Milestones and tears

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-19 08:19

Jiang Tingting and Jiang Wenwen of China perform in the duet synchronized swimming technical routine yesterday. The twins came in fourth and enter the next round. Yang Shizhong

For China, which has already beaten its own gold medal target, the news yesterday was the most depressing of all.

The country's favourite athlete, Liu Xiang, is out of the running for this Games with injuries. He tried to make a start in the men's 100m hurdles but the sight of him stumbling after three steps and walking off paralyzed the nation (Page 7).

The Russians had a better day.

For Yelena Isinbayeva the day was glorious. The pole vaulter broke her own world record to win gold with ease. She left her American rival Jenn Stuczynski well behind when she flew over a 5.05m bar.

Isinbayeva has dominated pole-vaulting for four years now, winning a string of back-to-back titles, including the gold at Athens (Page 4).

On the track, the US swept the podium in the 400m hurdles, with Angelo Taylor claiming the gold. The team had all but promised a sweep.

American Stephanie Brown Trafton brought the gold back in women's discuss, scoring the first gold for her country in the track and field events and winning the first gold in her event for the US since 1932 (Page 5).

Panama's Irving Saladino clinched his country's first athletics gold, winning the long jump with a leap of 8.34m (Page 6).

Brimin Kiprop Kipruto of Kenya also won in the men's 3000m steeplechase to ensure his country has won every race since 1984.

China's Chen Yibing won the gold in the rings while He Kexin took the gold in the uneven bars (Page 9).

Australian Emma Snowsill could not be held back. She won the women's triathlon by more than a minute yesterday. Snowsill was bypassed for the Australian team that competed in Athens (Page 11).

Australia celebrated a great day at Qingdao, when its sailors won both the men's and women's 470 class titles (Page 12).

Both teams held unassailable leads going into the final race.

China lost to Greece 91-77 in its final basketball group game, but has already qualified for the quarterfinals (Page 14).

In women's hockey, it also drew 2-2 with Australia, pipping their opponents to the last available semifinal spot.

On the football pitch, the Brazilian and US women's teams are set for a rematch of their 2004 Olympic final.

Brazil downed Germany 4-1 and the US took a 4-2 win from Japan in their respective semis yesterday (Page 15).

Yesterday was a busy day in a host of other sports.

The US reached the men's water polo semifinals for the first time in 16 years after beating Germany. The Georgian men's beach volley (made up of native Brazilians) made it into the semifinals. The US easily blasted the Chinese women's softball team and will face Japan in the semis. Serbia managed to hang on in men's volleyball and clinched the last quarterfinal spot (Page 15).

China Daily/Agencies

(China Daily 08/19/2008 page2)