Britain set sights on ninth place
Hockey: Great Britain meet South Africa in a play-off for ninth place in the men’s tournament tomorrow after a 4-1 victory over Argentina yesterday. Goals from Rob Moore, Tom Bertram, Danny Hall and Mark Pearn ensured Britain would avoid the wooden spoon but they will still achieve their worst finish at the Games since 1968. In the women’s final tonight Holland start as strong favourites for their second Olympic title against Germany. The Dutch thrashed their traditional rivals in a pool match last week, scoring four goals in the opening 29 minutes.
Gardner upset
Wrestling: Rulon Gardner, the American who caused the greatest upset of the Sydney Games, yesterday lost his Greco-Roman super-heavyweight title. Gardner, who stopped Aleksandr Karelin from winning his fourth successive gold medal in 2000, was defeated by Georgiy Tsurtsumia in the semi-final.
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Russian refusal
Athletics: The Russian shot putter who failed a drugs test insists that she will not be giving back the gold medal. “I don’t believe either the results of the Greek laboratory or the activity of Wada (World Anti-Doping Agency). I will not return my gold medal. I won it and I’m Olympic champion,” Irina Korzhanenko said.
Golden rings
Gymnastics: Bulgaria will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to try to earn Jordan Jovchev a gold medal in the men’s rings final. They argue that a judging error denied Jovchev, who finished second, sharing gold with Dimosthenis Tampakos, of Greece.
Greece protest
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Boxing: Greece have lodged a protest against the defeat of Elias Pavlidis by Ahmed Ismail, of Egypt, in the light-heavyweight quarter-finals. Fans hurled plastic bottles into the ring after the referee stopped Pavlidis in the third round for a cut over his eye.