Olympics-Brazil cheers, hopes, suffers as home team hunts glory (Reuters) (Adds Brazil men's gymnastics team qualifying for finals for first time) By Jeb Blount RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Brazil won its first medal of the Rio Olympics on Saturday, but its hard cheering fans also suffered deep disappointment as a top gold-medal hope was eliminated from the judo competition, left in … [Read more...]

Brazil cheers, hopes, suffers as home team hunts glory (Reuters) By Jeb Blount RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil won its first medal of the Rio Olympics on Saturday, but its hard cheering fans also suffered deep disappointment as a top gold-medal hope was eliminated from the judo competition, left in tears on the mat with a dislocated elbow. After months of criticism over construction … [Read more...]

Olympics-Cycling-Belgian Van Avermaet wins thrilling road race (Reuters) (Adds details) By Martyn Herman RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Belgian Greg van Avermaet snatched a dramatic gold medal in the men's Olympic road race, outsprinting Denmark's Jakob Fuglsang alongside the Copacabana beach after a spectacular day of racing on Saturday. Italy's Vincenzo Nibali looked primed to win … [Read more...]

Olympics-Stray bullet flies into equestrian press centre (Reuters) (Adds comment from New Zealand delegation) By Caroline Stauffer and Daniel Flynn RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 6 (Reuters) - A stray bullet cut through the plastic roof of the equestrian media centre in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, alarming journalists and underlining concerns about the host city's ability to guarantee security at the … [Read more...]

United States beats No. 2 Argentina in women's field hockey (Yahoo Sports) The United States claimed one of the biggest wins in its Olympic women's field hockey history, defeating No. 2 Argentina 2-1 Saturday in its opening match. Three minutes later, Katie Reinprecht slipped one under the goalkeeper to give the Americans a 1-0 lead. Delfina Merino scored for Argentina with 3:27 remaining, … [Read more...]

Stray bullet flies into equestrian press center (Reuters) By Caroline Stauffer and Daniel Flynn RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A stray bullet cut through the plastic roof of the equestrian media center in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, alarming journalists and underlining concerns about the host city's ability to guarantee security at the world's biggest sporting event. The equestrian venue is … [Read more...]

Peaty sets world mark in heats on 1st day in Olympic pool (Yahoo Sports) Swimming got off to a fast start in preliminaries at the Olympic pool on Saturday, with a world record in the men's 100-meter breaststroke, the second-fastest performance ever in the women's 400 individual medley and a defending champion knocked out. Katinka Hosszu of Hungary just missed setting a world record in the … [Read more...]

Police detonate backpack near finish line of Rio Olympic cycling race (Reuters) By Scott Malone and Caroline Stauffer RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A loud blast shook the media seats near the finishing line of the men's cycling road race on the first day of the Rio Olympics when Brazil's bomb squad detonated an unattended backpack on Saturday, amid tight security at South America's first … [Read more...]

First gold medal in Rio goes to US shooter Virginia Thrasher (Yahoo Sports) Virginia Thrasher went through a three-week spring whirlwind, winning three NCAA titles and a spot on the U.S. Olympic Shooting team. Keeping her nerve on sport's biggest stage, Thrasher on Saturday earned the first gold medal of the Rio Olympics, outlasting two-time gold medalist Du Li to capture the women's … [Read more...]

Olympics-Cycling-Italian Nibali taken to hospital after crash (Reuters) By Scott Malone RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Italian cyclist Vincenzo Nibali was taken to hospital with a possible fractured collarbone after crashing on a high-speed descent near the end of the Olympic men's road race on Saturday, a team official said. Nibali attacked in the closing stages, leading a three-man … [Read more...]