Nadal assures Spain of a medal
What was shaping up as a very long day of Olympic tennis for Rafael Nadal began shortly after 11 a.m., when he played the first point of what would become a victory that put him in the singles quarterfinals. Then, after a break of less than 2 hours, Nadal went back out on court for a men’s doubles semifinal Thursday and won that, too, assuring himself of leaving the Rio de Janeiro Games with at least one medal for Spain. Apparently, though, that was enough for the 14-time Grand Slam champion, who pulled out of mixed doubles shortly before he was scheduled to pick up his racket yet again in the evening for a first-round match in that event. Nadal, the gold medalist in singles eight years ago, missed the 2012 london Olympics with a knee injury and spoke about making up for that in Brazil. The last-minute decision not to remain in all three draws he was eligible for this time might create questions about how he’s feeling at the moment.
Glover, Stanning defend title
British rowers Helen Glover and Heather Stanning have successfully defended their Olympic gold in the women’s pair. The Brits, world champions in the event, came out of the blocks the quickest and never lost their lead on the 2-kilometer course. New Zealand’s Genevieve Behrent and Rebecca Scown were in last place after 500 meters but fought back to grab the silver ahead of Denmark’s Hedvig Rasmussen and Anne Andersen. The United States remains without rowing medals in Rio after Felice Mueller and Grace luczak dropped to fourth place after a strong start.
Fiji win Rugby gold
Fiji has its first-ever Olympic medal — and it’s gold to boot. Now that’s a reason to party. The Pacific Island nation erupted with joy Friday after its rugby sevens team crushed Britain 43-7 in final in Rio de Janeiro. In the capital of Suva, fans packed the 15,000-seat National Stadium to watch the Olympic final on a big screen - held Thursday night in Rio but at 10 a.m. Friday back home. Tense at first as they saw their nation on the brink of an historic achievement, fans relaxed and then rejoiced as Fiji ran away with the victory. Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, in Rio for the games, told reporters “rugby has always lifted the spirit and always brought us together. Right now, whatever political party, there’s no difference. Everyone is coming together to celebrate.” He declared a public holiday for Aug. 22, the day after the team returns home.
Xinyi tested positive
Chinese officials say a female Chinese swimmer has tested positive for a banned substance at the Rio Olympics - the first competitor in the sport to fail a test at the games. The Chinese Swimming Association says 18-year-old Chen Xinyi has tested positive for the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide after she finished fourth in the women’s 100-meter butterfly Sunday, missing a bronze medal by nine-hundredths of a second. Xinhua, China’s official state news agency, reported the story Friday. Chen was also scheduled to compete Friday in the 50 meter freestyle.
Police officer dies
A Brazilian police officer has died after being shot in the head when he and two others working security at the Rio Olympics got lost near a slum and encountered gunfire. Justice Minister Alexandre de Moraes announced Helio Vieira’s death early Friday on his official Facebook page. The officers from Brazil’s national security force were using a GPS device to navigate unfamiliar streets Wednesday afternoon when they took a wrong turn off a highway leading to Rio’s international airport. Their truck was sprayed with bullets, shattering the windows. Viera died late on Thursday and the other officers suffered minor injuries. More than 85,000 security forces have been deployed in Rio for the Olympics, which is double the number of london in 2012.