Olympics 2012 Schedule: Wednesday Prelims Events, Top Athletes, TV Info & More

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Women's soccer is set to get under way two days before the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Summer Olympics, and it will do so with a bang. 

Group play will be well under way by the end of Wednesday, and there are plenty of compelling matches to get things started.

Check out the Wednesday's schedule and where you can catch the action. 

Olympics Schedule for Wednesday, July 25

*all times ET

Group E: Great Britain vs. New Zealand at 11 a.m. on MSNBC 

Group F: Japan vs. Canada at noon on NBCSN

Group G: U.S.A vs. France at noon on NBCSN

Group E: Cameroon vs. Brazil at 1:45 p.m. on NBCSN

Group F: Sweden vs. South Africa at 2:45 p.m. MSNBC

Group G: Colombia vs. North Korea at 2:45 p.m. MSNBC

Check the NBC TV coverage schedule here. 

Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com

United States vs. France Preview 

The United States enters as the two-time defending Olympic gold medalist, and it will start off its quest to turn that into a three-peat in grand fashion. France is one of the teams that many feel could give the U.S. a run for its money. 

These two powerhouse squads met in the semifinals of the last World Cup, and while the U.S. prevailed 3-1, it was pretty clear its margin for error was non-existent. 

Both of these teams will figure to advance out of Group G, but this match will be pivotal in determining the winner of the group and who will receive better seeding in the next stage. 

Top Athletes in Action on Wednesday

Homare Sawa, Japan

Photo Credit: Petr David, Associated Press

Sawa is one of the best in the world. She also has a knack for coming up big in big stages. Case in point, her game-tying goal against the U.S. in the finals of the last World Cup to tie the game at two and send it to a shootout just before the extra time ran out. 

Sawa still doesn't get some of the hype of some of the other top women's soccer players, but make no mistake about it, she is one of the best. 

Marta, Brazil

Joern Pollex/Getty Images

Marta has been dominating women's soccer for years. She is widely regarded as the best player in the game, and perhaps the greatest female soccer player of all time. 

The most frightening thing for opponents about all of this is that she is just 26 and showing no signs of slowing down. 

Abby Wambach, U.S.A

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Wambach has led the U.S. team into many battles over the years, but the 2008 Olympics was not one of them. She fractured her left tibia and fibula leading up to the games and was not able to participate. 

She will be looking to make up for lost time in London, and it is a safe bet that will lead to some dynamic performances. 

680

The Open 2012: Ernie Els wins as Adam Scott crumbles

By Rob HodgettsBBC Sport at Royal Lytham & St Annes

THE OPEN: FINAL ROUND LEADERBOARD

• -7: Els (SA)
 
• -6: Scott (Aus)
 
• -3: Snedeker (US), Woods (US)
 
• -2: Donald (Eng), McDowell (NI)
 
• -1: Aiken (SA), Colsaerts (Bel)
 
• Selected others:level Poulter (Eng), +6 Westwood (Eng) +8 McIlroy (NI)

Ernie Els clinched his second Open title after long-time leader Adam Scott spectacularly imploded at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

The 42-year-old South African birdied the 18th to end seven under as Australia's Scott bogeyed the last four holes to come second by one shot.

Els, who began the day six shots adrift, clinched his fourth major title and first since winning the 2002 Open at Muirfield.

Play media

The putt that won Ernie Els the Open

The 1994 and 1997 US Open champion carded 68 to the 75 of Scott, who had led since the sixth hole on Saturday.

The 32-year-old Scott was four shots clear on the 15th tee and needed to hole from 10ft on the last to force a play-off.

"I am just numb at the moment, I feel for Adam Scott, he is a great friend of mine," said Els, who picked up £900,000 in prize money.

"We both wanted to win so badly, but I really feel for him. That is the nature of the beast, that is why we are out here.

"It was my time. I was hoping at best a play-off. A lot of people never thought I would win but I started believing this year, getting a lot of help from my family and the professionals around me."

Tiger Woods threatened at times but a triple bogey via a greenside bunker at the par-four sixth and three straight bogeys from the 13th sank his chances of a 15th major and first since the 2008 US Open.

Els's Open record at Lytham

• 1996: Joint second with Mark McCumber two shots adrift of American Tom Lehman
• 2006: Joint third behind champion David Duval and Niclas Fasth after final round 69

The 36-year-old carded a three-over 73 to end tied third at three under alongside playing partner and fellow American Brandt Snedeker (74).

Woods said: "It's part of golf - we all go through these phases, some people it lasts entire careers, others are a little bit shorter. Even the greatest players to ever play have all gone through little stretches like this."

Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion, was playing in the final group for a second straight major but again struggled to engage the leader.

The Northern Irishman took 75 to tie for fifth at two under with England's world number one Luke Donald, who climbed up the leaderboard with a 69.

Scott's capitulation must rank worse than Rory McIlroy's Masters meltdown in 2011 and up there with Jean van de Velde's final-hole drama at Carnoustie in 1999.

Faldo's expert analysis

Nick FaldoThree-time Open champion and BBC Sport analyst

"Els didn't do anything sensational, he just kept playing solid golf.

"They have been rebuilding his putting stroke for years now, but something has clicked psychologically. It is incredible the power of the mind.

"Adam Scott's Achilles heel is pulling his mid irons, which he did at 17. After that he should have throttled back with a two iron or something off the tee at the last to keep out of the bunkers.

"It will be scarring for him to get into such a position in a major. It will take a lot of fixing."

His defeat called to mind his compatriot Greg Norman's loss at the Masters in 1996 when Nick Faldo overhauled a six-stroke deficit to snatch victory at Augusta in the last round.

"I'm very disappointed but I played so beautifully for most of the week I really shouldn't let this bring me down," said Scott.

"I know I've let a really great chance slip through my fingers today, but somehow I'll look back and take the positives from it."

Els, who was ninth at last month's US Open, becomes the 16th consecutive different major champion and moves up from 40th to 15th in the world rankings. He also finished tied second when Royal Lytham hosted the Open in 1996 and tied third when it was last held on the Fylde coast, in 2001.

Scott led by four overnight and was still four clear of second-placed McDowell by the turn as the expected challenge in a stiffening breeze failed to materialise.

Els was six shots adrift after going out in two-over 36 but he edged into the frame with birdies at the 10th, 12th and 14th.

His putt across the final green set up the prospect of a play-off but Scott found a bunker with his drive and was unable to make his par.

Donald, who like Scott is also still searching for a maiden major title, echoed the Australian's feelings, and the feelings of many in the field.

"Certainly I'll leave this week knowing that my game is definitely good enough to win majors," said the 34-year-old, who finished five shots behind Els.

"Unfortunately I couldn't quite hole the putts, but I'll take a lot of positives away from this week."

Play media

How Adam Scott lost the 2012 Open

Batman actor Christian Bale visits victims, hospital personnel Read more: Batman actor Christian Bale visits victims, hospital personnel - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/theatershooting/ci_21147699#ixzz22Yetgnfp Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse

AURORA — Christian Bale, star of the last three Batman films, met at the Medical Center of Aurora on Tuesday afternoon with seven patients injured in the mass shooting that occurred during a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises."

Hospital interim president Bill Voloch said Bale spent about 2½ hours at the hospital, where he met with five people being treated for their injuries. Two others came from Swedish Medical Center to meet Bale, who stars as Batman/Bruce Wayne.

"The patients were really happy to meet Bale," Voloch said. "They are obviously big fans of his movies. They wanted to see Batman and were really pleased to see Bale."

Bale and his wife, Sibi Blazic, also met with a number of

Actor Christian Bale visits Aurora shooting victim Carey Rottman.(Special to The Denver Post)

doctors, Aurora police officers and emergency medical technicians who were first responders when James Eagan Holmes allegedly killed 12 people and injured 58 others at Century Aurora 16 theater early Friday. Bale spent about 10 minutes with each person.

"It was good for the patients," Voloch said. "We hope it was therapeutic for them, and all the staff really appreciated him coming."

Nurse Crystal Flateland said she definitely did.

Flateland and 18 other staff members from Swedish were taken to Medical Center of Aurora on Tuesday for an appreciation buffet and — to their surprise — a meet and greet with Bale.

"I am probably one of the biggest Batman fans ever," Flateland said. "It was amazing, actually, to get to meet him. I think it's really great he came out here. It was touching."

Flateland was called in to work after the shooting. During that morning, she was part of a medical team transferred to Medical Center of Aurora, where more help was needed. Flateland said she ended up working about 40 hours straight.

"It was kind of exhausting," Flateland said. "But I've now caught up on sleep and recovered."

Bale also spent some time with Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Medical

Christian Bale was in the Denver metro area Tuesday to meet with victims of the Aurora theater shooting. In this photo released by Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Colorado, via Twitter, Bale meets with Swedish staff members. (Swedish Medical Center)

Center of Aurora received 18 patients from the movie theater shooting, and seven were admitted. Four patients went to Swedish Medical Center.

Voloch said Bale notified hospital officials that he wanted to visit the injured but asked that media not be notified. "He just wanted to meet with victims and police."

Among the people Bale visited was Carey Rottman of Denver. Friends quickly tweeted out a photo of their visit.

Bale and Bazic also visited a growing memorial to victims near the movie theater.

Officials from Warner Bros. Pictures, maker of "The Dark Knight Rises," said Bale came to Aurora on his own.

"Mr. Bale is there as himself, not representing Warner Brothers," said an assistant for Susan Fleishman, executive vice president for Warner Bros.' corporate communications.

Olympics 2012 Schedule: Wednesday Prelims Events, Top Athletes, TV Info & More

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Women's soccer is set to get under way two days before the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Summer Olympics, and it will do so with a bang. 

Group play will be well under way by the end of Wednesday, and there are plenty of compelling matches to get things started.

Check out the Wednesday's schedule and where you can catch the action. 

Olympics Schedule for Wednesday, July 25

*all times ET

Group E: Great Britain vs. New Zealand at 11 a.m. on MSNBC 

Group F: Japan vs. Canada at noon on NBCSN

Group G: U.S.A vs. France at noon on NBCSN

Group E: Cameroon vs. Brazil at 1:45 p.m. on NBCSN

Group F: Sweden vs. South Africa at 2:45 p.m. MSNBC

Group G: Colombia vs. North Korea at 2:45 p.m. MSNBC

Check the NBC TV coverage schedule here. 

Live Stream: NBCOlympics.com

United States vs. France Preview 

The United States enters as the two-time defending Olympic gold medalist, and it will start off its quest to turn that into a three-peat in grand fashion. France is one of the teams that many feel could give the U.S. a run for its money. 

These two powerhouse squads met in the semifinals of the last World Cup, and while the U.S. prevailed 3-1, it was pretty clear its margin for error was non-existent. 

Both of these teams will figure to advance out of Group G, but this match will be pivotal in determining the winner of the group and who will receive better seeding in the next stage. 

Top Athletes in Action on Wednesday

Homare Sawa, Japan

Photo Credit: Petr David, Associated Press

Sawa is one of the best in the world. She also has a knack for coming up big in big stages. Case in point, her game-tying goal against the U.S. in the finals of the last World Cup to tie the game at two and send it to a shootout just before the extra time ran out. 

Sawa still doesn't get some of the hype of some of the other top women's soccer players, but make no mistake about it, she is one of the best. 

Marta, Brazil

Joern Pollex/Getty Images

Marta has been dominating women's soccer for years. She is widely regarded as the best player in the game, and perhaps the greatest female soccer player of all time. 

The most frightening thing for opponents about all of this is that she is just 26 and showing no signs of slowing down. 

Abby Wambach, U.S.A

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Wambach has led the U.S. team into many battles over the years, but the 2008 Olympics was not one of them. She fractured her left tibia and fibula leading up to the games and was not able to participate. 

She will be looking to make up for lost time in London, and it is a safe bet that will lead to some dynamic performances. 

Dancing With the Stars' all-stars rumors

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Lots of names are out there as possible all-star cast members
• EW is hearing that there will be a casting twist
• The cast members names will be announced on Friday

(EW.com) -- ABC is set to announce its "Dancing With the Stars" all-star cast on Friday morning so you know what that means: Time to check the rumor mill!

The industry whisperers have been quieter than usual this cycle, but we're still hearing names of a few celebrities who are expected to return to the ballroom: Melissa Rycroft (Season 8), Joey Fatone (Season 4) and Pamela Anderson (Season 10) are likely to don sequins when the show resumes this fall.

Also, we hear Executive Producer Conrad Green is injecting a new twist to the casting process this year:

ABC will let fans pick a returning star. The network will announce the names of three former Dancing contestants (we're hearing Carson Kressley is one of them) and let viewers vote on which celebrity gets the final spot on the show.

May: And your 'DWTS' champion is ...

And what about Bristol Palin? With her Lifetime show bombing isn't she ready to return to the reality TV big leagues? No intel there yet. Though we're hearing that you shouldn't expect another attention-getting Dancing alum, Stacy Keibler, to take a break from George Clooney to hit the dance floor anytime soon.

An ABC rep says the network does not comment on casting rumors. Check back on Friday for the full official list.

US Olympic Gymnastics 2012: Why Can't Kyla Ross Get Any Love for Team Champs

Kyla Ross
Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Kyla Ross proved herself with a fourth place finish at the Visa Championships. She proved herself at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, taking fifth. Still, she’s nearly invisible when it comes to the media frenzy in the 2012 Summer Olympic coverage.

Ross became a gold medal Olympian on Tuesday with performances that rivaled many. A respectable 14.933 on uneven bars and a 15.300 on balance beam gave the U.S. team the stability and maybe even the chutzpah to barrel over the competition.

Though uneven bars is considered a weakness for the American women, balance beam is without a doubt the apparatus that can make or break champions.

Sixteen feet long, four feet off the ground and just over the width of an average woman’s foot, the beam can shake one to the core. It takes confidence and solid nerves to combat this event. Whoever leads off sets the tone for the remaining team members. That leader was Ross and it was a wise choice.

Throughout the selection process Ross quietly rose through the ranks. Every team needs a stable workhorse, but filling that bill with a gymnast who can produce higher than average scores is a different matter.

The baby of the team proved her mettle on bars by placing second at the trials. It can be argued this is what solidified her place on the roster.

On Tuesday, Ross continued to show prowess as the leadoff on beam, displaying an unflappable ability to mount and dismount solidly with everything in between, something all teams look toward to get  started with a bang.

And bang she did, scoring 15.133 and setting up both Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman to bring it home with confidence.

Ross will not continue on to the event finals in the balance beam as her teammates Douglas and Raisman outscored her —in the case of Raisman, only by .025.

A tough pill to swallow, but it's doubtful Ross holds a grudge. She should be proud of her contributions for team USA.

Ross is now and will forever be an Olympic gold medal champion.

Michael Phelps wins record 19th Olympic medal with swim relay gold

REUTERS/Michael Dalder

Michael Phelps of the U.S. holds his 19th Olympic medal presented to him in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay victory ceremony.

LONDON — Michael Phelps swam into history with his 19th Olympic medal, and this one was a more appropriate colour.

With a lot of help from his friends, Phelps took down the last major record that wasn’t his alone, swimming the anchor leg for the United States in a gold medal-winning performance of the 4×200-meter freestyle relay Tuesday night.

About an hour earlier, Phelps took one of the most frustrating defeats of his brilliant career, making a shocking blunder at the finish and settling for silver in his signature event, the 200 butterfly.

That tied the record for career medals held by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, but it was hardly a triumphant moment.

Phelps slung away his cap in disgust and struggled to force a smile at the medal ceremony.

But any disappointment from that race was gone by the time he dived in the water on the relay, having been staked to a huge lead by teammates Ryan Lochte, Conor Dwyer and Ricky Berens.

Before the race, they all huddled together, fully aware of their moment in history.

“I thanked those guys for helping me get to this moment,” Phelps said. “I told those guys I wanted a big lead. I was like, ’You better give me a big lead going into the last lap,’ and they gave it to me. I just wanted to hold on. I thanked them for being able to allow me to have this moment.”

REUTERS/Toby Melville

Michael Phelps of the U.S. smiles after winning the men's 4x200m freestyle relay final to get his 19th Olympic medal during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre July 31, 2012.

Berens handed off a lead of nearly 4 seconds to Phelps, who lingered a bit on the blocks, knowing the only way he could blow this one was to get disqualified. Then he set off on what amounted to four victory laps of the pool — down and back, then down and back again, the roar in the Olympic Aquatics Centre getting louder as he approached the finish.

Lochte stood on the deck, waving his arms. Dwyer and Berens pumped their fists. And Phelps touched the wall for his first gold of the London Games with a cumulative time of 6 minutes, 59.70 seconds.

No one else was close. France’s Yannick Agnel swam a faster final leg than Phelps, but it wasn’t nearly good enough, his country taking silver in 7:02.77. China was far back in third at 7:06.30.

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Conor Dwyer, Ryan Lochte and Ricky Berens of the United States celebrate as teammate Michael Phelps touches to win the gold.

Phelps might have backed into the record a bit by failing to win any of his first three events at these games, but there’s no denying his legacy as one of the greatest Olympians ever — if not THE greatest.

Phelps has 15 golds in his career, six more than anyone else, to go along with two silvers and two bronzes. Latynina won nine golds, five silvers and four bronzes from 1956-64.

“You are now a complete legend,” the public-address announced bellowed, accompanied by the Foo Fighters’ song “Best of You.”

Phelps still has three more races to go before he retires, three more chances to establish a mark that will be hard for anyone to touch.