LONDON (AP) — Five things to know about Saturday, Day 1 of the London Olympics:
—Phelps squeaks into 400 IM final.
—Brits struggle in cycling as Vinokourov wins gold.
—Serena, Federer advance at All England Club.
—British men off to surprising start in gymnastics qualifying.
—Hey, there's a new Bond Girl! It's the Queen.
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The opening Olympic showdown between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte was almost a no-go.
Phelps almost failed to qualify for the 400-meter individual medley final, and Olympic champion Park Tae-hwan was reinstated after being disqualified for a false start in a dramatic opening to swimming in London.
"That one didn't feel too good," Phelps said after sliding into the night session by seven-hundredths of a second.
Park touched the wall first in his 400 freestyle heat and was surprised by his disqualification, saying, "I don't know why" after he walked off the deck. South Korea appealed to swimming's governing body, which reinstated Park after a video review.
Phelps, the two-time defending Olympic champion, won his heat in 4 minutes, 13.33 seconds with a time that was well off his world record of 4:03.84 set four years ago, when he won a record eight gold medals.
But it was only good enough to secure the last spot in the evening final, when Phelps will swim in Lane 8 instead of the middle of the pool. He breathes to his right, so he won't see the field coming home.
Kosuke Hagino of Japan paced qualifying in 4:10.01, a national record. Chad le Clos of South Africa was second at 4:12.24, and Lochte advanced in third at 4:12.35.
Lochte, the bronze medalist in Beijing, has won the 400 IM at the last two world championships.
"My first race is always the worst one," he said. "I'm glad I got the cobwebs out."
After hosting a dazzling opening ceremony Friday night, Britain got off to a shaky start on the first full day of action when favored cycling star Mark Cavendish finished 28th in the road race.
Kazakhstan's Alexander Vinokourov, who has said he will retire from cycling after the games, won gold. Rigoberto Uran of Colombia took silver, and Alexander Kristoff of Norway won a mass sprint for the bronze.
The clearly frustrated Cavendish coasted past an overflowing crowd at the finish on the Mall just outside of Buckingham Palace, then moved past a mountain of media members without offering a comment.
Wimbledon champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams each won their opening matches, albeit in much different fashions.
Federer, a four-time Olympian, overcame a jittery patch and beat Alejandro Falla of Colombia 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. The top-ranked Swiss star was a point from victory in the second set, then lost three of his next four service games. But he recovered in time to avoid the upset.
U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama watched from the front row of Williams' box as the fourth-seeded American beat former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-3, 6-1 on Centre Court.
Williams is aiming for her first gold medal in Olympic singles; she has won two gold medals in doubles with big sister Venus.
—Phelps squeaks into 400 IM final.
—Brits struggle in cycling as Vinokourov wins gold.
—Serena, Federer advance at All England Club.
—British men off to surprising start in gymnastics qualifying.
—Hey, there's a new Bond Girl! It's the Queen.
___
The opening Olympic showdown between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte was almost a no-go.
Phelps almost failed to qualify for the 400-meter individual medley final, and Olympic champion Park Tae-hwan was reinstated after being disqualified for a false start in a dramatic opening to swimming in London.
"That one didn't feel too good," Phelps said after sliding into the night session by seven-hundredths of a second.
Park touched the wall first in his 400 freestyle heat and was surprised by his disqualification, saying, "I don't know why" after he walked off the deck. South Korea appealed to swimming's governing body, which reinstated Park after a video review.
Phelps, the two-time defending Olympic champion, won his heat in 4 minutes, 13.33 seconds with a time that was well off his world record of 4:03.84 set four years ago, when he won a record eight gold medals.
But it was only good enough to secure the last spot in the evening final, when Phelps will swim in Lane 8 instead of the middle of the pool. He breathes to his right, so he won't see the field coming home.
Kosuke Hagino of Japan paced qualifying in 4:10.01, a national record. Chad le Clos of South Africa was second at 4:12.24, and Lochte advanced in third at 4:12.35.
Lochte, the bronze medalist in Beijing, has won the 400 IM at the last two world championships.
"My first race is always the worst one," he said. "I'm glad I got the cobwebs out."
After hosting a dazzling opening ceremony Friday night, Britain got off to a shaky start on the first full day of action when favored cycling star Mark Cavendish finished 28th in the road race.
Kazakhstan's Alexander Vinokourov, who has said he will retire from cycling after the games, won gold. Rigoberto Uran of Colombia took silver, and Alexander Kristoff of Norway won a mass sprint for the bronze.
The clearly frustrated Cavendish coasted past an overflowing crowd at the finish on the Mall just outside of Buckingham Palace, then moved past a mountain of media members without offering a comment.
Wimbledon champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams each won their opening matches, albeit in much different fashions.
Federer, a four-time Olympian, overcame a jittery patch and beat Alejandro Falla of Colombia 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. The top-ranked Swiss star was a point from victory in the second set, then lost three of his next four service games. But he recovered in time to avoid the upset.
U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama watched from the front row of Williams' box as the fourth-seeded American beat former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-3, 6-1 on Centre Court.
Williams is aiming for her first gold medal in Olympic singles; she has won two gold medals in doubles with big sister Venus.