Grant’s Olympic experience has highs and lows

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=167576&sc=99

Grant’s Olympic experience has highs and lows

Preparations did not result in planned personal-best performance in Beijing
for modern pentathlete from P.E.I.

CHARLES REID
The Guardian

Being an international-level athlete often means soaring highs and bottomless lows.

An international stage like the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, China, magnifies those chart points.

For modern pentathlete Kara Grant, her second Olympic Games became a mark on her career she wishes were erasable.

“Was I disappointed in my 31st-place finish? Yes. Perhaps more so since I did a great job with my preparation and was confident in a great performance in Beijing,” Grant wrote in a recent e-mail to The Guardian. “I did a lot of reflection in the months leading up to the Olympics and I was ready. For whatever reason this did not translate into the lifetime-best performance I was planning on giving.”

Grant returned to Canada last Friday.

The Stratford native finished 22nd at the Olympics in Athens, Greece, in 2004. That experience and good results in world competition in 2008 (a top-10 finish at the world championships and Canada’s first ever World Cup medal) had her primed to improve in China.

And in front of 20,000 spectators at the shooting venue, she placed 16th and, she said, felt prepared and determined for the fencing competition.

But after winning three straight matches to open the event, Grant said things soured as she drifted from her strategy and finished 24th with a 15-20 win-loss record.

“Unfortunately my eagerness to make touches and win bouts made me a little overeager at times and I had trouble sticking to my game plan. I made a number of unnecessary errors which amounted to giving away matches,” she said. “Considering the great training and results I had in fencing this year, it was perhaps the biggest disappointment of the day.”

Next for Grant, a confessed poor swimmer in modern pentathlon terms, the 200-metre freestyle swim loomed and while accepting she’d have the slowest time, she thought a personal best might be floating in the Yingdong Natatorium pool.

“I did not even come close,” said Grant, who finished dead last in 36th place.

By the riding event, Grant’s medal hopes fizzled. But she pressed on, hoping to rise in the standings before the final test in the 3,000-metre run.

There was a chance, too, as the riding match in men’s pentathlon the previous day produced wild changes in the rankings, some athletes moving up 15 places.

But again, that break didn’t come about. Officials removed difficult-to-control horses which evened out the field and meant massive changes weren’t likely.

That and trouble reining in her horse spoiled Grant’s hopes of leaping-frogging competitors.

“While a keen jumper, my steed had an inclination for speed and a disregard for the top rail of the jumps. He was too strong for me and I wasn’t able to control his speed well enough to leave the rails up,” said Grant. “While my five rails were an improvement over his other rounds (eight and nine rails respectively), the damage was done. I was well and truly at the bottom of the field this day.”

Grant finished a respectable 16th in the run, which she called “anti-climactic”, and edged up one place to 31st.

Winning modern pentathlon is about consistency because the margins of victory are thin.

Germany’s Lena Schoneborn, the gold medallist, finished 10th or better in four event of five events and earned 5,792 points.

Great Britain’s silver medal-winner, Heather Fell, totalled just 40 points less and Ukrainian Victoria Tereshuk took bronze, a mere 80 points from silver.

Grant ended the day-long competition 696 points away from the podium.

After the event, Grant, 29, spent a week touring Beijing with her husband Jamie Whynacht and her family while gaining a little perspective.

“I’m pleased to say that my result in Beijing has not affected how I feel about my choice to be involved in pentathlon, nor how I feel about the many excellent results I have had over the course of my 12-year career. Representing Prince Edward Island and Canada at two Olympic Games and numerous international competitions has been the experience of a lifetime,” said Grant.

“Thanks to everyone who has made this incredible journey not only possible, but extremely rewarding.”

Monica Pinette, who finished 27th, was the top Canadian.

Connaughton shares Olympic thoughts

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=165464&sc=99

Connaughton shares Olympic thoughts

CHARLES REID
The Guardian

Now that the 2008 Olympic Summer Games hoopla is over, it's time to reflect on the meaning of it all, the big picture, the whole enchilada, man's place in the universe.
OK, OK, before I warble verses from the space epic Cygnus X-1, a song from Canadian prog-rockers Rush about a man chasing a black hole in outer space, let's pull back a bit and narrow the focus to a few thoughts on the Games from New Haven sprinter Jared Connaughton.
Connaughton, 23, reached the semifinals in the men's 200-metres and the finals of the men's 4x100-metre relay in his first Olympics.
On Sunday, he sent the Guardian his impressions on the 4x100-metre relay qualifying heats, a tempestuous night marked by rain, disqualifications and dropped batons, and the final, which saw the Jamaicans - led by Usain Bolt (who won the 100-metres and 200-metres in world record time) and former 100-metres world record holder Asafa Powell - earn gold in a world record time of 37.10.
The Canadian team of Hank Palmer (lead), Anson Henry (second), Connaughton (third) and Pierre Browne (anchor) finished sixth with a time of 38.66 in Canada's first men's 4x100-metre relay final since capturing gold in 1996 in Atlanta.
Connaughton returns to P.E.I. on Tuesday. His flight lands at 11:30 p.m. at the Charlottetown airport.

Connaughton - On the 4x100-metre men's relay qualifying heat two, National Stadium, Beijing, China, August 21, 2008:

"The 4x100-metre relay holds a special place in my heart so to gear up with the team was very exciting.
Once we saw our lane draw for the semifinal (lane two) against the Jamaicans and Brits everyone initially gulped, but after some reflection and study of our previous races both individually and as a team we knew that we were capable of making the final.
Waiting for the first semifinal to finish was nerve wracking to say the least, not to mention having to watch four of the eight teams either (be disqualified) or drop the baton.
Either way, we knew that regardless of what happened in that section, we had a plan and a goal, and a little rain, bad karma, and 91,000 fans screaming in your ear wouldn't get in the way of accomplishing those goals.
Once our first runner was called to the blocks was when I began to actually feel butterflies in my stomach, truthfully, for the first time since being at the Olympics (I felt no nervousness before the 200-metres runs).
The gun fired and the race was off.
After that everything is a blur.
Once I handed it off to Pierre our anchor leg, I knew we were in the final and a tremendous wave of relief passed over me and a strong sense of belonging really set in.
After the race, we went through the normal media mix zone where the press asked us all what our chances would be in the final, and essentially we all answered the same way: a medal!"

Connaughton - on the 4x100-metre men's relay final, National Stadium, Beijing, China, August 22, 2008:

"We saw the lane draw early that morning and instantly were excited. Lane six. Outside Trinidad and Jamaica and inside Japan. A perfect opportunity to get in the mix for a medal.
It seemed like the whole team was in good spirits and excited about the opportunity to show the world what we had to offer. We had some great practice hand-offs at the warmup track outside the Bird's Nest and we knew we were ready to go once the final check-in call was announced.
As we entered the marshalling tent, the energy inside from the other teams was terrific. The Brasilians were shouting Portugese war cries, the Jamaicans were all dancing, the Germans were still. (A) very neat insight into how athletes from all around the world get pumped up.
When the officials brought the teams into the stadium, the crowd noise was electrifying, especially considering the Chinese team snuck in for the eighth qualifying spot the day earlier.
As each member dispersed to their respective zones, I knew that this was what I've always dreamed about: an Olympic final.
As the race time drew near, I prepared my checkpoint and ran a few acceleration runs and felt great.
The gun was raised, the runners became set and bang! The race was off.
Being on third leg never allows you much opportunity to evaluate the race, there is really no time to. However, I knew something was a bit off between Hank and Anson and their exchange seemed delayed.
Once Anson reached my checkpoint, we had really gotten out of the mix and behind the rest of the field. I did everything I could to make up some ground on Japan to the outside of us, but once I handed it off to Pierre, the rest of the field had really began pulling from us.
Jamaica went on to smash the previous world record by three-tenths of a second, which is a mile in track and field. We finished with a season's best of 38.66 and were sixth overall. Certainly not reflective of what our true potential was.
In the end, I continue to count my blessing and thank my family, friends, coaches for the all support and time invested into myself and to this team.
Making an Olympic final was sensational, now as a team we must go back to the drawing board, to prepare for the world championships in Berlin, Germany next July.
It's been a wild ride, and even after the race, I couldn't think of a place I'd rather be then inside the Olympic Stadium."

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=165537&sc=99

CHARLES REID
The Guardian

Although Jared Connaughton didn’t win a medal at the 2008 Olympics Summer Games, he’s not returning home from Beijing, China with regret.

He lands on P.E.I. today at 11:30 p.m. at the Charlottetown airport.

“It’s been a wild ride and even after the (men’s 4x100-metre) race, I couldn’t think of a place I’d rather be than inside the Olympic Stadium,” Connaughton wrote in a recent e-mail to The Guardian. “In the end, I continue to count my blessings and thank my family, friends, coaches for the all support and time invested into myself and to this team.”

His 4x100-metre squad included Hank Palmer (lead), Anson Henry (second) and Pierre Browne (anchor). Connaughton ran the third leg. The foursome finished sixth with a time of 38.66 in Canada’s first men’s 4x100-metres relay final since capturing gold in 1996 in Atlanta.

Earlier last week, Connaughton reached the semifinals of the men’s 200 metres. Not a bad pair of results for the 23-year-old in his first Olympics.

But the relay was his only kick at the medal can and Connaughton drank in the spectacle.

“As we entered the marshalling tent, the energy inside from the other teams was terrific. The Brasilians were shouting Portugese war cries, the Jamaicans were all dancing, the Germans were still. (A) very neat insight into how athletes from all around the world get pumped up,” he said. “As each (Canadian) member dispersed to their respective zones, I knew that this was what I’ve always dreamed about: an Olympic final.”

The final, however, saw the Jamaicans — led by Usain Bolt (who won the 100-metres and 200-metres in world record time) and former 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell — earn gold in a world record time of 37.10.

Trinidad-Tobago earned silver in 38.06, which beat Britain’s gold-medal time of 38.07 in 2004, while Japan took bronze with a 38.15.

“I knew something was a bit off between Hank and Anson and their exchange seemed delayed. Once Anson reached my check point, we had really gotten out of the mix and behind the rest of the field,” said Connaughton. “I did everything I could to make up some ground on Japan to the outside of us, but once I handed it off to Pierre, the rest of the field had really began pulling from us.”

Like many Olympians, Connaughton will take some time off before returning to training in Arlington, Texas.

But there's not much rest as the track and field beat goes on.

“Making an Olympic final was sensational,” he said. “Now as a team we must go back to the drawing board to prepare for the world championships in Berlin, Germany next July.”

P.E.I.’s other Olympic athlete, modern pentathlete Kara Grant of Stratford, is scheduled to arrive back in Canada on Friday.

Kenya's Wanjiru wins men's Olympic marathon

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/athletics/story/2008/08/23/olympics-athletics-marathon.html

Kenya's Wanjiru

wins men's Olympic marathon

Kenya's Sammy Wanjiru breaks the tape in Sunday's men's marathon at Beijing.
(Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press)

With a smile on his face and enough strength in his legs to sprint to the finish, Sammy Wanjiru won Kenya's first gold medal in the men's Olympic marathon in record time.

Wanjiru, 21, set a searing pace in the final athletic competition at the Beijing Games, obliterating the Olympic record with a time of two hours 6.32 minutes on Sunday morning.

The previous record of 2:09.21, owned by Portugal's Carlos Lopes, had stood since 1984.

"It feels good to make history here," said Wanjiru, who informed officials afterward that his name was misspelled as 'Wansiru' on the official results sheet.

"It feels good to make history for Kenya and win the gold." Wanjiru pulled away from Moroccan contender Jaouad Gharib with 15 minutes remaining, and entered the National Stadium unchallenged and to a standing ovation.

The jubiliant Kenyan raised his arms in triumph, and, with the crowd cheering him on, proceeded to sprint around the track and break the tape in record time.

"I had to push the pace to tire the other runners," Wanjiru said. "I had to push the pace because my body gets tired in the heat when I slow down."

It was just the third full marathon run by Wanjiru, the world half-marathon champion, and the first Olympic gold in the event for Kenya — a nation defined in the sports world by its excellence in distance running.

"In Kenya, we have many medals," he said. "But I'm glad I have this one."

Gharib, a two-time world champion, took the silver medal in 2:07.16, and Tsegay Kebede streaked past a spent Deriba Merga, his elder Ethiopian teammate, with 200 metres left to claim the bronze in 2:10.00.

No Canadians competed in the event.

Defending champion Stefano Baldini of Italy placed 12th in 2:13.25, despite nursing a tender thigh that doctors ordered him to rest for three days just prior to the Games.

"In the last 10 kilometres, it was unbelievable what the Africans were able to do under these conditions," Baldini said.

Pleasant conditions at outset

Runners were treated to pleasant, less humid conditions and a soft breeze at the outset, but the temperature rose from 21 C to 30 C by the time it concluded.

Most importantly, Beijing's notorious air quality was surprisingly good, leaving observers to wonder whether world record holder Haile Gebrselassie should have competed after all.

Gebrselassie, who set the world mark of 2:04:26 last September in Berlin, competed in the 10,000 metres at Beijing, but the legendary Ethiopian withdrew from the marathon because he feared the city's poor air quality would harm his health over the long haul.

Ninety-eight runners lineup at Tiananmen Square for the start of the race, which meandered through the streets of Beijing, past the fabled Forbidden City and historic Temple of Heaven before looping back to the square and through the city's financial district toward the stadium.

The 42-kilometre route was exposed but relatively flat, with a gradual incline of four kilometres over the first half and a gentle downward slope the rest of the way.

As the marathoners competed outside the Bird's Nest, the performers inside rehearsed for the closing ceremonies (CBC, 6 a.m. ET), much to the delight of fans eagerly awaiting the arrival of the marathoners.

Martin Lel of Kenya set a brisk pace over the initial 15 kilometres of the marathon, covering the distance in 44:36.

Lel posted the swiftest time this season in winning the London Marathon in 2:05.15.

Reigning world champion Luke Kibet, Martin's teammate and a late replacement for injured Robert Cheruiyot, stuck with the chase group before being forced off the course with stomach cramps at 1:25.46.

Lel began to wilt by the halfway mark and relinquished the lead to Wanjiru and Merga, who ran side-by-side with Gharib trailing by 0.04 seconds.

Wanjiru pulled ahead of Merga by two strides at the 1:45.00 mark, with Gharib trailing by 0.01 and Eritrea's Yonas Kifle lurking just 1.28 back.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2008/08/22/pe-connaughton-grant.html

Olympics over for two Islanders

CBC News

Sprinter Jared Connaughton and his Canadian teammates placed sixth in the men's 4x100 metre relay at the Beijing Olympics, while pentathlete Kara Grant had to settle for a 31st-place finish.

'We've got some work to do, but this team will be back.'— Jared Connaughton

While the Canadian relay team set a seasonal best, it was well back of the winners from Jamaica.

"This would have been an opportunity to just open the steps up and really go for broke, and I think we were just a little bit conservative. And 38.66 in any other given day is a pretty good time, but not in an Olympic final," Connaughton, from P.E.I., told CBC News after the race.

"We've got some work to do, but this team will be back. I'm satisfied we're here, but you know, I'm not satisfied we're not on the podium."

Earlier this week, Connaughton reached the semi-finals in the 200-metre sprint. P.E.I.'s Grant placed 31st in the modern pentathalon with a score of 4,976.

"I have mixed feelings. Obviously, you know, it's great to be here in Beijing competing, and you know I've certainly proved over the years that I am part of a world-class field, but I definitely didn't perform the way that I'd hoped today so, definitely a little bit of disappointment there," Grant said.

This is Grant's second Olympics, and she said she hasn't decided whether she'll attempt to get to the next Games.

The other Canadian in the modern pentathlon, Monica Pinette, finished 27th.

Pentathaletes take part in five events in one day: shooting, fencing, swimming, show jumping and running.

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/athletics/story/2008/08/22/day-14-olympics-relay.html

Jamaica sets world record in 4x100 relay

CBC Sports

Asafa Powell heads home to give Jamaica the win in the men's sprint relay

at the Beijing Olympics on Friday. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Jamaica set a new world record in the men's 4x100 sprint relay late in Day 14 at the Beijing Olympics.

Asafa Powell ran a sizzling anchor leg to put Jamaica across the finish line in 37.10 seconds.

Nesta Carter led off, followed by Michael Frater and Usain Bolt. It was the first Olympic gold medal in the event for Jamaica.

"I said to Asafa, 'Can we do this?' And he was like, 'Don't worry, man, we got this one."' Bolt said.

Bolt, who set world records in winning the 100 and 200, will leave Beijing with three gold medals. Powell will get gold after finishing a disappointing fifth in the 100 final.

"I pushed myself to help Usain and his quest for three gold medals," Powell said.

Trinidad and Tobago, featuring 100 silver medallist Richard Thompson and Marc Burns, captured silver in the relay in 38.06 seconds. Japan won bronze in 38.15 seconds.

"We simply couldn't compete," said Burns.

Canada was sixth in 38.66 seconds. The Canadian team is made up of Toronto's Pierre Browne, Hank Palmer of Pierrefonds, Que., Anson Henry of Pickering, Ont., and Jared Connaughton of New Haven, P.E.I.

"I think overall our exchanges were tight — a little bit too tight and a little bit too close, and we didn't get any ground through the [exchange] zones and we needed that," Henry told CBC Sports.

The team improved on their semifinal time, which was 38.77. Brazil and Germany finished ahead of the Canadians

"We were just a little bit conservative," said Connaughton. "[A time of] 38.66 in any other given day is a pretty good time, but not in an Olympic final, so we got some work to do, but this team will be back."

Jamaica won silver at last year's world championsips — without Bolt — behind the United States. The Americans crashed out in the semifinals, with the baton dropped between Darvis Patton and Tyson Gay.

It is the first time since 1912 that the U.S. men's relay team did not advance to the Olympic final.

Nigeria and Great Britain, too, went from strong medal contenders to out in the semifinals due to a disqualification.

Jamaica has won six gold and 10 medals overall in Beijing. They also have teams entered Saturday in the gold medal finals for the men's and women's 4x400 relays.

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/modern-pentathlon/story/2008/08/22/olympics-modernpent-women.html

Schoneborn hangs on in modern pentathlon

German woman captures gold medal despite poor showing in 3,000-metre run

Medal favourite Lena Schoneborn of Germany overcame a ninth-place finish in the 3,000-metre run to win gold in the women's modern pentathlon Friday at the Beijing Olympics with 5,792 points.

The 2007 world silver medallist stood first entering the 3,000 — the final event — after a 10th-place performance in swimming and fourth-place standing in equestrian show jumping.

Earlier in the day, Schoneborn was 20th in the 10-metre air pistol before making up ground as the top finisher in fencing.

Heather Fell of Britain rode top-five finishes in swimming (third) and running (fifth) to capture the silver medal with 5,752 points, while Victoria Tereshuk of Ukraine was third (5,672).

Monica Pinette of Langley, B.C., kicked off Friday's competition with a second-place effort in shooting but dropped to 27th overall in the field of 36 with 5,192 points.

The 31-year-old narrowly missed a first-place finish in shooting, firing a score of 187 compared to the 188 by Switzerland's Belinda Schreiber.

Pinette fell in the standings after placing 33rd in fencing and 34th in swimming. She was also 14th in show jumping and 27th in running.

Kara Grant

Teammate Kara Grant of Charlottetown, P.E.I., placed 31st overall. The 29-year-old finished 16th in the shooting event, 25th in fencing, 36th in the 200-metre freestyle swim, 25th in show-jumping and 31st in the 3,000 run.

World No. 1 Amelie Caze of France was ninth overall. She finished second in the swim, fifth in the fencing, 22nd in shooting, 16th in show jumping and ninth in running.

Connaughton keeps Olympic dream alive in team relay

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=164660&sc=98

Connaughton keeps Olympic dream alive in team relay


Canada’s anchor Pierre Browne, right, from Toronto, takes the baton from Jared Connaughton of New Haven, P.E.I., during the men’s 4 x 100 metre relay semi-final at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing Thursday. Canada finished second and advanced to the finals today. Canadian Press photo

BEIJING — Jared Connaughton’s not done yet at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
The New Haven native is moving on to the men’s 4 x100-metre relay final after the Canadian team of Hank Palmer, Anson Henry, Connaughton and Pierre Browne ran a 38.77 to finish second in their heat on Thursday in Beijing, China. The final goes today at 11:10 a.m. Atlantic time.
Connaughton didn’t make the final of the 200-metres, but helped Canada qualify for its first 4 x100 final since winning gold in Atlanta in 1996 — despite a wet and treacherous track in which South Africa, Nigeria, Poland and the vaunted United States all dropped the baton in the first heat.
Canada appeared to be in some trouble in heat two, but an exceptional handoff between Connaughton and Browne got Canada past both Germany and France.
“It’s tough to tell because the stagger is so big,’’ said Connaughton. “We were in Lane Two. Anson and I were talking about it and we felt out of it, but when I rounded the bend we were in it. We’re in a middle lane (tonight) so things will be different. I think we’ll really challenge for the victory.’’
Canada’s 38.77 was the night’s fourth fastest clocking. Trinidad and Tobago was the fastest quartet with a 38.26, just ahead of Jamaica’s 38.31. Japan was third in 38.52. The Netherlands (38.87), Germany (38.93) Brazil (39.01) and China (39.13) will also get to run for gold.
The Jamaicans, who rested Usain Bolt — the double gold-medallist and world record holder — cruised to an easy win in the heat in 38.31. Great Britain and Italy were disqualified. The other heat had even more mishaps, with just four teams of eight teams crossing the finish line. The Americans dropped the baton on the final exchange, while Nigeria, Poland, and South Africa also didn’t finish. The Canadians came into the Olympics ranked sixth in the world.

Connaughton and Canadian relay team make it to finals

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=164467&sc=98

Connaughton and Canadian relay team make it to finals

The Guardian

P.E.I.’s Jared Connaughton and the remainder of the Canadian men’s 4x100 relay track team will race for an Olympic medal on Friday in Beijing, China.
Earlier today, the Canadian team of Hank Palmer of Montreal, Anson Henry of Pickering, Ont., Connaughton and Pierre Browne of Toronto finished second in its heat to qualify for the final.
The team finished the race in a time of 38.77 seconds, placing second to the team from Jamaica.
Friday’s 4x100 relay race is scheduled to begin at 8:10 a.m. P.E.I. time. The results will be posted online as soon as they are available.
Earlier this week, Connaughton advanced to the semi-finals of the men’s 200-metre race before being eliminated.

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/athletics/story/2008/08/20/mens-200-final.html

Bolt earns sprint double, breaks world record

2 sprinters disqualified for lane infractions

Usain Bolt of Jamaica reacts after breaking the world record with a time of 19.30 to win
the gold medal in the men's 200-metre final on Wednesday. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Jamaica's Usain Bolt became the first man in 24 years to run to double sprint gold at the Olympics, breaking the world record in the 200 metres on Day 12 at the Beijing Games.

Bolt ran 19.30 seconds into a slight headwind to blow away the field in Wednesday's final, breaking Michael Johnson's 12-year-old record.

As promised, Bolt ran full steam through the finish line.

'I just came out here and just gave it my all, so I'm happy.'—Jamaica's Usain Bolt, double-gold-medal sprint champ

"After I finished running the 100 metre, I was saying, 'This is possible,'" Bolt told CBC Sports. "If I'm going to break it [anywhere], it's going to be here because the track is quick.

"I just came out here and just gave it my all, so I'm happy," he added.

Bolt collapsed on his back after seeing his record time. Later, he danced on the track for the thrilled crowd at Bird's Nest Stadium.

Defending Olympic champion Shawn Crawford took silver in 19.96 seconds, with Walter Dix earning his second bronze of the Games in 19.98 seconds. Dix, just out of Florida State University, finished third in the 100 final last week.

Crawford and Dix ascended to the podium after a pair of disqualifications.

Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles ran in 19.82 and celebrated an apparent silver-medal win. American Wallace Spearmon thought he had taken third ahead of his countrymen, as well as Zimbabwe's Brian Dzingai.

Spearmon, the bronze medallist at last year's worlds, was told while on the track that he was disqualified for stepping outside his Lane 9 line.

Martina didn't learn until much later that he, too, was disqualifed for the same offence after U.S. track officials filed a protest.

Celebrates birthday with record run

Bolt, on his 22nd birthday, became the first man since U.S. runner Carl Lewis at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics to win gold in both the 100 and 200. Bolt can go for another gold as part of Jamaica's 4x100 relay.

Earlier in Beijing, Bolt ran a world-record 9.69 to earn gold in the 100, even though he let up in the last several metres to celebrate, a move criticized by some track observers.

"Come on ... when you're running, if you see you're going to win, you're going to celebrate," Bolt told CBC Sports. "You're going to be Olympic champion, you're just happy. That's pretty much it.

"We're not worried about time here. When you get on the circuit, then you worry about breaking world records."

Lewis won four gold at the 1984 Games, winning in the long jump and as part of the 4x100 relay. The feat matched Jesse Owens in the 1936 Berlin Games.

Other sprinters who won both the 100 and 200 at the Olympics include Valery Borzov of Russia (1972), and Americans Bobby Morrow (1956) and Bobby Tolan (1932). Canada's Percy Williams is credited with the feat in 1928.

Bolt became the first man to break the world record in both events while taking both sprint titles. The last man to hold world records for both distances was Jamaica's Donald Quarrie in the 1970s.

Johnson's Olympic and world record in 1996 was 19.32.

"You're back there giving it everything you've got — it's brutal," said Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis, the 2003 world champ who finished seventh. "He's [Bolt's] doing it and making it look so simple. Michael Johnson did it, and it didn't look that easy."

Robles breezes in 110m hurdles semis

In the 110-metre finals, Cuban Dayron Robles remains the man to beat after he advanced Wednesday.

Robles ran his semifinal heat in 13.11 seconds to easily defeat David Payne of the United States and 2005 world champion Ladji Doucoure of France. Richard Phillips of Jamaica also qualified for the final, which takes place on Thursday.

Robles served notice of his intention to win gold in June in Ostrava, Czech Republic, setting a new world record in 12.87 seconds.

China's Liu Xiang, the 2004 Olympic champion, held the previous record of 12.88. Liu walked off the Beijing track earlier this week after grimacing through a false start in his heat due to a hamstring injury.

David Oliver of the United States won his semifinal heat in 13.31 seconds. Oliver is the only man to be competing in the final who has beat Robles this year.

Artur Noga of Poland, Jamaica's Maurice Wignall, and Jackson Quinonez of Spain also qualified for the final.

The Bird's Nest Stadium crowd groaned as China's Shi Dongpeng was just beaten out by Wignall.

Jamaica's Maurice Wignall won the slowest heat, 13.36, to finish ahead of Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados and Colombia's Paulo Villar.

Two-time silver medallist Terrence Trammell is also out of contention. Trammell went down after the first hurdle in the first heat of qualifying due to a hamstring injury.

Liu holds the Olympic record in the event with a time of 12.91.

With files from the Associated Press

Connaughton comes up short in 200; sets sights on making relay final

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=163850&sc=98

Connaughton comes up short in 200;
sets sights on making relay final

Canada’s Jared Connaughton, right, from New Haven, P.E.I., and Great Britain’s Christian Malcolm cross the finish line in the men’s 200-metre semi-final at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Tuesday. Connaughton finished in seventh place and did not advance to the final. Canadian Press photo

EDITORIAL STAFF
The Guardian

As one Summer Olympic Games dream died on the running track at National Stadium in Beijing, China, Jared Connaughton moved quickly onto another.
The New Haven sprinter ran a 20.58 in his men’s 200-metres semifinal on Tuesday, good for seventh place but not good enough to reach today’s final. Jamaica’s Usain Bolt ran a 20.09 for the semis’ fastest time.
Still, Connaughton, 23, had a good dash at the 200-metre title in his first Games and is undaunted as he eyes the 4x100-metre men’s relay. Heats begin at 9:20 a.m. AT on Thursday.
“It was tough. I had to do a lot more work in the first two rounds than I’m used to, that showed over the last 50 metres. I learned a lot.’’
But he said in a post-race interview that he is pleased with his performances thus far.
“I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t set a personal best (currently 20.34), but heck, I’m without a doubt considered one of the best 200-metre runners in the world, so things could be worse. Now it’s time to reflect and re-energize for the 4x100-metre relay which I’ll be running the third leg.’’
Connaughton reached the 200-metre semis with times of 20.60 (third in the opening heat) and 20.45 (fourth in his quarter-final heat). He was the lone Canuck in the semis after Edmonton, Alta., native, Brian Barnett, re-injured a wonky hamstring in the quarter-finals and didn’t finish.
Canada hasn’t won gold in men’s 200-metres since 1932, and since 1996 in the 4 x100-metre men’s relay — a team that featured Donovan Bailey, Robert Esmie, Glenroy Gilbert and Bruny Surin.
Connaughton, a Bluefield high school graduate, is excited about the 4 x 100-metre challenge.
“I believe I proved throughout the 200-metres that I’m arguably one of the best curve runners in the world and that will bode well for our relay team. I’ve said in the past that I came here to make an Olympic final, so now my chances in the 200-metres are over, my and our only hope is the relay,’’ said Connaughton.
“I’m still very fit and very motivated and thrilled to be representing my family, friends, province and country (on) the biggest sporting stage on Earth.’’
P.E.I.’s other Olympian, Kara Grant, competes in the modern pentathlon Thursday at 9:30 p.m. AT.

By Guardian staff and CanWest News Service

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/triathlon/story/2008/08/18/olympics-triathlon-men.html

Canada's Whitfield takes silver in triathlon

Canada's Simon Whitfield captured the silver medal in the men's triathlon Tuesday at the Beijing Olympics.

Whitfield, who lives in Victoria, mounted a furious rally to briefly take the lead late in the closing sprint before being overtaken over the final stretch by Germany's Jan Frodeno.

"I kind of fought my way on there, and I thought there's no time like the present," Whitfield said. "I tried to make it a battle of pure willpower. I gave it everything I had."

Whitfield finished five seconds back of the surprise winner, who completed the course in one hour, 48 minutes, 53 seconds.

New Zealand's Bevan Docherty took the bronze, 12 seconds back of Frodeno.

Pre-race favourite Javier Gomez of Spain faded late to finish fourth.

Edmonton's Paul Tichelaar finished 28th, while Colin Jenkins of Hamilton, Ont., was 50th.

Another gear

Whitfield, who won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics before stumbling to 11th in 2004 in Athens, looked to be falling out of medal contention late in Tuesday's race, which comprised a 1.5-kilometre swim followed by a 40-km cycling stage and a 10-km run.

But after Gomez, Frodeno and Docherty dropped him from the four-man lead pack heading into the bell lap of the final leg, Whitfield found another gear and moved into the lead on the closing straightaway.

The canny 33-year-old tried to block the taller Frodeno's path as the runners sprinted for the finish, but the big German proved too strong, overtaking Whitfield with perhaps 100 metres left and cruising through the tape.

"I tried hard, I tried really hard. For a moment there, I thought I had it," Whitfield said.

Maybe the biggest surprise was Gomez's failure to produce a strong final 5 km, his trademark.

Unable to shake his pursuers heading into the final lap, the reigning world champion and two-time reigning World Cup season champion didn't have enough left in the tank to try a sprint for his first Olympic medal amid hot and humid conditions in Beijing.

Lurked patiently

Whitfield was able to execute a solid race plan from the get-go.

Jenkins, whose job was to act as an escort of sorts for Whitfield over the first two stages, emerged from the water in the Ming Tombs Reservoir more or less even with Whifield, with the Canadians keeping Gomez in sight.

After the athletes picked up their bikes for the cycling stage, Jenkins briefly took a turn at the front as Whitfield lurked patiently amid the large lead pack of about 50 riders through the halfway point.

Cycling specialist Tichelaar, who had made it clear before the race that he wouldn't act as Whitfield's rabbit, also kept pace with the main group.

Whitfield said his teammates' help during the race was invaluable.

"Our communication was spectacular," he said.

The first major breakaway happened on the penultimate cycling lap as three riders — Mexico's Francisco Serrano, Belgium's Axel Zeebroek and Luxembourg's Dirk Bockel — moved boldly to open up a 45-second advantage on their pursuers.

Refused to quit

The pace proved too much for Serrano, who fell back toward the chase pack near the end of the bell lap. By that time, Zeebroek and Bockel had opened up a one-minute lead, and they high-fived to celebrate their accomplishment before ditching their bikes.

But the two pretenders soon began fading, and the chase pack — including the three Canadians, Frodeno and Gomez — gained ground over the first lap of the run.

Britain's Alistair Brownlee was the first to catch up toward the end of the second lap, leading a cluster of nine runners that included Gomez and Whitfield.

Gomez and teammate Ivan Rana quickly made a move, zipping ahead as the top pack thinned out to six runners, with Whitfield bringing up the rear.

Brownlee dropped back to make it five at the front, and Rana traded spots with the hard-charging Frodeno, who joined the frontrunners as the leaders headed into the bell lap.

That's when it looked to become a three-man race, as Gomez, Frodeno and Docherty left Whitfield in their wake.

But the Canadian refused to quit, digging deep to catch up and then surpass the leaders on the final straight before Frodeno's finishing kick forced him to settle for silver.

"To be able to fight my way back to the podium, that was hard, that was so hard — this was a harder race than Sydney was," Whitfield said.

Canada's Connaughton reaches semifinals in 200m

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/athletics/story/2008/08/17/olympics-athletics-200.html

Canada's Connaughton reaches semifinals in 200m

Jared Connaughton, middle, duels Brendan Christian, left, and Aaron Armstrong. (William West/Getty Images)

Charlottetown's Jared Connaughton sounded supremely confident following Monday's qualifying for the semifinals of the men's 200 metres at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

"It was easy, Connaughton told CBC Sports. "I was relaxed and in control and that is what the plan was."

Connaughton, 23, finished third in the eighth and final heat in a time of 20.60 seconds.

The top three finishers in each heat advanced, as did the next three fastest finishers.

Connaughton held second place behind Aaron Armstrong of Trinidad and Tobago, but he eased up at the finish line and slipped to third behind Armstrong (20.57) and Antigua's Brendan Christian (20.58).

"It is the biggest atmosphere I have been in … I let the crowd really energize me and bring me home," Connaughton said. "I ran that about 75 per cent."

Finnish hopeful Visa Hongisto made a late lunge to try to catch Connaughton, but he settled for fourth in 20.62.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2008/08/18/connaughton-semis.html

Connaughton squeaks into 200 semifinal

P.E.I.'s Jared Connaughton will run in the semifinal of the 200-metre race in Beijing, the slowest to make it through the second round of heats.

After placing third in his preliminary race Monday morning with a time of 20.60, Connaughton had to make the top 16 during a second round of heats later in the day. Connaughton had the 16th-fastest time in that round, at 20.45 seconds.

Running in the first heat and placing fourth, Connaughton had to wait for the other three heats to go before knowing if he would advance.

"I was pretty confident that that first heat that I was in was going to be the fastest anyway, so I'm happy I'm through," he told CBC News after the race. Making it to the final will take an extra-special run, he added.

"A personal best, for sure. I've run 20.34, .35, .36 this year. I think if I can go into 20.30, I have a shot at getting through," he said.

Connaughton runs in the semifinals Tuesday night, at 10:25 a.m. Tuesday AT. The top eight will advance to the final Wednesday night.

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=163306&sc=99

Confidence pays off for Connaughton

ROB VANSTONE
Canwest News Service

BEIJING — Jared Connaughton of New Haven, P.E.I., has qualified for a Tuesday semifinal in the men’s 200-metre event in the Beijing Olympics’ track and field competition.

Connaughton began Monday by finished third in a heat with a time of 20.60 seconds. In a subsequent quarter-final, his time of 20.45 was good enough for him to advance to the third round.

Before the quarter-final, Connaughton received some encouragement from former Olympic 100-metre champion Donovan Bailey.

“Donovan and I were over there chatting,’’ Connaughton said. “He said, ‘I’m a pretty confident guy. I think you’ll get through.’ When he said that, I was pretty convinced I’d get through. Now I’m off to the semifinal and hopefully the final the day after.’’

Connaughton advanced despite running in the outside lane, which is not necessarily an advantageous placement.

“It’s the Olympic Games. I’m blessed to be here,’’ he said. “If they had made me run in the first row of the crowd, I would have done that, too.’’

Preparing for his Olympic debut, Connaughton was so excited that he could hardly sleep.

“I had to get up at six (in the morning) and I woke up at 3:30,’’ he said. “It was one of those things where I was just really anxious to go. I’ve got two races under my belt at the Olympic Games and a third tomorrow, and hopefully a fourth the day after. I’m pumped to be here and I’m really excited to represent my family, myself and my country.’’

Rob Vanstone is in Beijing as part of the Canwest News Service Olympic Team



At a glance

Competitor: Jared Connaughton

Event: Track and field

Class: Men’s 200-metre

Event time: Semifinal begins at 9:25 p.m. Tuesday (Beijing), 9:25 a.m. ET Tuesday (Canada)

Born: July 20, 1985, Charlottetown,P.E.I.

Hometown: New Haven, P.E.I.

Height: Five foot nine

Weight: 170 pounds

http://www.journalpioneer.com/index.cfm?sid=163259&sc=118

Connaughton advances to 200 m semifinal

The Journal Pioneer

BEIJING - New Haven's Jared Connaughton is one step closer to his Olympic dream.
The 23-year-old narrowly advanced to the semifinal in the men's 200 metre at the Beijing Olympics.
Connaughton placed third in his preliminary race Monday to advance to the second round of heats with a time of 20.60 seconds. In the second round later in the day, the sprinter placed fifth, one spot out of contention.
Connaughton had to wait for three other heats to finish before finding out that he would advance.
He ended up with the 16th fastest time - 20.45 seconds -- just fast enough to squeak into the semifinal.
Brian Dzingai of Zimbabwe was the fastest runner in the men's 200 m event at the National Stadium, finishing with a time of 20.23 seconds
Connaughton runs in the semifinals Tuesday at 10:25 a.m. AT. The top eight will advance to Wednesday's final. Both will be broadcast live on CBC television and live online at cbcsports.ca.
Connaughton, who trains at the University of Texas, Arlington, is also a member of Canada's 4x100 metre relay team, which begins competing Thursday.
His personal best in the 200 m is 20.34 seconds while Dzingai's best is 20.12.
Michael Johnson of the United States currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 200 m, a time of 19.32 seconds recorded in Atlanta in 1996.
This is Connaughton's first Olympic games.
He won silver at the 2007 Pan American Games in the 4x100 m relay, bronze in the 2007 Canadian Championships and silver at the 2006 Canadian Championships.

Olympic medal hopeful Tyler Christopher fails to advance in 400 metres

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=163022&sc=99
Olympic medal hopeful Tyler Christopher fails to advance in 400 metres

The Canadian Press

BEIJING — Tyler Christopher’s quest for an Olympic medal has come to an end.
The 24-year-old sprinter from Chilliwack, B.C., was eliminated in the heats of the 400 metres at the Beijing Games on Monday, finishing fifth in his heat in 45.67 seconds.
“Disappointed? That’s a bit of an understatement,” Christopher said after the race. “Disappointment would be not making it to the final. Not making it out of the heats, that’s just ridiculous.”
Christopher arrived in Beijing ranked sixth in the world, and captured gold at the world indoor championships in March in Valencia, Spain. He was touted as one of Canada’s top hopes for a medal on track in Beijing.
But he said he came down with a flu bug at the Canadian team’s training camp in Singapore, and didn’t manage to shake it until a couple of days ago.
“I couldn’t really get out of my bed until two days ago,” Christopher said. “I thought I was over it, but it seems like it still has taken a lot out of my body.”
The six-foot-one runner looked sluggish from the gun, and never managed to make up any ground on the field.
“It basically felt like half my speed was missing,” said Christopher, who set his Canadian record of 44.44 in winning bronze at the 2005 world championships. “I got to one slow constant speed, couldn’t pick it up from there.”
Andrew Steele of Great Britain won the heat in 44.94, while Chris Brown of the Bahamas ran 44.79 for the fastest time on the morning.

American favourite Jeremy Wariner cruised to a time of 45.23.

Constantina Tomescu-Dita Wins Olympic Marathon

http://www.thefinalsprint.com/2008/08/constantina-tomescu-dita-wins-olympic-marathon/

Constantina Tomescu-Dita Wins Olympic Marathon

Constantina Tomescu-Dita has won the 2008 Olympic Marathon, using a bold mid-race surge to pull away from the field and then courageously holding on for gold in 2:26:44. The performance earned the first Olympic medal for the 38-year old Romanian, who became the oldest winner of an Olympic Marathon.

Taking silver behind Dita was Kenya’s Catherine “The Great” Ndereba, who outsprinted China’s Zhou Chunxiu by a second, 2:27:06 to 2:27:07. China’s Xiaolin Zhu placed fourth while Kenya’s Martha Komu placed fifth. Also notable were Great Britain’s World Record Holder Paula Radcliffe who overcame a lack of conditioning caused by injuries to finish 23rd and American Record Holder Deena Kastor, who dropped out early with an apparent foot injury.

Prior to the race, much attention was given to the potentially difficult conditions as Beijing’s notorious heat, humidity, and pollution were expected to play a large role. Fortunately the conditions were much better than anticipated, with temperatures in the high 70’s throughout, only about 75% humidity and a light rain at times. The race began with Britain’s Liz Yelling leading a tightly-bunched pack through a fairly relaxed five miles. The most notable piece of early action was the withdrawal of Kastor, whose plans to improve upon her bronze medal performance in Athens were ruined by a “pop” in her foot around the 5k mark. The pace continued to lag until around the 10 mile mark, which was reached in 57:49 by a pack of about 40 women. Shortly thereafter Constantina Tomescu-Dita moved to the front and quickly began to pull away. Dita methodically built her lead to as much as 90 seconds over the next few miles and never let up, keeping her form and breaking away from the field.

China’s Zhou Chunxiu and Kenya’s Catherine Ndereba led the chase pack for much of the latter stages of the race, but were never able to gain significant ground on Dita. The second group dwindled to 15 about 15 miles into the race and was down to 7 when Britain’s Radcliffe fell off around Mile 21. In the last few miles China’s Chunxiu and Zhu battled Kenya’s Ndereba and Komu for the remaining medals after Dita had clinched victory. The four entered the Bird’s Nest with Chunxiu and Ndereba a few steps ahead of Zhu and Komu and then battled to the finish with Ndereba followed by Chunxiu, Zhu, and Komu. Blake Russell was the top American, finishing 27th in 2:33:13 as teammates Deena Kastor and Magdalena Lewy-Boulet dropped out.

For Constantina Tomescu-Dita, this win marks a triumphant return from injury and redemption from her 20th place finish in Athens. Constantina grew up on a farm in Romania but now lives and trains in Boulder Colorado. Runner-up Catherine Ndereba equaled her silver medal performance from the 2004 Olympics, while bronze medalist Zhou Chunxiu upheld the national pride of the host country. Their performances were cheered wildly by the spectators in a packed Bird’s Nest, and should be remembered for years to come.

More News Coverage of Constantina Tomescu-Dita's Olympic Marathon win

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2008/08/15/connaughton-pre.html

Connaughton primed for good run

P.E.I. Olympian Jared Connaughton says he is feeling healthy and ready for a good run in his first Olympic appearance.

Connaughton will run a heat of the 200-metre dash in Beijing on Monday (11 p.m. Sunday AT).

"The season has really panned out for me. Training has gone better than I could have hoped for," Connaughton told CBC News Friday.

"I've had a few time trial runs, and both [were] personal bests. So I'm really, really ready to run and I'm anxious to run Monday, and I think just because it's the Olympics I'll run fast."

Connaughton is one of only two Islanders in the Summer Olympics, the other being pentathlete Kara Grant.

CBC-TV's Compass has a feature interview with Jared Connaughton Friday. Watch on CBC-TV at 6 p.m. or on line after 7:15 p.m.

A tale of two Olympians

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=160657&sc=98

A tale of two Olympians

The Guardian

The veteran and the rookie, experience versus enthusiasm. What’s a more appropriate sign of an athlete’s progression than that.
And it’s a homegrown scenario to watch this month at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, which started Friday and runs until August 24.
Kara Grant, who competes in modern pentathlon, is in her second Olympics. She’s the veteran. The Stratford native finished 22nd in Athens in 2004.
She competes Aug. 22 in her event — a punishing, one-day mix of running, horseback riding, shooting, swimming and fencing over the course of about five hours. Shooting? Swimming? Think it sounds easy? Try it.
Grant, now 28, did try it over a decade ago and after 12 years of international competition, the body is still eager. She’s coming off an eighth-place finish at the recent Paris Open in France and qualified for the Olympics in mid-June, a full month earlier than 2004.
“I feel great (a few) aches and pains that I’m taking care of. The training is going really well. I’m the fittest I’ve ever been,” said Grant in a recent interview from Quebec City.
“I didn’t have the same kind of pressure for qualifying. I felt that I was more established as an athlete and more of a consistent performer this time around, so going into the Games have a little bit different feel. I think I’m at the peak of my abilities.”
And so is the mind.
“There’s really only one answer to that, is there not?” she said, laughing. “Yes, I’m prepared for what’s ahead.”
Jared Connaughton is the rookie. The New Haven native hits the track Aug. 18 for the first heat in the 200-metre men’s sprint.
Launches might be more fittting as the 23-year-old ran a 10.15, 100-metre time earlier this spring in Texas. It was one of the fastest times for a Canadian this year. He’s also running in the 4x100-metre men’s relay which starts Aug. 21. He qualified for Beijing at the Canadian championships in July.
Connaughton admits, to his surprise, he’s relaxed before heading to Beijing on Monday. Maybe that has to do with the company he’s keeping while the national track team has been training in Singapore.
“(Two-time Olympian) Gary Reed, the Canadian 800-metre champion, and I were talking last night and it’s one of those events like no other. You go into the event knowing exactly who’s going to be there. There’s no questioning whether or not it’s going to be a fast meet, it’s the Olympics, you know,” said Connaughton from his hotel in Singapore on Thursday. “Often, I think, sometimes at a lower-calibre meet, you start getting into thinking strategic, sort of tactical things throughout the rounds, but Olympics it’s just live in the moment and really sort of warmup, call room, track, race and in that order. And if you keep it like that, you don’t overthink and I think overthinking really causes nervousness.”
Canada hasn’t won gold in men’s 200-metres since 1932, and since 1996 in the relay. While men’s modern pentathlon has been an Olympic sport since 1912, the women’s version wasn’t added until 2000. Canada has never won a medal. Monica Pinette’s 13th-place finish in Athens was the Canucks’ best result so far.
So the pressure’s on. Grant understands that. She’s seen her sport’s competitive edge sharpen since Athens, thanks to renewed interest and athletes learning the event at an earlier age.
“There are more athletes capable of medalling this time around. Last time there might have been a couple of favourites. I probably could have named you the people who won the actual medals before the event, but this time there’s probably at least half of the field that’s capable of medalling,” said Grant.
And, well, there’s always pressure for sprinters. One-hundred metres, 200-metres and relays are high-profile, flashy events filled with big personalities (think Ben Johnson, Michael Johnson or Donovan Bailey).
It’s also a field the poised Connaughton is comfortable running on, drawing peace from Beijing’s two-week, larger-than-life stage in a practice routine simulating race day at the track venue in National Stadium.
“It’s sort of a grand scheme of warmups. Waking up, eating, going to the track, going through security, settling down, warming up, going to the call room, going to the track, getting in the blocks, racing. You don’t get too far ahead.
“You’re not in the blocks thinking ‘oh, oh, if I run poorly the media is going to be mad at me’,” he said. “If you kind of ball all those 20 different steps up into this one looming craziness, it can get overwhelming. So I really try not to focus too much on any of them. You know, quick on my feet during interviews and things like that. I’m prepared for it, but I really don’t know yet. We’ll have to wait and see.”
As for Grant, who left Friday for training in Seoul, South Korea, before the Games, she’s counting on her Olympic and international experience to counter the bedlam.
“I’ve certainly tried to learn what I can from my last 10 years experience in terms of balancing my efforts, making sure I’m getting the most out of myself mentally and physically. Experience and competition and things that kind of add to your repertoire of things to draw on when you’re in certain situations,” she said.

Bertram extends best wishes to Island athletes

http://www.journalpioneer.com/index.cfm?sid=160427&sc=118

Bertram extends best wishes to Island athletes

STAFF
The Journal Pioneer

Cultural Affairs Minister Carolyn Bertram has extended Islanders' best wishes to P.E.I. Olympians Kara Grant and Jared Connaughton, who are participating in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

“It is important that both Kara and Jared go into these Games knowing that Islanders are very proud of their hard work, their spirit and their determination,” said Bertram.

There are 331 Canadian athletes competing in Beijing from August 8 - 24. This is Grant's second time participating in Olympic Games. She competed in Athens, Greece in 2004 and will compete in the modern pentathlon.

Connaughton is Prince Edward Island's first Canada Games double gold medal winner. This is his first time at the Olympic Games where he will run in the Men's 200m and the second leg of the Men's 4 x 100m relay.

“I want all Islanders to have the opportunity to let our athletes know that we support them,” said Bertram. To help Islanders convey their own best wishes, the Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour has set up a website www.gov.pe.ca/go/olympics where people can go online and post messages of encouragement for Jared and Kara.

“Let’s show Jared and Kara that we are confident that they will do well and are cheering them on from home,” she said.

“I encourage Islanders to go to our new web page and send a message to our Prince Edward Island Olympians.”

Watch the Olympics Online

http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Watch_the_Olympics_Online

Watch the Olympics Online

The 2008 Beijing Olympics will happen while most Americans are sleeping. While NBC, the games' official media outlet in the United States, will be providing thousands of hours of content on the web, the only way to truly ensure you won't miss too many record-breaking moments is to spread yourself across the web and take advantage of the many video outlets online.

With opening ceremonies kicking off Friday, August 8, we have compiled a list of online destinations for getting your fix of the summer sporting events.

This article is a wiki. Got extra advice? Log in and add it.



Live Streams and On-Demand Highlights

NBC Olympics. Media giant NBC has exclusive rights to broadcast the Olympics in the United States, and will serve up four live streams and 3,000 hours of on-demand video online.

TV Tonic. NBC paired with Wavexpress to offer event highlights on demand via a download service similar to iTunes. For Windows Vista users only.

YouTube. Starting Wednesday, Google will provide approximately three hours of content each day from the Olympics Broadcasting Service on a channel dedicated to the games. The content will include highlight reels and daily wrap-ups, but no live coverage. The footage will be available in 77 territories, including South Korea, India and Nigeria, that aren't officially covered by Olympic sponsors, according to an International Olympic Committee press release.

CCTVOlympics.com. CCTV will be supplying more than 5,000 hours of Olympic Games coverage for mainland China and Macau.

BBC Sports. The U.K.'s official Olympics broadcaster will offer six streaming channels showing coverage from BBC TV and BBC News Interactive. Channels will focus on on-demand daily highlights and athlete interviews.

Yahoo7. Australia's official Olympics online portal offers live streams, video coverage on-demand and behind-the-scenes interviews, specials and features.

CBC Olympics. Canadians can tune into the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation online for supplemental live streams, video coverage on-demand and behind-the-scenes interviews, specials and features.

Getting Around Location Restrictions

In most cases, users in the United States will be blocked from viewing the footage on the non-NBC sites. But you may be able to view clips or streams from other countries if you use a proxy server located within that country, or if you can otherwise trick the streaming server into thinking you're from a country where it's allowed.

There's some advice on this topic at Metafilter.

There are also paid services like Anonymizer that can do the trick for you.

If you have any additional advice, please add it here.

Peer-to-Peer Options

If you want to move beyond bite-size recaps and highlight reels, P2P sites are your best bet for backdoor access to unedited blocks of Olympics footage. Additionally, content is likely to be available sooner than the 12-hour delays expected with some of NBC's coverage. Try these web workarounds for full access to the Olympics.

BitTorrent. Miss the opening ceremonies? Or the four-hour finale of table tennis? Try downloading torrents of popular Olympic events. Top torrent-tracking sites to try include isoHunt, Mininova and EZTV. Need a quick primer on using BitTorrent? Read our How-To Wiki entry on the subject.

Veetle Stanford University's experimental web TV platform requires a downloadable player, but offers live broadcasts of soccer games, basketball and more.

Sopcast. This free P2P internet TV player requires a download, but offers a wide lineup of channels broadcasting the Olympic games.

TVants. This is a P2P Internet TV, which requires a free download. TVants can run on Windows or on Linux's WINE.

PPMate. A Chinese P2P Internet TV network, download. PPMate only run under Windows.

TVU Networks. This P2P internet TV player requires a free download and only works with Windows, but is a good resource for watching global sporting events online.

This page was last modified 13:04, 7 August 2008 by mosesofmason. Based on work by snackfight.