Another golden day for Australia - almost a goldrush!!
GOLD, Australia!! Anna Meares did what many others have tried and failed to do: she dethroned Queen Victoria Pendleton, winning the women's sprint title, taking the bestof-32 final, 2-0. A straight sets win!! It was the big and most anticipated race of the women's track cycling meet at these Olympics, though the parochial home crowd who have seen Pendelton's immense greatness time and time again at the Veldorome, would have gone home upset, because the British cyclist could not beat Meares this time around, her last Olympic appearance, their head-to-head race in the final - the final that everyone had hoped for - was filled with drama, Pendelton originally being named victor in the first of three matches to decide the title. But it was Meares all the way, the first result overtuned after a look at the video, and the Australian went on to win the second, clinching a memorable gold medal and breaking British hearts in the process.
GOLD, Australia!! It was a close-run thing. Actually, it was an incredibly close-run thing - think Nathan Adrian over our own James Magnussen at the pool in the men's 100m freestyle final and you're on the right track - but Sally Pearson is an Olympic champion now, having won the tightest of tight races in the final of the women's 100m hurdles, narrowly pipping the defending Olympic champion from America, Dawn Harper, despite the American having a major dip at the end. For drama, this was second-to-none. The result went to a video review, which handed Pearson the win and the gold medal, and, even better, an Olympic record, 12.35. Not quite the world record that some had predicted - the rain in London, heavier at that time than it has been all Olympics long - likely put an end to that - but another gold medal for Australia. Congratulations, Sally Pearson! You've done our country so proud. And congratulations to Harper, barly beaten at the line, but a wonderful role model for a gracious and sporting second-place finisher. That's the Olympic spirit right there.
In other developments at the track, Usain Bolt, holder of Olympic gold in the 100m final earlier this meet, easily winning his heat of the 200m as he seeks to take home the prestigious 100/200 double. It was a relaxed run from Bolt, who takes the fifth fastest time into the semi finals, yet critics will be wary of discounting him. After all, there were questions asked of his speed ahead of the semis and final of the 100m and look how that turned out: he absolutely blizted the field. Bolt's Jamaican compariot Yohan Blake was fourth-fastest overall, winning his heat.
At the women's basketball, Australia's resident superstar/Olympic flag bearer, Lauren Jackson became the all-time women's leading scorer during Australia's quarter-final win over China. The Opals suffered an early scare, relying on an avalanche of scoring, led by Jackson and Liz Cambage, in the third quarter and some more in the final stanza, to win the game 75-60 and book a semi-final date with the mighty Team USA. This was what many expected to be the gold medal game, but it will come one round early. And Lauren Jackson, as decorated a female basketball player as there has ever been, will be right in the hunt for the one prize that has, thus far, eluded her: Olympic gold. The Opals will have to be better against Team USA than they were against China if that dream is to remain alive.
After starting fast and finishing absently against Argentina and then Great Britain, there were questions asked by the critics about the Australian men's hockey team's favouritism for gold at London 2012. Well, I'd say that the Kookaburras have answered all the questions lingering over them, absolutely putting Pakistan to the sword in their final pool game, running out resounding 7-0 winners that saw them finish atop Pool A. It was a necessary win, and it was a flashy win. Chris Cirello scored two, Mark Knowles tallied off of a penalty shot and the old master, the superstar Jamie Dwyer, netted another to extend his record as Australia's all-time highest goal scorer. Now, the Australians face Germany in a semi final in two days time, and go into it with a much better mindset than
Sadly, no such luck for Australia in the women's waterpolo competition, with the Stingers unfortunatelly falling 11-9 to the United States in overtime of their semi final contest. There's only one thing to be said here: thank God it wasnt the British who beat us! Australia will now face the loser of the Hungary-Spain semi-final in the third-versus-fourth play-off, with the winner to play the US for the gold.
Australia's medal tally: 4 gold, 12 silver, 9 bronze. Total: 25. Rank: 11
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