Let the Countdown Begin

[nadB]

Another GREAT day for sports fans.

U.S. retains the lead in Gold medals with 25; U.S. keeps the lead in the overall medal count with 71. Russia gets back into the Top Ten list.

Medal Count (G S B)

1. United States (25 27 19)
2. China (24 15 12)
3. Japan (15 8 9)
4. Australia (14 9 14)
5. Russia (9 18 21)
6. France (9 7 9)
7. Germany (8 10 13)
8. Italy (8 6 7)
9. Romania (8 4 4)
10. Ukraine (8 3 6)

Major Congrats to U.S. Women's beach volleyball team for winning the Gold.
Wonder why the A-rab countries don't do well in this ??
I mean, they got all that sand to practice in, and all ............

Associated Press

USA's Kerri Walsh, left, and teammate Misty May celebrate after beating Brazil in the gold medal beach volleyball finals during the 2004 Summer Olympics at Faliro Beach Volleyball Stadium in Athens, Tuesday

[nadB]

Another GREAT day for sports fans.

U.S. retains the lead in Gold medals with 25; U.S. keeps the lead in the overall medal count with 76.

Medal Count (G S B)

1. United States (25 29 22)
2. China (24 16 12)
3. Australia (16 11 15)
4. Japan (15 9 10)
5. Russia (14 19 21)
6. France (10 7 9)
7. Germany (9 11 13)
8. Italy (8 6 8)
9. Romania (8 5 4)
10. Ukraine (8 3 7)

Say, WHAT ????? A Chinese Hurdler ????? (Nobody from the whole of Asia has ever won a medal in the event)

Liu Xiang in good form, Johnson crashes out
(Chinadaily.com.cn/Agencies)
Updated: 2004-08-26 08:08

China's Liu Xiang said in Athens on Wednesday after storming into the men's 110m hurdles semifinals that he is in "good" form and expects a breakthrough for his country.
China's Xiang Liu clears a hurlde during a heat of the men's 110 metres hurdles at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 25, 2004. [Xinhua]
The 21-year-old, China's only athletics gold hopeful at the Olympic Games, sailed into the semifinals of the 110m hurdles by winning heat 3 in 13.26 seconds.

Meanwhile, Allen Johnson from the United States, who has long been regarded as Liu's rival No. 1, fell at the second last hurdle in heat 2 and went out of the Olympics.

[nadB]

Another GREAT day for sports fans.

U.S. widens the lead in Gold medals with 28; U.S. keeps the lead in the overall medal count with 83. Russia moves to #4 position.

Medal Count (G S B)

1. United States (28 31 24)
2. China (25 17 12)
3. Australia (16 11 15)
4. Russia (15 19 23)
5. Japan (15 9 10)
6. Germany (10 11 14)
7. France (10 7 10)
8. Italy (9 6 8)
9. Romania (8 5 4)
10. Ukraine (8 4 7)





GOLDEN DAY FOR US

ATHENS:
It was a golden day for the Americans as Dwight Phillips added the Olympic Games gold medal to his world long jump title reaching a massive 8.59 metres on his opening jump.

Phillips, jumping eighth in the first round, became the 22nd American to win the event out of the 26 times it has been contested at the Olympics.

He then fouled twice as he tried to go full tilt after the world record, which stands at 8.95m to Phillips' compatriot Mike Powell when he won the 1991 World Championships.

The United States' made it a 1-2 on the medal podium when John Moffit leapt out to 8.47m in the penultimate round to add 18cm to his personal best and move up from fourth to second.

The 200m race, though, was marred by ugly scenes and delayed for five minutes when the packed 75,000 crowd at the Olympic Stadium began booing and chanting "Kenteris, Kenteris!" and "Hellas, Hellas!"

Costas Kenteris, Greece's 2000 Olympic champion in the event, withdrew from the Games after missing a drugs test in mysterious circumstances the day before the opening ceremony.

Shawn Crawford denied fellow American Justin Gatlin a sprint double as he set up a US clean sweep.

Crawford timed 19.79 seconds. Silver went to Bernard Williams (20.01) with Justin Gatlin, the 100m winner, taking the bronze (20.03).

It was the first American clean sweep in the 200m event since 1984.

[StrayDawg]

This thread is taking longer to die than Dennis Hopper in True Grit.

[Champ967]

I, for one, enjoy the updates. Thanks nad!

[nadB]

I, for one, enjoy the updates. Thanks nad!

De nada, Champ.
Hey, I'm taking the wife to a Crosby, Stills & Nash concert tomorrow night; if you happen to be hanging around here, how about doing the medals update for me ?? TIA.

Another GREAT day for sports fans, despite the so-called Dream Team's losing 81 - 89 to Argentina; say, WHO ??? U.S. next replays Lithuania for a shot at the bronze. Argentina plays Italy for the Gold; say, WHAT ???

U.S. keeps the lead in Gold medals with 29; U.S. retains a wide lead in the overall medal count with 90. Russia moves up a notch to #3 position.

Medal Count (G S B)

1. United States (29 34 27)
2. China (27 17 13)
3. Russia (17 23 28)
4. Australia (17 11 16)
5. Japan (15 10 10)
6. Germany (12 14 18)
7. France (10 7 11)
8. Italy (9 7 10)
9. South Korea (8 10 8)
10. Romania (8 5 5)

duh, I didn't know Marion Jones was the "best-known" athlete in the world ??

USA's Marion Jones Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 28 August 2004 0901 hrs
</SPAN>
Olympics: Jones exits with tears and promise to return


ATHENS : Marion Jones, the best-known athlete in the world, left the Athens Olympics on Friday without a medal but with tears streaming down her face.

When Jones finished fifth in the long jump, the sprint relay lay minutes ahead, offering the triple gold medallist from the 2000 Sydney Olympics a chance to redeem her trip here.

Disaster struck when Jones ran in to hand the baton to the US team's third leg runner Lauryn Williams - she could not reach the smaller woman's hand with the thin metal tube.

Four times Jones tried to pass the baton, each lunge more desperate than the last, but by that time she and Williams had run beyond the changeover zone and the race was over for the Americans who had to watch Jamaica sprint to the gold medal.

Jones will return to her North Carolina home to face an uncertain future, dominated by accusations that she used steroids and other drugs.

[nadB]

This thread is taking longer to die than Dennis Hopper in True Grit.

LOL ! !
That was funny.

[Bossdawg]

Here's an Update

US men's basketball sucks and they got schooled by Argentenia. I seriously hope the lose the bronze medal game, What an embarressment they are to America. We should be very proud of the biggest egos and crybabies in America. Way to represent. I am definitely feeling the love.

[nadB]

Olympics are over.

U.S. won the race in Gold medals with 35; U.S. fininshes with a wide lead in the overall medal count with 103.

Medal Count (G S B)

1. United States (35 39 29)
2. China (32 17 14)
3. Russia (27 27 38)
4. Australia (17 16 16)
5. Japan (16 9 12)
6. Germany (14 16 18)
7. France (11 9 13)
8. Italy (10 11 11)
9. South Korea (9 12 9)
10. Great Britain (9 9 12)

Another Great Day for sports fans ! ! ! ! !

[Cool Hand Clyde]

All said during the Summer Olympics



1. Weightlifting commentator: "This is Gregoriava from Bulgaria. I saw
her snatch this morning during her warm up and it was amazing."

2. Dressage commentator: "This is really a lovely horse and I speak from
personal experience since I once mounted her mother."

3. Paul Hamm, Gymnast: "I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother
and father."

4. Boxing Analyst: "Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths
in boxing, but none of them really that serious."

5. Softball announcer: "If history repeats itself, I should think we can
expect the same thing again."

6. Basketball analyst: "He dribbles a lot and the opposition doesn't
like it. In fact you can see it all over their faces."

7. At the rowing medal ceremony: "Ah, isn't that nice, the wife of the
IOC president is hugging the cox of the British crew."

8. Soccer commentator: "Julian Dicks is everywhere. It's like they've
got eleven Dicks on the field." 9. Tennis commentator: "One of the reasons Andy is playing so well is
that, before the final round, his wife takes out his balls and kisses
them... Oh my God, what have I just said?"

[nadB]

Tyler Hamilton to lose Olympic Gold ??



Tue, September 21, 2004

Gold medalist flunks test

Hamilton failed performance-enhancing test

By NAOMI KOPPEL

Tyler Hamilton, of the U.S., holds up his gold medal after the men's road individual time trial of the 2004 Olympic Games in the outskirts of Athens, in this Aug. 18, 2004 photo. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)


REGENSDORF, Switzerland (AP) - Olympic time-trial champion Tyler Hamilton of the United States declared his innocence Tuesday after his pro cycling team said he's being investigated for possible blood doping and could be stripped of his gold medal.

Hamilton said he would "fight this until I don't have a euro left in my pocket." Tests at the Athens Olympics on Aug. 19 and at the Spanish Vuelta on Sept. 18 showed evidence of blood from another person, cycling's governing body said, according to a spokesman for Hamilton's team, Phonak. Follow-up tests were scheduled for later Tuesday.

Phonak spokesman Georges Luedinger said Hamilton denied having a transfusion - which can boost an athlete's performance by increasing the amount of oxygen-transporting red blood cells in his system.

"Tyler told us he did nothing," Luedinger said.

If found guilty of a violation at the Olympics, Hamilton would lose his gold. Three athletes had gold medals revoked for doping during the Aug. 13-29 Games.

"I am 100 per cent innocent," Hamilton said.




Former world champion Oscar Camenzind was fired by Phonak and announced his retirement after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance EPO shortly before the Olympic.

A record 24 athletes - none American or Canadian - from various sports were cited for drug-test violations at the Athens Olympics.

Asked about Hamilton's reported positive test at the Olympics, IOC medical director Patrick Schamasch said: "For the moment, I can't confirm or deny anything."

Said IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies: "As with all doping procedures, while a process is underway, we can't go into details."

USA Cycling CEO Gerard Bisceglia said the IOC had not said anything to his organization about Hamilton's medal. He said he was waiting to see the results of the tests Hamilton was to take Tuesday.

"We're not in a position to take a position. We hope for the best with this, as we do with any athlete," Bisceglia said.

The U.S. Olympic Committee said it had no comment.

Hamilton's gold was one of four medals won by American cyclists at the Athens Games - the team's best showing since winning nine at the boycotted 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Hamilton was the only American cyclist to win a gold medal in Athens, and he called that victory "the highlight of my career, by far."

Hamilton's mother said from her home in Marblehead, Mass., that the family learned of the tests Tuesday morning.

"This comes as a total shock to us," Lorna Hamilton said.

If Hamilton is disqualified, the gold medal would go to Russia's Viatcheslav Ekimov, with American Bobby Julich moving up to silver and Australia's Michael Rogers to the bronze. Hamilton pulled out midway through the 2004 Tour de France because of a back injury and was fourth in the 2003 Tour. Hamilton pulled out of the Vuelta on Sept. 16, citing stomach problems.

[Dawgbitten]

Man, I hope not! That would suck!

On a related note, Lance Armstrong is running the NY marathon in support of some charity. Possibly LAF?? He dropped out of some bike race in San Francisco due to knee tendonitis. However, he has been spotted numerous times running around Austin, so I assume the marathon race is still a go. I am interested to see how fast he can run one. Although, he probably won't push it hard. He could jeopardize his cycling career if he was to be injured.

[nadB]

He could jeopardize his cycling career if he was to be injured.

I wonder what is the incidence of injury in competition for folks running the marathon ?? I know some dudes that run the marathon, and none of them has ever (to my knowledge) gotten injured.

I also know some dudes that are heavy into cycling; two of them have gotten hurt very badly. (one of them fell off his bike during a race and split his helmet wide open when his head hit the pavement; the other got hit by a car)

I'm guessing cycling is considerably more dangerous ??

[Dawgbitten]

Running as many miles as it takes to train and run a marathon puts you at risk for repetitive stress injuries. It is a weight bearing exercise unlike cycling.

And yes, cycling puts you at risk for the big time injuries such as getting run over by a car. Lance has been hit numerous times by vehicles.

[nadB]

Tomorrow - Wednesday - tells the tale for Tyler Hamilton.
Getting suspended by Phonak doesn't look good.
jmo


Hamilton suspended by team


Hamilton may lose the gold medal he won in Athens

Olympic time trial champion Tyler Hamilton has been suspended by his Phonak team after failing a dope test.

The American, who tested positive for blood doping at the Olympics and the Tour of Spain, is waiting for the results of his "B" samples.

"We have to concentrate on the facts. These seem to speak against Tyler," said Phonak boss Andy Rihs.

Rihs added that if Hamilton could not prove his innocence then he would be sacked by Phonak.



Hamilton fails dope tests



Phonak's stance is a complete U-turn from their position on Tuesday, when they gave their full backing to the American.



Hamilton claims he is innocent and says his "B" test results, which are expected on Wednesday, will clear him.

BLOOD DOPING EXPLAINED
What is it?
The administration of red blood cells to increase the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity
Examples include:
Injecting someone else's red blood cells; removing own blood and returning it once body has compensated by making more blood
Why would athletes do it?
The better the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, the better an athlete's endurance
Side effects can include:
Blood clots, overload of circulatory system, kidney damage, transmission of infectious diseases
Chances of being caught:
A new test can only detect the practice if the blood comes from a donor



His positive "A" samples suggest that Hamilton had blood from another person put into his body in order to increase his red blood cell count, giving him greater stamina.

If Hamilton's "B" test also shows proof of a blood transfusion, it would mark the first positive blood doping case.

If he is disqualified from the Olympics the gold medal would go to Russia's Viatcheslav Ekimov, with American Bobby Julich moving up to silver and Australia's Michael Rogers taking the bronze.

Hamilton pulled out of midway through the Tour of Spain citing stomach problems. He acknowledged on Tuesday that that action had been partly because of his positive test. Hamilton has returned to Switzerland to watch as his "B" sample is tested.