SHOOTING : Pang restores China pride with gold

China's Pang Wei won the Olympic gold medal in the men's 10m air pistol today, restoring the host nation's pride hours after compatriot Du Li wilted under the enormous pressure of home crowd expectations in her event.

Pang, the 2006 world champion and the pre-Olympics favourite, won with a score of 688.2.

He built a comfortable lead in the qualification round and was never threatened.

He turned and bowed to the big crowd of more than 2,000 that loudly cheered his victory.

Jin Jong-oh of South Korea won the silver medal with a score of 684.5 and Kim Jong Su of North Korea got bronze with 683.0.

"I had no idea about the result from this morning," Pang said, referring to Du's stunning meltdown that led to a tear-filled exit past reporters at the Beijing shooting range hall.

"We have 'information control measures' to avoid pressure on athletes and on shooters," the 22-year-old added.

"I do hope my winning the gold medal can bring luck to the Chinese team.

I do hope that our Chinese shooting team can win more medals.

Earlier, Katerina Emmons of the Czech Republic opened the Olympics with a gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle, upsetting defending Olympic champion Du who finished fifth.

In Athens in 2004, China took top honours in the shooting competition with four gold medals and nine medals in total.

The host country was hoping to do at least as well in 2008, even though the number of events has been reduced from 17 to 15.

"The Olympics are the highest level of competition and with all the years of preparation you certainly feel excited," Pang said when asked about missing the bullseye on his final shot with a subpar 9.3 after getting 10s in eight straight shots before that.

"I failed to effectively control my emotions," added Pang, who kept his left hand tucked coolly in the pocket of his trousers while shooting.

"I can get more than 10 points in all rounds but in the finals it's hard to control your emotions." He said he thrived on the hopes of 1.3 billion Chinese eager for medals and did not feel negative pressure.

"It's a kind of festival," he said.

"We shouldn't be drawn off course by all the pressure.

We're here to show our best.

I don't feel nervous, but did feel some pressure to perform my best after so many years of training.

This final sharpened my skills." He rejected notions about too much media pressure at home.

"I believe that the way outsiders or the press people look at you is another story.

I just focus on my job, how can I do my job as best as possible.

With such thoughts in my mind I can go to the Games in a relaxed mood and ensure best performance.

Kim of North Korea said there was no pattern to three Europeans winning medals in the morning and three Asians winning in the afternoon: "It doesn't have anything to do with luck.

It has to do with athletes who were able to control their emotions." GYMNASTICS : Chinese women feel the pressure Chinese gymnast Cheng Fei gets so nervous she can barely breathe but said she would put that out of her mind tomorrow when the Olympic hosts begin their bid to take revenge on the US for dethroning them as world champions.

Qualifying for the team, all-round and apparatus finals begins at 0200 GMT at the National Indoor Stadium, with world all-round champion Shawn Johnson, team mate Nastia Liukin and triple world vault champion Cheng expected to dominate.

As well as seeking to put China on their way towards a first Olympic women's team gold, Cheng is aiming to reach the vault and floor finals.

The pressure has been getting to her.

"So many people expect us to get gold medals and it's really a great pressure for us," Cheng told reporters.

"Sometimes I feel it's hard to breathe or even cry under the pressure but once the competition begins, I will think nothing and just strive for my best." The US and China looked a cut above the rest in practice sessions in Beijing this week and defending champions Romania must be sensing their title is already slipping away.

Once dominant Russia are a shadow of their former selves but will at least want to get their team into the final and world and European champion Ksenia Semenova into the asymmetric bars final.

China may have a few new tricks compared to the 2007 world championships, including newcomer He Kexin, whose daredevil routines on the asymmetric bars have scored highly this year.

She was one of those named in media reports that cited online registration records pointing to underage gymnasts competing for China.

Chinese officials denied the accusations, which have been a talking point in the run-up to the Games.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) issued a statement on Saturday saying that it strictly controlled entry to competitions and that the International Olympic Committee had confirmed that all passports used for accreditation were valid.

Another person getting attention over her age is German Oxana Chusovitina, who will be competing in her fifth Olympics and representing her third country.

The 33-year-old will aim to reach the vault final where she has a good chance of medal.

"I have more power than in the past," the Uzbek-born gymnast told reporters, adding she still felt like her teenage rivals.

"I don't feel different from them." BADMINTON: Yulianti, Rice and Hsieh advance Germany's Juliane Schenk failed to capitalise on match point and was upset by Maria Kristin Yulianti of Indonesia in a three-game singles starter to Olympic women's badminton action today.

In another close match, Canada's Anna Rice kept her cool in a nailbiter game three, letting the only US woman in the tournament, Eva Lee, hand her the penultimate point with an unforced error and then winning match point.

But the biggest cheers from the near-sellout crowd at the Beijing Institute of Technology gymnasium came as Taiwan men's singles player Hsieh Yu-hsing crushed Iran's fiery Kaveh Mehrabi, 21-16, 21-12.

Schenk, who serves in the German army, came out strongly and took game one, 21-18.

But Yulianti, who beat defending Olympic champion Zhang Ning in the Indonesia Open Super Series in June, struck back in game two, 21-13 despite an early deficit.

Schenk gave up match point at 20-19, then missed a serve return and one more to lose the final game, 22-20.

"I tried everything and it was close," said Schenk.

"I was leading the second game and maybe took a few too many risks.

I did not keep pushing into the four corners in the third game." In the Rice-Lee matchup, the Canadian took game one 21-15, and Lee struggled early in game two.

She warmed up in the second half, however, taking 15 of the last 24 points to win the game.

Game three see-sawed and Rice took the last two points when Lee hit a shot out and then knocked match point into the net.

"At the end there it was me against myself in a way," Rice said.

"I really had to just settle down and focus on working the rally, keeping the shuttle in play, letting her try too much.

And at 19-all that's what she did and it went out the side and then I knew it was mine." Lorig's thoughts return to troubled Georgia BEIJING, Aug 9 (Reuters): Khatuna Lorig was proud to shoot her first Olympic arrow for the United States today, but the Georgia native's thoughts soon returned to her troubled homeland.

Lorig was granted US citizenship in 2005 but her parents still live in Georgia, where Russian forces have been battling Georgian troops in the breakaway enclave of South Ossetia.

"It was a little shocking this morning, when I turned on the TV and saw the situation in Georgia," Lorig told Reuters.

"My parents are over there, very close to that area where the situation is happening.

But I got to talk to my mum on the telephone this morning and she's fine.

"She was happy to hear from me and just told me to get my mind back into the Olympics." Lorig, who competed for the Unified team of former Soviet states in 1992 and for Georgia in Atlanta and Sydney, finished a disappointing 26th in the women's Olympic archery ranking round.

South Korea dominated the day, sweeping the first three places and breaking the team Olympic record.

"I was just very proud to shoot that first arrow today," said Lorig, who missed the 2004 Games because her US citizenship did not come through in time.

"It was a little rough, the wind was so hard and it was very humid.

I really wanted to do better but it just didn't happen." Kalmadi envisage Golden sports era for India after 2010 BEIJING, Aug 9 (UNI): Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi today envisaged a Golden sports era for the countryafter 2010, the year Delhi will host the Commonwealth Games.

And about the Olympic medal, he said 2012 London Games will see India getting medals.

"We should wait for the 2012 Olympics for the medals," he told Indian mediapersons here.

The IOA chief was at pain to explain the reason for Indian sportspersons failure to perform well at events like Olympiad saying, "We had to struggle for money, the shooters did not get better ammunition and how you expect them to get medals." He, however, admitted that Shooters have been getting lot of international exposure in recent years.

"It will take some time before we become sports power house," he added.

The reason for his optimism for the Golden era after 2010 was that Union Government has sanctioned Rs 700 crore budget for training of the sportspersons.

"It is a great news, now the sportspersons will have 310 days training, including 100 days abroad.

We can have foreign coaches and every thing will be available to the players," he said.

"Just wait for 2010," he pleaded the journalists and then talked about the Delhi Commonwealth Games, which he promised will have much better opening ceremony than what "we saw here" yesterday.

About large number of officials coming here, Kalmadi said, "Their number is less than the mediapersons from India and added that people like Shovna Narayan are here to study the games." About dressing fiasco in the Indian March past contingent in the opening ceremony, Kalmadi said all the men were dressed in Shervanis and women were allowed to wear different coloured saris, however, Sania Mirza and Suneetha Rao came into the march past contingent wearing jeans.

"The tennis players came straight from court after practising and there was no time for them to change, the chef-de-mission Baljit Singh Sethi had a choice either not to allow them or let them march past in the jeans, he decided later," he said adding "I don't think it is such a big issue." Bush drops by Olympic beach volleyball, softball BEIJING, Aug 9 (Reuters): US President George W Bush temporarily switched roles today from commander-in-chief to cheerleader-in-chief at the Summer Olympics, stopping by to offer support for the American volleyball and softball teams.

He made a surprise visit to the beach volleyball venue, where he watched the US men's and women's teams practice.

But it took a little coaxing to get Bush out on the sand court.

The 2004 gold medal winners Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh asked if he would play a little "pepper", a warm-up drill bumping the volleyball back and forth.

Bush initially tried to steer clear, replying "No, I'm a pretty good spectator." But after watching for a few minutes, the bikini-clad players eventually drew him on to the court in which he hit two but missing the third try as the ball fell a little short.

Before moving over to see the men practice, May-Treanor jokingly bent over and offered Bush a chance to give her a spank on her rear -- a custom in many sports for players to offer each other encouragement.

Instead, he playfully used the back of his hand to tap her on the small of her back.

Before dropping by the practices, Bush, an avid mountain biker, took a ride on the Olympic course, which he described as "really, really difficult".

"That's why I'm an amateur and they're Olympians," he told reporters.

Bush also visited the US women's softball team to offer his encouragement and watch them take some batting practice.

The former president is an big baseball fan who once co-owned the Texas Rangers Major League team.

Before going through their stretches and take some batting swings, the team huddled around the president.

"Who do we play for?" Bush quietly asked the group after being prompted by the coach.

"USA!" the players shouted in return.

This is the last year in the Olympics for softball, which was added to the games programme in 1996 in Atlanta.

Asked by a reporter whether the sport should be allowed back into the Olympic Games, Bush said: "It should be." "It's good for the world to have girls playing softball, and these women are going to show young girls how to win," he added.

Bush was scheduled to attend the US women's basketball game against the Czech Republic Saturday night and on Sunday he plans to watch swimming as well as the US men's basketball team take on China.

Bush declined to comment on the latest developments in South Ossetia, a breakaway region of Georgia where Russian forces are supporting separatists fighting Georgian troops.

Fizz missing as Hockey starts without India BEIJING, Aug 9 (UNI): India may not have been among the medalwinners in the Olympics or World Cup for last two and half decadesbut even the hardened cynics admit that Hockey without India inthe Olympiad lacks fizz and excitement.

But the fact remains that when the Hockey competition gets going in the 29th Olympics Games here tomorrow, India will not be there, for the first time in Games history.

However, can Pakistan, South Korea or even China spearhead Asian challenge in the formidable field which includes defending champion Australia, strong contenders Germany, Holland and Spain? India in recent past has never spearheaded Asian challenge but their presence used to add to nostalgia and sentimental value.

For Indian fans, hockey may not hold much charm here but the show must go on and for the fans of 12 participating teams it is going to be enthralling competition.

The three time gold medal winner Pakistan is worried as their forwards are not just clicking.

"We have played two friendly matches and scored three goals all through penalty corners, forwards have failed to score sand that is a slightly worrying factor," Pakistan captain Zeeshan Ashraf told UNI.

Zeeshan Ashraf and coaches, Zakauddin and Naveed Alam are however confident that Pakistan will be able to turn the corner.

The seasoned Rehan Butt and Shakeel Abbasi will lead the frontline with mid-fielder Saqlain along with right half Mohd Javed will providing them good support.

The defence will be marshalled by Imran Warsi, who also is their main penalty corner expert along with Zeeshan Ashraf while experienced Salman Akbar is in the goal.

Pakistan will take on Britain, who knocked India out of the Olympics at the Santiago qualifier in their opening match on August 11.

Winner of the gold in 1988 Seoul Olympics, Britain has the capacity to dent and unsettle any side.

The consistent Ben Hawkes and penalty corner converter Richard Mantel are the main dangers for its opponents.

Asian power house, South Korea has not been doing very well recently having lost to India in the Asia Cup and then finishing last at the Champions Trophy in Rotterdam.

However, the Willy Koreans can not be taken lightly as they have in their ranks penalty corner expert Jang Jong Hyun and Yew Woon Koon.

They are the dark horse capable of creating an upset.

They showed their prowess in Sydney in 2000, where they finished runners up against all odds.

Add a hint of sex to elite sport, and it's gold BEIJING, Aug 9 (Reuters): Sex and sport.

It's an irresistible mix and one that Olympians are no longer shy of using to fund their sporting careers.

American Olympic swimming champion Amanda Beard posed naked in Playboy magazine last year and at Beijing stripped off for an advertising campaign to protest against fashion furs.

British athletes triple jumper Phillips Idowu, cyclist Rebecca Romero and swimmer Gregor Tait were photographed naked in sporting poses for a sports drinks advertising campaign.

Female beach volleyball players are first to admit that wearing bikinis has helped boost their popularity -- and envious male players have joked about following by playing bare-chested.

"In this competitive marketplace you have to separate yourself from other athletes and the taboo of posing for Playboy or modelling has started to wane," Richard Deitsch, associate editor at Sports Illustrated's website, said.

"People hardly batted an eyelid when Amanda Beard appeared in Playboy but 10 or 15 years ago this would have caused much more of an uproar in the (United) States." With the Beijing Olympics underway featuring over 10,500 athletes in perfect shape, websites galore are carrying photo galleries and lists of the hottest Olympians.

Playboy spokeswoman Lauren Melone said they have published a special spread of Olympians who have appeared in the magazine over the years such as Athens gold medallist Beard, four-time Olympic high jumper Amy Acuff and figure skater Katarina Witt.

Swimmer Dara Torres, the oldest US swimmer at 41, has appeared in a sexy photo shoot in Maxim magazine.

Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice was featured on the front cover of men's magazine FHM as well as posing for some underwear advertisements with her former boyfriend, fellow Aussie swimmer Eamon Sullivan.

Leryn Franco, 26, a javelin thrower from Paraguay, is competing in her second Olympics at Beijing, thanks to her second career, modelling.

"Modelling is a way for me to continue with my sport, the hours are flexible, and you can earn good money through photographic modelling and the catwalk," Franco told Reuters.

But Deitsch said for hard-core sports fans the appearance or sex appeal of an athlete might make them more interesting, but only if they were winning at their sport.

He said two good examples of sports stars who had used their looks to build a brand were English footballer David Beckham and Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova.

"Ultimately it does not get away from the fact that you have to be an athlete first and a beauty second," he said.

"But when you have someone who is fantastic at both, then you are looking at a global brand." About us | Advertise | Other Publications | Subscriptions | Weather | Letters | Send Mail Disclaimer: Information is being made available at this site purely as a measure of public facilitation.

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