BEIJING — The U.S. women’s volleyball team beat Japan in an emotional opener Saturday, hours after the team was informed of the fatal stabbing of a former player’s father.
Todd Bachman, father of former Olympian Elisabeth Bachman McCutcheon, was attacked by a knife-wielding man at a tourist site in Beijing. Her mother was seriously injured by the attacker, who committed suicide.
“It’s hard to put it in words,” tearful U.S. player Logan Tom said. Tom played with Bachman McCutcheon in 2004 in Athens.
The Americans defeated Japan 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 25-21), in the first match of preliminary play.
Bachman McCutcheon is the wife of Hugh McCutcheon, coach of the U.S. men’s indoor team, which is scheduled to open play today against Venezuela.
U.S. women’s basketball set to take on China.
Diana Taurasi scored 17 points and Sylvia Fowles added 16 to send the U.S. women strolling past the Czech Republic 97-57 in front of President Bush and the U.S. men’s team. Next up for the U.S. is host China.
Good, bad for U.S. beach volleyball.
The U.S. duo of Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor began a bid for another gold medal with a decisive victory over a Japanese duo this morning. But the U.S. men’s team of Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser lost its opening match Saturday to a Latvian team seeded 23rd in the 24-team field, which means they must win two pool-play matches to get to the medal round.
President Bush takes in Games.
President Bush went mountain biking on the Olympic course, got sandy at beach volleyball and had a chalk handprint left on his back after a photo with the U.S. softball team. His wife and daughter went on an early tour of the Forbidden City.
Footnotes.
Activists continued their pro-Tibet demonstrations Saturday, breaching heavy security in Tiananmen Square and urging Tibetan freedom before being confronted by angry Chinese onlookers.
• Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou has been barred from Beijing competition for her role in a drug-testing scandal at the 2004 Athens Games, the International Olympic Committee announced today.
• Andrei Kirilenko had 15 points to help the Russia men’s basketball team beat Iran 71-49.
• Georgia and Russia will continue playing in the Games, the IOC announced after meeting with the countries’ organizing committees.
• Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic, who will become the No. 1 tennis player in the world Monday, said a sore right calf may force her to withdraw from her match today against Zim- babwe’s Cara Black. Croatian men’s player Ivo Karlovic withdrew because of a stomach illness.
• Pang Wei gave China one of its two gold medals Saturday in the men’s 10-meter air pistol. Jason Turner of Colorado Springs was fourth.
• The U.S. women’s soccer team defeated Japan 1-0 in its first game since a 2-0 loss to Norway.
• Russian steeplechase runner Roman Usov has been pulled out of the Olympics amid reports he failed a drug test at last month’s selection trials.
Denver Post wire services
