Nadal pulls out of London Games

Saddest moment of my career, says current Olympic champion.

LONDON:

Reigning Olympic champion Rafael Nadal will miss the London Olympics after failing to recover from injury.

Nadal, who won the singles gold medal in Beijing four years ago, said that he had failed to recover from a knee problem.

“I am not in a condition to be able to compete,” said the Spaniard in a statement. “It is one of the saddest moments of my career.”

Woods, Donald eyeing Rio’s 2016 Olympics party

The world’s top golfers are fully focused on this week’s British Open but just eight days before the start of the London Games they are relishing the chance to join the Olympic party in 2016.

Golf will return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904 in Rio de Janeiro and Open favourite Tiger Woods would love to be a part of it.

“I hope I can qualify,” said the American former world number one. “I’ll be 40 by then. It will be something that I’ve never experienced. I would love to be able to have a chance to represent my country in the Olympic Games.”

World number one Luke Donald, seeking his first major championship at Lytham, sampled some of the atmosphere in the build-up to the London Games.

“I was in London the week before last, got to watch Wimbledon and got to walk around the town a little bit and there was already a good atmosphere with all the countries’ flags down Regent’s Street,” said the Englishman. “It’s very festive right now and hopefully the sun will break out and show London as the great place that it is. It’s exciting for the country and hopefully it’s a very successful Olympics. Hopefully in four years maybe I’m a part of that in Rio.”

Brazil to test Team GB in football friendly

Meanwhile, the Great Britain football team will play their lone warm-up match against Brazil at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium today.

Team GB lost their recent first friendly by the only goal to Mexico, and manager Stuart Pearce is looking for his side to build on what he described as an ‘encouraging performance’ against the Central Americans.

“The experience of playing together as a group against Mexico has been a big help,” said Pearce. “I want to see us push on form that display now when we face Brazil.”

Team GB begin their Olympic tournament against Senegal at Old Trafford on July 26 and also face the UAE and Uruguay in the group stage.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2012.