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| Monday, 23 August 2004 |
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Indrajith Cooray hard at practice Dinesh Weerawansa reporting from Greece ATHENS, Sunday - It will be a week-long all found holiday for Sri Lanka contingent for the Olympic Games as all competitors, except for marathon runner Anuradha Indrajith Cooray, have finished their events. The three Lankan athletes, two swimmers and shooter have finished their respective events following first round eliminations while sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe, who has been merely a passenger and claims that she only came here to 'captain the Sri Lanka contingent', skipped her women's 100m event. Hence, Cooray is the only Sri Lankan competitor who is still hard at practice here, making preparations for Saturday's event. The Greeks here talk high of the event, which incidentally would be worked out at the identical route of the first ever men's marathon in modern Olympics, here in Athens way back in 1896. Hence, the little Lankan too would be on a historic route, starting closer to Rafina, near the Ageos Andreas Media Village. Meanwhile, Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium was crowned women's singles champion at the Athens Olympics when she trounced Amelie Mauresmo of France in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 at the Olympic Tennis Centre. In a one-sided encounter that lasted for 78 minutes, Henin-Hardenne gave Belgium only its first ever Olympic tennis gold medal, and second in tennis overall. Their only medal in tennis before at Olympics was a bronze in women's doubles in Sydney, 2000. Top seeded Hennin-Hardenne never gave a chance to her bottom seeded opponent from Paris as she always held an upper hand right throughout the final, watched by her compatriot IOC President Jacques Rogge. The only occasion the two competitors were tied was during the 32-minute first set - at one-all but that too the No.1 having advantage. Mauresmo then was trailing 3-4 but with advantage. Since then, the top seed came out with some power packed playing to take that elusive title before a packed stadium at the centre court. The women's singles champion said it is a different feeling and a different atmosphere to win an Olympic gold medal. "It's amazing and I am very proud. I am physically good and get better as more as I play. I don't know how to celebrate this win," she said. It is for the first time in the world tennis history that Olympic tennis tournament carry world ranking points. The men's doubles gold was won by Chile though the combination of men's single bronze medalist Fernando Gonzales and Nicolas Massu. The duo survived a marathon five setter, which lasted three hours and 43 minutes to emerge victorious at the end - 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4 over Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler of Great Britain. Unseeded Alicia Molik of Australia sprang the biggest shock of the day when she humbled third seeded Anastesia Myskina of Russia to win the bronze medal Having won the 29-minute first set 6-3, Molik was tied at 4-all in the second. But the Australian did not want to go for a third as she powered her way back to put the finishing touches to the second set in style and with it wrapped the match up 6-3, 6-4 in 64 minutes. The semifinalists have been found in the men's soccer tournament, which saw the biggest shock of European 2004 champions and the hosts Greece making a first round exit. Iraq took the Asian football flame to the semifinals of the Olympics when they edged out Australia in a quarterfinal thriller at Heraklio Stadium last night. It is for the first time in the Olympic Games history that Iraq made it to the last four. After a tense scoreless first half the match winning and the only goal of the match came in the 64th minute through Mohammed Emad, who had an impressive back scissor kick. But Iraq's Asian alley Korea did not enjoy same success in the other quarterfinal game at Kaftantzoglio Stadium in Thessaloniki. Paraguay rewrote history when they beat Korea 3-2 to enter an Olympic soccer semifinal for the first time. It was a fast paced game with five goals and a number of opportunities missed by both sides. Paraguay led 1-0 at the breather but the two sides scored two goals each in an evenly contested second half. Italy had a close one goal to nil win over Mali in the third quarterfinal at Karaiskaki Stadium. But the fourth quarterfinal game was a completely one sided affair as Argentina thrashed Costa Rica 4-0 with two goals in each half. Tuesday's semifinal soccer line up would see Italy playing Argentina in Athens while Iraq play Paraguay at Kaftanzoglio. |
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