Olympics: Pellegrini wins gold

Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini on Wednesday won the 200 metre women's freestyle, breaking her own world record in the process and becoming the first Italian woman to bag an Olympic gold medal in swimming.
Pellegrini came in at 1 minute 54.82 seconds, ahead of Slovenia's Sara Isakovic and China's Pang Jiaying, smashing the world record of 1 minute 55.45 seconds she had set in the 200 metre freestyle heat on Monday.
The swimmer is also the world record holder in the 400 meter freestyle and had been tipped for gold in Monday's Olympic race but only managed to come in fifth after a disappointing performance.
Pellegrini, 20, wept and punched the water following her 200 metre freestyle win.
''I dedicate this to myself,'' she said, accepting the gold medal. ''I've never given up. I didn't lose hope after the 400 freestyle. I still have to understand what I've accomplished, but I have the medal, and that's the important thing''.
''I wanted to do better than in the last Olympics,'' she said, referring to her silver win in the same event in Athens 2004.
''This time I followed my instinct and the anger gave me that extra kick,'' she said. ''It was a return (to form) and I swam a perfect race. Finally!'' she said.
Pellegrini swam to victory in front of a crowd of supporters including her boyfriend, fellow Italian swimmer Luca Marin, and Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant.
''Federica's great, I want to meet her,'' Bryant, who grew up in Italy, told Pellegrini's manager following her victory.
Pellegrini's family, at home in the town of Spinea near Venice, celebrated her victory with hot brioches and coffee after watching the race on television in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
''We didn't scream because we were worried about waking up the neighbours,'' said her mother Cinzia.
Italian swimmer Loris Facci and Paolo Bossini meanwhile qualified for Thursday's 200 metre men's breast stroke finals, coming in sixth and seventh respectively.
Italy now has four gold medals and shares fourth place with Australia and Germany in the national tables for gold winners behind China, the United States and Korea.
Italy's first gold was won by fencer Matteo Tagliariol in the men's individual epee on Sunday.
On Monday Italy won two more golds with Giulia Quintavalle in the judo 57kg event and fencer Valentina Vezzali, who won her third individual gold in a row in as many Olympic Games in the woman's foil competition.
Italy has also bagged four silvers and two bronzes in the Games and stands seventh in the national tables for total number of medals.