Here’s highlights from the first full day of competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.FULL COVERAGE: 2012 Summer Games

SWIMMING: Lochte Takes Gold In 400 IM, Phelps Finishes 4th

Ryan Lochte of the United States competes in the Men's 400m Individual Medley heat 5 on Day One of the London 2012 Olympic Games
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Ryan Lochte  gave the United States its first gold of the London Olympics in the 400-meter individual medley. Fellow American Michael Phelps, the winner of eight gold medals four years ago, finished fourth.

Lochte turned his much-anticipated duel with Phelps into a blowout, pulling away to win by more than 3 seconds.

Phelps, who barely qualified for the final, was denied his 17th career medal. When the race was over, he could barely pull himself out of the pool.

China’s Ye Shiwen set the first world record at the Olympic pool, winning the women’s 400-meter individual medley with a dominant finishing kick. The runner-up was American teenager Elizabeth Beisel (BY’-suhl), who led more than halfway through the grueling race. The winning time 4 minutes, 28.43 seconds, while Beisel finished in 4:31.27.

Australia has won gold in the women’s 400-meter freestyle relay with the U.S. finishing third. In winning, the Australian set an Olympic record of 3 minutes, 33.15 seconds. The United States team got off to a blistering start with Missy Franklin swimming leadoff under world-record pace, but the Australians rallied behind Brittany Elmslie on the third leg. The U.S. finished in 3:34.24, giving Natalie Coughlin (KAWG’-lin) the 12th medal of her career, tying Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson as the most decorated U.S. female Olympian.

ARCHERY

U.S. takes silver

Italy won the gold medal in men’s team archery at the Olympics, beating the U.S. by one point on the final shot. The Americans’ silver was the country’s first medal of the games. South Korea took bronze.

Michele Frangilli, Marco Galiazzo and Mauro Nespoli hugged and raised their hands in celebration after the final arrow beat the Americans 219-218 at Lord’s Cricket Ground. The gold was Italy’s first ever in the event.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

U.S. wins opener

The U.S. women’s basketball team looked nothing like the squad that is expected to dominate the Olympics. It had to overcome a sloppy performance to beat Croatia 81-56.

The U.S., which got back to its hotel at 3 a.m. after the opening ceremonies, struggled for the first three quarters before winning its 34th consecutive Olympic contest.

The victory was far different than the 54-point pounding the Americans gave Croatia a week earlier.

SOCCER

US Women win

The U.S. women’s soccer team made it two wins in two games in a 3-0 win over Colombia in Glasgow, Scotland. Megan Rapinoe scored in the 33rd minute for the Americans. After her goal, she reached into her sock and pulled out a birthday message for Ali Krieger, who blew out her knee in a qualifying match in January. Krieger turned 28 on Saturday. Abby Wambach (WAHM’-bahk) made it 2-0 in the 74th, and Carli Lloyd scored in the 77th.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

U.S. gets a win

Kerri Walsh Jennings (R) and Misty May-Treanor (L) of the United States celebrate after winning against Australia during the Women's Beach Volleyball Preliminary Round on Day 1 of the London 2012 Olympic Games
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LONDON (AP) — Destinee Hooker had 21 points and the United States held off late-charging South Korea 3-1 in their opening match at the London Olympics. At one point the fans at Earls Court chanted “Des-tin-ee! Des-tin-ee!” as she dominated the 25-19, 25-17, 20-25, 25-21 victory. The United States won the silver medal in Beijing and is currently ranked No. 1 in the world.

When temperatures dropped into the low 60s for the first Olympic beach volleyball night session, Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor said bye-bye to their bikinis.

The two-time defending gold medalists from the United States wore long-sleeved shirts on top of bikini bottoms on Saturday, when the temperature at the start of their 11 p.m. match was 63 degrees. Their opponents, Australians Natalie Cook and Tasmin Hinchley, wore long pants and short-sleeved shirts underneath their bikini tops.

GYMNASTICS

U.S. men look good

America’s male gymnasts just might be able to back up their big talk. While perennial gymnastics powerhouses China and Japan bobbled and wobbled their way through qualifying, the American men proved they really do have the goods to contend for the gold medal. They didn’t count a single fall, and their final score of 275.342 is almost three points ahead of surprising Britain.

TENNIS

Serena relives pleasant memory…Isner looks sharp…Federer struggles

Serena Williams
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Serena Williams advanced to the second round of the Olympic tournament with a victory on the same Wimbledon court where she won her 14th Grand Slam title a few weeks ago. U.S. first lady Michelle Obama was on hand to watch Williams dismantle former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic (yeh-LAY’-nuh YANK’-oh-vihch) of Serbia 6-3, 6-1 on Centre Court.

American John Isner won his Olympic debut.

Wimbledon champion Roger Federer needed three sets to advance. The Swiss star is hunting his first singles gold in his fourth Olympic appearance. Federer won a doubles gold medal in 2008 with Stanislas Wawrinka (vah-VINK’-ah).

CYCLING

Vinokourov first across finish line

LONDON (AP) — Alexander Vinokourov of Kazakhstan won the gold medal in the men’s cycling road race of the London Olympics.

Taylor Phinney (FIN’-ee) of Boulder, Colo., was the top American, just missing the podium with a fourth-place finish.

TELEVISION

Good numbers for Peacock Network

The London Olympics appear to be off to a strong start for NBC.

The Nielsen company’s overnight ratings for Friday night’s opening ceremony were 7 percent better than the Beijing opener in 2008.

 

 

 

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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