Peter Farkas (pictured above at right), who won the Gold Medal at the 1992 Games in the 82kg class of Greco-Roman wrestling, fled a Hungarian courtroom on November 3 during a break in the proceedings after being sentenced to a five-year prison term for operating a marijuana growing facility. The 40-year-old was arrested in 2004 along with his brother, Karoly (pictured at left). Karoly’s whereabouts are also unknown.

^{(photo © Newscom)}

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Former Olympian Flees Hungarian Prison Sentence

It came down to the last half-second, but the women of the Netherlands bested the American team 9-8 for the Gold Medal on Thursday in the final of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games women’s water polo contest. The star of the Dutch team was Danielle de Bruijn, who scored seven of the team’s nine goals, including the game clincher with just 26 seconds left on the clock.

The Bronze Medal went to the Australian team, who beat the Hungarian team on Wednesday for third place in the tournament.

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Dutch Women Win Water Polo Gold

Rebecca Soni of the United States set a new world record of 2:20.22 in her Gold Medal win in the women’s 200m breast stroke event. She was followed by Leisel Jones of Australia, the former world record holder, for the Silver Medal and Sara Nordenstam of Norway for the Bronze.

Germany’s Britta Steffen won the Gold Medal in the women’s 100m freestyle event, setting a new Olympic record of 53.12. She was followed by Lisbeth Trickett of Australia and Natalie Coughlin of the United States for the Silver and Bronze Medals. It was the first swimming Gold Medal for Germany in the Beijing Games.

It was a busy morning in Beijing for Ryan Lochte of the United States. He won the men’s 200m back stroke with a world record time of 1:53.94 and earned the Bronze in the 200m individual medley (see below). He was followed in the 200m back by Aaron Peirsol of the United States for the Silver Medal and Arkady Vyatchanin of Russia for the Bronze.

Of course, the lead story of the day–as it has been all week–is Michael Phelps. Phelps earned another Gold Medal–his 12th–in the men’s 200m individual medley. Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh earned the Silver Medal, his third Medal of the Beijing Games, and Ryan Lochte earned the Bronze Medal.

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Scenes from the Water Cube – August 15

Swedish wrestler, Ara Abrahamian came to win Gold and didn’t want anything to do with the Bronze Medal he was awarded in the 84kg category of the Greco-Roman wrestling event. Although he grudgingly mounted the medal stand, he tossed his medal on the mat after the ceremony and walked away.

Said Abrahamian, a two-time world champion, to Reuters News Agency, “I think the semifinal shows that FILA (world wrestling governing body) does not play fair. I didn’t deserve to lose. The system is corrupt.”

Unfortunately, his outburst is overshadowing the Gold Medal performance of Andrea Minguzzi of Italy and that of Silver Medalist, Zoltan Fodor of Hungary. It also shows an appalling lack of sportsmanship. The IOC indicated that there would be a disciplinary hearing about the incident.

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Swedish Wrestler Rejects Bronze Medal

Federica Pellegrini of Italy took the Gold Medal in the women’s 200m freestyle event, with a world record time of 1:54.82. Pellegrini was the Silver Medalist in this event at the Athens Games.

Slovenia’s Sara Isakovic earned the Silver Medal and Jiaying Pang of China was awarded the Bronze.

Australia’s Stephanie Rice picked up her second Gold Medal of the Beijing Games with a win in the 200m women’s individual medley, clocking a world record time of 2:08.45. Just behind her was Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, followed by Natalie Couglin of the United States. Rice won Gold earlier in the week in the women’s 400m individual medley.

Michael Phelps led off the American team in the men’s 4×200m freestyle event and after that it was never a contest for the Gold. The American team, which also included Ryan Lochte, Ricky Bevens, and Peter Vanderkaay, shattered the world record with a time of 6:58.56.

The Silver Medal went to the Russian team and the Bronze Medal was awarded to the Australians.

Michael Phelps also earned Gold in the men’s 200m butterfly event, with a world record time of 1:52.03. He was followed by Laszlo Cseh of Hungary for the Silver Medal and Takeshi Matsuda of Japan for the Bronze.

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Scenes from the Water Cube – August 13