Olympics-Asia-China add four gold, Vietnam get medal

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - China easily won three golds on Thursday in diving, including one by Fu Mingxia in her third straight Olympics, and added a fourth with a dramatic win in the women's 20 km walk.

While China were running their gold tally to 26, surpassing their previous best by 10, two other Asian countries made marks of their own....

Olympics-Athletics-Jayasinghe grabs women's 200m bronze

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe ran a sparkling race on Thursday to snatch a bronze in the women's 200 metres final behind Marion Jones for Sri Lanka's first Olympic medal in five decades....

Olympics-Athletics-Jayasinghe wins women's 200m bronze

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe won a bronze in the women's 200 metres final on Thursday for Sri Lanaka's first Olympic medal in five decades.

Jayasinghe was just nudged out of second place by Pauline Davis-Thompson of the Bahamas, with both several strides behind winner Marion Jones of the United States....

Olympics-Athletics-Jones completes sprint double

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Marion Jones completed the second leg of her quest for five Sydney Olympic titles on Thursday, outclassing her rivals to win the women's 200 metres gold.

The American clocked 21.84 seconds to give her both sprint titles, beating Pauline Davis-Thompson of the Bahamas (22.27) and Susanthika Jayasinghe of Sri Lanka (22.28).

Jones immediately went over to her husband C.J. Hunter, facing a drugs ban after testing positive for steroids, and gave him a kiss....

Olympics-Athletics-Kenteris blasts in from nowhere

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The men's 200 metres always looked to be one of the most open races of the Sydney Olympics but few would have listed Greek Konstantinos Kenteris as a potential winner.

But the 27-year-old with little international pedigree breezed past his more fancied rivals in imperious style to win the gold in 20.09 seconds on Thursday, becoming the first Greek athlete to win an Olympic sprint gold....

Olympics-Athletics-Korolchik leaves it late for shot put gold

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Yanina Korolchik of Belarus won the women's shot with her last throw at the Sydney Olympics on Thursday.

She smashed her personal best to throw 20.56 metres and beat pre-event favourite Larisa Peleshenko of Russia (19.92).

Reigning Olympic champion and three-times world champion Astrid Kumbernuss of Germany came third (19.62).

Korolchik's previous best was 20.31 metres....

Olympics-Athletics-Pedroso inherits Carl Lewis mantle

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Ivan Pedroso left it to his final leap as he inherited Carl Lewis's Olympic mantle by winning the men's long jump gold at the Sydney Games on Thursday.

Cuba's triple world champion, who has totally dominated his event for the past five years, jumped 8.55 metres in the sixth and last round to claim his first Games title as Lewis looked on from the crowd....

Olympics-Boxing-France and Spain in light-flyweight final

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - France's Brahim Asloum beat a champion for the second time at the Olympics and reached the light-flyweight boxing final on Thursday as Cuba's losing streak continued in the ring.

Asloum beat Maikro Romero, the 1996 Olympic flyweight champion who has moved down a weight and was a favourite for the gold, 13-12 and will now fight tough little Spaniard Rafael Lozano in the final....

Olympics-Diving-Fu wins record-equalling fourth gold

SYDNEY, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Fu Mingxia, a world champion at 12, pulled off a record-equalling fourth Olympic diving gold medal in Sydney on Thursday when she retained the women's three-metre springboard title.

Fu, now 23, prevailed in a close duel with 18-year-old Chinese team mate Guo Jingjing, clinching victory with a superb final dive to match the achievements of Americans Pat McCormick and Greg Louganis, the only other divers in history to have won four Olympic golds....

Olympics-Hockey-Australia ready for tilt at history

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The Australian women's hockey team will try to add the final jewel to an already glittering crown when they meet Argentina in the gold medal game on Friday.

Since women's hockey was introduced to the Olympics in 1980, Australia are the only team to have won twice -- in Seoul in 1988 and Atlanta four years ago....

Olympics-Hockey-Pakistan lower sights but happy with form

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The Pakistan men's hockey team lowered their sights at the Sydney Olympics on Thursday to aim for bronze after South Korea wrecked their hopes of gold by blocking out lethal penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas.

But Pakistan were not looking at Sydney as a defeat since third or fourth place at the Olympics qualifies them for the six-country Champion's Trophy at home in 2001. They failed to make the grade in The Netherlands this year....

Olympics-Knives out as India's medal hopes melt away

NEW DELHI, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The knives are out in India for the country's 70-strong Olympics team who look set to return from Sydney with just one bronze medal....

Olympics-Tennis-Double gold for Venus as Williams sisters win

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Venus Williams capped a heavenly season by becoming a double Olympic champion, joining sister Serena to produce a record-breaking doubles result to close the Olympic tennis competition.

The Williams sisters cuddled, hugged and beamed pure joy on the winners' podium after crushing the Dutch duo of Kristie Boogert and Miriam Oremans 6-1 6-1 in the women's doubles final -- the most one-sided final in Olympic tennis history....

Olympics-Tennis-Kafelnikov takes gold, makes Russian history

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Just three weeks ago Yevgeny Kafelnikov was not even sure he should be playing in the Olympic tennis tournament, never mind winning it....

Olympics-''We'll do it,'' says Athens Games chief

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters)  - The woman running a race against the clock to stage the 2004 Olympics in Athens dismissed talk on Thursday that the city could lose the Games and said the Greek capital would lay on a sporting show to rival Sydney's success....

Olympics-Wrestling-Islamov con trick goes awry

SYDNEY, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Ramil Islamov's attempt to con the judges in his Olympic 63 kg freestyle wrestling bout went seriously wrong on Thursday.

Islamov from Uzbekistan lay writhing in simulated agony after being flung to the mat by American Cary Kolat, clutching his left knee and screaming in pain....