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Here’s Bryan Armen Graham with a nugget of tennis info. Sounds like a root-and-branch review of US tennis is urgently required:
With Austin Krajicek and Tennys Sandgren’s loss to Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus in the men’s doubles bronze medal match, US tennis players have failed to win a gold medal at an Olympics for the first time since 1920 (although tennis was not on the programme between 1924 and 1988).
Team GB and Australia have kicked off their quarter-final in Kashima. Follow it live with Emma Kemp here:
Related: Team GB v Australia: Tokyo Olympics 2020 women’s football quarter-final – live!
Zverev is making a much better go of things in the second set, where it’s on serve at 4-3 to the German. Djokovic won the first set 6-1.
Meanwhile, my colleague and golfing guru Dave Tindall informs me that Xander Schauffele has moved into the clubhouse lead on -11. Play has been suspended due to these pesky storms over Tokyo, with Hideki Matsuyama (-8) and Paul Casey (-7) yet to finish their second rounds.
One of my alternative heroes of the Games – this guy eats, sleeps, breathes volleyball. Sadly, he couldn’t inspire Argentina to victory over the ROC earlier today.
Everyone needs a hype teammate like Facundo Conte. pic.twitter.com/VpmAXywJnD
Here’s a quick Team GB boxing update from overnight:
Caroline Dubois is through to the quarter-finals in the women’s lightweight boxing after a points win over Rashida Ellis of the USA, while two medals have been guaranteed in the men’s events.
The women’s rugby sevens quarter-finals are due to take place this morning, with New Zealand beating ROC 36-0. It sounds like a storm is brewing above Tokyo Stadium, however, so the remaining games may be delayed. Fiji v Australia is next, then Team GB v USA and France v China.
Craig McEwan has a very good question. “I was wondering about the time in competition needed to win a medal. Does anyone know (or care?!) which events need most and least time to win a medal?”
Off the top of my head, I’m thinking 100m sprinters and gymnasts in single-apparatus competitions would be among the quickest. The gold-winning golfer will be out on the course for at least 30 hours, but there are probably athletes working longer shifts.
This is a great stat from Tom Waterhouse:
“Team GB may not be top of the medal table, but it’s worth pointing out that they have won medals in a remarkable 13 different disciplines – more than any other country. Of the teams above them in the table, China and the US have won in 12, Japan and the ROC in 10, and Australia in only five.”
Archery gold for South Korea! A dramatic finish in the women’s individual final, with An San fighting back to force a tie-break round against ROC’s Elena Osipova. An shoots first and hits the bullseye for 10 points, with Osipova unable to match it.
Victory means An has won three golds at these Games after helping her nation to women’s and mixed team’s events. South Korea have won five golds in Tokyo, and four of them have come in archery.
The second men’s tennis semi-final is following the script so far, with Novak Djokovic winning the first set 6-1 against Alexander Zverev. ROC’s Karen Khachanov awaits in the final.
The women’s football quarter-finals take place today, and the tireless Emma Kemp is on hand for coverage of Team GB v Australia. Canada v Brazil is goalless with 30 minutes played.
Related: Team GB v Australia: Tokyo Olympics 2020 women’s football quarter-final – live!
You might recall that the USA’s women’s water polo lost a match the other day. They’ve put that right against ROC today, winning 18-5, with Maggie Steffens earning a piece of Olympic history in the process.
Maggie Steffens of @TeamUSA now owns the all-time scoring record in women’s #Olympics #Waterpolo
4⃣9⃣goals and still counting! #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/bk3bDnfeOY
Team GB’s BMX bandits, Bethany Shriever of Leytonstone and Kye White of Peckham, have been speaking to Hazel Irvine on the BBC.
Shriever: “It feels amazing, everything was perfect for racing today. It’s our first Games and we’ve absolutely loved it. I could barely walk afterwards, I left it all on the track. It’s been a long, hard journey, I’ve had to rely a lot on my family, and the team for supporting me to become a full-time athlete.”
“Can we all take a moment to marvel at the Everest-like achievements of Beth Shriever and Kye Whyte,” says peterg2806 in the Readers’ Village below the line. “BMXing has had zero funding since Rio – they’ve literally funded this through crowdfunding and Shriever working as a part time teaching assistant. Absolutely stupendous!”
Related: Team GB claim Olympic double in BMX racing as Shriever gets gold and Whyte silver
Related: Alise Willoughby’s hopes for BMX racing gold dashed on crash-filled day
More gold for China in the badminton mixed doubles, with Huang Dongping and Wang Yilyu defeating compatriots Huang Yaqiong and Zheng Siwei. China’s gold medal tally is now 18 and they’re pulling away at the top of the medal table.
#UnitedByEmotion pic.twitter.com/d8ozjf9ckv
Here’s a quick roundup of some Team GB efforts so far today, with Bryony Page taking bronze on the trampoline. China’s Zhu Xueying and Liu Lingling took gold and silver.
Related: Team GB’s Bryony Page bounces her way to bronze in Olympic trampolining
@niallmcveigh Daniell and Venus have won the Men’s Doubles tennis bronze for NZ!
They have indeed! They’re the first New Zealanders to win an Olympic tennis medal since Anthony Wilding, who represented Australasia way back in 1912.
Here’s a report from the women’s basketball, where the USA pulled off a dominant win over Japan – their 51st straight Olympic victory. I’m going to stick my neck out and back the Americans for gold.
Related: Women’s basketball: USA quell Japan challenge for 51st straight Olympic win
Here are the big stories so far from Tokyo:
The women’s individual archery final is under way, with ROC’s Elena Osipova up against South Korea’s An San, the winner of two team golds in Tokyo already. Osipova defeated GB’s Bryony Pitman 6-0 on her way to the final. In the bronze medal match, Italy’s Lucilla Boari beat the USA’s Mackenzie Brown 7-1.
The two Australian track and field athletes and one coach caught up in a Covid scare after American pole vaulter Sam Kendricks tested positive will have to remain in isolation for the remainder of the Games.
The pair, believed to be vaulters Kurtis Marschall and Nina Kennedy, will still be able to compete in their events as long as they continue to return negative tests. While not competing, they will remain away from the athletes’ village and in “isolation centres” set up by the AOC, Australia’s chef de mission said on Friday.
A diplomatic incident is developing after Iran’s Javad Foroughi won a shooting gold medal. Foroughi is a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, labelled a terrorist organisation by the US in 2019.
Related: ‘How can a terrorist win gold?’: Korean criticises IOC over Iran shooting victory
The men’s golf has been ticking along overnight as they approach the halfway mark at the Kasumigaseki country club – and it’s been a big day for the pair representing Ireland, Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy. Lowry shot six-under-par, McIlroy five-under to leave both on -7, three shots off the leader, Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz.
Mito Pereira, Alex Noren and Xander Schauffele are tied for second (-8); Schauffele is still out on the course. Home favourite Hideki Matsuyama is also seven-under and has five holes to play; Team GB’s Paul Casey is currently on six-under-par.
“If anyone else was wondering, according to Wikipedia Tennys Sandgren was named after his Swedish great-grandfather,” tweets LillaMW.
Speaking of Sandgren, he’s going for bronze in the men’s doubles tennys – but alongside fellow American, Austin Krajicek, he is 7-6, 3-1 down to NZ pair Michael Venus and Marcus Daniell.
France’s Boris Neveu can only finish sixth, so it’s down to the world No 1, Jiri Prskavec. The Czech shrugs off an early mistake to lead at the first split and storms down the rest of the way. It’s gold for Prskavec (Czech Republic), silver for Grigar (Slovakia) and bronze for Aigner (Germany). Team GB’s Bradley Forbes-Cryans has to settle for sixth.
Slovakia’s Jakub Grigar finishes three seconds ahead of Aigner and takes up the gold medal position, ending Forbes-Cryans’ medal hopes as he does so. Next up is USA’s Michael Smolen, who can only finish fourth. Grigar is guaranteed a medal with two left to go …
Bradley Forbes-Cryans is off – but a decent start stalls as he goes wide at Gate 5! He’s still ahead of the leader, Germany’s Hannes Aigner, at the first split – but a two-second penalty leaves him three seconds behind Aigner and in the bronze medal position with Austria’s Felix Oschmautz second. Four more contenders to go, and he’ll struggle to hold on for a medal.
The Russian Olympic Committee will almost certainly have another medal to celebrate in tennis, where Karen Khachanov is one game from victory over Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta. He leads 6-3, 5-2. The second semi-final will feature Novak Djokovic and Sacha Zverev.
Gold! Vitalina Batsarashkina has won the women’s 25m pistol event in shooting. It’s her second gold of the Games (she also won the 10m pistol) and the ROC’s 10th at Tokyo 2020.
30 July- #Shooting – Women’s 25m Pistol
Vitalina Batsarashkina #ROC
KIM Minjung
XIAO Jiaruixuan#UnitedByEmotion | #StrongerTogether | #Olympics | #Tokyo2020
Thanks Emma, and hello everyone. What’s coming up? What isn’t? But we’ll have more from track, field and pool, plus football, tennis and much more. First up, we’re off to the Kasai Canoe Slalom Course, where Britain’s Bradley Forbes-Cryans is bidding for gold in the men’s K1 slalom. Strap yourselves in!
Khachanov has taken the first set 6-3 in the men’s tennis singles semi against Carreño Busta and it up 2-1 in the second.
And on that note, it’s time for me to hand over to Niall McVeigh, who has quite a packed few hours ahead! Ciao for now.
Shriever has a high-profile fan.
One good thing about jet lag is I got to watch @bethanyshriever and @kye969 smash it live!! Amazing!! https://t.co/bLXY716uf4
Another for the Brits to keep an eye on shortly is the men’s kayak final, which starts at 4pm local time (8am BST) at the Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre and features Team GB’s Bradley Forbes-Cryans. He will be out to take home another slalom medal after compatriot Mallory Franklin claimed silver in the women’s canoe yesterday.
Still to come!
Great Britain’s Bryony Page has claimed her second Olympic medal on the bounce with bronze in the women’s trampoline event at the Ariake Arena. The 30-year-old, who won a surprise silver in Rio in 2016, scored 55.735 to finish behind Chinese pair Zhu Xueying and Liu Lingling.
The men’s tennis singles semi-finals are under way at Ariake Tennis Court, where Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta is 2-1 up in the first set against Karen Khachanov, with the match on serve. The men’s doubles bronze medal match has also begun between US pair Austin Krajicek and Tennys Sandgren and Kiwi duo Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus. The former are also up 2-1 and it is also on serve.
Technology these days, eh. If you would like to see a sport revolutionised, archery is a fitting example. They always appear so outwardly calm, but first the first time at an Olympics a vision-based heart-rate monitor allows TV audiences to feel the tension as competitors shoot for bullseye.
It is not everybody’s cup of tea, and there is disquiet in some quarters on accuracy and surveillance implications of the technology.
Thanks Scott! I’m in canoe slalom land, which is a very happy place indeed. France’s Boris Neveu has usurped American Michal Smolen and then Czech Jiří Prskavec displaces him. His time is 94.29 seconds, and Lucien Delfour is up. His run starts clean, his turns crisp. Then he wastes time getting out of a couple of holes, and eventually finishes in 97.52 which is good enough for sixth. But the judges are having a close look at one of the final gates, which Delfour cleared by leaning back and ducking and turning his head like a ninja. Did he touch it? They eventually rule no, so he is in.
An early mistake from one of the favourites, Italian Giovanni De Gennaro, costs him a spot in the final. He is goooone. Even Germany’s fastest semi-final qualifier Hannes Aigner is off the pace but he qualifies seventh.
And that is all from me. Now handing over to my esteemed colleague, Emma Kemp. Thanks for your company and banter today. Bye for now.
Canoe Slalom: the latest from the men’s kayak semi-finals is that USA’s Michal Smolen remains the fastest with a time of 96.11 (with zero penalty seconds) but Bradley Forbes-Cryans of Team GB has been relegated to third by Slovakia’s Jakub Grigar. The top 10 go through to the final. Much is expected of Australia’s Lucien Delfour and his run is nigh.
Kurt Perleberg writes in: “What do you remember about Lolo Jones?”
Well, Kurt, I’m glad you ask. Lolo – or LJ as I liked to call her – was an accomplished hurdler and bobsleigher who competed at both the summer and winter Olympics as well as winning gold medals at numerous world championships.
Update on Rio gold medalist Connor Fields, the American BMX racer who could not take his place in the men’s final earlier today after coming down heavily in the third semi-final run. Fields was taken to hospital after the crash and it is good to hear he is awake.
Team USA’s Connor Fields, Olympic champion at Rio 2016, is “awake and awaiting further medical evaluation” following a crash in the semi-finals of the men’s BMX racing event at Tokyo 2020.https://t.co/QCYzN7qi8l
I have not yet nailed exactly what the competition would entail but surely an Olympic event determining “The Biggest Coffee Wanker” could be introduced? My home city of Melbourne would surely provide numerous serious contenders for Gold.
Thanks, Eric, and good on you for being a fully paid-up member of the #Staring4Paris movement. I like your idea. Needs fleshing out perhaps but the winner would surely be deserving. It’s a competitive field.
Canoe Slalom: the men’s kayak semi-finals are under way at the Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre. Close to halfway through, USA’s Michal Smolen is setting the pace with a run – stroke/paddle? – of 96.11. Bradley Forbes-Cryans of Team GB has just clocked 96.48 and is presently second fastest. Australia’s Lucien Delfour is to come.
Rugby Sevens: with the final women’s Pool A match now complete – New Zealand beat ROC 33 points to zip – here are the quarter-final match-ups for later on today:
For early bird readers who may be waking up around now in Great Britain, here’s an update on the day so far for Team GB
Caroline Dubois is through to the quarter-finals after winning via split decision (3-0) against the American Rashida Ellis.
Just one fight away from a guaranteed medal.#TeamGB pic.twitter.com/LidUGqMzR9
The runaway #Staring4Paris movement is now officially a thing – my, that didn’t take long – and has also got people thinking about what other sports should be pulled from the shadows and given their time in the sun at the next Olympics.
Here’s what you have to say:
Kurt Perleberg asks: “Has any American won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics?”
Thanks for writing in, Kurt. To my knowledge, Eddie Eagan and Gillis Grafström are the only two athletes to win gold in both the summer and winter Olympics. Eagan, a boxer and bobsleigher, represented the USA. So the answer to your question is: yes.
Lovers of the bean will, erm, love this story about Australia’s secret weapon in Tokyo – a bloody good cup of coffee.
Related: Australia’s secret weapon at the Tokyo Olympics – good coffee of course
Athletics: Okay, back to the National Stadium and the women’s 100m heats. To recap from my earlier post (and to pad out with subsequent results), here goes:
We know that Saya Sakakibara is up and about after that horror crash in the women’s BMX Racing semi-final, but here is the official word from the Australian Olympic Committee:
Saya Sakakibara crashed in the semi-final for BMX Racing this morning. She was stretchered off the course and assessed by medical. At the time Saya showed signs of a mild concussion but after 30 minutes fully recovered and was medically cleared.
She has sustained a few bumps and bruises and will continue to be monitored over the next 24 hours as a precaution. Saya is currently up and around at the course talking to family and conducting media interviews.
Hockey: Australia have been held 1-1 by Spain at the Oi Hockey Stadium. Tom Wickham put the Kookaburras ahead after five minutes before Pau Quemada Cadafalch equalised on 66 minutes. The result was essentially immaterial for Australia, however, with top spot in Pool A already locked up. Quarters next.
FT’ We complete the pool stages in the top spot of Pool A.
Next stop, a quarter-final on Sunday.
1-1 #AUSvESP #HockeyInvites #PrideOfTheKookas #TokyoTogether pic.twitter.com/7Q8X9fduPZ
Proud Brit mpeel (not sure if real name, but unlikely) has written in and makes a great point regarding Team GB’s efforts at the Ariake Urban Sports Park today:
“I’ve just woken up in London. My daughters are both experienced BMX racers. I know you are in Australia, but the women’s gold and men’s silver is an amazing achievement for a sport that cycling generally hasn’t taken seriously enough.”
A good day on the track for #GBR!
Kye Whyte takes silver in the men’s BMX racing final.@UCI_BMX_SX @TeamGB #BMXRacing pic.twitter.com/ONWZhmc4Q3
Badminton: for purveyors of the shuttlecock – and I know you are out there – the first badminton medal of Tokyo 2020 has been won, with Watanabe Yuta and Higashino Arisa taking bronze for Japan in the mixed doubles.
#Badminton bronze for #JPN!
Watanabe Yuta and Higashino Arisa win the first badminton medal of #Tokyo2020 in the mixed doubles.@bwfmedia @Japan_Olympic pic.twitter.com/SfU13yVi1l
Joel Eley writes in, agreeing that Staring should become an Olympics sport. I can feel the #Staring4Paris movement gathering pace.
“Hi Scott, I like your suggestion. My Australian mate is dead set on Prawning becoming an Olympic event. Personally I am not too sure but as we have been on pretty much lockdown for 3 months this is now the level of debate. Stay safe and all the best from Kuala Lumpur.”
I feel like I’ve let everyone down. This sucks for sure. Thank you everyone for supporting me all the way. I feel like a gave my best today. I don’t feel like it’s clicked that it’s over. It would have been great to be in that final and go for gold.
These are the words of Australia’s Saya Sakakibara, who took a heavy tumble in the third women’s semi-final run (having won the second heat) in the BMX Racing event. The pure emotion of it all after years of striving for this moment. She will be bigger and better in Paris. The good thing is she is safe and well. That stack looked nasty.
1 Shriever (GBR) – 44.358
2 Pajon (COL)
3 Smulders (NED)
The Brit capitalised on a brilliant start to hold off the Pajon, denying the Colombian a third successive Olympics gold medal. Pajon was coming so hard in the the run to the line but Shriever pulled out plenty as the line approached. Australia’s Lauren Reynolds finished fifth after being pushed wide on the first turn.
Incredible finish!
On her Olympic debut, #GBR‘s Bethany Shriever is crowned women’s BMX racing champion at #Tokyo2020.@UCI_BMX_SX @TeamGB #BMXRacing pic.twitter.com/nUkqjsjIop
Women’s BMX Racing final: Reynolds in action for Australia but she will have her hands full against Pajon and Shriever.
1 Kimmann (NED) – 39.053
2 Whyte (GBR)
3 Ramires Yepes (COL)
A dominant performance by the Dutchman but the final was notable for the absence of USA’s Connor Fields, who was hurt in a bad crash during the semi-final runs. We await and update on his condition.
What a race!#NED‘s Niek Kimmann becomes the men’s BMX racing Olympic champion at #Tokyo2020.@UCI_BMX_SX @nocnsf #BMXRacing pic.twitter.com/MpVn1zd007
Athletics: the heats of the women’s 100m are under way at the National Stadium:
BMX Racing: more drama at the Ariake Urban Sports Park, with Australia’s Saya Sakakibara crashing out in the third semi-final run barely moments after Connor Fields suffered a big stack in the men’s event. I am hearing both riders have been taken to hospital. Fingers crossed both are okay.
Women’s Rugby Sevens: today’s final pool games have yielded some interesting results:
Making history
Reapi Uluinasau becomes the first #Rugby sevens player to score four tries in one match at the #Olympics #HowWeSevens | #Tokyo2020 | @fijirugby pic.twitter.com/9SjOeQMpzn
BMX Racing: back briefly to the Ariake Urban Sports Park, and big news coming out of the third run in the men’s semi-final with USA’s Connor Fields crashing out early on. France’s Romain Mahieu won again. Fields has qualified in fourth position overall despite the stack but he doesn’t look in a good way and is receiving medical attention. He might not be fit for the final.
I might be late to discussion on these pages about sports that aren’t in the Olympics but should be. If you can indulge me a belated contribution, how on earth is staring not there?
BMX Racing: great run by Australia’s Saya Sakakibara to finish second in the first women’s semi-final run. She finished behind Colombian superstar Mariana Pajon and in front of USA’s Felicia Stancil. Great Britain’s Bethany Shriever was awesome in the second run, outpointing Simone Christensen of Denmark and Australia’s Lauren Reynolds.
BMX Racing: France’s Romain Mahieu won the first men’s semi-final run ahead of USA’s Connor Fields. In run No 2, Ecuador’s Alfredo Campo finished in front of Dutchman Niek Kimmann with Great Britain’s Kye Whyte in fourth. The third run is to come.
Right, with the manic swimming hour now a thing of the past and the athletics going on all day (seemingly), let’s take a look at BMX.
The Queen of BMX!
Flashback to Mariana Pajón’s thrilling Olympic debut at London 2012!
The Colombian would go on to win gold in London and again at Rio 2016!
Will she make it three Olympic in a row? The #Tokyo2020 final starts shortly! #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/QnFfH7xERT
Am at the cavernous Tokyo Olympic Stadium, which in normal times would now be packed with 68,000 people but is now largely empty – save for a few thousand officials, media and volunteers.
Not a bad atmosphere mind, thanks to the top French DJ – sorry, I don’t know his name – that World Athletics have recruited. The British 800m women have all just finished their heats, with Jemma Reekie looking particularly impressive in winning hers in 1:59.97.
1 Wang (CHN) – 1:55.00
2 Scott (GBR)
3 Desplanches (SUI)
Lochte’s record was never in threat but that was a very strong swim by Wang. Another individual silver for Scott after his relay gold. Andrew dropped away sharply in the freestyle leg to finish out of the placings.
But now Andrew regains the lead with just the freestyle leg to go. But Wang is coming hard. And here comes Scott. Big finish coming up!
Not a good turn for Andrew. Out of the medals heading into breaststroke.
Andrew leads after the butterfly leg followed by Cseh and Wang. Big start by the American.
Men’s 200m individual medley: Great Britain record holder Duncan Scott is a medal chance but the man to beat is Michael Andrew of the USA. Fastest qualifier Wang Shun of China is also a swimmer to watch.
Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell embrace.
“This is my fourth Olympics but only second individual medal,” Campbell tells Channel Seven, holding back the tears. “I’m so happy for Emma and so happy I will be standing on the podium with her. I wanted to put forward my best performance. After a very challenger year, it’s been a really long journey to get here. I’m so thrilled.”
1 McKeon (AUS) – 51.96 (OR)
2 Haughey (HKG)
3 C Campbell (AUS)
Eight Olympics medals now for McKeon and her first individual gold in Tokyo. An Olympic record to boot. Star. Led all the way.
And they’re off. McKeon in the lead straight away. Haughey in second and Cate Campbell in bronze position at the turn.
Women’s 100m freestyle final: Emma McKeon is looking to add to Australia’s gold medal haul. After smashing the Olympic record in the preliminary heats with a personal best of 52.13, McKeon starts in lane four in pursuit of her fourth medal of the Games. Hong Kong’s 200m freestyle silver medallist Siobhan Haughey could be McKeon’s closest challenger, followed by Australia’s triple Olympic relay gold medallist, Cate Campbell. The field also features Canada’s defending Olympic champion Penny Oleksiak, Sweden’s world record holder Sarah Sjostrom and 2016 medley relay gold medallist Abbey Weitzeil of the United States.
Not long now…
1 Rylov (ROC) – 1:53.27 (OR)
2 Murphy (USA)
3 Greenbank (GBR)
Murphy came hard in the final 25m but Rylov pulled out enough to secure the double.
What a race from ROC’s Evgeny Rylov to secure gold and a new Olympic Record in the men’s 200m backstroke final.@fina1908 #Swimming pic.twitter.com/G0idCg0szT
Rylov is 0.72 ahead of Murphy at the 150m. The Russian in front. Murphy is coming.
Murphy is going for a fourth Olympics gold here and he is amongst the leaders at the first turn. Rylov showing up in the lead.
Men’s 200m backstroke final: Ryan Murphy, who took gold in both the 100m and 200m backstroke events in Rio, finished with the third fastest time in the semi-finals on Thursday, and he’s a strong medal contended in a race where Russia’s Evgeny Rylov is favoured. Murphy won bronze in the 100m event, where he holds both the world and Olympic records, finishing .21 seconds behind Rylov.
Here we go.
Upcoming medal events in the pool:
1 Schoenmaker (RSA) – 2:18.95 (WR)
2 King (USA)
3 Lazor (USA)
First woman ever under 2:19. What a swim.
But here comes Schoenmaker. She takes over from King at the 150m and is asserting.
Women’s 200m breaststroke final: this is all about Tatjana Schoenmaker, who starts well but is trailing USA’s Lilly King at the halfway mark.
Men’s 100m butterfly semi-final 2: Dressel dominates, not in world record time but the American obliterates Milak’s semi-final winning time of 50.31 to clock in with a blistering 49.71 ahead of Noe Ponti (SUI) and Jakub Majerski (POL). Milak held the Olympic record for all of three minutes. The USA’s Tom Shields touched home in last place.
Australia’s Matthew Temple qualifies for the final sixth fastest.
Men’s 100m butterfly semi-final 2: Dressel starts well in lane four and touches the wall first. Korstanje in second but this is all about Dressel. World record in the offing?
Men’s 100m butterfly semi-final 1: Hungarian Kristof Milak has taken the first semi in an Olympic record 50.31. Josif Miladinov, Andrei Minakjov and Australia’s Matthew Temple followed him home. Great swim from the 200m butterfly gold medalist but up next is the dominant American, Caeleb Dressel.
Hello all. Thanks Tom. We are now in the sweet spot of the Olympics where athletics and swimming cross. And while there is understandably much excitement at the commencement of action at the National Stadium, for the next hour or so we will be concentrating on events at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, where four medal events – the women’s 200m breaststroke, men’s 200m backstroke, women’s 100m freestyle and men’s 200m IM – will be bookended by semi-finals in the men’s 100m butterfly and women’s 200m backstroke.
Without further ado…
With the rowing over, I’ll hand the reins to Scott Heinrich. Bye!
GB cut into NZ’s lead but the Kiwis continue their superb regatta with their third gold – the best nation of the Games. GB get bronze and Germany silver. The US are fourth and Australia sixth.
The Kiwis are powering through now and have a 1.31 second lead over GB in second. Germany are in bronze with 500m to go.
Halfway and NZ pick up the pace and move into first place past GB and Germany. But it’s still anyone’s race.
At 500m it’s Germany, GB and NZ but it’s pretty close. Even Australia back in sixth are not out of this one.
The final event of the rowing regatta now (see you on a nice lake in France in three years). It’s the men’s eight. USA, New Zealand, Germany, Netherlands, Great Britain and Australia are ready to start.
Away from the Olympics, the NBA draft has taken place. The Detroit Pistons picked Cade Cunningham with the No 1 overall pick. Our Australian readers may be interested in the No 6 overall pick: Josh Giddey from Melbourne. He was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The full report is below:
Related: Detroit Pistons tab Cade Cunningham with No 1 overall pick in NBA draft
China move up on the Kiwis in second as Canada maintain their big lead. But NZ fight back and get back into silver as Canada win their first gold in the women’s eight since 1992. New Zealand are second and China third. The longtime champs of the US boat are well out of the medals. Australia finish fifth.
500m to go and Canada are stretching out their lead with NZ in silver, China third and Australia in fourth.
USA have a great history in this event. It’s Canada, Australia and NZ in first, second and third through 500m but every crew is still in it.
And now the women’s rowing eight. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA, Romania and China are your crews. This is the big stuff!
The men’s steeplechase is taking place. Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia and Abraham Kibiwott of Kenya won the first two heats. USA’s Mason Ferlic and Benard Keter; GB’s Zak Seddon and Phil Norman; and Australia’s Edward Trippas all missed out on automatic qualification for the next round (which is also the final).
France are through as Group B winners in the women’s sevens. They saw off Canada in a 75% Francophone battle.
A thrilling finish with three rowers all in a shout for gold in the last 500m. But it’s Greece’s Stefanos Ntouskos who pulls clear in the final stages. Norway’s Kjetil Borch gets second and Croatia’s Damir Martin is third. That’s Greece’s first-ever rowing gold.
We’ve had the women’s single sculls final so logic dictates we now have the men’s. Mindaugas Griskonis of Lithuania, Croatia’s Damir Martin, Norway’s Kjetil Borch, Greece’s Stefanos Ntouskos, Sverri Nielsen of Denmark and ROC’s Alexander Vyazovkin are your gladiators. Water gladiators. With no swords. Or those trident and net things.
New Zealand’s Emma Twigg has too big a lead in the closing stages for ROC’s Prakatsen to catch her. Austria’s Logbnig wins bronze just ahead of GB’s Thornley.
500m to go and Twigg still has the lead – and it’s a big one. Prakatsen is second and is a fast finisher. Twigg’s lead is 2.5sec. Lobnig is third.
At the halfway point it’s still NZ’s Twigg with a healthy lead over Austria’s Lobnig and then Jiang Yan of China. The TV commentary team tell me Twigg has a tendency to fade late. GB’s Thornley looks well out of the medals.
It’s an experienced field: Hanna Prakhatsen is the only woman under 30 in the race. Twigg of New Zealand gets out to a quick start along with Lobnig of Austria. Twigg leads at 500m followed by Lobnig and Gmelin of Switzerland.
We have a medal race coming up in the rowing. It’s the women’s single sculls and your start list is:
1) Jiang Yan (China)
Fiji need a win against Brazil to make it the quarter-finals of the women’s rugby sevens (the men’s team won gold a few days back). And it’s safe to say they’re going to make it: they’re 41-5 up with a a minute or so left.
The final heat of the women’s 100m preliminaries. Antigua’s Joella Lloyd wins in 11.55sec , followed by Malawi’s Asimenye Simwaka and Indonesia’s Alvin Tehupeiory. Malta’s Carla Scicluna creeps in to the next round as the fastest loser by 0.01 seconds. Phew. The first round proper is in a few hours.
I’m at the pool for the third-last day of swimming competition at Tokyo 2020. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit it was beginning to feel a little like groundhog day: hotel – pool – hotel – repeat. But we’ve had excitement at every turn – dominant winners, unexpected medallists and the odd controversy along the way. So no complaints from me.
This morning we have four gold medals on offer, and the highlight, at least from an Australian perspective, will be the blue riband women’s 100m freestyle. Emma McKeon broke the Olympic record in qualifying and Cate Campbell will swim next to her in lane three. But over such a short distance, anything can happen – Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey has had a good meet, while Canada’s Penny Oleksiak is looking strong. A must-watch.
And the athletics has started. The first event is the women’s 100m preliminary round. The big guns will not compete in this round – they come in in the next round. Three from each heat in this preliminary round go to the first-round proper. Natacha Ngoye of Congo, Maggie Barrie of Sierra Leone and Amya Clarke of St Kitts and Nevis all make it through to the next round. The winning time was 11.47 seconds.
You may have noticed there’s not much live sport here at the moment. And that’s because there’s not much going on before the start of the athletics in around 10 minutes. But we do have some results! Kazakhstan’s Vladislav Yakovlev has just won the D final in the men’s single sculls, he beat Zimbabwe’s Peter Purcell-Gilpin by 0.48 seconds.
In men’s golf, Chile’s Guillermo Pereira is off to a hot start and is three under for the round after six holes. That’s moved him up to fifth overall. Second placed Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand is the only one of the first-round leaders in action at the moment. He’s on par through four holes and is still in second place.
Dina Asher-Smith will start her campaign today. The sprinter is attempting to do what no British woman has done before: win Olympic gold over 100m or 200m. Here’s Sean Ingle on an extraordinary athlete:
When Dina Asher-Smith ran her first cross-country race in primary school she hated it so much she nearly stopped – only for her parents to bribe her with an ice cream to keep going. It worked – and then some. Asher-Smith ended up sprinting through the field to finish fifth out of 400 and a glittering athletics career was born.
Related: After Doha double, Dina Asher-Smith has Olympic history in her sights | Sean Ingle
A big day for Australia at the Olympics. Going for gold in the pool are Emma McKeon and Cate Campbell, while the Matildas seek a place in the women’s football semi-finals and the track and field competition begins. For a full rundown of Aussies in action try our handy guide:
Related: Australia at the Olympics on Friday: day 7 schedule of who and when to watch in Tokyo today
I, for one, am very excited about the early heats of the athletics. The worst runners at the Olympics are waaaaay faster than you (unless Usain Bolt is an unexpected fan of the Guardian’s liveblog). And when you see them in the early heats? They are crushed by the top sprinters. So what would those athletes do to you, mortal? It reminds me of this clip of members of the public confidently predicting they could beat NFL players in a 40-yard dash. With predictable results:
The golfers are the first out for the day, enjoying a casual round at the Kasumigaseki Country Club. A reminder of the leaders after round one – and they’re not exactly giants of the game. Sepp Straka of Austria leads at -8; Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond is-7, while Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz are -6.
Hello! The athletics/track and field starts today as the end of the swimming looms into view (it’s not over just yet though). Here is my colleague Martin Belam with what’s hot and what’s also hot today at the Games:
All events are listed here in local Tokyo time. Add an hour for Sydney, subtract eight hours for Glasgow, 13 hours for New York and 16 hours for San Francisco. Confused? Surely not by now.
