US ease into basketball semis

Friday's quarter-final ended with the US inflicting a 103-72 defeat on the Swedes and they now go on to play either Australia or Canada in the final four on Saturday.

Russian distance runner Alina Prokopyeva won silver in the women'shalf marathon over 21 kilometres, six seconds behind winner Mai Cude of Japan, who clocked a time of 1 hour 13 minutes 12 seconds. The bronze medal was claimed by another Japanese, Yukiko Okuno.

"The trace was normal, I feel also normal. I planned to obtain the medal and knew that I will have to fight with the Japanese," Prokopyeva said. "I followed them, kept everything under control, everything was possible for me. I am glad with the showed time and a silver medal.

The Russian men's foil fencing team, consisting of Artur Akhmatkhuzin, Alexey Cheremisinov, Renal Ganeev and Alexey Khovanskiy beat Italy 45:39 in the final to secure another gold for the hosts. France claimed the bronze medal.

In shooting, German Maren Prediger became a Universiade champion after winning the women’s 10m air rifle.

Prediger scored 206.4 points in the final to see off the challenge of China's Dan Yu, who had to settle for silver with 205.1 points.

Bronze was claimed by Nandinzaya Gankhuyag from Mongolia (183.9).

Russians Polina Khorosheva and Daria Vdovina were fourth and fifth respectively but their compatriots fare a little better to medal in the women’s trap, claiming silver.

The team comprising Alexandra Alexeeva, Tatiana Barsuk and Svetlana Krasheninnikova scored 196 points and were second only to Italy's shooters, who scored 200 points. Third place went to the Chinese team (190).

In the pool, Canada beat France to reach the semi-finals of the women'swater polo competition.

The Canadians won 9-8 (3:1, 3:3, 2:1, 1:3) to book their place in the final four. Francis Rae Lekness and Shae Chantal Fournier both scored hat-tricks for the Canadians, who will now meet either Japan or Hungary in the semis.

Russians are lighting up the chess tournament, having reached the fifth round without a single defeat.

On Friday, Dmitriy Andreikin defeated Ovidiu Alexandru Stanciu of Romania while Evgeny Alexeev beat Maksat Atabayev of Turkmenistan.

Games involving two other Russians ended in stalemates: Maxim Matlakov clash with Azerbaijan's Vasif Durarbayli, and Sanan Syugirov's tie against Zaur Mammadov, also of Azerbaijan.