LONDON, AUG 12 - Around the 2012 Olympics and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of the games to you:
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QUICKQUOTES: IN AWE OF BOLT
Here's what two American sprinters have to say about coming in second to Usain Bolt and the Jamaican men, who posted a world-record time of 36.84 seconds in the 4x100 relay Saturday night.
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Ryan Bailey, who ran the last leg of the relay and got the baton at same time as Bolt:
"Wow. He's a monster. He's a monster."
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Justin Gatlin:
"Bolt's just a great athlete. He's pushing the boundaries for track and field. I don't fold under the pressure: I want to be right there to push not only the sport but to help (Bolt) get better."
Is he a legend?
"Why not? He's run the times and he's broken the records. I can definitely give him the title of that — he's a living legend."
— Jenna Fryer — Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer
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JAVELIN GOLD
Keshorn Walcott went into the finals of the javelin hoping only for a good performance.
He finished with the first gold medal ever for Trinidad and Tobago in a field event.
"It wasn't the most popular event in Trinidad and Tobago. Hopefully now it will be known more," he said. "I'm more than stunned, I'm surprised with my performance. I just went into the final to enjoy.
"So coming out with a gold medal is a feeling I can't really explain."
— Jenna Fryer — Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer
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5TH GOLD, NEVER OLD
The U.S. women's basketball team is used to celebrating gold medals. They've done it five times in a row.
But it never gets old for them. The smiles, hugs and dancing Saturday night in London made it look like the first time all over again.
For some of the Americans it is. Players Lindsay Whalen, Maya Moore, Angel McCoughtry, Tina Charles and Asjha Jones and coach Geno Auriemma all picked up their first gold medals.
And even Olympic veteran Diana Taurasi, who got her third gold medal, was reduced to tears as she stepped to the top spot on the podium.
— Jon Krawczynski — Twitter http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski
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TOO MANY RULES
Usain Bolt on trying to keep the baton from his world-record 4x100 meter men's relay on Saturday night.
"I got the baton back, but at the start, they were saying I couldn't keep it because 'It's the rule.'"
"I got it back. It's weird, because they told me if I didn't give it back, I would be disqualified."
— Eddie Pells — Twitter http://twitter.com/epells
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MO'S TWINS
Britain's Mo Farah says he had extra motivation to win the 5,000 meters on Saturday night.
He already had one gold medal from the London Olympics — won a week ago in the 10,000 meters — and it was imperative that he make a pair.
"These two gold medals mean the world to me, because my wife is carrying twins," Farah explained. "I didn't want to have just one gold medal, and then have twins."
— Jenna Fryer — Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer
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QUICKQUOTE: FULL HEART
"I'm glad I got the medal. That's the part of my heart that was missing. I think I finally filled it. Sometimes it's bittersweet when you lose, I'm just happy to get a medal." — Tyson Gay, who was devastated when he failed to medal in the 100 meters, after winning first career medal — silver — on the U.S. 4x100 meter men's relay team Saturday night.
— Jenna Fryer — Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer
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OTHER DREAM TEAM
The fifth straight gold was never in doubt for the U.S. women's basketball team.
Candace Parker scored 21 points and the Americans rolled to a 86-50 victory over France on Saturday, cementing their status as Team USA's other Dream Team. With a cavalcade of stars, the American women have won 41 straight games and haven't shown even the slightest signs of vulnerability.
The French started out plucky, leading early in the second quarter. But Parker's coast-to-coast drives and a suffocating defense turned a 12-point halftime lead into a blowout midway through the third quarter.
It was the first gold medal for coach Geno Auriemma, who has led the UConn women to seven national titles.
— Jon Krawczynski — Twitter http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski
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QUICKQUOTE: AMERICAN RECORD
"Wow. Impressive. Listen, when you run as fast as you can and you get bested, you just have to take a silver medal and be happy. ... The only thing I can say is I was on the old American record (4x100 relay) and I feel good being the coach of the new American record." — American relay coach John Drummond on the world-record performance of the Jamaican 4x100 relay team anchored by Usain Bolt and the U.S. men who got the silver behind them at the London Olympics.
— Jenna Fryer — Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer
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QUICKQUOTE: LONDON IS SPECIAL
"It's unbelievable. I think about how I ended in Beijing, just feeling discouraged there. Four years later, to have all this happen, to really accomplish every goal that I set out, it such a blessing. London is very special to me." — U.S. sprinter Allyson Felix on winning three gold medals at the London Olympics, including one Saturday night in the women's 4x400 meters relay.
— Jenna Fryer — Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer
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QUICKQUOTE: 'VICTORY LAP'
"The ladies were phenomenal. They made it too easy for me. DeeDee got off to a great start and Allyson really opened it up. By the time I got the stick, it was basically a victory lap." — Sanya Richards-Ross, who ran the closing leg as the U.S. team won gold Saturday night in the women's 4x400 meters relay.
— Jenna Fryer — Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer
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DESTINEE DENIED
It turns out gold wasn't the Americans' Destinee after all.
Star scorer Destinee Hooker and the U.S. women's volleyball team lost to Brazil in the gold medal game on Saturday, 11-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-17.
The United States has never won gold in women's volleyball. But with Hugh McCutcheon taking over as coach after leading the men to gold in Beijing and Hooker spiking the Americans to a spotless Olympic record coming into the final, the Americans looked to have their best gold chances yet.
But Brazil won three straight sets after getting dominated in the first to repeat as Olympic champions. The upset left Americans players sobbing and Brazilians turning somersaults on the court.
— Jon Krawczynski — Twitter http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski
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PARKER'S RAZZLE-DAZZLE
Candace Parker is doing a little bit of everything to help Team USA try to grab its fifth straight women's basketball gold medal. She's been electric, overpowering.
She's scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the first half to help the Americans take control with a 37-25 lead over France at halftime.
Parker has the height of a center, the handle of a point guard and the instincts to tie it all together.
She's shown it all in the gold medal game, twice taking the ball coast-to-coast on the break, finishing one with a pretty scoop layup to get the Americans, and the crowd, rolling.
— Jon Krawczynski — Twitter http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski
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CUBA'S REDEMPTION
Roniel Iglesias has helped the proud boxing nation of Cuba get back to the top.
Iglesias won the gold medal in the light welterweight division on Saturday, beating Ukrainian Denys Berinchyk on points, 22-15.
The victory helps Cuba, long a breeding ground for excellent amateur fighters, get back to the top of the podium after failing to win a gold at the Beijing Olympics. Iglesias won silver in 2008.
It's the 33rd boxing gold medal for Cuba, which is second in Olympic history to the United States' 48.
— Jon Krawczynsk — Twitter http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski.
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BOLT GETS THE BATON
JUST IN: Someone has just brought Usain Bolt back the baton from his team's 4x100 meter men's relay. The sprinter had not wanted to give it up after the Jamaicans broke the world record Saturday in a time of 36.84 seconds.
— Jenna Fryer — Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer
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CANADIAN HEARTBREAK
Canadian sprinters are still in shock after the team got disqualified in the men's 4x100 meter relay and lost the bronze medal they thought they had won.
Oluseyi Smith said the team's manager will file a protest.
Justyn Warner was bent over, sobbing.
"It hurts. I don't know what happened," Warner said. "Jared (Connaughton) said he stepped on the line. We were behind and I had to run the guy down. I put everything into that. It just showed up as DQ'd. We ran a good race. We got the job done. It sucks."
— Jenna Fryer — Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer
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QUICKQUOTE: US LEADERSHIP
U.S. women's track coach Amy Deem after the Americans won the gold in the 4x400 meter relay:
"These women have grown up with great role models. There's great leadership with Sanya (Richards-Ross) and Allyson (Felix)...
"I know the women are going to be strong in the future. This is just the beginning. I really think that with social media and TV, it's going to be a springboard for women in sports."
Source: http://www.ekantipur.com/2012/08/12/olympic/eyes-on-london-jamaica-sets-record-awe-for-bolt/358614/
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