Today's other sports in brief
Diving diva puts plans on hold
DIVING:Years of gruelling training and countless sacrifices won China's "diving diva" four gold medals, fame and fortune. Now she has also learnt to love her rigorous sport enough to put retirement plans on hold.
Guo Jingjing yesterday became the most prolific female diving medallist in Olympic history when she topped the podium in the three-metre springboard, to the delight of a capacity crowd who thought it was the final cap on a dazzling career.
Since winning her first two golds in Athens, Guo said:"I've spent my whole life diving, it is maybe the most important part of my life. I had to give up a lot of things for it but it's been worth it."
Mbango Etone defends title
TRIPLE JUMP:Cameroon's Francoise Mbango Etone successfully defended her Olympic gold in the triple jump with a jump of 15.39m giving her victory at the Bird's Nest yesterday.
Russian Tatyana Lebedeva won the silver while Greece's Hrysopiyi Devetzi, silver medallist in Athens, had to settle for bronze.
Mbango Etone, who coaches herself, became Cameroon's first individual gold medallist when she won in Athens in 2004. "It's the best performance of my life. I am so happy," she said.
Beijing Digest Nadal powers to gold medal victory Protest over changing boats Diving diva puts plans on hold Just deserts
China's track hope doubtful
ATHLETICS:China's 110m hurdles defending champion Liu Xiang (25) is suffering from an inflamed Achilles tendon, which may affect his running at the Games, his coach said yesterday.
Liu, the hosts' main hope of a track gold, who gets his campaign under way in the heats today, felt sore during his final training session on Saturday and the cause was later diagnosed as tendon inflammation, Sun Haiping said.
"What I am really worrying about is the final," Sun told Liu's official web site.
If Liu safely makes it through the first three rounds, he is likely in the final to face Cuban Dayron Robles, who broke Liu's world record in June."It will definitely affect his performance," Sun said.
Just deserts
GYMNASTICS:Anna Pavlova was angry with herself for heaping more gymnastics misery on Russia yesterday by failing to notice the light was still on red when she sprinted up for her disqualified vault in yesterday's final."It is an intolerable error for an athlete of my experience," she said.
Nadal powers to gold medal victory
TENNIS:Rafael Nadal powered to a 6-3 7-6 6-3 victory over Chile's Fernando Gonzalez in the final yesterday for a hat-rick of major titles.
In a year when he has written his name in the record books, he became the first Spanish player to win a gold medal at an Olympic tournament.
"Everything feels different," Nadal, who has won the French Open and Wimbledon titles this year and will today overtake Roger Federer as the world number one, said.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic completed the podium after beating American James Blake in the bronze medal match.
