This is one of the busiest hours of the games as the team and individual jumping portion of the eventing competition in equestrian takes place. There is a huge matchup going on in men's handball between Demark and South Korea. Also, we're watching the finals in men's fencing and weightlifting.
11:51AM - Well this win and this night has meant so much for Germany, as they will go home with a sweep of the eventing competitions.
Here are the final results:
Gold - GER Hinrich Romeike/Marius 54.20
Silver - USA Gina Miles/Mckinlaigh 56.10
Bronze - GBR Kristina Cook/Miners Frolic 57.40
That concludes the competition in equestrian eventing and on Day 4 of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. Remember to check out our main site: http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com for a full recap on Day 4 of competition. Thanks for letting NOW Sports be part of your Olympic experience.
11:49AM - Another perfect ride for the German as he CAPTURES GOLD for Germany, a follow-up gold after winning the team competition. And a great result for the American Gina Miles, who wins a silver in the individual eventing competition.
11:47AM - German rider Ingrid Klimke needed to be flawless and a rail went down early in this jump so Gina Miles will get silver. She is placed in fourth so American Gina Miles has a HUGE CHANCE to win gold as Hinrich Romeike is the final rider of this competition.
11:45AM - And Jones has opened the door for Miles. The ride was too slow and a rail went down on the final jump so Jones will be placed in third with two riders to go. Which means that Miles is guaranteed a medal.
11:44AM - Final three riders. Here we have Australian Megan Jones.
11:42AM - And a fantastic ride for Miles and she is now in medal contention to give the Americans a possible medal in the eventing competition in equestrian. A great ride for her, no penalties and she looked spectacular.
11:41AM - Time for the American hopeful, Gina Miles, riding on Mckinlaigh.
11:40AM - German rider Andreas Dibowski, part of that gold medal winning team earlier tonight, has a two downed rails and he is put outside of the medals.
11:37AM - And a downed rail on the final few jumps will hurt the Australian as Fredericks is dropped to third position. And we have arrived at the final five riders.
11:35AM - And its another flawless performance for Cooke and she is now in gold medal position with six riders to go. Among them are three Germans, one American and two Australians, inlcuding Clayton Fredericks who is up next.
11:32AM - Johnson is now currently in third position with a veteran rider now coming up for Great Britain. Kristina Cook is up and riding on top of Miners Frolic.
11:30AM - Sonja Johnson up for Australia aboard Ringwould jaguar and she already has one rail down. With the competition now this high, riders can't afford to allow a rail to go down. Johnson just competed nearly an hour ago for Australia that won the silver medal.
11:29AM - A perfect ride has thrilled the spectators in Hong Kong and he takes first place and goes under 60. That's the first score under 60 in this individual jumping portion.
11:26AM - Belgium's Karin Donckers is almost flawless in this ride with the exception of the downed rail in the middle of her ride. She takes over first place. as Didier Dhennin is up next.
11:24AM - Big ride for Mary King as she takes over the top of the leaderboard and we arrive to our final ten riders.
11:22AM - And Fox-Pitt takes the lead after riding very quickly through the course with only one rail going down. And Mary King of Great Britain is up next on the course.
11:20AM - William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain up next as Algotsson is currently ranked second with a 68.30 score.
11:17AM - Philipp Dutton of the United States with a perfectly clean ride and that will post the best score of the night in show jumping. As Linda Algotsson of Sweden starts her ride.
11:12AM - We're back and watching the individual eventing final as the show jumping portion unfolds in Hong Kong. Medals to be decided in this event as the Germans earlier won the team eventing final in equestrian.
9:45AM - So a big win for the Germans as they capture equestrian team gold in eventing. We will be back later today for the final medal event of Day 4, the individual jumping portion in individual eventing.
9:42AM - And Germany will definitely win gold. A great ride, a fast ride and with only one penalty, it will be Germany, Australia and Great Britain finishing 1-2-3.
9:38AM - A huge ride for Megan Jones, only one rail went down and this puts a lot of pressure on Germany to maintain their lead. Australia will be put into the gold medal position and its up to Germany to overtake them.
9:36AM - It looked like it was going to be a perfect ride until several rails fell on the final jumps. But Great Britain should still come out with a medal and they do as they are in bronze medal position. They will win the bronze and the battle is now between Germany and Australia.
9:33AM - Well, we're going to update you on the latest going on in soccer as the final round of preliminary play is taking place. Meanwhile, we put extra focus on the eventing finals as Mary King of the United Kingdom will help anchor the UK to a possible medal.
9:30AM - New Zealand is in fifth as we look at Roberto for Italy.
9:27AM - Sweden's last ride was fantastic and perfect as they take USA's place in fourth position so a great final ride for them as we now take a look at New Zealand.
9:25AM - Gina Miles give the United States a great ride as she scores of 56.10 and the United States is currently fourth in the team standings. Good team result for the USA but I don't think that placement will stand, we'll have to see.
9:20AM - Kyle Carter's ride for Canada puts them into seventh place.
9:16AM - Final group of riders are currently on the course now. It will be awhile until we see the medal contenders decide this team competition.
9:13AM - Update from soccer and the goal differential has just gotten closer as Japan has just scored to taken a 4-1 lead over Norway in what is really a shocking development considering how strong Norway looked in the tournament.
9:09AM - This was a great ride for Australia and Clayton Fredericks as they take second place. Germany's Ingrid Klimke just jumped over the course and they have a strong lead as well. But in the team competition, there are a lot of factors out there that could change those standings.
9:07AM - Great Britain after their pentultimate rider, has take second place in the team standings. Clayton of Australia is now on the course trying to preserve the lead that Australia has over Germany.
9:01AM - I want to update you now on the latest going on in women's soccer. USA will move on to the medal round as they have currently a 4-0 lead over New Zealand. Japan, who is in the same group as the United States was fighting for that last spot as well and though they have a 2-1 lead over Norway, the goal differential will work against them.
8:59AM - So its Germany, Australia, Great Britain that are fighting at for the top three spots. Ireland is in the mix as well. Germany was leading after the cross country event and Australia was in second.
8:52AM - Back to eventing, Austin O'Connor for Ireland is currently on the course. Each individual rider is currently competing for their team. The individual eventing jumps will take place later tonight and we will have the action live for you there too. The United States is currently in sixth place with one rider remaining.
8:50AM - I want to update you now on what's been going on in fencing. China has won an improbably gold medal in the men's individual sabre event. Romania and France won silver and bronze.
8:47AM - Back to eventing, as the horses and riders compete for gold, silver and bronze in team and individual eventing. It is a long process that has played out over four days as riders and horses compete in the three disciplines of equestrian: dressage, cross-country and jumping.
8:39AM - So China wins another gold in weightlifting and Vencelas Dabaya-Tientcheu wins silver for France.
8:37AM - And Dabaya from France just can't lift 197kg, but he has one more attempt to do so. Otherwise, it looks like its going to be another Chinese gold in weightlifting.
8:34PM - The individual event is also still very close. Meanwhile, China is going for more gold in men's weightlifting. The Men's 69kg weight class final is going on and Liao Hui just successfully lifted a 190kg on his third and final attempt in the clean and jerk.
8:30AM - Germany and Australia are fighting each other for gold and silver in the equestrian eventing final going on in Hong Kong.
8:27AM - South Korea has just defeated Denmark off of a late goal. This game has been very tight throughout and it was S.Y. Jung who was able to get the game winning goal for Korea. Final score: Korea 31, Denmark 30.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
10PM - LIVE Swimming Finals and Men's Gymnastics Team Final
We're going to try something new here by using this LIVE BLOG 2.0 technology that I found on Yahoo! Sports.
Anyway, at 10PM, we're going to cover one of the busiest mornings in Beijing so far in these Olympics as finals take place in swimming and the team final takes place in men's gymnastics.
Anyway, at 10PM, we're going to cover one of the busiest mornings in Beijing so far in these Olympics as finals take place in swimming and the team final takes place in men's gymnastics.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
10PM - LIVE Swimming Finals
We are back with LIVE BLOG coverage of the swimming finals that are happening now at the pool in the Water Cube. Remember to go to http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com for continuous updates on Day 3 of competition. Four more finals to be contested today, including the men's 100m breaststroke.
11:41PM - Well, what more can I say other than the fact that I love sports and today's swimming competition was just another reason why. It'll be hard to top this kind of excitement and I have to say thank god NBC secured rights to have this thing shown live.
Thanks for joining us for our live blog. Go to http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com for the latest updates on Day 3 of competition.
11:34PM - What an ending to the swimming competition on Day 3! There were so many stories coming into this race, among them the world record set by the United States in the preliminaries, the remarks said by Alain Bernard that France will crush the United States, and Michael Phelps's bid for eight gold medals. All of those stories came together in this one race and a new world record was just icing on the cake. This race will probably go down as one of the best races in swimming history, if not the best.
11:31PM - WORLD RECORD UPSET OF OLYMPIC PROPORTIONS! France was the overwhelming favorite coming into this race and they had a huge lead coming into the final 50 meters and the United States, thanks to Jason Lezak gives the United States A GOLD MEDAL WIN FOR THE AGES!
11:28PM - Also at stake here is Michael Phelps's gold medal collection. He is in the pool first for the United States as Australia has the lead after the first 100 meters.
11:26PM - How can you follow up the excitement of the last race? Well the Men's 4x100 meter freestyle relay can very well do so. France is the overwhelming favorite, BUT the United States did set a world record in the preliminaries earlier today. Only one of the four members of the U.S. team racing this morning was part of that world record setting team last night.
11:23PM - What a finish in the women's 400 freestyle. 4:03.22 is the winning time for Rebecca Adlington as Great Britain grabs its first swimming gold medal of these games. She just barely out touched Katie Hoff who looked like she was going to win it when she had the lead coming into the final 50 meters. What a comeback and surge from Adlington and what was supposed to be an American domination of the medals has so far turned into a very diverse distribution at the Water Cube.
11:13PM - Women's 400 meter freestyle final is coming up and it is loaded with stars. Federica Pellegrini is the favorite in this race after setting the Olympic record yesterday in Beijing. She is also the world record holder in this event, when she set it at the world championships earlier this year. American favorite Katie Hoff is hear, looking for her first gold medal of these games after receiving a bronze in yesterday's 400m IM.
11:08PM - Medal ceremony now for Kosuke Kitajima's win in the 100 meter breaststroke.
11:02PM - New Olympic record in this event, set by the Australian Hayden Stoeckl, as Peirson and Grevers finish in the top 3. Grevers finishes with the second top qualifying time and Britain will be hoping for a medal tomorrow as Liam Tancock has qualified for tomorrow's final also.
11PM - In the middle of the Men's 100m backstroke semifinals where American Aaron Peirson and his compatriot Matt Grevers are looking for a spot in the final.
10:35PM - Both Norway and Japan have something to celebrate about as action at the pool continues.
10:33PM - So much for the rivalry between Hansen and Kitajima. Instead, Kitajima and Oen may have a new found rivalry as they were tight together coming into the final 50 meters. Oen had the lead after the first half of the race but Kitajima scores the gold medal for Japan and it's done in world record time. Brendan Hansen, in his only individual event, is shut out of the medals.
10:30PM - Another big final coming up and its the men's 100m breaststroke. All of Japan is looking towards this event as Kosuke Kitajima looks for gold. Brendan Hansen is in this final and the rivalry could easily be entertaining in this final. The Olympic record holder from Norway Alexander Dale Oen is a big threat to both athletes.
10:27PM - First Australian gold medal of these Beijing Olympics is scored in the women's 100m butterfly. Libby Trickett led the entire way and her compatriot, Jessica Schipper wins bronze. Christine Magnunson, the young American swimmer, won a silver medal in her Olympic final debut. Looks like a great future ahead for her.
10:25PM - First final of the morning and the women's 100m butterfly is up next. Look out for the young swimmer from the United States, Magnunson, and two Australians here as well, including Trickett and Schipper.
10:21PM - Meichtry of Switzerland had the lead in this semifinal. But Vanderkaay surged to the front to win this semifinal heat. Phelps has another final tonight so no big deal for him to place third in this semifinal. Park advances to by placing second.
10:19PM - Heavy favorites in this semifinal including Park Tae-Hwan, also Peter Vanderkaay and Japanese swimmer Okamura here too. Besides Phelps of course.
10:14PM - So Michael Phelps will be making his first of two appearances this morning in the semifinals of the 200 meter freestyle. Meanwhile, South African swimmer Jean Bassoon finishes first in 1:46.13 in the first semifinal.
10:10PM - A new world record by Kirsty Coventry and it came by surprise. We don't really look at how fast they swim when it comes to the semifinal or preliminary heats. If Coventry is putting up a performance like this in the semifinal, just think of how she can perform tomorrow in the final. Coventry, 58.77 world record time, Margaret Hoelzer places third.
10:07PM - Kirsty Coventry is in this next semifinal and she beat Coughlin in the preliminary heats earlier today, though that wasn't the goal for either athlete during the preliminaries. American swimmer Margaret Hoelzer is in this semifinal as well.
10:04PM - And a very strong performance by Coughlin in her signature event. She got out very well and just looking at the replay, she was very close to the edge of her lane. Coughlin, Nakamura from Japan and Spofforth from Great Britain all swim under one minute.
10:01PM - Women's 100m Semifinals. This event broke many Olympic records last night (earlier this morning here in the U.S.) during the preliminaries. In this first semifinal, Natalie Coughlin, the reigning Olympic champion, tries for another Olympic final. She won silver with her teammates yesterday in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay.
11:41PM - Well, what more can I say other than the fact that I love sports and today's swimming competition was just another reason why. It'll be hard to top this kind of excitement and I have to say thank god NBC secured rights to have this thing shown live.
Thanks for joining us for our live blog. Go to http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com for the latest updates on Day 3 of competition.
11:34PM - What an ending to the swimming competition on Day 3! There were so many stories coming into this race, among them the world record set by the United States in the preliminaries, the remarks said by Alain Bernard that France will crush the United States, and Michael Phelps's bid for eight gold medals. All of those stories came together in this one race and a new world record was just icing on the cake. This race will probably go down as one of the best races in swimming history, if not the best.
11:31PM - WORLD RECORD UPSET OF OLYMPIC PROPORTIONS! France was the overwhelming favorite coming into this race and they had a huge lead coming into the final 50 meters and the United States, thanks to Jason Lezak gives the United States A GOLD MEDAL WIN FOR THE AGES!
11:28PM - Also at stake here is Michael Phelps's gold medal collection. He is in the pool first for the United States as Australia has the lead after the first 100 meters.
11:26PM - How can you follow up the excitement of the last race? Well the Men's 4x100 meter freestyle relay can very well do so. France is the overwhelming favorite, BUT the United States did set a world record in the preliminaries earlier today. Only one of the four members of the U.S. team racing this morning was part of that world record setting team last night.
11:23PM - What a finish in the women's 400 freestyle. 4:03.22 is the winning time for Rebecca Adlington as Great Britain grabs its first swimming gold medal of these games. She just barely out touched Katie Hoff who looked like she was going to win it when she had the lead coming into the final 50 meters. What a comeback and surge from Adlington and what was supposed to be an American domination of the medals has so far turned into a very diverse distribution at the Water Cube.
11:13PM - Women's 400 meter freestyle final is coming up and it is loaded with stars. Federica Pellegrini is the favorite in this race after setting the Olympic record yesterday in Beijing. She is also the world record holder in this event, when she set it at the world championships earlier this year. American favorite Katie Hoff is hear, looking for her first gold medal of these games after receiving a bronze in yesterday's 400m IM.
11:08PM - Medal ceremony now for Kosuke Kitajima's win in the 100 meter breaststroke.
11:02PM - New Olympic record in this event, set by the Australian Hayden Stoeckl, as Peirson and Grevers finish in the top 3. Grevers finishes with the second top qualifying time and Britain will be hoping for a medal tomorrow as Liam Tancock has qualified for tomorrow's final also.
11PM - In the middle of the Men's 100m backstroke semifinals where American Aaron Peirson and his compatriot Matt Grevers are looking for a spot in the final.
10:35PM - Both Norway and Japan have something to celebrate about as action at the pool continues.
10:33PM - So much for the rivalry between Hansen and Kitajima. Instead, Kitajima and Oen may have a new found rivalry as they were tight together coming into the final 50 meters. Oen had the lead after the first half of the race but Kitajima scores the gold medal for Japan and it's done in world record time. Brendan Hansen, in his only individual event, is shut out of the medals.
10:30PM - Another big final coming up and its the men's 100m breaststroke. All of Japan is looking towards this event as Kosuke Kitajima looks for gold. Brendan Hansen is in this final and the rivalry could easily be entertaining in this final. The Olympic record holder from Norway Alexander Dale Oen is a big threat to both athletes.
10:27PM - First Australian gold medal of these Beijing Olympics is scored in the women's 100m butterfly. Libby Trickett led the entire way and her compatriot, Jessica Schipper wins bronze. Christine Magnunson, the young American swimmer, won a silver medal in her Olympic final debut. Looks like a great future ahead for her.
10:25PM - First final of the morning and the women's 100m butterfly is up next. Look out for the young swimmer from the United States, Magnunson, and two Australians here as well, including Trickett and Schipper.
10:21PM - Meichtry of Switzerland had the lead in this semifinal. But Vanderkaay surged to the front to win this semifinal heat. Phelps has another final tonight so no big deal for him to place third in this semifinal. Park advances to by placing second.
10:19PM - Heavy favorites in this semifinal including Park Tae-Hwan, also Peter Vanderkaay and Japanese swimmer Okamura here too. Besides Phelps of course.
10:14PM - So Michael Phelps will be making his first of two appearances this morning in the semifinals of the 200 meter freestyle. Meanwhile, South African swimmer Jean Bassoon finishes first in 1:46.13 in the first semifinal.
10:10PM - A new world record by Kirsty Coventry and it came by surprise. We don't really look at how fast they swim when it comes to the semifinal or preliminary heats. If Coventry is putting up a performance like this in the semifinal, just think of how she can perform tomorrow in the final. Coventry, 58.77 world record time, Margaret Hoelzer places third.
10:07PM - Kirsty Coventry is in this next semifinal and she beat Coughlin in the preliminary heats earlier today, though that wasn't the goal for either athlete during the preliminaries. American swimmer Margaret Hoelzer is in this semifinal as well.
10:04PM - And a very strong performance by Coughlin in her signature event. She got out very well and just looking at the replay, she was very close to the edge of her lane. Coughlin, Nakamura from Japan and Spofforth from Great Britain all swim under one minute.
10:01PM - Women's 100m Semifinals. This event broke many Olympic records last night (earlier this morning here in the U.S.) during the preliminaries. In this first semifinal, Natalie Coughlin, the reigning Olympic champion, tries for another Olympic final. She won silver with her teammates yesterday in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
2:30AM: Men's Basketball - Spain vs. Greece
Men's preliminary basketball action continues from the Wukesong Basketball Gymnasium with Spain vs. Greece, a rematch of the world championship game played in Japan two years ago.
4:10AM - Greece now trying to trim their lead to below 10 as the game comes to an end. Attention now shifts to the upcoming USA vs. China game, which will be played later tonight (10AM EDT on NBC live). The final score: Spain 81, Greece 66.
Thanks for joining us on this live blog. We hope you join us again soon. Remember to check out http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com for continuing coverage of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.
4:06AM - Just an incredibly disappointing game for Greece. Nothing has really gone right for them, not free throws, not perimeter shots and definitely not their defense. Spain will come out with the win here as we get to the final two minutes of this game.
3:59AM - As the game winds down, let's take a look at who each team has to face next.
Spain will face China on Tuesday, then Germany on Thursday before facing the United States on Saturday. Spain will close out the preliminary round-robin by facing Angola.
Greece meanwhile, of course facing the same teams since they are in the same group as Spain, will face Germany, then the United States, and then Angola before closing out pool play with a game against China.
3:56AM - Spain with a 15-point lead as Greece continues to miss its shot and at this point, they just need to go for it and try to drive inside. Obviously the outside shooting isn't working, so they need to change it up and move the ball quickly. Meanwhile, Spain continues to add on the points.
3:51AM - Another Olympic update: Czech Republic's David Kostelecky has won the gold medal in the men's trap shooting competition with an Olympic record of 146 points. Giovanni Pelluelo wins silver with 143 points and after a bronze-medal shoot-off, Russia's Alexy Alipov won the bronze medal.
3:50AM - Spain really having all the control in this game and Greece just hasn't had the opportunity to score because of all the pressure Spain is putting on them. And the scoring for Spain has just been deep and obviously quite helpful. Neither team has been able to get many perimeter shots off but Spain has been able to drive inside. For Greece to have any sort of a chance, they need to move the ball quicker and shoot much better.
3:46AM - We're just looking at some of the other events going on right now as we get set for the final quarter of this game that is looking a lot like the world championship game.
Looks like rain has interfered with the women's cycling road race as they continue along with their route. Rain has also postponed events in the tennis competition.
3:44AM - Now a 14-point lead by Spain as the third quarter winds down.
3:35AM - Papaloukas able to get inside and draw the foul for a possible three point play. Unfortunately, Papaloukas has been the only one that really has been able to control the play and rhythm of Greece's play. Greece doesn't have the kind of depth that Spain has and they need more players to drive inside. Their passing game, though, has improved in this quarter.
3:31AM - Spain's Jose Calderon showing off one of his perimeter shots as the Spanish lead is extended. I don't think Greece can really come back into this game if they continue playing this way. Spain's defensive pressure has led to a lot of missed shots by Greece and there hasn't been many opportunities for them in the paint.
3:30AM - Juan Carlos Navarro provides one of the few successful outside shots of this game as Spain maintains a nine-point lead.
3:28AM - Second half underway, Spain with a six point lead. Pau Gasol able to extend that lead to eight with a shot off the glass.
3:19AM - While we have the opportunity, let's provide you with the latest on what is going on around Beijing as Day 2 of the Olympics continues. Right now, the men's trap final in shooting is taking place at the outdoor shooting range. Czech Republic's D. Kostelecky has the lead after 138 shots. Australia's Michael Diamon ranks second.
Tennis preliminaries are underway as Serena Williams is currently playing her first round match. James Blake was able to advance to the next round after a first round win earlier today.
Also ongoing is the women's cycling road race. The cyclists are less than 80 km from the finish line as they have been cycling for almost an hour and a half.
3:08AM - Spain has been offensively strong behind Rudy Fernandez and Pau Gasol while Greece doesn't look as organized. As I write this, Greece just pulls out the layup and the foul to bring Greece to within six points as the first half ends.
3:03AM - Spain starting to pull away as a timeout is taken. Current score is in favor of Spain 34-26. Greece needs to move the ball a little faster, a little more organized. Spain is very quick to set up its defense and its deep team puts up offensive points very easily.
2:59AM - Pau Gasol and Rudy Fernandez have helped to put Spain back on top just when we thought Greece could hold on to the lead. Spain putting up a lot of defensive pressure and forcing Greece to shoot outside and giving them a hard time inside.
2:56AM - Tied at 22 and this second quarter has looked sloppy for both sides. There have been some moments, but so far in this quarter, there have been several missed shots on both sides.
2:51AM - A lull in the scoring as free throws by Greece's Bourousis are the first points scored in this quarter. Spanoulis then puts in a layup to tie the game at 20.
2:47AM - Steady first quarter for both teams as we get to the end of the first quarter. Spain has a 20-16 lead in a game that has had little stoppage and a lot of action. Each team is just adjusting to each other's play and settling in in this opening day of men's basketball.
2:40AM - More background info as we continue to watch the game unfold. Spain was also a EuroBasket finalist in 2007 and lost to Russia in that game. Greece won the 2005 Eurobasket.
2:33AM - Already a fast start by both teams as we are tied 4-4. Spain is the reigning world champions and Greece was the finalist in that championship game. They defeated the United States in the semifinals to reach the final but Spain's incredible depth was able to carry Spain to a dominating 70-47 win.
4:10AM - Greece now trying to trim their lead to below 10 as the game comes to an end. Attention now shifts to the upcoming USA vs. China game, which will be played later tonight (10AM EDT on NBC live). The final score: Spain 81, Greece 66.
Thanks for joining us on this live blog. We hope you join us again soon. Remember to check out http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com for continuing coverage of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.
4:06AM - Just an incredibly disappointing game for Greece. Nothing has really gone right for them, not free throws, not perimeter shots and definitely not their defense. Spain will come out with the win here as we get to the final two minutes of this game.
3:59AM - As the game winds down, let's take a look at who each team has to face next.
Spain will face China on Tuesday, then Germany on Thursday before facing the United States on Saturday. Spain will close out the preliminary round-robin by facing Angola.
Greece meanwhile, of course facing the same teams since they are in the same group as Spain, will face Germany, then the United States, and then Angola before closing out pool play with a game against China.
3:56AM - Spain with a 15-point lead as Greece continues to miss its shot and at this point, they just need to go for it and try to drive inside. Obviously the outside shooting isn't working, so they need to change it up and move the ball quickly. Meanwhile, Spain continues to add on the points.
3:51AM - Another Olympic update: Czech Republic's David Kostelecky has won the gold medal in the men's trap shooting competition with an Olympic record of 146 points. Giovanni Pelluelo wins silver with 143 points and after a bronze-medal shoot-off, Russia's Alexy Alipov won the bronze medal.
3:50AM - Spain really having all the control in this game and Greece just hasn't had the opportunity to score because of all the pressure Spain is putting on them. And the scoring for Spain has just been deep and obviously quite helpful. Neither team has been able to get many perimeter shots off but Spain has been able to drive inside. For Greece to have any sort of a chance, they need to move the ball quicker and shoot much better.
3:46AM - We're just looking at some of the other events going on right now as we get set for the final quarter of this game that is looking a lot like the world championship game.
Looks like rain has interfered with the women's cycling road race as they continue along with their route. Rain has also postponed events in the tennis competition.
3:44AM - Now a 14-point lead by Spain as the third quarter winds down.
3:35AM - Papaloukas able to get inside and draw the foul for a possible three point play. Unfortunately, Papaloukas has been the only one that really has been able to control the play and rhythm of Greece's play. Greece doesn't have the kind of depth that Spain has and they need more players to drive inside. Their passing game, though, has improved in this quarter.
3:31AM - Spain's Jose Calderon showing off one of his perimeter shots as the Spanish lead is extended. I don't think Greece can really come back into this game if they continue playing this way. Spain's defensive pressure has led to a lot of missed shots by Greece and there hasn't been many opportunities for them in the paint.
3:30AM - Juan Carlos Navarro provides one of the few successful outside shots of this game as Spain maintains a nine-point lead.
3:28AM - Second half underway, Spain with a six point lead. Pau Gasol able to extend that lead to eight with a shot off the glass.
3:19AM - While we have the opportunity, let's provide you with the latest on what is going on around Beijing as Day 2 of the Olympics continues. Right now, the men's trap final in shooting is taking place at the outdoor shooting range. Czech Republic's D. Kostelecky has the lead after 138 shots. Australia's Michael Diamon ranks second.
Tennis preliminaries are underway as Serena Williams is currently playing her first round match. James Blake was able to advance to the next round after a first round win earlier today.
Also ongoing is the women's cycling road race. The cyclists are less than 80 km from the finish line as they have been cycling for almost an hour and a half.
3:08AM - Spain has been offensively strong behind Rudy Fernandez and Pau Gasol while Greece doesn't look as organized. As I write this, Greece just pulls out the layup and the foul to bring Greece to within six points as the first half ends.
3:03AM - Spain starting to pull away as a timeout is taken. Current score is in favor of Spain 34-26. Greece needs to move the ball a little faster, a little more organized. Spain is very quick to set up its defense and its deep team puts up offensive points very easily.
2:59AM - Pau Gasol and Rudy Fernandez have helped to put Spain back on top just when we thought Greece could hold on to the lead. Spain putting up a lot of defensive pressure and forcing Greece to shoot outside and giving them a hard time inside.
2:56AM - Tied at 22 and this second quarter has looked sloppy for both sides. There have been some moments, but so far in this quarter, there have been several missed shots on both sides.
2:51AM - A lull in the scoring as free throws by Greece's Bourousis are the first points scored in this quarter. Spanoulis then puts in a layup to tie the game at 20.
2:47AM - Steady first quarter for both teams as we get to the end of the first quarter. Spain has a 20-16 lead in a game that has had little stoppage and a lot of action. Each team is just adjusting to each other's play and settling in in this opening day of men's basketball.
2:40AM - More background info as we continue to watch the game unfold. Spain was also a EuroBasket finalist in 2007 and lost to Russia in that game. Greece won the 2005 Eurobasket.
2:33AM - Already a fast start by both teams as we are tied 4-4. Spain is the reigning world champions and Greece was the finalist in that championship game. They defeated the United States in the semifinals to reach the final but Spain's incredible depth was able to carry Spain to a dominating 70-47 win.
10PM EDT: Swimming Finals
The first morning of swimming finals will be highlighted by performances by Michael Phelps and Grant Hackett. There will be four finals today and stay with the LIVE EVENT BLOG from NOW Sports for all the coverage.
11:40PM - Thanks a lot for joining us for this LIVE BLOG of the swimming finals. We'll be doing live blogs on swimming all week long. Our next live blog will be in less than 20 minutes as we take a look at the Tennis competition. And remember to go to http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com for continuous updates on Day 2 of competition.
11:37PM - So the first morning of finals have concluded. Michael Phelps captured his first gold medal in the men's 400 meter Individual Medley. Stephanie Rice claimed redemption for Australia as she won the women's 400 meter Individual Medley. In the 400 meter freestyle, Taewhan Park of South Korea won gold after his disappointing disqualification four years ago in Athens while China claimed its first medal in swimming as Lin Zhang won the silver in this event. And the Netherlands wins gold by dominating the final two legs in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay.
11:35PM - A new Olympic record for the Dutch winners of the 4x100 meter freestyle relay. Great performance by Dara Torres as she got the United States a silver medal and Australia was able to rebound for fourth or fifth position to claim the bronze.
11:27PM - Back with the last gold medal final of this first morning of finals at the Water Cube. It's the 4x100 meter freestyle relay for the women. The Australians are favored to win but the host nation has something to cheer about as China is the fastest qualifier in this event. Germany is beside China in lane five. The Americans, with Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin, are in lane 3 and the Netherlands, who held the world record this year, is in lane six.
11:15PM - It looks like it will be a struggling final for Hansen as he does qualify for the final, but he'll have to do much better if he wants to challenge Kitajima. Meanwhile Alexander Dale Oen is the top qualifier as he wins this semifinal heat in Olympic record time.
11:10PM -Kitajima has shown why he is so good at this event and it will be up to Brendan Hansen in this next semifinal to see if he can make it into the finals to face Kitajima.
11:07PM - The next few semifinals is a good preview of what is to come. Brendan Hansen is racing in these semifinals and the men's 100m breaststroke is the only event he is entered in. First, we see Japan's Kosuke Kitajima compete in the first semifinal.
10:56PM - So we are through with three finals and when NBC brings us back for more swimming coverage, we'll provide you more blog coverage of this event, including our thoughts on the last final of the night, the Women's 4x100 meter freestyle.
10:53PM - Stephanie Rice wins gold for Australia in world record time, she led the entire way but Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe looked like she could catch Rice several times throughout the race. It was unpredictable as we predicted. A bit of a disappointing finish for young Katie Hoff, who captures bronze. Elizabeth Beisel finishes in fourth for the United States in an impressive performance by the young swimmer who could have a great future ahead of her.
10:51PM - It's Conventry and Rice way ahead of the rest of the field as we get into the breaststroke.
10:48PM - Stephanie Rice gets away very well in the butterfly portion of this race.
10:47PM - This race will feature Kirsty Coventry, the veteran swimmer, and Stephanie Rice from Australia, Hoff's biggest rival. This race could be unpredictable.
10:44PM - Now getting set for the Women's 400 meter IM as we see for the first time at these games, Katie Hoff, who can be compared to Michael Phelps when he was competing in Athens. Hoff is only 19 years old and she has a very full program here in Beijing.
10:40PM - We have a break in the action as we see the medal ceremonies take place for the Men's 400 meter Individual Medley. I guess there are technical difficulties since the playing of the national anthem has started late and been cut short. I'm sure we'll be hearing that anthem very often at the pool.
10:30PM - Taewhan Park, Lin Zhang and Larsen Jensen finish 1-2-3 and both South Korea and China grab their first medals of swimming in Beijing. It was Park who led for most of the race and won the event that used to be dominated by Ian Thorpe before he retired from the sport. This win will give a lot of pride for Korea and will likely be the highlight of these games for that nation.
10:29PM - Another final, this time the 400 meter freestyle final and it looks to be a close one with a lot of well-known athletes, including Grant Hackett.
10:21PM - Schipper, Zhao and Dekker finsih 1-2-3 in this semifnal of the women's 100m butterfly and China will have someone to cheer on in the final of this event to be contested tomorrow.
10:18PM - We mentioned in our ultimate Olympic preview that Australia has a big chance of scoring medals in women's swimming and this next semifinal exemplifies that. Jessica Schipper, along with Trickett, are huge medal contenders at this event.
10:14PM - After that exciting final, its time for some semifinals in the women's 100m butterfly. Looks like NBC is getting what it has paid for. Libby Trickett wins semifinal number one and Magnuson is in the final as well for the United States after placing second.
10:10PM - Phelps remains undefeated in this race and wins his first of what could be many gold medals here in Beijing. This is his seventh gold medal in his career and ninth overall. His strategy has been to take these Games one race at a time, and in this case one stroke at a time, and looks like that strategy is working for him. The United States captures gold in the beginning of what could be a huge U.S. domination at the pool.
10:09PM - Phelps was able to widen the gap ahead of Lochte during the breaststroke and he pulled away from him during the freestyle. Laslo Cseh of Hungary was able to pass Lochte to grab the silver. And of course, Phelps wins this final in world record time.
10:05PM - Lochte had a slight lead but Phelps has gotten it back as we head into the breaststroke.
10:04PM - Its Phelps and Lochte going at it in the 400 meter Individual medley. Hungary's Laslo Cseh is there as well.
11:40PM - Thanks a lot for joining us for this LIVE BLOG of the swimming finals. We'll be doing live blogs on swimming all week long. Our next live blog will be in less than 20 minutes as we take a look at the Tennis competition. And remember to go to http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com for continuous updates on Day 2 of competition.
11:37PM - So the first morning of finals have concluded. Michael Phelps captured his first gold medal in the men's 400 meter Individual Medley. Stephanie Rice claimed redemption for Australia as she won the women's 400 meter Individual Medley. In the 400 meter freestyle, Taewhan Park of South Korea won gold after his disappointing disqualification four years ago in Athens while China claimed its first medal in swimming as Lin Zhang won the silver in this event. And the Netherlands wins gold by dominating the final two legs in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay.
11:35PM - A new Olympic record for the Dutch winners of the 4x100 meter freestyle relay. Great performance by Dara Torres as she got the United States a silver medal and Australia was able to rebound for fourth or fifth position to claim the bronze.
11:27PM - Back with the last gold medal final of this first morning of finals at the Water Cube. It's the 4x100 meter freestyle relay for the women. The Australians are favored to win but the host nation has something to cheer about as China is the fastest qualifier in this event. Germany is beside China in lane five. The Americans, with Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin, are in lane 3 and the Netherlands, who held the world record this year, is in lane six.
11:15PM - It looks like it will be a struggling final for Hansen as he does qualify for the final, but he'll have to do much better if he wants to challenge Kitajima. Meanwhile Alexander Dale Oen is the top qualifier as he wins this semifinal heat in Olympic record time.
11:10PM -Kitajima has shown why he is so good at this event and it will be up to Brendan Hansen in this next semifinal to see if he can make it into the finals to face Kitajima.
11:07PM - The next few semifinals is a good preview of what is to come. Brendan Hansen is racing in these semifinals and the men's 100m breaststroke is the only event he is entered in. First, we see Japan's Kosuke Kitajima compete in the first semifinal.
10:56PM - So we are through with three finals and when NBC brings us back for more swimming coverage, we'll provide you more blog coverage of this event, including our thoughts on the last final of the night, the Women's 4x100 meter freestyle.
10:53PM - Stephanie Rice wins gold for Australia in world record time, she led the entire way but Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe looked like she could catch Rice several times throughout the race. It was unpredictable as we predicted. A bit of a disappointing finish for young Katie Hoff, who captures bronze. Elizabeth Beisel finishes in fourth for the United States in an impressive performance by the young swimmer who could have a great future ahead of her.
10:51PM - It's Conventry and Rice way ahead of the rest of the field as we get into the breaststroke.
10:48PM - Stephanie Rice gets away very well in the butterfly portion of this race.
10:47PM - This race will feature Kirsty Coventry, the veteran swimmer, and Stephanie Rice from Australia, Hoff's biggest rival. This race could be unpredictable.
10:44PM - Now getting set for the Women's 400 meter IM as we see for the first time at these games, Katie Hoff, who can be compared to Michael Phelps when he was competing in Athens. Hoff is only 19 years old and she has a very full program here in Beijing.
10:40PM - We have a break in the action as we see the medal ceremonies take place for the Men's 400 meter Individual Medley. I guess there are technical difficulties since the playing of the national anthem has started late and been cut short. I'm sure we'll be hearing that anthem very often at the pool.
10:30PM - Taewhan Park, Lin Zhang and Larsen Jensen finish 1-2-3 and both South Korea and China grab their first medals of swimming in Beijing. It was Park who led for most of the race and won the event that used to be dominated by Ian Thorpe before he retired from the sport. This win will give a lot of pride for Korea and will likely be the highlight of these games for that nation.
10:29PM - Another final, this time the 400 meter freestyle final and it looks to be a close one with a lot of well-known athletes, including Grant Hackett.
10:21PM - Schipper, Zhao and Dekker finsih 1-2-3 in this semifnal of the women's 100m butterfly and China will have someone to cheer on in the final of this event to be contested tomorrow.
10:18PM - We mentioned in our ultimate Olympic preview that Australia has a big chance of scoring medals in women's swimming and this next semifinal exemplifies that. Jessica Schipper, along with Trickett, are huge medal contenders at this event.
10:14PM - After that exciting final, its time for some semifinals in the women's 100m butterfly. Looks like NBC is getting what it has paid for. Libby Trickett wins semifinal number one and Magnuson is in the final as well for the United States after placing second.
10:10PM - Phelps remains undefeated in this race and wins his first of what could be many gold medals here in Beijing. This is his seventh gold medal in his career and ninth overall. His strategy has been to take these Games one race at a time, and in this case one stroke at a time, and looks like that strategy is working for him. The United States captures gold in the beginning of what could be a huge U.S. domination at the pool.
10:09PM - Phelps was able to widen the gap ahead of Lochte during the breaststroke and he pulled away from him during the freestyle. Laslo Cseh of Hungary was able to pass Lochte to grab the silver. And of course, Phelps wins this final in world record time.
10:05PM - Lochte had a slight lead but Phelps has gotten it back as we head into the breaststroke.
10:04PM - Its Phelps and Lochte going at it in the 400 meter Individual medley. Hungary's Laslo Cseh is there as well.
10:30AM: Women's Volleyball, Japan vs. United States
We join the action in progress with the United States up 1-0 and trailing by four points in the second set.
11:47AM - So the final score: United States 3, Japan 1. It was a fierce match between both sides but it came down to which team had more aggressiveness and that was the United States.
Thanks for joining us here on NOW Sports for our live blog coverage. Sorry for the lack of details, I promise I'll be more prepared next time. Remember to go to http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com for a full recap of Day 1 and come back here to our LIVE EVENT BLOG for more live blogging of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.
11:45AM - With three match points, the United States uses its powerful block behind Heather Bown and Kim Willoughby to clinch the match. We've heard so many names throughout this game and that just shows you the incredible depth from this team.
11:42AM - Heather Bown providing very strong defense for the United States and now we are seeing a double substitution for the United States, one on the front court and another in the back. The blocking is really winning points for the U.S. and it couldn't have come at a better time.
11:40AM - Japan now stands at five points away from tying this match. Sykora is in for the United States and the substitution pays off as the U.S. ties the game. Sykora has a lot of enthusiasm and it is very evident in her game.
11:36AM - Now the U.S. trying to make a comeback here. They are now down by two points, 16-14, heading into the technical timeout...
11:32AM - The Americans in a bit of a hole and now they are playing more aggressively. An ace serve and a kill in the last two points and things could really change here for the Americans if they don't think of some way to counter attack.
11:24AM - Early in thr fourth set and what we're seeing is Japan trying to win points they way that they have been winning them throughout this match, that is through kills and defensive blocks. But when the U.S. is able to counterattack those blocks and Japan is caught off guard, then the Japanese team will most likely be in big trouble.
11:21AM - Back with the fourth set as the United States looks to wrap things up at Capital Indoor Gymnasium. The United States is ranked higher than Japan (US ranked 4th, Japan ranked 5th). So far we've seen what we expected to see from each team. Both sides are playing more aggresively and the last set came down to who can come out more offensively and that was the United States in set three.
11:19AM - The U.S. has finally pulled through and has five set points...and the block by Bown clinches the third set and they are 25 points away from a win over Japan.
11:12AM - The United States so far has been just trying to battle back but they haven't taken much of a lead and it just shows how close and competitive it is between these two teams and how hard it is to stay consistent. I think the United States is just trying to play more agressively and trying to find a perfect placement of the ball.
11:07AM - What a rally on both sides, too bad it ended at the net. Now its tied at 12-12. Both teams are doing so well at saving balls, moving around the court and reading the other team's plays.
11:01AM - Still a close match but a service error might hurt the United States in the long run if it remains this close...Oh but Japan makes a service error as well. It is still very close.
10:56AM - What a great defensive block by Japan, that front line is really strong and I'm not sure if the United States can keep up. It's still pretty close.
10:54AM - The two have started the third set and are currently tied at 1-1.
10:50AM - Japan has tied it at one set each and this should be an interesting match from here on out. The first two sets were pretty much so that both teams can feel each other out as they adjusted to each other's tactics. Now, we're going to see both teams try to read the opponent's plays.
10:49AM - Hanneth-Park is such a force out there for the United States and she's definitely been a contributor to how the United States is trying to catch up with Japan. But the Japanese are two points away and U.S. coach Jenny Lang-Ping calls a timeout.
10:48AM - Amazing blocks from the United States as the lead has been trimmed down to one.
10:45AM - Timeout is taken as the United States is trying to close the gap. It is now 19-16 and Japan needs to refocus a bit before they slip up. Japan needs to cover more of the court because the United States will take advantage of any opportunity that they find.
10:43AM - Japan has really been putting up a lot of great defensive plays and stops but the United States is able to get the point and they trail 18-14.
11:47AM - So the final score: United States 3, Japan 1. It was a fierce match between both sides but it came down to which team had more aggressiveness and that was the United States.
Thanks for joining us here on NOW Sports for our live blog coverage. Sorry for the lack of details, I promise I'll be more prepared next time. Remember to go to http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com for a full recap of Day 1 and come back here to our LIVE EVENT BLOG for more live blogging of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.
11:45AM - With three match points, the United States uses its powerful block behind Heather Bown and Kim Willoughby to clinch the match. We've heard so many names throughout this game and that just shows you the incredible depth from this team.
11:42AM - Heather Bown providing very strong defense for the United States and now we are seeing a double substitution for the United States, one on the front court and another in the back. The blocking is really winning points for the U.S. and it couldn't have come at a better time.
11:40AM - Japan now stands at five points away from tying this match. Sykora is in for the United States and the substitution pays off as the U.S. ties the game. Sykora has a lot of enthusiasm and it is very evident in her game.
11:36AM - Now the U.S. trying to make a comeback here. They are now down by two points, 16-14, heading into the technical timeout...
11:32AM - The Americans in a bit of a hole and now they are playing more aggressively. An ace serve and a kill in the last two points and things could really change here for the Americans if they don't think of some way to counter attack.
11:24AM - Early in thr fourth set and what we're seeing is Japan trying to win points they way that they have been winning them throughout this match, that is through kills and defensive blocks. But when the U.S. is able to counterattack those blocks and Japan is caught off guard, then the Japanese team will most likely be in big trouble.
11:21AM - Back with the fourth set as the United States looks to wrap things up at Capital Indoor Gymnasium. The United States is ranked higher than Japan (US ranked 4th, Japan ranked 5th). So far we've seen what we expected to see from each team. Both sides are playing more aggresively and the last set came down to who can come out more offensively and that was the United States in set three.
11:19AM - The U.S. has finally pulled through and has five set points...and the block by Bown clinches the third set and they are 25 points away from a win over Japan.
11:12AM - The United States so far has been just trying to battle back but they haven't taken much of a lead and it just shows how close and competitive it is between these two teams and how hard it is to stay consistent. I think the United States is just trying to play more agressively and trying to find a perfect placement of the ball.
11:07AM - What a rally on both sides, too bad it ended at the net. Now its tied at 12-12. Both teams are doing so well at saving balls, moving around the court and reading the other team's plays.
11:01AM - Still a close match but a service error might hurt the United States in the long run if it remains this close...Oh but Japan makes a service error as well. It is still very close.
10:56AM - What a great defensive block by Japan, that front line is really strong and I'm not sure if the United States can keep up. It's still pretty close.
10:54AM - The two have started the third set and are currently tied at 1-1.
10:50AM - Japan has tied it at one set each and this should be an interesting match from here on out. The first two sets were pretty much so that both teams can feel each other out as they adjusted to each other's tactics. Now, we're going to see both teams try to read the opponent's plays.
10:49AM - Hanneth-Park is such a force out there for the United States and she's definitely been a contributor to how the United States is trying to catch up with Japan. But the Japanese are two points away and U.S. coach Jenny Lang-Ping calls a timeout.
10:48AM - Amazing blocks from the United States as the lead has been trimmed down to one.
10:45AM - Timeout is taken as the United States is trying to close the gap. It is now 19-16 and Japan needs to refocus a bit before they slip up. Japan needs to cover more of the court because the United States will take advantage of any opportunity that they find.
10:43AM - Japan has really been putting up a lot of great defensive plays and stops but the United States is able to get the point and they trail 18-14.
Friday, August 8, 2008
10:30PM: Weightlifting and Shooting (The First Medals)
We are going to cover two events in this live blog, both have the potential of awarding the first medals of these games. We'll be looking at the Women's 10m Air Rifle Final, just getting underway, and the Women's Flyweight weightlifting competition, well underway in the snatch portion.
12:07AM - Thanks for joining us here on NOW Sports for live blog of the first medals of these Games of the XXIX Olympiad. Join us here for another live blog later today at 10:30AM EDT for coverage of the USA vs. Japan women's volleyball match. And remember to keep checking out NOW Sports Daily (http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com) for continuous updates throughout each day of competition.
12:05AM - So Xiexia Chen of China finishes first, Wei-Ling of China finishes second and Turkey has a bronze medal in weightlifting thanks to Sibel Ozkan.
12:02AM - Chen of China has a good lift on her clean and jerk and she WINS THE FIRST GOLD MEDAL FOR CHINA! She was clean and looked very stable throughout the entire competition and she even gets an Olympic record along the way.
12:00AM - Now China has a chance to capture Olympic gold in this event. To the roar of the crowd, she completes her second attempt and now accomplishes an Olympic clean and jerk record. Meanwhile, Wei-Ling Chen of Taiwan is still in it also as she makes her attempt. She tried to hold the jerk but just didn't have enough energy to do so, she was very close but lost her balance.
11:58PM - Laosirikul comes back for her third and final attempt at 114 kg. It was a good clean but just did not have any more energy for the jerk, she remains in fifth place in the clean and jerk.
11:56PM: Jyounghwa fails on her third attempt and her total is not enough to finish inside the medals. Meanwhile, Laosirikul of Thailand fails on her second attempt and she is ranked fifth. Looks like China is on their way to their first gold medal of these games and it didn't take long.
11:52PM: Ozkan has now pulled into second after a successful third attempt. Now we see Chinese hopeful Xiexie Chen complete her first attempt at the clean and jerk and she now moves into first place.
11:50PM: Miyake finishes outside of the medals in fifth place after failing in her third attempt at this clean and jerk.
11:48PM: Jyounghwa is still in first place after a solid clean and jerk in her second attempt.
11:46PM - Miyake of Japan obviously looks very disappointed with herself after failing on her second attempt. She falls to fifth position.
11:42PM - So far the top lifters have all cleared their first attempts at the clean and jerk, including Wei-Ling Chen of Chinese Taipei and Sibei Ozkan of Turkey. Ozkan is back on the stage at her second attempt.
11:39PM - Now we have our first look in this clean and jerk portion at the Korean IM Jyounghwa, who is successful in her first lift.
11:36PM - Nowl fails at her third attempt and she will finish with a total of 177kg lifted in this competition. The Japanese lifter Miromo Miyake on her first attempt does a very good lift.
11:34PM - Noel has her first no lift of the night as she struggles to maintain stability in her second attempt at this clean and jerk. She is still ranked first.
11:32PM - A clean and simple lift for Melanie Noel of France. Now Poland's Karpinska is on her final attempt and she fails to even do the clean. Currently, she is third.
11:26PM - Oshiro of Japan is still in the lead and Karpinska of Poland is ranked second as we continue with the clean and jerk competition. Oshiro on her third attempt, fails to make the lift at 96kg. She remains in first position as we see anew group of lifters take the stage.
11:19PM - WW: We are back with coverage of the women's weightlifting flyweight competition. Right now we are seeing lifters who had trouble on their snatch lifts now attempting to be successful in the clean and jerk. Misaki Oshiro was one of those lifters and she was able to nail the jerk and keep her in contention after her first attempt.
11:00PM - WW: We will now focus on the weightlifting competition as Xiexia Chen has the lead following the snatch competition. We will have more LIVE BLOG coverage when we return with the clean and jerk portion of the competition.
10:56PM - WS: Katerina Emmons is your first Olympic champion of the Beijing Olympic Games. She captures the gold medal in the sport of shooting in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Competition at the Olympic Shooting Hall. She wins by a score of 503.5, Galkina stays in second and captures silver and Pejcic gets the bronze. And just an FYI, Katerina Emmons is married to the U.S. shooter Matthew Emmons, whom we will be seeing compete later in these games.
10:54PM - WS: Just one more shot left and the first Olympic champion will be crowned. It will most likely be Czech Republic's Katerina Emmons as she has a stable lead. Du Li has fallen to fifth. Galkina rose back to second and just shot a 10.0.
10:52PM - WW: Wow, Turkey's Sibel Ozkan with a very impressive lift of 88kg in her third attempt as the competition gets closer. Meanwhile, China's Xiexia Chen makes her Olympic debut with a powerful lift.
10:49PM - WS: Emmons has a little less than a two point lead over Pejcic of Croatia as we enter the eighth round of competition. Emmons has been very consistent while Pejcic has made several shots outside of the ten point mark. Emmons still has the lead after eight shots.
10:44PM - Women's Weightlifting (WW) - We take our first look now at the weightlifting competition and we are still in the snatch competition. IM Jyounghwa was on her second attempt in the snatch and she was able to do her lift and thus she remains in the lead. Meanwhile, Wei-Ling Chen who is trying to challenge the Korean failed on her second attempt in the snatch.
10:41PM - WS: Emmons, Pejcic of Croatia and Galkina of Russia are the top three in that order. And China's Du Li still in fourth place. In the sport of shooting, the athlete is the only one that can control his/her destiny. So far, Emmons has come out as the better shooter. She has just shot a 10.2 in the fifth round of shooting.
10:39PM - WS: Just want to mention that the scores from qualifying do carryover into the finals as the third round of shooting takes place. Emmons has shot a little poorly compared to her past shots but still shootinga 9.7, she remains in first place. Du Li, with a 10.1, remains in fourth place.
10:35PM - WS: Emmons again shooting very cleanly with a 10.7 here at Beijing Shooting Hall. Emmons is still in first place. Du Li remains in fourth place.
10:32PM - Women's Shooting (WS): Katerina Emmons for the Czech Republic and who had the top qualifying score, accomplishing an Olympic record, is currently in the lead. Chinese favorite Du Li is in fourth.
12:07AM - Thanks for joining us here on NOW Sports for live blog of the first medals of these Games of the XXIX Olympiad. Join us here for another live blog later today at 10:30AM EDT for coverage of the USA vs. Japan women's volleyball match. And remember to keep checking out NOW Sports Daily (http://nowsportsamerica.blogspot.com) for continuous updates throughout each day of competition.
12:05AM - So Xiexia Chen of China finishes first, Wei-Ling of China finishes second and Turkey has a bronze medal in weightlifting thanks to Sibel Ozkan.
12:02AM - Chen of China has a good lift on her clean and jerk and she WINS THE FIRST GOLD MEDAL FOR CHINA! She was clean and looked very stable throughout the entire competition and she even gets an Olympic record along the way.
12:00AM - Now China has a chance to capture Olympic gold in this event. To the roar of the crowd, she completes her second attempt and now accomplishes an Olympic clean and jerk record. Meanwhile, Wei-Ling Chen of Taiwan is still in it also as she makes her attempt. She tried to hold the jerk but just didn't have enough energy to do so, she was very close but lost her balance.
11:58PM - Laosirikul comes back for her third and final attempt at 114 kg. It was a good clean but just did not have any more energy for the jerk, she remains in fifth place in the clean and jerk.
11:56PM: Jyounghwa fails on her third attempt and her total is not enough to finish inside the medals. Meanwhile, Laosirikul of Thailand fails on her second attempt and she is ranked fifth. Looks like China is on their way to their first gold medal of these games and it didn't take long.
11:52PM: Ozkan has now pulled into second after a successful third attempt. Now we see Chinese hopeful Xiexie Chen complete her first attempt at the clean and jerk and she now moves into first place.
11:50PM: Miyake finishes outside of the medals in fifth place after failing in her third attempt at this clean and jerk.
11:48PM: Jyounghwa is still in first place after a solid clean and jerk in her second attempt.
11:46PM - Miyake of Japan obviously looks very disappointed with herself after failing on her second attempt. She falls to fifth position.
11:42PM - So far the top lifters have all cleared their first attempts at the clean and jerk, including Wei-Ling Chen of Chinese Taipei and Sibei Ozkan of Turkey. Ozkan is back on the stage at her second attempt.
11:39PM - Now we have our first look in this clean and jerk portion at the Korean IM Jyounghwa, who is successful in her first lift.
11:36PM - Nowl fails at her third attempt and she will finish with a total of 177kg lifted in this competition. The Japanese lifter Miromo Miyake on her first attempt does a very good lift.
11:34PM - Noel has her first no lift of the night as she struggles to maintain stability in her second attempt at this clean and jerk. She is still ranked first.
11:32PM - A clean and simple lift for Melanie Noel of France. Now Poland's Karpinska is on her final attempt and she fails to even do the clean. Currently, she is third.
11:26PM - Oshiro of Japan is still in the lead and Karpinska of Poland is ranked second as we continue with the clean and jerk competition. Oshiro on her third attempt, fails to make the lift at 96kg. She remains in first position as we see anew group of lifters take the stage.
11:19PM - WW: We are back with coverage of the women's weightlifting flyweight competition. Right now we are seeing lifters who had trouble on their snatch lifts now attempting to be successful in the clean and jerk. Misaki Oshiro was one of those lifters and she was able to nail the jerk and keep her in contention after her first attempt.
11:00PM - WW: We will now focus on the weightlifting competition as Xiexia Chen has the lead following the snatch competition. We will have more LIVE BLOG coverage when we return with the clean and jerk portion of the competition.
10:56PM - WS: Katerina Emmons is your first Olympic champion of the Beijing Olympic Games. She captures the gold medal in the sport of shooting in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Competition at the Olympic Shooting Hall. She wins by a score of 503.5, Galkina stays in second and captures silver and Pejcic gets the bronze. And just an FYI, Katerina Emmons is married to the U.S. shooter Matthew Emmons, whom we will be seeing compete later in these games.
10:54PM - WS: Just one more shot left and the first Olympic champion will be crowned. It will most likely be Czech Republic's Katerina Emmons as she has a stable lead. Du Li has fallen to fifth. Galkina rose back to second and just shot a 10.0.
10:52PM - WW: Wow, Turkey's Sibel Ozkan with a very impressive lift of 88kg in her third attempt as the competition gets closer. Meanwhile, China's Xiexia Chen makes her Olympic debut with a powerful lift.
10:49PM - WS: Emmons has a little less than a two point lead over Pejcic of Croatia as we enter the eighth round of competition. Emmons has been very consistent while Pejcic has made several shots outside of the ten point mark. Emmons still has the lead after eight shots.
10:44PM - Women's Weightlifting (WW) - We take our first look now at the weightlifting competition and we are still in the snatch competition. IM Jyounghwa was on her second attempt in the snatch and she was able to do her lift and thus she remains in the lead. Meanwhile, Wei-Ling Chen who is trying to challenge the Korean failed on her second attempt in the snatch.
10:41PM - WS: Emmons, Pejcic of Croatia and Galkina of Russia are the top three in that order. And China's Du Li still in fourth place. In the sport of shooting, the athlete is the only one that can control his/her destiny. So far, Emmons has come out as the better shooter. She has just shot a 10.2 in the fifth round of shooting.
10:39PM - WS: Just want to mention that the scores from qualifying do carryover into the finals as the third round of shooting takes place. Emmons has shot a little poorly compared to her past shots but still shootinga 9.7, she remains in first place. Du Li, with a 10.1, remains in fourth place.
10:35PM - WS: Emmons again shooting very cleanly with a 10.7 here at Beijing Shooting Hall. Emmons is still in first place. Du Li remains in fourth place.
10:32PM - Women's Shooting (WS): Katerina Emmons for the Czech Republic and who had the top qualifying score, accomplishing an Olympic record, is currently in the lead. Chinese favorite Du Li is in fourth.
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