We are halfway through the first week of competition and it has been intense! I haven't watched this much soccer.. uh since the World Cup. It has also been nonstop swimming, gymnastics, and controversy. (Badminton players throwing matches! Women outswimming men - DRUGS! Phelps!) One thing remains - UCLA is at the Olympics, and the athletes are here to kick ass and take names. Let's see how our Olympians have done since our first check in.
- The USA women's soccer team beat North Korea 1-0 in their final match of group play powered by an Abby Wambach goal. Lauren Cheney received a yellow card in the 16th minute, and Sydney Leroux did not play Their next match is in the quarterfinals against current sophomore Rosie White and New Zealand on Friday, August 3rd, 6:30am UCLA time. Current junior Chelsea Stewart and Team Canada face host country Great Britain on Friday at 11:30am - prime time (in London.) Good luck ladies!
- The USA men's basketball team opened group play with a 98-71 win over France. Russell Westbrook had 9 points, 3 assists and 4 rebounds while Kevin Love had 14 points and three rebounds. In the second game, the USA men beat Tunisia 110-63. Kevin Love had 16 points and 6 assists, and Westbrook 11 and 3. The best part of the game was when the player from Tunisia asked Kobe Bryant for his autograph. If he was smart, he would have had all the players sign it. They play today today at 2:15pm against Nigeria. Good luck. (to Nigeria.)
In USA men's water polo, they won their first match against Montenegro 8-7. Current UCLA coach Adam Wright played 22 minutes, picking up a steal and an assist. Chay Lapin did not play. In their second match, they beat Romania 10-8. Wright scored two goals. They play again Saturday against Serbia at 11:40am.
The USA women's water polo team won their first match 14-13 over Hungary. Led by Adam Kirkorian, Maggie Steffens scored an Olympic record tying seven goals, but it was Courtney Mathewson that scored the final three goals for the US, including the game winner. They then tied Spain in their second match, 9-9. Mathewson had a goal and Kelly Rulon contributed a steal and an assist.
In volleyball, the USA women with assistant coach Karch Kiraly beat Brazil 3-1 and then blanked China 3-0 to remain perfect in group play. They play Serbia on Friday at noon. The men's team has beaten both Serbia and Germany 3-0 in group play, with assistant coach (and new UCLA Coach) John Speraw and chief scout Mike Sealy. They play Brazil today at noon.
In tennis, Marcin Matkowski and partner Agnieszka Radwanska lost in mixed doubles to Australia's Lleyton Hewitt and Samantha Stosur, 6-3, 6-3.
In rowing, UCLA Mechanical Engineer PhD student Julie Nichols and her partner Kristin Hedstrom finished first in the second repechage of the women's lightweight double sculls event on Tuesday. They will row today in a six heat semifinal. Former UCLA club rower Silas Stafford and his partner Thomas Peszek finished fourth in their semifinal heat today. They didn't make the grand final, but will row in the second final on August 3rd.
Keep checking the main site for the "London Log-in." You can read them from UCLA Associate Athletic Director Mike Sondheimer, Anna Li, Chay Lapin and John Speraw, and Chay Lapin again.
Can't wait to see that first UCLA medal come in! (depending on if you count Jordyn Wieber's medal in the team women's gymnastics final, as she says she will be an undergraduate coach at UCLA.)
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