Cricket

India vs England

India played first and got more than 300 runs

Bejing olympics closing ceremony 2008 pictures china

The 29th Games of the Olympiad has come to an end. The Beijing 2008 Olympics ended with the putting out of flame and a lot of fireworks. The 30th Games of the Olympiad will be held in London, England in 2012

fireworks in the sky over the National Stadium of Light as counting ends

Boris Johnson waves, the Mayor of London Olympic flag during the closing ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the National Stadium on 24 August 2008 in Beijing, China.

Australian basketball player Lauren Jackson is in the picture

acques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee for the Olympic flag waves, seen from Boris Johnson, the mayor of London


a dancer's performance during the closing ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on 24 August 2008 in Beijing, China.


artists are in the picture

The general overview of the festival

drummer for display

Photo taken on Aug. 24, 2008 shows the performance of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games closing ceremony in the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, Beijing, capital of China. The closing ceremony began at 8 p.m. sharp on Sunday

taken on Aug. 24, 2008 shows the performance of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games closing ceremony in the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, Beijing, capital of China. The Closing Ceremony began at 8:00 p.m. Sunday.

A general view of the festivities in Beijing National Stadium during the Closing Ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China.

artistes perform on the memory tower in the National Stadium during the Closing Ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China.

5 . A general view of the festivities in the National Stadium during the Closing Ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China

The flags of the participating delegations are ushered into the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony in Beijing, on Aug. 24, 2008. The Closing Ceremony began at 8:00 p.m. Sunday.

A general view of the festivities in the National Stadium during the Closing Ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China

The sacred flame of the Beijing Olympics is extinguished at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony held in the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, in Beijing, China on August 24, 2008. The Closing Ceremony began at 8:00 p.m. (GMT/UTC +8) Sunday

Women's Olympic Fencing - 15 scenes from recent women's fencing matches in Beijing

fencing competition at the Olympics are often treated to some dramatic, emotional scenes - played out by passionate competitors

15 scenes from recent women's fencing matches in Beijing

China's Zhang Lei reacts to losing the Women's individual Foil round of 16 match to Italy's Maria Valentina Vezzali (unseen) on August 11, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention center, as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. Vezzali won 10-7. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

during the Women's individual Foil elimination round of 64 match on August 11, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention center in Beijing. Indra Angad-Gaur of the Netherlands (L) competes against Egypt's Iman El GammalAngad-Gaur won 13-4. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Mariel Zagunis of the United States celebrates her victory against compatriot Sada Jacobson during the women's individual sabre final match on August 9, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention Center in Beijing. Zagunis won the match and the gold medal. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Italy's Giovanna Trillini (L) hits Korea's Nam Hyunhee during the Women's individual Foil semi-final 1 match on August 11, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention center. Nam won 15-10. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)


Zhang Lei of China celebrates her victory against Malgorzata Wojtkowiak of Poland during their women's individual foil fencing competition of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 11, 2008. (REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi)

China's Zhang Lei (L) competes with Poland's Malgorzata Wojtkowiak during the Women's individual Foil elimination round on August 11, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention center. Zhang won 15-8. (PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images)

Maria Valentina Vezzali of Italy celebrates winning the women's fencing individual foil gold medal match over Nam Hyunhee of South Korea (not pictured) at the Fencing Hall on Day 3 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 11, 2008. (Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Italy's Giovanna Trillini (L) competes against Cuba's Misleydis Company during the Women's individual Foil elimination round of 32 match on August 11, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention center, as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. Trillini won 15-7. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Italy's Maria Valentina Vezzali (L) competes against China's Zhang Lei during the Women's individual Foil elimination round of 16 match on August 11, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention center. Vezzali won 10-7. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Italy's Margherita Granbassi looks dejected after losing the Women's individual Foil semi-final 2 match to fellow countrywoman Maria Valentina Vezzali on August 11, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention center. Vezzali won 12-3. (PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images)

China's Zhang Lei (L) competes against Italy's Maria Valentina Vezzali during the Women's individual Foil round of 16 match on August 11, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention center, as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. Vezzali won 10-7. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Korea's Nam Hyunhee celebrates after defeating Italy's Giovanna Trillini (unseen) in the Women's individual Foil semi-final 1 match on August 11, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention center. Nam won 15-10. (PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images)

Korea's Nam Huynhee (L) competes against Italy's Maria Valentina Vezzali during the Women's individual Foil final match on August 11, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention center. Vezzali won the event ahead of Korea's Nam Huynhee and fellow countrywoman Margharita Granbassi. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Tunisia's Azza Besbes cries on the floor following her quarterfinals defeat in the Womens Individual Sabre at the Fencing Hall of the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Italy's Maria Valentina Vezzali (L) and fellow countrywoman Margherita Granbassi bite their medals on the podium after they respectively won gold and bronze in the Women's individual Foil tournament on August 11, 2008. (PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images)

women's individual foil fencing event at the Fencing Hall

Giovanna Trillini of Italy and Nam Hyunhee of South Korea compete in the semifinals of the women's individual foil fencing event at the Fencing Hall on Day 3 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 11, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Afternoon Olympic Update -- August 13, 2008 - The latest from the Beijing Olympic Games

The latest from the Beijing Olympic Games

MEN'S SWIMMING: Sullivan, Bernard trade world record in 100 free

BEIJING (AP) - Eamon Sullivan has taken back the world record in the 100-meter freestyle semifinals at the Beijing Olympics, about two minutes after Frenchman Alain Bernard lowered it.Sullivan won his heat Wednesday morning in 47.05 seconds, topping Bernard's time of 47.20 set in the first semifinal.They both went under the mark of 47.24 set by Sullivan during the leadoff leg of the 400 free relay on Monday.

It's the fifth time this year that Sullivan and Bernard have traded the record.

WOMEN'S SWIMMING: Pellegrini wins Olympic 200 free with world mark

BEIJING (AP) - Federica Pellegrini of Italy has won the 200-meter freestyle at the Beijing Olympics, lowering her own world record set a day earlier.

She won in 1 minute, 54.82 seconds, erasing her previous time of 1:55.45. Sara Isakovic of Slovenia took the silver in 1:54.97. Pang Jiaying of China earned the bronze in 1:55.05, giving the Chinese women their first swimming medal of these games.American Katie Hoff finished fourth in 1:55.78, the first time in three events she failed to medal.

WOMEN'S SWIMMING: Rice wins another IM gold

BEIJING (AP) - Stephanie Rice of Australia has won the 200-meter individual medley at the Beijing Olympics, lowering her own world record and adding to her victory in the 400 IM. She won in 2 minutes, 8.45 seconds, erasing her mark of 2:08.92 set at the Australian trials in March.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe took the silver in 2:08.59, also below the previous world record. Natalie Coughlin of the United States won the bronze in 2:10.34, her third medal of the games. American Katie Hoff picked up her second fourth-place of the morning, finishing behind Coughlin in 2:10.68. She also was just out of the medals in the 200 freestyle.

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL: Georgia beats Russia in beach volleyball

BEIJING (AP) - Cristine Santanna and Andrezza Martins, native Brazilians playing for Georgia at the Olympics, rallied to a three-set victory over Russia, advancing to the medal round and sending a proud message to their adopted and war-torn homeland. The Georgian team rallied Wednesday from a sloppy 21-10 loss in the first set to win the next two, 22-20 and 15-12, and beat Alexandra Shiryaeva and Natalia Uryadova.

Although they made just a few short visits to the country to obtain their new passports, Santanna and Martins took on the nicknames Saka and Rtvelo, "Georgia," in Georgian, out of affection for the land that allowed them to qualify for the Olympics.

BASEBALL: Taiwanese baseball Olympian fails drug test

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) - A Taiwanese baseball player has been banned from participating in the team's first Olympic game after failing a drug test.

Taiwan Baseball Association Secretary-General Lin Tsung-cheng said that third baseman Chang Tai-shan did not suit up for Wednesday's opener against the Netherlands after the International Olympic Committee informed the association of the test results.

Taiwan is one of eight baseball teams participating in the Beijing Games. The sport is widely popular on the island and millions of fans follow the team.

WOMEN'S CYCLING: Armstrong wins time trial gold for United States

BEIJING (AP) - Kristin Armstrong of the United States has won the gold medal in the women's time trial, making her just the second American women's cyclist ever to become an Olympic champion. Armstrong finished the 14.6-mile course in 34 minutes, 51.72 seconds Wednesday, 24.29 seconds better than Emma Pooley of Great Britain. Switzerland's Karin Thuerig was third, almost a minute behind the time set by Armstrong.

Armstrong was the only woman close to Pooley at the halfway mark, and erased the gap before reaching the finish at the Great Wall. She joins Connie Carpenter-Phinney as the only American women to win Olympic cycling gold; Carpenter won the road race at Los Angeles 24 years ago.

WOMEN'S SOFTBALL: Osterman, Bustos power US past Australia

BEIJING (AP) - Cat Osterman pitched a no-hitter, Crystl Bustos
hit a two-run homer and the U.S. softball team extended its Olympic
winning streak to 16 games with a 3-0 win over Australia on
Wednesday. The Americans are seeking a fourth straight gold medal.

Osterman was locked in a pitcher's duel for four innings with
Tanya Harding, who had handed the U.S. team two of its four losses
in the games since 1996. Osterman struck out 13 as the Americans
posted their 14th shutout during the winning streak.

Natasha Watley's RBI single off Harding snapped a 0-0 tie in the
fifth, and Bustos connected for her 10th career Olympic homer in
the sixth.

MEN'S DIVING: China makes it 4-for-4 at the diving pool

BEIJING (AP) - China kept up its dominance at the diving pool, completing a sweep of the synchronized events with a runaway win in men's 3-meter springboard Wednesday.Wang Feng and Qin Kai had the highest-scoring dive in each of the six rounds, piling up a total of 469.08 points. The Chinese are halfway to their goal of sweeping all eight diving golds in their home country, where the sport is immensely popular.

Dmitry Sautin, 34 and competing in his fifth Olympics, added an eighth medal to his collection, teaming with 18-year-old Yuriy Kunakov to take silver with a mark of 421.98. Illya Kvasha and Oleksiy Prygorov of the Ukraine claimed the bronze at 415.05.

The Americans, Chris Colwill and Jevon Tarantino, were third going to the final round. But Tarantino botched his entry and they slipped to fourth, 410.73.

MEN'S CYCLING: Cancellara wins men's road time-trial

JUYONGGUAN, China (AP) - Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland has won gold in the Olympic men's road cycling time-trial, completing the 47.3-kilometer (29.4-mile) course in 1 hour, 2 minutes, 11.43 seconds. The medal is the second for world champion Cancellara in Beijing. He took the bronze in the men's road race on Saturday.

Gustav Larsson of Sweden took the silver Wednesday and Levi Leipheimer of the United States the bronze on the course in the shadow of the Great Wall, northeast of Beijing.

Thirty-nine riders from 29 countries took part in Wednesday's competition.

WOMEN'S WEIGHTLIFTING: China's Liu breaks 3 weightlifting records

BEIJING (AP) - Liu Chunhong broke three world records in the women's 69-kilogram division, defending her Olympic title to win China's sixth gold medal in the weightlifting competition. Liu set a new high score of 128 kg (282.2 pounds) in her third attempt in the snatch Wednesday. She then lifted 158 kg (348.3 pounds) to set a new top mark in the clean and jerk.

Her total of 286 kg (630.52 pounds) also was a world record, beating the previous mark by an astounding 10 kg (22.1 pounds).

World champion Oxana Slivenko of Russia was a distant second, lifting a total of 255 kg (562.17 pounds). Ukraine's Natalya Davydova took the bronze.

WRESTLING: Guenot wins 1st French wrestling gold in 84 years

BEIJING (AP) - Steeve Guenot, a railway worker with little government athletic subsidy, has won France's first Olympic wrestling gold medal in 84 years by taking the Greco-Roman 66-kilogram weight class.

Guenot, whose brother Christophe wrestled for a bronze at 74 kg, defeated Kanatbek Begaliev 3-0, 3-1. Begaliev was trying for Kyrgyzstan's first Olympic gold medal. France hadn't won a wrestling gold since Henri Deglane took the 82 kg class in the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Winning the bronzes were Ukraine's Armen Vardanyan and Mikhail Siamionau of Belarus.

The field became wide open when Farid Mansurov, the 2004 Olympic champion from Azerbaijan, lost 3-0, 3-0 to Vardanyan in the first round. Mansurov didn't lose a period while winning last year's world championship.

MEN'S SOCCER: 10-man Cameroon holds Italy to 0-0 draw

TIANJIN, China (AP) - Cameroon held Italy to a 0-0 draw Wednesday despite playing the final 58 minutes with 10 men, a result that sent the Africans to the quarterfinals of the men's Olympic football tournament along with the Azzurrini. Italy, which claimed a bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and finished fifth at Sydney in 2000, already had clinched its place in the final eight. As Group D winner, it will will face the runner-up from Group C on Saturday in Beijing.

Cameroon finished second in the group and will face the Group C winner, likely Brazil, on Saturday in Shenyang.

Both awaited the results of matches later Wednesday to confirm their opponents.

MEN'S SOCCER: South Korea beats Honduras 1-0 but out of Olympics

SHANGHAI, China (AP) - Kim Dong-jin has fired South Korea to a 1-0 victory over Honduras, but it wasn't enough to capture a place in the quarterfinal of the Olympic soccer competition. Kim's 23rd-minute goal at the Shanghai Olympic Stadium meant the South Koreans ended up with four points from their three Group D games but stayed third behind Italy and Cameroon, who qualified for the last eight.

The Koreans missed many more chances against the Hondurans, who finished last in the group after three defeats and without a goal.


MEN'S WRESTLING: Kvirkelia wins Georgia's 1st wrestling gold

BEIJING (AP) - Manuchar Kvirkelia has turned two strong moves into a two-period victory over China's Chang Yongxiang in the Greco-Roman 74-kilogram weight class, giving Georgia its first Olympic wrestling gold medal. Kvirkelia's decisive 6-0, 3-0 victory Wednesday came in the same week Russian troops stormed through Georgia. The gold also was the country's first in Beijing.

Kvirkelia used a 5-point throw to prematurely end the first period. Any period ends when a wrestler takes a 6-0 lead.

He added a 2-point throw on a gut wrench in the second to clearly frustrate Chang, who settled for silver. The bronze medalists were Christophe Guenot, whose brother Steeve won France's first wrestling gold in 84 years at 66 kg minutes before, and 2007 world champion Yavor Yanakiev of Bulgaria.

MEN'S SCOOER: US out after 2-1 Olympic soccer loss to Nigeria

BEIJING (AP) - Promise Isaac and Victor Obinna scored Wednesday to lead Nigeria over 10-man United States 2-1, earning a place in the quarterfinals of the Olympic soccer tournament and eliminating the Americans. Isaac scored in the 39th minute with an easy tap-in off Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi's centering pass, and Obinna curled a right-footed shot into the top of goal in the 80th.

Sacha Kljestan converted an 88th-minute penalty for the Americans and substitute Benny Feilhaber headed onto the post in the 90th, as the United States was eliminated from Group B after the Netherlands beat Japan. The Americans played with 10 men from the third minute when defender Michael Orozco was ejected.

WOMEN'S JUDO: Ueno wins Japan's third judo gold at Olympics

BEIJING (AP) - Masae Ueno won Japan's third gold on the judo mats Wednesday, defending her 2004 Olympic gold with a match-ending throw less than one minute into her final with Cuba's Anaysi Hernandez in the women's 70-kilogram class.

Winning bronze were Ronda Rousey of the United States, who scored early with a yuko and held on to defeat Germany's Annett Boehm, and Edith Bosch of the Netherlands with an ippon throw over Spain's Leire Iglasias.

Rousey's bronze was the first Olympic medal in women's judo for the U.S. since the event was put on the official schedule in 1992.

Judo awards two bronze medals in each weight class.

MEN'S SWIMMING: Phelps qualifies 6th-fastest in Olympic 200 IM

BEIJING (AP) - Michael Phelps has qualified sixth-fastest in the 200-meter individual medley at the Beijing Olympics. The American ended a golden day at the pool by winning his preliminary heat in 1 minute, 58.65 seconds Wednesday night, good enough to move on to the semifinals.

Phelps' teammate Ryan Lochte led all qualifiers in 1:58.15. Laszlo Cseh of Hungary, already a two-time silver medalist behind Phelps in the 400 IM and 200 butterfly, was third in 1:58.79.

Earlier in the day, Phelps claimed two more gold medals, making him 5-for-5 at these games, with world records in each victory. Overall, his 11 career gold medals make him the winningest Olympian in history.

MEN'S WEIGHTLIFTING: South Korea's Sa Jae-hyouk wins weightlifting gold

BEIJING (AP) - Sa Jae-hyouk of South Korea stopped China's gold rush in weightlifting by edging out home crowd favorite Li Hongli to win the men's 77-kilogram division. Sa and Li both lifted a total of 366 kg (806.9 pounds), but Sa got the win because of a lower body weight. Armenia's Gevorg Davtyan took the bronze, totaling 360 kg (793.7 pounds) in the two events.

China had previously won all six of the weight categories in which it had participated.

Sa was 3 kg (6.6 pounds) behind Li after lifting 163 kg (359.4 pounds) in the snatch, but stunned the Chinese crowd by heaving 203 kg (447.5 pounds) in his second clean and jerk.

It was South Korea's first gold in the weightlifting competition.

BASEBALL: South Korea spoils Americans' Olympic opener

BEIJING (AP) - Lee Jong-wook hit a sacrifice fly with one out and South Korea answered the Americans' ninth-inning rally with one of its own, beating the United States 8-7 on Wednesday night in a thrilling Olympic baseball opener. Lee Taek-keun's slide home easily beat the throw for the winning run, and he celebrated on his knees for a long while before getting up to join his jubilant teammates. The South Koreans then tipped their caps to all the enthusiastic fans from their homeland. The supporters were on their feet in the bleachers all night.

The Americans had seemed poised for the comeback victory after Matt Brown hit a go-ahead two-run single with two outs in the top of the ninth, but South Korea rallied against closer Jeff Stevens

MEN'S SOCCER: Argentina beats Serbia 2-0 in Olympic soccer

BEIJING (AP) - Ezequiel Lavezzi and Diego Buonanotte each scored Wednesday night to wrap up Argentina's perfect group start to the Olympic soccer tournament with a 2-0 victory over Serbia. Ezequiel Lavezzi scored from the penalty spot in the 13th minute, and Buonanotte curled in a free kick in the 81st as defending champion Argentina, which had already qualified for the last eight, topped Group A with nine points.

Argentina will next play Group B runner-up and European Under-21 champion Netherlands at Shanghai Stadium on Saturday.

Serbia finished tied with Australia on one point, while Ivory Coast was runner-up in the group with six points.

MEN'S FENCING: Germany's Kleibrink wins men's foil fencing gold

BEIJING (AP) - Benjamin Kleibrink of Germany won the gold medal in men's foil fencing with a convincing victory over Japan's Yuki Ota on Wednesday night.Kleibrink defeated Ota 15-9. After the win he dashed toward his coach and jumped into his arms before returning to the strip. He then returned to the coach and was again hoisted into the air.

The crowd was entertained when Ota got his sword tangled in the cord to Kleibrink's uniform near the end of the match.

Salvatore Sanzo of Italy got the bronze with a 15-14 win over China's Zhu Jun. After the last point, Zhu angrily tossed his helmet off and it rolled off the strip. He quickly composed himself, retrieved it and shook Sanzo's hand.

Missing from the event was Italy's foil star Andre Baldini, who lost his spot in the Olympics after testing positive for a banned
substance.

WOMEN'S FENCING: Germany's Heidemann wins gold in women's epee

BEIJING (AP) - Britta Heidemann has won the gold medal in women's epee, giving Germany its second first-place fencing finish in one night. Heidemann defeated Romania's Ana Maria Branza 15-11 on Wednesday. Fellow German Benjamin Kleibrink got the gold in men's foil in an earlier match. Heidemann was still holding her sword as several people hugged and congratulated her. One person then draped a German flag over her shoulders. Heidemann took gold in the 2007 world championships and was part of the team that won the silver medal in Athens.

Hungary's Ildiko Mincza-Nebald got the bronze with a 15-11 win over Li Na of China.

Li lost 15-10 to Heidemann in the semifinals. Heidemann also beat Li in the finals of the 2007 world championships.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Leslie perfect as US routs Mali in women's hoops

BEIJING (AP) - Lisa Leslie sets U.S. Olympic record going 7-for-7 from the field as the women's team continues its unblemished run through the Beijing Games with a 97-41 victory against Mali. Leslie finished with 16 points Wednesday night as the U.S. has now won 28 straight Olympic contests. The last loss was to the Unified Team in the semifinals of the 1992 Barcelona Games. The Americans have run over their first three opponents winning by an average of 47 points. They routed the Czech Republic, China, and now Mali.

The Americans play Spain next on Friday.

Time shedule for Beijing 2008 olympic game .

See this Sheduled image shows the upcoming olympic events based on their date...

OLYMPIC GAMES SCHEDULE - Beijing 2008 : THURSDAY, AUGUST 14

* Artistic Gymnastics

* Synchronised Swimming

* Fencing

* Archery

* Tennis: Quarter Final and Semi Final

* Hockey:Women's Preliminaries

* Handball

* Water Polo

* Shooting: Women's Pairs Final

* Softball

* Basketball: Men's group games

* Baseball: Men's group games

* Rowing

* Canoe/Kayak: Slalom - Men's Doubles Semi Final; C2 Canoe Double; Women's Semi Final K1 Kayak Single; Men's Doubles Final C2 Double Final; Women's Final K1 Kayak Final

* Volleyball

* Table Tennis

* Wrestling

* Judo

* Volleyball

* Badminton

* Boxing

* Beach Volleyball

* Sailing: Team event

* Equestrian: Individual and Team Dressage Grand Prix Day 2

China's Chen wins gold in women's 25m pistol

China's Chen Ying won the Olympic gold medal in the women's 25m pistol shooting on Wednesday.

Chen had a magnificent final round to move up from third place to clinch gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Bulgaria's Maria Grozdeva, who won the gold medal in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, finished fifth

Chen set a final Olympic record with a score of 793.4.

Gundegmaa Otryad of Mongolia was second with a final mark of 792.2. She equaled an Olympic record by scoring 590 in the qualifying round.

Germany's Munkhbayar Dorjsuren captured bronze with a score of 789.2.

China's Fei Fengji was fourth and Maria Grozdeva of Bulgaria fifth. Grozdeva was trying for her third straight Olympic gold medal in the event and sixth Olympic medal overall, having also won bronze in the 10m air pistol in Barcelona in 1992, Atlanta in 1996 and four years ago in Athens. A mother of three, Grozdeva was first in the 25m pistol at this year's World Cup in Brazil.

"I lost concentration during the precision shooting," said Grozdeva. "That was the big difference between others who participated in the final."

Elizabeth Callahan failed to make the final round and was 25th overall, while U.S. teammate Rebecca Snyder was 28th.

The 30-year-old Chen, who finished fourth in the pistol at the 2004 Olympics, wasn't as enthusiastic immediately after winning the gold.

"To others this might be a supreme glory, but I just took it as a competition," she said.

This was the third Olympics in the 25m pistol for the 39-year-old Dorjsuren, who was born in Mongolia. She was the bronze medalist in 1992

US Swimmers Shatter Records To Win Gold - Natalie Anne Coughlin

Just the third American woman to win five Olympic medals at one meet, including two gold in the 100-meter backstroke and as a member of the world record-setting 4x200-meter freestyle relay . first woman to swim the 100 back in less than one minute, and became the first woman to swim the 100 back in under 59 seconds (58.97 - world record) at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Time Trials in Omaha, Neb. broke her own 5-year-old world record in the 100 back at the 2007 World Championships

Full name: Natalie Anne Coughlin
Nationality:United States
Stroke(s):Backstroke
Date of birth:August 23, 1982 (1982-08-23) (age 25)
Place of birth:Vallejo, California, United States
Height:1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Medal record - Women's Swimming-Olympic Games
Gold 2004 Athens 100 m backstroke
Gold 2004 Athens 4×200 m freestyle relay
Silver 2004 Athens 4×100 m freestyle relay
Silver 2004 Athens 4×100 m medley relay
Bronze 2004 Athens[1] 100 m freestyle
Gold 2008 Beijing 100 m backstroke
Silver 2008 Beijing 4×100 m freestyle relay
Bronze 2008 Beijing 200 m indiv medley
World Championships
Gold 2001 Fukuoka 100 m backstroke
Silver 2001 Fukuoka 4×100 m medley relay
Bronze 2001 Fukuoka 50 m backstroke
Gold 2003 Barcelona 4×100 m freestyle relay
Silver 2003 Barcelona 4×100 m medley relay
Gold 2005 Montreal 4×200 m freestyle relay
Silver 2005 Montreal 4×100 m medley relay
Bronze 2005 Montreal[2] 100 m freestyle
Bronze 2005 Montreal 100 m backstroke
Bronze 2005 Montreal 4×100 m freestyle relay
Gold 2007 Melbourne[3] 100 m backstroke
Gold 2007 Melbourne 4×200 m freestyle relay
Silver 2007 Melbourne 4×100 m freestyle relay
Silver 2007 Melbourne 4×100 m medley relay
Bronze 2007 Melbourne 100 m butterfly