Isinbayeva sets new WR to win gold

Elena Isinbaeva competes. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

(BEIJING, August 18) -- Defending Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia broke her own world record with 5.05m to win gold in the Women's Pole Vault at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. This was the third time that Isinbayeva set a new world record this year.

Jennifer Stuczynski of the United States cleared 4.80m to take the silver medal, while Athens 2004 silver medalist Svetlana Feofanova of Russia earned bronze with a vault of 4.75m.

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Elena Isinbaeva competes. (Photo credit: Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Russia's Elena Isinbaeva successfully defended the Women's Pole Vault Olympic gold medal here on Monday.

Jennifer Stuczynski of the United States took silver and another Russian, Svetlana Feofanova, went away with the bronze medal.

Elena Isinbaeva competes. (Photo credit: Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Elena Isinbaeva competes. (Photo credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Elena Isinbaeva gestures during the final. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Blanik wins the gold medal in the Men's Vault

Leszek Blanik of Poland celebrates with his coach (Photo Credit: Xinhua)

(BEIJING, August 18) -- Leszek Blanik of Poland scored 16.537 to win the gold medal in the Men's Vault in Beijing on August 18. Thomas Bouhail of France won the silver medal with the same score, but was placed second due to inferior execution.

The bronze medal went to Anton Golotsutskov of Russia who scored 16.475.

Blanik is the first Polish gymnast to win a gold medal in the Men's Vault. The 31-year-old veteran won a bronze medal at Sydney 2000.

Favorite for the gold, Romania's Marian Dragulescu, finished a disappointing fourth. The bronze medalist at Athens 2004 made a mistake on his second vault and it cost him dearly.

"I am unlucky in the Olympics. In Athens I was a favorite, but I made the same mistake like today. I am a multiple world champion, but in the Olympics, I haven't won a gold medal," said Dragulescu after the event.

Flash: Americans clean up Men's 400m Hurdles

The United States swept all three medals in the Men's 400m Hurdles final at the National Stadium on August 18. Angelo Taylor, Kerron Clement and Bershawn Jackson won gold, silver and bronze medals with times of 47.25s, 47.98s, and 48.06s respectively.

He Kexin wins China's seventh Gymnastics gold at Beijing 2008

(L-R) Nastia Liukin, He Kexin and Yang Yilin. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

(BEIJING, August 18) -- He Kexin carried out the most difficult moves tonight in the Uneven Bars, but so did Nastia Liukin of the United States. Both scored 16.725, with even the Score A (a measure of difficulty) of both gymnasts being an identical 7.7. According to the rules of Artistic Gymnastics, the gold medal went to He because she made fewer mistakes than Liukin.

The gold medal is He's second of the Games as she won the gold medal in the Women's Team event on August 13. Liukin has now won four medals at Beijing 2008, with her other three medals being the gold medal in the All-Around, the silver medal in the Team final and the bronze medal in the Floor Exercise event.

Yang Yilin won the bronze medal with a score of 16.650. Yang has won a Team gold and the All-Around bronze medal at Beijing 2008.

Despite the disadvantage of competing first, as the first competitor tends to score less due to the conservative attitude of the judges, He dished out a nearly flawless performance and scored 16.725.

Liukin was the second to compete and performed a routine with the same level of difficulty as He's routine. However, six Score B judges found more flaws with her performance and she was ranked behind He despite having the same overall score.

Indonesians Kido and Setiawan win Olympic Men's Badminton Doubles gold

Hendra Setiawan (L) and Markis Kido bite their gold medals. (Photo credit: Lars Baron/Getty

Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia beat Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng of China 2-1 in the final and grabbed the Badminton Men's Doubles gold medal in Beijing, China, August 16, 2008.

Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan (R) of Indonesia compete. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan (B) of Indonesia compete. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng (B) of China compete. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan (front) celebrate. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Ruban squashes ROK hopes for Individual title

Viktor Ruban of Ukraine releases. (Photo credit: Gesang Dawa/Xinhua)

BEIJING, August 15) -- Viktor Ruban of Ukraine prevented Park Kyung-mo of the Republic of Korea from winning ROK's first Men's Individual Olympic title with the very last arrow of their gold medal match at the Olympic Green Archery Field on Friday.

In a tightly-contested gold medal match, the No. 3 seed Ruban defeated the No. 4 seed Park 113-112.

Ruban was lucky to have been in the gold medal match having barely made it through the semifinals. To shoot in the gold medal match, Ruban had to break a 112-112 tie with Bair Badenov of the Russian Federation in a two-arrow shoot off.

Ruban waves to spectators. (Photo credit: Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Park, the Individual silver medalist, was also lucky to have been in the gold medal match. He almost didn't make it into the top four, having tied Juan Carlos Stevens of Cuba in the quarterfinal match 108-108. On a two-arrow shoot off, Park launched a 10 to break the tie. Park then beat Juan Rene Serrano of Mexico in the semifinals, 115-112.

Ruban will add his Individual gold medal to his Team bronze won at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Park will add his Individual silver medal won in Beijing to his two Team Gold medals from the Athens Games and the Beijing Games.

In the bronze medal match, the No. 31 seed Badenov defeated the No. 1 seed Serrano, 110-105.

Stevens was fifth, Moriya Ryuichi of Japan sixth, Victor Wunderle for the United States seventh and Cheng Chu-sian of Malaysia eighth.

Australia sweeps group A in Women's Basketball

Rebekka Linn Hammon (left) breaks through. (Photo credit: Meng Yongmin/Xinhua)

Australia completed their Women's Basketball group A matches with five wins, after defeating Russia 75-55 on August 17.

Russia played fairly well in the first half, leading 37-25. However, the Opals regained their momentum in the second half and blew out their opponents 75-55.

Australian center Lauren Jackson achieved a double-double, netting 16 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.

Suzy Batkovic lays up the ball. (Photo credit: Meng Yongmin/Xinhua)

Rebekka Linn Hammon (right) lays up the ball. (Photo credit: Meng Yongmin/Xinhua)

Players celebrate. (Photo credit: Meng Yongmin/Xinhua)