Olympics day 13 as it happened

LIVE TEXT COMMENTARY (all times BST)

By Caroline Cheese

1618: Unfortunately, I cannot hang about all night so if you're gripped by the show jumping, keep watching the live stream (UK users) or keep an eye out for the results. Friday's highlights include: Shanaze Reade in the BMX, boxing semi-finals featuring James DeGale, Tony Jeffries and David Price, Tim Brabants kayaking, the women's modern pentathlon (sure to be absolutely bonkers) with two Brits and the women's 4x100m relay final. Bye bye.
Schedule - Friday 22 August
Where Britain's medals will be won

1612: The Brits may be out of it, but it's gripping stuff over in Hong Kong. The show jumping medals will be decided by a jump-off. "It's going to go on all night," says a gloomy colleague.

1608: Noooooooooo. Ben Maher, on Rolette, starts well but clatters five fences in the latter stages and he's out of the medals. I need another phone call from Sir Matthew Pinsent. It's the only thing that's going to save my day.

1606: Swede Rolf-Goran Bengtsson goes into gold medal position after the first double clear of the show jumping competition. Only three still to jump in the final round. Britain's Ben Maher next...

1559: Oh, it's not a water jump. It's a decorative feature underneath the jump. What's the point of that? I haven't got the first idea about show jumping. Have you noticed? Good lord. Now it's absolutely throwing it down - which is very bad news for the remaining four contenders still waiting to go in the final round, including Ben Maher.

1555: What drama. The water jump has sprung a leak at the show-jumping! They're desperately sweeping the water away now. Swede Rolf-Goran Bengtsson is due out next with Britain's Ben Maher after that.

1548: Tim Stockdale, riding Corlato, puts in a decent effort in the show jumping but 16 penalty points mean he's out of the medal running. He's down in 11th. Only four have jumped clear in the second round.

1546: "Season's best in the Olympic final - you can't blame Phillips tonight."
BBC Sport's Tom Fordyce at the Bird's Nest Stadium
More from Tom's blog

1544: Awful lot of angry show-jumping fans texting in. Hold your horses. The Brits are about to go.

1538: "I can't believe that anybody can dismiss an Olympic silver medal! The guy did good... Have we been spoilt by the golds? Well done Phillips."
Anon via text on 81111

1532: Ha ha. Well spotted. No, Shanaze Reade will not be driving around the track in a BMW in her bid for BMX glory. I am frazzled.

1528: "Re 1521: there was a lot of hype but seeing him win silver I don't think he underperformed considering he jumped further than his season's best."
Anon via text on 81111

1525: I am aware that Phillips Idowu's silver medal means Britain have yet to strike gold on my watch over the last two days. You'll be delighted to know I won't be commentating on BMX-er Shanaze Reade tomorrow. I can only apologise to Tim Brabants though. By the way, Nicole Cooke? Remember her? On my watch...

1521: "Re 1512: Caroline, not being funny but what were you expecting, a poor quality final? Why shouldn't he produce a personal best? Too much hype I'm afraid."
Ben, Cambridge, via text on 81111

1519: Phillips Idowu perks up a bit and jogs round the track to thank the crowd for their support. He'll be 33 in 2012. Still time.

1517: "I'm gutted for Phillips. He clearly didn't want to settle for silver. I hope he challenges at 2012."
Jonathan via text on 81111

1515: Phillips Idowu has a Union Jack flag wrapped around him - but it looks like more of a comfort blanket than a celebration. He's absolutely distraught and is being comforted by Darren Campbell.

1512: It wasn't to be. But before the doom and gloom merchants pile in, let's not forget that this was a triple jump final of high quality and Phillips Idowu would have needed a personal best jump to beat gold medallist Nelson Evora - who wins Portugal's first Olympic gold medal since 1996.

1510: PHILLIPS IDOWU WINS SILVER FOR BRITAIN

1509: Phillips Idowu has a silver. Leevan Sands - in third place - can't improve on his best effort. Idowu next...

1508: With only three to go in the last round, Phillips Idowu has a medal... but what colour will it be?

1507: I feel sick, I'm so nervous. And this is grown men hop, skipping and jumping. What has become of me?

1505: Larry Achike's last jump is a foul and he'll be seventh in what is expected to be his last major competition.

1503: "Oooh, here we go, last round... think positive thoughts, think positive thoughts."
smilingbritinitaly on 606
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1459: Back to the men's hockey semi-finals and Spain complete an extraordinary comeback from two goals down with a thumping strike from a penalty corner to lead 3-2 with two minutes remaining. They see out the clock, and wild celebrations then kick off. Australia lose their Olympic title (and a chance to close on GB in the medals table), Spain go on to face Germany in the final.

1457: Phillips Idowu can't improve on his third attempt. He's got one leap left to snatch gold.

1455 Sanity returns. Britain decide not to appeal against their disqualification from the men's 4x100m after reviewing footage. "Just throw it in," advises former sprinter Darren Campbell on BBC Five Live. "It's only $50."

1453: Nelson Evora's fifth triple jump effort is no better than his fourth. Pressure building on Phillips now...

1451: I'm hearing news that Britain have appealed against their disqualification from the men's 4x100m semis earlier. Is that a joke?

1450: Never in doubt. Dayron Robles gets out quickly and stays there, cruising to the finish in 12.94 seconds. Would Liu Xiang have beaten him? We'll never know, but that was a phenomenal performance. David Payne takes the silver for the USA, just dipping ahead of compatriot David Oliver.

1447: GOLD - DAYRON ROBLES (Cuba) 110m hurdles

1445: The 110m hurdles final now. Bespectacled Cuban Dayron Robles is the huge favourite. But then so was Jeremy Wariner...

1443: Phillips Idowu's fourth effort... is a no-jump. Two to go.

1439: "Come on Phillips, we need that gold to keep our noses ahead of those pesky Russians!"
Pete via text on 81111

1439: This triple jump final is really heating up now. Nelson Evora snatches the lead from Phillips Idowu with 17.67m. Can Idowu respond?

1435: "I don't have an answer - I don't know what happened. Jeremy's first 200m was great, but he did not attack the third 100m at all and then on the home stretch he looked extremely fatigued and just wasn't able to respond. LaShawn has been in great form, he ran his own, relaxed race, and he wrapped up a well deserved victory."
Wariner's mentor Michael Johnson on the 400m

1431: Britain's Larry Achike will join compatriot Phillips Idowu in the final three leaps of the triple jump after his third effort of 17.17m.

1431: "Far be it from me to distract anybody from events elsewhere but there's been a reasonable game of volleyball at the Capital Gymnasium tonight. Brazil have just beaten the hosts to set up a women's final against the US. All good, particularly the knee-high socks."
BBC Sport's Matt Slater in Beijing
More from Matt's blog

1429: It may not be a relay but there's more drama in the men's hockey semi-finals, where Spain go bananas after fighting back from two goals down to make it 2-2 against Olympic champions Australia. And still 25 minutes to go.

1426: Another shocker. There is stunned silence at the Bird's Nest. Defending champ Jeremy Wariner is in control after 300m but he ties up badly in the home straight - like Sonya Richards in the women's. LaShawn Merrit takes gold, ahead of Wariner and a desperate - and comedy - dive on the line wins David Neville bronze for an American 1-2-3. Martyn Rooney fifth.

1426: GOLD - LASHAWN MERRITT WINS 400M!

1424: Martyn Rooney false-starts in the 400m final. Nerves at play there. They're off now. American defending champion Jeremy Wariner is the favourite...

1422: Phillips Idowu hangs on to his lead in the triple jump by a matter of centimetres - literally. Bahamian Leevan Sands pulls what looks like a monster effort out of the bag but it is measured at 17.59m - three centimetres behind the Briton's mark. Idowu still leads with three jumps left...

1420: A thrilling women's 10m platform final comes to an end and China's Chen Ruolin scores a massive 100.30 with her final dive to pip Canada's Emilie Heymans to gold and keep the hosts' diving clean sweep on track. Wang Xin takes bronze, with Tonia Couch slipping back to eighth after her final dive and fellow Brit Stacie Powell 10th. Fine effort.

1416: Nailed it. Phillips Idowu goes into the lead in the triple jump with a leap of 17.62m. He jumps out of the sandpit and punches the air. He knows it's a peach - and it is.

1415: The current leader - world champion Nelson Evora - makes a mess of his third leap in the triple jump. Phillips Idowu next... American Jeremy Wariner is preparing for the 400m final, which also features Britain's Martyn Rooney.

1413: Tasha Danvers looks a very happy camper as she collects her bronze medal for yesterday's 400m hurdles.

1412: "I'm kind of sick of as a dog - I do think they started the clock too early on my last throw - but my hope was to throw a PB at the Olympic finals and when I reflect on this I'm sure I'll be proud of what I've achieved. I believe I can throw a lot further so I'm a little frustrated I didn't get a chance to lose my last throw, but if that doesn't make me try my hardest in training over the winter I don't know what will."
Goldie Sayers after finishing fourth in the javelin

1408: Great Britain's Tim Stockdale (on Corlato) and Ben Maher (on Rolette) both jump clear rounds to qualify for round B of the individual jumping final in Hong Kong. Not such great news for Nick Skelton on Russel, though, as he misses out after incurring 12 penalty points.

1407: Cuban Arnie David Girat leaps 17.52m and that pushes Phillips Idowu into third.

1405: Jamaica cruise through to the women's 4x100m final. Their last-leg runner is almost jogging down the final leg. It's carnage out there though. Trinidad, Canada and France are the latest to drop the stick. It just doesn't look that hard does it?

1401: Hold on a sec, what's this? What is this? Tonia Couch is causing a bit of a stir over at the Water Cube. The 19-year-old lies fifth after four of five dives in the 10m platform final. Magic. Canada's Emilie Heymans leads the way from China's Chen Ruolin - and that could be a bit of a turn-up with the hosts looking for a clean sweep in the diving.

1357: Russia's Andrey Moiseev defends his Olympic men's modern pentathlon crown. Lithuania's Edvinas Krungolcas takes the silver and his compatriot Andrejus Zadneprovskis takes the bronze. Britain's Sam Weale finishes 10th in his first ever Games, with Nick Woodbridge 25th overall.

1356: Here comes Phillips on his second effort in the triple jump... and it's not good from Idowu - 17.31m. He's been pushed down to second now by Nelson Evora.

1354: A last-gasp throw of 71.42m earns Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic (not Poland, sorry about that earlier error) gold in the women's javelin final, Maria Abakumova (70.78m) pushed into the silver medal position in the final round and Germany's Christina Obergföll (66.13m) taking the bronze. So near and yet so far for Goldie Sayers, who finishes fourth with a lifetime best throw of 65.75m.

1353: Unbelievable. It's almost an exact repeat of the men's relay, but with women. The Americans are cruising but Torri Edwards offers the baton to Lauren Williams on the last leg and it falls to the ground. Great Britain go on to finish second and they'll be in the 4x100m final.

1350: USA DROP THE BATON. AGAIN!

1348: No rest. It's onto the women's 4x100m semis. Phillips Idowu still leads the triple jump.

1347: Let's catch up on the taekwondo - South Korea's Son Tae-Jin wins the men's -68kg gold medal by beating 2005 world champion Mark Lopez of the United States in the featherweight final, bronzes going to Taiwan's world champion Sung Yu-chi and European champion Servet Tazegul of Turkey. In the women's -57kg category, fellow South Korean Lim Su-Jeong ties up gold with victory over Turkey's Azize Tanrikulu, Taiwan's world champion Sung Yu-Chi and European champion Servet Tazegul of Turkey landing bronzes.

1344: Great Britain are disqualified from the 4x100m relay, which is only fair really because Craig Pickering was virtually at the finish line when he picked up the baton from Marlon Devonish. Jamaica will be massive favourites in Saturday's final after the demise of the United States as well.

1344: "If we're kicked out it's my fault - not Marlon's - I'm just sorry, so sorry."
British 4x100m runner Craig Pickering

1341: "If the commentators would just shut up the judges might not notice..."
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1339: Drama. High drama. Great Britain have finished second behind Jamaica in that heat according to the official result - but replays show Craig Pickering was over the line when he received the baton on the final leg.

1337: But better news from sandpit. Phillips Idowu posts 17.51m with his first jump. He goes straight into the lead.

1336: I'm pretty sure Great Britain are out of the men's 4x100m. Craig Pickering went off far too early in the home straight and he looked way over the line when he picked up the baton from Marlon Devonish.

1333: The second men's hockey semi-final is under way, Spain versus defending champions Australia, and the Aussies go 1-0 up in 25 seconds. "Fantastic, that's the only thing I can say," says Sean Kerly, before adding: "Unbelievable."

1331: Great Britain - the defending champions lest we forget - go in this heat of the men's 4x100m relay and it has stopped raining.

1330: GOLD South Korea (men's -68kg taekwondo)

1330: GOLD Czech Republic (Barbora Spotakova, women's javelin)

1327: Goldie Sayers gets her timing all wrong on her final effort in the javelin and she'll have to settle for fourth. Still a decent effort.

1327: Nigeria are also out of the 4x100m relay after dropping the baton. The triple-jumpers are being introduced to the crowd. Phillips Idowu pulls a bit of a Usain Bolt with the old archery mime as the camera focuses on him. News of a disaster for Goldie Sayers in the javelin... more to come.

1323: The US have made an absolute mess of that. Heading into the final straight, Darvis Patton holds out the baton for Tyson Gay but Gay doesn't close his hand and the baton falls forlornly to the floor. Gay's look says it all.

1322: USA HAVE DROPPED THE BATON!

1322: The men's 4x100m relay semi-finals are about to get under way on the track. USA in the first heat, Britain in the second. Top three into the final, plus two fastest losers to go through.

1320: GOLD - Russia (men's modern pentathlon)

1319: Britain's triple jump gold medal hope Phillips Idowu is inside the stadium, sitting with his hood up taking in the surroundings. These conditions have got to make that event a bit of a lottery.

1317: Goldie Sayers still lies fourth in the javelin, but the challengers are looming. Maria Abakumova of Russia leads with a throw of over 70m - even more impressive when you consider in torrential rain.

1316: "I just feel like I've got nothing in my legs - I couldn't go any quicker. It must be the food poisoning I've had. I thought I felt a little better, but every time I run hard it just breaks me. I'm a fast guy but I felt terrible all the way round and the timing of the illness couldn't have been worse. I'm gutted."
Britain's Michael Rimmer after going out of the 800m

1313: Defending champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy is also out of the men's 800m, leaving the final "wide open" according to BBC commentator Steve Cram.

1313: Bit of controversy from that earlier handball semi-final, with South Korea staging a sit-down protest at the end of their 29-28 defeat to Norway following a disputed winning goal in the dying seconds from Gro Hammerseng. Twenty minutes they sat there on the pitch, succeeding only in sustaining numb backsides.

1313: Danielle de Bruijn scores seven goals, including the winner with 26 seconds remaining, as the Netherlands shock favourites the United States in the women's water-polo gold medal match, winning 9-8. The bronze medal goes to Australia.

1311: GOLD - South Korea (women's 49-57kg taekwondo)

1310: Absolute stunner in that third 800m semi - run in torrential rain. Not only does Britain's Michael Rimmer not finish in the top three, neither does one of the gold medal favourites Abubaker Kaki of Sudan.

1308: I've kept you waiting long enough. Modern pentathlon update: Sam Weale lies 12th and Nick Woodbridge 22nd after the show-jumping. Excellent round from Woodbridge, who came 12th in that round. Russian Andrey Moiseev leads the overall standings heading into the run - the final event.

1304: There's a familiar sight. Germany begin the celebrations after a penalty stroke win over Holland in the men's hockey semi-finals. Heartbreaking for the Dutch, whose star player Taeke Taekema sees his vital penalty saved. Spain and Australia meet in the other semi later.

1301: "Re 1252: Working in Netherlands and just listened to the water polo final on the radio. The office is happy! As well as suitably impressed with Team GB."
Paul via text on 81111

1257: Over at the men's hockey semi-final, penalty kicks are under way. "A big bass drum adds to the drama," says BBC commentator Barry Davies. Right. Netherlands lead Germany 2-1 after four penalties.

1256: It's Rimmer-time at the Bird's Nest. Britain's Michael Rimmer goes in semi-final three of the men's 800m.

1254: Fatmire Bajramaj is Germany's hero as she bags a brace to secure a 2-0 win over Japan in the bronze medal play-off in the women's football. Brazil face the United States in about an hour in the gold medal match.

1252: GOLD - Netherlands (women's water polo)

1248: Seriously. I can't keep up. The men's hockey semi-final between the Netherlands and Germany has gone to penalty strokes. Germany to win then...

1245: Whoah. It's all happening isn't it? News from the handball as Norway beat South Korea 29-28 in the women's semi-final to set up a gold medal decider against either Hungary or Russia. Bonanza.

1243: There's birthday boy Usain Bolt collecting his gold medal for ripping up the 200m last night. There was a delay to the ceremony while they sorted out who managed to finish without running in someone else's lane. Americans Shawn Crawford and Walter Dix take silver and bronze after both Wallace Spearmon and Churandy Martina of the Dutch Antilles were disqualified.

1241: It's raining so it's time for the Brits to shine. Goldie Sayers launches her javelin to a new British record distance of 65.75m. That puts her third in the final.
Goldie Sayers blog

1238: And there's yet more medal action over in the wrestling - Artur Taymazov of Uzbekistan overcoming Russian Bakhtiyar Akhmedov in the final of the men's 120kg freestyle to snatch gold. Marid Mutalimov of Kazakhstan and David Musulbes, the Sydney 2000 Olympics gold medallist for Russia but who now represents Slovakia, both won bronze medals.

1235: Veronica Campbell-Brown leaves them trailing off the bend and it's a dominant win for the Jamaican - although not quite as spectacular as Mr Bolt yesterday. American Allyson Felix is never a factor and has to settle for silver ahead of a fast-finishing Kerron Stewart. Jamaica have no won all four sprint titles in Beijing - with the relays remaining.

1233: GOLD - Jamaica (Veronica Campbell-Brown, women's 200m)

1232: So Shirvani Muradov wins the men's 96kg freestyle wrestling gold - Russia's sixth wrestling gold of the Games - as he beats Taimuraz Tigiev of Kazakhstan by a single first-period takedown. Khetag Gazyumov of Azerbaijan and George Gogshelidze of Georgia both win bronzes.

1231: Women's 200m final up next on the track. And the women's javelin final -featuring Goldie Sayers - is under way. Updates soon.

1230: "I do struggle with confidence I must admit, but I felt really good today and I've had great support - I need to believe in myself a bit more I think. I knew I'd have to run quite quickly to qualify but I was determined to enjoy it as well - so to qualify is amazing! I can think of plenty of people to be afraid of in the final though!"
Lisa Dobriskey after qualifying for the 1500m final

1229: Over at the men's hockey, the Netherlands finally break the deadlock in a desperately tight semi-final against Germany. They score from a penalty corner to move ahead with four minutes left. "Beautiful," says GB legend Sean Kerly as the Dutch coach loses the plot magnificently on the sidelines. BUT WAIT. With two minutes remaining, Germany equalise. The drama. Golden goal extra-time.

1226: Good tactical running from Lisa Dobriskey in the final 1500m heat. She times her finish to perfection, moving effortlessly into third place to seal her place in the final. Nancy Langat wins that heat. World champion Maryam Yusuf Jamal is also through. Steph Twell goes out.

1221: GOLD - Uzbekistan (men's 120kg freestyle wrestling)

1218: A sprint finish from Britain's Susan Scott but it's too late. She's fourth in a slow 1500m heat - but that's good news for Steph Twell who is hoping to get through as a fastest loser. Lisa Dobriskey up next.

1214: If you, like me, were gripped by the modern pentathlon show-jumping earlier, you'll be happy to know you can re-live Yahor Lapo's nightmare round on his horse Pingping. I'm on the horse's side. Silly sport (unless Britain win a medal...)
Video - Pingping refuses to play

1211: Steph Twell finishes sixth - but it's a decent time so she might have a shot. We'll see. Only the top three go through plus three fastest losers.

1207: GOLD - Russia (men's 96kg freestyle wrestling)

1204: No goals anywhere. They're drawing a blank in the men's hockey semi-final between Netherlands and Germany and the women's football bronze medal play-off between Germany and Japan.

1202: "Caroline, really enjoy your text commentary but when are you going to get yourself a proper job?"
Jon from a sunbed in Portugal, via text on 81111

1159: Still quivering a bit but we'll press on. The Bird's Nest is open for business and Britain's Steph Twell will go in heat one of the women's 1500m.

1151: "Bet you wouldn't call it a "measly medal" to his face."
Anon via text on 81111
Not a chance. I'd giggle like an idiot, much as I did just then. When he phoned. Just now. Sir Matthew Pinsent. Sorry, try to stop going on about that now.

1146: "Re 1140: Quite right too, was a cracking gold those boys won in Atlanta - a legacy that happily has continued this year."
HK_Brit83 on 606
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1140: Short delay there because Sir Matthew Pinsent just phoned. Sir Matthew Pinsent just phoned. Am I still awake? Anyway, the great man - quite rightly - wanted to point out, in the nicest possible way, that the gold medal Britain won in 1996 (see 0821) was emphatically not measly. Sir Matthew Pinsent just phoned. What a man. How am I supposed to concentrate on modern pentathlon now?

1129: "What happened to Tom Daley?"
Anon via text on 81111
The little man is back tomorrow in qualifying for the individual platform
Blog - Daley ready, but watch Waterfield

1120: The hockey. Don't forget the hockey. Netherlands v Germany in the first men's semi-final. It's 0-0 after 15 minutes.

1116: With all due respect to modern pentathlon, taekwondo and women's football, there's not a massive amount going on. Don't go away though. In less than 45 minutes, the athletics gets under way with Steph Twell going in the first heat of the women's 1500m.

1111: "Couldn't be happier at the gold in the Star today - with the three guaranteed medals from the boxing that means Team GB hits its medal target of 41 which I had a cheeky patriotic tenner on at the ridiculous odds of 10/1 before the Games started! National pride and a healthier bank balance, what a wonderful tournament this has been!"
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1102: Revazi Mindorashvili wins Georgia's third gold medal of the Games by beating Yusup Abdusalomov of Tajikistan in the final of the men's 84kg freestyle wrestling. The consolation for Abdusalomov is that is Tajikstan's first ever silver medal. Bronzes for Taras Janko of Ukraine and Turkey's Serhat Balci.

1056: Just tore my eyes away from the modern pentathlon show-jumping and realised the women's football bronze medal play-off between Germany and Japan is about to get under way. The final between Brazil and USA kicks off at 1400 BST.

1050: Serious faces now. It has been confirmed that four horses - representing Brazil, Germany, Ireland and Norway - have been suspended for testing positive for a prohibited substance.

1045: Nor did they test positive for test-horse-terone, a class hay substance or anabolic stirrups. Come on. Enough now. We need the athletics to start before this gets way out of hand.

1038: GOLD - Georgia (men's 84kg freestyle wrestling)

1038: Who would have thought the modern pentathlon would lead to such a rich vein of comedy texts? But come on people, horses testing positive for banned substances is NOT a laughing matter. And no, it wasn't for a-neigh-bolic steroids. Honestly.

1032: Britain's Sam Weale next to tackle It's A Knockout... sorry, the show jumping at the modern pentathlon. He and his horse try to go through a fence and then fail to jump it at the second attempt and that's 224 penalty points. Which isn't as bad as it sounds.

1025: Bombshell news from the show jumping... A number of horses have tested positive for banned substances - don't know which ones or what substance. Four have been disqualified from tonight's finale - and they will also be dq'd from the team event a few days ago. GB finished 7th in the team event - so we don't think it would affect them - but we believe it could affect the medals. Think something should develop in next 10 mins with a press conference at 1100 BST.

1022: "Re 1020: it's like a live action version of buckaroo."
Marty via text on 81111

1020: Little by little, information is dribbling through. Apparently, modern pentathlon competitors have to pick their horses at random, hence lots of fallers, some fences being completely destroyed - and audible gasps of horror from the crowd. It's brutal, but weirdly gripping.

1016: Is this normal? There's another faller in the modern pentathlon show-jumping. The course is like a mud-bath and some of these riders look like they've never seen a horse before, let alone ridden one. I'm looking for a modern pentathlon expert in the office... I may be some time.

1012: Stop, everyone, stop! For your text alerts (see 0957), you need to text 81008. That's 81008. Modern pentathlon witticisms etc to 81111. Thanks!

1009: "Watch the modern pentathlon. The first competitor has not managed to jump a single fence! The second one has fallen off!"
Beth in London, via text on 81111
Just turned over to see a replay of the faller. Brutal.

1006: Britain may have three boxers guaranteed at least bronze, but head coach Terry Edwards is not a happy bunny. A suspension handed to welterweight Billy Joe Saunders by the Amateur Boxing Association over alleged lewd behaviour during a pre-Games training camp in France has left him "extremely disillusioned". Edwards adds: "My focus over the next 48 hours is to prepare my three boxers for their semi-final bouts tomorrow so, above all, I am so sad that this, together with the other allegations made, have been raised to distract and unsettle me, the coaching team, and more importantly my boxers ahead of the most important bouts of their lives."
Olympian Saunders hit by ABA ban

1000: "Re 0953: Would Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) be the best chance of us winning gold in the modern pentathalon?"
Anon via text on 81111

0957: Now then, a little reminder: if you are in the UK and want to make sure you don't miss the big Olympic events of the day on BBC television, you can text the word ALERTS to 81008, and you will receive a couple of texts per day, for free, letting you know when the good stuff is on. Useful ahead of Phillips Idowu's appearance in the men's triple jump final later, for example. Kerching.

0953: "Re 0859: we had the best 19th century soldiers so we should be pretty good at this modern pentathlon stuff. Are there bonus points for plundering French villages?"
Anon via text on 81111

0949: "This has been a very successful bit of water for us over the last two weeks. It's time for me to do my part."
Britain's kayak star Tim Brabants

0946: Brilliant scenes at Qingdao as Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson step up the the top of the podium and receive their gold medals. Arm in arm, they watch the Union Jack make its way to the top of the pole as the national anthem rings out. Well Percy doesn't watch, he's got his eyes shut as he tries to stem the tears. I think they're quite pleased.

0941: Bad news mountain-biking fans. The weather has forced the women's final to be postponed until Saturday. I don't think there's a Brit in that. I'm quite surprised.

0936: Just to clarify: Tim Brabants isn't going to attempt to win two gold medals at once. The K1 1000m final is tomorrow at 0830 BST, the 500m a day later at the same time. Thanks for listening.

0931: If you're a Brit just getting into work, you may have missed the 17th gold medal of these glorious, glorious Games. Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson triumphed in the Star class of the sailing, so we'll let them off the fruity language.
Video - Percy and Simpson star in the Star

0926: Fanfare please. Lucy Wainwright finishes second in semi-final one of the 500m flatwater kayaking and she will go in Saturday's final at 0920 BST. The men's final, featuring Tim Brabants, is at 0830 BST. Brabants goes for gold in the 1000m at 0830 BST tomorrow.

0918: "Re 0859: A useless fact for you. Sam Weale is the twin brother of Bristol City keeper Chris Weale."
Andy H from Bristol, via text on 81111

0911: Have I told you about the volleyball? No? The United States - coached by Chinese icon Jenny Lang Ping - are through to the women's final after a three-set win over Cuba. They'll play Brazil or China. "I want the gold," said American wing spiker Logan Tom. "A lot of these girls, we've sweat, bled and cried together."

0859: Just done my research (yes, wikipedia again) and modern pentathlon is based on the skills a soldier would need in the 19th century, so: riding, shooting, fighting with a sword, swimming and running. Turns out Britain's Sam Weale would make a fairly reasonable 19th century soldier, although he is lying 11th overall and not ninth as I said earlier. They've shot, fenced and swum. Still got to ride and run.

0850: "Is it true the modern pentathlon is based on what a regency man may have to do to escape from prison?"
John W, via text on 81111

0848: OK, apparently I'm living in the past and PE is a genuine GCSE subject and is "quite science-based" according to Kim in Oxon. I'm not really one to talk anyway. I've got an A Level in Classical Civilisation. Utterly pointless.

0843: Tim Brabants squeaks into the final of the 500m flatwater kayaking. The top three go through and he takes third place in that semi. Not to worry though. The Bullet's speciality is the 1000m and that final is tomorrow.

0839: Drop everything, I've got a modern pentathlon update and Tim 'Bullet' Brabants is about to go in the kayaking semis. Sam Weale lies 11th overall after finishing eighth in the swim, while Nick Woodbridge managed a fine second in the swim and moves up to 32nd overall.

0836: Just been trying to sort out a viewing schedule for today. Impossible. Far too much going on. The highlights (if you're British): Goldie Sayers in the javelin (1220 BST), two, yes two, Brits in the diving final (1300 BST), Phillips Idowu in the triple jump (1325 BST), Martin Rooney in the 400m (1420 BST)

0825: "Got three of my GCSE results: a C in French and an A in Maths and PE. The sailing gold was the icing on the cake. Love the ping pong"
Shim, via text on 81111
Happy days, Shim. PE though? Seriously?

0821: I tell you what. It brings a little tear to my eye seeing Great Britain third in the medal table. I don't really care who's ahead or behind. Anyone remember Atlanta? One measly gold...

0816: Good news and bad news. Bad news: it's still chucking it down. Good news: that means we can focus on the ping pong, which is about the only sport going on right now from what I can tell. I'm watching Austria's Werner Schlager against Korean Yoon Jae Young. Gripping.

0811: "I'm shocked. Words can't describe how happy we are. There's never certainty but since last year we focused on nothing else but this week. I made a few little mistakes today but we pulled it back and luckily it came good for us."
Gold medal winner Andrew Simpson

0809: Apparently, there were other competitors in that Star medal race, so just for the record Iain Percy and Andrew 'Bart' Simpson came fifth but with Brazil third and Sweden back in 10th, that meant Britain grabbed gold, Brazil silver and Sweden bronze.

0805: "Rule Brittania. Well done to all the British Olympic sailors."
Dean in Surrey, via text on 81111

0803: "I knew we could do it. I knew we weren't going to bottle it and we didn't. It's been a killer four years and it feels great to put it behind us."
Gold medal winner Iain Percy

0759: Percy and Simpson. Sounds like a rubbish 80s duo, actually Britain's latest gold-medal winners. One of them just turned the air blue as well. What is with these sailors?

By Ollie Williams

0755: I never thought I'd out myself a Starsailor fan, but they did have a single called "Four To The Floor". Lo and behold, the Star sailors make it four British golds in the sailing. And with that I'll get my coat and hand you over to Caroline Cheese. Until tomorrow!

0750: "I would love Rob Walker to meet me as I get off a ferry from France. He's like a labrador welcoming you home from work."
Dave in Brixton via text on 81111

0749: "They were confident going into this, they knew they had good boat speed, they knew they were talented enough to do it."
BBC reporter and former Olympian Shirley Robertson

0747: Rob Walker is now powering across in his BBC dinghy and has to yell: "Andrew, we're live, we might have to slow down a little bit, mate!" The boat duly slows down. If Mr Walker is to be believed, Andrew Simpson is nicknamed "Bart".

0745: I am impartial to the last but my word it felt good sticking that Brit Gold graphic in. Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson WIN GOLD in the most thrilling of Star class races, squeaking ahead of the Swedish boat to the line, to record Britain's fourth gold medal of the sailing.

0743: GOLD - GB WIN STAR CLASS SAILING

0742: Get ready for the finish... it is neck and neck... but Ainslie says it'll be gold for GB!

0741: "This is one of the closest races I have ever watched, it's impossible to pick it. It's about boat speed down to the finish."
Ben Ainslie

0740: Lots of love for sailing reporter Rob Walker on the texts. He does indeed appear to be the most enthusiastic man on the planet. Or at least the most enthusiastic man in a dinghy in a gale.

0739: They're onto the final downwind leg. The Swedes are now on a different side of the course to the British once again, as the Brits try to chase down the Brazilians. The Swedish have better wind right now.

0737: Suddenly the Brazilian boat is slipping back down the fleet and the British team can try to close in on them.

"This is the worst race I've ever watched in my life, I can't believe how tense this is."
Ben Ainslie

0735: The British, remember, need to finish ahead of Sweden and inside the top six.

"The British have got to make sure they beat the Swedes, that's rule number one in this race, but they've also got to stay in touch with the rest of the fleet."
Ben Ainslie

0733: The Brazilians are another boat to watch out for - they're leading and they could conceivably take gold. That means neither the British nor the Swedish can just focus on the other boat, they have to try to win too, to keep the Brazilians back in bronze.

0730: "The Swedes are running out of options here, it couldn't be better for Britain right now."
Ben Ainslie

0728: More concern in the sailing but suddenly the Brits are ahead! It's all made that much more nerve-wracking by the limited range of camera angles, but Percy and Simpson are definitely ahead of the Swedish boat heading around that mark. I am not mentioning the "G" word.

0727: Simon Clegg, Team GB chief, is not at all thrilled with the ABA's decision to suspend Saunders now either. "Releasing such allegations to the media at this time could prove detrimental to the critical preparations of the other three boxers who will be contesting to reach the final of the boxing competition tomorrow," says Clegg.

0725: A very quick update on the Billy Joe Saunders story. GB coach Terry Edwards says he is "extremely disillusioned" by allegations relating to Saunders and says they are "on the whole, unfounded". Meanwhile GB pass the first mark ahead of Sweden in the sailing, and Ben Ainslie sounds a lot more confident all of a sudden.

Olympian Saunders hit by ABA ban

0722: And there's Rob Walker, bobbing up and down exuberantly on a BBC standard issue dinghy, as promised all the way back at 0239. One of these days he's going to fall out, you know.

0720: I'm still struggling to tell whether I should be unleashing a Brit Up or Brit Down arrow here. The British boat is now over on the right-hand side, but now they're crossing behind the Swedish. It's a pitched battle for position. "It's not great right now," says Ben Ainslie, who already has a gold medal around his neck so he clearly knows what he's talking about.

0716: The Swedish boat has gone off on the right-hand side of the course, the Brits have taken the left - which means it's nigh-on impossible to know who's leading. This is going to be a tense one.

0715: Not taking my eyes off this sailing for too long, but here's a quick decathlon update. Here are the top three after three events (100m, long jump, shotput): Bryan Clay [USA] - 2862 points, Oleksiy Kasyanov [UKR] - 2717 points, Trey Hardy [USA] - 2657 points. Clay is a former world champion and won the silver medal in Athens back in 2004. No word on the standing of GB's Daniel Awde - but we know it's lower than 17th.

0713: The Swedish boat almost went into the back of one of the officials' boats at the start, which would have been ideal from a British point of view. As it is, both Sweden and Britain get a decent start.

0712: Just one minute until the Star class race gets going. One-line summary: if GB finish above Sweden and in the top six, it's gold for Britain.

0710: "What happens if the Swedish crew "block us off" and we finish last, as we did to the Swedish crew a few days ago? Could be revenge time for Sweden! Would we still get a medal?"
SaminSydney on 606

Excellent question. I think if the Swedish managed to pull that trick, GB wouldn't pick up a medal. But it's trickier to be that tactical when there's a lot of wind.

Apparently I've been calling Leigh McMillan "Liam" by mistake. I apologise. To think I got all annoyed when the athletics commentator called Daniel Awde "David" earlier.

Join the debate on 606

0705: The Star medal race is scheduled to kick off at 0715 BST. While you're waiting, we have been lucky enough to have some cracking blog entries from top GB athletes during the Games. In my opinion the cream of the crop are blogs from Chris Hoy and Euan Burton - you can find both on the BBC Sport site.

Chris Hoy: Three gold medals - and I'm shattered

Euan Burton: Dealing with demons after defeat

0700: "I think the spectators at the beach volleyball deserve a medal this morning."
BBC presenter Hazel Irvine

The Chaoyang Park beach volleyball venue is open-air, which I suppose makes sense for an event predominantly played in glorious sunshine. The poor girls on the medallists' podium look as though hypothermia has set in.

"Hazel Irvine's had a fantastic tournament," says my colleague Chris, with an air of authority. I reckon Adrian Chiles may have just missed the medals, I'd probably put Jake Humphrey and Michael Johnson in ahead of the Birmingham bulldog.

0656: The miniature windmills at Qingdao, which have at times stopped turning through lack of wind at this Olympics, are going like the clappers. I reckon more wind is A Good Thing for the Brits in the Star medal race.

0649: Steel yourselves, it's Britons-with-a-sniff-of-gold time. I'm going to keep BBC live text legend Caroline Cheese at bay until we finish sailing's Star class medal race, because Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson start the race just two points off gold. If they finish in the first five or six boats and end up ahead of the Swedish crew, they take gold, by my reckoning. This should get going just after 0700 BST.

0645: Back to the Bird's Nest and the decathlon. With minimal fuss, Russia's Alexander Pogorelov puts his shot all of 16.26m - two or three metres further than most other competitors. GB's Daniel Awde can only register 12.03m with the best of his three attempts and may slip down the standings off the back of that.

0642: "Re: Tornado class being dropped from 2012. It was a vote at an International Sailing Federation meeting, where not enough nations supported it. Basically countries who were good at Tornado voted yes and vice versa."
AndySurrey on 606

Andy has also, helpfully, supplied a link to a picture showing who voted for it to stay, and who voted it out. Britain voted to keep it - McMillan and Howden finish sixth overall with that fine medal race performance.

Who voted Tornado out? (external link)

Join the debate on 606

0637: British pair Liam McMillan and Will Howden win the Tornado medal race in some style, with Canada second. GB couldn't win a medal in this but it's a great effort to win what could be the Tornado's last ever Olympic race. Spain finish third and that's enough to win them the gold, with Australia making sure of the silver and Argentina taking bronze.

0636: GOLD - SPAIN WIN TORNADO SAILING CLASS

0633: Remember the story about all the algae infesting the Qingdao bay, threatening the sailing events? Apparently some of the offending weeds are now being encased in small plastic keychains and given away as souvenirs at the quayside.

0631: The results from the second stage of the men's modern pentathlon - the fencing - are in. Britain's Sam Weale is doing a bit better, he placed 13th, but Nick Woodbridge was down in 29th. After two events Weale is 19th and Woodbridge is 36th (and indeed last). China's Qian Zhenhua leads.

0629: I've just read some more reassurances from equestrian organisers in Hong Kong, insisting that tonight's individual jumping final will go ahead despite the threat of a typhoon off the coast. I bet they haven't run that past the horses. "Sorry, jump what? In that?"

0623: Why are they getting rid of this sailing class? The Tornado is brilliant to watch, the boats are slapping back and forth through the waves in sensational style. If the British were in medal contention in this race, the whole country would be all over this. I join Shirley Robertson (see 0611) in demanding its reinstatement, pronto. The Germans are still upside down in the water, by the way.

0620: The weather in Qingdao is not much better than in Beijing - in fact, it might be worse. McMillan and Howden are winning the Tornado class medal race for GB, but it won't earn them a medal. If you're in the UK you can watch this live, and it's worth it to see these boats tearing through the wind, rain and waves. They're going at an incredible lick compared to the tame, windless days we've seen before - the Germans have just capsized! No medal for them... they were in for a bronze.

0617: Wang Chen has become the first American in table tennis history to reach the quarter-finals at the Olympics, beating South Korea's Kim Kyung-ah 4-3. Wang runs her own table tennis club in New York City, and cried into her towel having sealed the win. Can you believe it's taken the US until now to get somebody into the quarter-finals?

0614: The decathlon roars back into life with the shot put, with the high jump and 400m coming up later today.

0611: I am shocked to discover that this is the last time the Tornado class will get an Olympic outing - it's being dropped. BBC reporter and former Olympian Shirley Robertson is deeply upset by that. Anybody know why it's going?

0608: Latvia's Vadims Vasilevskis sets the benchmark in qualifying for the men's javelin, throwing 83.51m.

0604: These open water swimmers are built of stern stuff. David Davies did pretty darned well to earn silver, but the bloke who won - Holland's Maarten van der Weijden - has already had to overcome leukaemia, and now swims lakes for charity.

0602: "It's like Birmingham in February here today, it is absolutely dismal."
BBC presenter Adrian Chiles in Beijing

0559: Right then, now we've got some action. With a bit of luck sailing's Tornado class medal race is about to begin off the east coast of China, in Qingdao. GB pair Leigh McMillan and Will Howden are down in ninth, with no prospect of a medal. The battle at the top will be between Spain and Australia.

0556: US decathlete Bryan Clay now holds the lead after two of the 10 events. Reigning world record holder Roman Sebrle, the man often known as "Mr Decathlon" (and also the Czech Republic's Real Man of the Year winner 2007) is down in seventh.

Ten to watch: Roman Sebrle

0553: New Zealand's men have beaten Pakistan 4-2 in the hockey to take seventh place overall, sending Pakistan eighth in the final standings.

0550: Daniel Awde of GB remains 17th overall in the decathlon after the long jump. Croatian world champion Blanka Vlasic glides through to the final of the women's high jump. Things just picking up a bit now after an hour or so's weather-induced doldrums.

0548: "What is happening with the boxer Billy Saunders and his suspension?"
Rick in Forfar via text on 81111

See 0347's entry if you missed this. We don't know too many details yet but are working on it.

0542: I've taken advantage of a lull in proceedings to work out a medal table based on points - three for gold, two for silver, one for bronze. Here's the top six:
China 186
USA 165
Russia 88
GB 81
Australia 70
Germany 59

Not sure what that tells anybody, although I do seem to have managed to relegate Britain to fourth. Bad idea, this.

0536: Every single official inside the Bird's Nest is decked out in waterproofs as the rain continues to pound down, but the stadium itself looks packed to the rafters. Coming up later are three huge track finals - the women's 200m at 1230 BST, men's 400m at 1420 and men's 110m hurdles at 1440 - as well as the men's triple jump (starring Phillips Idowu) at 1325 and women's javelin (starring Goldie Sayers) at 1220.

0531: "On the equestrian front here in Hong Kong - the typhoon is coming but the fallback situation is to use the indoor arena (yes, they built one just in case). But there is no room for spectators - pity, it is like BMX on horses."
SaikungDavid on 606

Now that'd be a sport. Zara Phillips and Shanaze Reade in the 2012 team event, maybe?

Join the debate on 606

0524: American freestyle wrestler Daniel Cormier has dropped out of his 96kg matches on Thursday with hydration problems having made the weight - dehydration being one of the issues with GB's Frankie Gavin making weight in the boxing, as I recall. Meanwhile, more pimples than a spotty teenager at the Peking Gymnasium, where table tennis is unaffected by Beijing's relentless rain. China's world number one Wang Hao is three games up against Austria's world number 17 Chen Weixing. He's one game away from the fourth round.

0520: Daniel Awde's third attempt at the long jump gets him 7.04m, not as good as his second jump of 7.12m. The American decathlete who follows him, Trey Hardee, already has a 7.72m jump under his belt.

0516: "So far, the EU has 60 gold and 179 medals in total."
dukehk on 606

Join the debate on 606

0513: "In four years' time, I'll want to do it in London. Hopefully I'll be able to swim straight then, learn all the tactics, and put a bit of meat on. I'm only going to get better if I train harder."
David Davies, who won silver earlier (see 0353)

0510: And before I forget, happy birthday Usain, 22 today.

0508: "He still has to mature. He is a young man but he should show more respect for his rivals. He should shake hands with them after the finish line. I have no problems with his showboating but it would be good not to have a repeat of the 'catch me if you can' gesture."
IOC chief Jacques Rogge on Usain Bolt

0504: "The decathletes are all pretty confident and quite chatty, so he can talk to some of these guys and they can pass on knowledge about dealing with these extreme conditions and the crowd. 2012 will be his big occasion."
BBC pundit Colin Jackson on Daniel Awde

0500: Not to denigrate beach volleyball in any way, but the fact that the bronze medal play-off is now playing out on British television on a two-hour tape delay is suggestive of the relative lack of live action in soggy Beijing. With no BMX we have table tennis and decathlon to look forward to for an hour, and let's hope conditions in Qingdao are good enough for some sailing.

0458: "For me, despite all the amazing gold medal winners, David Davies' swim has been the British highlight of this Olympics."
ripper75 on 606

Join the debate on 606

0455: Just to paint a picture of the weather at the Bird's Nest - at the javelin, officials have been using towels to mop up the water on the runway between throws, with some athletes slipping as they attempt to throw. Russia's Sergei Makarov has already fallen over on the runway, as has Canada's Scott Russell. Now they're all falling over as they finish because it's actually safer than trying to follow through. Javelin in these conditions is bonkers.

0449: "Surreal scenes here at the beach volleyball. I haven't seen this many pac-a-macs in one place since a school trip to Devon in 1985. The US women have won and are behaving with customary reserve. The Chinese were good but not quite good enough on the big points. Nice dancing, though. Is this the start of a US comeback on the medal table?"
BBC Sport's Matt Slater at Chaoyang Park

More from Matt on our Olympics blog

0446: Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor become the first beach volleyball players to defend an Olympic title, seeing off China's Jie Wang and Jia Tian 21-18 21-18.

0445: GOLD - UNITED STATES WIN WOMEN'S BEACH VOLLEYBALL

0444: A little earlier I had a look at possible other medal chances for Britain as the Olympics draws to a conclusion. It was remiss of me not to include Katy Livingston, world bronze medallist in modern pentathlon. Hope you can join me tomorrow for the start of her event.

Brits to watch: Katy Livingston

0439: The women's high jump qualifiers have begun in the Bird's Nest, about an hour and a half behind schedule following the rain. Blanka Vlasic, Croatian world champion, is the woman to beat, but frankly she's in a different class.

0435: Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor lead the Chinese pair of Jie Wang and Jia Tian by a set in the gold medal match at beach volleyball's Chaoyang Park venue. In the second set it's 15-15.

0431: Conditions at the Bird's Nest have barely improved, but the decathletes are out for the long jump. Britain's Daniel Awde, just 20 years old, posts 6.98m with his first attempt. Bryan Clay of the United States, stamping his foot right in the middle of the take-off strip at serious pace, follows him with a 7.64m. Cuba's Yordani Garcia, who won the 100m sprint (Awde finished 17th), records 7.07m.

0429: I wonder how good Michael Phelps is at open water swimming. It's all well and good winning eight golds when nobody's sticking their foot in your face...

0427: "Nothing will replace football as the national sport, but surely things like this will just tempt a few hundred or so youngsters into Olympic events. And that's where your next level of athletes come from."
MancRed86 on 606

Join the debate on 606

0423: Would you believe it, both Brits have made it through to the final of the women's 10m platform dive - for the first time in history. Stacie Powell and Tonia Couch qualified 11th and 12th respectively, with the top 12 going through. So they did it by the skin of their teeth but it doesn't matter, the scores are reset for the final at 1300 BST.

0421: BBC Sport has a great big group on photo sharing site Flickr dedicated to the Olympics. Check it out if you get a moment.

BBC Sport's Olympics group on Flickr

0415: Right. Breathe. After all that excitement, let's just be grateful the BMX is rained off, or else how would we have coped with that and Shanaze? Coming up at 0600 are the Tornado and Star medal races in the sailing. The modern pentathlon has reached the fencing stage, there's still some diving which I shall endeavour to catch up on shortly, and GB's Daniel Awde has the decathlon long jump and shot put next.

0411: Our report on David Davies' race, with video soon to follow if you're in the UK, is now available on the site.

Battling Davies lands 10km silver

0410: "David Davies' silver means we've now got to the 41 medal mark with the three guaranteed from boxing. That's huge."
tigertimbo2 on 606

Join the debate on 606

0408: And there is the beach volleyball venue, everybody sopping wet, as the US and Chinese pairs face each other. 9-9 in the first set right now.

0405: "For the last part of it I was delirious, I wanted it so bad. I've given it everything - the stretcher at the end was a bit mad but I've got something to show for it. I felt a bit violated to be honest, people swimming all over me, and the last lap was a real struggle."
David Davies, very much alive and well, and a silver medallist for GB

0402: "I am so gutted, this has to be my lowest point of the Olympics so far."
sean2mush on 606

I think it speaks volumes for the Olympics the British have had that a silver medal qualifies as a low point.

Join the debate on 606

0359: "Who thought the 10k swim would be a good idea. Please give that guy a gold medal for being a genius."
Adam in Darlington via text on 81111

0358: "I just walked the race of my life and I can't believe I broke the British record. I'm glad it was pouring down with rain."
GB race walker Johanna Jackson, who finished 22nd

0355: Wow. Once again, the open water swim delivers the kind of excitement I genuinely did not believe possible for a two-hour swimming event. How gutted David Davies will be, but since that's only his third race I think Olympic silver's a decent return, don't you?

0353: Holland's van der Weijden storms through to win and David Davies takes silver. But now the stretcher is coming out for Davies and the medics are around the exhausted swimmer. He lost gold by just a second and a half having finished in the wrong direction.

0352: GOLD - MAARTEN VAN DER WEIJDEN IN THE MEN'S 10KM SWIM

0351: Lurz and Davies slam into each other as the Welshman loses his bearings with just 100m to go. He's got to straighten up sharpish if he's not going to let this one go.

0350: Why is open water swimming so exciting? Who knew? Davies is still out in front but this is going to be a mental, manic, magical finish, for the second successive day.

0348: Nothing is ever simple in this open water swimming. Davies has gone off course and is now swimming into the markers as the pack catch up. 300m to go and Davies looks tired. Did he go too early? They're closing in on him...

0347: David Davies is being cheered on by the rest of the GB swimming team and he is clear of the pack having hit the accelerator in the last minute. Steve Parry is CERTAIN Davies is going to get gold here. Those carb gels in his trunks have worked wonders.

0345: Breaking news - GB boxer Billy Joe Saunders has been suspended by the Amateur Boxing Association pending a hearing after allegations of lewd behaviour during a pre-Games training camp in France. Naturally, more on that when we get it.

0343: That's more like it! David Davies surges into the lead in the swimming, but now the others are responding, with a long stretch still to go until the finish. It'll take a huge effort to sustain this.

0341: Davies and Lurz are clashing arms, both behind Gianniotis as they come down towards the final buoy. Maybe this one won't be as close as yesterday's women's event. Davies needs to find that burst of pace his coach was talking about.

0339: Jackson was 22nd, in fact. Back at the swimming, Davies is on the outside and now back behind the Liverpool-born Greek as we close in on the finish. Steve Parry is now worried Davies may have expended too much energy...

0337: Congratulations to Ireland's Olive Loughnane, who finished seventh in the 20km walk, about a minute outside the winner. Johanna Jackson has finished a little further back.

0335: "On the Hong Kong weather - there is a typhoon level 1 warning in place now and it is expected to be raised to a level 3 this afternoon. My doorman says it's a big one, could be a T10 by the morning. I would say not much chance of any equestrian in the evening."
trigger_in_hk on 606

Always nice to have a bit of inside information. Shan't be staying up for that then.

Join the debate on 606

0332: Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia has made a huge move in the swimming, coming from nowhere to challenge Davies and Lurz. Davies is starting to struggle - these three were the first three home at the last world championships. I still don't know how, after 90 minutes and 10km, each of these races ends up with milliseconds between the leaders.

0330: World champion and Drowned Rat of the Year nominee Olga Kaniskina adds the Olympic race walking title to her name in a time of one hour, 26 minutes and 30 seconds. She'll be wanting a hot bath after that. It is miserable out there.

0328: GOLD - OLGA KANISKINA WINS WOMEN'S 20KM WALK

0326: The German swimmer, Lurz, gets yellow carded for some rough stuff. Steve Parry (of Olympic swimming bronze medal fame) is convinced tactics are in play as two swimmers come up either side of David Davies. "They're absolutely sandwiching him, he's like a piece of ham," exclaims Parry, sounding like he wants to jump in and sort them out.

0325: The rain is still beating down in Beijing as the swimmers clamber on top of each other, but it may be an issue in Hong Kong too. Typhoon Nuri is threatening the city - the final equestrian event, the individual show jumping, takes place later today. Britain's Ben Maher, Tim Stockdale and Nick Skelton will be involved.

0323: Fellow Brit Tonia Couch's second dive gets 58.50 and moves her up to second for the time being, but there's a fair few others left to dive.

0321: Stacie Powell, currently 17th in the diving, performs a dive with difficulty ranking 3.3. But Leon Taylor is not impressed, and the mark is only 51.15. "She's not out of it but she'll have to do some marvellous dives to get back into contention," says Leon.

Leon Taylor on our Olympics blog

0317: "The volleyball women are soaking, yet no sand sticks to them. Explain!"
Gunn in Essex via text on 81111

Um... good question. I'll have to ask Denise Johns.

Denise Johns, GB beach volleyball player

0314: The men's javelin qualifiers have started in the Bird's Nest, which is good news since organisers had earlier been threatening to postpone everything. The javelin's under way about an hour late, so hopefully Daniel Awde's decathlon will be back on the boil soon. He came 17th overall in his first event, the 100m.

0312: David Davies still leading, an hour and 10 minutes into the swim. I'm trying not to get excited, bearing in mind yesterday's nail-biting finale. Davies is not an experienced open water swimmer, but who knows, maybe that's a good thing.

0308: Quick bit of hockey. Belgium's men beat Canada 3-0 to take ninth place overall, Canada therefore finish 10th. The British men and women are both playing off for fifth or sixth later in the week.

0306: Thanks to Lufbra_Expat on 606 who has found the splits for the women's 20km walk online, and reveals that GB's Johanna Jackson is in 26th place right now. She's on course for a personal best and that sounds in line with the 25th place she earned at the world championships.

0304: "I didn't know the British were good at swimming, I have been in this country for twelve years and haven't seen a swimming pool."
Arsene Wenger, quoted in The Times

I almost felt the need to put "Arsenal manager" in brackets there, as though everyone had forgotten amid the Olympic mayhem. Where are France in the medal table, anyway?

0301: I've been meaning to mention the beach volleyball for ages, but I keep getting distracted. Chinese pair Xue Chen and Zhang Xi beat their Brazilian opponents to take the bronze. The final, featuring famed (by beach volleyball standards) US duo Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor versus China's Jie Wang and Jia Tian, will start in a moment. Still tipping it down, you could make a wicked sandcastle out there. Imagine the moat!

0258: "No love for Phillips Idowu, then, Ollie?"
Ben in York via text on 81111

I knew I'd left somebody out. See, Britain are nailed on for third.

0255: No immediate sign of GB's Johanna Jackson as we get a fleeting glimpse of the women's 20km walkers. The diving is just starting and you can watch it if you're in the UK - if not, I'll keep you up to date on the progress of British pair Tonia Couch and Stacie Powell, among others, in the women's 10m platform dive semis.

0252: Fifty minutes gone in the swimming and David Davies is ahead and stretching the field. But let's not forget we saw exactly the same thing happen on Wednesday, when Cassie Patten and Keri-Anne Payne looked to be streets ahead of the pack, and then the Russian came back to bite them. (Almost literally, in fact.) This time around, watch out for Thomas Lurz and Vladimir Dyatchin.

0250: Talking of people not coming from the places you might expect, Greek swimmer Spyridon Gianniotis was apparently born in Liverpool.

0248: CatalanDan on 606 has asked if I think GB will finish third in the medal table. Yes, Dan. I reckon Shanaze Reade, one of the sailing crews, possibly one boxer and Tim Brabants in the canoeing will each get gold. Should be enough eh?

0244: I am told David Davies is from Barry, not Cardiff. Apologies - he's a Cardiff City fan, but I shouldn't have read too much into that, being a Manchester City fan from Taunton. Davies has caught up with the Greek leader of the swim, Spyridon Gianniotis, after the latter veered off course.

0242: The men's modern pentathlon shooting has finished, and it's not great from a British point of view. David Svoboda from the Czech Republic is in the lead with 1228 points (an Olympic record), but GB's Sam Weale placed 25th with 1060 and Nick Woodbridge is 35th, joint last, on 856. Still, there's four events to go and one bad event doesn't ruin your competition. He said, optimistically.

0239: A couple of quick reminders. The BMX is postponed until Friday, so if you're waiting for Shanaze Reade to have a go at gold number 17 for GB, you'll have to wait a bit longer. But the British sailing team might get there before her - at 0600, the Tornado and Star classes take to the water in Qingdao for their medal races. GB are out of the medals in the Tornado, but just two points off the lead in the Star, so if you're watching in the UK you can expect more of Rob Walker's exuberant bobbing up and down. If you're deprived of the ability to watch Rob flirting with death in a small BBC standard issue dinghy, I'll try to replicate said exuberance here.

0236: "It's amazing. As far as I can see, Davies is now wearing a false moustache, monocle, and has adopted an east European accent. He really is a master of disguise, that man."
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0234: Cardiff's finest, David Davies still leads from Greece's Spyridon Gianniotis and Germany's Thomas "Lurking" Lurz as they head into the second lap of the 10km swim. Davies' coach, Sean Kelly, says the plan is to lead from the front and push on with 2km left - which I suspect is easier said than done. Kelly also reveals that Davies has carbohydrate gels stuffed down his trunks. When he needs some light refreshments he can reach down for an immediate carb boost. Well, I never.

0230: Awde did indeed finish seventh, in a time of 11.06 seconds - Cuba's Yordani Garcia won the heat in 10.64. However, the decathlon's long jump and shot put events have been put back in the hope the weather clears up, as have qualifiers in the men's javelin and women's high jump. Which is a shame because I'm a big Blanka Vlasic fan.

Ten to watch: Blanka Vlasic

0228: Here goes Awde in the decathlon 100m... and he finishes towards the back of the pack, maybe sixth or seventh. He doesn't look thrilled but then that might just be the fact that he's already drenched in this rain (having come out onto the track sporting a fetching Team GB hoodie).

0225: "Probably would have been more apt for (lightning) Bolt to have been racing today."
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That's as terrible as the weather. The doors of 606 are now open so by all means head on in and better that.

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0222: It's decathlon time in the Bird's Nest, now that the walkers have vacated the track and set off into downtown Beijing. Daniel Awde is Britain's entrant (remember, no Dean Macey this time). Their first event is the 100m sprint.

Decathlete Macey decides to quit

0220: David Davies, in "stealth" mode having removed his white cap (see 0204), is still going well in the swim. If you're keen on the women's 20km walk - and boy, did they look thrilled as they hot-footed it out of the stadium in lashing rain - then here's some background info. Athanasia Tsoumeleka of Greece will be looking to defend the Olympic title she won on home soil in 2004. But the Russians have form and have walked nine out of ten all-time best performances. Watch out for world champion Olga Kaniskina, plus Russia team-mates Tatiana Sibileva and Tatyana Kalmykova.

0215: There's now lightning at the beach volleyball. "Play a sport involving sun and sand," they said. "Go to the Olympics," they said. "Wear a bikini while everyone else suffers Beijing's hot weather," they said. The cheerleaders are also having to battle the elements. This match is the bronze medal clash between China and Brazil - the final's up a bit later.

0212: Those BMX riders are a bunch of softies compared to the hardened beach volleyball stars, who are fighting it out in the rain with medals up for grabs. The women's final is between US pair Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, and China's Jie Wang and Jia Tian. If you're in the UK you can watch it live, too.

0209: Modern pentathlon, in case this sport has eluded you thus far, involves shooting, fencing, swimming, show jumping and running - all in one day. For the second day running I've got a fellow Somerset man to support in Sam Weale, whereas Nick Woodbridge is from Shropshire. The shooting and fencing are on my watch, Caroline Cheese will be here to guide you through the rest. We should have a result by about 1330, but don't hold your breath for British medals, because it's an achievement even getting any men into the final - it hasn't happened since Atlanta '96. Clare Balding seemed concerned that the modern pentathlon would suffer with the rain, but I'm fairly sure the shooting is indoors. Soon find out.

0205: "Given the weather how about 'Thunderstorm Thursday' as an alliteration?"
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0204: Davies is a wily old fox. He's thrown off his white cap as soon as he got into the race, which, I am told, will help him throw competitors off the scent. Good luck Dave. Meanwhile, the BMX has now been postponed until Friday, so my attention will be split between the swimming and the women's 20km walk, just starting in Beijing. Johanna Jackson is the British interest in this one. We may be waiting a while for results in either of these two events...

0201: Germany's Thomas Lurz and Russia's Vladimir Dyatchin are Davies' big rivals in this 10km swim - remember, this event is making its Olympic debut. And they're off! Once again it's a mass of arms and goggles. Apparently lacerations from jellyfish stings are an occupational hazard in this sport, but clingy weeds are more of an issue at the Beijing venue. Why would you do this? Why?

0159: "It's a big fight for space. There's a lot of physicality involved in it, and I've only done two races so I need to learn and adapt. I really enjoyed them though, and it's given me a new lease of life."
David Davies ahead of his open water swim

0157: We are watching footage of the Bird's Nest and the track is as wet as you could possibly imagine. I don't understand how they can run on that, but Colin Jackson, inside the stadium, insists it's an "all weather" surface. Rather them than me. A colleague has pointed out that with conditions as they are, Michael Phelps would stand a decent gold medal chance against Usain Bolt and friends.

0155: The first few hours of Thursday morning in Beijing are action packed. The Bird's Nest is back in action with Britain's Daniel Awde in his first decathlon events (from 0220), Johanna Jackson competes in the women's 20km walk (from 0200 and hopefully as brutally contested as the 10km open water swimming), Tonia Couch and Stacie Powell have made it through to their diving semi-finals in the Water Cube (from 0300), and GB duo Sam Weale and Nick Woodbridge are in the men's modern pentathlon - their first event has just started.

0153: "Conditions, to be frank, are pretty darned awful."
BBC presenter Clare Balding at the open water swimming

0150: With "the Shanaze effect" in mind, I am not going to mention the steely Welsh determination of David Davies in the men's open water swimming, which should start in roughly ten minutes. If you were here for yesterday's early action, you will know that the combination of BMX and open water swimming results in an alarming degree of carnage, so it may be for the best that we're limited to swimming for the time being. It really is absolutely throwing it down with rain in Beijing, as well.

0147: So. This time last night I boldly declared that British BMX star Shanaze Reade was destined for greatness. Within the hour she'd fallen off her bike, taken a chunk out of her elbow, and was on television telling her mum not to panic. And now we are told her semi-final has been postponed due to rain, as has the rest of the BMX - no action until 0700 BST at the earliest. I have well and truly jinxed that woman.