Lochte Tops Phelps in 400m IM
The budding rivalry between top U.S. swimmers Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps is guaranteed to get another chapter at London 2012.
Both qualified for the Games by finishing 1-2 in the 400m individual medley on the opening day of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in Omaha, Nebraska.
But unlike every past 400m IM showdown between the two, Lockte topped Phelps this time around, finishing in 4 minutes, 7.06 seconds – or a comfortable .83 seconds ahead of the winningest Olympian ever and the two-time defending champ at an event he swore he wouldn’t swim again after Beijing.
His surprise appearance – and subsequent qualification – in the 400m IM means a repeat performance of his record eight gold medals in 2008 remains a possibility.
He’s entered eight events in Omaha. Lochte, in what’s become a habit ever since his five gold medals - two at the expense of Phelps – at last year’s world championships in Shanghai, is one-upping his rival with 11 events.
They’ll meet again this week in the 200m freestyle, 200m IM and maybe the 100m freestyle.
ITF Unveils Tennis Fields
Players from 45 countries will compete in the Olympic tennis tournaments at London 2012.
The entry lists released Tuesday by the International Tennis Federation feature 19 of the world’s top 20 on both the men’s and women’s sides, including reigning men’s singles champion Rafael Nadal.
Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland as well as as Venus and Serena Williams of the U.S. will also try to defend their doubles titles from Beijing.
"We are delighted to see the strongest-ever field in the history of the Olympic tennis event," said ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti, citing the Wimbledon venue as yet another reason why these Games are poised to be his sport’s best since winning Olympic reinstatement in 1988.
"The All England Club will provide an iconic backdrop for the event and we expect that the competition in each discipline will be fierce," he added.
Mixed doubles will also be making its return to the Games after an 88-year absence, but entries will be determined onsite from players already competing in the singles or doubles events.
Click here to peruse the complete lists of entries, which feature five countries (Argentina, France, Russia, Spain and USA) on the men’s side fielding the maximum four singles players apiece and seven (Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Romania, Russia, Spain, USA) on the women’s.
"Most Livable" Cities Include Tokyo
Tokyo is the world’s seventh most livable city, according to Monocle’s 2012 Quality of Life Survey.
The ranking is being touted by the Japanese capital’s bid for the 2020 Olympics as another statistic in favor of its candidacy.
"If Tokyo secures the honor of hosting the 2020 Games, I am confident that the Olympic and Paralympic Families and international visitors will likewise appreciate all that Tokyo has to offer," Tokyo 2020 CEO Masato Mizuno said in a statement.
Zϋrich was ranked the most livable city in the world, followed by Helsinki and Copenhagen.
Shazam Makes Olympics Interactive
A new smartphone application developed by Shazam will allow U.S. viewers to interact with NBC’s coverage of the London Olympics.
"As the leader in second-screen interactive television, we’re proud to work with NBC to make their coverage of the London 2012 Summer Olympics an even more engaging and interactive social experience," Shazam CEO Andrew Fisher said in a statement.
The media company – best known for its popular music recognition application – partnered with NBC to give viewers the ability to unlock extra features through an app that can "listen" to a Games broadcast and tell which event is showing.
The bonus features include up-to-the-minute results, surveys and exclusive athlete biographies.
Aussie Sprinter, 31
Olympic sprinter Daniel Batman, 31, is dead after a car crash in his native Australia.
"Although we're still in the early stages of the investigation, it appears as though the man was travelling east on the Arnhem Highway when the vehicle left the road, crashed into a culvert and landed 10m off the road," Northern Territory police detective John Worrall said Tuesday in a statement.
Batman raced the 100m, 200m and 400m sprints at both the Sydney and Athens Olympics.
1,500 Days to Rio
LOCOG isn’t the only Olympic organizing committee marking a milestone Wednesday.
The one-month-to-go point for London 2012 actually coincides with 1,500 days until Rio 2016.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for August 5 in Rio’s iconic Maracana Stadium.
The Torch of All Torches
With just more than one month to go until London 2012, art students at Barnsley College in Barnsley, England built this giant Olympic torch, a montage of sorts that incorporates the torches from all past Games.
Written by Matthew Grayson and Hannah Reid
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
Últimas Noticias
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
