American Ginny Thrasher did not qualify for the finals and finished 11th after winning the first gold medal of the Rio Games in air rifle last Saturday. “We have such great depth in the U.S.in swimming, and it’s something we take great pride in”. The 19-year-old American was almost seven seconds faster than anyone else. She already has won the 100 back, along with the 200 and 400 individual medleys. Nadal also reached the semifinals in his bid for a second Olympic singles gold, overcoming his Brazilian opponent and a racous, flag-waving home crowd.
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A victory by Stenson or the likes of Bubba Watson or Rickie Fowler would satisfy the need for competitive continuity and the perceived notion that the game’s best need to deliver on the biggest stage; while a silver or bronze medal for a player like da Silva from a nation where the game is struggling to establish a foothold would add substance to the notion that golf in the Olympics is the most promising “grow the game” initiative since metal replaced wood as the desired material for golf clubs. Meet the athletes who will be competing in Rio.
Phelps qualified fourth fastest in 51.60 seconds for the 100 fly.
There are six sprinters to watch: Elaine Thompson of Jamaica, Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast, Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands and Americans English Gardner, Tianna Bartoletta and Tori Bowie. The man to beat in the 800 meters is David Rudisha of Kenya, who holds the world and Olympic records.
“Our Olympian and Paralympic athletes should be anxious about breaking world records, not breaking the bank, when they earn a medal”.
Jamaica’s Yohan Blake wins the sixth heat in men’s 100m with a time of 10.11 seconds. “She was in the very first heat”.
In the 400, Rio fans will get a first look at American LaShawn Merritt, South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk and Grenada’s Kirani James.
Meanwhile, two women will each be seeking a third consecutive gold. Finals are at 10:50 a.m. and Piotr Malachowski, of Poland, Philip Milanov, Belgium, and Christoph Harting, Germany, are favorites to medal. Now, the 31-year-old will return to Arizona with his fiancée and their 3-month-old son, Boomer, and settle into fatherhood.
New Zealand shot putter Valerie Adams, meanwhile, seeks a comeback from elbow and shoulder surgery.
Katie Ledecky’s strong final leg helped the US women win the 4×200 freestyle relay over silver medalist Australia. But the USA team lost to Fiji 24-19, their second heartbreaking loss, sandwiched around a shutout of host Brazil.
The German hit 9.0 on her final shot, but had just enough cushion to edge China’s Zhang Binbin for gold in women’s 3-position rifle. In the process, she also became the first Filipino woman to ever win an Olympic medal.
A day earlier, Japan’s Kohei Uchimura added to his unbelievable record in the individual all around: He won the worlds in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and was the defending gold medalist.
At the top of the bill is the 8 p.m. match, with Brazil vs. Colombia. Led by standout striker Marta, the Brazilians will surely be eager for revenge, since Australia knocked them out of the Women’s World Cup a year ago.
Defending champion Mexico was eliminated from the men’s soccer tournament with a 1-0 loss to South Korea.
The U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team is used to it. It’s the first U.S men’s team to fail to advance out of pool play since the 2004 Games in Athens.
In mixed doubles, Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram of the US face Italy’s Roberta Vinci and Fabio Fognini.
BRONZE BOXER – Nico Hernandez’s chance for a gold medal ended Friday when he lost to Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusmatov. Justin Rose made what is believed to be the first hole-in-one. The women’s final is at 8:15 p.m. and the men’s are held at 8:45 p.m.
Italian Daniele Garozzo stunned top-ranked American Alexander Massialas to win the individual gold Sunday.
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Defending Olympic champion Missy Franklin failed to make it through the semi-final of her 200m backstroke, finishing seventh in the final heat.
