Here’s how things wrapped up in Rio, where Inbee Park took gold, and Lydia Ko birdied the 18th hole to edge Shanshan Feng for silver:
Leaderboard: Park (-16), Ko (-11), Feng (-10), Haru Nomura (-9), Stacy Lewis (-9)
Gold: This is Park’s 23rd worldwide win and her first since the Lorena Ochoa Invitational last November. Just three months ago, Park was struggling her way through to injury to reach the LPGA Hall of Fame. Heading into Rio, she had played just one event in two months – she missed the cut – and attention was turning toward a potential retirement. But for 72 holes at the Olympics, the seven-time major winner looked as sharp as she ever has. Up two to start the day, she played her first nine holes a bogey-free 4 under to pull away quickly and for good. She mixed three birdies with two bogeys on the back to walk to the finish. The former world No. 1 said earlier this week that winning a gold medal would probably be “the highlight” of her career. As for what she does now, next month’s Evian Championship is the only one of the LPGA’s five current majors she hasn’t won. A victory in France would make Park one of only two players (Karrie Webb) in golf history to claim five different major titles. She’s already the first to own multiple majors and a gold.
Silver: Ko quickly slipped out of contention for the gold and was just even par through 15 holes before playing her final three holes in two under par, including a clutch birdie at 18 to claim the silver medal. Had she missed the final putt, Ko would’ve been headed to a playoff with Feng.
Bronze: Feng, a 15-time worldwide winner and one-time major champion, turned in four straight under-par rounds including Saturday’s 69. But while much of the field closed with birdies, Feng played her final six holes in 1 over, good enough to hang on for third and a coveted spot on the Olympic podium.
Biggest disappointments: Lewis and Nomura came up one shot and few inches short of a playoff with Feng for bronze. Lewis fired a closing 66 and birdied 16 and 17 before leaving a final birdie try hanging on the lip at the 18th hole.
Nomura, separately, posted a bogey-free 65 but was done but this missed backhanded tap-in attempt during her first round of Wednesday:
Rest of the U.S.: Playing in the final group with Park and Ko, Piller made two birdies and two bogeys in her first five holes before fading for good with dropped shots at 9, 13 and 14. She went from a tie for second to a tie for 11th at 6 under. Thompson went out in the first group off the back nine and posted 5-under 66 to finish minus-3, tied for 19th.
Round of the day/Shot of the day: Russia’s Maria Verchenova set a new Olympic record with her 9-under 62 Sunday, besting Marcus Fraser, Matt Kuchar and Stacy Lewis who shared the previous mark of 63. Verchenova made eight birdies, two bogeys and this hole-in-one at the par-3 fourth:
Live stream of men’s modern pentathlon (combined) at the 2016 Rio Olympics
Live stream of men’s modern pentathlon (combined) at the 2016 Rio Olympics
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A man who helped translate conversations between Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, his teammates and armed security guards at a gas station says a gun wasn’t pointed at them during the encounter.
Fernando Deluz, a 38-year-old disc jockey, also said that Americans decided to pay for property they destroyed to avoid calling police.
But nearly as soon as his story came out, an American swimmer gave a different account in a detailed statement, saying two guns were pointed at the athletes as the event unfolded.
The incident has become a defining story of the games. Brazilian police have said Lochte was lying when he said he was robbed, and police said instead, the swimmers vandalized a bathroom while intoxicated.
Lochte apologized on Instagram for not being “more careful and candid” about how he described the incident, but maintained a gun was pointed at him by a stranger and that the swimmers were forced to pay money to leave the gas station.
Deluz said he had stopped at the gas station around 6 a.m. on Sunday after working a party all night. There, security guards had confronted the swimmers about a bathroom door they apparently forced open.
When two swimmers walked off, Deluz says one of the two security guards put one hand on his gun and pointed at the ground, telling the men in Portuguese to sit. The other guard stood by but did nothing, Deluz says.
“There was no aggression. Pointing a gun at them? Never. There was nothing like that,” Deluz said during an interview with The Associated Press.
Police have gone back and forth about whether guns were pulled on the swimmers. Gunnar Bentz, who returned to the U.S. on Friday, described two guns being drawn.
“The first security guard held a badge to me and drew his handgun,” Bentz said.
He said he yelled at two teammates who were walking away to come back. “Then the second guard drew his weapon and both guards pointed their guns at us and yelled at us to sit on a nearby sidewalk.”
Deluz said he began to translate when he realized the swimmers did not understand the guards.
“That is when they started saying, ‘No police. Please, don’t call police!'” said Deluz.
Two days later, upon reading Lochte’s initial account of a robbery, Deluz says he was surprised to learn that the men were Olympic swimmers.
“They made a lot of mistakes,” said Deluz. “But the worst was that they lied about what happened.”
Watch live coverage of the men’s water polo Gold Medal Match between Croatia and Serbia
In its first Olympic appearance as an individual nation in the women’s basketball tournament, Serbia captured the bronze medal with a 70-63 win over France.
The game appeared to be firmly in Serbia’s grasp as they started the game on a 12-3 run. But, France would battle back.
France began the second quarter on a 7-0 run, coming within one points of Serbia’s lead. By the end of the first half, Serbia’s lead had disappeared and the two teams were knotted at 27 points apiece.
Serbia jumped back into the lead with a big third quarter. Sonja Petrovic and Danielle Page led the charge, combining for 17 third-quarter points. Serbia ended the third frame on an 18-2 run and held a 55-42 edge with one quarter between them and a bronze medal.
Petrovic finished the game with 10 points, all of them coming in that crucial third period. Page also 10 points, adding eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Jelena Milovanovic had the hot hand for the bronze medalists with a game-high 18 points to go along with seven rebounds and two assists.
France kept the game close throughout, answering every Serbian spurt with a run of their own, but in the end they could not overcome Serbia’s stifling defense. France committed 19 turnovers in the game as Serbia collected 11 steals.
Endy Miyem led France with 18 points, three rebounds and two assists. Valeriane Ayayi was the only other player on France in double digits with 10 points.
Coming off a silver medal at the London Olympics, France overcame the loss of their best player, Celine Dumerc, to finish the tournament 4-4. Dumerc went down with an ankle injury just before the start of the Games.
Serbia, who entered the tournament as the defending European champions, finished the tournament with a 4-4 record. The Serbian men’s team plays the United States for the gold medal on Sunday.
Watch coverage of the men’s soccer Gold Medal Match between Brazil and Germany.
It was a fast start for Team USA on the second day of men’s freestyle wrestling, but a pair of semifinal losses means that the American duo will be wrestling from bronze instead of gold later today.
J’den Cox, the world No. 9, entered the day as wild card in the 86kg weight class. Although he lacks the freestyle experience of other wrestlers in the field, the two-time NCAA champion has had several impressive wins since he started competing internationally after his surprise win at Olympic Trials in April.
Cox was impressive in his first two Olympic matches, with a 7-1 win over Belarus’ Amarhajy Mahamedau followed by a 5-1 defeat of Iran’s Alireza Karimi, a 2015 World bronze medalist, in a rematch from this summer’s Freestyle World Cup (which was also won by Cox).
In the semifinals, Cox fell to Turkey’s Selim Yasar, the world No. 4. It was a close match that ended in a 1-1 score, but Cox lost the bout on criteria. An unsuccessful challenge made the official score 2-1.
Cox now drops into one of the bronze medal match, while Yasar will face Russian powerhouse Abdulrashid Sadulaev in the final. Sadulaev, the overwhelming favorite in the 86kg field and considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the world, won his three opening matches by a combined score of 23-1. Those wins included an 8-1 takedown of Sharif Sharifov, the reigning Olympic gold medalist from Azerbaijan.
In the 125kg division, 2012 Olympian Tervel Dlagnev made a run to the semifinal. His first match in the Round of 16 was particularly impressive, as he had to mount a comeback to win. Down 5-4 with the seconds winding down, Dlagnev scored two points to win the match.
After another win for Dlagnev in the quarterfinals, things became unraveled in the semis. He appeared to hurt his back during his match with Komeil Ghasemi, a 2012 bronze medalist from Iran. The bout ended in under 30 seconds when Ghasemi repeatedly turned Dlagnev for a quick 10-0 technical fall.
Like Cox, Dlagnev will also be in a bronze medal match in this afternoon’s later session. The 125kg gold medal bout will be between Ghasemi and Turkey’s Taha Akgul, the division’s two-time reigning world champion.
The final session will start at 3 p.m. ET and will feature repechage bouts, bronze medal matches and gold medal matches in both weight classes. NBCOlympics.com will have the live stream.
86kg quarterfinals
Sadulaev (RUS) wins 5-0 vs. Ceballos (VEN)
Sharifov (AZE) wins 7-0 vs. Baranowski (POL)
Yasar (TUR) wins 5-2 vs. Salas (CUB)
Cox (USA) wins 5-1 vs. Karimi (IRI)
125kg quarterfinals
Akgul (TUR) wins by tech fall 11-0 vs. Saidau (BLR)
Berianidze (ARM) wins 3-1 vs. Ligeti (HUN)
Dlagnev (USA) wins 3-2 vs. Baran (POL)
Ghasemi (IRI) wins on criteria 4-4 vs. Petriashvili (GEO)
86kg semifinals
Sadulaev (RUS) wins 8-1 vs. Sharifov (AZE)
Yasar (TUR) wins 2-1 vs. Cox (USA)
125kg semifinals
Akgul (TUR) wins 8-1 vs. Berianidze (ARM)
Ghasemi (IRI) wins by tech fall 10-0 vs. Dlagnev (USA)
Gold medal matches
86kg: Sadulaev (RUS) vs. Yasar (TUR)
125kg: Akgul (TUR) vs. Ghasemi (IRI)
It was a fast start for Team USA on the second day of men’s freestyle wrestling, but a pair of semifinal losses means that the American duo will be wrestling from bronze instead of gold later today.
J’den Cox, the world No. 9, entered the day as wild card in the 86kg weight class. Although he lacks the freestyle experience of other wrestlers in the field, the two-time NCAA champion has had several impressive wins since he started competing internationally after his surprise win at Olympic Trials in April.
Cox was impressive in his first two Olympic matches, with a 7-1 win over Belarus’ Amarhajy Mahamedau followed by a 5-1 defeat of Iran’s Alireza Karimi, a 2015 World bronze medalist, in a rematch from this summer’s Freestyle World Cup (which was also won by Cox).
In the semifinals, Cox fell to Turkey’s Selim Yasar, the world No. 4. It was a close match that ended in a 1-1 score, but Cox lost the bout on criteria. An unsuccessful challenge made the official score 2-1.
Cox now drops into one of the bronze medal match, while Yasar will face Russian powerhouse Abdulrashid Sadulaev in the final. Sadulaev, the overwhelming favorite in the 86kg field and considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the world, won his three opening matches by a combined score of 23-1. Those wins included an 8-1 takedown of Sharif Sharifov, the reigning Olympic gold medalist from Azerbaijan.
In the 125kg division, 2012 Olympian Tervel Dlagnev made a run to the semifinal. His first match in the Round of 16 was particularly impressive, as he had to mount a comeback to win. Down 5-4 with the seconds winding down, Dlagnev scored two points to win the match.
After another win for Dlagnev in the quarterfinals, things became unraveled in the semis. He appeared to hurt his back during his match with Komeil Ghasemi, a 2012 bronze medalist from Iran. The bout ended in under 30 seconds when Ghasemi repeatedly turned Dlagnev for a quick 10-0 technical fall.
Like Cox, Dlagnev will also be in a bronze medal match in this afternoon’s later session. The 125kg gold medal bout will be between Ghasemi and Turkey’s Taha Akgul, the division’s two-time reigning world champion.
The final session will start at 3 p.m. ET and will feature repechage bouts, bronze medal matches and gold medal matches in both weight classes. NBCOlympics.com will have the live stream.
86kg quarterfinals
Sadulaev (RUS) wins 5-0 vs. Ceballos (VEN)
Sharifov (AZE) wins 7-0 vs. Baranowski (POL)
Yasar (TUR) wins 5-2 vs. Salas (CUB)
Cox (USA) wins 5-1 vs. Karimi (IRI)
125kg quarterfinals
Akgul (TUR) wins by tech fall 11-0 vs. Saidau (BLR)
Berianidze (ARM) wins 3-1 vs. Ligeti (HUN)
Dlagnev (USA) wins 3-2 vs. Baran (POL)
Ghasemi (IRI) wins on criteria 4-4 vs. Petriashvili (GEO)
86kg semifinals
Sadulaev (RUS) wins 8-1 vs. Sharifov (AZE)
Yasar (TUR) wins 2-1 vs. Cox (USA)
125kg semifinals
Akgul (TUR) wins 8-1 vs. Berianidze (ARM)
Ghasemi (IRI) wins by tech fall 10-0 vs. Dlagnev (USA)
Gold medal matches
86kg: Sadulaev (RUS) vs. Yasar (TUR)
125kg: Akgul (TUR) vs. Ghasemi (IRI)
Gold: Gwen Jorgensen, United States
Silver: Nicola Spirig, Switzerland
Bronze: Vicky Holland, Great Britain
Every day, triathlete Gwen Jorgensen likes to write down three things she did well and three things she could improve upon concerning her chosen sport. On Saturday morning, the American swam well, biked well and ran well. And she also finished well, earning gold by crossing the finish line in 1:56:16.
The triathlon exemplifies the concept of an “endurance race”. It kicks off with a 1.5km swim (approximately .93 of a mile), followed by 40km of biking (approximately 24.8 miles), and ending with a 10km run (approximately 6.2 miles). Additionally, the transition periods factor into the overall race time. Athletes must train to mount their bikes and slip into their shoes as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The Rio Olympic course has been described as “highly technical”, with an open water swim giving way to a windy, hilly road.
Almost immediately after the PA announced “On your marks”, the horn blared and 55 athletes dove into the ocean. The triathletes quickly split into two packs, though within minutes there was a clear succession starting with Spanish leader Carolina Routier. At the 11 minute mark, the United States’ Katie Zaferes was in second.
Routier, who made her Olympic debut in Rio, was the first to hit the beach in 19:01. Zaferes was right on her heels, landing at 19:03. The biggest margin in the swim leg was about two minutes; by the end of that portion, one triathlete had withdrawn.
The racers completed the transition onto the bikes just before the 20 minute mark. Within just a minute, South Africa’s Mari Rabie took the lead. But about a half hour into the competition, a number of triathletes remained neck-and-neck. Bermuda’s Flora Duffy was literally seconds ahead of her nearest competitors, while American favorites Gwen Jorgensen and Sarah True crept toward the front.
As the race approached the 40 minute mark, Jorgensen briefly took the lead. Switzerland’s Nicola Spirig – the London 2012 gold medalist – then passed her, with Jorgensen steady in second. Despite the tough climbs and curvy roads, the athletes kept in a consistent formation.
At around the 47 minute mark and well into the bike leg, Sarah True crashed. Lying on the road, she rubbed a clearly injured leg. The American managed to get back on her bike for a short period, but had to stop again to address her pain. Eventually, she withdrew from the race.
True just missed out on a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics, finishing in fourth. Her placement was the highest for an American in either the men’s or women’s competitions at those Games.
Towards the hour mark, Spirig broke away from the pack and established a lead. Minutes later, Chile’s Barbara Riveros Diaz took the lead, while Jorgensen slipped to fifth place. But the sixth lap saw Jorgensen advance to the front.
By the end of the bike leg, it looked as though any of 18 triathletes could earn a medal. Sweden’s Lisa Norden finished the portion first in 1:21:28, a second ahead of Duffy, the Netherland’s Rachel Klamer and Riveros. Jorgensen, also just a second off of Norden, was in 12th place.
It didn’t take long for Jorgensen to spearhead the run. That segment is her specialty; the American has the fastest run split in women’s triathlon history.
An hour and a half into the race, Jorgensen was shoulder-to-shoulder with Spirig; they both completed the first lap in 1:30:02.
Spirig was just ahead of Jorgensen at the start of the second lap, and about 20 seconds ahead of British triathletes Vicky Holland and Non Stanford. The race continued with the two favorites literally inches from one another all the way through the 1:45 mark, at which point a brief, bizarre moment occured.
Spirig slowed down in attempt to force Jorgensen to exert more energy; Jorgensen reacted by slowing down and almost insisted Spirig stay in front. They both sped into the third lap at 1:47:50, with Jorgensen leading by less than a second.
Just before 1:51, Jorgensen blasted past Spirig by a wide margin. Moments later, the two were separated by close to 10 seconds.
The American held onto her pace and broke the finish line tape in 1:56:16. She began to weep as she held the banner over her head.
Spirig earned silver by with a 1:56:56 time. In a neck-and-neck for bronze, Holland bested her compatriot by seconds, completing the race in 1:57:01.