Rousing Send-off Is Set
Double Amputee Fails To Get Medal
The competitions will end Sunday, but then expect fetes that organizers say will be of Olympic proportions.
Consider music director David Arnold’s prediction: it will be “the greatest afterparty in the world.”
“If the opening ceremony was the wedding, then we’re the wedding reception,” Arnold told the Daily Telegraph — with everyone from the Pet Shop Boys to Annie Lennox and Fatboy Slim on hand to get people dancing.
Organizers have tried to keep the ceremony under wraps, but details have leaked out in the British media. Some of the performers have let the cat out of the bag themselves.
The Who, George Michael, Muse and Ed Sheeran have all said they will take part in a show that will include performances of 30 British hit singles from the past five decades.
— Jill Lawless — Twitter — http://Twitter.com/JillLawless
No Medal for Oscar
There will be no medal for Oscar Pistorius at the London Olympics after the double amputee and his South African teammates finished last in the 4x400-meter relay Friday night.
The South Africans were out of the medals by the time Pistorius took the handoff for the anchor leg, with the Bahamians and Americans already around the second curve. His only hope was catching Venezuela, and he wasn’t able to do it.
— Nancy Armour — Twitter http://twitter.com/nrarmour
Fast and Flash
Carmelita Jeter has some flash to go with her speed.
Jeter crossed the finish line pointing the baton at the clock, which showed a world record of 40.82 seconds for the U.S. women’s 4x100-meter relay team. That shattered the record of 41.37 set by East Germany in 1985. It also was the Americans’ first gold in the relay since 1996.
Jeter and the other three members of the relay team — Tianna Madison, 200-meter champion Allyson Felix and Bianca Knight — wrapped themselves in flags and then looked up at the Jumbotron to watch the replay. When the shot of Jeter crossing the line was shown, Knight thrust a fist in the air.
— Nancy Armour — Twitter http://twitter.com/nrarmour
Medal Count Motivation
New Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs knew just how important his gold medal in freestyle wrestling was for the United States team.
Burroughs knew that China edged the U.S. in medal count at the last two Summer Games. So he downloaded a phone app to help track the daily score.
“That was something big for me,” Burroughs said after winning the 74-kilogram division Friday. “I wanted to be the guy that could help us out.”
After Burroughs’ win, the U.S. leads China 41 to 37 in hunt for golds.
The charismatic 24-yearold, who identifies himself on Twitter as (at)alliseeisgold, did just that by defeating Sadegh Saeed Goudarzi of Iran in the title bout.
“Even though China makes all our clothes, they can’t beat us at medals,” he said.
— Graham Dunbar — Twitter http://twitter.com/gdunbarap
Agony of Defeat
Morgan Uceny’s shoulders heaved as she knelt on the track and pounded her hands on the surface.
The American fell to the ground as she and the rest of the 1,500-meter field rounded the first curve on the final lap. She looked around in surprise and then leaned over and buried her face in her hands. She stayed like that even after Turkey’s Asli Cakir Alptekin, who won the gold medal, crossed the finish line. An Olympic volunteer approached her as the other runners were leaving the track and she did not respond, continuing to sob and pound on the track.
Finally, with the other runners already making their way through the mixed zone, Uceny got up.
— Nancy Armour — Twitter http://twitter.com/nrarmour