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Selasa, 31 Juli 2012

Burnett's no-hit bid leads Pirates past Cubs

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A.J. Burnett flirts with no-hitter, tossing one-hit shutout to lead Pirates to 5-0 win over Cubs. Burnett improves to 13-3 on the season.

CHICAGO -- One thought kept crossing A.J. Burnett's mind as he made his dramatic push for a no-hitter.

He wanted it -- badly.Instead, he will have to settle for a close call and maybe the best performance of his career.Burnett pitched a one-hitter, Neil Walker drove in five runs and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat Chicago 5-0 on Tuesday night, hours after the Cubs traded ace Ryan Dempster.Burnett started thinking about a no-hitter in the third or fourth inning."I'm not going to lie," he said. "So, it's one of those things that you want to do, you want to take pride in, but at the same time a lot of luck's got to go into it. I had a lot of great plays behind me. ... Bottom line is it's a 'W' for us."

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Burnett just about stole the spotlight after the Cubs traded their best pitcher to Texas just before the non-waiver deadline. His bid for a second career no-hitter and the sixth in the majors this season ended with two outs in the eighth.He had already hit Darwin Barney in the helmet with one out before striking out Luis Valbuena, but his no-hit bid ended at the hands of a rookie when pinch-hitter Adrian Cardenas lined a 3-2 pitch to right for a single after two close pitches were called balls.Burnett said he was angry about a 2-2 curve that just missed outside, and he appeared to be yelling at the umpire after the hit. But he struck out David DeJesus with runners on first and third to end the inning. That's probably not much consolation for the veteran, who pitched a wild no-hitter for the Marlins against San Diego on May 12, 2001.He walked nine in that game, two in this one while striking out eight."I always think about it," he said. "I want to clean that one up. That was a wild one."That a Miami-area native, who was 13-years-old back then, broke it up was a bit of an ironic twist. Not since Sandy Koufax did it to them in September 1965 have the Cubs been no-hit, and the last no-hitter at Wrigley Field came when Milt Pappas pitched one for Chicago against San Diego in September 1972.Burnett sure made it interesting, though. His curve was as sharp as it's ever been, and he just missed the eighth no-hitter in franchise history."I thought he had a shot," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He was just so efficient, pinpoint command. He pitched the left-handers so extremely well tonight. Fastball gloveside, his curveball was sharp for strikes, for chase. Great tempo -- 25 out of 31 first-pitch strikes. The pitch count was in a great place. That's one of the best games I've seen pitched ever."Cubs manager Dale Sveum was impressed, too."He probably threw 60, 65 curveballs," he said. "Even his fastball, he kept it out of the middle of the plate. We hit a few balls hard. A couple balls without the wind might have been home runs, but he pitched a heck of a game."He retired the first 11 batters before walking Anthony Rizzo, and as the game wore on, the sense that something special was happening filled the old ballpark.There was a loud gasp when Alfonso Soriano sent a drive to deep left-center in the seventh that Andrew McCutchen caught, and first baseman Garrett Jones then made a sliding stop on Bryan LaHair's grounder to end the inning. The Cubs got some relief when Cardenas finally broke through, but even that was tempered by the reality that they got shut down.Cardenas faced Burnett in late May and didn't do so well, going 0-for-3 with two errors in a 1-0 loss."I remember him and seeing how he was working throughout that game," he said. "When I was able to get that hit, it was great but it was very short-lived because we lost 5-0. ... It's definitely sweet to break up the no-hitter here at our place. That's something you don't want to be a part of."While Burnett cruised along, Casey Coleman had a rough night after being recalled from the minors. Pitching in Dempster's place, he lasted just 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and seven hits.Walker quickly put the Cubs ahead in the first when he drove a 2-1 pitch to right for a grand slam -- the second of his career and second at Wrigley Field.He also had a sacrifice fly in the seventh.Burnett's performance overshadowed the big news before the game, with Dempster going to the Rangers for two prospects.The Pirates were a busy bunch, too. They acquired former All-Star first baseman Gaby Sanchez from Florida and sent third baseman Casey McGehee to the Yankees for reliever Chad Qualls.

Game notes

Along with Coleman, the Cubs also recalled Cardenas and C Welington Castillo from Triple-A Iowa before the game. ... GM Jed Hoyer said it might not be long before Josh Vitters is called up from Triple-A. He was batting .298 with 15 homers. ... In the Sanchez deal, Pittsburgh also got minor league pitcher Kyle Kaminska for minor league outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and the extra draft pick for 2013 that the Pirates won in the competitive balance lottery for financially weaker teams. ... The Pirates recalled RHP Daniel McCutchen from Triple-A Indianapolis to take Brad Lincoln's spot in the bullpen. Lincoln was dealt to Toronto for Travis Snider on Monday.

Olympics live

07:17 One of the morning's main attractions, the rowing, gets up and running from a British perspective - I believe - at the unsociably early time of 9.50am when Zac Purchase and Mark Hunter look to retain their golds in the men's lightweight double sculls semi-final.

The thought of being on a river at 9.50am, regardless of whether it is warm, cold, wet or dry, does strange things to my innards. I lived with the rowing captain of my university college. A lovely girl until she had to get on the river at 6am. Then she threw peanut butter and toast at me.

But good luck nevertheless to the duo and may their crusts remain unflung.

07:08 Georgina Geikie kicks things off for Britain this morning in the women's 25m pistol shooting. It's a bit of a hidden gem of a sport, this, as The Telegraph's Jonathan Liew found out when he attended the men's 10m air rifle final.

One would suspect so few care because we're not very good at it, but that doesn't stop football being a national sport.

06:59 Speaking of the unspeakable pressure on Great Britain's athletes, Ellen Gandy has shared a pretty heartwrenching account of not qualifying for the women's 200m butterfly final - despite winning silver in the event at last year's World Championships.

06:57 And so to today: day five of what's been a fantastic Olympic Games so far. Maybe we're biased. But it's pretty much had everything already; everything, that is, except a Britain standing on top of the podium, gold medal around their neck, with God Save The Queen playing in the background.

But perhaps that's the problem. Just four days in and the expectations towards British athletes is high; unfairly high. Cavendish's 'failure' in the cycling road race came in one of the most unpredictable events in the entire schedule; yesterday's equestrian was simply a case of the German squad being that good.

As Brits descend upon Eton Dorney and Hampton Court to watch today's rowing and cycling, they do so in the hope of seeing Britain's first gold medal at Britain's Games. Helen Glover and Heather Stanning in the women's pair; the men's eights; Bradley Wiggins and Lizzie Armitstead in the time trials. All will feel the expectation, but all must ignore it. Go out there and enjoy yourselves, would be my hugely underqualified advice.

And let's just celebrate everything whatever happens. The reach of London 2012 goes far beyond medals.

06:36 Michael Phelps: the greatest ever Olympian. That is the headline that adorns news stands at tube stations all across the country. With victory in the 4x200m relay alongside his American team-mates, Phelps took his 19th Olympic medal. 15 of them have been gold.

If the feat of eight golds at Beijing 2008 did not confirm it already, perhaps this does. There will be arguments that swimming is a different discipline to the track and field; that the two are incomparable. But to do what he has for 12 years is the optimum example of physical and mental strength.

Plus, he's a blooming lovely lad, isn't he? Loves his mum. Nice guys don't always finish last you see (though sometimes do come second to a South African).

Is he the greatest Olympian of all time? Email or tweet with your views.

Graduate jobs: top 10 starting salaries

As Paul Teulon, head of admissions at King’s College London, points out here, half of the graduate jobs available do not demand a particular degree. Having a good degree from a respected institution is the key to landing that dream graduate role.

That said, if you think you already know what you want to end up doing, it doesn't hurt to tailor your undergraduate degree subject choice accordingly. We take a look at the 10 best-paid graduate sectors, and suggest some of the degree options that can help get that vital foot in the door.

Also, we asked five leading graduate employers what attributes they are looking for from the current crop of university students. Find out what they had to say here.

Picture: PA

Author and playwright Gore Vidal dies aged 86

Vidal was uncomfortable with the literary and political establishment, and the feeling was mutual. Beyond an honorary National Book Award in 2009, he won few major writing prizes, lost both times he ran for office and initially declined membership into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, joking that he already belonged to the Diners Club. (He was eventually admitted, in 1999).

But he was widely admired as an independent thinker – in the tradition of Mark Twain and HL Mencken – about literature, culture, politics and, as he liked to call it, "the birds and the bees." He picked apart politicians, living and dead; mocked religion and prudery; opposed wars from Vietnam to Iraq and insulted his peers like no other, once observing that the three saddest words in the English language were "Joyce Carol Oates." (The happiest words: "I told you so").

The author "meant everything to me when I was learning how to write and learning how to read," Dave Eggers said at the 2009 National Book Awards ceremony, when he and Vidal received honorary citations. "His words, his intellect, his activism, his ability and willingness to always speak up and hold his government accountable, especially, has been so inspiring to me I can't articulate it." Ralph Ellison labelled him a "campy patrician."

Vidal had an old-fashioned belief in honour, but a modern will to live as he pleased. He wrote in the memoir "Palimpsest" that he had more than 1,000 "sexual encounters," nothing special, he added, compared to the pursuits of such peers as John F. Kennedy and Tennessee Williams.

Vidal was fond of drink and alleged that he had sampled every major drug, once. He never married and for decades shared a scenic villa in Ravello, Italy, with companion Howard Austen.

Vidal would say that his decision to live abroad damaged his literary reputation in the United States. In print and in person, he was a shameless name dropper, but what names! John and Jacqueline Kennedy. Hillary Clinton. Tennessee Williams. Mick Jagger. Orson Welles. Frank Sinatra. Marlon Brando. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.

Vidal dined with Welles in Los Angeles, lunched with the Kennedys in Florida, clowned with the Newmans in Connecticut, drove wildly around Rome with a nearsighted Williams and escorted Jagger on a sightseeing tour along the Italian coast. He campaigned with Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry Truman. He butted heads, literally, with Mailer. He helped director William Wyler with the script for "Ben-Hur." He made guest appearances on everything from "The Simpsons" to "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In."

Vidal formed his most unusual bond with Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. The two exchanged letters after Vidal's 1998 article in Vanity Fair on "the shredding" of the Bill of Rights and their friendship inspired Edmund White's play "Terre Haute."

"He's very intelligent. He's not insane," Vidal said of McVeigh in a 2001 interview.

Vidal also bewildered his fans by saying the Bush administration likely had advance knowledge of the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; that McVeigh was no more a killer than Dwight Eisenhower, and that the U.S. would eventually be subservient to China, "The Yellow Man's Burden."

Christopher Hitchens, who once regarded Vidal as a modern Oscar Wilde, lamented in a 2010 Vanity Fair essay that Vidal's recent comments suffered from an "utter want of any grace or generosity, as well as the entire absence of any wit or profundity." Years earlier, Saul Bellow stated that "a dune of salt has grown up to season the preposterous things Gore says."

A longtime critic of American militarism, Vidal was, ironically, born at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, his father's alma mater. Vidal grew up in a political family. His grandfather, Thomas Pryor Gore, was a U.S. senator from Oklahoma. His father, Gene Vidal, served briefly in President Franklin Roosevelt's administration and was an early expert on aviation. Aviator Amelia Earhart was a family friend and reported lover of Gene Vidal.

Vidal was a learned, but primarily self-educated man. Classrooms bored him. He graduated from the elite Phillips Exeter Academy, but then enlisted in the Army and never went to college. His first book, the war novel "Williwaw," was written while he was in the service and published when he was just 20.

The New York Times' Orville Prescott praised Vidal as a "canny observer" and "Williwaw" as a "good start toward more substantial accomplishments." But "The City and the Pillar," his third book, apparently changed Prescott's mind. Published in 1948, the novel's straightforward story about two male lovers was virtually unheard of at the time and Vidal claimed that Prescott swore he would never review his books again. (The critic relented in 1964, calling Vidal's "Julian" a novel "disgusting enough to sicken many of his readers"). "City and the Pillar" was dedicated to "J.T.," Jimmie Trimble, a boarding school classmate killed during the war whom Vidal would cite as the great love of his life.

Unable to make a living from fiction, at least when identified as "Gore Vidal," he wrote a trio of mystery novels in the 1950s under the pen name "Edgar Box" and also wrote fiction as "Katherine Everard" and "Cameron Kay." He became a playwright, too, writing for the theatre and television. The political drama "The Best Man" was later made into a movie, starring Henry Fonda, was revived on Broadway in 2000 and again in 2012. Paul Newman starred in "The Left-Handed Gun," a film adaptation of Vidal's "The Death of Billy the Kid."

Vidal also worked in Hollywood, writing the script for "Suddenly Last Summer," based on Williams play and starring Elizabeth Taylor, and adding a subtle homoerotic context to "Ben-Hur." The author himself later appeared in a documentary about gays in Hollywood, "The Celluloid Closet." His acting credits included "Gattaca," "With Honors" and Tim Robbins' political satire, "Bob Roberts."

Although happy to see and be seen, Vidal saw himself foremost as a man of letters. He wrote a series of acclaimed and provocative historical novels, including "Julian," "Burr" and "Lincoln." His 1974 essay on Italo Calvino in The New York Review of Books helped introduce the Italian writer to American audiences. A 1987 essay on Dawn Powell helped restore the then-forgotten author's reputation and bring her books back in print. Fans welcomed his polished, conversational essays or his annual "State of the Union" reports for the liberal weekly "The Nation."

He adored the wisdom of Montaigne, the imagination of Calvino, the erudition and insight of Henry James and Edith Wharton. He detested Thomas Pynchon, John Birth and other authors of "teachers' novels." He once likened Mailer's views on women to those of Charles Manson. (From this the headbutting incident ensued, backstage at "The Dick Cavett Show.") He derided Buckley, on television, as a "crypto Nazi." He called The New York Times the "Typhoid Mary of American journalism," labelled Ronald Reagan "The Acting President" and identified Reagan's wife, Nancy, as a social climber "born with a silver ladder in her hand."

In the 1960s, Vidal increased his involvement in politics. In 1960, he was the Democratic candidate for Congress in an upstate New York district, but was defeated despite Ms. Roosevelt's active support and a campaign appearance by Truman. (In 1982, Vidal came in second in the California Democratic senatorial primary). In consolation, he noted that he did receive more votes in his district in 1960 than did the man at the top of the Democratic ticket, John F. Kennedy.

Thanks to his friendship with Jacqueline Kennedy, with whom he shared a stepfather, Hugh Auchincloss, he became a supporter and associate of President Kennedy, and wrote a newspaper profile on him soon after his election. With tragic foresight, Vidal called the job of the presidency "literally killing" and worried that "Kennedy may very well not survive."

Before long, however, he and the Kennedys were estranged, touched off by a personal feud between Vidal and Robert F. Kennedy apparently sparked by a few too many drinks at a White House party. By 1967, the author was an open critic, portraying the Kennedys as cold and manipulative in the essay "The Holy Family." Vidal's politics moved ever to the left and he eventually disdained both major parties as "property" parties – even as he couldn't help noting that Hillary Clinton had visited him in Ravello.

Meanwhile, he was again writing fiction. In 1968, he published his most inventive novel, "Myra Breckenridge," a comic best seller about a transsexual movie star. The year before, with "Washington, D.C.," Vidal began the cycle of historical works that peaked in 1984 with "Lincoln."

The novel was not universally praised, with some scholars objecting to Vidal's unawed portrayal of the president. The author defended his research, including suggestions that the president had syphilis, and called his critics "scholar-squirrels," more interested in academic status than in serious history. But "Lincoln" stands as his most notable and sympathetic work of historical fiction, vetted and admired by a leading Lincoln biographer, David Herbert Donald, and even cited by the conservative former House Speaker Newt Gingrich as a favourite book. Gingrich's praise was contrasted by fellow conservative Rep. Michele Bachmann, who alleged she was so put off by Vidal's "Burr" that she switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican.

In recent years, Vidal wrote the novel "The Smithsonian Institution" and the nonfiction best sellers "Perpetual War For Perpetual Peace" and "Dreaming War: Blood for Oil and the Cheney-Bush Junta." A second memoir, "Point to Point Navigation," came out in 2006. In 2009, "Gore Vidal: Snapshots in History's Glare" featured pictures of Vidal with Newman, Jagger, Johnny Carson, Jack Nicholson and Bruce Springsteen.

Vidal and Austen chose cemetery plots in Washington, D.C., between Jimmie Trimble and one of Vidal's literary heroes, Henry Adams. But age and illness did not bring Vidal closer to God. Wheelchair-bound in his 80s and saddened by the death of Austen and many peers and close friends, the impious author still looked to no existence beyond this one.

"Because there is no cosmic point to the life that each of us perceives on this distant bit of dust at galaxy's edge," he once wrote, "all the more reason for us to maintain in proper balance what we have here. Because there is nothing else. Nothing. This is it. And quite enough, all in all."

Thousands of juniors start jobs in NHS 'killing season'

Trials in Bristol reduced mistakes by junior doctors by 50 per cent over their first four months.

Gayna Hart, managing director of Quicksilva, a private company which has provided computer software to the NHS for prescribing and appointment booking, said: "In a bid to counteract this “killing season” the Department of Health has prescribed targeted training to better prepare trainees for the reality of life on the wards this week.

"But it’s a bit like giving a man a crutch for his broken leg for only four days - he needs on-going support, not a quick fix.

"A long-term prescription is needed here - we need to be pre-empting problems earlier on and providing sustained support to junior staff in the UK by better nurturing their skills.

"It’s encouraging to see that trials in Bristol of week-long shadowing and additional teaching have reduced mistakes made by new doctors by 50 per cent. If this is truly representative of the benefits, I’d say that we’d be short-sighted to set this kind of skills development at just four days."

Surveys have shown that junior doctors are asked to carry out operations and procedures on patients which are beyond their capabilities and often have responsibility for large numbers of hospitals patients overnight when fewer senior staff are on duty.

Dr Anthea Martin, senior medical adviser at the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland, which provides legal advice for doctors and dentists nationwide, said junior doctors should not be asked to carry out tasks they are not confident doing and should always seek help from senrio colleagues if tehy are unsure.

She said: “Starting life as a junior doctor is a daunting experience. There is a steep learning curve when medical students make that transition from student to doctor.

“Many feel they are being thrown in at the deep end and the nature of medicine means that it is inevitable doctors have to learn on the job.

“Newly qualified trainees beginning their role as doctors today should not have to cope with clinical problems that are beyond their competence as this can put patients at risk. They should not feel pressurised into working outwith their capabilities.

“It is important they do not feel afraid to seek help and advice from colleagues and supervisors. By asking questions, they are reducing the risk of stress and ensuring patient safety is not compromised. Given the correct support, juniors will become more confident and assured in the tasks they perform.

"Junior doctors themselves have to recognise the limits of their expertise and competence, otherwise patients are placed at risk and this increases the possibility of a complaint or clinical negligence claim. If in doubt, juniors should always seek advice and support from senior or more experienced colleagues.”

Announcing the new shadowing scheme, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS Medical Director, said: “There is some evidence of increased risk to patients as new doctors take their first steps. So, learning from pilots across the country, we have agreed that all new first year doctors should undertake a period of paid shadowing the doctor they will be replacing, for a period of at least four days.

"That scheme will start this year, and will operate in late July every year.

“Patient safety and providing a high quality service is at the heart of a modern NHS. This shadowing period could potentially save lives, and will equip new junior doctors with the local knowledge and skills needed to provide safe, high quality patient care, from their first day as a doctor.”

Dr Tom Dolphin, chairman of the BMA's junior doctor committee, said: “The BMA has been calling for the introduction of a shadowing scheme for new doctors for many years as it has been shown that having an experienced pair of hands to show new doctors the ropes improves patient safety.

"It means new doctors will be ready to go on the first day, familiar with the hospital's systems and ready to focus on patient care rather than worrying about where to find the X-ray request forms.

"It will go some way to making sure that patients get good care whatever day of the year they present and we're pleased this is now in place nation-wide.”

Top 10 future classics

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Jaguar's constantly updated XK coupe and convertible are in the top 10 of cars most likely to become classics, according to a survey of more than 3,500 classic vehicle owners. The survey produced a list of the 10 cars they thought would be celebrated in 50 years - as the MGB, Renault 5 and Lotus Elan are this year. The research was conducted last November and included visitors to the Footman James Classic Motor Show. Andy Fairchild, Footman James' managing director, said: 'This year marks the 50th anniversary of many classic icons. It is fascinating to obtain an insight into what classic vehicle owners deem to be the classics of the future'

Police say 9-1-1 Call a Hoax

By Adam Racusin

CREATED 10:35 PM

Omaha, NE - A 9-1-1 call about a murder turned out to be a hoax and a big waste of time for Omaha police.
Somebody used the internet to make the prank call.
The caller gave an address, but when officers arrived, they found the home did not exist.
They checked a few other homes and after about one hour, determined it was a prank.
Investigators are looking into the computer's address to pinpoint where the call came from.
It’s a troubling trend called swatting, making prank calls for the specific purpose of activating a swat team.
"It’s an ugly phenomenon that is going on throughout the United States, and it’s something we have to deal with,” said Douglas County 9-1-1 Director Mark Conrey.
This time, police spent nearly an hour hunting down the fake address, before they realized it was a hoax.
The growing trend popped up just last week in Bellevue.
In April of last year the fake threats dialed in from a Skype account led to a nearly four hour stand-off in Douglas County.
"We have enough problems with real critical incidents that take place, let alone to have a false one get called in to further traumatize the citizens in this community,” said Omaha Police Captain Kerry Neumann.
When police respond to swat-ting claims, resources are diverted from those truly in need.

Council Members Sound-Off Over Ben Gray's OPS Outburst

Council man Gray said, "I don't apologize for anything. If you're going to do that I'm going to respond the same way."

By Liz Dorland

CREATED 8:32 PM

Omaha, NE -- A heated exchange at a Omaha Public School Board Meeting has viewers sounding off about how Omaha City Council man Ben Gray acted. Tuesday, we ask the City Council man if he over-stepped his bounds.

Council man Ben Gray was at the meeting to support his wife, OPS President Freddie Gray. Freddie Gray has been in the spotlight recently because of the Dr. Nancy Sebring scandal. Sources say Gray knew about racy emails sent by sebring while she was working in the Des Moines School District, but did not disclose that information to the rest of the school board.

City Council man Ben Gray didn't shy away when we asked to talk about Monday's OPS Board meeting blow-up. Council man Gray said, "I don't apologize for anything. If you're going to do that I'm going to respond the same way."

On Monday, Michael Moran wanted to address OPS Board Members about issues surrounding Dr. Sebring. OPS President Freddie Gray denied him the opportunity to speak. "Well that's pathetic. You are pathetic," Moran shouted.

Council man Gray stood-up and confronted Moran. "You're pathetic. You don't tell my wife she's pathetic, don't you do that," he fired back.

Tuesday, Council man Gray said, "If someone is going to disrespect my wife publically, I'm going to address it publicaly bottom line."

Even if he's an elected official. Dozens of viewers wrote to us saying Council man Gray acted wrongly and should step down as a city leader.

City Council man Thomas Mulligan doesn't agree that Council man Gray should resign as a city leader. When asked about Monday's OPS Board meeting, Mulligan said, "I'm going to respect Mr. Gray's privacy."

Council woman Jean Stothert said, "Do I think that Council man Gray's behavior was appropriate? No, I don't but I do think that people have to be responsible for their own actions and suffer the consequences."

Council man Garry Gernandt added, "If Council man gray is there as a private citizen and made what ever comments that your saying that he made then that's between the members of the public and the members of the school board."

Council man Gray said he respects people's opinions, but stands by his actions adding the taxpayer who wanted to speak shouldn't have called anyone "pathetic". "We need to be more civil. We need to recognize a certain language ought not be used. We ought to be respectful to those even though we may disagree, those are things we need to do," continued Council man Gray.

Council man Pete Festerson delclined to talk about the issue. Council man Gray said he had every right to be at the meeting, he's a tax payer too and has grandkids at OPS. Mr. Gray does plan on being at the next OPS Board meeting next Monday at 6:30.

Reported By: Liz Dorland, ldorland@action3news.com

Despite Missing, Iowa Girl's Birthday Celebrated

Today is Elizabeth Collins' 9th birthday. She and her cousin have been missing since July 13th.

By Ashlee Pitzl

CREATED 8:29 PM

EVANSDALE, Iowa (AP) - Volunteers who searched for two Iowa cousins who disappeared over two weeks ago are getting cupcakes as a special thank you and to mark a special day.

Elizabeth Collins, whose 9th birthday is Tuesday, and 10-year-old Lyric Cook were last seen riding bikes in Evansdale on July 13. Authorities consider their disappearance an abduction.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (http://bit.ly/NH2zU0 ) says hundreds of bright pink cupcakes fill the Prince of Peace Church in Evansdale. Organizers estimate by the end of the day 1,500 cupcakes will be delivered to just some of the many volunteers.

Trista Manternach is the principal at Poyner Elementary School, where Elizabeth is enrolled. She says they wanted to do something to bring families together, and Elizabeth's birthday was the "perfect opportunity" for the Cupcake of Hope celebration.

DNR Employee Dies While Mowing Grass

The man got too close to the water; hit a hole and the mower flipped on top of him.

By Fatima Rahmatullah

CREATED 7:07 PM

Council Bluffs, IA – A 78-year-old man drowned in a terrible landscaping accident. Council Bluffs Police say Bruce T. Jensen of Treynor, IA was mowing grass this afternoon.

Jensen got too close to the water; hit a hole and the mower flipped on top of him. Jensen was unable to free himself from under the lawn tractor. It happened about 2:45 p.m. in an area called Westlake.

Jensen was a seasonal employee for Dept. of Natural Resources. His autopsy is scheduled later this week.

Plattsmouth Couple Escapes Pasture Fire

By Meghan Matthews

CREATED 4:19 PM

Mable Rodabaugh has lived on her pasture for more than 3 decades, she's worried the whole thing, could go up in flames.

"It could catch on fire and we could lose everything."

Last night Mable took a shower and headed to the basement to watch some T.V. as usual when...

"My husband knocked on the door and I thought somebody was breaking in, and he said the pasture's on fire again."

Again, for the second time, smoke and flames filled the air just behind Mable's house.

"It was kinda going up hill, so it had moved about twice as fast."

If a neighbor hadn't reported the fire, Mable never would have seen it.

"The fire was contained to most of this area, but burned parts of this pasture, to a crisp. Mable considers herself lucky, as the house doesn't sit that far away."

The cause, is still undetermined, but there's one answer that comes to mind for Mable, fireworks...

"What fireworks did you say you found and picked up? Parachutes."

"That is something we're looking into. We are just out of the 4th of July there are some leftover fireworks that people are getting the chance to light off.

But it's not just fireworks that have people worried.

"Everybody right now is on the edge because of the dry conditions.

Which could spark a fire in an instant, and next time, Mable might not be so lucky.

"It could be drastic, it could be really bad, and yes it does worry me."

London 2012 Olympics: Whingeing Aussies bewail the Eton roar leaves Australians foundering

Toby Lister, the cox of the Australian men’s heavyweight eight, said he was struggling to make himself heard above the noise of the fans. “For me, it is just making sure I am really clear [with calls] and really precise on what I want [from the crew]. It can be difficult,” he said.

“From what I have been told, the Sydney Olympics was just as bad,” said Alan Campbell, a single sculler.

“I think it has been hugely lifting for everyone who goes out there to row. The crowd have been cheering for crews even if there isn’t a British rower in the event.

“I don’t think they need to look for excuses out there — they’re all professional guys and it’s a big event.”

Sam Townsend, a Team GB double sculler, said most crews knew their plans from the start. “It should be second nature,” he said. “That noise — I can’t see how it could do anything other than carry every boat to the finish.”

Rich Chambers, from Team GB’s lightweight four, added: “The Aussies can whinge all they want but it’s the same for everyone. I’d say cheer louder please.”

But not all Australians were complaining. Hannah Vermeersh, of the women’s eight, said: “We love the noise. It’s quite motivating.”

A member of her family added: “Aren’t you supposed to cheer for your team?”

London 2012 Olympics: Zara Phillips says it was a 'relief' to get silver medal for eventing

Britain’s equestrians won silver in the team eventing competition, where Zara Phillips became the first royal Olympic medallist and received her award from her mother, the Princess Royal.

The equestrian eventing team also included Mary King, Tina Cook, William Fox-Pitt and Nicola Wilson.

Speaking after their second place finish, Zara Phillips said that it was "such a relief" to get a medal.

"There were a few mistakes, but at the end of the day we came with a silver medal," she added.

US election 2012: Six-year-old boy stars in anti-Barack Obama advert

The six-year-old boy was used in an anti-Barack Obama advert posted on conservative blog, The Patriot Update.

Isaac Anthony counts down the ten reasons why it would be wrong to vote for US President Barack Obama in the forthcoming US election.

His reasons include: "[Barack Obama] wants to take guns away from good guys," and "he lets bad guys into our country."

The boy's parents can be heard prompting him when he forgets his lines.

The video caption reads: "Isaac Anthony is a conservative six-year-old who knows where he stands on political issues and the upcoming Presidential election."

London 2012 Olympics: China and South Korea under investigation after badminton match descends into farce

The Korean pair left court without speaking to waiting reporters to explain the reasons for their involvement in the fiasco after the 23-minute match.

Yu claimed she wanted to ease up ahead of the knockout phase.

She said: "Actually these opponents really were strong. This is the first time we've played them and tomorrow it's the knockout rounds, so we've already qualified and we wanted to have more energy for the knockout rounds.

"Really, it's not necessary to go out hard again when the knockout rounds are tomorrow."

The Korean pair won the match 21-14 21-11. The longest rally in the first game was just four strokes.

Match referee Thorsten Berg came on to court at one point to warn the players.

The farce continued later in the evening when another Korean pair, the third seeds Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung, appeared to start playing up against Indonesia's Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii.

Both pairs had also already qualified for the next stage from Group C, the connection with the earlier incident being that the pool winners would play Wang and Yu next.

The Korean pairs would play each other in the quarter-finals if Ha and Kim lost.

Berg returned to court and brandished the black card, which means disqualification, but after protests from the Indonesians it was rescinded and the match resumed.

Paisan Rangsikitpho, a member of the Badminton World Federation's technical committee, said the governing body was aware of what had happened.

He said: "We will have a real discussion tonight to see what has happened, but I have to get all the facts."

Whatever the reasons for the bizarre spectacle, it is certain to spark debate about the decision to introduce a round-robin stage as opposed to holding a straight knockout tournament.

The spotlight will also be cast once again on the Chinese, who dominate world badminton but have been accused of manipulation before.

Petya Nedelcheva, the Bulgarian women's singles 15th seed who had been playing on an adjacent court at the time of the first incident, was forthright in her general criticism of China.

She said: "China control everything. I don't know who controlled the match to lose but if it is China again, they did it so many times last year, they didn't play against each other in 20 matches. They do what they want."

Nedelcheva's comments are supported by figures compiled by online magazine Badzine earlier this year which show that of the 99 all-Chinese matches played in major tournaments in 2011, 20 were walkovers.

Drehs: Imperfect night leads to perfect Phelps moment

Michael Phelps wins a record 19th Olympic medal, but does being a swimmer give him an advantage?

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Michael Phelps wins a record 19th Olympic medal, but does being a swimmer give him an advantage?
Michael Phelps wins a record 19th Olympic medal, but does being a swimmer give him an advantage?
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LONDON -- For the past 15 years, Bob Bowman has watched Michael Phelps transform from an ornery 11-year-old into the greatest swimmer who ever lived. He's been there for all the medals, all the awards and all the nail-biting finishes. He's served as a father figure at times, teaching Phelps about life, how to drive a stick shift and how to tie a tie.

But ask Bob Bowman about when he's felt the greatest sense of pride for his pupil and the coach will now tell you the moment came on the night of Tuesday, July 31, 2012.

After a race that Phelps lost.

[+] Enlarge Phelps

Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesMichael Phelps reacts after losing the 200 fly by .05 seconds to South Africa's Chad le Clos.

"It was kind of heartbreaking," Bowman said through watery eyes at the end of the night.

The stage was perfectly set for Phelps heading into Tuesday night. He needed just one medal to tie and two to break the Olympic record of 18 career medals set by former Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina. He was swimming in his marquee event, the 200 butterfly, which he hadn't lost in at a major international competition in over 12 years, and the 4x200 relay, as well.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the record. Phelps lost. He had led the 200 butterfly almost the entire race; but South Africa's Chad le Clos reached further in the last stretch and touched the wall .05 seconds before Phelps. It was the type of race Phelps had always won, and the ultracompetitive Phelps was furious.

But he had this coming. For years, Phelps had cruised into the wall at the end of his races. And on Tuesday, in his last 200 butterfly of his career, it caught up with him.

"It came out at the moment I needed it most," Phelps would say later. "I realize that and I'm OK with that. It's the decision I made."

U.S. teammate Davis Tarwater, who considers the 200 fly his best event and trained with Phelps for four years, disagreed. Forget the color of the medal. He called Phelps' 200 fly one of the best of his career.

"I've seen him otherworldly and struggle and everywhere in between," Tarwater said. "I just thought tonight he came out and it was cold toughness, all grit, all heart. I saw it in his eyes. I saw it in his face. He was doing everything he could, muscling it out, trying to get the win. I can recognize that. I have so much respect for that man."

But in the first few minutes after the race, Phelps didn't see it that way. Before Phelps had accepted such failure, the look across his face was one of bitter disappointment. By the time he made the seven-minute walk to the warm-down pool, where Bowman was waiting, the look hadn't changed.

[+] Enlarge Michael Phelps

Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesMichael Phelps now has 19 career Olympic medals, including 15 golds.

"He was very upset at first," Bowman said. "Not crying upset, but angry, and we just had come to grips with the fact that was that. He got in the warm-down pool and started swimming and really within about five minutes he gathered his composure and was ready to go."

From there, it was time for the medal ceremony, where le Clos waited. It was fitting, in a way, that he was the one standing atop the podium. As a 12-year-old boy, le Clos had watched Phelps swim at the 2004 Games in Athens and decided he wanted to become a swimmer. Four years later, when Phelps out-touched Milorad Cavic by one one-hundredth of a second to win gold in the 100 butterfly in Beijing, it was le Clos who looked on in awe and would later put seven copies of the swim on his computer in multiple languages.

He admitted he is Phelps' biggest fan and beating him Tuesday night was "the greatest moment of my life."

One man's nightmare was another man's dream. Phelps could sense how excited le Clos was. And as the two stood on the podium, a smile cracked on Phelps' face. And as he and le Clos walked around the pool deck and posed for pictures, Phelps smiled more. He told the 20-year-old how to hold the gold medal when posing for pictures, and then he gave him directions on where to go after the medal parade.

As Bowman looked on, he was amazed. The younger Phelps never would have done that. He would have stewed over the bitter loss and carried it with him for weeks. But, with seemingly everything at stake, Phelps turned his emotions around with one warm-down swim.

"The way he handled that silver medal tonight, I think I'm prouder of that one than any of the other ones," Bowman said. "Just the whole thing showed how he has matured and how he understands what this entire process is all about."

An hour after his disappointment in the 200 fly, Phelps was back on the pool deck again, anchoring his team in the 4x200 free relay. He told his fellow teammates -- Ryan Lochte, Conor Dwyer and Ricky Berens -- to get him a big lead. He didn't want any sort of last-lap collapse like the team had in the 4x100 relay Sunday night.

[+] Enlarge Michael Phelps

Kirby Lee/USA TODAY SportsChad le Clos, left, said after winning the 200 fly that Michael Phelps was his hero.

They did just that. By the time Phelps came down the pool with 25 meters to go, the outcome was certain. And for the first time in his career, Phelps said he smiled in the middle of competition.

"I knew we had done it," he said.

When he touched the wall, he spit a stream of water straight into the air. He knew. His teammates knew. Everyone knew. It was his 19th career Olympic medal.

As the night came to an end with Phelps, Lochte, Dwyer and Berens atop the medal stand after their win, Phelps apologized to his teammates. There would be no sing-along with the national anthem on this night. He knew if he tried to even mouth the words, the tears would come.

"Not even a word out," Phelps said. "My eyes were getting watery. It was emotional. A pretty cool feeling."

There are those who will say the way the events unfolded Tuesday night was less than perfect. This is Michael Phelps, after all. From what we learned in Beijing, he's supposed to only win gold. But if anything, Phelps' second-place finish in his marquee event and his failing to reach the medal podium in the 400 IM on Sunday should serve as a lesson in appreciating how hard it is to win 19 medals over a span of three Olympic Games.

"I thought the golds used to come easy," Bowman said. "Now it's like, 'Oh, please, win a medal.' It underscores how difficult it is to win a medal of any color at this event, and it's getting harder and harder. Anyone who gets any kind of medal should be highly celebrated."

Or in the case of Bowman's most famous pupil, 19 times over with the likely title of the greatest Olympian who has ever lived. At least that's what the man who beat him Tuesday night believes.

"Of course," le Clos said. "He's definitely the greatest Olympian of all time."

And how did Phelps plan on celebrating such an achievement? With three events left to swim this week -- the 100 butterfly, 200 IM and medley relay -- there wasn't much on tap for Tuesday night. Dinner, a meeting with the ice bucket and, if all goes well, some sleep. Prelims for the 200 IM were waiting Wednesday morning.

"There are still other races and that's the one thing I have on my mind now," Phelps said. "I'm going to attempt to sleep tonight. I'm just not sure it's going to be possible."

Wayne Drehs | email

Senior writer for ESPN.com
Written for ESPN.com since 2000
Three-time Sports Emmy Award winner

Golden day for Phelps, U.S. women gymnasts

Gabrielle Douglas of the United States performs on the balance beam in the women's gymnastics team final on Day 4 of the London Olympics on Tuesday, July 31. Check out Day 3 of competition from Monday, July 30. The Games run through August 12. See all the action as it unfolds here.

South Africa's Chad Le Clos poses on the podium after taking the gold medal in the men's 200-meter butterfly final.

Koko Tsurumi of Japan competes on the uneven bars in the women's gymnastics event.

Gold medalist Ye Shiwen of China competes in the women's 200-meter individual medley final.

French forward Florent Pietrus eyes the ball during the men's preliminary basketball match against Argentina.

France's Camille Muffat competes in the women's 200-meter freestyle final.

Derek Wong of Singapore returns against Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark during their men's singles badminton match.

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps competes in the men's 4x200-meter freestyle relay final. Phelps secured a record 19th Olympic medal when the U.S. team won gold in the event Tuesday.

Sheng Lei of China celebrates winning the men's foil individual gold medal bout against Alaaeldin Abouelkassem of Egypt.

France's leftwing Samuel Honrubia competes in the men's preliminary handball match against Agentina.

Chad Le Clos of South Africa reacts after winning the gold in the men's 200-meter butterfly final.

Todd Rogers of United States dives for a shot during the men's beach volleyball preliminary match against Spain.

Alex Morgan of the United States strikes the ball while Kim Myong Gum and Pong Son Hwa of North Korea attempt to deflect during the women's soccer first-round match.

Germany's Hannes Baumann and Tobias Schadewaldt attempt to right their skiff in the 49er sailing class in Weymouth, England.

Kyla Ross of the United States competes on the balance beam in the women's gymnastics team final.

The U.S. team, left, takes the podium after winning the gold medal in the women's gymnastics event. Russia took silver and Romania won the bronze.

Alexandra Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney and Kyla Ross of the United States celebrate during the final rotation in the gymnastics women's team final.

Gold winners Team USA, center, silver winners Team Russia, right, and bronze winners Team Romania celebrate on the podium of the women's team competition of the gymnastics event.

Gabrielle Douglas of the United States celebrates with teammates during the gymnastics women's team final.

Alexandra Raisman of the United States competes on the balance beam in the gymnastics women's team final.

McKayla Maroney (from left), Kyla Ross and Gabrielle Douglas of the United States celebrate during the gymnastics women's team final.

U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas performs on the beam during the women's team final of the gymnastics event.

Jordyn Wieber of the United States waves after competing on the floor exercsise in the gymnastics event.

Gabrielle Douglas of the United States competes on the uneven bars in the gymnastics women's team final.

Canada's Tyler Bjorn (shown) and Richard Clarke struggle to keep their keelboat upright in the star sailing class in Weymouth, England.

Emmanuel Lucenti of Argentina loses to Antoine Valois-Fortier of Canada in the men's 81-kilogram judo event.

Russia's Maria Sharapova returns the ball to Britain's Laura Robson during their women's singles tennis second-round match.

Fredrik Loof and Max Salminen of Sweden compete in the men's star sailing event.

Russia's Maria Sharapova returns to Britain's Laura Robson during their women's singles tennis second-round match.

Great Britain's Zara Phillips, riding High Kingdom, reacts after competing in individual eventing.

Russia's gymnast Viktoria Komova performs on the beam during the women's team final of the gymnastics event.

Luol Deng of Great Britain dives for the ball in the men's basketball preliminary match between Great Britain and Brazil.

Tiago Splitter of Brazil drives to the basket in the match against Great Britain.

Chinese fencer Lei Sheng celebrates his victory over Italy's Andrea Baldini at the end of their men's foil semifinal bout.

Britain's Zara Phillips waves to the crowd after the British equestrian team won the silver medal in eventing. As part of the British team, Phillips, Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter, becomes the first member of Britain's royal family to take home an Olympic medal.

China's Chen Ruolin and Wang Hao compete in the women's synchronized 10-meter platform final. They won a gold for their performance.

Spain's Liliana Fernandez celebrates with fans after her team's beach volleyball preliminary match against Argentina. Spain won 2-0.

Byungchul Choi of South Korea celebrates winning during the quarterfinals of the men's foil individual.

Jordyn Wieber of the United States competes on the vault in the gymnastics women's team final at North Greenwich Arena.

Jonas Hogh-Christensen of Denmark competes in the men's sailing Finn Race at Weymouth Harbor.

India's Devendro Singh Laishram, left, embraces Bayron Molina Figueroa of Honduras after stopping the Honduran in the first round of their light flyweight boxing match.

Australian and Kazakh athletes swim for the ball during a men's water polo preliminary round at Water Polo Arena in London.

Canada's Melissa Tancredi, right, heads the ball to score her team's second goal against Sweden in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Italy's Dragan Travica reacts after the Italians won their men's volleyball match against Argentina.

Silvana Saldarriaga of Peru chalks her hands before the women's 63-kilogram weightlifting final.

The Belgian team lines around the D for a penalty corner during their women's field hockey match against China.

Journalists work from the stands during a women's beach volleyball preliminary match between Spain and Argentina at Centre Court Stadium in London.

Massimo Giacoppo of Italy motivates his teammates before a water polo match against Greece.

Bryony Shaw represents Great Britain in the women's sailing competition.

China's Ning Ding plays a forehand during a women's singles table tennis quarterfinal match on Tuesday.

American Travis Stevens adjusts his bandage as he competes Tuesday during the men's under 81-kilogram judo semifinal match.

Italy's Ennio Falco removes cartridges as he competes in the men's skeet shooting qualification round Tuesday.

Britain's Susan Egelstaff returns the shuttlecock during a women's singles badminton match Tuesday.

The Olympic flame burns in the cauldron at Olympic Stadium on Tuesday, the fourth day of the Games.

American Phillip Dutton riding Mystery Whisper balks at a jump in the show jumping equestrian event Tuesday.

Japan and South African players shake hands before their women's football first-round match Tuesday.

Brazil's Talita Rocha dives for the ball during the women's beach volleyball match against Germany on Tuesday.

Serge Ibaka of Spain dunks over Matt Nielsen of Australia during a men's basketball preliminary round match Tuesday.

Canada's Antoine Valois-Fortier, in white, gets taken down by Russia's Ivan Nifontov during the men's under 81-kilogram quarterfinal judo match on Tuesday.

Britain's Mary King on Imperial Cavalier competes in the team show jumping phase of the equestrian eventing competition Tuesday at Greenwich Park.

Juan Jose Aramburu of Spain takes aim during the men's skeet shooting qualification round Tuesday.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France screams out after losing a point during the men's singles second-round tennis match at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

Li Xiaoxia of China talks with her coach during a table tennis women's quarterfinals match Tuesday.

David Florence of Great Britain paddles through in the men's canoe single slalom semifinal Tuesday.

South Africa's Janine Van Wyk, left, and Mana Iwabuchi of Japan go after the ball during the women's football first round match Tuesday at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

India's Rahul Banerjee competes in the men's individual elimination archery event at Lord's Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Australia's Rhys Howden looks to take a shot during a men's water polo preliminary round match against Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

Sweden's Fredrik Petersen scores on Robert White of Great Britain during the men's handball preliminary match between Britain and Sweden on Tuesday.

Natsumi Hoshi of Japan competes in the women's 200-meter butterfly heat on Tuesday.

Artur Akhmatkhuzin of Russia celebrates after beating Richard Kruse of Great Britain during a preliminary men's foil match Tuesday.

Fans wave Union Jack flags as Britain's William Fox-Pitt, riding Lionheart, performs Tuesday in the show-jumping qualifying equestrian event at Greenwich Park.

Great Britain competes in the women's eight rowing Tuesday in Windsor, England.

Azerbaijan's Sardar Hasanov reacts after failing a lift in the men's weightlifting 69-kilogram group B event Tuesday.

Britain's Husayn Rosowsky prepares for men's foil individual competition Tuesday.

Egypt's Sara Mohamed Baraka, right, and Fatma Rashed rest after competing in the women's rowing lightweight double sculls repechages event Tuesday.

Biao Chai of China in action during a men's doubles badminton match against Denmark players Tuesday.

Germany's Ole Bischof, in white, and Islam Bozbayev of Kazakhstan face off in the men's under 81-kilogram judo contest Tuesday.

Talita Rocha and Maria Antonelli of Brazil react during the women's beach volleyball preliminary match between Brazil and Germany on Tuesday.

Azmy Mehelba of Egypt competes in the men's skeet qualification round Tuesday at the Royal Artillery Barracks.

Kamilla Rytter Juhl, right, and Christinna Pedersen of Denmark celebrate after beating China's Yunlei Zhao and Qing Tian in a women's doubles badminton match Tuesday.

Hungary's Peter Biros, right, challenges Montenegro's Vladimir Gojkovic during the men's water polo preliminary match Tuesday.

Spanish center Serge Ibaka fights for possession during a men's preliminary round basketball match against Australia on Tuesday.

Britain's Zara Phillips rides High Kingdom in the show jumping phase of the eventing competition Tuesday.

Kosuke Kitajima of Japan competes in a men's 200-meter breaststroke heat Tuesday.

Members of the South African women's field hockey team protest to the referee during a match against New Zealand on Tuesday.

Spanish center Serge Ibaka, right, makes a grab during Tuesday's game against Australia.

Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa, in red, faces off against Wang Yuegu of Singapore during a women's singles table-tennis match Tuesday.

Argentina's Emmanuel Lucenti celebrates after beating France's Alain Schmitt in the men's under 81-kilogram judo contest match Tuesday.

China's Wang Zhizhi, left, tries to block Sergey Monya of Russia from scoring during the men's preliminary round basketball match on Tuesday.

Turkmenistan's Gulnar Hayytbaeva, in blue, fights with Azerbaijan's Ramila Yusubova during the women's under 63-kilogram judo match Tuesday.

Jefferson Bellaguarda of Switzerland dives for a shot during the men's beach volleyball preliminary match between Brazil and Switzerland on Tuesday.

France's Alain Schmitt, in white, competes with the Netherlands' Guillaume Elmont during the men's under 81-kilogram judo contest match Tuesday.

Ahmed Husam of the Maldives competes in the men's 100-meter freestyle heat Tuesday.

Teams from the Ukraine, Germany, the United States, China, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic compete Tuesday in the women's rowing double sculls in Windsor.

Brazil's Cesar Cielo dives in for the men's 100-meter freestyle heat Tuesday.

Chinese forward Zhou Peng, right, guards Russian forward Andrei Kirilenko during the men's preliminary round basketball game Tuesday.

From left, Ahmed Husam of the Maldives, Mamadou Soumare of Mali and Beni Bertrand Binobagira of Burundi compete in the men's 100-meter freestyle heat Tuesday.

Tunisia's Mehdi Ben Cheikh, left, sets the ball during the men's preliminary volleyball match between Serbia and Tunisia on Tuesday.

Kim Lammers of the Netherlands attempts to score during the women's field hockey match between the Netherlands and Japan on Tuesday.

Iceland's Gudjon Valur Sigurdsson jumps to shoot during the men's preliminary handball match against Tunisia on Tuesday.

Travis Stevens, in white, of the United States tries to take down Slovenia's Aljaz Sedej during the men's under 81-kilogram judo contest match Tuesday.

Yong Dae Lee of South Korea takes aim during a mixed doubles badminton match Tuesday.

Canada's Brent Hayden takes the start of the men's 100-meter freestyle heat Tuesday.

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NEW: U.S. gymnast: "We did awesome"
NEW: Swimmer Ye brushes off criticism, wins another gold
NEW: Two male tennis players go to 45th game in final set
Michael Phelps wins 19th Olympic medal, best all time

How are you celebrating the Olympics? Share your excitement and moments with CNN iReport.

(CNN) -- The "Fab Five" got off to a strong start Tuesday, and it led to a golden finish.

The U.S. women's gymnastics team won its second gold medal ever, living up to its pre-tournament billing, which included a Sports Illustrated cover for the Olympic darlings.

Gabby Douglas led the U.S. to a 183.596 score, while Russia finished second with 178.503. Jordyn Wieber was a key part of the victory also, placing third in the vault and fourth on the floor.

"I'm so proud of these girls. We did awesome," said Douglas, who competed on all four apparatus. "A lot of hard work and sacrifice in the gym, and it all pays off."

Wieber, who didn't qualify for the individual all-around competition because Olympic rules limit the entrants to two per team, said it was a team win.

"This couldn't be possible without everyone stepping up today," she said." Everyone did their job and was completely amazing. I am so excited."

The U.S. had the highest score in three of the four events, including the vault, which it did first. McKayla Maroney scored a meet-high 16.233 to lead the Americans.

Team USA had a two-point lead going into the final event -- the floor exercise -- over the Russians, but both Anastasia Grishina and Kseniia Afanaseva botched their routines,

Afterward, there were tears for both teams.

"Well, I think the first tears were of disappointment, but the second were tears of joy," Afanaseva said.

Wieber, the world champion in the individual all around, said: "It was just tears of happiness. I really did just go out there and made the most of my Olympics and I'm happy I ended on this note."

Members of the Chinese team were crying, too, after a fourth-place finish.

Except one member.

When asked why she wasn't weeping, Lu Sui responded, ""Because the rest of the team is crying, and besides, if I cry, I will mess up my make-up."

Members of the U.S. team said they were unaware of the purported curse that goes with being on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

"I was never aware of it. Kyla was told about it in an interview. I don't believe in that," said Aly Raisman. "We worked really hard to get here."

At the pool, Americans were also collecting gold medals, including one that made Olympics history.

Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian ever, setting a record with his 19th medal after anchoring the U.S. men's 4x200-meter freestyle team to gold.

The crowd at London's Aquatic Centre rose to its feet as Phelps churned home, well ahead of France's Yannick Agnel.

"I've been in a huddle with them (his teammates in the relay) because they made it possible," Phelps said. "If I didn't get a big enough lead then who knows what would have happened."

With the gold, Phelps broke a brief tie with Larisa Latynina, a Soviet gymnast who won18 total medals from 1956 to 1964.

Gabrielle Douglas of the United States performs on the balance beam in the women's gymnastics team final on Day 4 of the London Olympics on Tuesday, July 31. Check out Day 3 of competition from Monday, July 30. The Games run through August 12. See all the action as it unfolds here.