Australia was holding its breath when the 3000m Steeplechase ended in disaster for our hope Genevieve Gregson on her birthday.
Australia have added another gold to the medal tally in the men's 470 class sailing but it's been a massive day of action on day 12.
The athletics was a mix of highs and lows for Australia with Australia getting Jess Hull and Linden Hall getting in the women's 1500m, and Peter Bol running a massive fourth in the 800m. But it was a day of devastation for Genevieve Gregson, who ruptured her Achilles tendon in the 3000m Steeplechase - on her 32nd birthday.
Away from the track, Australia has been able to celebrate a historic first medal in marathon swimming with Kareena Lee winning bronze in the women's 10km event.
But it was bad news for the Opals who were unceremoniously trounced out of the Olympics by Team USA in the women's basketball.
It's been a massive day of action on day 12 but it's a gargantuan day tomorrow with medal chances galore for the Aussies.
Aussie Ashley Moloney is second in the decathlon on 3647 points after a 2.11m in the high jump.
He sits behind Canadian Damian Warner on 3788 points following a brilliant first day.
The 400m race was right in Moloney's wheelhouse as well with the Aussie winning the race.
At the end of day 1 – it was Warner 4722, Moloney 4641 and Canadian Pierce Lepage on 4529.
Aussie Peter Bol is a medal hope in the 800m.
Whether he can do it or what colour it could be remains to be seen after to laps of the track.
Bruce McAvaney said he could win a medal but Aussie Peter Bol has fallen just short, finishing a brilliant fourth in the 800m final.
After leading the race out, Bol was swamped late by Kenyan pair Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir with gold and Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich with silver. Poland's Patryk Dobek finished with the bronze.
It was a spectacular run from Bol and while he missed out on a medal, he found plenty of new fans as he ran himself into Australia's hearts.
I put myself in every chance. The only thing I regret is the last 100 tightening up a little bit," he said. "Other than that, I came here to win. That's what I did. I tried to win. We came short but when the Olympic final, there is more to come.
"I'd be lying if I said I'm pretty happy right now. The goal was to win. So I still have to reflect on that. At the same time, I think today, I didn't know if I was going to win but I knew one thing for certain, that the whole of Australia was watching. That carried me on. I loved that part about it.
"I'm grateful to Australia, I'm thankful to everyone in Australia, we're human at the end of the day. We inspired the whole nation. That's the goal."
Australian Genevieve Gregson has ruptured her Achilles tendon in the final kilometre of the 3000m Steeplechase.
At the final water jump, Gregson fell to the track and immediately clutched at her leg with medical professionals wheeling the devastated athlete off the track.
The gruelling race requires athletes to jump over obstacles along the 3km course.
But following on from Patrick Tiernan being wheelchaired out of the stadium following the 10,000m race on night one of the athletics program before missing the 5000m race, Gregson has had to be helped out of the stadium.
Tamsyn Manou said in commentary that "her family will be devastated watching in Queensland and I think what's happened is that heat run was done in such extreme heat run was done in such extreme heat where they had to go into that 39 sort of temperature area".
She hoped it was cramping.
But others believed it may have been more serious, including the Achilles injury and unfortunately they were correct.
Gen Gregson looked utterly devastated as she was taken off the track in a wheelchair. @abcsport
— David Mark (@davymark1) August 4, 2021
She had complained of Achilles tightness but it was in the other leg.
It was far from the ideal birthday present for the star on her 32nd birthday.
A heartbroken Gregson took to Instagram to thank well wishers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSJushFHE1k
Aussie Jess Hull is in the Olympic Final in the 1500m after automatically qualifying in an Australian record time.
The Aussie sat behind the leaders all race with a time of 3:58.81 eclipsing Linden Hall time of 3:59.67, who is up in the other semi-final.
It was an excellent run as she became the third Aussie to make the 1500m final at an Olympic Games.
Hull had previously held the record before Hall pushed it under 4 minutes, as the pair push each other and the next generation of Aussie athletes to go to a new level.
"The beauty what she did doing it in Australia there is a little Linden and Jess trackside that night thinking 'I want to give that a go' and being able to do it on home soil it was really exciting to watch," she said. "And the way that she did it, you don't need be at Diamond League races to run fast. She has led the way for the Australians in the domestic season."
Yesss! Jess Hull into the women’s 1500m final!!
— Sally Pearson OAM (@sallypearson) August 4, 2021
Let’s go @Linden_hall now.
Would be awesome to see 2 aussies into the final!!
Jessica Hull into the final of the 1500m with an Australian record!! How great is the #Athletics team doing?! So nice to see an athlete so obviously delighted with their performance, too. You can't help but be thrilled for them 😊
— Anna Vidot (@AnnaVidot) August 4, 2021
Great run, Jess! #Olympics 💚💛
Aussie record! Jess Hull into the final of the 1500m at #Tokyo2020
— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) August 4, 2021
3:58.81
What a brilliant run! 👏#olympics #athletics
Hall followed up Hull to make the final but wasn't able to challenge the Aussie record – they might have to work it out in the final.
Hall led the second semi from the beginning and finished well inside the top five.
"I look at the field and no-one there that is going to take it out hard," she said. "I thought why not? What is what I have been doing at home all season.
"I didn't plan taking the lead as early as I did. You have to adapt on the fly and it worked out as I was trying to stay in that top five. My little race moto was 'top five stay alive'. I pulled that off."
Olympic silver shot put medallist Raven Saunders has suffered a family tragedy just days after her success in Tokyo.
The US athlete made headlines around the world when put her arms above her head in an "X" in what she said was a show of solidarity with “people who are oppressed”.
The openly gay 25-year-old African-American said she wanted to represent “people all around the world who are fighting and don’t have the platform to speak up for themselves,” US media outlets reported.
But just days after watching her daughter win the silver medal, Raven's mother Clarissa passed away on Tuesday morning US time.
Her mother was in Orlando, Florida with her other daughter Tanzania to attend watch parties with Raven.
Clarissa's cause of death is unknown.
Raven posted a sad message on Twitter to pay tribute to her mother.
Hoping off social media for a while to take care of my mental and my family. My mama was a great woman and will forever live through me. My number one guardian angel 🙏🏾 I will always and forever love you. https://t.co/XWOjE56EjI
— Raven HULK Saunders (@GiveMe1Shot) August 3, 2021
Saunders was investigated for her protest but the IOC reported the process had been "fully suspended for now".
The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) said that it would not sanction Saunders for the protest, and shared condolences for Saunders and her family.
"The USOPC and USA Track and Field would like to offer Raven our most sincere condolences," the USOPC said in a statement.
"Her mother leaves behind an incredible legacy in her daughter for who we are so proud and grateful to call our team-mate.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Saunders family during this difficult time."
Australia has won bronze in the men's Team Pursuit after one of the New Zealand riders crashed out of the race.
The men's Team Pursuit had been the dramatic race of the competition with the Netherlands racing for gold despite the tape drama in qualifying and a crash in the rounds, while Australia crashed in qualifying when the handlebars snapped off one of the bikes.
But the drama has turned out will for Australia with the crash allowing the Aussies to catch the New Zealanders and claim the bronze medal.
"There is more drama at the Izu Velodrome then Home and Away," Anna Meares said.
DRAMA! Another team pursuit fall and Australia cruise to the bronze over New Zealand. Stunned. #Tokyo2020 #CyclingTrack
— Alexander Grant (@AlexGrantOz) August 4, 2021
Incredibly, Italy went on to win the gold, breaking their own world record from yesterday, edging out the world champion Danes into the silver medal.
It was the hottest day Tokyo has seen since the Olympics started as temperatures soared above 35C.
Journalists at the Ariake Urban Sports Park flooded into the media centre to avoid the unforgiving sun during the women's park skateboarding final.
With no protection in the stands, people did their best to find shade by bringing umbrellas while volunteers handed out ice packs.
Laptops were being fried in the outside heat so reporters flocked indoors to the media centre. Hundreds of journalists and photographers sought refuge and it was standing room early at a place where a spare seat is usually so easy to find.
Most would normally have been outside typing and snapping away, but the heat was too much for many who instead watched the action on TV from inside the air-conditioned room.
Japan went one-two in the event as Sakura Yosozumi won gold and Kokona Hiraki claimed silver, while 13-year-old Sky Brown from Great Britain took out bronze.
After two losses in the group stages and a miracle late goal to put them into the quarterfinals, the Opal have been bundled out of the quarterfinals by the might of the US.
Australia were never really in the hunt, losing the first three quarters significantly, falling 29 points behind with a quarter to play.
The US scored just 11 points in the fourth quarter with the 79-55 somewhat flattering the Opals.
Luckily for Aussie basketball, the Boomers are still alive, but play the US in their Olympic semi-final.
Mat Belcher and Will Ryan have taken gold in the men's 470 class sailing!
While it was little more than a formality after the pair claimed an unassailable lead coming into today's medal race, the pair did it in style, finishing first across the line.
"That is everything about our campaign," Ryan said of finishing first. "Like that together and that is why we sail well together. I think when we get it our hands it will be pretty special but nice to share it with special but nice to share it with special people."
Belcher added that halfway through the race they just wanted to go for it.
Mathew Belcher and Will Ryan lead #AUS to gold in the men's 470!@WorldSailing #Sailing @AUSOlympicTeam pic.twitter.com/PWim8tYhkz
— Olympics (@Olympics) August 4, 2021
After a silver in Rio, it's redemption for the pair but also history for Belcher.
It's the third straight Olympics he's won a medal in the sailing, our only sailor to have ever won three medals.
He also won gold in London.
"I'm just so proud, you know Australia has such great success in sailing," Belcher said. "To have Malcolm here as well to do it the last ten years as well as, just over the moon. Just so happy to have the opportunity and just to perform like we knew we could with everything else that has just been happening in the last few years. Just so relieved we were able to get this medal."
It's the fourth straight medal Australia have won in the class since Beijing in 2008 when Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page combined to win gold.
Page and Belcher paired up in London 2012 to win gold as well, while Belcher and Ryan claimed silver in Rio and now gold.
It's also the last time the 470 class will be run at the Olympics with mixed classes coming in from the Paris 2024 Olympics.
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