Olympics: Eight charged over 'throwing' badminton matches

u00a0 Four pairs in the women39s doubles competition mdash u00a0one from China one from Indonesia and two from South Korea were booed off court by irate spectators at London39s Wembley Arena on Tuesday u00a0 The players in two matches had appeared to deliberately serve into the net to concede points hit the shuttlecock out of play or waste time u00a0 They could be disciplined after the Badminton World Federation BWF charged them with quotnot using one39s best efforts to win a matchquot and quotconducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sportquot u00a0 A hearing is due to take place Wednesday although all four pairs are currently still included in the order of play for their quarterfinals scheduled in the evening u00a0 Referee u00a0at London Olympics u00a0urges Indonesian and South Korean doubles pairs to play fairly Photo AFP The players were allegedly attempting to manipulate the final standings in the firstround group stage with two pairs who had already qualified apparently wanting to lose to secure easier opponents in the next round u00a0 A match between China39s world champions Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli and unseeded South Korean pair Jung Kyung and Kim Ha Na came under scrutiny after the Chinese lost a contest they would normally be expected to win u00a0 With their defeat Yu and Wang avoided playing another fellow Chinese pair who had finished second in another group in the quarterfinals u00a0 Yu said after the match quotWe39ve already qualified so why would we waste energy It39s not necessary to go out hard again when the knockout rounds are tomorrowquot u00a0 China39s Olympic delegation already fighting off accusations of doping against teenage swimming sensation Ye Shiwen has launched an investigation into the badminton allegations state media said u00a0 quotThe Chinese Olympic Committee opposes any kind of behaviour to violate the sporting spirit and moralityquot a Chinese Olympic spokesman told Xinhua news agency u00a0 A later match in which South Korean third seeds Ha JungEun and Kim MinJung beat Indonesian pair Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii is also being investigated by the governing body u00a0 The scandal came after Michael Phelps swam into history on Tuesday becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time after winning the 19th medal of his career u00a0 Phelps anchored the US team to a resounding victory in the 4x200m freestyle relay to collec his first gold of the London Games and overtake the 18 medals amassed by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina u00a0 A silver medal for Phelps behind Chad le Clos of South Africa in the 200m butterfly an event that the American had dominated for more than a decade had tied the record earlier in the evening u00a0 Phelps 27 paid tribute to his relay teammates for helping him into the record books u00a0 quotI thanked those guys for helping me get to this momentquot he said quotI told those guys I wanted a big lead in the last leg and they gave it to me u00a0 quotI just wanted to hold onquot u00a0 One of the men waiting to take over the mantle from Phelps as a multiple medal winner in the pool 21yearold Australia39s James Magnussen goes in search of a first Olympic swimming gold on Wednesday in the 100m freestyle u00a0 Ye meanwhile is set to face fresh questions about her rapid rise after the 16yearold Chinese girl won the 200m medley on Tuesday to collect her second gold of the Games u00a0 Away from the pool Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins bids on Wednesday to become Britain39s most successful Olympian when he goes in the individual time trial u00a0 Wiggins starts as favourite for the 44km race around London39s Hampton Court Palace after winning both long time trials on the Tour u00a0 A medal of any colour would see Wiggins overtake the six won by rower Steve Redgrave u00a0 While the US and China battle for supremacy at the top of the medals39 table the host nation is still waiting for its first gold medal u00a0 Britain is hoping that rowers Helen Glover and Heather Stanning deliver it in early action in the women39s pairs event