Competing in the first Games of her career, Biles became the first woman in 20 years to win consecutive world and Olympic all-around titles. And I showed it today and I’m so proud, and I’m so excited that I won my third gold medal.
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Mykyta Nesterenko of Ukraine kicked it off in front of a quarter-filled Olympic stadium with the first discus throw in men’s qualifying.
New Zealand led early in the race but Britain surged back.
The action comes thick and fast with medal events in athletics, swimming and track cycling – and they feature some of the biggest global sporting stars.
Saturday could be Michael Phelps’s last time in an Olympic competition.
The Pacific Island nation erupted with joy Friday after its rugby sevens team crushed Britain 43-7 in final in Rio de Janeiro.
The women’s heptathlon is underway, too, with the 100-meter hurdles.
Even before Saturday’s victory, Puig already was assured of being the first woman representing Puerto Rico to earn a medal of any color at any Olympics. The USA would like to have three in the final (English Gardner, Tori Bowie, Tianna Bartoletta) where they will face two-time defending champ Shelly-Ann Frayser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson of Jamaica and Dafne Schippers of Netherlands. American Justin Gatlin is considered the best threat to stop him.
Russian boxer Evgeny Tishchenko is through to the men’s Olympic heavyweight boxing final after defeating Uzbek rival Rustam Tulaganov in a unanimous decision.
“For the first time since 1968” – how cool does that sound?
To underscore the United States’ status as the Olympics undisputed superpower, at the current rate of winning medals (going back to 2000) it will take nearly a century and 21 more Summer Games for the next nation to reach the 1,000 gold plateau, with China finally hitting the mark in 2100. Just sharing that with three other women is the icing on top of the cake and I could not have done this without the relay swimmers, the coaches. Ledecky is seeking to sweep the 200, 400 and 800 meter freestyles for the first time since the 1968 Mexico City Games. “I never thought I would be in this position but I’m so blessed and honored on the medal stand”, said Manuel. Also: Team USA vs. Hungary in a women’s water polo prelim and finals in rowing.
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Kazikov says only one flag was involved and perhaps it was “the fault of a cleaner” rather than an anti-Russian conspiracy.
