China made history today by winning its first Olympic gold medal in the Team event of Women's Gymnastics. China won the gold medal with a total of 188.900 points.
The United States won the silver medal with a total of 186.525 points and Romania won the bronze with a total of 181.525 points.
China entered the Team final as favorites, but it was pushed all the way by a determined United States. The two sides' first rotation was the Vault, with the United States taking a slender lead.
The second rotation for China and the United States was the Uneven Bars, which is regarded as China's specialty. China did not disappoint, gaining the lead with a dominant display on the apparatus.
He Kexin and Yang Yilin were outstanding in the Uneven Bars, scoring 16.850 and 16.800 respectively. Despite the best efforts of the United States' Nastia Liukin, who scored 16.900, the United States could not overcome China's dominance of the apparatus.
The United States gained slightly more points than China in the Balance Beam, a rotation that was marked by the mistakes of the United States' Alicia Sacramone and China's Cheng Fei. Sacramone was clearly affected by her mistake and also performed poorly in the next rotation, the Floor Exercise.
August 13, 2008
Paes-Bhupathi enter Olympic quarter-finals
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi cruised into the quarter-finals of the Beijing Olympics with a straight sets win over Brazilian duo of Marcelo Melo and Andre Sa.
The seventh seeded Indian pair beat Melo-Sa 6-4, 6-2 in the pre-quarters on Wednesday.
They will meet the winner of the match between fourth seeds Roger Federer/Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland and Russia’s Dmitry Tursunov/Mikhail Youzhny.
August 13, 2008
Phelps one of the greatest: Federer
Tennis world No 1 Roger Federer was effusive in praise of American swimming sensation Michael Phelps after he became the greatest Olympian of all time at the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old American won two more gold medals — from the men’s 200 metre butterfly and 200m freestyle relay — in Beijing to take his career tally to an unprecedented 11 victories. That saw him overtake an elite group including Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis who had won nine golds.
“What he’s doing is quite incredible. He has been doing it for so many years,” said Federer who is attempting to win a first Olympic tennis gold.
“He’s doing it in different competitions at different lengths. He’s very impressive and he’s one of the greatest athletes out there at the moment.”
August 13, 2008
Australia’s Rice wins women’s 200m medley gold
Australia’s Stephanie Rice won the Olympic gold medal in the women’s swimming 200 metres individual medley on Wednesday, breaking the world record.
Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry won the silver and Natalie Coughlin of the United States the bronze.
Cycling: American Armstrong wins time trial
American cyclist Kristin Armstrong won the women’s Olympic time trial on Wednesday, beating Britain’s Emma Pooley who took home the silver.
Switzerland’s Karin Thurig won bronze in the 23.5-km race against the clock.
Although the cyclists were spaced two minutes apart, Armstrong passed two riders — the last one about 100 metres from the finish — as she raced her way to a gold medal.
August 13, 2008
Taiwan baseball player tests positive
Taiwan Olympic baseball player Chang Tai-shan has tested positive for a banned substance in a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) check, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday.
Taiwan were playing their opening Olympic game against the Netherlands on Wednesday morning and Chang was not part of the starting line-up.
The island’s baseball association has applied to WADA to have Chang take another urine test, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported.
The player may have taken a Chinese cold medication that contains a banned substance, an official with Taiwan’s Olympic Committee told Reuters. Players were advised to avoid these medications during the Games, he said.
August 13, 2008
Mangal Singh Champia out
India’s archery challenge in the Beijing Olympics came to an end with Mangal Singh Champia failing to replicate his ranking round form and crashing out in pre-quarterfinals in the men’s individual section in Beijing on Wednesday.
Champia, who sizzled in the ranking round to finish overall second, was pipped by Russian Bair Badenov 109-108 at the Olympic Green Archery Field.
Incidentally, Badenov had shot 658 — way below Champia’s 678 — in the ranking round but when it mattered the most, it was the Russian archer who raised his game and clinched the issue.
Earlier in the day, Champia had little problem in sweeping aside Vaezi Hojjatolah of Ireland 112-98.
August 13, 2008
China wins its first team gold in women’s gymnastics
China made history on Wednesday by winning its first Olympic gold medal in the Team event of women’s gymnastics. They won the gold medal with a total of 188.900 points.
The United States won the silver medal with a total of 186.525 points and Romania won the bronze with a total of 181.525 points.
August 13, 2008
Phelps claims 11 Olympic golds, fifth in Beijing
Michael Phelps claimed his fourth gold medal of the Beijing Olympics and then helped his American team win the 4 x 100 m freestyle and make it five wins from five, in fact five world records from five, at these Games.
He now has 11 Olympic gold medals.
He is still on course to break the old record of seven golds at one Games, held by Mark Spitz.
He first shaved 0.06 seconds off the World 200m butterfly record and then he and his team mates - Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay — sliced 4.68 seconds off the World record to win the 4 x 100m freestyle gold in 6:58.56 second, with Russia a distant second and Australia third.
August 13, 2008
Sullivan regains 100m freestyle record
Australia’s Eamon Sullivan regained the world record for the men’s 100 metres freestyle within minutes of losing it to Frenchman Alain Bernard during the semi-finals at the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday.
Bernard shaved 0.04 off Sullivan’s previous record of 47.24, set during the final of Monday’s 4×100 freestyle relay, when he won his semi-final in 47.20.
But Sullivan snatched it straight back when he won the second semi-final in 47.05 to go into Thursday’s final as the fastest qualifier.
August 13, 2008
Pellegrini wins gold for Italy
Federica Pellegrini broke her own world record to win the women’s 200 meters freestyle at Beijing’s Water Cube on Wednesday and become the first Italian woman to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming.
Pellegrini powered her way to victory in one minute 54.82 seconds to shave 0.63 off the previous world record of 1:55.45 she set in Monday’s heats.
Slovenia’s European champion Sara Isakovic finished second to take the silver medal in 1:54.97 while the bronze went to China’s Pang Jiaying in 1:55.05 as the first three finishers all went under the old world record.
August 13, 2008
Saina Nehwal bows out of badminton singles
Indian badminton ace Saina Nehwal bowed out of the women’s singles in the badminton competition at the Olympics, losing to Indonesia’s Kristin Maria Yulianti in the quarter-finals.
The 18-year-old, playing in her first Olympics, was beaten 28-26, 14-21, 15-21 by the world No 16.
August 13, 2008
Phelps wins 10th Olympic gold
American swimmer Michael Phelps became the most successful Olympian of all time when he won his 10th gold medal on Wednesday and his fourth of the Beijing Games.
The mighty Phelps broke his own world record to continue his dominance in the Water Cube pool and overtake an elite group including Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis who had won nine golds.
The 23-year-old showed little apparent emotion after winning the men’s 200 metre butterfly in 1.52.03, knocking six hundredths of a second off his world record. Each of his four medals in Beijing have come in world best times.
Phelps is now halfway to surpassing Spitz’s record of seven golds in one games.
August 13, 2008
Bernard breaks 100 freestyle record
Alain Bernard of France broke the men’s swimming 100 metres freestyle world record in the semi-finals at the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday.
Bernard clocked 47.20 seconds to beat the previous world record of 47.24 set by Australia’s Eamon Sullivan as the lead-off swimmer in the 4×100m freestyle relay final on Monday.
BEIJING – Michael Phelps winning his second gold of the Beijing Olympics and his teammates set a record in winning the 4x100 freestyle relay, barely beating France in three minutes, 8.24 seconds. Michael Phelps is trying to win eight golds at the Beijing Games. “You could tell I was pretty excited, “I lost my voice and I was definitely pretty emotional out there." said Phelps.
Kosuke Kitajima of Japan defended his 100-meter breaststroke Olympic title in a record time of 58.91 seconds, and Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe shaved two tenths of a second off the 100-meter backstroke record to win her semifinal in 58.77 seconds.
The first positive doping test at the Beijing Games also was announced Monday. Spanish cyclist Maria Isabel Moreno was ousted from the games after testing positive for EPO, a blood-boosting hormone that enhances endurance.
The International Olympic Committee said Moreno, who was to compete in the women’s individual time trial, was tested in the athletes’ village on July 31 and left China later that day before the result was in.
Moreno is the first athlete caught under the IOC’s Beijing drug-testing program, which includes a record 4,500 doping controls.
In the swimming pool, Phelps’ hopes of breaking Mark Spitz’s record of seven golds in a single games appeared doomed when the French team took the lead of the relay at the 250-meter mark.
They were 4.03 seconds under world-record pace at 350 meters before Jason Lezak, the oldest American male swimmer at 32, rallied over the closing strokes. Nearly a body length behind Alain Bernard at the final turn, he overtook the Frenchman at the wall by a fingertip.
After winning seven straight golds in the event, the Americans were beaten by Australia and South Africa at the last two Olympics.
“I’ve been on the last two relays where we come up short," Lezak said. “To be honest with you I got really tired of losing. I finished real strong."
The US team shattered the world record of 3:12.23 they set Sunday in the preliminaries. Australia won bronze in 3:09.91.
Phelps, who swam the first leg, thrust both arms toward the roof after Lezak’s incredible finish.
“I was going nuts," Phelps said. “As soon as (Lezak) came off that last wall, I started going crazy. We’re a team. We went in as a team and now we’re exiting as a team — and we’re going out with that gold that we needed to get back."
Phelps also advanced to the 200 freestyle final, qualifying fourth-fastest in his semifinal in 1:46.28, a day after he shattered the 400 individual medley world record to win his first gold medal. The American lost his heat to teammate Peter Vanderkaay, whose time of 1:45.76 made him the leading qualifier for Tuesday’s final. Park Tae-hwan of South Korea was second-fastest, followed by Jean Basson of South Africa.
Coventry broke the record of 58.97 set by Natalie Coughlin at last month’s US trials. The two are the fastest going into Tuesday’s final.
In the men’s 100 breaststroke, Kitajima rallied from third after 50 meters to break the 59.13 world record set by Brendan Hansen of the United States two years ago.
“It was perfect," Kitajima said.
Libby Trickett captured her first Olympic gold in the women’s 100 butterfly in 56.73 seconds, just 0.12 off the world record, and Rebecca Adlington of Britain rallied in the final meters to overhaul Katie Hoff of the United States and take the gold in the 400 freestyle in 4:03.22.
Hoff was second in 4:03.29, Joanne Jackson of Britain won the bronze in 4:03.52.
Medals will also be awarded Monday in weightlifting, with the women competing in the 58-kilogram category and the men at 62 kg, and in the women’s individual foil in fencing. Shooting will hold the men’s 10-meter air rifle and the women’s trap finals, while the men will compete for the 10-meter platform synchronized diving gold.
Nicole Cooke finished first in a women's cycling road race for Great Britain's first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics. Having finished a disappointing fifth at the Athens Olympics in 2004, her delight as she crossed the line first was obvious as she leap off her bike and whooped with delight, racing to hug her team-mates.
"We did it, it was perfect. It's a dream come true," said Cooke, who became the first Welsh person to win Olympic gold for 36 years.
"I came over the line and there was so much - I was just so happy and there were so many emotions that were coming out all at once. I made so much noise because I guess that's just the person I am.
"I want to thank all the people who have been there from the start. I have worked so hard, I am so happy.
"I don't think it has sunk in yet. I still feel like the normal Nicole from before the race. But it's just so exciting."
Cooke clocked of three hours, 32 minutes and 24 seconds gives her finish to perfection, powering off the front and away from Emma Johansson and Tatiana Guderzo in the sprint to the line.
Who Is Nicole Cooke
Nicole Cooke was born on April 13, 1983, Cooke is a Welsh road bicycle racer and Olympic gold medalist. Cooke was born in Swansea and grew up in Wick, Vale of Glamorgan. She began cycling at the age of 11. At 16 she won her first senior national title, youngest rider to take the senior women's title at the British National Road Race Championships. In 2001 she was awarded the Bidlake Memorial Prize, given for outstanding performance or contribution to the betterment of cycling. She also won four junior world titles including 2001 held in Portugal.
Cooke represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the Women's Road Race event where she won the gold medal; this was also the 200th gold medal for Great Britain in the history of the Modern Olympic Games.
Beijing Olympics - The U.S. basketball team outplayed the host country beating China 101-70 at the Olympics. Thrilling the billions crowd to a game to remember at Beijing's basketball arena.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade soared for dunks. Wade scored 19 points and James had 18 for the Americans in one of the most highly anticipated events of the Summer Games.
USA Basketball officials were told the game could draw the largest viewing audience ever for a sporting event.
Houston Rockets All-Star Yao Ming scored 13 points for the Chinese, who played over their heads for more than 15 minutes, forcing the Americans to raise their level of play for the lopsided final score.
2008 Beijing Olympic on the opening day in Weightlifting, China won their first gold medal through the power of Chinese weightlifter Chen Xiexia who also set an Olympic record.
"I have been thinking of winning a medal but never thought it would turn out to be the first gold medal for China,"I'm very happy and think I did a good job." said Chen Xiexia.
Who Is Chen Xiexia
Chen Xiexia was born on August 1, 1983, in Panyu, Guangdong province, Chen Xiexia is a Chinese weightlifter. She won three golds at the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships, and the first gold medal for China in the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 48kg class, setting an Olympic Record by lifting 212kg.
She also won 3 golds in 2007 Asian Championships, and made world record of 120 kg. clean and jerk, created in 2007 Asian Championships. At the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium on Day 1 of the Olympic Games, 152cm Xiexia, 25, yelled "jia you!" (come on!), and succeeded on all six attempts (snatch: 95kg; clean and jerk: 117kg).
Czech Republic get their first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics in the women's 10m air rifle event through the steady pulse of Katerina Emmons. While Lioubov Galkina of Russia claimed the silver, and Snjezana Pejcic of Croatia took bronze.
There was disappointment for the home fans as China's defending champion Du Li failed to get amongst the medals.
Emmons capped her win by setting an Olympic record of 503.5 points, after shooting a perfect 400 in qualifying.
The 24-year-old Czech wife of American shooter Matt Emmons shot a near flawless 103.5 in the final to take the gold.
She revealed afterwards how she overcame nerves and a splitting headache to become Olympic champion.
"Thank God it's over because I was so nervous," she said. "I had a headache this morning. I felt so terrible that I did not know how I would shoot. "So to win the first gold medal of this Olympics is pretty amazing."
Emmons' win at the the Beijing Shooting Range Hall marks a big improvement on four years ago, where she finished with bronze behind Li and Galkina.
Russian shooter Galkina finished just a point behind the champion to claim silver once more.
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge was among the crowd of 5,000 to present the first medals of the Games.
Who Is Katerina Emmons
Katerina Emmons was born on November 17 1983 in Plzeň, Emmons named Kateřina Kůrková before she married USA Olympic rifle shooter Matt Emmons in 2007, is a female Czech sports shooter who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, where she won her first gold medal in the women's 10 metre air rifle competition.
Katerina Emmons, a bronze medalist at the Athens Olympics, equaled the world record of 504.9 points. She totaled an Olympic record 503.5 points and became the first in the Games' history to record a score of 10 on all 40 of her qualifying air rifle shots: “Just because I won here today doesn’t mean I can win an Olympic medal.” Emmons crushed China's hopes of sport dominion, with China's defending Olympic champion Du Li finishing 5th.
SHENYANG, China - The country's football confederation said that in the remainder of the Olympic tournament, Brazil should not wear its regular official Nike Jersey uniform because of concerns it could affect Rio de Janeiro's bid for the 2016 Games.
Rules of the International Olympic Committee say that nations should not wear confederations' emblems on uniforms during the games, and Brazil's Nike jersey has the football confederation badge on it.
"The president of the Brazilian football confederation, Ricardo Teixeira, accepted the Brazilian Olympic Committee's request that the Olympic team did not wear the official jersey because it would blemish Brazil's bid to host the 2016 Olympics," the confederation said in a statement.
Rio de Janeiro is a finalist to host the games along with Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid, Spain. The IOC will select the host city in October 2009.
Brazil will still wear a Nike jersey, but without the confederation's badge.
"Teixeira decided to accept the committee's request to avoid any embarrassment or inconveniences to the city's bid for 2016," the confederation statement said.
Brazil's national teams are sponsored by Nike, but the Brazilian Olympic delegation is sponsored by Olympikus, which was not happy that the football squads used uniforms from one of its competitors.
The Brazilian committee had said before the Beijing Games that it would not be in the nation's best interest to have one of its Olympic teams wearing different uniforms.
The Brazilian women's team will be the first to drop the official jersey for its match against North Korea on Saturday at the Shenyang Olympic Stadium. The men's team will do the same against New Zealand on Sunday, also in Shenyang.
Neither squad has ever won the Olympic gold medal for Brazil in football.
The Brazilian women lost the final of the 2004 Olympics in Athens to the United States. It also was fourth in Sydney in 2000 and in Atlanta in 1996, when women's football began at the Olympics.
The men's team won the silver medal twice, in 1984 in Los Angeles and 1988 in Seoul. It won the bronze in 1996 in Atlanta.
"All the players and the Brazilian people are proud of the jersey with the five stars on it," said Ronaldinho, referring to the uniform's emblem which reflects the team's five world titles in men's football. "We could still wear it, but if it gets in the way of Brazil's bid to host the 2016 Olympics, we have to understand it and accept it."
Brazil will host the 2014 World Cup.
Stay in Cleveland? Leave for New York? or Accept a deal for $50 million a year to play in Italy? LeBron James is trying to decide for the summer of 2010. Far-fetched? Impossible? Perhaps, but the steady stream this summer of American players heading to Europe, where the euro dwarfs the dollar, the salary cap doesn't apply and the game is rapidly improving, has changed the dynamic of player movement in the NBA.
"The European market has been growing year by year and it's certainly been a hope of ours that it would become a viable alternative for players," agent Mark Bartelstein said Wednesday. "The luxury tax in the NBA has put a crimp on what teams can spend, so players are looking for alternatives."
Josh Childress started the trend last month, when the restricted free agent grew tired of Atlanta's bargaining and signed a three-year deal with Greek club Olympiakos worth about $20 million after taxes. Because the NBA's collective bargaining agreement only applies to the league's teams, the Hawks couldn't match the offer. Atlanta lost its sixth man from last season and got nothing in return.
Since then Earl Boykins, Carlos Arroyo, Nenad Krstic, Carlos Delfino and Jorge Garbajosa have left the NBA for European teams. The 5-foot-5 Boykins, who played for the NBA minimum last season in Charlotte, signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with Virtus Bologna of the Italian league Tuesday.
"We're not terribly concerned," said Joel Litvin, the NBA's president of league and basketball operations. "In fact, we see this as a positive indication of how popular the sport of basketball is on a global basis."
But the league would sure be alarmed if Kobe Bryant wasn't joking when he told reporters after a pre-Olympic exhibition game: "Italy, Greece, Russia, $40 million a year? Yeah, I'm there, as simple as that."
ESPN.com reported this week that an unidentified person close to James said the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar would consider playing in Europe for $50 million a year when he's eligible to opt out of his contract after the 2009-10 season.
"If it happens, it happens. I'd be surprised if it did with players of that caliber," Litvin said. "But certainly we would deal with it if it happened and I continue to think that the NBA will be the gold standard for the top players in the world for a long time to come."
Under the collective bargaining agreement, James couldn't make more than $20 million a year in the NBA. Plus, league teams face a dollar-for-dollar tax once they reach $71.15 million in total payroll.
European leagues face no salary cap and many are awash in cash because of the sinking dollar, which earlier this year reached a historic low against the euro. A euro was worth $1.54 Wednesday.
Throw in some creative tax loopholes and maybe James wearing a CSKA Moscow uniform isn't an outrageous prospect.
"It just shows you what a global game basketball is that there are good leagues and leagues that are willing to pay for high caliber talent," Charlotte Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins said. "But the NBA is the best."
While the quality of play in European leagues continues to improve, the NBA remains superior. The influx of European players to the NBA, started many years ago, leaves the league with a stockpile of talent.
So NBA players will want to stay stateside for the competition, right?
"Ultimately, it's about money," Hawks GM Rick Sund said after losing Childress. "The more money they get the better they feel about the commitment."
Bartelstein, who represents players in the NBA and overseas, believes European leagues could eventually be an option for the likes of James, Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh once the issue of guaranteed contracts is cleared up. Bartelstein said he's had to go to court in the past to get teams to pay the full amount of deals to his clients.
"Without there being a players association and a collective bargaining agreement in Europe, there's nothing behind the contract to enforce them other than to go to court," Bartelstein said. "For Europe to truly get to the point where they can compete with the NBA for all kinds of players, they're going to have to implement a system where there's a lot more comfort that the contracts are truly guaranteed. Once that happens then I think you'll truly see great competition for players."
Higgins believes the European option will put extra pressure on NBA teams to lock up players before their four-year rookie contracts expire. The Bobcats had to wait before finally re-signing restricted free-agent Emeka Okafor to a six-year, $72 million last week, a year after he turned down a similar deal.
"We could have came to an agreement last year, so I think that's the window of opportunity for a lot of teams," Higgins said.
While Okafor said playing in Europe "never crossed my mind," Bryant has at least thought about what trading in Los Angeles for a $40 million payday overseas would feel like.
"You cut the check," Bryant said, "and I will bring my Nike checks."
"Beijing Olympics may not be my last ride," said French cyclist Jeannie Longo who is taking part in her seventh Olympics in Beijing. Longo started her Olympic career in Los Angeles in 1984 is stretching her record to eight appearances at London 2012.
The 49-year-old ex-Olympic champion says she bids farewell to the Games every four years.
"I'm not a liar, but every time, the urge comes back and I resume training and I feel fine," she said.
"This season I told myself 'why not give it another try?' and the training went well."
A road race Olympic champion in 1996 and a time-trial silver medallist in 1988 and 1996, Longo returned once again this season to win three French titles to add to her previous 52 and earn Olympic qualification.
She will not, however, be seen at the Olympic Stadium on Friday, having never taken part in an opening ceremony.
"Road cycling races usually take place early in the Olympic programme and it's nonsense spending three hours standings in a stadium on the eve of competition," she said.
The Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, where she made her debut, was the first year women cyclists were allowed to compete.
Following Beijing, she may consider competing in London almost 30 years after her first Games.
"London could be fun," she said, "and it's not far from home."
The overall record for the number of appearances at an Olympics is held by sailor Hubert Raudaschl of Austria, who competed in nine Games.
Who Is Jeannie Longo
Jeannie Longo was born on October 31, 1958, Longo is a female French racing cyclist, multiple (55 times) French and world champion. Longo is still active in cycling as of 2008 and is widely considered the greatest female cyclist of all time. She is famous for her competitive nature and her longevity in a sport where some of her competitors were not yet born during her first Olympic competition in 1984. She has been selected to compete for France in the 2008 Olympics, her seventh Olympic Games. She has stated that this will be her final participation in the Olympics.
Longo was born in Annecy, in the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps where she began her athletic career as a downhill skier. After winning the French schools' ski championship and three university skiing championships, she switched to cycling at the urging of her coach (and later husband) Patrice Ciprelli. Within a few months, Longo won the French road race Championship. She was 21.
In addition to her sport , Longo distinguished herself in the academic field. She has been awarded academic degrees in Mathematics (B.S.), an MBA, and a doctorate in sports management.
She competes both in road and track bicycle racing events, and is an Olympic gold-medalist and twelve-time world champion.
Her impressive records include:
1. Olympic Games road race: Gold Medal/Champion (1996); Silver Medal (1992)
2. Olympic Games time trial: Silver Medal (1996); Bronze Medal (2000)
3. 5x UCI Road Race World Championship: Gold Medal/Champion (1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1995)
4. 4x UCI Time Trial World Championship: Gold Medal/Champion (1995, 1996, 1997, 2001)
5. 4x UCI Track World Championship:
* Points Race: Gold Medal/Champion (1989)
* 3 km Pursuit: Gold Medal/Champion (1986, 1988, 1989); Silver Medal (1984, 1985, 1987); Bronze Medal (1981, 1982, 1983)
6. UCI Mountain Bike Championship: Silver Medal (1993)
7. 15x French Road Race Champion: 1979 to 1989, 1992, 1995, 2006, 2008
8. 7x French Time Trial Champion: 1995, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008
9. 3x Tour Cycliste Feminin / Grande Boucle: 1987, 1988, 1989
10. 2x Women's Challenge: 1991, 1999
11. Set Hour Record (45.094 km/hr) in 2000 in Mexico City (14 years after setting the best hour performance record)
For the hotly anticipated 100m showdown at the Olympics, "I am Fit", Gay said. World champion Tyson Gay has dismissed any concerns over his fitness as he suffered a strained hamstring at the US trials in July.
But he said in a statement: "When I step on the line in Beijing, don't worry, I'll be ready to go."
World record holder Usain Bolt, fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell and Gay are expected to challenge for the gold medal in the final on 16 August.
Qualifying begins the day before.
American 200m star Wallace Spearmon believes all three sprinters could run under 9.70 seconds.
"I honestly think Bolt can run 9.6 seconds, Asafa can run 9.6 and a healthy Tyson can run 9.6," he said.
"Four athletes ran faster than 9.90 seconds in 2004 but that might be like sixth place here."
Gay, who turns 26 on Saturday, opted out of the US track team's training camp in Dalian in favor of completing his preparations in Munich.
He arrived in Beijing on Tuesday in time to attend Friday's opening ceremony.
Who Is Tyson Gay
Tyson Gay was born on August 9, 1982, Gay is an American sprinter who won gold medals at the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 x 100 m at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan.
Gay attended Lafayette Senior High School in Lexington, Kentucky where he was an outstanding sprint athlete, winning several state titles. He competed collegiately at Barton Community College and the University of Arkansas and in 2004 he won the 100 metres event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships as well as achieving a time of 10.06 seconds in June.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado - Swimmer Jessica Hardy after testing positive for a banned substance at the Olympic trials, withdrew from the U.S. Olympic team. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said that "she did so" used a banned substance.
The 21-year-old from Long Beach, California, could have contested the drug test results before the American Arbitration Association and potentially filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which would have kept her first Olympic berth in doubt until the eve of the games that open Aug. 8.
"While some might have chosen to exhaust their legal options to try to force their way into the games, Jessica instead chose to put her team's interests ahead of her own," said Travis Tygart, chief executive officer of USADA.
Hardy tested positive for a low level of clenbuterol, a prohibited anabolic agent, at the trials on July 4. Hardy said in a July 25 interview that she was innocent and said she had no idea how she tested positive for clenbuterol.
"I had never even heard of this drug," she said. "I've never wanted to do anything remotely close to doping. It's never, ever crossed my mind. I've never been approached about doing it. It's never been an issue my entire career. It's the last thing I would ever do."
The U.S. swim team was training in Singapore on Friday and leaves Monday for Beijing. Hardy qualified for the Olympics in two individual events — the 100-meter breaststroke and 50 freestyle — and the 400 free relay. She was a strong contender to medal in her specialty, the breaststroke.
Hardy's withdrawal allows USA Swimming to place swimmers already on the team in her open events, according to executive director Chuck Wielgus.
Olympic rookie Rebecca Soni, who trained with Hardy at Southern California, will swim the 100 breast and Kara Lynn Joyce will swim the 50 free, he said.
It's the second lucky break Joyce has gotten since the trials.
The 22-year-old Georgia swimmer was initially added to the team as an alternate on the 400 free relay after Dara Torres withdrew from the 100 free.
Joyce finished third in the 50 free at the trials — one spot out of making the team. She was seventh in the 100 free at the trials — one spot out of making the team, which left her in tears afterward. She earned two silver medals in Athens, in the 400 free and 400 medley relays.
The 100 breast will be Soni's second individual event; she had qualified in the 200 breast.
A panel from the American Arbitration Association issued a decision Friday that was jointly agreed to by Hardy and USADA after Hardy had a full opportunity to review the laboratory test results and to have those results analyzed by independent experts.
Hardy did not contest the laboratory findings and was granted additional time by the arbitration panel to investigate possible causes of her positive drug test.
The decision allows for a two-year period of ineligibility but allows Hardy to come back to the panel to present evidence that could reduce her period of ineligibility.
Hardy was tested three times during the trials in Omaha, Neb. The results were negative for the samples taken on July 1, after she won the 100 breaststroke, and on July 6, shortly after she finished second in the 50 free.
But Hardy's "A" and backup "B" samples both came back positive from the test on July 4, when she finished fourth in the 100 free.
Who Is Jessica Hardy
Jessica Hardy was born on March 12, 1987, Hardy is an American swimmer from Long Beach, California. After setting the world record in the 100 m breaststroke as a high school senior, she competed for two years at the University of California, Berkeley, where she was a four-time NCAA Champion. She gave up her eligibility and turned professional in 2007, and returned to train with her age group coach Dave Salo for Trojan Swim Club out of the University of Southern California. She currently holds the 50 m breaststroke (short course) world record after winning the 2008 FINA Short Course World Championships final in a time of 29.58 seconds on April 12, 2008.
On July 23, 2008, an anonymous person told the Associated Press that Hardy's "A" sample tested positive for a banned stimulant. Her attorney has since confirmed that her "A" and "B" samples from a test administered on July 4th were positive for clenbuterol, a banned stimulant. It has been noted that the positive test was sandwiched by two negative tests, each within a few days of the positive result. It should also be noted that clenbuterol has a rapid half-life and is usually non-detectable by urine test 72 hours after use. Proceedings to determine her eligibility for the 2008 olympic games have been launched.
August 1,2008: "US swimmer Jessica Hardy tested positive for the prohibited substance clenbuterol at the US Olympic trials on July 4, 2008 and has agreed to withdraw from the 2008 United States Olympic Team in the best interests of the team," USADA said in a statement Friday.
Jessica's future plans beyond swimming include designing her own line of swim wear for European beach goers.
Kobe Bryant US Olympic Basketball Team
MACAU - U.S. Olympic basketball team roll to a 120-84 exhibition victory over Lithuania on Friday night. Kobe Bryant harassed longtime nemesis Sarunas Jasikevicius into a miserable night and helped the U.S. Olympic basketball team win.
Dwyane Wade scored 19 points, Dwight Howard had 17 and LeBron James 15 for the Americans, who raced to a big early lead, then pulled away again after Lithuania got within single digits early in the second half. Bryant finished with 13 points, nine during the big U.S. first quarter.
The Americans, who shot 64 percent, swept two games here and leave Saturday for Shanghai, where they will play European champion Russia and Australia.
Michael Redd finished with 16 points and Carmelo Anthony added 11 in a rematch of the bronze-medal game from four years ago.
Jasikevicius was just 2-of-8 from the field for nine points, with three turnovers. Rimantas Kaukenas led Lithuania with 17 points.
The United States needed a quarter to warm up in its first two games, but was sharp right from the start this time. Howard had three consecutive baskets, James dunked twice, and the Americans were already up by double digits barely 2 1/2 minutes into the game. Minutes later, Bryant had two jumpers and a 3-pointer in a quick flurry that made it 24-5.
Howard had 10 points and Bryant nine in the first 10 minutes, with the Americans opening a 31-15 lead.
Lithuania kept the deficit in the teens from there, then opened the second half with a flurry of 3-pointers to make it a game. Jasikevicius had a rare open look and hit the final one to cut the U.S. lead to 61-52 with 7:10 remaining in the third quarter, but the Americans immediately blew it open again.
Anthony, Howard and James combined for the next 12 U.S. points, everything coming from inside, to make it 73-55, and Lithuania was never close again. Wade took over at the end of the period and early in the fourth, bringing the fans to their feet with a double-pump dunk on an alley-oop pass from Chris Paul.
Wade was 7-of-9 from the floor and Paul had seven assists. Every U.S. player scored.
The teams split two meetings in the 2004 Olympics, with the United States winning the second one to claim the bronze medal. Jasikevicius scored 28 points, hitting seven 3-pointers, in Lithuania's 94-90 victory in pool play.
He nearly led Lithuania to a stunning victory four years earlier in Sydney, missing a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of a semifinal game as the Americans held on for an 85-83 win.
Taking the challenge of defending the opponents' best player, as he frequently did last summer in the Olympic qualifier, Bryant never gave Jasikevicius a chance to get going. The former Indiana and Golden State point guard found little room to dribble or shoot when Bryant was near him.
He missed both shots and had a turnover in the first quarter and was still frustrated long after Bryant had checked out for good, screaming at the referee after throwing up an air ball on a 3 with about 4 1/2 minutes left.
Lithuania plays Turkey here Saturday and opens the Olympics against defending gold medalist Argentina on Aug. 10.
Position: Small forward
Height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight: 220 lb (99.8 kg)
League: NBA
Team: Chicago Bulls
Jersey: #9
Born: April 16, 1985 Wau, Sudan
Nationality: England
College: Duke
Draft: 7th overall, 2004 Phoenix Suns
Pro career: 2004–present
Awards: 2004-05 NBA All-Rookie First Team, 2007 NBA Sportsmanship Award
A new six-year deal contract for the 23-year-old South Londoner is worth a guaranteed $71m (approx £36m), with incentives taking its possible worth to $80m (£40m). Great Britain will not be competing at the Beijing Olympics but hope to qualify for the London Games in 2012. Deng hopes to be a star at the 2012 Olympics with Team Great Britain.
Deng had rejected a five-year deal but his impressive displays in the team's miserable 2007-08 season ensured they were keen to find a way to keep him.
He represented England at under-16 and under-19 level with basketball's authorities recognising his status as a refugee, but his entry into the Great Britain set-up was delayed by his lack of a British passport, even though most of his family had them.
In 2006, lobbying by British Basketball and the London 2012 Olympic officials helped him gain the passport he needed.
Who Is Luol Deng
Luol Deng was born on April 16, 1985 in Wau, Sudan, Deng is a British professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls, where he plays small forward.
When he was young, his father Aldo, a member of the Sudanese parliament, moved the family to Egypt to escape the Second Sudanese Civil War. In Egypt, they met former NBA center Manute Bol, another Dinka, who taught Deng's older brother, Deng Deng, how to play basketball. Manute also served as a mentor for Luol himself. When they were granted political asylum, his family emigrated to South Norwood in London, England. Deng developed an interest in association football and basketball, and was invited to join England's 15-and-under teams in both sports. During this time, he began his career at Brixton Topcats. At the age of 13, he played for England's squad in the European Junior Men's Qualifying Tournament, averaging 40 points and 14 rebounds. He was named the MVP of the tournament. Next, he led England to the finals of the European Junior National Tournament, where he averaged 34 points and earned another MVP award. He counts himself a fan of Arsenal F.C.
At the age of 14, Luol moved to the United States to play basketball at Blair Academy in New Jersey, where one of his teammates was future NBA player Charlie Villanueva. Deng was also named a Tri-Captain at Blair along with Charlie Villanueva. During his senior year, Deng was considered the second most promising high school senior in America after LeBron James. He was named First Team All-America by Parade Magazine and USA Today, and was selected to play in the McDonald's High School All-America game, in which he performed at a very high standard and impressed many top NBA players. After graduation, he decided to attend Duke University. In one season at Duke, he appeared in 37 games and made 32 starts. He averaged 30.1 minutes and scored 15.1 points per game en route to a berth in the 2004 Final Four. He is only the 10th freshman in ACC history to lead all rookies in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage.
Luol Deng Citizenship
Since his birth in Sudan, Deng has lived in Egypt, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States. Deng represented England at Under-16 and Under-19 level, and is an ambassador for the London 2012 Olympic Games. In October 2006, Deng became a naturalized British citizen in a ceremony in Croydon and was called up to play in European competition for the Great Britain team. He made his debut against Georgia in Pau, France on August 9 2007, scoring 19 points. In his first competitive qualifying game repesenting Great Britain Deng scored (32 Pts, 16 Rbs, 11 Asts, 8 Stls & 2 Blks) against Slovakia, at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena on 21 August 2007.
A new pole vault world record set by Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva when she cleared 5.04m at the Super Grand Prix meeting in Monaco on Tuesday.
The Olympic and world champion bettered her previous world record of 5.03m, set in Rome on 11 July.
The 26-year-old's 23rd world record was set on her third and final attempt in the south of France.
The mark cements her standing as firm favourite for gold at the Beijing Olympic Games next month.
"The record just happened," said Isinbayeva. "Monaco is my home town and it's my first competition (in Monaco) since I've been living here. That motivated me.
"I'm in a good shape, I just need to keep my condition that way until the Olympics. I wanted to improve my personal best and that's what I did.
"I see this world record first of all as a personal best."
Isinbayeva initially trained as a gymnast in her hometown of Volgograd. She left gymnastics as a teenager because as she grew she was considered too tall to be competitive.
Her role model since she began the pole vault has been Ukrainian legend Sergei Bubka, and Isinbayeva has said that she would love to better his tally of 35 world records in the event.
Who Is Yelena Isinbayeva
Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva was born on June 3, 1982 in Volgograd, Isinbayeva is a Russian pole vaulter. She won the 2004 Olympic Gold Medal with a new World Record then 4.91 m, was elected Female Athlete of the Year by the IAAF twice (2004 and 2005), and Sportswoman of the Year by Laureus. On July 22, 2005, she became the first female pole vaulter to clear the metric barrier of 5.00 metres.
At the age of 26 she is seen as the best female pole vaulter in history. She has already been a 8-time major champion (Olympic, World outdoor and indoor champion and European outdoor and indoor champion).
Her current world records are 5.04 m outdoors, a record Isinbayeva set at a gala in Monaco on July 29th, and 4.95 m indoors, a record set at the Donetsk indoor meeting on 16 February 2008. The former was Isinbayeva's twenty-third world record.
Her mother is of Russian ethnicity, while her father is of Tabasaran people.
Personal LIfe
Her father, Gadzhi Gadzhiyevich Isinbayev, is a plumber and a member of a small (70,000-people strong) ethnic group of Tabasarans who mostly live in Dagestan. Her mother, a shop assistant, is an ethnic Russian. Isinbayeva also has a sister called Inna. Isinbayeva was born in a modest environment and remembers that her parents had to make many financial sacrifices in her early career.
She has a bachelor's degree after graduating from the Volgograd State Academy of Physical Culture, and is currently studying for her master's. In the Russian club competitions she represents the railroad military team, she is formally an officer in the Russian army, and on August 4, 2005 she was given military rank of senior lieutenant. On her homepage, she states she is working to become a Physical Educator.
Isinbayeva states that she has a boyfriend of three years, a fellow pole vaulter whose name she doesn't reveal. She also acknowledges that she does not get along with her compatriot and rival Svetlana Feofanova.
She likes dolphins and Russian history. "I read a lot about Russian history, but I also love everything to do with dolphins, and collect small models of them. I have about 30 of them. My dream one day is to swim with real dolphins. I like them so much." Since recently, she writes on her homepage that she indeed now owns several of them.
In an interview with The Guardian, Isinbayeva makes fun of the fact that female pole vaulters are seen as sex symbols for "male couch potatoes", as their usual muscular, but slim build makes them highly attractive. In addition, she acknowledges that her rags-to-riches career, combined with her work ethic and sex symbol status, makes her somewhat similar to Maria Sharapova: "We [Sharapova and herself] are quite similar. Being famous sportswomen is not easy and her parents also sacrificed everything for her. And, like (Sharapova), the idea of being glamorous is very important to me. I always want to look like a girl. I don't agree that you are either a sportswoman or a girl. It's important that there are women who bring glamour to sport." Isinbayeva feels she could peak at 5.15 m, and plans to jump at least until the Olympics of 2012, but since Moscow was elected hosts of the 2013 World Championships, she has suggested she may continue until then.
She features in Toshiba ads promoting their entire product line in Russia.
The 21-year-old Great Britain 400m runner Martyn Rooney powered down the home straight to claim victory ahead of Ricardo Chambers and Leslie Djhone at the Monaco Grand Prix in 44.72 seconds. This run is for the preparation for 2008 Beijing Olympic.
Rooney's success came after he broke the 45-second barrier for the first time at last week's London Grand Prix.
The men's 400m heats in Beijing begin on 18 August.
Rooney's victory in Monaco lifted him back to the top of the European standings and to ninth in the world rankings.
The Croydon runner said after his landmark performance at Crystal Palace last weekend: "If I don't make the final at the Olympics now it'll be a bad championships.
"Then if I get a good lane in the final, who knows?"
American defending champion Jeremy Wariner is favourite to retain his Olympic title in China as he leads the world rankings with a time of 43.86 secs.
Compatriot Lashawn Merritt is also expected to get amongst the medals.
Rooney and Andrew Steele represent Team GB in the individual 400m while Rooney's PB will boost hopes of a strong performance in the 4x400m relay.
Who Is Martyn Rooney
Martyn Rooney was born on April 3, 1987, Rooney is an English sprinter. Rooney was born and raised in Thornton Heath, London, UK, Rooney started running for Croydon Harriers just before starting his secondary school, The John Fisher School in Purley. He also attended St James the Great Primary School in Thornton Heath. Initially training and competing at the Middle distances; 800 m and 1500 m and doing cross country throughout the Winter, his talent for the one lap sprint was discovered by coincidence when he stood in to make up points at a London fixture a little over two years ago.
Rooney was selected to represent Great Britain at the 2005 European Juniors, held in Lithuania in July of that year. He achieved the Silver Medal in the individuals and gold with the relay team and on his return home was then asked to make up the senior’s 4x400 m Men's Relay team at the IAAF World Championships, held that year in Helsinki, Finland. Martyn was originally running only in the heat, but impressing the GB coaches with a time of 44.9 seconds, he was selected to also run in the final. Despite completing his leg in 44.8 seconds, Martyn and team mates Timothy Benjamin, Robert Tobin and Malachi Davis came in fourth, with a sub three minute time.
Rooney represented England in the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Australia. Despite impressing everyone throughout the heats, he came fifth in the final with a time of 45.51 seconds and set a new British Junior Record, previous held by Roger Black for 20 years. The English 4x400 m Men's relay team came in fourth at the Games, with the Women coming in First but being disqualified.
At the 2006 World Junior Championships in Beijing he finished third in 45.87 seconds. The British relay team too finished third, earning him a second bronze medal of the Championships.
Rooney is currently studying at Loughborough College, while training with Coach Nick Dakin of Loughborough, and Mike Fleet of Croydon Harriers.
He has a PB of 44.72, clocked at the Super Grand Prix in Monaco on 29th July 2008.
Mike Krzyzewski head coach of the U.S. men's basketball team said, the growth in international talent will make the team face a "tough challenge" to win Olympic gold.
"Basketball around the world has exploded. Thirty percent of the NBA are international players, and many of the teams we face ... will have a starting five of five NBA players," Krzyzewski said in Macau, where the gold medal favorites will play exhibition games against Lithuania and Turkey before traveling to Beijing.
"It will be a tough challenge for us."
The U.S. have won 12 Olympic men's titles but their supremacy has slipped in recent years.
Spain won men's gold at the 2006 world championships behind inspired Los Angeles Lakers player Pau Gasol, who will be key to Spanish ambitions in China. Argentina, who took gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics, will also be a serious threat to American hopes of redemption.
Team U.S.A. finished with bronze four years ago and were third at the 2006 worlds.
Previous U.S. teams have been all-star squads tossed together just weeks before the Games and Jerry Colangelo, managing director of the U.S. team, said "that was good enough, but that's not the case anymore."
The players "wanted to see this thing turned around because there is pride in representing our country and the commitment that was made three years ago means that the core players have been together for the past three years, and that's a big difference," he said.
NBA top scorer LeBron James, who was wearing a U.S.A. basketball shirt printed with the words "Together we rise", said confidence would be the key.
"Every time we step onto the court we know we have the talent and we know we have the strength to go out and be the best team out on the court. So, we have to be confident to go out there and play the way we want to play," he said.
Krzyzewski later clarified that "we're trying to be very confident. That doesn't mean over-confident.
"We don't have anything to be complacent about."
James will play in Beijing, despite an earlier right ankle injury that he described as "healthy".
Basketball is extremely popular in China and will be one of the hottest tickets at the Beijing Games.
The host team have been given a huge boost by the return of towering Houston Rockets center Yao Ming after he broke a foot in an NBA game in February.
Krzyzewski said China merited respect.
"I would think that they'd be better than they were the last time we played them. They will be a foe -- especially (since) they are our first game in the Olympics."
The U.S. and Chinese teams meet on August 10.
2008 Tour de France Map
The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from July 5 to July 27, 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage. All time bonuses for intermediate sprints and at each stage finish line have been scrapped.
On February 13, 2008, the event organisers, the Amaury Sport Organisation, announced that the Astana Team would be barred from the 2008 Tour due to its involvement in the doping scandals that marred the 2007 Tour and its links to the 2006 Operación Puerto doping case. This move comes despite an almost complete turnover of the team's management, and rider roster in the wake of the 2007 scandals. The ASO's decision means that defending champion Alberto Contador and last year's third-place finisher Levi Leipheimer, both of whom signed with the revamped Astana Team, will not compete in the 2008 Tour. 2007 green jersey points winner Tom Boonen tested positive for cocaine in a test on May 26, 2008. Since this was outside competition, Boonen does not face sanctions by the UCI or WADA. Despite the absence of official sanctions, Boonen was barred from the 2008 Tour de France.
Carlos Sastre 2008 Tour de France Winner
Sastre coming into the 2008 Tour de France was considered one of the favourites to win the year's race along with Australia's Cadel Evans of Team Silence-Lotto, Spain's Alejandro Valverde of Caisse d'Epargne and Russia's Denis Menchov of Rabobank. However, he also faced competition within his own team from brothers Fränk Schleck and Andy, despite officially being classed as team leader of CSC.
Sastre had a quiet, understated opening to the tour. After a lacklustre opening time-trial, he remained relatively restrained in the opening mountain stages in the Pyrenees and opted to stay defensive and follow the wheel of his main rivals. This allowed his CSC teammate Fränk Schleck to claim the yellow jersey at the finish to stage 15 at Prato Nevoso. However, going into the crucial 17th stage culminating at the 21 hairpin climb up to Alpe d'Huez, it was Sastre who showed his class and strength. He attacked at the bottom of this famous climb away from the main general classification contenders and overhauled his deficits to claim the stage and the yellow jersey.
Going into the final time trial, Sastre had an advantage of 1 minute and 24 seconds over his teammate Fränk Schleck, although more crucially he had 10 seconds more over Cadel Evans, a man considered a more accomplished time trialist than himself. Evans was widely expected to overcome the arrears to leapfrog Sastre; however Sastre on this occasion was able to put in a winning performance to stave off the challenge of Evans and keep the yellow to eventually win in Paris by fifty-eight seconds.
Sastre's victory capped an exceptional 2008 tour for the Danish Team CSC Saxo Bank. CSC also won the young rider classification with Andy Schleck and the overall team classification.
Carlos Sastre 2008 Tour de France Winner
Who Is Carlos Sastre
Carlos Sastre Candil was born on 22 April 1975 in Leganés, Madrid, Sastre is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer and champion of the 2008 Tour de France. Through his consistently improved top 10 results in the Vuelta a España and good showings in the Tour de France, Sastre established himself as a strong and stable climbing specialist, and after working to improve his individual time trial skills, he has become a contender for the top GC spots in the Grand Tours.
2008 Tour de France Teams
Belgium
Quick Step
Silence-Lotto
Denmark
Team CSC Saxo Bank
France
Ag2r-La Mondiale
Agritubel
Bouygues Télécom
Cofidis, le Crédit par téléphone
Crédit Agricole
Française des Jeux
Germany
Gerolsteiner
Team Milram
Italy
Lampre
Liquigas
Netherlands
Rabobank
Spain
Caisse d'Epargne
Euskaltel-Euskadi
Saunier Duval-Scott
United Kingdom
Barloworld
United States of America
Team Garmin-Chipotle
Team Columbia
2008 Tour de France Stages
In previous years, the Tour started with a prologue, followed by a week of flat stages. The flat stages were dominated by the sprinters' teams, and the yellow jersey was worn by a sprinter who had a good prologue. Tour Director Christian Prudhomme announced that the 2008 Tour should be different: "We have wanted a first week of racing with much more rhythm. With no prologue, an uphill finish that will suit different types of sprinters at the end of stage one, with a short time trial on stage four and the first mountain at Super-Besse only 48 hours later, we have decided to change the scenario." The time bonuses at the end of each stage were removed, and there will be 82 kilometers of time trials, rather less than usual.
The 2008 Tour de France is almost entirely in France, with only a small part in Italy.
PARIS – The final act Sunday was supposed to be a champagne-sipping, idyllic run to the Champs-Elysees for winner Carlos Sastre of Spain. Instead, it was yet another announcement of a positive drug test. From the very start to the very finish, doping was along for the ride on the Tour de France.
That the bust involved a Kazakh rider who was never in contention didn’t matter. Once again, drugs left their mark at cycling’s premier event.
Until Sunday’s finale, the race had gone 10 days without a doping scandal—three others had already marred the three-week race.
This time, Dmitriy Fofonov tested positive for a “very heavy dose" of heptaminol after Thursday’s 18th stage, said Pierre Bordry, the head of France’s anti-doping agency. Fofonov was immediately fired by his Credit Agricole team. French police said he was detained for questioning.
“These guys are crazy, and the sooner they start learning, the better," International Cycling Union chief Pat McQuaid said by phone. “You can never rule out at the Tour de France—the biggest event of the year—that these guys are going to take risks."
Sunday’s doping episode gave the Tour a certain symmetry: Veteran Spanish rider Manuel Beltran tested positive after the first stage.
Bordry said Fofonov was asked whether he had a medical exemption for heptaminol, and he did not provide one. The stimulant is used as a vasodilator that helps relieve bronchial spasms.
“Fofonov said he bought the product on the Internet," said Roger Legeay, sporting director of Credit Agricole. “He says that it was for cramps, but that he forgot to tell the team doctor."
Fofonov, known mainly as a strong climber, finished in 19th place in the Tour, 28 minutes, 31 seconds after Sastre.
Word of Fofonov’s failed test came as some teams were still riding farewell laps in the French capital. The announcement compounded the damage of positive tests for the banned blood booster EPO—cycling’s designer drug—by Italy’s Riccardo Ricco and Spaniards Beltran and Moises Duenas Nevado.
Ricco’s Saunier Duval team quit the race and fired him, and the sponsor said it was ending its relationship with pro cycling. Barloworld, a South African conglomerate behind Duenas Nevado’s team, said it would do so as well.
Ricco won the sixth and ninth stages. After his positive test was announced before Stage 12, it looked as if the cheats had been chastened if not deterred.
Tour officials seemed relieved to see cyclists suffer after each day’s ride. It was as if that was a telltale sign they hadn’t relied on pick-me-ups to withstand the ordeal of a trek covering more than 2,175 miles.
This year, because of a long dispute, the Tour said it would not use cycling’s governing body to conduct drugs tests. It gave the job to the French anti-doping agency, contending an outside agency with no ties to the sport would be a more evenhanded arbiter.
Christian Prudhomme, the head of the Tour, insisted there were “a lot of good things" this year: “The faces of the riders, burnt out, exhausted, mouths wide open at the end. ... The fight against doping has made enormous progress."
“The difference between those who cheat and those who chase after them has considerably narrowed," he said.
Bordry pointed to laboratory proof. From the July 5 start in Brest until the first rest day in Pau 10 days later, blood parameters culled from dozens of anti-doping tests showed fewer anomalies on average, he said.
“That means that either the riders were in better health, or that it’s proof they’re not taking as many substances," he said.
Better yet for organizers, the race was intensifying after the Ricco bust. As racers began three climbs through the Alps by riding into Italy in the 15th stage, five racers were within 49 seconds of then-leader Frank Schleck of Luxembourg—the last of them Sastre.
That’s when the 33-year-old Spaniard, who now has six top-10 Tour finishes, took over. The climax for him came in the last and most punishing day in the Alps. He won Stage 17 and took the prized yellow jersey from Schleck, his CSC teammate.
Sastre had one final big hurdle: Saturday’s time trial. Australia’s Cadel Evans, known as an ace in the discipline, was seen as a favorite to recover the yellow jersey that he seized in the Pyrenees but had lost to Schleck.
Sastre knew he needed the time trial of his life to hold to a 1:34 lead against the Australian, and he got it. Evans made up only 29 seconds against the Spaniard, paving the way for his victory cruise—champagne in hand—into Paris.
By the finish on the Champs-Elysees, Sastre finished seven seconds behind Evans, giving him a 58-second margin of victory. Bernhard Kohl of Austria finished 1:13 back in third, the second-tightest podium finish in the 105-year-old race.
Sastre crossed arms and butted helmets affectionately with CSC teammate Stuart O’Grady as they crossed the line behind Gert Steegmans of Belgium, who won the 21st and final stage in a sprint. Sastre was then surrounded by his family after getting off his bike.
“It’s very moving," Sastre said, hugging his two children.
This is the third straight year a Spaniard captured the Tour. Alberto Contador won last year, and Oscar Pereiro inherited the 2006 title lost by American Floyd Landis in a doping scandal.
Sastre grew up in Leganes south of Madrid and became interested in racing at 8 years old when his father opened a cycling school.
“When he was young, we thought that one day he could attempt the Tour de France," Sastre’s mother, Teresa, told Eurosport television from Spain. She said her son had “sacrificed" for this moment.
Television images showed hundreds of cheering fans pouring into the streets Sunday in the mountain village of El Barraco, where Sastre now has a home.
Sastre began racing in 1997 and has been involved with team managers with questionable doping histories.
In 2000, he made his professional debut with the Once team, which was managed by Manolo Saiz. Saiz was one of five people arrested in 2006 as part of the Operation Puerto doping scandal, and is no longer involved in the sport.
Now, Sastre rides for CSC’s Danish owner Bjarne Riis. Riis stayed home from the 2007 Tour after admitting he used EPO from 1993-98, a span that included his 1996 Tour title.
Aware of the doping cloud over cycling, Sastre put it bluntly after his victory appeared certain Saturday. “I’m clean," Sastre said.
What Is Doping
In sports, doping refers to the use of performance-enhancing drugs, particularly those forbidden by organizations that regulate competitions. Doping is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance enhancing drugs. Another form of doping is blood doping, either by blood transfusion or use of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) or anabolic steroid Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG). Also considered "doping" by many is the use of substances that mask other forms of doping. Doping is considered unethical by most international sports organizations and especially the International Olympic Committee. The reasons are mainly the health threat of performance-enhancing drugs, the equality of opportunity of the athletes and the exemplary effect of "clean" (doping-free) sports in the public.
This entry concerns the doping of humans. In horse racing and other equestrian sports, and in greyhound racing, horses and greyhounds can also be doped.
Origin of word
There are many suggestions as to the origin of the word ‘doping’. the One is that it is derived from ‘dop’ an alcoholic drink used as a stimulant in ceremonial dances in 18th century Southern Africa. Another suggestion is that the word comes from the Dutch word ‘doop’ (a thick dipping sauce) that entered American slang to describe how robbers stupefied victims by mixing tobacco with the seeds of Datura stramonium, known as jimsonweed, which contains a number of tropane alkaloids,causing sedation, hallucinations and confusion. By 1889, ‘dope’ was used in connection with the preparation of a thick viscous preparation of opium for smoking, and during the 1890s this extended to any stupefying narcotic drug. In 1900, dope was also defined as ‘a preparation of drugs designed to influence a racehorse’s performance.
History
Texts going back to antiquity suggest that men have always sought a way to work harder or at least to suffer less as they were doing so. When the fittest of a nation were selected as athletes or combatants, they were fed diets and given treatments considered beneficial Scandinavian mythology says Berserkers could drink a mixture called "butotens", perhaps prepared from the Amanita muscaria mushroom, and increase their physical power a dozen times at the risk of "going crazy". In more recent times, the German missionary Albert Schweitzer wrote of Gabon in the early 19th century: "The people of the country can, having eaten certain leaves or roots, toil [pagayer] vigorously all day without feeling hungry, thirsty or tired and all the time showing a happiness and gaiety."
A participant in an endurance walking race in Britain, Abraham Wood, said in 1807 that he had used laudanum, or opium, to keep him awake for 24 hours while competing against Robert Barclay Allardyce. By April 1877, walking races had stretched to 500 miles and the following year, also at the Agricultural Hall in Islington, London, to 520 miles.
The answer will be resolved not later than August, promoter Bob Arum said.
“People are asking how long it will take for a resolution on who Pacquiao will fight next and it’s probably the middle toward the end of August," Arum revealed. “We will have it resolved. Who Manny’s going to fight, when he’s going to fight, and where he’s going to fight."
Soto, a super-featherweight title contender and Valero, an undefeated power puncher, are two of the prime candidates to take on Pacquiao. Until recently, so is de la Hoya.
Oscar de la Hoya, whose next bout is likely his last before retiring from professional boxing, also has a handful of choices for his next opponent. Arum said, One of them is Pacquiao.
“As I understand it based on my discussion with the de la Hoya people, there are four possible candidates. One is Floyd Mayweather Jr., who we know is already retired so I don’t know if he’s really a candidate. Second there’s Felix Trinidad, who I don’t believe is a real candidate because Oscar would have to fight him at a very high weight at, like, 175lbs. So that leaves us with two fighters—Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao," Arum said.
According to the legendary promoter, there are several factors to consider, primary of which is the prize money. Arum added that de la Hoya, a natural 154-pounder, reducing weight won’t be a factor.
“I don’t think the weight is a problem as far as Oscar coming down to 147 is concerned. Based on my preliminary discussions, that wouldn’t be a problem," he said, adding the biggest factor may be what his client’s heart and mind dictate.
Is it Humberto Soto?
Armando Humberto Soto Ochoa is a Mexican professional boxer. Soto won the WBC interim featherweight title by beating Rocky Juarez on August 20, 2005, a fight he 
accepted with two weeks notice. He is known for his unorthodox boxing style, being referred to as a "gumby man" by boxing manager Emanuel Steward.
On November 17, 2007, became the challenger to fight Joan Guzmán, the reigning WBO Super Featherweight champion. Unfortunate for him, Soto lost by unanimous decision.
On June 28, 2008, Soto faced off against Francisco Lorenzo (33-4, 14 KOs) for the vacant interim WBC Super featherweight title. Soto knocked Lorenzo down twice in the fourth round with a barrage of punches. However, after lengthy consultations with officials at ringside, referee Joe Cortez disqualified Soto for hitting Lorenzo after he was down in what appeared to be a grazing punch. Cortez's decision was widely criticized and the WBC refused to award Lorenzo the title.
WBC president Jose Sulaiman condemned the decision as a "gross injustice" and one of the biggest he has seen in a long time. Sulaiman also announced that the WBC board of governors will vote on whether to declare the fight a no contest or to declare Soto the winner by knockout. Lorenzo, therefore, was not presented the green WBC belt as its champion, since it, though, opted to ignore the official verdict, and declared the title vacant. Sulaiman stated he wasn’t seeking to overrule the decision, but: “While we respect the authority of the (Nevada commission) for a decision of the fight, we are the only ones to have the authority to decide on the decision relating to the WBC world title.
Is it Edwin Valero?
Edwin Valero was born on December 3, 1981 in Bolero Alto, Mérida, Venezuela, he is an undefeated southpaw boxer who fights in the super featherweight (130 lb) 
division. His professional boxing record is 24-0 (24 KOs, 19 of which occurred in the first round). Valero is the current WBA super featherweight champion.
Valero started boxing at the age of 12, reportedly compiling an amateur record of 86-6 with 57 knockouts. He was Venezuelan amateur champion three years running, as well as Central and South American Champion (beating Francisco "Panchito" Bojado).
On February 25, 2006, Valero set a new world record by winning his first 18 fights as a professional by first-round knockout (that record has since been broken broken by Tyrone Brunson). The previous record for consecutive first-round knockouts was 15 by Young Otto (record), who accomplished the feat in 1905. In Valero's nineteenth fight (March 25, 2006), Genaro Trazancos ended the first-round knockout streak by surviving until the second round.
Because of his awesome punching power and perfect knockout ratio, he became the darling of hard core boxing fans. His biggest backers in the sport includes Doug Fischer of maxboxing.com (who regularly covers Valero in his articles for the website which also aired videos of his workouts and sparring sessions) and Boxing Inside with Peter Palmiere (Boxing Inside airs on SPTV Channel 33 every Thursday night at 7pm.) The Los Angeles local cable show also aired Valero's workouts, sparring sessions and interviews conducted by journalist Palmiere.
Valero defeated Vicente Mosquera by tenth-round TKO on August 5, 2006. With this win, Valero won the WBA super featherweight title. He has defended the title four times. The last fight was against Takehiro Shimada in Tokyo on June 12, 2008.
Or is it Oscar de la Hoya?
Oscar De La Hoya was born on February 4, 1973 his nicknamed "The Golden Boy", he is a Mexican American boxer and promoter who won a gold medal for the United States Boxing Team at the Barcelona Olympic Games. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. 
His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother Joel Jr. were all boxers, but it was Oscar who took his boxing talent to superstar status. De La Hoya became Ring Magazine's "Fighter of the Year" in 1995 and Ring Magazine's top-rated Pound for Pound fighter in the world in 1997. De La Hoya has defeated seventeen world champions and has won ten world titles in six different weight classes. He has also generated more money than any other boxer in the history of the sport. De La Hoya's amateur career included 223 wins, 163 by way of knockout, with only 5 losses. He won the United States' only boxing gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics, by knocking down his opponent; a win which he dedicated to his deceased mother. De La Hoya is also the founder of Golden Boy Promotions, a combat sport promotional firm. He is the first Hispanic-American to own a national boxing promotional firm and one of only a handful of boxers in history who have taken on promotional responsibilities while still active.
On November 23, 1992, De La Hoya made his professional debut, and in his twelfth professional fight, he won his first title, stopping Jimmy Bredahl in (TKO 10) to win the WBO junior lightweight title. He moved up a division several fights later, defeating Jorge Paez (KO 2) to win the WBO lightweight title, and in his first title defense he defeated former world champion John-John Molina (UD 12). Despite his early success, De La Hoya was criticized, with many dismissing his opposition as weak and noting that he had been knocked down several times early in fights.
This perception begin to change when he faced IBF lightweight champion Rafael Ruelas in a unification bout. Many picked Ruelas to win, but De La Hoya knocked him out in the second round. Then in his next fight, he defeated the undefeated WBC super featherweight champion Genaro Hernandez. Hernandez had criticized De La Hoya heavily going into the bout, but De La Hoya broke his nose in the bout, forcing him to retire after the sixth round. On December 15, 1995, he defeated former champion Jesse James Leija. In total, De La Hoya successfully defended his lightweight title six times.
De La Hoya soon moved up in weight again to challenge WBC junior welterweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez, who was an idol to De La Hoya. Chavez believed he would win easily, as he had broken one of De La Hoya's ribs in a sparring session when De La Hoya was an amateur. But in the fight held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, De La Hoya cut Chavez's eye with a jab in the first round, and the fight was stopped in round four due to the cut. Because of this and his later victory over Chavez, De La Hoya has always received criticism from some Mexican fans. In his only defense of this title, De La Hoya defeated previously undefeated WBC lightweight champion Miguel Angel Gonzalez (W 12).
Pagulayan Wins Guinness 9-Ball Singapore Leg
Alex Pagulayan of the Philippines ended the Chinese-Taipei stranglehold of the Guinness 9-Ball Tour after the former world pool champion defeated countryman Dennis Orcollo, 10-6, Sunday in the Singapore leg of the Tour at Velocity@Novena Square.
Taiwanese players have been dominating the Asian 9-ball circuit, sweeping all six legs last year and this season’s first three.
But Pagulayan and Orcollo have been in top form and the two Filipinos beat, coincidentally, two Chinese-Taipei players in the semis to set up the all-Filipino finals.
“It’s about time that the Philippines won because the Taiwanese kept on winning all the legs since last year," Pagulayan said.
"Everything went wrong for Dennis and all the rolls went my way. It feels good and extraordinary to beat the no.1 player in the world," the 2004 world champion added.
The last time a Filipino won a title on the Tour organized by ESPN STAR Sports was in 2006 when Efren "Bata" Reyes won in Jakarta.
Pagulayan reached the Finals after a 9–6 triumph over 2005 World Pool champion Wu Chia-Ching. Orcollo advanced following a down-the-wire 9–8 victory over Yang Ching-Shun.
Pagulayan trailed Orcollo, 2–0, but seized control of the match as he won the next five racks. Orcollo managed to make the game interesting, narrowing the deficit to 8–6 after capitalizing on a scratch by Pagulayan in the 14th rack.
But Pagulayan went on to win the next three tables off an Orcollo dry break in the 15th rack and a scratch in the 17th.
"I felt that they changed the way they set up the racks on the table," Orcollo said.
“Alex was really lucky and it seemed that he was motivated ever since the quarterfinals. I played my game, but sometimes it’s all about the breaks of the game," he added.
The Pagulayan-Orcollo match was the first between two Filipinos since Lee Van Cortez beat Francisco “Django" Bustamante in 2004.
Not counting an exhibition match in 2006, Pagulayan’s victory broke a tie between the Philippines and Chinese-Taipei for the most number of Guinness titles won since 2003. The Filipinos upped their card to 13-12.
No other country has won on Tour.
Pagulayan’s victory earned him $15,000 (P675,000). Orcollo, who entered the tournament as a wild card bet, settled for $6,000 (P270,000).Who Is Alex Pagulayan
Alejandro "Alex" Salvador Pagulayan, was born on June 25, 1978, Pagulayan is a Filipino-Canadian professional pocket billiards pool player. His nicknames are "The Lion" and "The Killer Pixie". He was born in Cabagan, Isabela, Philippines and was raised in Toronto, Canada.
Pagulayan's parents emigrated to Canada when he was 15 years old. His father managed a pool hall, so Pagulayan's exposure to the game came early. Though he was attracted to others sports, he thought his stature may not have been right. "I like a lot of sports, but with pool, you don't have to be physically tough. His main hot spot was the pool hall "Loma's."
Achievements
2008 World Pool Masters, Las Vegas, Nevada
2007 World Summit of Pool
2006 Philippine National Championship
2005 Philippines Snooker Team Gold Medal, SEA Games
2005 US Open Nine-ball Championship
2005 Derby City Classic Ten-ball Ring Game Champion
2005 SML Entertainment Nine-ball Champion
2004 WPA World Nine-ball Championship
2003 Joss Tour Grand Final Winner
2003 Carolinas Open Nine-ball Division, Goldsboro, North Carolina
2003 IBC Western Canadian Open
2002 World Pool Trickshot Champion
Freddie Roach is taking it further. He said that after the Diaz annihilation, he was convinced Pacquiao could go up against Oscar de la Hoya. And beat him.
“That performance against Diaz is what set me to make that decision," Roach said. “I’ve been working on his right hand for some time now and sometimes it’s there a little bit. Against Juan Manuel Marquez, it wasn’t there because he’s a guy who’s hard to land a right hand on. But the thing is, Manny has so much confidence now after beating Diaz, he knows he can do a lot more using both hands," Roach added.
“Manny’s become a better fighter after the Diaz fight."
Roach was said to have given Pacquiao an “A-plus" for his win over Diaz, a rating he’s never given his fighter before. But the ultimate compliment could be his recent projection that Pacquiao could stand up to de la Hoya, a sure Hall-of-Famer, and knock him out.
That is, if the Pacquiao the world saw won over Diaz is the same Pac-man who will trade mitts with the Golden Boy.
“I’ve always had confidence in Pacquiao’s right hand," Roach said. “Sometimes he doesn’t have that confidence. But now, the way he dominated Diaz, using that right and setting everything up including his left hand, he’s become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world."
“And you know Oscar, he loves all these challenges and I know this is going to be a big motivation for him," Roach added.
Guinness Book of World Records honored for the third time - Paeng Nepomuceno six-time world bowling champion, and now for having won the most number of career championships worldwide.
Nepomuceno racked up his 118th career title last September in Melbourne, winning the South Pacific Classic, Australia’s most prestigious individual tournament. Nepomuceno prevailed over Jason Belmonte, last year’s World Tenpin Masters Champion.
That victory gave Nepomuceno the distinction of having three existing Guinness Records.
For winning in Melbourne, Nepomuceno was honored last January 3 at the Malacañang Palace by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who conferred on him the Order of Lakandula with the Special Class of Champion for Life.
The Hall of Famer first Guinness Record was for winning four World Cups in three different decades (70’s, 80’s and 90’s). His second Guinness distinction was in recognition of his feat as the youngest to win a world title at age 19.
“This is a great honor and I’d like to share it with all my countrymen," said Nepomuceno. “Whenever I compete, my countrymen always give me great support, which gives me great inspiration to always do my best."
Nepomuceno was congratulated again by the Guinness World Records Management Team and welcomed to the select club of World Record-holders in an accompanying letter.
In November 1999, Nepomuceno was awarded the International Olympic Committee President’s Trophy, the highest award for sports made especially significant because bowling is still not recognized as an Olympic sport.
In the same year, Nepomuceno was named by the World Bowling Federation’s Athlete of the Millennium.
In 2003, Nepomuceno was recognized by the Bowler’s Journal International as “the Greatest International Bowler of All Time" and became the first athlete to be enshrined in the International Bowling Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, where his seven-foot image is displayed at the museum’s entrance.
Nepomuceno, who still actively competes up to this day, is the only bowler in the world who has won titles in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Who Is Rafael Nepomuceno
Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno was born on January 30, 1957 in Manila, Paeng is a Filipino and a 6-Time World Bowling Champion. Paeng is acknowledged as the greatest international bowler in the history of the sport. Paeng won the World Cup of Bowling four times in three different decades:
* In Tehran, Iran on November 19, 1976
* In Jakarta, Indonesia on November 1, 1980
* In Le Mans, France on November 8, 1992
* In Belfast, Northern Ireland on November 23, 1996
Nepomuceno's two other world titles are from winning the World's Invitational Tournament which was participated by the World's best bowlers and was held in Sam's Town bowling center in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 8, 1984 which was a global event to showcase the sport in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Paeng also won the World Tenpin Masters championship in London, England on March 7, 1999.
He is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for three records:
1. for being the only athlete in the world to win world titles in three different decades
2. for being the youngest ever to win the Bowling World Cup (at 19 years of age)
3. for having the most number of career championships worldwide.
In total, Paeng has won 118 career international championship tournament titles in five continents. Paeng who still actively competes up to this day is the only bowling athlete to have won championship titles in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
He is the only bowling athlete who has received the prestigious International Olympic Committee President's Trophy which is the highest sports award that can be given to an athlete. Paeng was the first international male bowling athlete to be enshrined in the International Bowling Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri in 1993 and his seven foot image is displayed at the entrance of the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. In November 1999, the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ) named Paeng as the "International Bowling Athlete of the Millennium."
In a ceremony held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates during the World Championships, an FIQ official cited Paeng with these words: "No international bowling athlete is more deserving of recognition than Paeng. In addition to his long list of well-known achievements as a world champion in three decades, Paeng truly has been and continues to be an extraordinary ambassador for Filipino sport."
Paeng is the only athlete in the Philippines who has been given the highest award to a Filipino by three Philippine presidents. In 1984, Paeng was awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit by President Ferdinand E. Marcos. In 1999, President Joseph E. Estrada awarded the Philippine Legion of Honor and in 2008, President Gloria M. Arroyo awarded Paeng, the Order of Lakandula with Class of Champion for Life and was declared Best Filipino athlete of all time. Both the Philippine Senate and House of Congress has declared Paeng the "Greatest Philippine Athlete of All Time".
In its September 2003 issue, the Prestigious Bowlers Journal International named Paeng as the Greatest International Bowler of All Time.
Paeng was named Athlete of the Century by the Philippine Sportswriters Association in the end of 1999 and Athlete of the Millennium in 2000.
At present Paeng has been designated by the USBC (United States Bowling Congress) as its International Bowling Ambassador for Bowling and promotes bowling around the world. He is available for clinics and appearances.
