Today's Events: Basketball, Boxing, Canoe, Field Hockey, Handball, Soccer, Track and Field, Volleyball, Wrestling
Olympic Word of the Day: Indictment - A formal charge or accusation of a serious crime
On "Today's News With Ryan Lochte", American swimmer James Feigen was allowed to travel back to the United States after he "purchased the right to his own passport" for $10,800. This was reportedly in exchange for Brazil not pressing charges against Feigen. Lochte, however, being in the US the entire time that this story has broke, could still be charged by the authorities and/or suspended by FINA - the governing body of international swimming - or USA Swimming.
Lochte, from the comforts of his own home - or wherever he is staying, posted an apology on Instagram. His apology starts, "I want to apologize for my behavior last weekend - for not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning." Clearly, Lochte doesn't even know what he needs to apologize for. What a dope.
Our first real doping scandal at the Olympics - not to be confused with the Russian doping scandal prior to the Olympics - occurred when weightlifter Izzat Artykoff of Krzygystan lost his bronze medal after testing positive for strychnine. STRYCHNINE!!!
At the golf course, Lydia Ko of New Zealand shot a 29 on the front nine, helped by a hole-in-one on the 140 yard par-3 8th hole. She was joined in the aces club by Lin Xiyu - who actually recorded her hole-in-one on the same hole earlier in the day.
The United States Women's Water Polo team dominated Italy 12-5 in the gold medal game, earning the Americans their second straight water polo title.
The Cinderella ride for the coward Swedish soccer team ended as the fell to Germany 2-1 in the gold medal game. All jokes about Hope Solo aside, Sweden, behind former American coach Pia Sundhage, did well to earn silver, as Germany was easily the best side in this tournament.
Since a little bit of refresher on sportsmanship is needed after any Hope Solo reference, I submit these words from Jordan Burroughs, a gold medal favorite in wrestling after losing in the quarterfinals to Aniuar Geduev of Russia.
“I feel like I let my family down, my kids,” you said. “I missed a lot of important milestones in my children’s lives to pursue this sport. I didn’t see my son walk for the first time. I’ve left my wife at home with two kids for long periods of time to go to training camps, to foreign countries. She did that joyfully, not begrudgingly, because she knew on days like these I always fulfilled my end. Now I feel like I let her down. I let her down, I let my family down. This is supposed to be my year. This is supposed to be my breakthrough performance that cemented me as a legend in the sport. And it almost retracted my position in the sport. It hurts me. It hurts a lot, man. It hurts.”
Jordan, you are a three time world champion with an international record of 130-4. You let nobody down.
Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia defeated Lin Dan of China in the semi-finals of men's badminton. This sets up a huge final with China's Chen Long for the gold.
On the track, the United States women dominated in the 4 x 100 meter relay, running the second fastest time in history - from LANE 1! Amazing.
On the men's side, Jamaica defended its gold medal by cruising to an easy victory in the same event. Usain Bolt took the baton roughly even with several other teams, only to win handily over Japan and the United State - who were ultimately disqualified for passing the baton outside of the area. Canada ends up with the bronze medal. Even though the American protest was denied, the members of the team still do not know what they did wrong.
No match was as amazing as the Denmark-Poland semi-final in handball, in which Denmark prevailed 29-28 in overtime. Denmark will now play the reigning champions France for the gold medal.
If any game could match the handball match, it was the gold medal game in women's field hockey, as Great Britain earned the gold medal by defeating the Netherlands in a shootout. Great Britain, you win the story of the day!
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