<h4>Hiya, honey </h4>
Misty May-Treanor, Olympic gold medalist in women's beach volleyball at the Beijing Olympics, threw out the first pitch at Sunday's Arizona Diamondbacks game, then got to hug the catcher, her husband, Matt Treanor, who plays for the Marlins.
> Go to www.tucsoncitizen.com for more sports photo galleries.
BEIJING – China proved an acquisitive first-time Olympic host, topping the gold-medal chart with one of the most dominating and diverse performances ever.
The United States, Britain and an array of small nations also had reasons to celebrate.
China’s haul of 51 gold medals was the largest since the Soviet Union won 55 in Seoul in 1988. Fielding athletes groomed since childhood in sports academies, it won medals in 25 different sports, including its first ever in sailing, beach volleyball and field hockey.
Not since 1936, when Nazi Germany prevailed at the Berlin Olympics, had a country other than the U.S. or the Soviet Union/Russia led the gold medal list.
The United States trailed well behind the Chinese in golds with 36, the first time since 1992 it didn’t lead the category. But the Americans did break their own mark for total medals in a non-boycotted Olympics; they won 110 in all, two more than their previous high set in 1992 and 10 ahead of China’s overall tally this year.
Britain, getting an early jump on its host role for the 2012 Summer Games, had its best Olympics in a century with 19 gold medals – good for fourth place behind the Russians.
A record 87 nations won medals, seven more than the previous high in Sydney in 2000, and a dozen nations won either their first-ever gold medal or first medal of any color.
Taekwondo athlete banned
BEIJING – A Cuban taekwondo athlete and his coach were banned for life after Angel Matos kicked the referee in the face following his bronze-medal match disqualification.
Cuban coach Leudis Gonzalez offered no apology for Matos’ actions during the men’s over-80 kg (176 pounds) match.
Matos was winning 3-2, with 1:02 in the second round, when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan’s Arman Chilmanov. He was sitting there, awaiting medical attention, when he was disqualified for taking too much injury time. Fighters get one minute, and Matos was disqualified when his time ran out.
Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge, then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden. Matos then spat on the floor and was escorted out.
“He was too strict,” Gonzalez said, referring to the decision to disqualify Matos.
Phelps may try new events
LONDON – Look out London, Michael Phelps is coming to the 2012 Games and he’s thinking about adding events to his repertoire.
“I am looking forward to trying some new events, some events I’ve never really had the opportunity to swim since my schedule is always so crowded,” Phelps said Sunday while taking part in the British capital’s handover celebrations.
Phelps, fresh from the Beijing Olympics where he won a record eight gold medals, said he’s never competed in a backstroke event at a major international meet or in the 100-meter freestyle.
The 23-year-old American also confirmed that the 2012 games will be his last Olympics.
China unlikely to lose gymnastic medals
BEIJING – The investigation goes on, so does the wait, yet the IOC indicated Sunday that a reshuffling of Olympic gymnastics medals isn’t likely.
Yes, this competition really was and probably will remain . . . one for the ages.
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said paperwork appears to support what China has been saying all along: that all six members of its gold medal women’s gymnastics team were old enough to compete at the Beijing Games.
Gymnastics officials were still poring over the documents submitted by the Chinese in response to a request for more information on the birthdates of He Kexin, Yang Yilin, Jiang Yuyuan, Deng Linlin and Li Shanshan.
If evidence of cheating is found, four of China’s six medals could be affected.
Pima volleyball starts
Pima Community College went 1-1 during the opening weekend of the season, losing 3-1 to Scottsdale and then beating Southwestern 3-2.
Both matches were on the road.
Ashley Miller, a Palo Verde High graduate, had 35 kills over the two matches, for Pima. Belinda Tellez (Rincon/University) had 80 assists.
Pima is next in action at No. 17-ranked Phoenix College at 7 p.m. Friday.
Citizen Staff Report
QUOTABLE
'We did a hell of a job of putting American basketball back where it's supposed to be, which is on top of the world.'
CARMELO ANTHONY,
U.S. player, on the team's gold medal
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ON THIS DATE
1904: Jim Jeffries knocks out Jack Munroe in the second round in San Francisco to retain the world heavyweight title.
1991: Carl Lewis reclaims his title of world’s fastest human by setting a world record of 9.86 seconds in the 100-meter final in the world championships in Tokyo. Lewis betters the mark of 9.90 set by Leroy Burrell in the U.S. Championships two months earlier.
1996: Tiger Woods wins an unprecedented third U.S. Amateur Championship, beating Steve Scott on the 38th hole after coming back from 5-down with 16 to play and 2-down with three to go.
The Associated Press
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SPORTS SOUND-OFF
Fans pull for UA tight end
Re: UA tight end Rob Gronkowski out with strep throat
If Gronkowski is to miss a game, this is the right game to miss. Idaho was one of the five worst Div IA football teams last year. Appalachian State from Div I-AA can beat Idaho.
ARNOLD C.
Strep is no biggie, but mono will take him out for a while. I hope he can keep his weight up.
DON K.
I hope that strep is all that Gronk is diagnosed with. . . . This guy is an NFL-caliber TE that could have an outstanding pro career.
CHRIS W.
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NUMBER OF THE DAY
25
Former or current UA Wildcat athletes who competed in the Olympics, seventh among colleges. The leaders:
1. Stanford 46
2. USC 41
3. California 41
4. Florida 34
5. UCLA 32
6. Auburn 31
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TRIVIA CORNER
Trivia time: When Usain Bolt broke the world 200-meter record in Beijing, how fast was he running in miles per hour
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Answer: 23 mph.