In touch with the world ... at home on the High Plains

Let's Catch Up: American Vollmer Sets Olympic Record; First Medals Are Won

Good morning. Here's a rundown of what's been happening in and around London, on the morning after the Summer Olympics' opening ceremony:

- U.S. swimmer Dana Vollmer set new Olympic and U.S. records in her 100m butterfly qualifying heat this morning. Vollmer, of Granbury, Texas, had a time of 56.25 seconds. She says she can go faster.

- The first medals have now been awarded in the London 2012 Olympics, with China's Yi Siling winning gold in the 10-meter air rifle shooting competition. Poland took silver, and China took bronze, as well.

- Weightlifter Hysen Pulaku, 20, has been tossed from the games, after testing positive for a forbidden substance. Olympic officials say Pulaku, an Albanian, had stanozolol (a synthetic anabolic steroid) in his system.

- South Korean gold medalist Park Tae-hwan won his 400m freestyle heat — but a judge disqualified him for a false start. His team is protesting. Update at 12:41 p.m. EDT: Park has been reinstated "after a video review," FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu tells the AP.

- Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte will swim in the final of the 400m individual medley at 2:30 p.m. EDT. Phelps qualified in the eighth, and final, spot.

We'll follow that swimming matchup and other events as they happen. Thanks for joining us today!

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Bill Chappell is a writer and editor on the News Desk in the heart of NPR's newsroom in Washington, D.C.
  1. Bearing witness, celebrating strength: How poetry has changed lives for NPR's audience
  2. Katie Ledecky tells NPR about her plans for the Paris Olympics — and L.A. in 2028
  3. Hope Hicks, former Trump confidant, testifies against him in New York criminal trial
  4. Siblings can share the darndest quirks — like picking up coins & keys with their toes
  5. How do you help patients who show up in the ER 100 times a year?