FOOTBALL | Page 10 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 11 Real switch India aim to focus to keep No. 1 Test To Advertise here Barcelona spot with big Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 and La Liga win against WI Thursday, August 18, 2016 Dhul-Qa’da 15, 1437 AH OLYMPICS Trott makes British Olympic history with fourth gold medal Page 5 HANDBALL Qatar go down to Germany World Championships silver medallists’ handball hopes end after 34-22 loss; France break hearts of hosts Brazil Qatar coach Valero Rivera Bassel Alrayes of Qatar Qatar right wing Nasreddine looks exasperated. (Reuters) falls down. (Reuters) Megdich scores a goal. (AFP) Agencies penalty against Wolff and he then began, Qatar’s Bertrand Roine added Rio de Janeioro set up Capote to score off an outstand- his second goal to put the score at 19- ing jump shot in the 17th to level the 29, but as Germany were in front by 10 scores (8-8). goals it was clear the match was more eigning European champions But from that point onwards the or less decided. Germany cruised past Qatar European champions began to create a Wolff was substituted off to bring in STAR OF THE DAY 34-22 to advance to the semi- real diff erence in the match, with four Silvio Heinevetter, taking a 41% save fi nals of the Rio Games men’s straight goals from diff erent positions rate for the match with him, and Ger- Rhandball competition yesterday. scored over fi ve minutes as Markovic many easily held on to record a 12-goal Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar The victory for Germany sets up a hit the post and Wolff made three con- victory that booked them a semi-fi nal showdown with Olympic and world secutive saves. berth against France. Qatari high jump icon Mutaz Essa Barshim champions France in tomorrow’s last When Germany hit a 12-8 lead, Qa- Earlier, the day’s fi rst quarter-fi nal made history at the Rio Games yester- four stage. France defeated hosts Bra- tar coach Valero Rivera called his fi rst fi nished with a seven-goal win for day by winning the first ever Olympic zil 34-27 in the fi rst quarter-fi nal of time-out, but on this day, his team France, who ended the noisy home silver medal for his country. Barshim, after the evening. simply were not on the same level as fans’ hearts by seeing off Brazil. smoothly clearing 2.36m, tried to clear Germany are aiming for a fi rst Ol- the European champions. “Thanks to all the people who came 2.38m that could have given him to have a ympic medal in handball since win- The only thing that helped Qatar to cheer for us,” said Rio de Janeiro- shot at the gold but failed in all his three at- ning the silver at the 2004 Games in were the saves of Saric, who was on a born left wing Joao Silva after the tempts. The silver is nevertheless a credita- Athens. 31% rate at the end of the fi rst 25 min- game. “I wish all this can continue The tone for the match was set early utes – though as Wolff recorded 41% and handball can be seen in Brazil as a ble finish, after his bronze in the same event when Germany took a two-goal lead, at the other end and played behind sport that can make people happy.” four years ago in London. It is the best ever thanks to Fabian Wiede and Henrik stronger defence, Germany were able Brazil started the match slowly result by a Qatari sportsman or women Pekeler, and goalkeeper Andreas Wolff to keep their advantage at 13-10 as while France raced out of the blocks, in the history of the Olympics. In London saved the opening shot of Rafael Capote. Gensheimer scored his third goal in particularly left wing Michael Guigou, 2012, the Qatari took bronze with a jump Bertrand Roine took a couple more the 27th minute. who scored a range of shots to accu- of 2.29m. He also won the gold at the 2014 minutes to add Qatar’s fi rst goal, and Even with Pekeler off for two min- mulate four of the European side’s fi rst World Indoor Championships with a leap of when Capote succeeded in his next utes the European side retained the fi ve goals. When he converted a pen- 2.38m. His personal best outdoors stands long-range shot they closed the gap to advantage, and at the half-time break alty in the sixth France took an early at 2.43m, which he achieved at the Brussels 2-3 just before the clock hit fi ve minutes. the diff erence stood at four in favour of lead at 5-2, before Brazil fought back Diamond League meet in 2014. Qatar briefl y took a one-goal lead, the Germans. to decrease the scoreline. but two consecutive fast breaks from When the match resumed post the Captain Thiagus Santos caused a right wing Tobias Reichmann earned break, Germany wasted little time turnover and ran a fast break in part- back the advantage (5-4) for the Eu- moving further in front, with Wolff nership with Fabio Chiuff a to level the ropean champions in the 12th minute, making an impressive save on a penal- scores 5-5 in the eighth minute, but and they retained the one-goal lead ty against Markovic in the 32nd minute after that it the reigning world cham- as Uwe Gensheimer scored a penalty to keep the four-goal diff erence. pions never gave the hosts a chance to after a two-minute suspension for Al- Five minutes into the period Ger- come back into the game. rayes in the 13th. many had increased their lead to six “We knew the power of the French During Alrayes’ time on the bench, (20-14), and they kept the same diff er- team. They are twice Olympic cham- Germany moved in front with two ence with 15 minutes left as Qatar right pions and world champions,” added goals in a row from Julius Kuhn, creat- wing Nasreddine Megdich missed a Silva. “We knew we had to stay fo- ing a two-goal cushion (8-6) midway shot when he attempted to lob past the cused throughout. Little by little we through the fi rst half. 193-centremetre tall Wolff (24-18). built our game, but in the second half Qatar’s Zarko Markovic scored a As the last 10 minutes of the match we didn’t had luck with some balls.” German players celebrate their 34-22 win over Qatar in the quarter-final of men’s handball competition yesterday. The reigning European champions will meet defending world and Olympic champions France in the semi-final tomorrow. (AFP) Gulf Times 2 Thursday, August 18, 2016 Barshim’s day of glory in Rio Barshim poses with Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) president HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani and QOC secretary general Dr. Thani al-Kuwari at Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim celebrates after winning silver in the men’s High Jump event on Tuesday. Barshim with coach Stanisław Szczyrba the Rio Olympics. (Facebook/mutazbarshimhj) FOCUS Qatar’s Elseify in Hammer Throw final Kipruto wins men’s steeplechase gold Win extends Kenya’s remarkable winning streak in the event AFP Rio de Janeiro onseslus Kipruto stormed to vic- tory in the men’s 3000m steeple- chase at the Rio Olympics yesterday to extend Kenya’s remarkable win- Cning streak in the event. Kipruto timed an Olympic record of 8min 03.28sec for gold, American Evan Jager tak- ing silver in 8:04.28. “I saw the screen and I saw I was far from them and I knew nobody was going to catch me. I knew I was going to win the gold in the fi nal 100m,” said Kipruto. “In Kenya we love steeple and that’s why we win! Even though today, we had an American who took silver.” Two-time Olympic champion and reign- ing four-time world gold medallist Ezek- Qatar’s Ashraf Amgad Elseify competes in the men’s Hammer Throw qualifying round at the iel Kemboi, also of Kenya, claimed bronze Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. Elseify finished fourth in his qualifying round and 12th (8:08.47) and promptly brought the curtain overall with a 73.47m eff ort to reach tomorrow’s finals. (AFP) down on his illustrious career. “The Rio 3000m steeplechase was my before surging with two laps to run. for a comprehensive win. last race after a long career of 18 years,” Kemboi tracked the American, moving Jager, sixth at both the Beijing and London Kemboi said. into second with Kipruto, the world silver Games, produced one last spurt to overtake Kipruto admitted he had been worried medallist who is also world leader and has a fast-fading Kemboi for silver, the Ken- Medals tally about Kemboi, whom he said had already won all fi ve Diamond League outings this yan left with a bronze to add to his amazing passed on the baton. year, also threatening. medal tally. It was the United States’ fi rst Country G S B T Country G S B T Country G S B T “I was ready to beat him today,” said Ki- In temperatures hitting 36 degrees Celsi- medal in the men’s steeplechase since 1984. 1. United States 28 30 28 86 8. Netherlands 8 3 3 14 15.