Golf returns to the Olympics; Phelps, Biles go for more gold
United States' Michael Phelps kisses the gold medal during the medal ceremony for the men's 200-meter individual medley final during the swimming competitions at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
Bubba Watson tees on the 16th hole during the first round of the men’s golf event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday.
RIO DE JANEIRO – Putting aside the disconcerting lime-like waters at the aquatics center, the focus of the Rio Games turned toward the emerald green fairways of the Olympic Golf Course Thursday.
Adilson da Silva put golf back into the Olympics for the first time in 112 years when the lone Brazilian in the field sent his tee shot right down the middle of the fairway.
The Fiji rugby sevens squad secured the country’s first Olympic medal, and will play Britain later Thursday to determine whether it’s gold or silver. The back-to-back world sevens series champions beat Japan 20-5 and Britain rallied to beat No. 2-ranked South Africa 7-5.
Rugby is back in the Olympics for the first time since 1924.
Golf is back after an even longer absence.
Da Silva smiled and removed his cap to wave to the sparse crowd that included more golf officials than fans after his tee shot, the first at the Olympics since 1904. Growing up in golf-starved Brazil with little equipment, Da Silva used to make golf clubs out of tree branches as a child.
The world’s top four players – Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy – skipped the Rio Games because of Zika fears and safety concerns.
Michael Phelps wasn’t about to be stopped. Not even by his biggest rival.
Phelps blew away Ryan Lochte and everyone else, for that matter to win his fourth gold medal of the Rio Olympics and 22nd overall with a victory in the 200-meter individual medley Thursday night.
This was touted as the last showdown between two of America’s greatest swimmers, though there’s never been any question about which one had the upper hand.
Phelps became the first swimmer ever to win the same event at four straight Olympics, and he always left Lochte trailing in his wake. Phelps finished a full body-length ahead of the field with total dominance on the breaststroke and freestyle legs, finishing in 1 minute, 54.66 seconds.
Lochte didn’t even make it to the podium this time, after taking two silvers and a bronze behind Phelps at the last three Olympics. He led at the midway point but faded to fifth.
Japan’s Kosuke Hagino took the silver, while China’s Wang Shun claimed the bronze.
Forget the pressure. Forget the hype. Simone Biles is immune to all of it.
Dynamic on vault. Effortless on beam. Jaw-dropping on floor. Brilliant all over. And now, finally, an Olympic champion.
The 19-year-old American soared to the all-around title on Thursday afternoon, putting the gap between herself and the rest of the world on full display under the Olympic spotlight. Her total of 62.198 was well clear of silver medalist and “Final Five” teammate Aly Raisman and Russian bronze medalist Aliya Mustafina.
Biles became the fourth straight American woman to win the all-around title and fifth overall while cementing her reputation as the greatest gymnast of her generation and perhaps ever. Her victory was never in doubt and she burst into tears when her long journey to this moment ended when her final total was posted.
Pervasive violence is an everyday part of Rio, and a police officer was hospitalized after getting shot in the head when he and two others got lost near a slum.
The officers from Brazil’s national security force who were sent to Rio for the Olympics relied on a GPS device to navigate unfamiliar streets Wednesday afternoon, but they took a wrong turn off a highway leading to Rio’s international airport. Their truck was sprayed with bullets, and officer Helio Vieira was shot.
The Justice Ministry said Vieira was recovering after four hours of surgery and was in stable condition. The other officers sustained minor injuries.
The incident was the bloodiest of several at the start of South America’s first Olympic Games. Muggings have been reported among Olympic athletes, officials and journalists.
In afternoon action, American Kayla Harrison successfully defended her Olympic judo title in the women’s 78-kilogram division, beating France’s Audrey Tcheumeo in a tense final.
Other highlights from Day 6 of the Rio Games:
Exotic animals: On the course where Olympic golf made its return, there’s all the normal pratfalls like bunkers and sloping greens. There’s also native animals such as capybaras, caimans and corujas. The capybara is the world’s largest rodent, albeit an herbivore. The caiman a small crocodile and the corjuas are burrowing owls, some of whom have taken up residence in the course’s bunkers.
Hanging on: Venus Williams’ Rio Olympics is still going — just barely. Upset in the first round in singles and doubles while battling a virus, the four-time gold medalist was a late entrant into mixed doubles. She and teammate Rajeev Ram faced two match points Thursday and saved both in rallying from a set down for a 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 10-8 tiebreak win over Kiki Bertens and Jean-Julien Rojer of the netherlands.
Sick sailor: Sailing’s governing body says Evi van Acker of Belgium reported feeling ill after competing in the Laser Radial class on polluted Guanabara Bay. World Sailing spokesman Darryl Seibel said van Acker, the bronze medalist at London and a favorite to return to the podium in Rio, was evaluated by the chief medical officer after her races . It’s not immediately clear whether the illness is because of the polluted water.