Scores and highlights from Day 5 of the Summer Olympics in London.

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

36th straight Olympic win for US women

LONDON (AP) — Make it three straight Olympic routs for the U.S. women’s basketball team, which has mowed down its first three games by an average margin of 36.6 points.

Angel McCoughtry scored 18 points and Tina Charles added 16 to lead the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team to an 89-58 victory over Turkey.

The Turks entered the game unbeaten and were expected to give the Americans their toughest test in the Olympics. That didn’t happen.

Turkey was able to hang with the U.S. early in the game and had a one-point lead in the first quarter. But the Americans built a 15-point advantage by the half, and coasted home.

Swimming

American gold in relay

(L-R) Allison Schmitt, Dana Vollmer, Shannon Vreeland and Missy Franklin of the United States pose with their medals following the medal ceremony for the Women's 4x200m Freestyle Relay
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LONDON (AP) — Pushed to the front by a tremendous anchor leg from Allison Schmitt, the United States has won the gold medal in the women’s 4×200 freestyle relay at the Olympics. The Americans posted an Olympic record time of 7 minutes, 42.92 seconds. Teen sensation Missy Franklin got things started for the U.S., followed by Dana Vollmer, Shannon Vreeland and then Schmitt.

Australia settled for the silver nearly a second and a half behind. France won the bronze.

 

 

 

SWIMMING

Another U.S. medal in swimming

LONDON (AP) — Nathan Adrian of Bremerton, Wash., is an Olympic champion. But by the slimmest of margins.

Adrian struck gold in the 100-meter freestyle. He finished in a time of 47.52 seconds, one-hundredths of a second in front of Australia’s James Magnussen. Canadian Brent Hayden took the bronze.

SWIMMING

Soni sets world record

Rebecca Soni of the United States reacts after she finished first and set a new world record in the second semifinal heat of the Women's 200m Breaststroke
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LONDON (AP) — Rebecca Soni set a world record in the 200-meter breaststroke semifinals at the Olympics.

The American was timed 2 minutes, 20.00 seconds, shaving 0.12 seconds off the previous mark set by Annamay Pierse of Canada at the 2009 world championships in Rome in a now-banned bodysuit.

It was the fifth world record set in the pool at these games.

 

 

 

 

MEN’S GYMNASTICS

U.S. takes bronze in all-around

LONDON (AP) — American champ Danell Leyva (dan-EHL’ LAY’-vuh) has added to the U.S. medal haul by capturing the bronze in men’s gymnastics all-around. He added another step in his incredible journey from Cuban refugee to world-class athlete, closing the day with spectacular routines on parallel bars and high bar to finish third.

Japan’s three-time world champ Kohei Uchimura (koo-HAY’ oo-chee-MUR’-uh) won the gold, the silver went to Germany’s Marcel Nguyen (noo-IHN’).

CYCLING

Gold for Armstrong

Kristin Armstrong of the United States competes during the Women's Individual Time Trial
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HAMPTON COURT, England (AP) — Cyclist Kristin Armstrong of the United States won her second straight Olympic time trial gold medal. The former two-time world champion covered the 18-mile course south of London in 37 minutes, 34.82 seconds, beating silver medalist Judith Arndt of Germany by more than 15 seconds.

The 38-year-old Armstrong briefly retired after her triumph at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to start a family. But after delivering a son in 2010, she hopped back on the bike, with the London Games her primary focus.

 

 

ROWING

U.S. lands bronze

Adrienne Martelli, Megan Kalmoe, Kara Kohler and Natalie Dell of the United States celebrate after winning bronze in the Women's Quadruple Sculls on Day 5 of the London 2012 Olympic Games
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WINDSOR, England (AP) — The U.S. women’s quadruple skull team claimed a bronze medal today in the rowing competition. The team of Natalie Dell, Megan Kallmoe, Kara Kohler and Andrienne Martelli finished behind the winning boat from Ukraine.

DIVING

U.S. team places third

LONDON (AP)— The U.S. team of Troy Dumais and Kristian Ipsen won the bronze in the men’s synchronized 3-meter springboard. The team from China took the gold with Russia second.

It was the first Olympic medal of Dumais’ long career. He finished fourth in the event at the 2000 Sydney Games and sixth four years later at Athens. After a 12-year medal drought, the Americans won a silver and two bronzes in three of the four synchro events. They didn’t qualify in women’s 10-meter platform.

SWIMMING

Franklin, Phelps and Lochte advance

Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte of the United States competes in the first semifinal heat of the Men's 200m Individual Medley
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LONDON (AP) — In preliminary swimming action, American Missy Franklin qualified for this evening’s semifinals in the women’s 100-freestyle, and Michael Phelps opened defense of his title in the 200-meter individual medley, hours after becoming the most decorated Olympian ever with his 19th career medal.

Phelps’ time of 1 minute, 58.24 seconds was good for the fourth-fastest time in the preliminaries. Teammate Ryan Lochte (LAHK’-tee) was second-quickest at 1:58.03. The 200 IM final is Thursday.

TENNIS

One Williams wins the other loses

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Family hopes for an Olympic gold medal are now resting on Serena Williams’ shoulder. had 12 aces and rocketed past Vera Zvonareva (zvahn-uh-RAY’-vuh) to win 6-1, 6-0 and reach the quarterfinals in Olympic tennis. Williams had 32 winners to three for the Russian, who also lost when they met in the 2010 Wimbledon final.

Serena’s sister Venus squandered a lead in each set and lost her third-round match to Angelique Kerber of Germany, 7-6, 7-6. Venus Williams was seeking a record fourth gold medal in Olympic tennis.

In other results, Roger Federer advanced to the quarterfinals. He is playing in his first tournament since winning a record-tying seventh Wimbledon title. However, Federer and Swiss teammate Stanislas Wawrinka (vah-VINK’-ah) lost in doubles second round action to a team from Israel.

Others advancing to the singles quarters was Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich), who hit 16 aces and came from behind to beat Lleyton Hewitt of Australia 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, and women’s top-seed Victoria Azarenka (ah-zah-REN’-kuh).

Two Olympic tennis records were set today when Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares of Brazil defeated fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych (TOH’-mahs bur-DEEK’) and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic, 1-6, 6-4, 24-22. The second-round match had the most games, 63, in a best-of-three-set match in men’s doubles in the Olympics. The third set, with 46 games, was the longest set in men’s doubles at the Olympics.

BRITISH GOLD

Host nation wins first gold

WINDSOR, England (AP) — The host country has won its first two gold medals of the Olympics. The first win of the day came in women’s pair rowing as Heather Stanning and Helen Glover finished first. Tour de France champ Bradley Wiggins of Britain then won the cycling gold in the men’s time trial. The 32-year-old Londoner powered his way to victory on the 44-kilometer course south of London to win his seventh Olympic medal, taking over the British record he shared with former rowing great Steve Redgrave.

BOXING

Bad day for U.S.

LONDON (AP) — The U.S. Olympic boxing team had a tough day losing all three matches. Bantamweight Joseph Diaz Jr. was beaten by the top-seed from Cuba, while heavyweight Michael Hunter tired in the third round of his loss to a Russian. In the super heavyweight division, American Dominic Breazeale lost to a Russian as well.

The U.S. has four boxers left in the competition.

WATER POLO

U.S. tied by Spain

LONDON (AP) — The U.S. women’s water polo team coughed up a three goal lead with less than three minutes to play and had to settle for a 9-9 tie with Spain. Kami Craig had four goals for the Americans who are looking for their first Olympic gold medal. Maica Garcia scored on the power play with under a minute to go to complete Spain’s comeback.

BADMINTON SCANDAL

Players tossed from Olympics for not trying to win

LONDON (AP) — The Badminton World Federation has confirmed that 4 women’s doubles pairs have been disqualified from the Olympics after trying to lose matches to receive a more favorable place in the field.

The eight disqualified players are two from China, who are the world doubles champions, four from South Korea and two from Indonesia.

The players went before a disciplinary hearing today, a day after spectators at the arena booed their performance after it became clear they were deliberately trying to lose.

IOC president Jacques Rogge (ZHAHK ROH’-guh) says his organization may take further action against the athletes.

OBAMA

President calls U.S. athletes

MANSFIELD, Ohio (AP) — President Barack Obama congratulated the five members of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team Wednesday on their Olympic victory.

Obama telephoned the gymnastics team from Air Force One as he traveled from Washington to Ohio for campaign events.

While traveling in Ohio Wednesday, he called American swimmer Michael Phelps to congratulate him on becoming the most decorated Olympic athlete.

Phelps picked up his 19th Olympic medal — a gold — in a men’s relay Tuesday.

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

— Women’s gymnastics: women’s all-around gold medal final.

— Swimming: gold medal finals men’s 200-meter backstroke, men’s 200-meter individual medley, women’s 200-meter breaststroke, women’s 100-meter freestyle.

— Men’s beach volleyball: Rogers/Dalhausser (U.S.) vs. Benes/Kubala (Czech Republic).

— Rowing: women’s eight gold medal final.

IN OTHER SPORTS NEWS:

 

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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