Team USA Wins
Golden again, U.S. wins first Olympic team title since '96 NBC - July 31, 2012
The star-studded American squad received a lot of attention leading up to the Games and - unlike the men's team - had no trouble living up to the hype. They beat out second-place Russia by more than five points, amounting to a blowout, with Romania coming in third. The Americans didn't botch a single routine, and all but three of their 12 scores were 15.0 or higher. Gabby Douglas (second from the right) led the way once again. She competed in all four events and reaffirmed herself as a strong contender in the upcoming individual competition. Her rise over the past couple months has been astonishing. However, she couldn't have done it herself. Wieber (right) overcame her personal disappointment to post some tremendous numbers of her own. It would have been easy for her to mentally check out, but she stepped up when it mattered most. Aly Raisman, (center) who earned the second individual all-around spot for the U.S. ahead of Wieber, put together a strong floor routine. It should really help her confidence moving forward after hearing all the talk about Wieber in recent days. Kyla Ross and McKayla Maroney (left) affirmed their presence during the competition. Maroney was especially impressive on the vault. It all amounts to one of the deepest gymnastics teams the United States have ever had. Three of the most complete gymnasts in the world and two role players, so to speak, who are perfectly capable of picking up the slack when needed. The "Fab Five" didn't just beat the competition, they decimated it. And now, future teams will always be compared to the one that starred in London.
Swimming Competition
Michael Phelps breaks Olympic record with 4x200m freestyle gold
BBC - July 31, 2012
Michael Phelps won a record 19th Olympic medal as he helped the US team to gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay. It was also a 15th gold medal for Phelps, 27, who swam the anchor leg as the Americans won in a time of six minutes 59.70 seconds, with France in second and China third. Ryan Lochte put the US team in total control with a blistering first leg and they barely lost their advantage. Phelps overtakes Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina who won 18 medals.
Michael Phelps sets all-time Olympic record with 19th medal Yahoo - July 31, 2012
In the final 10 meters of his history-making race, Michael Phelps was alone in the open - a fitting margin for an Olympic icon who is now the most decorated medal-winner of all time. Swimming the anchor leg of the men's 200-freestyle relay, Phelps held onto a significant lead and delivered the United States another gold medal - the 15th of his career and the 19th time he has stood on an Olympic podium. He's now alone in the overall medal count, having broken a tie with Russian gymnast Larissa Latynina as the most-decorated athlete in the history of the Games.
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Franklin had a hard night, as she swam the 100m backstroke 14 minutes after finishing her 200m freestyle heat. But instead of making the short walk over to the warm-down pool to prep for her 100m backstroke, she instead hopped into the diving well and did a few laps.
