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Chinese divers, Michael Phelps continue quests for perfection in Beijing

Canadian Press Article online since August 12nd 2008, 23:00
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Chinese divers, Michael Phelps continue quests for perfection in Beijing
Chinese divers Lin Yue and Huo Liang, right, celebrate their gold medal in the men's synchronized 10m platform diving at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in Beijing, Monday, Aug. 11, 2008. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Robert F. Bukaty
BEIJING - The Beijing Olympics are starting to play like a broken record: more gold for Michael Phelps and China's diving team and no medals of any colour for Canada's athletes.
Canada was shut out of the medals for a fifth straight day on Wednesday despite having its first bona-fide medal contenders competing.
The diving tandem of Alexandre Despatie and Arturo Miranda, fencer Sherraine Schalm and the men's 4x200-metre relay swim team were all expected to compete for a medal, but all three fell short of the podium.
Despatie urged Canadians to be patient, saying the medals will come.
"Diving is not here to support Canada on its own," he said. "The Games have just started. People are still training for their events, they're still competing and the medals are going to come.
"We want medals too. Don't give up on us."
There's still hope for Canada this week. Mike Brown qualified second for Thursday's 200-metre backstroke final, while Canada's men's pairs and women's eights both advanced to the weekend's rowing finals.
Canada also continued to find success in team sports, hammering China 10-0 in baseball and the Netherlands 9-2 in softball.
If Canada's medal drought continues, Phelps might be willing to part with one of his. The swimming sensation made it five golds in five events in Beijing, cruising to victory individually in the 200-metre butterfly and as part of the U.S. 800 freestyle relay team.
The swimming superstar now has the most career gold medals in Olympic history with 11, two more than Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis.
Phelps is well on his way to winning eight golds in Beijing, which would be a record for one athlete at a Games.
The Chinese diving team is on its way to an eight-medal performance of its own. Wang Feng and Qin Kai of China ran away with the gold medal in men's synchronized diving, giving the hosts four gold medals in four diving events.
Chinese divers are favoured to win the next four events, which would give the diving powerhouse a clean sweep.
Overall, the United States leads all countries with 29 total medals, while China is close behind with 27. However, China has 17 gold medals to 10 for the Americans.
Georgian athletes earned their first two gold medals of the Games despite violence at home weighing heavily in their thoughts.
Georgia has been embroiled in fighting with Russia over the region of South Ossetia for nearly a week. Witnesses say hundreds have been killed.
"It means very much for our country because of the conflict now," said Irakli Tsirekidze, who won gold in the men's 90-kilogram judo competition. "Thank you to my country, thank you to my people."
Just hours earlier, Manuchar Kvirkelia defeated China's Chang Yongxiang in the Greco-Roman wrestling 74-kg weight class.
"This is the biggest day for Georgia in the Olympics," Kvirkelia said. "Georgia is in a difficult situation. Maybe the gold medal will relieve the suffering of the people."
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With files from the Associated Press
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