Monday, August 2, 2021

Team GB in Tokyo: Eventers celebrate double success as weightlifter Campbell makes history

Tom McEwen spearheaded another feast of British success at Tokyo with a double-medal haul in the team and individual eventing classes, while Emily Campbell won Team GB’s first ever women’s weightlifting medal in the +87kg division. Here’s what happened on day ten:


  • Eventing trio Oliver Townend, Laura Collett and Tom McEwen win GB’s first team eventing gold for 49 years, before the latter claims individual silver
  • Emily Campbell becomes the nation’s first female weightlifting medallist with +87kg silver
  • Women’s hockey team set up rematch of 2016 final against Netherlands, after beating Spain on penalties in the quarter-finals
  • Teenage twins Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova round off an impressive debut Games with sixth and seventh-place finishes in the women’s gymnastics floor final respectively
  • Both the men’s and women’s team pursuit quartets safely progress on the first day of track cycling
  • Further advancements in athletics, diving, and canoeing
  • More to come on day 11

 

McEwen jumps to glory on historic day for Team GB equestrian


Team GB claimed their first eventing team title in nearly half a century as Oliver Townend, Laura Collett and Tom McEwen struck equestrian gold in Tokyo.

British riders are perennial silver medallists in the competition, coming second in Los Angeles, Seoul, Sydney, Athens and London, plus claiming bronze in Beijing.

But after four days of competition, across dressage, cross country and jumping disciplines, they brilliantly held off the challenge of Australia and France in silver and bronze for their first title since 1972.

But McEwen wasn't just happy with his team gong - two hours later he banked an individual silver.

Coming into the final round McEwen, Townend and Collett were all occupying places in the top five.

Collett looked set for a clear round before bringing down the last two fences, dropping out of medal contention and into ninth.

Clear rounds were in short supply but when McEwen and Toledo de Kerser were flawless they guaranteed a podium place, moving into silver when Townend made one fault and finished just outside the medals in fifth. Gold went to Germany's Julia Krajewski.

“It's not really hit me yet, it's been a super special experience,” McEwen said. “I loved the pressure this week, I've loved being in this team and we've had to perform.

“We are new to this experience, we've all just embraced the pressure and we've got three amazing horses.”


READ: Team GB end 49-year wait for team eventing gold

READ: McEwen adds individual eventing silver to team gold


Campbell breaks new barriers with wonderful weightlifting silver


Emily Campbell wrote her name in the history books as the winner of Team GB’s first ever medal in women’s weightlifting after brilliantly taking silver in the +87kg category.

Team GB had previously won one gold, three silvers and three bronzes in Olympic weightlifting but those were all by men - with the first being Launceston Elliot’s gold-silver double at Athens 1896 and the most recent David Mercer’s third place at Los Angeles 1984.

In the snatch phase, the 27-year-old from Nottingham lifted 122kg with her final attempt to lie fourth but then brilliantly catapulted herself into the medal positions in the clean & jerk.

She successfully lifted 150kg with her first attempt, followed it up with 156kg and then completed a personal best 161kg for an overall total across the phases of 283kg.

With the USA’s Sarah Robles having failed on her 157kg effort that would have given the American silver, it was the Brit who ultimately claimed second place, behind China’s world record holder Li Wenwen.

Campbell said: “I'm actually speechless, for the first time ever. You know you're getting in shape for these Games, you know you want to perform at your best but to actually put it out on this stage, I'm thrilled.

“I said to the coaches, 'what just happened?' They were my words. The last lift wasn't a perfect clean, it was a little bit in front and I knew I had to fight for it, nine times out of ten if I stand up clean, I'm going to jerk it.

“So I just had to breathe, to say to myself, 'you've done this 100 times, just jerk it', and I'm just lost for words.”


READ: Campbell becomes Team GB’s first women’s weightlifting medallist


Hinch heroics catapult women’s hockey team into semi-finals


Great Britain set up a rematch of the Olympic final in Rio after a penalty shootout victory over Spain in the quarter-finals of the women’s hockey.

Twice the Spanish came from behind to draw 2-2 in normal time before Maddie Hinch was the hero in the shootout once again, saving all four while Hannah Martin and Sarah Jones scored the crucial goals for GB.

Martin’s fine individual goal had put the Brits in front at Oi Hockey Stadium, while Grace Balsdon also got on the scoresheet between the two Spain strikes.

After their 2-0 shootout success, defending champions Team GB will now take on the Netherlands in the semi-finals, looking for a repeat of their memorable success in Deodoro five years ago.

And while the defending champions will go in as underdogs against the world’s number one side, Lily Owsley is ready to cause another upset.  

The 26-year-old, who is one of seven survivors from that Rio squad, said: “I’m glad we’re playing Holland. We’re here to win and you don’t win without beating the best team in the world so I’m glad we’ve got Holland.

“It’s an amazing challenge, the bigger the team, the bigger the challenge. You come to the Olympics to play those kinds of games. Pressure makes diamonds so we’ll give it a good go and hopefully come away with a result.”


READ: Hinch the hero as Team GB win hockey shootout


Gadirova twins sign off from Tokyo with impressive showing in women’s floor final


The Gadirova twins have got used to making history at these Olympic Games and pride was the overwhelming emotion after creating one final piece in Tokyo.

The 16-year-old sisters, Jessica and Jennifer, had already helped Team GB claim a first Olympic women’s team gymnastics medal in 93 years, as they took bronze, before Jessica recorded the best-ever finish by a British gymnast in a women’s all-around final when she came tenth.

On Monday, they both competed in the floor final - the first time Team GB have had two gymnasts in a women’s apparatus final - with Jennifer being added to the main line-up from first reserve after Simone Biles’ withdrawal.

At the Ariake Gymnastics Centre, Jessica scored 14.000 to finish sixth, while Jennifer was awarded 13.233 points to end up seventh, in a competition won by USA’s Jade Carey (14.366).

“I’m just so proud - it’s not what we expected,” said Jennifer. “We wanted to come out here, do our best performance – the first thing, we just wanted to say we’re Olympians.

“Being here is an incredible experience - each stage, making three finals and then coming away with a bronze medal, it has just been amazing. I’m so proud of everyone, especially my sister, it’s just incredible.”

Jessica added: “I landed all my tumbles, I did all my leaps the best I could and I really enjoyed it.

“I can’t wait to get back into the gym, work on my difficulty, get some more big skills and come back stronger.”


READ: Gadirova twins impress again in final Tokyo flourish


Team GB underway in the velodrome with team pursuit qualification


The women’s and men’s team pursuit quartets progressed from their qualifying rounds second and fourth fastest respectively, as the Izu Velodrome opened its doors for the first time at the Tokyo Games.

Laura Kenny, Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker and Josie Knight watched on as Germany pipped them at the top of the women’s rankings, topping the 4:10.236 world record set by GB in winning gold at Rio 2016 in the process.

But the Brits also dipped under their original mark with a clocking of 4:09.022, and Barker feels bridging the gap to Germany is well within Britain's grasp with medals up for grabs on Tuesday.

“They’ve not always been the most consistent but then again we haven’t really seen them for a year and a half,” she said.

“I think it was about 1.6 seconds between us and Germany and I think that’s very much within the realms of what’s possible.”

The men’s team - comprised of Ed Clancy, Ollie Wood, Ethan Hayter and Ethan Vernon - faced an anxious wait to see if they had made the all-important top-four after five different teams beat their Olympic record in qualifying.


Bradshaw and Miller making moves and Laugher through to diving semi-finals


Holly Bradshaw outlined her medal intentions by sailing into the women's pole vault final in terrible Tokyo conditions, clearing 4.55m at the first attempt that would be enough to take her through to a third Olympic final.

Nick Miller, world finalist in 2019, reached the Olympic hammer throw showpiece, missing the automatic qualification distance but progressing in sixth thanks to a second-round hurl of 76.93m.

Laura Muir cruised through the 1500m heats with a time of 4:03.89, with track temperatures in her 9:30am heat already reaching 35 degrees. She will be joined in the semi-finals by Katie Snowden, who ran a new personal best of 4:02.77.

James Heatly and Jack Laugher reached the men's diving 3m springboard semi-finals, after finishing fourth and sixth in the preliminary round respectively.

Elsewhere, canoe sprinter Deborah Kerr progressed into the semi-finals of the women’s 200m event, surging clear of rivals to flash across the line first in her quarter-final in a time of 42.742s.


Tuesday promises plenty more entertainment


After Monday’s sailing events were postponed due to a lack of wind, Tuesday will see Charlotte Dobson and Saskia Tidey go into Monday’s 49erFX medal race in fifth, 11 points off the top spot and only eight off the podium. Racing starts at 4:33am BST.

In the men’s event (5:33am BST), Dylan Fletcher and Stu Bithell will go for gold, starting just four points behind first-placed Peter Burling and Blair Tuke of New Zealand.

Giles Scott will bid to defend his title in the Finn class medal race at 6:33am BST, while John Gimson and Anna Burnet will also be going for glory in the mixed Nacra 17 class (7:33am BST).

Medals are up for grabs in the velodrome, with Laura Kenny, Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker and Josie Knight bidding to reach the women’s team pursuit gold medal race at 9:26am BST.

Meanwhile, a number of Brits will be in finals action at the Olympic Stadium, with Jazmin Sawyers and Abigail Irozuru featuring in the women’s long jump (2:50am BST), Harry Coppell in the men’s pole vault (11:20am BST) and Alexandra Bell, Keely Hodgkinson and Jemma Reekie in the women’s 800m (1:25pm BST) showpieces.

Joe Fraser will look to continue GB’s gymnastics success in the parallel bars final (9:00am BST), while in boxing Pat McCormack takes on Cuba's Roniel Iglesias in the men’s welterweight final (11:05am BST).

James Heatly and Jack Laugher could be in contention for a medal in the men's diving 3m springboard final (7:00am BST), if they progress from the semi-final in the early hours.

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