Photographs: AP Photo/Matt Slocum
The gold medal winners of the London Olympics thus far.
Vino spoils British road race party
Photographs: Stefano Rellandini/Reuters
Old school cycling prevailed on Saturday as former doping cheat Alexandre Vinokourov upset Britain's plan to set up a big sprint finish for world champion Mark Cavendish when he claimed gold in the Olympic road race.
Colombian Rigoberto Uran took silver with Norway's Alexander Kristoff coming home third to win the bronze medal eight seconds behind.
A rider of instinct, Kazakhstan's Vinokourov, who was suspended for two years in 2007 for blood doping, cleverly slipped into a 32-man group that the British team failed to rein in on the way back to central London from Box Hill.
Phelps misses the Olympic podium in 400 IM
Photographs: Al Bello/Getty Images
Michael Phelps failed in his first medal bid at the London Olympics, shattering the overpowering mystique he created with his unprecedented eight gold medals at Beijing.
Phelps didn't even make it to the podium in the 400-meter individual medley at the Aquatics Centre on Saturday, the first full day of competition at the games. He was fourth behind winner and fellow American Ryan Lochte, who was ahead of the world record but faded on the last lap.
Lochte was more than three seconds ahead of Brazil's Thiago Pereira. Japan's Kosuke Hagino claimed the bronze.
China's Ye Shiwen sets a world record
Photographs: AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa De Olza
It was a wild night at the pool, with Ye Shiwen setting a world record to win the women's 400 IM.
The 16-year-old Ye trailed American teenager Elizabeth Beisel but pulled away in the freestyle leg to win gold in 4 minutes, 28.43 seconds. She beat the mark of 4:29.45 set by Stephanie Rice at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Beisel settled for silver in 4:31.27, while Li Xuanxu gave China another medal by taking the bronze in 4:32.91. Rice was sixth.
China wins four of the 12 gold medals
Photographs: AP Photo/Darron Cummings
China won four of the 12 gold medals on offer and Italy collected two on the opening day, when Queen Elizabeth II was among the thousands of spectators who flocked to the Olympic Park on a sunny day in London.
Chinese shooter Yi Siling had the distinction of being presented the first gold medal of the 30th Summer Games with a victory in the women's 10-meter air rifle.
Elisa Di Francisca strikes gold for Italy
Photographs: AP Photo/Andrew Medichini
The Italian fencers swept the medals in the women's individual foil, with Elisa Di Francisca beating Arianna Errigo for gold, and Italy's men won the archery team gold medal at Lord's, beating the United States and South Korea.
Jin Jong-oh of South Korea takes home gold
Other gold medalists included Jin Jong-oh of South Korea in the men's 10-meter air pistol.
Mingjuang won another gold for China
Four-time world champion Wang Mingjuang of China in the women's 48-kilogram weightlifting class.
Sarah Menezes won gold for Brazil
Photographs: AP Photo/Paul Sancya
In judo, Sarah Menezes of Brazil took the women's 48-kilogram event and Arsen Galstyan of Russia the men's 60-kilogram.
Australia stormed to a surprise victory in the women's 4x100 metres freestyle final at the London Olympics on Saturday.
The Australian quartet of Alicia Coutts, Cate Campbell, Brittany Elmslie and Melanie Schlanger won gold in a combined time of three minutes, 33.15 seconds.
The Netherlands, who had won the gold at the last Olympics and the previous two world championships, flashed home to finish second and grab the silver medal in 3:33.79.
The United States finished third to provide Colorado teenager Missy Franklin with her first Olympic medal and Natalie Coughlin her 12th, matching the record for an American female athlete at the Olympics.
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