CHINA slipped to second place in the London Olympics medals count Friday as wins in badminton and trampolining were outdone by an American gold rush in the pool.
The six-day leaders, who also ruled the roost at Beijing 2008, were just one gold behind the United States – 20 to 21 – but with athletics, a rich mine for American medals, only just under way.
World champions Japan humbled Brazil 2-0 to reach the women’s football semi-finals, easing the delegation’s disquiet at being knocked off top spot in the judo competition for the first time since Seoul 1988. China will look to their divers, badminton players and table tennis stars to maintain their flow of medals.
On Friday, world champions Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei, who are romantically involved, won the badminton mixed doubles 21-11, 21-17 against team-mates Xu Chen and Ma Jin.
It began what China hope will be a sweep of all five badminton titles – a bid which was rocked when top seeds Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli were among eight players kicked out of the women’s doubles for playing to lose.
Men’s champion Lin Dan set up a dream final with great rival Datuk Lee Chong Wei, who is recovering fast from a serious ankle injury, in what will help organisers move on from the ‘throwing’ scandal.
China stayed on course for the unprecedented feat of winning all eight diving titles when Wu Minxia, seeking a record-equalling sixth Olympic medal, led the preliminary round of the women’s 3m springboard.
Dong Dong won the men’s trampoline, usurping the title of Chinese teammate Lu Chunlong, who is also world champion in the discipline and took bronze.
South Korea claimed the Olympic Games men’s team sabre fencing gold, beating Romania 45-26 in the final, while Oh Jin-Hyek extended their dominance in the archery events by winning the men’s individual competition.
South Korea, who set a modest target of 10 titles for the Games, already have nine which puts them third on the medals table, ahead of hosts Great Britain.
But Japan were left to contemplate a medal-less showing for their male judokas which means that, for the first time in 24 years, they cannot finish as the competition’s most successful nation.
Japan have just one judo gold so far, through women’s under-57kg world champion Kaori Matsumoto. Japan are currently 13th on the medals table, with North Korea eighth.
“It is my responsibility. Technically we were good but mentally and in terms of power we were weak,” said men’s coach Shinichi Shinohara.
“I don’t think the rest of the world has got better but mentally athletes from the other countries are stronger.” — AFP