C2 SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2012 SPORTS SUNDAY LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER | KENTUCKY.COM

NUMBERS: 29 |||||London Olympics FAN FARE The number of gold medals won in the Olympics by American women, MEDALS RACE KENTUCKIANS outdistancing the 15 won by U.S. men. The IN THE GAMES SUNDAY women have won 59 of our 102 total medals. U.S. clinches overall, in lead for golds Athletes with ties to Kentucky who are competing in Olympic events Swimming, track and field, on Sunday (All times EDT): basketball, women’s soccer, Serena Williams and Aly Raisman. Anthony Davis (University of They all found their way onto U.S. Kentucky) — Men’s basketball: Olympic Committee chairman USA vs. Spain in gold medal game Larry Probst’s highlight list from at 10 a.m. the London Games. SATURDAY’S RESULTS “I like to hear The Star-Span- How Kentucky athletes fared: gled Banner — a lot,” Probst said. With one day left, the U.S. has Tyson Gay (Lafayette High locked up the overall medals race School) — Track and field: Men’s over China, and continues holding 4-by-100 relay for USA. Gay won off the Chinese in the chase to win his first when the the most gold medals. It will be MICHAEL SOHN | ASSOCIATED PRESS Americans finished second to the fifth straight Summer Games American edged Usain Bolt and Jamaica. where U.S. athletes took home China’s Qui Bo for the the Angel McCoughtry (University of more prizes than anyone else from Louisville) — Women’s basketball: an Olympics. gold medal in men’s 10-meter platform . She scored seven points in Team Through Saturday’s medal USA’s victory against France in the events, U.S. Olympians in London gold medal game. had claimed 102 medals, 15 more MEDAL than the Chinese. Americans were COUNT Gavin Smellie (Western Kentucky University) — Track and field: also leading the gold-medal chase Country G S B T over China, 44-38. Men’s 4-by-100 relay for Canada. United States 44 29 29 102 Smellie and his teammates BASKETBALL China 38 27 22 87 finished third but were disqualified Russia 21 25 32 78 after officials determined that one of his teammates, Jared Con- U.S. women win Britain 28 15 19 62 CHARLES BERTRAM | STAFF FILE PHOTO naughton, stepped on the line. Rich Brooks, right, knows what it’s like on the hot seat Joker Phillips, left, faces this season. fifth straight title Germany 11 19 14 44 The Americans won their fifth Japan 6 14 17 37 any dive in the finals. straight gold medal, routing France 7 16 12 35 Qiu followed him and scored 86-50 and putting more distance France 10 11 12 33 100.80, not quite enough. WE’VE BEEN between themselves and the rest of the world heading to Rio for the South Korea 13 7 7 27 ETC. 2016 Games. Italy 8 7 8 23 Candace Parker scored 21 Netherlands 6 6 8 20 Farah doubles up points, including eight straight dur- HERE BEFORE ing the game-changing run in the Ukraine 5 4 9 18 in distance races second quarter as the U.S. won its Canada 1 5 12 18 Before Usain Bolt and Co. took 41st straight Olympic game since Hungary 8 4 5 17 over the track, Mo Farah sent a taking a bronze medal in 1992. Joker’s predecessors faced similar doubts Spain 3 9 4 16 charge through the capacity crowd In that stretch, the Americans at Olympic Stadium when he won have won by nearly 30 points a Brazil 3 4 8 15 the 5,000 meters to complete an for a second season. at Mississippi State, a home game. Only one team has stayed New Zealand 5 3 5 13 Olympic long-distance double for MARK Ticket sales felt the upset of Georgia and a bowl within single digits of them, and Iran 4 5 3 12 Britain. Farah surged ahead late STORY impact. Even though UK victory over Clemson. they’ve lost just once in major and held on to win in 13:41.66. Jamaica 4 4 4 12 HERALD-LEADER had upset No. 17 Louisville Brooks went on to lead international competitions, to Farah said he had extra motiva- SPORTS COLUMNIST on the road the week before, Kentucky to four straight Russia in the semifinals of the Cuba 4 3 5 12 tion to win the race. He already had only 59,213 turned out for winning seasons and four 2006 world championship. Belarus 3 4 5 12 one gold medal — won a week ago At long last, The Long- the 2002 Kentucky home straight bowl games and France, which came into in the 10,000 meters — and it was the gold medal game unbeaten, Kazakhstan 6 0 4 10 Suffering Kentucky Football opener in Commonwealth retired after the 2009 season imperative that he make a pair. stayed with the U.S. for the first 12 Fan may have had enough. “These two gold medals mean Stadium (capacity of some on his own terms. minutes before Parker took over. Late last month, the Her- 70,000) with UTEP. Now, Phillips is very the world to me, because my wife She scored eight straight points the 3-meter springboard at the ald-Leader’s Jennifer Smith Yet Morriss led the Cats much on the hot seat in is carrying twins,” Farah explained. during a 13-2 run that gave the U.S. 1992 Barcelona Games. “I didn’t want to have just one gold reported that 2012 UK 2012. to a feel-good 7-5 record in a 37-23 advantage. Twice Parker “Oh, my God, I don’t have medal, and then have twins.” football season ticket sales 2002. Rather than a place His situation is not grabbed the rebound on the defen- words for it,” said , ■ Allyson Felix won her third were running 27 percent holder, Morriss became a entirely analogous to that of sive end and dribbled up through the diving great who swept the gold medal as the Americans down from 2011’s final tally. coach so coveted by another Morriss or Brooks because the defense to score on the other. springboard and platform events rolled to an easy victory in the Early last week, the Univer- BCS school, that he landed Joker inherited UK football There was no disappointment at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics women’s 4x400 relay. sity of Louisville announced a hefty raise to become head in the midst of the bowl for France in taking home the silver and who has mentored Boudia. The United States finished in (somewhat gleefully, I man at Baylor. streak, not in a situation of medal. The French knew they were On the medals stand, Boudia 3 minutes, 16.87 seconds — good thought) that Kentucky had Rich Brooks was on a perceived adversity. up against an almost unbeatable wiped his brow as if to say, “Whew!” for a 3.36-second rout over Rus- returned unsold 2,060 of the scalding-hot seat in 2006. By The rationale for elevating American team. It was that close. sia, the biggest margin in the final 5,500 tickets that UK had that season, much Phillips into the posi- “It’s amazing,” point guard The American scored 568.65 of the long relay at the Olympics Celine Dumerc said of her medal. been allotted for the season points in the six-dive final. Qiu since East Germany beat the U.S. of the Kentucky fan tion of Top Cat from “It’s heavy. It’s wonderful. It’s huge. opener against the Cardinals base had long since his role as assistant took the silver at 566.85. by 3.58 seconds in 1976. It’s a dream.” of Britain settled for “By the time I got the stick,” in Papa John’s Cardinal on Brooks’ staff was run out of patience the bronze at 556.95 after leading Sanya Richards-Ross said, “it was Stadium. with the grandfa- that it was the best DIVING going into the final dive in front of basically a victory lap.” This lack of enthusiasm in therly Brooks. way to maintain a raucous home crowd. ■ Mexico earned its first the marketplace, obviously, is The hiring of recruiting continuity Boudia edges Qiu “Tom Daley dove the lights Olympic gold medal in men’s not good news for third-year Brooks to replace and allow Kentucky out, dove the lights out,” soccer. Oribe Peralta scored 29 UK head coach Joker Phil- Morriss had been Morriss to take the proverbial for surprise gold Boudia said. “I only did what I do seconds into the finals at Wembley lips. As the venerable former met with wide- “next step up.” David Boudia ended a gold- in practice.” Stadium and added another goal Kentucky radio play-by-play spread, initial skepti- With an 11-14 medal drought for the United Daley scored 90.75 on his in the second half, leading Mexico man Cawood Ledford used cism (including by a sports overall record after two years States with a dramatic last dive last dive, including one 10, but to the 2-1 upset of Brazil. to often say, losing games columnist who looks remark- as head man, Joker has not so that scored the most points of the Boudia and Qiu each did the same ■ Jaqueline Carvalho had 18 does not get coaches fired. ably like me). The old coach far achieved that next step. 10-meter platform competition at tougher dive in the last round. points and Brazil beat the United Empty seats do. did nothing to help his cause Yet I’m not convinced the Olympics. Boudia, tied for second with States in four sets to stop the Boudia’s victory by 1.08 points Americans from winning their first Yet before starting on when he went 4-8 in his first the Kentucky program is in Qiu going into the last round, over Qiu Bo of China gave the U.S. scored 102.60 points on a back Olympic gold medal in women’s the coaching obituary for as bad a shape as much of year (2003) with a team that its first gold in diving since 2000, 2½ somersault with 2½ twists volleyball. Brazil became the third Phillips at UK, a cautionary had many prominent veterans the (formerly) paying public and was the first by an American pike worth a 3.6 degree of dif- team to repeat as gold medalist. reminder: The Kentucky fan back from the prior season’s seems to think. The problem man since the late won ficulty. It was the highest score of HERALD-LEADER WIRE SERVICES base was pretty much in the seven-win campaign. for Phillips, however, is it exact same position with Over the next two appears to me that UK is both the UK head football seasons, the drain on the two seasons away from be- coaches who immediately UK talent level from the ing a realistic contender for OLYMPICS U.S. sprinter preceded Joker. Mumme-era NCAA sanctions another winning season. Tyson Gay, In both cases, the coaches was felt in a big way. So by Can Joker cajole enough From Page C1 right, spoke proved the negativity wrong. the start of the 2006 season, from his team this year to to Jamaica’s Guy Morriss was on a Brooks’ overall record at still be the head coach in steadily pulled away down Usain Bolt af- very hot seat in 2002. After Kentucky stood at 9-25. place in 2013? the stretch, gritting his teeth ter the men’s Hal Mumme’s UK program At the turnstiles, Ken- Still, in this pre-season and leaning at the line to cap 4-by-100 imploded amid a cheat- tucky fans were saying “no of Kentucky football discon- his perfect Summer Games by relay. Jamaica ing scandal after the 2000 mas.” In 2006, UK’s home tent, Phillips should draw leading Jamaica to the title in set a world season, Kentucky wound up attendance in seven home some consolation from the a world-record 36.84 seconds record in promoting Mumme’s offen- games never got above recent past. Saturday night. winning gold, After crossing the line, Bolt sive line coach, Morriss, as 62,120 for any game and Things reached this same and the U.S. pleaded with an official to let “acting head coach” for 2001. was below 57,200 for four boiling point with the last ran its fastest him keep the yellow baton he Many UK fans fumed that home contests. two Kentucky head football time ever. Morriss was little more than Yet after a 49-0 pasting at coaches. was clutching. But the answer was “No,” and Bolt handed it a place holder and that the LSU left Brooks’ 2006 team Each time, the coaches DAVID EULITT football program was adrift. with a 3-4 record, Kentucky proved their doubters wrong. over while some nearby spec- MCCLATCHY- After Kentucky went 2-9 in did something wildly unex- tators booed. About 40 min- TRIBUNE the new coach’s first season pected: It started winning. Mark Story: (859) 231-3230. utes later, that same official as head man, public opinion The Cats claimed victories Email: mstory@herald-leader. approached Bolt and returned following Nesta Carter and done, the relay came down to turned more gnarly when in five of their final six com. : @markcstory. Blog: the stick. Bolt responded with Michael Frater. Bolt vs. Bailey, who was fifth UK brought Morriss back games including a road win markstory.bloginky.com a bow of thanks and a chuck- The U.S. quartet of Trell in the 100 meters in 9.88. le, kissed the baton — and Kimmons, 100 bronze medal- Really not a fair matchup. then asked his teammates to ist Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay After transferring the autograph it. and Ryan Bailey got the silver baton from his left hand to WHAT One more possession to in 37.04, equaling the old re- his right, the 6-foot-5 Bolt WE’LL SEE help him remember his week cord that Bolt helped set at churned up the track with his at 80,000-seat Olympic Sta- last year’s world champion- long strides, and Bailey had Sunday dium, where any mention of ships. Trinidad & Tobago took no chance to keep up. Anthony Davis and the U.S. men’s basketball Bolt’s name drew raucous the bronze in 38.12. Canada, “Wow,” Bailey said. “He’s a team go for the gold against Spain (10 a.m., cheers, countless camera which was third across the monster.” NBC-18) in the most-anticipated event on the flashes and chants of “Usain!” line, was disqualified for run- Bolt kept adding to his final day of the London Olympics. The closing or “We want Bolt!” ning outside its lane, and its lead and actually spared his ceremony later in the day brings all the fun to “It’s amazing. It’s been appeal was rejected. an end. (7 p.m., NBC-18) now-customary showboating wonderful,” Bolt said in an It was the first Olympic at the finish, instead driving Sunday interview shown on the score- medal for Gay, a Lafayette through the line on a windy, The talk of Rory McIlroy becoming the next MARK CORNELISON | STAFF FILE PHOTO board. graduate who came up empty chilly night. Tiger Woods took less than a year to dissipate Addressing the spectators, University of Louisville commitment Kyle in the 2008 Beijing Games “He was basically the dif- after McIlroy’s 2011 U.S. Open title. Expect he said: “You guys are won- after injuring a hamstring in ference in the race. It was Bolin leads Lexington Catholic in 2012. a revival if the 23-year-old can finish the job derful. Thanks for the sup- the Olympic Trials. even all the way around,” Gay Sunday in the PGA Championship. (11 a.m., port. I love you guys.” “I was very upset because said. “When he got the stick, TNT; 2 p.m., CBS-27) is at West Jessamine. Paul Laurence Dunbar kicks off its season the following week. Bolt added the relay gold I was missing something in there was nothing we could Friday to the ones he earned in the my heart with no Olympic do about it.” Thursday The 2012 high school football season kicks off 100 in 9.63 seconds last Sun- medals,” Gay said. “This is a Gatlin, who was third in around Kentucky with six of Lexington’s seven The Cincinnati Bengals visit the Atlanta Falcons day — the second-fastest blessing and fills that spot in the men’s 100, said he wanted teams in action. Bryan Station is at Anderson for their second exhibition game. It can’t go time in history — and the my heart.” to win a medal for Gay, who County, Henry Clay hosts John Hardin, Lafay- worse than Friday’s opener, in which the Ben- 200 in 19.32 on Thursday. As Blake and Gay rounded was fourth in the 100 and dis- ette is home against Mason County, Lexington gals saw three starters go down with injuries. The runner-up in both indi- the race’s final curve, they traught afterward. Can it? (8 p.m.) Catholic travels to Bell County, Lexington Chris- vidual sprints, Bolt’s pal and were pretty much in sync, “We put on a great show tian hosts Louisville Christian, and Tates Creek MATHEW GRAF training partner Yohan Blake, stride for stride. and broke our American re- ran the third leg of the relay, But when that duo was cord twice,” Gatlin said.