Photos: Crazy Olympics fans
Photos: Kiwis at the Games
KEY POINTS:
20.45: Thanks for joining us in today's live updates blog. We'll do it all again tomorrow when are rowers, shot putter Valerie Vili and our cyclists will go for gold.
There's still plenty of action to come tonight including:
*Men's hockey v Belgium 10pm
*Nick Willis - 1500m heats 11.28pm
*Beatrice Faumuina
- discuss qualifying 1.20am
*Kimberly Smith - 10,000m final 2.45am
Thanks for joining us, see you tomorrow.
20.14: Peter Taylor and Storm Uru have missed out on the final of the light weight men's double sculls. They finished fourth behind a fast finishing Chinese crew in a disappointing result. It means New Zealand will have five crews in rowing finals tomorrow night. Mahe Drysdale the first away in the single sculls final at 7.50pm (NZT).
19.49: Peter Taylor and Storm Uru are preparing for the light weight men's double sculls at 8pm(NZT). They need a top three finish in the semi to make the final. We'll bring you the outcome immediately after the race.
19.46: Michael Phelps has defended his 12 gold medals against drug suggestions. Phelps discussed the issue with the media after winning his second race in 40 minutes today. "Anyone is able to say whatever they want. I know that I am clean. I did 'Project Believe' with USADA (US Anti Doping Agency) where I purposely wanted to do more tests to prove that," said Phelps. "People can question all they want but the facts are facts and I have the results to prove it."
19.20: The Beijing Olympic organisers have been caught over further 'faking' of Friday's opening ceremony. Games organisers have acknowledged children dressed in various ethnic costumes from around China who carried out the Chinese flag were not actually from those ethnic groups.
It's the third faking incident to emerge from the ceremony after it was revealed an angelic nine-year-old girl lip-synched the song "Ode to the Motherland" as the real singer was not pretty enough and some "live" fireworks were pre-recorded.
19.13: An Australian woman arrested in China for unfurling a Free Tibet banner in Beijing has urged Olympic athletes to make a mark on history and follow her example by standing up for human rights.
Nicole Rycroft was among five activists who climbed on top of the China Central Television (CCTV) headquarters at 9.45am (NZT) today and dropped the banner, reading "Free Tibet" in English and Mandarin.
She and her fellow 'Students for a Free Tibet' (SFFT) activists were arrested about 30 minutes later by Chinese security officials and are expected to be deported.
The former Aussie rower said the protest was designed to "to send a clear message to the Chinese government that it takes more than economic might to be a world leader".
17.53: It's an important night for rowers Peter Taylor and Storm Uru who can become the sixth NZ rowing crew into a final. They race in the light weight men's double sculls at 8pm(NZT) needing a top three finish in the semi to qualify.
17.16: NZ hockey captain Ryan Archibald is confident his side can claim their second victory of the Olympics tonight. The Black Sticks take on Belgium at 10pm NZT. Archibald says they've beaten Belgium convincingly the past few times the teams have met.
16.48: Leisal Jones collapsed shortly after her thrilling runner-up finish in the women's 100m breaststroke final this afternoon. The world record holder had complained she couldn't breathe the last 50 metres of the race. "It happened once before at the Commonwealth Games, I had the same feeling," Jones said. "I don't suffer from asthma. It was just from digging deep and working so hard and probably not being conscious of my breathing." She collapsed into the arms of an Australian media liaison officer but has reportedly made a full recovery.
16.24: Rebecca Wardell has cleared 1.53 metres in the heptathlon high jump. The Kiwi is currently 33rd overall with 968 points. Earlier she clocked 14.07 seconds in the first event of the day, the 100 metres hurdles. Wardell is 190 points behind the leader, American Hyleas Fountain, with the high jump and shot put to come tonight.
16.11: North Korean shooting silver medallist Kim Jong-su has tested positive for a banned substance and been excluded from Games. The IOC said a Vietnamese artistic gymnast, who finished out of the medals, has also tested positive for a banned substance.
15.55: We have a NZ result. Shooter Robert Eastham has finished 14th in qualifying in the 50 metres prone rifle. His 594 out of 600 is not enough to get him into the final.
15.33: Corney Swanepoel finishes sixth in 52.01.
15.29: Unbelievable! Phelps is back in the pool, 40 minutes after setting a world record. Not a clean swim but he surged late and wins his 100m butterfly semi final. The NZ champion Swanepoel is up now.
15.22: It's been a bit of a dismal day for Australia's female swimmers. Libby Trickett has gone the way of 'Lethal Leisal' Jones, falling a fingernail short of gold in the 100m free. The world record holder who was lucky to qualify eighth for the final led all the way - only to be pipped with her final stroke. It could have been two gold's for the Aussie girls this afternoon - they have to settle for silver.
14.52: Six gold's for Phelps. WORLD RECORD!
14.49: The Tall Ferns have been hammered 90-59 by the Czech Republic. It's about what you'd expect. All eyes now turning to the Water Cube with Michael Phelps at the starting blocks for the 200m IM.
14.43: Heartbreak for popular Aussie breaststroker Leisal Jones. She's fallen agonisingly short of a golden double in the 200m breaststroke. The 100m champs was edged out in a photo finish by American Rebecca Soni. In the men's Ryan Lochte has upset defending Olympic champion Aaron Peirsol in the 200m backstroke.
14.30: Melissa Ingram has finished 6th in 2.09.70 in the 200m backstroke semi final. That's outside her NZ record which she set last night. Not good enough to make the finals. Phelps is up at 2.48pm, Swanepoel after 3pm.
14.15: Three big swimming races coming up with Ingram, Swanepoel and Michael Phelps going for gold number six in the 200m individual medley. But there's a wrestling investigation underway after a Swedish wrestler threw his bronze medal down in disgust at the refereeing during the greco-roman finals yesterday. Ara Abrahamian walked off the medal podium and threw his medal in the middle of the mat. "I don't care about this medal. I wanted gold," Abrahamian said. He intends to retire from the sport.
13.58: The 100m sprint heats are underway and world champion Usain Bolt has won the first race in a very pedestrian 10.20". That's nearly half a second under his world record of 9.72". His chief rival Asafa Powell won the second heat in a slightly quicker 10.16".
13.16: Wardell has finished fourth in her hurdles heat. We're waiting to see if she'll go through to the next round of the hurdles. It seems unlikely. Meantime we're an hour out from the biggest race of Melissa Ingram's swimming career. The 23-year-old lines up in the 200m backstroke at 2.26pm. After setting a personal best in last night's heat she needs another top effort today.
13.00: Welcome to today's day seven live updates blog from the Olympics. It's a big day for NZ athletes with the track and field and cycling programs getting underway. And after yesterday's rainouts it's a catch-up day for the rowing and the sailing programs. We also have swimming semi finals featuring Melissa Ingram and Corney Swanepoel, and Michael Phelps goes for gold number seven just before 3pm.
But the first Kiwi in action is Rebecca Wardell in the heptathlon hurdles scheduled to go at 1.15pm.
