lot out of you at the end of the day."

So there is one fight she's won already. Thursday night's contest was tough from start to finish, but Taylor deserved the verdict. Judges ruled the first round even at two points apiece, failing, perhaps, to see the crunching right cross on the bell that sent the Russian's head into a minor tailspin.

Taylor had clearly gone for the power option in round two and left a chilling hook on her opponent's jaw as a calling card but, inexplicably, the officials reckoned she landed just a single blow of significance and Ochigava led 3-2. This was appallingly low punch-recognition, even in a bout where both boxers were waiting for openings.

Ochigava's shoelace came undone towards the end of the third round, and so did her lead. The roars from the arena were deafening when the score went up: 7-5 to Ireland – that's all of Ireland, not just their representative in the ring. No Irish athlete walks alone.

Stung by the deficit, the Russian threw herself into the assaults in the fourth, but Taylor kept her boxing together.

Ochigava ignored her when the bell went, no doubt imagining she would again be the victim of perceived bias. It was close, no more than so many contests in this tournament, but she was no victim. The officials judged they had shared the final session 3-all, and that was enough to give Taylor the win.

Ochigava, was understandably disappointed but, after cajoling by her corner, went across the ring to congratulate the best boxer there has ever been in the women's game.

Ireland loves its heroes, usually unreservedly, from Sonia O'Sullivan, the chef de mission here who reminded us all on Thursday night that winning one gold is tough, two much tougher, through to the likes of Roy Keane and Brian O'Driscoll.

With all due respect to that fine lineup, Katie Taylor would probably win any straw poll of popularity in Ireland right now – and for a little while to come.

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London Olympics: US victory over Japan in the women's football final

10/08/2012

London:The United States clinched a 2-1 victory over Japan in the Olympic women's football final on Thursday as Carli Lloyd's double gave her country a third successive gold medal and avenged last year's World Cup final defeat against the Asian giants.

Lloyd missed a penalty when the US lost that World Cup final in an agonising shoot-out, but she enjoyed sweet redemption at Wembley with a goal in each half and, although Japan's Yuki Ogimi got one back, the US held on to secure their fourth gold in women's football in the last five Olympics.

The US have enjoyed a remarkable run of Olympic success since women's football was introduced to the Games in 1996 and their triumph in London followed previous wins in Atlanta in 1996, Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.Even when they didn't win the tournament, in Sydney in 2000, they still went away with the silver medal and Japan, who had been attempting to become only the second team in history to hold the women's World Cup and Olympic titles, were unable to break their stranglehold despite an impressive display

The chance to avenge a heartbreaking loss against Japan in Germany just over a year ago had propelled Pia Sundhage's US side towards the final and they finished the job thanks to Lloyd's goals, including a sublime solo effort, and a superb display from goalkeeper Hope Solo.

USA coach Pia Sundhage said "I'm really happy for the players. They put together a very good performance through the whole tournament. It's incredible.

"Carli Lloyd has gone from being out of the team a few weeks ago and has come in and made the difference. She has proven I was wrong (to leave her out) before the Olympics."

Japan manager Norio Sasaki added: "Even though we couldn't win this Olympics, we played very well and there is nothing we should be ashamed of.

"I'm very satisfied with how they played and very thankful to have a silver medal. I told the players they should all be proud of themselves."

Early on, Saki Kumagai made a hash of controlling a long ball on the edge of her own penalty area and Alex Morgan quickly took advantage, seizing possession before testing Japan goalkeeper Miho Fukumoto with a powerful strike.

It was Morgan who escaped again to create the opening goal for Lloyd in the eighth minute.

Tobin Heath picked out Morgan in the penalty area and the Seattle Sounders star showed tremendous poise under pressure as she recovered from a heavy first touch to clip over a teasing cross that Lloyd headed home from close-range.

That sparked a furious response from Japan.

Solo had to race off her line to bravely block Ogimi's shot. Then moments later the unmarked Ogimi powered a header goalwards, only for Solo to produce a superb tip onto the crossbar.

Japan also had a strong penalty appeal turned down when Heath handled a free-kick, but Azusa Iwashimizu nearly gifted the US a second goal when her attempted headed clearance cannoned off her own post.

The Asians kept probing and Shinobu Ohno displayed nimble feet to evade a crowd of defenders before slipping a pass to skipper Aya Miyama, whose rising shot crashed onto the bar.

Ohno went close with a curling shot from the edge of the penalty area just before half-time.

But the US doubled their lead thanks to a stunning individual effort from Lloyd in the 55th minute.

Taking possession midway inside the Japan half, Lloyd strode foward unchecked before smashing a ferocious strike past Fukumoto from 20 yards.

Japan still wouldn't concede defeat and they reduced the deficit in the 64th minute.

Homare Sawa's shot was cleared off the line by US captain Christie Rampone, but Sawa lunged for the rebound and her challenge diverted the ball towards Ogimi, who tapped-in from no more than two yards out.

Japan swept forward in search of an equaliser and Solo had to make one last crucial stop to preserve the victory as she turned away a strike from substitute Mana Iwabuchi.

Claressa Shields, only 17, saves U.S. Olympic boxing gold legacy

10/08/2012

London: The United States has always been a power in Olympic boxing.

But this year, only one American has a chance at a gold medal, in the first Games in which female boxers have been allowed to compete.

The U.S. team's hopes are riding on Claressa Shields and her punishing uppercut.

She was to fight for the gold medal Thursday.

When fighting Claressa, it's her stamina that hits you before her gloves ever do.

At just 17, she boxed her way past the semi-finals and into the gold medal bout.

Now the teen from Flint, Mich., is just one fight away from being the middleweight Olympic champion.

Her teammate, Marlen Esparza, lost in the semi-finals, but is still ensured a spot on the podium with bronze.

This is the first time female fighters have been allowed to box at the Olympics, and Shields could become America's inaugural title holder.

"That means a lot to me," she says. "It's not just about making history: I put in so much hard work. I would be very disappointed to go to London and not get a gold medal."

The milestone highlights what have become "the women's games" in London. On the U.S. team, women have gotten more than double the number of gold medals of men. And female boxing is expected to hit a new peak in popularity with its debut at the Olympics. For the better part of the 20th century, it was banned in most countries.

For Claressa, boxing is all about being disciplined. "You gotta be, or else this (is) not the sport for you. ... I train twice, three times a day," she says.

Claressa's dedication earned her a spot at the Games, but it was her dad's dream that got her in the ring. Claressa didn't meet him until she was 9 years old. Her father was in jail nearly her entire childhood.

"He couldn't really do nothing, there was nothing for him," she recalls. "He said his dream was to be a boxer. ... So when he said boxing was his passion, I decided I would box."

That started her career at the age of 11. She's only lost one match since. And she's beaten out her male counterparts as the youngest person to make the U.S. Olympic boxing team in 40 years.

Claressa's father once told her boxing was a man's sport, but it was only a reason to push harder/

"That was one of the big motivations for her to become a boxer," explains Chris Mannix, a writer for Sports Illustrated. "She figured anything a man can do, I can do, too."

Mannix says Shields has the straight punch of Sugar Ray Robinson, and the difficult back-story of other famed fighters. "Most boxers come from tough backgrounds," he points out. "They come from broken families. And Claressa Shields is one of them. ... And, like most male boxers, she's harnessed that atmosphere and been able to take herself to the top."

And Claressa isn't letting up.

She's spent her whole life being tough -- in and out of the ring -- and she's not about to pull any punches now.

Getting to fight for gold is everything Claressa's father ever dreamed of, but he won't be able to see that dream come true, in person, for his daughter: Because of his criminal record, he was unable to secure a passport to travel to London.

London Olympics:Germany won gold medal for the men's Kayak Double (K2) 1000m Canoe Sprint

09/08/2012

Peter Kretschmer and Kurt Kuschela comfortably won the C2, nearly two seconds ahead of brothers Andrei and Aliaksandr Bahdanovich from Belarus, who took silver.

Russia's Alexey Korovashkov and Ilya Pervukhin won bronze.

The second German gold medal of the morning came from Franziska Weber and Tina Dietze in the women's K2. The silver went to Hungary and the bronze Poland.

Earlier, Australia won gold in the men's Kayak Four (K4) 1000m. The boat of Dave Smith, Tate Smith, Murray Stewart and Jacob Clear led from the start and won by half a length.Speaking after the race, Dave Smith, 25, said: 'The Germans and the Hungarians are always tough to beat and it was a great feeling to be the only non-European team in the final. To then go on and beat them all was even better.

'We wanted to put it out there. It wasn't so much about beating the other crews but about forcing them to beat us. Fortunately it paid off. It was great to win gold.'

The silver belonged to Hungary and the Czech Republic took bronze.

Hungary's Danuta Kozak won the women's Kayak Single (K1) 500m title. Inna Osypenko-Radomska of Ukraine earned silver, with South Africa's Bridgitte Hartley claiming bronze.

London Olympics: USA wins gold in beach volleyball

AUGUST 9, 2012

Defending champions Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor won Olympic gold in women's beach volleyball on Wednesday, beating fellow Americans Jennifer Kessy and April Ross in the final.It was an unprecedented third-straight Olympic beach volleyball gold for Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor, who danced on the sand in celebration at Horse Guard's Parade after winning match point.

Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor made up for their slower serves with a calmer defence and a more pointed attack than their rivals, who took silver on their Olympic debut.

The final score was 21-16, 21-16.

Earlier in the day, Brazil's duo of Larissa Franca and Juliana Silva won Olympic bronze, beating China's Xue Chen and Zhang Xi in a three-set thriller.

Franca and Silva, the reigning Olympic champions, battled back from a first-set thrashing to scrape a 2-1 win.

Olympic 2012: Indians on day 12 — Mary Kom wins bronze; Devendro goes down

09/08/2012

India's MC Mary Kom scripted history by becoming the country's first woman boxer to win a medal at the Olympics when she finished with a bronze in the 51 kg event at the London Games on Wednesday.

Mary Kom, who had been assured of the bronze on Monday itself when she reached the semi-finals, could not proceed further as she went down fighting in her pre-summit bout against local favourite Nicola Adams.

Losing 6-11, Mary Kom became only the second Indian boxer after VijenderSingh to win an Olympic medal. Vijender got a bronze in Beijing fours years ago.

Buoyed by the presence of British Prime Minister David Cameron and star professional boxer Amir Khan, second-seed Nicola put up a flawless performance.

From the start, Mary Kom struggled to cope up with the Briton's speed. She came under pressure in the first round, having to fend off Nicola's powerful punches.

A couple of times the 29-year-old Indian, a mother of twins, was pinned in the corner and took some major blows, losing the first round 1-3.

The second round was closer as both boxers tried to assert their dominance. However, the five-time World Champion found it difficult to get her way around her quick opponent, who narrowly edged the round 2-1.

The Manipuri stuck it out in the third round before losing it by a whisker.

The final round went pretty much in similar fashion as Mary Kom found it hard to cope with Nicola's superior size. With time running out, the Indian went hell for leather but fell short and lost the round 2-3.

The Indian shared the bronze with US's Marlen Esparza. Women's boxing is making its Olympic debut in London. Both semi-finals losers are awarded bronze medals.

A happy Mary Kom said she was satisfied with her effort.

"It has been a tough journey. I carried on with the support of family and friends. I want to continue playing the game. Despite the loss today, I am satisfied with the way I performed.

Mary Kom's journey to the top of women's world boxing has been an arduous one. With all she has done for the sport, very few people have acknowledged her feats.

Inspired by famous Manipuri boxer Dingko Singh, an Asian Games gold medallist, Mary Kom gave up books for boxing gloves. But she had to hide her interests from her family. All that changed after her victory in the Manipurstate women's boxing championship in 2000.

If growing up in the strife-torn state of Manipur was hard, the road to the London Games was harder.

In the inaugural 2001 World Championship, she won the silver and her golden run started in 2002. In 2003, Mary Kom was awarded the ArjunaAward.

Mary Kom became a legend in women's boxing as she bagged a hat-trick of World Championship titles here in 2006. Calls for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sports honour, became louder but Mary Kom was ignored repeatedly.

The Manipuri fighter vented out her anger after she was ignored despite winning the world title for the record fourth consecutive time in 2008.

Finally, she got the Khel Ratna along with Beijing Games bronze medallistsSushil Kumar and Vijender Singh.

Being a police officer in Manipur, she had to do her job, find time and opponents to practice, and then hunt for funds to build up international experience.

After her success, Mary Kom married K. Onler Kom and has twin sons,Rechungvar and Khupneivar. Not only does she have to lend emotional support to her young family but financially she is the main source of income.

Her husband Onler also played a crucial role in her growth and time and again Mary Kom has given him all the credit. He had to stay at home and cater to their twin sons while Mary Kom travelled the world trying to bring laurels.

After a two-year sabbatical that saw her start a family, Mary Kom came back strongly to win the World Championship twice.

After the news of inclusion of women's boxing in the Olympics for the first time, Mary Kom had to make a huge change, going to 51kg category from the 46kg class, where she has fought for most part of her life.

Laishram Devendro Singh is the only Indian boxer left in the Olympics. He takes on Irish boxer Barnes Paddy in the quarter-finals later Wednesday.

Apart from Mary Kom's bronze, there was another piece of good news for India from the showpiece track and field. Middle-distance runner Tintu Lukaqualified for the semi-final of the women's 800 metres.

Tintu, who is coached by the legendary PT Usha, finished third in the second heat with a timing of 2:01.75 seconds. It was below her personal best of 1:59.17 seconds achieved two years back.