American Hsing advances in table tennis

By The Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Warren Buffett and Bill Gates will be thrilled when they get the news: 16-year-old American Ariel Hsing is into the second round in Olympic table tennis.

She defeated Yadira Silva of Mexico in four straight games on the opening day. With none of the top 16 players and favored Chinese entering competition until the third round, Hsing made the most of her first Olympic appearance.

Buffett met Hsing when she was only 9 and two years later invited her to play against shareholders at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting. She returned earlier this year after winning a spot on the U.S. team and took a few points off Buffett and Gates.

ARCHERY

Italy won the gold in the men’s team event, beating the U.S. by one point on the final shot. It was America’s first medal of the games.

Michele Frangilli, Marco Galiazzo and Mauro Nespoli hugged and raised their hands in celebration after the final arrow beat the U.S. 219-218 at Lord’s Cricket Ground. It was Italy’s first-ever gold in the event.

ROWING

The United States and Germany won heats in the blue-riband men’s eight, leaving a host of top crews to vie for places in the final.

Only one crew progresses from each heat. The Germans, unbeaten in three years, finished a half length ahead of Britain at Dorney Lake. Olympic champion Canada came in last in a race fit for the final.

The U.S. beat Australia by a half length to reach Wednesday’s final, which should be one of the regatta highlights.

EQUESTRIAN

Australia took the early lead in Olympic equestrian eventing at Greenwich Park, with Germany and the United States close behind.

Half the 50 riders rode their dressage test that starts the three-phase competition, which includes cross-country and show jumping.

In the individual competition, Germany’s Ingrid Klimke had a sparkling dressage test to score 39.3 penalty points, followed by teammate Dirk Schrade on King Artus with 39.8 and Mary King of Britain with 40.9 on Imperial Cavalier.

Several teams, including favorites Britain and New Zealand, did not have a complete rotation of three riders, so team standings are still preliminary.

American riders included Boyd Martin of Cochranville, Pa., scoring 50.7 penalty points on Otis Barbotiere; Karen O’Connor of The Plains, Va., earning 48.2 on Mr. Medicott; and Tiana Coudray of Ojai, Calif., with 52.0 on Ringwood Magister.

JUDO

Sarah Menezes of Brazil and Arsen Galstyan of Russia won the first two golds in the judo.

The second-ranked Menezes beat defending Olympic champion Alina Dumitru of Romania in the women’s 48-kilogram final. Galstyan defeated one of the 60-kg favorites, Hiroaki Hiroaka of Japan, for his first Olympic medal.