Olympics-Kazakh cyclist smashes British hopes on Day 1

LONDON: Kazakhstan's Alexandre Vinokourov sprinted to victory in the men's cycling road race on Saturday, dashing British hopes of gold on the first full day of competition at the London Olympic Games.

Vinokourov surged past Colombia's Rigoberto Uran on the final stretch near Buckingham Palace after a star-studded British team had failed in a frantic attempt to bridge a gap of nearly a minute behind the leading pack and set up a win for world champion Mark Cavendish.

In the wave-roofed swimming pool, 2008 Olympic champion ParkTae-hwan of South Korea was disqualified for a false start in the 400 metres freestyle, but reinstated to the final after an appeal. (Reuters)