>>Team USA Rocks Argentina In Quarterfinals
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — Team USA men’s basketball rolled Argentina, 105-78, in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Olympic basketball tournament in Rio. The Americans fell behind 19-to-9 during the first quarter then outscored Argentina 96-to-59 the rest of the way. Kevin Durant knocked down 9-of-13 shots and seven threes for 27 points in the victory. This was most likely Manu Ginobili and Luis Scola’s final Olympic game for Argentina. Team USA moves on to face Spain in the semifinals on Friday.
>>Bolt Advances To 200m Final
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — The fastest man in the world is moving on to the final in the 200-meter race. Jamaican track star Usain Bolt advanced with the fastest time in the semifinals Wednesday night. Bolt is looking to become the first man to win the competition in three straight Summer Games. He already captured his third straight Olympic title in the 100-meter dash earlier this week. Meanwhile, American and rival Justin Gatlin failed to reach the final after finishing third in his semifinal heat. Fellow American LaShawn Merritt did qualify for the final with the third-fastest time. The final takes place Thursday night.
>>Thompson Wins 200m Race
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — Usain Bolt has some company at the top of the sprinting world. Fellow Jamaican Elaine Thompson captured the gold medal in the 200-meter race in Rio Wednesday night. The victory came just four days after she also took the top prize in the 100-meter dash. Thompson is the first woman to win both races in the same Olympics since Florence Griffith Joyner in 1988. Meanwhile, American Torie Bowie took home the bronze. She also finished second to Thompson in the 100-meter.
>>U.S. Sweeps Women’s 100m Hurdles
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — It’s a clean sweep for the United States in the women’s 100-meter hurdles. Brianna Rollins won gold with a time of 12.48 seconds. U.S. teammate Nia Ali nabbed silver with a time of 12.59, while fellow American Kristi Castlin claimed bronze with a run of 12.61 seconds. It’s the first time a single nation has won all three medals in the event.
>>Ross, Walsh Jennings Win Bronze
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — American beach volleyball stars April Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings aren’t leaving Rio empty-handed. The duo knocked off Brazil’s Larissa and Talita in three sets in the bronze medal match in Rio. The tandem bounced back from Tuesday’s stunning semifinal loss and had to rally after losing the opening set Wednesday night. The 38-year-old Walsh Jennings captured the fourth Olympic medal of her career.
>>Bartoletta Wins Gold In Women’s Long Jump
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — The U.S. track and field team continues to rack up medals in Rio. Tianna Bartoletta captured the gold medal in the women’s long jump Wednesday night in Rio. Fellow American and defending Olympic champion Brittney Reese won silver. It’s the first time American athletes finished first and second in the event in Olympic history.
>>Jager Wins U.S. Silver In Men’s 3,000M Steeplechase
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — American Evan Jager won a silver medal in the men’s three-thousand-meter steeplechase. The 27-year-old finished second in Wednesday’s event with a time of eight minutes, 4.28 seconds. That was just one second off the new Olympic record pace set by gold medal winner Conseslus Kipruto of Kenya. He finished in eight minutes, 3.28 seconds. It was the first American medal in the men’s steeplechase since 1984.
>>Two Americans Make Men’s 5,000M Final
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — American Paul Chelimo had the fastest qualifying time in Wednesday’s heats for the men’s five-thousand-meters. He finished his heat in 13-minutes, 19.54 seconds. Fellow American Bernard Lagat [[ lah-GOT ]] also qualified with a time of 13-minutes, 26.02 seconds. Hassan Mead of the U.S. did not qualify, posting a time of 13-minutes, 34.27 seconds. The men’s five-thousand-meter final is set for Saturday.
>>Wilson, Grace Earn Spots In Women’s 800M Final
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — Americans Ajee Wilson and Kate Grace are through to the semifinals in the women’s 800-meters. Wilson finished second in her qualifying heat with a time of one-minute, 59.44 seconds. Grace came in third in her heat with a time of one-minute, 59.96 seconds. Fellow American Chrishuna Williams missed the cut, finishing with a time of two-minutes, 1.19 seconds. The semifinals are tomorrow, with the final set for Saturday.
>>U.S. Closing In On 100 Medals
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — The United States is closing in on 100 medals at the Summer Olympics. The Americans captured another nine medals on Wednesday, giving them 93 through 12 days of competition in Rio. Team USA also leads the way with 30 gold medals. China is the closest competitor in the overall medal count standings with 54. Great Britain has 50. Both China and Great Britain have won 19 gold medals apiece.
>>U.S. Swimmers Prevented From Leaving Rio
(Rio de Janeiro) — Brazilian authorities are keeping two U.S. Olympic swimmers from leaving Rio while police investigate their claim of being robbed. The U.S. Olympic Committee confirms that Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were removed from their flight home and had their passports seized. The pair, along with Olympic swimmers Ryan Lochte and Jimmy Feigen claimed they were assaulted and robbed at gunpoint early Sunday in Rio. A Brazilian judge ordered the swimmers to remain in the country over some discrepancies in their accounts of the robbery. Lochte’s attorney says the swimmer has already returned to the U.S. It’s unclear if Feigen has also left Brazil.
>>Michael Phelps Returns Homes To Phoenix
(Phoenix, AZ) — Michael Phelps is back in the U.S. He landed at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix this morning with his fiance Nicole Johnson, and his three-month-old son Boomer. After winning five golds and a silver in Rio, bringing his career total to 28 medals, Phelps says he’s looking forward to being able to watch his first child grow up. He says he’s also is excited to get back and coach the Arizona State University swim team.
>>Rio Struggles For Paralympic Games Funds
(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — Ticket sales are slow for the upcoming Paralympic games. Officials say only ten percent of available tickets have been sold for the games in Rio. Brazil has been under a financial crisis since 1930, which could be causing the shortage of sales for the Paralympics. Organizers of the event don’t have the funds to get the teams to Rio and pay the national Paralympic committees. A judge in Brazil recently blocked all payments, which will leave the Paralympics without funding. The ruling says Rio will not be able to provide the 85-million dollars needed to help fund the opening and closing ceremonies. The committee is still working to host the games as planned in mid-September in midst of the crisis.
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24/7 News Network SPT)
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