OLYMPICS: Tokyo, '2020': Latest News (Wolf watch)

News: (BBC update):



Tokyo Olympics - BBC Sport

 

Suni Lee keeps American all-around victory streak at Olympics intact


TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 29: Sunisa Lee of Team United States competes in the floor exercise during the Women's All-Around Final on day six of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 29, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
2021 Getty Images

Lee has kept the American streak alive. Coming into these Games, an American woman has won the women's gymnastics all-around title in each of the last five Olympic Games.

She totaled 57.433 for gold, holding off Brazil's Rebeca Andrade (57.298) and ROC's Angelina Melnikova (57.199).
Lee joins U.S. greats Mary Lou Retton (1984), Carly Patterson (2004), Nastia Liukin (2008), Gabby Douglas (2012) and Simone Biles (2016) as the only U.S. women to win the all-around title at the Olympic Games.
Lee is the first Hmong American gymnast

 

Fascinating...............

 

Drugs + Sports = Recipe for disaster

 

News: (BBC update): 30/07/21:



Tokyo Olympics - BBC Sport

 

MA Long wins historic second straight Olympic gold in men's singles table tennis:


TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 30: Ma Long of Team China celebrates winning his Men's Singles Gold Medal match on day seven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on July 30, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) - 2021 Getty Images

The People's Republic of China's MA Long confirmed his status as one of the table tennis greats with back-to-back Olympic men's singles titles, beating compatriot FAN Zhendong 4-2 (11-4, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 3-11, 11-7).
It is the fourth straight Olympics that PR China has claimed the two top steps on the podium in the men's singles event.
- In the process, MA became the most decorated male table tennis in Olympic history and the first athlete to win this event multiple times at the Games. His growing list of accolades includes his two men's team gold medals from London 2012 and 2016.

 

Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte win Great Britain’s first ever Olympic medals in BMX racing:


TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 30: (L-R) Silver medalist Kye Whyte and gold medalist Bethany Shriever of Team Great Britain pose for a photograph while holding the flag of they country during the BMX final on day seven of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park on July 30, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) - -2021 Getty Images

Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte of Great Britain delivered not one, but two moments of BMX brilliance at Tokyo 2020, in 2021.
- Shriever, 22, won gold ahead of double Olympic champion Mariana Pajon of Columbia in the women's competition while Whyte, came in second in the men's to clinch the silver.
- With their two medals, the Britons also claim a piece of Team GB history. Before today (30 July), the country had never won an Olympic medal in the discipline.
For the girl from Essex, the gold medal signifies more than a stunning Olympic competition win. Just to get to Tokyo, the rider had to crowdfund and take up part-time work as a teaching assistant at a nursery to help cover some of the costs.

Shriever went into the tournament relatively unnoticed, but soon became one to watch after she won all three of her semi-final heats by quite some margin. After she surged out of the start gates of the final she immediately took the lead and never looked back.

Moments before the Briton struck gold, she was on the sidelines willing her teammate 21-year-old Whyte to victory.
The rider from Peckham finished just 0.114 seconds behind Niek Kimman of the Netherlands to take silver on his Olympic Games debut.

It was a day not without its drama after medal favourite Connor Fields of the United States suffered a horrible crash in the final heat of his semi-final.
It is reported that Fields is awake in hospital and waiting further evaluation.
In the women’s event, Australia’s Saya Sakakibara also required medical attention after crashing in the semi-finals.

 

Trouble behind the scenes:?

Team GB rowing descends into more chaos as star launches extraordinary attack on ex-coach.
The fallout from Team GB's poor performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic rowing regatta has taken another toxic turn as one of the athletes called out the harsh methods of former coach Jurgen Grobler.

There have been rumblings of discontent within British rowing throughout the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and matters have worsened as a rower accused their former coach of 'destroying' athletes
The comments come just days after Matt Rossiter accused ex-rowers of being "smug" at the men's four's failure to win a medal.

- Grobler has long defended the ruthlessly challenging nature of his coaching methods, insisting that they were only ever for the long-term benefit of the athletes under his stewardship.
- - He famously held training camps in Spain's hot and remote Sierra Nevada region, where rowers were pushed to their very limits and worked out until they vomited.
- - - Grobler's record is undeniably impressive - Team GB won five consecutive golds in the men's four alone until this Olympics, and had sat comfortably at the top of the rowing medals table at every games since Beijing.

In stark contrast to that, this year's crop finished 14th.

Team GB as a whole shifted to a more holistic approach to the Olympics in Tokyo with their unofficial 'medals and more' philosophy, which came as a result of a number of controversies around accusations of institutional bullying.

British Rowing's performance director Brendon Purcell also acknowledged the scale of the failure: "We had a four medal target. We didn't meet our own expectations- we can't hide from that."
Purcell went on to express concern over the new philosophy's effectiveness and remarked on the kind of athlete needed to be successful at the Olympics:"If the athletes don’t want to put themselves in that brutal environment, then we pack up shop.
We need to bring in the right athletes who want to take that step- then we take them to the next level."

However, Jurgen Grobler:

who retired last year, has been defended by some of the athletes who had won gold under him ( *)

 

(*) Sir Steve Regfraves view:-
British rowing’s most famous son, Sir Steve Redgrave has ripped into British Rowing authorities after a poor set of results at at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, arguing that the organisation has gone too “soft”.
Redgrave, who won five Olympic gold medals between 1984 and 2000, is of the opinion that Team GB’s failure at the games came as a direct consequence of the decision to let Jurgen Grobler leave the setup.

Grobler’s exit was accompanied by that of Paul Thompson, who had been in charge of British women’s rowing.
Their exits have been linked in some corners to an attempt to change the approach and culture of British rowing in order to be a less hostile environment for athletes – perhaps demonstrative of Team GB’s overall shift to an unofficial ‘more than medals’ philosophy.
- Josh Bugajski, who won bronze as part of the men’s eight, said in his post-race interview that he “cracked open a bottle of champagne” when Grobler left the setup as he looked to “destroy the soul” of athletes who he took a disliking to.

Redgrave believes this shift was premature and is to blame for the downturn in fortunes with regards to medals.
He said in interview with Telegraph Sport : “It may be that the approach has gone a bit soft- if we want a soft approach, we will have to expect softer results.”
Jurgen Grobler was the driving force behind Team GB’s incredible rowing success for 30 years

Redgrave added: “Jürgen was asked to leave. As well as Paul. If you ask two of the best coaches the world has ever seen in any sport to leave, both within two years of this Olympics, then you deserve what you get.

He went on to voice his concerns for the scale of the funding, which was already due to be cut from £24 million to £22.2 million for Paris 2024: “I think everyone’s expecting a big cut.”

https://dailyuknews.com/sports/stev...gb-rowing-got-what-they-deserved-at-olympics/

 

Tokyo Olympics: Jonny Brownlee finally claims Olympic gold in triathlon mixed relay:



On a sweaty and entrancing morning at the Odaiba Marine Park, Jonny finally bounded out of his brother's shadow and into history as Team GB won the first Olympic triathlon mixed relay by 14 seconds from the United States, with France third
Having claimed bronze in London nine years ago and silver in Rio behind his brother Alistair, Brownlee finished fifth in the individual race on Monday but he played a key role in Britain’s third triathlon medal of the week.

 

Nigerian sprinter provisionally suspended from Games after positive test for human growth hormone
(From CNN's Taylor Barnes)


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Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare has been provisionally suspended from the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for human growth hormone, according to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), an independent body that combats doping.

The AIU collected a test sample from Okagbare on July 19 during an out-of-competition test. The AIU was then notified on July 30 of her positive result. The 32-year-old sprinter was alerted and immediately suspended the following morning on July 31.

Okagbare had raced on Friday in the heats of the 100 meters and had advanced to the semifinals that will take place Saturday evening.

 

Nina Christen wins women's 50m rifle 3 positions in OLYMPIC RECORD:

Nina Christen of Team Switzerland works on her rifle in the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women's Finals on day eight of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Asaka Shooting Range on July 31, 2021 in Asaka, Saitama, Japan. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) - 2021 Getty Images
Switzerland's Nina Christen has won gold in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions at Asaka Shooting Range with ROC's Yulia Zykova and Yulia Karimova taking silver and bronze respectively
She became the first athlete from Switzerland to win gold in a women's shooting after at the Olympic Games after winning the women's 50m rifle 3 positions at Tokyo 2020.

• The 27-year-old won in an Olympic Record score of 463.9.

Her victory at the Asaka Shooting Range this afternoon (31 July JST) sees Christen become the first Swiss athlete since Antwerp 1920 to win multiple gold medals in shooting at the same Olympic Games - the first female to achieve this feat - after winning bronze in the 10m air rifle last week.

 

Thompson-Herah breaks 33-year-old Olympic record:
Florence Griffith Joyner's Olympic record has fallen!
The defending champion wins her second title, with the second-fastest women's 100m in history.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Silver 10.74, Shericka Jackson, 10.76 Bronze.

 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) reacts to Jamaica's sweep of the 100m final
(On Jamaica having the first three athletes home in the women's 100m final, as they did at the Beijing 2008 Games):



“I definitely have to pick up Elaine (Thompson-Herah) and Shericka (Jackson) for a wonderful job, like in 2008, we did it again in 2020, 21, that is something I’m really proud to be a part of."

 

Novak Djokovic leaves Olympics empty-handed after Bronze medal match meltdown.



Novak Djokovic came to Tokyo in pursuit of a Golden Slam but after Saturday’s bronze medal match against Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta, he’ll be leaving empty-handed.
Djokovic’s frustrations boiled over as he abused his racket several times during the 6-4,6-7,6-3 loss to Carreño Busta for the bronze medal in the men’s singles event.

 

Following in Mothers' footsteps:



There was a medal on the waves as GB windsurfer Emma Wilson won bronze on her Olympics debut.
The 22-year-old was already guaranteed a medal after winning four of her 12 races heading into Saturday's final, but GOLD was taken by China's Lu Yunxiu while Rio 2016 champion Charline Picon of France took Silver.

• Wilson's mother, Penny, was world windsurfing champion in 1986, 1990 and 1991, and represented Great Britain at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.

 

BBC presenter Alex Scott criticised over accent :

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BBC presenter Alex Scott rejects Lord’s claim her accent ‘spoils’ Tokyo Olympics coverage (msn.com)



And Alex Responds:-

 

Fares Ibrahim E H Elbakh (QAT) wins men's 96kg gold

Elbakh was sitting in joint-second position (alongside two other lifters on 177kg) following the snatch portition of the men's 96kg category and, it would seem, by no means guranteed of securing the gold medal.

But for those of you not familiar with Elbakh, the Qatari is the 2019 world championship silver medalist (behind TIAN Tao (CHN), who did not compete at Tokyo 2020 due to injury) and has a monsterous clean and jerk.

So Elbakh was content to sit and watch every other lifter complete their three lifts in the clean and jerk, with the heaviest lifts coming from Anton Pliesnoi (GEO) and Keydomar Giovanni Vallenilla Sanchez (VEN) (210kg), before hitting his opening lift at 217kg to automatically win the gold medal.

With two 'free' lifts to play with, the Qatari proceeded to hit an Olympic record 225kg, and attemped a world record 232 on his final lift but missed, to end with an Olympic record 402kg to easily win gold.

Sanchez wins the silver, while Pliesnoi, battling a nasty knee injury, takes the bronze.

Fares Ibrahim E H Elbakh (QAT)

Keydomar Giovanni Vallenilla Sanchez (VEN)

Anton Pliesnoi (GEO)

 

Poland win inaugural mixed 4x400m relay:

The mixed 4x400m relay final, being contested at the Olympic Games for the first time, with all nine finalists are running in the order male, female, female, male.
* Jamaica lead after the first lap but it's Dominican Republic who lead after 800 and 1200m
** Jamaica lose their rythmn and are now trailing right at the back
*** Netherlands coming through past the Dominicans now and here come Poland and the USA
**** It's going to be, and it is - POLAND – top qualifiers in the heats – and Nnew Olympic record 3:09.87

SILVER to the Dominican Republic and
BRONZE to the USA

• (both teams having won re-instatement to this final after being disqualified in heats).

 

Britain's Charlotte Worthington takes GOLD in women's BMX freestyle: From CNN's Seamus Fagan


Britain's Charlotte Worthington competes in the BMX freestyle final on Sunday. (Ben Curtis/AP)
Great Britain's Charlotte Worthington took home the gold medal in the women's BMX freestyle competition Sunday morning, doing so by landing the first-ever 360 backflip in women’s competition history.

The trick helped Worthington earn a winning score of 97.50.

Worthington's triumph gives Great Britain its third medal in a BMX event at the Tokyo Games after winning gold in women’s BMX racing and silver in men’s BMX racing.

American Hannah Roberts won SILVER with a score 96.10, and
Nikita Ducarroz of Switzerland earned BRONZE with a score of 89.20.