U.S. Rowers Are Faring Quite Well

Christine Collins and Sarah Garner of the U.S. won their semifinal heat at Penrith, Australia, to advance to the double sculls medal race.

The U.S. men’s lightweight four also moved onto the finals. However, the men’s lightweight men’s double and the men’s quadruple scullers both failed to advance.

So the United States, the only country to qualify in all 14 rowing events, will have nine boats in the finals. Four of them will be held Saturday and the rest on Sunday.

SAILING: J.J. Isler reclaimed first place in the women’s 470 fleet, and men’s 470 skipper Paul Foerster guided the third U.S. boat to win a fleet race in the Olympic regatta.

On another day of light breezes, the McKee brothers of Seattle, Jonathan and Charlie, had consecutive third-place finishes in the 49er class to hold onto first after 10 races.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL: China climbed out of the Group A basement by dominating Kenya, 25-15, 25-14, 25-18.

China must defeat host Australia on Sunday to advance from the six-team group. The Chinese have failed to make the medal round just once in their four Olympic appearances.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL: Brazil seized control of the lead in Group A with a 25-20, 25-17, 27-25 victory over defending gold medalist the Netherlands.

A trio of Russian blockers teamed up to swat down a hard spike by South Korea’s Shin Jin-sik, allowing the Russians to escape with a tense 25-22, 22-25, 20-25, 29-27, 17-15 victory and stay unbeaten in Group B.

SOFTBALL: Luisa Medina drove in two runs with a fourth-inning single as Cuba rallied to earn its first Olympic softball win, beating Canada, 2-1.

Earlier in the day, Cuba was routed by China, 7-0, and Japan defeated Canada, 4-3, in 10 innings.

WOMEN’S TEAM HANDBALL: South Korea’s Lee Sang-eun set an Olympic record by scoring 18 goals as South Korea (3-0-0) roared back from an 11-goal deficit for a 25-14 win over Hungary (2-1-0) in the battle for first in Pool A.

Meanwhile, Denmark (2-1-0) rested goalkeeper Lene Rantala and then smothered Australia (0-3-0) with defense in a 38-12 victory.

TABLE TENNIS: The final of the women’s doubles competition will be an all-China affair, after the semifinal win by Wang Nan and Li Ju over South Korea’s Kim Moo-Kyo and Ryu Ji-Hye, 17-21, 21-15, 15-21, 21-14, 24-22.

They will meet countrymates Sun Jin and Yang Ying, who beat Csilla Batorfi and Krisztina Toth of Hungary, 17-21, 21-18, 21-14, 21-17.