Eyes on London: Nerves, Michael Phelps slow, first gold

LONDON — Around the 2012 Olympics and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of the games to you:

MY LEGS WERE SHAKING

American Timothy Wang is already out of his first Olympics.

He lost his first table tennis match in four straight games on Saturday to North Korean Kim Song Nam. The experience lasted just a few minutes, beaten 11-5, 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 in the knockout tournament before about 4,000 fans.

He probably spoke for many first-time Olympians — and even experienced ones — about being very nervous.

"I walked out and as soon as everyone started cheering, I started to get goose bumps. My legs were shaking while I was playing. The nerves definitely kicked in. I tried to focus before the match, but I really wasn't expecting it when I came out. Over here every match is like center court and all the eyes are on you. In tournaments in the U.S., very few people are there."

— Stephen Wade — Twitter http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP

ROYAL SIGHTING

It's just how she likes it. Princess Anne crossed the road in front of me in Green Park. And, despite the crowds, she went mostly unnoticed, although there was a smattering of cheers.

The queen's daughter is as low-key as a British royal can be. And the British public seems to respect her wishes.

Here's the picture: http://bit.ly/QtNFwn

— Jenna Fryer — Twitter http://twitter.com/JennaFryer

TECH FAIL

Japanese volleyball coach Masayoshi Manabe is missing his trusty iPad. Turns out there's no wireless for the coaches to use at the Earls Court venue, something that isn't going over well.

"There is no wi-fi available here. All the teams are in the same condition. We are talking to the organizers," Manabe said through a translator.

Japan swept Algeria 3-0 in the opening match. For now at least, looks like they can do without technology.

— Anne M. Peterson — Twitter http://twitter.com/anniempeterson

FIRST GOLD

And the first gold medal has gone to China. Yi Siling has just triumphed in the women's 10-meter air rifle shooting.

SLOW PHELPS

Michael Phelps was surprisingly slow in the 400-meter individual medley prelims Saturday. He barely made the field and will swim in Lane 8 in the final.

No big deal, right? All lanes are the same.

Not exactly, according to a tweet from former Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders: "Lane 8 is worse than Lane 1 because Phelps breathes to the right on the way home. He won't see the rest of the field."

—Jon Krawczynski — Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/APKrawczynski

I CRIED LIKE A BABY

London Mayor Boris Johnson says he spent all night dreaming about the opening ceremony and thinks it was better than China's stunning show four years ago.

"Call me chauvinistic, call me jingoistic, but I think we knocked the spots off Beijing last night," Johnson said.

"From the beginning I was crying like a baby. I just thought it was brilliant."