TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2016 SPORTS Hungary beat Brazil 10-6 to clinch spot in q-finals

WATER POLO

RIO DE JANEIRO: Hungary goaltender Viktor Nagy held his fingers to his lips, and the crowd responded with a loud round of WEIGHTLIFTING boos. Brazil was looking to win Group A in the Olympic men’s tournament. Australia was hoping to sneak into the quar- Draw of gold brings terfinals. Nagy had other ideas. Nagy made 12 saves, and Hungary beat tainted lifters back Brazil 10-6 on Sunday to remain the only unbeaten team in the competition. “That’s to Olympic battle his standard. When he is in good form, he is the best goalie in the world,” Hungary driver : Eight weightlifters who pre- Daniel Varga said. “I think in the last three viously served doping bans have won medals games if he shows this performance we got at Rio, while others have been sent home for a chance to win (the) .” failed tests, highlighting again the scandal- Hungary improved to 2-0-3 for a Group plagued sport’s battle with drugs. A-best seven points. Spain played to a 9-9 Gold medallists Nijat Rahimov of draw with Montenegro earlier in the day , Iran’s Sohrab Moradi and Sukanya and topped Group B with seven points. Srisurat of all spent two years banned Hungary and Montenegro will face off in from the sport after testing positive for illegal Tuesday’s quarterfinals, and Spain will play substances. world champion Serbia. Greece takes on Italy, and Brazil meets in the most Another four weightlifters caught doping intriguing matchup of the next round. Brazil earlier in their careers have claimed bronze coach Ratko Rudic guided Croatia to gold at RIO DE JANEIRO: Hungary’s Norbert Hosnyanszky shoots and scores against Brazil during men’s water polo preliminary round medals in Brazil, as has one silver medallist. the 2012 Games. match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday. — AP Four athletes, including a Polish Olympic “It’s not important who it will be in the waved to friends and family in the stands in going to take off tomorrow, go home, spend together a strong finish, despite playing champion, were withdrawn from the competi- quarterfinal,” Rudic said. “Here all the teams what might have been the final Olympic all day at the beach first and then go home, without , and assis- tion for testing positive. are really strong, and we know very well all appearance for the American mainstays. and finish my professional career here in tant coach Jack Kocur due to a trio of sus- Thirteen golds have been awarded, with two the teams.” Nagy, drawing the ire of the rau- Brazil. I’ll be back in two weeks, and then I’ll pensions coming out of Friday’s 8-5 loss to still to come. “People do cheat,” said American cous crowd with his animated intensity, PROUD decide what I’m going to do in the future.” Montenegro. Moses made six saves while weightlifter Kendrick Farris. “Hopefully, they’ll helped Hungary get off to a fast start with Australia bounced back nicely from its Smith, a four-time Olympian, would only playing most of the second half in relief of continue to do the work they’re doing and his focused performance in net. Gustavo 10-8 loss to Serbia on Friday, posting its say it was the last game of this tournament, McQuin Baron, the likely starter for . we’ll get more athletes competing clean,” he Guimaraes’ penalty shot with 2:04 left in the highest scoring game of the tournament. It but sounded as if he felt this was it. “I’m really “It’s unfortunate how the tournament added, referring to governing body the second was Brazil’s first goal, but it was 5-1 also was the most goals allowed by Greece, glad we went out on a win,” the 33-year-old ended up,” Moses said. “But I know that we International Weightlifting Federation. Hungary at the break. which had already secured a spot in the Smith said. “I think it’s great for the young gave it our all and I look forward to the Weightlifting has long been afflicted by dop- Australia was eliminated with Hungary’s quarterfinals. guys to go on a win so that I think that bright future of this young team.” Also ing scandals and the IWF has undertaken a major win. It finished ninth, followed by the “I’m very proud of the boys today,” they’re going to have a great chance in 2020.” Sunday, beat Croatia 9-8 for its first crackdown on performance-enhancing drugs. It , France and . Rhys Howden said. “We came out and gave it victory of the Olympics, and Serbia surged has led the way on anti-doping measures that Howden and John Cotterill each scored everything we had.” Moses, a three-time STRONG FINISH to a 12-8 victory over Japan. are now being adopted by other sports, such as three goals to help Australia beat Greece 12- Olympian who turned 39 on Saturday, said it Azevedo, Moses and Smith helped the Serbia trailed 5-2 after one, but Filip publicly naming athletes after their initial “A” 7 in their final group game, and the United was his last game, but Smith and Azevedo US win silver in Beijing, but the team fin- Filipovic scored four of his six goals in the were non-committal. Azevedo scored twice ished eighth in London in 2012 and then second half as the world champions rallied sample tests positive. The IWF banned and States beat Italy 10-7 in its final game in Rio de Janeiro. against Italy and finished with five goals in his flopped in Rio. It lost three of its first four for their second straight victory. “We started Bulgaria, both traditional powerhouses, from US captain , goaltender fifth Olympics, a record for USA Water Polo. games to lose out on any chance of match- bad and we suffered a lot in the first 15 min- competing in weightlifting at the Rio Olympics and defender “Right now I’m just pretty depressed,” said ing its performance from four years ago. utes,” Serbia driver Andrija Prlainovic said, for repeated doping offences. were pulled with nine seconds left and Azevedo, who turns 35 in November. “I’m But the Americans managed to put “but again we managed to win.” — AP It punished North Korea, , Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Moldova as well by reducing their allocation of lifters. The IWF had also wanted to bar and top table Kazakhstan over high-profile drugs scandals but the International Olympic Committee was unable to complete retesting of samples from again as Robles the Beijing and London Games in time. Kazakhstan and Belarus have been free to com- pete at the 31st Olympiad and have picked up ends long US wait four and two medals respectively, although there is absolutely no evidence of foul play. “We are doing everything in our power to Meng, 27. Hou thought she had recovered sufficiently in a pre-Games training camp in change the mentalities of some countries that Sao Paulo but China’s head coach of the might be more affected (by doping) than oth- women’s team, Wang Guoxin, made the ers,” an IWF spokesperson told AFP. A WEIGHTLIFTING change. His decision was influenced, he weightlifter has yet to fail a doping test after said, by the absence of Tatiana Kashirina of competing in Rio, but two brothers from Russia, the world record holder who beat , a Taiwanese athlete and a Cypriot were RIO DE JANEIRO: China ensured top place in the weightlifting medals table for the Meng in the past two IWF World prevented from taking part after failing drugs fifth successive Olympic Games when Championships. She was excluded when tests before their competition started. Meng Suping won her nation’s fifth gold on the entire Russian team was banned from Adrian Zielinski, a 2012 Olympic champion, Sunday. Rio for state-sponsored doping. The ban tested positive for the anabolic steroid nan- Sarah Robles, in third place in the +75kg, was not confirmed until the week before drolone just three days after his brother won the first weightlifting medal for the the Games started. Tomasz suffered the same fate, Poland’s anti- United States since 2000. Meng had to Kashirina’s world record total of 348kg is doping committee said on Friday. make her last clean and jerk of 177kg to way beyond the winning total in Rio. “It’s a The Zielinskis, who trained for the Olympics RIO DE JANEIRO: Germany’s Florian Fuchs celebrates his team’s third goal during the pity she was not here,” said Meng. “She is a men’s quarterfinal Germany vs New Zealand match of the Rio 2016 edge out Kim Kuk Hyang of North Korea, individually, outside the Polish federation very strong competitor.” Olympics Games at the Olympic Hockey Centre in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. — AFP who lifted more than 300kg for the first framework, had both been due to compete in time. Meng did it and justified her last- Both Robles, 28, and Kim have served the 94kg competition the next day and denied minute selection for the Rio team. two-year doping bans. Kim’s total 306kg any wrongdoing. Germans win epic in field Meng occasionally looked shaky, missing was 1kg behind Meng. She was in tears Earlier in the week, Taiwan’s former her first snatch and her first clean and jerk, afterwards and said, “I am happy to win sil- weightlifting world record holder Lin Tzu-chi hockey, Dutch crush Aussies but did enough. “I was at home in China ver but also sad that it was not gold.” was suspended and withdrawn from the training hard when I heard I had been At 143kg Robles was 20kg or more heav- women’s 63kg category after a routine dope feeling they would score a goal or we con- selected,” she said. ier than her rivals and turned that to her advantage to become the first American on test “detected an abnormal reaction.” cede one.” Australia pulled its goalie with “It was a personal challenge for me and I the weightlifting podium since Tara Nott Cypriot lifter Antonis Martasides was report- nine minutes remaining to try and create know there was a lot of weight on me, but it chances, at least, but to no avail, and the won at 2000. “This means a lot, to edly sent home on the eve of the Games after was my duty to perform well for my country FIELD HOCKEY end came to a run of six straight medals at be on the podium and give exposure to our after testing positive for a banned substance and I did it. “I was a bit nervous on my first Olympics that began at the 1992 Barcelona lift but I stabilised. I didn’t think about how sport at a time when it’s already growing,” following an out-of-competition test in July in Games. It was also the end of the line for said Robles. RIO DE JANEIRO: Gold-medal favorite much I had to lift, I just followed my coach’s . greats Jamie Dwyer and Mark Knowles, the Australia will not medal in Olympic men’s directions and the end result was pretty “It’s good not just for me, but for women last active 2004 gold medalists. field hockey for the first time in 28 years good.” Meng’s gold takes China’s weightlift- of size, for women who want to get up off ‘HATERS’ the couch and do something different.” Her after being beaten by the 4-0 DISSAPPOINTED ing tally to 28 in the five Games this century. Kazakhstan’s Rahimov, who was represent- two-year ban, she said, was the result of in the quarterfinals on Sunday. “It’s a performance that we will be bit- They have never won fewer than five in a ing Azerbaijan when was caught doping, won unknowingly taking an over-the-counter And Germany scored twice in the last 41 terly disappointed (about),” Knowles said. single Games since women’s contests were gold in the men’s 77kg on Thursday just over a seconds to beat New Zealand 3-2 and keep added to the schedule in 2000. supplement that contained a banned sub- year after returning from his ban in June 2015. “Splattering, spluttering, we couldn’t get alive its bid for a third straight Olympic any really flow (in the competition), and Their total in Rio is five golds and two sil- stance. Life was hard for Robles. She lost Iranian Moradi insisted his gold in the men’s gold medal. Meanwhile, and today we just played against an amazing vers with one lifter yet to compete - Zhe her funding, took three or four menial jobs, 94kg on Saturday had not been diminished by Belgium were breathing rarefied air when Dutch team. Take nothing away, that was Yang in the men’s 105kg on Monday. No kept training and strove to return. “I know his two-year suspension for testing positive for they reached the medal rounds. It’s exceptional hockey to be on the other end other team can overtake them. I’m a good and honest person and if I put the painkiller methadone, insisting he’d always Argentina’s first time in the semifinals in 11 of.” New Zealand had never beaten A knee injury to the 48kg favourite Hou hard work in I would be able to reach my been “100 percent” clean. Olympics, and Belgium last played for a Germany in a major event, but opened the Zhihui prompted the decision to call for goals.” — Reuters Thailand’s Sukanya said her 58kg Olympic medal in 1928. The semifinals today see the scoring through Hugo Inglis’ brilliant solo gold was redemption for her two-year ban, Netherlands play Belgium, and Germany score, New Zealand’s only goal-shot of the which ended in May 2013. She claimed she had face Argentina. The Kookaburras were the first half. The Black Sticks survived some never knowingly taken the anabolic steroid most feared team in the field, and not just hairy moments to make it 2-0 against the found in her system. for taking the Champions Trophy and run of play with 12 minutes to go through Silver medallist Kim Kuk-Hyang of North Sultan Azlan Shah Cup this year. But the No. Shea McAleese off a penalty corner. Korea and bronze medallists Farkhad Kharki of 2-ranked Dutch were out for payback for But Germany never gave up. Moritz Kazakhstan, Romania’s Gabriel Sincraian, being crushed 6-1 in the final of their home Furste put a penalty corner shot through Lithuanian Aurimas Didzbalis and American World Cup in 2014, and redemption began the goalkeeper’s legs with 4 1/2 minutes after just 49 seconds in Rio de Janeiro. Sarah Robles also spent 24 months out of the left, and hit in a second with 41 seconds to ’s reverse hit in an sport for testing positive for banned sub- go. The Germans erupted like they’d won, unchecked run across the circle caught the and a shootout was on the cards. stances. Retesting of samples from Beijing and Australian defense too narrow, and set the But New Zealand tried to work a penalty London recently unearthed at least 20 positive tone. Bakker turned provider just before corner, Nick Wilson was yellow-carded for results in weightlifting, including Kazakhstan’s halftime when he stepped and leaped over wasting time, and Germany launched an double Olympic champion Ilya Ilyin. three sticks up the middle before finding attack. Timur Oruz carried down the right Several lifters are waiting to be upgraded to , who swept in near the left wing and threaded a pass between five medal status after those who failed drugs tests post. After halftime, perfect- Kiwis. Florian Fuchs dived to connect with are stripped of their podium finishes from the ly met ’s cross for 3-0, the middle of his stick and score as the past two Games. then , whose 11- clock went 0:00. Didzbalis, the 94kg Rio bronze medallist, told match Olympic scoring streak ended on There was also late drama as Argentina reporters he was hurt by continued questions Friday, started a new streak during a run of defeated Spain 2-1 on a Juan Gilardi penal- over the legitimacy of weightlifting results. penalty corners, capping the Netherlands’ ty stroke just 87 seconds from fulltime. “There have always been people who under- biggest win over Australia in a major event ’s penalty corner shot stand this sport and those who don’t. There are in 14 years. had been saved by the stick of Spain’s always haters but I cannot do anything about it. “On everything we had an answer today. Miguel Delas in the goalmouth. Argentina’s It’s just the way it is,” he said. — AFP That’s the biggest compliment we can get Lucas Vila was first to push back the RIO DE JANEIRO: Gold medal winner Meng Suping, of China, competes in the as a team,” Netherlands captain Robert van rebound, which Delas deliberately stopped women’s 75kg weightlifting event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, der Horst said. “We didn’t have one time a with his right foot. — AP Brazil, Sunday. — AP