QINHUANGDAO, China — Midfielder Carli Lloyd scored on a first-half volley to lead the U.S. women's soccer team to a 1-0 win over Japan yesterday and put the Americans' Olympic title defense back on track at the Beijing Games.

"Scoring in a game like this was unbelievable, but I can't do it without my teammates and coaches," Lloyd said. "It takes everybody. We're taking it one step at a time. Coming off the loss against Norway, we're moving forward and I thought we did some great stuff today."

The U.S. looked far from gold-medal form, but did enough against a dangerous Japanese side to pick up a much-needed three points in Group G after dropping its opener against Norway.

U.S. coach Pia Sundhage opted to start Amy Rodriguez over former University of Hawai'i star Natasha Kai. Kai came on as a substitute for Rodriguez in the 86th minute of the match.

"The reason for (Rodriguez) instead of Kai was her speed," Sundhage said. "That was crucial when we looked at the way Japan plays. We didn't want to play them both at the same time, but that is an option of course, depending on who we play."

The Americans created a host of scoring opportunities, but were only able to capitalize in the 27th minute, when Lloyd volleyed a cross from defender Stephanie Cox just under the crossbar.

The United States, which plays New Zealand in its final group match on Tuesday in Shenyang, has three points in the group. Japan has one point, and faces Norway next in Shanghai.

FENCING

AMERICAN WOMEN SWEEP SABRE MEDALS

BEIJING — As she dropped her mask with a flourish and raised both arms in victory, fencer Mariel Zagunis relished the first gold medal for the United States of these 2008 Summer Olympics, defeating fellow American Sada Jacobson 15-8 in women's individual sabre.

The Americans made it a clean sweep yesterday as pre-Olympics favorite Becca Ward won the bronze, defeating Russia's Sofiya Velikaya in a thrilling 15-14 bout.

Zagunis also won gold in Athens.

It's the first time a nation has swept an individual fencing event since the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when Germany won in women's foil.

"We couldn't have asked for a better result today, three American flags being raised," said the 23-year-old Zagunis.

GYMNASTICS

CHINESE MEN LEAD; U.S. MAKES FINAL ROUND

BEIJING — With chants and cheers rocking the arena, the Chinese men's gymnastics team lived up to the hype yesterday at the Beijing Olympics.

Touted as an overwhelming favorite to add Olympic gold to their three straight world championships, the Chinese used powerful performances on still rings and vault to soar to the top of qualification for Tuesday's finals.

They were trailed by Japan and Russia. The United States, led by fist-pumping Jonathan Horton, finished atop its qualifying group and clinched a spot in the team finals by winding up fourth through two subdivisions.

"To make a major team personnel change, compete in the first subdivision and qualify for the team finals is a huge accomplishment, and we are looking forward to competing on Tuesday," U.S. coach Kevin Mazeika said.

The Americans earned 365.200 points, well ahead of Spain's 357.925 and Italy's 355.500.

China finished with 373.600 points, followed by Japan at 369.500 and Russia with 365.425, just .225 ahead of the Americans.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

AMERICANS HAMMER CZECH REPUBLIC

BEIJING — With President Bush and the first family looking on, the United States women's basketball team began its quest for a fourth-straight gold medal with a rout of the Czech Republic.

Diana Taurasi scored 13 of her 17 points in the first half to lead the U.S. to the 97-57 victory in the opener yesterday.

The Americans got off to a slow start, trailing 13-2 giving up layup after layup to the feisty Czech team. Taurasi finally got the team rolling much to the pleasure of Bush, who was dressed in a blue shirt and USA cap. Taurasi's layup ignited a 20-4 run by the U.S. to close the first quarter.

"Sometimes you think things are going to be easy from the get-go and they're not," Taurasi said. "We're playing against very good teams that have been together for a long time."

The U.S. continued the run in the second quarter behind Cappie Pondexter, who scored seven of her 12 points in the period.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

FAVORED U.S. MEN'S TEAM LOSES OPENER

BEIJING — Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser, the defending beach volleyball world champions and the overwhelming favorites to win the Olympic gold medal, lost their opening match yesterday to a Latvian team that was seeded 23rd in the 24-team field.

The Americans, who had won 21 straight international matches, must win their next two matches in pool play to be assured of a spot in the medal round.

Martins Plavins and Aleksandrs Samoilovs, former junior world champions who are the first Latvian team to qualify for the Olympics, won 21-19, 21-18 in the best-of-three set match.

JUDO

ROMANIAN DUMITRU, SOUTH KOREA'S CHOI WIN

BEIJING — Romania's Alina Dumitru won the women's 48-kilogram Olympic judo gold, throwing Cuba's Yanet Bermoy to the mat and stunning world champion Ryoko Tani of Japan in the semifinal.

In the men's 60-kilogram class final, South Korea's Choi Min-ho, the bronze medalist in Athens, defeated European champion Ludwig Paischer of Austria. Choi won all his bouts with match-ending throws.

Argentina's Paula Pareto and Tani — who was battling for her third straight judo gold — won bronze. For men, the bronzes went to Uzbekistan's Rishod Sobirov and Ruben Houkes of the Netherlands.

CYCLING

SPAIN'S SANCHEZ WINS GOLD IN MEN'S ROAD RACE

BEIJING — Samuel Sanchez of Spain emerged from a sprint to the finish in the shadow of the Great Wall to win the men's road race, a trek that covered 152 miles in hazy air.

Italy's Davide Rebellin won silver on his 37th birthday, while Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara took the bronze. Levi Leipheimer was the top U.S. finisher, placing 11th.

Sanchez won in 6 hours, 23 minutes, 49 seconds, conquering a route that went past Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and other landmarks in Beijing, then outside the city for seven punishing laps of a hilly loop course between two points on the Great Wall.