Sally Pearson of Australia wins gold

• Sally Pearson of Australia leads Jessica Zelinka of Canada and Nevin Yanit of Turkey during the women's 100m Hurdles Final on Day 11 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium.

Sally Pearson delivered Australia's first athletics gold medal of the London Olympics with a dramatic victory in the 100 metres hurdles.

The hot favourite clocked an Olympic record of 12.35 seconds to edge American defending champion Dawn Harper into silver by just 0.02secs.

Another United States athlete, Kellie Wells, took the bronze in 12.48s.

Pearson endured a nervous few moments before the result was confirmed on the scoreboard, bringing cheers of delight from the Australian fans.

The Aussie said: 'It's a dream. Relief was the first thing I felt and then shock. I'm just going through the emotions. I really wanted this. I've worked so hard for two years. To see my name on the scoreboard, I just can't believe it.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2185110/London-2012-Olympics-Sally-Pearson-wins-100m-hurdles.html#ixzz22xBwXri7

source:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2185110/London-2012-Olympics-Sally-Pearson-wins-100m-hurdles.html

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL QUOTES

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.


Picture source:http://photo.net/photo-of-the-week-discussion-forum/00O12S

AUSTRALIAN WINNERS "PICTURES" LONDON OLYMPICS 2012

"Tom Slingsby" of Australia won gold in Men's Laser Sailing

Tom Slingsby won just Australia's second gold medal of the Olympics on Monday and hoped his success would inspire his country's flagging campaign.

In doing so the 27-year-old Gosford boy erased his demons from Beijing where he also entered the Olympics as a raging favourite, only to finish in a disappointing 22nd place.

This time it went to script as he made the blue water of Weymouth his own, totally dominating the event with four wins and three seconds from the ten fleet races.

“The Olympics is a dream,” Slingsby said. “It is the pinnacle of the sport and right now I am the happiest man on the planet. This is the best feeling in the world. I worked for 12 years to get to here and I put everything I had into it. Last time I put in so much hard work and came away with nothing, and this time I put in more work and look at me now.

SOURCE:london2012.olympics.com.au/

Sikh temple shooting

"She always knew what I needed and would bring it for me," said Kaur, who noted that Paramjit Kaur had been a recent immigrant to the United States when she herself arrived seven years ago.

Co-worker Baljit Kaur, 45, of West Allis, said Paramjit Kaur talked incessantly and was very friendly. She was also very religious, Baljit Kaur said.

"She prayed every day for an hour to an hour and a half, even when she working," Baljit Kaur said.

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Suveg Singh Khattra was a constant presence at the temple. Most days, his son, a taxi driver, would drop him off there to pray.

Khattra and his wife moved to the United States eight years ago to join their son. On Sunday, the 84-year-old former farmer from northern India was shot and killed.

"He don't have hatred for anybody. He loved to live here," said son Baljinder Khattra, who moved from the family's farm in Patiala, a city in Punjab, in 1994.

Kulwant Kaur, the elder Khattra's daughter-in-law, hid with the other women in the pantry. When a SWAT team evacuated them, Kaur saw Khattra's body lying on the ground.

She tried to touch him to see if he was awake, but officers warned her not to touch anything, said Kaur's son, Mandeep Khattra.

"They told them to keep moving because they were priorities over the bodies," he said.

The elder Khattra spoke no English, communicating instead with neighbors and friends with his hands.

"He (was) very humble. He loved all peoples," Khattra said.

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Prakash Singh's wife and teenage children were living in the temple. Recently, they had moved from India to join the Sikh priest in Wisconsin.

Navdeep Gill, an 18-year-old temple member from Franklin, said Singh had rented an apartment nearby and his family was due to move in by the end of the month. Singh's son and daughter will start school soon; the daughter is in high school and the son is going to be a freshman in high school.

As a Sikh priest, Singh performed daily services, which would have included recitations from the religion's holy book, leading prayers and lecturing on how to practice Sikhism.

Gill said Singh had a fun-loving personality -- "telling jokes and whatnot" -- and looked nothing close to his age of 39.

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Ranjit and Sita Singh shared the bonds of brotherhood -- as siblings and as Sikh priests, both in Wisconsin to serve their faith. The rest of their family is in India, left to make sense of their deaths.

Ten years ago, Ranjit Singh, 49, came to the United States for better opportunities. Once here, he made it his responsibility to take care of everyone who visited the temple.

The temple's secretary, 56-year-old Inderjeet Singh Dhillon, said Monday that Singh made sure guests were well fed, even if he couldn't always express it in English. Dhillon remembered an occasion when five English-speaking visitors stopped in and Singh insisted -- using only gestures that made those at the temple who knew him laugh -- on "food for everybody."

It was the same with Singh's brother, 41-year-old Sita Singh, who had arrived in the United States a year ago. Though Sita Singh was quieter than his brother, he was no less dedicated to the temple's visitors. Both men lived at the temple.

Dhillon said that the younger Singh would wake up every morning between 4:30 and 5 to read the Sikh holy book. Afterward, he would see which visitors had come in and ensure all had prasad, the food offering given at the end of every prayer session.

"It was very important to him that whoever came always left with prasad," Dhillon said.

The elder Singh brother became a mentor to some of the temple members, including Shehbazdeep Kaleka, a 19-year-old from Racine and the nephew of the temple president.

Kaleka said Monday that he turned to Ranjit Singh when he was down and needed advice, because Singh was a positive person.

Singh's most common advice to the 19-year-old was to sing and sing loudly -- it didn't matter what or how well -- and that would lift his spirits.

"It worked every time," Kaleka said, pausing. "He was a very good and honest man. He didn't deserve to die."

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/08/07/relatives_speak_of_those_killed_in_temple_shooting/?page=2

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Britain's Jessica Ennis celebrates winning her women's heptathlon 800m heat at the London 2012 Olympic Games

Britain's Jessica Ennis celebrates winning her women's heptathlon 800m heat at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 4, 2012. Ennis was the overall winner in the heptathlon. 

ONDON (Reuters) - Jessica Ennis became the golden girl of the London Olympics on Saturday when she won the heptathlon title in front of 80,000 roaring fans to give Britain their first track and field gold of the Games.

Ennis, who has been the face of the Games, finished like a champion by winning the 800 metres for a combined total of 6,955 points for the seven disciplines that make up the event.

Phelps bows out with 18th gold

All eyes were on Michael Phelps as he brought to an end a career few can ever hope to match as he claimed his 18th Olympic gold medal as the USA won the 4 x 100m Medley Relay.

Michael Phelps of the U.S. throws his winner's flower bouquet to his mother Debbie (not pictured), after receiving his gold medal for winning the men's 4x100m medley relay final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre August 4, 2012. 

Flashing a lop-sided smile of satisfaction and relief, Michael Phelps left the Olympic arena for the final time on Saturday after finishing his competitive career with a scarcely credible 18 gold medals.

The boy from Baltimore, who had set out to redefine the boundaries of his sport, had succeeded beyond anybody's expectations with twice as many Olympic titles as any other athlete in the modern Games.

At the age of 27 he will move on, secure in the knowledge that he could not have done any more in the sport that became his life.

"I told myself that I never wanted to swim when I was 30," he said. "I've been able to do everything I wanted, I've been able to achieve the goals I wanted to achieve and I've managed to do every single thing. It's time for other things."

Phelps, the most accomplished all-round male swimmer ever, set his sights high from the start.

"Nothing is impossible," he wrote in his autobiography 'No Limits' published after his record eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games.

"You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get. When I'm focused, there is not one single thing, person, anything that can stand in the way of my doing something."

The magnitude of his achievement as he quit the pool and entered the history books can be measured by the list of the other Olympic multiple medallists.

Source:http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/04/oly-swim-swm4xm-phelps-idUSL4E8J406320120804

"Positive Thinking" "Positive thinking quotes"

Sania Nehwal Wins Bonze at London Olympics 2012

London: Saina Nehwal on saturday created history by becoming the first Indian to win an Olympic Games bronze medal in badminton, though under fortuitous circumstances, as her world number two Chinese opponent retired from the play-off because of a knee injury.

The 22-year-old Saina was trailing 18-21, 0-1 in the high-voltage bronze medal play-off match when her second seeded opponent Xin Wang retired hurt, giving India an unexpected medal without having to sweat much.

Saina also became the second Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, after Karnam Malleswari`s weightlifting bronze in 2000 Sydney Olympics.

With the addition of Saina`s bronze, India`s medal collection in the ongoing Olympics has gone upto three with pistol shooter Vijay Kumar (silver) and seasoned marksman Gagan Narang (bronze) being the other medal winners.


Source:http://zeenews.india.com/sports/london-olympics-2012/india-at-olympics/london-olympics-2012-saina-creates-history-wins-first-badminton-bronze-in-olympics_746845.html

London Olympics: Saina Nehwal loses badminton semi-final

India's hopes of a gold medal in the badminton competition were dashed on Friday when Saina Nehwal lost in the semi-finals of the women's singles competition.

The Indian lost in straight game to China's Yihan Wang. The final score was 21-13, 21-13 in favour of China's world number one after 39 minutes of thrilling badminton.

However, this defeat doesn't end Saina's medal hopes. She can still win a bronze if she prevails in the third-place playoff.

Blake Gaudry all set for his goal at olympics london 2012

GYMNASTICS – TRAMPOLINE: Adelaide-based gymnast Blake Gaudry didn’t know trampoline was an Olympic sport when he took it up 10 years ago, but on Friday he will make his Olympic debut as Australia’s only representative in the sport at the 2012 Games. The 20 year-old, who has spent the past three weeks in the UK leading up to his one day of competition at North Greenwich Arena, put the finishing touches on his preparation today (Thursday) with a podium session in the morning before returning to the Athlete’s Village to “chill out” and get off his feet. “It was good coming in early to the Village - I’ve seen everything I wanted to see - and got it all out of my system so I am not distracted,” said Gaudry, who got to meet Prince Charles on Day 1 of the Olympic Games at the road cycling. “I have seen some of the Aussie team competing in the swimming and diving and the crowds and atmosphere has been amazing. “It’s good to have experienced that so I have a feel for what to expect when I step onto the competition arena. “I have been in the UK almost a month so my body clock is right and I feel good.” Gaudry, ranked No. 27 in the world, believes he is on track to achieve his Olympic goal. “My training has been really good – if I do half as well in competition as I have been going in training I’ll be really happy,” he said. “A finals spot has always been the goal and the way I am training that is a realistic achievement. “After that I have no major expectations. I came fifth in the Test event so if I can come close to that I will be extremely happy. “I really see this competition as setting me up well for the next Olympic campaign in 2016.” Trampoline has delivered Australian gymnastics its only Olympic medal – a silver by Ji Wallace at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Tracie Edmondson in London Olympics.com.auBack  Top

London Olympics: Saina Nehwal becomes first Indian shuttler to reach semi-finals

You could have confused the Wembley badminton hall to be in India. The tricolour was a prized possession as spectators waved it in the stands and chanted "Sainaaa, Sainaaa..."

And the diva of Indian badminton did everything to bring cheer as she cranked up her game like a true champion to dump Tine Baun 21-15, 22-20 and enter the women's singles semi-final.

As the cherubic lass leapt and smashed from the back court for a winner,Saina was in a state of joy as she shouted, then hit the deck and slapped both her palms on the court.

Saina had been well in control of her emotions right through the 29-minute high voltage contest but the second game was a cliff-hanger.
With the tall Baun leading by three game points, Saina needs to play something special. And what a way she responded, keeping her focus intact and covering the court with grace.

It was Saina' s poise and killer instinct which enabled her shut out Baun in front of packed stands where a huge number of Indians had bought tickets for the afternoon session.

The Saina Nehwal of Beijing 2008 and the Saina of London 2012 are two different players. If she was then a player who was learning what it is to compete at the highest level against tough opponents, now she is feared.

Her hair short and neat, hair clips holding it back in place even as she jumped, dived and retrieved the shuttle, everything was neat about Saina, as she ran through the first game in just 16 minutes.

Those reaching the Wembley arena late had missed valuable action as Saina was in 'the zone'. For her part, Baun was back-pedalling in the contest, sweating and unable to force the pace.

The way Saina played today was so different from previous big matches at the All England championship, Asian Games and world championship.
Having been given the tag of choker on big stage, Saina needed to tell the world she had changed her approach.

Source:http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/london-olympics-saina-nehwal-becomes-first-indian-shuttler-to-reach-semi-finals/1/211512.html

"Michael Phelps" claimed the 16th Olympic gold medal in the men's 200m

Michael Phelps claimed the 16th Olympic gold medal of his amazing career and 20th in total with a thrilling victory in the men's 200m Individual Medley.

Phelps led from start to finish and held off fast-finishing USA team-mate Ryan Lochte down the final freestyle leg to win in 1:54.27, just 0.04 outside his own Olympic record.

It means that Phelps is the first man to win the event at three consecutive Games and came just 48 hours after he won his 18th and 19th Olympic medals to overtake Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina, who held the previous record with 18.

Lochte, who had been forced to settle for bronze in the 200m Backstroke final 30 minutes earlier, took silver in 1:54.90, with Hungary's Laszlo Cseh taking bronze.

Later on, the Netherlands' Ranomi Kromowidjojo ensured there would not be a USA clean sweep of the four finals, powering to victory in the 100m Freestyle and lowering her Olympic record - set yesterday - to 53.00.

The 21-year-old was only fourth at the turn but stormed down the final length to finish ahead of Aliaksandra Herasimenia and China's Yi Tang.
Source:http://www.london2012.com/news/articles/phelps-wins-16th-gold.html

Gagan Narang bags bronze in 10m air rifle event at London 2012 Olympics

London: Gagan Narang opened India’s account at the London Olympics as he bagged a bronze medal in the 10m Air Rifle event on Monday. 

Alin George Moldoveanu of Romania won the gold medal while Niccolo Campriani of Italy won the silver medal.



Narang shot 103.1 in the final to take the bronze. Moldoveanu shot the same score as Narang in the finals - 103.1 - but clinched gold by virtue of finishing first in the qualifying round at the Royal Artillery Barracks in London on Monday.

This is India's 1oth individual medal in the history of Olympics. Narang had won four gold medals in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and followed with two silver medals in the Guangzhou Asian Games.


Narang, a two-time world record setter, had won four gold medals in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games and followed that up with two silver in the Guangzhou Asian Games a month later.

SOURCE: http://zeenews.india.com/sports/london-olympics-2012/india-at-olympics/2012-london-olympics-gagan-narang-bags-bronze-in-10m-air-rifle-event_746482.html

POSITIVE THINKING : POSITIVE QUOTES

Positive thinking and positive attitudes are essential for having a happy, equilibrated and meaningful life. Lack of enthusiasm and optimism may sometimes make us slip into negative states of mind and induce discouraging emotions and thoughts. To avoid these unpleasant feelings and learn to enjoy life in a richer way, take a look at the following positive quotes about life – they will help you become more optimistic and interpret daily events in a different way.