It’s been another historic day for Australia in Tokyo, with the team recording its equal-best standalone day in Olympics history.
Australia’s three gold medals in just one hour this morning meant the team equalled its record for the most gold medals in a single day set at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
Here are the key moments so far from day 5.
Three gold medals in an hour
The last time Australia won three gold medals in a single day was at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, when it claimed two gold medals in sailing and one gold in triathlon on day 10 of the event.
It’s also been Australia’s third-best start to an Olympic Games. So far, the team has won six gold, one silver and eight bronze medals.
Australia’s fourth and fifth gold medals came courtesy of our men’s and women’s fours rowing crews, with both teams claiming nail-biting wins in their respective finals.
The women’s four final was first and saw Lucy Stephan, Rosemary Popa, Jessica Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre hold on against a closing Netherlands to win by 0.34 seconds.
An emotional Popa said the win was for everyone at home who had helped get the team to Tokyo.
“I know everyone at home is so, so proud. They’ve been there for all the tears and ups and downs so I think this is as much for them as it is for us.”
The men’s four final followed shortly after, with Australia setting a new Olympic record of 5 minutes, 42.76 seconds ahead of Romania and Italy.
“We obviously wanted to win it back for Australia,” Jack Hargreaves said.
“It’s been a long time. It’s been, what, 25 years since the ‘Oarsome Foursome’, and a lot of crews have come close.”
Australia’s men’s and women’s quadruple scull squads also claimed bronze medals.
Within the same hour, Ariarne Titmus secured another gold medal for Australia, winning a thrilling women’s 200m freestyle final against American rival Katie Ledecky.
Titmus broke the Olympic record with her time of 1 minute, 53.50 seconds this morning, ahead of Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, with Canada’s Penny Oleksiak third.
Ledecky finished fifth.
It was Australia’s sixth gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Chalmers through to 100m final
Kyle Chalmers will get the chance to defend his 100m freestyle gold from 2016, securing a place in tomorrow’s men’s 100m freestyle final.
Chalmers finished second in his heat this morning with a time of 47.80, behind ROC’s Kiliment Kolesnikov who finished in 47.11.
American Caleb Dressel will also swim the final, having won his heat in 47.23.
Australian Izaac Stubblety-Cook will also be in finals action tomorrow, having won his men’s 200m breaststroke semi-final with a time of 2:07.35.
Australia also won bronze in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay final.
Ledecky makes history, again
Katie Ledecky has finally secured a gold medal in Tokyo, taking out the first women’s 1,500m freestyle final at an Olympic Games.
The American champion finished in a time of 15:37.34, ahead of fellow American Erica Sullivan, with Germany’s Sarah Kohler third.
Australians Kiah Melverton and Maddy Gough came in sixth and eighth respectively in the history-making race.
Brown finishes fourth in time trial
Australia cyclist Grace Brown finished fourth in the women’s individual time trial.
Brown clocked a time of 31:22.22 in the event, just outside the top three.
Dutch cyclist Annamiek van Vleuten won gold with a time of 30:13.49, Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser was second and another Dutch cyclist, Anna van der Breggen, was third.
Australian Sarah Gigante finished 11th.
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