Beijing Olympic Games

Warren, Andrade hope to shake U.S. boxing woes

By Kevin Pedersen PA SportsTicker Staff Writer

The United States boxing team has not had much success in recent Olympic Games but, as the 2008 Olympics in Beijing approach, Team USA has reason for optimism thanks to a pair of world champions.

Flyweight Rau’Shee Warren and welterweight Demetrius Andrade headline the nine boxers that make up the American squad that will compete in this year’s Olympics.

Both Warren and Andrade won gold medals at the 2007 World Championships in Chicago and the duo gives the U.S. its best chance of winning more than one Olympic gold medal for the first time since Team USA took home three at Seoul in 1988.

The Americans won just two medals (one gold, one bronze) at the 2004 Games in Sydney - their worst showing in 56 years. Team USA won just one gold medal in 1992 and 1996 and was shut out in 2000.

But Warren, who was in Athens as a 17-year-old, will be the first American boxer since 1976 to complete in multiple Olympics and says that his experience will help him be more successful this time around.

“I’m more mature,” the Cincinnati native said. “I’ve learned the judging and the styles. I’ve spent the past four years listening and finding ways to use my speed against them.”

Warren’s main competition will be France’s Jerome Thomas, who won the bronze in 2000 and the silver medal in 2004. Thomas, however, lost in the first round at the 2007 Worlds to Russia’s Georgy Balakshin.

Despite the experience of Thomas, U.S. coach Robert “Herb” Martin believes that Warren has what it takes to become the first American flyweight since 1984 to capture Olympic gold.

“He’s the fastest I’ve ever seen,” Martin said. “He’s got hand speed, foot speed, and a good eye. He always knows where he is in the ring. He doesn’t get hit a lot. I believe he will have that gold medal.”

Andrade was convincing in his run to the title at the 2007 Worlds, capped by a second-round technical knockout of Thailand’s Non Boonjumnong.

The Providence, Rhode Island native says he will not be overconfident heading into Beijing because the target is now on his back.

“I gotta work even harder because I’m No. 1,” Andrade said. “Everyone’s going for me and I don’t know what they’ve been doing out there (to prepare).”

Luis Yanez, who was reinstated on July 16 after a series of appeals following his ban from the team for missing training, will compete in the light flyweight division and is a contender to win a medal in a division headlined by China’s Zou Shiming.

Shiming won bronze in 2004 - the first Olympic medalist in China’s history - and claimed back-to-back world titles in 2006 and 2007. He is the favorite to become the nation’s first Olympic gold medalist.

While the United States is just hoping to win multiple gold medals, Russia is viewed as the favorite to win the most medals in Beijing.

The Russians won three golds and eight medals total, dominating the 2007 World Championships.

Middleweight Matvei Korobov, bantamweight Sergey Vodopyanov and featherweight Albert Selimov all lead the loaded Russian team after capturing gold medals at last year’s Worlds.

Lightweight Aleksei Tichtchenko, who won bronze at the World Championships, is also a leading contender for the Russians. The 24-year-old won gold in Athens at featherweight and is moving up one weight class for the games in Beijing.

Heavyweight Rakhim Chakhkeiv, light heavyweight Artur Beterbiev and light welterweight Gennady Kovalev all won the silver medal in 2007 and will contend as well for the Russian team.

Generally not considered a boxing powerhouse, Italy also performed well in Chicago and is hoping to make a splash in Beijing. Heavyweight Clemente Russo and super heavyweight Roberto Cammarelle both claimed gold medals at last year’s World Championships.

Cammarelle won Italy’s only medal in Athens, claiming the bronze.

Cuba, which dominated the 2004 Olympics - winning five gold medals and eight medals total - will not be as strong with most of those fighters turning pro. The Cubans have won 21 medals at the last three Olympics and still should be able to take home multiple medals.

Other members of Team USA who could contend for a medal are bantamweight Gary Russell, Jr. and 6-8 power-punching heavyweight Deontay Wilder.

But if the Americans are hoping to make a name for themselves at the upcoming games, they will have to rely on the experience and leadership of Warren, who is ready for the competition.

“I’ve been thinking about it so much,” Warren said. “I want to fight for (the gold) right now. I want to go in the ring today.”

Updated: 2007-10-12

Six months after the major meeting of the year, the 12th FINA World Championships in Melbourne (AUS), and about 10 months before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing (CHN), the second edition of the FINA Synchronised Swimming World Trophy in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) will permit a new evaluation regarding world hierarchy in the discipline. From October 12-14, eight of the strongest teams on the planet will perform in duet, team and free combination, fighting for the World Trophy awarded at the end of the three-day competition.

In fact, the formula of the World Trophy is rather easy to understand; with direct finals – duet on October 12, team on October 13, and free combination on October 14 –, the scores for which are then added towards a general ranking for the World Trophy. This format, which requires each country to compete in all three events, turned out to be both successful and comprehensive for media and spectators during the first edition of the competition, held in October 2006 in Moscow (RUS).

Just like last year, the Russian delegation is expected to dominate the competition after the supremacy they have shown in recent years. In 2006, they secured the World Trophy with successes in both duet and team, although they lost to the USA in the free combination final. On the occasion of the 2007 FINA World Championships, for example, Anastasia Davydova, Anastasia Ermakova and company only lost one of the seven gold medals at stake.

Japan and Spain will be the next teams to ‘follow’. In Melbourne, the advantage went to the Europeans (four silver and two bronze, while the Asian delegation got two silver and four bronze), but in Rio an interesting fight will certainly take place for second place in the world hierarchy, behind ‘untouchable’ Russia.

After the ‘big three’ (Japan, Russia and Spain), and without China, the USA and Italy will be the teams to beat. The Americans will begin with a certain advantage, but Italy has been working hard in recent years to consolidate its status as a nation close to the ‘podium area’. The absence of the Canadian squad will facilitate the task for the Europeans, that will do everything possible to challenge the USA.

The remaining three teams of the competition are Brazil, Mexico and Egypt. The Brazilians, at home, are the favourites for the sixth overall placing, while the Mexicans and Egyptians will contest their ‘private’ fight for the seventh/eighth spot.

The second edition of the FINA Synchronised Swimming World Trophy will be held at the Maria Lenk National Aquatic Centre, a new facility that recently hosted the aquatic competitions of the Pan American Games.

Prize money

Attractive prize money will also be at stake at the end of the three-day competition. A total of US$154,500 will be distributed to the eight nations on the ranking of the World Trophy as follows:

• 1st Place US$50,000

• 2nd Place US$30,000

• 3rd Place US$20,000

• 4th Place US$15,000

• 5th Place US$12,500

• 6th Place US$10,000

• 7th Place US$9,000

• 8th Place US$8,000

(Credit: FINA. Click here for further information.)

Updated: 2007-10-09 From: Xinhuanet

LISBON, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) — Portuguese Swimming Federation coach, Rui Magalhaes, on Monday presented its annual training plan for athletes who want to take part in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

“An Olympic year begins with the work to prepare for the games,” Magalhaes said. “There will be a selection process.”

Six swimmers have achieved the minimum time needed for the Olympic Games, and the 4×200 meters team has also managed to qualify, he said.

Updated: 2007-09-28 From: Xinhuanet

CHONGQING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) — Chinese top summer Wu Peng successfully defended his national title in the men’s 200 meters butterfly on Thursday despite a lackluster performance.

Wu clocked one minute 58.43 seconds, more than 3 seconds off his personal best.

“I’m too tired to care the result,” said the 2007 world championships runner-up in the 200m butterfly. “But I’ve never thought that I could lose in national championships as long as I enter the event.”

Wu, who entered four individual events and three relays in the six-day national meet, said he was exhausted even before the competition started last Saturday.

“It’s my fifth competition within three months. I’m exhausted, but I’m trying to hold on,” said the 20-year-old.

Tired as he was, Wu looked quite relaxed during the national championships. He seemed to care more about the Chinese women’s soccer team rather than his own races.

When Wu was waiting in the athletes tunnel for check-in ahead of Sunday’s 100m butterfly heats, he was happy to find that a journalist brought a laptop and asked her to log on the Internet to search news about women’s World Cup quarterfinal between China and Norway.

After stepping out of the pool as the second fast qualifier, Wu walked to the journalist straightway and looked disappointed after knowing China lost 1-0 to Norway.

Since Olympic champion Luo Xuejuan announced her retirement earlier this year, Wu became more and more used to his role as the flag bearer of Chinese swimming.

Bearing the hope of becoming the first ever Chinese male swimmer to win an Olympic medal, Wu breezily shrugged off the pressure.

“I know there will be thousands of Chinese audience watching my races and hundreds of cameras focusing on me at the Beijing Olympics,” he said.

“I remembered that I was too nervous to talk after the semifinals at Athens Olympics. But now I could be relaxed during those big competitions.”

Wu admires Phelps very much for “he could swim fast in any place and at any time.”

“I’m looking forward to improving myself step by step through hard training,” said Wu. “I believe that the faster I could swim, the less pressure I would feel.”

Wu admitted that American wunderkind Michael Phelps is beyond his reach, but said he is full of confidence to defeat other rivals at next year’s Olympic Games.

Wu defended his Asian Games title last December in Doha in a personal best of 1:54.91. Three months later, the butterfly specialist managed to finish right behind the unbeatable Phelps in the four lap race at the world championships.

Updated: 2007-09-28 From: Xinhuanet

CHONGQING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) — Pang Jiaying won the national title of women’s 200m freestyle in the way she had expected.

When she touched the wall first at 1 minute 58.34 seconds here on Thursday, she became the first Chinese swam under the Beijing Olympic A qualification standard in this event.

“I came here just for meeting the Olympic A qualification standard in the 200 meters freestyle, ” said a tired Pang. “I felt great after winning the 100 meters freestyle on Monday. Therefore, I was very confident in the 200 meters event.”

Pang’s national teammates Tang Yi and Yang Yu trailed behind at 2 minutes 0.48 seconds and 2 minutes 0.53 seconds respectively, both failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics with a more than one second gap.

Less than 20 minutes after her sprint in the four-lap race, Pang joined her national teammates to claim victory in the women’s 4×100 meters medley relay by clocking in 4 minutes 9.17 seconds.

The 22-year-old sprinter also swam a leg for the national team in both free relays and had booked a spot for the 100 meters freestyle at Beijing Olympics.

Wu Peng, 20, met no challenges in the men’s 200 meters butterfly race, pulling off the gold with a lackluster result of 1 minute 58.43 seconds, 3.52 seconds behind his personal best.

“I’m too tired to consider of the result. But I had never thought about losing the national title as long as I competed in the event,” said Wu.

The butterfly specialist clinched a silver at this year’s World Championships in a time of 55.13 seconds, 3.04 seconds behind American wunderkind Michael Phelps.

In the closing event of the last competition day at the national swimming meet, national record holder Zhang Lin failed to rein the men’s 1,500 meters freestyle, defeated by Sun Yang and Zu Lijun.

Zhang finished third at 15 minutes 24.49 seconds, almost 10 seconds behind Sun’s winning result of 15 minutes 14.99. Zu’s result was 15 minutes 19.85 seconds.

The six-day competition was this year’s last Olympic qualifying meet for the Chinese swimmers.

Besides Pang’s breakthrough in the women’s 200 meters freestyle, Liaoning native Shi Feng made a splash by winning the men’s 100 meters butterfly final at a result under the Olympic A qualification standard.

Since then, most of the young swimmers are slated to compete at the National City Games in Wuhan late October. Wu Peng and some other swimmers from the national team might go to the United States for training in November.

China got only one gold in swimming through efforts of breaststroke expert Luo Xuejuan at the 2004 Athens Olympics. At the 2005 and 2007 FINA World Championships, Chinese swimmers failed to bring back any gold.

Updated: 2007-09-26

One year before the first Olympic race of open water swimming taking place in Beijing in the Rowing and Canoeing Olympic Course, the China Swimming Association welcomed on September 23 in Shantou the best 10km swimmers of the season for the eighth race of the 2007 FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup.

Amongst women, the young Brazilian Poliana Okimoto, second of the 5km and 10km of the 2006 World Championships, confirmed her ambition: she obtained her first FINA victory and will be in the list of favourites for the Olympic title. She finished two and four seconds in front of the two German favourites, respectively Britta Kamrau-Corestein and Angela Maurer, the leaders of the general standings.

In the men’s race, the Italian Valerio Cleri confirmed his success of the seventh race of the competition few weeks ago in Vienna (AUT). Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE), third in Vienna, progressed until the second place. Also worth of note is the comeback of Simone Ercoli (ITA), third, who was second of the 10km at the 2002 World Championships.

Medallists in Shantou

Men - 1. Valerio Cleri (ITA) 1h43m19s; 2. Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE) 1h43m20s; 3. Simone Ercoli (ITA) 1h43m22s

Women - 1. Poliana Okimoto (BRA) 1h47m49s; 2. Britta Kamrau-Corestein (GER) 1h47m51s; 3. Angela Maurer (GER) 1h47m53s

Standings after eight races

Men – 1. Vladimir Dyatchin (RUS) 84 pts; 2. Maarten van der Weijden (NED) 66 pts; 3. Mohamed El Zanaty (EGY) 48 pts

Women – 1. Angela Maurer (GER) 108 pts; 2. Britta Kamrau-Corestein (GER) 80 pts; 3. Poliana Okimoto (BRA) 50 pts

(Credit: FINA. Click here for further information.)

Messi belongs in Beijing, says Argentina coach

TOKYO, July 30 (Reuters) - Argentina’s Olympic soccer coach Sergio Batista has pleaded for Barcelona forward Lionel Messi to be released for next month’s Beijing Games.

Soccer’s world governing body FIFA has delayed its decision on the release of players for Beijing but Batista is hopeful of having Messi available.

“It is the dream of every player dreams to play in the Olympics,” Batista told reporters after Tuesday’s warm-up match against Japan.

“The players expect Messi to join the team. But it’s not a question of the player’s will alone so we have to wait for FIFA’s decision.

“Messi is in contact with the team and wants to help the team. He is part of this team so we hope for a good outcome.”

A judge has been asked to decide if FIFA is correct in saying that clubs must release under-23 players who are called up to their national Olympic squads for the Aug. 8-24 Games.

Barcelona are among several top European clubs who have challenged FIFA’s interpretation, arguing that the Olympics are not included on the international match calendar.

Barca president Joan Laporta threatened to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if FIFA order them to release Messi for the Olympics.

Argentina, who won soccer gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics, beat Japan 1-0 in a game abandoned after 83 minutes following a flash storm in Tokyo.

Batista’s side face Ivory Coast, Serbia and Australia in Group A in Beijing.

(Reporting by Alastair Himmer; Editing by Ed Osmond) (For more stories visit our multimedia website “Road to Beijing” at http://www.reuters.com/news/sports/2008olympics ; and see our blog at http://blogs.reuters.com/china )