*FELIX DEFENDS DECISION TO KEEP OLYMPICS 100 SPOT: Allyson Felix knows full well she has a pretty pristine reputation.
She also knows that's why there were those who were surprised she decided to not step aside and give training partner Jeneba Tarmoh a berth in the 100 meters at the Olympics after their dead heat at the U.S. trials — a choice Felix found herself defending at a news conference Tuesday.
"Everyone just expected me to give up this spot, because I think lots of people ... know me and they know that I'm seen as this very nice girl," Felix said with a chuckle.
"But it's not just about me," added the 26-year-old from Los Angeles, explaining that she had to take into account her coach, Bobby Kersee, family members and others who helped and supported her.
"It's about Bobby and the time he invested in me. It's about my parents and the sacrifices they made, my brother and the agents that are working with me — and just everyone who's invested their time in me," Felix said.
Felix and Tarmoh tied for third in the 100 at Eugene, Ore., in June, and only three women were allowed to represent the country in London. Caught without any rule governing that sort of result, USA Track and Field scrambled to come up with a way to break the tie, with the athletes eventually settling on a head-to-head sprint.
DJOKOVIC DRUBS RODDICK IN 2ND ROUND IN TENNIS: Andy Roddick sprinted to scoop up a ball near the net, then backpedaled for another shot, leaping, stretching and swinging in one desperate motion. He whacked the ball into a camera bay.
So it went Tuesday for Roddick, outclassed by Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Olympics at Wimbledon, 6-2, 6-1.
*CHINA MAKES IT 3-FOR-3 IN OLYMPIC DIVING: While Chen Ruolin chatted with the media after yet another Chinese gold medal in diving, Wang Hao held a recorder next to her partner's cheek.
Yep, they're the perfect team — in and out of the water.
With stunning precision and dazzling athleticism, Chen and Wang led China to its third diving gold of the London Olympics, this one off the big tower in women's 10-meter synchronized diving Tuesday.
The 19-year-olds — they were born just two weeks apart — found themselves tied for second after the first round behind the British team, giving the home crowd a brief thrill.
*US STAYS PERFECT IN MEN'S OLYMPIC WATER POLO: The U.S. men's water polo team rallied from an early two-goal deficit to edge Romania 10-8 on Tuesday and stay unbeaten at the London Olympics.
Ryan Bailey and Peter Varellas each scored three goals for the Americans, who haven't won Olympic gold in men's water polo since 1904 and fell just short four years ago in Beijing, where they took silver.
With 10 players back from the 2008 Olympic squad, the Americans decided to forgo lucrative contracts playing in Europe to train together for London, hoping it would the difference between silver and gold.
US BEATS ARGENTINA IN OLYMPIC FIELD HOCKEY: Shannon Taylor scored late in the first half Tuesday to give the United States a shocking 1-0 win over reigning world champion Argentina at the London Olympics women's field hockey tournament. The American win was the major upset on a day that saw defending champion the Netherlands struggle to a 3-2 win over Japan and hosts Britain prevail 5-3 in an eight-goal thriller with South Korea.
*FIGHTERS ARE STILL FRUSTRATED BY AMATEUR BOXING: After Carlos Suarez put on a losing performance that still had the Olympic crowd chanting his name, the Trinidad and Tobago fighter said what so many fighters are thinking when they lose an amateur boxing match.
"It's not boxing," the light flyweight said. "It's tag."
Suarez lost in a 16-6 decision to Turkey's Ferhat Pehlivan on Tuesday night. Both fighters struggled to land clean punches through a shoving, brawling mess of a bout, yet Suarez was left frustrated and furious after the five ringside judges decided the awkward Pehlivan — who probably slipped and fell to the canvas more than a dozen times during the bout — had landed more scoring punches.
*US SWEEPS GERMANY IN OLYMPIC MEN'S VOLLEYBALL PRELIMS; Clay Stanley scored 16 points and the U.S. men's volleyball team improved to 2-0 in preliminary pool play at the London Olympics with a three-set victory over Germany on Tuesday. Matt Anderson added 15 points in the 25-23, 25-16, 25-20 win for the defending Olympic champions.
*US BEATS TUNISIA 110-63 IN MEN'S OLYMPIC HOOPS : LeBron James and Kobe Bryant took a seat, then the U.S. Olympic basketball team took control. The Americans got their expected blowout and fans got the show they came to see in the 110-63 win over Tunisia, but only after U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski started his reserves to open the second half after a lackluster first 20 minutes
*BADMINTON BOOED AFTER TOP DOUBLES PAIRS DON'T TRY: The world doubles badminton champs apparently are good at losing, too. Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang of China were booed off the Olympic court Tuesday after appearing to intentionally lose against South Koreans Jung Kyun-eun and Kim Ha-na in a preliminary women's match. The South Koreans also didn't look as if they were trying to win at times.
The reason? Both teams had already topped their groups and qualified for the last 16, but the result ensured top seeds Wang and Yu avoided playing their No. 2-seeded teammates until the final.
