British medal watch (0 gold, 0 silver, 0 bronze)
Andy Murray and his brother Jamie, who are competing for
Team GB in the men’s doubles, were eliminated today. They won the first set
against the Austrian entrants, but lost the match 2-1. Elena Baltacha has reached
the second round in the women’s singles after a straight sets victory over
Hungarian Agnes Svaray. Heather Watson and Laura Robson were eliminated from
the women’s doubles.
Great Britain’s women’s football team have qualified for the
quarter-finals after a comfortable 3-0 victory over Cameroon. Casey Stoney opened
the scoring with a back-post tap-in after a nice cross, with Jill Scott adding cool
finish before half-time, getting on the end of a clever back-heel and passing
to the keeper’s left. Steph Houghton, hero of the first game, scored another
goal to cap off the victory, a thunderous shot from just inside the box after a
nice lay-off.
Swimmer Hannah Miley finished fifth in the final of the
women’s 400m individual medley, sadly missing out on a medal. The women’s
4x100m freestyle relay team also finished fifth in their final. But the British
men’s gymnastics team qualified for the team final in third place, outscoring
the favourite Chinese. Louis Smith also ensured qualification for the Pommel
Horse final.
Helen Glover and Heather Stanning set an Olympic record in the
women’s rowing pairs, in the process qualifying for Wednesday’s final. Mary
King is ranked third overall after the dressage section of the three-day
eventing competition
Top news
Ryan Lochte took his first gold of a possible seven at
London 2012 with a comfortable victory in the men’s 400m individual medley. Sun
Yang from China took the men’s 400m freestyle gold, beating South Korean Park Taehwan
with an Olympic Record. Ye Shiwen set a new world record for China in the women’s
400m individual medley.
Roger Federer was taken to three sets in his first match in
the men’s singles, but came through against Alejandro Falla. Serena Williams is
also through in the women’s tournament.
Italy took a clean sweep of the medals in the women’s
individual foil fencing, with Elisa di Francisca taking the gold. China’s Wang
Mingjuan took the gold in the women’s 48kg category in the weightlifting,
leading an Asian-dominated competition.
The Brazilian women’s football team were made to work hard
for their victory over New Zealand. A late lob from Cristiane ensured the New
Zealanders’ hard work was to no avail.
Unsung Hero
The first Olympic gold of London 2012 was won in the
shooting at about 11:30 this morning. The Women’s 10m air rifle was won by
Chinese shooter and world number 1, Siling Yi. Sarah Menezes won gold for Brazil in the women's under 48kg judo category, leading to emotional scenes.
Disappointments
Great Britain’s hope for gold in the men’s road race, Mark
Cavendish, came away without a medal after the peloton was unable to catch the
breakaway group. Cavendish was also the only British cyclist not to win a medal
at the Beijing Games of 2008. Michael Phelps, who won every event in which he
was entered in Beijing, was also unable to finish in the medals in the Men’s
400m individual medley, with gold going to his compatriot Ryan Lochte. The
dominant South Korean archery team had to settle for bronze in the men’s team
event, being defeated in the semi-final by the USA. Italy took the gold medal.
Other news
South Korea’s Park Taehwan won silver in the men’s 400m
freestyle, after successfully appealing against a disqualification in the
heats. Park was adjudged to have false started, but after subsequent reviews
was reinstated to the event.
Mark Cavendish has blamed the negative
tactics of his competitors for his failure to win an Olympic medal in the
men’s road race. Cavendish was part of the peloton, or the chasing group, but
that group was reluctant to chase down the breakaway group, from which the
winners came.
Almost 27 million people tuned in to watch the Opening
Ceremony on the BBC, viewing
figures suggest.
Aidan Burley MP, who was sacked as a parliamentary private
secretary for attending a Nazi-themed stag party, criticised
the Opening Ceremony on twitter, calling it ‘leftie multicultural crap.’
There have been calls for him to be reprimanded by Prime Minister David
Cameron.
Campaigners have
marched in East London in a protest against the corporate dominance of the
Olympics.
And finally…
The man who was the Queen’s stunt double for the Opening
Ceremony parachute jump has
spoken about his ‘unsurpassable’ experience.
Bookmakers have
agreed to refund bets placed on who would light the Olympic cauldron. Roger
Bannister was the favourite, but Sir Steve Redgrave was the final torch-bearer.
The cauldron, however, was lighted by seven future generation sports stars.
Updated medal table
China leads with four golds on the first day, plus two
bronze. The only other nation to win multiple golds on day one was Italy. Six
other countries won a single gold on the opening day.
Tomorrow’s big events
The evening sees another big session of swimming with
another four gold medals up for grabs. Rebecca Adlington is Britain’s big hope,
looking to defend her Beijing 2008 gold in the women’s 400m freestyle. Ben
Ainslie, three time Olympic gold medallist, is looking to win gold for the
fourth consecutive Games as the men’s Finn class gets underway at Weymouth.
Nicole Cooke defends her women’s road race cycling crown. The Hockey events get
underway, while Great Britain’s men’s football team plays its second match,
against the United Arab Emirates, as part of a full programme of men’s football
fixtures. The men's basketball also gets underway with Great Britain up against Russia.
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