Welcome to OGGOA‘s home for 19 days worth of coverage of the 2012 London Olympics, which consists of events spanning July 25 through August 12.

Stop by this page any time day or night for updated medal counts, schedules, stories and much more. Be sure to check out the fixed features on the sidebar as well as all of the information contained on this constantly updated page.

If you have any suggestions or tidbits to add to OGGOA‘s coverage, send them along via Twitter or e-mail.

Sunday, August 12

There are no more Gators competing in the 2012 London Olympics. A complete wrap-up of the athletes’ accomplishments over the last 19 days will be posted after the final Olympic event is completed. For now please check out all of the results below as well as the updated medal count featured on the right sidebar.

Saturday, August 11

Athletics

MEN’S 4X100 METER RELAY (Finals)

United States – 2nd – 37.04 (+0.20) – Silver Medal

» Jeff Demps, who did not compete in the final, raced in the first round of the event and therefore will also receive a silver medal.

» Jamaica, which won the race, set a new world record at 36.84; the United States matched the previous world record of 37.04 and set a new American national record.

WOMEN’S 4X400 METER RELAY (Finals)

Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica) – 3rd – 3:20.95 (+4.08) – Bronze Medal

» Williams-Mills ran the anchor leg of the race but could not catch up to the United States or Russia, both of which had the lead on Jamaica through the first 1,200 meters.

Story: Demps, Williams capture medals on Saturday

Friday, August 10

Athletics

MEN’S 4X400 METER RELAY (Finals)

Tony McQuay (United States) – 2nd – 2:57.05 (+0.33) – Silver Medal

» McQuay ran the third leg of the race and took over first place for the Americans. His split of 43.41 was the fastest out of anyone competing in the event.

Story: McQuay adds a silver to Gators’ medal haul

MEN’S 4X100 METER RELAY (Round 1)

Jeff Demps (United States) – 1st (Heat 2) – 37.38 – Advanced to finals

» The time set by the American team is a national record.

» Demps may not be selected to run in the finals but would still be eligible for a medal due to his participation in the first round of the event.

» Next competing: Saturday, August 11 at 4:00 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

WOMEN’S 4X400 METER RELAY (Round 1)

Jamaica – 1st (Heat 1) – 3:25.13 – Advanced to finals

» Novlene Williams-Mills is in Jamaica’s pool of runners for this event. She did not compete in the first round but will likely fill a slot in the finals.

» Next competing: Saturday, August 11 at 3:25 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

Thursday, August 9

Athletics

MEN’S TRIPLE JUMP (Finals)

Christian Taylor (United States) – 1st – 17.81m – Gold Medal

» Taylor is the youngest athlete in 100 years to win this event in the Olympics.

Will Claye (United States) – 2nd – 17.62m – Silver Medal

» Claye also won bronze in the Men’s Long Jump.

Story: Gators Taylor, Claye take home gold and silver for United States

MEN’S 4X400 METER RELAY (Round 1)

Tony McQuay (United States) – 2nd (Heat 2) – 2:58.87 – Advanced to finals

» McQuay ran the third leg of the race and closed a large gap for the United States. His split of 43.65 was the fastest out of anyone competing in the event.

» Next competing: Friday, August 10 at 4:20 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

Football

GOLD MEDAL MATCH

United States 2 ( Gold Medal ) – Japan 1

The Americans started the match on fire, dominating ball possession and taking an early advantage when midfielder Carly Lloyd scored via a diving header just eight minutes into the match that could have just as easily been struck into the net by striker Abby Wambach. Goalkeeper Hope Solo made an unforgettable save to maintain the United States’ 1-0 lead at the half, and Lloyd doubled that advantage at 54’ with a hard strike that put the Americans up 2-0. Japan, which had five strong shots on goal during the match, finally cut their deficit in half at 63’, but Solo made another spectacular save late in the game to keep the tie out of reach and help bring home the gold for the third-straight Olympics and fourth in the last five.

» Wambach: three shots, yellow card in 90 minutes | Heather Mitts: did not play

The gold medal is Wambach’s second and Mitts’s third in as many Olympics.

Story: Wambach, Mitts add team gold for USA, Florida

BRONZE MEDAL MATCH

Canada 1 ( Bronze Medal ) – France 0

A defensive battle for more than 90 minutes, it was not until two minutes into injury time at the end of the second half that Canada scored its lone goal and won the match. The Canadians can thank midfielder Diana Matheson for not only her clutch goal but helping their team finish as the third-best in the Olympics

» Melanie Booth: did not play

Wednesday, August 8

Athletics

WOMEN’S LONG JUMP (Finals)

Shara Proctor (Great Britain) – 9th – 6.55m – Did not medal

» Proctor is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

Tuesday, August 7

Athletics

MEN’S TRIPLE JUMP (Qualification)

Christian Taylor (United States) – 1st – 17.21m – Advanced to finals

» Next competing: Thursday, August 9 at 2:20 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

Will Claye (United States) – 7th – 16.87m – Advanced to finals

» Next competing: Thursday, August 9 at 2:20 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

WOMEN’S LONG JUMP (Qualification)

Shara Proctor (Great Britain) – 1st – 6.83m – Advanced to finals

» Next competing: Wednesday, August 8 at 3:05 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

Monday, August 6

Football

SEMIFINALS

United States 4 – Canada 3 (Extra Time)

The United States advanced the Gold Medal Match of the Olympics after fighting back from three separate deficits and scoring a game-winning goal 2:30 into injury time in the second period of extra time. Canada took the early advantage when forward Christine Sinclair fooled United States goalkeeper Hope Solo with a juke and hit a hard strike into the net at 22’. The U.S. evened things up early in the second half thanks to a brilliant goal scored by midfielder Megan Rapinoe directly from a corner kick at 54’. However, the Canadians jumped back on top just minutes later when Sinclair headed in a cross to put her team up 2-1 at 67’. Rapinoe would not be denied though, hitting a laser strike across the goal, off the post into the net to once again tie the match at 70’. The Sinclair vs. Rapinoe battle continued with Sinclair completing her hat trick at 73’ by angling a deft header into the corner of the net off a corner kick to give Canada a 3-2 advantage.

Rapinoe would help the United States get another scoring chance at 80’ when an indirect free kick she took in the box was called a handball and striker Abby Wambach stepped up to score a penalty goal off the post and tie the match a third time. The goal was Wambach’s 143rd in 187 international matches, putting her 15 away from tying Mia Hamm’s all-time record. The match went into extra time (two 15-minute periods) and looked to be heading into a penalty kick tiebreaker until the Americans decided to shock the world once again. In the third minute of injury time at 2:22, midfielder Heather O’Reilly crossed the ball into the penalty box; F Alex Morgan found it and darted it into the corner of the net with a strong header to give the United States a chance to win gold.

» Wambach: goal (regulation penalty kick), six shots in 120 minutes | Heather Mitts: did not play | Melanie Booth (Canada): did not play

» “I don’t know if you [put it into words]. For some reason we like to make things dramatic,” Wambach said after the match. “You can’t put words into this experience. It’s epic. This game, this win, getting into the gold medal game. […] Thankfully we didn’t believe that they were going to win that game. We fought ’till the end. This is what we are. This is who we are. This is what we’ve been working for. I know that this team is willing and ready to show up.”

Athletics

MEN’S 400 METER HURDLES

Kerron Clement (United States) – 8th – 49.15 (+1.52) – Did not medal

» Clement is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

MEN’S 800 METER RUN

Moise Joseph (Haiti) – 36th – 1:48.46 – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Joseph is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

Story: Ryan Lochte, Abby Wambach claim they will be back for the 2016 Rio Olympics, and Florida’s band swings the alma mater at the Tower of London. Click here.

Sunday, August 5

Athletics

WOMEN’S 400 METER DASH (Finals)

Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica) – 5th – 50.11 (+0.60) – Did not medal

» Williams-Mills will also compete in the 4x400M Relay.

MEN’S 400 METER DASH (Semifinals)

Tony McQuay (United States) – 4th (Heat 2) – 45.31 – Did not qualify for finals

» McQuay will also compete in the 4x400M Relay.

Tennis

MIXED DOUBLES – BRONZE MEDAL MATCH

(3) Lisa Raymond/Mike Bryan (United States) def. Germany 6-3, 4-6 (10-4)

Coming off a disappointing team performance in her match earlier, Raymond seemed dead-set on taking home a medal in the second Olympics of her career. The Americans and Germans were even through the first two sets, but Raymond/Bryan quickly dispatched of their competitors in the third set to claim the medal. The duo was 42/51 (82 percent) winning point on their first serve and only committed eight unforced errors in the match compared to 17 by their opponents.

Story: Raymond claims first Olympic medal at age 38

WOMEN’S DOUBLES – BRONZE MEDAL MATCH

(3) Russia def. (1) Lisa Raymond/Liezel Huber (United States) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

Raymond and Huber started out hot against the Russians but struggled getting the necessary break points in the second set, eventually dropping it. The Americans were just 2-for-9 in break point conversions at the end of that set and seemed doomed when Huber received a medical timeout to deal with what appeared to be a strained stomach muscle. The duo was never able to recover and fell, leaving Raymond with one more opportunity at a bronze medal.

Basketball

Brazil 78 – Great Britain 66 (Group B – First Round)

Great Britain’s ultimate goal was to win the country’s first-ever Olympic women’s basketball game. Unfortunately that did not occur in these games as, following three heart-breaking losses, the British were beat handily by the Brazilians on Sunday.

» Azania Stewart: 1/2 for six points, three rebounds, five blocks in 21:18

Saturday, August 4

Swimming

WOMEN’S 4X100 MEDLEY RELAY (Finals)

Gemma Spofforth (Great Britain) – 8th – 3:59.46 (+7.41) – Did not medal

» Jemma Lowe also swam for GB in the 4x100M Medley Relay heat.

Athletics

MEN’S LONG JUMP (Finals)

Will Claye (United States) – 3rd – 8.12m – Bronze Medal

» Claye will also compete in the triple jump.

Story: Beisel, Claye add bronze medals to Florida’s haul

WOMEN’S 400 METER DASH (Semifinals)

Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica) – 3rd (Heat 3) – 49.91 – Advanced to finals

» Williams-Mills did not qualify by placing in her heat but rather because of her time.

» Next competing: Sunday, August 5 at 4:10 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

MEN’S 400 METER HURDLES (Semifinals)

Kerron Clement (United States) – 3rd (Heat 1) – 48.12 – Advanced to finals

» Clement registered a seasonal best mark for the second-straight race. He did not qualify by placing in his heat but rather because of his time.

» Next competing: Monday, August 6 at 3:45 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

MEN’S 400 METER DASH (Round 1)

Tony McQuay (United States) – 2nd (Heat 5) – 45.48 – Advanced to semifinals

» McQuay qualified by place in heat (2nd) but also had the 18th-fastest time overall.

» Next competing: Sunday, August 5 at 3:40 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

WOMEN’S 3,000 METER STEEPLECHASE (Round 1)

Genevieve LaCaze (Australia) – 9th (Heat 1) – 9:37.90 – Did not qualify for finals

» LaCaze’s time was a personal best, 3.25 seconds faster than her previous best.

» LaCaze is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

Tennis

MIXED DOUBLES – SEMIFINALS

(1) Belarus def. (3) Lisa Raymond/Mike Bryan (United States) 6-3, 4-6(10-7)

Despite fighting back to win the second set, Raymond and Bryan were unable to maintain their momentum and fell to the top-ranked mixed doubles pairing. Raymond and partner Liezel Huber, the No. 1 duo, also lost in the women’s doubles semifinals.

Friday, August 3

Swimming

WOMEN’S 200 METER BACKSTROKE (Finals)

Junior Elizabeth Beisel (United States) – 3rd – 2:06.55 (+2.49) – Bronze Medal

» Beisel was in fourth most of the race but fought hard to earn a medal.

Sinead Russell* (Canada) – 8th – 2:09.86 (+5.80) – Did not medal

* Russell, an incoming freshman in 2012, is neither being counted in OGGOA‘s totals of Gators Olympians nor the medal count.

Story: Beisel, Claye add bronze medals to Florida’s haul

WOMEN’S 50 METER FREESTYLE (Heats)

Sarah Bateman (Iceland) – T-16 – 25.28 – To be determined in three-way swim-off

Sarah Bateman (Iceland) – 3rd – 26.03 (+1.21) – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Bateman is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

WOMEN’S 4X100 MEDLEY RELAY (Heats)

Gemma Spofforth/Jemma Lowe (Great Britain) – 6th – 3:59.37 – Advanced to finals

» Next competing: Saturday, August 4 at 3:07 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

Melania Costa-Schmid (Spain) – 13th – 4:03.05 – Did not qualify for finals

» Costa-Schmid is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

Sarah Bateman/Luthersdottir (Iceland) – 15th – 4:07.09 – Did not qualify for finals

» Bateman and Luthersdottir are not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

Athletics

MEN’S 400 METER HURDLES (Round 1)

Kerron Clement (United States) – 2nd (Heat 4) – 48.48 – Advanced to semifinals

» Clement’s mark was his seasonal best. He qualified by place in heat (2nd) but also had the second-fastest time overall.

» Next competing: Saturday, August 4 at 2:00 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

MEN’S LONG JUMP (Qualification)

Will Claye (United States) – 8th – 7.99m – Advanced to finals

» Next competing: Saturday, August 4 at 2:55 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

WOMEN’S 400 METER DASH (Round 1)

Novlene Williams-Mills (Jamaica) – 1st (Heat 6) – 50.88 – Advanced to semifinals

» Williams-Mills qualified by place in heat (1st) but also had the sixth-fastest time overall.

» Next competing: Saturday, August 4 at 3:05 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

MEN’S SHOT PUT (Qualification)

Kemal Mesic (Bosnia) – 25th – 19.60m/64-3.75 – Did not qualify for finals

» Mesic is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

Football

United States 2 – New Zealand 0 (Quarterfinals)

Striker Abby Wambach continued her domination of these Olympics with her fourth goal in as many matches, converting a brilliant through ball from Alex Morgan into a sliding goal at 27’. The goal was Wambach’s 142nd in 186 international matches, putting her just 16 away from tying Mia Hamm for most all-time. She already holds the United States’ women’s soccer record for goals in an Olympic career and hopes to have two more matches in London to add to her total. Wambach also got flagged with a yellow card at 43’ for what was deemed to be a rough tackle.

» Wambach: goal, five shots, yellow card in 90 minutes | Heather Mitts: did not play

Canada 2 – Great Britain 0 (Quarterfinals)

With a victory over Great Britain, Canada will go head-to-head with the United States on Monday, August 6 at 2:45 p.m.

» Melanie Booth: did not play

Tennis

MIXED DOUBLES – QUARTERFINALS

(3) Lisa Raymond/Mike Bryan (United States) def. Argentina 6-2, 7-5

Unlike her earlier match, Raymond and her American partner were on the ball from the beginning and made quick work of an Argentinean team that included Juan Martin del Potro, who had a four-hour match with Roger Federer (Switzerland) before his mixed doubles contest. Raymond/Bryan advance to Olympic semifinals action for an opportunity to compete in the gold medal match.

WOMEN’S DOUBLES – SEMIFINALS

(4) Czech Republic def. (1) Lisa Raymond/Liezel Huber (United States) 6-1, 7-6(7-2)

Raymond/Huber seemed outmatched from start to finish of their semifinal, falling in straight sets to a duo that was a combined 22 years their junior. Down 4-5 in the second set, Raymond/Huber fought back to force a tiebreak but eventually fell in relatively quick fashion. Raymond will continue to compete in Olympic mixed doubles and team with Huber once more in a bronze medal match with a date yet to be determined.

Basketball

France 80 – Great Britain 77 [OT] (Group B – First Round)

Competing in the Olympics for the first time in their country’s history, the British had already suffered through two close losses and headed into Friday’s game still searching for their first-ever victory. Great Britain had the win within their grasp but decided not to foul and subsequently blew a three-point lead by allowing France to hit a three with 5.6 seconds left in regulation. The British were then on the line in overtime with a chance to take a lead with 10 seconds left but missed the second of two free throws and allowed the French to hit another dagger trey with 0.2 remaining to steal the victory.

» Azania Stewart: 0/3 , two rebounds, steal in 20:54

Thursday, August 2

Swimming

MEN’S 200 METER INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY (Finals)

Ryan Lochte (United States) – 2nd – 1:54.90 (+0.63) – Silver Medal

» Michael Phelps, who won gold, led Lochte the entire 200 meters.

MEN’S 200 METER BACKSTROKE (Finals)

Ryan Lochte (United States) – 3rd – 1.53.94 (+0.53) – Bronze Medal

» Lochte again lost his lead in the final 50 meters of the race.

Story: Lochte strikes out on gold but adds silver, bronze

WOMEN’S 200 METER BACKSTROKE (Semifinals)

Junior Elizabeth Beisel (United States) – 1st – 2:06.18 – Advanced to finals

» Next competing: Friday, August 3 at 2:30 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

Stephanie Proud (Great Britain) – 9th – 2:09.04 (+2.86) – Did not qualify for finals

» Next competing: Thursday, August 2 at 2:56 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

Sinead Russell* (Canada) – 8th – 2:08.76 (+2.58) – Advanced to finals

* Russell, an incoming freshman in 2012, is neither being counted in OGGOA‘s totals of Gators Olympians nor the medal count should she place that high in an event.

» Next competing: Friday, August 3 at 2:30 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

MEN’S 50 METER FREESTYLE (Heats)

Brett Fraser (Cayman Islands) – 32nd – 22.91 – Did not advance to semifinals

» Fraser is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

Wednesday, August 1

Swimming

MEN’S 200 METER BACKSTROKE (Semifinals)

Ryan Lochte (United States) – 2nd – 1.55.40 (+0.69) – Advanced to finals

» Lochte lost his lead in the final 50 meters of the race.

Omar Pinzon (Colombia) – 16th – 1:58.99 (+4.28) – Did not qualify for finals

» Pinzon is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

Marco Loughran (Great Britain) – 18th – 1.58.72 – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Loughran is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

MEN’S 200 METER INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY (Semifinals)

Ryan Lochte (United States) – 1st – 1:56.13 – Advanced to semifinals

» Next competing: Thursday, August 2 at 3:19 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

Marcin Cieślak (Poland) – 19th – 2:00.45 – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Cieślak is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

Bradley Ally (Barbados) – T-22nd – 2:00.85 – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Ally is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

WOMEN’S 200 METER BUTTERFLY (Finals)

Jemma Lowe (Great Britain) – 6th – 2:06.80 (+2.74) – Did not medal

» Lowe will also compete in the 4x100M Medley Relay.

WOMEN’S 4X200 FREESTYLE RELAY (Heats)

Melania Costa-Schmid (Spain) – 10th – 7:54.59 – Did not qualify for finals

» Spain’s relay team missed out on the last finals spot by 0.03 seconds.

» Costa-Schmid will also compete in the 4x100M Medley Relay.

WOMEN’S 200 METER BREASTSTROKE (Heats)

Hrafnhildur Luthersdottir (Iceland) – 28th – 2:29.60 – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Luthersdottir will also compete in the 4x100M Medley Relay.

Sarra Lajnef (Tunisia) – 31st – 2:31.15 – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Lajnef is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

Tennis

WOMEN’S DOUBLES – QUARTERFINALS

(1) Lisa Raymond/Liezel Huber (United States) def. Russia 6-3, 6-3

After earning a solid two-set victory on Tuesday, the top-ranked doubles pairing of Raymond/Huber earned another clean sweep on Wednesday and advanced to the semifinals of the women’s doubles tournament at the Olympics. The date of their next match (as well as the opponent they will be facing) have yet to be determined.

MIXED DOUBLES – FIRST ROUND

(3) Lisa Raymond/Mike Bryan (United States) def. Italy 7-5, 6-3

In their first Olympic match, Raymond/Bryan shut down their Italian opponents and advanced to the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles tournament. The date aof their next match (as well as the opponent they will be facing) have yet to be determined.

Basketball

Russia 67 – Great Britain 61 (Group B – First Round)

Center Azania Stewart again played well for Great Britain though her team never led and eventually feel to Russia, losing its third-straight Olympic game in its first-ever appearance. She will return to the court on Friday against France as GB looks for its first women’s basketball victory.

» Stewart: 2/3 for four points, two rebounds, two steals, block, turnover in 21:52

Tuesday, July 31

Swimming

MEN’S 4X200 METER FREESTYLE RELAY (Finals)

Ryan Lochte/Conor Dwyer (United States) – 1st – 6:59.80 – Gold Medal

» Lochte/Dwyer swam first two legs, got USA out to two-second lead.

Sebastien Rousseau (South Africa) – 7th – 7:09.65 (+9.95) – Did not medal

Story: Lochte and Dwyer lead USA to gold in 4×200 Meter Freestyle Relay, help Phelps set Olympic record

WOMEN’S 200 METER BUTTERFLY (Semifinals)

Jemma Lowe (Great Britain) – 8th – 2:07.37 (+1.47) – Advanced to finals

» Next competing: Wednesday, August 1 at 3:12 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

MEN’S 100 METER FREESTYLE (Semifinals)

Brett Fraser (Cayman Islands) – 15th – 48.92 (+1.29) – Did not qualify for finals

» B. Fraser will also compete in the 50M Freestyle.

Shaune Fraser (Cayman Islands) – 16th – 49.07 (+1.44) – Did not qualify for finals

» S. Fraser is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

Football

United States 1 – North Korea 0 (Group G – First Round)

The Americans completed their first-ever sweep of the group stage with nine points in three matches thanks to a clutch first-half goal by striker Abby Wambach at 25’, her third in as many games. The goal also marked Wambach’s 141st in 185 international matches putting her just 17 away from tying Mia Hamm for most all-time. Wambach, who already holds the United States’ women’s soccer record for goals in an Olympic career, nearly added a second but just barely missed the net on both chances. Defender Heather Mitts, who saw full time against Colombia, did not step on the pitch. The Americans advanced to the quarterfinals stage, which begins on Friday.

» Wambach: goal, four shots in 90 minutes | Mitts: did not play

Canada 2 – Sweden 2 (Group F – First Round)

Despite not being a member of Canada’s active roster when the Olympics began, Melanie Booth was added prior to Tuesday’s game as an injury replacement for Candace Chapman. She did not play in the contest though the Canadians did advance to the quarterfinal stage with the draw.

Tennis

WOMEN’S DOUBLES – SECOND ROUND

(1) Lisa Raymond/Liezel Huber (United States) def. Poland 6-4, 7-6(7-3)

After receiving a first-round bye for being the top-ranked doubles pairing, Raymond/Huber proved that rust would not be an issue by easily taking the first set and coming from behind to force a tiebreak and eventually sweep the match against a duo a combined 30 years their junior. Raymond/Huber advance to the quarterfinals and will next play on Wednesday against a yet to be determined opponent.

Monday, July 30

Swimming

MEN’S 200 METER FREESTYLE (Finals)

Ryan Lochte (United States) – 4th – 1:54.04 (+1.90) – Did not medal

» Lochte finished 0.11 seconds out of a three-way tie for silver.

WOMEN’S 100 METER BACKSTROKE (Finals)

Gemma Spofforth (Great Britain) – 5th – 59.20 (+0.87) – Did not medal

» Spofforth still holds the world record in the event (58.12 seconds).

Story: Lochte, Spofforth fall short of medals on Monday

WOMEN’S 200 METER FREESTYLE (Semifinals)

Melania Costa-Schmid (Spain) – 9th – 1:57.76 (+1.68) – Did not qualify for finals

» Finished one spot out of the finals by less than a tenth of a second.

» Costa-Schmid will also compete in the 4x200M Freestyle and 4x100M Medley Relays.

MEN’S 200 METER BUTTERFLY (Heats)

Marcin Cieślak (Poland) – 19th – 1:57.07 (+2.28) – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Cieślak will also be competing in the 200M individual medley.

Omar Pinzon (Colombia) – 34th – 2:02.32 (+7.53) – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Pinzon will also be competing in the 200M backstroke.

Basketball

Canada 73 – Great Britain 65 (Group B – First Round)

Center Azania Stewart started hot for Great Britain but did not get as much playing time in the second half as her team lost its second-straight game of the Olympics in its first-ever appearance. She will return to the court on Wednesday against Russia as GB looks for its first women’s basketball victory.

» Stewart: 2/3 for four points, four rebounds, block, steal, turnover in 16:23

Sunday, July 29

Swimming

MEN’S 4X100 METER FREESTYLE RELAY (Finals)

Ryan Lochte (United States) – 2nd – 3:10.38 (+0.45) – Silver Medal

» The Americans had the lead until the final 50 meters when Lochte was passed.

Story: Lochte passed in final leg, United States takes silver in 4×100 Meter Freestyle Relay

MEN’S 200 METER FREESTYLE (Semifinals)

Ryan Lochte (United States) – 5th – 1:46.31 (+0.70) – Advanced to finals

» Next competing: Monday, July 30 at 2:43 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

Brett Fraser (Cayman Islands) – 13th – 1:47.01 (+1.40) – Did not qualify for finals

» Fraser will also compete in the 50M Freestyle and 100M Freestyle.

Shaune Fraser (Cayman Islands) – 20th – 1:48.53 – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Fraser will also compete in the 100M Freestyle.

Raul Martinez Colomer (Puerto Rico) – 35th – 1:54.23 – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Colomer is not competing in any additional events this Olympics.

WOMEN’S 100 METER BACKSTROKE (Semifinals)

Gemma Spofforth (Great Britain) – 6th – 59.70 (+0.58) – Advanced to finals

» Next competing: Monday, July 30 at 2:51 p.m. ( see schedule to the right ).

Sinead Russell (Canada) – 13th – 1:00.57 (+1.45) – Did not qualify for finals

» Russell, an incoming freshman, will also compete in the 200M Backstroke.

MEN’S 100 METER BACKSTROKE (Heats)

Omar Pinzon (Colombia) – 33rd – 55.37 – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Pinzon will also compete in the 200M Butterfly and 200M Backstroke.

Bradley Ally (Barbados) – 40th – 56.27 – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Ally will also compete in the 200M Individual Medley.

WOMEN’S 400 METER FREESTYLE (Heats)

Melania Costa-Schmid (Spain) – 9th – 4:06.75 – Did not qualify for finals

» Costa-Schmid will also be competing in the 200M freestyle, 4x200M freestyle relay and 4x100M Medley Relay.

Saturday, July 28

Swimming

MEN’S 400 METER INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY

Ryan Lochte (United States) – 1st – 4:05.18 – Gold Medal

» Fourth Olympic gold medal of Lochte’s career and first in the 400M IM.

Bradley Ally (Barbados) – 25th – 4:21.32 – Did not qualify for finals

» Ally will also compete in the 100M Backstroke and 200M Individual Medley.

WOMEN’S 400 METER INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY

Junior Elizabeth Beisel (United States) – 2nd – 4:31.27 (+2.84) – Silver Medal

» It took a world record time (4:28.43) beat Beisel, who won her first Olympic medal.

Story: Lochte takes gold, Beisel silver in 400 Meter I.M.

MEN’S 400 METER FREESTYLE

Conor Dwyer (United States) – 5th – 3:46.24 (+6.25) – Did not medal

» Dwyer will also compete in the 4x100M Freestyle and 200M Individual Medley.

* Peter Vanderkaay (United States), a Michigan graduate and member of the Gator Swim Club for the last two years, took Bronze in the event.

WOMEN’S 100 METER BUTTERFLY (Heats)

Sarah Bateman (Iceland) – 32nd – 59.87 – Did not qualify for semifinals

» Bateman will also compete in the 4x100M Medley Relay and 50M freestyle.

Football

United States 3 – Colombia 0 (Group G – First Round)

Already up a goal thanks to winger Megan Rapinoe (33’), striker Abby Wambach extended the Americans’ lead to 2-0 at 74’ with a sliding strike that crossed over to the far side of the net and became her 140th goal in 184 international matches (she is 18 away from tying Mia Hamm for most all-time). Wambach, who now holds the USA women’s soccer record for goals in an Olympic career, nearly doubled up just minutes later but saw a strong left-footed strike clang off the crossbar; midfielder Carli Lloyd (77’) took care of that with her second goal of the Olympics to send the United States into the quarterfinals with six points via two victories. Defender Heather Mitts saw her first action of the Olympics as a starter for the Americans. USA will take on North Korea on Tuesday, July 31 in their final first-round match even though they have already won Group G and advanced to the quarterfinals on Friday, Aug. 3.

» Wambach: goal, five shots in 78 minutes | Mitts: 90 minutes

» Wambach got hit in the face during the match, only to turn around and score a goal shortly thereafter, mocking the foul by manually opening her eye in celebration. (Animated GIF of Wambach courtesy of SBNation.)

“It’s interesting, because you think about yourself and what you’d do on the street if somebody were to sucker-punch you. You have a list of things you’d do to retaliate. But this is the Olympics. I can’t risk getting a red card or yellow card. We like to call it ‘ice.’ Stay ice-cold. What they’re trying to do is get me to retaliate. I’m proud of myself for not doing that.” – Wambach saying she would want payback off the pitch

(via Sports Illustrated)

Basketball

Australia 74 – Great Britain 58 (Group B – First Round)

Center Azania Stewart got the start for Great Britain, which was making its first-ever appearance in the Olympics in this particular event. She will return to the court against Canada on Monday as GB looks for its first women’s basketball victory.

» Stewart: 3/5 for eight points, one rebound in 19:21

Friday, July 27

Most of the 33 Gators participated in the Opening Ceremonies though a few – notably those set to compete on Saturday – were forced to stay in the Olympic Village and rest up for their events. The swimmers Ryan Lochte (United States) and Sarah Bateman (Iceland) were two former Florida student-athletes who had their names mentioned on air by NBC‘s Bob Costas as their respective countries made the rounds. Below are some photos shared on Twitter by American long jumper Will Claye featuring sprinter Jeff Demps, center Azania Stewart, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and LSU’s Lolo Jones.

Thursday, July 26

» SIX BITS with notes on Ryan Lochte sharing a suite with Michael Phelps, Genevieve LaCaze trying to live up to her own expectations and player profile interview videos of Abby Wambach and Heather Mitts.

Wednesday, July 25

Football

United States 4 – France 2 (Group G – First Round)

Down 2-0 early in the match, striker Abby Wambach cut the Americans’ deficit in half with a brilliant cross-goal header at 19’. The goal was Wambach’s 139th in 183 international matches; she is 19 away from tying Mia Hamm for most all-time. Forward Alex Morgan (32′, 66′) and midfielder Carli Lloyd (56′) combined to score three more goals for the United States including two in the second half. The Americans will take on Colombia on Saturday at 11:50 a.m. ( viewing information on the schedule to the right ).

» Wambach: goal, two shots in 90 minutes | Heather Mitts: did not play

» Wambach: “I knew we would get a couple goals back and we would see who was best in the second half. And we were.”

» SIX BITS: with notes on Ryan Lochte also wanting to swim in 2016 and a Q&A with Christian Taylor.

Tuesday, July 24

Athletics: Former Florida sprinter Jeff Demps finished seventh in the 100 meter dash at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June and therefore did not qualify for a spot with the United States in the Olympics. However, Demps received some great news on Tuesday when he was officially added to the roster as a pool runner for the 4×100 meter relay, replacing Mike Rogers who suffered a stress fracture in his left foot.

Monday, July 23

Football: In just 48 hours, striker Abby Wambach and defender Heather Mitts take the pitch and represent the first Gators and Americans to compete in the 2012 Olympics when the U.S. Women’s Soccer takes on France live at noon on NBC Sports Network. (To the right is a picture of Wambach holding the official torch of the Games of the XXX Olympiad, which she tweeted on Monday.) Be sure to keep visiting this page and using the schedule (as well as the direct online streaming links) on the right sidebar.

Wambach is exceptionally motivated to win the gold medal in these Olympics after coming up short in the 2011 Women’s World Cup against Japan. “There’s no better motivation than losing, in my opinion,” Wambach said, according to the Associated Press. “And I think that we did a lot of really cool things last summer in Germany, we got people excited about the women’s game again, and truthfully, throughout my career, I wasn’t sure it was going to happen. I believe that this team has something to prove, and I know that all of us are competitors.”

Sunday, July 22

Band: Just one day before the University of Florida Fightin’ Gator Marching Band left for London, England, head football coach Will Muschamp and head soccer coach Becky Burleigh saw the team off with a pair of short speeches on campus. Former Florida softball player Jenn Brown, now a sideline reporter with ESPN, also sent a personal message to the team. Click here to watch both videos.

Saturday, July 21

Football: Former Gators defender Heather Mitts announced in May that she would be retiring from the sport she loves right after she competes in the 2012 London Olympics as a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team. Mitts, who was a reserve during the 2011 Women’s World Cup< (did not play due to injury) and will hold that same role in these Olympics, will be making her third consecutive appearance in the event. (She was previously a part of the 2004 and 2008 teams, each of which won the gold medal by defeating Brazil). As the Americans look to win their third-straight gold, Mitts sat down with Florida’s official website for a question-and-answer session. Below are a few choice responses from the interview, which can be read in full by clicking here.

Q: So this really is it for you? You plan to retire?

A: This is it for sure. This is it for me. This is, in my opinion, to be able to play in my third Olympics at the age of 34 and to be able to walk away after this, I can’t think of a better way to go out of the game. Q: What is your greatest memory in soccer?

A: It has to be a toss up between being at the University of Florida and winning the only national championship the school has for soccer, and obviously for me coming back from my ACL and winning the [Olympic] gold in 2008. Those are the definite highlights of my career. Q: What’s it been like for you to be teammates with Abby Wambach after UF?

A: It’s been great playing with Abby, just to see her grow not only as a player, but as a captain. I think that to be able to play with someone I am so familiar with it’s definitely a lot of fun for us.

Thursday, July 19

At final count there are 32 current or former Florida Gators (not including an incoming freshmen, alternate or two former transfers) representing 16 different nations in the Olympics (see list on right sidebar). Ten athletes and two coaches are members of the United States contingent. Florida head swimming coach Gregg Troy is the head coach of the men’s swimming team, and Gators head track & field coach Mike Holloway is a men’s staff assistant for sprints and hurdles.

Friday, July 6

Gymnastics: Junior Marissa King of Great Britain (not participating) carrying the Olympic torch on behalf of her village. King competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Wednesday, July 4

Basketball: French center Joakim Noah, whose team qualified for the games, officially withdrew from competition because his severely sprained left ankle (which he injured on March 4) is not fully recovered and is still causing him discomfort.