Day 3: Soni Wins Silver, No Medals For Men [VIDEO]

Highlights from Day 3 of Summer Olympic competition.

• FULL COVERAGE: 2012 Summer Games

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

US women win by 52

The U.S. women’s basketball team routed Angola 90-38 for its 35th straight Olympic triumph. Candace Parker’s 14 points and 12 rebounds led the way. The Americans are looking for their fifth straight Olympic gold medal.

Next up for the U.S. is Turkey, which improved to 2-0 in pool play with a 61-57 victory over the Czech Republic. The Americans also will face China and the Czech Republic. The U.S. beat the Czechs in the finals of the 2010 world championship to qualify for the London Games.

SWIMMING

American gold in the pool

Americans showcased their medal power in the swimming pool at the Olympics.

Seventeen-year-old Missy Franklin earned her first Olympic gold medal by winning the women’s 100-meter backstroke. Franklin covered the distance in 58.33 seconds just 10 minutes after earning the eighth and final spot in the 200-meter freestyle final.

American teammate Matt Grevers made it a backstroke sweep for the U.S. with an Olympic record time of 52.16 seconds in the men’s 100-meters. That was 38-hundreths of a second faster than the old mark set by American Aaron Peirsol at the Beijing Olympics four years ago. The U.S. earned a 1-2 finish in the event with Nick Thoman winning the silver medal.

Rebecca Soni missed a gold medal in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke by eight-hundredths of a second. The world champion had to settle for silver.

On the other hand, world champion Ryan Lochte (LAHK’-tee) was shut out of the medals in the 200-meter freestyle, finishing a disappointing fourth. The gold went to France’s Yannick Agnel, who finished more than a second and a half in ahead of the competition.

TENNIS

Williams sisters advance

The Williams sisters posted Olympic victories on the familiar grass of the All England Club.

Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus began her bid for a record fourth Olympic gold medal by beating Sara Errani  of Italy, 6-3, 6-1 in a rain-delayed first-round match.

Twenty minutes later, Serena closed out a 6-2, 6-3 second-round victory over Urszula Radwanska

The sisters later won their opening doubles match, beating Sorana Cirstea and Simona Halep of Romania 6-3, 6-2.

Andy Roddick, John Isner and Varvara Lepchenko helped the Americans go 6-0 in tennis play.

Seven-time Wimbledon champ and world No. 1 Roger Federer of Switzerland needed less than an hour to dispose of second-round opponent Julien Benneteau (ZHOO’-lee-ehn BEHN’-eh-toh) of France 6-2, 6-2.

GYMNASTICS-MEN’S FINAL

Americans fail to medal

The U.S. men’s gymnastics team failed to win a medal in the team competition. The Americans were leading after qualifying but fell to fifth place in the final standings. They were attempting to claim their first gold medal since 1984, but that fell apart with a dismal showing on the pommel horse.

China won the gold, followed by Japan and Great Britain. It was the first gymnastics medal for the British men in a century.

DIVING

U.S. has another diving medal

Nick McCrory and David Boudia (boo-DY’-ah) of the U.S. took the bronze medal in men’s 10-meter synchronized platform. It comes a day after Kelci Bryant and Abby Johnston broke an American medal drought in diving that stretched back to the 2000 Games in Sydney. The duo captured silver in the women’s 10-meter syncronized springboard, behind China. The 2008 Olympic hosts won Monday’s men’s event, as well.

JUDO

Malloy medals

LONDON (AP) — American Marti Malloy won a bronze medal in the 57-kilogram division of the women’s judo competition.

Kaori Matsumoto won Japan’s first gold in London in the martial art it invented.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Americans stay unbeaten

The U.S. women’s volleyball team defeated Brazil 3-1 in an early-round rematch of the Beijing Games final won by the Brazilians.

Destinee Hooker had 23 points and Jordan Larson added 18 for the top-ranked Americans, who won 25-18, 25-17, 22-25, 25-21 to improve to 2-0 in pool play.

WOMEN’S WATER POLO

U.S. eeks out a win

Maggie Steffens scored seven goals in her Olympic debut to lead the United States to a 14-13 win over Hungary in water polo at the London Games.

The 19-year-old led the way for the gold medal favorites with sharp shooting from outside.

The U.S. has finished on the podium at every Olympics since the women’s game debuted in 2000, taking home bronze in 2004 and silver in 2000 and 2008.

SOCCER

Solo stays with Chastain rant

U.S. women’s soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo didn’t back down Monday from her Twitter outburst against NBC analyst Brandi Chastain, saying the tweets were her way of expressing her opinion about the quality of television announcers.

Solo addressed the matter briefly but didn’t apologize or express regret. She answered only one question about the matter.

Solo railed against Chastain’s commentary following the Americans’ 3-0 win over Colombia on Saturday, upset over Chastain’s criticisms of the team’s defensive play.

OLYMPIC TWITTER

Swiss soccer player expelled

A Swiss soccer player has been expelled from the Olympics for allegedly for a racist message on Twitter.

Swiss media report that Michel Morganella posted an offensive tweet about South Korean people after the Swiss team lost 2-1 to South Korea on Sunday.

The 23-year-old defender is the second Olympic athlete kicked off a team for offensive Twitter comments. Greece dropped triple jumper Voula Papachristou (VOO’-luh pah-puh-KRIS’-too) last week after a comment mocking African immigrants.

MEDALS

China leads in early standings

China leads all countries with nine golds and is tied with the U.S. with 17 overall medals. The United States has five golds. Japan is third with 11 overall medals.

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS

Gold at stake in gymnastics and in the pool

Tuesday’s action includes women’s gymnastics team gold medal final. In swimming, there are gold medal finals in men’s 200-meter butterfly featuring Michael Phelps, men’s 4x200m freestyle relay, women’s 200-meter freestyle and women’s 200-meter individual medley.

There is also synchronized platform gold medal final in women’s diving.

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