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Save This PageBEIJING - Venus and Serena Williams kept up a family tradition yesterday, playing together in the Olympic doubles tournament and walking away with the gold medal.
Slugging winners from the baseline and slamming shots at the net, the American sisters overpowered Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain 6-2, 6-0.
When Ruano Pascual sent the championship point long, the sisters shrieked in unison. Then they jumped for joy and hugged.
"I'm so excited, I can't even speak," said the 28-year-old Venus, who has already won seven doubles Grand Slam titles and a gold medal in Sydney alongside younger sister Serena.
The pair didn't enter the doubles competition in Athens four years ago because Serena was hurt at the time.
"To share this kind of moment with your sister," Venus said, "it never grows old."
It doesn't hurt when your sister is one of the best in the world.
"I don't know anyone out there who would get tired of playing with Venus Williams," said the 26-year-old Serena, who as a singles player is ranked eighth in the world, three spots behind No. 5 Venus.
The bronze went to Yan Zi and Zheng Jie of China.
Spain's Rafael Nadal defeated Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 in the gold-medal match to capture the Olympic singles title at his first attempt.
It was the 22-year-old Nadal's eighth tournament win of the year after securing an ATP-best seven titles, including a fourth straight French Open crown and first victory on the grass courts of London's All England Club. He's never won the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 25.
Nadal will replace Roger Federer as the No. 1 player today, ending the Swiss's 4½-year run atop the rankings. Federer, who lost to James Blake in the Beijing quarterfinals, teamed with Stanislas Wawrinka on Saturday to win the men's doubles gold medal.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
U.S. ends pool play with win
Tina Thompson scored 10 points during a 21-0 run in the second quarter and the U.S. women's basketball team beat New Zealand 96-60.
The U.S. closed out pool play in the same fashion as all its other games in the Olympics - with a blowout. The Americans won the five games by an average of 43 points.
The U.S. took over in the second quarter turning up their defensive intensity. Lisa Wallbutton's jumper with 7:29 left in the period cut New Zealand's deficit to 29-22 before the Americans scored 21 straight points.
The U.S. extended its lead in the third quarter to 38 behind co-captain Katie Smith, who had eight of her 13 points in the period. New Zealand got no closer than 31 the rest of the game.
ROWING
Ex-U.Va. standout wins gold
The U.S. women's eight, which includes former Virginia rower Lindsay Shoop, won gold, and the U.S. men's eight took bronze. Ex-Cavalier Wyatt Allen is a member of the men's team.
Other Virginians' results:
Elsewhere
Softball: The U.S. women won their 20th straight Olympic game, routing the Netherlands 8-0. Monica Abbott pitched five perfect innings, and Crystl Bustos, Jessica Mendoza and Tairia Flowers homered. The Americans have outscored opponents 44-1, posted five shutouts and hit 12 homers.
Boxing: The Americans won't be going home empty-handed, thanks to heavyweight Deontay Wilder getting to the semifinals, assuring him of at least bronze. The only other U.S. boxer left, Demetrius Andrade, was ousted by South Korea's Kim Jung-joo.
Beach volleyball: There won't be an all-American women's final. Elaine Youngs and Nicole Branagh were ousted by a Chinese team. Earlier, Americans Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor advanced to the final four in straight set over Brazilians Ana Paula and Larissa.
Fencing: The U.S. men's team fell to France in the final.
Diving: Make it 5-for-5 for the Chinese. Guo Jingjing defended her 3-meter springboard diving title and became the most decorated female diver with her sixth career medal.
Cycling: The British are rolling through this tournament. Rebecca Romero - a silver-winning rower in Athens - gave Britain its fourth gold in five events, taking the women's individual pursuit. American Jennie Reed advanced to a sprint quarterfinal, continuing her bid for the first medal by a U.S. woman in 20 years.
Wrestling: Japan's Kaori Icho repeated as champion of the women's 63-kilogram division. American Randi Miller took bronze; it was the only medal for America in the four women's weight classes.
Sailing: In strong winds, heavy waves and rain, Britain's Finn sailor Ben Ainslie won his third Olympic gold medal and American Zach Railey got silver, shortly after a trio of British women took the Yngling sailing gold.
Sally Barkow and Debbie Capozzi, both from Old Dominion, finished ninth in Yngling.
Women's water polo: There's going to be a new champion. The reigning winners from Italy were knocked off by the Netherlands, sending the Dutch into the semifinals against Hungary. Australia and the United States, the top two teams in the world rankings, will meet in the other semifinal.
Badminton: It was a bad day to be an Indonesian mixed-doubles badminton player. A South Korean team beat one pair of Indonesians for gold, and a Chinese duo knocked out another Indonesian tandem for bronze. In men's singles, China's Lin Dan won gold.
Table tennis: China won the women's team competition, beating Singapore.
Weightlifting: Ilya Ilin of Kazaksthan won the men's 94-kilogram title. Ilin finished with a total of 406 kg (895.1 pounds).
Women's volleyball: The U.S. closed preliminary play by beating Poland in five sets. The Americans already had secured a spot in the quarterfinals.
