Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
More troops deployed, Games about sport and diplomacy
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain deployed 1,200 extra soldiers on
Tuesday in a last-minute effort to bolster Olympic security
while global diplomatic tensions started to play out among
athletes and politicians three days ahead of the opening
ceremony. The additional troops, which took the military
contingent at the 2012 Games to well over 17,000, were called
in to cover an embarrassing shortfall left by private security
group G4S, the world’s largest by some measures, in the run-up
to the Games.
Ticket broker tied to Romney, 2002 scandal apologizes for
new Olympic woes
LONDON (Reuters) – A longtime Olympics ticket broker is
apologizing for delays in distributing tickets to the London
Summer Games that have forced some fans to spend up to six
hours in sweltering heat this week waiting for their orders.
The ticket agency CoSport – whose owner was a figure in the
2002 Salt Lake City Olympics scandal and is a prominent backer
of U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney – said in a
statement Tuesday that it understood the frustration of
customers, many of whom have arrived in London from the United
States and Canada.
Zagunis still a rarity in U.S. Olympics fencing
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Professional. Fencer. United States.
In the modern history of the sport these words rarely find
themselves in the same sentence and only one person is the U.S.
Olympic fencing squad can legitimately use them together.
American strength begins in defense: Paul
BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) – Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant,
Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James can all rack up the points,
but the ability to stop opponents scoring is what separates the
U.S. Olympic team from the rest, according to point guard Chris
Paul. ”I think the biggest thing is our defense. That’s what
makes us such a tough team,” Paul told reporters after the U.S.
beat Spain 100-78 in their final Olympic warm-up in a rematch
of the gold medal game four years ago in Beijing.
Are 2012 Games one too many for London?
LONDON (Reuters) – When the curtain goes up on the Olympic
Games on Friday it will confirm London’s place as the only city
to host the summer sporting spectacle three times. But could it
be a Games too far?
This is when I set myself apart, says Bolt
2012-07-25T034335Z_1_BRE86O05P_RTROPTC_0_US-OLY-ATHL-BOLT-ADV2.
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U.S. rally to rout Spain in warm-up
BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) – Spain stood tall early but
sharp-shooting Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James helped the U.S.
team overcome a shaky start for a 100-78 win Tuesday in a
potential preview of the gold-medal game at the London
Olympics. ”We are very pleased with the win and we know what an
outstanding team Spain is,” U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said
after the Americans completed a sweep of their five warm-up
games before opening the defense of their Olympic title.
Spain coach sees positives in defeat to U.S.
BARCELONA (Reuters) – Spain gained some useful pointers as
to how they might overcome the United States if they meet at
the London Olympics despite Tuesday’s drubbing at the hands of
the 2008 gold medalists, coach Sergio Scariolo said. Led by
towering forwards Pau Gasol and Serge Ibaka, the Spanish surged
into a nine-point lead in the first quarter at Barcelona’s
Palau Sant Jordi but were unable to maintain their early
intensity and slipped to a 100-78 defeat.
Coe prepared to run for president of IAAF
LONDON (Reuters) – London Olympics organising committee
chairman Seb Coe has said for the first time that he would like
to become president of the International Association of
Athletics Federations (IAAF) when he steps down from his
present job. ”I’d be happy to run my sport and that is the
first time I’ve given that answer,” the twice Olympic 1,500
meters champion told Wednesday’s edition of The Times.
Viola overcomes injuries, bulimia to reach London
DALLAS (Reuters) – Faced with the disappointments and
setbacks that have plagued Unites States platform diver
Brittany Viola many athletes would have given up hope of
becoming Olympians. But not Viola who has overcome injuries and
an eating disorder to earn the chance to compete at the London
Games.
