MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016 SPORTS Argentina wins clash, Spain stays alive

BASKETBALL

RIO DE JANEIRO: Argentina snatched a thrilling 111-107 double-overtime win SWIMMING against Brazil amid fears of fan violence, as Spain kept its Rio Games basketball hopes alive by crushing Lithuania. Britain enjoys best Dozens of armed security personnel medal haul in century were deployed for the afternoon game between Argentina and the Olympic : Britain came to the Olympics hosts, with tensions high following previ- with high hopes and ended the swimming compe- ous unruly spectator behaviour in Rio. tition in the pool on Saturday with the country’s Team captains Marcelinho Huertas of best medal haul in more than a century and a Brazil and Luis Scola of Argentina met at determination to make even bigger waves in Tokyo half-court before tip-off, addressing the in four years’ time. crowd in a bid to nip excess passions in The combination of 100 metres breaststroke the bud. champion Adam Peaty, 200 freestyle world champi- “We are South American brothers, and on James Guy, Chris Walker-Hebborn and Duncan we ask everybody to support us in the Scott took Britain to a silver medal in the 4x100 spirt of the Olympics and in a civil man- medley. Only the US men, with Michael Phelps win- ner,” Huertas said to cheers. Decades of ning his 23rd Olympic gold in what the great football rivalry spice any Argentine-Brazil American has vowed will be the last race of his matchup, but no incidents were reported. career, were faster. Argentina dealt a blow to Brazil’s tour- Britain’s total of six medals in the pool-three nament hopes, with forward Andres each for the men and women-was their best per- Nocioni scoring 37 points and guard formance since they won seven medals at the Facundo Campazzo getting 13 of his 33 in London Games of 1908. They also won six in 1912, extra time. but had only one gold, two silver and three bronze. Nocioni sank a clutch three-pointer In Rio they won a gold and five silvers. World with four seconds in regulation to stun the record holder Peaty did his split in a phenomenal deafening, mostly Brazilian, crowd and 56.59 seconds, faster than the world record of 57.13 force overtime at 85-85. he swam in the individual event last Sunday. Only Campazzo’s fast-break lay-up with 36 RIO DE JANEIRO: Argentina’s Manu Ginobili drives to the basket past Brazil’s Marcelinho Huertas, right, during a basketball game the leadoff leg can be considered for world records seconds left in the first overtime, one of at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday. — AP several penetrating drives, tied it again at in relays. “Hopefully that’s a message to the rest of 95-95 to trigger another overtime. medal-round berth with a win Monday its 2004 Athens gold-medal winning side “We all need to scream, jump, cele- the world in four years time, where James and over tough Argentina, which in turn will including Nocioni, Brooklyn Nets forward brate, cry if they want to, whatever they Duncan will be a lot more mature, a lot more mus- ‘BASKETBALL PARTY’ fight to ensure it wins Group B and avoids Scola, and four-time NBA champ Manu want to do. But in a civilised matter that cle, and hopefully if Chris decides to go on he’ll be Argentina gained the lead and held on the USA in the knockout phase. Ginobili, and they refused to buckle. we respect,” Scola told reporters. “We a lot faster,” said Peaty, 21. to ensure a quarter-finals berth by going The USA, in Group A, has not lost an Brazil face Nigeria next, needing a win wanted to have a big basketball party, and “We’re looking at a very good relay coming to 3-1 in Group B. Olympic game since 2004 and is heavily and some help. “We know that we have to it was.” together.” In London four years ago, the British After losing its first two games by a favoured to repeat. “We have to beat keep our heads up and depend on other Brazilians and Argentines brawled earli- team won only three medals-one 200 breaststroke combined three points, 2008 and 2012 sil- Argentina if we want to be in the next teams to lose a couple of games,” said er at the Rio tennis venue, and Brazil fans silver for Michael Jamieson and Rebecca ver medallist Spain routed Lithuania 109- round, and it’s going to be like a final for Brazil guard Leandro Barbosa. at the Olympic stadium have taunted their Adlington’s two bronzes in the 400 and 800 59. Desperate to avoid elimination, Spain’s us,” said Spain guard Ricky Rubio. “But we still believe that we can qualify rivals with chants referencing legendary freestyle. Olympic veterans jumped early on previ- Argentina jumped out to an early 11- for the second round.” Nigeria aided Argentine footballer Diego Maradona’s Guy agreed a new generation had paved the ously unbeaten Lithuania, who had less to point lead over Brazil on 21 first-half Brazil’s cause somewhat in Saturday’s late cocaine use. way for much more future success. “We’re 21, 20 play for. points by Nocioni, but Brazil had the game, using 17 three-pointers to over- Brazil’s only basketball win so far, a and 19,” he said of the relay team. “The Americans NBA star centre Pau Gasol led Spain crowd roaring as it stormed back to take a whelm Croatia 90-76. Argentina and Brazil last-gasp escape over Spain, was marred are quite a bit older than us. We’re still young, with 23 points, going 5-for-5 from three- 52-44 halftime lead. had met before Saturday’s game to dis- by ugly taunting of Gasol by Brazilian growing lads. We’ve got so much more to work on. point range. Spain will try to clinch a But Argentina has four veterans from cuss how to address their rabid fans. fans. — AFP “We’re a small country but up and coming. I think this is the best Olympics we’ve ever had.” Peaty set the tone by smashing the world record with his first swim on his debut on the opening American men advance to Saturday and then becoming the first male British swimmer to win an Olympic title since Adrian beach volleyball quarters Moorhouse at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Jazz Carlin then won 400 and 800 freestyle sil- vers, beaten only by the incredible US champion Hamburg in a match that Dalhausser said Katie Ledecky, and Siobhan-Marie O’Connor took was the best they have played. silver in the women’s 200 individual medley. “It will be the toughest test for us,” said The men’s relay team also took silver in the the 2008 Olympic gold medalist. BEACH VOLLEYBALL The Brazilian crowd taunted the 4x200 freestyle, with Scott and Guy also in that final Americans by shouting “Zika” at them line-up. “We came second tonight and it was a whenever they served, apparently in great race,” said Guy. “And there’s so much more to RIO DE JANEIRO: Americans Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena received their response to comments from some work on for what we’ve got to do. “Tokyo’s going to Americans - notably women’s soccer goalie be the one, I think.” — Reuters reward for cruising through pool play and the first round of the Olympic beach volley- Hope Solo - expressing concern over the ball elimination stage: A quarterfinal mosquito-borne virus or mocking the host matchup with the world champions on nation for the outbreak. their home sand. Dalhausser and Lucena were not among The US men remained unbeaten at the those making the comments. Dalhausser Copacabana venue on Saturday night with said if he had known what the crowd was ATHLETICS a 21-14, 21-15 victory over Austria. That saying he would have played along; he lined them up with Brazil’s Alison and then pretended to spray himself with bug Bruno, who arrived in Rio as the No. 1 seed. spray in the mix zone. “We wanted to play Brazil in Brazil, In the previous match Saturday night, preferably in the final,” said Dalhausser, the Australia rallied after losing the first set to Grumpy discus champ RIO DE JANEIRO: Iran’s Sohrab Moradi competes during the men’s weightlifting 94kg beat and advance to a quarterfinal event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. — AFP 2008 gold medalist. “We got our wish, just a Harting says ‘sorry’ little early. Hopefully we can come away matchup with American women Kerri with the win.” Walsh Jennings and April Ross. RIO DE JANEIRO: Newly-crowned Olympic discus Weightlifters defend Dalhausser and Lucena won all three The American women are 4-0 in their champion Christoph Harting has apologised for his pool play matches, but Alison and Bruno career against Australians Taliqua Clancy antics on the podium and refusal to give interviews sport under doping cloud stumbled in the group stage and lost to and Louise Bawden, who beat Poland 15- after his shock win at the Rio de Janeiro Games. Austria’s Clemens Doppler and Alexander 21, 21-16, 15-11. In Saturday’s other quar- Germany’s Harting, whose older brother and defending Horst. That dropped the Brazilians to sec- terfinals, the Dutch team of Alexander Olympic champion Robert failed to qualify for the finals There were also no Russians taking part ond in their pool and led to an unlucky Brouwer and Robert Meeuwsen advanced due to a strained back, threw a personal best of 68.37 because their entire team was banned for draw for the Americans - one of the other to a matchup with countrymen Reinder Nummerdor and Christiaan Varenhorst. It metres on his sixth and final attempt in Rio. But he was bringing the sport into disrepute with favorites to win the gold medal. will be the third time in the beach volley- heavily criticised for whistling on the podium when the WEIGHTLIFTING repeated doping cases. Also missing was The teams have split their four head-to- ’s Ilya Ilyin, the defending head matchups on the international tour, ball tournament that a team has faced its German national anthem was played and then cut a compatriots. “That’s the way it is in beach grumpy figure in the press conference. The 25-year- Olympic champion and world-record hold- with the Brazilians winning a pair of finals RIO DE JANEIRO: Despite a constant er at 94kg, who failed retests of his samples in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Long volleyball,” Brouwer said. “Sometimes you old, who refused to give interviews before his Rio win, beat each other.” - AP said the euphoria of his first major title had gone to his stream of doping bans in weightlifting, a from his 2008 and 2012 Olympic wins - Beach, California. The Americans won in head. “To anyone who’s toes I trod on: I am sorry, that pair of Olympic medalists defended their though he had moved up a class ahead of wasn’t my intention,” Harting told German broadcaster sport’s integrity. Sohrab Moradi of Iran won the Rio Games. ARD in Rio. the gold medal Saturday in the men’s 94- While a minority of competitors in Rio “I didn’t give any interviews this year, at all, so my kilogram category, followed by Vadzim have expressed anger at drug cheats, first thought was ‘stay fair and keep on not giving inter- Straltsou of Belarus and Aurimas Didzbalis Moradi said he felt sorry for those who views’. “Obviously, things had changed a bit and I only of Lithuania. were caught and served bans. realised that after the event. “It was silly, but in a situa- Didzbalis, who served a ban between “I’m very sad and also I love Ilya,” he said. tion like that, one is ridden with endorphins and things 2012 and 2014 for steroid use, said he “I’d like Ilya to be here and also the two were more exaggerated than were intended.” Harting wanted the focus to be on the superhuman Polish people.” Moradi said his ban for had been an irritated figure in the press conference, achievements of the lifters, not chemical methadone use was caused by a mistake snapping at a reporter who mispronounced his broth- assistance. “We can lift very big weights, over a painkiller, rather than intent to er’s name, then admitted he doesn’t “like answering while ordinary people wouldn’t even be enhance his performance, and the gold questions” and insisted “I’m an athlete, not a PR man”. able to move it or even think about it,” medal was the result of hard work during Harting’s podium and press conference antics drew crit- Didzbalis said. “There are always haters but enforced isolation because of the ban. icism from the president of the German Olympic Sports I cannot do anything about it. It’s just the “I was training very hard in my house. Confederation (DOSB) Alfons Hoermann: way it is.” Some people were laughing at me ... Some “In my view, that was not ideal, but I am sure he Moradi has also served a two-year dop- people said, ‘Why are you training?’” the didn’t mean it that way”. And Germany’s Chef de ing ban, while Straltsou’s Belarus team was Iranian said. “I had a goal and trained very Mission Michael Vesper was equally unimpressed: “what almost banned from the Olympics entirely hard.” he did at the awards ceremony wasn’t good, because he over repeated doping cases. Moradi is the third weightlifting gold is a member of our team and an ambassador for our Asked if the sport’s doping image medalist of the Rio Olympics to have previ- country”. devalued the Olympic competition, ously served a doping ban, after Nijat And Germany’s injured ex-European long-jump Moradi said: “No, I don’t accept your idea.” Rahimov of Kazakhstan in the men’s 77kg champion Sebastian Bayer says he was ashamed of Moradi won Iran’s second weightlifting and Sukanya Srisurat of in the Harting’s antics. “Gold in the discus is really super cool!!!,” gold medal of the Rio de Janeiro Games women’s 58kg. Bayer rote on Twitter. “But I am sitting in Germany, in with 182 kilograms in the snatch and 221 Of the 45 medalists in weightlifting from front of the television, ashamed of this behaviour.” kilos from his first clean and jerk lift for a 2012, at least 20 have failed doping tests at There is a strained relationship between the Harting total of 403 kilos. some point in their careers, according to brothers, but elder brother Robert was pleased for his The field was depleted after Polish the International Weightlifting Federation. younger sibling’s success, which he had to watch from brothers Adrian and Tomasz Zielinski both As many as 12 medals could be reallocated the stands. failed doping tests in the days before the due to retesting of samples from the event. Adrian Zielinski was 2012 gold “Hey little brother, the generation switch has started. London Games. That includes the gold, sil- RIO DE JANEIRO: The last finisher Cambodia’s Nary Ly waves as she runs toward the medalist in the 85kg class, while Tomasz is I am extremely pleased for you,” the 31-year-old Robert ver and bronze from the women’s 75kg finish line of the Women’s Marathon during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 wrote on Twitter. — AFP the reigning European champion. division. — AP Olympic Games at Sambodromo in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. — AP