Russia's Anna Chicherova won an emotional Olympic gold medal in the women's high jump on Saturday, August 12. She managed to clear 2.05 meters for victory, leaving Brigetta Barrett of the United States behind with 2.03 meters.

      Chicherova's fellow Russian Svetlana Shikolina made the same height but had to settle for bronze due to some failures in the competition.

      Russia’s Mariya Savinova won Olympic gold in the women’s 800 meters final, running a time of 1 minute 56.19. Bronze also went to Russia, as Ekaterina Poistogova managed to outrun Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo, the Olympic champion in 2008, in the stretch.

      Also on Saturday, Russia's Yelena Lashmanova won Olympic gold in the women's 20km race walk, beating the world record of 1.25.08 with her 1 hour 25 minutes 2 seconds. The previous world record was also set by a Russian athlete - Vera Sokolova - at the Russian Championships last year. Another Russian, Olga Kaniskina, took the silver in the race, finishing seven seconds behind Lasmanova.

      One of the most spectacular perfomances of August 11 took place on the gymnastics ground, as Beijing gold medalist Evgenia Kanaeva defended her Olympic rhythmic gymnastics title in the individual all-around category.

      Kanaeva, 22, scored the highest possible points in all four performances to end with a 116.9 points total. Her fellow Russian Daria Dmitrieva, 19, took the silver on 114.5.

      Sergey Kirdyapkin of Russia strolled to Olympic gold in the men's 50km walk on Saturday. Kirdyapkin, a two-time world champion, also managed to set an Olympic record time of three hours, 55 minutes and 59 seconds.

      The most unexpected victory of Saturday took place in the Olympic canoe sprint men's kayak double event, as Russian "dark horse" pair Yury Postrigay and Alexander Dyachenko won the gold, finishing the sprint with a huge three-quarter-length margin in 33.507 seconds.

      Russia's reigning world champion, Besik Kudukhov of Russia, was defeated by Azerbaijan’s Toghrul Asgarov 3-0 in the men’s freestyle 60 kilogram wrestling division and so won silver. Bronze medals went to India’s Yogeshwar Dutt and Scott Coleman of the United States.

      Russia's foursome of Tatyana Firova, Natalya Antyukh, Yulia Gushchina and Antonina Krivoshapka claimed silver in the women's 4x400 meters relay on Saturday, finishing four seconds later the U.S. quartet. The Americans managed to cross the line in three minutes, 16.87 seconds.

      Bronze went to Russia in the women’s +67 kilogram taekwondo, after Russia’s Anastasia Baryshnikova clinched victory over Lee Injong of South Korea.

      Another wrestling bronze was given to Russia's Bilyal Makhov, who won a tough fight against Kazakhstan’s Daulet Shabanbay.

      Russia's six-time world champion Ivan Shtyl took bronze in the men's 200 meters canoe sprint, finishing in 42.853 seconds. Yuriy Cheban of the Ukraine took the gold with 42.291 seconds.