LONDON — Ryan Lochte won the 400-meter individual medley, China collected a couple of gold medals and Australia set an Olympic record while winning the women’s 400-meter freestyle relay.
LONDON — Ryan Lochte won the 400-meter individual medley, China collected a couple of gold medals and Australia set an Olympic record while winning the women’s 400-meter freestyle relay.
Oh, and Michael Phelps went without a medal in an Olympic race for the first time since 2000.
It was quite the opening night at the pool.
After barely qualifying for the final, Phelps struggled to a fourth-place finish and was denied his 17th career Olympic medal. When it was done, he could barely get out of the pool.
Lochte took the gold with a time of 4 minutes, 5.18 seconds. Brazil’s Thiago Pereira (4:08.86) settled for silver, while Japan’s Kosuke Hagino (4:08.94) claimed the bronze.
“I think I’m kind of in shock right now,” Lochte said. As for his defeated rival Phelps, “I know he gave it everything he had. That’s all you can ask for.”
The women’s 400 individual medley went to 16-year-old Ye Shiwen, who set a world record with a time of 4:28.43. It was the third mark to fall since high-tech bodysuits were banned at the end of 2009.
American Elizabeth Beisel took silver, and China’s Li Xuanxu grabbed the bronze.
Sun Yang flirted with a world record in the men’s 400 freestyle. He took gold in 3:40.14, just off the mark of 3:40.07 by Germany’s Paul Biedermann in a rubberized suit three years ago.
South Korea’s Park Tae-hwan was the silver medalist in 3:42.06, and American Peter Vanderkaay took the bronze in 3:44.69.
Australia finished the 400-free relay in 3:33.15, Netherlands won the silver and the Americans got bronze.
The U.S. finish was enough to deliver a 12th medal to Natalie Coughlin, who matched Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson for most decorated U.S. female Olympian. Coughlin swam in the morning prelims, but wasn’t used in the evening; everyone who swims on a relay gets a medal.
After hosting a dazzling opening ceremony Friday night, Britain got off to a shaky start on the first full day of action when favored cycling star Mark Cavendish finished 28th in the road race.
Kazakhstan’s Alexander Vinokourov, who has said he will retire from cycling after the games, won gold. Rigoberto Uran of Colombia took silver, and Alexander Kristoff of Norway won a mass sprint for the bronze.
“The guys all sat there in the tent absolutely spent. We did everything we could,” Cavendish said afterward. “We didn’t expect any help. We rode the race we wanted to ride.”
Wimbledon champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams each won their opening matches — one struggled, one didn’t.
Federer, a four-time Olympian, overcame a jittery patch and beat Alejandro Falla of Colombia 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. The top-ranked Swiss star was a point from victory in the second set, then lost three of his next four service games. But he recovered in time to avoid the upset.
U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama watched from the front row of Williams’ box as the fourth-seeded American beat former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-3, 6-1 on Centre Court.
Cavendish and his troubles aside, his countrymen got off to a terrific start in men’s gymnastics — almost as good as the United States.
While perennial powerhouses China and Japan bobbled and wobbled their way through qualifying, the Americans proved they really do have the goods to contend for the gold medal. They didn’t count a single fall, and their final score of 275.342 is almost three points ahead of Britain.
Britain, which was only good enough to send two gymnasts to Beijing four years ago, got a spectacular pommel horse by Louis Smith and finished with a score of 272.420.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Maybe it was first-game nerves or a hangover from the opening ceremony. But the U.S. had to overcome a sloppy performance to post an 81-56 victory over Croatia in its first game.
Coach Geno Auriemma had said he was hoping the Americans could play a style of basketball that would be entertaining and help grow the women’s game internationally. That didn’t happen.
“We have five players who have never been in the Olympics before, so they are going to be nervous. Everybody was a little nervous,” Auriemma said. “We’re better than we showed, but I don’t know that we’re going to be great right off the bat.”
The U.S., which got back to its hotel at 3 a.m. after the kickoff party, struggled for the first three quarters before winning its 34th consecutive Olympic game.
Next up for the Americans is Angola, which lost to Turkey 72-50 in its Olympic debut.
The Czech Republic lost their pool opener, falling to China 66-57. In another early game, Russia rallied past Canada 58-53. France beat Brazil 73-58.
SOCCER
The U.S. women clinched a spot in the quarterfinals and remembered an injured teammate in a 3-0 victory over Colombia.
Megan Rapinoe scored in the 33rd minute for the Americans. After her goal, she reached into her sock and pulled out a birthday message for Ali Krieger, who blew out her knee in a qualifying match in January.
Abby Wambach made it 2-0 in the 74th, and Carli Lloyd scored in the 77th.
Britain wrapped up a spot in the women’s quarters with a 3-0 victory against Cameroon. Canada beat South Africa 3-0, Brazil blanked New Zealand 1-0, and Sweden held Women’s World Cup champion Japan to a scoreless draw. France beat North Korea 5-0 in the late match at Hampden Park.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
The Olympics’ sexiest sport opened with a raucous debut, mixing in a little local flair with all of the more traditional trifles that have made the event one of the most sought-after tickets in London (though Sir Paul McCartney managed to get one for the afternoon session).
A dance team in bathing suits jiggled for the sold-out crowd during timeouts, while rock music nearly drowned out the pealing of Big Ben.
Located just inside the gate used by the queen — and only the queen — to ride up to Buckingham Palace, the beach volleyball venue offers views of the London Eye, the Big Ben clock tower and 10 Downing Street.
Americans Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor, who are trying for a third consecutive gold medal, beat Australians Tasmin Hinchley and five-time Olympian Natalie Cook in the final match 21-18, 21-19. The No. 2 U.S. men’s team of Sean Rosenthal and Jake Gibb needed just 33 minutes to put away South Africans Freedom Chiya and Grant Goldschmidt.