Australia’s athletes have put in strong performances but have not added to the medal tally overnight, as Max Esposito tried to emulate his sister’s remarkable achievements in the modern pentathlon, Emma Moffatt led the charge in the triathlon and the men’s K4 looked to defend their London kayak crown.
In the modern pentathlon Max Esposito, brother of surprise gold medallist Chloe finished strongly in the final run and shoot event, posting the fourth best score for the discipline, adding to his fourth place finish in the swim and his third in the show jumping.
Fencing proved more difficult and a 29th placing left the teenager just outside the medal placings in seventh, with a score of 1462, six points off bronze. Russia’s Alexander Lesun took gold ahead of Ukrainian Pavlo Tymoshchenko with Mexico’s Ismael Hernandez Uscanga in a sprint race for bronze.
In the men’s K4 1000m final veteran Jacob Clear was unable to defend his London 2012 gold medal, as he, multi-medallist Ken Wallace, Jordan Wood and Riley Fitzsimmons finished fourth in a fiercely contested final.
Germany grabbed its fourth gold medal in men’s kayaking of the Games, as their quartet finished in a time of 3:02.143, nearly three full seconds ahead of Slovakia, who edged out former colleagues the Czech Republic, with Australia a second off the medals.
At the triathlon, Beijing bronze medallist Emma Moffatt put in another sterling effort, following the disappointment of London 2012 where she crashed out during the cycling leg, finishing in sixth place overall.
Moffatt was positioned well after the swim and cycle legs but faded slightly on the run leg to finish 54 seconds off a medal. London bronze medallist Erin Densham finished 12th with debutant Ashleigh Gentle crossing in 26th position, with USA’s Gwen Jorgensen, defending champion Nicola Spirig of Switzerland and Great Britain’s Vicky Holland taking the medals.
It’s the first time since the triathlon’s introduction at Sydney 2000 that an Australian woman has not finished among the medals.
And at the golf, Australia’s duo of Minjee Lee and Su Oh finished seventh and 12th overall, with former world No1, South Korea’s Inbee Park, and reigning world No1, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, duking it out for gold and silver.
Ko had put herself right in contention with a blistering score of 65 during the third round, but it was Park who tamed nerves and difficult course conditions better, posting a 66 to streak away with a finishing score of 16-under-par – five shots ahead of the New Zealander.
China’s Shanshan Feng held her nerve and bronze, with Australia’s Lee just two shots outside the medals.
On the track, Ryan Gregson became the first Australian man to race in a 1500m final in 40 years, finishing ninth after a rough and tight last few laps.
Beijing gold medallist Kenyan Asbel Kiprop was just half a second ahead of Gregson in sixth, with New Zealand’s Nicholas Willis grabbing a surprise bronze, another half second further ahead.
Defending champion, Algeria’s Taoufik Makhloufi finished with silver behind Matthew Centrowitz of the United States who pipped the London 2012 champion by 0.11.
