Mariana Pajon's gold helps make 2012 best Colombian Olympics ever
Former world champion Mariana Pajon Colombia won gold in the women's BMX final after finishing ahead of New Zealand's Sarah Walker and Dutchwoman Laura Smulders on Friday.Walker took the silver medal with Smulders winning the bronze. Pajon burst down the start ramp and took the lead from the outset on the 440m women's circuit and was never in danger of being overtaken. British gold medal hope Shanaze Reade lost ground midway through the race and eventually finished sixth, one place behind Australia's Caroline Buchanan. Pajon, at 20 years old the second youngest in the final behind 18-year-old Smulders, was one of the stand-out performers in the whole competition having won all three her semi-final races on the way to the final."I can't believe it. It's like a dream come true," said Pajon, who claimed the women's world title in Copenhagen in 2011. "My whole life I am trying to win this. I want to win it again. I want go out the gate and win it again. It's unbelievable." The girl who started riding her bike at the age of four around her home town of Medellin added: "I won the three motos (races) and the final. I felt really strong, I had really good gates and that's it. I really had fun."
New Mexican football generation showcased as Mexico beats Brazil for Gold
No one predicted Mexico would win, let alone do it so convincingly. But a well-deserving Mexican team was given full credit by pundits after their victory. Brazil almost saved the day with a late goal to make it 2-1 and then almost anouther in the last seconds of extra time Ocsar headed wide when extremely well positioned for a goal. But the South American side scarcely deserved to take the game into extra-time after a very patchy performance, particularly in defence.
Brazilian coach Mano Menezes went into Saturday's match under huge pressure to deliver gold and fill the one significant missing blank for Team Braz, but if the game was to be Brazil's coronation as Olympic champions then Mexico clearly had not read the script.
"Mexico deserve it, Brazil were arrogant and sloppy. They just thought they could turn up and win. It was a shocking performance from Brazil. They started poorly and continued in that vein." said Robbie Savage commentating for the BBC. Brazil's defending was largely seen as shoddy. In the second half, with a one goal lead, a free-kick was delivered from the right and the Mexico striker was left completely alone to head home from eight yards. Finally, Brazil's frustrating afternoon saw team-mates Juan Jesus and Rafael squabbling in the final minutes, as Mexico held on for victory.
Spain only just miss out on Gold against USA basketball team
The stars of Team USA didn't win with ease or poise -- it was a dogfight until the end -- but ultimately, Spain's fell short of capturing Olympic gold on Sunday. The US had to fight off another huge challenge from Spain, pulling away in the final minutes for a 107-100 victory Sunday that gave the Americans their second straight gold medal. It was a rematch of a hard-fought victory against the Spaniards in Beijing in 2008. And just like 2008, they had to work for this one. Spain can be proud of their silver and say that they give it their all.
Cuban super-wrestler wins gold for second Olympics running
Mijain Lopez Nunez retained his Olympic 120kg Greco-Roman wrestling title by defeating Estonia's Heiki Nabi in the London 2012 final. The Cuban was on the defensive in the second round and won the final point he needed with Nabi unable to lift him off the ground. After taking a lap of honour in the packed London wrestling arena, the 29-year-old said he hoped to defend his title in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, but admitted it would not get any easier to stay at the top of one of the most physical demanding sports. "Maybe if all goes well, I think I could win another one," he said with a broad smile that showed off two gold incisors. "I am 30 already and...it is going to be a little bit more difficult." Only four wrestlers have won a hat-trick of Olympic golds, the most recent being Russia's Alexsandr Karelin. Swedish wrestler Johan Euren, who won a bronze in the 120kg category, said Lopez could do it. "He is in the same bracket as Karelin. He is a beast." Lopez, a four-time world champion married to a former Cuban Olympic fencer, never looked like losing his title in London.
Brazilian gymnast Arthur wins surprise gold
After an amazing performance, Brazil's Arthur Nabarrete Zanetti clinched gold, shocking China's great Chen Yibing, the favourite gunning for his fourth Olympic title. The Chinaman looked assured of victory after a superb opening routine in the final for 15.800 but Zanetti, second to Chen at the 2011 World Championships, pulled off a shock by scoring 15.900 as the last to go. Italy's Matteo Morandi won bronze with a score of 15.766 ahead of Russia's Aleksandr Balandin with 15.666. Chen raised a lone finger in the air when introduced to the crowd then did the same again at the end of his routine, before planting a kiss of delight on the framework of the rings as he celebrated wildly. But when 22-year-old Zanetti's score leapfrogged his at the final's climax, the Chinese gymnast sportingly embraced and applauded his rival.
Felix Sanchez gets a little more than emtional at his gold medal victory
The Dominican sprinter who won the 400m hurdles gold medal, eight years after winning his previous Olympic gold couldn't hold back the tears as he mounted the podium to receive his medal. He sobbed while receiving his medal and then, after momentarily controlled himself, began sobbing again as his national anthem played. The crowd cheering him only made matters worse as it seemed to induce more sobbing. The moment was so priceless that, as much as we would like to show his magnificent victory and achievement in winning Olympic gold in perhaps the hardest of the sprinting races not once but twice, we had to show this instead.
Puerto Rico's Javier Coulson came third in the 400m hurdles. In another great performance, another Dominican Luguelin Santos won silver medal in the 400m sprint.
Erick Barrondo makes history for Guatemala
Guatemala's Erick Barrondo make history by winning Guatemala's first ever olympic medal when he won silver in the 20km men's walk
Sebastián Crismanich is Argentina's only gold medallist
Argentina's Sebastián Crismanich won Argentina's first gold medal in London 2012 Olympic Games after defeating Spain's Nicolás García Hemme by 1-0 at the final of the welterweight 68-80kg. Crismanich, who won the Pan American qualifiers for London, beat Hemme 1-0 in a cagey final to win Argentina's first Olympic taekwondo medal. He scored the deciding point with seconds remaining then survived an onslaught to seal the gold. "I can't express with words what I feel and what is happening to me," he said. "It's a dream. I am really happy."
Argentina end up with silver after sweet revenge on Brits in Hockey
Las Leonas, ende dup with silver medal after losing to the Netherlands in the Hockey final. However, the highlight for the Argentine women's team was making up for the male hockey team's defeat by the British last week, to enter the Olympics 2012 hockey final. Argentina captain Luciana Aymar will have a chance to make her birthday wish come true after leading her team to the Olympic final by beating Britain 2-1 yesterday. Aymar turns 35 tomorrow, when she hopes to deliver Argentina their first Olympic women’s hockey gold medal. The “Leonas”, holders of the World Cup and Champions Trophy and ranked No. 2, will meet the No. 1 and defending champions Netherlands. Britain will try to match their bronze from the 1992 Barcelona Games, against New Zealand, who left blood on the Riverbank Arena pitch but couldn’t stop the Dutch from winning a penalty shootout 3-1. Favoured Argentina took out the partisan crowd early in the second semifinal when Noel Barrionuevo converted the only penalty corner of the half in the fifth minute.
Amazing result for Colombian in the triple jump
Caterine Ibargüen, from Apartadó in the region of Antoqui, won Silver medal in Triple Jump.
Menezes overwhelmed on winning Judo Gold for Brazil
You only had to see the reaction of Sarah Menezes and her coach to realise the struggle it has been for the first ever female Brazilian Judo medallist. Later Menezes revealed what obstacles she had to overcome, includng economic hardship as well as having to deceive her parents. “When I started judo my parents said it was a sport for men. My whole life I’ve liked challenges,” said Menezes. “The truth is the major problem was my studies so I came to an agreement with them. In order to continue in the sport I had to do well in my studies.” Despite their initial objections, her parents came to appreciate her skills. “When I started to travel (to competitions) my parents realised I had talent,” added Menezes.
Mexican divers take London 2012 by storm
Both the male and female Mexican synchronised diving pairs have surpassed expectations and taken silver in the 10m synchronised platform events. After astonishingly risky dives, Ivan García Navarro and German Sanchez Sanchez overtook Great Britain’s Tom Daley and Pete Waterfield in the Aquatics Centre on Monday to claim second place under China. Paola Espinosa Sanchez and Alejandra Orozca Loza repeated this performance on Tuesday and grasped another silver medal for their country.
Venezuelan runs amok after surprise Fencing gold
Venezuela's Ruben Limardo won the Olympic gold medal in men's individual epee Wednesday night, topping Norway's Bartosz Piasecki 15-10 in the title bout. Limardo was seeded 12th and is the highest-seeded competitor to reach the medal round after a series of early upsets. When he scored the final point against Piasecki, he tore off his headpiece, thrust both arms into the air and ran around the arena.
