Tough-talking James Magnussen marked his Olympic debut by leading Australia into the 4x100m freestyle relay final Sunday, as organisers launched a probe into acres of empty seats at venues.
As the Games moved into its second full day, the women gymnastics competition was rocked by a failed drugs test while China grabbed their fifth gold medal.
In the pool, world champion Magnussen dived in at the last change to reel in veteran America’s Jason Lezak to lift Australia into Sunday night’s relay final as top qualifiers.
It was Magnussen’s first swim at the Games and the “Missile” delivered on his brash confidence, clocking a sizzling 47.35 seconds to surge past Lezak (48.04).
Defending Olympic champions America were second quickest ahead of Russia and France.
“I felt nice and relaxed in the first 50 and I just let the crowd carry me home at the end,” Magnussen said.
The Americans, who have won eight of the 10 Olympic gold medals awarded in the event, are expected to bring in big guns Nathan Adrian, Cullen Jones and Michael Phelps for Sunday night’s final.
Sun Yang led the way into the men’s 200m freestyle semi-finals just one day after he gave China it’s first men’s swimming title.
Australian Emily Seebohm set the pace in the women’s 100m backstroke preliminaries, winning her heat in 58.23sec — an Olympic record and the third-fastest time in history.
US teenager Missy Franklin, swimming in seven events, was second-quickest.
Uzbek gymnast Luiza Galiulina was provisionally suspended after testing positive for the banned diuretic furosemide, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced.
Galiulina underwent a drugs test on July 25, three days before the start of the women’s artistic gymnastics competition.
China’s Guo Wenjun came from behind on the very last shot to successfully defend her 10m air pistol shooting title.
With her final effort, Guo shot a 10.8, just 0.1 points short of a maximum score, drawing gasps from the packed crowd at the Royal Artillery Barracks and overhauling France’s Celine Goberville, who had led going into the last round.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the London Olympics, Sebastian Coe, insisted that most venues were full of spectators as organisers launched a probe into blocks of empty seats at some events.
Coe said unoccupied seats at some venues were due to accredited officials still working out which events to attend and planning their timetable, but he said he had visited four events on Saturday which were full to capacity.
“Let us put this in perspective. Those venues are stuffed to the gunnels. The public are in there,” Coe said.
“There are tens of thousands of people at this moment within the accredited ‘family’ that are trying to figure out what their day looks like, where they are going to be asked to go to, frankly working out how you divide your time.”
Organisers and the International Olympic Committee launched an investigation, after there were blocks of unoccupied seats at the tennis held at Wimbledon and at swimming in the Aquatics Centre.
Later Monday, the United States’ collection of NBA multi-millionaires, who are expected to cruise to a successful defence of the basketball title, start their campaign against France.
Wu Minxia launches China’s sweep for all eight diving gold medals with her bid for a third straight synchronised three-metre springboard crown.
Over at Wimbledon, Maria Sharapova takes on Israel’s Sharar Peer as the women’s tennis first round is completed.
Former world number one Novak Djokovic and home hope Andy Murray, who was knocked out of the doubles on Saturday, are also in action.
There are 14 medals up for grabs on Sunday.
In women’s cycling, Dutch rider Marianne Vos of the Netherlands starts as favourite to take the title won by Britain’s Nicole Cooke in Beijing.
Two golds are also up for grabs in weightlifting, judo with one each in fencing and archery.
'Missile' Magnussen stars on second day of Olympics
