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Super start
The millionaire stars of the US basketball team swept past hosts China in the showcase match-up of the Olympics, watched by tens of millions on Chinese television and cheered on by US President George W. Bush.
- Reuters
- Published: 23:49 August 10, 2008
Beijing: The millionaire stars of the US basketball team swept past hosts China in the showcase match-up of the Olympics, watched by tens of millions on Chinese television and cheered on by US President George W. Bush.
Talismanic giant Yao Ming, flag carrier for China at the opening ceremony, could not protect his colleagues from the speed and power of the NBA professionals.
Ming, a $100million professional with the Houston Rockets, scored 13 points in the 101-70 loss to the US in what was billed as the most watched basketball game in history.
The much-awaited showdown was expected to reach a global television audience approaching one billion people given the heavy interest in China and the worldwide appeal of the NBA stars.
US President George W. Bush, his wife Laura and his father, former US president George Bush, plus former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger were among the famous faces in the sellout crowd of 18,000 at Wukesong Arena.
Bush had earlier watched US swimming sensation Michael Phelps demolish his own world record in a winning start to his bid for an unprecedented eight golds in a single Olympics.
His splash of speed lit up the Games, eclipsing worries over security, heat, air pollution and intolerance of dissent that marked the Olympic build-up and lingered into the first day.
Rain delays
Thunderstorms cleansed Beijing's smog-filled air yesterday, forcing delays to the rowing and tennis but easing concerns health and performance could be affected by suffocating heat.
Phelps won the 400 metres individual medley at China's futuristic and full-to-capacity Water Cube in a time that was 1.41 seconds quicker than a previous best he set just six weeks ago.
"I'm pretty happy with that ... it was all adrenaline," said Phelps. "Afterwards, I looked up and saw President Bush giving me the thumbs up and holding up the American flag. That was pretty cool."
Even if Phelps wins only half his eight race competitions, he will hold more Olympic gold medals than any other athlete.
But the 23-year-old looks in great shape to at least match his six golds in 2004 and then beat Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven wins at one Games.
Australia's Stephanie Rice followed Phelps with a world record of her own in the women's 400 individual medley.
The US broke the world record in the men's 100 freestyle relay heats. Phelps will be part of the team for today's final.
China's foremost female athlete, Guo Jingjing, dubbed the supermodel of the springboard for her film star looks, warmed home crowd hearts with a smooth victory in the synchronised three-metre diving.
Britain off the mark
Britain won their first gold of the Games in the women's cycling road race. Nicole Cooke triumphed in surprisingly cold, wet and slippery conditions on the route from Beijing's Forbidden City imperial palace complex to the Great Wall.
The weather could not have been more different from the previous day when one-third of the men dropped out of the road race amid suffocating heat and humidity.
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