Olympics Notebook | Collapse costs boxer his chance to compete

BEIJING — One of the United States' best hopes for a boxing medal will not compete in the Olympics after collapsing early Friday morning in a final effort to make weight.

The coach of the U.S. boxing team, Dan Campbell, said Gary Russell Jr., 20, a two-time national champion, was trying to shave a few extra pounds to get down to the required weight for a bantamweight, 119 pounds, when he fainted at the Olympic Village.

Russell was found about 2:30 a.m. by his roommate and teammate, Luis Yanez, who alerted Campbell to call paramedics. They found him in what Campbell called an "extremely dehydrated" state. They fed him fluids and stabilized his blood pressure, Campbell said. Russell remained under medical attention through Friday morning. He was not cleared in time to attend the mandatory weigh-in. Russell has not had to fight at 119 since last November's world championships.

First golds of Games

Katerina Emmons of the Czech Republic won the first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics in the women's 10-meter air rifle Saturday after the home pressure got to defending champion Du Li of China.

"I am really glad that it's over," said the 24-year-old Emmons, who is married to Olympic champion shooter Matt Emmons of the U.S. and is the daughter of a two-time world champion shooting father. "It was really hard."

The Chinese delegation earned its first gold, in weightlifting, when Chen Xiexia won the women's 48 kg (105 pounds) category and set an Olympic record. She lifted 209 pounds in the snatch and 258 pounds in the clean and jerk. She set Olympic records in the latter event and for the total score.

Lucky wedding day

For more than a year, Zhao Gang and Liu Rui had hoped to get married at 8:08 a.m. on China's auspicious triple-eight date Friday. Problem was, so did more than 16,000 other Beijing couples.

The couple ended up having to settle for a slot later in the day, but that didn't diminish their joy.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Zhao, 30, after he and his bride received their marriage certificate at the Chaoyang District registry office in eastern Beijing.

The number eight has long been considered fortuitous in China, and after Beijing organizers chose Aug. 8 as the day for the Olympics to begin, many couples found an extra reason to get married Friday.

Notes

• Equestrian competitor Amy Tryon of Duvall, aboard horse Poggio II, finished dressage Day 1 morning competition in seventh place Saturday with a total score of 559. The leader was Lucinda Fredericks of Australia with 646. The U.S. team was second behind Australia.

• American cyclist David Zabriskie, who missed this year's Tour de France because of a broken back, dropped out of Saturday's Olympic road race after completing about half of the 152-mile route.

• A Greek sprinter failed a drug test a few days before the Olympics and could be removed from the games.

IOC medical commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist said Saturday he was notified that a male runner, identified by Greek television as 29-year-old Tassos Gousis, tested positive for a steroid Monday in Greece.

"The Greek anti-doping body has requested that the Greek athletics federation withdraw the athlete from the games," Ljungqvist told The Associated Press. "It was not an IOC test. It is a Greek affair. It is a national case."

• The opening ceremony audience of 91,000 at the stadium and 10,000 team members endured temperatures of 90 degrees and 88 percent humidity. The average high temperature on Aug. 8 in Beijing is about 84 degrees, according to the Weather Underground Inc. Web site. Pollution levels were almost twice the maximum recommended by the World Health Organization less than 24 hours before cyclists struggle for six hours over a 152-mile road race.