As surely as gold follows gold for Usain Bolt, the day 15 live blog follows this one. Find it over here:
And as Australia staggers into the final bend of this day 14 liveblog in anticipation of a baton chance with Great Britain, perhaps it is fitting that one of the last entries harkens back to the star of the day’s proceedings, Usain Bolt.
While it was the team, Jamaica, that won the men’s 4x100m relay anybody who saw the last leg would freely admit it was Bolt’s power that brought the foursome home.
And now apparently this:
Just saw @usainbolt bolt throwing the javelin at Olympic Stadium, after winning his 9th gold. It was longer than 1 of the decathlete's marks
— John Pye (@byJohnPye) August 20, 2016
Anyone keen to start a petition to get this guy back in some capacity, any capacity, for Tokyo 2020? (Can he fence? Modern pentathlon? Anyone?)
Boxing has not been without controversy at the Rio Games but the French have been perhaps a surprise package, picking up their fourth medal of these Olympics after Estelle Mossely edged China’s Junhua Yin in the women’s lightweight (57-60kg) division following a split decision from the judges.
So far six of the 13 different weight categories have been resolved with six different nations winning gold. And in the head-to-head match up that we all eagerly wait four years to see unfold? It’s Kazakhstan with one gold, two silver and two bronze currently edging neighbours (and for drama’s sake, can we just add nemesis?) Uzbekistan, whose tally currently stands at one gold, one silver and two bronze.
One to keep tabs on.
Golf has flown a little under the radar this Olympics (except for in stories about the who’s who of high-profile male golfers withdrawing citing ‘Zika fears’) but we do have a blockbuster finish in store in the women’s event.
World number one New Zealand’s Lydio Ko hit a remarkable hole-in-one during the third round to charge up the leaderboard, recording the round of the day, a six-under-par 65 to rocket into second place overall.
Former world number one (and for drama’s sake, can we just add nemesis?) South Korea’s Inbee Park continues to lead overall, two shots ahead of Ko, with Gerina Piller of the United States also two shots adrift.
The final round will be played tomorrow, with the difficult back-nine expected to once again play its part in final placings.
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And, in case you missed it, Allyson Felix has put aside the disappointment of THAT 400m finish as she picked up, remarkably, her fifth gold medal with Team USA in the women’s 4x100m relay final. Great stuff.
Mr Kevin again, on nations winning their first gold medals at Rio – who could forget (myself apart) the lovely moments of Monica Puig grabbing gold in tennis for Puerto Rico, and Joseph Schooling’s shock upset of Michael Phelps in the men’s 100m butterfly?
Really lovely moments that now seem about 4.6 lifetimes ago.
Meanwhile, the Jamaican 4x100m men’s relay team continue their entertaining form, both on and off the track:
#JAM team asked how much relay training they do.
— Athletics Weekly (@AthleticsWeekly) August 20, 2016
Asafa Powell replies, "not much!"
Bolt did one session, other team-members two...#Rio2016
And not to be outdone, here’s Yohan Blake:
Yohan BLAKE (JAM): "To be honest, we've been laughing and dancing, not thinking about the stick." #AT #M4x100m #gold
— Olympic News Service (@ONS_Rio2016) August 20, 2016
All good and well after the event but you’d imagine these kind of stories would not have pleased the coaching staff if the team had failed to nab gold.
By my calculation that’s 81 countries now among the medals at these Games; can anybody remember anyone else who’s won their first ever gold/medal of any hue here in Rio?
Fiji with the men’s rugby sevens springs immediately to mind (thanks to their beautiful post-game harmonising); and I believe Jordan also grabbed a first gold in taekwondo?
And thanks to ‘MrKevin’ of the Internet, it’s been drawn to my attention that Cheick Sallah Cisse, the Ivorian who emerged triumphant in the men’s -80kg taekwondo has in fact won his nation’s first ever Olympic gold medal.
32 years and waiting since Ivory Coast won their first and only medal, a silver in the men’s 400m at Los Angeles 1984, and would you believe it, they’ve bagged two in one day!
Congratulations, Cheick Sallah Cisse and Ruth Gbagbi who won bronze in the women’s -67kg classification earlier on. I hope they’re celebrating in the streets of Abidjan (and all the non-urban areas as well).
Here’s a more fully-fleshed account of the Lochte-gate incident that became a ‘robbery’, and then wasn’t again – as reported by teammate Gunnar Bentz.
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And a full report on that gut-wrenching last second loss at the taekwondo – Helen Pidd caught it all, live.
Spare a thought as well for Canadian walker Evan Dunfee who has just discovered that after 50km of muscle-melting agony his bronze medal has been revoked and awarded to a competitor, on appeal.
Dunfee appeared to tangle with Japanese walker Hirooki Arai with around a kilometre to walk, and a subsequent protest lodged by the Canadian team saw Dunfee, who had finished 12 seconds behind Arai, temporarily upgraded to the bronze medal position.
On appeal, it’s now been decided Arai was disqualified unfairly, and he’s now been reinstated as third.
A situation that could give nightmares to an athlete who has trained for years for the chance to stand aloft the podium?
Not so, according to a beautiful and magnanimous statement just released by Dunfee:
As many of your know after the race I was temporarily upgraded to the bronze medal due to a disqualification of the Japanese athlete after an altercation we had around the 49km mark. Following the race our coaching staff asked for a review of the video at which point the track referee decided that an infraction had taken place.
Following that the Japanese, as is their right, filed an appeal. This afternoon we learned that this appeal was successful and he had been reinstated to the Bronze medal position.
It was then left for me to decide whether to pursue this further with an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Following my return to the village and my viewing of the incident I made the decision not to appeal, as I believe the right decision stood.
I will sleep soundly tonight, and for the rest of my life, knowing I made the right decision. I will never allow myself to be defined by the accolades I receive, rather the integrity I carry through life.
Great stuff, and a reminder of the spirit that informs the Games.
So, at the conclusion of day 14 action here’s the latest medal tally.
End of day 14 medal table (assuming #USA don't appeal that bronze back into their pockets) https://t.co/bpuxciBbDA pic.twitter.com/k7bOHJhNZi
— Claire Phipps (@Claire_Phipps) August 20, 2016
And at the men’s volleyball Brazil have ground out that third set, vanquishing the reigning Olympic champions Russia 3-0; 25-21, 25-20, 25-17.
The host nation will now face Italy in the final, so it’s world number one v world number four, with Russia (no3) to face the United States (no5) for bronze.
Who says the cream doesn’t always rise to the top? Volleyball. The just sport.
And if you missed the outcome of Lutalo Muhammad of Great Britain’s gold medal bout in the men’s -80kg taekwondo, it was one of the most heartbreaking moments of the Games. With just one second remaining in the fight the London 2012 bronze medallist appeared set to become GB’s first ever male taekwondo gold medallist, only to cop a late headshot and lose.
There are rumours of a interview with Muhammad immediately post-bout being on YouTube – take a look if you like the taste of your own salty tears; the poor, poor lad.
Every cloud though – Ivory Coast’s Cheick Sallah Cisse is currently celebrating one of the all-time great gold medal snatch and grab missions. Fair play to him too.
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And an update from the rolling saga that is Ryan Lochte-gate; teammate Gunnar Bentz is back in the US and has issued a statement very much distancing himself from his compatriots actions:
Again, I cannot speak to his actions, but Ryan stood up and began to yell at the guards. After Jack and I both tugged at him in an attempt to get him to sit back down, Ryan and the security guards had a heated verbal exchange, but no physical contact was made.
The plot continues to thicken. We will have a report up shortly, but the tl;dr version is: Ryan Lochte’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy.
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Hello all, Australia calling. Thanks Tim, what an epic session at the track, not just Bolt and Jamaica, but Japan’s tremendous run, shock disqualification for the US, hammer throw and pole vault heroics. It really all just keeps happening at the ol’ Olympics doesn’t it.
And, don’t despair there is still live action happening elsewhere – in the men’s volleyball with Russia fighting to defend their London 2012 title, trailing 2-0 to hosts Brazil.
You might recall that Russia beat Brazil in the gold medal playoff in London, do you think the home supporters will be enjoying this?
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Well, that’s it from me – I’m handing to over to Richard Parkin. What a night on the track, and what an athlete Usain Bolt is. Nine races over three Olympic Games, nine gold medals. We’ll miss him when he’s gone. Thanks for reading. Over to Richard.
And in case you missed it, here’s a report on the women’s football final, which Germany won 2-1:
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A result from the men’s handball semi-final: Denmark beat Poland 29-28, so they’ll play France in the final on Saturday. Poland will play Germany for the bronze.
Interesting fact about Aska Cambridge – Japan’s relay anchor. His father is Jamaican, and his mother Japanese. Cambridge was born in Jamaica and lived there until he was two.
Not to labour the point on this handover or anything, but the consensus is that Rodgers handed the baton to Gatlin before the exchange zone, which is illegal. It looked pretty close, to be honest. Very difficult to tell, but the upshot is that Canada have won bronze.
So that concludes another evening of track and field! Golds for Kenya in the women’s 5,000m, Greece in the women’s pole vault, Tajikistan – their first medal of these Games – in the men’s hammer throw, USA in the women’s 4x100m relay, and Jamaica in the men’s. A pretty nice geographical spread, too.
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Here’s an early report on what we’re now calling the triple-treble, rather than the triple-triple:
Just looking at the replay, it looks as though USA made an early pass, between Mike Rodgers and Gatlin. We think.
Gatlin to NBC: “We did the best we could do. I felt like it was a clean exchange, no bobbles. I’m proud of my team-mates, and if my federation wants to go out and protest then they can do so, but I’m proud of my guys.”
The word from the IAAF is that USA have been expelled for an exchange zone violation. Trinidad and Tobago was rule 163.3, which is a lane violation, same as their 4x400m.
The USA team have just been told the news, and they don’t look happy.
USA disqualified from men's 4x100m relay final
Well, how about that! Trinidad & Tobago and the United States have been disqualified from the men’s final, which presumably means that Canada will be upgraded to bronze. No word yet on what the infringement was, but we’ll try to find out as soon as possible.
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Lutalo Muhammad, the Walthamstow warrior, has just won Britain’s second taekwondo medal of the Games, after Jade Jones retained her Olympic title on Thursday night. A thrilling final in the Caricoa 3 arena saw 25-year-old Muhammad lose to the African champion, Cheick Sallah Junior Cisse of the Ivory Coast, in the final agonising second. He was ahead until Cisse took the last kick of the match, picking up four points to win 6-8. Had that kick not made contact with Muhammad’s head, he’d have won 6-4. He looks absolutely gutted – as you might expect.
It was the Londoner’s second Olympic medal, following the bronze he picked up in London. His performance is vindication for GB Taekwondo, who picked him over his rival, Aaron Cook, four years ago. Cook took the huff and ended up accepting Moldovan citizenship in return for a place on their Olympic squad, only to crash out in the first round on Friday.
In the women’s -67kg final the Korean Hyeri Oh won a very close battle with Haby Niare of France, 13-12.
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The Jamaican team – Powell, Blake, Ashmeade and you-know-who – are celebrating on the track. What a victory, and what poise under pressure. Brilliant.
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That’s Jamaica’s third straight Olympic gold in the sprint relay. The time was 37.27sec – a season’s best. Japan ran 37.60, a new Asian record, and USA 37.62. Canada were fourth, posting a national record time of 37.64, and Britain were back in sixth.
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Bolt just pulled away on the anchor leg! Tremendous! And what a run from Japan to win silver.
And Usain Bolt draws level with Paavo Nurmi and Carl Lewis as a nine-time Olympic gold medal winner in track and field.
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Jamaica win men's 4x100m relay final!
Bolt has done it! Nine golds! Japan second, USA third!
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And we’re off!
Can his Jamaican team-mates do it for Bolt in his last Olympic Games? This is tense!
We’re almost ready for the men’s 4x100m relay final. GB in one, Brazil two, USA three, Jamaica four, Japan five, China six, Canada seven, T&T eight.
Greece's Ekaterini Stefanidi wins women's pole vault gold!
Sandy Morris silver, McCartney bronze.
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Now we’re about ready for the men’s 4x100m relay. Can Usain Bolt make it nine golds?
China, whose women’s team was shunted out of the 4x100m finals after Team USA got another run at it following a baton drop, is definitely taking this win very well:
What a drama! A team dropping baton at preliminary can finally win the women's 4X100m relay #TeamUSA @iaaforg pic.twitter.com/Mh2Cdh4APt
— Team China (@XHSports) August 20, 2016
That’s Britain’s first women’s 4x100m relay medal in 32 years, incidentally. Their time of 41.77sec is a new national record.
Tajikistan's Dilshod Nazarov wins men's hammer throw gold!
Tsikhan of Belarus wins silver, and Wojciech Nowicki of Poland the bronze. That’s Tajikistan’s first medal of any color in these Games.
Drama in the women’s pole vault final. Stefanidi and Morris will compete for gold and silver – Eliza McCartney of New Zealand has the bronze after failing at 4.80m. Disappointment for Alana Boyd, who finished fourth.
That’s the second fastest time ever from the Americans, behind the 40.82 USA ran to win gold at London 2012.
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That was so smooth from USA: what a well executed race. And from lane one! Plus, Allyson Felix becomes the first US women to win five Olympic gold medals in track and field!
Jamaica took silver in 41.36, and Britain the bronze in 41.77.
USA win women's 4x100m relay gold!
Gold for USA in 41.01! Jamaica second, Britain third!
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And we’re off!
We’re almost ready. Athletes in position for the women’s 4x100m final.
Ekaterini Stefanidi and Sanri Morris have cleared 4.85m in the pole vault. Eliza McCartney and Alana Boyd have failed twice at that mark.
For the USA’s sprint team, it’s Bartoletta, Felix, Gardner and Tori Bowie. Jamaica’s quartet consists of Christania Williams, Elaine Thompson, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Britain and Canada are also looking for a medal.
Now here’s a strange thing. In the women’s 10,000m final last week, Almaz Ayana’s split for the second 5,000m of the race was 14min 30.35sec. But her time in the actual 5,000m final tonight was almost three seconds down on that, and she finished up third behind the Kenyan pair of Vivian Cheruiyot and Helen Obiri.
For a short while in the middle of the race, it looked as though Ayana was on her way to do something extraordinary all over again, when she dropped the field after a with a series of 65 second laps. Cheruiyot was five seconds back with five laps to go. But she and Obiri tracked Ayana down and overtook her with two laps or so to go.
Cheruiyot went on to win in an Olympic record time of 14min 26.17sec, which is some 13 seconds out of Ayana’s PB. Likeliest explanation is that she was still exhausted after breaking Wang Junxia’s world record in the 10,000m. It was only the second time she’d competed at the distance, so she’s not yet used to doubling up at a Championships.
We’re almost ready for the women’s 4x100m relay final. Here’s your start list: USA in lane one, Canada in two, Nigeria, Germany, Great Britain, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Ukraine.
Dilshod Nazarov is back in the lead in the men’s hammer throw. Tsikhan second, and Diego del Real of Mexico is third.
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Australian Alana Boyd is doing beautifully in the pole vault, staying alive in the hunt for the medals with a 4.80 jump now to sit in fourth position overall. That is the biggest jump by an Australian woman at Olympic level and 1cm below her personal best, and she’s appropriately ecstatic about it.
The British 4x400m team have launched an appeal on their disqualification. In the mixed zone, Levine and Hudson-Smith were too angry to speak. Rooney, meanwhile, said it was a “mystery” and that officials have not given them specific reasons.
British 400m relay anchor Martyn Rooney has just been speaking to the BBC:
“The guys were incredible I was so proud of how they ran but to then somehow get DQ’d with a world lead … I don’t know.
“In the first changeover, you have to be between two red lines, which are about 20m apart. You have to stay within those red lines. From then on, there is a solid red line across the track, which is about 10m before the finish line and 10m afterwards – you have to exchange within the zones. I haven’t seen it, but I can’t see how any of us went outside those zones.”
Eliza McCartney of New Zealand has moved into the lead in the pole vault with a first-time clearance of 4.80m. No misses so far for the Kiwi. McCartney is just 19, and she’s appearing in her first Olympics.
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That was a superbly judged race from Cheruiyot, the 2015 world champion at 10,000m. And huge cheers from the crowd for Nikki Hamblin, the New Zealander who had that bad collision with Abbey D’Agostino earlier this week. Hamblin finished 17th.
Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot wins women's 5,000m final!
Cheruiyot takes gold, in 14:26.18, which is a new Olympic record. Hellen Obiri wins silver, and Ayana takes the bronze. One-two Kenya!
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Amazing! The Kenyans have reeled in Ayana, and Cheruyiot has passed her! And Obiri too! Ayana’s going backwards.
With five laps to go, Ayana is well clear. The trio of Kenyans, Obiri, Cherono and Cheruiyot, are about 70m back. The pace is slow, though – we probably won’t be seeing a new world record.
USA’s Jenn Suhr is out of the women’s pole vault final, after three failures at 4.70m. That means we’ll have a new Olympic gold medallist this evening.
Ayana is starting to pull away from the rest of the field. The Ethiopian ran a world record time at 10,000m earlier this week – can she do the same at 5,000m?
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In the men’s hammer final, Ivan Tsikhan of Belarus continues to lead at 77.43m. Dilshod Nazarov of Tajikistan is second with 77.27m.
The news that Britain’s men’s 4x400m relay team have just been disqualified after finishing first in their semi-finals is a huge blow for British Athletics’ medal target of seven to nine.
They currently have four (Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Sophie, Hitchon and Greg Rutherford) but had put great stock in winning gongs in the four relays, not unreasonably, and the men’s 4x400m was probably the best shot of all.
True, the Americans and Jamaicans were probably a lock for gold and silver, but Britain’s team of Nigel Levine, Delano Williams, Matthew Hudson-Smith and Martyn Rooney ran well in their heat and with Rooney impressively powerful off the final bend to move from third to first, looked set to be in the mix for the final tomorrow. Not now, though.
The women’s 5,000m final is under way! Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia, the favorite, going for gold.
On that disqualification, rule 170.19 of the IAAF handbook states:
“For the final takeover in the medley relay and for all takeovers in the 4x400m, 4x800m, distance medley relay and 4x1500m races, athletes are not permitted to begin running outside their takeover zones, and shall start within this zone. If an athlete does not follow this rule, his team shall be disqualified.”
So I guess that was Martyn Rooney at the changeover?
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Great Britain disqualified from men's 4x400m relay
Big news from the track: we think it’s for an infringement over where athletes can start running before the exchange zone. India have also been disqualified. We’ll have more news when we get it.
The women’s pole vault final is under way, and Ekaterini Stefanidi of Greece and Holly Bradshaw of Great Britain have cleared 4.70m. Americans Sandy Morris and Jenn Suhr, the reigning Olympic champion, have failed one attempt at that mark.
Thanks Luis. Yep, we’ll be concentrating on track and field this evening, with the occasional result from handball, volleyball and taekwondo. Usain Bolt’s 4x100m final is about 10.30pm local time.
Alright guys. It’s been a pleasure. I’ll leave you in the good hands of Tim Hill, Everton FC’s number one summer target. Have a great evening!
Heat two: Great Britain, Belgium and Bahamas go through. Cuba make it too! T&T disqualified for a lane violation. FINAL: USA, JAMAICA, GREAT BRITAIN, BELGIUM, BOTSWANA, POLAND, BAHAMAS, CUBA.
Big news. Trinidad and Tobago have been disqualified!
Trinidad and Tobago DQ 😮#Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/DwsF0Mvthi
— SPIKES (@spikesmag) August 20, 2016
4x400 men’s relay Heat two: Great Britain, India, Belgium, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Cuba and Venezuela.
4x400 men’s relay qualified: Jamaica win it followed by USA and Trinidad and Tobago. The fourth - who will have to wait - is Botswana. Just a note: Merritt and Clement will be added to the final USA squad.
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Now it’s time for the men with the 4x400 relay. Heat one has Jamaica, USA, France, Colombia, Botswana, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago and Poland.
That’s it from us
It was a disappointing loss for the Boomers, but they can hardly find fault with the result the way that Serbia dominated that game from the opening minute. When they weren’t being pressured out of the ball, the Australians were sloppy on offence and couldn’t make inroads. At the other end, led by Milos Teodosic, Serbia were just too potent on offence. Thank you all for your company and do make sure you check back in for the gold medal game, which will bit this impressive Serbian squad against the NBA superstars of Team USA. It’ll be a genuine contest!
Heat two of women’s 4x400m relay: Jamaica, Great Britain and Canada go through. It seems that Italy, thanks to their anchor, also make it to the final as their time was good enough. Australia also squeeze by and take that last spot!
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Serbia defeat Australia in the men’s basketball semifinal
Game over! Serbia take it out - the Boomers will play for bronze
Serbia are through to the gold medal game - Australia 61-87 Serbia
And that is that. Australia have gone down by 26 points and Serbia are through to face the USA in the gold medal game. The Aussies? They’ll play Spain for bronze late on Sunday night (Monday 12:30am AEST, to be precise) after they’ve licked their wounds from this humbling loss.
Heat one of 4x400 women’s relay: USA, Ukraine and Poland go through. Australia will have to wait if their time was good enough.
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Here’s more on Chloe Esposito’s fantastic victory in modern pentathlon:
4th quarter (5:28 remaining) - Australia 43-73 Serbia
All that’s left at stake here for the Aussies is avoiding a record loss, but on current trends and the way they’re shooting that might be unavoidable.
Over at Athletics, Usain Bolt is on the podium as the crowd celebrate his 200m victory last night. Pole Vault is about to get started. In about five minutes the first round of the 4x400m women’s relay will also begin.
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The second Handball semifinal is also about to kick-off (hand-off?) between Poland and Denmark. The winner plays France who won a thrilling 29-28 bout against Germany earlier today.
Men’s Basketball. It’s the end of the third and it’s all Serbia as they lead 66-38 over Australia. A 28-point lead might be too much for the Boomers.
Lisa Ryzih from Germany won silver at the European Championships, her compatriot Martina Strutz did the same thing in 2012. New Zealand’s Eliza McCartney holds her national record with 4.80m and Cuba’s Yarilsley Silva was the silver medallist four years ago. This should be a good one!
Not long now until Women’s Pole Vault Final begins and kicks off the first event of the evening for track and field. Here’s some info regarding the finalists: USA’s Jenn Suhr is the reigning Olympic and World Champion. She holds the world indoor record having cleared 5.03 meters and the American record with 4.92m. Britain’s Holly Bradshaw came sixth four years ago so she is looking for redemption. Katerina Stefanidi from Greece won gold at this year’s European Championships. More info on the rest of the contestants to follow.
3rd quarter (6:38 remaining) Australia 23-42 Serbia
Australians have reason to love him, but geez would it kill Matthew Dellavedova to take a run at an open three here when Andrew Bogut screens off two defenders to open up the gap? Delly just pivots around on his own before round-arming a pass. Ungainly, you’d call it. With a couple of free throws Ingles trims the lead a little.
Hey Team USA. It’s World Photo Day.
We couldn't choose JUST one for #WorldPhotoDay! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/qD6X4QXkJL
— U.S. Olympic Team (@TeamUSA) August 19, 2016
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The second half has started between Australia and Serbia. Remember, guys, we have the game’s live-blog right here:
More on Bolt. Barney Ronay on his legacy as he runs his last Olympic race. Right?
What has gone wrong for the Boomers so far?
In a word, everything. They’ve shot terribly, making 6-29 from the field. That’s abominable. They’ve also had no answer for Milos Teodosic at the other end, and if the Serbian star wasn’t already on the radar of NBA teams before he certainly should be now. The Boomers have turned the ball over regularly and lacked anything approaching composure. It’s odd. They’ve looked so mature and battle-ready throughout this tournament but it all fell apart in that first half. They look overawed by the occasion.
Men’s basketball. The half ends for Australia, and Serbia have been excellent, leading by 21 points. It’s pretty unbelievable that the Aussies have only scored 14. Everything needs to change in the third.
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Back to basketball. Three minutes left in the second quarter and Australia are really struggling here, down 27-14. They need a big second half if they want some vindication against USA.
There’s a lot more to come tonight including Usain Bolt’s hunt for the three-peat in the 4x100m relay final. Check out the schedule:
Let’s recap Britain’s women’s hockey team and their fantastic win over the Dutch. Here’s Owen Gibson:
Brilliant scenes at the Olympic Hockey Centre (it does what it says on the tin) as a giddy British side line up to receive their gold medals following a heart stoppingly exciting climax to that penalty shoot out. None deserve it more than goalkeeper Maddie Hinch, who was utterly nerveless throughout all four quarters and the shootout that followed, repelling wave after wave of Dutch attacks. An outstanding achievement.
At the end of the first quarter Australia trail Serbia 16-5. Here’s Russell:
Australia trail by 11 points but to be honest with you, they couldn’t have played much worse on offence so the damage isn’t actually too bad. Lemanis needs to draw up a few plays though. There’s just been zero scoring threat at all.
Germany win women’s football final!
It’s all over and Germany have done it! Olympic gold for the very first time. Amazing. What a tournament. Sweden - who were magnificently coached by Pia Sundhage - get silver. Can we get Pia to coach the men’s US team? She would do wonders.
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Women’s football/soccer final. We are in stoppage time and Sweden are going all out. It’s a corner for them and they are doing EVERYTHING they can to score. Not long now.
In diving, Britain’s Tom Daley destroyed his personal best, and is now top of qualifying standings ahead of China. Final is tomorrow.
Also, Australia and Serbia are halfway through the first quarter in the other semifinal of the men’s basketball. USA awaits the winner. Australia trailing right now. You can check out the live-blog with Russell Jackson right here:
Hey everyone, it’s good to be here. Some exciting events happening right now as Sweden and Germany in the last ten minutes of a tight contest in the women’s football final. Sweden pulled one back, here’s Barney Ronay on how they did it:
Sensation in the Maracana as Sweden make it 2-1 with Germany in the women’s football gold medal match! Lovely goal scored by Stina Blackstenius, slotting in from close range after a nice move and cross from the right. Twenty minutes to go and it’s all up for grabs. Sweden’s coach Pia Sundhage, who lest we forget “doesn’t give a crap” what Hope Solo thinks, dances a jig of orderly joy on the touchline. This is a genuinely absorbing match, fine advert for the women’s game, played out in a slightly febrile atmosphere now. Germany look spooked. I’m backing the Swedes.
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One more piece of good news before I leave you: Tom Daley has completed his diving for the night, and he’s been brilliant throughout. He’s ended with 571.85 points, and has qualified in first place. A repeat in the final would be very welcome. Qiu Bo and Aisen Chen of China qualified in second and third place respectively, with the USA’s David Boudia fourth.
And with that, I’m going to hand you over to Luis Miguel Echegaray. It’s been a blast. Bye!
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This just in from the Associated Press:
After Russian wrestler Inna Trazhukova lost her bronze medal match on Thursday, she says she was physically abused by the head of the Russian wrestling federation, Mikhail Mamiashvili, according to Russia’s Sport-Express. Trazhukova said in Russian that when she met Mamiashvili after she lost the match, he was drunk, rude and said obscenities to her. Trazhukova said Mamiashvili also hit her in the face twice, and there was a witness present. She intends to file charges with a prosecutor upon her return to Moscow. “He embarrassed me in public,” Trazhukova said in Russian. “I want to stop this so female athletes in the future don’t suffer because of him.”
Mamiashvili has denied that he hit the athlete, and said that Trazhukova didn’t act honorably in the bronze medal match by coming out and “not wanting” to fight.
Oooh, Sweden have got a goal back in the football while my attention was elsewhere. Stina Blackstenius scored it. They have 22 minutes to get another, trailing as they are 2-1 against Germany.
A bit of hockey reaction, of which there is a great deal:
What heart stopping excitement #TeamGB #hockey team was out of this world.What an incredible match my team of the year. Great gold medal win
— Floella Benjamin (@FloellaBenjamin) August 19, 2016
We're all going crazy at the Penalty Shoot out #womenshockeyGB 24th Gold. Incredible...... Never knew Hockey could be so exciting.
— Tracy Ann Oberman (@TracyAnnO) August 19, 2016
Brilliant. Yet another Gold for #TeamGB . Well done girls. #Hockey
— michael owen (@themichaelowen) August 19, 2016
Congratulations to #TeamGB Hockey on winning gold! Inspiring the next generation 🏑🏑🏑🏅🏅🏅 pic.twitter.com/0cYMUdsrps
— Nantwich Police (@PoliceNantwich) August 19, 2016
Meanwhile, Germany have a 2-0 lead in the football final, Linda Sembrant slamming a volley into the back of her own net. Whoops.
I feel bad for the Dutch, who are clearly a terrific team and have a lot of silverware to prove it, but that was great sport.
WE'VE DONE IT!!!!!
— Team GB (@TeamGB) August 19, 2016
You ladies are #HistoryMakers! #GOLD#BringOnTheGreat #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/JpOgogx7DA
Great Britain win hockey gold!
Hollie Webb scores, and somehow Holland have been beaten! Remarkable scenes. Incredible drama. Unbeatable tension.
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Margot van Geffen hits the post! Hinch boots clear, and Hollie Webb can win it now for Great Britain!
Laura Unsworth shoots early, and when it rebounds off Sombroek Unsworth has another effort, which flies high and wide. Still 1-0.
Laurien Leurink’s turn, and Hinch saves another one!
And she scores! Great Britain lead 1-0!
Sophie Bray is up next, and she is tripped by Joyce Sombroek. Great Britain have a penalty stroke, and Helen Richardson-Walsh will take it.
The ball gets stuck between Hinch’s legs – she’s almost sitting on it – and by the time Ellen Hoog digs it out and turns it in, the hooter’s gone. Still 0-0.
Alex Danson can’t score either! It’s 0-0 after three penalties!
It’s still 0-0 after Holland’s first effort, Willemijn Bos shooting early, and Hinch deflecting wide.
And so to penalties. Great Britain go first and Helen Richardson-Walsh fails to score!
No joy for Team GB’s two entrants in the women’s modern pentathlon, which has been won by Chloe Esposito from Australia. Kate French finished sixth, while Sam Murray was two places behind her in ninth. Ireland’s Natalya Coyle finished in seventh place. The entire field re currently doing a lap of honour, apart from one poor woman who hasn’t yet completed the course. I must say, I wasn’t thrilled about having to cover this when the women’s hockey final is on at the same time about 200 metres away, but it’s educational, entertaining and a great laugh.
Germany have taken the lead in the women’s football final! A lovely shot from Dzsenifer Marozsan, curling the ball into the corner from the edge of the area.
Chloe Esposito wins modern pentathlon gold for Australia!
Oh my word! Chloe Esposito has taken gold for Australian in the modern pentathlon! She’s finished on 1372 points after storming home in the final event and sprints straight into the arms of father Daniel in emotional scenes. It’s an extraordinary performance - she’s overcome a 45-second deficit to claim gold.
It’s finished 3-3, and hockey gold will be decided on penalties!
In the hockey, there is one minute to play and Holland are still attacking.
They don’t get one. Tom Daley, meanwhile, is diving superbly. Sadly, it’s only the preliminaries. His latest earns him 98.60, and with the fifth round nearly complete he tops the standings.
The Dutch however think they should have a penalty corner, and have referred the decision the the TV official.
Two minutes to go. Still 3-3. If no one scores in the next 120 seconds it will go to penalties.
Less than four minutes to go in the hockey, it’s still 3-3, and the tension is rising fast. And it was pretty tense to start off with.
Still 0-0 at half time in the women’s football gold medal match at the Maracaña but a pretty good game going on. Sweden have been billed as the arch-Lagerback-style defensive spoilers of Rio 2016, having upset dear old Hope Solo with their unsporting refusal to lie down and die in front of the US machine. But they’re taking it to Germany a bit. They should have opened the scoring just now, but Linda Sembrant missed a sitter, air-kicking a woeful attempt at a volley at the back post with the goal gaping. Germany will still fancy their chances – they’re causing some mayhem with set pieces, excellent delivery on corners. Again the Maracaña appears to be a near-as-makes-no-difference full house. Proof once again that Brazil does get the Olympics. So long as it involves an inflated round ball.
It was Nicola White who scrambled that one in. There are eight minutes to play, and Holland are on the attack again.
There’s no goal, but there is a second penalty corner – and this one does go in! It’s 3-3!
Great Britain have 120 seconds of numerical advantage, Laurien Leurink having been sent to the sidelines, and they immediately win their first penalty corner of the game.
The modern pentathlon running and shooting race has begun, and we have some intense, bewildering, fun and probably quite thrilling action in store.
IOC president Thomas Bach is still here, awaiting the final phase of the women’s modern pentathlon: running, shooting at things, running, shooting at more things, running etc etc. It’s not scheduled to begin until 6.15pm, so for the past half-hour or so we’ve been keeping ourselves entertained with Mexican waves, samba dancing and singing.
Most of the crowd seem to have been on the lash all day, so the atmosphere is convivial to say the least. As I type, Mr Bach is sitting a little to my right and down a few rows among the riff-raff and being subjected to the full-on, no holds barred Olympic spirit of some extremely drunk Argentinian and Dutch folk. He looks … slightly scared, and his armed military guard appear to have done one.
I just visited the press office to enquire if there was any news about the Cuban competitor who was thrown over the handlebars of her horse and catapulted into one of the (mercifully flimsy) fences in the showjumping round. There wasn’t, but an Australian fella sitting to my left reckons she was conscious and may just have damaged a couple of ribs. Fingers crossed.
So, 15 minutes to go, the final quarter gets under way. Can the British derail the Dutch drive to glory?
The third quarter of the hockey is over, and it’s 3-2. Holland have been the dominant team, by a distance, but Great Britain are still in it.
Another penalty corner for the Dutch. They’re certainly getting some practice. This time Maartje Paumen sends the ball wide.
The Dutch are phenomenal, basically. Britain are doing fabulously well to still be in this game.
Bloody hell ... I am nervous about Hockey .... #Olympics
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) August 19, 2016
Holland have scored a third! It was yet another penalty corner, this one rolled wide to Kitty van Male, who turns it in at the near post.
Tom Daley, though, is doing just fine. His latest dive has his coach fist-pumping with glee, and earns him 103.60 points.
I don’t know what’s going on in the diving, but Domonic Bedggood of Australia’s just got 33 points for his latest dive, which was thoroughly useless. The bloke before him nearly hit his head on the platform – really nearly, he was a couple of inches from very serious injury – but wasn’t really marked down for it.
And they don’t score from this one, either.
Another penalty corner for Holland in the hockey, their fifth of the game. Only one of the other four has led to them scoring, mind.
Ooof! Anja Mittag has just missed a great chance to give Germany the lead against Sweden in the women’s football final! It was a 20-yard shot that was palmed away by the goalkeeper into Mittag’s path, but it came to her quickly and she speared it wide.
Steele Johnson is the latest diver to mess up, the American failing to get out of his spins before hitting the pool and getting 37 points for his pains.
Halftime in the women’s hockey final and it’s 2-2 after a thrilling first half. The Dutch have had all the pressure but British goalkeeper Maddie Hinch has been imperious, swiping a penalty stroke away with her left glove and making several other crucial interventions. Lilly Owsley and Crista Cullen scored with virtually GB’s only shots on target. Finely poised. Very tense.
18 minutes into the women’s football final, it remains Sweden 0-0 Germany.
Italy’s Maicol Verzotto has just messed up his fourth dive, getting 41.60 after very landing landing on his face.
Oooof! The diving continues, where Colombia’s Sebastian Villa just scored a paltry 33.30 after practically landing on his back. They’re working their way through the fourth round of six currently, and China’s Aisen Chen is the clubhouse leader, with none of the other key contenders having done their fourth dive.
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It’s half-time in the hockey, and there’s no dividing them – it’s 2-2. For a lot of that second quarter Great Britain were defending with greater or lesser degrees of utter panic, but very effectively.
Back to the modern pentathlon …
Team GB’s Kate French and Samantha Murray are both entertaining faint hopes of making the podium with just one event – the running and shooting – of the women’s modern pentathlon to go. Following her clear round, French will begin her assault on the 3,000 metre course (with occasional pauses for firing a laser pistol at targets) 59 seconds after leader Oktawia Nowacka. Murray will go out nine seconds later and first past the post of the 35 remaining competitors wins.
Most of the women are out jogging the course now, although the race won’t actually begin until 6.15pm local time at the earliest. In the meantime, I’m off to watch half an hour or so of the women’s hockey final – it’s on an adjacent stadium.
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Back to the hockey, where the ball finds its way to Crista Cullen, who’s standing all by herself in the circle and whose first-time shot flies past Joyce Sombroek. 2-2!
… and this one does go in! Holland lead 2-1, and you can’t say they don’t deserve it.
Holland failed to convert that penalty corner, but now they’ve got another one.
In the taekwondo semi finals (-80kg class) Britain’s Lutalo Muhammad, 25, has just beaten Milad Beigi Harchegani, who was fighting for Azerbaijan, despite being from Iran. The score was a decisive 12-7 to the Brit. What is it with these martial artists defecting countries? Many British fans in the Carioca arena had hoped the final would be a grudge match between ex-Briton Aaron Cook, who took Moldovan nationality last year when the eastern European former Soviet state offered him a place on their Olympic squad. Dorset-born Cook has been sulking since 2012, when he was overlooked for the British team in favour of Muhammad, who went on to win bronze. Muhammad now goes into the final and is guaranteed an upgrade on that London medal.
Holland are totally on top of the hockey final, but the score somehow remains 1-1. They have, however, just been given a penalty corner.
Britain’s Lutalo Muhammad has just won his taekwondo -80kg semi-final against Milad Beigi Harchegani of Azerbaijan, 12-7. He’ll face the winner of the other semi-final, between Tunisia’s Oussama Oueslati and Cheick Cissé of Ivory Coast. The final is at 10.15pm tonight Rio time, a little over four and a half hours from now.
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Meanwhile, the women’s football final is about to get under way – the teams are out and singing their anthems as I type.
Back to the hockey, where Crista Cullen has been sent to the sidelines for elbowing, giving the Dutch a numerical advantage for the next couple of minutes.
A hockey equaliser for Holland! The Dutch break at pace, and at the end of it all Kitty van Male goes past Hinch and thumps into the top corner! It’s 1-1 now.
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The basketball semi-final has finished, and America beat Spain 82-76 to progress safely through to the gold medal showdown. The second semi-final, between Australia and Serbia, starts at 7pm Rio time, or a little over 90 minutes from now.
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The hockey is one quarter complete, and Great Britain have done a lot of defending, but are 1-0 to the good.
The handball semi-final has finished, France just holding on to beat Germany 29-28.
Hinch has just been back in action, saving from a penalty corner. A couple of minutes earlier, though, Lily Owsley turned in the loose ball after a save at the other end from Joyce Sombroek, and gave Britain a 1-0 lead.
If you want a genuine Olympic-used chair for a little over a dollar, read on (this from the Associated Press):
Next time you feel you’re moldering in your office chair, consider that it may secretly have a glamorous history.
Since well before the Rio Olympics began, an Australian company has been lining up second homes for the 135,000 chairs, 350 portable massage beds, 900 bar stools, 20,000 beds, 102,000 electrical items, 600 small safes-even the 2,500 stainless steel trash cans-that experienced brief moments of glory (or infamy) in the athletes’ village and venues.
But if you want a white plastic folding chair Michael Phelps may have glowered in, you’ll have to take a full 40-foot container load of chairs. And you’ll have competition from companies around the world that often buy the goods for resale. On Wednesday, for example, with one day left in the three-day auction period, there were 14 bids-with $5,136 the highest shown-for a lot of 4,000 of those chairs valued at $76,000. (That top bid would mean $1.28 per chair.)
Rio is the sixth Olympic Games for which RGS Events, a family-owned company in Melbourne, Australia, has provided and disposed of fixtures, furniture, and equipment, starting with Sydney in 2000. This year it’s partnering with U.S. online liquidator B-Stock Solutions to get rid of some of the goods.
The majority of buyers who’ve bid on the site to “Buy a Piece of the Rio 2016 Olympics” have been from the U.S., but sales have also been made to buyers in Australia, Canada, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and the United Kingdom, said Howard Rosenberg, B-Stock’s chief executive.
Many products used for those 17 highly televised days eventually go to party-rental companies, furniture resellers, schools, janitorial companies, and event-planning outfits-plus “scrappy entrepreneurial types” who go out and make a market for the items, said Rosenberg. He said “hundreds of 40-foot containers of stuff” have been sold.
Paul Ramler, chief executive of RGS Events, said more than 90 percent of the 1.3 million or so items from Rio have been spoken for. Some of the products wind up at other major sporting events. Many from the 2012 London Olympics, for instance, spent 16 months stored in 400 40-foot containers at the port in Grangemouth, Scotland, before being used in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, said Ramler.
After Glasgow, some of those products took part in the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England. Then, RGS donated more than 2 million British pounds worth of well-traveled sofas, wardrobes, bean bags, and more to needy families in Glasgow. Some of the Rio furniture could be used for other sports events in South America, Ramler said; the company is in talks with the Buenos Aires Youth Olympics.
Some products will go to a large Brazilian office furniture retailer, Shopping Matriz. Ideally, some of that inventory would have been used in another event RGS is working on, the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia, but storage for two years cost too much to make that feasible, Ramler added. There is one thing Ramler did hang onto from a high-profile sporting event: a chair bearing the royal insignia that the queen of England sat on in the royal box at the Melbourne 2016 Commonwealth Games. “It would be a bit tacky if we put it up on eBay,” he said.
Holland continue to press in the hockey, and Finch has made another excellent save to keep the scores level.
Maartje Paumen has just failed to convert a penalty for the Dutch, her effort flying too close to Maddie Finch, who beat the ball away. So the score in the hockey remains 0-0.
A little report on the women’s lightweight boxing, courtesy of Reuters:
France’s Estelle Mossely celebrated her 24th birthday by winning the women’s Olympic lightweight boxing gold medal on Friday after she had watched boyfriend Tony Yoka reach the super-heavyweight final.
Yin Junhua, beaten on a split decision after the four rounds had ended with the two boxers level on the three judges’ scorecards, took silver for China’s first medal of the boxing competition.
Losing semi-finalists Mira Potkonen of Finland, a 35-year-old mother of two, and Anastasia Belyakova of Russia took bronze medals.
So after two rounds of diving it’s Qiu Bo in first place, Tom Daley second, and David Boudia third. Aisen Chen isn’t far off in fourth, and then there’s a bit of a gap before Mexico’s Ivan Garcia, who is fifth. There’s a long way to go yet – everyone gets six goes. And Aisen Chen has started round three in considerable style, getting 99 points for his effort.
Atmosphere building nicely at a sunny Olympic Hockey Centre ahead of the GB women’s final against the Netherlands. As is traditional at any sporting event at which their country is playing, there are hordes of orange-clad Dutch fans here. The British fans – smaller in number but making a valiant effort – are adopting a chant that I thought (hoped) had been left behind in France at the European Championships: “GB’s on fire/Netherlands are terrified.” Which doesn’t really scan, to be honest, but full marks for effort all the same. The players have just finished their warm up ahead of what is, needless to say, a huge match.
The women’s hockey final is about to start. They’re playing the anthems, the question being which will get a second airing after the game.
American pair Steele Johnson and David Boudia, who teamed up for silver in the synchronished event, both nail their second round dives – as does world champion Qiu Bo of China. Can Tom Daley keep in touch? He’s taking on a twisting dive with 3.5 somersaults – and it’s excellent once again. 88.20, and he’s up to second. Time to hand back to Simon...
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Spain are keeping the USA in check in the men’s basketball semi-finals. The US lead by five points deep in the third quarter. You can follow that one with Hunter Felt.
Gold medal for France, as Estelle Mossely wins the women’s lightweight boxing – beating China’s Junhua Yin. More good news for the French over in the handball arena, where their men’s team lead Germany 25-21 with 12 minutes to go in the second half.
USA win women's water polo gold!
The US team have beaten Italy 12-5 to defend their Olympic title; caps off to them. In the bronze medal match, Russia and Hungary set fire to the pool, Russia winning 19-18.
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Niall McVeigh here, filling in while Simon does a few stretches ahead of the women’s hockey final. Great Britain and Netherlands begin in 20 minutes or so. But first...
The Guardian have asked some of our non-sport writers what they think of the Olympics. And they have answered:
Italy come out for the fourth quarter knowing they have to score early and then keep scoring. The USA promptly score early, and now lead 10-4.
Daley’s first dive gets 88 points, putting him third, behind Aisen Chen (91.80) and America’s David Boudia (88.20).
… and his first dive is an absolute beauty. Nailed.
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Meanwhile in the diving, Tom Daley is on the platform for the first time.
The third quarter of the water polo final is over now, and both teams have scored a goal since my last update, so USA lead 9-4. Surely – surely – top place on the podium is theirs now.
Melissa Seidemann gets America’s eighth goal, and the USA lead 8-3 now in the women’s water polo final. Italy try a long-range lob – their second of this quarter – and, like the last time, they hit the bar.
And then Italy win, take and fail to score a penalty, Ashleigh Johnson saving well to her right. The pendulum of momentum is only swinging one way here.
And another goal for the USA! That’s quick thinking from Kiley Neushul, who receives the ball, spins and throws it low and hard in one swift movement, and Giulia Gorlero can’t stop it: 7-3.
Within moments of scoring Fattal is excluded, but Italy’s first attack with a numerical advantage ends with a weak shot down the middle of goal.
In the water polo final, Italy win the swim-off at the start of the third quarter, fail to score and then the USA go down the other end and Rachel Fattal thunders a shot into the corner – it’s 6-3 now.
If the collective noun for horses is “a general”, what’s the equivalent for a group of IOC officials? A corruption? A schmooze? A blazer? Whatever it is, one of them has just arrived at the women’s modern pentathlon accompanied by a couple of goons wearing earpieces and several armed soldiers. The IOC president, Thomas Bach, is here accompanied by four or five other officials and they’ve taken their seats in time to see Cuban pentathlete Laura Leydi get catapulted headfirst into a fence by by her horse Concordina, who didn’t fancy jumping it. Leydi is currently on the ground receiving medical attention – here’s hoping she’s OK. Concordina has been caught and is currently being held by an Olympic volunteer over in one corner of the arena. From my vantage point in the press box, I can see Leydi is being strapped on to a stretcher, but appears to be conscious. It’s difficult to tell, because there are several people hunkered around her. More news as I get it.
Here’s a snippet of Skelton:
And that is half time, with America 5-3 up. In the basketball, meanwhile, the USA lead Span 33-25, in the second quarter.
In the water polo, the USA haven’t had it all their own way in the second quarter, and now lead 5-3, with just 11 seconds still to play.
Hong Liu wins race walk gold for China!
She moves ahead in the final few metres, and finishes two seconds ahead of Gonzalez, with Xiuzhi Lu of China in third, five seconds further back. There’s then a gap of over 20 seconds before Antonella Palmisano of Italy crosses the line in fourth.
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Are you allowed a sprint finish in the race walk? If so, it’s coming.
Lu has fallen behind in the last minute or so, and it’s Gonzalez v Liu for race walk gold.
The leaders go into the last kilometre, with Liu shown a yellow paddle – her second in just a few minutes – just before the bell sounds. Oh, and Gonzalez has just had one too! That was some very aggressive paddling by the official, but these three are perhaps pushing regulations a bit here (I wouldn’t know, to be fair).
The women’s race walk is approaching its conclusion, and there are three athletes slightly ahead of the rest at the moment: Maria Gonzalez of Mexico, and China’s Hong Liu and Xiuzhi Lu.
Here’s Owen Gibson on Pat Hickey and the IOC:
It is probably not what the marketing gurus and Olympic Broadcasting Services’ directors had in mind as the defining images of the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Beach volleyball on the Copacabana? The sun going down behind the steepling stands? Perfect. Football at the Maracanã amid a riot of colour and noise? Absolutely. The dramatic, swooping coastal roads and mountains of the cycling road race? Sounds good.
A pasty, 71-year-old Irishman wearing a bathrobe being led by police from a luxury hotel room into which he had fled in the early hours of the morning? Probably not.
Read more here:
The first quarter of the women’s water polo is over, and the USA have been dominant so far and lead 4-1. Courtney Mathewson, Kiley Neushul and Makenzie Fischer have all scored for America, and Federica Radicchi for Italy.
Here’s the Press Association on the boxing:
Joe Joyce will fight for super-heavyweight gold on Sunday after winning his semi-final against Kazakhstan’s Ivan Dychko at Rio Centro. Joyce poured on the punishment in the last two rounds to come from behind on the judges’ cards and claim victory by a unanimous decision.
In the final Joyce will get the chance to avenge his controversial World Championship semi-final loss to Frenchman Tony Yoka, who came through the other semi-final via split decision.
Watched by reigning +91kg champion and former team-mate Anthony Joshua at ringside, Joyce made a slow start and was picked off by the more accurate Dychko in the first. The Londoner continued pushing after his opponent in the second, enjoying more success, but still leaving himself worryingly open to accurate counters.
As the round progressed, he began to land much cleaner and heavier blows, and Dychko, blowing heavily, began to appear increasingly vulnerable. The judges agreed, making the last round effectively a decider, and Joyce pushed forward hurling big right uppercuts as the Kazakh attempted vainly to cling on.
Joyce’s fitness was really beginning to tell, bouncing in to deliver further punishment in sharp contrast to Dychko, whose work was increasingly laboured. A left hand swatted the Kazakh’s chin as Joyce finished things off in dominant style to earn the verdict on all three cards.
Here’s Owen Gibson’s story on the Paralympics’ downsizing:
Joe Joyce is through to the gold medal bout, the judges decide unanimously. He does a few showy capoeira moves in celebration, and gets a massive ovation as a result.
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Joyce is well on top in round three, but both boxers raise their arms when the bell goes. Over to the judges …
… but the USA can get revenge near-immediately, with the same two countries about to face each other in the women’s water polo final!
Italy have beaten the USA in the semi-finals of the men’s volleyball!
Nick Skelton’s was Britain’s 57th medal of the Games so far, but apparently he was the 100th British medalist. So, there’s a thing.
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A breakthrough... sort of. Dr Wu can’t talk to the Guardian today, but he might be able to tomorrow. Or Sunday. Some time. I’m here until Tuesday, doc.
So, a chance to say, “How do you do” to Dr Wu...
Which leads me on, ever so laterally, to Richie Woodhall, a great fan of George Formby (whose 1932 hit, Chinese Laundry Blues, had as its centrepiece, of course, Mr Wu). Richie, working the microphone here for the BBC was introduced to the great man (Formby, not Wu) by his father.
Anyway, enough stuff and nonsense. Big Joe Joyce is in the ring waiting for Ivan Dychko in the first super-heavy semi. Joe’s mate, Anthony Joshua, reckons he’s got a “great chance”. AJ beat the Croatian in the semi-finals in London four years ago.
Britain’s Joe Joyce is currently in super heavyweight action, against Ivan Dychko of Kazakhstan. It looks like the Ukrainian had the better of round one, but there’s time to turn it around yet …
After the completion of two disciplines of the women’s modern pentathlon, Team GB’s Samantha Murray is in 14th place overall. As things stand, the London 2012 silver medallist would start a little over 50 seconds after leader Oktawia Nowacka (Poland) in the final event: running and shooting.
The showjumping is up next and – reporter uses collective noun for horses for the very first time – a general of horses has just been led into the arena, where a draw is being conducted to see which rider uses which horse.
There’s a mix of chestnuts, bays and greys and each nag has his or her own little profile. Some need a dig from spurs, others don’t. Some need a reminder with the whip, some don’t (the whips don’t hurt them). Some wear a martingale, a piece of tack used to control their head carriage, others don’t. The youngest is eight years old and the oldest is 16. This is all very interesting and new to me and nowhere near the ordeal I was half-expecting. That said, I could watch people gad around on horses all day.
They’ve changed their minds! After checking the photo finish, Nicholas Long has lost the bronze medal that he was initially awarded, and Colombia’s Carlos Ramirez has been given it instead! But heavens, it was close. They both crossed the line in 35.506sec.
I haven’t mentioned volleyball for a while. It’s now two sets all between Italy and USA, and Italy lead 9-6 in the decider.
Connor Fields wins BMX gold for America!
And Nicholas Long takes bronze for the USA as well! Jelle van Gorkom splits them, taking silver for Holland.
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The men’s BMX final is on its way, and the favourite, Australia’s Sam Willoughby, won’t be winning it!
Apparently Lydia Ko’s hole in one in the women’s golf today was the first she’s ever hit, anywhere, ever. Nice timing. She’s finished her round in 65 today, and she is two shots off the lead, still held by Inbee Park of South Korea, who is still on the course. America’s Gerina Piller is tied with Ko, with China’s Shanshan Feng and Charley Hull of Great Britain one shot further back.
I told you who won the individual jumping (Nick Skelton, in case you need reminding), but not that Peder Fredricson got silver for Sweden, and Eric Lamaze bronze for Canada.
The grandstand at the BMX is by the start gate, which means by the time they end the riders are nowhere near them, and are forced to do some very long-distance celebratory waving.
Mariana Pajon wins BMX gold for Colombia!
It’s silver for America’s Alise Post, with Stefany Hernandez of Venezuela taking bronze!
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Pajon is really excellent, and on her own in the lead!
The women’s BMX final is about to happen, with the riders being introduced to the crowd as I type. Mariana Pajon is favourite to win Colombia’s third gold medal of the Games, but anything can happen here …
Here’s Nick Skelton in action, on Big Star. I think he’s worth a picture.
I interviewed Nick Skelton a few weeks ago about his very many Olympic experiences (he first made the trip to Seoul in 1988). About six hours later my phone, with the recording of our conversation, self-destructed. Still, I think I’ve played my part in all this.
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Nick Skelton wins gold for Great Britain in the individual jumping!
Extraordinary stuff, at (or near) the end of an extraordinary career.
There are also two Americans in the men’s BMX final – Nicholas Long and Connor Fields – as well as two Australians, Dean Anthony and the favourite, Sam Willoughby, and two Dutchmen, Jelle van Gorkom and Niek Kimmann. Colombia’s Carlos Alberto Ramirez Yepes and Canada’s Tory Nyhaug make up the numbers.
So we know the BMX finalists now, and the finals themselves are but a few minutes away. They really don’t hang around. Mariana Pajon of Colombia, the strong favourite, has made it through. Alise Post and Brooke Crain represent the USA, the only country with two riders still in the mix.
Canada win women's football bronze!
It’s heartache for the hosts, who end up empty-handed, while Canada celebrate their bronze!
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Your humble boxing correspondent has settled into a routine here of daily requesting an interview with Dr Wu, the AIBA big cheese, and waiting for, well, no reply whatsoever. This is the same Dr Wu who authorised the press release on Wednesday - after the Guardian kept pecking away - to announcing they were going to, “reassign immediately the current AIBA Executive Director”, who remained nameless but is actually Karim Bouzidi, and is the chief suspect along with the Magnificent Seven five-star judges who have done so much to make this tournament memorable.
It is the same Dr Wu who apparently agreed with the sentiments in that press release that “AIBA will not shy away from its responsibilities and will continue to ensure a level playing field and a fair and transparent sport”. Well, there has been a fair bit of “shying away” since.
So, we turn to the association’s official magazine, “Boxing!” for enlightenment. There is plenty of Dr Wu within its 104 pages, including at least 25 photos of the great man, and this undertaking: “At AIBA, we have taken great steps to ensure that this year’s Olympic boxing competition is as fair, entertaining and inspiring as it possibly can be.”
It’s been entertaining, all right, but not probably as Dr Wu intended.
There will be three minutes of stoppage time at the end of the women’s football bronze medal match. Still 2-1.
A thrilling end to the women’s bronze medal football in store at the Corinthians Arena as Canada lead 2-1 in the final five minutes. Olympic football gets a bad rap, but in Brazil it’s seen as a genuine pinnacle, not least in the women’s game, legacy of the game’s great evil emperor Joao Havelange who did more than most to promote both the women’s game and the game at the Games. There will be huge host nation disappointment if Brazil can’t nick one here to take it to extra time. They have missed a hatful so far. Great result as it stands for Canada.
In the women’s football, Beatriz pulled a goal back for Brazil in the 79th minute and it remains, with five minutes to play, 2-1 to Canada.
The final run of the women’s BMX finals are now under way, so we’ll find out our finalists in but a few moments.
A Reuters reporter was on the same flight to Miami as controversial fibbing swimmers Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz, and we can therefore report that:
- They sat towards the back, in economy. Both wore hoodies
- They had a “do not disturb” curtain draped around them by the airline
- Reuters did disturb them. They didn’t say anything
- There was cheese ravioli and beef stew for dinner, and cheese omelettes, croissants and fruit for breakfast
The women’s 20km race walk got under way two minutes ago. China’s Liu Hong is the bookmaker’s favourite, and the next two athletes at the top of the bookies’ lists are also Chinese, followed by Brazil’s Erica de Sena, who is certain to be heartily cheered along the route.
The USA appear to be running away with the third set of their volleyball semi-final against Italy, leading as they are 15-4.
Kate French has just had her go at the modern pentathlon fencing, but didn’t hang around long. French is British, obviously. Also at the Olympics, Mark English is Irish and English Gardner is American. Any more?
Having finished fourth in the swimming earlier this afternoon, Great Britain’s Samantha Murray is doing her best Errol Flynn impersonation here at the women’s modern pentathlon, dispatching one opponent after another in the fencing. She had a shocker in qualifying as she was ranked 31 out of 36 in today’s bonus round, but she won eight consecutive contests this afternoon before being eliminated by a Korean.
Updated
Ooof! Canada just came ever so close to taking a three-goal lead against Brazil in the women’s football bronze medal match.
2º TEMPO – 22': BÁAAARBARA! A goleira brasileira fez bela defesa em chute cruzado de Lawrence! #Rio2016 #futebol pic.twitter.com/R3qeLt59GU
— CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) August 19, 2016
Greetings from Deodora Stadium, where the women’s modern pentathlon is in progress. A rather niche sport, interest seems rather limited: one stand is completely empty, another has eight people in it, a third is about half-full and there’s a nice crowd at one end, where the fencing is taking place, next door to the show-jumping circuit … which some idiot journalists could have been forgiven for thinking might be in the equestrian centre. Grrrr! Speaking of whom, I am one of three journalists in the press box.
Following yesterday’s ranking round, the competitors are having quite an interesting eliminator: last yesterday takes on second last and it’s winner stays on until they get to the yesterday’s top swordswoman. It allows those who did badly yesterday to try to get a few more points. All the events – the swimming, the fencing, the showjumping (on horses the competitors don’t know) – lead up the final discipline: running and shooting. Those higher ranked on the leaderboard after the horse-riding gets a head start before embarking on the final test and whoever crosses the finish line first wins. More news once I’ve applied my sun screen – the sun is splitting the rocks here and the stand is completely uncovered.
Meanwhile in the volleyball semi-finals, the USA ended up winning the second set against Italy, making it 1-1. USA have just gone 1-0 up in the last.
Canada are now 2-0 up against Brazil in the women’s football bronze medal match, with 31 minutes to play.
Updated
Here’s Yelena Isinbayeva’s statement from a press conference in which she announced her retirement. She said of the IAAF, who wouldn’t let her compete in Rio: “I will forgive them and God will be their judge”.
“Today in Rio on August 19, 2016, Yelena Isinbayeva is finishing her professional career, this is my statement. I’m very happy that I fulfilled my dreams, I won all possible medals, all possible titles, I won the trust and love of all the fans in the world.”
On the decision by the IAAF athletics federation to ban Russia’s track and field team in the light of an independent report on state-sponsored doping, she said: “I will forgive them and God will be their judge.”
The next women’s BMX heat sees Lauren Reynolds of Australia clip Brazil’s Priscilla Stevaux Carnaval about four seconds in, and they both fall well before the first bend. They get up to limp over the line. The semi-finals are a little complicated, involving as they do three races, after which the best four riders over all three combined qualify – so falling doesn’t necessarily end your chances.
The coach of the Russian team that predictably scooped gold in the team synchronised swimming has declared their routine “the best ever in the history of synchronised swimming”. Here’s a bit more detail from Reuters:
Their eight pairs of legs batting out of the water in the form of praying hands, Russia’s synchronised swimming team swept to their fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal on Friday.
The victory, while expected, was particularly sweet given the high score of 99.1333 points for their free routine and because the choreography was intensely personal for team head coach Tatyana Pokrovskaya.
“Our head coach had a personal drama in the family and it coincided with the time when she had to train us. And this is what went into this routine as a main message,” said Natalia Ishchenko of their routine called “The Prayer”.
While coy about the family problem that inspired the routine, Ishchenko was not reserved when it came to affirming Russia’s dominance of the discipline.
“I happen to believe that this particular programme was the best ever in the history of synchronized swimming,” said Ishchenko.
Drama! A crash in the second women’s BMX semi-final sees Hernandez of Venezuela, the 2015 World Champion, run the last 60m with her bike in her hands because the chain had broken. Needless to say, she does not finish in the top four.
Updated
Occasional Guardian contributor Elizabeth Ammon has written a helpful preview to this evening’s women’s hockey final here.
Yelena Isinbayeva, the banned Russian pole vaulter and gold medal winner in 2004 and 2008, has announced her retirement. She was voted onto the IOC’s athletes’ commission yesterday.
Here’s some more on the Paralympic restructuring, from the Press Association:
While the workforce will be downsized and changes made to the the transport schedule, the biggest announcement was that the Deorodo Olympic Park would be closed and dismantled.
Wheelchair fencing has now been switched to the Barra Olympic Park while equestrian, seven-a-side football and shooting will work as standalone venues.
IPC president Sir Philip Craven said: “Since becoming aware of the full scale of the problem, we have focused all of our efforts on finding solutions to the problems.
“At the IPC we are a relatively small but united organisation. It’s in our Paralympic DNA to see obstacles as an opportunity to do things differently and that’s what we are doing here. We are problem solvers by nature and fight for what we believe in.
“These cuts are on top of the ones we, together with the IOC, have already made in the last 12 months and are likely to impact nearly every stakeholder attending the Games.
“We are working desperately hard to protect athlete services, especially within the field of play. They have dedicated their lives to reaching these Games and we will do our utmost to try and maintain the service levels and scope that they expect at a Paralympic Games.”
With just 19 days to go until the opening ceremony, the IPC is optimistic the first installment of support grants will be paid by the Rio 2016 organising committee to the 165 competing nations, who were originally supposed to receive them at the end of July.
However, that may not be enough for 10 teams to get to the Games.
Craven added: “Currently we have around 10 countries who, even if the grants are paid, may struggle to cover the cost of their travel to the Games. The IPC is working with them to find solutions and ensure their participation here in Rio
“We want full participation here. We want all eligible countries to send their athletes to the Games. It’s what the athletes deserve and it is what the athletes want after years of training and dedication.”
The men’s volleyball semi-final between Italy and the USA is happening right now, and Italy are currently 1-0 up in sets, and lead 13-12 in the second.
Marina Hyde has written about Ryan Lochte, which has got to be a good thing.
Hello world!
So, here’s a few reasons to be excited about the next few hours:
- We’ll find out who’s going to win bronze in the women’s football – it’s nearly half-time as I type, and Brazil are 1-0 down to Canada.
- The women’s 20km race walk starts at 2.30pm Rio time, and should finish in a little under 90 minutes – the current world record is 1hr 25min 2sec.
- The BMX finals, both women’s and men’s, will happen in about 15 minutes after 3pm Rio time.
- 3.30pm is a big moment for American team sports, being as it is the start of the men’s basketball semi-final, between Spain and the USA, and the women’s water polo gold medal match, in which they face Italy.
- At 4pm we’ll see Tom Daley dive for stardom in the men’s 10m platform preliminary round.
- At 5pm Great Britain take on Holland in the women’s hockey final.
- At 5.30pm the women’s football gold medal match gets under way, between Sweden and Germany.
- That’ll do for now, don’t you think?
And with that, I’ll hand over to Simon Burnton who will take you through the next five hours or so. Cheers!
Here’s a bit more on the Paralympics news, courtesy of the Associated Press:
The Paralympics will go ahead next month despite being forced to implement further “major budget cuts” to the games in Rio de Janeiro.
Poor ticket sales have compounded existing financial challenges in recession-battered Brazil which have been impacting the Olympics, which closes Sunday.
Rio now has less than three weeks to prepare for Paralympics, the pinnacle of the disability sport calendar.
“Never before in the 56 year history of the Paralympic Games have we faced circumstances like this,” International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven said. “Since becoming aware of the full scale of the problem, we have focused all of our efforts on finding solutions to the problems.”
The IPC said it has already been imposing cuts over the last year and the fresh ones are set to affect every team and visitors to the games.
The workforce for the Paralympics will be downsized, transport services cut and media centers closed. The wheelchair fencing competition will move to a new venue, allowing the Deorodo Olympic Park to be closed and dismantled.
Grants of more than $7 million that the Rio organizers were due to make the 165 participating countries are almost a month overdue. The first athletes are due to arrive on Aug. 31 ahead of the Sept. 7-18 Paralympics.
“Currently we have around 10 countries who, even if the grants are paid, may struggle to cover the cost of their travel to the games,” Craven said. “The IPC is working with them to find solutions and ensure their participation here in Rio.”
Sir Philip Craven: "This has been the most difficult time in the 56 year history of the Paralympics"
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) August 19, 2016
Gold for Russia...
...in the synchronised swimming. That’s their fifth team gold in a row, beating China who took silver, and Japan who claimed bronze.
Updated
In the women’s football bronze medal match, Canada have taken the lead after a rapid counter attack, now leading Brazil 1-0 thanks to a neat finish from 17-year-old Deanne Rose.
Sounds like the Paralympics aren’t exactly going to be a lavish affair - according to the BBC’s Dan Roan, the IPC have cut budgets fairly significantly due to cash issues, to the point that ten countries might now struggle to even get teams out to Brazil.
The BBC claims the cuts will include:
- Downsizing of Rio 2016’s workforce for the Paralympics
- Changes to the transport services for athletes and their teams
- The closure of a number of venue media centres
- Moving events to other venues to enable Deodoro Park to be dismantled, allowing the other venues to have dedicated transport hubs
Bronze medal for Germany in the women’s hockey - they have held on to beat New Zealand 2-1 to take third place.
Updated
Just to tee up what’s coming up later: the show jumping final is at 13.30 local time, where Britain’s Nick Skelton and Ben Maher go, the former having sailed through the first round with no penalties. Lutalo Muhammad fights in the taekwondo quarter-finals at 15.15, Tom Daley is back for the men’s diving 10m at 16.00, while there’s also the men’s semi-finals in the basketball, a bit of boxing, some synchronised swimming, and a bit of gymnastics.
And then, of course we have the gold medal matches in the women’s football (Germany v Sweden) and the women’s hockey, where Great Britain face the Netherlands.
It’s not over in the hockey - New Zealand have just pulled one back, despite an appeal for a review by the Germans. It’s 2-1 now in the third period.
And just starting is the women’s football bronze medal game - it’s Brazil v Canada going for the podium.
In the women’s hockey bronze match, Germany have gone 2-0 up against New Zealand, going into the third period.
Updated
Rough one for the Hungarian water polo team...
@NickMiller79 this was Hungary's third straight loss in the bronze medal match of the Olympic women's water polo - I think they're cursed...
— Tomi Málits (@tmalits) August 19, 2016
The women’s modern pentathlon is underway, and after the swimming and Russia’s Gulnaz Gubaydullina is in the lead on 317 points.
Over in the women’s golf, we’re into the meat of the third round: Inbee Park still leads, with Gerina Piller second and Great Britain’s Charley Hull in third, but New Zealander Lydia Ko is charging up the leaderboard, six under for the day and just three shots back from Park.
Updated
Da! Da! Da! Russia win the shoot-out and the bronze medal, beating Hungary 7-6. They celebrate by pushing their coaches into the pool, and the Hungarians understandably look devastated, particularly as Russia equalised in the last seconds of normal time.
These penalties have been absolutely textbook - no misses so far, it’s Russia 6-6 Hungary...
I’ve neglected the water polo, but let’s make up for that now: in the women’s bronze medal match, a penalty shoot-out is required to separate Hungary and Russia...
Gold for Spain!
Carolina Marin becomes the first non-Asian to win a gold medal in the women’s badminton, beating India’s PV Sindhu 2-1. Earlier Nozomi Okuhara from Japan beat China’s Li Xuerui to bag the bronze.
Updated
Pat Hickey, the Irish Olympic official nabbed for some ticketing brouhaha, has had an appeal for bail knocked back, and instead has been taken to a maximum security prison in Rio. You have to say that’s backfired.
Yikes - another hole-in-one in the women’s golf, this time from world No.1 Lydia Ko. That’s the second of this round - has that ever happened before in a ‘major’ (although obviously not a major) tournament?
Updated
The women’s hockey bronze medal match is underway - it’s Germany v New Zealand (known as the bleck stucks), and it remains 0-0 with about eight minutes of the first period to go. Great Britain play the Netherlands in the gold medal game at around 17.00 local time, 21.00 BST.
Carolina Marin has levelled the women’s badminton final against PV Sindhu - it’s 101 there.
In the show jumping, Nick Skelton has qualified for the final in first place, after a clean round earlier. Ben Maher is through too, but will go into the final (at about 13.30 local time) with four penalty points.
Remarkably, Yohann Diniz has finished the race. Astonishing stuff from the Frenchman, and you wonder whether his first stop will be the hospital or the shower....
Here’s a bit more on Ryan Lochte’s apology...
Gold for Slovakia!
Slovakia have a gold medal, as Matej Toth wins the men’s 50km walk in a time of 3:40:58. Jared Tallent of Australian and Japan’s Haruki Arai have silver and bronze. That was brutal. Evan Dunfee was fourth and collapsed like a comedy drunk as soon as he crossed the line, and is now wheeled away. He does not look in good health.
Updated
Rough-housing in the walk - the two men duking it out for the bronze medal, Dunfee and Arai, barge into each other with about 1km to go, and it seems to have thrown the former off his stride, with Arai now streaking ahead - as far as one can streak while walking - and closing in on Tallent in second.
In the badminton final, PV Sindhu has taken the first game over Marin.
And more drama in the walk - just two km to go, and Slovakia’s Matej Toth has eaten up the ground and now overtaken Tallent to go into the gold medal place!
Big news in the taekwondo - Aaron Cook, formerly of Great Britain but now representing Moldova, has been knocked out in the men’s 80kg. And not just a defeat either - a total hosing, 14-2 to Liu Wei Ting of Taipei.
Britain's Aaron Cook, who changed nationality to Moldovan to get on the mat, very comprehensively beaten in his first round taekwando.
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) August 19, 2016
Updated
I’m going to link to this rather than posting it in the blog, because some people might be eating or just not want to see something unpleasant. But, anyway, it seems that it might not have been blood on Diniz’s sponge earlier...
Tallent is now a comfortable 22 seconds ahead in the race walk, with 5km to go. Given how this race has gone you never like to tempt fate, but it looks good for the Aussie at the moment.
Hello...
https://t.co/n82dZH2gfl pic.twitter.com/rGp1nmA94G
— Ryan Lochte (@RyanLochte) August 19, 2016
The women’s badminton final is underway, with Spain’s Carolina Marin aiming to become the first ever non-Asian to win a gold medal. She’s up against India’s PV Sindhu, aiming for their first gold of the games. It’s currently 9-5 to the Spaniard in the first game.
Diniz is still going. There’s something wrong with him. And not just what we saw on that sponge earlier. Tallent is still in the lead, Arai having dropped back into another group including Dunfee and Toth.
Updated
A woof in the women’s golf - China’s Lin Xiyu has lashed in a hole-in-one during round three. She’s still only one over, mind. Inbee Park remains the leader, and she’s just about to tee off for her third round.
In the men’s badminton, the second semi is done - Chen Long is into the gold medal match having bested Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen. He’ll face Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei.
Now two men break ahead of the leading group - Jared Tallent of Australia and Japan’s Harooki Arai are now up top. This is genuinely quite gripping stuff.
And now Dunfee drops into the pack! This is punishing stuff in the 50km walk, just reaching the 39km mark at the moment. Toth is nominally the leader but there’s five of them at the front for the moment.
Meanwhile, the only Brit in the walk, erm, isn’t in the walk anymore. He was miles back so wasn’t really a relevant factor in any case.
Confirmation from UKA: Dominic King was disqualified just under halfway (at 1:57.19) for bent-knees infringement #rop2016
— Athletics Weekly (@AthleticsWeekly) August 19, 2016
Dear lord, Diniz just appeared to collapse in the walk, literally keeling over and hitting the tarmac, but he’s back up and is continuing. Mate, it’s OK. Quit. Please, this is painful.
Genuinely, he looks in a terrible way and you can only imagine he’ll do himself some serious harm if he carries on.
Back on the water, Germany have just won the second heat in the women’s kayak four, ahead of Great Britain who still qualify for the final. The gold will be decided tomorrow.
Back over in the race walk, Dunfee is now the clear leader, Diniz having dropped back into the chasing pack, still clearly in some significant bother. Nobody will judge you if you just stop, kid.
Now I *think* this is a wind-up, but you never know...
Lose yourself in the wonder of this Free Pat Hickey petition, with all of three signatures. https://t.co/XhSlNaIkhM
— Ian Prior (@ianprior) August 19, 2016
More equestrianising now, and Britain’s Ben Maher climbs aboard ‘Tic Tac’ and puts in a solid round, knocking off just one fence. He should still be good to qualify for tonight’s final.
Now Diniz is going backwards - Dunfee tried to stay with him but he’s had to drop back, still clearly in some pain.
You’ll be familiar with Instagram (to be said with heavy emphasis on ‘Insta’, like someone’s grandpa). Have a couple of pics from the Guardian Sport feed...
Drama in the 50km walk - Diniz lead had been shortening, but all of a sudden he stops! He was clearly in some pain, and - there’s no pleasant way to say this - he removes a sponge from his shorts that had blood on it.
But he’s not out! He was just waiting for Eamon Dunfee, the Canadian in second place, and now they walk off together. Perhaps he was just lonely, although if he was in that much pain then it’s tricky to see how he’ll even finish, let alone win.
Here’s some horses, and Nick Skelton is trotting around atop his fate-temptingly named steed Big Star, managing a clean round. He’s in first place so far.
Updated
In the other kayak semi, Maxime Beamont wins in a slightly quicker time - 0.3 seconds, to be precise - than Heath in the first. Australia’s Steven Bird, Italy’s Manfredi Rizza and Latvia’s Aleksejs Rumjancevs complete the final line-up.
In the men’s badminton semi, Lee Chong Wei is through to the gold medal match after beating Lin Dan 2-1. China’s Chen Long and Denmark’s Viktor Axelson are now playing for the right to face him.
The semi-final of the men’s 200m kayaking now, and Liam Heath edges the race despite an iffy start, and he’s comfortably and safely into the final, despite wearing his cap backwards like a 1990s youth. Germany’s Ronald Rauhe, Canada’s Mark de Jonge and Spain’s Saul Craviotto join him in progressing.
Ruthless stuff from Pugh and colleagues here...
@NickMiller79 I just asked this question to the office. The answer? An unequivocal yes, no hesitation. #ruthless pic.twitter.com/CKMkbNGtES
— Helen Pugh (@stokesyh) August 19, 2016
Horses! Some equestrianism ahoy, specifically the individual jumping final. France won the team final last week, but Canada’s Eric Lamaze is the defending champ and favourite this time. For Britain, Ben Maher and Nick Skelton go.
It’s halfway in the men’s 50km walk, and Diniz’s lead is increasing all the time. He’s 1min 41 ahead of the pack now, the rest a distant speck somewhere on the horizon.
And Muhammad wins easily, his opponent not registering a single point and the Brit notching, well, loads. “Shkara is a lawyer, and he might want to see his opponent in court - that was criminal,” quips the BBC commentator.
Another Lochtealike here...
@NickMiller79 Lochte looks like "Sick Boy" from "Trainspotting"; a pity he also got Begbie's combativeness and Renton's scarpering ways.
— Christian DeFeo (@doctorcdf) August 19, 2016
Muhammad is up against Australia’s Hayder Shkara, and gets a couple of quick head shots in straight away, celebrating vociferously while doing so.
Bit of taekwondo now, and Britain’s Lutalo Muhammad is up in the first round of the 80kg category. He won bronze four years back, and rather curiously Aaron Cook - who was eschewed in favour of Muhammad for the GB team in 2012 - now represents Moldova. He’s favourite for gold.
At the 20km mark in the walk, Diniz is a full 1 min 24 ahead of the rest. While I can’t pretend to be an expert on race walking tactics, that looks an awful lot like an unassailable lead.
Over in the men’s badminton semi, Malaysia’s Lee has levelled things with China’s Lin Dan at 1-1.
In the men’s 50km walk, it’s as you were, with Yohann Diniz still way out in the lead - he’s just sponged his face to cool down a little - with a similar chasing pack, although Slovakia’s Matej Toth leads that group.
Sounds like a rare old shambles in the women’s 10,000m, as marshalls stopped a few runners after 24 of the 25 laps. Kyrgyzstan’s Daria Maslova said, via the BBC: “I was in 12th place at the time. I stood there for about 10 seconds and noticed that my competitors were still running. I understood that I had one more lap to complete, and ran on. I managed to outrun three of them, but didn’t have enough time for the others. Complete chaos.”
...and Heath wins his heat and qualifies for the semi-final, in a slightly slower time than the previous heats.
Second heat of the kayaking now, with Liam Heath...
Pictures? Pictures! All the best snaps from day 13 in Rio, including this belter of Japanese wrestler Risako Kawai and her coach, after she won the 63kg freestyle gold.
France’s Maxime Beaumont kayaks over the line first in the opening heat, and he stormed it, finishing the better part of 3/4 of a boat length ahead of Spain’s Saul Craviotto.
Some sprint canoeing for you now - kayaking, to you, a 200m rapid sprint. Liam Heath, bronze medallist from London, is Britain’s hope, but he’s in the second heat. The first one is getting started shortly, and man alive, are these guys stacked. They’ve got biceps thicker than your thigh and chests broader than Belgium.
Updated
The third round of the women’s golf is occurring too, although the leaders - including GB’s Charley Hull, two shots off top spot - won’t be out for a couple of hours yet. South Korea’s Inbee Park is in the gold medal spot on -10, ahead of American Stacey Lewis on -9.
Bosh bang boom - that is shuttlecock. A round-armed smash gives Dan the first game in the badminton. Lee consoles himself by taking his top off and receiving a lecture from his coach.
Lochtealike, Mk II from Oliver Winkles: “He looks much more like Roy Batty – “I’ve said things you people wouldn’t believe.”
I forgot that one of the primary characters in perhaps the most critically-acclaimed science fiction film of all time sounds like he should be running the corner shop in Coronation Street.
The badminton men’s singles semi-finals are underway - first up it’s Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia v China’s Lin Dan (parents presumably big fans of ‘I’m Alan Partridge’), and the latter is 18-11 up in the first game.
They’re talking about chafing now on the walking commentary. Eesh. Hope these lot have Vaselined up.
Incidentally, the judges dish out their disciplinary ‘paddles’ by walking onto the course and flashing them in the face of the offender. On at least a couple of occasions, the judges have damn near taken out a walker. Precarious business, this.
Amid all of this Ryan Lochte farrago, one thing I haven’t been able to shake is that, with that peroxide hair, he does resemble internet firebrand, professional tube and man who absolutely cries himself to sleep at night, Milo Yiannapoulos.
Well, a bit.
The walkers have reached the 5km point, and Diniz remains about 28 seconds clear of the pack, although he’s just been given a yellow ‘paddle’ for an unspecified violation, presumably ‘lifting’, meaning both feet were in the air at the same time. Another yellow equals a red, but you need three reds from three different judges to get disqualified. The chasing pack includes defending champ and splendidly-named Australian Jared Tallent and 2012 bronze medallist Robert Heffernan, from Ireland. Britain’s Dominic King is back in 40th place.
Jake Roberts (whose mates presumably refer to him as ‘The Snake’) has a moral and familial quandary for us: “(hypothetically speaking) - If you were Johnny Brownlee yesterday and had the chance to slyly overtake Alastair on the line because he lost concentration on how far he actually was ahead… would you do it?”
Ooof. Tough call.
The men’s 50km race walk is about 13 minutes in, and the pacemaker so far is France’s Yohann Diniz, the world-record holder, who’s some 25m ahead if the pack. Diniz finished eighth in London four years ago, but was disqualified for taking a bottle of water from a place other than the designated hydration points. Blimey. Still, rules is rules.
Nick is gone, long live Nick. Well, something like that. Any thoughts, stories, observations, musings, jokes etc you have, send them to either Nick.Miller@theGuardian.com or @NickMiller79.
Time for me to Do One. Fear not, you have another Nick to guide you through the next five hours. Into Nick Miller’s hands I send you.
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram! It’s more than your bog-standard feed:
And. They. Are. Off. I won’t be around to take you through much of this one, but rest assured you’ll be well apprised of how it develops over the next few hours.
Updated
They are lining up for the start of the men’s 50km race walk. The weather looks beautiful. Let’s hope for a cleaner race than four years ago.
Brits can grumble about the BBC, but Suzie Rudling says they have it worse across the channel:
“Got in from France yesterday (where I live) to escape the pitiful TV coverage on French TV.....maybe they should start looking at that angle if they want to inspire sports performance. Showing the same handball match simultaneously on 2 channels and blaming the Russians seems to have done wonders for their medal tally. I’m sure Super Sarko will come up with the answer once he’s re-elected.”
Updated
A treat for you here before the sport really gets going – it’s Jonathan Watts’ Brazilian media roundup, and it’s as excellent as you’d expect:
SUPERPOWER APOLOGY
“Lies” is the front-page headline of Globo today after the US swimmers’ story about being robbed at gunpoint proved to be a fantasy.
AVENGING 1-7
Folha claims the crushing 2014 World Cup defeat never leaves the minds of Brazilian players and will inspire them in the Olympic final on Saturday. Left-back Zeca is quoted as promising revenge after he saw his grandfather cry two years ago. Among the Olympic team, only Neymar was part of the losing squad back then - and he was not on the pitch during the rout due to injury.
IF ONLY THE WATER WERE CLEAN
After winning Brazil’s fourth gold of the Games, sailor Kunzel Kahena lamented the pollution in Guanabara Bay and urged the authorities to do something about it. “Rio de Janeiro is wonderful and we are all enjoying it, but imagine if the water were clean,” she said.
FOURTH AND FIFTH GOLDS PUSH HOST UP TABLE
Thursday was Brazil’s most successful day ever in the Olympics with two golds (sailing and men’s beach volleyball). If the host can maintain its 13th position in the medal table that will be its best ever ranking. A top ten finish - the stated goal of the Brazil Olympic Committee - is difficult but possible.
HOLD THOSE BOOS
Interim president Michel Temer has denied that he is skipping the closing ceremony because he is worried about being jeered as he was during the opening. “I’m asking people to reserve (the boos) for the Paralympics because I will turn up for that,” he joked.
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER KILLING
One resident was killed and another injured in the latest gunfight in the Alemão favela complex, according to community journalists. In nearby Penha favela complex, a policeman was shot and wounded by drug traffickers.
I’m reproducing a post from ‘cordialaccord’ BTL in response to the earlier discussion on how Russian absence may/may not have impacted on Team GB’s success:
“With reference to the Tom Callaghan post which you included ATL at 10.56, the Les Echos article deserves a read, if only to avoid any temptation to bash the French, once again.
“It cites the absence of Russians particularly in athletics, but doesn’t suggest that the Russians would have beaten the Brits in the events in which TeamGB have won medals. It does however point to the fact that large delegations tend to win more medals, and TeamGB has fielded a larger than average delegation (the Russians naturally are fewer in number for obvious reasons).
“Finally, it points to the National Lottery funding as one of the reasons that the UK is doing so well in Olympic sports.”
Another highlight early in the day – which is just getting underway with the women’s golf by the way – is the start of the men’s canoe sprint. The heats are at 1pm UK time, 9am Rio, with Great Britain’s Liam Heath among the contenders. Saul Craviotto Rivero, of Spain, and Canada’s Mark de Jonge won’t be far away either.
At the top of the show I mentioned the panning Lochte has been receiving in his home media. This will tell – and show – you much more:
If you’d like to have a stab at creating your own Team EU, of course, be my guest...
@NickAmes82 Re: 'Team EU' - wouldn't somebody need to work out which athletes would have qualified as EU team would have fewer entries?
— Ben Allen (@ukbenallen) August 19, 2016
Killjoy!
Remember I mentioned Jared Tallent’s gold medal – one that he’ll be defending within the hour – in the 2012 50km walk? I’m quite rightly reminded that there’s rather more to the tale – Tallent was originally awarded silver behind Russia’s Sergey Kirdyapkin before ... three guesses ...
Another thing you might have missed in the small hours – Brazil’s men winning their beach volleyball tournament. That really got the home crowd going; no better place to hammer home supremacy in one of the country’s signature sports than the Copacabana, whatever the (monsoon-like) weather. Report and reaction here:
After the women’s taekwondo – and Jade Jones – took centre stage yesterday, don’t forget the men’s -80kg competition begins in around three hours’ time. There’s an Anglo-Australian clash in the first round, Lutalo Muhammad of Great Britain facing Hayder Shkara. You might remember that Aaron Cook, the favourite, was omitted from Team GB’s 2012 selection ... and will be representing Moldova – obviously, duh – today.
Do you live in Brazil? If you do, it’s almost time to be getting up. And once you’re bright-eyed and bushy tailed, we’d like your views on the Ryan Lochte story – you can submit them here.
Did you see the US women’s 4x100 relay team compete in their own solo rerun of their heat yesterday? They appealed to officials after a dropped baton appeared to have done for them, were successful and then qualified for the final in a time of 41.77sec. Surreal circumstances, and they’ll hope for a smoother path in the final. Video, UK only again, here:
My fave post-#London2012 fact is these benches @StPancrasInt
— Tim Dunn (@MrTimDunn) August 19, 2016
are made frm the Olympic Rings that hung in the station pic.twitter.com/MW90HtUEAm
That’s legacy for you, right there. Might pop down and have my lunch on them later.
Worth reminding you, by the way, that Ryan Lochte isn’t the only swimmer to have found himself in a spot of bother. These Australians haven’t covered themselves in glory either; it looks as if a number of Olympians have been enjoying Rio’s nightlife:
Your first medal event of the day will be the men’s 50km race walk, commencing at midday UK, 8am Rio. In 2012 it was won in an Olympic record time of 3:35.59 by Australia’s Jared Tallent, who certainly lives up to his name. Tallent is back in action this time ... can he put in a repeat performance?
Somebody below has linked to this rather handy medal tracker. Go Team EU!
Incidentally, as with yesterday the first sport of today will be the women’s golf tournament. Round three today, and Inbee Park (-10) currently leads by a shot from the USA’s Stacy Lewis – and only two from GB’s Charley Hull and Canada’s Brooke Henderson. That all gets underway in just over an hour and a half.
Tom Callaghan asks:
“I read yesterday that the French newspaper, ‘Echo’, is making a lot of the absence of Russian competitors in explains the extent of British success. What do you and others think about this?
“Presumably this factor does not explain the margin of British gold medal supremacy over Australia, France, Germany, countries which would also presumably benefit from the absence of Russian competitors. In any case the majority of Russian absentees are absent from the Athletics completion and British competitors have already beaten Russians in Gymnastics, Cycling,and other sports; in many sports Russians were never a challenge to the British. Has anyone made a statistical analysis of this issue and what do you and others think?”
I haven’t seen one, Tom, but my instinctive reaction would be that, as you say, most of the British medals have been won in sports where there would have been no serious Russian contender even if there was an athlete’s absence to discuss. Can anyone think of one? And if an athlete isn’t clean, is this even a question?
Updated
Talking of football, don’t forget the women’s final tonight – Germany v Sweden at 9.30pm UK time, 5.30pm Rio. And Brazil play Canada for the bronze before that. Should be a couple of crackers.
I mean, this debate about success and reactions to it perhaps has parallels with football. Perhaps you support a team that used to win lots and now doesn’t really compete with the big hitters – more of a sleeping giant. Let’s say that Arsenal (only trolling, Gooners!) then win 10 titles in a row all of a sudden. At what point does novelty fade into a desire for unpredictability? And what’s the happy medium?
A BTL take on the discussion:
Peter Higginson prefers a substantial main dish: “There is a book called ‘The God of Small Things’ and it is sometimes true that there is pleasure in small things. For example, salt and vinegar on chips by volume. A bunion plaster. Britain’s performance in Atlanta. But my theory is that ‘Big is Best’ and I’m delighted we’ve got the medals to match our status as the 5th biggest economy in the world. After all, salt and vinegar isn’t much use without the chips is it?”
Barry Hayter emails: “The rise of Team GB as an Olympic power house has been a huge joy to watch, but I’m of the Atlanta generation where we managed but a single gold (alongside a few less precious metals) Having watched the now reassuring misery of the England football team in the Euro’s I’m just starting to wonder whether it’s wrong to feel a twinge of nostalgia for our less hopeful athletic past?”
What about you? Was – or is – your country’s success all the better for its obscurity and unlikeliness?
As per the tweet below, yesterday was certainly a day for back-to-back British victories (2012, 2016). So, if you missed it, here’s a reminder of what Jade Jones got up to in the taekwondo. She is an absolute thrill to watch, and watch her is exactly what Robert Kitson did. Favourite line: “At times it is like watching a north Wales-bred relative of Elastigirl from The Incredibles.”
So, as I mentioned earlier, Great Britain play in the women’s hockey final later (9pm UK time, 5pm Rio time). It’ll be a close, exciting one against Holland. Here’s a very good profile by Sachin Nakrani of the GB captain, Kate Richardson-Walsh.
That strong attitude has come to typify Richardson-Walsh, and perhaps no more so than when dealing with the less-than-kind attitude among some after it was announced in 2008 that she, then known as Kate Walsh, was in a relationship with her team-mate Helen Richardson. The pair had played together since they were teenagers and Kate called off her engagement to Brett Garrard, the former captain of Britain men’s team, in order to commit to Helen. Eyebrows were raised and criticism and abuse followed.
Thankfully they came through that difficult spell and their relationship strengthened to such a degree that the pair travelled to Rio as the first married gay couple to compete at an Olympics. “I hope there are thousands more,” Richardson-Walsh told the Daily Telegraph. “You dye your hair blonde, you dye your hair brown, you’re with a man, you’re with a woman. Who cares? You’re just in love with who you are in love with and that’s the end of it.”
Here’s some video of Bolt’s win – in 19.79sec by the way – last night. UK only, I’m afraid. But whether or not you can see it, think on this: Bolt was quite clearly disappointed with his time, as you can read in his interesting post-race comments. What an athlete, what standards. “I wanted it but my body couldn’t take it” – you could have fooled us.
I am going to tread carefully around the Ryan Lochte story but I’d say it’s definitely worth a glance at one or two of the US’s better-known media outlets to read some of the skewerings he’s taking. Rather amusing in some cases. And catch up with exactly what happened here.
@NickAmes82 Impressed by sports that have bounced back from poor 2012 i.e. swimming and those that continue to grow i.e. gymnastics & diving
— James Taylor (@james150374) August 19, 2016
Definitely, and swimming is a great example. Diving, of course, takes centre stage later on – the British interest is in Tom Daley, who will seek his first Olympic gold in the men’s 10m platform. The Chinese contingent are the ones to beat.
Stand by for another of our glorious interactives – this time featuring Usain Bolt’s historic win in the 200m last night. It’s a treat for the senses:
@NickAmes82 no of repeat medallists for GB from London (eg Jones, Brownlees) a major factor in the possible topping of London's 65 medals?
— John Dalby (@snoopjohnd) August 19, 2016
I should say so, John. Plenty have underlined their quality in some style over the past couple of weeks. The Brownlees yesterday were just awesome – perhaps the British team’s most overwhelming, dominant win of many.
And to continue this gentle easing-in, have a medal table. Still a nice read if you’re inclined towards USA, Great Britain or China.
First things first – let’s get you started with today’s schedule. And then do tell me what grabs you. The women’s gold medal hockey match is obvious fare for Great Britain fans, to begin with...
London calling. Good day to you all, this is Nick Ames and I’ll be with you for the next few hours. Get your Oly-observations in to nick.ames.casual@theguardian.com or tweet @NickAmes82, and let’s get this going.
Day 14 briefing
Two weeks in, it’s Rio gold number two for Usain Bolt and the triple double: he’s won the 100m and 200m in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics. Can he make it a triple treble in the men’s 4x100m relay today? He’ll give it a shot.
The big picture
There were no grins or chatty exchanges as Bolt powered across the line in the men’s 200m final, and not just because he was a couple of those mammoth strides ahead of all his rivals. This time he had his eye not on a challenger but on the clock: and while the rest of us watching whooped up his triple double, he was cheesed off that he hadn’t taken a world record with it.
Whether you’re looking for training tips, or merely marvelling, here’s how he did it, metre by metre.
That chatty Canadian whippersnapper – and one to watch when Bolt hangs up his spikes – Andre De Grasse won his second silver of the Games, with France’s Christophe Lemaitre third. Fourth – and with a time of 20.12 to match Lemaitre’s – was Britain’s Adam Gemili, just three one-thousandths of a second whipping bronze from his grasp.
Gemili called it “probably the worst place you can be” and in that moment, you wouldn’t argue with him. Not least because picking a pedantic fight with someone who’s just, just, lost out on an Olympic medal would be a bit unsporting.
It was a cleaner fight in taekwondo, where Team GB’s remarkable Jade Jones completed her own double, adding 2016 gold to her 2012 one.
And a much muckier fight continues, as the US Olympic committee conceded that its swimmers had not, in fact, been robbed but had, as Brazilian police insisted, committed an act of vandalism and then got a bit carried away, aka concocting a yarn and attempting to pass the buck more speedily than a relay team. Two, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, have now been allowed to leave Rio to rejoin Ryan Lochte on home soil; James Feigen is still trying to get his passport back from Brazilian officials who aren’t finding the jape particularly hilarious.
It would be remiss not to mention Brazil’s win in that most Brazilian of sports, beach volleyball, on that most Brazilian of beaches, Copacabana, at that most Brazilian of hours, midnight. Alison and Bruno beat Italy 2-1.
You should also know:
- Cleaners at Rio’s athletes’ village are paid just £1.40 an hour.
- Yelena Isinbayeva voted on to IOC athletes’ commission despite ban.
- Top boxing executive ‘reassigned’ after judging controversy.
- Olympic pool ‘current’ may have skewed swimming results.
- Argentina 4-2 Belgium in the men’s hockey final.
Team GB roundup
Jade Jones, the first British winner of an Olympic taekwondo gold, at London 2012, became the second too with a whirlwind 16-7 win over Spain’s Eva Calvo Gomez. That’s gold number 22 for Team GB in Rio, if anyone’s counting.
Taking the team past the 20 mark was Alistair Brownlee, another double champion, replicating his own 2012 gold on the streets (and in the “absolutely fine” waters) of Rio. His brother Jonny picked up a silver, one better than his 2012 bronze, for the sibling one-two.
And Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark finally, finally claimed the sailing 470 gold that had had their name on it for days, tearing up the post-race rule book by bringing their dinghy right up to the beach. “We’ve not sailed into the beach before,” confessed Clark. “We’ve not been rock star enough.” With restrictions on leaving the athletes village after dark, you have to make your own entertainment in Rio.
They could also pass some time pinpointing the difference between third (Christophe Lemaitre, second from bottom, 20.12), fourth (Adam Gemili, top, 20.12) and fifth place in the 200m (Churandy Martina, bottom, on 20.13):
Three thousandths of a second stood between Adam Gemili & #Rio2016 bronze.https://t.co/W9zt1dkm45 #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/NHGcp1Xa1p
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 19, 2016
Marcus Ellis and Chris Langridge ended Britain’s badminton medal drought – come on, I know you’ve worried about it – with a bronze against China. So yep: still second in the medal table.
Looking ahead, it’s all about the hockey, as Britain’s women face the Netherlands in the final at 9pm BST. And then, what the hell, you might as well stay up for the athletics: both GB 4x100m relay teams made it through to the finals, plus you’ll get to see Bolt again.
The women’s modern pentathlon bumps up against the hockey final, but keep a spare ear out for Samantha Murray there: she won the final Team GB medal (a silver) in 2012, and will be gunning for the podium, if not the finality, this time too.
- Liam Phillips crashes out to end British hopes in BMX quarter-final.
- Becky James and Katy Marchant back Shane Sutton’s return at British Cycling.
- Golfer Charley Hull on course for Olympic success.
Team USA roundup
Another cracking day in the athletics stadium, with four track and field golds, and a silver and two bronzes just because. Not to forget Helen Maroulis, the first American woman to win Olympic wrestling gold.
It was a decent, if not entirely successful, distraction from The Lochte Incident. On a night of doubles and trebles, Ashton Eaton joined their ranks with a second successive win in the decathlon, the first to do so since Britain’s Daley Thompson in 1984.
The 400m hurdles was another double victory for Team USA, Dalilah Muhammad winning the women’s final with ease to snap up a gold to match men’s champion Kerron Clement. And there was an American one-two in the men’s shot put for Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs. (Michelle Carter had already won the women’s event for the US earlier in the week.)
Hiccup of the day came in the women’s 4x100m relay heats, where a knock and a nudge from a Brazilian rival saw the American team fail to qualify for the finals. An appeal (by the US), a disqualification (for Brazil) and a solo rerun later, the women were back in the race.
- Women’s basketball: USA pushed by France but make another Olympic final.
- Megan Rapinoe disappointed in Hope Solo’s ‘bunch of cowards’ comment.
Australia team roundup
Boundless silvers – well, two sets of two – to share for Australia’s sailors, for Mat Belcher and Will Ryan in the men’s 470; and for Iain Jensen and Nathan Outteridge in the men’s 49er, who were beaten by cross-Tasman rivals New Zealand. It was a bronze for sprint kayakers Ken Wallace and Lachlan Tame in the men’s K2 1,000m, behind Germany and Serbia, to complete a smashing day on the water.
A plucky show back on dry land for Ryan Gregson, who became the first Australian man in 40 years to make the 1,500m final. He gets a rest before the final on Saturday evening, or Sunday morning as it’s known in Australia. Kathryn Mitchell landed sixth in the women’s javelin.
Today eyes in the 50km walk turn to Jared Tallent – who should have won and in fact did win gold at London 2012, it later turned out, after the apparent winner, Russia’s Sergey Kirdyapkin, was disqualified for being a drug cheat. Tallent will have another not-run at a proper podium celebration.
Australia’s version of the Brownlees, siblings Chloe and Max Esposito, are limbering up for the modern pentathlon; the women’s heats begin today, and if you can name all the events (clue: there are five) before you get to the list in the diary below, you win an official Olympics briefing pat on the back.
The schedulers have been kind to Boomers fans, inking in today’s men’s basketball semi against Serbia for 7pm local time. That’s Saturday 8am AEST, and we’ll be live blogging it from here.
Swimmers Emma McKeon and Josh Palmer will no doubt be watching: they’re under curfew in the athletes village after unscheduled nights out in Rio earned them detention (of the staying-in kind, not the US swimmers’ police kind) and a ban from the closing ceremony from chef de mission Kitty Chiller.
Picture of the day
When you’re beaten into second place after a knackering triathlon, but the winner is your big brother:
Diary
All times below are local to Rio: here’s the full timetable tweaked for wherever you are. Or add four hours for UK, add 13 hours for eastern Australia; subtract one hour for east-coast US and four for west coast.
There’ll be 22 golds in play.
- The athletics gets off to a mid-paced start with the men’s 50km walk at 8am and the women’s 20km walk at 2.30pm.
- The evening session has the women’s pole vault final at 8.30pm, the men’s hammer final at 9.05pm, and the women’s 5,000m final at 9.40pm.
- Then it’s the 4x100m relay finals: the women’s at 10.15pm and the men’s at 10.35pm.
- British eyes will turn to the women’s hockey final at 5pm, when Team GB take on the Netherlands. The bronze bout between Germany and New Zealand is at midday.
- Football! And it’s Sweden v Germany in the women’s final at 5.30pm. Brazil and Canada tussle for bronze at 1pm.
- USA v Italy in the women’s water polo final at 3.30pm.
- Two badminton finals: the women’s singles at 11am (Spain’s Carolina Marin takes on India’s V. Sindhu Pusarla) and then Malaysia v China in the men’s doubles at 11.50am.
- The team synchronised swimming draws neatly to a conclusion with the free routine at midday. Russia and China wage smiling battle for this one.
- We get the women’s (3pm) and the men’s (3.10pm) finals in BMX cycling. Australia’s Caroline Buchanan is second in the standings going into the semi-finals at 1.30pm; teammate Sam Willoughby is riding high in the men’s. British hopes ended in the quarter-finals after Liam Phillips crashed out.
- Bring on the men’s basketball semi-finals: Spain v USA at 3.30pm, then Australia v Serbia at 7pm.
- China’s Yin Junhua faces France’s Estelle Mossely in the women’s lightweight boxing final at 4pm.
- Two rounds of individual show jumping – at 10am and 1.30pm – decide the final equestrian gold. Australia’s Edwina Tops-Alexander and Matt Williams compete in, respectively, their third and second Olympic finals. Team GB’s Nick Skelton (in his seventh Games) and Ben Maher also feature.
- The women’s modern pentathlon concludes with the running and shooting at 6pm (briefing bonus points if you knew fencing, swimming and show jumping were the earlier heats).
- Another day, another two wrestling golds: the women’s freestyle 57kg and 74kg.
- Taekwondo’s day 14 rounds off with the women’s -67kg final at 10pm and the men’s -80kg at 10.15pm. Team GB’s Lutalo Muhammad could be in the mix there.
Underdog of the day
A closer race than the men’s 200m, this one. I could have gone for the best ever Olympics finish by a Congolese athlete for Franck Elemba, who looked as if he was on his way to the podium during the men’s shot put final, but was pipped (if one can pip a put) to fourth.
But the award probably needs to go to Kimia Alizadeh, the first Iranian woman ever to win an Olympic medal, for her bronze in the women’s -57kg taekwondo. She took third spot alongside Egypt’s Hedaya Malak, who would have been her country’s first woman to make the podium, if weightlifter Sara Ahmed hadn’t snatched that honour last week.
It was in taekwondo, too, that Ahmad Abughaush took Jordan’s first ever Olympic medal, and a gold to boot. The sport of high-kicking underdogs, this one.
Tweet of the day
When three one-thousandths of a second is the difference between an Olympic podium and pounding the floor:
Why can't they share a medal!!!
— KJT (@JohnsonThompson) August 19, 2016
If today were a crochet stitch
It would be the triple treble. An Olympic discipline by 2024, I tell you.
And another thing
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Updated
Great Bolt run after all the superlatives what's more to say.
Nice one jade Jones!
As for hankering for a less successful past as suggested ATL no - I recall our days with no medals and I see the sort of people who want to limit and criticise our success posting rubbish about doping etc and feel sorry for them. Why can't we enjoy a moment in the sun?
It's sad if people can't feel good about success and have to limit, criticise and suggest foul play and unfairness.
Those feelings are really about them however being projected onto an event. An event they could choose not to watch but seems obsessed about lecturing others about.
This is just sport and we are having a good time and lots of medals. Let the people who enjoy it do that and let the rest of it go.
What's not to like after all.