Beijing Olympic Games

ATLANTA (AP)—Here’s a no-brainer: Michael Phelps was named USA Swimming’s athlete of the year on Saturday.Phelps’ mother, Debbie, was on hand at the group’s convention to accept the award. He won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, breaking Mark Spitz’s 36-year-old record.

Continue reading ‘Big surprise: Phelps wins top USA Swimming award’ »

Phelps returns to Michigan, his 2nd home

By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP)—Michael Phelps returned to the University of Michigan, his home for four years before the Beijing Games.

Continue reading ‘Phelps returns to Michigan, his 2nd home’ »

Updated: 2008-02-04

Chinese team tops women’s 4X100m medley relay.

(BEIJING, Feb. 4) — On Monday morning, the finals of six events of the “Good Luck Beijing” 2008 Swimming China Open were staged at the National Aquatics Center, with Hungary and China taking two titles each, while Sweden and Germany each had one title.

In the men’s 50m freestyle final

Updated: 2007-09-17 From: Xinhuanet

NANJING, Southeast China, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese pair LinYue and Huo Liang claimed the opening gold here on Saturday at the2007 Diving World Series, making three consecutive wins in the men’s 10m platform synchronized event at the three-leg World Series.

The teenage duo, who won the event at the FINA World Championships in Melbourne this March, led the three pairs of finalists since the first round. Although they failed to keep the synchronization in the last dive, Lin and Huo pulled off the gold with a total score of 487.80 points.

“We feel a little bit tired during the competition,” said Huo, “So we didn’t done well enough this time. But in general, we are satisfied with the result.”

Erick Fornaris and Jose Guerra from Cuba followed the home pairwith 447.12 points. American duet Thomas Finchum and David Boudia finished third at 427.68 points.

Boudia and Finchum grabbed the bronze of this event in Melbourne while Fornaris and Guerra were the fourth finished pair at the 12th World Championships.

Having competed in Britain and Mexico respectively in the first two legs of the World Series in the past two weeks, several divers were too tired to perform in the final stop in Nanjing.

The inaugural Diving World Series is reserved for the cream of the crop in the sport: the top-eight from the World Championships in the individual events and the top-six in the synchronized events.

Updated: 2007-09-17 From: Xinhuanet

NANJING, Southeast China, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — American Troy Dumais became the only diver eliminated in the semifinals of the men’s 3m springboard at the world series event here on Saturday.

Only five divers entered the semifinals. Veteran Russian diver Dmitry Sautin withdrew from the competitions in the last minute due to back injury.

Qin Kai of China, a double gold medallist of 3m springboard and 3m sychronized diving events in the 2007 world swimming championships, led the qualifiers with 520.95 points from 6 dives. He also boosted the semifinal’s highest mark of 98 points from his fourth dive, a forward 3 and a half somersaults with tuck position.

Qin kai’s teammate He Chong, who had the highest total of degree of difficulty at 20.2, finished second at 513.80.

The other two qualifiers are 2005 world champion Alexandre Despatie of Canada and Terauchi Ken of Japan at 505.00 and 502.00 points respectively.

The three-leg world series diving meet, which was inaugurated in Sheffield, Britain two weeks ago, will end here on Sunday after eight Olympic diving events. The second leg of the series was held in Mexico City last week.

Only the top eight finishers and the top six pairs of synchronized diving of the world championships can compete in the event.

Updated: 2007-09-17 From: Xinhuanet

NANJING, Southeast China, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — World champion Wang Xin led China a one-two finish in the semifinals of the women’s 10m platform at the world diving series event here on Saturday.

Wang, who won the title in the 2007 swimming worlds, totaled 434.80 points from her five beautifully executed dives. Her teammate Chen Ruolin, a synchronized diving specialist who won the title in the swimming worlds together with partner Jia Tong, finished a distant second at 388.85.

Paola Espinosa of Mexico ranked third in the semifinals, totaling 370.65. Emillie Heymans of Canada completed the qualifiers’ list with a total of 361.00 points.

The finals of the men’s 3m springboard, women’s 10m platform, women’s 3m springboard synchronized diving and men’s 10m platform synchronized diving will be held later on Saturday.

The three-leg world series diving tournament was inaugurated in Sheffield, Britain two weeks ago while the second leg of the event was held in Mexico City last week.

Only the top eight finishers of individual events and the top six of synchronized diving events at the world championships can take part in the tournament.

Updated: 2007-08-19 From: Xinhuanet

BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) — Italian cyclist Bosisio Gabriele won the men’s road race at the “2007 Good Luck Beijing” International Road Cycling Tournament here on Saturday.

In Beijing’s August scorching sun, Bosisio clocked four hours and 27 minutes and 14 seconds to take the gold after covering the 174 kilometers course.

Alexandr Dyachenko of Kazakhstan took the silver in 4:27:17, while the bronze medal went to Vincenzo Nibali of Italy with a result of 4:28:01.