UFC 155: Dos Santos vs. Velasquez II Full Fight

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Cain Velasquez reclaimed the UFC heavyweight championship Saturday night, battering Junior Dos Santos on the way to a lopsided unanimous decision in UFC 155. Velasquez (11-1) took early control of the rematch of his only career loss, flooring the champion with a big right hand midway through the first round. Velasquez spent most of the match stalking and pounding on Dos Santos (15-2), who never fully recovered from the first-round shot that left him bruised and woozy.Dos Santos landed a couple nice shots, prior to Velasquez taking him down to the mat. On the feet, Velasquez continued to punish Dos Santos not only to the head, but to the body as well. A very gassed Dos Santos didn’t even fight back with a minute and a half left when Velasquez punished him with numerous combinations. Dos Santos ended the round throwing a couple nice punches.The end of the second saw Dos Santos mope again back to his corner. Dos Santos found his uppercut early in the third, but the strength on his punches had evaporated. Velasquez pressed them to the cage, but this time, he wasn't nearly as hard on the champ as before.As the fifth round started, it was clear "JDS" needed a knockout. It just didn't look like he even had the strength to deliver it anymore. Sure enough, he didn't, and as the horn sounded it brought with it the beginning of the second heavyweight championship reign of Cain Velasquez. The final scores were an astounding 50-45, 50-43, and 50-44. Talk about a beating. Indeed, the relentless pace Velasquez pushed took a toll on his attack. But he continued to press forward through counters and imposed his will against the cage.

Dez Bryant Missed 4th Quarter Touchdown against Giants

Eli Manning stood on the New York Giants' sideline in disbelief when it looked as if the Dallas Cowboys had scored a go-ahead touchdown with 10 seconds left. What was encouraging is what he didn't see: a replay on the giant videoboard that hangs above the field at Cowboys Stadium, where the Giants still have never lost following a wild 29-24 victory Sunday. Officials reviewed and overturned Dez Bryant's apparent 37-yard touchdown catch, ruling his hand hit out of bounds, and the Cowboys couldn't get into the end zone after the overturned reception.Bryant (5 catches, 110 yards), who joined teammates Jason Witten (18 catches, 167 yards) and Miles Austin (9 catches, 133 yards) in triple-digit yardage totals, also mixed in a fumbled punt that set up a Giants field goal in the second quarter. It came one week after Bryant was scolded by coach Jason Garrett for taking too many chances as a punt returner. Bryant was removed from punt return duties Sunday for the final three quarters.The Cowboys were trailing 29-24 in the final minute as Romo led the offense down to the Giants' 37-yard line. On 2nd and 6, Bryant used a double move to fake out the Giants' secondary and give Romo an open target in the end zone. Romo launched a pass to the back of the end zone and the former Oklahoma State star caught the ball as he rose up between two New York defenders. The referees called the play a touchdown on the field.

Chelsea vs Man Utd 2-3 Highlights & Goals

Manchester United overcame nine-man Chelsea in an incident-packed encounter to move within one point of the Blues at the top of the Premier League. Chelsea are coming into this match with 4 wins in the last 5 matches they have played, of course 4 points difference going into the match as they have 22 points in the league so far in the 8 matches they have played and they won 7 and drawn just 1 and unbeaten so far in the league.Final Score And Result Chelsea vs Man Utd 2-3 (Mata 44′ Ramires 53′ ,Luiz 4′ (og) Van Persie 12′ Hernandez 75′ )

BELOZOGLU EMRE FREEKICK AMAZING GOAL (Atletico Madrid vs Academica Coimbra 2-1)

UEFA Europa League holders Club Atlético de Madrid maintained their 100% start to Group A with a 2-1 victory against A. Académica de Coimbra. Looking to extend their unbeaten run to a club record 21 games, Diego Simeone's side forged ahead courtesy of Diego Costa's volley shortly after half-time. Emre Belözoğlu's first goal for the club – a wonderfully struck free-kick that drew Simeone's applause – made it 2-0 and that proved crucial as Salim Cissé's header halved the deficit late on.Reigning champions Atletico Madrid are all but through to the knockout stages after a 2-1 win over Academica.Atletico Madrid stay top of Group B as goals from Diego Costa and Emre give Los Colchoneros their third win in as many Europa League games this season.

Manchester United vs Stoke City 4-2 Wayne Rooney scored Goal

Wayne Rooney went from villain to hero as Manchester United dug deep to beat a dogged Stoke at Old Trafford. The 26-year-old gave the visitors a shock early lead when he headed Charlie Adam's free-kick into his own net. But he made amends by heading United's equaliser before Robin van Persie's neat finish and Danny Welbeck's header gave the home side a comfortable lead.Every time Stoke pushed forward they threatened and De Gea had to make two good saves to stop first Adam and then Walters doubling the visitors after Kightly and Peter Crouch had combined to set the striker one-on-one with the Spaniard. The Potters were made to rue these missed opportunities as United equalised through Rooney as he rose highest in the penalty area to head Van Persie’s cross into the right net this time for his first league goal of the season. United upped the ante before the break as Scholes and Welbeck went close before they took the lead through Van Persie as he turned Valencia’s pinpoint cross past Begovic at the near post with a lovely finish taking the ball first time with his left-foot. Final Score and result Man Utd beat stoke 4-2 Wayne Rooney & Van Persie scored Goal man utd won the match.

Chelsea Vs Tottenham 4-2 All Goals Highlights

Juan Mata scored two goals and set up another as Chelsea recovered to beat London rival Tottenham 4-2 on Saturday, consolidating the European champions' lead in the Premier League. Having taken an early lead through Gary Cahill, the unbeaten visitors — without the suspended John Terry — were rocked at the start of the second half when they conceded goals to William Gallas and Jermain Defoe. However, Mata clinched Chelsea's seventh win in eight league games by equalizing in the 66th and then clipping home a neat finish in the 69th. Emmanuel Adebayor replaced Dempsey as the hosts went in search of another equaliser, but Chelsea largely looked comfortable as the clock ticked down. Sturridge joined the fray in place of Oscar for the final eight minutes and the Blues survived a scare when Lennon sent a fierce drive straight at Cech. Chelsea quickly broke down the other end and Torres came agonsingly close to making it four with a curling effort which drifted just wide. Torres and Mata combined in the dying stages but Friedel was alert once again to thwart the danger, while Cech dived at Adebayor's feet to deny the striker a late equaliser. Final score and result:- Tottenham vs Chelsea 2-4 ( Gallas, Defoe/ Cahill, Mata*2, Sturridge).Juan Mata stars with two goals and an assist as Chelsea continue their impressive start to the season with a come from behind 4-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Katy Perry, Jodi DiPiazza Sing at Night of Too Many Stars

Jodi DiPiazza played the piano while singing the song with the pop star last Sunday in New York's Beacon Theatre for Comedy Central's Night of Too Many Stars, which raises money for autism education programs. When the pair finished the song Jodi thrust out her arm and shook hands with Perry before embracing her around her waist as the packed crowd rose to their feet and applauded. Some members of the audience appeared to have tears in their eyes as they clapped and cheered.Bill O'Reilly and Chris Matthews, Harvey Keitel and Carly Rae Jepson, Paula Dean and butter (well, unlikely now). But the most unexpected of them all was little Jodi DiPiazza, a young girl living with autism, and superstar Katy Perry. In a pre-taped profile on DiPiazza, the audience learned of her struggles with the disorder as well as how she began to find a way forward through music.This video of Jodi DiPiazza’s story is one of parents who refused to give up on a talented but challenged daughter, who worked through hours of intensive therapy every day to build on a love of music and engage and connect with the world. This duet at "Night of Too Many Stars," an event to benefit autism programs spearheaded by some of the best performers today (Louie CK, Amy Poehler and Sting to name a few), is giving parents and relatives of autistic kids real hope as it goes viral.

Felix Jumps At 128k feet! Red Bull Stratos

A man fell to Earth from more than 24 miles high Sunday, becoming the first human to break the sound barrier under his own power — with some help from gravity. The 43-year-old leapt from a capsule more than 39 kilometres above the Earth, reaching a top speed of 833.9 miles per hour (1342km/h), or 1.24 times the speed of sound.Baumgartner's descent lasted just over nine minutes, about half of it in a free fall of 119,846 feet, according to Brian Utley, a jump observer from the FAI, an international group that works to determine and maintain the integrity of aviation records. He said the speed calculations were preliminary figures. During the first part of Baumgartner's free fall, anxious onlookers at the command center held their breath as he appeared to spin uncontrollably.The team included retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Joseph Kittinger, who holds three of the records Baumgartner intends to break. Kittinger had made a record jump from 102,800 ft in 1960. The planning process included producing an appropriate suit for the program, finding a location with ideal conditions, and testing out equipment in unmanned test falls. Then, Baumgartner made test falls at smaller heights. In March 2012, Baumgartner made a test fall at 71,614 ft and in July 2012, a fall from 97,063 feet.

Derek Jeter Injury

NEW YORK -- Delirious only minutes earlier, fans at Yankee Stadium sat stunned in utter disbelief while they watched Derek Jeter being helped off the field. Their worst fears were met, too. The durable captain broke his left ankle and is out for the rest of the postseason.Three innings after Raul Ibanez sent the 47,122 in Yankee Stadium into a frenzy with a tying two-run homer, the New York shortstop silenced the crowd when he went down and didn't get up after making a tumbling stop on Jhonny Peralta's grounder in the 12th inning.That feel-good moment was gone in a flash. Jeter injured the leg while diving for Jhonny Peralta’s ground ball up the middle. Jeter grimaced in pain immediately and flipped the ball toward second baseman Robinson Cano in a failed attempt to record the out.Jeter was unable to put weight on his left leg afterward and was helped off the field by Yankees head athletic trainer Steve Donohue and Girardi.In an odd twist, the Yankees wouldn’t have been playing in that inning if not for the latest game-tying home run by October star Raul Ibañez three innings earlier.I can't tell you how much I appreciate his toughness and his grit," Girardi said. "It's, to me, a great example for everyone. And I am not just talking about athletes, I am just talking about everyone that goes through struggles in life or goes through pain in life." Already missing career saves leader Mariano Rivera, also a five-time champion, since early May because he tore a ligament in his knee shagging flyballs, the Yankees will activate Eduardo Nunez before Game 2 of the series on Sunday. Jayson Nix is expected to start at shortstopIt's a tough loss, but it's not going to be something that we're going to, you know, let it derail us," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "But it's tough to lose, obviously, any important player. Derek's obviously been as important as anybody. But now he's been taken out, so Nix has got to go in there, and we've got a lot of confidence in Nix.Jeter was the designated hitter in Game 4 of the AL division series after fouling a ball off the same foot the previous night and had to come out after the eighth inning. It was the first time he didn't start a playoff game at shortstop, as Nix got the nod in his place. I saw him flip the ball to Robbie (Cano), and you figure he's going to get back up," Swisher said. "When he didn't was when I knew something was wrong. You know he wanted to get up and get off the field as quickly as he possibly could." Written off as an aging star after slumping in 2010, Jeter struggled to adapt to a no-stride swing in '11 before going on the disabled list for only the fifth time in his 17 full seasons in the big leagues with a calf injury. He returned revitalized, getting his 3,000th hit and finishing strong. Jeter surged this year, posting a remarkable season for a 38-year-old player as he batted .316 with a AL-leading 216 hits. He carried that over to the postseason, hitting .364 against the Orioles.

UFC 153: Anderson Silva vs Stephan Bonnar

Jayson Werth's walk-off home 10/11/2012

The Washington Nationals signed Jayson Werth to show them how to win. His game-ending homer Thursday night extended their surprising season. Werth led off the bottom of the ninth inning by driving Lance Lynn’s 13th pitch into the left-field stands to give the Nationals a 2-1 victory over the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals and force a Game 5 in their NL division series.As he circled the bases, Werth raised his right index finger in a “No. 1” gesture, while the announced crowd of 44,392 roared. The other Nationals raced out of the dugout to greet Werth, who tossed his red batting helmet high in the air before jumping on home plate and being enveloped by a bouncing collection of thrilled teammates. The best-of-five series will end Friday night in Washington, with the winner advancing to face the San Francisco Giants in the NL championship series. The starters will provide a rematch of Game 1, which Washington won, with Gio Gonzalez on the mound for the Nationals, and Adam Wainwright for the Cardinals. “It will be a lot like today. It’s what it’s all about. It’s what you play all season for and what you work out all winter for and what you get to spring training early for,” Werth said. “We have a chance tomorrow to take that next step. I know my teammates will be ready and the city will, too.”"I'm just happy that these fans got to see it, because obviously he had a rough year last year, and he got hurt this year, and I don't think the fans realize how good of a player Jason is," Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman said. "For him to have a moment like this in front of the home fans, and in front of this atmosphere, I couldn't be happier for him. He deserves it." Werth's arrival certainly coincided with a quick turnaround: The Nationals lost 100 games in 2008 and 2009, but led the majors with 98 wins this year. "When I signed here, my first day here, I went to a Capitals game, a hockey game, (and) the place was packed. Somebody said, `Just a few short years ago, this place was empty.' So I knew that a winning ballclub would bring the fans," Werth said, "and here we are, two years later, and they're showing up and it's awesome."In 1924, the old Washington Senators trailed the New York Giants by two runs in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the World Series. Bucky Harris, the second baseman, hit what looked like it would be a routine groundball toward third base. The ball, though, hit a pebble on Griffith Stadium’s infield. Because this happened in one of these decisive games, the pebble now has legendary status. The ball bounced over the head of the Giants third baseman and into left field. Two runs scored, star pitcher Walter Johnson came on in relief, and the Senators won in the 12th on another bad-hop ball toward third, this one hit by Earl McNeely, scoring Muddy Ruel – legends, both, because of their involvement in that elimination game.

Man Utd vs Newcastle 3-0 All Goals & Full Highligths 07-10-2012

Manchester United secured their seventh win in nine games with victory over Newcastle at the Sports Direct Arena.Jonny Evans - Patrice Evra - Tom Cleverley are on target for Man United as they beat Newcastle 3-0 in the League One Cup. Final score and result:- Manchester United vs Newcastle 2-1 ( Jonny Evans - Patrice Evra - Tom Cleverley)

Car Chase Suicide Aired

Fox anchor Shepard Smith apologized to viewers earlier this afternoon for airing a car chase that ended with a man shooting himself in the head. In the scene, posted online, the man is seen stumbling outside the car, then raising what appears to be a gun to his head. He then pitches forward. Around 3:30 p.m. ET, at the end of the hour-long pursuit, he drove off the road, got out of his car and ran down a dirt path for a short period. He then appeared to shoot himself in the head and collapsed. Fox News quickly cut away from the shot and went to commercial after the gruesome incident. Host Shepard Smith immediately apologized for airing what looked like a suicide. "We really messed up," Smith told viewers after the flop. He said the footage was on a 5-second time delay and shouldn't have been aired. "We're all very sorry. That didn't belong on television.""Sometimes we see a lot of things that we don't let get to you because it's not time-appropriate. It's insensitive. It's just wrong. And that was wrong. And that won't happen again on my watch. And I'm sorry." In addition to Smith's apology, Fox News executive VP Michael Clemente issued his own statement: "We took every precaution to avoid any such live incident by putting the helicopter pictures on a five second delay," Clemente said. "Unfortunately, this mistake was the result of a severe human error and we apologize for what viewers ultimately saw on the screen."

WWE RAW RESULT

Welcome to the Bleacher Report live WWE Raw blog where we cover all the action as it happens live on television. Tonight's show will most likely address the fact that CM Punk had his foot on the rope while being pinned in the main event from last week. WWE has a rare opportunity to really build up some feuds over the next several weeks as we are in the early part of a long stretch between PPVs. It will be interesting to see what feuds WWE progresses with tonight and which ones they leave for SmackDown to deal with. There are a lot of possibilities for how tonight will go, but one thing is for sure, and that is that Jim Ross will be announcing at tonight's show to fill in for The King while he recovers. JR will have the unfortunate duty of following up an impressive showing from JBL last week, but he is more than up to the task. While following the action we encourage readers to discuss and debate during the show in the comments section below.

One Direction 'Live While We're Young' Video

If you thought "What Makes You Beautiful" and "One Thing" were inescapable ear candy, then One Direction fans and pop music lovers might not be able to resist the band's latest single, the bouncy "Live While We're Young." While the guys were expected to drop the song on October 1, just as the single and the video were leaked on Thursday (September 20), the boy banders moved up the release date of both, gifting fans with what they had been cooking up in the studio earlier this summer.The 1D guys are seen spilling out of a tent, playing in giant inflatable balls, goofing around at soccer, jumping on a trampoline, splashing in a pool and singing into giant microphones.Yes, there's a giant inflatable banana too!In a word? Fun.Niall had tweeted when they made the video: "We have literally just finished shooting the video for 'live while we're young' ur gona love it! It was soo fun to shoot!"Direction's New Single 'Live While We're Young' For Capital FM First Play Today - Get the latest One Direction news on Capital FM.One Direction's new single Live While We're Young has leaked online today, four days before it was due to premiere. The song is set to be.One Direction's new single Live While We're Young - view the vide.

Devon Walker Injury

Certain events make you forget the game at hand, and Tulane safety Devon Walker's injury against Tulsa on Saturday falls in that tragic category.

Walker was injured in a head-to-head collision with his teammate Julius Warmsley while trying to attempt a tackle at the end of the first half. KTUL-TV reporter John Moss had some news concerning the senior safety's condition.Medical personnel from both teams came out about 12:37 p.m. to attend to Walker as he lay on the field.

Savoie said after the game that Walker "actually never completely lost consciousness" and was breathing.

About 12:52 p.m., he was lifted onto a stretcher and loaded into a waiting ambulance about two minutes later. The ambulance drove off the field about 1 p.m.

FOX Sports reported a hush went over the crowd at H.A. Stadium as Walker was attended to on the field, and that several coaches were in tears. Spectators bowed their heads as someone on the field led the stadium in prayer.I had a difficult time watching the second half of Tulane's game against Tulsa. My thoughts and prayers were with Devon as the action continued on the field. I thought the FOX Sports crew did a great job of balancing the play-by-play with the gravity of Walker's situation. And the Tulsa players and coaches also showed a lot of class.

The thoughts and prayers of all Green Wave fans, alumni, and others are with you, Devon. You exemplify the excellence that is Tulane University. Stay strong.

Rihanna's Butt Grabbed At VMAs

Rihanna's performance of a new remix of "Cockiness (I Love It)" was made all the more buzzworthy by a surprisingly intimate moment near the end of the song. A$AP Rocky, the New York rapper who provided a guest verse for the track, leaned in close to Rihanna, put his mouth on her neck and openly grabbed Rihanna's backside. Rihanna didn’t seem to be the least bit fazed by the situation, even though we can’t imagine that A$AP got THAT handsy during rehearsals. (We already know that Lana Del Rey finds him Frenchable and he wanted to “bone” her.) Post-tushgrab, she made her way through the crowd to the raised platform where house DJ and her “We Found Love” collaborator Calvin Harris was DJing. The crowd, both at home and attending live in the Staples Center, went predictably bonkers, and got the 2012 VMAs off to a memorable start.

Roddick retirement plans after US Open

Andy Roddick announced his retirement on Thursday, saying his tennis career will close at the U.S. Open, the site of his biggest triumph.

The 2003 champion at Flushing Meadows and former No. 1-ranked player decided to walk away from the sport whenever his U.S. Open ends, making the surprise announcement at a news conference on Thursday, his 30th birthday.

"I'll make this short and sweet: I've decided that this is going to be my last tournament," said Roddick."I think I wanted an opportunity to say goodbye to people, as well," Roddick said during the press conference. "I don't know how tomorrow's going to go, and I hope it goes well, and I'm sticking around."

As noted by Matt Cronin of Tennis.com, Roddick has won two small tournaments this season but fared poorly at the larger tournaments. Novak Djokovic throttled him in the second round at the London 2012 Olympics just weeks after coming up short against David Ferrer in the third round at Wimbledon.

During the press conference to announce his impending retirement, Roddick referred back to his thoughts at the All-England club after that loss to Ferrer.

"Walking off at Wimbledon I felt like I knew. I couldn't imagine myself being there another year," Roddick revealed.“A number is a number,“ he said. “But I think wear and tear and miles is something that’s not really an age thing. If you look at my contemporaries that started with me, Roger (Federer) is the only one that’s still going and still going strong.

“It’s a matter of how I feel. I feel like I’m able to compete at the highest level.

“Frankly, these guys have gotten really, really, really good. I’m not sure that with compromised health that I can do what I want to do right now.“

Few would have guessed after Roddick won the U.S. Open in 2003 that he would never win another major title. But his best chances were always thwarted by Federer, the Wimbledon master.

London 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony

Fireworks galore and 'The Who' sing My Generation, and with that the closing ceremony comes to an end. “When our time came - Britain we did it right. Thank you!”, said chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, Lord Sebastian Coe and indeed Britain did it right not only in the opening ceremony but also in the closing ceremony as well. At the Olympic Games in London 2012, about 10,500 athletes from 204 countries compete in 26 different sports, comprising 302 medal events. Whether athletes win a medal or not, they can forever call themselves Olympians. The sporting competitions are undoubtedly the central focus of the Olympic Games and participating in the Games is the ultimate goal for most athletes.Featuring more than 4,100 performers, including 3,500 adult volunteers and 380 schoolchildren from the six east London Host Boroughs, the Ceremony will showcase the great creative talent of the UK in a fun, colourful and festive atmosphere.

Following an introduction to daily life in London, the athletes will enter and the volunteers will be thanked. There will then be ‘A Symphony of British Music’ to celebrate the fact that music has been one of Britain’s strongest cultural exports over the last 50 years.

At the end of the Ceremony, there will be a handover to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games, and the Olympic Flame will be extinguished, signalling the end of the Olympic Games.

Usain Bolt and Jamaica Win the Mens 4x100M Relay and Set World Record

Usain Bolt put an exclamation point on his performance at the London Olympics with another gold medal and another world record.

Running the anchor leg in the men's 4x100-meter relay, Bolt helped the Jamaican team win the gold medal in 36.84 seconds, a new world record. Just days after declaring himself "the greatest athlete to live," the charismatic 25-year-old sprinter went back to work bolstering his argument.Jamaica entered the race as a heavy favorite, but there were several other talented teams in the field as well. When Jamaica's entire unit runs its race, however, it is unbelievably difficult for other teams to keep up.

Veteran Asafa Powell was unable to run in the race because of a groin injury, but the younger Jamaicans were able to pick up the slack. Powell wasn't a part of the relay team's world-record effort back in 2011, but most expected him to handle one of the legs in London. He was the anchor in Beijing and ended up finishing off Jamaica's golden performance four years ago.The moment definitely was a crowd pleaser as the Olympic Stadium erupted with excitement when the race began, but after the Jamaican team were announced as winners it appeared that the 50,000 fans in the stadium went wild like never seen before at the London Olympics as they were delighted as anything with Usain Bolt is a fan favorite.

Take a look at the photos of Usain Bolt and his team winning the 4x100 meter relay. This is Usain Bolt's third gold medal at the summer games.

Mariana Pajon Wins BMX Gold Medal 2012 London Olympics

Mariana Pajon earned Colombia their first gold medal of the London Games when she thundered to victory in the women's BMX event on Friday.Pajon, who had dominated her three semi-final runs in awe-inspiring fashion, led the eight-rider strong field after the first bend and never looked back.New Zealand's Sarah Walker took silver and Dutchwoman Laura Smulders claimed bronze while local hope Shanaze Reade settled for sixth.Minutes after Pajon, male BMX cyclist Carlos Mario Oquendo won bronze in the men's category, lifting Colombia's total number of medals to eight.

The country's old record was set in 1972 when Colombian athletes brought home three medals. In London, Colombia has so far won one gold, three silver and four bronze medals.

Canada vs France 1-0 Women's Soccer Highlights

Canada's women's soccer team has its first medal in Olympic history.

Diana Matheson scored in the 92nd minute to give the Canadians the bronze medal at the London Olympics with a thrilling 1-0 victory over France.

The bronze marks the country's first Summer Games medal in a traditional team sport since a silver in men's basketball in 1936.

The five-foot midfielder from Oakville, Ont., fired a long shot past France goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi to lift the Canadians over a stunned French side that had been hammering Canada's net all game long.They missed a penalty in their 2-1 defeat by Japan in their semi-final and in Coventry on Thursday afternoon they were made to pay once again for failing to take their opportunities.

Canada were perhaps still tired and mentally drained after their dramatic extra-time defeat by the United States at Old Trafford on Monday.

And after a cagey first half, Bruno Bini's French team took control after the restart, crafting three excellent chances in as many minutes. A bronze isn't what the Canadians came for, but it's some solace after their heartbreaking 4-3 defeat in the semifinals. Plus, it's the first medal in a team sport for Canada since the men's basketball team took silver in 1936.

This is also good news for any of you fans of transitive property banking on the bronze medal match to determine whether the loser of USA-Canada was better than the loser of Japan-France.

USA Defeats Canada 4-3 2012 London Olympics

The U.S. women's soccer team defeated Canada 4-3 in an extra-time thriller that is bound for the history books.

Despite trailing the Canadians in the first half, the U.S. team held on and forced the game into extra time, where several failed attempts on both sides culminated in a last-minute header by Alex Morgan that sailed narrowly over the hand of Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod.

The United States will contend for a gold medal Thursday against the Japanese, who defeated the French team 2-1 in the other semifinal match.

The gold-medal match will be a chance for revenge for the Americans, just one year after Japan beat them 3-1 in the 2011 World Cup final.In the 123rd minute, Morgan nodded a cross from Heather O'Reilly into the back of the net to produce the first U.S. lead of the match. Having rallied from deficits all night long at Old Trafford in Manchester, the U.S. women are moving on to face Japan after a thrilling 4-3 win. It took until the second half for the game to completely set alight, and Team USA scored straight from a Megan Rapinoe corner to equalize. Christine Sinclair made it 2-1 to Canada soon after, before Rapinoe equalized again.

Sinclair completed her hat-trick to make it 3-2 before Wambach equalized a third time from the penalty spot.

So it went to extra time and a fiercely competed two periods looked to be heading for penalties before Morgan stepped forward to book Team USA's place in the final and break Canadian hearts.

Usain Bolt Win Gold 2012 Olympics 100 Meters FINAL

Jamaica's Usain Bolt won the gold medal in the most attractive athletic discipline, the 100m in a new Olympic record time of 9.63.
The silver medal was won by another Jamaican Johan Blake at the time 9.75, while the bronze American Justin Gatlin won in 9.79 times.Yohan Blake of Jamaica took silver in 9.75 seconds, with Justin Gatlin of the United States capturing bronze in 9.79 seconds. A training partner of Bolt, Blake equalled a personal best with his runner-up time. Also setting or equalling personal best times were Gatlin and Ryan Bailey of the United States, who finished fifth. Of course, with a who's who of international track stars -- largely hailing from the United States and Jamaica -- it was no surprise to see the scoreboard light up with such stellar times. Bolt's training partner and Jamaican teammate, world champion Yohan Blake, won the silver in 9.75, and 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin of the U.S. took the bronze in 9.79.

''It just feels good to be back,'' said Gatlin, who served a four-year ban after testing positive for excessive testosterone.

''To be honest, I went out there to challenge a mountain. I went out there to challenge the odds. Not just myself and everything I've been through, but the legacy of Usain Bolt,'' Gatlin said. ''I had to go out there and be fearless.''Bolt and Blake will be back Tuesday in the 200 meters. Gatlin and Gay return for the 4 x 100 relay Friday and Saturday.

More American disappointment came in the semifinals of the men's 400 meters, where USC's Byshon Nellum and University of Florida's Tony McQuay failed to make the cut for Monday night's final. That meant for the first time in Olympic history (save the boycotted 1980 Games), the U.S. will not have a male 400 finalist. The U.S. streak of seven consecutive men's 400 golds is done, too.

The fastest of all 400 qualifiers in 44.58 was Queens resident Lalonde Gordon, running for Trinidad and Tobago.

The day began with the women's marathon. For most of the race, it was a four-woman duel, but Tiki Gelana pulled away and crossed the line in 2:23:07, an Olympic record performance. "As soon as the rain started, I said to myself, thank God," Gelana said. "I loved running in the rain, I've been doing that since I was a small child."

Michael Philips 4x100-Meter Medley Relay London 2012 Olympics Games

Swimming the butterfly leg for the U.S. team in the men's 4x100-meter medley relay, Phelps has completed his program at the London Olympics -- and his swimming career -- with yet another gold medal. That makes 18 gold and 22 total medals over four career trips to the Olympics, including a pair of unprecedented individual three-peats. Having accomplished more than any other Olympian in history, the 27-year-old from Maryland is ready to walk away.

"I told myself I never want to swim when I'm 30," Phelps told reporters after his final race, making it clear that he won't be back in the pool for the 2016 Olympics. "No offense to those people who are 30, but that was something I always said to myself, and that would be in three years. I just don't want to swim for those three years."Entering the London Olympics, the U.S. had never lost the 4x100-meter medley relay. The American team swam in the fourth lane after recording the fastest qualifying time (3:32.65). Turning over the team after that performance, the swimmers representing the U.S. in the final were among the most impressive of the London Games. Phelps swam the fly leg and was joined by Matt Grevers (who had won gold in backstroke), Nathan Adrian (who won gold in freestyle) and Brendan Hansen (who won bronze in the breaststroke). Not surprisingly, this star-studded quartet captured the gold medal, finishing in 3:29.35. Phelps’s meet here started poorly, with a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter individual medley, the first time he had failed to medal in an event since he made his Olympic debut as a 15-year-old at the 2000 Sydney Games. But he finished with six medals in his remaining six events, including golds in his final four races: the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, the 200 individual medley, the 100 butterfly and the medley relay.

Usain Bolt advances to Olympic 100 semifinals

LONDON — In his first appearance at the London Olympics, Usain Bolt did what he had to do to advance to the 100-meter semifinals, overcoming a slow start to win his heat in 10.09 seconds Saturday.Bolt dominated the Beijing Games four years ago, winning golds in world-record times in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay — something no man had ever done at an Olympics. At the 2009 world championships, he lowered his 100 mark to 9.58, which still stands.

But he's been less than outstanding more recently. A false start knocked him out of the dash at last year's world championships, and he lost to training partner Yohan Blake in the 100 and 200 at the Jamaican Olympic trials. Bolt blamed his poor showings at home on back and hamstring issues.At the 2009 world championships, he lowered his 100 mark to 9.58, which still stands.

But he's been less-than-outstanding more recently. A false start knocked him out of the dash at last year's world championships, and he lost to training partner Yohan Blake in the 100 and 200 at the Jamaican Olympic trials.

London Olympics 2012:Mahe Drysdale wins olympic gold

Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand, who has been crossing rowing finish lines first for almost a decade, finally did so at the Olympics Friday.

Drysdale is a five-time world champion in the single sculls and has been a dominant force in the sport, but he finished fourth at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and was third in Beijing four years ago.

Four of the top five competitors from the 2008 Olympics were back to challenge for the gold medal this time and Drysdale made sure he would not be denied this time. He got an early lead and powered his way along the 2,000-meter course in the time of 6:57.82.Drysdale went into the Beijing Games in 2008 as a huge favorite but fell ill days before the final and struggled to a bronze. He had to be helped onto the podium that day after vomiting behind the scenes.With the men's pair of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray also winning their final on Friday, New Zealand tops the rowing medals table with three golds with four final races left. Joseph Sullivan and Nathan Cohen won the men's double sculls Thursday.

Drysdale appeared in danger of missing the London Games when he crashed his bike into a car before a World Cup regatta in Munich in June. He sustained minor joint injuries, grazes and bruises.

It was Synek's second straight Olympic silver. The gold medalist from Beijing, Olaf Tufte of Norway, failed to reach the final.

Lassi Karonen of Sweden was overtaken in the final 150 meters by Campbell, whose bronze added to the two thirds he has won at the last two world championships.

Nathan Adrian Wins Gold Medal In 100-Meter

Nathan Adrian took out the Missile by a fingertip. Daniel Gyurta and Rebecca Soni took down two more world records at the pool.

Adrian, a 23-year-old largely overshadowed by American stars such as Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, made a name for himself by winning the 100-meter Olympic freestyle Wednesday. He lunged to the wall to edge James "The Missile" Magnussen by one-hundredth of a second - the slighest margin possible - and again deny Australia its first individual swimming gold of the London Games.Adrian clocked 47.52 seconds to win by 0.01 ahead of world champion James "The Missile" Magnussen of Australia.

Magnussen touched in 47.53 to take the silver medal and Brent Hayden of Canada finished in 47.80 for bronze.

Olympic badminton pairs face match-fixing probe

A disciplinary hearing began Wednesday to investigate eight women badminton players, including the reigning world champions from China, charged with trying to throw their matches at the London Olympics to secure a favourable draw.

The Badminton World Federation said in a statement it had charged the doubles players from China, South Korea and Indonesia under its players' code of conduct with "not using one's best efforts to win a match" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport" in matches Tuesday night."China has been doing this so many times and they never get sanctioned by the BWF," Thohir said. "On the first game yesterday when China did it, the BWF didn't do anything. If the BWF do something on the first game and they say you are disqualified, it is a warning for everyone."

IOC vice president Craig Reedie, the former head of the international badminton federation, welcomed the decision.

"Sport is competitive," Reedie told the AP. "If you lose the competitive element, then the whole thing becomes a nonsense.

"You cannot allow a player to abuse the tournament like that, and not take firm action. So good on them."

The eight disqualified players are world doubles champions Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang of China and their South Korean opponents Jung Kyun-eun and Kim Ha-na, along with South Korea's Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung and Indonesia's Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii.Petya Nedelcheva, the Bulgarian women's singles 15th seed, who was playing on an adjacent court at the time of the first incident, was forthright in her general criticism of China. "China control everything," she said. "I don't know who controlled the match to lose, but if it is China again … They did it so many times last year, they didn't play against each other in 20 matches. They do what they want."

The online magazine Badzine published figures in December last year showing that of the 99 all-Chinese matches played in major tournaments in 2011, 20 were walkovers or ended in a retirement.

Emms said that the potential for spot-fixing was raised in a manager's meeting on Monday but that the referee had dismissed their concerns. "All the managers got together with the referee and said, 'look, this has happened; in Group D you will find some very dodgy matches going on in the evening because of it' and the referee laughed and said 'oh don't be silly'," she said. "And the managers said 'we know the game, we know the players and we know the teams and we know this is going to happen."

She added: "Badminton, in the Olympics and in all tournaments across the circuit, it's never played in a group stage, it's always a straight knockout system and for some reason they decided that the Olympic Games in 2012 should be this group stages.

U.S. women's gymnastics wins gold

LONDON -- One by one, the Americans thundered down the runway, soared high above the vault and slammed into the mat.When the fireworks were over, so was everybody else's chance for the gold medal.The Americans lived up to their considerable hype and then some Tuesday night, routing silver medalist Russia and everybody else on their way to their first Olympic title in women's gymnastics since 1996. Their score of 183.596 was a whopping five points better than Russia's, and set off a debate over whether this is the best U.S. team of all time. Romania won the bronze.The 16-year-old Douglas performed in each of the rotations while Wieber was called on for the floor, vault and uneven bars. Raisman worked the floor and the beam, with Ross performing on the beam and the uneven bars. Maroney was the only U.S. gymnast with just one event but no one on the team registered a score higher than her 16.233 on vault. That score was the highest of all competitors in the team final.

Russia was the primary challenger for the U.S. team in middle stages of the competition but completely fell apart during the floor routine, with two gymnasts falling during their routines. After Russia's mistakes, the U.S. team headed to the floor knowing three solid performances would likely win them the gold. Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber and Aly Raisman delivered impressive floor routines to clinch the first team gold for the U.S. since the "Magnificent Seven" won in 1996. The 16-year-old Douglas performed in each of the rotations while Wieber was called on for the floor, vault and uneven bars. Raisman worked the floor and the beam, with Ross performing on the beam and the uneven bars. Maroney was the only U.S. gymnast with just one event but no one on the team registered a score higher than her 16.233 on vault. That score was the highest of all competitors in the team final.

Russia was the primary challenger for the U.S. team in middle stages of the competition but completely fell apart during the floor routine, with two gymnasts falling during their routines. After Russia's mistakes, the U.S. team headed to the floor knowing three solid performances would likely win them the gold. Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber and Aly Raisman delivered impressive floor routines to clinch the first team gold for the U.S. since the "Magnificent Seven" won in 1996. Kyla Ross, at age 15, the youngest member of the U.S. team, summed up their feelings after winning the gold medal. “It’s definitely really amazing to have this medal around our neck. And to say we’re Olympic champions is definitely something special and something we’ve worked our whole lives for, so it’s definitely a dream come true," she said.

It will be Ali Raisman and Gabby Douglas who will represent the United States in the women’s individual all-around final on Thursday. Three days of individual apparatus finals for men and women begin on Sunday. McKayla Maroney, the fifth member of the U.S. team, who had a spectacular vault in the team event, is in the women’s vault final on Sunday.

OPENING CEREMONY OF LONDON OLYMPICS 2012

In a city that knows how to do ceremony — from hoary rituals formalized in the Middle Ages to celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee last month partly through the Twitter feed @BritishMonarchy — an atmosphere of whimsy and party won out over pomp and circumstance during an Olympic opening ceremony that allowed an economically beleaguered Britain to pat itself on the back.
Ads by Google


Starting from his conviction that Britain "rebooted human existence" with the Industrial Revolution, director Danny Boyle called the entertainment piece of the nearly four-hour ceremony Friday night a "celebration of the creativity, exuberance and, above all, the generosity of the British people."

It was in the spirit of such generosity that the organizers chose not a single renowned Olympian to light the cauldron that will burn until Aug. 12 but seven young athletes who embody the London Games' idealistic motto and hope to "inspire a generation."

With 260 British Olympic medalists joining them, the seven young athletes touched torches to copper petals that rose to form a cauldron at the center of the stadium floor. It will be moved to another position before the track and field events begin Friday.