Russia's medal count improved greatly over the past weekend at the London Olympics. While pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva shockingly failed to win a gold medal, Greco-Roman wrestlers picked up the pace and Alia Mustafina beat a local gymnast in the uneven bars individual competition.

file photoRussia is currently 6th with seven gold medals, 17 silver and 18 bronze. While the target of beating Great Britain to third place looks unrealistic (18 gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze), Russia could compete with France and South Korea, who have eight and 11 gold medals respectively.

The top two spots remain occupied by United States with 29 gold medals and China with 31.

Isinbayeva falls short

Russia's pole vault queen and a gold medal hope, Isinbayeva, took a bronze medal at the Olympics in London, having stopped at a height of 4.70 meters.

Gold went to American Jennifer Suhr, who jumped over 4.75 and Yarisley Silva from Cuba won silver with the same height, but with more attempts.

Isinbayeva is a double Olympic champion having won in 2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing. In Beijing she won gold by jumping 5.05. Her latest world record stands at 5.06, set in 2009. Since then she has hit a slump in her career. She took a break from competing, but returned last season. Since then she has not jumped higher than 4.75 outdoors.

Before the games she said she would finish her career in 2013, after athletics world championship in Moscow. However, she changed her mind after the bronze.

"I am happy that I won bronze. For me it is like gold. In the last three years many things happened to me that I cannot call happy. It is as if this bronze told me 'Yelena, don't go'," she said.

"I did not plan to quit right after the Olympics. In any case I will compete in Moscow at world championship in 2013," she said.

Gold medals

Over the last three days Russia almost doubled its gold medal tally from four on Friday to seven on Tuesday.

Russian gymnast Mustafina won gold in uneven bars, the first Russian to win since Svetlana Khorkina 12 years ago.

Yulia Zaripova won the women's 300 meters steeplechase.

Sunday's competition in Greco-Roman wrestling started with medals for Russian athletes. Alan Khugayev and Roman Vlasov won gold in 84 kg and 74 kg respectively.

Silver and bronze

Mingiyan Semenov, Zaur Kuramagomedov won bronze medals in 55kg and 60kg Greco-Roman wrestling respectively.

Yevgenia Kolodko won bronze in the women's shot put and Daria Pishchalnikova won silver in the women's discus throw. On the weekend, Tatyana Petrova-Arkhipova came third in women's marathon and Tatyana Chernova won bronze in women's heptathlon.

Russia's women's doubles won bronze in badminton, much to the excitement of biathlon enthusiast Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Russia weightlifter Apti Aukhanov won silver in men's 85 kg category, Alexander Ivanov also came second in the men's 84 kg. Tatyana Kashirina won silver in women's +75 kg and Natalia Zabolotnaya won silver in women's 75 kg category.

Russian tennis players also brought home medals. Maria Sharapova lost the final to the United States' Serena Williams 6-0, 6-1. Maria Kirilenko lost the bronze game to Belarusian Viktoria Azarenka 6-3, 6-4.

She made it up for it when a few hours later she and Nadezhda Petrova beat an American pair Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond for the bronze medal.

Russian swimmers won two silver medals: Anastasia Zuyeva in women's 200 meters backstroke and Yevgeny Korotyshkin in men's 100 meters butterfly.

Games knock-out stages

Knock-out stages start for volleyball and basketball players, where both women's and men's teams made it through the group stage.

Women's basketball team takes on Tunisia at 11 p.m. Moscow time on Tuesday. Russian men will play Lithuania at 5 p.m. on Wednesday for a place in the semi-final.

Russia's women's volleyball team plays Brazil on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Moscow time, while the men take on Poland on Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. Moscow time.

Russia also plays South Korea in women's handball quarterfinals at 8 p.m. Moscow time on Tuesday.

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Russia's medal count improved greatly over the past weekend at the London Olympics. While pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva shockingly failed to win a gold medal, Greco-Roman wrestlers picked up the pace and Alia Mustafina beat a local gymnast in the uneven bars individual competition.

file photoRussia is currently 6th with seven gold medals, 17 silver and 18 bronze. While the target of beating Great Britain to third place looks unrealistic (18 gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze), Russia could compete with France and South Korea, who have eight and 11 gold medals respectively.

The top two spots remain occupied by United States with 29 gold medals and China with 31.

Isinbayeva falls short

Russia's pole vault queen and a gold medal hope, Isinbayeva, took a bronze medal at the Olympics in London, having stopped at a height of 4.70 meters.

Gold went to American Jennifer Suhr, who jumped over 4.75 and Yarisley Silva from Cuba won silver with the same height, but with more attempts.

Isinbayeva is a double Olympic champion having won in 2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing. In Beijing she won gold by jumping 5.05. Her latest world record stands at 5.06, set in 2009. Since then she has hit a slump in her career. She took a break from competing, but returned last season. Since then she has not jumped higher than 4.75 outdoors.

Before the games she said she would finish her career in 2013, after athletics world championship in Moscow. However, she changed her mind after the bronze.

"I am happy that I won bronze. For me it is like gold. In the last three years many things happened to me that I cannot call happy. It is as if this bronze told me 'Yelena, don't go'," she said.

"I did not plan to quit right after the Olympics. In any case I will compete in Moscow at world championship in 2013," she said.

Gold medals

Over the last three days Russia almost doubled its gold medal tally from four on Friday to seven on Tuesday.

Russian gymnast Mustafina won gold in uneven bars, the first Russian to win since Svetlana Khorkina 12 years ago.

Yulia Zaripova won the women's 300 meters steeplechase.

Sunday's competition in Greco-Roman wrestling started with medals for Russian athletes. Alan Khugayev and Roman Vlasov won gold in 84 kg and 74 kg respectively.

Silver and bronze

Mingiyan Semenov, Zaur Kuramagomedov won bronze medals in 55kg and 60kg Greco-Roman wrestling respectively.

Yevgenia Kolodko won bronze in the women's shot put and Daria Pishchalnikova won silver in the women's discus throw. On the weekend, Tatyana Petrova-Arkhipova came third in women's marathon and Tatyana Chernova won bronze in women's heptathlon.

Russia's women's doubles won bronze in badminton, much to the excitement of biathlon enthusiast Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Russia weightlifter Apti Aukhanov won silver in men's 85 kg category, Alexander Ivanov also came second in the men's 84 kg. Tatyana Kashirina won silver in women's +75 kg and Natalia Zabolotnaya won silver in women's 75 kg category.

Russian tennis players also brought home medals. Maria Sharapova lost the final to the United States' Serena Williams 6-0, 6-1. Maria Kirilenko lost the bronze game to Belarusian Viktoria Azarenka 6-3, 6-4.

She made it up for it when a few hours later she and Nadezhda Petrova beat an American pair Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond for the bronze medal.

Russian swimmers won two silver medals: Anastasia Zuyeva in women's 200 meters backstroke and Yevgeny Korotyshkin in men's 100 meters butterfly.

Games knock-out stages

Knock-out stages start for volleyball and basketball players, where both women's and men's teams made it through the group stage.

Women's basketball team takes on Tunisia at 11 p.m. Moscow time on Tuesday. Russian men will play Lithuania at 5 p.m. on Wednesday for a place in the semi-final.

Russia's women's volleyball team plays Brazil on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Moscow time, while the men take on Poland on Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. Moscow time.

Russia also plays South Korea in women's handball quarterfinals at 8 p.m. Moscow time on Tuesday.