Full coverage of Day Five of the Rio Olympics
HE’S been an Olympic gold medallist for a matter of hours but Australia’s new king of the pool has a big decision to make.
Rio Olympic coverage
It’s been a golden day for Australia on day five of the Games. All eyes have been on the Rio Olympic Aquatic Centre, where Kyle Chalmers came from nowhere to win gold in the men’s 100m freestyle. The Boomers had a huge clash against the Dream Team, and our men’s rugby sevens players, hockey and water polo teams were all in action.
Australia has had a golden day five of the Rio Games, with Kyle Chalmers taking out the men’s 100m freestyle. It was also a huge day for our Boomers and swim star Madeline Groves.
1.30pm
Chalmers’ life-changing dilemma
New Australian swimming star Kyle Chalmers has revealed he will have to completely re-think his plans for the next 12 months after his life-changing win in Rio.
He said his original plan was to study at university next year.
That has now changed.
“I’m studying from home so I can get my year 12 school certificate because I’d like to go to uni next year,” he said.
“That’s still the goal, but we’ll see what happens when we get back because obviously life has changed a bit since before I left.”
Chalmers has also revealed his parents were in tears after sharing a special moment with them during his lap of honour.
The 18-year-old sensation shared a quick hug with his parents and brother after the medal ceremony inside the Olympic Aquatic Centre.
“They didn’t say much. They were in tears,” he told Channel 7.
“I have never seen dad cry before but I witnessed that tonight. It was exciting for me. It is very surreal.
“Seeing my parents all in tears and even my brother. That was hard, but I’m very, very excited with that and over the moon.”
Chalmers was supposed to nominate for this year’s AFL draft.
If not for a broken wrist and torn ankle ligaments playing a school Aussie Rules game last year, Chalmers may never have become the Olympic 100m freestyle champion.
The son of former Adelaide and Port Adelaide ruckman Brett Chalmers, Kyle had always been keen at both sports.
It wasn’t until his injury, six weeks before last year’s world titles, that Australian swimming officials told Chalmers it was now or never.
After shocking the world to win Olympic gold in Rio, he no longer regrets his choice.
“There was definitely some regrets, but I’m an injury prone person. Six weeks before worlds last year I cracked a bone in my wrist and did the ligaments in my ankle,” Chalmers said.
1.10pm
Aussie relay silver success
Teenager Tamsin Cook has anchored the Australian women’s 200m freestyle relay team to a stunning silver medal.
Emma McKeon and Bronte Barratt swam Australia into the lead at the end of the third leg of the race before Cook went stroke for stroke with American superstar Katie Ledecky at the death.
Ledecky showed her class to race past the Australian 17-year-old, who fought hard in the final 100m to hold off Canada by 0.52 seconds.
The Aussie team of Leah Neale, McKeon, Barratt and Cook (7:44.87) simply couldn’t match the United States (7:43.03).
The Aussies were seventh after Neale’s first leg split of 1:57.95.
McKeon swam a super-quick split of 1:54.64 to put Australia back near the front of the field before Barratt claimed the race lead by the end of her split of 1:55.81.
Cook showed incredible fight to hit the wall with a time of 1:56.47, but she couldn’t match Ledecky’s class swim of 1:53.74.
1pm
Incredible reaction to ‘superfish’ Chalmers
Kyle Chalmers is an Olympic champion. He is also a high school student.
Here is the reaction from his high school peers at Adelaide’s Immanuel College.
PANDEMONIUM!!! GOLD FOR CHALMERS pic.twitter.com/YaXWr67Sk9
— Tim Morgan (@Timmy_morgs) August 11, 2016
They were not the only South Australians getting excited about Chalmers’ record-breaking gold-medal swim in the men’s 100m freestyle final in Rio.
Wow! What an effort Kyle Chalmers #Gold #SA
— Lleyton Hewitt (@lleytonhewitt) August 11, 2016
You bloody legend Kyle Chalmers, well done mate.
— Travis Boak (@travisboak10) August 11, 2016
12.55pm
Phelps lines up gold No. 22
Michael Phelps appears less than 24 hours away from adding another gold medal to his record haul.
The American legend has qualified fastest for the men’s 200m individual medley final.
Phelps won semi-final No. 2 with a time of 1:55.78 seconds — 0.5 seconds ahead of teammate Ryan Lochte, who has qualified second-fastest.
A win on Friday (AEST) will take his tally to 22 Olympic gold medals.
12.45pm
McKeown qualifies fastest
Aussie Taylor McKeown has qualified fastest for the women’s 200m breaststroke final.
McKeown, who was the only swimmer under the 2:22.00 second mark, will swim from lane four in the final after hitting the wall more 0.42 seconds ahead of Japan’s Rie Kaneto, who was second-fastest.
12.10pm
Superfish wins gold
Kyle Chalmers is an Olympic champion in the men’s 100m freestyle.
The 18-year-old came from nowhere to snatch the gold medal after turning at the 50m mark in seventh position.
The freak teenager swam over the top of the field in a sensational second 50m to become the new star of Australian swimming with a time of 47.58 seconds.
He tipped Belgian Peter Timmers by just 0.22 seconds and dethroned bronze medallist American Nathan Adrian by 0.27 seconds.
Early favourite Cameron McEvoy finished seventh in one of the biggest disappointments of the Games for Australia.
In what must rank as one of the most surprising victories in the pool of all-time, Chalmers became Australia’s youngest Olympic swimming gold medallist since 17-year-old Ian Thorpe at the 2000 Sydney Olympics with a stunning come-from-behind win in the two-lap sprint.
He said after the swim, he actually made a mistake reaching for the wall.
“It’s definitely still sinking in that I’ve actually won,” Chalmers told Channel 7.
“I faded towards the end. I was a bit worried that I glided too long at the end. Very happy with that.
“It’s unbelievable. I’m only 18.
“They were out pretty fast. They were probably a body-length ahead of me at the turn so I knew that I had to build.”
Chalmers has become the first Australian to win the prestigious 100m freestyle event in more than 50 years.
He is also the youngest man to ever win the 100m freestyle since 1980, when East German Jorg Woithe claimed the crown in Moscow.
The background story to the South Australian’s Olympic success is a must-read story
12pm
Madeline Groves silver in butterfly final
Queenslander Madeline Groves has won silver in the women’s 200m butterfly final.
The 21-year-old was just 0.03 seconds from stealing the gold with a late surge against Spanish winner Mireia Belmonte Garcia.
Groves qualified fastest for the final and shot off the blocks to lead after the first 50m — leading the race by 0.99 seconds.
She trailed Belmonte Garcia by 0.14 seconds after 150m.
The Aussie fought back late to win our first silver of the 2016 Games.
“This feels absolutely amazing,” she said.
“I’ve had such an amazing time. Wow.”
11.45am
Larkin’s promising swim
Aussie Mitch Larkin has qualified second-fastest for the men’s 200m backstroke final.
After narrowly missing out on bronze in the 100m event by just 0.03 seconds, Larkin has sent a message he is ready to climb onto the podium in the 200m when the final is held on Friday morning (AEST).
He finished second in his semi-final. just 0.28 seconds behind Russian Evgeny Rylov, who will swim in lane four in the final.
Fellow Aussie Joshua Beaver narrowly missed out on a spot in the final.
11.20am
Campbell’s scary record
Aussie Cate Campbell has set two new world records on the same day in Rio.
After setting a new Olympic benchmark in the heats of the women’s 100m freestyle, Campbell broke her own record again with a time of 52.71 seconds in the semi-finals.
She edged out Canadian Penny Oleksiak by just 0.01 seconds to qualify fastest for the final and will swim from lane four.
Despite the new record Aussie swimming great Giaan Rooney declared Cate appeared to be cruising in the final 15m and looks extremely strong heading into the final.
“She turned off with 15m to go,” she told Channel 7.
“She has more to give.
“To swim an Olympic record and know you’ve just done enough to get through, you know you are swimming great.”
Campbell admitted her swim has sent “a little, tiny message” to her rivals.
“I eased up, but then I caught a little glimmer out the corner of my eye of this speedy Canadian coming through,” she said.
“Wow. She’s a young kid and she’s swimming incredibly well. It’s like “Man, I’m going to have to pick it up again’.”
Her sister Bronte finished second in semi-final No. 2. with a time of 53.29 seconds and qualified fifth fastest for the final.
She was just tipped at the wall by American Simone Manuel (53.11 seconds).
The women’s 100m final will be held on Friday morning (AEST)
11.10am
Lane eight gold
Lane eight at the Olympic Aquatic Centre has produced a gold medal for Khazakhstan.
Dimitry Balandin won the first gold medal in the pool on Thursday morning with a brilliant swim from the outside lane to tip American silver-medallist Josh Prenot by just 0.07 seconds in the men’s 200m breaststroke final.
11am
Aussies win Hockey
The Kookaburras have beaten Britain 2-1 to finally get their Olympic campaign into gear.
The Aussies had to survive a late scare when Britain closed the margin to one goal, but held on at the end for their second win of the event.
The Aussie men lost their first three matches and had to beat Britain to stay alive.
They must now beat Brazil to qualify for the quarter-finals.
10.30am
Dream Team star’s ‘dirty’ dig
Dream Team star Paul George has sensationally labelled the Boomers a “dirty” team after their heated Olympics group game in Rio.
The Pacers star was suckered into an early technical foul on Matthew Dellavedova after he shoved the Boomers star in the chest following body contact with the notorious NBA pest.
It was the first of many heavy collisions and heated moments between the two teams.
“We knew we was (sic) going to get their best,” he said.
“It was an adjustment for us. This game kind of got out of hand with the chippy, physical play.
“We knew that going in, this team has a knack for being a little dirty.”
George said it was obvious right from the opening exchanges it was going to be a physical game.
He said his technical foul on Dellavedova was a message that the United States were not going to be pushed around.
“You’ve just got to let them know it wasn’t going to go the way they thought it was going to go,” he said.
“We just had to match their physicality. That’s the only way teams are going to get us out of our comfort zone, is to muddy the game up — do the little stuff to get to us.”
Boomers assistant coach Luc Longley returned fire at the US when first told of George’s comments by news.com.au.
“That’s boring,” the three-time NBA champion said.
“Tell him to watch all the other games in the Olympics and see how they go. That’s international basketball and that’s an old story and it’s boring.”
10.10am
Bogut’s sour interview
Despite his team’s heroics against the USA, Aussie star Andrew Bogut said they have nothing to celebrate after falling agonisingly short of an historic upset.
“We’re disappointed. We had every opportunity to try and push that game,” he said.
“It was an awesome game, but it doesn’t mean anything. There’s no small victories. You either win or you lose and tonight we lost. We’ve got some stuff to work on and we’ve got to go and do that.’
When asked by Channel 7 if he is proud of his team, Bogut said: “We battled, but we lost the game”.
“I know everyone is proud of us that we’re not supposed to beat these guys, but we have a belief that we can compete with them and we’re disappointed with the result.
“It is an early round so we have some work to do. We could possibly face them down the track. I think we put on a decent performance, but we can clean a lot of things up.”
9.50am
Boomers brave in famous Dream Team battle
Australia has given the US Dream Team an almighty scare and sent a message to the world that they are the real deal in Rio.
The scoreline does not reflect how close the teams were.
It was the Boomers’ first loss of the tournament, but they have won plenty of respect and admiration.
With the Boomers leading 72-70 in the final quarter, it was only some clutch long-bombs that rescued the US from a memorable disaster.
Aussie basketball great Andrew Gaze said the Boomers can hold their heads high.
“It was an unbelievable performance,” he said.
“Really proud of the way they went about it. They showed great fight.
“I could not be prouder of what we have seen here. It’s heartwarming stuff.”
Carmelo Anthony was huge on offence for the Dream Team down the stretch.
He twice knocked down long-range three-pointers to put the US in front by eight.
The Aussies closed back to within four points with two minutes to play, but a monster three from Cleveland star Kyrie Irving extended the American’s lead back to 93-86.
Irving, who was born in Melbourne, famously flirted with the idea of playing for the Boomers before deciding to play for the United States.
The Americans led 93-88 with 27 seconds to play before the Aussies were forced to start fouling their rivals to send them to the charity stripe.
The Boomers’ stat-lines were full of sensational performances.
Patty Mills finished with 30 points.
9.20am
Boomers and Dream Team in thriller
The Boomers trail the US Dream Team by just three points at three-quarter time.
The second half kicked off just as heated as the first with Aussie Andrew Bogut picking up a foul for heavy body contact on Kevin Durant.
The new Warriors star appeared to fall into Bogut as the Aussie planted his feet and collected the American with an accidental shoulder charge.
A few minutes later Bogut needed to be taken out of the game when he took a charge on defence from big-man Draymond Green.
The Aussie hit the deck hard after Green’s drive and went straight to the bench with Australia trailing 67-65 in the third quarter.
The US went to the final break leading 70-67.
8.45am
Aussie’s Dream Team ambush
Australia has ambushed the US Dream Team to lead 54-49 in a heated first half in their group stage match at Carioca Arena.
It is the first time the Dream Team lost a first half of basketball since the 2004 Olympics — where they famously lost the gold medal.
The Aussies led 27-21 in the first quarter, led by a classic baiting play by famed NBA pest Matthew Dellavedova.
The Boomers star set the tone for another fiery clash between the Boomers and the US when he played Dream Team star Paul George for a fool.
Dellavedova stepped up to George after giving away a reaching foul on defence.
The American refused to take a backwards step and gave the Australian guard a little shove to his chest right in front of the referees.
Boomers legend Andrew Gaze applauded Dellavedova’s display during his live television commentary on Channel 7.
“Matthew Dellavedova at his absolute best,” he said.
“Playing it fair and square and getting the face of Paul George and sucking him in to a little push in the chest. You love to see it.
“I’m really surprised by Paul George on that one. It just looks like he got suckered into it.”
Dellavedova was then awarded a technical foul for the shove. His free-throws moved Australia level with the US early in the first quarter.
Two minutes, 26 seconds is all it takes for Delly to draw a technical foul on Paul George. #AUS #Boomers pic.twitter.com/fyu7DH6PDU
— William Hill Aus (@WillHillAus) August 10, 2016
@Wortho33 does Delly vs George count 😜 soft but didn't take long ðŸ‘ðŸ»
— Joshua Toy (@Joshua_Toy) August 10, 2016
And there’s Delly being Delly.. just goaded Paul George into a technical..
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) August 10, 2016
A Patty Mills three-pointer then put the Aussies ahead early.
The US also gave away an unsportsmanlike foul when centre DeAndre Jordan held onto Aussie Ryan Broekhoff during a fast-break.
The US fought back late to level the scores 29-29 at the first break.
Australia won the second quarter 25-20 to lead 54-49 at half time.
7.45am
Aussie rugby sevens eliminated
Australia has been bundled out of the men’s rugby sevens event in Rio.
They were beaten 22-5 in the semi-finals by the same South African team they had knocked off in their final group stage match earlier on Thursday morning (AEST).
South Africa struck the first blow. Rosko Specman cut a hole through the Aussie defence on the back of a costly Australian turnover to give the South Africans a 5-0 lead.
They scored again two minutes before half time to extend their lead to 10-0 through Seabelo Senatla.
The Aussies hit-back straight from the re-start after Allan Fa’alava’au broke the Kiwi line to set up a try for Tom Cusack, cutting the margin to 10-5 at half time.
Cameron Clark’s conversion attempt hit the uprights.
Costly errors at the start of the second half gave South Africa the field position they needed to score back-to-back tries and end Australia’s tournament.
South Africa will play Britain in the semi-finals.
Britain scored a thrilling extra-time win over Argentina to win 5-0 in the earlier quarter-final.
Australia will tomorrow have to play alongside New Zealand, Argentina and France in the fifth-placed playoff.
In a major embarrassment for the trans-Tasman countries, Australia will have to beat Argentina for the right to play either the Kiwis or France for fifth-place.
7am
Rio pool farce
Olympic divers and water polo players will compete for the foreseeable future in unhealthy-looking green water, according to red-faced officials who on Wednesday blamed a chemical shortfall for the latest Rio Games gaffe.
Rio 2016 officials reaffirmed that tests showed there was “absolutely no risk” to swimmers from the murky green pools and blamed the unanticipated impact of increased pool use for a “sudden change in alkalinity.”
The diving competition at the outdoor venue on Tuesday was partly overshadowed by the change of the dive well’s water from classic blue to an algae-like green.
Divers said it had no effect on their performances, but officials remained in damage control Wednesday as the green tint spread to an adjacent pool where water polo and synchronised swimming are held.
The international swimming federation (FINA) said “the reason for the unusual water colour observed during the Rio 2016 diving competitions is that the water tanks ran out of some of the chemicals used in the water treatment process.”
“As a result the pH level of the water was outside the usual range, causing the discolouration.” FINA and Brazilian experts have checked the water quality and both decided there was no reason to halt competition.
6.20am
New Zealand knocked out of rugby
The New Zealand rugby sevens team has been eliminated from the men’s competition after falling 12-7 to favourites Fiji in the quarter-finals.
Tempers almost boiled over for the Kiwis seconds before the final whistle was blown.
In a competition that had previously been played with impeccable sportsmanship, Kiwi forward Ioane Akira was heard on the broadcast microphones repeatedly telling Fiji players “f*** you” during a brief push-and-shove between several players.
New Zealand led 7-5 at halftime, but then it all went wrong.
Despite the nation’s incredible record in rugby, the men’s team’s Rio sevens tournament can only be described as a complete disaster.
They lost 14-12 to Japan and 21-19 to Britain during the pool stages — and lost star Sonny Bill Williams to injury on the first day of competition.
New Zealand - which has won 12 of 17 World Series titles and 2 of 6 World Cups - out of the #rugbysevens at #Rio2016 in the quarter-finals.
— Dave Phillips (@lovefutebol) August 10, 2016
Fiji will play Japan in the first semi-final after the Japanese defeated France 12-7 in the second quarter-final.
6am
History for flagless athletes
For the first time in the Olympics a gold medal has been awarded to a flagless athlete.
Kuwait’s Fehaid al-Deehani, competing at the Rio Games as an independent athlete, won men’s double trap gold on Wednesday.
Al-Deehani, bronze medallist in Sydney and London, was forced to take part in Brazil as a neutral as Kuwait is suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over government interference in sport.
The army officer is one of nine competing as an Independent Olympic Athlete (IOA).
5.45am
Shooter misses mark
Aussie shooter James Willett fell agonisingly short of competing for an Olympic medal in the men’s double trap shooting event.
Leading early in his six-man semi-final, Willett dropped away late to finish fifth.
He was one spot away from progressing through to the bronze medal playoff.
5.15am
Campbell sisters stump Rio
Australia looks set for another gold medal in the pool after Cate Campbell set an Olympic record in the prelims of the 100m freestyle.
Campbell’s sister Bronte also qualified for the semi-finals, finishing third in her heat.
Strangely both sisters were seeded with Cate’s 52.38s time from the Olympic trials last April, and it was Bronte who has never swum that fast in her career that was handed the top priority as the No. 1 ranked athlete going into the heats.
“Oh yeah, they put in for both the 50m and 100m Cate and my time as the same time,” Bronte Campbell said.
“They just typed in Campbell and put in the wrong one.
“We tried to get it changed a few days ago but it didn’t change anything. It’s not a big deal, it’s just weird.”
Cate swam 52.38 to break the previous record set in London.
“People have been going under 53 for the past three years so it’s not that big of an achievement,” Cate Campbell said.
“It never feels as effortless as it looks.”
Mitch Larkin bounced back from missing out on a medal in the 100m backstroke by winning his heat in the 200m. He qualified third fastest after the devastation of finishing fourth in the 100m.
“I had a bit of a tear, as the realisation settled in that there was a chance I sort of missed a medal there that I probably came in sort of expecting and hoping to achieve,” Larkin said.
Taylor McKeown qualified third fastest for the semi-finals of the women’s 200m breaststroke.
The focus in the pool today is on the men’s 100m freestyle final (scheduled for 12pm) where Cam McEvoy and Kyle Chalmers will compete for gold. Our women’s 4x200m freestyle team is also a medal chance after qualifying second fastest behind the US.
5.15am
Aussies into Sevens quarters
Australia will have a rematch against South Africa in the quarterfinals of the men’s rugby sevens competition after defeating the same opponent 12-5 in pool play.
New Zealand was in danger of dropping out of the competition after a 21-19 defeat against Great Britain but scraped through on points difference and will play tournament favourite Fiji. The other quarters are Japan v France and Great Britain v Argentina.
Australia’s quarter starts at 7.30am AEST.
5.15am
Hockeyroos back in form
Australia enjoyed some long-awaited success in the hockey arena as our women’s team defeated India 6-1. Having lost their opening two games, the Hockeyroos now face a tough challenge in Argentina as they look to climb up the group rankings.
5.15am
Russian dope denied gold
Russian drug cheat Olga Zabelinskaya was denied a gold medal by American Kristin Armstrong in the women’s road cycling time trial.
Zabelinskaya served an 18-month ban after a positive test in 2014 and her presence in Rio was a cause of contention for some competitors. She claimed silver.
5.15am
Where Boomers found winning edge
Australia has been the talk of the basketball competition after convincing wins over France and Serbia - victories which showed the Boomers chemistry and camaraderie.
It’s been built during special gatherings in the lead-up to the Olympics - first during the NBA All-Star weekend when Australia’s American-based players gathered on a boat in San Diego, and then during a pre-Olympics visit to Uluru.
“The stuff we do, those little things gave us a deeper meaning of why we play for Australia (and) for each other,” guard Patrick Mills said. “It just gives everyone a bit more meaning behind what we’re actually trying to achieve here.”
Australia’s blockbuster clash against the USA begins at 8am AEST.
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