On the sand, two-time Olympians Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo of Italy face Brazilian favorites Alison and Bruno in the men’s beach volleyball final.
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DIVING DOMINATION: China has dominated the Olympic diving competition, and the result in the women’s 10-meter platform suggests the success might be long-lasting. Host Brazil, which only advanced on the final day of preliminary play, takes on South American rival Argentina.
Karch Kiraly’s top-ranked Americans moved one step closer to its goal of capturing the program’s first volleyball gold, defeating familiar opponent Japan in straight sets to reach the semifinals.
Just minutes after watching their women’s team drop the baton in their race, the pressure was on the USA men’s team to safely get the stick around the Olympic Stadium track.
The biggest drama about Usain Bolt in the 200 meter sprint Thursday may not be whether he wins, but whether he cracks the once-thought-untouchable 19-second barrier. It began with the Jamaican star smiling, then wagging his finger at a brash up-and-comer in the 200-meter semifinals.
The only problem was de Grasse didn’t back down. Kerron Clement won the 400-meter hurdles Thursday in what marked the 20th medal for the US team with 3 ½ days of competition to come. American women are seeking a sweep in the 100-meter hurdles, and a showdown is on tap in the women’s 200 meters between Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands and American Tori Bowie. They had a 1-2 finish in men’s shot put. China’s Ma Long has already taken gold in singles over fellow countryman Zhang Jike, and female player Ding Ning beat fellow Chinese player Li Xiaoxia.
The United States have recently been dogged by a raft of changeover fiascos, their failure at last year’s World Championships in Beijing the most recent bungled effort. She appealed but failed to overturn the ruling.
It was a not-all-unexpected result, though this might be an eye-opener: Both 2008 champion Dawn Harper-Nelson and the current world-record holder, Keni Harrison, were back home after failing to crack the top three at the Olympic trials.
The 24-year-old is vital for Brazil at the Rio Olympics and has regained the trust of the fans after a struggling start. They will play Germany’s Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst.
After the game, a shirtless Neymar pumped his fists as the crowd at Maracana Stadium chanted his name.
The American women’s 4×100 relay team received a reprieve following a collision on a handoff and will try to make the most of it when the gun goes off at 10:15 p.m.
Tianna Bartoletta, U.S.
In a span of about 60 minutes Wednesday night, US track and field women hauled in a bevy of medals.
In their last public appearance before the games, Pedro Solberg and teammate Evandro Goncalves of one of two teams representing Brazil said they were dreaming with gold.
The United States entered the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday with 13 medals in track and field and left with a total of 19 – five gold, seven silver, seven bronze.
American swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were taken off a plane at Rio airport as local police investigate Sunday’s alleged robbery involving them and two team-mates.
United States swimming star Ryan Lochte and three team-mates have also become embroiled in controversy over an alleged gunpoint robbery by men posing as police officers.
But that happened on a wild Wednesday night in track. They said a third American swimmer, James Feigan, also will speak to the police Thursday.
The incident comes after US gold medallist Ryan Lochte and three team mates said they were robbed by armed men carrying police badges while travelling to the Athletes’ Village in a taxi in the early hours of the morning after a party.
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Rio de Janeiro authorities have issued an arrest warrant for an International Olympic Committee executive accused of scalping tickets for the Summer Games.
