6 olympics THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2012 CHINA DAILY HOTONWEB @Qin Kai “I beat myself... but lost to destiny ...Thank you for supporting the Chinese diving team. We all have tried our best.” Chinese diver Qin Kai on losing the gold in the men’s 3m springboard fi nals @Yi Siling “I hope everyone can take part in sports, we all do sports exercise!” Chinese shooting champion Yi Siling on National Fitness Day @Liu Xuan “Wait for me, Catalina Ponor. We can participate in the Olympics together after I give birth in two years.” Former Chinese gymnastics Olympic champion Liu Xuan after watching the women’s fl oor exercise GIVE HUNGARY A HAND @Chen Yibing JAVIER SORIANO “My performance in the Olympics was PHOTO BY / AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE perfect, but also a great pity. When I Iceland’s pivot Robert Gunnarsson shoots during a men’s quarterfi nal handball match against Hungary at the London Games on Wednesday. saw teammates hanging the Chinese national fl ag in the highest place and Hungary went on to win, 34-33, aft er extra time to reach the semifi nals. singing the national anthem, my heart was really aching...I have dreamed of this moment countless times... You guys say yes to the performance I have had in the Olympics so far. But I still think there is one thing left SWIMMING uncompleted...and I have no chance to fi nish anymore...This is also a lifelong IS GOOD; regret. A deepest pain in my heart… A great time at the pool, Goodbye, London!” THINKING IS Chinese gymnast Chen Yibing on BETTER losing the rings gold at the London Olympics Natalie Coughlin trains hard, @TomDaley1994 but she also trains smart. “Crazy night at the pool!!! Chinese even with choppy waters The 29-year-old captain of domination is over in the men’s 3m the US women’s swim team springboard event!!! Aaaaahhh!!! Well China’s fi ve gold medals overshadowed thing coming from her drug test, and won her 12th Olympic medal done Ilya!!” the rest is just rubbish for me.” in London, despite quitting for British diver Tom Daley on the Swimming’s world governing body 18 months after the Beijing men’s 3m springboard. Russian the ‘controversy’ over Ye’s dominance Games. diver Zakharov Ilya won the gold, FINA said there was “no factual basis” Coughlin decided to take a while China’s Qin Kai and He Chong By SUN XIAOCHEN a sensational fi nal sprint in the fi nal for speculation that Ye’s Olympic break from the pool after suc- bagged the silver and bronze in London 100m that was faster than men’s gold medley double had been fueled by cessfully defending her 100m [email protected] winner Ryan Lochte. She also won banned drugs. backstroke title in 2008 and @paugasol the 200m IM. Three-time Olympian Natalie married club coach Ethan Hall “All my support to all the families that In the end, the cheers drowned out She wasn’t alone. Jiao Liuyang Coughlin, who regained her 100m eight months later. are suff ering the terrible fl oods in the the doubts. turned her Beijing Olympics silver backstroke title at the 2008 Beijing It wasn’t long before the Philippines #PrayForThePhilippines” China reached the end of the eight- medal into gold in the 200m butterfl y. Games, wasn’t surprised by Ye’s mas- pool and her third Olympics Spanish basketball player Pau day London Olympics swimming Sprinter Lu Ying added a sliver in the sive improvements. started calling for her though. Gasol, on the fl oods in the event with fi ve gold medals, its best 100m fl y, while Li Xuanxu and Tang “It’s typical, especially when you “It was actually pretty easy Philippines haul in 28 years, as the nation fi nally Yi collected bronze in both the 400m are growing so much physically,” said to get back because I have joined the ranks of the sport’s elite. IM and 100m free. Coughlin, who grabbed a bronze stayed in such good shape @MayorofLondon Thanks in large part “Finally, we can blend into the with the 4x100 free team in London. and I trained the right way,” “Brilliant fraternal victory in the to swimming prodigies world mainstream in swimming,” “It’s easier to have those big drops she said. triathlon for the Brownlee brothers. We’ve equalled our Beijing gold tally!” Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen, team leader Xu Qi said. And I am sure in time when you are 15 or 16. And Coughlin trained at most six China edged out once- “It’s the payoff of our four years of just enjoy those big drops.” hours a day, employing a regi- Boris Johnson, mayor of London, dominant Australia to work since 2008 and can be attributed Chinese swim- Coughlin, the three-time Ameri- men that included more than on Alistair Brownlee’s gold and his brother Jonathan’s bronze trail only the 16 gold medals of the to a combination of foreign coaching ming is much can swimmer of the year, felt bad for just swimming. “It’s a combination of in- United States in the fi nal medal tally. and local development.” more capable Ye. @jonny_brownlee Sun highlighted the men’s rise. It wasn’t all calm seas, though. John “It’s unfortunate. You don’t want pool practice, swimming, of what we saw running, Pilates and weight “Wow! What a triathlon today. Great Th e 20-year-old Sun shattered his Leonard, a US coach, was among someone to have an amazing swim support and great race. I am so happy own world record by more than three those who alleged Ye’s performance here.” and people just jump to the conclu- training,” she said. “As I get older, the swimming part gets with my olympic bronze medal!! seconds to claim the men’s 1,500m might have been the result of dop- sion that they were cheating,” she said. Jonathan Brownlee, apparently OK ‘‘ ALEXANDER POPOV less and cross training gets freestyle on the last day of the event ing, taking some of the fun out of the RUSSIA’S FOUR-TIME OLYM- “As long as China is able to produce with losing to his older brother aft er winning the 400m against South record for Chinese fans. PIC CHAMPION SWIMMER powerful athletes who do drug tests more.” Coughlin earned a bronze Korea’s Park Tae-hwan to become the Still, some swimming greats sup- and pass it, I think that will go away.” @SeppBlatter country’s fi rst men’s swimming gold ported China, crediting its swimmers’ Attributing the US’ supremacy to medal with the 4x100m free- style relay team. “Brazil v Mexico promises to be a medalist. hard work.“(Th e questions and suspi- what we saw here.” an “extremely competitive” college She tied the record for terrifi c Olympic Final. Old Traff ord was fantastic with 68,389 noisy fans Sun also led the men’s team to a cions) will always be there when you Popov, who won the 50m and 100m system, the 29-year-old said she was most medals by a US woman, #London2012” bronze in the 4x200m free, a feat that swim extremely well,” Russia’s four- free at the 1992 Barcelona Games and happy the Chinese have found their held also by Jenny Thompson almost equaled his unexpected sil- time Olympic champion swimmer defended both in 1996 at Atlanta, own method of producing winners. FIFA president Sepp Blatter on and Dara Torres. the soccer fi nal after he watched ver in the 200m.Th ere are four more Alexander Popov told China Daily describes himself as a staunch advo- “Th e Chinese are doing very well,” The Chinese are known for men on the team, led by Hao Yun on Tuesday. cate of anti-doping measures. He she said. “Look at the medal count — Brazil beat South Korea 3-0 in the a tough regimen that focuses semifi nal in the freestyle and Chen Yin in the “Just simply keep your heads down, defended Ye. at least the swimming portion — they primarily on long, basic drills butterfl y. and keep training and keep produc- “I don’t see any questions behind it,” earned so many medals. I think it will in the water. @rioferdy5 On the women’s side, 16-year-old ing results. And I am sure Chinese Popov said. “I don’t listen to the gossip. continue to build upon how well they “I think the Chinese prob- Ye set the 400m IM world record with swimming is much more capable of I only see the fact. We didn’t hear any- did last week.” “@usainbolt if you want that trial at ably are more disciplined to Man Utd shout me, I’ll speak to the train for endless hours, espe- boss!! Well done in 100m, waiting for cially young kids spending a you to smash the 200m now! lot of time in the pool,” Cough- Manchester United soccer player Sun and Ye have the world’s best fan lin said. “It takes a special per- Rio Ferdinand taps Olympic men’s sonality and a strong will to 100m champion Usain Bolt be able to train that much. By SUN XIAOCHEN the production of swimmers all over great swim and that’s the fi rst thing “But it’s helpful to have a @DeronWilliams in London the world and to see how much faster they say,” Phelps said. “Th ere are peo- change and to combine it in “Trying to get my daughters to play [email protected] they can go.