Rush for gold as Games head into home stretch

Beijing: The penultimate day of the Beijing Games brings a rush for gold on Saturday, with 32 titles at stake including the first boxing golds on offer and championship matches in five team sports.

In a showpiece football decider, defending champions Argentina meet Nigeria in the men's final, Argentina boasting the skilled Spanish-based trio of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Fernando Gago.

Olympic baseball powerhouse Cuba will defend their title against South Korea, the Cubans having dispatched the United States in the semi-finals as South Korea ousted Japan.

In women's basketball, the United States will lock horns with Australia for gold, while the titles will also be decided in men's hockey, women's handball, and women's volleyball.

It will be the third straight USA-Australia fight for the women's Olympic basketball title, after America's victories in Athens and in Sydney.

Aussie hopes have been dimmed by injuries to WNBA star Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor, but coach Jan Stirling said his side was still ready to make a game of it.

"We have to bring our A Game (against the United States)," Stirling said. "Any team who expects to beat them has to bring their A Game. We expect a hard physical game. We hope for a great spectacle for basketball."

Boxing gets down to the nitty-gritty as well, with finals in five categories. Cuba boasts a wealth of medal contenders in the ring, while hosts China has a trio of fighters vying for gold amid a strong Asian contingent.

Seven golds will be on offer in the last full day of athletics competition at the Bird's Nest stadium: women's high jump, men's javelin, the men's 800m, women's 1,500m, men's 5,000m and both the men's and women's 4x400m relays.

In the 5000m, Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele will try for an elusive long-distance double, after his 10,000m triumph last week.

Compatriot Miruts Yifter at the 1980 Moscow Games was the last to complete the 5000/10,000m double.

Kenyan-born American Bernard Lagat will be seeking redemption in the 5000, after failing in the 1500m.

China will try to complete their sweep of all eight diving golds in the men's 10m platform. Zhou Luxin was the top qualifier on Friday, with compatriot Huo Liang also in the top 10.

In table tennis, Sweden's Jorgen Persson is the only man standing between China and a gold medal men's sweep, the Swede advancing to the semi-finals with a trio of Chinese players - Wang Hao, Wang Liqin and Ma Lin.

Gold will also be going in canoe-kayak, mountain biking, taekwondo, synchronised swimming, and rhythmic gymnastics.