Here Are the Highlights From Day One of the London 2012 Olympics
- Posted on July 28, 2012 at 8:42pm by
Erica Ritz
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First Lady Michelle Obama waves an American flag as she cheers on the U.S. swim team with Summer Schlopy, host of Yahoo! Sports' web series Elite Athlete Workout. (Photo: AP)
For those of you who weren’t able to devote your entire Saturday to the Olympic Games, we have a recap of the best moments.
-American Ryan Lochte turned his much-anticipated duel with Michael Phelps into a blowout, pulling away to win the Olympic 400-meter individual medley by more than 3 seconds for the first U.S. gold medal in London.
Ryan Lochte of the United States is stunned after winning the Final of the Men's 400m Individual Medley on Day 1 of the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Photo: Getty Images)
- China picked up right where it left off from the Beijing Olympics, where it won the most gold medals with 51. The country won four on the first full day of competition in London: Yi Siling, who got the first gold of 2012 in women’s 10-meter air rifle shooting; Ye Shiwen, who set a world record in women’s 400 individual medley swimming; Sun Yang in men’s 400 freestyle swimming; and Wang Mingjuang in women’s 48-kilogram weightlifting.
Chinese athlete Siling Yi competes in the 10m air rifle women final at the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Photo: Getty Images)
- Natalie Coughlin tied Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres for most career medals by an American woman with 12 when the United States won a bronze in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay. And she didn’t even have to swim in a final: She swam a leg in the preliminaries, helping the U.S. qualify second-fastest. But for the evening final, the Americans went with teenager Missy Franklin and Jessica Hardy, and brought back Olympic rookie Lia Neal and Allison Schmitt, leaving Coughlin to play cheerleader.
Ryan Lochte (L) and Natalie Coughlin (R) of the USA Swim Team speak during a press conference at the Main Press Center on July 26, 2012 in London, England. (Photo: Getty Images)
- Wimbledon champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams each won their opening matches. Four-time Olympian Federer beat Alejandro Falla of Colombia 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. Williams, seeded fourth, defeated former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-3, 6-1 as first lady Michelle Obama watched from the front row of Williams’ box.
Serena Williams of the United States returns a shot against Jelena Jankovic of Serbia during their Women's Singles Tennis match on Day 1 of the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Photo: Getty Images)
- Australia finished the 400-free swimming relay in 3:33.15, Netherlands won the silver, and the Americans got bronze.
- The American men are atop the standings in gymnastics, while defending Olympic champion China and perennial powerhouse Japan struggled.
Jacob Dalton of the United States competes in the vault in the Artistic Gymnastics Men's Team qualification on Day 1 of the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Photo: Getty Images)
NOT THEIR FINEST HOUR
- No medals for the hosts on the first day of their Olympics. The British cycling “dream team,” including Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, failed to break out of the main pack in the road race, which was won by Alexander Vinokourov of Kazakhstan.
- Not only did Michael Phelps lose in the 400-meter individual medley, he didn’t win a medal at all. He was trying to become the first male swimmer to win the same individual event at three straight Olympics. He’ll have three more chances at a threepeat: the 200 individual medley, plus the 100 and 200 butterfly.
US swimmer Michael Phelps reacts after competing in the men's 400m individual medley final swimming event at the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Photo: Getty Images)
ROYAL TREATMENT
- Fresh from her performance as a Bond Girl during the opening ceremony, Queen Elizabeth II returned to Olympic Park for an encore and met with about 150 members of the British Olympic team. Said Rose Anderson of the women’s basketball team: “She went inside one of the athletes’ bedrooms and chatted to us. It was just awesome, especially after last night.”
Here is video of the “Queen’s” dramatic performance, featuring Daniel Craig, via Vimeo:
SUNDAY’S SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
- Swimming: gold medal finals in men’s 100-meter breaststroke, 400-meter freestyle relay, women’s 100-meter butterfly, 400-meter freestyle.
- Women’s gymnastics: team competition.
- Women’s diving: synchronized springboard gold medal final.
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ritamweep
Posted on July 29, 2012 at 2:55amWhy……does she insist on flashing that armpit in public places.
Report Post »drattastic
Posted on July 29, 2012 at 12:00pmWhy do we have to see a picture of that thing to begin with .
Report Post »garylee123
Posted on July 29, 2012 at 1:08pmAsk the guy next to her. Looks like he got a good nose full.
Report Post »berlet98
Posted on July 29, 2012 at 2:10amThe Olympics–A Dream Come and Gone
The games have begun! Now, let’s call them a wrap!
The Olympics have devolved into a cesspool of international propaganda, intrigue, and cheating–not to mention a subsidized bacchanalian venue for young athletes who could just as well fornicate on their own dime rather than using the 150,000 condoms (15 per athlete) distributed by the United States Olympic Committee.
Sandra Fluke would be appreciative of the USOC condom largesse but are contributors to the USOC aware their dollars are helping pay America’s Olympians to safely do what they would do even without free prophylactics?
The inspiration for the modern Olympics, the ancient Greek religious/athletics festival dating to 776 B.C., was beset with corruption and so, too, is the modern Olympiad. The chief difference is that today we spend billions staging the events whereas the wiser Greeks back then spent little and benefitted from a suspension of city-state wars, conflicts they resumed soon after the games.
Our conflicts continue during the games.
As for contraception, the naked Greek athletes were on their own but, since they were all male, the chance of procreating with their fellow athletes was less than minimal.
Aside from publicity for the host nation, there are few perks derived from hosting the modern Olympics and the potential financial
Report Post »AnonCmnt
Posted on July 28, 2012 at 11:40pmThanks for the updates – hope you’ll do it each day and broaden to some of the less well known sports. For instance, Ariel Hsing appears to be the only American who advanced to the 2nd round of the women’s table tennis competition. Inspiring story on ESPN at http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/tabletennis/story/_/id/8208862/2012-summer-olympics-american-ariel-hsing-advances-table-tennis. Also, the USA dressage team (yes I hail from horse country – it‘s quite a beautiful sport that requires extraordinary riders and a lot of sweat that the riders work hard to make sure you don’t notice) is in 3rd place after the 1st day.
Report Post »thorenshammer
Posted on July 28, 2012 at 10:56pmI noticed that Mrs Obama made the trip to the games… SOOOO, how much money will WE, the taxpayers have to pay for this trip? At least Romney paid his own way there and with this trip, will have been to Israel more than our President.
Report Post »ComradeAdam
Posted on July 28, 2012 at 10:02pmAnyone else a little irritated at the NBC coverage of the olympics? Because of deals made, you can’t watch it live or on the internet. And they only cover it on a several hour delay starting at 2 AM and show the sports no one cares about. The Blaze has better coverage with day after highlight articles. Looks like I won’t be watching the olympics this time around.
Report Post »Git-R-Done
Posted on July 28, 2012 at 10:20pmThey also show lots of boring fluff pieces that nobody cares about.
Report Post »rickroland
Posted on July 28, 2012 at 9:24pmOther highlight for Sunday — Fencing — Men’s Individual Saber competion.
Yeah, well, I am a former competitive fencer, so it’s a highlight for me. :P
Report Post »jzs
Posted on July 28, 2012 at 9:42pmOh man you’ve missed the real highlight of the Games, which was Romney insulted the entire UK populace and turning off conservative politicians! Way to go Romney. On the first leg of your trip to establish your credentials as a future world leader, you have offended everyone in Britain. What’s next on your carnival tour?
Here are a few quotes: “The most high-profile humiliation for Romney came when thousands of Brits jeered him after London’s Mayor Boris Johnson mocked him at a concert to mark the end of the Olympic Torch relay.”
But those remarks, in turn, appeared to have offended the city’s mayor Ralph Becker, who said: ‘He can stop by any time. We’d love to have him and are happy to send a map so he doesn’t run into any trouble locating the middle of nowhere.’
Romney, please the country before anyone gets the idea that other Americans are like you.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/here-are-the-highlights-from-day-one-of-the-london-2012-olympics/#respond
Report Post »bullcrapbuster
Posted on July 28, 2012 at 10:30pmI am happy to see that Romney laid it on the line for the extreme left wing British government and media tabloids. Romney is our man,he speaks the truth damn the consequnces. Britians so called conservative PM is to the left of Karl Marx. Britian is no friend ot the USofA.
Report Post »woodyb
Posted on July 28, 2012 at 9:19pmI watched a few minutes of the Britain/Cameroon soccer match today, and saw a player (for GB) who just HAD to have a bad childhood — her name was YANKEY!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »woodyb
Posted on July 28, 2012 at 9:12pmThe flag was probably photoshopped into her hands, as we know only too well how proud she is of the nation and our athletes (other than her golfing/basketabll-shooting hubby)!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on July 28, 2012 at 10:36pmShe was actually waving around Barracks willy. But it was sooo small they had to photoshop a flag in there.
Report Post »Tri-ox
Posted on July 28, 2012 at 8:59pmIt must be very difficult for Big Mo to act as if she is “REALLY PROUD” of America (for the cameras) – Sadly, we all know how she really feels about OUR country.
GO TEAM USA! Go back to Chicago and stop destroying/embarrassing America, obamas!
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on July 28, 2012 at 8:53pmI was informed earlier, China took the gold in the Air Rifle event. Chalk one up for the “You’re going to shoot your eye out, Kid” crowd. We lose Air Rifle to the Chinese?
Report Post »BallisticBob
Posted on July 29, 2012 at 9:56amBut we won gold (Kerry Rhode) in Womens skeet this morning, beating China and Slovakia.
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