Hot shooting Nigeria take down Croatia to claim first win
RIO DE JANEIRO (Rio 2016 Olympic Games) – Nigeria earned their first win at the 2016 Olympic Basketball Tournament by pulling off the biggest upset to date in the competition with a 90-76 defeat of Croatia on Saturday night.
With the victory, the African champions improved to 1-3 to keep alive their hopes of advancing to the Quarter-Finals. Croatia, meanwhile, dropped to 2-2.
Croatia led 28-21 at the end the first quarter but Nigeria outscored them 22-11 in the second to take a 43-39 half-time lead. Michael Umeh hit 5-of-8 three-pointers for 16 points first half points.
Nigeria’s hot shooting from long range continued in the third quarter as they hit 4-of-7 attempts and saw their lead reach 50-35 when big man Ike Diogu connected from beyond the arc.
An 8-0 run spanning the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth enabled Croatia to cut the deficit to single digits, 70-61. They would get within 74-71 on a Bojan Bogdanovic free-throw with 4:14 left to play but down the stretch Josh Akognon and Ebi Ere hit clutch three-pointers to secure the impressive win.
Turning Point: After Bogdanovic got Croatia within 74-71, Akognon knocked down a three-pointer and Ere hit a trifecta of them in the final 2:37 as Nigeria closed the game out on an 11-3 run.
Stats Don’t Lie: To say that three-point shooting was a big part of Nigeria’s win is an understatement. They shot 17-of-36 (47 percent) from beyond the arc. By comparison, they were 13-of-32 (41 percent) inside the arc.
Hero: The trio of Umeh, Akognon and Ere combined to shoot 13-of-21 from long range.
Bottom Line: This has to rank as Nigeria’s biggest win at the world level since they surprised Greece, 80-79, at the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Heading into their final game against hosts Brazil on the back of this win can only do their confidence a world of good. Croatia will face European rivals Lithuania and whether or not they reach the Quarter-Finals may be dictated by more than the result of their game.
Michelle Carter, ‘Shot Diva,’ becomes first U.S. woman to win Olympic shot put gold
Michelle Carter carries an American flag after winning gold in the shot put at the 2016 Olympics. (Getty)
Michelle Carter, who calls herself the “Shot Diva,” unleashed a Herculean final throw in the women’s shot put competition Friday night in Rio to take home the first-ever gold medal by an American woman in the event.
Carter, 30, heaved her last shot 20.63 meters to surpass and upset two-time defending gold medalist Valeri Adams of New Zealand. Adams had set the distance to beat, 20.42, and Carter’s first five throws had ranged from 19.12 to 19.87. But she came up big on her last attempt.
Carter, who won the event while wearing bright red lipstick, has the Twitter handle @ShotDiva, and owns the website shotdiva.com. Her website sells makeup services, such as $50 makeup lessons or $65 full face makeup. There are also all kinds of special packages for events like birthdays and proms. And there’s an advertisement for the “You Throw Girl Confidence Camp.”
Carter’s Twitter bio also includes the phrase, “Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good!” She sure made good on that saying Friday.
United States men have won 17 shot put gold medals since the Games began in 1896, but since the women’s event entered the games in 1948, no U.S. woman had won either gold or silver. American Earlene Brown won a bronze in Rome in 1960. Carter broke the gold drought.
Carter had never medaled at the Olympics, but took bronze at the 2015 World Championships, and won gold at the 2016 World Indoor Championships.
Carter is the daughter of former NFL defensive lineman Michael Carter. Michael won a silver medal in the shot put in 1984 in Los Angeles, and won the Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers in the same year. He is the only person to win an Olympic medal and a Super Bowl in the same year.
Adams, who was beat out by Carter, is the sister of Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams, and is also a four-time World Champion.
Domantas Sabonis, Lithuania hold off Nigeria in Rio Olympics basketball
A large contingent of Lithuania fans stood and chanted constantly for all 40 minutes, decked out head-to-toe in green, red and yellow as their national men’s basketball team defeated Nigeria 89-80 Tuesday night to improve to 2-0 at the Rio Olympic Games.
Domantas Sabonis, who was born in Portland, had 8 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals for Lithuania. The 20-year-old Sabonis was drafted with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft and will be a rookie with the Oklahoma City Thunder this season.
Lithuania had to rally for the victory as Nigeria surprisingly led 41-36 at halftime behind a barrage of 3-pointers. The Nigerians hit 6 of 9 shots from long range in the second quarter.
That was much different from Sunday’s game when Lithuania sprinted out to a 30-point lead against Brazil and held on to win 82-76.
Jonas Maciulis jump-started the comeback with eight points during a 12-0 third-quarter run that gave Lithuania a 59-49 lead. The Lithuanians never trailed again. Maciulis finished with 21 points while Mantas Kalnietis also scored 21 and had 12 assists.
Former Portland Trail Blazer Ike Diogu scored a team-high 19 points for Nigeria for Nigeria (0-2). Alade Aminu, the brother of current Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu, added 12 points.
Chamberlain Oguchi, who played for the Oregon Ducks from 2004-07, had 5 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists for Nigeria.
Lithuania plays its next Group B game against Argentina on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. PDT, while Nigeria faces Spain Thursday at 3 p.m. PDT.
Evanston alumna, Margaret Bamgbose qualifies for Nigeria’s Olympic track team
Evanston graduate Margaret Bamgbose was one of 35 male and female athletes selected to represent Nigeria at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. (Kevin Sabitus / Notre Dame)
Evanston alumna Margaret Bamgbose did the hard work on the track in Nigeria over the weekend, and on Tuesday, July 12, news out of the country indicated her Olympic dream would become a reality.
According to multiple Nigerian media outlets, Bamgbose was one of 35 male and female athletes selected by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria to represent the country at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
An 11-time All-American at Notre Dame, Bamgbose returned to Evanston on Tuesday, July 12, from the Nigerian city of Sapele where she competed at the 2016 All Nigeria Athletics Championships and Warri Relays, both of which served as the nation’s Olympic trials for the Summer Games, which begin Friday, Aug. 5.
Bamgbose finished third in the women’s 400-meter final (52.27 seconds) on Friday, July 8, and the country will send three runners to Rio in that event. She also was part of the winning 4×400 relay (3:30.17) on Saturday, July 9.
Yet, nothing was official until the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) made its Olympic squad selection. The relay, which Bamgbose anchored, also had to be confirmed as an at-large qualifier for the Olympics based on aggregate times. It was.
Bamgbose said she was still waiting for a call from the federation on Tuesday, July 12. But shortly after the trials, the U.S. born child of Nigerian parents reflected on what it would be like to run for Nigeria in the Olympics.
“My parents (Sunday and Afusatu) were born in Nigeria and it’s really exciting to be able to represent the country, and I know they will be proud,” she said.
Bamgbose, who finished fourth (51.57) in the 400 at last month’s NCAA Championships, arrived at the Nigerian trials having already eclipsed the Olympic-qualifying time of 52.20. However, four Nigerian competitors entered with qualifying times, so only the top three finishers would punch a ticket to Rio.
Bamgbose got there in the end, but it was a struggle for Bamgbose, who was competing in Nigeria for the first time and visiting the country for the first time since she was 3 years old.
After traveling 14 hours from Chicago to Lagos, Nigeria, and then seven more by bus to Sapele, Bamgbose had one day to prepare for the 400 semifinal, and she spent that day battling illness. Bamgbose, competing in her Notre Dame uniform, ended up finishing third in her heat (52.87) and qualifying for the final.
“It was a much different environment to compete in,” Bamgbose said. “(In Sapele) it was very hot (80-plus degrees with high humidity) and rainy, so it was easier to get dehydrated and tired, especially coming off nearly 22 hours of travel just two days before. It definitely took a toll on my body and my performance.”
Bamgbose’s time improved in the final, though it was not up to her usual standards.
If she does compete in Rio, Bamgbose would become the third former Evanston girls track athlete to run in the Olympics. Pam Page, representing the U.S., finished eighth in the 100 hurdles at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. In London four years ago, Seun Adigun competed in the 100 hurdles for Nigeria, though she didn’t emerge from her qualifying heat.
Evanston girls track coach Fenton Gunter, who has been in charge of the program since 1991, was training with Bamgbose at the high school in the days before she left for Africa.
“Even if she had not had the success athletically, I’d be just as proud of her. I’m way more proud of her academic awards than I am of her being an athlete. Her success as an athlete is just icing on the cake,” Gunter said.
Bamgbose, who earned several conference and national academic honors, recently graduated with a degree in Information Technology Management. She was hired by Whirlpool, but was allowed to delay her start date in order to train for the Olympics
Bamgbose, who lives in South Bend, Ind., is hoping her parents will have a chance to be in Rio to see her compete. To help pay for their trip, Bamgbose and former Evanston and Notre Dame teammate Parker English have set up a GoFundMe page, www.gofundme.com/27rsvas, which through Tuesday, July 12, had received $2,596 of its $10,000 goal
“It would be great for them to actually be able to watch me in person,” Bamgbose said. “I’ve still got quite a ways to go, and if it works out it will be great. But if not, I know they’ll be watching at home.”
Rio state declares financial emergency, requests funding for Olympics
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Rio de Janeiro’s governor declared a state of financial emergency Friday and requested federal funds to help fulfill obligations for public services during the Olympics that start Aug. 5.
Emergency measures are needed to avoid “a total collapse in public security, health, education, transport and environmental management,” a decree in the state’s Official Gazette said.
The state’s revenue, largely tied to the petroleum industry, slumped in the last two years as global oil prices collapsed.
The announcement followed this week’s visit to Rio by Brazil’s Interim President Michel Temer, who said the federal government would ensure all obligations are met for a successful Games.
Rio is expecting about 500,000 foreign visitors during the Olympics, which has coincided with Brazil’s worst recession since the 1930s and a political crisis that last month led to the suspension of President Dilma Rousseff.
“The state’s financial emergency in no way delays the delivery of Olympic projects and the promises assumed by the city of Rio,” Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Twitter.
He also underscored that legacy construction projects, with the exception of an 8.79 billion-real expansion of Rio’s metro that is expected to be finished just days before the Games open, are the responsibility of the city and that most have been completed.
The local organizing committee for the Games said the state’s fiscal situation did not impact its actual running of the Olympics, which relies entirely on private funds.
While the majority of Olympic infrastructure costs have been spread across city, state and federal budgets, with some financing from private companies, the state is responsible for most day-to-day security and health services in Rio.
The financial pinch resulted in a 30-percent cut in the state’s security budget – just as Rio has seen a jump in homicides and assaults in recent months, raising concerns about safety ahead of the Olympics.
The state of Rio expects a budget deficit of over 19 billion reais ($5.56 billion) this year as spending planned before oil prices fell outstrips revenue that is tumbling during Brazil’s recession.
Rio state’s debt has been downgraded several times.
On Wednesday, Fitch Ratings downgraded Rio’s debt rating to ‘B-’ from ‘B+’, saying the state was suffering “a fast-deteriorating liquidity position.”
Since late last year, the state has been forced to delay pension and salary payments and shutter some schools and hospitals, where crucial supplies, including medicines and syringes, are lacking.
Brazil is also facing an outbreak of the Zika virus, which has been linked to the birth defect microcephaly in which babies are born with abnormally small heads frequently associated with developmental issues.
