South Africa rowers Sizwe Ndlovu, left, and John Smith embrace after winning the gold medal in the men's lightweight four rowing final at the London 2012 Summer Olympics in Eton Dorney, near Windsor, England, on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Damien Meyer, Pool)
South Africa rowers Sizwe Ndlovu, left, and John Smith embrace after winning the gold medal in the men's lightweight four rowing final at the London 2012 Summer Olympics in Eton Dorney, near Windsor, England, on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Damien Meyer, Pool)
U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas displays her gold medal during the artistic gymnastics women's individual all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
April Ross of the United States spins the ball during a beach volleyball match against Spain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Australia's Jessica Fox competes in the women's K-1 kayak slalom semifinal at the Lee Valley White Water Center at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012, in Waltham Cross, near London. Fox won the silver medal in the final. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)
U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's individual all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
LONDON (AP) ? Around the 2012 Olympics and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of the games to you:
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RACE AND THE RACE
It was an Olympic scene like so many other celebrations by medal winners: fist-pumping, broad smiles, embraces. Except this team was from South Africa, and its members were both white and black.
The images of John Smith, a white rower, throwing his arms around black teammate Sizwe Ndlovu after their four-man crew won the gold Thursday in men's lightweight four rowing shows how far this country ? once banned from the Olympics because of its apartheid government ? has come. After the South Africans edged a British crew by 0.25 seconds, Ndlovu leaped into the arms of each of his crew.
Back home, national pride is superseding lingering racial divisions as South Africans cheer on their Olympic athletes and their (so far) three gold medals. One black woman in Johannesburg describes watching on TV as white South African Chad le Clos challenged Michael Phelps in the 200-meter butterfly and beat the American champion by five-hundredths of a second for the gold medal.
"I stood up from my chair and I was shouting, 'Go! Go!," Mary Jane Maharana says.
Eighteen years after white rule collapsed in South Africa, racial tensions still exist. Unemployment is high and the economy is controlled mostly by whites. Nelson Mandela's efforts to unify South Africa under its Springboks rugby team during the 1995 World Cup notwithstanding, whites generally follow rugby and blacks tend to prefer soccer.
But these days, the Olympics are helping South Africans root together. Consider this statement by Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, reported by the South African Press Association: "We are proud of the four young rowers who made our flag to rise above all and our national anthem to be sung louder."
? Andrew O. Selsky in Johannesburg ? Twitter http://twitter.com/andrewselsky
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A WIN AND A SMILE
Gabby Douglas' smile widened after each routine, her confidence growing as she moved closer and closer to the gold medal.
When she finished her floor routine, she flashed her pearly whites in what's certainly now a million-dollar smile.
Douglas won the gold medal in women's all-around on Thursday, a victory that will likely earn her a ton of endorsements and cements her as one of America's biggest stars of this games.
? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer
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STADIUM TOUR
The U.S. women's soccer team got to stand around in awe for a third time at these Olympics.
The Americans were given a walkthrough Thursday of their next venue ? St. James' Park, home of Newcastle United, where they will play New Zealand on Friday.
The players stood on the field for about 15 minutes, as they had done before at Old Trafford in Manchester and Hampden Park in Glasgow. Dozens of photos were taken, hugs were exchanged and some players did handstands.
One thing was different: Forward Abby Wambach wore extremely reflective sunglasses, so several players gathered around her, trying to take a photo of the stadium's enormous Olympic rings reflecting off her cool shades.
? Joseph White ? Twitter: http://twitter.com/jgwhiteap
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MOM KNOWS BEST
Count on a mom to know what's really up with her athlete offspring.
The mother of three-time Olympic diver Alexandre Despatie says his accident on the 3-meter springboard in Madrid in June was "way more serious than people know."
Despatie, a two-time silver medalist, lost his balance on takeoff and hit his head on the board in mid-June. His mom, Christiane, says her son needed at least 60 stitches to close an ear-to-ear gash on his scalp.
"It's back to normal," she says.
The Canadian didn't resume training until two weeks ago and was previously sidelined for nine months by a knee injury.
"He was probably the only one believing that he would make it," Christiane Despatie said while visiting the P&G House for mothers of Olympic athletes in London.
Despatie and partner Reuben Ross finished sixth on 3-meter synchro springboard at the London Olympics.
? Beth Harris ? Twitter http://twitter.com/bethharrisap
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MEDAL COUNT
China remained firmly ahead in the number of golds Thursday ? 18 to 14 for the U.S.
In overall medals, the U.S. started the day one medal behind China, then briefly led 31-30, then dropped back to one behind China again at 31-32.
Britain made the biggest jump of the day, rising from 12th place in the overall medals count this morning to 5th in the afternoon. And with eight more golds being handed out later Thursday ?including a host of cycling events ? the U.K. has plenty of room to rise further.
? Sheila Norman-Culp ? Twitter: http://twitter.com/snormanculp
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WATER WAY TO INSPIRE
It must be the gold medal effect: Hours after British pair Etienne Stott and Tim Baillie paddled to an Olympic title in the canoe slalom, Britain's National Water Sports Center said it had been flooded with calls from budding competitors.
"Today alone, we have had around a dozen inquiries from people," said center manager Phil Machin. "These figures are in just one day ? so it bodes well for the future."
Run by Nottinghamshire County Council in central England, the center offers instruction in canoeing, kayaking and sailing for eager kids and medal winners alike.
Stott and Baillie, and Britain's David Florence and Richard Hounslow ? who took the silver medal ? have all trained at the center.
? David Stringer - Twitter http://twitter.com/david_stringer
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WISH THEY WERE THERE?
Here's a band that won't be playing the Olympic closing ceremony.
Pink Floyd has released a statement "in response to press speculation" stating that "the band is NOT performing at the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games."
One of the biggest British bands of the 1970s and 80s, Pink Floyd reformed for the first time in 25 years to play the Live 8 concert in 2005.
The Aug. 12 ceremony is themed "A Symphony of British Music," and will feature a jukebox of iconic British songs, with performances from a host of acts including The Who.
? Jill Lawless ? Twitter http://twitter.com/JillLawless
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WILLS, KATE, HARRY
SPOTTED: Prince William, his wife Kate and brother Prince Harry have just arrived at the Velodrome.
? Masha Macpherson
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RWANDA'S MOUNTAIN BIKER
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part."
Few typify that motto quite like Rwandan cyclist Adrien Niyonshuti.
He was just seven when genocide tore his country apart in 1994 in violence that left almost a million people dead, including six of his brothers.
The 25-year-old is preparing to compete in the cross-country mountain biking. But you won't find him in London.
After carrying his national flag at the opening ceremony, he flew to Tuscany, where he's been training with Thomas Frischknecht, a former world champion mountain biker and Jock Boyer, the first American to compete in the Tour de France.
? James Clasper ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jamesclasper
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PROUD SPECTATOR
She failed to make the all-around women's finals, but Jordyn Wieber didn't turn her back on her American teammates.
The reigning world champion sat in the crowd Thursday to cheer on Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman, who claimed the two U.S. spots in the competition.
Wieber was joined by McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross and the women's coaching staff.
? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer
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WHERE'S BOLT? NOT IN HACKNEY
The quest to catch the fastest man in the world stretched to Hackney, three stops on the overground train away from Olympic Park.
The Jamaican community has a strong presence in Hackney, and Eaton's Jerk Corner is supposed to have the best native cooking around. But the three-person staff seemed embarrassed when asked if Bolt had been by: "Nooooo," boss Yulan said as she sheepishly shook her head. "He don't come here."
But her cook had an idea. He knows a guy, he called him "the governor," and he maybe could get Bolt to swing over for a meeting. He made the call.
"Leave your number, my lady," the cook said. "Maybe Usain will come by to celebrate."
Before leaving Hackney, a check was made at Upper Cut, a barbershop where the Jamaican flag hung proudly on the wall. He wasn't in there, either.
The seach goes on.
The Shropshire Star is reporting Bolt sprung for McDonalds for an Olympic volunteer while he was training in Birmingham, central England. Next stop, the Golden Arches.
? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer
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THUNDER DROME
Inside the Velodrome, a striking building home to the men's and women's team cycling sprints on Thursday. Its concave roof dips low in the middle and the 6,000 seats are right on top of the action.
The track promised to be a fast one, and that's proven to be the case in the time trials so far. The Ukrainian women's team set an Olympic record in the second heat, and the marks kept falling from there.
Britain got the crowd roaring with a world record (32.526 seconds) two heats later, but that stood for all of a minute. China came back in the next heat with an even faster time (32.447 seconds).
And it's hot! The temperature on the track has been turned up past 82F (27.8C) to create denser air to keep the riders glued to the track at top speeds. The way these riders are flying, it's only going to get hotter.
? Jon Krawczynski ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/APKrawczynski
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HOSTING PUTIN
David Cameron knows how to be a good host.
The British prime minister took Russian President Vladimir Putin to see the Olympic judo competition on Thursday ? but joked there's no way he would step onto the tatami with his tough-guy counterpart.
Putin has been a judo competitor since childhood, eventually gaining the rank of black belt.
Cameron, who prefers jogging, tennis and horse-riding, insisted the two leaders wouldn't be grappling themselves.
"I am delighted to be taking the president to the judo, but note that we will be spectators ? and not participants," Cameron joked, as the men left talks at Downing Street to head to the Olympic competition.
? David Stringer - Twitter http://twitter.com/david_stringer
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AN ALL-CHINA FINAL
Chuang Chih-Yuan of Taiwan played Thursday's pingpong semifinal against Wang Hao of China. Chuang lost, meaning Wang will face compatriot Zhang Jike in an all-China final.
Had Chuang won, it would have added a bit of politics into the mix.
Taiwan is a self-governing democratic island, which split from China amid civil war in 1949. China, however, regards Taiwan as a renegade province. A final between China and Taiwan would have raised all kinds of interesting questions.
For example: Large parts of the world would not have seen it as an all-China final, though that's certainly how China would have seen it.
Taiwan doesn't even get to use its flag or real name in the Olympics, where it is identified as "Chinese Taipei."
? Stephen Wade ? Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP
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EDITOR'S NOTE ? "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.
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