Olympic news

Tajikistan's men's 84kg freestyle wrestling silver medallist Yusup Abdusalomov collapsed and needed medical help after losing the gold medal bout to Georgian Revazi Mindorashvili yesterday.

Abdusalomov, 30, collapsed on his way to a news conference and lay on the floor clutching his silver medal while medics and his coach were summoned. He was pale, his breathing was shallow, and he was unable to walk.

The wrestler tried for 20 minutes to regain his strength but had to be led away for medical monitoring.

A translator who watched while Abdusalomov lay stretched out along three plastic chairs in the press conference room said he heard a medic say the wrestler's pulse was returning to normal.

Russia's Shirvani Muradov, 32, who won a gold medal in the 96kg category, said conditions were gruelling. "Honestly, five bouts in a short time in one day is really very difficult to overcome," he said.

Sports agent strikes gold with Liukin

Sports agent Evan Morgenstein cannot stop smiling and no wonder - he has Olympic gold-medallist US gymnast Nastia Liukin on his client list.

Morgenstein said he stumbled across some gymnastics while flipping channels on TV in 2006. It was not a sport he often watched and he was struck by the beauty and grace of one elfin gymnast, listening intently to find out who she was.

"I Googled her name, I found her website, and was like 'Yes', she doesn't have an agent," said Morgenstein.

Morgenstein said he emailed Liukin and a week later her father and coach Valery Liukin got back to him and said the time was not right.

"Every other month for a year I stayed in touch with the family I sent emails and finally a year later he calls and says now is the time to come down," he said.

"After three times going down there, I got a call saying: 'Nastia wants to work with you'. It was to this date one of the singularly greatest moments because of how much I wanted to work with her because I felt like this was going to be the future."

Former champions win IOC posts

Former Olympic champions Alexander Popov of Russia and Moon Dae-sung from South Korea are among four new members elected to the International Olympic Committee's athletes commission.

Popov, 50 metres freestyle gold medallist at the 1992 and 1996 Games, and Moon, a taekwondo gold medallist at the 2004 Olympics, were joined by German fencer Claudia Bokel and Cuban volleyball player Ruiz-Luaces Yumilka.

The four would become IOC members for eight years after election by their peers during the Beijing Games and would represent athletes' interests in the Olympic movement, the IOC said.

The commission deals with matters related to all Olympic athletes, including their participation, training and living conditions.

Afghans rejoice over first Olympic medal

The winner of Afghanistan's first Olympic medal is to be given a house as a reward on the orders of President Hamid Karzai, a palace official said.

Rohullah Nikpai thrilled Afghans with his bronze medal in the men's 58kg taekwondo.

"It's a time of big celebrations for all of us," said shopkeeper Khair Mohammad. "I'm so happy that despite the war, lack of sports facilities and training Nikpai managed to secure a medal."

Many Afghans were unable to watch Wednesday's bout live because power is intermittent and only some households have access to cable television.

But a recording of Nikpai's victory over Juan Antonio Ramos of Spain was later played over and over on local stations.

US scoop beach volleyball gold

US defending champions Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh beat China to win a second beach volleyball gold yesterday and left the door ajar to the possibility of coming back for a third in London.

The triple world champions screamed, leapt into each other's arms and fell into the sand after Walsh hammered down the last spike to beat China's Tian Jia and Wang Jie 21-18 21-18 and become the first team to win two Olympic beach titles.

"This has been Kerri's and my goal since the last ball dropped in Athens. It's been a lot of hard work, a lot of love, a wonderful ride," May-Treanor said after the match.

"We want to go maybe for a third but babies first. Priorities change but we've had obstacles in the past and we've overcome them and this is just another part of our sisterhood," she said.

New shoes spring into action

Two athletes in Sunday's marathon will have an extra spring in their step - quite literally.

Angola's Joao N'Tyamba and Ecuador's Franklin Tenorio have both opted to race in the controversial Spira Stinger shoe that has a two stainless steel springs bedded in its sole.

US authorities have banned the distinctive yellow footwear, saying it gives athletes an unfair advantage, while the international athletics federation has yet to rule on the issue, opening the way for the Spira's debut at an Olympics.