'I have probably made the Produnova vault more famous than Elena Produnova ever did' 'I am kind of dreading going home empty-handed' 'There has been a lot of sadness and pain over the last four days. If I had won a medal, then I would have been in a rush to go back (and show it to everyone)'
Foreign Service Officer Robert Orris Blake, Jr, who is currently the United States' Ambassador to Sri Lanka, before which he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in New Delhi from 2003 to 2006, is the top contender for the post of the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, currently held by diplomat Richard Boucher.
Here's the round-up of this week's hottest stories from the glamour business! :-)
Assistant US Secretary of State Robert Blake said that both the sides hoped to sign the end-use monitoring agreement in defence field under which the US would be able to supply sensitive technology to India.
South Africa's squad for the 12th hockey World Cup in New Delhi.
Tyson Gay ran a world leading 9.77 seconds to win the 100 metres at Rome's Golden Gala on Friday and show Olympic champion Usain Bolt that he will not surrender his world sprint titles without a fight next month. The American had to be in good form to see off Bolt's Jamaican compatriot and former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell, who ran 9.88 despite saying beforehand was not fully fit after suffering an ankle injury over two months ago.
Ivo Karlovic and Marin Cilic won five-set marathons at home to put Croatia 2-0 ahead of 32-time champions United States, while Israel stunned favoured Russia to also lead 2-0 in the Davis Cup quarter-finals on Friday. Champions Spain were held to 1-1 by Germany in Marbella, and the Czech Republic and Argentina were tied after the opening two singles in their best of five tie.
India put up a valiant fight before defending champions Australia pipped them 3-2 in an absorbing encounter in the six-nation Champions Trophy hockey tournament, in Breda, the Netherlands, on Wednesday.
Reputations counted for little at the French Open on Thursday when Amelie Mauresmo, James Blake and David Nalbandian were toppled by opponents ranked outside the world's top 75.
French Open champions Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy fell at the first hurdle in the men's doubles at Wimbledon, losing to James Blake and Mardy Fish on Thursday. The third seeded pair, who was losing semi-finalists at the championships last year, were handed a 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 drubbing by the unseeded Americans.
The family of African American Freddie Gray in Baltimore has condemned the violence that spread across the city after his funeral following his death from a severe spinal injury he suffered in police custody a week ago.
Compatriot Ronnie Baker, who had set the previous fastest 100m of the year nine days ago, was second in 9.93 seconds, with Jamaica's Yohan Blake third a further hundredth of a second back.
India's highest ranked squash player Joshna Chinappa made it to the final qualifying of the main draw in the US $25,9000 Harrow Greenwich Open. She came from behind to get the better of a fighting Alexandra Norman of England 8-11, 13-11, 11-9, 19-21, 11-6 in 64 minutes in Connecticut on Tuesday night.
World number one Rafael Nadal was handed a walkover into the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open on Thursday when his third-round opponent Philipp Kohlschreiber was forced out of the claycourt event with a left leg injury. Nadal was joined in the last eight by world number two Roger Federer, a 6-2, 6-4 winner over James Blake, and Andy Murray, who coped well with blustery conditions in the Magic Box stadium to dispatch Spanish 16th seed Tommy Robredo 7-5, 6-1.
Hindi lyrics are no bar to the global appeal of his music.
A weekly round-up that brings to you the latest news on models, designers and actors from the world of glamour and entertainment.
The 67th annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place at the Microsoft Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, California, on September 20.
Argentine David Nalbandian and France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will battle it out for the last Masters Cup spot in the final of the Paris Masters after winning their semi-final matches on Saturday. Nalbandian battled for a 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Russian world number six Nikolay Davydenko, while local favourite Tsonga advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of James Blake. The result ended the American's hopes of qualifying for the season-ending tournament.
Hopes of a dream final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were dashed on Friday when the top two seeds pulled out injured from their quarter-final matches at the Paris Masters. Federer withdrew with a back injury a few hours before his match against American James Blake, while Nadal quit his showdown with world number six Nikolay Davydenko after losing the first set 6-1.
'Physically I am alright, there is a little bit of pain, but nothing a massage can't cure, I'm taking it easy," Bolt said of his condition two days after finishing third despite clocking his season's best-equalling 9.95 seconds in the 100m final'
Akeem Bloomfield announced himself as the latest 'next big thing' from Jamaica
Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori reached his first ATP semi-final with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Bobby Reynolds.
Roger Federer dismissed unseeded Italian Simone Bolelli 6-2, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors in Basel on Friday to maintain his bid for a third straight triumph in his hometown tournament. Federer's route to the final was also made easier -- on paper at least -- when his expected semi-final opponent, American fourth seed James Blake, suffered a 6-4, 7-6 defeat by Spain's Feliciano Lopez.
Andy Murray became the first British champion at Queen's Club for 71 years on Sunday when he beat American James Blake 7-5, 6-4 in the final of the grasscourt event. With just over a week to go before Wimbledon begins on June 22, the victory will provide the world number three with a much-needed boost as he aims to end the stranglehold of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the All England Club.
With uncertainty hovering over India's participation in next month's Artistic Gymnastic World Championship, top gymnasts Rakesh Patra and Dipa Karmakar feel not taking part in the competition will affect their preparations for the Tokyo Olympics.
The Indo-Bahamian duo lost 2-6, 3-6 to the American pair of James Blake and Mardy Fish in the pre-quarter-finals. Leander Paes, the other Indian in the fray, and his new Spanish partner Tommy Robredo got a first round bye. They face the formidable third seeded Israeli duo of Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram in the pre-quarter-finals.
Mardy Fish handed the French 32nd seed a 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 drubbing in the fourth round of the US Open.
Andy Roddick's rare victory over world number one Roger Federer last week has boosted his confidence in time for this weekend's Davis Cup quarter-finals where he will pilot holders the United States against France. Eight of the world's top 10 players will line up for the four ties being played from Friday to Sunday.
Switzerland's Roger Federer won the Olympic gold medal he craved on Saturday when he and partner Stanislas Wawrinka beat Swedes Simon Aspelin and Thomas Johansson 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 in the men's doubles final.
Bjorn Borg and Roger Federer will team up for the showdown of champions at the exhibition event on the BlackRock Tour of Champions.
The scratch pair go down in straight sets in Memphis
Usain Bolt secured a sweep of the three men's sprint titles for a third successive Olympics when Jamaica successfully defended their 4x100 meters relay title in 37.27 seconds on Friday.
World number one Roger Federer swept into the final of the Halle Open with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Nicolas Kiefer.
An Internet sensation, Lilly Singh worked her charm on the red carpet.
The world's first sleeveless cricket top will give Ricky Ponting's side increased muscle support and comfort at all temperatures.
Indian athletes have so far (Monday) not being able to win a single medal at Rio Olympics. But there are two performances- Dipa Karmaka's historic 4th place finish in Artistic Gymnastics and Lalita Babar finishing at a respectable 10th spot in 3000m Steeplechase- because these performances have come in events in which India had no significant performances in the past. Former cricketer Virender Sehwag, who has been active on social media, made a special request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Independence Day to honour these two athletes.
The only former champion in the women's draw, Serena Williams, was ousted in the second round of the French Open.
Leander Paes and Tommy Robredo held their nerves in the super-tie breaker to stun third seed Israeli duo of Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram and book a quarterfinal berth in the Euro 2,270,000 Hamburg ATP Master Series event on Wednesday night.
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