Michael Phelps carved his name among the Olympic greats yesterday, smashing another world record in the pool to join Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis in an elite group on a record nine career golds.
An imperious victory in the 200 metres freestyle also gave the 23-year-old American his third gold in Beijing as he seeks to overtake Spitz’s other record, seven golds at a single Games. “The ball’s rolling,” he said in his usual laid-back style, after carving almost a full second off his own world record.”We just need to keep that ball rolling.”Togo won its first Olympic medal, in kayaking, and North Korea won a rare gold, but the record books will remember Phelps on Tuesday for another powerful performance at the Water Cube.CANOE Togo’s first medallist at an Olympics, white-water kayaker Benjamin Boukpeti, said it was finally time for him to visit the country he competes for.He was born in France to a French mother while his father and two sisters are from Togo.”Unfortunately, I’ve only ever been once to Togo, when I was very little, because my mother wanted to present me to my grandmother,” Boukpeti said after earning a bronze in the singles kayak event on Tuesday.ATHLETICS Former world record holder Asafa Powell says Jamaican compatriot Usain Bolt and American world champion Tyson Gay will not run him down if he takes the lead in their anticipated Olympic 100-metres final showdown.”A lot of people are saying Usain and Tyson are very strong finishers but if I get out in front of them no matter how they are finishing, they won’t even close on me,” Powell told reporters on yesterday.Competition in the 100 metres begins on Friday with the final on Saturday.”I did some great things in practice for the past couple of weeks,” Powell said.”This is the first time I’ve seen my coach so excited.So all I have to do is go there and just be like I was in the last two races and I do it.”ROWING Defending champions the United States and Australia, with three-times Olympic champion James Tomkins on board, qualified yesterday for the men’s eight final after fighting out a thrilling battle on Lake Shunyi.The United States just edged the Australians in the repechage after losing their first heat to Sydney 2000 champions Britain.Australia had to race in the repechage after finishing last in their opening race when their rudder jammed, causing the boat to veer suddenly into another lane.WRESTLING/MEN Russia’s Islam-Beka Albiev handed Russia their second gold of the day in the 60kg Greco-roman wrestling at the Beijing Olympic Games yesterday.Azerbaijan’s Vitaliy Rahimov won the silver.Kazakhstan’s Nurbakyt Tengizbayev and Ruslan Tiumenbaev of Kyrgyzstan took bronze medals.Albiev, a 19-year-old from crisis-torn Ingushetia, looked the sharper fighter during the final and recorded a 3-0 decision by points.Nampa-Reuters and AFP”The ball’s rolling,” he said in his usual laid-back style, after carving almost a full second off his own world record.”We just need to keep that ball rolling.”Togo won its first Olympic medal, in kayaking, and North Korea won a rare gold, but the record books will remember Phelps on Tuesday for another powerful performance at the Water Cube.CANOE Togo’s first medallist at an Olympics, white-water kayaker Benjamin Boukpeti, said it was finally time for him to visit the country he competes for.He was born in France to a French mother while his father and two sisters are from Togo.”Unfortunately, I’ve only ever been once to Togo, when I was very little, because my mother wanted to present me to my grandmother,” Boukpeti said after earning a bronze in the singles kayak event on Tuesday.ATHLETICS Former world record holder Asafa Powell says Jamaican compatriot Usain Bolt and American world champion Tyson Gay will not run him down if he takes the lead in their anticipated Olympic 100-metres final showdown.”A lot of people are saying Usain and Tyson are very strong finishers but if I get out in front of them no matter how they are finishing, they won’t even close on me,” Powell told reporters on yesterday.Competition in the 100 metres begins on Friday with the final on Saturday.”I did some great things in practice for the past couple of weeks,” Powell said.”This is the first time I’ve seen my coach so excited.So all I have to do is go there and just be like I was in the last two races and I do it.”ROWING Defending champions the United States and Australia, with three-times Olympic champion James Tomkins on board, qualified yesterday for the men’s eight final after fighting out a thrilling battle on Lake Shunyi.The United States just edged the Australians in the repechage after losing their first heat to Sydney 2000 champions Britain.Australia had to race in the repechage after finishing last in their opening race when their rudder jammed, causing the boat to veer suddenly into another lane.WRESTLING/MEN Russia’s Islam-Beka Albiev handed Russia their second gold of the day in the 60kg Greco-roman wrestling at the Beijing Olympic Games yesterday.Azerbaijan’s Vitaliy Rahimov won the silver.Kazakhstan’s Nurbakyt Tengizbayev and Ruslan Tiumenbaev of Kyrgyzstan took bronze medals.Albiev, a 19-year-old from crisis-torn Ingushetia, looked the sharper fighter during the final and recorded a 3-0 decision by points.Nampa-Reuters and AFP
