Sports

I hope Wawrinka beats Murray at London 2012, says Federer

By Emily Goddard

By David Gold at the Main Press Centre on the Olympic Park in London

July 26 - Swiss tennis champion Roger Federer says he hopes Stanislas Wawrinka, with whom he won the Olympic doubles gold four years' ago, beats British number one Andy Murray in their first round London 2012 clash at Wimbledon.

Late Senegal goal denies Team GB glory at their first London 2012 match

By Emily Goddard

By Andrew Warshaw at Old Trafford in Manchester

July 26 - On the eve of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony and more than half-a-century after their last appearance at the Olympic football tournament, Britain's men came within nine agonising minutes of pulling off an historic victory tonight but ultimately ran out of steam as party-poopers Senegal ruined Ryan Giggs' special night.

Japan deliver first shock of London 2012 men's football tournament with defeat over Spain

By Emily Goddard

By David Gold

July 26 - Japan caused the first major shock of the men's Olympic football tournament as they stunned world and European champions Spain with a 1-0 victory at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

Cringeworthy football programme error heaps more red-faced humiliation on London 2012

By Andrew Warshaw at Old Trafford in Manchester

July 26 - It may not be have been as humiliating a gaffe as the North Korea flag incident at Hampden Park in Glasgow 24 hours earlier, but organisers of the Olympic football tournament had more red faces today when the official programme for Team GB listed Welsh midfielder Joe Allen as being English.

Defending Olympic champions bounce back to beat France in opening match

By David Gold

July 25 - Reigning Olympic champions, the United States, were given an almighty scare by France in their opening match of defending their women's football title, but eventually came through to register a 4-2 win at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

Bale could be banned for duration of London 2012

By Andrew Warshaw

July 26 - FIFA President Sepp Blatter says Gareth Bale could be banned from playing any further friendly matches for his club, Tottenham Hotspur, for the duration of the Olympic Games.

Team GB women's football squad make history with victory on Olympic debut

By Emily Goddard

By Andrew Warshaw

July 25 - Global attention may be focussed on Friday's Olympic Opening Ceremony but the first competitive action of London 2012 got under way today – not in the capital but at Cardiff 's Millennium Stadium 150 miles away.

Bale played for Spurs despite quitting Team GB over injury

By Emily Goddard

By Andrew Warshaw

July 25 - The first major off-the-field controversy surrounding the make-up of the Team GB men's football team flared up today when it emerged that Welsh star Gareth Bale – who had withdrawn citing injury – played for his club Tottenham Hotspur instead thousands of miles away in Los Angeles.

London 2012 horses arrive at Greenwich Park

By Tom Degun

July 25 - The first horses have arrived at Greenwich Park ahead of the Olympic equestrian events at London 2012, where they will go through a series of checks to ensure they are in the best possible condition for the Games.

Gabon loses three London 2012 football players

By Andrew Warshaw

July 25 - Three clubs, two French and one Gabonese, have refused to release players to compete for Gabon at London 2012, putting them on a collision course with FIFA.

Brazil's goalkeeper out of London 2012

By David Gold

July 25 - Rafael Cabral has been forced to withdraw from Brazil's Olympic men's football squad with an elbow injury.

Joker Smith gets serious about medals by saying goodbye to Facebook and Twitter

By Mike Rowbottom at Team GB House in London

July 24 - Louis Smith, who became Britain's first Olympic gymnastics medallist in a century at the Beijing Games four years ago, said here today he was bidding a temporary farewell to his 12,000 Twitter followers in order to concentrate on adding another medal on home soil.

Team GB leader hopes to fire shooting into spotlight at London 2012

By David Gold at Team GB House in London

July 24 - Phil Scanlan, the team leader of Britain's shooting team, has said that the squad are keen to use the opportunity provided by London 2012 to catapult their sport into the spotlight.

BOA asks for injured Idowu’s medical records

By Mike Rowbottom at the Main Press Centre on the Olympic Park in London

July 24 - The troubled relationship between Phillips Idowu and authority was highlighted again today when the British Olympic Association (BOA) revealed they had written to the athlete asking him to provide details about the hip injury that kept him away from a training camp.

American 4x400m relay team "already disqualified" bewildered world governing body tell IOC

By Duncan Mackay

By Duncan Mackay at the Grosvenor House in London

Sanya Richards_as_part_of_US_4x400m_relay_team_Athens_2004

July 24 - A decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) not to re-award the medals from the women's 4x400 metres at the 2004 Games in Athens has caused surprise among senior officials at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

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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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Pierre de Coubertin once said cricket has "practically no appeal for those who are not British". While he expressed doubts about the Olympic viability of cricket, lacrosse and baseball, Philip Barker wonders how the man who helped revive the modern Games would have reacted to new sports at Los Angeles 2028.

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