The latest on the Tokyo Olympics. They are now under severe restrictions following a year-long delay due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The German four-woman team of women has broken the world record for qualifying at the Tokyo Olympics. They stopped the clock at 4:07.307 on day one of the track cycling program at Izu Velodrome.
Franziska Brausse and Lisa Brennauer, Lisa Klein, Mieke Koreger, were the third team to set a time in team pursuit. This is where riders race against each other over 4 km. The race starts with four women, but the time is only determined by the three first to cross the finish line.
The Germans didn’t make it to the Rio Games medal stand, but they beat the 4:0.236 set by the British gold medalists in Brazil. The British and the Americans who are the current world champions were still to ride in their qualifying rides on Monday.
Tuesday’s race will be between the top four teams for the medals.
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MEDAL ALERT
Jean Quiquampoix, a Frenchman, has won the gold medal that was denied him five years back in Rio. He matches an Olympic record to win the 25-meter rapid fire pistol at the Tokyo Games.
After Christian Reitz of Germany hit his last five shots for gold, Quiquampoix won silver at Rio Olympics 2016.
Quiquampoix was unaffected at Asaka Shooting Range. He hit 34 of 40 shots and beat Cuba’s Leuris Pupo by five shots. The 25-year old member of the French Armed Forces matches the Olympic record Pupo won gold at the 2012 London Games.
Pupo won his second Olympic medal.
Bronze was won by China’s Lie Yuehong for the second consecutive Olympics.
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UPSET ALERT
Apriyani Rahayu and Greysia Politi of Indonesia were able to defeat Chen Qing Chen (2-0) and Jia Yi fan (2-0) for gold in women’s doubles badminton.
The first and second games were won by the unseeded Indonesians, 21-19, and 21-15 respectively against a overwhelmingly favoured Chinese team.
Both teams fought for the win, and both sides argued about their opponents’ requests to change their shuttles. After breaking her racket, Polii ran from the court and got a new one. She then joined the point in progress. The point was won by Indonesia.
After years of dominance, the match shows that China is still struggling in women’s singles. At the 2016 Rio Games, China lost to a Japanese team. China had previously won five consecutive golds.
Kim So-yeong, Kong Hee-yong, and Shin Seung-chan won the bronze medal in women’s doubles earlier Monday.
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After Jordyn Pouter, a setter for the U.S. women’s volleyball squad, landed on her foot, a second player from the team’s U.S. women’s volleyball team was injured.
Poulter was injured in the third round of a pool-play game against Italy. Trainers are treating him on the sidelines. This injury follows the one suffered by Jordan Thompson, who was also injured in a match against the Russian Olympic Committee.
Thompson is in the stands watching the Italy match, but he is optimistic of making it back before the Olympics end.
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ALERT MEDAL
Jasmine Camacho Quinn from Puerto Rico won gold in women’s 100-meter hurdles. She beat American Keni Harrison.
This kept the United States from winning the Olympic track meet’s second session.
Camacho-Quinn won in 12.37 seconds, a win of.15 seconds over Harrison, the world-record holder. Megan Tapper of Jamaica finished third.
Puerto Rico, an American territory, competes at the Olympics under its own flag. As the Games approach its halfway point, Puerto Rico has one more track medal than the deepest team.
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ALERT MEDAL
Miltiadis Tenteglou from Greece won the men’s long jump gold with a winning jump at the last attempt.
Tentoglou’s 8.41 meter mark in the final round was equal to Echevarria’s highest mark, but he won on countback because he had better jumps.
Echevarria, who was last to jump, lost his rhythm during his run-up, stopped before the board and kneeled down on the ground, hitting the runway with both his hands.
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After injuring her right ankle, Jordan Thompson, U.S. women’s volleyball star, has been forced to miss the final pool match against Italy.
Thompson was injured in a slip and fell on the foot of a teammate, prompting her to leave Saturday’s match against Russia. USA Volleyball said she will be able to return to practice before the Olympics.
The U.S. has already secured a place in the quarterfinals, and the match against Italy will determine seeding.
Thompson was tied for third with 66 points. Annie Drews took Thompson’s place.
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Sifan Hassan, the world champion, has shown remarkable recovery after a tumble at the last bell and won her 1,500-meter heat at Monday’s Olympics.
After getting into a fight with Edinah Jebitok, a Kenyan runner, Hassan got up and got out of it. To qualify for the semifinals, she sped around to the left of the pack and crossed the finish line in 4 minutes, 5.17 seconds.
It allowed the Dutch runner to continue his quest for a rare triple in distance running at the Tokyo Games.
Hassan is now qualified to run in Monday’s 5,000-meter final at the Olympic Stadium. She might be exhausted from the last lap of the 1,500 heats, which she ran in 1,500 heats.
She will be competing against Hellen Obiri, a two-time world champion from Kenya, for the 5,000 Gold.
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April Ross and Alix Kulineman reached the quarterfinals in the Olympic beach volleyball tournament.
The American “A-Team”, defeated Cuba 21-17, 21-15 Monday. This win comes a day after two other U.S.-based teams were eliminated in the first round of knockout.
Ross and Klineman lost four of the first sets after taking the first. Cuba’s Lidy Echeverria, Leila Martinez and Cuba were leading 9-7. However, Echeverria was slow after a collision at net. The Americans won the point and also won the second set.
