Adrian denies Magnussen as records fall

Hungary's Daniel Gyurta reacts after breaking the world record and winning the men's 200m breaststroke final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre on Wednesday. Gyurta set a new world record with a time of 2 minutes 7.28 seconds. (Inset) Gold medallist Nathan Adrian, right, of the US and silver medallist James Magnussen of Australia pose with their medals during the men's 100m freestyle victor ceremony.

LONDON: American Nathan Adrian edged James Magnussen by a fingertip to win the coveted Olympic 100m freestyle swimming gold Wednesday, just one of the thrillers on a night that saw two world records fall.

Adrian clocked 47.52sec, beating the Australian sprint powerhouse by one one-hundredth of a second and becoming the first American since Matt Biondi in 1988 to win Olympic swimming's blue riband event.

"I have big hands, I guess," Adrian quipped of the margin of victory over Magnussen, who was fifth at the turn -- two spots behind Adrian -- but poured it on in the final 50m to make a race of it.

"The second 50 was nerve-wracking," Adrian admitted of the chase to overtake pace-setting world record-holder Cesar Cielo of Brazil.

"The 100m has changed so much in the last 10 years, people are going out so fast now," Adrian said. "I am known to go out fast and then suffer, but I managed to finish strong this time.

"I first looked up and saw I had won, then it sank in and hit me like a ton of bricks, so many emotions," said Adrian, a heavy underdog going in based on personal-best times. "It was incredible," Adrian said.

Magnussen took silver in 47.53 and Canada's Brent Hayden -- second behind Magnussen at last year's world championships -- earned bronze in 47.80.

It was another crushing defeat for the Aussie, the overwhelming favorite who had already flopped in Australia's fourth-place 4x100m free relay swim.

"I fought until the last stroke, but it wasn't quite close enough tonight," Magnussen said.

Hungarian Daniel Gyurta got the evening off to a rollicking start with a world record victory in the men's 200m breaststroke.

"Now I am overshadowed by Reb setting a world record," Adrian jokingly complained. —AFP

logo

Iran could boycott the London Olympics after claiming the Games’ 2012 logo is “racist” because it resembles the word “Zion” – a biblical term for Jerusalem.
Iran’s National Olympic Committee sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee criticising the emblem and its perceived link to the city. The letter also urges other Muslim states to oppose the “racist logo”.
A statement from the IOC said: “The London 2012 logo represents the figure 2012, nothing else.”
The London logo shows the numbers “2012″ in four jagged figures and until now has only been criticised for its design.
With 18 months until the Olympics, a statement from the London Organising Committee [Locog] added: “[The logo] was launched in 2007 following testing and consultation. We are surprised that this complaint has been made now.”
The letter from Bahram Afsharzadeh, the secretary general of Iran’s NOC, was sent to IOC president Jacques Rogge and continued: “There is no doubt that negligence of the issue from your side may affect the presence of some countries in the games, especially Iran which abides by commitment to the values and principles.”
source: BBC

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Fans are reminded that only tickets purchased from or obtained through authorised sources are real, valid and will enable entry to venues. Detailed information on authorised ticket sources, in particular a list of Authorised Ticket Resellers (in the United Kingdom and internationally) is available on the official London 2012 ticketing website. Fans having purchased or obtained tickets from unofficial or unauthorised sources run the risk of a) having obtained fake tickets, b) having obtained invalidated tickets, c) having those tickets cancelled, d) being refused entry, and/or e) being asked to leave the venue, without receiving a refund or qualifying for an exchange of ticket. Neither the nor any National Olympic Committee may be held liable for any consequence (such as, without limitation, any loss or damage) related to a ticket purchased from or obtained through an unauthorised source. London 2012: Official lambasts 'appalling' football-ticket distribution … A senior London 2012 figure has admitted that serious problems in the distribution of tickets ahead of the football matches at Newcastle's St James' Park on Thursday were "appalling" and "unacceptable".Hundreds of people were forced