olympic sports

BEIJING -- BEIJING -- It was well worth the wait.Sixteen days after the Opening Ceremony - and four years after dropping out of the 10,000 meters at the Athens Olympics -- Dathan Ritzenhein finished ninth in the marathon, the final track event at the Beijing Olympics.

BEIJING -- They can take down that dang bronze medal now.The United States women's basketball team rolled to its fourth consecutive gold medal Saturday night and advanced their streak of consecutive Olympic wins to 33 with a 92-65 win over Australia.

BEIJING -- The United States baseball team will leave Beijing with a bronze medal as a parting gift, for itself and its sport.The U.S., in its final Olympic appearance for the foreseeable future, earned that medal by defeating Japan, 8-4, Saturday at Wukesong Baseball Field.

BEIJING -- On a roll. In a zone. At another level.Whichever phrase you preferred, Phil Dalhausser provided the perfect example at the time it mattered most.

BEIJING -- The foot was the only thing different.Former Tennessee decathlete Tom Pappas had to bow out of his second straight Olympics on Thursday, this time just two events into the first day of competition.

BEIJING -- United States women's basketball coach Anne Donovan has been preaching defense since the first day of practice to her group of WNBA superstars - Thursday at the Summer Olympics they found out why.

She stood during the national anthem, stood with her hands clasped behind her back, listening respectfully, just like the other Americans.Except she was not like the other Americans.They wore the red, white and blue of the United States women's basketball team.She wore the red and white of Russia.She grew up in South Dakota, but was playing for Russia.

BEIJING -- Defense really does win championships.And the United States women's soccer team has a brand new gold medal to prove it.With a smothering defense, backed up by the spectacular goalkeeper play of Hope Solo, the U.S. edged Brazil 1-0 in overtime here Thursday night to win their second straight Olympic gold medal.

BEIJING -- When she drove in the go-ahead run in extra innings of an Olympic softball semifinal game Wednesday, Caitlin Lowe was just doing her job. The U.S. Olympic Committee's $1 million funding of the women's softball team this year helped the players travel across America and prepare for the Olympic tournament, while earning modest salaries.

BEIJING -- Even the best team in the world can't afford to squander scoring opportunities in a sport where they are precious and few.The United States softball team did that.Japan did not.And so, it's Japan's softball team that stands atop the world at the end of what may have been the final Olympic game for the sport.