BEIJING, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- Saturday's Olympic highlights:
-- China celebrated its first full day as Olympic host by winning gold medals in the men's air pistol and women's 48-kilogram weightlifting. But China's gold medal favorite in the women's air rifle, Du Li, faded to fifth.
-- The United States finished the first day with the most overall medals thanks to a sweep in the women's individual sabre. Mariel Zagunis claimed her second straight Olympic gold in the event, followed by Sada Jacobson and Becca Ward. Those were the only American medals on Saturday.
-- Nineteen countries divided the 23 medals awarded Saturday. The United States, China and South Korea were the only nations with more than one.
-- At the end of a grueling 152-mile bike ride through the heat, Spain's Samuel Sanchez won a sprint and took home the road racing gold. Spain has won the top prize in both the Tour de France and the Olympic road competition. Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre was seven minutes behind Saturday.
-- One of the most dominant athletes in the Beijing Olympics met her match in the women's 48-kilogram judo class. Japan's Ryoko Tani, two-time defending Olympic champion and seven-time world champ, lost in the semifinals to Romania's Alina Alexandra Dumitru -- who went on to capture gold.
-- The United States women's soccer team came back from a loss to Norway to down Japan 1-0 and its women's basketball team crushed the Czech Republic by 40.
