Hope Solo hit with six-month ban over 'cowards' comments

U.S. Soccer handed goalkeeper Hope Solo a six-month ban from internationals on Wednesday after she branded opponents Sweden "a bunch of cowards" at this month's Rio Olympics.

The Swedes beat the United States 4-3 in a shootout on Aug. 12 to move into the semi-finals at the Rio Games, denying the Americans a chance to win a fourth straight Olympic title.

"The comments by Hope Solo after the match against Sweden during the 2016 Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our national team players," U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said in a statement.


"Beyond the athletic arena, and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect. We expect all of our representatives to honour those principles, with no exceptions.

"Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope, as well as the private conversations we've had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner befitting a U.S. national team member, U.S. Soccer determined this is the appropriate disciplinary action."

Solo, who was previously suspended for 30 days in early 2015 for her conduct, would start her suspension immediately, U.S. Soccer said.

The 35-year-old hit the headlines in January last year over a domestic violence case that was dismissed after she pleaded not guilty to striking her sister and nephew during a dispute at her home in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland.

Solo, who played on Olympic gold medal-winning teams in 2008 and 2012, said in a statement to Sports Illustrated she was "saddened" by the ban.

"For 17 years, I dedicated my life to the U.S. women's national team and did the job of a pro athlete the only way I knew how - with passion, tenacity, an unrelenting commitment to be the best goalkeeper in the world, not just for my country, but to elevate the sport for the next generation of female athletes.

"In those commitments, I have never wavered."

Following the United States' exit from the Rio Games tournament, Solo told the magazine she was proud of her team mates for coming back from a goal down to draw 1-1 but was highly critical of Sweden's tactics.

"I'm very proud of this team," she said.

"But I also think we played a bunch of cowards. The best team did not win today," said Solo, who later confirmed in a Tweet she had made the comments after the match in Brasilia.

"Sweden dropped off. They did not want open play. They didn't want to pass the ball. They didn't want to play great soccer."

As a result of her suspension, Solo will not be eligible for selection to the U.S. national team until February next year.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Argentina go 2-0 but Spain lose again

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Argentina and Lithuania stayed unbeaten but two-time runner-up Spain’s Olympic basketball hopes took a hit Tuesday with a surprise loss to hosts Brazil.

Luis Scola scored 13 of his 23 points in the first-quarter to stake an early lead for the Argentines, who were more in-synch than Croatia and buoyed again by boisterous fans from their nearby homeland.

Argentina stretched the advantage to as much as 20 in the third quarter before holding off a late Croatian push in a day of Group B play.

“It’s like a home game,” guard Carlos Delfino said of the pulsating fan support. “I think only Brazil might have that kind of support (at the Rio Games).”

For the second straight game, Spain went down on a last-second play. Brazil’s Marcus Marquinhos tipped in a missed shot with five seconds left for a thrilling 66-65 victory in front of a charged-up home crowd.

Spain’s Sergio Llull then missed from inside the paint at the buzzer to seal a contest that dropped the Spaniards to 0-2. Spain – Olympic runners-up to the United States in 2008 and 2012 – also lost to Croatia 72-70 when a shot by NBA star Pau Gasol was blocked at the buzzer.

The USA team of NBA players is heavily favoured to win the tournament for the third straight Olympics. They are 2-0 and in command of Group A after defeating China and Venezuela by a combined 101 points.

Next up for Argentina is a battle for Group B supremacy with Lithuania, which moved to 2-0 with a 89-80 defeat of Nigeria.

Mantas Kalnietis and Jonas Maciulis each scored 21 points for Lithuania, which held off a late Nigerian rally. Argentina is the only country since 1988 to take home Olympic gold other than the USA, winning in 2004.

The Brooklyn Nets’ Scola, 36, 39-year-old Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs, and Delfino – veterans of the 2004 team – are leading what will be their final Olympic quest. Spain’s Gasol, who finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, was so mercilessly taunted by Brazilian fans that it prompted a post-game apology from game-winner Marquinhos.

“I understand the crowd. We are hosting the Olympics,” Maquinhos said. “But I would like to apologise in the name of the Brazilian people. I know that it was not disrespectful. Here in Brazil we tend to go after the best player of the other team.”

The raucous crowd appeared to unsettle Gasol, who was just 5-of-12 from the free-throw line. Spain had once talked of dethroning the USA and it entered as Group B favourites but must now struggle to simply reach the quarters.

They will try to resuscitate those flagging hopes in their next game against fellow 0-2 Nigeria.

“I trust my teammates. We don’t have to be in a bad way,” Spain’s Rudy Fernandez said. “We have a chance to win the title if we win the next three games.”

Brazil captain Marcelinho Huertas led his team with 11 points and seven assists.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Japan end China's reign as team champions

RIO DE JANEIRO - Not even the curse of the pommel horse could halt Japan's march to the men's team gymnastics title at the Rio Olympics on Monday as China's eight-year reign as champions came to an end after a day of slips, trips and botched landings.

Four years after Kohei Uchimura's botched dismount from the pommel horse almost denied Japan a team medal in London, it looked as if the same apparatus would be their undoing again when Koji Yamamuro lost his grip and rolled off.

But unlike in 2012, when they ended up with silver behind China, Yamamuro's score of 13.900 was their only blip in Rio as they put in a command performance on the remaining five apparatus to capture gold with a total of 274.094.

In a sport where tenths of a point can mean the difference between a gold medal and no medal at all, their total was 2.641 points more than surprise silver medallists Russia.

The Chinese team of Lin Chaopan, Deng Shudi, Zhang Chenglong, Liu Yang and You Hao sat back dejectedly in their chairs after Russia pipped them by 0.331 points to silver, with Zhang breaking down in tears afterwards backstage.

For all Uchimura's past success, the men's Olympic team gold was the one major medal missing from his vast collection, which includes the 2012 all around title, a record six successive world all around golds and the 2015 world team crown.

On Monday, he stood side-by-side with teary-eyed 2012 London Games survivors Yamamuro, Ryohei Kato and Yusuke Tanaka and new kid on the block Kenzo Shirai in triumph, their index fingers raised to confirm their standing in men's gymnastics.

"This was the event I really wanted to win gold in," Uchimura said after Japan returned to the top of the Olympic podium for the first time since 2004.

"You really have to work on yourself to become number one."

BAD DAY FOR CHINA

Japan's gold medal winning performance came just two days after an error-filled display in qualifying, which included Uchimura falling off the horizontal bar.

China, who topped qualifying, had obviously saved their mistakes for the final.

Their failure to stick landings meant their hopes of completing a hat-trick of Olympic titles was over long before their final three competitors had mounted the horizontal bar.

In fact they looked in danger of missing out on the medals completely after stumbles and falls on the vault, rings and floor exercise left them trailing in fifth place with two rotations to go.

However, they surged back with a strong showing in the parallel bars that lifter them into third with one rotation to go.

When Japan's Kato, Shirai and Uchimura scored a combined 47.199 on their final apparatus -- the floor exercise -- China's Deng, Lin and Zhang knew they would have to score more than 47.94 points on the horizontal bar to overhaul them.

Once Deng (14.400) and Lin (15.000) had completed their dismount, China knew it was game over as Zhang was left needing to do something that has never been done in gymnastics -- score more than 18 points on an apparatus.

It was a day when not much went right for China, with the announcer at the Rio Olympic Arena hailing Liu Yang's strong showing on the rings by saying. "Deng Shudi looks delighted with his performance" and then having to watch their incorrectly-designed flag raised on the lowest pole after claiming bronze.

China, who also saw their 12-year reign as world champions ended by Japan last October, finished with a total of 271.122, behind Russian in second with 271.453.

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Gold for Phelps as records tumble in Olympic pool

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- US swimming legend Michael Phelps extended his record gold medal tally in a day of Olympic drama that saw world records, a first title for Kosovo and a heart-stopping crash.

Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, inspired the United States to victory in the 4x100m freestyle relay before he starts his personal campaign on Monday.

The Olympic swimming battle will also see Russia's Yuliya Efimova, retrieved from a drug ban, in contention for a medal.

The 31-year-old Phelps -- who has now won 19 gold medals -- roared with delight and hugged his team-mates after they came home ahead of defending champions France in silver, with Australia third.

It was a fairytale moment for Phelps, who came out of retirement for one last crack at the Olympics.

He will be in the 200m butterfly heats on Monday having seen the relay display cap a superb night of swimming with three world records broken.

Katie Ledecky obliterated her own world best in the 400m freestyle on her way to gold.

The 19-year-old touched the wall in 3min 56.46sec, taking nearly two seconds off her previous record.

Ledecky is bidding to become the first Olympian since Debbie Meyer in 1968 to win the 200m, 400m and 800m free in the same Games.

- 'It's surreal, crazy' -

Britain's Adam Peaty took more than 1.5sec off the men's 100m breaststroke world record after Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom had also broken the record in the women's race.

"It's surreal. It was crazy. It's amazing and I probably won't be able to sleep tonight," Peaty said.

The spellbinding action in the pool brought the curtain down on an intense day of sport with 14 gold medals shared out.

Among the most popular winners was the hard-as-nails judoka Majlinda Kelmendi from Kosovo, taking part in its first Games after only gaining Olympic status in 2014.

The 25-year-old sank to her knees in tears after out-grappling Italy's Odette Giuffrida to win by yuko in the women's 52kg final.

Kosovo is the 100th country to win an Olympic gold medal.

"I have always wanted to show the world that Kosovo is not just a country that has gone through war," Kelmendi beamed.

"We have survived a war. There are still kids who don’t know if their parents are alive, don't have anything to eat or books to go to school. So the fact of becoming Olympic champion is just huge for all of us."

- Tennis victims -
The day began with strong winds wreaking havoc at several Olympic venues.

The entire day of rowing was called off after gusts churned waters making it impossible to row. Strong winds also delayed the tennis, which saw a slew of upsets when action resumed.

The biggest casualty was world number one Novak Djokovic, bounced out 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2) in the opening round of the men's singles by Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro.

It was an unexpected win for del Potro, who has struggled with wrist injuries in recent years.

"It was an amazing match for me. I didn't expect to win tonight as I know the situation with my wrist," said del Potro.

In the women's doubles, Venus and Serena Williams' long reign as champions came to an end when they lost to Czech duo Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova in the first round.

"It was what it was. We have a chance to compete for our country and did the best that we can. We had a blast out there," said 34-year-old Serena after the 6-3, 6-4 defeat.

The women's cycling road race was won by Anna van der Breggen, who overcame the shock of seeing team-mate Annemiek van Vleuten lying stricken on the road after a horrific crash to win gold on Copacabana beach.

Van Vleuten was taken to intensive care with cracked vertebrae.

There was more disappointment for hosts Brazil in the Olympic football. They were booed off for a second straight game after a 0-0 draw with Iraq.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

British foe confident of beating PH boxer Suarez

Joe Cordina, the fighter who ended Charly Suarez's Olympic campaign, said he never doubted he would triumph against the older Filipino boxer when they fought in the first round of the lightweight competition in Rio.

Cordina took a split decision victory to advance to the second round, where he will be up against Hurshid Tojibaev.

Though it was a difficult bout by most accounts, Cordina said he never once doubted the final result will be in his favor.

"The second was a shaky round," Cordina said, as quoted by Wales Online. "But I made him miss a lot in the last, and I was not worried about the result."

Speaking to BBC, Cordina said that the pro-Suarez crowd, as well as the Filipino fighter's style, may have influenced the judges early on.


"They were quite noisy, the Filipinos," he said. "And then Suarez was showing off a little bit in the last round."

"I don't know why, because every time he lunged in with a shot, he was missing. So I don't know where he was getting all his confidence from," Cordina added.

Suarez, for his part, said he accepted the loss although he also belied he should have won.

"Tanggapin ko ang talo, pero para sa akin, lamang talaga ako (I accept my loss, but I believe I won the fight)," said Suarez.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rio is Phelps's chance to bow out on own terms

LOS ANGELES -- Michael Phelps is giving himself one last chance to get his Olympic farewell right.

It seems an odd aim for the owner of a record 22 Olympic medals, 18 of them gold.

Four gold medals and two silver in London in 2012 seemed a fitting enough finale to a career that peaked with Phelps's stunning eight-gold performance in Beijing.

But Phelps knew deep down that he could have done more four years ago, and that "haunted" feeling made it impossible for his post-London retirement to stick.


"I never wanted to have that 'what if,'" Phelps said of his decision to mount a fifth Olympic campaign in Rio de Janeiro, at the age of 31.

"This journey has been incredible. Being able to fall in love with the sport again is something that I've always wanted to do, and I did it on my terms."

However, his comeback has been far from smooth -- disrupted by a drink-driving arrest that sparked a painful period of self-examination.

Phelps has emerged stronger, his renewed relationship with his estranged father resonating even more after the birth of his own son, Boomer, with fiancee Nicole Johnson in May.

"It's a cool thing for Nicole and I, for where we are in our lives," Phelps said.

His relationship with long-time coach Bob Bowman endures, with Phelps voicing absolute trust in Bowman's ability to prepare him for his last Olympic hurrah.

He has a chance to make more history as he seeks a fourth straight gold in the 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley.

The only Olympians to win four consecutive titles in the same individual event are athletes Al Oerter in the discus (1956-68) and Carl Lewis in the long jump (1984-96).

And he would love to avenge his 2012 loss to South African Chad le Clos in the 200m fly -- the first event Phelps ever swam in the Olympics -- in Sydney in 2000.

- 'This is it' -

At the peak of his career, Phelps said he was out to change his sport.

He's done so, raising swimming's profile in America with displays of individual excellence as well as thrilling duels with the likes of Ryan Lochte and Milorad Cavic.

The US Olympic trials are one testament to his success, drawing upwards of 14,000 fans per session.

But his more lasting legacy is found in the swimmers he inspired -- some of whom, like le Clos, he will race in Rio and some of whom have yet to reach the international stage.

Once the most intimidating man in the ready-room, Phelps now says he wants to mentor younger swimmers. For the first time he has been selected by his peers to serve as a captain of the US men's team.

"I just want to be able to help some of the younger guys," he said.

With swimming heading "in a direction I love," Phelps says there's "still more" for him to do.

"Do I know what that is right now? No. But I still feel that we can do more to promote this sport, even to another level than where we are right now."

But Phelps insists he knows what his future contribution won't include -- another competitive campaign.

"This is it. This is it -- no more," he vows. "The body is done. This is my last one."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com