Track Events Have Just Begun And Already World Records Are Being Set

Great Britain's Jessica Ennis began her quest for the gold by setting a new world record. In her 100M hurdles heat, she clocked in at just 12.54 seconds, the quickest hurdles time ever recorded by a woman in a heptathlon. It gives her a 17-point lead over the second place finisher, Canadian Jessica Zeliknka. Ennis will also be competing in the high jump, shot-put and 200 M heats today.

And incase you've been busy this Friday, here's a few of the top headlines so far....

Three U.S. Sprinters Place First in Qualifying Heat
Three Team USA sprinters have finished the women's 400M qualifying races at the top of their heat. Francena McCoroy finished first in the women's round 1 heat 1 400M race. She clocked in at 50.78 seconds, with Great Britain's Christine Ohuruogu just .02 seconds behind. This is her first Olympic appearance. Fellow U.S. sprinter DeeDee Trotter placed first in the third heat. She quickly took the lead, running the track in 50.87 seconds. At the 2004 summer Olympics, Trotter placed 5th overall in the 400 meters. She did not qualify for the '08 Beijing finals due to a major knee injury. Two-time gold medalist Sanya Richards-Ross led the fourth heat with at time of 51.78 seconds. She is the reigning world champion in the 400M race. The three women will compete in the August 4 semifinals.

Federer Wins Longest Olympic Tennis Match
Swiss tennis star Roger Federer kept his gold medal dreams alive, winning the longest tennis singles match in Olympic history. After Juan Martin de Potro of Argentia won the first set and Federer the second, they battled for more than four hours to 17 games in the third set. In the end, Federer pulled it out, breaking de Potro to win 19-17 in the third. Federer won gold in doubles at the '08 Games but has never won an individual Olympic medal.


Anthony Davis Forgets His Jersey! Oops!

Anthony Davis was set to check into last night's record-breaking blowout against Nigeria in the second quarter, but the rookie basketball player was sent back to the bench because he forgot to put on his Team USA jersey. Eventually, he recovered his gear and played 15 of the second half's 20 minutes. He finished with nine points and six rebounds, assisting in the team's 156-73 win. On Saturday, the still-undefeated U.S. squares off against Lithuania.

Team USA's Women's Soccer Advances to the Semifinals
The U.S. women's soccer team advances to the Olympic semifinals with their 2-0 victory over New Zealand. In minute 27, Abby Wambach made their first goal, increasing her career total to 142. And, in the 87th minute, Sydney Leroux added to their insurance. It was her first ever Olympic goal. The top-ranked Team USA will play against France on Friday. They are seeking their third straight gold medal.


China Takes Olympic Gold in Men's Trampoline
In case you didn't know, trampolining is a real Olympic sport, and China's Dong Dong took home the gold medal in today's men's competition. Although he was the last to compete, Dong easily won with a score of 62.990, 1.222 points higher than silver medalist, Dmitry Ushakov of Russia. Chunlong Lu of China received the bronze. This was Dong's second Olympic appearance; he placed third in the '08 Beijing Games.

British Cyclist Cleared of Deliberate Crash
The International Olympic Committee will not be investigating the apparently deliberate crash by British track cycling gold medalist Philip Hindes. During the first race attempt against France, the 19-year-old wobbled and fell at the first bend but won the gold with the restart. Immediately after the race, Hindes reportedly said, "I just crashed, I did it on purpose to get a restart, just to have the fastest ride. I did it. So it was all planned, really." But, at the official news conference, he modified his comments saying he lost control of the the bike. The incident follows a similar case of proven dishonesty where four women's badminton pairs were disqualified for playing to lose.

India's Mystery Gatecrasher Apologizes for Appearance

When you were watching the Parade of Nations, did you notice the Indian "athlete" not in the usual uniform? Well, India's mystery Olympic gatecrasher has apologized for leading her country's confused delegates. Madhura Nagendra told India's NDTV marching alongside the flag-bearer and leading the 40 athletes around the stadium was an "error in judgment." She says it's a result of getting caught up in the chaos and excitement of the Olympics. But, the Indian officials were infuriated by her appearance and demanded an explanation of how she was permitted into the Parade of Nations. She was part of the Opening Ceremony cast and did not break security.

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