Russia Holds Huge Early Medal Lead
Russia is at the top of the medal table by a wide margin after day three of the 2013 World University Games in Kazan, holding strong at a total of 43, 28 more than second-place Japan.
Heading into day four of the biennial Universiade, Russia has 19 gold medals along with nine silver and 15 bronze. Japan finished Monday with four gold, six silver and five bronze.
China is third in the table with 14 medals. Ukraine has 13 and Turkmenistan, which did not send athletes to the previous three Universiades, has nine to round out the top five. All of Turkmenistan's medals came on Monday in belt wrestling - a sport making its Universiade debut.
Sprinter Aurieyall Scott, who finished sixth in the 100m at the USA outdoor track and field championships last month, won the Universiade event – and the first gold for the Americans – on Monday with a time of 11.28. Lithuania’s Lina Grincikaite trailed by four-hundredths of a second. Andreea Luiza Ograzeanu finished third.
In the pool, China and Russia grabbed 11 of the 12 diving podiums, missing the sweep after up-and-coming Australian Samantha Mills won gold in the women’s 1m springboard with a score of 281.40 points. It was Australia's first gold at this year's Games. The U.S., meanwhile, took bronze in the synchronized swimming team event behind Russia and Japan, which also grabbed gold and silver, respectively, in duets.
Israel also picked up its first medal as Alice Hester Schlesinger won the 66kg category in women’s freestyle belt wresting.
All 3,014 Medals Recalled, Says Report
More than 3,000 World University Games medals have been recalled by the organizers in Russia after at least two broke when dropped by athletes, a Russian newspaper reported on Tuesday.
On Monday, Chinese diver Qin Tian told R-Sport his bronze medal - won in the men's three-meter springboard - shattered after he accidentally dropped it on the floor. Russia freestyle belt wrestler Azamat Laipanov's gold medal met a similar fate after he won the 68kg competition on Sunday.
Both medals were immediately replaced by the organizers.
Representatives from Goznak, the government-owned manufacturer, are currently in the city to try to find a solution, Universiade deputy general director Azat Kadyrov told the local daily Evening Kazan.
The Universiade, which runs until July 17, will check and if necessary fix all 3,014 medals, the paper reported.
The copper-nickel medals consist of two parts: an outer ring labeled with the slogan "U Are the World" and an inner, rotating ring representing a globe.
Goznak, a St. Petersburg-based company that produces federal currency, is examining the rotating fixture. It remains unclear whether the 217 medals already won as of Tuesday night would have to be returned by their winners.
Medals for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics next February are being made by jeweler Adamas.
Published by exclusive arrangement with ATR’s Sochi 2014 media partner RIA-Novosti.
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