The Australia’s women’s match racing crew, skippered by University of Sydney student Olivia Price, continue to lead after four days of the sailing competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
SUSF Elite Athlete Program (EAP) scholarship holder Price, who celebrates her 20th birthday on Thursday, extended her unbeaten run with crewmates Lucinda Whitty and Nina Curtis, defeating Sweden and the Netherlands overnight to be well clear on their regatta leaderboard, having won all eight of their heats.
Price and her crew scored wins against their Swedish and Dutch opponents overnight.
With just three races remaining in the round robin, Price and her crew have secured Australia a position in the quarter-finals.
The Australian trio had a fight on their hands in both races, against the Swedes they came from behind on the final downwind to get the victory by the smallest of margins on the line.
Laser Radial sailor and University of Sydney student Krystal Weir had a mixed day on the water with a seventh and a 35th.
Weir, an SUSF EAP scholarship holder, was back on the pace overnight, evident with her race one result but in race two she missed a big wind shift on the first beat and paid for it, eventually finishing 35th.
She is now 15th overall.
University of Sydney graduate and former EAP scholarship holder Matthew Butturini was on the scoresheet for the second game running as the Kookaburras easily disposed of medal hopefuls Spain 5-0 to remain undefeated at the games.
The Australia’s men’s hockey team decimated their 2008 Olympic semi-final conquerors in their Pool A match to banish any ghosts of Beijing – and send a clear statement they are the team to beat for gold four years later.
Australia’s dispatch of the Beijing silver medallists now gives them two wins from their opening two matches, scoring 11 goals and not conceding any.
The Kookaburras can ensure a semi-final berth if they beat Argentina in their next Pool A match on Friday.
Former Southern Design Sydney Uni Flames player Belinda Snell has scored 5 points and had 2 assists as the Opals bounced back from their shock loss to France to defeat Brazil 67-61 overnight.
Shocked by France in overtime on Monday, the Australian women’s basketball team came out firing and took control with a 12-2 run through the first and second quarters to eventually take a 13-point lead to halftime.
But Brazil were able to creep to within four points with 16 seconds remaining, before Lauren Jackson made the game safe with two clutch free-throws and an important rebound which allowed Australia to soak up the remaining time.
The Opals face huge a match next-up against Russia, who are unbeaten in their three games and defeated Great Britain 67-61 on Wednesday.
Sydney University Boat Club (SUBC) representative Brodie Buckland and his partner James Marburg have rowed to a third-place finish for Australia in the men’s pair semi-final to advance to Friday’s final.
Buckland and Marburg had a third-place time of 7:02.12 in the second of two semi-final heats at the Eton Dorney Rowing Centre outside of London.
Great Britain won the second semi-final heat in 6:58.46.
The New Zealand pair of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray, who set a world-best time during last Saturday’s preliminaries, had the day’s best time of 6:48.11.
Buckland and Marburg will row in lane 1 of Friday’s final.
While the Australian men’s eight, including SUBC athletes Toby Lister, Francis Hegerty, Sam Loch, Nicholas Purnell and Matthew Ryan finished sixth in their final.
The Aussies were extremely brave as they finished in a time of 5.51.87 behind the Germans (5.48.75), with Canada in second (5.49.98) and Great Britain (5.51.18) – who pulled ahead with 750 metres to go but couldn’t hold on – in third.
Thursday 2 August
7:00pm
Water Polo – Men v Spain
Thomas Whalan, Sam McGregor
7:30pm
Rowing – Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls Semi-final
Bronwen Watson
7:45pm
Hockey – Women v USA
Megan Rivers
9:30pm
Rowing– Women’s Eight Final
Sarah Cook, Sally Kehoe
10:30pm
Canoe – Men’s Canoe Double Semi-final
Kynan Maley
11:35pm
Sailing – Women’s Elliot 6m Round Robin Races 9 & 10
Olivia Price
11:45pm
Kayak – Women’s Single Kayak Semi-final
Jessica Fox
Friday 3 August
12:18am
Canoe – Men’s Canoe Double Final (if he qualifies from the earlier Semi-final)
Kynan Maley
12:57am
Kayak – Women’s Single Kayak Final (if she qualifies from the earlier Semi-final)
Jessica Fox
1:00am
Cycling – Women’s Team Sprint Qualifying
Kaarle McCulloch
1:30am
Cycling – Women’s Team Sprint Semi-final (if she qualifies from the earlier race)
Kaarle McCulloch
2:59am
Cycling – Women’s Team Sprint Final (if she qualifies from the earlier races)
Kaarle McCulloch Bottom of Form
