This was obviously supposed to be for yesterday, but it's being released today. We're continuing the Ultimate Olympic Preview as we look at the Women's Gymnastics Competition and the Track and Field Competition.
GYMNASTICS PREVIEW (Continued)
Women:
The American women have a better chance of winning gold in Beijing than the men do. Both Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, the first two women named to the team after the Olympic trials, are current world champions after winning the team event in Stuttgart last year. Johnson is also the current individual all-around champion and floor exercise world champion. Nastia Liukin is the current balance beam world champion and won silver in the balance beam in the last two world championships. Together, they are the strongest members of the American team and are two of the best in the world.
The rest of the American team exhibits a lot of talent as well. Chelsie Memmel is a former world champion who won gold in Melbourne at the 2005 world championships. She suffered shoulder injury in 2006 and started to make a comeback in 2007. Along with Memmel, Samantha Peszek, who has strong beam and floor routines, Alicia Sacramone and Bridget Sloan will join Liukin and Johnson in Beijing. The United States finished second to Romania at the 2004 Olympics.
While the Americans are favored, their task to win gold will certainly not be easy. Their biggest threat are the Chinese, who lost to the United States by five one-hundredths of a point in last year's team event at Stuttgtart. They won the team event back in the 2006 World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark and have had a huge rivalry with the American team for the past four years. With the Chinese competing at home, the crowd will be heavily favoring team China, including Cheng Fei, five-time world champion over the past three years.
Romanian gymnastics has somewhat declined over the past four years since winning team gold in Athens four years ago. But after winning the bronze medal in Stuttgart at last year's world championships, the Romanians are hoping for a comeback. However, they will be missing veteran gymnast Catalina Ponor, who retired from the sport after the world championships. Instead, Sandra Izbasa and Steliana Nistor, silver medalist in last year's individual all-around, will be the Romanian hopeful that will look to put Romania at the top of the gymnastics world.
But Romania will have to play underdog and put up with the United States, the favorites, and China, the host nation. Both the team and individual all-around competition will be the ones to watch in women's gymnastics competition in Beijing. And both competitions will be broadcast live in primetime on NBC.
TRACK AND FIELD PREVIEW
It's a sport where not one, but many nations can enjoy their moment in the spotlight. There is never a single country that dominates track and field. This is a sport that tests a variety of skills from running to jumping to throwing. For 10 days during the games, 47 gold medals will be awarded in the sport of athletics.
Men:
Of those 47 events, the most popular are the sprint events, namely the 100 meter dash. On the men's side, the race will come down to three athletes: American Tyson Gay and Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell. A current world champion in the 100 meters, Gay ran the fastest time in the event in any conditions, running a 9.68 race, wind-aided, in the final of the U.S. Olympic Trials. But Usain Bolt is the current official world record holder after running a 9.72 at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York last June. Bolt faced off with Asafa Powell, the veteran sprinter and bronze-medalist at last year's world championships, in an IAAF meet in Stockholm earlier this week.
Obviously, the 100 meter race in Beijing will come down to who will have a fast start and who can put the pressure on the other competitors. The men's 100 meter final will be run on Saturday night, August 16 (Saturday morning here in the United States) at 10:30PM Beijing Time.
But the one race that all of China will be looking forward to will be the 110 meter race where defending Olympic Champion Liu Xiang will try and defend his title. He has the entire nation's hopes on his shoulders and winning in Beijing is the only choice for this 25-year-old Chinese hurdler. He won China's first men's track and field gold medal in Athens and since then, has owned a world record and won a world championship in the event.
But he will have some tough opposition, among them current world record holder Dayron Robles of Cuba. He broke Liu Xiang's world record at a IAAF Golden Spikes Meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic earlier this year with a time of 12.87 and has been consistently running those times since. At the last Golden League meet, he ran a 12.88 to win the 110 meter hurdles event in Paris.
Terrence Trammell is America's best hope to win the gold in Beijing. He won the silver medal twice in this event and is competing in what is most likely his last Olympic Games. He also won silver at the last world championships in Osaka last year.
But the focus will be on Liu Xiang, who has been the focus of Chinese sports for the past four years since winning Olympic gold. This feature from Sports Illustrated on the Chinese athlete really expresses why Liu Xiang MUST win this race. And the 110 meter hurdles will be held on Thursday night (Thursday morning here in the U.S.) on August 21, at 9:45PM.
While the 110 meter hurdles will be China's biggest attraction during the games, the other events should be highly entertaining as well. The American rivalry between reigning world and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner and up-and-coming star LeShawn Merritt, who may be peaking at the right time, will make the 400 meters race a must-see. That race will also be ran on Thursday night, just before the 110 meter hurdles.
Bernard Lagat will also likely make headlines when the 1500 meters and 5000 meter races are ran. He is the favorite in both and is representing the United States for the first time after representing his home nation of Kenya in the last Olympic Games, when he won silver. He is the current world champion in both events.
On the field, the pole vault and shot put events will be the ones to watch. Current world champion and American Brad Walker and Australian Steven Hooker are strong contenders to take medal spots in the pole vault. And there could be a huge clash of American shot put titans when Reese Hoffa takes on Adam Nelson for a shot at the gold medal. The shot put will be one of the first medals to be awarded in athletics.
Women:
The highlight of the women's program will be the sprint races where the rivalry between the Jamaican and American runners will reach its peak. Each nation will showcase very talented runners and each race should be well-matched. In the women's 100 meters, Jamaica will be leaning on Kerron Stewart while Torri Edwards, Muna Lee and Lauryn Williams will all be contenders for gold in the event for the United States.
What this rivalry will be missing is Jamaica's Veronica Campbell-Brown, who did not qualify for the 100 meters after placing fourth in the Jamaican Olympic Trials. The defending world and Olympic champion in the 100 meters will, however, be competing in the 200 meters and 4x100m relay in Beijing. She will have to put up with American Allyson Felix, defending world champion and silver medalist from Athens, and her countrywoman Kerron Stewart, who is trying for the elusive sprint double, that is if she wins the 100 meters.
The Jamaican-USA rivalry will likely spill over into the 400 meters race, but both countries will have to deal with powerful runners from Great Britain. Sanya Richards from the United States and Jamaican runners Novlene Williams-Mills and Rosemarie Whyte will all be contenders for medals. But runners like Nicola Sanders, who won silver in Osaka last year, and Christine Ohuruogu, current world champion, may give Great Britain glory in this event, which would be a great boost for the country that will host the next Olympic games in four years time.
On the field, the most captivating matchup will be in the pole vault where American Jenn Stuczynski will matchup with world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva, who broke her own world record in a Golden League event in Rome earlier this year. The two athletes have gone one-two in numerous events, most notably this year's world indoor championships. Isinbayeva is the defending world and Olympic champion and it would be a tall order for Stuczyinski to overthrow her. The pole vault final will be held on the night of August 18.
CONCLUSION
So looking back at the three sports that will attract the most eyes during the 17-day competition, the United States is expected to dominate in swimming, have a good shot in gymnastics, and have some bright moments in track and field. China is looking forward to its brightest moment of all, when Liu Xiang takes on the rest of the world in his signature event, the 110 meter hurdles.
We'll continue previewing the games as we inch closer to the opening ceremonies. And during the Olympic Games, NOW Sports will tackle its toughest challenge of all: A LIVE 20-HOUR BLOG on each day throughout the ENTIRE Olympic Games (or until I leave for college, whichever comes first). We'll detail more on how NOW Sports expects to cover these Games of the XXIX Olympiad.
Showing posts with label tyson gay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tyson gay. Show all posts
Friday, July 25, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Mon July 7: Reviewing (And Analyzing) An Awesome Sports Week
My first full week of blogging about world sports turned out to be one of the most action packed sports weeks that I've been through, and the way it ended this past weekend gave every sports addict no reason to quit.
WIMBLEDON 2008
Nadal Better Than Federer?
The computers still say that Federer is number one in the world. To me, the simple answer is yes (Nadal is better), at least for now.
I think when we look back at it, Federer will be one of the most decorated players in the sport of tennis with his outstanding winning streak and number of grand slam titles. But in my eyes, Nadal is currently the top player in the world for a variety of reasons.
He's been consistently number 2 before his wins at the French Open and Wimbledon this year. For the past three years or so its always been these two fighting it out during the heart of the tennis season. If anyone could stop Federer, it's Nadal (though Fed has lost to other opponents in the past). And its been so obvious that Nadal has been getting closer to that number one spot. His fitness has been getting better, he's well conditioned and during the fortnight at the all-England club, he's had to fight slightly harder than Federer.
Comparing the two roads to the final, Nadal had a tougher road (though not by much). The only seeded player that Federer had to defeat was Lleyton Hewitt while Nadal had to face three. Federer never gave up a set in his road to the final while Nadal gave up one against Ernests Gulbis of Latvia in the second round.
And by beating Federer at his game, Nadal defeated long odds of capturing this title when you considered everything that happened. Nadal prevented Federer from winning his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title. And this year, Nadal has two grand slam titles while Federer has zero. Nadal captured the elusive double of French and Wimbledon titles. So while Federer will probably be remembered as one of the greatest, for now, he'll have to settle with being second.
The backcourt might have helped Nadal...
One important thing that I'd like to point out is that the backcourt was dustier than ever, which may have helped Nadal. As we all know, Nadal is a strong clay-courter and his record at the French Open shows this. At this year's Wimbledon, with the fewer amount of rain delays compared to previous years, the backcourt was roughed up a lot and much of the grass disappeared in that backcourt by the middle weekend. During finals weekend, when that backcourt looked more like a claycourt than a grass court, I noticed many athletes were slipping and sliding at the back court. And I'm sure that whatever moisture that was able to touch that backcourt before the "gremlins" covered it up during rain delays made the surface feel more like a claycourt than a grass court.
Now I'm not saying that the lack of grass at the backcourt greatly helped him, but it may have been a factor especially considering how close yesterday's final was. Federer made some noticable unforced errors and Nadal was able to get a lot of strong shots, including several running forehands. In reviewing yesterday's match, I was amazed at how quickly Nadal was able to travel across the court to retrieve balls that normally seems out of reach.
Wimbledon in Review...
Regardless of how it happened, it was a great final and an exclamation point on an awesome fortnight of tennis. Wimbledon 2008 will be remembered as the tournament of upsets and great weather that ended with rivalries that never failed to entertain the crowd. Congratulations to Venus Williams and Rafael Nadal and here's to what should be a great hardcourt season to come...
U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS
I was also lucky to have my first week of blogging coincide with an event that only comes every four years: The Olympic Trials. We've had so many great stories develop out of the past week of swimming and track and field trials, as well as a lot of questions concerning the selection of the U.S. Olympic team.
Track and Field from Eugene, Oregon
I'll remember the Oregon trio that was able to get to Beijing after a thrilling 800 meter race. I'll also remember staying up until 1AM in the morning here on the East Coast to watch all the drama unfold. We'll all remember how Tyson Gay ran the fastest 100 meters any human has ever ran in any conditions (9.68 in a wind-aided race).
I'll also remember the upsets and the triumphs. How Jeremy Wariner DIDN'T win the 400 meters and athletes who didn't previously make the team now have their one chance. Like Lolo Jones who made the team after winning the women's 100m hurdles. And if you watched yesterday, you'll remember how great America is after three runners born outside of the United States made the Olympic team in the 1500m race, led by Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat, America's best chance for a gold medal in that event.
At the same time, we'll remember how cruel the trials are, and possibly how unfair it is. We'll remember how Tyson Gay, days after his remarkable win in the 100 meters, was unable to qualify for the Olympic 200m race after pulling up in a quarterfinal heat with a severe leg cramp. No matter how successful your season was, if you don't do well at the trials, you can't go to the Olympics. It's a rule that I disagree with and that should be changed. If you don't automatically qualify, but you've had one of the most awesome seasons ever, I think an athlete should at least petition himself for the Olympics.
The other side of the arguement will say that it's not fair to those who did do well at the trials, who have worked hard to peak at the right time. And if Tyson Gay is going to have cramps days after the 100 meters, whose to say that he won't cramp up again during the Olympics?
That might be true, but should an athlete's ability to win gold at the Olympics be judged by just one race or one event? While I think it makes a great story for television audiences and should be a primary part of the selection process, Olympic team organizers should be a little more open to selecting team members.
Swimming from Omaha, Nebraska
First off, congrats to Omaha for staging a great team trials. The region has been plagued by numerous flooding and tornadoes and this was a great event to bring confidence and hope back to the heartland.
The swim trials were headlined by Michael Phelps, at least at the start of the event. He's probably the only reason why NBC sent Bob Costas to the event. And it's true that he deserved to headline the event because he won all five of his events, two of them in world record time. But when I look back at these trials, I'll remember the rivalry that Phelps had (and will have at the Olympics) with Ryan Lochte. We'll also remember the talent that America found in Katie Hoff, the young 19-year-old that may become the new face of American swimming alongside veteran Natalie Coughlin, who broke several world records of her own during the trials.
The 200 meter breaststroke, like the 200 meter dash in track, showed the heartbreak of the trials, when Brendan Hansen finished in a shocking fourth-place. Like Gay, Hansen will be unable to compete in the 200m breaststroke in Beijing.
But it appears that the most interesting story out of the swimming trials is that of Dara Torres, the 41-year-old swimmer and mother who will make her fifth Olympic Games. Apparently, she has become the inspiration of middle-aged people everywhere. I guess NBC can count on that demographic to be viewers of the swimming events at this year's Olympics.
But seriously, I respect her enthusiasm and her performance as an athlete. It just proves that at any age, a person can be an elite athlete. It's great for the sport and great for sports in general to see more age diversity. It also silences the critics who say that you can be too old to be an athlete. All Torres is guilty of is living her life to the fullest.
YANKEES SPLIT SERIES WITH RED SOX...
Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees tied Mickey Mantle for 13th most home runs all-time, bringing him closer to being one of the best hitters of the game (in the regular season that is, postseason is a different story).
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/07/06/2008-07-06_arod_ties_knot_with_mickey_mantle_with_h.html
Meanwhile, Brett Gardner became the unlikely hero by hitting the winning RBI drive in a classic game between AL East Rivals. For New York fans, it was a rollercoaster ride that ended on a high note. More importantly, the four game series between the two teams was split two games each with the Yankees entering the final week before the All-Star break with a bit of momentum.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/07/06/2008-07-06_brett_gardner_leads_yankees_over_red_sox.html
OTHER NOTES...
A blockbuster trade was made between the Cleveland Indians and the Milwaukee Brewers, regarding the American League Cy Young Winner CC Sabathia:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j_ZFiZGSwSzXzXqvEdxtg5tI_uWQD91P61K02
After the third stage of the Tour de France, it is the French riders who are enjoying success:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/sports/sportsspecial1/08tour.html
And finally, Sri Lanka can enjoy a national victory in the popular sport of cricket after their dominating victory over India in the Asia Cup final:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/7492421.stm
So a sports packed week comes to an end and things settle down a bit this week. Coming up tomorrow, check out my first post on the Tour de France and a little more attention will be paid to baseball as the All-Star Game approaches.
Thanks so much for reading. Monday always has the longest blog because I'll always look back at what is usually a pack weekend in sports. Hope you enjoyed my first week and I'm sure it will get better. If this is your first time here, leave a comment because I'm always looking for a way to make it better.
WIMBLEDON 2008
Nadal Better Than Federer?
The computers still say that Federer is number one in the world. To me, the simple answer is yes (Nadal is better), at least for now.
I think when we look back at it, Federer will be one of the most decorated players in the sport of tennis with his outstanding winning streak and number of grand slam titles. But in my eyes, Nadal is currently the top player in the world for a variety of reasons.
He's been consistently number 2 before his wins at the French Open and Wimbledon this year. For the past three years or so its always been these two fighting it out during the heart of the tennis season. If anyone could stop Federer, it's Nadal (though Fed has lost to other opponents in the past). And its been so obvious that Nadal has been getting closer to that number one spot. His fitness has been getting better, he's well conditioned and during the fortnight at the all-England club, he's had to fight slightly harder than Federer.
Comparing the two roads to the final, Nadal had a tougher road (though not by much). The only seeded player that Federer had to defeat was Lleyton Hewitt while Nadal had to face three. Federer never gave up a set in his road to the final while Nadal gave up one against Ernests Gulbis of Latvia in the second round.
And by beating Federer at his game, Nadal defeated long odds of capturing this title when you considered everything that happened. Nadal prevented Federer from winning his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title. And this year, Nadal has two grand slam titles while Federer has zero. Nadal captured the elusive double of French and Wimbledon titles. So while Federer will probably be remembered as one of the greatest, for now, he'll have to settle with being second.
The backcourt might have helped Nadal...
One important thing that I'd like to point out is that the backcourt was dustier than ever, which may have helped Nadal. As we all know, Nadal is a strong clay-courter and his record at the French Open shows this. At this year's Wimbledon, with the fewer amount of rain delays compared to previous years, the backcourt was roughed up a lot and much of the grass disappeared in that backcourt by the middle weekend. During finals weekend, when that backcourt looked more like a claycourt than a grass court, I noticed many athletes were slipping and sliding at the back court. And I'm sure that whatever moisture that was able to touch that backcourt before the "gremlins" covered it up during rain delays made the surface feel more like a claycourt than a grass court.
Now I'm not saying that the lack of grass at the backcourt greatly helped him, but it may have been a factor especially considering how close yesterday's final was. Federer made some noticable unforced errors and Nadal was able to get a lot of strong shots, including several running forehands. In reviewing yesterday's match, I was amazed at how quickly Nadal was able to travel across the court to retrieve balls that normally seems out of reach.
Wimbledon in Review...
Regardless of how it happened, it was a great final and an exclamation point on an awesome fortnight of tennis. Wimbledon 2008 will be remembered as the tournament of upsets and great weather that ended with rivalries that never failed to entertain the crowd. Congratulations to Venus Williams and Rafael Nadal and here's to what should be a great hardcourt season to come...
U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS
I was also lucky to have my first week of blogging coincide with an event that only comes every four years: The Olympic Trials. We've had so many great stories develop out of the past week of swimming and track and field trials, as well as a lot of questions concerning the selection of the U.S. Olympic team.
Track and Field from Eugene, Oregon
I'll remember the Oregon trio that was able to get to Beijing after a thrilling 800 meter race. I'll also remember staying up until 1AM in the morning here on the East Coast to watch all the drama unfold. We'll all remember how Tyson Gay ran the fastest 100 meters any human has ever ran in any conditions (9.68 in a wind-aided race).
I'll also remember the upsets and the triumphs. How Jeremy Wariner DIDN'T win the 400 meters and athletes who didn't previously make the team now have their one chance. Like Lolo Jones who made the team after winning the women's 100m hurdles. And if you watched yesterday, you'll remember how great America is after three runners born outside of the United States made the Olympic team in the 1500m race, led by Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat, America's best chance for a gold medal in that event.
At the same time, we'll remember how cruel the trials are, and possibly how unfair it is. We'll remember how Tyson Gay, days after his remarkable win in the 100 meters, was unable to qualify for the Olympic 200m race after pulling up in a quarterfinal heat with a severe leg cramp. No matter how successful your season was, if you don't do well at the trials, you can't go to the Olympics. It's a rule that I disagree with and that should be changed. If you don't automatically qualify, but you've had one of the most awesome seasons ever, I think an athlete should at least petition himself for the Olympics.
The other side of the arguement will say that it's not fair to those who did do well at the trials, who have worked hard to peak at the right time. And if Tyson Gay is going to have cramps days after the 100 meters, whose to say that he won't cramp up again during the Olympics?
That might be true, but should an athlete's ability to win gold at the Olympics be judged by just one race or one event? While I think it makes a great story for television audiences and should be a primary part of the selection process, Olympic team organizers should be a little more open to selecting team members.
Swimming from Omaha, Nebraska
First off, congrats to Omaha for staging a great team trials. The region has been plagued by numerous flooding and tornadoes and this was a great event to bring confidence and hope back to the heartland.
The swim trials were headlined by Michael Phelps, at least at the start of the event. He's probably the only reason why NBC sent Bob Costas to the event. And it's true that he deserved to headline the event because he won all five of his events, two of them in world record time. But when I look back at these trials, I'll remember the rivalry that Phelps had (and will have at the Olympics) with Ryan Lochte. We'll also remember the talent that America found in Katie Hoff, the young 19-year-old that may become the new face of American swimming alongside veteran Natalie Coughlin, who broke several world records of her own during the trials.
The 200 meter breaststroke, like the 200 meter dash in track, showed the heartbreak of the trials, when Brendan Hansen finished in a shocking fourth-place. Like Gay, Hansen will be unable to compete in the 200m breaststroke in Beijing.
But it appears that the most interesting story out of the swimming trials is that of Dara Torres, the 41-year-old swimmer and mother who will make her fifth Olympic Games. Apparently, she has become the inspiration of middle-aged people everywhere. I guess NBC can count on that demographic to be viewers of the swimming events at this year's Olympics.
But seriously, I respect her enthusiasm and her performance as an athlete. It just proves that at any age, a person can be an elite athlete. It's great for the sport and great for sports in general to see more age diversity. It also silences the critics who say that you can be too old to be an athlete. All Torres is guilty of is living her life to the fullest.
YANKEES SPLIT SERIES WITH RED SOX...
Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees tied Mickey Mantle for 13th most home runs all-time, bringing him closer to being one of the best hitters of the game (in the regular season that is, postseason is a different story).
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/07/06/2008-07-06_arod_ties_knot_with_mickey_mantle_with_h.html
Meanwhile, Brett Gardner became the unlikely hero by hitting the winning RBI drive in a classic game between AL East Rivals. For New York fans, it was a rollercoaster ride that ended on a high note. More importantly, the four game series between the two teams was split two games each with the Yankees entering the final week before the All-Star break with a bit of momentum.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2008/07/06/2008-07-06_brett_gardner_leads_yankees_over_red_sox.html
OTHER NOTES...
A blockbuster trade was made between the Cleveland Indians and the Milwaukee Brewers, regarding the American League Cy Young Winner CC Sabathia:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j_ZFiZGSwSzXzXqvEdxtg5tI_uWQD91P61K02
After the third stage of the Tour de France, it is the French riders who are enjoying success:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/sports/sportsspecial1/08tour.html
And finally, Sri Lanka can enjoy a national victory in the popular sport of cricket after their dominating victory over India in the Asia Cup final:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/7492421.stm
So a sports packed week comes to an end and things settle down a bit this week. Coming up tomorrow, check out my first post on the Tour de France and a little more attention will be paid to baseball as the All-Star Game approaches.
Thanks so much for reading. Monday always has the longest blog because I'll always look back at what is usually a pack weekend in sports. Hope you enjoyed my first week and I'm sure it will get better. If this is your first time here, leave a comment because I'm always looking for a way to make it better.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Sat July 5: Venus Wins, Yanks Lose, Phelps Breaks World Record Again
I'm going to make this short because this weekend has kinda tired me out already.
Venus Wins Fifth Wimbledon Title
Awesome final this morning between the Williams sisters, although Venus won in straight sets. The two were evenly matched and predictably, it came down to who would blink first, or in this case, make more unforced errors.
The two sisters also just won the doubles title about an hour ago. Tomorrow, a classic rivalry continues as Federer and Nadal will fight again for a grand slam title. I'll just say this: This is Nadal's best chance so far to defeat Federer at his home turf.
For more on today's final, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/sports/tennis/06tennis.html?_r=1&8dpc&oref=slogin
Make sure to leave some strawberries and cream for tomorrows final.
Fourth of July Baseball Roundup
Yanks-Red Sox was certainly quite interesting yesterday. I'd say the turning point was after this play:
The Yanks ended up losing 6-3, their second straight loss. But got to credit Damon though and one of my favorite sports columnists does just that:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/sports/baseball/06vecsey.html?ref=sports
Olympic Trials Update
Michael Phelps broke the world record in the 200 meter Individual Medley yesterday and beat Ryan Lochte, who seems to be in the runners-up spot quite often during these trials. At least he gets to go to Beijing.
And joining Phelps and Lochte in Beijing will be a surprise swimmer. Dana Torres, 41 years old, made her fifth Olympic team by winning the final of the women's 100m freestyle, narrowly defeating Natalie Coughlin, one of the best female swimmers out there. But according to this Yahoo! Sports article, she may face scrutiny:
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=cr-torres070408&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
I don't really care how old she is, obviously she deserves to go to the Olympic Games this summer and I'm glad she is. Definitely a great story to see develop in Beijing.
And some late news coming from the track and field trials in Oregon. Apparently Tyson Gay has been injured following the 200m quarterfinal heats. The injury puts him out of the competition in the 200m in Beijing, meaning that he won't be able to go for the elusive 100m and 200m double at the Olympics. Here's the news article: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-ath-tracktrials&prov=ap&type=lgns
That's all the news for now, sorry I didn't add anything original...see you again tomorrow.
Venus Wins Fifth Wimbledon Title
Awesome final this morning between the Williams sisters, although Venus won in straight sets. The two were evenly matched and predictably, it came down to who would blink first, or in this case, make more unforced errors.
The two sisters also just won the doubles title about an hour ago. Tomorrow, a classic rivalry continues as Federer and Nadal will fight again for a grand slam title. I'll just say this: This is Nadal's best chance so far to defeat Federer at his home turf.
For more on today's final, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/sports/tennis/06tennis.html?_r=1&8dpc&oref=slogin
Make sure to leave some strawberries and cream for tomorrows final.
Fourth of July Baseball Roundup
Yanks-Red Sox was certainly quite interesting yesterday. I'd say the turning point was after this play:
The Yanks ended up losing 6-3, their second straight loss. But got to credit Damon though and one of my favorite sports columnists does just that:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/sports/baseball/06vecsey.html?ref=sports
Olympic Trials Update
Michael Phelps broke the world record in the 200 meter Individual Medley yesterday and beat Ryan Lochte, who seems to be in the runners-up spot quite often during these trials. At least he gets to go to Beijing.
And joining Phelps and Lochte in Beijing will be a surprise swimmer. Dana Torres, 41 years old, made her fifth Olympic team by winning the final of the women's 100m freestyle, narrowly defeating Natalie Coughlin, one of the best female swimmers out there. But according to this Yahoo! Sports article, she may face scrutiny:
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=cr-torres070408&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
I don't really care how old she is, obviously she deserves to go to the Olympic Games this summer and I'm glad she is. Definitely a great story to see develop in Beijing.
And some late news coming from the track and field trials in Oregon. Apparently Tyson Gay has been injured following the 200m quarterfinal heats. The injury puts him out of the competition in the 200m in Beijing, meaning that he won't be able to go for the elusive 100m and 200m double at the Olympics. Here's the news article: http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-ath-tracktrials&prov=ap&type=lgns
That's all the news for now, sorry I didn't add anything original...see you again tomorrow.
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