BEIJING, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- In another fireworks-hailed spectacular, London officially took over the reins of the next Olympics from China, which will continue to celebrate in the days and months ahead their euphoric achievement of 51 gold to dislodge the United States for the first time to top the Games.
London Mayor Boris Johnson received the Olympic flag carrying the familiar five interlocking rings from International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge in a symbolic handover.
In his customary speech, Rogge declared: "These were truly exceptional Games."
Amid the celebrations, the IOC chief began with a note of next month's Paralympics and extended his wishes to the disabled athletes, saying "they also inspire us.
"In another special for the night, Kenyan pride soared and so did their national flag for the victory of Samuel Wansiru in the men's marathon. He received his gold medal from Rogge in an unprecedented honour at an Olympics closing.
Thousands of athletes poured into the stadium from four directions and partied on the blue tarpaulin covered field to the beat of drums, songs and dances after 17 days of high pressure competition, tears and joy.
In the carnival air and the flags of the 204 contesting nations, even China's basketball 'giant' Yao Ming was hard to spot and the crowd roared when he was picked up by television cameras.
The greatest moment of the Games was a superb 9.69s world 100m record from Jamaica's Usain Bolt, which eclipsed even the scourge of doping that the Games still could not shake off.
For the first time, Malaysia had a woman flag bearer in the Olympic, young diver Elizabeth Jimie was given the honour.
So did China who passed the flag Yao Ming carried in the opening to 33-year-old Zhang Ning, who defended her badminton women's singles title, for the closing.
In a brief slot for the next Olympics host, London's famous street sight, the red double decker bus with a plate registration "LONDON 2012" rolled into the national Bird's Nest stadium and came to a stop in front of the VIP bus.
The top of the bus the unfolded into a mobile stage for a pulsating performance by singer Leona Lewis and guitarist Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame.
They were joined by England's most famous soccer face, David Beckham, who wasn't even born yet when London last hosted the Games in 1948 after its first time in 1908.
At a press conference earlier today, Rogge said London would be challenged by the "very high bar" set by China.
"So it's going to be a challenge for London and also all subsequent Games. My hope will be that London can even put the bar higher so we have this constant evolution and improvement of the Olympic Games," he said.
The icing on the cake for China was topping the medals table for the first time with 51 gold although the much hoped for gold from hurdler Liu Xiang went awry after he withdrew due to injury.
The United States ended with 36, the same as in Athens. Russia was third with 23 gold and the 2012 hosts were fourth with 19.
Also getting a roll call during Sunday night's ceremony were the four new members of the IOC Athletes Commission, who were elected by the 11,000 athletes here.
They were South Korea's Moon Dae Sung (taekwondo), Russia's Alexander Popov (swimming), Germany's Claudia Bokel (fencing) and Cuba's Yumilka Ruiz-luares (volleyball).
The commission is now headed by Namibia's former sprinting great Frankie Fredericks.
-- BERNAMA
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Olympic Day 15 : Taekwondo - No Last Gasp Medal From Taekwondo For Malaysia
BEIJING, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's last gasp of hope for an Olympic medal from taekwondo through Che Chew Chan fizzled out after she was first ousted in the quarterfinals and lost another opportunity in the bronze repechage.
"I was worried about too many things at a time and that perhaps added to the pressure and affected my own performance," said Chew Chan who was unable to hide her disappointment at losing 1-5 to Egypt's Noha Abd Rabo in the repechage.
"I had beaten her before in the Korea Open in 2006. But today, I could not judge the distance in making my attacks in the last two matches," said the national exponent who also scored only one point against Nina Solheim in the quarterfinals in the afternoon.
Chew Chan said there was little separating the standards of the contestants.
"It goes down to who performs better during the fight and when I got the chance to go into the repechage, it was like God giving me a second chance," she said.
Her defeat closes the chapter on Malaysia's outing in the Beijing Games with one silver to show from shuttler Lee Chong Wei.
In the morning, the 25-year-old Chew Chan beat Uzbekistan's Evgeniya Karimova 5-4 to become the first national exponent to advance into the Olympics last eight at the Beijing University of Science and Technology.
But in her next bout, the Malaysian could not land any of her kicks.
Although Solheim tumbled five times to the ground, she made good from the few opportunities she came close to the Malaysian.
"I tried to attack her head but also missed. I misjudged the distance and whenever I kicked, she kicked back. I did my best but I am not satisfied because I tried and lost," Chew Chan said.
National coach R.Dhanaraj said Chew Chan's biggest mistake was not following on her attacks.
Malaysia's other taekwondo challenger, Elaine Teo also lost in bronze repechage in the below 57kg category.
Malaysia have been participating in the Olympics taekwondo competition since it was introduced in the 2000 Sydney Games but have yet to get a rostrum finish.
When the Korean martial art was a demonstration sports, M. Vasugi and Hii King Hung returned with bronze medals from the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Games respectively.
-- BERNAMA
"I was worried about too many things at a time and that perhaps added to the pressure and affected my own performance," said Chew Chan who was unable to hide her disappointment at losing 1-5 to Egypt's Noha Abd Rabo in the repechage.
"I had beaten her before in the Korea Open in 2006. But today, I could not judge the distance in making my attacks in the last two matches," said the national exponent who also scored only one point against Nina Solheim in the quarterfinals in the afternoon.
Chew Chan said there was little separating the standards of the contestants.
"It goes down to who performs better during the fight and when I got the chance to go into the repechage, it was like God giving me a second chance," she said.
Her defeat closes the chapter on Malaysia's outing in the Beijing Games with one silver to show from shuttler Lee Chong Wei.
In the morning, the 25-year-old Chew Chan beat Uzbekistan's Evgeniya Karimova 5-4 to become the first national exponent to advance into the Olympics last eight at the Beijing University of Science and Technology.
But in her next bout, the Malaysian could not land any of her kicks.
Although Solheim tumbled five times to the ground, she made good from the few opportunities she came close to the Malaysian.
"I tried to attack her head but also missed. I misjudged the distance and whenever I kicked, she kicked back. I did my best but I am not satisfied because I tried and lost," Chew Chan said.
National coach R.Dhanaraj said Chew Chan's biggest mistake was not following on her attacks.
Malaysia's other taekwondo challenger, Elaine Teo also lost in bronze repechage in the below 57kg category.
Malaysia have been participating in the Olympics taekwondo competition since it was introduced in the 2000 Sydney Games but have yet to get a rostrum finish.
When the Korean martial art was a demonstration sports, M. Vasugi and Hii King Hung returned with bronze medals from the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Games respectively.
-- BERNAMA
Olympic Day 14 : Taekwondo - Chew Chan Makes Taekwondo Quarter-finals
BEIJING, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- Che Chew Chan is keeping Malaysia's medal hopes alive after beating Uzbekistan's Evgeniya Karimova 5-4 this morning, to make it into the Olympics women's taekwondo above 67kg class quarter-finals.
She will meet Nina Solheim of Norway in the last eight scheduled this afternoon. Solheim is currently Europe's third-ranked middleweight champion.
If she wins, the Malaysian will be in the semis against Carmen Marton of Australia or Natalia Falavigna of Brazil. The final will also be completed today.
Chew Chan, who has beaten Karimova in the Asian qualifying round for the Olympics in December, trailed by a point in the first round but came back in the second to reel off four points against the Uzbek to lead 4-1.
"This is the first win for Malaysia in taekwondo in the first round of the Olympics. I have to win the next two matches if I want to get the gold, so I told myself, I cannot lose this match," said the 25-year-old Universiti Putra Malaysia student.
-- BERNAMA
She will meet Nina Solheim of Norway in the last eight scheduled this afternoon. Solheim is currently Europe's third-ranked middleweight champion.
If she wins, the Malaysian will be in the semis against Carmen Marton of Australia or Natalia Falavigna of Brazil. The final will also be completed today.
Chew Chan, who has beaten Karimova in the Asian qualifying round for the Olympics in December, trailed by a point in the first round but came back in the second to reel off four points against the Uzbek to lead 4-1.
"This is the first win for Malaysia in taekwondo in the first round of the Olympics. I have to win the next two matches if I want to get the gold, so I told myself, I cannot lose this match," said the 25-year-old Universiti Putra Malaysia student.
-- BERNAMA
Olympic Day 14 : Wushu - Malaysia Pick Up Third Medal From Beijing 2008 Wushu Meet
BEIJING, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- Woman exponent Chai Fong Ying added a silver in a third medal for Malaysia at the Wushu tournament Beijing 2008 this morning.
She pipped Japanese Ai Miyoka by four-hundreth of a point for second place behind China's Cui Wenjuan in the taijiquan and taijijian combined event at the Olympics Sports Centre gymnasium.
Fong Ying scored a 9.70 in the taijijian this morning to add to her overnight 9.64 in the taijiquan for a total of 19.34, while the Chinese gold medallist was ahead with 19.69 points.
For the tournament here, the taijiquan, a soft and slow fluent movement martial art, is combined with the taijijian, which involves taijiquan and swordplay, as one event.
Yesterday, Malaysia gained two bronzes from Pui Fook Chien and Diana Bong.
The three-day wushu tournament is held in conjunction with the Olympic Games. The medals are not counted in the Olympic tally.
A total of 10 gold medals are at stake in the tournament which is split into floor disciplines called "taolu" and combat fighting known as "sanshou". China has won five golds, so far.Malaysia's seven competitors here are Ang Eng Chong (men's changquan), Lee Yang (men's taijiquan and taijijian combined), Lim Yew Fai (men's jianshu and qiangshu combined), Pui Fook Chien (men's nanquan and nangun combined), Diana Bong (women's nanquan and nandao combined), Chai Fong Wei (women's daoshu and gunshu combined) and Chai Fong Ying (women's taijiquan and taijijuan combined).
-- BERNAMA
She pipped Japanese Ai Miyoka by four-hundreth of a point for second place behind China's Cui Wenjuan in the taijiquan and taijijian combined event at the Olympics Sports Centre gymnasium.
Fong Ying scored a 9.70 in the taijijian this morning to add to her overnight 9.64 in the taijiquan for a total of 19.34, while the Chinese gold medallist was ahead with 19.69 points.
For the tournament here, the taijiquan, a soft and slow fluent movement martial art, is combined with the taijijian, which involves taijiquan and swordplay, as one event.
Yesterday, Malaysia gained two bronzes from Pui Fook Chien and Diana Bong.
The three-day wushu tournament is held in conjunction with the Olympic Games. The medals are not counted in the Olympic tally.
A total of 10 gold medals are at stake in the tournament which is split into floor disciplines called "taolu" and combat fighting known as "sanshou". China has won five golds, so far.Malaysia's seven competitors here are Ang Eng Chong (men's changquan), Lee Yang (men's taijiquan and taijijian combined), Lim Yew Fai (men's jianshu and qiangshu combined), Pui Fook Chien (men's nanquan and nangun combined), Diana Bong (women's nanquan and nandao combined), Chai Fong Wei (women's daoshu and gunshu combined) and Chai Fong Ying (women's taijiquan and taijijuan combined).
-- BERNAMA
Olympic Day 13 : Wushu - Malaysia's World Bronze Medallist Disappoints In Men's Changquan
BEIJING, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's world bronze medallist Ang Eng Chong finished a disappointing eighth with 9.25 points in the men's changquan on the second day of the Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008.
China's world champion Yuan Xiachao was near flawless as he delighted the home crowd in the long fist discipline to grab the gold with 9.83 points while Semen Udelov of Russia and Ehsan Pewyghambari of Iran took the silver and bronze this morning.
Watching on was China's Jet Li, himself a child wushu star who punched and kicked his way to film stardom and Hollywood. He made a quick exit soon after he was caught by television cameras inside the venue at the Olympic Sports Centre gymnasium.
Malaysia's reigning world champion Chai Fong Ying is lagging behind in the taijiquan. She will have to step up in the next routine, the taijijian, Saturday night to improve her medal contention.
In the taijiquan this morning, the 21-year-old Malaysian was in third spot with 9.64 points. China's Cui Wenjuan is leading with 9.85 points, Japan's Ai Miyaoka is second with 9.66 points and Taiwan's Fan Man Yun is lurking in fourth place with 9.62 points.
For the tournament here, the taijiquan, a soft and slow fluent movement martial art, is combined with the taijijian, which involves taijiquan and swordplay, as one event.
Tonight, national pugilist Pui Fook Chien will complete the nangun, a southern China cudgel displine, in the men's nanquan and nangun combined event and if he produces another solid performance, he will go home with a medal.
Fook Chien was joint second in the nanquan, the southern China style of fist boxing, yesterday, with Kok Nakata of Japan on 9.72 points, just two hundreth of a point behind leader Willy Wang of the Philippines.Another Malaysian, Diana Bong, will be in the women's nanquan tonight after her seventh placing in the nandao, an element of nanquan but which uses a short broad sword, yesterday. The medals are awarded for the nanquan and nandao combined event in the women's competition.
Lee Yang, Malaysia's world bronze medallist in 2005, will start off tonight in the men's taijijian and in the taijiquan tomorrow night.
A total of 10 gold medals are at stake in the tournament, which is split into floor disciplines called "tao lu" and combat fighting known as "sanshou", held alongside the Olympic Games.China have grabbed three gold already in the men's changquan, men's daoshu and gunshu combined event and women's jiangshu and qiangshu combined event. The women's changquan gold was lifted by Iran's Daria Tarasova.
Malaysia's seven competitors here are Ang Eng Chong (men's changquan), Lee Yang (men's taijiquan and taijijian combined), Lim Yew Fai (men's jianshu and qiangshu combined), Pui Fook Chien (men's nanquan and nangun combined), Diana Bong (women's nanquan and nandao combined), Chai Fong Wei (women's daoshu and gunshu combined) and Chai Fong Ying (women's taijiquan and taijijuan combined).
-- BERNAMA
China's world champion Yuan Xiachao was near flawless as he delighted the home crowd in the long fist discipline to grab the gold with 9.83 points while Semen Udelov of Russia and Ehsan Pewyghambari of Iran took the silver and bronze this morning.
Watching on was China's Jet Li, himself a child wushu star who punched and kicked his way to film stardom and Hollywood. He made a quick exit soon after he was caught by television cameras inside the venue at the Olympic Sports Centre gymnasium.
Malaysia's reigning world champion Chai Fong Ying is lagging behind in the taijiquan. She will have to step up in the next routine, the taijijian, Saturday night to improve her medal contention.
In the taijiquan this morning, the 21-year-old Malaysian was in third spot with 9.64 points. China's Cui Wenjuan is leading with 9.85 points, Japan's Ai Miyaoka is second with 9.66 points and Taiwan's Fan Man Yun is lurking in fourth place with 9.62 points.
For the tournament here, the taijiquan, a soft and slow fluent movement martial art, is combined with the taijijian, which involves taijiquan and swordplay, as one event.
Tonight, national pugilist Pui Fook Chien will complete the nangun, a southern China cudgel displine, in the men's nanquan and nangun combined event and if he produces another solid performance, he will go home with a medal.
Fook Chien was joint second in the nanquan, the southern China style of fist boxing, yesterday, with Kok Nakata of Japan on 9.72 points, just two hundreth of a point behind leader Willy Wang of the Philippines.Another Malaysian, Diana Bong, will be in the women's nanquan tonight after her seventh placing in the nandao, an element of nanquan but which uses a short broad sword, yesterday. The medals are awarded for the nanquan and nandao combined event in the women's competition.
Lee Yang, Malaysia's world bronze medallist in 2005, will start off tonight in the men's taijijian and in the taijiquan tomorrow night.
A total of 10 gold medals are at stake in the tournament, which is split into floor disciplines called "tao lu" and combat fighting known as "sanshou", held alongside the Olympic Games.China have grabbed three gold already in the men's changquan, men's daoshu and gunshu combined event and women's jiangshu and qiangshu combined event. The women's changquan gold was lifted by Iran's Daria Tarasova.
Malaysia's seven competitors here are Ang Eng Chong (men's changquan), Lee Yang (men's taijiquan and taijijian combined), Lim Yew Fai (men's jianshu and qiangshu combined), Pui Fook Chien (men's nanquan and nangun combined), Diana Bong (women's nanquan and nandao combined), Chai Fong Wei (women's daoshu and gunshu combined) and Chai Fong Ying (women's taijiquan and taijijuan combined).
-- BERNAMA
Olympic Day 13 : Diving - Bryan Misses Semifinals Boat Again
BEIJING, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's Bryan Nickson Lomas was outclassed in his bid to enter the Olympics semifinals for the first time when he finished 26th out of a field of 30 in the men's 10m platform dive Friday night.
The Malaysian teenager who has not upped the difficulty of his dives paid costly for his inconsistency in the qualifying round where China's Zhou Luxin set a scorching pace with 539.80 points from six dives.
Bryan totalled 384.45 points, very distant from the 18th spot, the last semifinal ticket, that was clinched by Colombia's Juan Geullermo Uran with 418 points.
It was a disappointing outing for the 18-year-old national diver who missed the cut in Athens four years ago with a 19th finishing.
Friday night, he was clustered in joint 19th with four others after the first round with identical 72 points. He slipped two rungs after getting 68.85 for his second dive, a reverse two-and-a-half somersault.
But he plunged himself into jeopardy in the next two attempts. His body arched into the waters for a costly low of 44.80 in his third dive and he did little better with the fourth to post a 49.50 and was relegated to 27th spot.
He came back with 74.40 and 74.80 in the last two dives and it was all over.At the top, Zhou gave a clear hands off warning to the rest with his leading margin of 30 points and a stunning 99 point score in his fourth jump, a back three-and-an-half somersault.
Also in the top group were Australia's Matthew Mitchum who qualified second best with 509.60 and Russian world champion Gleb Galperin who is making a comeback from a spinal injury last year.
The semifinals and final are scheduled Saturday.
-- BERNAMA
The Malaysian teenager who has not upped the difficulty of his dives paid costly for his inconsistency in the qualifying round where China's Zhou Luxin set a scorching pace with 539.80 points from six dives.
Bryan totalled 384.45 points, very distant from the 18th spot, the last semifinal ticket, that was clinched by Colombia's Juan Geullermo Uran with 418 points.
It was a disappointing outing for the 18-year-old national diver who missed the cut in Athens four years ago with a 19th finishing.
Friday night, he was clustered in joint 19th with four others after the first round with identical 72 points. He slipped two rungs after getting 68.85 for his second dive, a reverse two-and-a-half somersault.
But he plunged himself into jeopardy in the next two attempts. His body arched into the waters for a costly low of 44.80 in his third dive and he did little better with the fourth to post a 49.50 and was relegated to 27th spot.
He came back with 74.40 and 74.80 in the last two dives and it was all over.At the top, Zhou gave a clear hands off warning to the rest with his leading margin of 30 points and a stunning 99 point score in his fourth jump, a back three-and-an-half somersault.
Also in the top group were Australia's Matthew Mitchum who qualified second best with 509.60 and Russian world champion Gleb Galperin who is making a comeback from a spinal injury last year.
The semifinals and final are scheduled Saturday.
-- BERNAMA
Olympic Day 12 : Walking - Ice Water Knocks Out Yu Fang
BEIJING, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- While rain could not stop Russia's Olga Kaniskina from carving the Olympics record in the women's 20km walk Thursday, Malaysia's Yuan Yu Fang did not get to see the finish line.The veteran walker dropped out after 12km due to stomach pains which hit her soon after the start.
"I took some ice water this morning, maybe it was because of that. It got so uncomfortable that I couldn't continue any more," said the 32-year-old of her dismal exit from her third Olympics.
In Athens, she was 35th and was aiming for at least 15th spot this time in a field of 48 entries.
After the first two kilometres, Yu Fang was in 21st place and a distant 35th after four kilometres. She passed the sixth kilometre mark in 40th position and by the middle of the race, she was trailing 46th in the last group.
Kaniskina only let her emotions show as she strode to the finish to celebrate a Games record of 1:26:31s, surpassing the previous mark of 1:29:05s set by Wang Liping of China in Sydney in 2000.
The rain and the sodden track had left questions as to whether the Russian champion could demolish the three-year-old world record of 1:25:41s belonging to compatriot Olimpiada Ivanova.
Yu Fang had qualified for the Olympics with her season's best of 1:32:48s, outside her national record of 1:32:25s.
The 15th place in the race today went to Germany's Sabine Zimmer who clocked 1:30:19s.
Yu Fang was the last of three field athletes entered by Malaysia. Both woman pole vaulter Roslinda Samsu and man high jumper Lee Hup Wei failed to advance from the qualifying rounds.
-- BERNAMA
"I took some ice water this morning, maybe it was because of that. It got so uncomfortable that I couldn't continue any more," said the 32-year-old of her dismal exit from her third Olympics.
In Athens, she was 35th and was aiming for at least 15th spot this time in a field of 48 entries.
After the first two kilometres, Yu Fang was in 21st place and a distant 35th after four kilometres. She passed the sixth kilometre mark in 40th position and by the middle of the race, she was trailing 46th in the last group.
Kaniskina only let her emotions show as she strode to the finish to celebrate a Games record of 1:26:31s, surpassing the previous mark of 1:29:05s set by Wang Liping of China in Sydney in 2000.
The rain and the sodden track had left questions as to whether the Russian champion could demolish the three-year-old world record of 1:25:41s belonging to compatriot Olimpiada Ivanova.
Yu Fang had qualified for the Olympics with her season's best of 1:32:48s, outside her national record of 1:32:25s.
The 15th place in the race today went to Germany's Sabine Zimmer who clocked 1:30:19s.
Yu Fang was the last of three field athletes entered by Malaysia. Both woman pole vaulter Roslinda Samsu and man high jumper Lee Hup Wei failed to advance from the qualifying rounds.
-- BERNAMA
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