Bahamas' Steven Gardiner celebrates gold. Photo: Tokyo 2020 - Twitter
Many medals were won across different finals in the athletics, with more records being smashed at Tokyo 2020.
United States of Shotput
American Ryan Crouser comfortably took home gold in a dominant performance in the Men’s Shotput, his second successive Olympic gold in the event.
Crouser’s first attempt, scoring a 22.83, would’ve been enough to secure the top gong, but he obliterated his own Olympic Record with his final attempt, finishing with 23.30.
His fellow countryman Joe Kovacs claimed silver with 22.65, giving him his second successive silver in the event.
New Zealand’s Tomas Walsh secured a season best and bronze with his 22.47 effort.
Pedro-gul
Portugal’s Pedro Pichardo smashed a national record as he claimed gold in the Men’s Triple Jump final.
Pichardo’s 17.98 was still .11 shy of the Olympic record set back in 1996, but it completes an effort which had started in 2016.
China’s Yaming Zhu gave it his all, securing a personal best to take home silver, while Burkina Faso’s Hugues Fabrice Zango claimed bronze.
Bahamas’ history maker
Bahamas’ Steven Gardiner made history as the first ever male athlete to win an individual gold medal for his country.
The Bahamas had previously won gold in the Women’s 200m twice, the Women’s 400m, the Men’s 4x400m Relay and the Women’s 4x100m Relay in the athletics and that was it.
He had claimed bronze in the Men’s 4x400m Relay team in Rio, but this sits on top of the chain now.
Colombia’s Anthony Jose Zambrano and Granada’s Kirani James won silver and bronze respectively.
Ja-makin’ this too easy
Jamaica claimed two medals in the electrifying Men’s 110m Hurdles final in a thrilling finish.
Hansle Parchment claimed gold for Jamaica with a season best 13.04, while his fellow countryman Ronald Levy claimed bronze, .06 behind him.
America’s Grant Holloway claimed 13.09 to hold onto silver by the slimmest of margins.
It’s a remarkable achievement for Parchment, who won bronze back in London and he missed out on Rio due to a hamstring injury.
Katie’s Crown
American Katie Nageotte took out the gold in the Women’s Pole Vault and was overcome with emotion in her celebration.
She would level her personal best with a 4.90 to beat out ROC’s Anzhelika Sidorova and Great Britain’s Holly Bradshaw for silver and gold respectively.
For Bradshaw, it’s her first medal in three attempts, having finished sixth in London and fifth in Rio.
Olympic record smashed in semi-final
Kenya’s Abel Kipsang smashed a 21-year-old Men’s 1500m record held by fellow Kenyan Noah Ngeny, which was set in Sydney.
Kipsang qualified for the final with 3:31.65, beating out Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigsten and Great Britain’s Josh Kerr.
Spain’s Adel Mechaal and Australia’s Stewart McSweyn also qualified out of the second semi-final.
In the first semi-final, Great Britain’s Jake Wightman, America’s Cole Hoker, Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot, Australia’s Oliver Hoare and Spain’s Ignacio Fontes all also qualified.
Stano’s Stand
Italy’s Massimo Stano took out gold in the Men’s 20m Walk, winning by nine seconds.
He beat out Japanese pair Koki Ineda and Toshikazu Yamanishi, who claimed silver and bronze respectively.
Australian Declan Tingay, who finished 17th, claimed a personal best in the event.
Heptathlon’s golden girl continues
Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam continued her dominance of the Women’s Heptathlon, claiming the gold medal.
She claimed gold at Rio, while also claiming wins in the 2017 World Athletics Championships and the 2018 European Championships.
The Netherlands’ Anouk Vetter claimed silver, a significant jump from her 10th place in Rio, while fellow Dutchwoman Emma Oosterwegel secured bronze.
In the Men’s Decathlon, Canada’s Damian Warner improved on his bronze from Rio to win gold.
France’s Kevin Mayer claimed silver, while Australia’s Ashley Moloney got bronze.
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