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Tokyo Olympics live updates: Australia tipped to bounce back with huge medal haul

Australia is set to rebound from sub-par performances at the past two Olympics, with a medal predictor tipping a huge haul.

Nic SavageNic Savage
@nic_savage1
less than 2 min read
July 20, 2021 - 3:05PM
Aussie women to watch for at the Tokyo Olympics

Welcome to our live coverage of the lead-in to the Tokyo Olympics.

It's been an extra long journey for the thousands of athletes waiting to realise their dreams after the event was delayed a year because of Covid.

It will finally get underway with the opening ceremony on Friday night, but there have been daily hiccups for teams all over the world as the pandemic continues to hamper preparations.

Keep up to date with all the breaking news today.

Updates

Australian tipped for biggest gold medal haul since 2004 Athens Olympics

Australia is set to bounce back up the medal tally leaderboard in Tokyo.

At least that's the prediction of global technology firm Gracenote, which has released their final virtual medal table.

It believes Australia will win 16 gold medals and 40 medals overall.

If those lofty expectations are achieved, it would be the most gold medals won since Beijing in 2008 and the best overall result in Athens in 2004.

That would leave Australia sixth on the medal tally – a very solid result.

The high number of gold medals predicted relies heavily on our swimming team, which is brimming with young talent, performing well in the pool.

Gracenote predicts rising star Kaylee McKeown to win three gold medals and Cate Campbell, Emma McKeon, Ariarne Titmus and Elijah Winnington to come away with an individual gold each.

Cate Campbell is tipped to win her first individual Olympic gold medal (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)
Cate Campbell is tipped to win her first individual Olympic gold medal (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

However, it is definitely wise to temper take such medal predictions with a large grain of salt, as Australia's stars in the pool have performed below expectation at the past two Games.

Here's the breakdown of who Australia's gold medallists will be, according to Gracenote.

BMX: Logan Martin.
Canoe Slalom: Jessica Fox (women’s C1, women’s K1).
Rowing: Women’s fours.
Sailing: Matthew Wearns (men’s laser).
Shooting: James Willett, Laetisha Scanlan (mixed team trap).
Surfing: Sally Fitzgibbon (Women’s).
Swimming: Kaylee McKeown (Women’s 100m backstroke), Kaylee McKeown (Women’s 200m backstroke), Kaylee McKeown (women’s 200m individual medley; Emma McKeon (women’s 00m freestyle), Ariarne Titmus (women’s 200m freestyle), Australia (women’s 4 x 100m freestyle), Australia (mixed 4 x 100m freestyle), Elijah Winnington (men’s 400m freestyle), Cate Campbell (women’s 50m freestyle)

Australian Olympians officially put 'anti-sex' myth to bed

Some of Australia's Olympians have finally debunked the myth around the anti-sex beds in the Olympic village.

The beds the athletes will sleep on in Tokyo are made out of cardboard.

In theory, they can only support the weight of one person to prevent athletes from engaging in any funny business.

But that has been quickly disproved as the athletes arrive in the Olympic village.

Hockeyroos goalkeeper Rachael Lynch posted a photo of her and several teammates sitting and jumping on one of the beds.

"Following many questions about our cardboard beds, we thought we should put them to the test," she said.

"Can confirm they are strong enough for activities!"

Athletes have been quick to make a mockery of the beds.

Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan posted a video to social media debunking the belief the beds wouldn’t stand up to the action between the sheets.

“In today’s episode of fake news at the Olympic Games, the beds are meant to be anti-sex, they’re made out of cardboard yes, but apparently they’re meant to break under any sudden movements,” he said jumping on the bed. “It’s fake. Fake news.”

Athlete who fled Olympic training camp found

In dramatic news, a Ugandan athlete who fled his pre-Olympics training camp in western Japan last week has been found.

Weightlifter Julius Ssekitoleko was found in the Yokkaichi city, 170km east of the town where he had been training.

The 20-year-old is being interviewed by police in central Japan, as they seek answers as to why he decided to flee his hotel in Izumisano in the region of Osaka.

Ssekitoleko left his luggage behind as well as a note saying he didn't want to return to Uganda.

He didn't meet the Olympic standards according to the latest international rankings released after he arrived in Japan and was supposed to go back to Uganda last week.

Olympics announce a new motto

The International Olympic Committee has announced a new official motto just days out from the Tokyo Games.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the IOC agreed to change the motto to "Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together".

The new slogan is a slight tweak on the version proposed by Olympic pioneer Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 of "Citius, Altius, Fortius" in Latin, translated to "Faster, Higher, Stronger".

The word "together" has been added after a hypen to the previous motto.

The suggestion to change the motto was made earlier this year by IOC President Thomas Bach, who believed the modification should be made in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I made this proposal to express this need of solidarity to become faster, to be able to aim higher, to become stronger, for this we need to be together, it means we need solidarity," Bach had said during an IOC session in March.

Two more Olympic athletes test positive to Covid-19

Two players on Mexico's Olympic baseball team tested positive for Covid-19.

The two players are pitches Héctor Velázquez and Sammy Solís.

Fortunately, they tested positive prior their schedule departure to Tokyo, according to the Mexican Baseball League.

Both were asymptomatic and were placed in hotel quarantine immediately after receiving their test results.

Other players and team coaching staff were also put into isolation until they receive negative test results.

A training session in Mexico City was cancelled following the outbreak and the baseball team will leave Mexico for Tokyo on Wednesday as previously planned.

Velázquez and Sammy Solís add to the list of athletes due to compete at the Olympics who have tested positive to Covid-19.

Several athletes have been forced to abandon their Olympic dreams, including Australian tennis player Alex De Minaur, US women's gymnastics team alternate Kara Eaker and US women's baseball team member Katie Lou Samuelson.

American basketballers Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine did not board Team USA's flight to Tokyo after being forced into Covid-19 health and safety protocols.

Ash Barty's surprising decision in Tokyo

Just over a week after her triumph at Wimbledon, Ash Barty has touched down in Tokyo ahead of her Olympic campaign.

But the world No. 1 has surprised fans by deciding not to stay in the Olympic village during the Games.

Many had assumed she would stay at the village, but she has opted to spend her time in Tokyo at a residence away from the village.

Barty's decision has the full backing of the Australian Olympic Committee.

"Ash is staying elsewhere," Australia's chef de mission Ian Chesterman told reporters.

Ash Barty has made the surprising decision not to stay at the Olympic village in Tokyo.
Ash Barty has made the surprising decision not to stay at the Olympic village in Tokyo.

"We have a number of athletes staying outside the village. We allow that, it's just what works best for them.

"Something I've always been very big on is driving performance takes a whole lot of flexible decisions, flexible options.

"In terms of her performance plan, it's best served by her being able to control her environment and we respect that."

But Barty did have time to visit Australia's team base at the Olympic village and have a coffee.

The 25-year-old will be a major contender for the gold medal in the tennis, especially after the likes of Simona Halep, Serena Williams, Bianca Andreescu, Sofia Kenin, Victoria Azarenka, Angelique Kerber and Coco Gauff pulled out for various reasons.

Six Polish swimmers have voiced their anger after returning from Japan before the Olympics started after the Polish Swimming Federation sent too many athletes because of an administrative error.

PZP director Pawel Slominski admitted the mistake but said it had been motivated by a desire to “allow as many athletes and coaches as possible to take part”.

Alicja Tchorz, Bartosz Piszczorowicz, Aleksandra Polanska, Mateusz Chowaniec, Dominika Kossakowska and Jan Holub returned to Poland on Sunday, threatening legal action and calling for the head of the federation to resign over the incident.

Alicja Tchórz and Bartosz Piszczorowicz are among the Polish swimmers sent home. Pictures: Instagram
Alicja Tchórz and Bartosz Piszczorowicz are among the Polish swimmers sent home. Pictures: Instagram

Tchorz wrote on Facebook: “Imagine dedicating five years of your life and striving for another start at the most important sporting event, giving up your private life and work, sacrificing your family.

“Your dedication is fruitful with a total flop. Six days before the grand finale, it turns out that you were denied your dreams because of the incompetence of third parties.
“It's hard to gather your thoughts, and there are a few hours left to pack your suitcase.”

In an Instagram post, Chowaniec said he was “deeply shocked” by the bungle.

“This is an absurd situation for me that should never have happened,” he wrote.

“In fact, I hope to wake up from this nightmare eventually!”
A letter signed by most of the Polish swimming team called for the Polish Swimming Federation board to resign.

"Polish swimming – both in the eyes of the public and potential sponsors – has been exposed as a laughing stock, and it will have a glaring effect on all competitors who compete in the white and red colours on a daily basis," the letter said.

"We appeal to the president and the entire board to resign immediately."

– with AFP

Tight first round for Garside

Australian tennis star John Millman has shared a snap of him preparing for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

After Alex de Minaur was forced to withdraw from the Olympics due to a Covid-19 infection, Millman is Australia's highest-ranked men's player in Tokyo.

The first round of the men's singles competition starts on Saturday.

Olympic icon Usain Bolt has slammed the “laughable” and “unfair” advances in spike technology which threaten his world records.

The introduction of carbon-plated, thick-soled shoes saw distance runners topple several records recently, and Bolt’s sprint records could suffer the same fate in Tokyo.

“When I was told about it I couldn’t believe that this is what we have gone to, you know what I mean, that we are really adjusting the spikes to a level where it’s now giving athletes an advantage to run even faster,” the eight-time Olympic champion told Reuters.

“It’s weird and unfair for a lot of athletes because I know that in the past they (shoe companies) actually tried and the governing body said ‘no, you can’t change the spikes’, so to know that now they are actually doing it, it’s laughable.”

Bolt used Puma spikes throughout his stellar career, during which he won gold in the 100m events at the 2008 Beijing Games, 2012 London Games and 2016 Rio Games.

American sprinter Trayvon Bromell is the favourite to clinch gold in the 100m event at Tokyo.

The Australian women's softball team has arrived at Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium one day before they face Japan in the first event of the Tokyo Olympics.

The Aussie Spirit caught a bullet train to Fukushima on Monday ahead of their competition opener against the hosts.

Japan will take on Australia on Wednesday morning at 10am AEST (9am local time).

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