The Team GB gold rush shows no sign of slowing down at the Tokyo Olympics as Adam Peaty and Co. signed off in style in the mixed 4×100 metres relay, while Jonny Brownlee ended his Olympic journey in the best possible way.
Swimmers match Team GB record
Great Britain equalled their best swimming medal haul at an Olympics after winning the inaugural mixed 4×100 metres medley relay final in a new world record time at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
The quartet of Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty, James Guy and Freya Anderson were more than two seconds clear of the rest of the field in the heats, setting a new European record, and Team GB eased to victory on Saturday morning.
Anna Hopkin replaced Anderson for the final freestyle leg here and touched out in three minutes and 37.58 seconds for Britain’s fourth gold in the pool at Tokyo 2020 and seventh gong overall – matching their tally from London 1908.
The time was 0.83 seconds better than the previous best benchmark of 3mins and 38.41ecs – set by China last year – while they finished 1.28secs clear of China, with Australia taking bronze.
Afterwards, Peaty, who won Team GB’s first gold of the Games, said: ‘It’s amazing to be a part of this with these amazing women and Jimmy, and it’s just incredible.’
Guy, who had withdrawn from the individual butterfly event, added: ‘It was a
very hard choice, training for so long to do my individual race and to be told
the day before you had to pull out, I was really upset, I was crying again
obviously! But it has paid off. It was worth not doing the butterfly cos I don’t
think I’d have done that time. It’s paid off.’
Jonny Brownlee ‘completes’ Olympics
Jonny Brownlee emulated his brother in his last Olympic race as he helped Great Britain to victory in the inaugural triathlon mixed relay.
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.
‘The Olympics, I’ve completed it,’ said Brownle. ‘It’s about time. I keep on trying to get gold medals, Alistair’s won two so far, and to go home with one and get towards matching him is super special.
‘And it’s also the first ever (Olympic) mixed team relay in triathlon so we’ve made history in that. I feel like I’ve been a part of a lot of history in my career and that’s just another one. It’s capped off my Olympic career amazingly.’
France end Team GB’s 7s hopes of gold
Great Britain women saw their gold medal quest ended by France in the Tokyo Olympics rugby sevens tournament.
They will contest the bronze medal match against Fiji later on Saturday following a 26-19 defeat. Britain, beaten at the semi-final stage in Rio five years ago, fell behind early.
France made a blistering start, moving 14 points clear through converted tries from Anne-Cecile Ciofani and Seraphine Okemba, before Jasmine Joyce claimed her sixth try of the tournament and Holly Aitchison added the extras.
Coralie Bertrand claimed a third French touchdown before the break, but Joyce then sprinted clear for her second try, making it 21-12 at half-time. Ciofani scored a second, before a Hannah Smith score converted by Natasha Hunt set up a tense finale, but France held on.
Nigerian sprinter receives doping ban
Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare is out of the Tokyo Olympics after being handed a provisional doping ban on the day of her 100 metres semi-final.
The Athletics Integrity Unit announced that Okagbare had ‘tested positive for human growth hormone’ in an out-of-competition test on July 19.
That resulted in a mandatory suspension, coming on the day that Okagbare was due to race against Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith in their semi-final in Tokyo.
Okagbare finished first in her heat for the women’s 100m on Friday, recording a time of 11.05 seconds to beat Britain’s Asha Philip and Tynia Gaither of the Bahamas.
That put the 32-year-old into a third consecutive Olympic semi-final. Okagbare, who won Olympic silver in the long jump in Beijing 13 years ago, holds the Commonwealth Games record in the women’s 100 metres, set in Glasgow in 2014.
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