Borrowed medal? No thanks, Henderson wins own Olympic gold

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil—Jeff Henderson had an Olympic gold medal in his grasp. Just not one he could call his own.

With a pressure-packed jump on his last try of the night, the American long jumper changed all that. He won his own gold medal in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday and returned the one he carried for motivation to its rightful owner.

And now both Henderson and his coach, 1984 triple jump champ Al Joyner, really have something to celebrate.

“He said, ‘I want you to give me back my gold medal and keep your gold medal,'” Henderson recounted. “I gave it back before I went out there. I knew I was going to win.”

He was clutch on his last attempt. It’s becoming an American trend. The night before, Michelle Carter won the shot put on her final attempt.

Henderson rocked back and forth before starting down the runway. He flew into the air and when he landed in the sand, he instantly knew that was good enough for gold. His jump of 8.38 meters surpassed South Africa’s Luvo Manyonga, who finished with silver. Defending champion Greg Rutherford of Britain was left with the bronze.

“I came here to win,” Rutherford said. “I’m going away disappointed.”

Just imagine how Jarrion Lawson feels. The American had the last jump of the evening and thought his was well out there — maybe even gold-medal worthy — but he dragged his left hand in the sand before landing.

That was the spot to where officials measured. He finished in fourth place.

“I still think I had it. Maybe I hit my hand, maybe I didn’t,” said Lawson, who was an All-American at the University of Arkansas. “Just can’t argue with technology.

“But I think that was a No. 1 jump.”

History will reflect Henderson as the winner, though. He said Joyner had used a similar ploy as motivation before — with his late wife, Florence Griffith-Joyner.

It certainly got Henderson’s attention.

“He’s always like, ‘You’re a champion. Believe in yourself,'” explained the 27-year-old Henderson, who’s from McAlmont, Arkansas. “The last jump I was just like, ‘OK, just keep everything the same, don’t change nothing.’

“I knew it was the winning jump after I saw it.”

How’s this for a little more history: Henderson captured gold medal No. 999 for the United States in the Summer Olympics. He was about 30 minutes shy of winning the magical 1,000th, but it went to the women’s 4×100-meter medley relay swim team.

“Feels amazing,” Henderson said. “To be in that group and that category is awesome. To have that, 999, I didn’t know that. It feels like I’m in a dream, honestly.”

Still think the long jump is boring, Carl Lewis? The track icon recently took issue with his former event and the lack of more star power. Henderson has no issues with Lewis’ sentiment.

Although, he will give his good friend some good-natured ribbing.

“I know Carl Lewis, he’s biting his tongue right now,” Henderson said. “I have nothing against Carl. Wait to see what he says after this.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Nadal notches Olympic gold, ‘unforgettable’ return

RIO DE JANEIRO—Rafael Nadal described his second Olympic gold as “unforgettable” after marking his return from his latest injury misery by partnering close friend Marc Lopez to the men’s doubles title in Rio.

The 30-year-old Spaniard added the 2016 doubles crown to his 2008 singles gold in Beijing by defeating Romania’s Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau 6-2, 3-6, 4-6.

Nadal is just the fourth player to win gold in Olympic singles and doubles after Serena and Venus Williams and Chile’s Nicolas Massu.

The former world number one and holder of 14 Grand Slam titles was playing his first tournament since May when a wrist injury forced an early retirement from the French Open.

“It was an amazing experience, especially doing it with one of my best friends, with Marc, it’s something unforgettable for me, for both of us,” said Nadal.

“To win a gold medal after two months and a half with no practice, with no preparation, just working in the gym, is something that is a dream.

“The moment was unbelievable, and we had fun. We fight hard.”

Nadal’s participation in the Olympics was in doubt until the last minute but now he has one gold and the prospect of another in the men’s singles where he’s reached the semi-finals.

Earlier Friday, he defeated Brazil’s Thomaz Bellucci 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 for his 800th career singles win.

He will face Juan Martín Del Potro of Argentina on Saturday for a place in the championship match.

“It’s a dream to win for my country. I didn’t come here just to carry the flag at the opening ceremony,” added Nadal.

‘Happiest man on earth’

For 34-year-old Lopez, it was a second major title of 2016 after he partnered compatriot Feliciano Lopez to the French Open title in June.

“Sharing these feelings with Rafa is really a dream come true,” said Lopez, who has now won five doubles titles with Nadal.

“All the things we have done together, I am the happiest man on earth.”

Tecau paid tribute to Nadal whose all-court skills proved crucial.

“You don’t see this in singles, but he volleys really well. He moves a lot at the net, puts a lot of pressure, defends really well,” said Tecau.

“He can hit an angle in every shot. And he’s all over the court. You have to play with precision and play to win most of the time. Otherwise you’re going to give him a lot of shots and that’s what he likes. Then he takes control of the points.”

The Spanish pair had cruised through the first set of the final 6-2 on the back of breaks in the fifth and seventh games.

But Mergea and Tecau, giving Romania their first ever Olympic tennis medal, hit back, focussing their attack on Lopez.

They broke for a 3-1 lead and saved two break-back points in the ninth game to level the final on a chilly night in the Brazilian city.

Mergea and Tecau, both 31 and born within a week of each other, sensed victory when they nipped ahead at 4-3 in the decider with Lopez again broken.

But the Spanish duo regained the break at 4-4 when Tecau was broken. Nadal then held for a 5-4 lead.

The Romanian pair saved two championship points in the 10th game but a wild Tecau smash gave Nadal and Lopez the title after two and a half hours of action.

The Spaniards’ all-out attack and rock-solid defence were crucial forcing their opponents into making 46 unforced errors and having to save 12 of 16 break points they faced.

America’s Steve Johnson and Jack Sock defeated Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil, the Canadian seventh seeds, 6-2, 6-4 to claim the bronze medal.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Olympics’ most decorated athlete: Phelps wins 22nd gold

RIO DE JANEIRO—Michael Phelps seized another slice of Olympic history Thursday with a dominant victory in the 200m individual medley at the Rio Games, his fourth straight in the event.

Phelps became the third Olympian to win the same individual event at four straight Games, joining discus thrower Al Oerter and Carl Lewis in the long jump in achieving the feat.

Lurking in second until the end of the breaststroke third leg, he surged home on the closing freestyle lap to win in 1min 54.66sec.

That was almost two seconds in front of silver medalist Kosuke Hagino of Japan, the 400m individual medley champion who powered from fifth at the final wall to touch in 1:56.61.

China’s Wang Shun was third in 1:57.05.

Phelps’ old foe Ryan Lochte led at the halfway point, but the world record-holder in the event couldn’t hang on and finished fifth.

Brazilian contender Thiago Pereira, buoyed by an ecstatic crowd, led after the opening butterfly lap and was equal second at the halfway point, but faded to finish seventh.

Phelps claimed his 22nd Olympic gold medal and his fourth at the Rio Olympics.

The most decorated Olympian of all time was back in the pool later on Thursday in the 100m butterfly semi-finals.

source: sports.inquirer.net