Olympic action: Aug. 9
Thursday’s Olympic action has brought history making performances, both on the field, mat, and track. A sprinter claimed his thrown and a group of determined women got redemption after a heartbreaking World Cup loss. Thursday’s highlights are below, and they do contain spoilers of events that have not yet aired.
U.S. women’s soccer avenges World Cup loss, takes gold
Two goals from Carli Lloyd boosted the U.S. women’s soccer team over Japan Thursday, 2-1. The game was a rematch of the 2011 women’s World Cup final in which Japan beat the Americans in penalty kicks. It was the third gold medal in a row for the U.S. team, and Christie Rampone, Shannon Boxx, Heather Mitts, and Heather O’Reilly were on the team for all three. They are the only soccer players to ever win three consecutive Olympic gold medals. Canada beat France for the bronze medal.
Carli Lloyd celebrates with her Olympic champion teammates Thursday. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
U.S. women’s water polo defeats Spain for gold
The U.S. women’s water polo team made history as they also took gold Thursday, defeating Spain 8-5. It was the first gold medal for U.S. women’s water polo. The men’s team fell to Croatia Wednesday during the quarterfinal round.
Usain Bolt defends his 200m title
Bolt again proved all doubters wrong Thursday, as he earned his second gold of the London Games, winning the 200m event. We won with a 200m world-best time of 19.32 seconds, followed by fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake who also took silver in the 100m event. Blake finished in 19.44 seconds. The Jamaicans went 1-2-3 in the event, as fellow countryman Warren Weir took bronze. Bolt’s back-to-back gold medals in the 100m and 200m made history, as he is the first man to ever do so.
Germany takes gold in men’s beach volleyball
The Germans upset Brazilians Emanuel Rego and Alison Cerutti 23-21, 16-21, 16-14 to take the gold medal in men’s beach volleyball. Germans Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann becoming the first European team to claim the title in Olympic history. Latvia took the bronze medal, and both U.S. teams were eliminated early, Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal in the quarterfinal round, Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers in the Round of 16.
Ashton Eaton dominates decathlon
American Ashton Eaton won gold in the decathlon, followed by teammate Trey Hardee with the silver. While he fell short of the world and Olympic records, at 24 years old Eaton is decidedly the best all-around athlete in all of sports. His winning score of 8,869 points was the eighth-highest in Olympic history.
Gold for women’s boxing
The U.S. gold medals kept coming Thursday as 17-year-old Claressa Shields took gold in women’s middleweight boxing, defeating Russia’s Nadzeda Torolopova. The final score was 19-12 as Shields took an an opponent nearly twice her age. Irish lightweight Katie Taylor won her country’s first gold medal at the London Games and hometown favorite Nicola Adams took gold in the flyweight division.
