Pakistan in ‘do or die’ match against Australia

LONDON: Pakistan will face Australia in a ‘do or die’ hockey match on Tuesday.

With a win in this match, Pakistan will keep their hopes alive of a medal at the London games.

Australia has defeated Pakistan in the last three Olympic matches played between the two countries.

This will be the last match in the preliminaries for both the Kangaroos and the Green shirts. Pakistan last qualified for the semifinals at the Olympics 12 years ago.

Pakistan beat South Africa to keep Olympic medal hopes alive

LONDON: Two goals in the last six minutes enabled Pakistan to post a 5-4 victory over South Africa in men's Olympic hockey on Sunday,

Waseem Ahmed's field goal three minutes from the end clinched victory after captain Sohail Abbas had converted a penalty corner in the 64th minute to neutralise South Africa's lead in the Pool A contest.

The victory took Pakistan's points tally to seven from four matches.

World champions Australia and hosts Great Britain are also on seven points, but are scheduled to play their fourth preliminary league match later in the day.

Abdul Haseem Khan scored two goals for Pakistan in the encounter that saw the lead change hands frequently.

South Africa had earlier ascendency through a second-minute open play strike by Thornton McDade, but Pakistan equalised in the 20th minute on Khan's first goal.

Justin Reid-Ross converted two penalty corners (22nd and 35th minutes) for South Africa, while Shafqat Rasool (23rd) and Khan (25th) fired for Pakistan as the two teams were tied 3-3 at half time.

South Africa seized the lead again three minutes into the second half on Wade Paton's field goal and held sway until the two goal burst from Pakistan in the last six minutes. (AFP)

Pakistan beat Argentina 2-0

LONDON: Pakistan beat Argentina 2-0 in its second preliminary Group A match in the 2012 London Olympics.

Muhammad Imran converted a penalty corner in the 30th minute to give 1-0 lead to green shirts.

Veteran penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas scored second goal in the 44th minute of the game for Pakistan.

Argentina got few chances on penalty corner just after the start of the second half but had them saved by Pakistan's goalkeeper Imran Shah.

Pakistan will play their third Olympic match against Britain on Friday at 8pm PST.

Pakistan began their Olympic campaign with a 1-1 draw against Spain.

Not Done Yet: Michael Phelps Becomes Most Decorated Olympian Of All-Time

LONDON: Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian of all time on Tuesday, winning a record 19th medal in the pool as China's swimming sensation Ye Shiwen grabbed her second gold of the Games.

Phelps anchored the US team to a convincing victory in the 4x200m freestyle relay to secure gold and beat the record of 18 medals amassed by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina between 1956 and 1964.

The American had earlier had his bid for a 200m butterfly Olympic treble thwarted by Chad le Clos of South Africa, but the silver allowed him to match the record medal haul before the relay sealed his unprecedented achievement.

Phelps, 27, won six golds and two bronze medals at the 2004 Athens Games, then brought home a spectacular eight golds from Beijing.

He has suffered a testing Games in London, slumping out of the medals in the 400m individual medley and then having to settle for silver in the 4x100m freestyle relay.

But Phelps' record 19th medal was never in doubt in Tuesday's relay as he took over the final leg with a healthy lead and powered home to leave France trailing in silver and China with bronze.

Ye, just 16, is likely to fuel more speculation about her remarkable performances after she added the 200m individual medley title to the 400m individual medley crown.

The Chinese girl was lagging behind the leaders at the turn in the Aquatics Centre, but produced a powerful final 50m to overhaul Australia's Alicia Coutts in an Olympic record time of 2min 7.57sec.

Her swim came just days after her lightning freestyle leg in the longer medley propelled her to a new world record.

Ye's emergence has raised unproven suspicions of doping, with John Leonard, executive director of the World Swimming Coaches' Association, describing her display in the 400m medley as "impossible."

But Chinese authorities went on the offensive, saying it was unfair to point the finger at their swimmers.

"The Chinese athletes, including the swimmers, have undergone nearly 100 drug tests since they arrived here," Jiang Zhixue, the head of anti-doping at China's General Administration of Sport, told Xinhua news agency.

"Many were also tested by the international federations and the British anti-doping agency. I can tell you that so far there was not a single positive case.

"I think it is not proper to single Chinese swimmers out once they produce good results. Some people are just biased."

Former British swimmer Adrian Moorhouse, a gold medallist in the 100m breaststroke in the 1988 Seoul Games, issued a strong defence of Ye, saying it was possible China had unearthed their own Phelps.

"I think it's sour grapes," Moorhouse said. "I think it's quite insulting actually."

In the gymnastics arena, the United States won the women's team final to claim their first gold medal in the event since 1996. Russia had to settle for silver while Romania pipped 2008 Olympic champions China to bronze.

The first of 15 golds up for grabs Tuesday was won by defending champions Germany in the equestrian three-day eventing, with Michael Jung then becoming the first rider to hold the European, world and Olympic individual titles.

Great Britain finished second in the team event to earn a silver medal for Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter Zara Phillips.

China won their third diving gold in three events when world champions Chen Ruolin and Wang Hao clinched the women's 10m synchro platform.