Sky Brown wins Olympic bronze medal in women’s skateboarding park final at Tokyo 2020
Day 13 of Tokyo 2020 is underway with Team GB’s women breaking a national record in the 4x100m relay heats, and champion kayaker Liam Heath winning bronze in the men’s K1 200.
Team USA’s favourite Grant Holloway, who had been undefeated for 24 races in a row, lost in dramatic fashion to Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment, who snatches the men’s 110m hurdles gold. And there was also American disappointment on the track after the men’s sprint relay heats, with the USA 4x100m team failing to progress to the finals. In the field, Team USA’s Ryan Crouser dominated the shot-put competition to win gold with an Olympic record throw.
India claimed a nail-biting 5-4 victory against Germany in the men’s hockey third-place playoff, the bronze being the team’s first medal in 41 years since 1980.
Meanwhile, the men’s basketball competition is down to the semi-final stage, where Australia is leading the US and Slovenia, led by Luca Doncic, will take on Rudy Gobert and France. Earlier today Australia’s skateboarder Kieran Woolley crashed into a cameraman and failed to make it to the podium. But teammate Keegan Palmer made history by winning gold in the inaugural men’s Olympic skateboard competition.
Injured US BMX star Connor Fields, who suffered a head injury in the semi-final of the competition, will be released from hospital on Thursday. Fields took to Twitter to provide an update on his condition. “I’m back. Ish. Still can only stand for 5-10 min at a time but we’re working!” he tweeted.
Tokyo Olympics: GB’s Heath undecided on Paris after K1 bronze
Liam Heath says it is a case of “wait and see” whether he will continue his Olympic journey to Paris and a fourth Games.
The 36-year-old won bronze in the K1 200m at Sea Forest Waterway, his fourth Olympic medal after successes at London 2012 and Rio five years ago.
Heath, who set an Olympic-best time of 33.985 seconds during Wednesday’s qualifying, took second in the opening semi-final to set up his medal assault.
And while he could not make it successive golds, it was another medal in the collection for Guildford-based Heath.
Asked if Tokyo might be the final chapter, he said: “That’s a question still to be answered and thought about very deeply.”
Alex Pattle5 August 2021 07:21
Tokyo Olympics: Team USA through basketball finals after dramatic rebound
United States will play for men’s basketball gold after beating Australia 97-78 in the semi-final.
The Aussies were leading much of the first half, taking a 45-42 lead into half time, but the second half saw a dominant USA team make a big comeback.
Kevin Durant led the team to victory with 23 points and Devin Booker also stood out with 20 points during the thrilling match, while Patty Mills scored 15 points and eight assists for Australia.
Team USA turned around what was at one stage a 15-point deficit to win the match. They will now play either against Slovenia or France to compete for a 16th men’s gold medal and fourth in a row.
Australia will play for bronze.
Alex Pattle5 August 2021 07:10
Tokyo Olympics: Ireland win over Thailand in lightweight boxing semi-final
Ireland’s Kellie Anne Harrington punched her way to the lightweight boxing finals against Thailand’s Sudaporn Seesondee.
Harrington won by a split decision 3-2 in her favour. She will now face Beatriz Ferreira of Brazil or Finland’s Mira Marjut Johanna Potkonen for the gold.
Seesondee will take bronze automatically as a losing semi-finalist
Shweta Sharma5 August 2021 06:43
Tokyo Olympics: Team USA trail in basketball to Australia
It is half-time in the men’s basketball semi-final at Saitama Super Arena with Australia beating the USA by 45-42.
Kevin Durant seems to be determined to save Team USA alone, scoring 15 of his team’s total points.
The Aussies maintained a lead of as much as 15 points with 5:23 left in the second period, before Team USA clawed them back with a 16–4 scoring run.
Shweta Sharma5 August 2021 06:13
Tokyo Olympics: Hugues Fabrice Zango on ‘historic’ first medal for Burkina Faso
Hugues Fabrice Zango’s bronze in the men’s triple jump final is the first-ever Olympic medal for the West African nation of Burkina Faso.
Zango noted that his success also came on his country’s Independence Day, in comments to the media.
“I’m pretty happy for Burkina Faso because today is the Independence Day of my country and I got the first medal for my country. This is really good and it’s historic for me and for my country,” he said.
“It’s not the medal I wanted but it’s good for Burkina Faso and it’s historic. Burkina Faso is really happy. Everybody is happy. I think they will throw a great party when I go back.”
Shweta Sharma5 August 2021 06:00
Tokyo Olympics: Former Olympian says Team USA ‘worse than AAU kids’
Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis did not mince words as he went on to bash Team USA for their disappointing performance in the men’s 4x100m relay heats.
Team USA crashed out of the finals after China, Canada and Italy secured the top spots in heat 2.
“The USA team did everything wrong in the men’s relay. The passing system is wrong, athletes running the wrong legs, and it was clear that there was no leadership. It was a total embarrassment, and completely unacceptable for a USA team to look worse than the AAU kids I saw,” Lewis said.
Shweta Sharma5 August 2021 05:43
Tokyo Olympics: Keegan Palmer lands gold for Australia
Keegan Palmer has made history by winning gold in the inaugural men’s Olympic skateboard competition. The 18-year-old Australian bettered the field with a 95.83.
Brazil’s Pedro Barros takes silver home while Cory Juneay of Team USA claims the bronze.
Australia’s Kieran Woolley, second-top qualifier from this morning, did not make the podium after falling early in his run.
Shweta Sharma5 August 2021 05:30
Tokyo Olympics: Australia win gold in men’s kayak double 1000m
Australia’s Thomas Green and Jean van der Westhuyzen paddled away from Germany to secure the lead at the Sea Forest Waterway and win gold.
Germany took silver and Czech Republic will go home with a bronze.
Shweta Sharma5 August 2021 05:18
Tokyo Olympics: New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington wins third gold with canoe sprint
In the women’s K-1 500m final, Lisa Carrington has paddled her way to a third gold ahead of Hungary.Tamara Csipes took silver and Denmark’s Emma Jorgensen bagged bronze.
“I’m doing it for my country, my whanau (family), my friends. I hope I represented my country on the world stage well,” Carrington said after her third medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
“It’s amazing. Set out for such a big task this week and to be able to do it is just a mother thing. I’m so proud and just amazed at what happened this week so far. There’s so many people that support me. I’m just so lucky to have so many people in my team.”
She has become New Zealand’s more decorated Olympian with five gold medals and a bronze.
Shweta Sharma5 August 2021 05:06
Tokyo Olympics: USA’s Grant Holloway stunned by Jamaica’s Hansle
Grant Holloway had been undefeated for 24 races in a row but lost the one that means most as Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment roared back at the American to snatch men’s Olympic 110m hurdles gold.
Lawrence Ostlere from Tokyo writes:
Shweta Sharma5 August 2021 05:02