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Live coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games - Tuesday, July 31

By: KentOnline reporter multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 03:00, 30 July 2012

Bryony Shaw

by Alex Hoad at the Olympic Park

10pm - Tomorrow is another huge day for Kent Olympians and hopes are high of a second medal in successive days.

Tom Ransley and the Great Britain men's eight are in action in the final, which is due-off around 10.30am, with the task of overhauling their arch-nemesis Germany in the battle for gold.

The USA, Canada, Netherlands and Australia are also dangerous opponents however, so I hope Tom's tucked up in bed already.

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There's also Bexley weightlifter Jack Oliver in the 77kg competition at ExCel from 10am while Bryony Shaw has another two races in the RS-X windsurfing class and Ashley Jackson and the GB hockey men will look to make it two wins from two against South Africa at the Riverbank Arena at 4pm.

And Ryan Bertrand and Team GB will face Uruguay needing just a point to reach the quarter-finals of the football competition in Cardiff at 7.45pm.

Phew. Lots to look forward to. See you in the morning from Eton Dorney.

9.50pm - William Fox-Pitt claimed this evening that his third Olympic team medal was the most special of them all.

He said: "I think this one is a particularly special one. I think none of us will ever experience the crowds at Greenwich again.

"The atmosphere there was just unbelievable. They literally carried you round the course on a wave of screams and roars.

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"You just felt so proud and so lucky to be competing. It’s particularly special, although it’s very sad it’s over."

9.47pm - Ellen Gandy has revealed she feels 'empty' after her disappointing heats exit this morning.

In a message to her supporters on twitter she however added 'onwards and upwards' and said she may appear in a relay event.

9.45pm - Huge apologies for the lack of text updates. The last 24 hours have been beset by technical difficulties. However you can get live updates from @kentonline2012 too don't forget.

Bryony Shaw was sixth in her second race, although behind her main rivals for the prizes, leaving her with ground to make up, but plenty of time to do it.

Sean King impressed as GB put up a good fight before going down 21-7 against Serbia in the Water Polo Arena earlier, while Claire Rafferty was an unused sub as Team GB's women produced a superb and historic 1-0 win over Brazil infront of more than 70,000 fans at Wembley.

The win - their third of three group games - secured a favourable quarter-final tie with Canada at Coventry on Friday night. A great night for the sport in the UK, tonight.

2.35pm - Bryony Shaw (pictured) finishes seventh in race one of the RS-X windsurfing event in Weymouth. Solid start, though she was third at one stage.

Two races each day, don't forget, so more action to come later.

2pm - Sad to hear that Ellen Gandy felt like she 'had been hit by a truck' midway through that race this morning.

It wasn't a nice thing to watch, if I'm completely honest with you.

Anyway, onwards and upwards, we have our first Kent medal and Bryony Shaw is off in the windsurfing at about 2.20pm. She's won one before, let's hope she can do it again!

I'll update you on her fortunes later, while I'll also let you know how Sean King and the GB waterpolo side fair against Serbia (who are very good, by the way!) and whether Claire Rafferty gets a deserved run-out in the footballers' final group game against Brazil at Wembley. Special day for her!

1.25pm - You can click here to read all about William Fox-Pitt's third Olympic medal.

Shame he missed out on a place in the show jumping individual final to Zara Phillips. however. Only the top three from each country qualify for the Individual final and Zara pipped him by just 0.2pts. Fox-Pitt was 15th in the show jumping, 22nd in the cross-country and joint-17th in the dressage.

12.55pm - WILLIAM FOX-PITT AND THE GB EVENTING TEAM TAKE THE SILVER MEDAL.

Fine final round from Tina Cook is enough to hold of the threat of New Zealand and sees GB take second behind Germany.

A third eventing team medal at the Olympics for the Canterbury-born World No1 - he now has two silvers and a bronze.

12.45pm - Busy this Olympics malarkey isn't it? Jen Wilson's South Africa unfortunately lost 4-1 to NZ to make it two defeats from two in their women's hockey group at the Riverbank Arena.

Meanwhile Tunbridge Wells' Bryony Shaw's RS:X windsurfing competition is under way at Weymouth. Two races a day for the next week. Can she repeat her bronze medal heroics from Beijing?

Equestrian final round is underway... moments away from medals being decided.

12.39pm - State of play is that GB are in silver, just 0.2 marks ahead of NZ, with Sweden a further 11 points back, with one rider left to go.

We want NZ and Sweden to knock some fences over, right? Great.

12.30pm -No gold for William Fox-Pitt I'm afraid. Germany take the team title. But it could be a silver to add to silver and bronze he already has.

11.50am - The tide is turning slightly against Britain at Greenwich Park.

Zara Phillips nicked-off a fence and picked up a slight time penalty, and soon after the German rider recorded a 'double-clear' to strengthen their grip on Gold.

11.30am - Ok. Phew. Equestrian. William Fox-Pitt gave Britain's eventing team the perfect start with a clear round at the show jumping at Greenwich.

Basically every pole you knock off adds points to your score, and the lower your final score the better. William's timed score of 53.3 was free of any additions and put him into the early lead while enhancing BG's chances of overhauling leaders Germany.

However it is very finely poised with Sweden and New Zealand within striking difference of GB should the make a mistake.

All five team members will ride, but only the best three scores will count. Got that? Good.

After his round, Fox-Pitt said: "Lionheart has come out bouncing today. He was fantastic and it's great to finish on a good note. My score is there but hopefully it will not be needed."

We could do with Germany clattering a few fences and the other GB riders going clear, ideally, if we are to see our first Kent gold of the Games, and the first Olympic gold of WFP's glittering career.

Meanwhile Click here to read the full story of Gandy's exit.

Oh, and I'm afraid to say Jen Wilson and South Africa are 3-0 down to NZ in the women's hockey during the second half.

11.15am - Ellen Gandy has been sensationally knocked out of the Olympic Games.

Ellen Gandy, Olympic swimmer

The 20-year-old from Bromley was leading through the first three-quarters of her 200m butterfly heat here at the Aquatics Centre but looked to hit the wall and a slow final 50m saw her drop from first to fifth and she ended up missing a place in the semi-finals by 0.59 seconds.

For context, Gandy (pictured) was the World Championship silver-medallist last year, holds the European record and has failed to make the last 16. Incredible scenes.

Sadly, the techy problems continue I'm afraid. Though I'm updating twitter regularly, so check there.

Tuesday 7.35am -Apologies for the technical problems with the KentOnline text updates last night. Hopefully it will all be sorted this morning.

Very quickly need to tell you we have Ellen Gandy swimming in the heats of the 200m butterfly at the Aquatics Centre shortly after 10.30am, there's also Jen Wilson's South Africa hockey girls facing New Zealand around the same time at the Riverbank Arena while William Fox-Pitt (pictured)and the GB team chase that eventing medal, with the jumping beginning at Greenwich Park around 10.30am too. Phew.

Bryony Shaw's attempt at a RS:X windsurfing medal begins at Weymouth later today and on a packed day there is also GB waterpolo involving Sean King this evening with Claire Rafferty and GB's women footballers facing Brazil at Wembley (7.45pm).

Should Gandy progress from her heats I'll also bring you coverage of her semi-final some time after 8pm tonight.

I'll post live updates on twitter @kentonline2012 - and will update here as much as technology allows!

8.40pm:Ashley Jackson was in fine form as Great Britain's men got off to a perfect start in their Olympic hockey group, beating old foes Argentina 4-1 at the Riverbank.

6.15pm: William Fox-Pitt produced a solid yet unspectacular round which was 22nd in the individual rankings but enough to secure the silver medal spot after the second of the three eventing disciplines at Greenwich Park. Showjumping takes place on Tuesday.

5.50pm - I'm in position at the Riverbank.

Elsewhere the fourth of the five riders in the GB eventing team has gone. Tina Cook produced a superb ride over the 28-jumps at Greenwich Park to launch Britain back above Germany at the top of the team standings, though the Germans have just retaken the lead by 5.7pts.

Six more riders until William Fox-Pitt goes on Lionheart, just after 6pm.

5pm - Just two hours until Ashley Jackson and GB's men take on Argentina at the Riverbank.

An hour or so before that William Fox-Pitt will go in the cross-country. His start time has been put back again to 5.59pm while GB have been overhauled by Germany and now sit second in the team standings. Boo.

4.15pm - A fine round from Zara Phillips has strengthened Britain's grip on the top of the team standings in the cross-country at Greenwich Park.

Three of five GBR riders gone and all three sit in top-10 individually.

3.05pm - William Fox-Pitt's start time for the cross-country at Greenwich Park has been put back to 5.50pm.

The entire competition has been delayed after an injury to a horse on the course.

Fox-Pitt's British eventing teammates Nicola Wilson and Mary King have already gone, with Wilson sitting sixth and King leading the individual tables, to leave Britain top of the team table.

This is good news.

2.50pm - Afternoon. Back at the Olympic Park at last. It would appear I'm one of the few journalists in the world who is not currently trying to get into the synchronised diving which starts in 10 minutes. I know better than that. I'd much rather be here in the Main Press Centre updating you on Kent happenings.

First off, an interesting development in the women's hockey. Canterbury player Nat Seymour, from Maidstone, was named as the outfield reserve for GB after missing out on a place in the original 16. Teammate and goalkeeper Abi Walker is the other reserve.

Reserves can only be called upon if a player is medically ruled out of the tournament. Well, GB skipper Kate Walsh has today undergone surgry on a fractured jaw suffered in last night's opening 4-0 win over Japan.

It seems the injury itself, and the subsequent plate she's had in her face would not necessarily prevent her from playing hockey, but the important factor is whether she can satisfactorily recover from the surgery in time to play. Time will tell, it seems.

Of course, I'll bring you any update on the situation just as soon as I have it.

11.51am - About to pack up and head back to the Olympic Park, but first a reminder of what's still to come.

The team eventing resumes in about half-an-hour with William Fox-Pitt's GB teammates aiming to cement, and maybe improve upon, their third place after the dressage.

The Canterbury-born star himself is off on Lionheart at 5.14pm, looking to climb from 17th on the individual leaderboard.

This evening hockey star Ashley Jackson will make his first apperance of the tournament as GB face Argentina at the Riverbank Arena (7pm).

Click here for the full story about Ransley's progress to the Olympic final.

11.20am - I'd love to be able to tell you that Tom Ransley was delighted with his victory in the repechage, that he can't wait to renew the GB rivalry with the Germans and how he won't be able to sleep on Tuesday night with excitement about reaching his first Olympic Final.

However he wouldn't stop and talk to me, so I can't. Best I can do is tell you that he was smiling as he walked past and that he 'promises' to talk after Wednesday morning's final.

9.56am - Tom Ransley and Great Britain men's eight are in the Olympic final.

They won in a time of 5.26.85, over half a second clear of Canada with Netherlands in third and Australia also qualifying for the final in fourth.

Poland and Ukraine will race-off to decide 7th and 8th place overall.

Pencil Wednesday morning into your diaries. I smell a medal.

9.51am - We're off, and Britain are out to an early lead. Canada are Olympic Champions, Poland are World Champions, but Britain are the class of this field.

Australia, Netherlands and Ukraine also in the mix.

9.30am -Racing is under way here, so it's 20 minutes until the men's eight get going.

The race is called the repechage as it's 'another chance' for teams which failed to win their heat.

The Germans and the USA won the two heats on Saturday so are waiting for the top four of today's race in the final, which will be on Wednesday morning.

9am - What a glorious day it is here in Buckinghamshire. Not a cloud in the sky.

Ransley and his teammates have already been for a morning loosener up and down Dorney Lake, stretched out infront of me here in the press gantry, and they are due off in their repechage at 9.50am.

6.40am - Good morning and welcome to beautiful Eton Dorney.

I'm back here for the second time in three days to see if Ashford rower Tom Ransley (pictured) and the Great Britain men's eight can secure their place in Wednesday's Olympic Final.

They are set to take part in the repechage round shortly before 10am, knowing that their arch-nemesis, World Champions Germany and the USA are already lying in wait in the final, having won the two heats on Saturday morning.

The first four will go through to join them in Wednesday morning's final, while the other two will face a race-off to decide who is seventh and eighth overall.

Also in action today is three-day eventer William Fox-Pitt, who will ride Lionheart on the demanding Greenwich Park cross-country course at 5.14pm.

Yesterday afternoon the Canterbury-born World No1 set a personal best dressage score and goes into the cross-country lying in 17th position in the individual standings while the five-strong GB team of which he is part, sit in the bronze medal position. The action is due to begin at 12.30pm with the show-jumping competition to follow on Tuesday.

This evening West Malling hockey star Ashley Jackson will appear for the first time this tournament as Great Britain begin their campaign at the Riverside Arena with a clash against Argentina.

Don't forget you can keep on top of all the day's events as they happen by following me on twitter - @kentonline2012

Alex Hoad at the Games - Twitter button

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