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Americans extend streak to 71 victories with mercy-rule drubbing of Italy

ATHENS, Greece - Jennie Finch and the U.S. softball team made an Olympic debut that was sweaty, short and thoroughly satisfying.

Finch didn't allow a hit in three innings, and the Americans started their run toward a third straight gold medal on Saturday with a shortened 7-0 victory over Italy in their tournament opener.

Natasha Watley went 4-for-4, hitting a two-run double in the fifth to put the United States up by seven runs, invoking the mercy rule that ended the game.

Three-time Olympian Lisa Fernandez had a run-scoring single as the U.S. team extended its win streak to 71 straight games since July 2003.

Finch struck out five of the 10 batters she faced before being pulled by coach Mike Candrea.

The U.S. has posted 11 shutouts in 20 games since softball joined the Games in 1996.

Touted as the best on a team with questionable medal hopes, Andre Dirrell carried a lot more than his 165 pounds into the ring against China's Ha Dabateer. The U.S. team desperately needed a good start to boost its confidence, and it was up to Dirrell to deliver.

The middleweight did just that, rallying after a slow start to beat Ha 25-18 and advance to a second-round match next week with Algeria's Nabil Kassel.

The day before, the eight others on the U.S. team asked for a change in their training schedule so they could attend the fight.

"The bottom line is he got the win and that's all his teammates wanted to see," coach Basheer Abdullah said. "That's enough to motivate them."

Paolo Bettini of Italy swiped the lead from Portugal's Sergio Paulinho in the final 100 meters and won a road race that withered much of the field in temperatures that soared to 104.

Paulinho finished one second back and took the silver for his nation's first Olympic cycling medal. Belgium's Axel Merckx was another seven seconds back for bronze.

Tyler Hamilton was the top American, finishing 18th and in a pack officially listed as 12 seconds behind Bettini's winning time of 5 hours, 41 minutes, 44 seconds over the 139.4-mile course.

World champion Igor Astarloa of Spain quit the race after a small bunch of riders had a bad crash on the tight, bumpy course.

Iranian competitor Arash Miresmaili withdrew rather than compete against an Israeli, Ehud Vaks.

Miresmaili is one of the most successful athletes in his country, a two-time world champion. In refusing to fight, Miresmaili cited his support of the Palestinians.

"Israel no country," Iranian teammate Haji Akhondzade said of Miresmaili's decision. "Palestine is the country for Irania."

After the controversy, Tadahiro Nomura of Japan won gold in the men's 60-kilogram event, beating Nestor Khergiani of Georgia. Choi Min-ho of South Korea and Tsagaanbaatar Khashbaatar of Mongolia shared the bronze.

Ryoko Tani of Japan won the gold in the women's 48-kilogram event, beating France's Frederique Jossinet. The bronze medals went to Julia Matijass of Germany and Feng Gao of China.

Kevin Hall, who needed clearance to compete because of his required testosterone injections, finished in the top half of the Finn fleet.

Hall had finishes of 11th and seventh in the opening two races and was tied on points for eighth. Hall was nine points out of third place with nine races left.

An America's Cup veteran, Hall has sailed the Finn class just more than a year. Although he dominated the Trials in February, he faced five frustrating months of red tape as he sought a therapeutic use exemption for his medicinal testosterone after a three-year fight against cancer.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Americans Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs, seeded No. 4, cruised past 21st-seeded Norwegians Susanne Glesnes and Kathrine Maaseide 21-14, 21-14. Dain Blanton and Jeff Nygaard, the top American men's team, were not nearly as sharp in a 21-16, 21-14 loss to 17th-seeded Australians Julien Prosser and Mark Williams.

DIVING: Wu Minxia and Guo Jingjing of China won the gold medal in women's synchronized 3-meter springboard with 336.90. In the men's 10-meter, Tian Liang and Yang Jinghui of China won the gold.

FENCING: Italy's Aldo Montano rallied to defeat Zsolt Nemcsik of Hungary 15-14 in the saber final. Keeth Smart, the top American, lost in the round of 16.

SHOOTING: Wang Yifu of China won gold in the men's 10-meter air pistol. In the women's 10-meter, Li Du of China won.

WEIGHTLIFTING: Nurcan Taylan of Turkey won the gold medal in the women's 48-kilogram class with a total of 462.5 pounds. Defending gold medalist Tara Cunningham of the United States wasn't a factor, dropping the bar on her left leg on her second lift and finishing 11th of 14.