2012 Olympics: Medal count rises, Usain Bolt and USA soccer crew strike gold - Examiner.com

On August 9, after thirteen days of athletic competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the medal count for Team USA jumped to its biggest lead over China. The United States now leads the medal count by ten, after winning nine medals on Thursday. In other Olympic news, Usain Bolt from Jamaica and the United States women’s soccer team struck gold and stole the Olympics spotlight on Thursday.

China won three medals on Thursday, while Team USA scorched the day once again by winning an impressive nine medals. Since the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics nearly two weeks ago, the United States has won 90 total medals and 39 gold. China has claimed 80 total medals and 37 gold ones. Thursday was a very good day for Team USA Olympians.

On August 9, the United States won the following Olympic medals:

• Gold in women’s middleweight boxing (Claressa Shields)
• Gold in men’s triple jump (Christian Taylor)
• Gold in women’s soccer
• Gold in water polo
• Gold in men’s decathlon (Ashton Eaton)
• Silver in men’s triple jump (Will Claye)
• Silver in women’s open water swimming (Haley Anderson)
• Silver in men’s decathlon (Trey Hardee)
• Bronze in men’s taekwondo (Terrence Jennings)

Rival China won one gold medal in women’s synchronized diving, plus two silver medals in women’s taekwondo and women’s boxing.

Host country Great Britain had a much better day on Thursday than it did on Wednesday, when Team GB won no medals at all. On Thursday, the Brits won three gold medals in individual dressage equestrian, women’s boxing and women’s taekwondo. Great Britain also won a bronze medal in individual dressage equestrian.

Below is the medal count at the 2012 London Olympics, as of the end of day on August 9. ”G” stands for gold, “S” for silver, “B” for bronze, and “T” for total.

• United States: 39 (G) + 25 (S) + 26 (B) = 90 (T)
• China: 37 (G) + 24 (S) + 19 (B) = 80 (T)
• Russia: 12 (G) + 21 (S) + 23 (B) = 56 (T)
• Great Britain: 25 (G) + 13 (S) + 14 (B) = 52 (T)
• Germany: 10 (G) + 16 (S) + 11 (B) = 37 (T)
• Japan: 5 (G) + 14 (S) + 14 (B) = 33 (T)
• Australia: 6 (G) + 13 (S) + 10 (B) = 29 (T)
• France: 8 (G) + 9 (S) + 12 (B) = 29 (T)
• South Korea: 12 (G) + 7 (S) = 6 (B) = 25 (T)
• Italy: 7 (G) + 6 (S) + 6 (B) = 19 (T)
• Canada: 1 (G) + 5 (S) + 10 (B) = 16 (T)
• Netherlands: 5 (G) + 5 (S) + 6 (B) = 16 (T)
• Hungary: 8 (G) + 4 (S) + 3 (B) = 15 (T)
• Brazil: 2 (G) + 2 (S) + 7 (B) = 11 (T)
• Spain: 2 (G) + 7 (S) + 2 (B) = 11 (T)
• Belarus: 3 (G) + 3 (S) + 4 (B) = 10 (T)
• Ukraine: 3 (G) + 1 (S) + 6 (B) = 10 (T)
• New Zealand: 3 (G) + 2 (S) + 5 (BR) = 10 (T)
• Denmark: 2 (G) + 4 (S) + 3 (B) = 9 (T)
• Islamic Republic of Iran: 4 (G) + 4 (S) + 1 (B) = 9 (T)
• Jamaica: 3 (G) + 3 (S) + 3 (B) = 9 (T)
• Kazakhstan: 6 (G) + 0 (S) + 3 (B) = 9 (T)
• Poland: 2 (G) + 1 (S) + 6 (B) = 9 (T)
• Romania: 2 (G) + 5 (S) + 2 (B) = 9 (T)

After thirteen days of competition, the total medal count for all countries stands at 238 gold, 240 silver, and 271 bronze medals, for a total of 749, as of the end of day on August 9.

In other Olympics news from Thursday, Team Jamaica swept the men’s 200m sprint in track and field, with Usain Bolt claiming the gold medal. His teammates Yohan Blake and Warren Weir won the silver and bronze medals, making it a green and gold sweep at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Usain Bolt’s finishing time of 19.32 was his best this season, but it did not break an Olympic or World record. However, don’t tell Bolt that. After his gold medal run, he gloated to the international press, “I’m now a legend. I’m also the greatest athlete to live. I am in the same category as Michael Johnson.”

The Jamaican did however make Olympic history by becoming the only runner to win gold in the 100m and 200m in back-to-back Olympics. Earlier this month, Usain Bolt suffered from hamstring and back problems and his ability to defend his two titles was in question. However, he did just that on Thursday and captured the gold again for Jamaica.

When asked about his plans to compete in the Rio 2016 Olympics, Usain Bolt replied, “I've got nothing left to prove. I've showed the world I'm the best and, right now, I just want to enjoy myself. This is my moment.” Usain Bolt has won a total of five Olympic medals and is the most decorated Jamaican Olympic athlete of all time. Plus, he still has one more race to run in the 2012 Olympics. If Jamaica wins the 4x100 relay, Bolt could up his gold medal count to six. Chances are very strong that’s just what will happen before Bolt boards a plane and returns home to Jamaica as an Olympics hero yet again.

The second shining star on Thursday was the USA women’s soccer team. Ever since it lost to Japan on a penalty kick at the 2011 World Cup, the women were hungry for revenge and they finally got it at the 2012 Olympics.

The scene was Wembley Stadium and the cast of characters included soccer stars from the United States and its rival Japan. In the opening act, Carli Lloyd scored a goal for Team USA, which lead 1-0 at the half. The star of the second act was once again Lloyd, who scored her second goal of the game, which was attended by 80,203 fans, the largest crowd ever to watch an Olympics soccer game. Yugi Ogami from Japan tried to steal the spotlight, but her goal was too little too late.

Team USA defeated Japan by a score of 2-1 and the golden girls were able to avenge their crushing defeat in the World Cup. Since women’s soccer became an Olympic sport in 1996 in Atlanta, Team USA has won the gold medal four out of five times. This year’s final was an amazing display of teamwork, with veterans working beautifully alongside newcomers. They believed in one another and Team USA’s win was hard earned and well deserved.

Olympic competition continues on day fourteen. The NBC prime time highlights on Friday, August 10 include two relay races (men’s 4x400m and women’s 4x100), the men’s pole vault and women’s 1500m finals in track and field. BMX finals also air on Friday, as do the men’s platform diving qualifying rounds.

For a complete list of Summer Olympics televised events, go to NBColympics.com and enter your zip code for area-specific information.

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