Germany Jumps to Fourth Place in Olympics Medals Table
August 14, 2008
Benjamin Kleibrink won the men's foil competition while Britta Heidemann was victorious in women's epee.
Overall, China tops the medals table, ahead of the USA and South Korea.
In sharp contrast to the wins by Kleibrink and Heidemann, celebrated gymnast Fabian Hambuechen came in a disappointing seventh place.
Hambuechen, who had had been widely tipped for an all-around medal, lost his chance with a dramatic fall from the horizontal bar.
Wrestler, handball team move forward
Meanwhile, German wrestler Mirko Englich narrowly missed a gold in the 96 kilo weight class. However, he made it to the finals, where he took a silver medal.
Germany's handball team is also in good shape. With a win against Egypt, the players opened the door to the quarter finals.
A quarter-final appearance for the country's basketball team is looking unlikely, however. Dirk Nowitzki and crew lost to Greece and Spain, and face hosts China on Saturday.