- Games schedule | Results | Medal table | Full coverage
- Meet the 46-year-old skateboarder who fended off a jaguar
- Tokyo 2020: the best images from day 13 at the Olympics
- Email Scott, tweet or comment below the line
Boxing: the bell has sounded to end the first round and the judges are quite rightly with Andy Cruz. Australia’s Harry Garside has work to do to counter the Cuban’s footwork and intelligent combinations.
Boxing: Team USA’s Keyshawn Davis dominated Armenian Hovhannes Bachkov in the men’s light semi-final and is through by unanimous decision to the gold medal bout, where he will meet either Cuban Andy Cruz or Harry Garside of Australia.
That fight is now barely seconds away.
Related: Ballet-dancing plumber Harry Garside boxing for rare Australian medal | Kieran Pender
Boxing: big news for Team GB as Lauren Price wins her middleweight semi-final and is through to the gold medal bout. Price, the Welsh world champion and Commonwealth Games gold medalist, beat Dutchwoman Nouchka Fontjin by split decision.
Price fought her way back after being deducted a point and will face Li Qian in Sunday’s final after the Chinese boxer easily accounted for Zenfira Magomedalieva in the other semi-final.
Women’s basketball: it’s half-time at Saitama Super Arena and it’s all Team USA. The Americans lead Serbia 41-23 in a mismatch not really befitting an Olympics semi-final. But that is the USA women’s basketball team – they are a cut above. They haven’t lost at the Games since 1992 and are long odds-on to swat Serbia aside and then go on to win a seventh straight Olympic gold medal.
Women’s golf: Team USA’s Nelly Korda, fresh from that scintillating 62 in the second round, fired a more human-like 69 today to lead the women’s strokeplay event by three shots at 15 under with one round to play. India’s Aditi Ashok is alone in second place with four golfers two shots further back on 10 under. Australia’s Hannah Green is among that quartet after carding 67 in the third round. After shooting a lacklustre 71 on Wednesday, Green is now a genuine medal hope.
I’m confused. Why are some articles open for comments and many are not? Asking for a friend …
Editorial discretion is the answer, SteveLA. Some articles are chosen to be open to comments, some are not.
It’s been a relatively quiet day in Tokyo, but here’s a brief summary of what readers just waking up and tuning in with an interest in Team GB have missed:
Women’s basketball: the first quarter of the semi-final at Saitama Super Arena has gone to script, with Team USA leading Serbia 25-12. Breanna Stewart is leading the way for the Americans with six points but Yvonne Anderson heads all scorers with eight points. Early days but Team USA have all the answers to this point.
Table tennis: Japan have claimed bronze in the men’s team event, beating South Korea 3-1. The blockbuster gold medal match between China and Germany takes place tonight. The Chinese, featuring the towering figures of singles gold medalist Ma Long and Xu Xin, will be strong favourites to claim another table tennis gold.
It’s bronze for the hosts!#JPN secures a spot on the men’s team #TableTennis podium.@ittfworld @japan_olympic pic.twitter.com/vAJ7ykA3Va
I have nothing to add to this.
Women’s basketball: Team USA are about to start their semi-final against Serbia. The Americans haven’t lost a game at the Olympics since 1992 and are gunning for a seventh consecutive gold medal. So Serbia are as good as home you’d say.
Japan and France face off in tonight’s other semi-final.
While we’re on tweets from famous folk, here’s one from Sachin Tendulkar. Just a lazy 34.7 million followers. India’s efforts in hockey at Tokyo 2020 were really quite outstanding.
Well done #TeamIndia on giving your best and fighting till the very end.
You may have lost the match but you have won our hearts. We are all very proud of you.#Hockey #Olympics #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/zf2QRM5EBE
Canoe sprint: Lisa Carrington, the GOAT in a boat, already has three gold medals to take home from Tokyo 2020 but it might end up being four. The New Zealander this morning finished second to Hungary in a heat of the women’s K4 500m, Carrington and her teammates progressing straight through to the semi-finals. Australia finished fourth in heat two and will need to go via the quarters.
In the men’s K4 500m heats, Australia are into the semis after finishing second to Germany.
A nice tweet here from the self-proclaimed “Professional Pitier Of Fools”, Mr. T (AKA Laurence Tureaud).
Wow! You did it Ladies, Congratulations! @AprilRossBeach and @alixklineman , you Deserve the Gold! You Brought your “A” Game to the A-team! USA All the Way, you made Us Proud! @NBCOlympics @TeamUSA @usavolleyball @USAVBeach #gold #theAteam
Some absolutely stunning pics here. But I must say, my favourite Olympic snaps – with a special mention to diving; those facial expressions are priceless – come from the moment of impact in long jump and triple jump. They beautifully capture a frame in time that is just not possible to see in motion.
Related: Australia’s Olympic stars in action during week two of Tokyo 2020 Games – in pictures
The modern Pentathlon is a bit hopeless as a sport, however I strongly recommend you tune in for the horse riding bit, it has lots of its a knockout entertainment value.
You have stressed and often very average riders on randomly drawn horses trying to jump stuff.
A little harsh on modern pentathlon, TE, but I take your point on the steeds. I also wonder why it’s the riders, and not the horses, who get the recognition in Olympic equestrian events.
@scott_heinrich Here’s a pic of the fake sumo wrestler… https://t.co/FPZ5pp7nza
Boxing: a string – array? pile? row? bunch? heap? – of medals are to be fought for at the Kokugikan Arena this afternoon. Harry Garside, a knockabout bloke from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, will be punching for Australia when he takes on Cuban Andy Cruz (with bronze assured in the event of defeat) in the lightweight semi-final.
Tired stereotypes should be cast aside when it comes to this pugilist. There is more to Garside than meets the eye.
Related: Ballet-dancing plumber Harry Garside boxing for rare Australian medal | Kieran Pender
Women’s hockey: Team GB have won the bronze medal after overcoming India 4-3 at Oi Hockey Stadium. There were ebbs and flows aplenty as the Brits established a 2-0 lead only to find themselves 3-2 behind at the long break after India piled on three goals in four minutes.
But Team GB would not be denied, with second-half goals to captain Hollie Pearne Webb and Grace Balsdon denying India’s women a first Olympic medal to go with the bronze collected by the nation’s men at Tokyo 2020.
A clinical, ruthless performance from April Ross and Alix Klineman to beat Australia’s Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy in straight sets – 21-15, 21-16.
The Americans set up this win with a devastating serving game, putting Australia under intense pressure from the first point to the last. Ross now has a gold medal after claiming silver in London and bronze in Rio. This is now Team USA’s fourth women’s beach volleyball gold. The Australians fell just short here but a silver medal is a good return for an outstanding tournament.
Women’s hockey: Grace Balsdon has put Team GB 4-3 ahead with just five minutes to play in the bronze medal match against India. Having opened up a 2-0 lead, the Brits then found themselves 3-2 behind but are now within touching distance of an Olympic medal.
Women’s beach volleyball: Team USA’s April Ross and Alix Klineman, already one set up over Australia’s Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy in the gold medal match, are now turning the screw.
They lead 13-5 in the second set and are cruising on a seemingly unstoppable path towards Olympic glory. The Americans are putting on a serving masterclass on the sand.
Among all the extraordinary performances we’ve witnessed over the past couple of weeks, this should not get overlooked. Eight Olympic Games. Enough said.
History made!
✅ Barcelona 1992
✅ Atlanta 1996
✅ Sydney 2000
✅ Athens 2004
✅ Beijing 2008
✅ London 2012
✅ Rio 2016
✅ Tokyo 2020
By taking part in the 50km race walk, Jesús Ángel García just participated in his 8th Olympic Games, most-ever for an athlete in #Athletics pic.twitter.com/SovrGyngwG
Women’s beach volleyball: Team USA’s April Ross and Alix Klineman have barely put a foot wrong so far in the gold medal match, applying huge service and offensive pressure to take the first set against 21-15 over Australia’s Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy.
The Australians did show better signs late in that set but they have it all to do to get back into this Olympic decider.
In Tokyo last night Andy Bull and I met a man from the India men’s hockey team staff. He was deliriously happy at India’s men’s bronze, their first hockey medal for 41 years.
He said this was one of the greatest days of his life, that it was impossible to convey the cultural and emotional importance of an Indian hockey medal at the Olympic Games, and, more to the point, that he was going off to look for a bottle of whiskey.
Women’s beach volleyball: Some incredible serving from April Ross has helped USA open up a handy 6-2 lead over Australia duo Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy in the gold medal match. And with that it’s an early time-out for Australia. Let’s see if they can regroup.
Not yet. Now it’s 7-2 to the Americans.
Wow. Big turn of events in the Krystsina Tsimanouskaya situation.
Related: IOC strips two Belarus Olympics coaches of accreditation over Krystsina Tsimanouskaya scandal
I’m at the Shiokaze Park today for the women’s beach volleyball gold medal match between Australia and the United States.
A win for Aussie pair Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy would be historic – the medal would see Tokyo 2020 overtake Athens 2004 as the most successful Olympics for Australia (with 18 gold medals) and be the nation’s first beach volleyball gold since Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst’s iconic win at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Final warm-ups done, they’re ready to fight for the #TokyoTogether #beachvolleyball @ausvolley pic.twitter.com/1IH5mHUfdp
Women’s hockey: India have enjoyed a fabulous time of it at the Oi Hockey Stadium at Tokyo 2020 and the nation’s women are having a fair old go at emulating the men’s team, leading Team GB 3-2 at half-time of their bronze medal encounter.
The Brits were all over the opening exchanges as they opening up a 2-0 lead, but a flurry of strikes – three in four minutes, if you don’t mind! – have handed India the edge at the long break.
Thanking you, Bryan. Beach volleyball, anyone?
The bronze medal has gone to Switzerland, with Joana Heidrich (spelling is close enough to say no relation) and Anouk Vergé-Dépré beating the Latvians, Tina Graudina and Anastasija Kravcenoka, in straight sets to claim their nation’s first women’s beach volleyball medal. The big one, USA v Australia, is now less than half an hour away. Get excited.
I’ll now hand off to Scott Heinrich, who will be taking you through the next few hours. Bye for now!
Women’s hockey: And just like that, Team GB are on the board in the bronze medal match. Ellie Rayer is credited with the goal after her cross is deflected by an Indian defender into the goal. Team GB 1-0 India early in the second quarter.
Women’s hockey: Team GB and India are deadlocked at 0-0 through one quarter of their bronze medal match. The British team have won the possession battle and fired three shots on goal to India’s none, but haven’t yet made the pressure count for them.
Women’s golf: It’s moving day at Kasumigaseki Country Club but Nelly Korda is threatening to turn the proceedings into a race for silver. She’e just birdied the par-5 fourth hole to go 15-under for the tournament and five shots clear of the field. She went birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie on this stretch of the course yesterday. Japan’s Mone Inami and India’s Aditi Ashok are tied for second at 10-under.
Men’s 50km walk: Turns out Poland’s Dawid Tomala has won the gold medal today in only the second 50km racewalk he’s ever completed.
“It was an amazing day for me,” he said. “I can’t believe it. I work for it my whole life since I was 15 when I thought for the first time during training I would like to be a (Olympic) gold medallist. At first I thought (I wanted to win Olympic gold in the) 20km, but this year changed everything. I competed over 50km in Dudince (where he finished fifth). This was only the second 50km in my life (he did not finish in a 50m race walk in Dudince in 2017) and I win it (the Olympic title). It is crazy, right?”
Beach volleyball: The Swiss team of Joana Heidrich and Anouk Vergé-Dépré have taken the opening set of the women’s bronze medal match, 21-19, over Tina Graudina and Anastasija Kravcenoka of Latvia.
Coming up very shortly, we have the women’s beach volleyball bronze medal match, women’s hockey bronze match and the start of the men’s kata karate. I’ll hand over to Bryan Graham, who will be your guide. Bye!
Ever wondered who the oldest and youngest Olympians are? Then wonder no more:
Related: From 12 to 66: who are Tokyo’s youngest and oldest Olympians?
And here are some highlights for Team USA on Day 14:
10.30pm EDT: women’s beach volleyball gold medal match
Day 14 of the Games and Team Australia look like they’ll continue to soar. Australia has three women in the javelin final and two in the 1500m, it’s Australia v USA in the beach volleyball final and Harry Garside goes for a chance at boxing gold. Read the full rundown here:
Related: Australia at the Olympics on Friday: day 14 schedule of who and when to watch in Tokyo today
A question from reader Kurt Perleberg for our US readers: “Has NBC done a good job on their Olympics coverage?” Well, some would say not …
Related: NBC paid $7.75bn for its Olympic rights … and we got televisual vomit
Canoe Sprint Women’s C2 500m: The heats are on as the sport makes its Olympic debut. The world champion pair of China’s Xu Shixiao and Sun Mengya win with ease – that makes sense what with the world champions bit. Germany’s Lisa Jahn and Sophie Koch are the other qualifiers for the semifinals. Australia’s Bernadette Wallace and Josephine Bulmer finish in seventh.
Women’s golf: There’s a bit of weather on the way in Tokyo but authorities are optimistic the full rounds of the women’s golf tournament will be played, but tomorrow’s fourth round will most likely start earlier to avoid forecasted storms.
Men’s 50k walk: Tomala looks incredibly relaxed as he sits down for a well deserved rest with his gold medal. The 31-year-old looked shattered as he reached the final stages but has understandably perked up now he’s an Olympic champion. He honestly looks like he’s just finished a quick jog round the park.
Men’s 50km walk: And Poland’s Dawid Tomala wins gold! It was an almost flawless race in horrible conditions over a brutal 50km. He raises the Polish flag as he crosses the line. Brilliant stuff. And he manages to stay on his feet as he grins for the cameras. Germany’s Hilman takes silver … and what’s this? Canada continue their brilliant Olympics as Evan Dunfee comes from nowhere to take bronze from Spain’s Marc Tur.
Men’s 50km walk: Hilbert and Tur are one violation away from being disqualified. There is not way they can catch Tomala so hopefully they concentrate on making it through and collecting their deserved medals.
Men’s 50km walk: One kilometre to go for the heroic Tomala. And he already has the Polish flag in his hand. A little presumptive but he deserves it.
Men’s 50km walk: And Tomala is on the last 2km lap! He pours (hopefully chilled) water over himself. Please give this man an ice bath along with his (probable) gold medal. Tur and Hilbert, in second and third, are two minutes behind as they hear the bell for the last lap. They’ve gained a minute on Tomala in the last few km, but it’s almost certainly not enough.
Men’s 50km walk: Spain’s Marc Tur and Germany’s Jonathan Hilbert are now on their own in second and third. They are exchanging words, perhaps discussing how they will catch Tomala, who has a huge lead. He looks a little ragged, so hopefully there are no rule violations and a disqualification. I think that is the only thing that can stop him.
Men’s 50km walk: 4km to go and Poland’s Tomala has a lead of just under 3 minutes. The chasing pack are catching him up but nowhere near quick enough. At this pace he’ll still win by two minutes or so. The chasing pack looks like it has dropped Canada’s Evan Dunfee and Japan’s Masatora Kawano. Germany’s Jonathan Hilbert, Spain’s Marc Tur and Portugal’s João Vieira look like they will battle for silver and bronze.
Men’s 50km walk: Japan’s Masatora Kawano has done brilliantly to haul himself back into the lead chasing pack after taking a break to vomit. The rigours of the last 10km can cause muscle cramps, gastro-intestinal problems, low sodium, low blood sugar, dehydration or core temperature problems. It’s one of the reasons, the Olympics don’t want this distance at Paris 2024.
Men’s 50km walk: The chasing pack is down to five: Germany’s Jonathan Hilbert, Spain’s Marc Tur, Portugal’s João Vieira, Canada’s Evan Dunfee and Japan’s Masatora Kawano. Our leader, Dawid Tomala of Poland, goes through 44km and his lead is now 3min 11 seconds as he pours water on himself and wisely keeps to the shady side of the road. They’re not closing the gap.
Men’s 50km walk: Tomala’s time over 42km – just about a marathon – was 3hr 12min. Except he walked it. In blistering heat. A lot of the rest of the race will be about managing the heat. Tomala’s lead is just over three minutes with time – and distance – running out for the pack. The TV commentary team point out that that’s around a 750m gap.
Men’s 50km walk: The temperature is projected to be 31C/88F at the end of the race. This is the last time the 50km will be at the Olympics, so it’s going to go out in brutal heat.
Men’s 50km walk: Australia’s Rhydian Cowley looks in danger of being dropped by the chasing pack at the 40km mark. And with 10km to go Tomala has increased his lead t0 2min 50sec – and doesn’t look like he’s slowing down. What a performance – he’s out on his own, a magnificent solo effort. But the final 10km is (obviously) the toughest.
Men’s 50km walk: Will Tomala’s lightning pace hurt him in the final stages? He’s approaching the 3hr mark and the temperature continues to climb. Canada’s Evan Dunfee has made a small break to try to catch the Pole, but his lead is up from 2min 04sec at the last timecheck to 2min 28sec with 12km to go.
Meanwhile, Spain’s Jesús Ángel García – at the age of 51 and in his eighth Olympics – is in 27th.
Men’s 50km walk: One lovely thing about this event is today is that there are actual real life spectators on the street as Tokyo starts its day. Poland’s Tomala now has a lead of 2min 04sec over the pack with 14km to go. He did the last 5km in 21 minutes! 21! I’m happy if I can run 5km in 25 minutes. And he’s walking! I guess that’s why he’s at the Olympics and I’m typing about it.
Men’s 50km walk: Poland’s Dawid Tomala maintains his lead of nearly two minutes as he slings his bag from the feeding station over his shoulder and tucks into some well deserved water and snacks. Then he throws the rest of the water over his head, which makes sense seeing as it’s already 28C/82F at 8.15am.
Hello Olympics fans. And specifically race walking fans, I know it’s a big day for you. In preparation for today’s blog, I walked earlier.* More than once, it was great.
(*Amusing aside courtesy of Will Unwin).
