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- Kenny becomes first GB woman to win gold at three Games
- Kate French surges to glory in women’s modern pentathlon
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More success for Team GB’s showjumpers (and another pun about Jessica Springsteen).
Related: Great Britain into show jumping team final as Ben Maher seeks further gold
An email from Buffy Lovekin about Kate French winning gold in the modern pentathlon earlier today:
Quite honestly, this event has to be the hardest to master, with talents so wide and varying it boggles the mind. How many individuals across on the planet know when they’re a kid that they can be a pentathlete? A skillset where horses you’ve not met need jumping around a course, 800m running with some firearms thrown in, oh wait here’s a sword and can you be really good at swimming?
Seriously, how can that be a thing? Never mind you’re in fifth position and you smash the field and win gold. It was one of the greatest Olympic performances I’ve witnessed for any country by any athlete. An absolute treat. Please let us as a nation remember this gold in the same bracket as Jess Ennis-Hill, Chris Hoy, Linford Christie and Kelly Holmes. Thank you Kate French.
Now for something a little different. Five years ago, when the Olympics went to Rio, the Brazilian artist Andre Gola compiled a series of cartoons for us about how it felt to welcome the Games to his home country. They were funny and political and cutting and interesting.
Andre has been in touch with me again to share this cartoon about the Tokyo Games.
Women’s javelin: Amid all the football and relay action earlier, I didn’t tell you who won the women’s javelin.
Liu Shiying won gold for China thanks to an opening throw of 66.34m. Maria Andrejczyk picked up the silver medal for Poland thanks to a throw of 64.61m. And the Kelsey-Lee Barber threw 64.56 metres with her sixth and final attempt to reach the podium for Australia.
Whatever you think about penalty shootouts as a way of deciding games of football – even Olympic finals – you have to admit they offer the most photogenic finish to a match possible.
This is terrible.
Related: Chinese uproar as state TV host calls gold-medal winner a ‘manly woman’
“Making the unpredictable look predictable is one measure of greatness in sport,” writes William Fotheringham as he analyses how Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald dominated in the madison.
Related: How Kenny and Archibald pulled off magical madison for Olympic gold | William Fotheringham
Our favourite photos from the Games today.
Related: Tokyo Olympics 2020: day 14 – in pictures
Our chief sports writer Barney Ronay has been writing about the last few weeks in Tokyo.
What has it been like at these Olympic Games? Towards the end of any major global sports event it is tradition for newspaper reporters to file a grand deconstruction of the country they’ve spent three weeks studying via the ancient medium of hotel lobbies and taxi driver chat. So here’s the thing, right, about Russia/China/the tribes of the Bedouin.
Readers have been spared these insights by the quarantine period that has meant complete immersion within the approved boundaries of the Olympic-industrial complex. The only place any member of the Guardian’s Tokyo staff went in the opening 14 days, other than an Olympic venue, was a convenience store at the foot of the hotel, the contents of which have already been broodingly overanalysed, and at one point pitched as content for a searing feature article. So here’s the thing right, about vacuum-packed pork cutlet and cabbage sandwiches.
Related: Kindness and control freakery: life inside the Tokyo Olympic experience | Barney Ronay
It seems I was not the only journalist live-blogging the athletics today.
Laura Muir!!!!!! (My favorite runner just won the silver in the 1500).
Women’s football: That is tough on Sweden, who have to settle for silver for the second successive Olympics. But they had their chances in that shootout. The Europa League final it was not.
The Canada manager, Bev Priestman, has a great backstory. Our writer Louise Taylor told it this week.
Related: Bev Priestman’s road from County Durham to Olympic final with Canada
We are into sudden death. Jonna Andersson has her penalty saved and now Canada have the chance to win it.
And they do. Julia Grosso scores to give Canada gold!
Women’s football final penalty shootout.
WOW! The Sweden captain Caroline Seger had the chance to win it but she blasted her shot over the bar.
Women’s football final penalty shootout.
My my. Anna Anvegård fails to score for Sweden. Can Canada equalise? No! Another save. That was a poor penalty from Adriana Leon.
Women’s football final penalty shootout.
Olivia Schough scores for Sweden to give them a 2-1 lead. The pressure is now on Canada as Vanessa Gilles steps up. She hits the bar.
Women’s football final penalty shootout.
Nathalie Björn scores for Sweden to pull it back to 1-1 and then Ashley Lawrence has her shot saved. It’s 1-1 after two penalties each.
Women’s football final penalty shootout.
The women’s gold medal match has never before been decided on penalties but after a 1-1 draw between Sweden and Canada over 120 minutes in Tokyo, we have a shootout.
Women’s football final: It’s going to penalties after a 1-1 draw between Sweden and Canada.
Men’s 4x100m relay: A few quotes from the British silver medallists.
Nathaneel Mitchell-Blake, who ran the last leg, said: “Apologies if I seemed ungrateful at first. It’s just we put a lot of work and effort into this. We believe we’re the best quartet in the world and we wanted to display that when the time comes. We want to show the world we deserve to be on the platform we are.”
An email from Des Brown:
Interesting stat. Team GB have won 58 medals with two days left. At London 2012, with two days left, the total was 57. It is entirely possible that by Sunday afternoon Team GB could exceed their London 2012 total (albeit with fewer golds).
Related: Tokyo 2020 Olympics: full medal table
Men’s 4x100m relay: Look at how close Team GB were to Italy at the finish line. It looks like one of those VAR decisions that holds up Premier League games by five minutes.
SO CLOSE.
Our men’s 4x100m team have to settle for silver after a photo finish in the relay.#TeamGB pic.twitter.com/SQ0KgoCSho
Wrestling: The American Gable Steveson beat the triple world champion Geno Petriashvili to win the super heavyweight gold medal earlier today. Petriashvili did not take it well. He punched a sign and shouted in despair as he returned to the dressing room, and did not raise his head once during the medal ceremony. Here’s our full report.
Related: ‘Ain’t no way’: Gable Steveson wins shock last-second super-heavyweight wrestling gold
Women’s football: Meanwhile we’re at the midway stage of extra-time in the final between Canada and Sweden. It’s still 1-1. If no one scores in the next 15 minutes, the Olympic gold medal will be decided on penalties.
USA beat Australia 4-3 to win the bronze yesterday.
Related: Rapinoe and Lloyd doubles grab bronze for USA in thriller against Australia
Men’s 4x100m relay: The four British runners are speaking to the BBC. They say they are a team. They are proud. And they are silver medalists. All four of them are smiling and laughing together now. That’s good to see. Another medal for Team GB.
By the way, Jamaica, the big favourites, finished fifth.
Filippo Tortu is sobbing. He can’t believe what he’s just done. And quite frankly, neither can I. That was the stuff of dreams.
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, meanwhile, looks gutted. He ran the last leg for Great Britain and clearly feels as if the gold should have been theirs. That is tough for him.
Italy won that relay final by the smallest of margins. Their time was 37.50 and Great Britain’s was 37.51.
Filippo Tortu ran the final leg for Italy and he looked like a man possessed. He believed in himself and hunted down the British runner Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, leaning over the line to clinch gold. It was an outrageous finish. That was one of the moments of the Games for me.
Oh wow! Great Britain looked set to win the gold, but Italy came steaming through at the end to clinch gold. That was sensational. What a storming finish from the Italians. My goodness.
Italy are having quite the summer. The Euros, the 100m sprint, the 4x100m relay, and even the Eurovision! I did not see this coming. Canada won bronze.
The women’s football final is going to extra time! It’s Sweden 1-1 Canada after the full 90 minutes.
Next up on the track we have the men’s 4x100m relay final.
These are the eight finalists:
Related: ‘Clown show’: Carl Lewis eviscerates US men’s 4x100m team after Tokyo flop
There are some great details about 10-time Olympic medallist Allyson Felix in here. I particularly enjoyed the part about her winning her medal while wearing a shoe she designed for a company she created.
Related: Allyson Felix is most decorated Olympic female track athlete after 400m bronze
Women’s football: It’s still Sweden 1-1 Canada in the final, with just seven minutes of normal time to play. It looks like we could be heading for extra-time and maybe even penalties. That would be fun.
Women’s 4x100m relay: Asha Philip, Imani Lansiquot, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita are celebrating on the track and, after a second look at the race, it seems the changes were fine. A bronze for Team GB.
Jamaica dominated that race to win gold, with USA picking up silver and Great Britain claiming bronze. There are a few worried faces on the track though – some of those changes were smooth so these positions may change.
Athletics: It’s relay time on the track. Women’s 4x100m up first.
Jamaica are the favourites, but USA and Great Britain are also hoping to win gold. Switzerland are also fancied. Here are the eight teams:
Women’s football: Canada have equalised from the penalty spot in the final. It’s Sweden 1-1 Canada midway through the second half. We have a game on our hands!
Jessie Fleming scored the penalty and she has just gone close again. Canada are on top.
Laura Muir has been talking about her silver medal to the BBC.
I don’t know what to say – I’ve worked so hard for so long. I’ve been fourth, fifth twice, sixth and seventh every year since 2015 and with everything last year being postponed and not knowing what was going on – I got a silver!
I just tried to be as best prepared as possible for any situation and I just trained as hard as I could that this would happen and I’ve been so nervous all week. Why is the 1,500m at the end?!
Janja Garnbret wins gold for Slovenia in the women’s climbing final!
Just as I mention the climbing, Janja Garnbret goes and wins the event. She was first, first and fifth in the three events, leaving her with an unbeatable score of five points.
Climbing: there is a lot going on right now. Not just the athletics and the women’s football final but also the women’s climbing final.
Here are the finalists:
Related: Climbing is a hit at the Tokyo Olympics – but does it reward the best athletes?
Kári Tulinius has been in touch via email to discuss the women’s football final, which Sweden lead 1-0 against Canada.
In recent years, women’s finals in major international tournaments have tended to be either tense, gripping affairs or one-sided walkovers. Sweden v Canada somehow manages to be both. The time that the Swedish goalmouth has been in view of the camera could be measured in seconds, and yet the feeling is there that all Canada need is one good counterattack. And if it hadn’t been for an unlucky deflection, the game would still be nil-nil.
Laura Muir is enjoying a victory lap with Faith Kipyegon. She has a big smile on her face and rightly so. Muir has won a silver medal for Team GB.
Yes, @lauramuiruns!
Olympic 1500m silver medallist!#TeamGB pic.twitter.com/k6mvNUEvX1
All hail Allyson Felix!
Ladies and gentlemen, the first woman to ever win 10 #Athletics medals at the Olympics…
Take a bow, @allysonfelix! #USA #StrongerTogether | @Tokyo2020 | @WorldAthletics pic.twitter.com/id7qzKEw1l
Sifan Hassan sets out in the lead. Remember, she is trying to do something no one has done before: win gold in the 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m races.
She keeps the lead throughout much of the race, with Faith Kipyegon on her shoulder. Laura Muir stays with them in third.
Women’s 1,500m final: Laura Muir will be trying to stop Sifan Hassan. My colleague Sean Ingle has been telling the Muir story.
I love the first line of his article: “When Laura Muir was a teenager, she was so fast that local farmers employed her to catch newborn lambs before they got lost.”
Related: Laura Muir’s journey: from chasing lambs to racing for Tokyo 1500m gold
Now for the women’s 1,500m final.
Here are the runners.
Women’s football final: It’s Sweden 1-0 Canada at half-time. Canada are yet to have a shot on target.
Allyson Felix has made history with that bronze, her 10th Olympic medal. As my colleague Andy Bull pointed out before the Games, the fact that she is in Tokyo this year is an incredible achievement.
Related: Allyson Felix wins another victory for mothers by claiming Tokyo Olympics spot | Andy Bull
Women’s football final: Sweden have a 1-0 lead over Canada in the final thanks to a goal from Stina Blackstenius.
Miller-Uibo dominated that race, winning with a personal best of 48.36. That was a stunning run. There was no one near her at the end. Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic was second with a personal best and Allyson Felix picked up the bronze – another Olympic medal for her. Jodie Williams finished sixth.
Women’s 400m final: Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas is probably favourite to retain the 400-metre title from Rio five years ago. She finished last in the 200m final so this is her chance to win gold.
Jodie Williams will be representing Great Britain after running a personal best in her semi-final. The 27-year-old sounded very confident after that race earlier in the week, saying: “I came here to medal. I came here to win, honestly.”
Athletics: the women’s 400m final is up next on the track.
Here is the start list:
Related: Allyson Felix wins another victory for mothers by claiming Tokyo Olympics spot | Andy Bull
Women’s football final: Canada pulled off one of the surprises of the Games when they beat USA in the semi-final of the women’s football. It was the first time Canada had beaten USA in 20 years.
That victory in the semi-finals was masterminded by Canada coach Bev Priestman, a 35-year-old from Consett in County Durham. My colleague Louise Taylor has been telling her story.
Related: Bev Priestman’s road from County Durham to Olympic final with Canada
Men’s 5,000m: Cheptegei missed out on the 10,000m, finishing second behind Selemon Barega, but has got his gold in the 5,000m. Despite the talk about Katir before the race, he didn’t challenge. Andrew Butchart finished 11th.
Cheptegei wins gold for Uganda. He had the lead with a lap to go and held off challenges, stepping on the gas to quicken his pace and secure the victory. He won with a time of 12.58.15.
Mohammed Ahmed of Canada picked up silver, with Paul Chelimo of USA throwing himself over to line to earn bronze.
Women’s football: the final between Sweden and Canada has kicked off. It’s 0-0 after eight minutes. The final was meant to be played earlier today but, due to fears about the heat and humidity in Tokyo, it was pushed back.
Related: Kick-off and venue of women’s Olympic football final changed amid heat fears
Men’s 5,000m: There are a few contenders in the 12-and-a-half-lap race – and a few absentees.
Mo Farah, who won gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m in Rio and London, is gone; and the the reigning 5,000m world champion Muktar Edris did not made the Ethiopia team.
Athletics: the men’s 5,000m final has begun.
Here are the runners:
Related: GB’s Butchart to run at Olympics after suspended ban in ‘faked’ Covid test row
Hi all. Paul here. Thanks Barry. Drop me an email at Paul.Campbell@theguardian.com or send me a tweet.
Sayōnara from me. Thanks for your company and with the women’s football final, men’s 5,000m final and women’s javelin final all either just under way or about to start, I’ll hand over to m’learned friend Paul Campbell.
Skateboarding: Canine pursuit skating hasn’t yet been introduced to the Olympics but looking at this video of some totally rad pugs, I can’t be alone in thinking it can’t come soon enough.
Modern Pentathlon – Kate French wins in the women’s modern pentathlon. It is Great Britain’s 9️⃣0️⃣0️⃣th Olympic summer sport medal. #ModernPentathlon #Tokyo2020
Athletics: Double Olympic 5,000m champion Mo Farah is not at these Games, a state of affairs that means his crown is up for grabs. Those hopeful of winning it are in the stadium and are scheduled to start at 1pm (BST). The women’s javelin final is also being contested, with 12 women duking it out for the podium places.
Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee president has hailed athletes for giving “soul” to the Games and admitted he feared for the event after almost all spectators were barred.
However, his claims that the Tokyo Games had “far exceeded my personal expectations”, and had been a great success were widely criticised on Japanese social media with users calling him “an Olympic aristocrat who is trapped in a delusional shell”. Sean Ingle has the latest from Tokyo …
Related: Thomas Bach praises ‘soul’ of Tokyo Olympics but faces swift backlash
Athletics: It’s USA, Botswana and Trinidad & Tobago in a one-two-three in the opening heat of the 4x400m and those teams q1ualify automatically for the final. Italy and the Netherlands will have to wait to see if they qualify as fastest losers. Britain finished a disappointing sixth or possibly seventh.
Athletics: For now, our attention turns to the athletics track, where the preliminaries are under way in the men’s 4x400m relay. As I type, the Brits are running in heat one.
Women’s football: The gold medal match between Sweden and Canada is due to kick off in a little over 30 minutes. It could be a belter.
Medals: Great Britain have added to their tally on Day 14, taking gold and bronze in the velodrome, gold in the modern pentathlon, bronze in the women’s hockey and another guaranteed gold or silver in the boxing ring.
Related: Tokyo 2020 Olympics: full medal table
Imagine: You come 4th in Rio, you go again, train so hard, ‘Tokyo will be my Games’. The big day comes and it’s going brilliantly, you have one of the biggest leads in #Olympics history. And then a random horse ruins your dream. Crushing for Annika Schleu pic.twitter.com/sbXI3C8Ox1
Men’s football: Kaoru Mitoma scored a late consolation for Japan in the bronze medal match but it was too little, too late for the hosts. Mexico have beatn them 3-1 to earn themselves a spot on the podium.
Related: Kate French surges to Olympic gold for GB in modern pentathlon
Men’s diving: In all the excitement elsewhere, I forgot to confirm that Tom Daley has comfortably qualified for tomorrow’s semi-finals of the men’s individual 10m platform. His team-mate Noah Williams missed out, finishing 27th of the 29 entrants.
Tell us: what are you enjoying most about the Olympics? https://t.co/415mXilrY3
Modern pentathlon: Kate French wins this event pulling a milk float. Not literally, of course … that would be weird, even by the standards of modern pentathlon.
Modern pentathlon: Kate French is leading the final event, the laser run.
Never seen anything like that Modern Pentathalon Horse riding! German in the lead, favourite, and just sitting on the horse having a breakdown as it refuses to do anything!
This is the most chaotic event of the games, @FloydTweet dropped the bombshell that the athletes only meet their horses on the day
Pierre de Coubertin really chose violence when he said this is the epitome of sport https://t.co/07XfZdX0Ma pic.twitter.com/BpfMKLU9YJ
Men’s football: Mexico have gone 3-0 up in their bronze medal match against hosts Japan and look home and hosed with just 16 minutes to go.
Constantin the Great joins Thierry Henry in the top tier of Irish sporting villains
Modern pentathlon: Ireland’s Natalya Coyle is another competitor who suffered in the equine lottery. Her mount, Constantin The Great, has proved – to borrow a phrase from racing pundit Ted Walsh – to be a leery aul’ bugger. His repeated refusals in the showjumping round earned Natlaya 66 faults, causing her to plummet from fourth place to 17th in the standings.
Modern pentathtlon: Kate French is competing for Team GB and after four events she’s in fifth place with the laser run (combined running and shooting) to come at 11.30am (BST). Spare a thought for German Annika Schleu, who began the showjumping in the gold medal position but is now in 31st place after being -no pun intended – saddled with a less than co-operative horse that point blank refused to complete its round. Fo those who may not be aware, competitors don’t rider their own horses, but are instead forced to compete on steeds they’ve just met. They don’t always get on …
Awkward? I suppose it might be mildly embarrassing if I’d written the article. But I didn’t and am not sure how acknowledging it was premature would be even remotely awkward. As strange as it may seem, there isn’t actually a Guardian party line on velodrome activities that all our writers are obliged to toe.
Bit of a thin skin on display there!
Hmmm. Responding in a tone that could scarcely be more measured to correct a reader = thin skin, according to NordicSkot. An interesting take. It’s always been a common theme below the line in the comments section – if you ignore readers, you’re aloof. If you respond but disagree, you’re thin-skinned.
“Early rumours of the demise of track cycling in the UK appear to have been greatly exaggerated.”
I’m pretty sure there was an article in the Guardian confirming said demise the other day.
Awkward? I suppose it might be mildly embarrassing if I’d written the article. But I didn’t and am not sure how acknowledging it was premature would be even remotely awkward. As strange as it may seem, there isn’t actually a Guardian party line on velodrome activities that all our writers are obliged to toe.
Cycling: Harrie Lavreysen beats his compatriot fairly easily to win. Jeffrey Hoogland settles for silver. It’s a Dutch one-two and Britain’s Jack Carlin gets bronze.
Cycling: As I try to get a long overdue look in on the women’s modern pentathlon and women’s bouldering (climbing), the cycling keeps getting in the way. It’s the men’s sprint decider in the best of three between Jeffrey Hoogland and Harrie Lavreysen from the Netherlands.
Cycling: Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald couldn’t look more pleased as they are hganded their gold medals for winning the inagural women’s madison, before presenting them to each other.
Their scacely believable score of 78 points will take some beating in the years to come. Britain have won 10 cycling medals (five in the velodrome) in these Games, five of them gold. Early rumours of the demise of track cycling in the UK appear to have been greatly exaggerated.
Madison tactics: An explainer …
#Tokyo2020 #Maddison pic.twitter.com/2BOGGNb355
Cycling: Now it’s time for the second leg of the gold medal match in the men’s sprint between Dutch riders Jeffrey Hoogland and Harrie Lavreysen. Hoogland is one up but Lavreysen completes a remarkable recovery down the back straight and out of the final bend to level proceedings.
It’s another medal for Great Britain as Carlin survies a late Dmitriev surge off the final bend to win the second leg by a whisker.
Cycling: It’s round two of the bronze medal final between Denis Dmitriev and Jack Carlin, with the Brit leading by one. If he wins this heat he’ll get the bronze medal.
Men’s football: The bronze medal match between Mexico and Japan is under way and the hosts are 2-0 down after 30 minutes. Francisco Cordova and Johan Vasquez with the goals there.
Correction: Apologies to Sarah Marsh, who for some unfathomable reason, I incorrectly referred to as Sarah Brown in the previous post. That error has now been rectified.
Skateboarding: Sarah Marsh has written an intertesting article about how the success of British bronze medalist Sky Brown has ramped up interest in skateboarding among young girls.
Interestingly, the large photo which illustrates the piece was taken in Stockwell skate park, which is located approximately 30 seconds’ walk from my house.
Related: Sky Brown helps ramp up UK girls’ interest in skateboarding
“I looked up and we had 60 laps to go and I thought I’ve not even touched the pedals,” says Laura Kenny in conversation with the BBC. “We rode so conservatively, we’ve been doing so much work – our coach’s husband is the under-23 lads’ coach and we’ve done this about five times with them and we just ran it like that. I’ve never been so confident about a plan – I want to thank those lads because we wouldn’t have had a race. We just raced it again the same as we have before.
“Unbelievable – I’ve never wanted to win a race so much in all my life and I messaged Jason and said I feel like my Olympics ends today, I love the team pursuit but I felt relief when it was over because this was the one race I wanted to win – I just feel so relieved.”
Sir Chris Hoy speaks: “Even for an event as unpredictable as the madison it was the most wonderfully boring team madison I’ve ever seen – the most assured confident race I’ve ever seen at this level – it was outstanding,” he says on BBC.
“They went out and dominated form the word go to win the first sprint – they won by three or four bike lengths every time – they had speed, tactics and complete control. All their rivals were fighting for silver or bronze early on. They took that race by the scruff of the neck.”
Cycling: Hoogland holds off Lavreysen to win a tight opener by half a wheel.
Cycling: It’s first blood to Carlin, who wins wins the first sprint in his best of three bronze medal match against Dmitriev. Now it’s the first of the gold medal match sprints between Dutch compatriots Jeffrey Hoogland and Harrie Lavreysen.
Cycling: After the “beautiful chaos” of the women’s madison, it’s back to the more mundane fare of the men’s sprint bronze medal final. Britain’s Jack Carlin is up against the ROC’s Denis Dmitriev.
The Madison is such a beautifully chaotic event usually @bglendenning but the serenity of the GB team’s control here is incredible. They’ve not just won, they’ve locked it down completely from 80 laps out. Archibald and Kenny finish the track program in style.
Related: Laura Kenny becomes first British woman to win gold at three Olympics
Cycling: Katie Archibald and Laura Kenny take top spot on the podium in the most emphatic style imaginable. They have crushed their rivals. That’s Kenny’s fifth Olympic gold medal.
Cycling: Great Britain, Denmark and ROC have lapped the rest of the field. What happened the French? I won’t lie – I have absolutely no idea. There are 12 laps to go.
Cycling: After nine sprints in the women’s madison, Great Britain have 42 points, while their closest rivals, the Netherlands, have 16. France are in the bronze medal position with 12. Barring an accident – and there have been plenty of them – Great Britain will win gold.
Cycling: There are 30 laps to go and Katie Archibald smiles as she nicks the ninth sprint.
Cycling: France and Great Britain launch a breakaway from the rest of the field. France tried to steal a lap but Great Britain were having none of it and closed them down. This Anglo-French alliance are half a lap clear of the fragmented peloton and it already looks like the chasing pack are already fighting it out for bronze.
Cycling: After six sprints in the women’s madison, Katie Archibald and Laura Kenny have something of an early stranglehold on the race. They have amassed 27 points and their closest rivals are the Netherlands with 13. Australia are in third place with seven. There’s still a very long way to go.
Cycling: We’ve had two crashes in the women’s madison, the first one earning Ireland a warning after one of their riders brought down an Italian. Four different riders, among them Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland and Hong Kong are taken out in the second crash. As the riders sort themselves out and remount, the Netherlands get a yellow card for causing that pile-up with an ill-judged swap-over. Team GB continue to lead.
Diving: After five rounds of the men’s individual 10m platform preliminaries, the Chinese are dominating, unsurprisingly. Yang Jian and Juan Cao lead the field, while Tom Daley is in fifth position. A reminder: 18 of the 29 entrants qualify for tomorrow’s semi-final and the jig is up for Team GB’s Noah Williams, who is down in 25th place.
Interview: Ruby Tui, the 29-year-old New Zealand sevens rugby star, won plenty of new fans for her candid post-match interviews while her on-field efforts helped make history for her country. Eva Corlett spoke to her …
Related: From $20 boots to Olympics rugby gold: New Zealand’s Ruby Tui on her rise to the top
Cycling: Just to add to the overall sense of chaos and confusion in the women’s madison, only one rider from each team is “active” at any one time and they can swap over with a teammate using a hand sling-shot whenever they feel like it. Katie Archibald is catapulted in for the first sprint and wins it.
Cycling: The women’s madison is about to start at the velodrome, the first time it’s been included in the Olympic programme. It’s 30 kilometres in length (120 laps), there are sprints every 10 laps with points (5-4-3-2-1) being awarded to the first five riders over the line each time.
What’s more, there are double points on the final sprint and you can also earn yourself 20 points for nicking a lap on your rivals.
Something of the In The Night Gardens about the modern pentathlon set pic.twitter.com/Y7LmiaxBl2
Cycling: Great Britain’s Katy Marchant is through to the women’s sprint 1/16 finals, having beaten local favourite Yuka Kobayashi to advance.
Diving: A beauty from Tom Daley, who consolidates his position in the top 18 with a near perfect – reporter checks notes – armstand back three somersaults that puts him into sixth position.
Brandon Losciavo from the USA finishes the round, leaving Daley in sixth place with two dives to go. Australia’s Cassiel Rousseau is in ninth. Rylan Wiens from Canada is on the bubble in 18th spot while Team GB’s Noah Williams is 22nd. Australian diver Samuel Frickler is 27th of the 29 competitors. China’s world champion Yang Jian leads the field.
Diving: Noah Williams comes close to clipping the board with his toes on his fourth dive and a subsequent poor entry into the water does his chances of advancing to tomorrow’s semi-finals little good. If you get too close to the platform you can be marked down for excessive danger.
Diving: They’re into round four of six in the men’s 10m platform preliminaries, with 18 of 29 competitors to advance to the semi-finals. Tom Daley is comfortably inside the 18 at the moment, while his British team-mate Noah Williams has some work to do.
Brazil’s Isaac Souza Filho looks out of contention, having just come within a hair’s breadth of smacking his head off the concrete on his fourth effort. He’s marked down accordingly, but at least emerges from the pool unharmed. That was very close.
Beach volleyball: Standing in the shade after she and her partner Mariafe Artacho del Solar had toiled in the Tokyo heat for a beach volleyball silver medal, Taliqua Clancy attempted to cool down after becoming just the 10th Indigenous Australian in history to win an Olympic medal, writes Kieran Pender. Her nails – painted with the Aboriginal flag – underscored the significance of the moment.
Clancy, a proud Wulli Wulli and Goreng Goreng woman, follows in the footsteps of some of the greats – most notably Nova Peris, with her victory for the Hockeyroos in 1996, and Cathy Freeman, whose iconic 400m race at Sydney 2000 first lit the Olympic fire in Clancy.
Related: Taliqua Clancy flies flag for Indigenous Australians with beach volleyball silver | Kieran Pender
Hockey: “Bronze, gold, bronze,” writes Steve McMillan from the Oi Stadium. “Great Britain’s women made history by getting ribbon round their necks for a third straight Olympic Games – take note, men – thanks to Grace Balsdon’s decisive penalty corner strike to win a thrilling, helter-skelter bronze medal final against India.”
Related: Team GB’s women secure bronze in helter-skelter Olympic hockey win over India
Diving: On his third dive, Tom Daley makes a bit of a mess of the entry but his effort is good enough to move himself up to 12th at the end of Round Three. Noah Williams is in 19th spot, just out of the qualification spots.
Diving: Noah Williams from Team GB gets himself bacdk oin the mix for qualification for the semi-finals in the men’s 10m platform with a good effort. The top 18 qualify for the next round.
Cycling: Back at the velodrome, Jeffrey Hoogland from the Netherlands looks the man to beat in the men’s sprint. Team GB’s Jack Carlin will fancy his chances but needs to see off Hoogland’s compatriot Harrie Lavreysen in their best of three semi-final first. He loses the first leg, unable to cope with Lavreysen’s power dfespite his attempts to pass the Dutchman on his outside on the final bend.
Kon’nichiwa everybody. Another busy day in the Izu Velodrome has begun with the women’s sprint qualifying, while the men’s 10m preliminary platform diving is under way at the Aquatics Centre. Team GB’s Tom Daley, sitting poolside, furiously clicking-clacking with his now trademark knitting in hand(s), is currently in 18th place but hasn’t dropped any stitches.
And that’s all from me, folks. I now hand you over to Barry Glendenning. Enjoy the rest of the day’s action.
Modern pentathlon: described, rather unjustly, by a Guardian reader earlier today as “a bit hopeless as a sport”, the modern pentathlon is under way and the women’s 200m freestyle heats have now been swum and won. Gulnaz Gubaydullina, not representing Russia at all, swum an Olympic record 2:07.31 to show up early in the event. Now it’s fencing, to be followed by show jumping and then laser run later tonight.
How about a wrap of the day’s events? Yes, why not indeed.
Boxing: before we bid goodbye to happenings at the Kokugikan Arena, it would be remiss of us not to acknowledge a second Olympic gold medal for Julio César La Cruz, who now has a heavyweight title to go with the light heavyweight gold he won in Rio. There must be something in the water in Cuba.
Another #Boxing gold for #CUB!
Julio la Cruz wins his second Olympic title and his first in the men’s heavyweight category. pic.twitter.com/sA0JhK4cLs
Boxing: Back to Harry Garside and his loss to Cuban Andy Cruz in the men’s light semi-final. Here’s what the Australian had to say:
He’s just an exceptional athlete, mate. I always wanted to fight him and see how I stack up against him. He was just too good tonight. I go back to the drawing board, back to the gym and make sure I train harder and I’ll make sure I train harder and I’ll make sure I be better hopefully next time I fight him.
I felt outclassed a little bit, but I had a red hot crack, mate. That’s all Australians do, we have a red hot dip. I’m proud of myself for that, but I really wanted to be the first ever to win an Olympic gold medal. But hopefully he goes far in the tournament and wins the next fight.
Women’s basketball: Team USA are through to yet another Olympic decider after beating Serbia 79-59 in their semi-final at the Saitama Super Arena. The Americans led at every change and were never, ever in doubt. Brittney Griner (15 points) and Chelsea Gray (14 points) led the way for Team USA with Sue Bird and veteran Diana Taurasi chiming in with four assists each.
The Americans will now face either Japan or France in the gold medal match. Unbeaten at the Games since 1992 and shooting for a seventh successive gold medal, Team USA will be overwhelming favourites whomever they come up against.
Boxing: Harry Garside’s dream of Tokyo gold is over after the Australian was beaten comprehensively by Cuba’s Andy Cruz in their men’s light semi-final. Cruz was simply too powerful, too sharp, and will now face Team USA’s Keyshawn Davis after his unanimous triumph over Garside.
But that is bronze for the Melbourne man. He has won Australia’s first Olympic boxing medal in more than three decades.
Harry Garside wins bronze in the men’s lightweight category and gives #AUS their first #Boxing medal of #Tokyo2020!@AUSOlympicTeam pic.twitter.com/5Pb5u3GqCG
Boxing: more of the same in the second round. Andy Cruz connected with some good rights to the head of Harry Garside and the Australian is really up against it here. The Cuban is working him around the ring, dodging punches as he goes, and is well on top. And now Garside gets the eight-count in the third round! This is only going one way.
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.
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).
