London 2012 football bronze medal match: Canada vs. France

Join The Star's Cathal Kelly and Doug Smith as they live-blog the game beginning at 7:45 a.m. ET. on August 9.

Overly enthusiastic in Sheffield

The Royal Mail has sent an engineer out with a roller and tray of gold paint to repair the overenthusiasm of a fan who embellished the Sheffield City's Council's tribute to gold medallist Jessica Ennis.

The council had painted over the traditional red of a British Royal Mail box with gold on Sunday to honour local hero Ennis's first-place finish in the Olympic heptathalon.

As darkness fell, though, the post box on what student Stuart Collier calls the city's "main pub run" had "Go Jess" added to the gold.

Said city council leader Julie Dore: "This is our moment to shine so what a shame it is that someone has chosen to tarnish this by vandalizing a postbox painted gold in honour of our local hero. I hope they feel thoroughly ashamed of themselves."

A spokesman for the Royal Mail said an engineer was sent out quickly to obliterate the unofficial message "as a point of pride."

The city plans further celebrations when Ennis comes home, the council said in an official proclamation.

Press Association photo

 

 

 

Ivan Ukhov, men's high jump gold medallist can't find shirt

Ivan Ukhov almost missed his chance at the Gold medal in men's high jump. After removing his singlet prior to one of his jumps, he misplaced it and with the clock running on his turn at the high jump bar, frantically rummaged through his bag and under the bench looking for it.

Finally, an official hands him a baggy blue t-shirt and Ukhov pins his number to it and dashes off to complete his jump.

Performing well under pressure, Ukhov managed to snag the gold medal, clearing 2.38 on his first attempt. Canada's Derek Drouin won bronze.

It's not the first time Ukhov has drawn attention with his misadventures, in 2008 he earned a “strong warning” from the IAAF for being drunk during a competition.

Why beach volleyball has cheerleaders dancing on the sidelines

You could call James O'Brien the Director of Fun at the London 2012 Games.

The London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games Head of Sport Presentation of Olympics is in charge of a carefully planned roster of music and entertainment at each sports venue and a staff of 1,200.

With tickets going for up to $700, organizers may have thought spectators needed more than just sweaty, grunting athletes. So the "fun factor" became a big sell.

"No Olympics has gone to such lengths to entertain its crowds," the Daily Telegraph reported this week.

Fencing, for example, was given a Star Wars makeover to create a "breathtaking" light show with each match, the British newspaper said.

The English National Ballet did a turn from Swam Lake before the gynmastics events.

Most head-turning have been the cheerleaders at the men's and women's beach volleyball, a plot of sand in the middle of the Horse Guards Parade in the heart of London.

O'Brien, who produced the MTV Europe Music Awards for 12 years, brought in Simon Cowell's X Factor choreographer and wardrobe and makeup professionals to fluff up the eye candy, mostly female but with one or two males, doing dance routines and tossing around beach balls on the sand sidelines.

Beach volleyball isn't the only sport with cheerleaders: Indoor Volleyball, Basketball, and Handball do, too. those sports, as well as Boxing, also have Street Dance teams performing before the event and during breaks.

O'Brien also programmed more than 2,000 songs played at various stadiums and indoor arenas during the Games, matching one of five themes he's working with: "world stage, heritage, prime time, energy and extreme."

Explained the U.K.'s UMusic: "more genteel sports such as tennis will be soundtracked by classical music and well-known songs by established acts. Gymnastics and swimming, which attract family audiences, will be accompanied by music from mainstream acts on big TV shows. Urban music will be the cheerleader for sports such as basketball and cycling.

Beach volleyball cheerleader/ AFP Getty Images

 

Who's that woman Ryan's with?

Sometimes you have someone on your lap in the car because the car is crowded.

This seems to be the possibility the tabloids overlooked in chronicling American swimmer Ryan Lochte's night on the town in London to celebrate his Olympic victories.

The Daily Mail, for example, ran a series of paparazzi snaps of a woman dressed in a skimpy blue striped top climbing over Lochte then sitting on his lap under the headline "Lochte Lovin." E! News reported the swimmer "appeared slightly disoriented" as the mystery woman climbed on to his lap

Turns out the fidgity woman is Megan Lochte Torrini, Ryan's 31-year-old big sister, BuzzFeed reports.

Olympics Wednesday: Here's what we're watching

Canada won two medals early today with Adam van Koeverden taking silver in the K1 1,000 and Mark Oldershaw bronze in the C1 1,000.

Carol Huynh sets out to defend her Olympic wrestling title in with all six rounds of the 48-kilogram going today starting at 8 a.m. The final is at 11:15 p.m. (all times Eastern).

Ian Millar and Beijing 2008 Olympic gold medallist Eric Lamaze begin the individual jumping event in equestrian at 7 a.m.

Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion, who captured bronze in the women's 10m synchronized diving last week, compete in the preliminary round of women’s 10m platform diving at 2 p.m.

Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake compete in the 200m semifinals alongside Canada’s Jared Connaughton and Aaron Brown. at 1 p.m.

In a men's basketball day with quarterfinals all day long. We begin at 9:15 a.m. with Russia-Lithuania, than France-Spain at 11:15 a.m., followed by  Brazil-Argentina at 3 p.m. and finishing with U.S.-Australia at 5:15 p.m. The Star's Doug Smith will be following the entire day online, so check thestar.com often for updates.