Mid-afternoon in Beijing. What's going on around the venues?
BASKETBALL: This blog strongly supports the Mali women's hoopsters. They finished last at the recent six-team Diamond Ball, and are only here due to a surprise upset at the African championships over Senegal. Today, mighty Mali nearly beat slightly less hapless New Zealand with a very strong 13-2 run in the fourth quarter, but had a few key turnovers late. The Tall Ferns iced the game after a hard hack at the end was called a flagrant. The final result, a famous 76-72 win for NZL. But Mali's uniforms are the real winners.
The Australian Opals thrashed Belarus by 19 in the early game.
TABLE TENNIS: Didn't notice this, but Singapore flagbearer Li Jiawei dragged her nation's flag on the ground during the Opening Ceremony. This blog has profiled her before, and she's already shown herself to be the "whatever" type. But she could be facing a fine when she comes home.
ATHLETICS: Greek sprinter Tassos Gousis tested positive for anabolic steroid methyltrienolone before the Games, and will most likely be kicked off the team.
GYMNASTICS: The IOC just announced that all gymnasts are age-eligible, even the 13-year-old Chinese ones.
Smog is seeping into the Watercube through the plastic walls.
Beijing: "We Did It!"
 |
Sportswriter 
