Espinoza to Reboot Her Successful Taekwondo Career…

She may be considered Mexico’s best-ever Olympic female athlete, but that’s all in the past for Maria del Rosario Espinoza

The 25-year-old Mexican taekwondo practitioner – the only woman to win all possible titles in her sport – is planning to relaunch her athletic career from scratch as if she were starting off as a rookie.
Maria del Rosario Espinoza

“I’m going to clear the ledger and start all over, that’s how I handle myself and will handle myself,” said Espinoza, a double-medalist in Olympic taekwondo. “It’s like if the World (Championships) next year were the first, just like the next Olympic Games.”

Espinoza was one of the Mexican athletes to receive the National Sports Prize on Sunday from President Enrique Peña Nieto.

She most recently won a bronze medal in the 67-kilo class at the 2012 London Games over the summer, continuing a string of victories dating back to the 2007 World Championships and Pan American Games.

Espinoza won medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games.

She’s the only woman to win all the possible titles in her sport.

“I have a lot of things going for me now and the maturity can help me a lot in taking advantage of everything so that things will go well,” said Espinoza.

Craviotto Earns His First-Ever Individual Medal at the London Games

London Olympics 2012

Saúl Craviotto Rivero has paddled his way to a first individual medal at the 2012 Olympic Games

The 27-year-old Spanish sprint canoer earned the silver in the men’s 200m kayak final at the London Games, finishing a mere 0.294 seconds behind Britain’s Ed McKeever in the sport’s fastest and newest Olympic discipline.

Saul Craviotto Rivero

McKeever’s strong start may have been the difference in the race. He had the best start in the eight-man field and comfortably held on in a fierce headwind at Dorney Lake, finishing with a time of 36.246.

Canada’s Mark de Jonge took home the bronze with a time of 36.657.

Saul Craviotto Rivero

Craviotto, who has been racing since the mid 2000s, had previously won the gold medal in the K-2 500-meter event with Carlos Pérez at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Rentería Becomes Colombia’s Most Decorated Female Olympian

London Olympics 2012

Jackeline Rentería Castillo has a matching set of medals following her performance at the 2012 Olympic Games

The 26-year-old Colombian wrestler claimed the bronze medal in women’s wrestling on Thursday in the freestyle (55kg) category by defeating Ukraine’s Tatyana Lazareva.

Jackeline Rentería

Rentería, who failed to make it to the event’s final round after losing a tight match to Canada’s Tonya Lynn Verbeek, had to put up a serious fight to beat Lazareva.

When the final buzzer sounded, dozens of her compatriots cheered in the stands while Rentería ‘s coach jumped onto the canvas to embrace her and offer her a Colombian flag, which she proudly wrapped around herself.

Jackeline Rentería

“In the first place, I want to give infinite thanks to God,” said Rentería . “He promised me a long time ago that he was going to give me titles and this year he has given them to me. And here I am, thanks to him, celebrating this medal.”

Rentería could be experiencing a case of déjà vu… She won a bronze medal in the same category at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Jackeline Rentería

By repeating the feat at the London Games, she ties sport shooter Helmut Bellingrodt as the most decorated Colombian Olympians with two medals each.

“It’s a joy for me to be the first woman to do it and I also hope to be the first to get three,” said Rentería. “The road goes on and I’m already looking to Rio de Janeiro [the site of the 2016 Olympic Games].”

Chourraut Claims a Bronze in the Women’s Kayak Slalom

London Olympics 2012

Maialen Chourraut has given Spain its second Olympic medal in two days…

The 29-year-old Spanish slalom canoer earned the bronze medal in the women’s kayak slalom Thursday at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Maialen Chourrout

“This is the medal that I needed, said Chourraut at the end of competition. “This is for Spain.”

Chourraut, the 2009 world silver medalist, finished with a time of 106.87, about one second off gold medal winner, France’s Emilie Fer‘s time. Australia’s Jessica Fox won the silver.

Maialen Chourraut

It’s a vastly improved Olympic performance for Chourraut, who had previously competed in the K-1 event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where she was eliminated in the heats.

Pereira Swims to an Olympic Silver Medal in 400-Meter IM

London Olympics 2012

It may have been the first showdown between Americans Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps at the 2012 Summer Olympics… But when all was said and done in men’s 400-meter individual medley final, Thiago Pereira – not Phelps – was Lochte’s closest competitor…

The 26-year-old Brazilian swimmer won the silver medal after finishing a distant second to Lochte in Saturday’s final at the London Aquatic Center, while Phelps came in a disappointing fourth.

Thiago Pereira

Pereira earned a spot on the podium in part to a stellar performance in the breaststroke portion, which propelled him to move from fifth to second, leaving Phelps, eventual bronze-medalist Kosuke Hagino of Japan and South Africa’s Chad le Clos in his wake.

Lochte, who dominated the race from start to finish, touched the wall in 4:05.18, more than three seconds ahead of Pereira, who clocked in at 4:08.86.

Thiago Pereira

It’s Pereira’s first Olympic medal in his third swimming final. At 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, he reached the final of the 200-meter IM, finishing in fifth place. In the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, he again reached the final of the 200-meter IM, finishing fourth.