Tokyo Olympics: Japan lead US in medal table, more GB success

Simone Biles pulled out of the women’s team gymnastics to “put mental health first”, Naomi Osaka was eliminated from the women’s tennis, and GB’s gymnasts won bronze

12.03am BST

And I guess that’s as good a place as any to call it a day. I know it’s only the UK where it’s about to strike 12, but we’ve got to change over somewhere and this is where we’re doing it. So it’s goodnight from me and good evening to Tom Lutz in New York, who’ll guide you through the next bit. Join him by clicking below, and ta-ra.

11.57pm BST

That talk of Olympic boxing minded of this from Seoul. There were simultaneous bouts in two rings, one using a bell and one a buzzer and one of the fighters, Chun Jim Chil, forgot which was in his.

11.49pm BST

Japan get their baseball campaign away tomorrow, against the Dominican Republic. I guess that’s yet another even that makes you think damn, that with a crowd, but it should be good nonetheless.

11.44pm BST

We’ve got a Guardian derby in the last eight of the women’s football – GB are playing Australia. That’s on Friday.

11.42pm BST

I enjoyed this on Caroline Dubois – of the Guardian – who won yesterday.

11.40pm BST

And, of course, yesterday this happened.

11.39pm BST

Meanwhile, Charley Davison is already into the last 16.

11.38pm BST

Lauren Price gets going tomorrow in the women’s middleweight division. She’s the number one seed and has also won football caps for Wales, world kickboxing titles, and Commonwealth boxing gold.

11.33pm BST

During my break, some kids were outside mine hanging out and playing tunes. In what, I’m afraid, was the daddest of moves, I shazammed one that I liked. This is it.

11.30pm BST

Titmus v Ledecky takes centre-stage, but there’s plenty other Australians in action tomorrow, er, today? I don’t know anymore, so just dig in here.

11.27pm BST

“Re Olympic football,” tweets Gary Naylor, go the other way. “Make it a tournament for over-25s without a cap and give them a day in the sun and us the delight of seeing near-misses, old warhorses and worthy causes play for Team GB. Imagine Michail Antonio’s face!”

Those rules in England’s Jake Livermore days, when none of the GB nations were anywhere near anything, would’ve been something.

11.22pm BST

The cycling road races will be a proper highlight of tomorrow. For Geraint Thomas, it’s a fight for redemption.

11.18pm BST

Also catching my eye as I scroll down tomorrow’s menu is Jack Laugher and Daniel Goodfellow in the final of the men’s 3m springboard. Laugher won gold and silver in Rio, and the pair won gold on the Diving World Cup that was a test event for the Games. That gets going at 3pm local time, 7am BST.

11.11pm BST

I do, though, understand what this piece is getting at. Maybe they should make football slightly different – five-a-side, perhaps, and under-23.

11.09pm BST

Looking through more of tomorrow, I’m interested to see how the Germany v Côte d’Ivoire men’s football matches goes. Germany need to win to progress, but they won’t find it easy to make that happen. And Spain v Argentina will also be worth a look-in – Argentina probably need to win that.

11.05pm BST

Later in the day, Helen Glover – not that long back from retirement – continues her bid for a third gold medal in the semi-final of the pairs. She’s the first mother to compete for GB Olympic rowing team.

11.00pm BST

Rowing actually hands us some early finals – the women’s double sculls gets underway two hours and 18 minutes from now, the first of six over roughly an hour and a half.

10.57pm BST

Hi again. We are one hours and 13 minutes away from action! Day 5 kicks off with rowing, then we’ve got badminton, beach volleyball, handball, rugby sevens, shooting and volleyball. Oooh yeah.

10.52pm BST

Daniel is back from his break. I’ll hand back over to him now. Cheers!

10.51pm BST

“Hi Michael,” emails Simon McMahon. “Agree about the Rugby 7’s, that Argentina performance was one for the ages, and Team GB’s comeback victory against the USA was pretty good too. The taekwondo has been dramatic and intense, and all bets are off on Tom Daley being voted SPOTY, or signing up for Strictly. A word too for the GB women’s gymnasts after their team bronze earlier, and Simone Biles for bravely deciding her personal well-being is more important than anything else. A highly enjoyable Games so far.”

For reference, Team GB were 21-0 down to the USA in their match, but now face a semi-final against New Zealand.

SEVENS IS MAD #Rugby pic.twitter.com/9bujRqtrlV

10.46pm BST

My favourite moment was the tremendous grace and decency showed by Duncan Scott standing next to Tom Dean when they were interviewed after the medal ceremony @michaelbutler18.

Scott, older and the favourite, must have been distraught, but he found joy in his friend’s joy. Bravo!

There is something about the relentless pace of this (and any) Olympics that we don’t notice the smaller moments, as coverage swings from one sport and venue to the next. Compare this to say the Euros, where every interview or reaction is analysed to the nth degree.

10.34pm BST

A reminder to check out our all-singing/dancing medal table. The USA have won four more medals than any other nation, but it’s golds that matter, so Japan sit top of the tree at the moment.

10.25pm BST

Hello world. What’s been your favourite moment of the Games thus far? It can be as obvious as coach Dean Boxall’s wild celebration after Ariarne Titmus beat Katie Ledecky on Monday, or something perhaps only you have spotted in the corner of your televisions. Mine was Argentina’s ridiculous win over South Africa in the men’s sevens rugby competition. The South Americans were 7-0 down and a man down to their opponents, but a remarkable comeback saw them run out 19-14 winners, despite finishing the match with five men! Tears all round at the end, the Argentinians wear their hearts on their sleeves.

Do email me for the next little bit: michael.butler@theguardian.com, or you can tweet @michaelbutler18.

10.04pm BST

Righto, I’m off for a little sit-down. Michael Butler will coax you through the next little bit.

10.01pm BST

I look forward to these every day.

10.01pm BST

“Physically demanding,” emails Andrew Benton. “It’s got to be the walk, hasn’t it? Not exertion-wise, but control-wise. The urge to run must be overwhelming.”

Ha! I daresay the urge to sit is equally so.

9.51pm BST

Ultimately, though, there’s just nothing like it. This is spectacular.

9.40pm BST

And here’s Peaty giving a different angle on the mental side of elite sport.

9.37pm BST

Adam Peaty has also spoken movingly about what it takes to be who he is. This is from yesterday’s blog:

I’m watching Adam Peaty on Eurosport. He’s proud to become the first Brit to defend an Olympic swimming title, but it won’t sink in until he’s home. The gold, he reckons, goes to all his family and his team, and he’s looking forward to the relays.

As for the race, he says you touch the wall and generally you know if you’ve won. He’s feeling a lot of relief, but the moment when you win, you release all the frustration of the five years leading up to it, a mixture of elation, adrenaline and pride. Talking about how hard he worked to make it happen, he says that “there’s not a tangible word for the amount of investment that’s gone into this swim,” and “if you think you’ve emptied the tank there’s another tank to empty”. He talks about a lot of bad moments getting ready for the Games, when he didn’t want to push further, but he did, then explains that having a son gave him a new perspective on the world. He’s a very emotional person and cried the second his wife gave birth; now he hopes his son can learn from him “to be resilient, to be committed, to take the emotional intelligence that sport provides”.

9.33pm BST

Just a little earlier, we discussed the unfathomable pressure of being a sportsman and this, from my colleague Greg Rutherford, cleverly reveals another strand that might not occur to those of us who don’t experience it.

If I am being absolutely honest, I felt so much pressure after London 2012 because of some of the things that were said about me. I had a slight bit of imposter syndrome, possibly because I was made to feel that I didn’t belong as much as others.

9.27pm BST

Just like AJ Tracey.

9.26pm BST

I had to do it.

9.24pm BST

USA’s women footballers are having a strange time, but their basketballers are still doin’ the do.

9.23pm BST

I’m sure these coats could be single-breasted.

9.10pm BST

Barney Ronay has written about the pressure we put on our best sportsfolk in the digital age, and he’s right: it’s unfathomably intense. Many years ago, I told my wife that I don’t read below the line because the idea that people I don’t know hate me is unsettling. She told me I was being ridiculous, then a few months later had a look after I’d written a piece critical of a football team and manager, coming back to me saying she got it. And I’m a nomark writer, not a young, global superstar of whom the world continually makes uncaring demands.

9.03pm BST

Without fans, we can’t have a vintage Games – and, if I’m honest, we might be struggling for epochal performances. But the excitement is off the chain and integral to that has been the form of the hosts, who retained their softball title yesterday/earlier today.

8.57pm BST

Just when you thought Tom Daley couldn’t get wholesomer, he gets wholesomest.

8.50pm BST

“For most physically demanding, the weightlifting has to be a shout?” tweets John Dalby. “Some of today’s competitors were on the brink of blacking out through exertion.”

Yup, that also looks fairly tricky. But I guess I’d lean towards something that prolongs the pain for a bit longer.

8.46pm BST

Who knows how it’ll finish up, but it’s been an unprecedentedly good start to the Games for Great Britain. Sean Ingle has more.

8.36pm BST

“Re Rakesh Nag’s question about the most physically demanding sport,” tweets Gary Naylor, “it’s the three-day event. But only for the horse.”

Too right, imagine taking orders off someone in a double-breasted blazer.

8.34pm BST

This week’s Knowledge takes on a topical topic.

8.27pm BST

“From your knowledge, a question arose in my head,” returns Rakesh Nag: “What is the most physically demanding individual event in the Olympics? Is it:

1) Triathlon

8.25pm BST

And one more from Suzy: an interview with Leah Williamson.

8.24pm BST

And here she is reporting on a poor game between weakened GB and Canada sides. I said this a lot when Phil Neville was manager of England, but I wonder if there’s a better XI than the one Hege Riise has found. In particular, I wonder if Ella Toone might add a bit more imagination than we’re seeing currently.

8.19pm BST

Here’s Suzy Wrack on USWMNT’s draw with Australia.

8.10pm BST

It’s so surprising to see USA’s women described as though they were England’s men. And the Netherlands are a terrible quarter-final draw, with Vivianne Miedema, Lieke Martens and Danielle van de Donk in such ludicrous form. But they still look dodgy at the back and USA absolutely have the quality to trouble them. Friday is going to be special

8.01pm BST

A little bit of non-Olympics news.

7.57pm BST

Simone Biles, in extreme slow motion. pic.twitter.com/d43PPTg87O

7.55pm BST

This interview Simone Biles did with the NYT was so sad. On the physical toll the sport takes on her: https://t.co/Vtc97WYGBR pic.twitter.com/tsa614nq5e

7.44pm BST

For what it’s worth, I wrote something about that kind of thing when Kell Brook effectively stopped his own fight against Errol Spence. As the photo illustrates, sport is hard.

7.42pm BST

On Biles, I’m not sure people realise the extent of what she – and other gymnasts – do. Because they’re so good, we don’t conceive of it as dangerous in the way we do combat sports, but it is. So if your head’s not right – all the more so if you’re trying stuff so hard no one but you has ever pulled it off – you’ve no choice but to turn it in. In fact, turning it in is the brave decision, because the easy decision is to hope or assume it’ll be fine.

7.35pm BST

Back to Biles, Andrew Lawrence shares his thoughts on her vulnerability and resonance.

7.26pm BST

They really couldn’t. This is beautiful.

What an emotional interview!

“A dream we didn’t think was possible”.

Team GB’s women’s gymnasts won their first medal in the team event for 93 years. #tokyo2020 #bbcolympics

7.19pm BST

On the other hand, GB’s women won bronze in the team gymnastics all-around, and couldn’t have been happier.

7.09pm BST

I hope, when she’s had time to reflect, Bianca Walkden will be properly proud of herself. But such are elite sportsfolk – talent isn’t the only thing that sets them apart from the rest of us.

7.01pm BST

Back to Simon’s oldest medal-winner question, Russell Turner reckons he’s got the answer: “Everard Endt, a Dutch-born naturalised American citizen, won a gold medal in Helsinki at the age of 59 as part of the US crew in the 6 metre class sailing competition.”

Ah yes, of course!

6.57pm BST

And just in: Tumaini Carayol reports that Biles will have a day off before seeing if she feels able to compete in Thursday’s all-around final.

6.55pm BST

Sadly, the biggest story of yesterday was Simone Biles, who pulled out of the women’s team gymnastics competition because she “freaked out in a high stress situation”.

She was already a hero for reasons that have nothing to do with gymnastics, and the open, candid way she discussed her mental health simply added to that.

“I don’t trust myself as much as I used to,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s age and I’m a little bit more nervous when I do gymnastics. I feel like I’m also not having as much fun. This Olympic Games I wanted it to be for myself but I came in and I felt like I was still doing it for other people. It hurts my heart that doing what I love has been kind of taken away from me to please other people.”

6.45pm BST

I mentioned Titmus v Ledecky II just below. It’s going to be a jazzer, so get in the mood with Kieran Pender’s primer.

6.37pm BST

Rakesh mentioned Flora Duffy – read more about her wondrous behaviour here.

6.34pm BST

“I am from Bangladesh,” emails Rakesh Nag. “Being a citizen of the most populous country without any Olympic medal, today I saw Bermuda (through Flora Duffy) become the least populous country to win an Olympic gold. Our distant hope of getting on the podium vanished today with the elimination of Roman Shana in the archery round of 16. Still, he is the first Bangladeshi to win an Olympic match, so not all is lost! Now I can go back to being an unbiased viewer again – I am loving the Guardian coverage. In fact I am spending 16-17 hours per day in my mobile for the first time in my life to follow your coverage.”

Ah thanks Rakesh, that’s great to hear – especially during a brief run of no actual sport. Maybe one day we’ll get some T20 cricket, which would give your lot something to go at.

6.26pm BST

“10m air pistol,” says Mark Dawson. “10 metres? I could hit stuff with a shoe at that range, and have.”

That’s nothing, I can throw a shoe over a pub.

6.25pm BST

Now let’s throw it forward to day five, on which we shall see:

– The women’s 200m freestyle final, aka Ledecky v Titmus II but with added Pellegrini, the men’s 200m butterfly final, the women’s 200m individual medley final, the women’s 1500m freestyle final and the men’s 4x200m freestlye final. That starts at 10.41am local time, 2.41 am BST.

6.10pm BST

First of all, let’s have a look back at day four, with Martin Belam’s briefing; do sign up.

6.06pm BST

Thanks Simon, greetings one and all. It’s a little while till we get live sport – more of that presently – but in the meantime, there’s bare to say and bare to read, so we’ll see each other reet.

6.05pm BST

Righty ho, I’m going to sidle away. Please send emails and information about old US Olympians in 1952 to Daniel Harris here. Bye!

5.58pm BST

Half-a-stat department: At the age of 56 the equestrian rider Steffen Peters today became the oldest US Olympic medalist since 1952. But who was the ageing Olympian in Helsinki? Any ideas, world?

5.48pm BST

Here’s some video from the US team’s post-gymnastics press conference a little earlier:

5.27pm BST

Here’s an Associated Press story on an athlete who’s already preparing for her next Olympics – in just a few months’ time:

The real work began for Jaqueline Mourao the moment she finished a muddy mountain bike race at the Tokyo Games. With her seventh Olympics behind her, the 45-year-old Brazilian planned to immediately swap her bike for her skis.

She is planning to compete in cross country at the Beijing Games in February, which would move her into a tie for the third-most Olympic appearances by any athlete and break the record by someone from her country.

Mourao, who was born in the mountainous Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, made her Olympic debut in mountain biking at the 2004 Athens Games. She also competed four years later in Beijing — she would also be the first athlete to compete at summer and winter Olympics in the same city in February — before stepping away from the sport for a decade. During that time, the woman from a sun-kissed, warm-weather nation lost her heart in the snow.

Despite picking up skiing at 29 years old, Mourao fell in love with everything so many of her compatriots disdain. That allowed her to take advantage of the fact few Brazilians participate in winter sports and qualified for the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy. She was back four years later in Vancouver, added shooting to her repertoire and qualified for the cross country race and biathlon in Sochi, then was back to just skiing for the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang.

Equestrian Ian Miller of Canada set the record with 10 Olympic appearances in 2012. Hubert Raudaschl of Austria took part in nine Summer Games in sailing and Afanasijs Kuzmins of the Soviet Union and Latvia the same in sailing.

“I’m enjoying every moment because I know that these will be my last Olympic Games in mountain bike,” said Mourao, who has two children cheering back home. “I’m feeling happy and accomplished. I was away from mountain bike for 10 years, between 2008 and 2018. When I decided to come back I became Brazilian champion, I won a medal at the Pan American Games — and now, the icing on the cake, ending my career with the Olympics.”

5.08pm BST

It feels like it’s been at least 12 hours since someone wrote an extremely pessimistic USWNT update, so here’s another:

Perfection has long been the standard for the United States women’s soccer team, a burden embraced through the years. By that measure, the Americans were a shadow of themselves through the group stage of the Tokyo Olympics, losing their opener 3-0 to Sweden, and playing Australia to a dull, scoreless draw on Tuesday to advance to the knockout stage.

A cliché more grounded in realism, however, is one which US players have recited at past major tournaments: the group stage is just about getting through, and the ‘second’ tournament begins in the knockouts. The Americans are at phase two now, as they always are, but their gold-medal aspirations look far less certain than they did a week ago.

5.04pm BST

Martin Belam’s daily Olympic briefing is here! You can get it by clicking on the link below, and you can get it every single day, gift-wrapped, tied in a bow and delivered straight to your inbox, by popping your email address in this box:

5.01pm BST

An email! “Has this been the greatest Olympics of all time so far?” asks Kurt Perleberg. Not from where I’m sitting Kurt. I think in the main it’s been an entirely average Olympics (which is to say, in a purely sporting sense, amazing). But it would have been better had it been held when the weather is less oppressive, and the absence of supporters, understandable as it is in the circumstances, has made a significant difference.

4.48pm BST

Important Tom Daley crocheting update: the diving ace has only gone and knocked up a medal-protecting thingamy:

4.42pm BST

This exhaustive and in many ways ill-conceived series reaches its conclusion below. Enjoy!

4.10pm BST

Over the next two posts I’ll tell you about every single gold medal decided today. I would have done it in just one post, but it was taking so long I was worried some of you might think I’d fallen asleep. Anyway, let’s get going…

3.45pm BST

Tumaini Curayol has updated his story on the women’s team gymnastics after Simone Biles’ press conference:

Simone Biles was forced to withdraw from the women’s team final at the Tokyo Games on Tuesday, citing mental health concerns after struggling on her opening vault.

The four-times Olympic champion’s withdrawal leaves questions over whether she will be able to compete – and do so at a high level – for the remainder of the competition. When asked by reporters later what her goal was for these Games, Biles replied: “To focus on my wellbeing. You know there’s more to life than just gymnastics.”

3.37pm BST

There is only one event still ongoing: the women’s volleyball match between Kenya and South Korea, which Korea are currently leading 25-14, 16-12, so a set to the good and ahead in the second.

3.35pm BST

After Brazil beat Zambia 1-0 in the final match of the women’s football group stage, we now know the make-up of the quarter-finals, which will all be played on Friday. And it’ll look like this:

Kashima: Great Britain v Australia
Saitama: Sweden v Japan

3.27pm BST

Here’s a report on the dressage, in which Charlotte Dujardin became Britain’s most decorated female Olympian (a title she won’t keep for long, if Laura Kenny’s got anything to do with it):

3.18pm BST

Simone Biles has spoken to the assembled hordes of the media. I’ll post her quotes in full when I get them but Sean Ingle, our man on the scene, sends a snippet:

Even though it’s so big, it’s the Olympic games. But at the end of the day it’s like we want to walk out of here, not be dragged out here on a stretcher. I just don’t trust myself as much as I used to. And I don’t know if it’s age – I’m a little bit more nervous when I do gymnastics. I feel like I’m also not having as much fun and I know that.

3.11pm BST

Simone Biles has revealed that she has no physical injury, “just a little injury to my pride”. She’s due to compete again on Thursday, but she says “we’re going to take it a day at a time and see what happens”. “I have to focus on my mental health,” she says. “We have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do.”

3.08pm BST

The emotional reaction to victory of the day surely belongs to France’s Clarisse Agbegnenou, the five-time world champion and 2016 silver-medalist, whose victory in the women’s -63kg judo was not exactly unexpected:

#Tokyo2020
✨Et c’est l’oooooooooooor !!! ✨
Félicitations à @Gnougnou25 pour sa magnifique médaille d’or en #Judo
La #gendarmerienationale est fière de l’adjudante #Agbegnenou ‍♂️‍♀️#JeuxOlympiques #equipedefrance #JOTokyo pic.twitter.com/OPB55TRruI

️ “Je lui tire mon chapeau. Clarisse écoute ses parents même si elle à 28 ans ! Elle écoute les conseils et les mets en œuvre. Je n’ai pas de mots : félicitations, c’est wahouuu !”

La mère de Clarisse Agbégnénou félicite sa fille en direct sur RMC. #rmclive pic.twitter.com/DLYhjszHNp

2.58pm BST

Reuters have filed a one-sentence quote from Simone Biles, explaining her mid-tournament withdrawal from the US gymnastics team: “After the performance I did I just didn’t want to go on.”

2.55pm BST

Two very different reactions to the same colour medal. In the gymnastics, Britain got a an unexpected team bronze:

Absolutely ❤ this https://t.co/1Blwgedmjf #bbcolympics #tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/Xa18TiE1Uf

I’m glad I came away with an Olympic medal but it was not the colour I trained for or expected. I feel a little bit dead inside and it’s killing me. It’s a medal, just not the colour I wanted. I might paint over it when I get it home, no-one has to know. I didn’t want to run around with the flag afterwards but I wanted to say ‘thank you’ to coach, the physio and all the people involved. It was really hard to do but it was for my friends and all my family. Deep down I was dying to cry.

2.41pm BST

Bit late to this, but the first of these images in particular is just great:

感染対策して観戦
　#Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/gp4JyoiVHz

2.35pm BST

Hello world! Lots of sport ongoing but no more medals will be won today, which makes it a particularly good time to peruse the medal table. Germany are the day’s big movers, as golds for the dressage team and for Ricarda Funk in the women’s canoe slalom have vaulted them into the top 10 at the expense of Kosovo.

2.25pm BST

I’m off to crack open a bottle of something special to celebrate that dressage medal.*

I shall hand you over to Simon Burnton. Bye for now.

2.21pm BST

It’s ludicrously hard to keep up with all of this sport content, so why not let the Guardian’s Martin Belam take some of the strain, and sign up for his daily Olympics briefing email?

Sign up here!

2.14pm BST

It’s raining bronze for Great Britain right now. Germany win gold, as they always do, and the USA claim silver, with Great Britain third on the podium.

Final podium:

2.10pm BST

Men’s rugby sevens: Team GB, remarkably, recovered from 21-0 down against the USA to win 26-21 and set up a semi-final against New Zealand on Wednesday.

As if that wasn’t enough drama for one day, Argentina then managed – somehow – to defeat South Africa despite having a man sent off in the first half. They were also down to five men at the end due to a late yellow card. I strongly recommend you seek out the highlights of that one, because Marcos Moneta scored a couple of astonishing tries for Argentina. They will play Fiji in the last four, who knocked out Australia.

2.07pm BST

Japan have retained their softball gold medal! USA take silver, Canada win bronze.

Live reaction here:

2.01pm BST

ROC win the gold, USA silver, GB bronze. Well done indeed.

Tears and hugs among the Russian Olympic Committee gymnasts – along with loud applause from the Russian press pack behind me – after it’s confirmed that ROC win women’s team gymnastics gold with 168.528 points. US second on 166.096. And GB take a shock bronze with 164.096.

1.58pm BST

A huge wrench for many athletes competing in the Tokyo Olympics is that, because of Covid restrictions, they are unable to have their friends and family cheering them on from the stands. Fortunately, in a connected social media world, they are able to see how much they are being supported from afar.

1.56pm BST

Late drama and it’s good news for GB: Caroline Weir’s deflected goal with five minutes to go pegs back Canada, and the match finishes 1-1! Hege Riise’s side thus finish top of their qualifying group.

1.53pm BST

Men’s tennis: Liam Broady, the last Team GB singles player standing, pulled off the biggest win of his career by defeating Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, the world No 12, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the third round.

Hurkacz, of course, was the man who destroyed Roger Federer in straight sets at Wimbledon earlier this month. What a win for Broady.

1.50pm BST

Cycling: Switzerland’s Jolanda Neff is struggling to believe she won gold in the women’s mountain bike race earlier today. But she did.

Please tell me this is real!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/wXlZDNldlz

1.46pm BST

From Bryan Armen Graham, who is at the women’s team all-around final:

“Disaster for the US as Jordan Chiles goes out of bounds on a full-twisting double layout, then sits the double full-and-full on her second tumbling pass. The ROC now have a clear path to their first gold since the Unified Team at Barcelona 1992. Meanwhile, a couple of huge scores on the uneven bars from Jennifer Gadirova (13.566) and Alice Kinsella (14.166!) have pulled Great Britain very much within striking distance of the bronze.”

1.44pm BST

Men’s judo: Japan’s Takanori Nagase won the men’s -81kg judo gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics by beating Saeid Mollaei of Mongolia in the final, extending the gold rush by Japanese judokas. The Rio bronze medallist Nagase’s victory marked a fifth judo gold medal for hosts Japan at the Games, edging them closer to their previous Olympic record of eight titles in 2004 in Athens.

When the judge confirmed his win, Nagase burst into tears. “That was the moment when my goal of winning Olympic gold was met, so I couldn’t help but shed tears,” Nagase said. (Reuters)

1.41pm BST

Dressage Grand Prix Special Mixed: This Danish horse can really dance, there is no question about that. “Lovely cadence,” says the Eurosport commentator, and who am I to disagree?

1.39pm BST

Women’s football: Seven minutes left for Hege Riise’s Team GB women to find an equaliser against Canada. They trail 1-0, and as it stands, Canada will top the group with GB second.

1.38pm BST

Men’s taekwondo: Rafael Yunier Alba Castillo, of Cuba, wins men’s +80kg bronze. You needed to know that, I assure you.

1.36pm BST

Dressage Grand Prix Special Mixed: I’m trying to work out what’s going on. I can tell you that the Netherlands are clubhouse leaders, but here come Denmark, who are expected to give the Dutch a run for their money. Feel free to email me me with your insights.

1.34pm BST

Softball: Japan lead USA 2-0 in the gold medal match. Follow it live, right here, with Hunter Felt:

1.26pm BST

Women’s football: Team GB’s Caroline Weir crashes a cross-shot, from a tight angle, off the crossbar and then the post! So close.

As it stands, Canada will win the group, with Team GB second.

1.25pm BST

Women’s artistic gymnastics: Simone Biles, as Barry mentioned, has pulled out of the team final competition.

Bryan Armen Graham has all the details here.

Official statement: “Simone Biles has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue. She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.”

Thinking of you, Simone! pic.twitter.com/QA1GYHwWTv

1.19pm BST

Women’s football: Canada lead Team GB by a goal to nil with just under 30 minutes remaining in their Group E encounter. Kim Little, the Arsenal captain, and Ellie White have just been introduced to the action.

Adriana Leon got the goal just a few minutes ago, with 55 mins on the clock.

55′ GOAL! Adriana Leon with a well placed shot in the top corner from a cut back pass from Ashley Lawrence! #CANWNT 1:0 GBR#RiseHigher #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/dRHLxcDz5n

1.12pm BST

She’s got it! Walkden lands a strong kick in the final round, to double her lead from 5-3 to 7-3, and she sees out the win! Kowalczuk is in tears, she is distraught, which is sad to see. A jubilant Walkden is joined on the mat by her coach, and they stand arm in arm and salute the handful of clapping team members in the stand.

1.09pm BST

Walkden stays in the lead, but by the barest of margins – the Liverpool fighter leads 4-3 after the second round. She will need to land a few telling blows in the third round if she is going to win this.

1.06pm BST

Walkden leads Poland’s Aleksandra Kowalczuk 4-2 after the first round. She fought smartly there and accrued single points with some big punches. Walkden’s coach tells her not to let her Polish opponent gather any momentum. It was job done for the Liverpool fighter in the first round, as far as that’s concerned.

1.04pm BST

Walkden lands a couple of very solid punches, and leads 2-0 in the first.

1.03pm BST

Grazie mille, Barry. Hello everyone. GB’s Bianca Walkden is now on the taekwondo mat for her bronze medal match.

1.00pm BST

Sayōnara from me. Luke McLaughlin is taking over.

12.57pm BST

Gymnastics: Bryan Armen Graham has reported that NBC have reported that Simone Biles’s coach has said the American did not withdraw from the women’s team event because of physical injury, but due to her mental health. We wish her well.

12.44pm BST

Taekwondo: Following her absolutely devastating defeat (final kick, in final second of final round) in the women’s +65kg semi-final, Bianca Walkden will fight for bronze in a little over 15 minutes at 1pm (BST).

12.38pm BST

Women’s team gymnastics. Sensational news from the Gymnastics Arena, where the best gymnast on the planet has withdrawn from the competition, presumably through injury. Oh no!

12.31pm BST

12.22pm BST

Simone Biles is back after leaving for a few minutes with a coach. pic.twitter.com/1mQhIg8zvW

12.21pm BST

Women’s team gymnastics: Having posted a very low score on the vault, Simone Biles has left the floor and her American teammantes appear to be heading on to the uneven bars without her! What the diddly is going on?

12.15pm BST

Women’s team gymnastics: The Americans have vaulted their way into a spot of bother! “A bit of a rocky start for Team USA on the vault,” writes Bryan Armen Graham. “After Biles balked an Amanar during warm-ups, Grace McCallum starts things off for the US with a double twisting Yurchenko only to step forward and out of bounds on the landing (14.3). That’s a touch behind Angelina Melnikova’s DTY that opened the competition (14.6). Jordan Chiles, who struggled mightily during Sunday’s qualifying, comes out firing with a big, clean DTY (14.6), the highest score so far.

“Now it’s Simone time … and uh-oh. Biles was meant to do an Amanar but instead did a Yurchenko one-and-a-half, nearly falling forward on the deep landing. The score is 13.766 and the US are officially in trouble.”

12.13pm BST

Women’s football: Team GB are already through to the knockout stages but play Canada in their final group game to see if they’ll go through as group winners or runners-up. Canada need a point to guarantee their progress to the knockout stages but could go through as one of the best third-placed teams in the event of defeat. After 12 minutes of the first half, it’s scoreless between the sides.

12.05pm BST

12.02pm BST

Women’s team gymnastics final: There’s all sorts going on in the Ariake Gymnastics Centre, where the women’s team final is currently the hottest ticket in Tokyo. Well, it certainly would be if tickets had been sold but sadly they weren’t. Bryan Armen Graham is there making sense of it all for Guardian readers …

11.53am BST

Equestrianism: The “vibe” coming from the Equestrian Centre is that the best Team GB can hope for in the Team Dressage is a silver medal, unless Charlotte Dujardin and Gio can pull something truly remarkable out of the fire. Germany seem to be bossing proceedings.

11.47am BST

Swimming: Thomas Ceccon from Italy has qualified fastest for the semi-finals of the men’s 100m freestyle in the first event in a night of heats at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. American Caeleb Dressel qualified second, only two one-hundredths of a second off Ceccon. Defending champion Kyle Chalmers, from Australia, looked assured to qualify third fastest. Plenty more heat action tonight, including the first look at the men’s 800m freestyle, which is making its return to the Olympics after more than a century. The last time the event was included, it was the 880 yards. Australia’s Jack McLoughlin is among the favourites – who almost quit the sport last year to become an engineer.

11.44am BST

An early take from our dressage correspondent: It seems Lottie Fry and Everdale have let the side down …

A shattering round so far. The wheels have come off here

Already talk in the press seats of a root and branch review of British dressage. Should we copy the German model?

11.39am BST

Equestrianism: While business in other arenas that are more my field of expertise (a term I use very, very advisedly) has precluded me from giving it much of a mention so far, the team dressage is on today and features eight teams made up of three riders and horses – a toal of 24 routines. Team GB won gold in London 2012 and silver in Rio. This year they’re represented by Carl Hester who rides En Vogue, Charlotte Fry on Everdale and Charlotte Dujardin on her new mount Gio. Hester was first up for Team GB, who were second in the standings after his round. Charlotte Fry and Everdale are due out any minute now.

11.30am BST

One of the stories of the Games!

Sensational! #RSAARG #bbcolympics #Rugby7s pic.twitter.com/GxWp9EcoRm

11.26am BST

11.25am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: Defending champions Fiji have beaten Australia 19-0 to advance to the semi-finals. They’ll play Argentina in the final four, while Team GB will face New Zealand. Those semi-finals will take place in the early hours, at around 3am UK time.

11.22am BST

Women’s gymnastics: Bryan Armen Graham has one of the best seats in the house for an event that’s always a Games highlight – the women’s team all around, starring the peerless individual superstar that is Simone Biles.

11.13am BST

Pure Argentinian passion!

Gaston Revol in floods of tears at the full-time whistle having been sent off in the first-half.

Emotional scenes all round. #Olympics pic.twitter.com/tsoNnG4Yss

11.08am BST

Get in touch! We’d like to hear from you. No, really. So get writing!

11.07am BST

Women’s football: It’s finished USA 0-0 Australia and New Zealand 0-2 Sweden in the final Group G games. Sweden and the USA advance automatically but the Aussies have almost certainly done enough to go through with them.

11.01am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: Australia v Fiji kick off in the last of the quarter-finals. They’ll do well to top the previous game in terms of entertainment but I wouldn’t rule it out.

10.59am BST

10.55am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: Despite losing one man to an early red card, another to a serious knee injury and a third to a late yellow card, Argentina finish the game with five men on the pitch but somehow hang on to beat South Africa and advance to the semi-final. What a game!!! That is an astonishing win!!!

10.52am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: There’s another Argentinian in tears, as one of their number limps off with what looks like a bad knee injury. Despite having been down to six men since early in the first half, his teammates bounce back to pull further clear of South Africa. They lead 19-7 with just 30 seconds to go.

Oh no! Argentina concede a converted penalty try and have a man sin-binned. They’re down to five men but lead by five points in the knockings.

10.50am BST

Men’s tennis: Team GB’s Liam Broady has advanced to the third round of the men’s singles, seeing off Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

10.47am BST

Men’s boxing: Great Britain’s Cheavon Clarke has been eliminated by Brazil’s Abner Teixeira, who will go through to the quarter-final of the men’s heavyweight division.

10.40am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: Six-man Argentina take the lead on the stroke of half-time!!!

10.40am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: As Gaston Revol openly weeps in the dug-out following his entirely justified dismissal, his side restore parity. Interesting.

10.36am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: Team GB will play New Zealand in their semi-final at 3am (BST), while South Africa currently lead Argentina 7-0 after four minutes. The Argentinians have just had Gaston Revol sent off for a dangerous high tackle, so that one suspects is very much that for them.

10.26am BST

10.23am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: Team GB overturn a 21-point half-time deficit to beat the USA and advance to the semi-finals on the back of a tremendous second-half performance. They rode their luck at times and benefitted from some questionable refereeing decisions but they’ll take it. They’ll face New Zealand next.

10.21am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: We’re into the final 27 seconds, which on the face of it is not such a long time in rugby sevens. Team USA trail by five points and Team GB have just called a scrum just outside their own 22.

10.18am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: Alex Davies scores under the posts for Team GB, who convert his try to go level at 21-21 with just over three minutes left. Also a lifetime in sevens rugby. And what’s this? Team GB pull clear with another try from Dan Norton. He fails to convert, so it’s Team GB 26-21 USA.

10.15am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: Team USA have a man sin-binned and Team GB immediately capitalise. It’s 21-14 to the Americans with five minutes to go – a lifetime in sevens rugby. Tom Mitchell is about to come back on too.

10.11am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: The loss of their talismanic skipper Tom Mitchell has hit Team GB hard. They trail the USA 21-7 at half-time.

10.07am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: New Zealand have just beaten Canada 21-10 in the first quarter-final of the rugby sevens and now the game between Team GB and the USA has kicked off and moments after the game begins British captain Tom Mitchell is forced off with injury after shipping a bruising tackle.

10.03am BST

Men’s surfing: After winning the first ever Olympic medal awarded in the history of surfing, Australia’s Owen Wright said he felt like he was “walking on a cloud”. Five and a half years ago, he couldn’t even walk, writes Kieran Pender. Read on …

9.52am BST

Women’s football: It’s half-time in the women’s group game between Australia and the USA and the deadlock remains unbroken. In Group G’s other match, Sweden lead New Zealand 2-0 at the break. Emma Kemp has the latest from the Ibaraki Kashima Stadium.

9.42am BST

Sailing: A tip of the hat to Irish sailors Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove, who kicked off their Olympic debut in the 49er class by winning their opening race this morning. Hailing, as I do, from the landlocked county of Offaly, I didn’t even know Ireland had a sailing team.

9.39am BST

Our man at the dressage: Despite his regular ruminations on football, cricket and the general state of the sporting landscape, the spiritual home of Guardian chief sports correspondent has always been the dressage arena. Barney Ronay is at Tokyo’s Equestrian Park today and has sent some heartfelt dispatches from the front line.

Spain off first in the team dressage. Those who remember their wild, rabble-rousing display in Rio will be wary. Dressage doesn’t need a repeat of those scenes

As a reminder – as if anyone needed one – the routine ended with a flamenco-style flourish, leading to controversy in the judging booth and unrest in the stands between Spanish and German dressage “ultras”. Mercifully it was contained.

Swedish rider leaves the arena in tears after a disastrous round. Dressage is a cruel mistress

9.33am BST

Men’s rugby sevens: Having won their opening two pool games without conceding a try, Team GB had their pants pulled down by reigning Olympic champions Fiji, who hammered them in diabolical conditions at the Tokyo Stadium. The Brits go through to the quarter-finals anyway, where they’ll face the USA at 10am (BST)|. First up, it’s New Zealand v Canada.

9.23am BST

9.21am BST

Women’s taekwondo: I can’t imagine how she must be feeling but I still can’t get over that last-second Bianca Walkden semi-final defeat. She needs to regroup and get her head back in the game for her bronze-medal match at 1pm. Good luck to her.

9.14am BST

Women’s K1 canoeing: Australia’s Jess Fox has won just about all there is to win in the slalom. She has claimed 10 world titles during her career, plus 13 junior/youth/U23 world championship titles. But she has never won Olympic gold.

In London Fox – the daughter of two Olympians – won silver. In Rio it was bronze. This afternoon, in Tokyo, it was to be bronze again. The third-placing today in the K1 category will be devastating for the 27-year-old. Having qualified fastest for the semi-finals, and then fastest for the finals, she was the paddler to beat. But – impeded by time penalties – beaten she was, by Ricarda Funk. Gold in the K1 will have to wait until Paris.

9.12am BST

Tom Dean: The 21-year-old from Maidenhead won gold for Great Britain in the men’s 200m freestyle some hours ago. His mother invited what looks like several hundred of her closest friends around to the family homestead to watch him triumph on a big screen in her back garden. Here’s how they watched the closing stages of the race unfold …

THIS is what the @Olympics means!! Friends & family of @ClubMaidenhead swimmer @tomdean00 cheer the new 200m Freestyle #Olympics CHAMPION home! GOLD!!! GOLD!! GOLD!!! #Tokyo2020 @BBCSport #Swimming @BBCSouthNews pic.twitter.com/wBtpR7Yba1

9.09am BST

“Tropical Storm you say dude? Bring it on!” – Gold Medal winner Italo Ferreira from Brazil pic.twitter.com/WF90Jt9YsY

8.58am BST

Women’s football: Australia are about to take on Team USA in the final group game in what is a fairly must-win game for Sam Kerr and her fellow Matildas. They’re up against it and Emma Kemp has the latest …

8.54am BST

Women’s K1 canoeing: Fox has to settle for bronze. Ricarda Funk wins the gold for Germany while Maialen Chourraut takes silver for Spain. Team GB’s Kimberley Woods finished last of the 10 finalists.

8.50am BST

Women’s K1 canoeing: Fox incurs a two-second penalty early doors. Ricarda Funk currently leads and looks good for the gold after another mistake by Fox.

8.48am BST

Women’s K1 canoeing : Australia’s Jess Fox is currently contesting the final and is at the top of the course. She needs to complete the course in 105 seconds or fewer to win gold to add to the silve and bronze she’s already trousered at Rio and London. Here we go …

8.41am BST

Surfing: The waves rolled into Tsurigasaki Beach and the curtain came down on a high-flying Games debut for surfing as Brazil’s Italo Ferreira claimed the sport’s first ever Olympic gold medal.

The spectacular Ferreira, who headed to Tokyo sandwiched between compatriots Gabriel Medina and Filipe Toledo in a Brazilian top three on the World Surf League rankings, dashed local hopes in the final with a convincing win over Kanoa Igarashi.

8.38am BST

Boxing: There was some unpleasantness in the boxing ring at the Kokugikan Arena earlier, when Moroccan heavyweight Youness Baalla had a nibble on the ear of his Kiwi opponent David Nyika in round three. Baalla’s bite went unnoticed by the referee and Nyika avoided injury on his way to a 5-0 win.

8.32am BST

Table-tennis: Table tennis player Jian Fang Lay has largely flown under the radar for the last … three decades, but has marked a milestone at these Games by becoming only the second Australian woman to compete at six Olympic Games alongside equestrian Mary Hanna who, at 66, is the oldest on the team.

Jian moved to Australia from Wenzhou in 1994, retired, then embarked on a second coming that has taken her further than predicted in Tokyo. The 48-year-old mother of two was drafted into the team late because of a withdrawal and had to win a preliminary match just to make the first round.

8.29am BST

Bianca Walkden is gutted. The sweat-soaked Liverpudlian looks unbelievably forlorn and can’t believe her rotten luck but needs to put this defeat behind her to focus on her bronze medal match. Hats off to her Korean opponent, however, who won through to the final with an astonishing last-ditch effort.

8.24am BST

Taekwondo: Disaster for Bianca Walkden, who loses in the final second of the final round. Lee Da-Bin advances to the final by the skin of her teeth with a headshot in the very last second of the third round. “I’m literally lost for words,” says Lutalo Muhammad in the BBC studios. “Lee Da-Bin did the only thing that she could have done to win and she executed it perfectly.”

8.21am BST

Taekwondo: It’s 22-24 to Walkden with 04 seconds to go.

8.20am BST

Taekwondo: We’re in the final round of the Walkden v Lee, with the Korean leading 19-14. Walkden needs to be careful, however, she’s racked up seven gam-jeoms (warning points) – another three and she’ll be disqualified. We’ve just had a very long break for a VAR intervention that cost Walkden two points.

8.13am BST

Taekwondo: Handsome housewives favourite Lutalo Muhammad is on the BBC offering informed punditry, which can mean only one thing – there’s a Brit trying to kick and punch their way to glory in the taekwondo ring.

Who is it? It’s Bianca Walkden, who is in the middle of her +67kg semi-final against Korea’s Lee Da-Bin. It’s 14-10 to Walkden’s opponent at the moment.

8.06am BST

8.05am BST

Kon’nichiwa everybody. If you’re just waking up in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in Europe, well … what time do you call this? The day is nearly over! While you were far away in the Land of Nod, the UK won another three medals in the Land of the Rising Sun and there could be more to come in the next few hours.

Team GB’s Tom Dean and his friend Duncan Scott recorded a one-two in the men’s 200m freestyle final, while Georgia Taylor-Brown survived a puncture in the bike leg of the women’s triathlon to finish second behind Bermuda’s Flora Duffy. The daughter of British parents, Duffy prompted scenes of unbridled jubilation in the island territory by winning their first ever gold medal.

7.57am BST

Chinese pair Chen Yuxi and Zhang Jiaqi have won the women’s synchronised 10m platform. They are aged 15 and 17 respectively and were about as close to perfection as they might have hoped. An understated bow at the end is all they need to celebrate. The United States team of Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell moved quickly up the field to claim silver thanks to a strong back 2½ somersaults 1½ twist in their final dive. And Mexico’s Gabriela Agundez and Alejandra Orozco claimed bronze. British duo Eden Cheng and Lois Toulson recovered from a shaky start but finished seventh from a field of eight.

7.37am BST

Bianca Walkden is preparing for her taekwondo women’s +67kg semi-final against 2019 world champion South Korean Lee Da-bin. Watch her in action in about 20 minutes.

7.28am BST

We’ve had a Mike Tyson moment in the boxing. In the men’s heavyweight round of 16, Moroccan fighter Youness Baalla attempted to bite the ear of New Zealand’s David Nyika. Nyika won via unanimous decision and was comfortable throughout, but the bout was overshadowed by Baalla’s conduct in the final round.

“He didn’t get a full mouthful,” Kyika said afterwards. “Luckily he had his mouthguard in, and I was a bit sweaty. But come on man, this is the Olympics, get your shit together.”

Morocco’s Youness Baalla tried to bite the ear of New Zealand’s David Nyika!!! #Boxing #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/N6LJIqjb6S

7.19am BST

Meanwhile, the women’s mountain bike cross country has started. Rebecca McConnell is representing Australia, The US have Hayley Batten, Erin Huck and Kate Courtney and Team GB Evie Richards, who is currently in second Switzerland’s Jolanda Neff.

The women’s mountain bike race is underway with @bec_mcconnell looking for Australia’s first Olympic medal in the sport!

Watch LIVE: https://t.co/xTOlJttDXI #Tokyo2020 | #7Olympics pic.twitter.com/qJQagzc3jc

7.15am BST

Fox is away in the kayak semi-final and my, those rapids are fast. So far it’s flawless. Many of the field struggled on this course but she is a picture of control. At first split Fox is already ahead of the pack. Same with the second. She finishes in 105.85, 3.33 seconds faster than her nearest competitor, Slovak Eliška Mintálová. The Australian qualifies first for the final. Team GB’s Kimberley Woods is there too, qualifying sixth.

7.08am BST

Here’s that celebratory wave.

BRONZE FOR AUSTRALIA! @RealOwenWright DOES IT, defeating two-time world champion Gabriel Medina in a fantastic Bronze Medal match! #7Olympics | #Tokyo2020 | #Surfing pic.twitter.com/Z7LWo7S33x

6.58am BST

Wright is out of the water now and the Australian contingent is at the shore to meet him. There’s a lot of congratulating going on. Now they’re in a huddle, Wright in the middle, for an “Aussie Aussie Aussie” situation.

This is pretty big for Australia. Medina was the form surfer coming into the Olympics.

6.52am BST

All the Australian had to do was block Medina from the 5.98 score he needs, but the latter looks as if he can’t get back out the back. He’s ducking and diving. There are 30 seconds to go and he’s still paddling. Wright is in chase. He just needs to wait it out. And he jumps on a wave to celebrate!

6.50am BST

Medina is somewhat frantically paddling away from Wright, who can use his priority to defence his score if he stays close. The Brazilian pops up on another wave, gets some serious air and then crashes. The wind might have had something to do with that. 1:40 on the clock.

6.49am BST

The surf is soupy and decent waves are tough to come by. But come by one Medina does. It is a genuinely crap wave but he gives it a shot anyway, bounces along and turns it into a score of 6.00. That was class. Medina is still a smidge behind and needs 5.98 with just over three minutes on the clock.

6.45am BST

Medina surfs his eighth wave of this match and it’s so-so. Nothing special but did the trick. It’s a 5.77. Wright replies with a more impressive ride. He floats along the top, dips and then rises again, before turning back on himself as the whitewash gets heavy. That was adjudged a 5.47, and I know I’m biased but it looked the better of the two. Wright has the priority now with a tick under eight minutes remaining and he’s still in front with a total 11.97 to Medina’s 11.20.

6.31am BST

Medina has the right of way, meaning if both surfers go for the same wave Wright must stand down. The Brazilian double world champion is up and he has to egg himself forward to properly get onto the lip but once he’s there it’s go time, and he finds some nice air before coming unstuck. Wright is sitting on a total of 8.6 and Medina 6.53.

6.22am BST

Owen Wright is up and away in his surfing bronze medal match against Gabriel Medina. Medina has been on two waves already for a total score of 1.77, so slow start.

6.19am BST

American swim star Lilly King has criticised the media for allegedly distorting her words and said that her Australian rivals, who are currently equal with the United States in the swimming medal tally with three golds each, are “swimming just fine”.

King courted controversy before Tokyo 2020 when she expressed her belief that the American women could win every individual gold medal at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. With five individual medals race for the women held so far, the Australians have secured two golds, while the USA, Canada and Japan have one apiece.

6.15am BST

Happens to the best of us.

Just did a cross with @abcnews and referred to Owen Wright as Owen Wilson. Sorry @RealOwenWright – I’m sure you’re a wonderful actor, but you’re also bloody good at surfing. Good luck today – we’re all watching.

6.13am BST

It’s time to switch to the canoe slalom, where Australian Jess Fox is contesting the women’s kayak semi-finals and then, all going well, the final, as she hunts a full set of Olympic medals having won bronze and silver at past Games. The 27-year-old is 24th on the start order from a field of 24, so we have a little waiting to do before she’s up.

For the uninitiated, in the kayak, or K1, competitors sit in a cockpit and hold one paddle with a blade on each end.

6.00am BST

There is some serious giant-killing going on in the women’s tennis singles and the Japanese star is the latest to go after losing in straight sets to Czech third-round opponent Marketa Vondrousova.

Naomi Osaka is OUT of the Olympic games.

Marketa Vondrousova wins 6-1, 6-4.

5.56am BST

5.40am BST

In the men’s hockey, Germany have just scored a fourth goal against Great Britain to make it 4-1 with about eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter. It’s some turnaround for the Germans, who lost 3-1 to Pool B leaders Belgium yesterday. Barring something incredible from the Brits, this will be their first loss after two early wins against South Africa and Canada.

5.29am BST

For the musically inclined, Lydia Jacoby, the unheralded Alaskan 17-year-old who won gold in the women’s 100m breaststroke earlier today, is a singer and plays double bass. Here she is doing both with the Snow River String Band at the 2018 Anchorage Folk Festival.

5.16am BST

Naomi Osaka in trouble!

Upset alert: Marketa Vondrousova takes the first set 6-1 against Naomi Osaka at the Olympics.

5.10am BST

Sally Fitzgibbons has spoken to Seven about her quarter-final loss and says her “heart is shattered” after the most difficult defeat of her career.

“It hurts so bad … always remember being the first surfing Olympians. Hopefully just goes from strength to strength. Our sport’s here to stay. I am going to work really hard and hopefully see you all in 2024,” she said through tears. I hope all the young groms can pick up a board for the first time, go out there with a smile on their face and ride waves. It brings the most joy in life. Every day it puts a smile on my face.

“It hurts so bad… my heart is shattered.”

All of Australia loves you, @Sally_Fitz ❤️ pic.twitter.com/hSnPBXtRRg

4.59am BST

Ferreira is through. Wright just couldn’t get on a wave at the end there and because the Brazilian had priority he kept edging closer and closer to his opponent as a means of stopping Wright from claiming a wave and therefore defending his lead. That’s all she wrote for the Australians in the surfing. Ferreira will face Japan’s fifth seed Igarashi Kanoa for the gold medal. Wright will face Brazil’s Gabriel Medina for bronze. Action get under way in a little over an hour.

4.54am BST

This will go down to the wire. Wright is on a wave and makes a backhand turn, slides the tail and then throws that tail as he lands. He starts paddling immediately out the back because he is running out of time. Ferreira, meanwhile, just had to wait it out. One minute to go. Needs 6.7.

4.50am BST

The Australian cheer squad loved that. They are hollering from their armchairs. It is WINDY out there and the surf a little messy. Wright seems to be eager to complete his waves consistently, while Ferreira is going big every time. Ferreira is back on for his 10th wave, looks to lose control just a little before recovering, to earn a score of 6.67. Wright is now on his sixth wave and scores a 6.47. The Australian is under pressure and needs 6.70 with five minutes to go.

4.43am BST

Wright has just made a flat 6.00 via a first snap that set up the second with was a lovely back-hand vertical re-entry. It brings both competitors equal on 11.00 with just under 12 minutes to go.

If Wright wins this, he will contest the final against Kanoa Igarashi after the Japanese saw off Brazilian great Gabriel Medina in a thriller of a semi.

4.39am BST

Hello! Let’s jump straight back into the surfing because Owen Wright is midway through his semi-final against Ítalo Ferreira. The Brazilian has just made some serious height but didn’t complete the move. Ferreira’s total is 11.00 and Wright needs 6.01 to take the lead with 18 minutes remaining.

4.18am BST

Ok, now the pool’s over I can hand you on to Emma Kemp. Thanks for joining me today, enjoy the rest of the action.

4.17am BST

Swimming: Kate Douglass (USA) wins the second semi-final of the women’s 200m IM. It’s a Great Britain 2-3 with Abbie Wood leading in Alicia Wilson.

The times mean Hosszu DOES sneak into the final in seventh place.

4.13am BST

Surfing: The first men’s semi-final is absolutely unreal. Second seed Gabriel Medina (BRA) was flying, racking up 16.76 effortlessly. But just now fifth seed Igarashi Kanoa (JAP) found some incredible air to land a 9.33! He now leads with 17.00. Five minutes remaining.

4.10am BST

Swimming: Alex Walsh (USA) wins the first women’s 200m IM semi from China’s Yiting Yu and Japan’s Jui Ohashi.

In her fifth Games, the Iron Lady Katinka Hosszu ended fifth and looks unlikely to reach the final.

4.06am BST

Swimming: The last event in the pool tonight is the women’s 200m IM semis. In the first heat we have Hungarian legend Katinka Hosszu.

4.04am BST

Shooting:

#CHN wins the inaugural 10m air pistol mixed team Olympic gold!#Shooting @ISSF_Shooting pic.twitter.com/A1eDdTSXZI

4.03am BST

Rugby sevens: The men’s quarter-final line-up is now complete:

3.55am BST

Surfing: The men’s semi-finals are underway. First up is Japanese fifth seed Igarashi Kanoa against Brazilian second seed Gabriel Medina.

In around half-an-hour from now it will be top-ranked Brazilian Italo Ferreira against Australian seventh seed Owen Wright.

3.52am BST

Swimming: Hungary’s world record holder Kristóf Milák went out hard, kept going hard, and finished hard. He won by miles and will head to the final of the men’s 200m butterfly strong favourite. Leonardo de Deus (BRA) came in second, Federico Burdisso (ITA) third.

Milak’s 1.52.22 was nearly three seconds faster than any other semi-finalist.

3.45am BST

Swimming: South Africa’s Chad Le Clos wins the first semi of the men’s 200m butterfly. He led from start to finish, but really tightened up in the final 40m, looking often to his left from lane eight. Tamás Kenderesi (HUN) came second, Honda Tomoru (JPN) third in a race that ended with seven swimmers separated by just 0.91 seconds.

3.43am BST

Surfing: Sally Fitzgibbons is out, and Australia’s interest in the women’s surfing ends at the quarterfinal stage. Huge disappointment for Australian surfing with both Fitzgibbons and Stephanie Gilmore considered medal hopes before the Games.

3.39am BST

Surfing: Fitzgibbons continues to trail Tsuzuki with just three minutes remaining.

3.34am BST

Rugby Sevens: Good news for Australia with confirmation they have reached the quarter-finals as one of the best third-placed nations from the group phase. The bad news is they will face either New Zealand or Fiji at the start of the knockouts.

3.29am BST

Surfing: Oh my. Fitzgibbons reclaimed the lead, only for Tsuzuki to snatch it straight back. The Australian is up against it with the Japanese ahead 13.27 v 11.67 with 13 minutes left in the heat.

3.28am BST

Swimming: That’s the last of the medal events in the pool for this session. It was another belter of a morning.

There is only one 50-meter pool in the state of Alaska.

Lydia Jacoby is the first @usaswimming athlete from Alaska.

Now, she’s got a gold medal. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/vv6eeRMekM

3.26am BST

Surfing: While that was going on, Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons was overtaken in the fourth quarterfinal by Japan’s Amuro Tsuzuki. It’s currently 10.77 v 10.17 with 15 minutes of the heat remaining.

3.25am BST

17-year-old Lydia Jacoby takes gold! The first Alaskan swimmer to win gold! Jacoby was in the mix throughout, alongside South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker (silver) and Team USA’s Lilly King (bronze).

3.22am BST

Swimming: Andy Bull was poolside for a stunning 200m freestyle 1-2 for Team GB.

3.19am BST

Swimming: The next event in the pool is the women’s 100m breaststroke final. South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker is up against Team USA’s Lydia Jacoby and Lilly King.

3.18am BST

Surfing: Australian TV is now broadcasting Sally Fitzgibbons’ QF on both terrestrial channels. She has established an early lead over her Japanese opponent in what looks like the Humberside coast of the North Sea. It’s pretty tight though.

3.15am BST

Swimming: If you questioned my transcription of Kaylee McKeown’s interview from earlier, here’s proof:

Kaylee McKeown drops the F Bomb right next to the Seebohm #Swimming #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/hj6P32uBVV

3.14am BST

Surfing: Americans Caroline Marks and Carissa Moore are through to the semi-finals of the women’s surfing, alongside South Africa’s Bianca Buitendag.

Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons is up next in the fourth quarterfinal against Japan’s Amuro Tsuzuki.

3.11am BST

Swimming: Kieran Pender was poolside for Kaylee McKeown’s magnificent gold medal swim.

3.07am BST

Hockey:

FT | The @Kookaburras march on undefeated in Pool A and make it 17 goals in three games as they topple the Olympic Champions.

2-5 #ARGvAUS #Tokyo2020 #TokyoTogether
LIVE now on 7Plus: https://t.co/QFD9LVLbCJ pic.twitter.com/H4s5qMlHOF

3.04am BST

It’s an ROC one-two! Evgeny Rylov pinches gold from Kliment Kolesnikov (ROC) by 0.02, just a shade outside the world record. Ryan Murphy (USA) the defending champion and world and Olympic record holder could only manage third.

Aussie Mitch Larkin came in seventh.

3.01am BST

Swimming: Now onto the men’s 100m backstroke final…

3.00am BST

Swimming: More gold. “What would you like to tell your mum and your sister?” Australian TV’s reporter asks Kaylee McKeown. “F*ck yeah!” McKeown replies. Bonza.

“It’s something I’ve always dreamed of,” she also said. “Thankfully I have a really good support team.”

2.55am BST

Gold for the world record holder! Another stunning late run for gold. What an exciting meet this is becoming. Kylie Masse (CAN) took silver, Regan Smith (USA) bronze.

At the turn, previous world record holder Masse led from another previous world record holder Smith, but McKeown stormed past to touch first in a new Olympic record.

2.53am BST

Rugby sevens: Big comeback from New Zealand. They ease into the quarter-finals. Australia have some maths to do.

FT | Unfortunately couldn’t sneak home. Now to the calculator for QFs…

AUS 12 v NZL 14

@7olympics @AUSOlympicTeam #TokyoTogether #Tokyo2020 #Aussie7s

2.52am BST

Swimming: Stars galore next in the final of the women’s 100m backstroke. Australia’s recent world record breaker Kaylee McKeown, compatriot Emily Seebohm, previous world record holders Regan Smith (USA) and Kylie Masse (CAN), and considering their meet so far you can’t rule out Great Britain’s Kathleen Dawson.

2.49am BST

One-two for Great Britain! Tom Dean touches ahead of Duncan Scott for a superb victory.

Hwang Sun-Woo (KOR) led for most of the race, but tightened in the final 25m to finish seventh. Fernando Scheffer (BRA) snuck in to claim bronze.

2.46am BST

Australia’s hopes of landing a medal in the inaugural surfing comp are very much alive after Owen Wright stormed into the semi-finals, to be staged later today at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach.

Wright – the brother of twice women’s world champion Tyler – moved into a final-four clash with Brazil’s Italo Ferreira in difficult conditions on Tuesday morning, which he managed to navigate with a little help from dry land.

2.45am BST

Swimming: Onto the men’s 200m freestyle final…

2.43am BST

Swimming: We’re in for a blockbuster 200m freestyle final. Katie Ledecky saw what Ariarne Titmus accomplished in her first semi and laid down a marker, leading from the front to win in 1.55.34. Barbora Seemanová (CZE) finished second, Italy’s incredible champion Federica Pellegrini powered home at the death to snatch third, beating out Maddy Wilson (AUS) and 14-year-old Summer McIntosh (CAN).

Wilson’s time was good enough to sneak into the final in eighth spot, but all eyes will be on another Titmus v Ledecky duel in the pool.

2.38am BST

Rugby Sevens: Australia have taken a 12-0 lead over New Zealand approaching half-time in the Bledisloe-lite.

2.36am BST

Swimming: Ariarne Titmus wins the first 200m freestyle semi in 1.54.82. The Australian was out slowly as Canada’s Penny Oleksiak took the first 50 in world record pace, but used all her 400m endurance to power home, pipping Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey on the line. Job done.

China’s Junzuan Yang came third, Oleksiak fourth.

2.27am BST

Swimming: Ok, time for some swimming. Ariarne Titmus is in the arena ready to kick everything off with the first semi in the women’s 200m freestyle.

2.25am BST

Surfing: South Africa’s Bianca Buitendag, Steph Gilmore’s conqueror, is through to the semi-finals after outpointing Portugal’s Yolanda Hopkins in the first quarterfinal.

American top seeds Caroline Marks and Carissa Moore are in the next two heats, followed by Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons.

2.20am BST

Israeli athletes next to Iranian athletes in the Olympics.

Islamic Republic of Iran wants Iranians to hate Israelis. But many ordinary Iranians & Israelis don’t care about politics.

Iranian athlete Vahid Sarlak, member of #United4Navid, together with the Israeli Olympic Team pic.twitter.com/uCHAbO2B2d

2.16am BST

Argentina-watch: I have two screens on the go, both featuring the stylish powder blue and white of Argentina. It’s good news for Los Pumas in the rugby sevens, they are hammering Korea 35-0 and on track for direct qualification to the knockouts from Pool A. But it’s not so good in the men’s hockey where Australia have surged into a 4-1 lead nearing half-time.

2.12am BST

After all the US vs Australia chat, we are set for a US-UK duel in the pool shortly in the first final of the morning session here in Tokyo, the men’s 200m freestyle.

Kieran Smith, a 21-year-old, Connecticut-born, 6ft5in student at the University of Florida, took the bronze in the 400m freestyle on Sunday – the race memorably won by the underdog Tunisian teenager, Ahmed Hafnaoui. Smith is looking to add another medal in the 200m. Not bad considering this meet is not only his first Olympics but also his Team USA debut.

2.10am BST

Yesterday was all about the youthful takeover of the Games, typified by the women’s street skateboard featuring a podium with a combined age of just 42.

Most people won’t have heard of her, but 48-year-old Jian Fang Lay made it through to the 3rd round in the table tennis today. BUT more impressively this is her 6th #olympics, equalling the most ever by an Australian female pic.twitter.com/RqRw5ZBiAg

2.05am BST

Time for a baton change. Thanks Tom for a pacesetting lead off leg, and hello everybody from breezy Melbourne, Australia, on what is hopefully the final day of our latest Covid-related lockdown.

Time to train our focus again on the Tokyo Aquatics Centre where another gold rush awaits. Here’s what’s in store:

1.54am BST

Fiji, the defending men’s rugby sevens champions, did not look great in their opening game against Japan but pulped a (usually) strong Great Britain team just now. Ben Harris scored GB’s only try as Fiji won 33-7.

1.47am BST

Over at the men’s hockey, Argentina have taken an early lead against Australia. Leandro Tolini scored the opener from a penalty corner. Argentina 1-0 Australia.

1.44am BST

Great Britain and Fiji, the defending champions, are playing in the men’s rugby sevens. Both teams have already qualified from their group so this is really about testing each other before the knockout stages. And it’s Fiji passing that test at the moment – they’re 19-0 up at halftime.

1.39am BST

Another big morning of medal action awaits at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. First-up in just under an hour is the women’s 200m freestyle semi-final – round two of the Ariarne Titmus (Aus) v Katie Ledecky (USA) duel in the pool. Duncan Scott will then be Great Britain’s big medal hope of the morning, swimming from lane 4 in the men’s 200m freestyle final.

The most open final of the morning is the women’s 100m backstroke. The Olympic record has already been broken four times in qualifying for the final, by three different swimmers. There’s every chance the world record will fall in the final – with Kaylee McKeown (Aus), Kylie Masse (Canada), Regan Smith (USA) all in top form.

1.32am BST

A result in the men’s rugby sevens. Canada have beaten the hosts, Japan, 36-12. Japan have lost all their games so far.

1.27am BST

Sean Ingle was at at Odaiba Marine Park to witness a remarkable women’s triathlon. You can read his report here:

1.21am BST

And Australia’s Owen Wright has won his surfing quarter-final. He will now face Italo Ferreira in the semis for a place in the final and a chance at gold. Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi and Brazil’s two-time world champ Gabriel Medina will compete in the other semi.

1.15am BST

Australia’s Owen Wright is leading Lucca Mesinas of Peru 12.74-7.40 in their men’s surfing quarter-final. The winner will face Ítalo Ferreira of Brazil in the semi-final.

1.09am BST

Flora Duffy’s gold medal was an amazing achievement in the triathlon, but Britain’s Georgia Taylor-Brown won silver after suffering a puncture (of her bike’s tyre, she was not punctured herself). She spoke to the BBC about her medal:

1.05am BST

Anyone in the market for some breathtaking photos of very fit people doing breathtaking things? In a breathtaking fashion? That will take your breath away? Then look no further than our gallery of the best photos from day three:

1.00am BST

Flora Duffy, by the way, nearly gave up triathlon after the 2008 Games when she was lapped. She tells the BBC that today’s victory is an “incredible moment”. She is correct. Meanwhile, another Brazilian is through to the men’s surfing semi-finals: Italo Ferreira beat Japan’s Hiroto Ohhara.

12.55am BST

One for our Australian readers (or anyone who likes Australian athletes). Here’s a handy guide to Aussies in action today at the Games:

12.51am BST

A few other finishers in the women’s triathlon: Britain’s Jessica Learmonth and Vicky Holland were ninth and 13th respectively, USA’s Summer Rappaport and Taylor Knibb 14th and 16th and Australia’s Emma Jeffcoat came home in 26th. NZ’s Nicole van der Kaay was 29th.

12.48am BST

Just to recap: Bermuda’s only previous medal was in 1976: a bronze in boxing. Expect a lot of babies (boys and girls) to be called Flora in Bermuda in the coming years.

12.44am BST

And Duffy passes the line as Olympic triathlon champion with a big grin on her face. The smallest nation to ever win an Olympic gold. She collapses to the ground with her hands over her face. She has the floor to herself for a while too as she has a huge lead over GB’s Taylor-Brown who wins silver. USA’s Zaferes wins bronze. A great silver for Taylor-Brown who suffered a puncture on the bike.

12.39am BST

Duffy of Bermuda (population 72,000) now leads Taylor-Brown of Britain (population 66 million) and Zaferes (330 million) and is cruising towards her country’s first-ever gold.

12.35am BST

It’s still very much Duffy’s race – and gold medal – to lose. She. Is. Not. Slowing. Down. Meanwhile, GB’s Taylor-Brown – who has recovered from that puncture on the bike – is about to catch USA’s Zaferes in silver. In fact, she just passed her. All three women are now on the last lap.

12.27am BST

Duffy now has a 47-second lead over Zaferes with GB’s Taylor Brown five seconds back from the American. A first gold medal for Bermuda looks like a certainty! Germany’s Lindemann is another 30 seconds or so back in fourth.

12.24am BST

The track has dried out at the triathlon and the runners are whistling round as the heat builds. Duffy continues to look comfortable out in front while USA’s Zaferes is looking a little heavy footed and GB’s Taylor-Brown looks she may be catching her for silver.

12.18am BST

Some news from our man on the ground in Tokyo, Sean Ingle. Team GB say Georgia-Brown had a puncture, which explains why she slipped off at the end of the bike. She is already up to bronze on the run though. We’re at the end of lap one of the run and Duffy now has a 17 second lead over USA’s Zaferes in second.

12.15am BST

And we have a break in the triathlon! Bermuda’s Flora Duffy has got some separation from USA’s Katie Zaferes. She looks pretty comfortable as she takes a decent lead. The British pair of Jessica Learmonth and Georgia Taylor-Brown are in third and fourth.

Bermuda have never won an Olympic gold medal, but they have a very good chance now and Duffy recently set a personal best in the run. Their last (and only) Olympic medal came in 1976 in boxing – it was bronze.

12.12am BST

Another result in the quarter-final of the men’s surfing. Two-time WSL World Champion Gabriel Medina of Brazil has beaten France’s Michel Bourez and is through to the semi-final.

12.10am BST

GB’s Georgia Taylor-Brown looks like she’s been dropped by the leading pack in the triathlon and is now 20 seconds back as they transition to the running stage. So it’s now Jessica Learmonth (GBR), Flora Duffy (BER), Laura Lindemann (GER) and Katie Zaferes (USA) out front and with a big advantage over the rest of the field. Australia’s Emma Jeffcoat is back in ninth and it would take a miracle for her to end up in the medals today.

12.05am BST

We’re on the final lap of the cycling in the women’s triathlon and it’s still the same group of five with a big lead over the field: Jessica Learmonth (GBR), Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR), Flora Duffy (BER), Laura Lindemann (GER) and Katie Zaferes (USA). Lindemann is the highest ranked of the leaders and is also a very good runner, so she’ll be slight favourite at the moment. But we saw the strongest runner, Alex Yee, beaten in the final stages yesterday, so form isn’t everything.

12.00am BST

Hello and welcome to [checks calendar]day four of the Tokyo Games. Plenty coming up today, including a big day in the pool. In the next couple of hours we’ll have the conclusion of the women’s triathlon, the quarter-finals of the women’s and men’s surfing, Argentina v Australia in the men’s hockey and a smattering of handball, rugby sevens and beach volleyball.

My colleague Martin Belam has prepared a more exhaustive list of today’s action, which you can peruse at your leisure below: