Beijing 2008 - More medals for Team GB
Eurosport - Thu, 21 Aug 03:29:00 2008
A look at the Brits in action on day 12 of the Olympic Games in Beijing as the medal count continues to grow
Swimming
Keri-Anne Payne and Cassie Patten won silver and bronze in the inaugural women's 10km open water swim after leading the pack for almost two hours. The British duo took the lead 10 metres into the race and held it until the final 50m when world champion Larisa Ilchenko produced a sprint finish to take the gold.
"To get a medal is amazing," said Payne. "We didn't have a tactic, we just went out and swam.
"The course was really flat and one of the best I've ever swum. But I got weeds stuck in my costume and in my face.
"We didn't talk at all out there. We're best friends, we train together and we just kind of knew when to kick at the right time."
Sailing
Bryony Shaw won a bronze medal in the women's RS:X after taking second place in the medal race. Heading into the final race in third place, Shaw needed to hold off both Marina Alabau of Spain and Australia's Jessica Crisp to make sure of the bronze medal.
"I'm just so, so happy," she said. "It was such a tough race and has been such a tough week and I'm just so happy, it's the best thing in the world.
"I just went out to sail as fast as I could and well done to the Chinese and Italian girls, that was really, really tough racing right until the end."
But Nick Dempsey just missed out on a medal after being beaten by Israel's Shahar Zubari in the medal race. Dempsey headed into the final race in the men's RS:X in silver medal position, just one point behind leader Julien Bontemps of France. But the Brit struggled in the shortened race and eventually crossed the line in seventh to slip out of the medals.
"With the race being as short as it was, it was always going to be a race to the windward mark and then pretty much a procession for the rest, said Dempsey. "
"I tried to get past but didn't quite get the shift right and got punished."
If Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson win Thursday's Star medal race, they will take gold. First, second and sixth place finishes in the three races see them just two points behind Sweden's Fredrik Loof and Anders Ekstrom. They have a 12 point lead on the third place Brazilians and the only way they cannot finish in the medals is if the French pair finish eight places ahead of them.
Leigh McMillan and Will Howden will start Thursday's Tornado medal race in ninth overall.
Athletics
Tasha Danvers ran a personal best time of 53.84 to pick up a surprise bronze medal for Team GB in the women's 400m hurdles. She came on strong in the home stretch and if the race went on for just a few more metres she could have even nicked silver from Sheena Tosta.
"I had to remember &lsquoDo not give up on yourself" mentally, at least if you're mentally able to stay on top of it you never know what you can do," she said.
"I did the training, the proof is in the pudding and I managed to put it together at the right time so I am so happy."
In Usain's Bolt's record-breaking 200m race - Christian Malcolm could only finish fifth in a time of 20.40 - over a second behind the Jamaican.
A late burst saw Michael Rimmer win his heat in the men's 800m in a time of 1:47.61 to safely qualify for the semi-finals.
Emily Freeman was eliminated from the women's 200m at the semi-final stage with a time of 22.87.
There was great disappointment for Mo Farah in the men's 5000m as he failed to qualify for the final after only finishing sixth in his heat.
It was a disastrous Olympics for Steve Lewis in the pole vault as he missed all three attempts at his first height of 5.45m in qualification. He later complained that he felt the stands were not in the right place for his final jump.
Boxing
James DeGale became the third British boxer to guarantee himself a medal in Beijing as he dominated his quarter-final against Bakhtiyar Artayev of Kazakhstan. The middleweight was the pre-fight underdog against the 2004 Olympic champion but produced a stunning performance to win 8-3 on points.
"When you get to this level it's the little things on the day that count," he said. "A bronze medal, I'm going down in history. Whatever happens, I'll be in the history books.
"We'll have to wait and see, but I am just happy for Great Britain and I am happy for Terry (Edwards, the Team GB boxing team leader).
"I went in there with the right head on, we got the tactics right and I did the business.
"It's awesome, I've got an Olympic medal, I am so proud and I am going to go for the gold now for sure."
Cycling
As BMX biking made it's Olympic debut, world champion Shanaze Reade recovered from a first run fall to post the second quickest time of the day on her second run and qualify as the second seed for the quarter-finals.
"Mentally I was prepared, but then I did it and I washed out," she said. "I don't know why I fell. We looked at the video, it"s just one of those things, that"s BMX."
"It didn't affect me. I'm hurt a little bit now, but I'm also excited."
But Liam Phillips was not so lucky in the men's competition, finishing in fifth and sixth place in the first two heats of his quarter-final before crashing out of contention in the third run after colliding with a number of the other riders, including world champion Kyle Bennett.
Taekwondo
Eighteen-year-old Michael Harvey went out in the first round after losing a tough opening clash in the under-58kg class against Guillermo Perez. The silver medallist at last year's World Championships raced out to an early 2-0 lead but Harvey hit back to force the bout into sudden death. The Mexican then prevailed courtesy of a dubious call from the officials when his kick seemed to strike Harvey's arm.
Diving
There was some good news for Tonia Couch and Stacie Powell in the water cube as they both moved into the semi-finals of the women's 10m platform after qualifying 12th and 14th respectively.
"I did not have a great start to that prelim, but I kept my head and clawed my way back through the rounds to show my mental toughness," said Powell.
"Diving last is not great, but after a shaky start I got back in control and earned myself another session tomorrow.
"For us both to make the final is fantastic and it will only take a few points to take the next step and reach the final."
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Comment 8 - 27 of 27
Geffory H u r talking out of ur rear end to say that winning a Gold mdal is a disgrace realy means that you don't know what your talking about, S I have to ask what planet are you from??
we should be proud, get behind them and not moan. it's amazing how we have concentrated on three sports, brought results, trodden on the Aussies and this gives us loads to build on for 2012. Some should actually realise the side benefits that hosting London 2012 will bring - just look at what Commonwealth in Manchester has done for cycling.
Well said Geoffrey H, i had to accept Britain were doing well no matter how the bias on the site was annoying me but then Ohurogu wins gold and its just as great as your other 15 golds, its not, its a disgrace and sets out theew wrong example, she is worst example of a Qlympic champion at these games. Ireland might not win too many golds, but at least all of our athletes our clean
Tunene I too live abroad in New Zealand and yeh don't you just get fed up with em slagging us of all the time, so proud of team GB, and great to constantly remind the one eyed kiwi's of our GOLD medal haul, and believe me they don't like it one bit, so keep up the great work team GB and bring home a few more of those GOLD medals
congrats team GB
As a Brit living abroad I can't say how proud I am of Team GB's performance - Brit Bashing is a favourite past time round here so it's nice to have some GB Gold to rub noses in :0)
And it's so easy to be scepticle, even scathing, when you're on home soil, isn't it? Take a step back and see how far we've come since Atlanta...if you had an ounce of national pride in you you'd recognise and acknowledge our nation's achievements. YOU know who you are ;0)
well done GB hopefully i won't support GB any longer as in 8 years time it will be GB, Ireland, Scotland. Independance is on it's way.
Drugs cheats! peole make mistakes and a second chance should be given, that Ukranian girl has had her two chances so she will be banned for life! Chambers should have been given chance too.
And how much is the London Olympics gonna rip us off, surely the homeless,childrens units etc should recieve this money, amazing how their is no cash for NHS but as soon as Olympics is mentioned their is cash. SHOCKING!!!!!!!
Team GB are all doing brilliant. A pat on the back to them all. Welldone.
To goof Howard. O wad some power the gift tae giwe us, tae see oorsel's as ithers see us. You Goof must be the biggest bibiggot racist in GREAT BRITAIN
Geoffrey Howard should go educate himself on the facts and the rules before he starts running his big mouth off slagging others. Chambers took drugs and got the prescribed punishment. Christine missed drugs tests (just like Rio Ferdinand, by the way) and also got the prescribed punishement. Get over it, Geoffrey H! CONGRATULATIONS Christine and every single British Olympian.
I just knew that somebody would make a nasty vindictive comment about Christine Ohurougu, she was cleared by the IOC for christ sake, Instead on jumping on her case why dont you watch exactly what winning that Gold Medal meant to her, tears of Joy running down her face, this is not the face of a cheat, but the face of someone who has achieved out of hard work and effort.
Im bloody well proud of all of our Athletes in Beijing, They have all done themselves,their Families and friends and Great Britain PROUD.
Itake it you are so clean cut geofrey that you have never done anything wrong or is it jealousy that this lady has put it all behind her and come outon top well done to her
Geoffrey H is a boring miserable friendless troll like so many others who have posted in the last 24 hours about the same thing or irrelevant football comments - they live their pathetic miserable lives looking for something to complain about and rant about it on their soap box, it's the only way they have found to get the attention they so desperately crave as life has well and truly assed them by - I mean this thread isn't even about her - just ignore him/them and don't feed trolls
Geoffrey H is clearly ignorant, bigoted and stupid. Anyone with the brains to understand the athletics drugs testing programme understands that Christine Ohurougu is a clean athlete who fell foul of a new administrative system. She served her disciplinary ban and has moved on. Well done.
Alright, team GB are doing well...They should of course, in anticipation of London 2012 (it's the same for all nations 4-5 years before they host the Olympics)...So, no surprises there...But look also at the statistics: out of 36 medals so far: 14 were in cycling (almost 40%) and 11 in Sailing and Rowing (almost 30%). That means only 11 medals in ALL the other sports(32 of them). A lot of work needs to be done in the next four years without a doubt...
Geoffrey H, I agree with you. Procedural it may have been but to slightly misquote from Ian Fleming's 'Goldfinger' - 'once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action'.
Mike Crisp
Geffrey H, surely everyone deserves a chance, especially as Christine's original ban was for procedural non-compliance and not for cheating. Grow up and be happy that ALL the Brit athletes have achieved the impossible
Bore-off Geoffrey H!
All our medals are WELL DESERVED!!!
Fifteen Gold medals, then Ohurogu wins Gold and devalues them all, the woman should not be there she is a disgrace to UK athletics, double standards by team UK methinks...Geoff Howard
England football team are full of players who are sucked in fame.. i do hope one day they will achieve something.. but probably a long wait...
I prefer to see the determination of the olympians... which is far more enjoyable then seeing the football team crash out earlier each time...
GREAT BRITAIN COME ON!!!! xxx
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