DAILY REPORT : CYCLING : Briton Laps World Champion to Win Country’s First Gold

Track racers are not supposed to lap world champions in the Olympic Games, but that’s what happened Wednesday when Britain’s Chris Boardman passed Jens Lehmann of Germany to win the gold medal in the men’s 4,000-meter individual pursuit.

Boardman, riding a revolutionary bike that he unveiled for the Olympics, became the first man to lap an opponent in the gold-medal race since the event was introduced in the Tokyo Games in 1964.

“I knew I could go faster, but I most certainly didn’t expect to catch Jens in the final,” Boardman said.

It was Britain’s first gold of the Barcelona Games and the country’s first individual gold medal in cycling since 1908 in London.

Boardman finished only ninth in the World Championships last year in Germany, but he passed Lehmann, the reigning world champion, with one lap remaining in the three-lap race.

Boardman led by more than a second at the 1,000-meter mark, by nearly three seconds at the halfway point and nearly six seconds at three-quarters.

Was it the bike?

“The bicycle was obviously a significant advantage or I wouldn’t be using it,” said Boardman, who set an Olympic record during preliminary heats. “It could have made the difference between a gold and a bronze.”

Or was it the rider?

“He’d been running so fast all week,” Lehmann said. “I noticed at one stage that the race was lost. But I won the silver and that’s enough for me.”

Gary Anderson of New Zealand won the bronze.

JUDO

Cuban Substitute Gets Gold but Cannot Explain Victory

Odalis Reve Jimenez, a substitute for the Cuban team, won the gold medal in the women’s 146-pound class and redeemed herself by defeating Italy’s Emanuela Pierantozzi, who beat Jimenez last year at the World Championships.

But Jimenez was at a loss to explain her victory.

“The final was very fast,” Jimenez said. “So fast I can’t remember what happened.”

Waldemar Legien of Poland won his second consecutive Olympic gold medal by dominating Pascal Tayot of France in the men’s 190-pound class. Legien won the gold in the 172-pound class at Seoul in 1988.

FIELD HOCKEY

Germany’s Women Surprise Defending Olympic Champions

In a major upset, Germany shut out the Australian women, 1-0. Australia (1-1) is the defending Olympic champion and the favorite. Germany and Spain, which beat Canada, 2-1, are tied for the lead in Pool A with 1-0-1 records. Australia plays Spain on Sunday.

In Pool B games, Britain defeated South Korea, 3-1, and the Netherlands remained undefeated and on top of the pool standings with a 2-0 shutout of New Zealand.

EQUESTRIAN

Todd’s Chances of Gold End When Horse Goes Lame

New Zealander Mark Todd’s dream of an Olympic hat trick was shattered when his horse went lame and had to be withdrawn.

The blow to the two-time Olympic gold medalist occurred during the cross-country phase, the second stage of the three-day event.

Todd won in Los Angeles and Seoul on Charisma, a black horse nicknamed “Podge,” who was retired after 1988.

In searing heat and on rock-hard ground, the majority of the riders heeded warnings from officials not to be too hard on their horses. But at least one horse was affected. The competition was halted for 45 minutes when an exhausted Commonwealth of Independent States horse fell. The horse, too tired to get up, had to be given a general anesthetic and taken to a clinic. After three hours, the horse recovered.

TABLE TENNIS

Bhushan Gets First Victory for U.S. by Beating Canadian

Inshook Bhushan of Aurora, Colo., gave the United States its first table tennis victory in these Olympics by beating Barbara Chiu of Canada, 21-19, 21-17.

The honor was a dubious one for the 40-year-old player, who is ranked No. 68 in the world. She advances to a second-round match against Deng Yaping of China, the world’s top-ranked player.

“I was upset at first when I saw the draw,” Bhushan said. “But I came here to play so I will try my best and that will make me happy.”

Diana Gee of San Carlos, Calif., and Lily Hugh of Metuchen, N.J., lost first-round singles matches.

MEDALISTS

JUDO (Men--190 pounds)

GOLD: Waldemar Legien (Poland)

SILVER: Pascal Tayot (France)

BRONZE: Hirotaka Okada (Japan)and Nicolas Gill (Canada)

(Women--146 pounds)

GOLD: Odalis Reve Jimenez (Cuba)

SILVER: Emanuela Pierantozzi (Italy)

BRONZE: Kate Howey (Britain) and Heidi Rakels (Belgium)

CYCLING (Men’s 4,000-meter individual pursuit)

GOLD: Chris Boardman (Britain)

SILVER: Jens Lehmann (Germany)

BRONZE: Gary Anderson (New Zealand)