TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2016 SPORTS Veterans provide the thrills on Rio’s Olympic lagoon RIO DE JANEIRO: British crews In the men’s single skulls final, the event at 2012’s London Games, Also extending a remarkable win- extending a five-year unbeaten run topped the medals table in the defending champion Martin Drsydale had broken away with a commanding ning record were the United States over 39 races. Olympic rowing regatta with three of New Zealand was pushed all the lead by the race’s midway point and women’s eight. The crew came into Despite the veterans’ dominance, golds but rowers from New Zealand way by Croatia’s Damir Martin. The only widened the distance between the Games as huge favourites, there were still some hard-fought and the United States also put in decision went to a photo-finish after themselves and the rest of the pack appearing unbeatable after winning contests and the battles for silvers mighty performances to provide they crossed the line at the same as the race went on. gold at both the 2012 and 2008 were often intense. plenty of thrills in the spectacular set- time, with Martin seeming to surge The victory reaffirmed their status Games, and they powered to the top In the regatta’s final race, Britain’s ting of the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. forward. The gold went to Drysdale. as one of the greatest rowing partner- medal again. Under coach Tom men’s eight defeated their rivals in The day’s programme was twice The New Zealander’s compatriots ships of all time. They have not lost a Terhaar, they have won every race for the favoured German boat to claim called off when high winds made the Hamish Bond and Eric Murray main- race since they teamed up in 2009 10 years. gold, leaving Germany with two golds water too rough but the sun shone for tained their unbeaten streak, easily but afterwards Bond admitted the Britain’s Helen Glover and Heather overall to share second place in the an exciting final day which saw the winning the men’s pair. pressure was taking its toll and he Stanning successfully defended their rowing medals table with New regatta’s most breath-taking action. Bond and Murray, who took gold in would need to think about his future. Olympic crown in the women’s pair, Zealand. —Reuters Rio 2016 - tops and flops RIO DE JANEIRO: Who hit, who missed at derful free-kick opener by mimicking the the Rio Olympics: sprinter’s ‘Lightning Bolt’ pose in front of the delighted Jamaican. Neymar then HITS stood down as captain. “This is one of the USAIN BOLT best things that has happened in my Despite coming into Rio with concerns life...now the critics have to swallow what over his fitness, the superstar crowd pleas- they said,” said Neymar. er romped to a “triple triple” of gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m. The Jamaican FLOPS also sealed his status as track and field’s NOVAK DJOKOVIC greatest showman, posing for numerous World tennis number one Djokovic, selfies while even trying his hand at looking to complete a career ‘Golden javelin in an eerily quiet Olympic Stadium Slam’ of Olympic gold and the four majors, once the crowds had left. “There you go. was knocked out in the first round by a I’m the greatest,” said Bolt, who kissed the rejuvenated Juan Martin del Potro who finish line on the Olympic Stadium track went onto make the final. Djokovic left on his final Games appearance. In a per- the arena in tears and at 29 years old, his fect finish, Sunday was also his 31st birth- Olympic haul remains a modest bronze day. from Beijing in 2008. MICHAEL PHELPS LEE CHONG WEI The US swimmer also had his doubters Malaysia’s Lee suffered a third consecu- on the eve of Rio, but left with five more tive badminton final defeat after China’s golds to take his total to a stunning 23. “I Chen Long beat the world number one in don’t think you’re going to see another straight games. “Today leaves me with Michael,” said coach Bob Bowman. Phelps, some regrets,” said Lee, putting on a brave watched by fiancee Nicole and baby son face following his defeat to second- Boomer, ended his career with no regrets ranked Chen, who became Olympic after flirting with retirement coming away champion for the first time. The Malaysian from the London Games four years ago. “It has never won a world or Olympic title definitely was a lot more emotional than I and will retire without that elusive gold was in 2012,” said the 31-year-old. medal. His country is also still waiting for a first gold medal in any sport. MO FARAH Britain’s Mo Farah, born in Somalia but CAMERON MCEVOY/CATE CAMPBELL RIO DE JANEIRO: USA’s flag-bearer Simone Biles holds her country’s national flag during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 nurtured in London, captured a “double Double Australian swim disappoint- Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro Sunday. —AFP double” of 5,000m and 10,000m golds to ment for McEvoy and Campbell, the over- emulate Finland’s Lasse Viren, who did the whelming favourites in the 100m same double at the 1972 and 1976 freestyle. McEvoy was the man widely Games. Farah, 33, last lost a race at a major tipped to seize gold after posting a world- competition when he was beaten by leading 47.04sec in April but was relegat- Biles and Uchimura Ethiopia’s Ibrahim Jeilan in the 10,000m at ed to seventh-failing to break 48 seconds. the 2011 world championships in Daegu, In the women’s event, world record holder South Korea. Campbell faded to finish sixth after lead- ing the field at the turn. soar, China crash SIMONE BILES American gymnast Simone Biles AARON COOK marked her Olympic debut with a record- The former British number one in taek- equalling four golds but just short of the wondo represented Moldova and was RIO DE JANEIRO: There were tales of the China’s loss was the rest of the world’s gain as Nadia Comaneci. record five she sought. “It’s been a long seeded second in the welterweight com- expected - featuring Simone Biles and Kohei nine nations shared gold-medal success, with “Look what he’s achieved for such a long journey, but I’ve enjoyed every moment,” petition. But he crashed out in the first Uchimura - and tales of the unexpected in gym- the Americans topping the table thanks to the time. Undefeated for eight years (at world cham- said the 19-year-old Texan whose early life round. It was his first Olympics since nastics as China lost the plot and departed the breathtaking tumbling skill of Biles. pionships and Olympic Games). That’s his lega- struggles had not set her out as the future Beijing in 2008 after being controversially Rio Olympics without a gold medal. Biles was undeniably the breakout star of Rio cy,” said the Romanian great. face of women’s gymnastics. The only blip overlooked by British selectors for London Eight years after China obliterated the oppo- as she lived up to all the pre-Olympic hype by With the next Olympics taking place in his standing between her and history was a 2012. “I’m absolutely devastated - all that sition to win nine of the 14 golds on offer in winning a record-equalling four golds - in team, homeland, Uchimura is not done yet and few slip on the beam on the penultimate day hard work and sacrifice by myself and my Beijing, including seven of the eight men’s titles, all around, vault and floor exercise - for a female would bet against him becoming the first gym- of competition, which gave her bronze. parents, I just feel I’ve let everyone down,” rival nations rejoiced in Rio as they completed gymnast at a single Olympics. nast to complete a hat trick of Olympic all She was the fifth woman to win four gold he shrugged. the Asian nation’s fall from grace. Had it not been for a slipped foot in the beam around triumphs. at the same Games after Hungarian Agnes The first signs of their decline were evident at final, that tally would been five golds, but While Japan has a rich legacy in the sport, Keleti (1956), Soviet Larissa Latynina RENAUD LAVILLENIE the London Games when China captured only instead she had to make do with bronze as gold medals for Britain in Olympic gymnastics (1956), Czech Vera Caslavska (1968) and Defending champion and world record four golds, but that still allowed them to top the Sanne Wevers claimed the most unexpected of are like London buses: you wait 120 years for Romanian Ecaterina Szabo (1984). holder in pole vault, the Frenchman 2012 gymnastics medals table. In Rio that tally victories to become the first female Dutch gym- one and then two come along at once. Max slumped to a shock loss to Brazilian dwindled to just two bronzes - both in the team nast to grab an individual gold. Whitlock ended the long wait for a champion by NEYMAR Thiago Braz da Silva. He was booed when finals - with world champion You Hao’s fall fol- Uchimura lived up to his ‘Supermura’ moniker claiming victory in the floor exercise and pom- The Barcelona superstar scored in the he competed and booed when he stood lowing his parallel bars dismount providing a by first guiding Japan to the team gold before mel horse finals.