Archive for London 2012 Olympics

Iran celebrates best-ever Olymic showing

by admin
August 15th, 2012

London Olympics saw Iran pull in most medals ever.

DUBAI: It was a memorable London 2012 Olympics for Iran, which finished in 17th place in the overall medal table, Iran’s Mehr News Agency (MNA) reported.

The country has been celebrating its successes in London, where its athletes claimed four gold, five silver and three bronze medals in the London 2012 Olympic Games, marking the best ever performance by the country.

Iran’s National Olympic Committee had been under pressure as Olympic officials had threatened to ban it from participating in the games and several federation heads were removed from their positions.

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Categories Egypt Sport
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Seeking gold in 2016, Malaysia to review London performances

by admin
August 10th, 2012

Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei won silver in London.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Ministry announced that it will conduct a “post-mortem on the performance of national athletes” who competed in the London 2012 Olympics in an effort to ensure better preparations can be made ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, said Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

The aim is for the country look hard at what was successful and what was not in an effort to increase the country’s chances of bringing home the country’s first gold medal.

He said that besides studying financial allocations for programs to prepare Malaysian Olympians, the ministry also needed to look at ways to raise the bar of national athletes competing at the international level.

“We do not want in four more years, we are faced with the same situation of being disappointed in not being able to win Malaysia’s first gold medal in an Olympics,” he told reporters on Wednesday night.

Cheek said for the minsitry’s ‘Road to London 2012′ program, the government had allocated almost RM20 million in its efforts to secure the all elusive Olympic gold medal.

However, they came up short, once again, and will be forced to wait at least four more years for another chance at gold.

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Categories Egypt Sport
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Update: Gaber takes silver in wrestling

by admin
August 6th, 2012

 

Egyptian wrestler Karam Gaber won the silver medal in wrestling after losing to Russia’s Alan Khugaev in the 84 kg men’s final of the London 2012 Olympics.

Gaber, who won a gold medal in the 96 kg wrestling final of the Athens Olympics, beat Polish wrestler Damian Janikowski in the semi-finals, and Croatian Named Zach in the quarter-finals.

Gaber’s is the second silver medal won by Egypt, after Alaa Eddin Abul Qasim won his in the fencing competition.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

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London 2012: American Michael Phelps wins 16th gold medal

by admin
August 4th, 2012

Michael Phelps won his 16th gold medal at London 2012 Olympics.

Phelps led from start to finish and held off fast-finishing USA team-mate Ryan Lochte down the final freestyle leg to win in 1:54.27, just 0.04 outside his own Olympic record.

It means that Phelps is the first man to win the event at three consecutive Games and came just 48 hours after he won his 18th and 19th Olympic medals to overtake Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina, who held the previous record with 18.

Lochte, who had been forced to settle for bronze in the 200m Backstroke final 30 minutes earlier, took silver in 1:54.90, with Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh taking bronze.

Later on, the Netherlands’ Ranomi Kromowidjojo ensured there would not be a USA clean sweep of the four finals, powering to victory in the 100m Freestyle and lowering her Olympic record – set yesterday – to 53.00.

The 21-year-old was only fourth at the turn but stormed down the final length to finish ahead of Aliaksandra Herasimenia and China’s Yi Tang.

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Categories Egypt Sport
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London 2012: Sweden’s LGBT player Hedvig Lindahl

by admin
August 1st, 2012

Sweden’s Hedvig Lindahl making most of her experience at London 2012 Olympics.

Sweden’s women’s Olympic national team goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl began her football career in 1987, and has made the most of every minute since. Lindahl,who is now 29, helped her team win at at the 2003 (silver) and 2011 (bronze) World Cups, and was named Sweden’s goalkeeper of the year in 2004, 2005, and 2009.

If Hedvig Lindahl’s performance at the London 2012 Olympics is any indication, she’s got a whole lot of game left in her. Sweden handily won their opening match against South Africa with a final score of 4 – 1, and Lindahl was able to shut out world champions Japan in their second game, resulting in a 0 – 0 tie. The goalie’s mad talent may well be hereditary–Lindahl’s father played top-flight football for Sweden.

Team Sweden plays Canada on July 31.

Word is, Lindahl married her girlfriend in 2011. While at the Olympics, Lindahl’s unnamed wife has been updating her Facebook posts, and signing them “Wifey.”

You can support Lindahl by following her on Twitter or on Facebook.

** This article was republished with permission from The New Civil Rights Movement, which is profiling LGBT athletes at the London 2012 Olympics.

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London Day 4 Preview: Michael Phelps going for gold

by admin
August 1st, 2012

Michael Phelps looking for first gold at London 2012 Olympics.

The great USA swimmer surprisingly finished fourth in the 400m Individual Medley final on Saturday night and had to settle for silver when France won the 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay on Sunday evening.

But the 27-year-old from Baltimore is expected to take centre stage when he bids to become the first male swimmer to win the same individual event at three successive Olympic Games in the 200m Butterfly.

Phelps has dominated that event, winning every Olympic Games and World Championships he has competed in since 2001.

He will also have another opportunity to add to his huge gold medal collection when he lines up in the 4 x 200m alongside Ryan Lochte.

Chinese teenage sensation Ye Shiwen has made a huge impact in the pool already and the 16-year-old will be favourite to win the 200m Individual Medley.

Ye produced a stunning swim to break the world record and take gold in the 400m Individual Medley on Sunday, producing a mind-boggling final 50m freestyle that was quicker than Lochte in the men’s final.

As the current world champion, she will be confident of adding the 200m Individual Medley gold to her collection but Stephanie Rice will be determined to retain the title she won at Beijing 2008.

The women’s 200m Freestyle final will also be eagerly awaited, with world record holder Federica Pellegrini, young USA swimmer Missy Franklin and Sunday night’s 400m Freestyle gold medallist Camille Muffat vying for medals.

In Gymnastics, USA, Russia, China and Romania will be the leading contenders to take the medals in the women’s Team final at the North Greenwich Arena.

Great Britain qualified in fifth to become the first British women’s team to reach a final since 1984 and they will be looking to the experienced Beth Tweddle to inspire them.

In Equestrian Eventing, reigning European champions Germany lead the Team competition ahead of Great Britain heading into the Jumping finale.

The Germans are on a score of 124.70, 5.5 penalties ahead of Britain, with Sweden third. The Individual competition, meanwhile, has joint leaders in Germany’s Ingrid Klimke and Swedish rider Sara Algotsson Ostholt.

Mark Todd, the 56-year-old New Zealander chasing a third Olympic Games title 24 years after his last one, is third, just ahead of world champion Michael Jung. The top four medal contenders are separated by only 1.3 penalties so a thrilling climax is in store in Greenwich Park’s main arena.

Chen Ruolin and Wang Hao are strong favourites to continue China’s dominance of the Diving events when they compete in the women’s Synchronised 10m Platform final.

Australian duo Loudy Wiggins and Rachel Bugg will be eyeing a medal, as will Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion of Canada. Home hopes rest with Tonia Couch and Sarah Barrow.

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Categories Egypt Sport
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Egypt and the Olympic spirit

by admin
July 31st, 2012

Opening Ceremony dancers performing in London.

CAIRO: I watched the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics last night at the British Council in Agouza, along with a couple of hundred others, enjoying the spectacular show displayed on large screens the garden. There was a festival atmosphere, somehow combining the traditional Suhour of a Ramadan night with the magnificent and very untraditional global celebration that London brought us.

It was celebration of people, above all, their creativity and energy, and their ability to inspire others and make their societies better. And with it re-affirm the peace and understanding that should unite our world. This is what we want London 2012 to be remembered for, and we now look forward to the Games themselves in which athletes from every nation will embody the Olympic ideal.

Being Ambassador to Egypt, I can’t resist making more and more connections in my mind between the Olympic ideal and what it is that Egyptians are struggling to achieve for their country.

The hi-tech spectacle last night may seem from another world, for those of us who live the traffic and the disorder of Cairo’s streets, and who know how hard it has been to get to this point in Egypt’s political transition.

But I do believe the fundamentals are the same – the human fundamentals. Egypt has shown its ability to inspire, and to liberate the creative energies of whole generations held back by the repressive and restrictive exercise of political control.

I know that eighteen months on since the January revolution people have lost some of their early hopes, and many are fearful of the future.

But Egypt now faces the prospect of a new government under the democratic mandate of an elected civilian president. With that comes the prospect of liberating the creative energies of the whole country, above all through the freedom given to Egypt’s own civil society to innovate and apply solutions to the challenges of social development, including the critical challenge of employment.

The energy and the creativity are there, as I know from countless encounters I have with remarkable people, young and old, who will not be held back any more.

I contrast this spirit – a very Olympian spirit – with the narrow, negative tone which characterises some of the political debate of the past few months.

It is good to be reminded, through the festival of Olympic sport we are about to enjoy, that Egyptians like every other people in the world can aspire to the very best.

** James Watt is the UK Ambassador to Egypt.

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IOC chief “optimistic” Saudi Arabia will send women to London

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March 13th, 2012

Malhas competing in Singapore.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said he was optimistic on the chances Saudi Arabia would send women athletes to the 2012 London Olympic Games and not be barred from participating as per IOC rules.

In an interview with The Associated Press in Switzerland, the IOC president said he the Olympics governing body was currently in discussions with Riyadh for the country to send women to the Games for the first time in its history.

He did not say how many athletes or from which sport would be sent.

Rogge said a decision should be finalized within a month to six weeks, but “we are optimistic that this is going to happen.”

Saudi Arabia has apparently flip-flopped in recent months over whether to send at least one woman to London.

Less than three months after the ultra-conservative Gulf country said it would permit women to participate in the London 2012 Olympic Games, in February it reportedly reneged on their agreement, barring women from entering the Games.

The move will also threaten the country’s overall participation in the Olympics, with the International Olympic Committee saying that all countries must field female athletes as part of their teams.

The decision has been roundly criticized by human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), which said in a press release that the move is counter to the Olympic Charter, which says, “The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit.”

HRW said it shouldn’t be too surprising, however, as state-run schools offer no physical education for girls and only men belong to sports clubs in the country.

“In fact, government restrictions on women essentially bar them from sports,” a new report says, HRW reported.

The IOC Women’s Chair Anita DeFrantz warned the country in 2010 that if female athletes are not allowed to participate, the country could face being banned from the global competition.

Dalma Rushdi Malhas, an 18-year-old Saudi woman, was the likely choice for the competition. She won a bronze medal at the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympics and has the ability to compete at the highest level.

The OIC required each country to field at least one woman in the Youth Olympics and Saudi Arabia included Malhas in its delegation.

In response to comments by the International Olympic Committee, last year Saudi Arabia said it would not oppose participation by a Saudi woman in the London Olympics – but that it would not invite her as part of its official team.

“Human Rights Watch urges the International Olympic Committee to uphold the values of the Olympic Charter and condition Saudi Arabia’s participation in the London 2012 Olympics on the country taking steps to end discrimination against women in sports,” HRW said in their statement.

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