Olympics 2012: Nigeria finishes fourth in 4x100m women relay

Even though they finished fourth in the final of the 4 x 100m women relay, Nigeria’s quartet of Oludamola Osayomi, Gloria Asumnu, Endurance Abinuwa and Blessing Okagbare posted a season best of 42.64 seconds.
Okagbare who ran the last lap for Nigeria was almost close to picking the bronze but could not outdo Ukraine’s Elizaveta Bryzgina.
US quartet of Tianna Madison,Allyson Felix,Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter created a new world record as they ran a time of 40.82 seconds to claim gold medal.
Jamaica clinched silver in a time of 41.41 seconds while Ukraine won bronze in time of 42.04 seconds.
Only yesterday,the minister of Sports Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi admitted that Team Nigeria have had a woeful performance at the London 2012 Olympics.
It is now left to be seen where the medals will come from,as Nigeria has only few competitions to compete in,the Women’s 4×400 meters finals

Taekwondo: Medal hopeful; Chukwumerije knocked out by Cuban

Team Nigeria’s woes at the ongoing London Olympics continue with the ouster of its medal hopeful Chika Chukwumerije in the +80kg of the taekwondo event.
Beijing 2008 Olympics bronze medalist Chukwumerije lost narrowly by 1 point to Cuba’s Robelis Despaigne to send the Nigerian out of the event.
The fourth seeded Cuban 2011 Athlete of the Year was also a quarter finalist at the 2009 World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark and the Team Nigeria Captain Chukwumerije, before the clash remained unfazed, hoping to go beyond his achievement in the same event in the Beijing Games four years ago, here in London 2012.
Nigeria’s second qualifier, Adam Isah Mohammed, who was drawn against a Jordanian fighter, Abulibdeh Mohammad in the 68kg category battle was also flushed out of contention on Thursday.
The African champion’s hope for a medal now hangs in the balance which means he could be sneaked in to get a chance for a bronze medal fight if the Cuban reaches the final.

Cool runnings! Bolt helps Jamaica smash world record for astonishing 4x100m relay

• Usain Bolt sees Jamaica home in a world record time of 36.85 seconds
• Bolt: 'It is always a beautiful thing to end on this note'
• The United States finished in 37.04 seconds, the old world-record time set by Bolt and the Jamaicans last year

Double Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt anchored Jamaica to victory in a blistering men's 4x100 metres final as they retained their title in a world record 36.84 seconds tonight.
The Jamaican will leave London a perfect 3 for 3 - three events, three victories - just the way he departed Beijing four years ago.
Almost even with the last U.S. runner when he got the baton for the anchor leg of the relay, Bolt steadily pulled away down the stretch, gritting his teeth and leaning at the line to cap his perfect Summer Games by leading Jamaica to the title.

From right to left: Jamaica's Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Michael Frater and Nesta Carter celebrate winning the gold medal standing on the podium

Bolt posed with Blake, each doing a signature pose. Bolt did his 'To the World' move, where he leans back and points to the sky. Blake curled his hands as if they were claws while making a scary face to match the nickname Bolt gave him, 'The Beast'

The United States finished in 37.04 seconds, the old world-record time set by Bolt and the Jamaicans last year.

Trinidad & Tobago got the bronze medal when Canada was disqualified after finishing third.
The winning team was the same Jamaican quartet of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake and Bolt that set the previous mark of 37.04 at the world championships in Daegu last year.

Famous pose: Usain Bolt and team mate Yohan Blake celebrate their win

From left, Jamaica's Usain Bolt, Jamaica's Yohan Blake, Jamaica's Nesta Carter and Jamaica's Michael Frater pose for photographers next to a timing board displaying their world record time of 36.84 seconds for the men's 4x100-meter relay final

After crossing the line, Bolt pleaded with an official to let him keep the yellow baton he was clutching.
The United States finished in 37.04 seconds, the old world-record time set by Bolt and the Jamaicans last year.

 

Trinidad & Tobago got the bronze medal when Canada was disqualified after finishing third.

The winning team was the same Jamaican quartet of Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake and Bolt that set the previous mark of 37.04 at the world championships in Daegu last year.

After crossing the line, Bolt pleaded with an official to let him keep the yellow baton he was clutching.

The team pose for pictures with their flag wrapped around their shoulders

Bolt paid his own tribute to Farah, performing the Briton's 'Mobot' celebration as he crossed the line after powering away from American

But the answer was 'No,' and Bolt handed it over while some nearby spectators booed.

About 40 minutes later, that same official approached Bolt and returned the stick.
Bolt responded with a bow of thanks and a chuckle, kissed the baton - and then asked his teammates to autograph it.

One more possession to help him remember his week at 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium, where any mention of Bolt's name drew raucous cheers, countless camera flashes and chants of 'Usain!' or 'We want Bolt!'

Thankful: Jamaica's Usain Bolt kisses the track as he is draped with his national flag

Winning kiss: A fan hugs Jamaica's Usain Bolt after his golden win

Memento: Usain Bolt has his photo taken on a phone with spectators

'It's amazing. It's been wonderful,' Bolt said in an interview shown on the scoreboard.

Addressing the spectators, he said: 'You guys are wonderful. Thanks for the support. I love you guys.'
Bolt added the relay gold to the ones he earned in the 100 in 9.63 seconds last Sunday - the second-fastest time in history - and the 200 in 19.32 on Thursday.
As Blake and Gay rounded the race's final curve, they were pretty much in sync, stride for stride.

Popular: The champion in embraced by an enthusiastic fan

Power photo: Britain's gold medalist Mohamed Farah and his daughter Rihanna pose with Usain Bolt

But when that duo was done, the relay came down to Bolt vs. Bailey, who was fifth in the 100 meters in 9.88.

After transferring the baton from his left hand to his right, the 6-foot-5 Bolt churned up the track with his long-as-can-be strides, and Ryan Bailey had no chance to keep up.

'Wow,' Bailey said. 'He's a monster.'

After seeing the record time, Bolt began to celebrate, something he relishes as much as running, it seems.
He posed with Blake, each doing a signature pose. Bolt did his 'To the World' move, where he leans back and points to the sky.

World record: Double Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt anchored Jamaica to victory in a blistering men's 4x100 metres final as they retained their title in a world record 36.84 seconds

The race was pretty much even when Bolt and Ryan Bailey received the baton for the homestretch, but Bolt pulled away to help Jamaica set the relay record for the third time since 2008

Blake curled his hands as if they were claws while making a scary face to match the nickname Bolt gave him, 'The Beast.'

After removing his spikes, Bolt danced barefoot to the Eurythmics' 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)' as it played on the arena's loudspeakers.

Later, wearing his latest gold medal, Bolt waved his fingers toward the stands, trying to get fans to do the wave which they happily olbliged.
Usain Bolt, speaking to BBC One after winning said: 'It is always a beautiful thing to end on this note. It is a wonderful feeling. It was a great Olympics and I am happy. I wish we could have gone faster but I guess we leave room for improvement.'

On whether he can replicate winning three golds again he admitted: 'It will be hard because Yohan Blake is coming up and running well and I am sure there will be some other young cats coming through.'

On your marks: Jamaica's Usain Bolt prepares next to US' Ryan Bailey left before competing

Jamaica's Usain Bolt prepares to pass United States' Ryan Bailey

Victory again: Jamaica's Usain Bolt crosses the finish line ahead of United States' Ryan Bailey to win the men's 4 x 100-metre relay final

Bolt paid his own tribute to Farah, performing the Briton's 'Mobot' celebration as he crossed the line after powering away from American Ryan Bailey on the final leg.
'I told him I was going to try it out,'Bolt said.

'It looks good on me, I might just take it.'
Talking of waving to the crowd Bolt said: 'It was a goodbye to London. I was just having fun with the crowd. I came here to London to become a legend, and I am a legend, and I wanted to thank them for supporting me.'
When questioned about a possible triple-triple track gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio he said:
'The possibility is there, but it's going to be very hard.'
'At the age of 30, it's going to be hard to do great things. For me, I'm just going to enjoy the moment.
'Right now I'm like a bum. I have no goals.'
Ryan Bailey, who ran the last leg of the relay and got the baton at same time as Bolt commented: ''Wow. He's a monster. He's a monster.'

Mancini expects stern test from Chelsea as Manchester City prepare for title defence

Roberto Mancini is expecting a much stronger Premier League title challenge from Chelsea this season.

Despite a packed summer of sport, the thrilling manner of Manchester City's first championship for 44 years is still fresh in the mind.
In contrast, Chelsea slumped to sixth, their worst finish since 2002.
Amazingly though, such poor form did not stop interim manager Roberto di Matteo lifting the Champions League for the first time since Roman Abramovich bought the Stamford Bridge outfit.

Standing toe to toe: Roberto Mancini and Vincent Kompany prepare for the Community Shield

With Di Matteo now confirmed on a permanent basis, far greater consistency is expected.
The Italian has already begun reshaping his squad, with one-time City target Eden Hazard coming in following Didier Drogba's departure for China.
And Mancini believes the Londoners are ready to start punching their weight again.
'For sure (they will be more of a threat),' said Mancini.
'They have bought young players and also good players.'

Mobbed: Manchester City's Mario Balotelli is the centre of attention

Brazil's Olympic star Oscar has also joined Chelsea, in addition to Marko Marin. That pair will miss the Community Shield encounter at Villa Park.

 

But Mancini feels they will strengthen a team it is still hard to believe overcame a brilliant Barcelona outfit despite the dismissal of John Terry in last season's semi-final, and then beat Bayern Munich in a penalty shoot-out at the Allianz Arena.

'I said a lot of times that the Champions League is a really strange competition,' said Mancini.
'It is important you have a good team because you play against the best teams in the world. But you should also be lucky when you arrive from the moment you arrive in the quarter-final.
'Maybe Chelsea deserved to win the Champions League five years ago but they won it last year.'

Defending champions: Manchester City begin their season with a home tie against newly-promoted Southampton

Mancini has the same aim this season and with a slightly easier draw - City will be in pot two for the group stage draw, one higher than 12 months ago - it will be a huge shock if they fail to reach the knockout stages for the first time.

 

Retaining the Premier League is also an achievable aim, for all Mancini's reservations over the strength of his squad.

That City went on to clinch the title after losing last season's Community Shield to Manchester United suggests not too much attention should be paid to the outcome as City look to lift the trophy for the first time since 1972.
And with Mancini confirming neither Mario Balotelli nor David Silva will start at Villa Park as they are barely a week into full training, there will be even more reservations amongst the City faithful, no matter what their manager says.

New boys: Mancini is impressed with Chelsea's latest additions, including Eden Hazard (left) and Marko Marin

'If in the end we win the Premier League it is better we lose against Chelsea,' said Mancini.
'But it is important that we try to win because we have not won this cup for a long time and we want to start the season with a victory.
'We know it will not be easy. Chelsea are a strong team.'

Di Matteo backs Torres to start delivering again as Chelsea prepare for life after Drogba

Fernando Torres will be given the chance to step into the shoes of Didier Drogba and lead Chelsea’s assault on the Premier League and the Champions League this season.

The Spaniard’s chequered career at Stamford Bridge since his £50million move from Liverpool will enter a new phase with the shadow of Drogba removed and coach Roberto Di Matteo — with few other options up front — insists that he will not be following Spain’s lead of playing without a striker.
The stage is clear for Torres to finally come good, starting in the Community Shield clash against Manchester City at Villa Park, as he aims to feed off Chelsea’s new-look midfield of Frenchman Eden Hazard, Brazilian Oscar and Marko Marin of Germany.

Backing: Fernando Torres will carry the mantle for Chelsea

Di Matteo confirmed that Torres has looked sharp in training and is backing the former Anfield favourite to succeed. ‘I was very happy with him at the end of last season,’ said Di Matteo.

 

‘There are great expectations on the club and the team and he is part of that. He was brought in to be a fantastic striker and, hopefully, he will be able to fit into our team and show the qualities he has. He’s full of confidence and is looking good in training.’

So could this be the season when the most expensive player in British football finally justifies his price tag?
‘He scored some important goals for us last season,’ said Di Matteo. ‘I don’t want to put pressure on one player. We operate as a team. Hopefully, our strikers will score lots of goals. But he’s not the only one. We have Daniel Sturridge and midfielders who can score, too.
‘His price comes from the fact that he’s been superb for the teams he’s played for in the past. We have every confidence in him.’

Justifying his price tag: Torres has been backed to shine this season

At the moment Torres and Sturridge, who can also play on the wing, are the contenders to lead the attack, but Di Matteo is mindful of the need to add to his options. He refused to rule out spending more of Roman Abramovich’s money, with Napoli striker Edinson Cavani a possible target.
Di Matteo will be without new signing Oscar, who will not join up with his team-mates until next week after he has finished Olympic duties with Brazil, but FA Cup winners Chelsea will field a strong team against Premier League champions City in an attempt to launch the season on a positive note.

Relaxed and ready: Di Matteo is looking forward to the new season

After the euphoria of the Champions League triumph in Munich, Di Matteo took a well-deserved rest, during which he received the good news from Abramovich that he had been given the coach’s job on a permanent basis.
He accepted without hesitation, he said, even though he acknowledged that his predecessors had not lasted long. ‘I was very happy to be considered and to be given the opportunity’, said the Italian.
Yet the pressure of last season took its toll. ‘I needed a holiday,’ said Di Matteo. ‘It was a good break and now I feel fully refreshed and ready to go.’
Now he wants to ignore Chelsea’s greatest night and make them a power at home and abroad again. ‘I have to forget about the Champions League, absolutely,’ he said.
‘It’s part of the past, done and dusted. We have a new start, new challenges and it’s going to be difficult for us. Everybody is going to raise their game against us.’

Hannover 3 Manchester United 4: Rooney scores twice in final warm-up

Even without the presence of Sir Alex Ferguson to urge them on, Manchester United’s players showed the never-say-die spirit that has made the club famous.
Inspired by two-goal Wayne Rooney, who has clearly shaken off his Euro 2012 blues, United fought back from 3-1 down to win a thrilling final pre-season friendly against one of the best emerging teams in the Bundesliga.

 

And all that after they were guilty of some comical misses that would have left Ferguson giving his television set the ‘hairdryer’ as he watched the game at home on MUTV.

Ferguson missed the trip to northern Germany to pursue ‘other club business’ according to sources, possibly twisting Arsene Wenger’s arm to let him have Robin van Persie for £15million.

Or perhaps the 70-year-old Scot simply felt another overseas trip in United’s marathon pre-season tour was unnecessary and he preferred to watch from home.
If that was the case, his television set would have received a frightful ear-bashing in the first half as some dazzling United buildup play was undone by Sunday park finishing.

Mexican Javier Hernandez, who missed out on his country’s Olympic gold medal, fell over four yards out when £17m Japanese summer signing Shinji Kagawa laid the ball on a plate.

Battle: Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney vies with Hannover defender Mario Eggimann

Watch out: Nani jumps out of the way of Hannover goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler

Then Michael Keane resembled a rabbit caught in headlights when he awkwardly shot wide when presented with an open goal by Hannover’s former United reserve keeper Ron-Robert Zieler.
United paid when goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard, starting ahead of last season’s first choice David de Gea, blundered after 25 minutes, fumbling a shot into the path of Artur Sobiech, who scored.
Hernandez made amends for his earlier miss by tapping in another close-range opportunity to level six minutes later but Ferguson and assistant Mike Phelan, in charge yesterday, will still want to put on extra shooting practice before their side’s Premier League kick off against Everton in nine days.

That or the Glazers will have to find an additional £15m to meet Arsenal’s asking price for Van Persie, which is unlikely given the lukewarm reception to United’s share opening in New York last week.

Firepower: Rooney scored twice in the friendly at the AWD Arena stadium in Hanover

Young gun: Michael Keane was handed a run-out in the clash in Germany

Phelan, suited and booted, introduced de Gea and Ryan Giggs at half-time, the Welshman seeing his first action for United this preseason after playing for Team GB at the Olympics.
The Spanish keeper’s first involvement ended in disaster after 49 minutes when he failed to clear his lines with a punch from a corner and Hannover swept the ball in again for substitute Karim Haggui to head home.

Hannover 96, to give them their full title, finished seventh in the Bundesliga last season and are potential Europa League opponents for Liverpool.

They showed their class with a brilliant third goal after 66 minutes when another replacement, Mohammed Abdellaoue, produced an improvised back heel to beat de Gea from eight yards.

Packing a punch: United keeper David De Gea clears the ball from danger

Heads up: Patrice Evra challenges Adrian Nikci for the ball in the warm-up clash

That would have killed off most clubs in a friendly but United are not any club, as chief executive David Gill has been keen to tell Wall Street. Rooney, who looked lighter and sharper than he did for England this summer, responded with a curling free-kick from just outside the box that reduced arrears after 69 minutes.

And the United striker then won a penalty from Zieler eight minutes from the end before dispatching the resulting penalty. Then, with a full house in near hysteria, the impressive Kagawa drove in the winner after being set up by the irrepressible Rooney.

United finished the game with a central defensive pairing of Michael Carrick and Keane. They will hope Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand will be able to start the competitive season.

Ferguson fears Wenger will block RVP move as United's £15m offer falls short

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson skipped his side’s final pre-season friendly in Hannover as his long-running feud with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger threatened to wreck a £15million move for Robin van Persie.
The Holland striker is at the top of Ferguson’s agenda after he almost certainly lost out to Paris St Germain for £30million Brazilian midfielder Lucas Moura.

Getting to know you: Robin van Persie trains with new boy Lukas Podolski and Alex Song in Germany

 

United’s £15m offer for 29-year-old Van Persie is only half what Arsenal are demanding from Ferguson and sources close to Old Trafford feel the great rivalry between Wenger and the Scot could count against them.

The pair were locked at the top of the English game for a decade, and although relations between the pair have mellowed in recent seasons, the fight for Van Persie, with the Dutchman preferring a move to United instead of Juventus and Manchester City, has re-opened some old wounds.

Uncertain future: Van Persie is anchoring for a move away from Arsenal

 

United are unwilling to increase their offer for Van Persie given the lukewarm reception to their share issue in New York this week.

Even a £15m offer together with £200,000-a-week wages for four years represents a £50m investment from the club on a player who has had a questionable injury record in the past.

Missing out: Lucas Moura and Brazil sank to defeat in the Olympic final, with the Brazilian set for a move to PSG

Mexico 2 Brazil 1: Samba boys stunned in bid for elusive gold as Peralta double sends Mexico into dreamland

Brazil's Olympic curse struck again as Mexico secured arguably the greatest triumph in their history by winning London 2012 gold at Wembley.

 

Oribe Peralta wrote his name into Mexican folklore with a deadly double against the five-time world champions, who many believed were destined finally to end their agonising wait for Olympic glory.

But despite Hulk pulling a goal back in stoppage-time and Chelsea new boy Oscar missing a last-gasp sitter, Brazil were a shadow of the attacking force that had smashed in 15 goals en route to the final and displayed the defensive frailty that has long dogged them.
In sharp contrast, Mexico completed their transformation from one of the most notorious also-rans in world football to a side capable of delivering on the biggest stage.

Gold!: Mexico player celebrate their medals

On yer 'ead: Mexico's players celebrate after winning Olympic gold

MATCH FACTS

Brazil: Gabriel, Rafael (Lucas 85), Thiago Silva (c), Juan Jesus, Sandro (Alexandre Pato 71), Marcelo, Romulo, Leandro Damiao, Oscar, Neymar, Alex Sandro (Hulk 32). Subs not used: Bruno Uvini, Danilo, Ganso, Neto.
Scorer: Hulk 90 + 2
Mexico: Corona (c), I Jiminez (Vidrio 81), Salcido, Mier, Chavez, Herrera, Fabian, Peralta (R Jiminez 86), Aquino (Ponce 57), Reyes, Enriquez. Subs not used: Cortes, dos Santos, Araujo, Rodriguez.
Scorer: Peralta 1, 75
Referee: M Clattenburg (GBR)

And they could not have picked a better time than in front of 86,162 at the home of football in what was their first truly global major final.
The game promised to be a goal-fest, with Brazil having scored three times in all five of their matches and their opponents netting seven in their last two.
But few would have predicted the fastest goal ever in a FIFA tournament final - also thought to be the quickest in Olympic history - after just 28 seconds.
Manchester United right-back Rafael's hospital pass was intercepted by Javier Aquino and the ball broke for Peralta to race goal-ward unchallenged and fire home.
It was not the first time Brazil had been behind at London 2012 and they might have levelled in the 13th minute when Thiago Silva headed Neymar's free-kick over.
Oscar also should have done better than find Jose Corona when he was allowed to turn and shoot eight yards out.
Brazil's sloppiness continued as they found it hard to penetrate a fiercely committed opposition and made poor decisions when they did.

Fast start: Mexico's Oribe Peralta scores in the first minute

No chance: Brazil keeper Gabriel can't stop Mexico opening the scoring

They made an attacking change just past the half-hour mark when midfielder Alex Sandro was withdrawn for Porto team-mate Hulk.

Brit of action: British referee Mark Clattenberg shows Brazil's Romulo a yellow card

And the substitute almost caught out Corona with a piledriver from nearly 35 yards but the goalkeeper recovered well to foil Leandro Damiao's rebound.
Marcelo should have tested him again when he flashed wide from Damiao's lay-off and his timing was all wrong again moments later when he went through the back of Peralta, rightly earning a booking.
Hulk was making a real impact, winning a free-kick that Romulo ultimately glanced wide in first-half stoppage-time.
The urgency Brazil had been lacking arrived straight from the restart and Neymar was so close to sending a screamer into the top corner before being left with a nosebleed after colliding with Corona.
Mexico's response to the threat was to send on Miguel Ponce for Aquino, while continuing to target Neymar, Israel Jimenez the next to be booked for doing so.
Santos star Neymar skied a good chance when the ball fell to him 10 yards out but Mexico weathered the storm and were unlucky not to double their lead in the 64th minute after another defensive howler.
Marco Fabian robbed Thiago Silva and although Gabriel came rushing out, his save set up an overhead kick Fabian smashed against the crossbar.

Time to shine: Mexico fans enjoy the moments before the final

Goal-den moment: Mexico players celebrate the opening goal

Leandro Damiao had a good chance nicked off his toe and powered a free header wide from a corner before Peralta rightly had a second goal ruled out for offside.

Blown it: Brazil's Neymar rues a missed chance

Difficult day: Brazil coach Mario Menezes looks on

Fabian almost scored legitimately when he nodded over Jorge Enriquez's flick-on from a corner but made amends 15 minutes from time with a free-kick that Peralta netted with a bullet header thanks to simply non-existent marking.

Rough and tumble: Brazil's Alex Sandro battles with Mexico's Jorge Enriquez

Thiago Silva failed to connect properly from a flick on with a corner but Brazil were showing little sign of a remarkable comeback and even began arguing amongst themselves, with Rafael and Juan Jesus involved in a furious exchange.
However, they should have staged an amazing comeback in stoppage-time, Hulk racing on to a long ball from Marcelo and rifling into the net before crossing for an unmarked Oscar to somehow nod wide from six yards.

Take that: Oribe Peralta scores the second for Mexico

Double trouble: Oribe Peralta celebrates