Olympic highlights

100m sprint record tipped

A series of unusually quick times in the men's 100m heats has sparked expectations of a world record in this morning's final.

"It's a very fast track. We're going to have a party tomorrow," defending champion Maurice Greenesaid after yesterday's second round. Greene won his heat in an impressive 9.93s. But Asafa Powell, the young Jamaican who has beaten him twice this year, appeared to concede the race after drawing level with the American at 70m.

Francis Obikwelu slowed even more in the first of the five heats after setting a scorching pace. Victory confirmed, the Nigerian-born Portuguese stopped sprinting and jogged to the line in 9.93s.

Unpredictable American Shawn Crawford clocked 9.89s in the second heat without ever giving the impression he was trying hard. The third American, Justin Gatlin, also went under 10s, clocking 9.96s.

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Cup before Beijing, says Ainslie

They were words Ben Ainslie's Olympic rivals did not want to hear.

Asked if he would be defending his Finn crown at Beijing 2008, the Briton replied:

"I'm too fat now for Lasers." It meant he had ruled out any return to the lighter dinghy in which he triumphed at the Sydney Games.

Ainslie, 27, has not made his mind up about Beijing, having committed himself to competing with Team New Zealand.

"The next three years will be devoted to the America's Cup," he said.

"It will be very different sailing ... being part of a team of over 100 people and sailing on a bigger boat. I've got a lot to learn in that respect."

Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker finished 13th.

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Kluft adds gold to world title

Carolina Kluft completed her domination of the Olympic heptathlon on Saturday to add the gold medal to the world title she won last year.

The 21-year-old Swede began the day with a 240-point lead and by the end had stretched it to 517 as she totalled 6952 points. Kluft had performed well in the day's first two events, the long jump and javelin, and so entered the final 800m race needing only to stay on her feet.

Lithuanian Austra Skujyte took silver with 6435 points, 11 ahead of Briton Kelly Sotherton.

- REUTERS

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Reward for Iraqi boxer

Iraqi boxer Najah Ali's Olympic adventure ended with no medal but the promise of plenty of ice cream. The brave light-flyweight, who had to change his diet to represent his violence-racked country at the Games, certainly deserved a treat.

"There will be ice cream for the kid tonight," said his coach, Texan pest controller Maurice "Termite" Watkins, after his boxer lost to seasoned Armenian Aleksan Nalbandyan in a second-round bout.

"I did my best," said Ali, who had proved he deserved to make the trip.

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Women's sprint title to Belarus

Belarus' Yuliya Nesterenko became the first non-American to win the women's 100m final since the Moscow Games in 1980. She beat a field stripped of many big names, including US star Marion Jones, because of doping woes, in 10.93s.

"I believe in God and I believe God saw all my efforts and helped me. Now I just want to go home to my family and share this joy with them," Nesterenko said.

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Lithuania savours the moment

Fireworks thundered above Lithuanian towns yesterday as crowds poured into the streets to celebrate their basketball team's upset Olympic victory over the United States in Athens. The European champs from this basketball-crazed Baltic country defeated the US' NBA pros 94-90 in a breathtaking game that turned in Lithuania's favour right at the end.

"I was waiting for this day since we lost to the Americans in Sydney" at the 2000 games, said Jonas Prapiestis, a 37-year-old businessman.

The Americans have bombed at the Games so far, already losing to little-fancied Puerto Rico 92-73.

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Dignity in defeat as good as gold

As the three Ethiopian women celebrated in a huddle after their 5000m success Ines Melchor swerved a little to avoid it - she still had another lap to go. The 17-year-old Peruvian trotted along. Runner after runner crossed the finish line. When the 20th woman finished the heat, Melchor finally had the track to herself. She still hadn't come out of the final curve.

And so she wasn't prepared for what happened when she finally finished: a rousing cheer erupted from the stands.

"It was really nice because there were a lot of people applauding," she said. "It's frustrating when they have finished and you still have to take another lap. But even so it's beautiful - because you're in the Olympics!"

Behind the stories of gold medals, there are others - no less glorious - of athletes whose victories consisted of completing an Olympic event after competing with pride and dignity.

"That's what the Olympics are all about," said US swimmer Lenny Krayzelburg, who won three gold medals in Sydney. "Everyone talks about the medal winners, but 98 per cent of the people here are just proud to have made it to the Olympics."