Simone Biles back in action. Picture: Tokyo 2020 - Twitter
Day 11 of Tokyo 2020 was filled with medals and some records being smashed. Keep up to date with all the happenings at Tokyo 2020 through The Inner Sanctum’s Olympic hub and Olympic Central.
Chinese quality shines through despite Biles return
American Simone Biles returned to action after her break for mental health and claimed bronze in the Women’s Balance Beam final.
It was her first event in a week after she withdrew from the Women’s Team final as America claimed silver. Biles scored 14 to finish third, behind Chinese duo Chenchen Guan, who won gold and Xijing Tang, who won silver.
China also comfortably secured gold in the Men’s Parallel Bars final.
Jingyuan Zou scored 16.233, beating out Germany’s Lukas Dauser and Turkey’s Ferhat Arican.
Japan would claim the Men’s Horizontal Bar gold through Daiki Hashimoto. Hashimoto would win from Croatia’s Tin Srbic and ROC’s Nikita Nagornyy.
Bolt’s efforts replicated
Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt’s efforts in the 100m and 200m have been replicated by fellow Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah.
Thompson-Herah successfully defended the gold medals she earned five years ago in Rio, completing the double today with the 200m.
She broke the national record with 21.53 to beat out Namibia’s Christine Mboma and America’s Gabrielle Thomas. Mboma’s silver effort also claimed the World Under 20 record.
Heartwarming moment as basketball farewells a legend
Argentinian basketball legend Luis Scola bowed out in the dying stages of his nation’s loss to Australia in the men’s basketball quarter-finals.
Argentina was comprehensively smashed by the Boomers thanks to a 37-11 final quarter, going down 97-59.
As Scola walked off, teammates and opponents all applauded the end of a remarkable career, which included a gold medal 17 years ago in Athens and a bronze in Beijing. The Boomers will now take on America for a spot in the final.
Our recap of the match is here.
Kiwis’ kayak to gold
New Zealand claimed a new Olympic record as it stormed to claim gold in the Women’s Kayak Double. The Kiwis beat their own Olympic record, set earlier in the day, by nearly a full second.
Poland took home silver, while Hungary finished in third to take home the bronze.
Lisa Carrington also took home gold for New Zealand in similar fashion, breaking her own Olympic record set earlier in the day in the Women’s Kayak Single. Carrington beat out Spaniard Teresa Portela and Denmark’s Emma Aastrand Jorgensen.
Cuba would claim gold in the Men’s Canoe Double 1000m, while Hungary would celebrate gold and silver in the Men’s Kayak Single 1000m.
More Tokyo 2020 News
Tokyo 2020: Athletics Recap – Tuesday August 3
Tokyo 2020 Recap: Men’s Basketball – Australia v Argentina
Tokyo 2020 Recap: Men’s Hockey Semi-Final – Australia vs Germany
Dutch domination
The Netherlands claimed a new Olympic record in a dominant win over Great Britain in the Men’s Team Sprint at Izu Velodrome. The Dutch finished in 41.369, beating Great Britain which finished in 44.589.
Germany also set a new world record in the Women’s Team Pursuit as it comfortably beat Great Britain. The German team finished in 4:04.242, nearly two seconds ahead of its previously set world record.
Great Britain would finish six seconds behind the German team.
Footballing giants to battle it out
Two giants of men’s football will battle it out for the gold medal as Brazil and Spain won their respective semi-finals.
Real Madrid attacker Marco Asensio scored the winner in the 115th minute as the Spanish side defeated Japan. Brazil would knock out Mexico on penalties 4-1 after neither side could score in normal time.
Eduardo Aguirre would have his penalty saved before Johan Vasquez made it tougher when he hit the post.
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