Greece rematch next for U.S. men’s basketball
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| McClatchy Newspapers photo by TOM FOX
Medalists: The United States menÕs gymnastics team celebrates a bronze medal during the menÕs team finals at the 2008 Summer Olympics. |
BEIJING (AP) — LeBron James and his teammates easily shoved Angola aside. Now come the teams that can push back.
Dwyane Wade scored 19 points, James dominated the game with his size and strength on both ends, and the U.S. Olympic team wrapped up the easy portion of its schedule with a 97-76 victory Tuesday night.
Dwight Howard added 14 points and James finished with 12 for the Americans, who had another rough night from 3-point range but don’t appear to be stoppable in the open court. Wade was perfect from the field in Beijing until missing in the third quarter.
The United States improved to 4-0 against Angola, starting with the Dream Team’s Olympic debut in 1992. That romp is best remembered for Charles Barkley’s elbow to an unsuspecting Angolan player in a 116-48 victory.
Angola went down almost as easily this time.
The Americans (2-0) moved on to face Greece, the team that stunned them two years ago in the semifinals of the world championship. Two days later comes a matchup with Spain, the team that won that tournament and is also 2-0 in this one after rallying to beat China in overtime behind 29 points from Pau Gasol.
Gymnasts third
BEIJING (AP) — The roar began as soon as Chen Yibing’s feet hit the mat, a primal scream that was four pressure-packed years in the making. Only half the meet was over, but so was this competition.
China has the Olympic men’s gymnastics title it has long craved and everyone else expected. The Americans, meanwhile, won the bronze with a roster that was patched together at the last minute when not one, but both Hamm brothers were knocked out with injuries.
Japan, the defending Olympic champion, won the silver.
The Chinese began celebrating even before one of their gymnasts finished the last event. When little Zou Kai’s feet hit the mat with a thud, his teammates jumped up and down. They stood behind a large Chinese flag, tears flowing.
There were no tears from the Americans, only elation. When the final standings popped up, Jonathan Horton screamed: “Nobody believed in us! Nobody believed in us.” Linking arms, they posed for pictures, smiles spread wide across their faces.
The Chinese have won seven of the last eight world titles, including the last three. Yet, they were still considered underachievers. There was just one Olympic title during this reign, and their collapse four years ago was one of epic proportions. Not only did they not win the gold they were supposed to, they went home with just two medals, only one gold.
Phelps cruises
BEIJING (AP) — Michael Phelps etched his name with Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis among the winningest Olympians ever Tuesday. With three gold medals and three world records, he has no equal in China.
In winning the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps ran his career Olympic total to nine golds and avenged his only individual loss in Athens four years ago, when a 19-year-old Phelps took on the 200 free just so he could compete with Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband.
He finished third that night in what was called the “Race of the Century.” This time, it was hardly a race at all.
Phelps all the way.
Racing out of lane six, he quickly surged to the lead and led by a full body length halfway through the second of four laps. Phelps was nearly two seconds ahead of the field when he touched in 1 minute, 42.96 seconds, breaking the mark of 1:43.86 he set at last year’s world championships.
“I just wanted to be out at the 50-meter point, and that’s where I was,” said Phelps, much more reserved in his reaction after a wild performance on deck the previous day. “I was in open water, and it was difficult for the other guys to see me.”
South Korea’s Park Tae-hwan took the silver in 1:44.85, touching while Phelps was already looking at the scoreboard.
Phelps is now 3-for-3 in Beijing, on course to beat Spitz’s 36-year-old record of seven golds in a single Olympics. He opened with a world record in the 400 individual medley, then led off an epic victory in the 400 free relay.
Along the way, he’ll take care of some other historical landmarks.
Phelps’s ninth career gold tied him with Spitz, Lewis, Soviet gymnast Larysa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi for the most in Olympic history.
The mark isn’t likely to be shared for long. Phelps will go for his fourth medal of these games, 10th overall, on Wednesday in the 200 butterfly, yet another event in which he holds the world record. He set an Olympic record during Tuesday’s semifinals, competing less than an hour after winning the 200 free.
With Phelps leading the way, it turned out to be a red, white and blue morning for the American swimmers.
Aaron Peirsol defended his Olympic title in the 100 backstroke with a world record of 52.54, and teammate Matt Grevers made it a 1-2 U.S. finish. Peirsol beat his own mark, 52.89, set at last month’s national trials in Omaha, Neb., while Grevers added to the gold he won for swimming the preliminaries of the 400 free relay.
Natalie Coughlin became the first woman to repeat as champion of the 100 backstroke, winning with an American record of 58.96. She held off Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, who set a world record of 58.77 in the semifinals but couldn’t repeat that performance.
Another American, Margaret Hoelzer, took bronze in 58.34.
The U.S. dominance was broken only by Australia’s Leisel Jones, who made up for a disappointing bronze four years ago by winning the 100 breaststroke in 1:05.17, just eight-hundredths off her own world record. Rebecca Soni, who got in the event after fellow American Jessica Hardy tested positive for drugs last month, took advantage of her opportunity by winning the silver in 1:06.73.
In the semifinals of the women’s 200 free, Katie Hoff advanced with the second-fastest time of 1:57.01. The 19-year-old American, who’s like a little sister to Phelps, is still trying to win her first gold medal after settling for bronze and silver in her first two events. She still has three more individual races, plus a relay, to make up for that void.
