Summer Sports

Tennis star Nadal hosts Ace Rafa competition winners

By Mike Rowbottom

August 13 - Rafael Nadal served for the first time since Wimbledon last month as he shook up some cocktails and mocktails for 20 Bacardi Limited competition winners who had flown into Mallorca, Spain.

Pole vaulter Isinbayeva's Olympic story is not over just yet

By David Gold

August 13 - Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, who missed out on a third successive Olympic gold, has said that she is thinking of going on to the next Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 rather than retire.

London 2012 athletes have set a precedent for sporting behaviour says FA chairman

By Andrew Warshaw

August 13 - English Football Association chairman David Bernstein wants players to copy the sporting spirit shown by athletes at London 2012.

Olympic shot put champion stripped of gold medal after testing positive for drugs

By Duncan Mackay

By Duncan Mackay at the Main Press Centre on the Olympic Park in London

Nadzeya Ostapchuk_London_2012_celebrates_gold_medal

August 13 - Belarus's Nadzeya Ostapchuk has been stripped of the Olympic gold medal she won in the shot put at London 2012 after testing positive for banned anabolic steroids.

Britain's 65th and final medal of London 2012 won by modern pentathlon's Murray

By Tom Degun

August 12 - Britain's Samantha Murray claimed a silver in the modern pentathlon, the final event of the London 2012 Olympics, to give Team GB their 65th and final medal of the Games.

French team celebrate as they become first to retain Olympic men's handball gold

By Andrew Warshaw at the Basketball Arena on the Olympic Park in London

August 12 - With ear-splitting roars of "Allez les Blues" cascading round the arena, France made history today by becoming the first country to retain the Olympic men's handball gold, holding off underdogs Sweden by a single goal to round off one of the sporting gems of London 2012.

US Dream Team outlast stubborn Spaniards to take basketball gold

By David Owen at the North Greenwich Arena in London

August 12 - The latest manifestation of the "Dream Team" won the USA's 14th Olympic men's basketball tournament at the North Greenwich Arena today against stubborn Spanish opponents who kept the outcome in doubt until deep into the match's final quarter.

Joshua secures super heavyweight gold for Team GB with thrilling win

By Tom Degun at ExCeL in London

August 12 - British boxing star Anthony Joshua produced a stunning final round to claim the superheavyweight Olympic gold medal against Italy's defending champion Roberto Cammarelle to delight a hugely partisan crowd here.

London 2012 taekwondo competition has been great advert for our sport, says WTF President

By Tom Degun at ExCeL in London

August 12 - World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) President Dr Chungwon Choue has hailed the success of the London 2012 taekwondo and heaped particular praise on the new scoring system that made its debut at these Olympics.

Pistorius "honoured" to carry South African flag at Olympic Closing Ceremony

By Tom Degun at the Main Press Centre on the Olympic Park in London

August 13 - Four-times Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius said he felt privileged after carrying the South African flag at the London 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony last night in front of 80,000 spectators and a global audience of around 300 million.

Bolt finishes Olympics with golden world record breaking flourish for Jamaica in 4x100m relay

Mike Rowbottom at the Olympic Stadium in London

August 11 - Usain Bolt rounded off what has been an outstanding London 2012 athletics programme in suitably outstanding fashion here tonight as – with all clowning put aside – he paid full attention to business on the final leg of the 4x100 metre final, moving clear of Ryan Bailey of the United States before dipping through the line to register the third world record seen in this stadium, bringing Jamaica home in 36.84sec.

Spain wins Elliott 6m sailing gold after Australian skipper falls out of boat

By Mike Rowbottom

August 11 - Spain defeated Australia 3-2 to win the gold medal in the women's Elliott 6m match racing class at Weymouth after being gifted a 2-1 lead when the Australian skipper, Olivia Price, fell out of her boat.

Daley dedicates bronze medal to father after taking podium spot in diving competition

By Tom Degun

August 11 - Britain's Tom Daley dedicated his London 2012 bronze medal to his father Rob, who died of cancer last year, after producing a nerveless display at the Aquatics Centre on the Olympic Park to take third place in the men's 10-metre individual platform event.

More British boxing gold as Campbell beats Ireland's Nevin

By Tom Degun at ExCeL in London

August 11 - Bantamweight star Luke Campbell claimed by far the biggest win of his career as he triumphed to claim the Olympic gold medal here 14-11 against Ireland's John Joe Nevin in front of a frenzied crowd that was split right down the middle.

Rabente brace destroys Dutch as Germany retains Olympic hockey crown

By David Gold

August 11 - Jan Philipp Rabente struck a late winner as Germany retained their Olympic gold, ending Dutch dreams of becoming the first nation to win both the men's and women's hockey tournaments.

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Fact of the day

When British skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won the Olympic gold medal in ice dance at Sarajevo 1984 with 12 perfect 6.0s from every judge, for their interpretation of Maurice Ravel's Boléro, an important member of their team was singer-actor Michael Crawford. Crawford, who had played Frank Spencer in British sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and the title role in the musical The Phantom of the Opera, had become a mentor to the pair in 1981 and went on to help them create their Olympic routine. Crawford said he “taught them how to act". He was present with their trainer Betty Callaway at the ringside at Sarajevo as they created one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.

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