World news & London Olympic 2012 closing shots

London adieu to Olympics over to Rio 2016 Games

Posted on August 13, 2012 by sagarmedia

The Ceremony at the London 2012 Olympic Stadium paid tribute to UK music, fashion and culture.
British artists who performed in the Closing Ceremony included The Who, The Spice Girls, Take That, Tinie Tempah, George Michael, Fatboy Slim, Madness, Jessie J, Annie Lennox, Kaiser Chiefs, Taio Cruz, Beady Eye with lead vocalist Liam Gallagher, Ray Davies, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Pet Shop Boys, One Direction, Muse, Elbow, Emeli Sandé, Eric Idle, Julian Lloyd Webber, Ed Sheeran, Richard Jones, Mike Rutherford and Nick Mason.
Singers Jessie J, Taio Cruz and Tinie Tempah emerged from three limousines to sing their numbers. The Spice Girls entered the Stadium in five black cabs for renditions of ‘Spice Up Your Life’ and ‘Wannabe’, and Russell Brand performed ‘Pure Imagination’ and ‘I Am the Walrus’ atop a psychedelic bus.
Eric Idle led a singalong of ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’, from the film Monty Python’s ‘Life of Brian’, the Kaiser Chiefs covered The Who’s ‘Pinball Wizard’ and The Who led a triumphant rendition of ‘My Generation’ to close the show.
A galaxy of world-famous musicians and fashion icons have performed at the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games, including George Michael, Tinie Tempah, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, The Spice Girls and The Who.

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  The Olympic spirit rises out of the Flame

  The stems of the Olympic Cauldron open outwards as the outline of a flaming, 20m-wide phoenix rises out of it.
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  The Spice Girls perform at the Closing Ceremony

  The Spice Girls reunite to perform on top of black cabs at the London 2012 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony.
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  Fireworks above the Stadium and Orbit

  A fireworks display at Olympic Stadium ends the Closing Ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games.<br />
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  Jessie J performs at the Closing Ceremony

  British singer Jessie J performs during the Closing Ceremony on Day 16 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 12, 2012 in London, England.

Kim Gavin, Artistic Director of the Olympic Closing Ceremony, brought together Britain’s biggest international stars and emerging talent to perform in an event that celebrated the achievements of the world’s greatest athletes during the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The Ceremony at the London 2012 Olympic Stadium paid tribute to UK music, fashion and culture.
British artists who performed in the Closing Ceremony included The Who, The Spice Girls, Take That, Tinie Tempah, George Michael, Fatboy Slim, Madness, Jessie J, Annie Lennox, Kaiser Chiefs, Taio Cruz, Beady Eye with lead vocalist Liam Gallagher, Ray Davies, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Pet Shop Boys, One Direction, Muse, Elbow, Emeli Sandé, Eric Idle, Julian Lloyd Webber, Ed Sheeran, Richard Jones, Mike Rutherford and Nick Mason.
Singers Jessie J, Taio Cruz and Tinie Tempah emerged from three limousines to sing their numbers. The Spice Girls entered the Stadium in five black cabs for renditions of ‘Spice Up Your Life’ and ‘Wannabe’, and Russell Brand performed ‘Pure Imagination’ and ‘I Am the Walrus’ atop a psychedelic bus.
Eric Idle led a singalong of ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’, from the film Monty Python’s ‘Life of Brian’, the Kaiser Chiefs covered The Who’s ‘Pinball Wizard’ and The Who led a triumphant rendition of ‘My Generation’ to close the show.
Eric Idle said: ‘I’m delighted to be an Olympian, and proud to have been chosen to represent my country at Show Business. I’m hoping for a brass medal.’
A tribute to British fashion was soundtracked to songs by David Bowie and featured appearances from supermodels Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Lily Donaldson, Stella Tennant, Karen Elson, Lily Cole, Georgia May Jagger, Jourdan Dunn and David Gandy.
Seb Coe, Chair, London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), said: ‘Kim Gavin has delivered a fitting celebration of the athletes, the volunteers, this City and the whole country, who have helped us stage a great Olympic Games.
‘We have shown the best of us throughout these Games and provided the platform for the world’s greatest athletes to shine. I would like to pay tribute to the volunteers, the performers and the country for making Games so memorable for the athletes and sports fans of the world.’
Artistic Director Kim Gavin said: ‘I was lucky because Seb Coe basically just asked me to put on a party, a celebration of London and the UK. To me the sport was always the main event, and I wanted to create a great after show party for the athletes, the volunteers, the spectators and people watching around the world. My approach, just like any party, was to start with the music. We wanted the Ceremony to reflect on UK music and how good and global British music is.’
A volunteer cast of 3,500 rehearsed on average for 60 hours each in a total of 135 rehearsals during evenings and weekends at two east London rehearsal sites. Some 350 child volunteers were drawn from 10 schools in the six east London Host Boroughs.

 

Seb Coe pays tribute to athletes, volunteers and spectators

Posted on August 13, 2012 by sagarmedia

 

London 2012 Chair Seb Coe thanked the hundreds of thousands of people who helped to make the last 16 days a success during the stunning ceremonial finale to the Olympic Games.

The Flag and the Flame

Mayor of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes flies the Olympic Flag during the Closing Ceremony.

Speaking during the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games in the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, he said: ‘The British people got behind London’s bid and they got behind London’s Games. Our Opening Ceremony proclaimed that these would be a Games for everyone. At our Closing Ceremony, we can say that these were a Games by everyone.’
In addition to thanking those who built the venues and helped organise the Games, Seb Coe played tribute to the athletes for their outstanding performances. ‘To all the Olympians who came to London to compete – thank you. Those of us who came to watch witnessed moments of heroism and heartbreak that will live long in the memory. You have our admiration and our congratulations.’
He added: ‘On the first day of these Games I said we were determined to do it right. I said that these Games would see the best of us.
‘On this last day I can conclude with these words: When our time came – Britain, we did it right. Thank you!’
The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, declared the Games of the 30th Olympiad closed just before midnight: ‘We will never forget the smiles, the kindness and the support of the wonderful volunteers, the much-needed heroes of these Games.
He also thanked the public for their enthusiastic support. ‘You, the spectators and the public, provided the soundtrack for these Games. Your enthusiastic cheers energised its competitors and brought a festive spirit to every Olympic venue.’
The grand finale of the Games saw the Olympic Flame extinguished in a spectacular sequence.
Each participating team will receive one of the Olympic Cauldron’s petals to take home with them.
The spectacular ceremony also looked forward to the next summer Olympic Games in 2016, as the Olympic Flag was handed over to the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes.

Posted on August 13, 2012 by sagarmedia

Sushil Kumar gets Olympic silver medal

Posted on August 13, 2012 by sagarmedia

India’s Sushil Kumar lost Japanese wrestler Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu won gold and former silver medal .In the 66kg freestyle Japanese wrestler Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu with a 3-1 win over India’s Sushil Kumar.Japanese wrestler was 1-0 up after a tight first period but pulled clear in the second when he picked up and slammed Kumar, who was accused of biting in his semi-final victory against Tanatarov.
Sushil won bronze in Beijing and silver medal in London, won back-to-back medals is enromous efforts at the gala global event. For Sushil who comes from impoverished family from the outskirts of the capital is pride of nation and name to reckon in tough indiviual game of wrestling.
Wrestler Sushil Kumar settled for a silver in the 66kg free style category after being outclassed by Japanese Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu 3-1 in the gold medal bout on Sunday.

Nevertheless, the Indian wrestler recorded his name in sports history annals of the country by becoming the first ever sportsperson to win back-to-back individual Olympic medals, having won a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games.

It was India’s third wrestling medal in Olympic history with K.D Jadhav (1952) and Yogeshwar Dutt (2012) being the previous winners.

With Sushil’s silver, India ended its London Games campaign with six medals — its best ever show at the biggest sports extravaganza.

Wrestling and shooting provided India two medals each, while women boxing and badminton added one medal each.

India had hoped to add a gold to its kitty when Sushil Kumar reached the final but his Japanese rival, an Asian Games champion, prevailed with his stout defence.

Raj Singh, the Secretary General of the Wrestling Federation of India said after the final that Sushil had a bout of diarrhea and suffered dehyderation after his semifinal bout. He had also vomited as something he had eaten did not agree with him.He also had a neck injury which he suffered during the semifinal against Kazakhstan’s Akzhurek Tanatarov but that did not affect him, according to Raj.Sushil trailed 0-1 after the first round and was out of the contest within 30 seconds of the second round when Yonemitsu penetrated his defence, lifted him up and banged him to fetch decisive three points lead.Sushil had made a stunning comeback in the semifinal but could not repeat that in the final, although he reduced the margin by getting one point.Earlier, the pin-up boy of Indian wrestling fought the best bout of his life as he came from behind to beat Tantarov 3-1 in the semi-final.

Sushil first used the Iranian technique to get over his opponent and then rolled him over for two points. A head butt by Tantarov assured him another point. The second round undoubtedly belonged to the 25-year-old Kazakh wrestler as he put Sushil on the mat and tossed him over to get 3-0 clincher.When the third round started, the 29-year-old Indian looked tired and jaded as within the first seconds, conceded a 3-0 lead to the Kazakh.

 The match looked as good as over for Sushil who waited for that one inspirational moment as he caught Tantarov by his leg and pegged him down to make it 3-3 with the vociferous Indian contingent egging him on.

 This was followed by a Hercules-like act as he suddenly stood up with the Kazakh hanging on his shoulders.It probably was the defining moment for the Indian contingent’s challenge at the biggest sporting spectacle. An Indian’s show of strength at the world stage.Sushil Kumar can take a bow as he will now be considered at par with legendary hockey players Dhyan Chand and Balbir Singh Sr although theirs was a team sport and were part of back-to-back gold medal winning teams.

Earlier, Sushil disposed of defending champion Ramazan Sahin of Turkey and then prevailed over Uzbekistan’s Ikhtiyor Naruzov 3-1 in the quarter-finals.

 Prime Minister congratulates Sushil on winning silver

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has congratulated Sushil Kumar on his winning the silver medal in the 66kg freestyle wrestling event at the London Olympic Games on Sunday.The Prime Minister said the nation is proud of Sushil Kumar, whose performance was a triumph of dedicated preparation, talent, and mental strength.Sushil lost the final bout 1-3 to Japanese Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu.Sushil became the first Indian sports-person to win back-to-back individual Olympic medals, having won a bronze at the Beijing Games in 2008.

David Rudisha of Kenya won the men’s 800 metres Olympic title on Thursday in a stunning world record of 1min 40.91sec.

The 23-year-old world champion pulled five metres clear of Nijel Amos of Botswana after taking control of the race from an early stage on a warm night in the Olympic Stadium in east London.

He charged down the home straight as the capacity crowd rose to their feet and crossed the line in a time which shaved a tenth of a second off the world record he set two years ago.

Amos timed 1:41.73 – a world junior record for the 18-year-old – to win Botswana’s first ever Olympic medal in athletics while another Kenyan Timothy Kitum took the bronze in a personal best of 1:42.53.

It was the first world record in an 800m Olympic final since Cuba’s Alberto Juantorena set the mark in the 1976 final.

Rudisha revealed he had visited the Olympic Stadium earlier this year and was shown around by the London Games chief organiser Sebastian Coe, whose world record in the event set in 1981 lasted for 16 years.

“Lord Coe is a very good friend of mine and I was here early in February and he took me round the stadium and I said I would come here and run to make him proud,” said Rudisha.

“To come here and break the world record is something unbelievable. I was well-prepared this year and I had no doubt about winning. But I was waiting for perfect conditions to break the world record because I knew this year I was in the shape to run 1.40.”

“But today the weather was beautiful so I decided just to go for it.”

When asked whether he was the greatest 800m runner in history, he said: “Yeah, I’m still running so I believe I’m going to maintain for a couple of years. I want to become a legend in 800.”

He said he would attempt to break the world again this year “I get good weather”.

Marathon man Stephen Kiprotich delivered only Uganda’s second ever Olympics gold medal on Sunday, celebrating victory in the shadow of Buckingham Palace as the curtain slowly dropped on the 2012 Games.
Kiprotich timed 2hr 08min 01sec on the spectacular course around the streets of central London, with two-time defending world champion Abel Kirui claiming silver in 2:08.27. Another Kenyan, long-time leader Wilson Kipsang, took bronze in 2:09.37.”I am very happy to win a medal for my country. I love my people. Uganda are very happy because we haven’t won a medal,” said Kiprotich.
United States stands on top of the gold medal ranking with 46, followed by China with 38 and the host country Britain with 29.Japan is tied with Australia and Kazakhstan in 10th place.Japan has wrapped up the London Olympic Games with a record haul of 38 medals.
Japan increased its number of golds to 7 with Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu’s victory in the men’s 66-kilogram freestyle wrestling on the final day on Sunday.
Japanese athletes won 14 silver medals and 17 bronze.
Japan’s previous medal record was 37, set at the Athens Games 8 years ago.


Nicola Adams of Britain secured the first-ever women’s boxing gold medal on the sport’s Olympic debut at London 2012 while Katie Taylor delivered Ireland its first gold of the Games on Thursday.

In the first of three women’s finals at the ExCel centre, Adams outboxed China’s Ren Cancan in the 51 kilogramme flyweight division.

Adams had three-time world champion Ren on the canvas midway through the second round with a left and right combination on her way to a comprehensive 16-7 points win.

“It’s a dream come true. I am so happy and overwhelmed with joy right now,” said Adams, who had twice lost in world championship finals to Ren. “I have wanted this all my life and I have done it.”

Urged on by a huge Irish contingent in the 10,000-strong crowd, Taylor gave Ireland its first boxing gold since Michael Carruth at Barcelona 1992 with victory over Russia’s Sofya Ochigava by a 10-8 scoreline.

The U.S. women’s soccer team won its third straight Olympic gold medal Thursday, beating Japan 2-1 in a rematch of last year’s World Cup final and avenging the most painful loss in its history.

Carli Lloyd scored early in both halves, Solo leaped and dived to make saves, and the entire roster found the redemption it had been seeking since that penalty kick shootout loss in Germany last summer.

Before 80,203 at Wembley Stadium, a record crowd for a women’s soccer game at the Olympics, the teams put on a back-and-forth, don’t-turn-your-head soccer showcase, proving again that these are the two premier teams in the world.

Women’s soccer is still in its formative stages in Britain, but the match proved more than worthy for the hallowed grounds of the beautiful game.

And the Japanese perhaps played just as beautifully as the Americans, using their speed and discipline to dominate possession and scoring chances for long stretches before finally cutting a 2-0 deficit in half with about a half-hour to go.

Back home, America was paying attention — just as it was last year and despite the rest of the Olympic events.

Even President Barack Obama, during a campaign speech at Colorado College during the second half of the game, noted that, “The women are doing pretty good right now in soccer.”

Lloyd’s goals came in eighth and 54th minutes, making it four goals in the tournament for the midfielder who lost her long-held starting job weeks before the Olympics.

She got back on the pitch when Shannon Boxx injured her hamstring in the opening game and started every game since.

Yuki Ogimi answered in the 63rd minute, and Asuna Tanaka nearly had the equalizer in the 83rd — only to be thwarted when Solo flung her entire body to the left to push the ball away.

The U.S. team has won four of the five Olympic titles since women’s soccer was introduced at the 1996 Atlanta Games, settling for mere silver at the 2000 Games in Sydney.

In the first half, Japan was unfortunate not to have a penalty kick awarded for a clear hand ball by U.S. midfielder Tobin Heath, who stuck out her left arm to stop a free kick inside the area.

Japan also had two shots hit the crossbar, one off the left hand of a leaping Solo, who was kept consistently busy for the first time this tournament.

The closest the U.S. came to doubling the lead in the first 45 minutes came when Azusa Iwashimizu attempted to clear a routine ball played in front of the net — and headed it off the post.

The U.S. goal in the eighth minute began with a run by Heath down the left side. She fed Alex Morgan, who settled the ball near the goal line, spun and chipped it toward Wambach.

Wambach raised her left foot for the shot, but Lloyd charged in and got to it first, her strong running header beating goalkeeper Miho Fukumoto from 6 yards out.

Lloyd extended the lead with a 20-yard right-footer just inside the left post after a long run with the ball through the middle of the Japanese defense.

Ogimi soon cut the deficit to one after a mad scramble in front of the net. Captain Christie Rampone saved a shot off the line, but the ball went to Homare Sawa, who fed Ogimi for the tap-in.

Another scramble followed after U.S. defender Amy LePeilbet saved yet another shot off the line in the 74th minute, but this time her teammates were able to corral the ball before a Japanese player could pounce on it.

Boxx was back into the starting lineup after the missing four games with the hamstring injury.

Lauren Cheney, who injured an ankle in the semifinals, began the game on the bench for the first time this tournament.Canada won the bronze earlier Thursday, beating France 1-0 at Coventry.

US women smash 4x100m world record
Pointing the baton at the clock showing the world record time of 40.82 seconds, Carmelita Jeter anchored the United States on Friday night to its first Olympic gold medal in the women’s 4x100m relay since 1996.

Tianna Madison, 200m Allyson Felix and Bianca Knight gave the U.S. a big lead heading into the anchor leg by Jeter, who already owned a silver medal from the 100 and a bronze from the 200 in London.

Their final time cut more than a half second off the old record of 41.37 run by East Germany in 1985.

Jamaica won the silver medal in a national record of 41.41 seconds, with 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Sherone Simpson, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Kerron Stewart bringing the baton around.

The bronze went to the Ukraine in 42.04.

With Knight approaching for the final handoff, Jeter took nine strides, reached her hand back and took a perfect exchange.

Jeter was staring at the clock as she covered the final 10 metres and used the stick in her left hand to make sure everyone else also had their eyes trained on the bright orange numbers on the trackside clock.

Afterward, the quartet of champions paused to watch a replay of their record performance on the scoreboard at the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium. When Jeter was shown crossing the finish line, Knight punched the air.

The perfect trip around the track ended a string of disappointments for the U.S. in the event.

At Beijing four years ago, the Americans didn’t even reach the final because Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams bobbled the last exchange in the semifinals.

That marked the first time since 1948 that the U.S. wasn’t involved in the women’s 4×100 medal race at the Summer Games.

Morsi sack two top military chiefs and contain violence

Posted on August 13, 2012 by sagarmedia

 The stand off between Morsi and army General to continue and  Egypt faces tough time ahead to settle their goverance issue.Army has introduced constitution to retain more powers in running the government and the elected government needs to turn the table to retain powers.How far this tussel travel,the people of Egypt wait for their elected government to show results. Morsi took bold initiative as on Sunday  appointed senior judge Mahmoud Mekki as his vice president, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sissi as defense minister, the commander of the armed forces, replacing Tantawi. Moris ordered the retirement of the commanders of the Air Force, Air Defense and the Navy,the Army’s chief of staff  too was asked to relieved of duty.
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi pronounced Sunday that he was sacking the country’s two top military chiefs, will it be a provocative move that could provoke a backlash from the military amid a contentious debate over presidential powers.
Morsi, the country’s democraticaly   elected president, further announced he was suspending a constitutional decree the country’s generals passed on the eve of his election in June that sharply reduced the powers of the presidency and gave the military vast authority.
Egypt sent hundreds of troops and armored vehicles into northern Sinai to tackle militants operating near the border in an offensive that commanders said has so far killed 20 people.Egyptian security forces on Sunday killed seven Islamists militants in a raid on their hideouts in the strategic northern Sinai Peninsula during a drive to flush the insurgents out of the area.The violence erupted when security forces raided the hideouts of the militants in al-Goura village in Sheikh Zoweid area in the northern Sinai region that borders Israel and the Gaza Strip, Egyptian media reported.

 The bodies of those militants killed and the wounded were taken to the el-Arish Hospital, they said. The militants possessed rocket-propelled grenades, automatic guns and a large number of hand grenades, security sources said, adding they had exchanged fire with the army.

The fresh violence comes days after the start of a military operation in the region against militants who killed 16 Egyptian soldiers last Sunday.Sunday’s clashes took place after armed men attacked several Egyptian army checkpoints.The Al-Ahram website reported that armed men fired on a checkpoint near the eastern entrance to Sheikh Zuwayed, on the Rafah-Arish international road. Eight armed men fired on another army position on the Arish-Ouja road.

 Quoting eyewitnesses it said army forces exchanged fire with the assailants before they fled into a nearby mountainous area after reinforcements arrived.In a separate incident, three policemen were killed and four others injured when their car overturned while chasing suspected militants on the international road in central Sinai, state-run news agency MENA reported.