EYES ON LONDON: Bolt's cool finish, US soccer gold

LONDON (AP) ? Around the 2012 Olympics and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of the games to you:

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TWO STYLES

Two teams, two styles left Wembley stadium on Thursday night.

When the final horn sounded, U.S. goalie Hope Solo was mobbed by teammates and Abby Wambach emphatically waved a towel as Queen's "We Are the Champions" thundered on the speakers.

The American women's soccer team, which won the gold medal 2-1 over Japan, donned white T-shirts that read "Greatness Has Been Found" ? with the first word in gold.

The Japanese huddled quietly, with several players sobbing. They then walked over to a section filled with Japanese fans, bowed as a team and left the pitch.

? Jon Krawczynski ? Twitter http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski

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US WINS SOCCER GOLD

The United States women's soccer team has beaten Japan 2-1 to win the gold medal.

Carli Lloyd scored both goals for the U.S and Hope Solo was outstanding in goal, including a lunging save on a point-blank shot from Asuna Tanaka in the 84th minute to keep the Americans in front.

The Americans avenged a loss to Japan in the World Cup final and captured their third straight Olympic title.

? Jon Krawczynski ? Twitter http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski

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RECORD CROWD

Wembley Stadium has set a record for attendance at a women's Olympic soccer game. The crowd for Japan-United States was announced at 80,203, beating the 76,481 who watched the gold medal game in Atlanta in 1996.

? Jon Krawczynski ? Twitter http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski

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RUDISHA AND BOLT

"Usain Bolt is a great athlete. He's the greatest sprinter we've seen in the world over many years. Maybe one time if we can meet in 400 and compete it would be great. It'll be fun just to watch it." ? David Lekuta Rudisha of Kenya, who set a new world record Friday in the 800-meter final

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

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'NO REGRETS'

Jeneba Tarmoh passed on a runoff against Allyson Felix for the last spot on 100 meters for the U.S. team.

Tarmoh ran Thursday in the opening round of 4x100 women's relay, and said she isn't thinking about what might have been. The U.S. women easily won their heat in 41.64 seconds and will compete in Friday's final.

"No regrets. When I make decisions it's really calculated. I usually make decisions I don't regret," she said.

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

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LIU'S SURGERY

We knew something was up when we walked by Lord's Cricket Ground, where we were looking to snap a few pictures, and saw close to a hundred Chinese media huddled on the sidewalk.

A sudden interest in cricket? Nope. Just across the street from Lord's is Wellington Hospital, and there was a famous patient inside. Hurdler Liu Xiang, the gold medalist at the 2004 Athens Games, was undergoing surgery for a torn Achilles tendon in his right foot.

One reporter told us he had been camped out for at least four hours, and some media had been there twice that long. Turns out, the surgery took just a little over an hour, according to Chinese reports. Liu will remain in the London hospital for several days before returning home to Shanghai.

And those Lord's pictures?

We had to settle for snapping the signs outside the stadium, which was used during the Olympics for archery. Since that competition is over, the security guards wouldn't let us inside. Come back next week, they said, when a more familiar sport returns to the "Home of Cricket."

? Paul Newberry ? Twitter http://twitter.com/pnewberry1963 and Beth Harris ? Twitter http://twitter.com/bethharrisap

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DEFLATED SPEARMON

A devastated Wallace Spearmon is saying he's "sorry I let you down."

The American just finished fourth behind three Jamaican runners ? including winner Usain Bolt ? in the 200 meter.

"I'm going to go home and work harder. I'm sorry I let you down," Spearmon says. "You have good days, you have bad days and you have those days. It wasn't the best day and it wasn't the worst. It just wasn't my day."

Of Bolt, Spearmon says: "He ran a great race. The guy is just on another planet right now."

Is Bolt the best ever? Spearmon was sobbing: "I just can't answer that right now. I'm sorry."

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

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A WIN, AND PUSHUPS

It was drop and do a few pushups for Usain Bolt after he took the 200 meters with really only his countryman, Yohan Blake, anywhere close to him.

Bolt, 25, became the first man to win the 100-meter and 200-meter in two successive Olympics; he did the same thing in Beijing four years ago.

Bolt won handily with a time of 19.32 seconds, which didn't beat his own personal ? and the world ? record for the 200-meter. Still carried by the trajectory of his run, Bolt threw himself onto the track and did a few pushups as the crowd roared and flashbulbs popped by the thousands. Blake, the second-place finisher who pushed toward Bolt for a moment, stood next to him.

Bolt appeared to slow slightly and look to his left at Blake, with a finger to his mouth, as the race ended.

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

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BOLT WINS 200-METER

No world record for Usain Bolt, but an easy win for the fastest man in the world.

Bolt defended his 200 meter gold medal in Beijing by leading a Jamaican sweep Thursday night. He'd hinted he might have a world record in him, but he seemed to slow at the finish and ran a 19.32. His 19.19 is the world record.

Yohan Blake, who beat him at the Jamaican finals in June, finished second. Warren Weir was third.

Bolt looked over at Blake as he crossed the finish line, and seemed to place his finger over his lips as if to say "shhh."

He then dropped to the ground and did four push-ups. Was it one for each individual gold medal?

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

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HOPE STANDS TALL

U.S. goalie Hope Solo has been a busy woman in the first half of the gold medal game against Japan.

The Americans led 1-0 at the break thanks to an early goal from Carli Lloyd. But Japan controlled the last 35 minutes by using its speed to create scoring chances.

The Japanese peppered Solo with shots, and she made a brilliant, leaping save of a shot from Yuki Ogimi midway through the half.

When the halftime buzzer sounded, Abby Wambach gave Solo an emphatic high-five, thanking her for keeping Japan off the board.

? Jon Krawczynski ? Twitter http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski

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CALLING LONDON

Janis Smedins and Martins Plavins were talking to reporters in the mix zone after winning the men's beach volleyball bronze medal on Thursday night when the secretary general of the Latvian delegation handed Smedins a phone.

It was Andris Berzins, the president of Latvia. He was calling to congratulate the pair on the nation's first medal of the London Games. Smedins spoke for a few minutes before handing the phone to Plavins.

"He said he's so happy," Smedins said. "He wished us all the best in the future."

It's the first beach volleyball medal ever for Latvia.

? Jimmy Golen ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jgolen

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US LEADS JAPAN IN SOCCER FINAL

The U.S. women's team is 1-0 up at half-time in the gold medal match against Japan ? and it's been a dramatic 45 minutes of end-to-end action.

Carli Lloyd's opened the scoring in the eighth minute of the match, but Japan also has had its chances.

Aya Miyama saw a shot crash back off the crossbar in the 33rd minute, and Shinobu Ohno went just wide five minutes later with a right-footed shot from just outside the area. There were also opportunities for Yuki Ogimi.

Thursday's match is a repeat of last year's World Cup final.

? Joseph White ? Twitter http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

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'INVINCIBLE'

Nick Symmonds never thought he'd crack 1 minute, 43 seconds in the 800 meters.

He did, and it wasn't good enough.

The American finished fifth in Thursday night's final, which David Lekuta Rudisha of Kenya won with a world-record time of 1:40.91.

"On one point, I'm crushed and devastated, but on the other, to do something I never thought I'd be humanly capable of, I've got really mixed emotions. I really need a pint right now."

Symmonds ran a career best of 1:42.9.

"To run a personal best at 28 years old, I feel invincible right now even though I don't have a medal around my neck," he said.

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

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WORLD RECORD

David Lekuta Rudisha of Kenya has set the first world record in a track and field event at the London Games.

Rudisha won the 800 meters in 1 minute, 40.91 seconds. That beat his own world record of 1:41.01, set in 2010.

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

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SEMENYA ADVANCES

Caster Semenya has advanced to the finals of the 800 meters in her Olympic debut.

The South African was forced three years ago to undergo gender tests. The process sidelined her for almost a year while track and field's governing body decided whether to allow her to compete.

"I'm very happy to get through to the finals," she says. "It was very hard, but I tried my best. I just have to go to my bed."

Semenya carried South Africa's flag at the opening ceremony in London and is a leading medal contender in the 800.

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

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STICKING WITH IT

Talk about a gutsy performance.

Manteo Mitchell was running the first leg of the 4x400-meter relay preliminaries Thursday when he heard and felt a pop in his left leg.

The American knew it was bad. Tests later showed how bad: a broken fibula.

But he never stopped running and his effort helped the U.S. tie for first and advance to the next round.

"I figured it's what almost any person would've done in that situation," Mitchell tells the AP.

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

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ATTENDANCE RECORD?

London's storied stadium is awash in the stars and stripes of the U.S. and the rising sun of Japan.

Wembley Stadium expects to set a record for attendance for an Olympic women's soccer match on Thursday night when the Americans face Japan. The previous record of 76,481 was set in 1996 at the Atlanta Games.

Wembley holds 90,000, and this place has filled up fast. Faces are painted, flags are flying and everyone is relishing a rivalry that is both friendly and fierce.

Here's a look at some of the more colorfully dressed American fans: http://yfrog.com/khfpgscj

And Japan's: http://yfrog.com/nyfzpzfj

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EDITOR'S NOTE ? "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eyes-london-bolts-cool-finish-us-soccer-gold-210940937--oly.html

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