The Korea Herald

Djokovic fires warning with Roddick demolition

(London Olympics Joint Press Corps)LONDON - Serbia's Novak Djokovic fired a warning to his Olympic rivals as the world number two crushed three-time Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick 6-2, 6-1 in the second round on Tuesday.While Roger Federer is the gold medal favourite after his recent Wimbledon triumph, Djokovic, a bronze medallist at the 2008 Games in Beijing, also has his sights firmly set on th

Aug. 1, 2012

Djokovic fires warning with Roddick demolition

Japan into Olympic women's football quarters

LONDON - World champions Japan advanced into the quarter-finals of the Olympic women's football tournament after a goalless draw with South Africa in Cardiff on Tuesday.Striker Kozue Ando and midfielder Asuna Tanaka wasted the best chances for Japan, who are now set for a last eight clash with Great Britain should the hosts beat Brazil later Tuesday.For South Africa, the draw was their first point

Aug. 1, 2012

S. Korea still on pace to meet medal target despite poor start: officials

LONDON -- South Korea still remains on course to meet its gold medal target at the London Olympics despite its slower-than-expected start, officials here said Wednesday.South Korea, with 245 athletes in 22 sports, has set out to grab at least 10 gold medals for its third consecutive top-10 finish at the Summer Olympics. Through Tuesday, South Korea had earned three gold medals and eight medals ove

Aug. 1, 2012

Footballers look to book ticket to quarterfinals

LONDON -- The South Korean men's football team plays its final group stage match against Gabon Wednesday for a chance to reach the quarterfinals. It can do that with at least a draw. South Korea has never won an Olympic football medal in its previous eight attempts.Female shooter Kim Jang-mi, a 19-year-old sensation who set a world record in 25-meter pistol in April this year, will make her Olympi

Aug. 1, 2012

Choi Byung-chul wins fencing bronze in men's foil

Choi Byung-chul (London Olympic Joint Press Corps)LONDON -- Fencer Choi Byung-chul took the bronze medal in the men's individual foil Tuesday for South Korea's first fencing medal at the London Olympics.Choi beat Andrea Baldini of Italy 15-14 in the bronze medal contest. Choi is the first South Korean male fencer to win an Olympic medal in a dozen years.He'd lost to Alaaeldin Abouelkassem of Egypt

Aug. 1, 2012

Choi Byung-chul wins fencing bronze in men's foil

Judoka Kim Jae-bum wins gold

South Korean judoka Kim Jae-bum cheers during the ward ceremony of 2012 London Olympics. (London Olympic Joint Press Corps)LONDON -- South Korean judoka Kim Jae-bum captured gold in the men's under-81-kilogram category at the London Olympics Tuesday.At ExCeL Arena, Kim defeated Ole Bischof of Germany for his first Olympic gold in a rematch of the finals at the Beijing Olympics, avenging a close de

Aug. 1, 2012

Fencing governing body rejects S. Korean appeal on disputed call

LONDON (Yonhap) -- The global governing body of fencing on Tuesday rejected South Korea's "groundless" appeal following a disputed conclusion to a women's epee contest the previous day at the London Olympics. In a statement, the International Fencing Federation (FIE) said its jury of appeal upheld the referee's decision to award the semifinal victory to Britta Heidemann of Germany over South Kor

Aug. 1, 2012

China wins gymnastics gold

LONDON (AP) ― Their closest rivals were still on the floor competing when the Chinese whipped out five big gold stars and held them up in the shape of their flag.Why wait?The Chinese won their second straight Olympic title in men’s gymnastics and third in four games in a rout Monday, making fools of everyone who wrote them off after a dismal performance in qualifying.“We don’t have any faults. That’s our secret to beat the Japanese and to beat everyone,” Zhang Chenglong said. “In preliminaries,

July 31, 2012

London gets gold medal for gaffes

LONDON (AP) ― An appearance by the hapless comic character Mr. Bean was one of the highlights of the London Olympics opening ceremony. Yet a series of Keystone Cops moments has games organizers hoping they don’t keep up this slapstick routine in real life.London police acknowledged Monday that last week they lost a set of keys to Wembley ― one of the most famous soccer stadiums in the world and an Olympic venue in London ― and had been forced to hastily change the stadium locks.It was the latest

July 31, 2012

Korea to take on Gabon for chance ...to advance in soccer

LONDON (Yonhap News) ― The South Korean men’s soccer team will face an undermanned Gabon side this week for a chance to reach the quarterfinals at the London Olympics.The African nation will be without starting defender Henri Endong, who was ejected on two yellow cards against Mexico on Sunday. He has been automatically suspended for his next contest.Players who receive two yellow cards, whether in the same game or over two consecutive matches, are ineligible for the ensuing match.Mexico sits at

July 31, 2012

Korea to take on Gabon for chance ...to advance in soccer

Japan win gymnastics team silver after appeal

(AFP)Japan took the silver medal in the men‘s artistic gymnastics team final on Monday after a judges’ inquiry that dropped hosts Great Britain from second to third and denied Ukraine a medal.A fall from superstar Kohei Uchimura on the pommel horse initially saw Japan finish fourth, but the country appealed against his score of 13.466 points. The score was amended to 14.166 after the judges accept

July 31, 2012

Japan win gymnastics team silver after appeal

Heidemann says happy with the decision

German fencer Bitta Heidemann poses with a silver medal on Monday. (Yonhap News)German fencer Bitta Heidemann said she was happy with the controversial decision that saw her beat South Korea’s Shin A-lam in their epee semifinal at the London Olympic Games.Heidemann edged Shin 6-5 in extra time with a winning hit in the last second. South Korea protested that the clock had stopped on one second rem

July 31, 2012

Afghan boxer overcomes odds despite defeat

LONDON - Ajmal Faisal, Afghanistan's sole boxer at the Olympics, said just getting to London for the Games had been a triumph after he lost in the first round here on Monday.The 21-year-old was well beaten 22-9 by experienced French flyweight Nordine Oubaali but said opposition from Taliban insurgents and a dearth of facilities in Afghanistan had severely hampered his ability to train."I lived out

July 31, 2012

North Korean Kim wins men's -62kg weightlifting

Kim Un-Guk sets a new world record in the men's -62kg weightlifting class on Monday. (London Olympic Joint Press Corps) LONDON - Charismatic North Korean Kim Un-Guk equaled one world record in the snatch and broke another in the total to set up an emphatic victory in the men's -62kg weightlifting class on Monday.Kim snatched 153kg, also a new Olympic record, to match Chinese lifter Shi Zhiyong's w

July 31, 2012

North Korean Kim wins men's -62kg weightlifting

Swiss footballer sent home after racist Tweet

Michel Morganella (AFP)LONDON - Switzerland footballer Michel Morganella has been sent home from the Olympics after posting a racist message on Twitter, team officials confirmed on Monday.Morganella had directed an offensive Tweet at South Korea's players after Switzerland's 2-1 defeat to the Asian giants on Sunday."Michel Morganella has discriminated against, insulted and violated the dignity of

July 31, 2012

Swiss footballer sent home after racist Tweet

Jordanian role packs punch at Games

LONDON - Ihab Almatbouli made history as he became the first boxer from Jordan to win an Olympic bout here on Monday.The 26-year-old, put on a classy display to defeat Nigerian Lukmon Lawal 19-7 in a light-heavyweight contest.Alamtbouli, who lives in and comes from the Palestinian refugee camp of Al-Baqaa (which has a population of around a 100,000) on the outskirts of Amman, was already the first

July 31, 2012

Kobe confident he'd win in all-US showdown

Kobe Bryant (London Olympic Joint Press Corps)LONDON - Not only does Kobe Bryant think the US Olympic team of NBA stars could beat the 1992 Dream Team, but he says the 2008 gold medal squad he played upon would defeat the 2010 US world champions. With five members of both the 2008 and 2010 squads on the American squad at London, that's a challenge for Olympic bragging rights just waiting to happen

July 31, 2012

Kobe confident he'd win in all-US showdown

Roddick sets up Djokovic clash

Andy Roddick (Yonhap News)LONDON - Andy Roddick set up an Olympic Games clash with world number two Novak Djokovic as the three-time Wimbledon runner-up defeated Martin Klizan 7-5, 6-4 in the first round of the Games on Monday.Former world number one Roddick will meet 2011 Wimbledon winner Djokovic for a place in the last 16 following the American's gritty victory over Slovakia's Klizan in a match

July 31, 2012

Dentist Houvenaghel wants to get teeth into gold

LONDON - Wendy Houvenaghel is preparing to return to her profession as a dentist -- but only once she has helped Britain bid for Olympic gold in the inaugural women's team pursuit event.The Northern Irishwoman, who became a full-time athlete at the late age of 31, won Olympic silver in the individual event at Beijing four years ago.Now with the event no longer part of the Olympic programme, she i

July 31, 2012

World No. 1 Kim Jae-bum seeks first judo gold for S. Korea

Kim Jae-bum (London Olympic Joint Press Corps)LONDON -- Kim Jae-bum, a silver medalist in the men's under-81-kilogram judo at the Beijing Olympics, will try to win his first Olympic gold on Tuesday.It would also be South Korea's first judo gold in London, after title favorite Wang Ki-chun was knocked out of the semis in the men's under-73kg class Monday.Preliminaries continue for badminton players

July 31, 2012

World No. 1 Kim Jae-bum seeks first judo gold for S. Korea