The Latest: Phelps routs rival Lochte for 22nd Olympic gold
By Associated Press
Aug 11, 2016 9:17 PM CDT
Ma Long, of China, returns a shot to Zhang Jike, of China, during the men's table tennis gold medal match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)   (Associated Press)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Latest on the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro (all times local):

11:15 p.m.

MEDAL ALERT: Michael Phelps wins his fourth gold medal of the Rio Olympics and 22nd overall with a victory in the 200-meter individual medley. Kosuke Hagino of Japan takes the silver and Wang Shun of China earns the bronze. Phelps rival Ryan Lochte did not medal.

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10:45 p.m.

America has its latest backstroke great.

Ryan Murphy completed a sweep of the men's backstroke events, taking gold in the 200 meters Thursday night at the Rio Olympics.

Murphy also won the 100 back, becoming the third American man in the last five Olympics to take both races. Aaron Peirsol pulled off the sweep at Athens in 2004 and Lenny Krayzelburg claimed both golds at the 2000 Sydney Games.

The 21-year-old Murphy touched in 1 minute, 53.62 seconds. Australia's Mitch Larkin grabbed the silver in 1:53.96, just ahead of Russia's Evgeny Rylov with the bronze in 1:53.97.

The United States has not lost a men's backstroke final at the Olympics since 1992.

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This item has been corrected to reflect that Murphy is the third American man in the last five Olympics, not three, to take both races.

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10:40 p.m.

Rie Kaneto of Japan pulled away from Yulia Efimova to take gold in the women's 200-meter breaststroke at the Rio Olympics.

Kaneto grabbed the lead on the third of four laps and powered to the finish comfortably in front. The winning time was 2 minutes, 20.30 seconds.

Efimova was 1.67 seconds behind, leaving the Russian with another silver medal. She also finished second to American Lilly King in the 100-meter breaststroke.

China's Shi Jinglin took the bronze in 2:28.28.

Australia's Taylor McKeown was top qualifier in the semifinals and grabbed the early lead. But she couldn't hang on, fading to fifth.

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10:30 p.m.

MEDAL ALERT: Ryan Murphy of the United States has won gold in the 200-meter backstroke, completing a sweep of the men's backstroke events. Mitch Larkin of Australia takes silver and Evgeny Rylov of Russia gets bronze.

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10:20 p.m.

MEDAL ALERT: Rie Kaneto of Japan has won gold in the women's 200-meter breaststroke at the Rio Olympics. Yulia Efimova of Russia takes the silver and Shi Jinglin of China earns the bronze.

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10:20 p.m.

MEDAL ALERT: World No. 1 Ma Long has extended China's utter domination of table tennis with his 4-0 gold medal win over countryman Zhang Jike, the reigning London champion.

The victory Thursday comes a day after Chinese women took gold and silver.

Ma, the reigning world champion, came into the tournament expected to win, and he dismantled Zhang, whose first name was inspired by Brazilian soccer star Zico.

Despite putting together erratic performances since London, Zhang is known for showing up for big matches.

But it was all Ma on Thursday.

China has won all but four gold medals since table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988 — and all the golds at the past two games. If its men and women can take the team titles, as expected, they will have swept gold in Rio, too.

Jun Mizutani of Japan beat Vladimir Samsonov, from Belarus, in the bronze medal match.

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10:15 p.m.

Defending Olympic champion Florent Manaudou looks like the swimmer to beat again in the 50-meter freestyle.

The 25-year-old from France posted the top time in the semifinals Thursday night at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium, covering one frenetic lap in 21.32.

Thirty-five-year-old Anthony Ervin of the United States is back in the final as well, 16 years after he shared the gold with Gary Hall Jr. at the 2000 Sydney Games. Ervin tied with Ukraine's Andriy Hovorov for the second-fastest time at 21.46.

Another American, Nathan Adrian, was fourth in 21.47.

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9:35 p.m.

An official says Bulgarian steeplechase athlete Silvia Danekova has been provisionally suspended days before she is due to run in the Olympics after an initial positive drug test in Brazil.

The official, who asked not to be identified because the case has not been publicly announced, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the information had been passed from the International Olympic Committee to athletics officials and that the results of a second sample would be needed before further action is taken.

Messages seeking comment from Bulgarian team officials were not immediate returned Thursday.

Danekova is not a medal contender in the event, which starts with heats on Saturday. The Bulgarian Olympic Committee could not be immediately reached for comment.

The 33-year-old runner competed in the Olympics four years ago but did not move beyond the heats.

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AP Sports Writer Raf Casert contributed to this report.

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9:20 p.m.

The U.S. women's field hockey team has improved to 4-0 and will play Britain on Saturday to determine who will win Pool B.

Katie Bam scored two goals and helped the U.S. defeat India 3-0 Thursday night.

Bam scored in the first and third periods, and Melissa Gonzalez added a goal in the fourth.

Goalie Jackie Briggs notched her first shoutout of the Games against India after allowing a single goal in each of the team's first three matches.

The United States already had clinched a slot in the quarterfinals. They got off to a strong start by knocking off No. 2 Argentina and No. 3 Australia in their first two matches.

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9:15 p.m.

The IOC says all four cities bidding for the 2024 Olympics have been told not to invite media to their hospitality houses in Rio.

The IOC originally said three cities — Los Angeles, Rome and Paris — received notices warning them that the media invitations were against the rules. It said the fourth bid city — Budapest, Hungary — was not involved.

Later Thursday, the IOC said "it happens that all four cities have been reminded of the rules."

They IOC said the cities "have all been reminded that this was not permitted and have subsequently stopped their activities."

Representatives of all four cities are in Rio to observe the Olympics and pitch their bids to IOC members, who will select the host city in September 2017.

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8:10 p.m.

Officials exploded a backpack found inside the Olympic basketball arena while Spain and Nigeria started their men's game in the nearly entirely empty building.

A statement from the Rio Olympic Committee said the backpack was found near a trash container in the bathroom on the top floor. Ticket holders were prevented from entering Carioca Arena 1 because the bag was next to a spectator passageway.

The controlled explosion under the guidance of the Federal Police and the Army reverberated with a boom that jarred Spain center Pau Gasol as he was about to take the court.

Officials say the backpack contained a tablet, a pair of socks and a jacket.

Inspectors allowed the game to start on time, and for volunteers and the media to remain in the building. Spectators were allowed to enter in the first quarter.

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8:08 p.m.

It was a scary scene for Brazilian fans at the team's arrival in Sao Paulo for the quarterfinals of the Olympic soccer tournament: Neymar limping heavily and with his ankle wrapped up.

But the Brazilian football confederation says exams conducted on the star striker's right foot on Thursday showed no serious injuries.

Neymar is expected to practice on Friday and be fully fit to play in Saturday's match against Colombia at the Arena Corinthians.

Neymar did not show signs of the injury in Brazil's 4-0 win over Denmark on Wednesday in Salvador, a result that kept alive the hosts' dream of winning the soccer gold medal for the first time.

He was able to play through the injury but it required treatment after the match and raised some concerns.

The Barcelona forward is the top player at the soccer tournament and one of the biggest stars at the Rio Games.

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8:05 p.m.

There are more complaints about the conditions on some of the courses for the Rio Games on Guanabara Bay.

Belgium's Evi Van Acker became the first sailor to fall ill during the games after sailing the polluted waters that were subject of great scrutiny in recent months.

Denmark's Allan Norregaard called Van Acker's illness "a shame," then said the randomness of the wind on some of the courses inside the bay doesn't make them suitable for the games. He added that it's been a waste of the sailors' time and is "scandalous."

He sails in the Nacra 17 class with Anette Viborg. They are 11th after six races.

Earlier this week, Denmark's Jonas Hogh-Christensen called the chaotic conditions on an inside course "a mockery of sport."

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8 p.m.

The World Anti-Doping Agency and Court of Arbitration for Sport say they have been targeted by hackers.

WADA communications coordinator Maggie Durand tells The Associated Press in an email that the agency was notified of a YouTube video claiming WADA's website had been hacked. She says an investigation and "was quickly able to determine that the website had not been compromised, although we continue to monitor activity."

She says WADA can confirm that its data base of doping results "has not been compromised."

Meanwhile, CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb tells the AP "there has been an attempt to hack the CAS website. It is not the first time, and certainly not the last time."

He says the attempt "was apparently unsuccessful but investigations are being made ... to make sure that we have not suffered any damage."

Reeb says information on the CAS website "is intended for the public and is not confidential."

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7:40 p.m.

Osea Kolinisau and his rugby sevens teammates can call themselves Fiji's first Olympic champions, capping their domination the last two years with an emphatic 43-7 win over Britain in the gold-medal match at Rio.

Both teams were unbeaten going into the final, but only one of them has rugby sevens as a national sport. It was all but over at halftime, with the Fijians scoring five tries before the break to 29-0. Kolinisau scored the first of those, reaching back over his head to touch down.

Rugby is back in the Olympics for the first time since a 15-a-side tournament was played in 1924. The International Olympic Committee took the decision in 2009 to add the sevens format for Rio, and the Fijians have been preparing ever since to end a drought at the Summer Games.

South Africa won the bronze medal with 54-14 win over Japan, which shook up the tournament on day one with an upset win over New Zealand.

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This item has been corrected to reflect that South Africa won bronze. Britain won silver.

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7:35 p.m.

Romania beat top-ranked China to win the gold medal in women's epee fencing Thursday.

It's the first medal of the Rio Games for the Romanians, who outscored China 44-38.

Ana Maria Popescu helped Romania widen its early gap, scoring four unmatched touches. Yujie Sun got China back within 30-25 ahead of its final bout, but four early scores from Popescu clinched it for the Romanians.

Russia beat Estonia 37-31 to claim bronze and an Olympic-leading fifth fencing medal.

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7:30 p.m.

The IOC will investigate the incident of a Kenyan track and field coach who was sent home from the Olympics after posing as an athlete and giving a doping sample in the runner's name.

The International Olympic Committee says it has set up a disciplinary commission "to look into the matter with regard to the coach and the athlete concerned."

The IOC thanked the Kenyan Olympic Committee for its "swift action" in expelling coach John Anzrah after he was found with 800-meter runner Ferguson Rotich's accreditation card, and after he had provided a urine sample for a doping test.

IAAF spokesman Yannis Nikolaou says the federation will ask for a report from the IOC. He says, after the IOC has dealt with the case, the IAAF will decide "whether further sanctions must be imposed."

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7:20 p.m.

Rafael Nadal has pulled out of mixed doubles at the Olympics before playing his first-round match.

The International Tennis Federation announced Nadal's withdrawal Thursday, when he was supposed to make his debut in that event for Spain at the Rio de Janeiro Games with Garbine Muguruza.

Their match against Lucie Hradecka and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic had been scheduled to be Nadal's third contest of the day.

He reached the quarterfinals in singles and the semifinals in men's doubles with victories earlier Thursday.

The Olympics are Nadal's first competition in 2½ months. He had been sidelined with an injured left wrist.

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7:20 p.m.

None of the No. 1 seeds will win gold — or any medal — in tennis in Rio de Janeiro.

Five events, five early losses for the top seeds. In fact, Serena Williams was the only one to make it out of the opening match. She was upset in the third round.

The top-seeded mixed doubles team of Caroline Garcia and Nicolas Mahut of France lost Thursday to Brazil's Teliana Pereira and Marcelo Melo 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1). It's the second time at these Olympics that Mahut has fallen in the first round as the No. 1 seed: He and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the Wimbledon champs, were eliminated Sunday in men's doubles.

Two other No. 1 seeds were knocked out Sunday. In the men's draw, Novak Djokovic lost to 2009 U.S. Open champ Juan Martin del Potro. Williams, also upset twice as a No. 1 seed in Rio, was eliminated with sister Venus in women's doubles that day.

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6:55 p.m.

MEDAL ALERT: Britain won the first gold medal of the track cycling program at the Rio Olympics on Thursday, rallying past New Zealand in the final of the men's team sprint by the slimmest of margins.

The squad of Philip Hindes, Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner trailed their rivals when their second and third riders dropped away, but Skinner was able to make up the difference. They finished in a time of 42.440 seconds, lowering the Olympic record that the Kiwis set in the previous round.

Ethan Mitchell, Sam Webster and Ed Dawkins stopped the clock in 42.542 seconds.

The French team of Gregory Bauge, Francois Pervis and Michael D'Almeida rallied on the final lap to swipe bronze from the Australian team of Nathan Hart, Matt Glaetzer and Patrick Constable.

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6:40 p.m.

Namibian boxer Jonas Junias lost his first bout four days after he had been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault in the Olympic athletes village.

The 22-year-old Junias was the Namibian flag bearer at last week's opening ceremony. He was one of two boxers arrested on sexual assault charges.

Both fighters have been released. Junias was arrested Monday and accused of sexually attacking two housekeepers in the village.

Rio organizing committee spokesman Mario Andrada says Junias and Hassan Saada of Morocco were released from police custody Thursday morning.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams says Junias was "free to compete, he's not been found guilty."

Junias lost a unanimous decision to French fighter Hassan Amzile in a light welterweight bout.

Junias was surrounded by officials after the fight and did not talk to reporters.

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6:40 p.m.

Olympic organizers say around 30 percent of volunteers are not turning up for work each day at the Rio de Janeiro Games.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams on Thursday called volunteers "the backbone of the games" but many are not so committed to working for free.

The Rio organizing committee said in a statement to The Associated Press that "of the 50,000 volunteers involved in the delivery of the Olympic Games, we have an average attendance rate of just over 70 percent."

Organizers added that "this number allows us to operate at a comfortable level as some volunteers not showing up was factored into our plans."

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6:10 p.m.

Forget the pressure. Forget the hype. Simone Biles is immune to all of it.

Dynamic on vault. Effortless on beam. Jaw-dropping on floor. Brilliant all over. And now, finally, an Olympic champion.

The 19-year-old American soared to the all-around title on Thursday afternoon, putting the gap between herself and the rest of the world on full display under the Olympic spotlight. Her total of 62.198 was well clear of silver medalist and "Final Five" teammate Aly Raisman and Russian bronze medalist Aliya Mustafina.

Biles became the fourth straight American woman to win the all-around title and fifth overall while cementing her reputation as the greatest gymnast of her generation and perhaps ever. Her victory was never in doubt and she burst into tears when her long journey to this moment ended when her final total was posted.

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6:05 p.m.

MEDAL ALERT: US gymnast Simone Biles flips and flies to Olympic all-around gold, teammate Aly Raisman wins silver.

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6 p.m.

Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena are through to the knockout stage of the Olympic beach volleyball tournament after an extra long victory over Italy.

The Americans won 21-13, 21-17, 24-22 on Thursday night to finish unbeaten in group play. They'll wait for the drawing of lots to find out their opponent in the round of 16.

The third set in a beach volleyball match is supposed to be up to 15 — but the team has to win by 2. The Italians fought off a half-dozen match points before the Americans nailed it down.

That left the United States with one men's and one women's team playing for a medal. April Ross and three-time gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings wrapped up pool play with a perfect record on Wednesday.

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6 p.m.

The chief of NBC Sports says the Rio Games are a huge hit and that he doesn't anticipate having to make concessions to advertisers to make sure they got what they paid for.

Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Sports Group said Thursday that a drop in ratings for the network's prime-time coverage of the Rio de Janeiro Games has been offset by increases in people streaming content or watching the Olympics on cable networks like Bravo and NBCSN.

Viewership was down markedly on NBC the first two nights but picked up with the success of U.S. swimmers gymnasts. While it still hasn't reached the level of London 2012 Lazarus says he doesn't expect advertisers will have to be compensated with free time.

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AP Summer Games website: http://summergames.ap.org

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