Lithuanian 15-year-old Ruta Meilutyte wins shock gold (BBC)

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30 July 2012Last updated at 19:45 GMT

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Teenager Ruta Meilutyte won Lithuania's first ever Olympic gold in the pool by beating American Rebecca Soni in the women's 100m breaststroke.

The 15-year-old, who goes to the same Plymouth school as Tom Daley , led from the start and beat the fast-finishing Soni by 0.08 seconds.

Analysis

Mark FosterFive-time Olympian and BBC analyst

"Coming into this with her times you would never have predicted she would get to the final. She was just blown away by the occasion but what a way to do it."

Japan's Satomi Suzuki earned bronze, while Australia's defending champion Leisel Jones finished fifth.

"I can't believe it," said a stunned Meilutyte. "It's too much for me."

Having set a new European record in the heats - a mark that beat her personal best by two seconds - Meilutyte swam even faster in the semi-finals on Sunday to qualify fastest for the final ahead of world champion and Beijing silver medallist Soni.

In the final, following a fault at the start, where the bleep went before the swimmers were told to take their marks, Meilutyte astonished both herself and the crowd to hold off her challengers and win in 1:05.47.

The gold was Lithuania's first medal of the London Olympics.

Meilutyte, who moved to Britain three years ago with her father, is trained by English coach Jon Rudd.

He said that a fast swim had been "brewing for a while".

"We didn't realistically know what she would do," said Rudd, who revealed that Meilutyte was a freestyler when she arrived in the United Kingdom.

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Meilutyte has everything - coach

"Her breaststroke was pretty tidy and we tidied it up even more.

"A big swim around the 1:05-1:06 mark was brewing for a while, it was just about putting the elements together on the day.

"She is a talented and vigilant worker. When you've got talent and work ethic you've got a great kid."

Meilutyte could add to her medal tally as she is competing in the women's 50m and 100m freestyle.

Plymouth College  assistant headteacher Sarah Dunn said of her student's triumph: "We are almost in tears, it was such an achievement.

"We knew she had great potential when she arrived here three years ago. Not only is she a fantastic athlete, but she is also a great scholar.

"She has always demonstrated superb talent and the hunger and desire to succeed. We had every confidence in her.

"To achieve what she has at such a young age is incredible. She is a real credit and we are so proud of her."

Final Results

Rank	Athlete	Country	Medal moment	Result
1	Meilutyte	LTU		1:05.47
2	Soni	USA		1:05.55
3	Suzuki	JPN		1:06.46

View full results for Women's 100m Breaststroke

Phillips Idowu expected to be fit for London 2012 Olympics (BBC)

31 July 2012Last updated at 12:28 GMT

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British triple-jumper Phillips Idowu is expected to be fit for London 2012, according to British Olympic Association chef de mission Andy Hunt.

The participation of the 2008 silver medallist had been called into doubt last week when he failed to attend a pre-Games training camp in Portugal.

The BOA reacted by requesting medical records for a nerve problem in the 33-year-old's hip and back.

"Phillips is making good progress and we expect him to compete," said Hunt.

More to follow.

Luis Suarez boo vow (THE SUN)

By ANTONY KASTRINAKIS

Published: Today at 00:25

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LUIS SUAREZ will ignore the boo boys in tomorrow’s crunch decider with Team GB.

The Liverpool star’s every touch was jeered at Wembley during Uruguay’s 2-0 loss to Senegal on Sunday.

But Suarez, a target after racially abusing Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra last season, hit back at his snipers.

He said: “Fans should focus on themselves and their own team.

“What interests me is the Liverpool fans and the Uruguay fans.”

After the shock against Senegal, Uruguay must beat GB to progress to the quarter-finals.

Stuart Pearce’s side can go through with a draw — but will be targeting a win at the Millennium Stadium to top Group A.

GB star Craig Bellamy has warned his team-mates that Suarez remains the biggest threat.

Unlike Liverpool team-mate Bellamy, Suarez has not set the tournament alight.

But Welsh ace Bellamy said. “The great thing about Luis is that he has such a big heart.

“He is a really terrific player and the one thing I’ve seen over and over again is that he is able to create something out of absolutely nothing.

“You sometimes think he is going down a dead end but then he will show that spark of creativity that change things completely.

“He will come up with a little flick or knock the ball through an opponent’s legs and that’s what makes him so dangerous.

“He is a special talent and I feel fortunate to have trained and played with him.”

Suarez is not worried about upsetting the hosts as he looks to get the Uruguayans going.

Senegal had Abdoulaye Ba sent off but still beat Suarez and Co thanks to Moussa Konate’s brace.

Suarez added: “We depend on ourselves now. When the ball doesn’t want to go in, it doesn’t want to go in.

“We will work to correct our mistakes and be focused against Great Britain in the next match as we depend on ourselves.”

Bellamy produced man-of-the-match displays in Great Britain’s first two matches.

He admits he has loved every minute of the first major international tournament of his career.

Bellamy added: “For me this has been a fantastic experience, something totally different to everything I have done before.

“So would I love to see future generations of players given the same opportunity? Of course I would and I’m sure it would be beneficial to them.

“This has been my best experience as a footballer, I’ve already got so much out of this competition.”

But this could be the last Games a united GB team plays in the tournament.

If they have to go through qualifiers, it is unlikely that the four football associations would be able to agree on participation.

Bellamy admitted: “When it reverts to going through a qualifying process things will change.

“So I think this will the last time we will see a GB team, which is a great shame.”

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KOMPANY: It’s my idea of seven (THE SUN)

Kompany eyeing multi-title glory

From MARTIN BLACKBURN in Kuala Lumpur

Published: Today at 01:01

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VINCENT KOMPANY wants a Magnificent Seven with Manchester City after turning down interest from Europe's elite.

The Belgian defender committed his long-term future to the champions last week despite the likes of Barcelona sniffing around.

And Kompany - who lifted the Premier League trophy in May - wants to do the same thing again in each of the six years of his new deal.

Twelve months previously, the City skipper picked up the FA Cup at Wembley so the 26-year-old is getting a taste for silverware.

He said: "I won’t get another 20 years out of my career unfortunately, I probably have 10 more years at best, so I want to win as much as possible.

"I have signed a six-year deal, so there are six titles possible within those years, so you know what? I want to get them all.

"It probably won’t happen, but we will see in six years’ time. I will try everything for that."

Kompany admits other clubs came calling this summer and deservedly so after two outstanding years at the heart of City's defence.

CHILDS PLAY ... Vincent Kompany shows off his skills at SOS Children's Village Beijing

But he joined the Blues just weeks before the Abu Dhabi takeover in August 2008 - so wanted to continue being part of their amazing journey.

He added: "It’s only normal when you win the Premier League, or have a couple of good seasons that you get interest at the end of the season.

"But it was only City who were important to me.

"I'm not going to give names but the opportunity was there for me to start negotiating with other clubs, definitely.

"However I wanted to stay at City and I think the six-year deal is a statement of my ambitions at the club.

HELPING HAND ... Vincent Kompany is taken to one of the family houses

"I have had a good spell here and it would have been easy to play clubs against each other but it wasn’t my intention.

"When I joined City four years ago, I came a month before the takeover. When that happened, without knowing it, their project became mine as well.

"So I do have ties to the Manchester City project, and also to the fans and the city, which make it very exciting for me to stay at the club for a long period."

In the last game of their tour to the far east yesterday, City beat Malaysia 3-1 with goals from Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Adam Johnson.

But Kompany was missing as he had flown home after Saturday’s 2-0 win over Arsenal with a calf injury.

THUMBTHING SPECIAL ... kids in house nine give the Manchester City defender the thumbs up

City's summer has been surprisingly quiet so far with fans still waiting for the first new arrival of the close season.

Kompany's Belgium team-mate Eden Hazard was strongly linked, while Robin van Persie and Daniel Agger are now targets for boss Roberto Mancini.

The centre-back admits Dutch ace RVP is an 'incredible' player that any club would be pleased to see walk through the door.

Speaking as he donated a five-figure sum to SOS Children's Village, he said: "Van Persie is a player who has improved so much.

"I started playing against him five or six years ago, but his performances last season were unbelievable.

CITY GENT ... Kompany lines up with kids in their Manchester City kits

"A player like this would be an incredible addition to any team that he joined, so yeah.

"His movement is near perfection and the stats show his finishing. He has led by example at Arsenal, so yes, he is a great player.

He added: "As for Hazard, he was keeping it as much a secret from us in the national team as the media. Everybody expected me to know, but I didn’t.

"Maybe I shouted too much at him at training and he thought he didn’t want it for a full season at City!

"But I think we will improve anyway, whether we need new players is up to the manager. I only know that, even if we don’t, we will improve naturally anyway."

VINCENT KOMPANY was speaking at the launch of a partnership between SOS Children's Village Beijing and Manchester City FC. 

Arsenal can cope without Van Persie (THE SUN)

FORMER TEAM-MATES ... Robin van Persie and Thierry Henry

Published: 29 minutes ago

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THIERRY HENRY insists Arsenal will overcome the loss of Robin van Persie if he leaves the club.

Boss Arsene Wenger is set to hold further talks with Van Persie this week, but it appears the Dutchman is determined to quit the Emirates.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Juventus are all interested in the striker, who finished last season as the top goalscorer in the Premier League.

But Gunners legend Henry, whose highly-successful eight-year spell at Arsenal ended in 2007 and resumed with a loan stint in January, insists no one is bigger than the club.

The Frenchman said: “We hope he stays and that’s the way it is.

“I don’t know exactly what is happening but as an Arsenal fan I want him to stay.

“He is still an Arsenal player and the boss has to deal with it.

“I just want Arsenal to do well. Robin will do what he will do and we’ll see.

“When I left, everybody cried, but then the year after they went on a run of being eight points ahead.

“Everyone comes and goes.”

BIG LOSS ... crocked midfielder Jack Wilshere

Meanwhile, Henry insists Arsenal need England midfielder Jack Wilshere, who is recovering from ankle and knee problems, back in action as soon as possible.

Wilshere, 20, is expected to return in October after spending the whole of last season on the treatment table.

Henry added: “You want Jack Wilshere around. He reminds me of when I first arrived when the old guard was there.

“He’s an Arsenal fan in the first place and you need this type of player around in the dressing room.

“It’s not only that he’s an Arsenal fan, and not only an Englishman, but he’s a good player. It’s as simple as that.

“What a shame that he stopped a bit because he was on his way.

“I just wish him all the best that he can come back quick and wear the shirt he loves so much.”

Gym-tastic Bronze for our boys - after Japan win dramatic appeal (THE SUN)

 

LOU ARE OUR HEROES ... GB's bronze-winning gymnasts Louis Smith, Daniel Purvis, Kristian Thomas, Max Whitlock and Sam Oldham

By DAN KING

Last Updated: 31st July 2012

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BRITAIN’S gymnasts were robbed of an Olympic silver medal by a marking blunder.

Our brilliant men ended up with an historic team bronze, having been downgraded to third after a successful appeal from Japan.

It was GB’s first medal in the event since a bronze in Stockholm back in 1912.

Hero Louis Smith said: “To get a bronze medal is a miracle. Despite that protest and the score change, for us this is a dream come true.”

The controversy came right at the end.

The five-man British team — and a crowd including Prince William and Prince Harry — had faced a nervous wait at a rocking North Greenwich Arena for the score for Japan’s final competitor on the pommel horse in the last of the six rotations.

When Kohei Uchimura was awarded a modest 13.466 after a dodgy-looking dismount, Team GB seemed sure of second place.

But the Japanese appealed on the grounds the judges had not given Uchimura credit for a skill he had attempted on his dismount.

The extra 0.7 they were given was enough to nudge them ahead of the brave Brits by just 0.241 — and relegate Ukraine to fourth. China took the gold.

Smith, whose pommel horse bronze in Beijing in 2008 kick-started the new era in British male gymnastics, added: “Silver, bronze, it doesn’t matter.

“We were still happy and still clapping. We have the bronze medal around our necks, who cares about silver?”

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Rio gobsmacked by charge (THE SUN)

TWITT'S UNBELIEVABLE ... Rio is stunned by charge

By NEIL CUSTIS

Published: Today at 00:26

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RIO FERDINAND has been left ‘dumbfounded’ by an FA charge over a tweet he made about Ashley Cole.

In the wake of John Terry’s racism trial, Ferdinand responded to a Twitter comment that referred to Cole as a “choc ice”.

A source said: “It is fair to say Rio is dumbfounded by this.

“He saw the tweet as a simple response to one of his followers rather than anything malicious and fears the FA is out of touch with modern-day social networking.”

Rio could be hit with a ban if he is found guilty of the improper conduct charge — although a £20,000 fine is more likely.

The incident that has landed the Manchester United centre-half in hot water came before Chelsea defender Terry was acquitted of racially abusing Ferdinand’s brother Anton.

Cole was a key witness in Terry’s defence and, when one of Rio’s 3million-plus followers referred to the left-back as a ‘choc ice’, Ferdinand responded: “I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic! Hahahahahahha!”

‘Choc ice’ is a derogatory term meaning black on the outside, white on the inside.

An FA statement read: “The allegation is that the player acted in a way which was improper and/or brought the game into disrepute by making comments which included a reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race.”

Ferdinand has until 4pm on Thursday to respond.

The charge is even more of a surprise given that the FA failed to act when Daniel Pacheco tweeted “Good luck negrito!” to Liverpool club-mate Glen Johnson ahead of Euro 2012.