Uzbek gymnast expelled from Olympics for doping

Uzbekistan's Luiza Galiulina, gymnast (Reuters)


Uzbek gymnast Luiza Galiulina became the third athlete to be expelled from the Olympics for doping after her B sample also tested positive for the banned substance furosemide.

Uzbekistan's only gymnast at the Games had been provisionally banned on July 29 after her urine sample had showed traces of the diuretic that can be used as a masking agent for other performance-enhancing drugs.

"The athlete's file shall be transmitted to the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (International Gymnastics Federation), which is requested to consider any further action within its own competence," the IOC said.

The 20-year-old Galiulina, who also competed at the 2008 Games, faces a maximum two-year ban as a first-time offender.

Furosemide, often sold under the brand name Lasix, can be used to treat high blood pressure, congestive heart failure or swelling caused by excess fluid retention. It has also been used to prevent horses from bleeding through the nose during races.

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Great Britain pair wins Olympic rowing gold

Great Britain's Helen Glover (L) and Heather Stanning pose with their gold medals on the podium of the women's pair final A of the rowing event during the London 2012 Olympic Games


Britain's Helen Glover and Heather Stanning won women's pair, which gives the hosting nation their first gold medal of the London Olympics, while the men's eight won the bronze.

Roared on by Princes William and Harry, the British duo - who only came together in 2010 after missing out on other boats - took a commanding lead early in the race and held off a late challenge from Australia to claim the first Olympic gold won by a British women's crew.

"Ecstatic," Glover said on the bank of the lake. "It's so surreal, it will take forever to sink in. We're just really relieved, thank you so much everyone."

The British duo had started as strong favourites for the title after dominating the international season and following their heat, in which they set an Olympic best time. They punched the air as they went over the line, waved to the crowd and covered their faces.

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TV Ratings Sail on Sunday in US Markets

WEYMOUTH, ENGLAND - JULY 29: Greg Douglas from Canada in action sailing the Finn class during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Weymouth & Portland Venue at Weymouth Harbour on July 29, 2012 in Weymouth, England. (Photo by Richard Langdon/Getty Images)

Wieber left out of gymnastics all-around

AP Photo

Raisman and Douglas Advance to FINALS

In a stunning last-second turn of events, defending world all-around champion Jordyn Wieber was been shut out of the Olympic all-around finals.

Contrary to what many of us would have ever envisioned, it wasn’t a Russian, a Romanian, or a Chinese challenger who has stolen Wieber’s chance to achieve her individual Olympic dream, and it wasn’t even her rival Gabby Douglas, whom many had pegged to fight neck and neck with Wieber for this all-around crown.

It was her other teammate – the U.S. team captain and one of Wieber’s best friends – Aly Raisman

Few in the arena probably even realized that the sturdy Raisman had an opportunity to seize one of the two available all-around spots on this American team when she saluted to begin her final event – floor. Both Douglas and Wieber, the two rivals who had been leading the competition as expected up until the final event, had both stepped out of bounds during their floor routines, costing each some valuable tenths. But hardly anyone noticed what it actually meant.

The audience had likely been so distracted by the overall brilliant performance of the American team on all four events, along with the deafening British crowd that was electrified by the host team as they competed alongside the world champion American squad. Jordyn Wieber was even in the midst of performing her final floor routine when the monstrous 16.133 was flashed for Beth Tweddle’s sensational uneven bars performance on the Brits’ final event – the highest score of the competition thus far, yielding the loudest eruption from the audience.

While the Brits were roaring, an unexpected door was quietly opened for Aly Raisman, who needed a 14.966 to surpass Wieber and grab one of the two available all-around spots for this team.

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Parents of Olympian's reaction is Golden, Daughter Doesn't place

The parents of U.S. gymnast Aly Raisman are no different. And like Debbie Phelps, the mother of Michael Phelps, and other parents before them, the Raismans can find it excruciating to watch their daughter in competition. Case in point: the Raismans watching Aly during the uneven bars segment of the women's gymnastics preliminary competition. As entertaining as Raisman's routine was on on the bars, her parent's routine was equally worth a second look.

As this short video shows, Aly's parents -- Lynn and Ricky -- have a harder time taking in their daughter on the bars in fear of mistakes or injury. Both parents are different in their own way when it comes to handling their nerves, whenever Aly is in the spotlight, Lynn is talking and squirming her way through her entire routine while Ricky remains nearly silent until its conclusion. where he'll often offer an explosive "Yeah!" almost as if, his daughter had just won something bigger than the Lotto.

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