Every cloud has gold lining for Cooke

NEWS:THE CLOUD busters must have been on a break in Beijing yesterday afternoon. Just as we tired of cursing the still, oppressive heat, it was suddenly broken by torrential rain, and within minutes, several events such as the tennis and beach volleyball were put on hold.

This, apparently, was the sort of rain that was meant to fall on Friday's Opening Ceremony, before the cloud busters were called into action. With heavy showers headed for Beijing, they fired a total of 1,104 rain dispersing rockets from 21 sites in the city, between 4pm right up to the end of the ceremony.

This, claimed the Beijing meteorological bureau, was the world's largest ever rain dispersal operation, and clearly worked in preventing the rain belt from reaching the Olympic stadium. There were, however, 100 millilitres of rain in the Hebei province to the southwest of Beijing, and 25 millilitres in Fangshan, just across the city.

So, yesterday evening, we got what we wished for, only to see it wreak havoc on the opening day of the tennis tournament, with Roger Federer among those players unable to set foot on court. Only nine matches were completed as heavy rain caused numerous delays, and play was called off at 7pm local time.

Federer had been due to play the Russian Dmitry Tursunov in the opening round of the men's singles, while Spain's Rafael Nadal and compatriot Tommy Robredo also headed back for the Athletes Village after their men's doubles match with Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman and Robin Soderling was also rain-checked.

The only outdoor event that did continue was the women's cycling road race, and the cooler, drenching wet conditions played right into the hands of Britain's Nicole Cooke, who won their first gold medal in Beijing with a superb display over the 126km distance, which like the men's event, finished in a spectacular setting next to the Great Wall at Badaling.

The Welsh-born Cooke - who came close to a medal in Athens four years ago - out-sprinted three close rivals in a tight finish, then roared her delight that must surely have echoed miles around the Great Wall. It was the first ever medal from a British female cyclist, the first gold from a Welsh athlete since 1972, and Britain's 200th gold in Olympic history. "It's just like a dream come true, and I hope everyone one can share in this dream," she said. "When I came over the line I was just so happy . . . I made so much noise because that is the person I am."

Just behind Cooke came Sweden's Emma Johansson, and Italy's Tatiana Guderza, who still looked happy with their medals. Cooke was a former cyclo-cross rider and admitted the course and conditions did suit her: "Once the rain started, I think we all felt like we were drowning, but one of benefits of riding mountain biking and cyclo-cross is you get used to riding in any conditions."

Further rain is forecast for Beijing today, before the heat and humidity returns. The difference it made on the air quality was profound, and walking between venues wasn't such a lung-busting experience. The hope is the cloud busters will take a few breaks when the Irish track and field athletes start next Friday.

China still top the medal table with six gold medals still well up on South Korea (three) and the US and Czech Republic (two each).