Britain’s 100-year record for medals, China still lead

Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton won the men's and women's sprints, making it a remarkable eight Beijing golds on road and track for the new cycling superpower. In Qingdao, on the coast, another Briton, Paul Goodison, won the sailing Laser title.

Britain's success is attributed to heavy new investment in sport. That has allowed athletes and coaches to train full time, as well as seen improvements in facilities.

Chinese leaders and people alike showered their injured Olympics 110m hurdles champion Liu with get well messages a day after he limped forlornly off the track, depriving the hosts of what they hoped might be their greatest single moment of glory.

Liu, who along with basketball player Yao Ming is China's most idolized sportsman, surfaced on Tuesday, vowing not to quit.

"There'll be opportunities next year," he said.

Cuban 110m hurdles world record holder Dayron Robles blazed into the semi-finals and should win now Liu is out.

At least fans who wept at Liu's exit were cheered by the medal table. "There is basically no worry about top spot," state news agency Xinhua said, eschewing China's pre-Games caution.

The locals are loving it: one man cycled 1,300km (800 miles) to tow his 98-year-old grandmother to the Games in a pedicab.

Further cheering the Chinese national mood, environmental authorities said Beijing had enjoyed its cleanest air in 10 years this month despite athletes' pre-Games fears.

One man whose lungs definitely were not affected by any lingering smog was German triathlete Jan Frodeno.

The 27-year-old outsider, who only took up triathlon to impress a girl, broke away from three of the sport's biggest names at the end to win the swim-bike-run endurance test.

"During the race I told myself: 'Boy, be greedy -- it's champagne or fizzy water'," said the former lifeguard.

Though the "beautiful game" plays second fiddle to other sports at the Olympics, there was a mouth-watering soccer semi-final between soccer powers Argentina and Brazil.

Argentina won 3-0 and a frustrated Brazil, who have won the World Cup five times but never an Olympic gold, had two men sent off late on. Nigeria reached the soccer final for the first time since winning gold 12 years ago with a 4-1 thrashing of Belgium. (Reporting by Beijing Olympics bureau; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)



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