London's Out Olympians: Week-One Wrap Up

It's been an amazing week of athletics since the Olympic Games began in London just last Friday. Here's a week-one wrap of what the out Olympians have been up to. 

The Dutch field hockey team ended their short streak of wins against Japan and Belgium earlier this week to lose a bout Thursday night against China, 0-1. Next up is a game against Korea on Saturday, and Great Britain on Monday. Random fact: a quarter of the attractive Team Orange happen to be lesbians (Marilyn Agliotti, Kim Lammers, Maartje Paumen, and Carlien Dirkseke van den Heuvel), making them the most out team at the Olympics.

American tennis doubles champion Lisa Raymond has been keeping busy both in the women's doubles tournament with partner Liezel Huber and mixed doubles with partner Mike Bryan. Huber and Raymond were knocked out of the gold round in the semifinal round against the Czech Republic, but they will play in the bronze medal match against either the Williams sister of the U.S., or Russian team Nadia Petrova and Maria Kirilenko. Raymond and Bryan will play in a quarterfinals match on Friday against Argentina.

Natalie Cook, one half of the Australian beach volleyball duo, lost a close match against U.S. powerhouses Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings on the first full day of the Olympic games. After winning bronze in 1996 and gold in 2000, a handful of injuries and 18 years of competition, Cook announced this week that she will retire.

Brazilian handball player Mayssa Pessoa and her team is 2-2 after beating Montenegro and Great Britain, but narrowly losing against Croatia and Russia, most recently. The team has one more match against Angola in the preliminary round on Sunday.

Denmark's handball team, with out player Rikke Sov, is currently 0-3 after losses against Sweden, Korea, and Spain. The team will face Norway and France this weekend for the final two matches in the preliminary round.

German cyclist Judith Arndt became the first out lesbian to win a medal in this Olympics, her fifth Olympic games since 1996, when she won a silver medal on Thursday. American Kristin Armstrong won thee gold and Russian cyclist Olga Zabelinskaya captured the bronze. Anrdt placed 37th at the women's road race last weekend, and will compete in the team pursuit Friday, August 3. Arndt's German team member Ina Teutenberg was edged out by .25 seconds to place forth in the women's road race last weekend.

More on next page...

\\\

(continued)

After the U.S. women's basketball team defeated Croatia (81-56 on Saturday), Angola (90-38 on Monday) and Turkey (89-58 on Wednesday) the squad will face the Czech Republic on Friday and China on Sunday. China is statistically running a close race with the American team with out player Seimone Augustus.

The U.S. soccer team advanced past New Zealand in the quarterfinals Friday. They will play the winner of Friday evening's matchup between Canada and Great Britain (the latter of which finished the first round of the soccer tournament ranked at the top of Group A). Among the entire tournament's scoring leaders, out player Megan Rapinoe has scored one goal,  and Abby Wambach has scored four, including one to clench the game against New Zealand on Friday.

Meanwhile the Swedish team, with out athletes Jessica Landstrom and Hedvig Lindhal was knocked out of play against France in a quarterfinal game.

German fencer Imke Dupliztzer was edged out of competition in the second round of individual play, but she and the German will face China in the women's team epee this Saturday.

The French handball team, with out player Alexandra Lacrabere goes into their final preliminary game against Denmark on Sunday with a 3-0-1 record after beating Sweden, Norway and Korea, and tying with Spain. They're currently dominating the top of Group B.

French triathletes Carole Peon and Jessica Harrison are scheduled to compete Saturday in the women's final. She's ranked 14th and 15th, respctively, near the front of the pack.

Follow SheWired on Twitter!

Follow SheWired on Facebook!