Athletics: Clumsy US relay teams hand foes gold
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ATHENS No one had run faster than the US 100-meter sprinters - at least without a baton. But put the stick in an unpracticed American&#39;s hand on the track in these Olympics, and it transforms talent into tumult.
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In past Olympics, defeating a mediocre team such as Greece by a mere six points would be cause for alarm for the United States.
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Britain took advantage of a sloppy handoff in the middle of the race to beat the United States and win the gold medal Saturday in the men&#39;s Olympic 4x100 meter relay -- a race the American men usually dominate.
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What a night for U.S. athletes in Olympic track and field. Even in the event that went to another country, an American won. Shawn Crawford, Bernard Williams and Justin Gatlin swept the 200. Dwight Phillips and John Moffitt went 1-2 in the long jump. Marion Jones and the 400-meter relay team cruised into the finals.
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The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) have accused the governing body of world gymnastics of putting &quot;outrageous and improper&quot; pressure on gold medallist Paul Hamm to give his medal to a South Korean rival.
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United States failed to reach the men's  basketball final for the first time in 16 years and Italy  shocked previously unbeaten Lithuania Friday to set up an  Olympic gold medal game that nobody expected.
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OSAKA, Japan  - The finale of the world athletics championships belonged to the glittering United States track team on a Sunday night spiced up by charismatic European performances in the field.
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ATHENS - The US men have a basketball medal, but there is little consolation in the prize. Third place fell a couple of steps short of expectations, but the Americans had nowhere else to go Saturday in what
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Their character questioned and commitment belittled, the United States men&#39;s team responded to their critics by taking the bronze with a gold-medal effort.
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They missed shots, threw the ball away and got beat on defense. In the end, though, Shannon Johnson and Tina Thompson helped the Americans pull off another gold-medal victory. Johnson and Thompson gave the United States a huge lift with their second-half scoring, and the Americans beat Australia 74-63 on Saturday for their third straight Olympic basketball title.
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On target and on fire, the US men&#39;s 100-meter sprinters scorched the Olympic Stadium&#39;s fast track through two rounds yesterday to advance to today&#39;s
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America&#39;s US Olympic Committee is contesting a ruling which could cost Michael Johnson and his 4x400m relay colleagues gold medals from the Sydney Olympics.
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The United States will have to get back to the gold medal game the hard way. After losing 3-1 to the Czech Republic on Thursday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena, the Americans
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ATHENS, Greece - Frustrated by fouls, turnovers and a feisty opponent, the United States desperately looked for help.    Then along came Sheryl Swoopes to set things right...
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Athens, Greece (Sports Network) - With one gold medal already, he could have packed it in. But it wouldn&#39;t have been right, not after what his teammate accomplished Saturday night.
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The United States won the men's 4 x 400  meters relay gold medal at the Olympics Saturday.
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OLYMPIA, Greece -- US shot-putter Adam Nelson stood outside the throwing circle, his hands on the back of his head, his hopes just dashed by a foul on a throw that would have won the gold medal.