Palo Alto’s Zhang opens with a victory in table tennis

Palo Alto’s Lily Zhang opened Olympic table tennis competition with an 11-3, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 victory over Venezuela’s Gremlis Arvelo on Saturday as the 2016 Rio Olympic Games began in full force.

The 20-year-old Zhang, in her second Olympics, followed that with an 11-4, 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 victory over Portugal’s Jieni Shao. She had to overcome a four-point deficit in the second game and then controlled play from there. The match lasted 26 minutes.

Against Arvelo, Zhang trailed by one in the second game and two in the fourth game, easily overcoming both deficits. She led by as many as eight in game one, six in games two and three and four in the final game.

Zhang, who needed 17 minutes to finish Arvelo off, recorded seven straight points during the first game and six in the second set and last game.

Zhang meets Korea’s Hyowon Suh in Sunday’s third round.

Women’s soccer

Carli Lloyd scored in the 63rd minute and the United States women’s soccer team downed France, 1-0. The Americans meet Colombia on Tuesday.

Stanford grad Kelley O’Hara started the scoring sequence when she sent a ball into the French area. That led to Tobin Heath’s shot that tipped off the post, giving Lloyd the opportunity.

Men’s water polo

Stanford grad and five-time Olympian Tony Azevedo scored twice but the U.S. Olympic men’s water polo team dropped a 7-5 decision to Croatia on the first day of pool play. Cardinal grads Alex Bowen and Bret Bonanni also scored.

The Americans will meet Spain on Monday at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Center.

Women’s swimming

Cardinal grad Maya DiRado won her heat of the 400 IM in 4:33.50, qualifying for the final with the third-best overall time.

DiRado earned the silver medal in the final, swimming 4:31.15. Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu won gold with a world record time of 4:26.36.

DiRado is the third Cardinal to earn a medal in the 400 IM as she joins Summer Sanders, who garnered bronze in Spain in 1992, and Janet Evans, who captured gold in Korea in 1988.

Stanford’s Katie Ledecky and Lia Neal helped the Americans 4×100 free relay team qualify for the final. Team USA went 3:33.59, finishing second to Australia’s Olympic record 3:32.39. The Aussies also own the world record in the event.

Stanford sophomore Simone Manuel replaced Neal for the final and the U.S. clinched another silver, completing the relay in 3:31.89. The Aussies won in world record time (3:30.65).

DiRado missed tying the American record by .03 seconds. She was ahead of world-record pace until the final 50 meters.

Team USA’s 400 free relay team set an American record in the finals.

Women’s volleyball

The Americans women’s volleyball team opened with a three-set sweep of Puerto Rico, 25-17, 25-22, 25-17.

Stanford grad Foluke Akinradewo recorded 10 points on nine kills and a block for the U.S., which plays the Netherlands on Monday.

Fencing

Stanford grad Vivian Kong, competing for Hong Kong, opened fencing competition in epee with a 15-10 victory over Russia’s Lyubov Shutova in the Round of 32 before falling to Italy’s Rossella Fiamingo, 15-11, in the Round of 16.

Fiamingo went on to earn the silver medal after reaching the championship match.

Women’s basketball

In women’s basketball, Turkey dropped a 55-39 decision to France in the first round of pool play. Stanford grad Sebnem Kimyacioglu had a pair of rebounds for the Turks.

Women’s rugby

The U.S. women’s rugby sevens team dropped a tough, 12-7, decision to Fiji in its opener.

The U.S. came back to down Colombia, 48-0, with Alev Kelter scoring 14 and Kathryn Johnson adding 10.

Stanford grad Victoria Folayan started at back for the Americans, who face Australia on Sunday.

General

Virginia Thrasher, a sophomore at West Virginia, earned the gold medal, the first of the Olympics, in the women’s 10-meter air rifle competition. She won the NCAA championship earlier this year.

By Palo Alto Online Sports

By Palo Alto Online Sports

By Palo Alto Online Sports