2012 Olympics: Biggest Disappointments from Day 2

Day 2 of the 2012 Summer Olympics provided some amazing performances. Some of them were expected, like the American dominance in women's gymnastics.

But several were not, which often means disappointment for another competitor.

In the case of women’s gymnastics it even meant disappointment for a teammate.

Below are 10 of the day's biggest disappointments. Bleacher Report invites your comments or expansion of the list below.

Only Two Gymnasts from US Can Qualify for All-Around Finals

The Olympics has a practice that only allows two gymnasts from each country to participate in individual finals. The idea of a single country capturing the podium evidently is too egregious, even in a competition that boasts accumulating the best talent from around the world to compete under the banner of sportsmanship.

The competition needs to be left open to participants from countries without dominant programs, but with a field of 24 gymnasts there are at least 10 with no real chance to medal. Would the finals really be hindered if Aurelie Malaussena from France, who was the 25th-placed participant, was left out? Or the three participants that finished behind her that got in because other gymnasts were excluded from the finals for the same reason as Jordyn Wieber?

The problem is the practice can rob an event of a premier competitor, thereby stripping its luster.

That is exactly what happened on Sunday when Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas outscored their American teammate. Aside from those two, exactly one other gymnast finished ahead of Wieber.

After finishing fourth in qualifying, the defending World Champion and gold-medal favorite won't be allowed to compete for the individual all-around title.

It appeared that Raisman was going to be the athlete to miss out on the finals. I was discussing this issue with a colleague during the Americans' turn on the balance beam.

However, she finished the American effort on the floor routine with an amazing performance.

In doing so, she also squeezed ahead of Wieber, extending the curse of the World Champion in a most unthinkable way.

Raisman should be free to celebrate her day unencumbered, but instead has to shoulder the burden of knocking her teammate out of the finals.

It isn't fair, and is most disappointing, to both competitors.

But it is also unfair and a disappointment to fans and the spirit of the Olympics as a whole. We are being robbed of what would likely be an amazing showdown in the all-around final.

Spain Won't Compete for a Medal in Soccer

This is certainly a disappointment for the fans of the Spanish team. Most of the rest of the world won't be nearly as upset with it, as soccer fans are somewhat tired of watching them dominate international play.

Spain are the defending European champions and Winners of the 2010 World Cup. An Olympic gold would have given them the trifecta of the premier soccer championships.

It wasn't to be, though, as Spain lost a pair of 1-0 games to Japan and Honduras. 

Americans that watched the games were likely most disappointed by only seeing two goals over three hours of clock time.

French Basketball Effort

France and Team USA comprise part of what was expected to be a very competitive Pool A in men's basketball. France had a slight edge on Argentina and was expected to be a good challenge for the U.S. squad.

Many had this game as a preview of the gold-medal match. Fans have to hope the finals will be a little more competitive than Sunday's clinic, with Team USA winning 98-71.

The two met on Sunday and the results were disappointing for Tony Parker and his team. They were also disappointing for Team USA, as they were expecting a better challenge to help them prepare for play in the medal round.

The first 10 minutes of the game were tight. The U.S. had trouble with their range early on, missing their first six attempts from behind the three-point arc. The U.S. held a 22-21 lead.

The biggest defense the team met after the first quarter was from members of the Secret Service as they stopped to hug First Lady Michelle Obama after the game. They took a 52-36 halftime lead and cruised the rest of the game.

Athletes Disqualified for Performance Enhancing Drugs

The idea of the Olympics is celebration of sports and fair-play (except in gymnastics, perhaps). Thousands of athletes train and work hard to compete against others that share their dedication to sport and achieving one's best performance.

When athletes are found to be cheating it undermines the Games for everyone.

So far three athletes have been disqualified for doping. Two of them, including a weightlifter from Albania and Luiza Galiulina, a gymnast from  Uzbekistan, had positive tests for banned substances.

The third, sprinter Tameka Williams from St. Kitts and Nevis, voluntarily revealed she had been taking a banned substance. She was going to run the women's 100- and 200-meters but instead was sent home on Sunday.

Reuters shared a statement for the St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee, via Yahoo! Sports. "In discussion with team management, Ms. Williams volunteered information to the effect that she has been using a substance which the SKNOC considers to fall outside the internationally accepted medical code."

No details have been made available regarding the substance Williams admitted to using. She could face up to a two-year ban.

She is a first-time offender and voluntarily admitting to the doping, both of which could mitigate her sentence.

This would have been the first Olympic appearance for the 22-year-old. She will most likely be eligible for the 2016 Games if she can qualify without the benefit of doping.

Empty Seats Not Being Available or Distributed

Attendance has been a major issue and a huge source of frustration for Olympic fans. The problem isn't a lack of interest, although that has been the case for some events.

London residents had been attempting to buy tickets, but technical issues have created problems for fans trying to buy unsold, but unavailable, empty seats.

Yahoo! News shared the concerns of Ed Shorthose, a Games fan from London, who had been trying to purchase tickets for months to take his children to an event. "It's infuriating to see so many empty seats on TV. Surely it can't be beyond the organizers to allow real sports fans to fill them up on a first-come first-served basis?" 

I couldn't agree more, Ed. After all, British taxpayers are funding a huge portion of the cost of the Games, at a projected cost of over $1,000 for a family of four. A few free tickets to fill up an empty football stadium is the least they could be given.

Perhaps they'd even spend some money while at the events and help with funding cost overruns. 

London organizing committee chairman Sebastian Coe had spoken to this issue over the preceding weeks. He told reporters he expected the problem would resolve itself over time. 

An interesting perspective, but the only time I recall massive computer issues resolving themselves involved Arnold Schwarzenegger and some really nasty robots.

"I don't think this is going to be an issue, certainly it's not going to be an issue right through the Games," Coe said.

Coe also thought the Games would stay under budget. I don't think the British populace is consoled by thoughts.

Tennis Events Delayed

As if there weren't already attendance issues, rain made its first appearance at the London Games.

Many have found it odd that the Summer Olympics were being held in a country that doesn't have a summer. Great Britain's weather pattern meant that rain had the potential to make a strong mark on the 2012 London Games, and it did just that on Sunday. 

It drenched footballers, riders and others on Day 2.

It also washed out tennis matches, an issue Wimbledon faced several weeks prior.

Men's favorite Novak Djokovic had to wait out a three and one-half hour rain delay. Others will wait until tomorrow.

There is a reason tennis had to start early in England, and not only because of the time needed for the tournament.

It isn't surprising that the Games are already experience rain-related issues, but it is certainly disappointing.

James Magnussen, Swimming, Australia

James Magnussen is the defending World Champion in the 100-meter freestyle. He was expected to lead his team to the gold medal in the men's 4x100 free relay on Sunday.

Not only did he not help his team win, he couldn't even win the opening leg.

Nathan Adrian of the U.S. touched the wall at a personal-best 47.89 seconds, .14 seconds ahead of Magnussen.

The start was a full second behind his personal best and set the tone for Australia finishing off the podium in fourth place.

Ryan Lochte, Swimming, United States

Ryan Lochte had the perfect start to the London Games on Saturday. He dominated the field in the 400-meter individual medley.

Things couldn't have changed more on Sunday.

He was the final leg in the men's 4x100 relay team and simply ran out of gas over the final 50 meters. He had a very fast start, but his second lap was three seconds slower than the first.

In the process he surrendered a 0.30 lead and the U.S. took silver instead of gold.

Paula Radcliffe, Marathon, Great Britain, Withdraws with Injury

Paula Radcliffe, a 38-Year-Old Marathon runner from Great Britain, is regarded as the best female marathoner in the world. However, she has never won an Olympic medal.

She figured to rectify that on British soil, marking a huge milestone in her impressive career.

However, she has a foot injury and was forced to withdraw from the competition.

Radcliffe's statement was shared by NPR's WUKY.

"

The goal of a fifth Olympics in my home country, what better? The chance to make amends to myself for bitter disappointments at the previous two Olympics. Through a lot of tough times it has kept me fighting, motivated and focused. That is why it hurts so much to finally admit to myself that it isn't going to happen.

"

Misato Nakamura, Japan, Judo

Japan developed the sport of judo, yet they've never won Olympic gold in the event.

They hoped to change that in London, with Misato Nakamura looking to avenge a loss in the Beijing Games to An Kum Ae of North Korea. The two met in the opening round but the results were the same as in 2008.

Nakamura was the favorite to win the gold medal in the women's 52-kilogram class.

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