6 olympics MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012 CHINA DAILY HOTONWEB @MichaelPhelps “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” US swimmer Michael Phelps, re-tweeting a Dr Seuss quote after ending his career with a 22nd Olympic medal @LauraTrott31 “What a day!!! Olympic champion!!!! Thanks to everyone there today who has helped me along the way!! I love u all!! Oh and when my postbox is painted gold tweet me your pics with it :-) x” Britain’s Laura Trott, after winning the women’s cycling team pursuit, looks forward to the Royal Mail repainting a post box in her hometown to mark the occasion @ranomikromo “Wahoooooooooooooooooo” Dutch swimmer Ranomi Kromowidjojo tweets for joy after winning the women’s 50m freestyle gold @Feng Zhe Xiaopang “I dared not eat ice cream and dessert in the past few days when I was preparing for the competition.” Chinese gymnast Feng Zhe CUI MENG / CHINA DAILY @Woshishuangniu’er China’s Sun Yang reacts after he wins gold in the men’s 1,500m freestyle fi nal in a world record time at the Aquatics Centre of the London Olympic Games on Saturday. Sun clocked in at 14 “Sun Yang is too handsome!” minutes, 31.02 seconds. “This is the event I most wanted to win, and all my eff ort paid off at this moment,” he said. Chinese women’s basketball player Zhao Shuang on Sun winning the men’s 1,500m freestyle A leap forward for China’s swimming @He Wenna By TAN JINGJING in London and Ye won nearly half of China’s 10 medals in the 200m individual medley event. Xinhua the pool. Other Chinese swimmers also excelled at All of Sun’s four Olympic medals are histori- the London Games: China’s world champion When the curtain came down over the eight- cally signifi cant. Jiao Liuyang won the women’s 200 butterfl y in day swimming competition at the London His opening day victory in the 400m freestyle Olympic record time, Lu Ying bagged a silver Olympics on Saturday, China had accomplished — he defeated Park Tae-hwan, his long-time in the women’s 100 butterfl y, and teenagers Li one major achievement: It placed second in the rival from South Korea — gave Sun the distinc- Xuanxu and Tang Yi pocketed two bronze med- “Happy birthday to you, my dear dad! medal tally. tion of being the fi rst Chinese male swimmer als in the 400 individual medley and 100 free. I love u! I wish to be your daughter The remarkable medal count represents a to claim an Olympic gold. His silver in the 200 Other notable Chinese swimming include again if there is another life.” Chinese gymnast He Wenna, breakthrough for Chinese swim- free was China’s fi rst Olympic medal in short Hao Yun, who placed fourth in the 400 free; who earned third place in the mers since Olympic doping scan- course swimming. Zhang Fenglin and his fourth place fi nish in the trampoline fi nals dals rocked the nation in the ’80s In the fi nal leg of the 4x200 freestyle relay, Sun MARK J. TERRILL / ASSOCIATED PRESS 200 backstroke; and Chen Yin’s securing a spot and ’90s. took Team China from fi ft h to third place to China’s Ye Shiwen gestures after women’s in the fi nals for the 200 butterfl y. Th e epic triumph came when Sun Yang won bring China its fi rst medal in the event. 200m individual medley swimming semifi nal It has been 20 years ago since the Barcelona @Zhang Chenglong2012 on July 30. Ye stunned the world with double “In this Olympic Games, what I need the 1,500m freestyle final on the last day of His win in the 1,500 free, his signature event, individual medley gold medals. Olympics, when China took home four golds swimming, wiping more than three seconds marks the fi rst time a Chinese man set a world and fi ve silvers in swimming. Since then, there to do is to make you listen to more of the Chinese national anthem, March off his previous world record and winning by a record in swimming. able because she swam the last 50m faster than have only been three other Olympic champions: of the Volunteers.” whopping eight seconds. Ye, another Chinese star, stunned the world American Ryan Lochte’s last leg in the men’s 100 free champion Le Jingyi (Atlanta); 100 but- Chinese gymnast Zhang Chenglong Sun and compatriot Ye Shiwen both clinched with a pair of individual medley golds and two individual medley. terfl y winner Luo Xuejuan (Athens); and 200 a pair of gold medals. China became the fi rst records — a world and an Olympic record — in Ye’s record swim of 4:28.43 was accomplished butterfl y champion Liu Zige (Beijing). @Yi Siling country to have a man and woman swimmer her Olympic debut. in a textile suit, while Australian Stephanie Rice Team manager Xu Qi said the nation’s success “That’s too bad. I have developed again win a pair of golds at the Olympics. Th e 16-year-old smashed the world record got the previously held record of 4:29.45 in the in swimming at London ties directly to the State- a bad habit of eating instant noodles Sun, who secured two golds, one silver and in the women’s 400 individual medley by more age of polyester suits. She also smashed two scale sports system and its dedication to training each night! Wow … I’d better do some a bronze, is now a legitimate superstar. Both he than one second. It was all the more remark- Olympic records in the semifi nals and fi nals for and instilling confi dence in Chinese swimmers. embroidery and be a weaving girl.” Chinese Olympic shooting champion Yi Siling talks about her life @Women’s Basketball player No 8 Record-breaking Phelps a champion for the ages Miao Miao “When I got back to the village, I met Liu Xiang. How great if I met you By JOHN MEHAFFEY in London tiple medalists. earlier. Your kindness has helped Reuters Phelps collected 22 medals after cure my stomach troubles. Wish starting Olympic life as a 15-year-old brother Xiang a good result in the competition.” Flashing a lopsided smile of satis- at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Chinese basketball player Miao faction and relief, Michael Phelps left A distinguished quartet comprising Lijie on meeting the Olympic arena for the fi nal time track and fi eld athletes Carl Lewis and Chinese hurdler on Saturday aft er fi nishing his com- Paavo Nurmi, gymnast Larisa Latyni- Liu Xiang petitive career with a scarcely credible na and swimmer Mark Spitz won nine 18 gold medals. gold medals. Latynina, now 77, was in @Du Li Th e boy from Baltimore, who had London to witness Phelps overtake her “A very harsh set out to redefine the boundaries previous overall total of 18. competition in of his sport, had succeeded beyond Aft er his fi nal race, Phelps accepted the Olympics! I’ve anybody’s expectations with twice a silver trophy from world govern- prepared 4 years as many Olympic titles as any other ing body FINA which described him for this day, but athlete in the modern Games. as the greatest Olympian of all time. today I seem to At the age of 27 he will move on, It is an accolade Phelps has never be a little unlucky. I cried, and smiled, secure in the knowledge he could not bestowed on himself and he was not I have tried everything! This is also a greatly valuable wealth in my life! have done any more in the sport that about to start on Saturday. Thanks for your support. I am OK now, became his life. “I have been able to become the I won’t cry anymore.” “I told myself that I never wanted best swimmer of all time,” he said. “I Chinese shooter Du Li on losing the to swim when I was 30,” he said. “I’ve said (to coach Bob Bowman) we have 50m rifl e been able to do everything I wanted, been able to get here together and I I’ve been able to achieve the goals I thanked him.” @TomDaley1994 wanted to achieve and I’ve managed Phelps has trained under Bowman CUI MENG / CHINA DAILY “Does everyone have #Olympicfever to do every single thing. It’s time for since he was 11 and there was plenty yet?” other things.” of emotion on both sides on Saturday. US swimmer Michael Phelps holds up a trophy after being honored as the most decorated Olympian at the Aquatics British diver Tom Daley on the Centre on Saturday. Phelps, the most accomplished all- “My fi rst memory of him running Olympic atmosphere around male swimmer ever, set his around the pool when kids were play- fourth in the 400m individual medley pressure off ,” Bowman said. “We said Franklin said. “And he’s kind of made sights high from the start. ing dressed in his own tiny speedos, behind compatriot Ryan Lochte. ‘We might as well enjoy it because it people rethink the impossible — @chrishoy “Nothing is impossible,” he wrote playing games in the pool,” Bowman Lochte was immediately, and pre- doesn’t look as if it’s going to go too well. rethink what they can do and how “Does anybody remember a few days in his autobiography No Limits pub- said. maturely, hailed as the new face of “We should at least have fun while they can push themselves.” ago when some people were moaning lished aft er his record eight gold med- “Now he has a real perspective, American swimming but he began to we are here.