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Charlotte Dujardin makes history with fifth Olympic medal - as Bianca Walkden left 'dead inside' at bronze

tokyo 2020 live news taekwondo gymnastics equestrian dressage bronze  -  Danny Lawson/PA Wire
tokyo 2020 live news taekwondo gymnastics equestrian dressage bronze - Danny Lawson/PA Wire

It was not the way she would have wished to mark it, but Charlotte Dujardin is now officially Britain's most decorated female Olympian.

The medal she won here in the team dressage took her tally to five, level with Dame Katherine Grainger and Kathleen McKane Godfree; the disappointment was its colour. Dujardin and her team-mates had to settle for a bronze, as they failed to match either the gold they had won in London or the silver they accrued in Rio.

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It took a long evening of dressage to arrive at a conclusion that was obvious from the moment the first German bounced into the parade ring: but when it comes to bringing out the dancing horses, the Germans are currently simply the best.

Team GB, with Dujardin supported by her long-time mentor Carl Hester and the Olympic debutant Charlotte Fry, did their best to keep up but ended up outclassed. By the end, the gap was so substantial it required binoculars to see the tail of any of the German horses.

This is the most esoteric of Olympic sports, a specialist environment for those with an intricate knowledge of Spanish walks, extended trots and pirouettes. Even though, beyond the teams and officials, there was nobody invited along to see, the hosts had gone to town to provide a fitting backdrop, updating the magnificent stadium built for the 1964 iteration of the Games.

The judges, as is tradition, were dotted round the ring in small huts, each surrounded with flowers. Behind them had been installed a couple of miniature stone circles, a bonsai Stonehenge in fact, giving the proceedings the air of a scene from the movie This Is Spinal Tap. It was not entirely clear why.

What did become quickly evident was that each of the 24 riders, representing the world’s eight leading dressage nations, was required to perform the same routine, accruing points for how well they negotiated each of the expected manoeuvres. 24 riders doing exactly the same thing: no wonder there is an hour long interval midway through, everyone in the arena was in urgent need of a revivifying coffee.

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl of Germany  - REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl of Germany - REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

Part of the pleasure to be gleaned from the relentless Groundhog Day activity was working out which mangled hit tune the riders had chosen for their dance routine. Spain’s Jose Antonio Garcia Mena on Divina Royal was dancing to an easy listening version of Queen’s Radio Gaga, while the American Steffan Peters rode Suppenkasper to a version of Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars he had apparently borrowed from his hotel lift.

It was perhaps telling that the magnificent German rider Isabell Wirth chose to prance round to a classy montage of Beethoven. The horse names, meanwhile, seem to have advanced from the days when showjumping ponies were named after double glazing companies; the Dutch horses, for instance, appeared to have been named after the messages in a packet of Love Hearts: Go Legend, Dream Boy and Total Us.

For Britain, Hester was the first into the arena aboard his horse En Vogue and immediately appeared on top form, scoring 80 per cent just for his entry. Exercising lovely control of his jogs and skips, his horse’s rhythm was evident for all to see. Especially the judges, who marked him higher than anyone yet to take to the arena. And this despite him being accompanied on his round by an orchestral version of Easy Lover by Phil Collins.

Carl Hester of Britain on his horse En Vogue - REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
Carl Hester of Britain on his horse En Vogue - REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

Though his ride was put into immediate context by the German Dorothee Schneider on Showtime FRH, who followed him and bettered him at every turn. This was quickly boiling down to a GB v Germany scrap. And unfortunately for those watching in Britain, Fry, her feet constantly moving as they communicated information to her horse, was not able to claw back the German lead.

After a nervy early error - a break to canter in the extended trot transition since you are asking - she performed creditably. But the world No 1 Isabell Werth followed her and, moving across the arena with considerable aplomb, only expanded the gap. If this wasn’t dressage you would say the Germans were running away with it. In dressage, however, they were prancing and dancing away with it.

It all meant that unless Britain’s final rider Dujardin delivered something extraordinary, the team was now heading for silver at best. And even that was a tough ask after the American Sabine Schut-Kery produced a round that was almost German in its application. Basically Britain now required snookers to achieve what they had on home turf in 2012.

Charlotte Dujardin - PAUL GROVER FOR THE TELEGRAPH
Charlotte Dujardin - PAUL GROVER FOR THE TELEGRAPH

Dujardin began smooth, elastic, perfectly coordinated. But her routine slipped as her horse seemed to be cowed by the pressure, the scoreboard demonstrating she was not only off the Germans, but falling behind the Americans too. Ultimately bronze it was.

With the individual competition arriving on Wednesday, she could yet go one better than Grainger and Godfree. Indeed she could add to the three golds already banked in a stellar career. Though to do so, she will be hoping the Germans are still celebrating this victory.

Taekwondo chief defends approach as Walkden feels 'dead inside' after settling for bronze

By Pippa Field in Tokyo

GB Taekwondo’s performance director stood by his team’s “fight at all cost” approach despite Bianca Walkden saying she felt “dead inside” by having to settle for bronze.

Walkden became the third British taekwondo fighter chasing the chance of gold to fall victim to an agonising last-gasp defeat in Tokyo, her +67kg semi-final lead over South Korea’s Lee Da-bin wiped out in the very last second by a controversial head-kick.

It was the cruellest of blows for the Liverpudlian - who had experienced similar heartache in Rio five years ago, losing on golden point - and she had to replay the painful moment in her mind for just shy of five hours before coming back to the mat and deservedly beating Poland’s Aleksandra Kowalczuk to a second consecutive Olympic bronze.

“It's a medal, just not the colour I wanted, I might paint it over when I get it home, no-one has to know. I feel a little bit dead inside and it's killing me,” the tearful 29-year-old said afterwards.

Walkden’s bronze added to silvers won by Olympic debutants Bradly Sinden and Lauren Williams - meeting the sport’s medal target for the Games - but as Gary Hall acknowledged, it could easily have been three titles.

Bianca Walkden (red) claimed the bronze medal - TASS VIA GETTY IMAGES
Bianca Walkden (red) claimed the bronze medal - TASS VIA GETTY IMAGES

On Sunday, Sinden lost his grip on gold in his -68kg final with eight seconds left while 24 hours later Williams suffered a similar fate, this time with 10 seconds remaining of her -67kg final. Even Mahama Cho would lose his opening +80kg fight yesterday by golden point.

But Hall rejected suggestions his fighters should have taken a more defensive approach. While ultimately the individual’s choice as they head into “computer mode” in the last 10 seconds, taking risks, he said, was a key part of the team ethos, and a strategy he “massively endorsed”.

“The rules say that if you back off then you are going to lose a point and if you back off you also give your opposition even more of a margin to come for it. You are inviting pressure at a crucial time,” he said. “We have four key values: commitment, ownership, responsibility and excellence. We have a DNA in our fight game and our fight game is to win. Fight at all costs, die trying and give everything that you can.

“When it comes to those close moments, we don't stand around and try and close it off with defence, we don't believe having looked at the statistics and through the analysis we make that it is the right way.”

Walkden echoed Hall saying she was “an attacker” who was not going to hold back. “More people are realising how fast taekwondo is, it's not a coincidence or a curse,” she said. “Everyone fights to the end, that should showcase the sport and show how quick and dynamic it is."

Hall also acknowledged that Covid, while galvanising the team, had restricted the experiences his fighters had gained of making crucial decisions at the dying moment. “Even though we had training partners, sparring partners, competitions of a level to go to, we didn't get enough of that and that was probably where the margin is. If you haven't been into battle for 18 months, at this level, it can have an impact.”

Walkden's semi-final defeat, after a head-kick move Hall suggested Lee could have been penalised for due to holding on, left the triple world champion spreadeagled on the floor in despair for several moments.

During the agonising wait for her bronze medal fight, Walkden spent time with best friend Jade Jones, who herself suffered a shock opening round defeat on Sunday chasing a third Olympic gold, and boyfriend and sparring partner Aaron Cook.

Their words of advice seemed to do the trick as she put in a composed performance against the Pole, before eventually celebrating, albeit initially reluctantly, with a somersault and the British flag.

“I wanted to come out and be a true champion like I train for every day, I wanted to stand there with my head held high and fight no matter what," she said. "I didn't want to run around with the flag afterwards but I wanted to say thank you to all the people involved."

GB turn ire on home unions after comeback seals semi-final spot

By Tom Cary, Senior Sports Correspondent, in Tokyo

GB sevens player Robbie Fergusson hit out at rugby's home unions after Britain secured a dramatic and highly controversial comeback win over the United States on Tuesday to advance to a semi-final clash with New Zealand.

Fergusson said he and his team mates were “fighting for their jobs” in Japan and challenged the home unions to sit up and notice what they were doing.

Britain's sevens team have had a torrid build-up to these Games, with many of them made redundant last year due to cuts during the pandemic.

The National Lottery stepped in just before Christmas with a funding package for the 2021 season. But Fergusson said the majority of his team-mates still had no idea what the future held post-Tokyo2 020.

GB’s hopes of a medal in Japan were nearly ended by the US at Tokyo Stadium on Tuesday. They were staring down the barrel after five minutes, 21-0 behind on the scoreboard and with their talismanic captain Tom Mitchell having limped off with what looked like a foot injury.

But they managed to turn the game around brilliantly. Ollie Lindsay-Hague crossed just before half-time to make it 21-7. And after the USA were temporarily reduced to six men early in the second half, further tries from Ben Harris, Alex Davis and record scorer Dan Norton saw GB go 26-21 up.

Joe Schroeder, left, and Danny Barrett of the United States rest on the pitch after Britain's Ollie Lindsay-Hague - AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama
Joe Schroeder, left, and Danny Barrett of the United States rest on the pitch after Britain's Ollie Lindsay-Hague - AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama

Even then, there was late drama. A missed conversion by GB meant they were only five points rather than seven points ahead, and Harry Glover was extremely fortunate not to concede a late penalty for contesting a breakdown off his feet as the USA went hunting for what could have been a match-winning try.

The decision from referee James Doleman prompted a bit of pushing and shoving, but the reaction from the British players at the final whistle said it all.

"I'm struggling to keep myself together at the moment," said Norton. "To dig that deep, it's mental. There are a lot of tears of joy being shed at the moment. We're just happy to be another step closer."

Fergusson, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013, admitted their heightened emotions also had to do with the uncertainty they faced over their futures.

"The majority of the boys, after 6 Aug, don’t know what they’re doing. We are doing what we can to fight for our jobs. We are now in an Olympic semi, so if the unions don’t notice that, they won’t notice anything."

Day four afternoon and evening sessions as they happened

01:48 PM

Quarter-final line-ups for the women's football

Canada vs Brazil at 9am BST on Friday July 30

GB vs Australia at 10am BST on Friday

Sweden vs Japan at 11am on Friday

Netherlands vs US at noon on Friday


01:37 PM

Dujardin becomes joint most decorated GB woman Olympian

Charlotte Dujardin won a record-equalling fifth Olympic medal as Great Britain's dressage team took bronze in the team final at Tokyo Equestrian Park.

Dujardin, the reigning individual dressage champion, Carl Hester and Charlotte Fry finished third behind Olympic title holders Germany and runners-up the United States.

It was Britain's third successive Olympic team medal in the sport, while 36-year-old Dujardin matched the best Olympic medal haul for a British woman of five achieved by rower Dame Katherine Grainger.

Dujardin, riding major championship debutant Gio, anchored the British team's performance, posting a score of 2617 points for third place, just 24 points overall behind the United States.

Hester, the oldest member of Team GB at 54 and contesting his sixth Games, scored 2577.5 with En Vogue.

And 25-year-old Fry, whose late mother Laura competed for Great Britain at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, registered 2528.5 aboard Everdale.

Germany made it nine team crowns from the last 10 Olympics as a powerhouse trio of Isabell Werth, Jessica Von Bredow-Werndl and Dorothee Schneider triumphed.

PA


01:17 PM

Dressage result

Germany wins gold, USA silver and Great Britain bronze.

Jessica von Bredow-Wendl on Dalera made one mistake, 'droppings at the beginning of the one-time', but that apart the Germany team have won a comprehensive victory, a 14th team gold in Olympic history. Germany's final score was 8178, 401 points ahead of USA and 428 in front of GB.


01:09 PM

Dressage - Team GB guaranteed to win at least bronze

Charlotte Dujardin used all her experience to drag Team GB into the medal positions in the Grand Prix dressage. Team GB had a slender lead over the USA heading in to last round, but that lead was relinquished by the inexperienced horse Gio.

There were a couple of small but notable mistakes from Gio in the middle phases, but Dujardin showed her experience to start and finish very strongly, guiding the young horse through some testy moments.

Team GB finished on 7723.0, just 24 points behind the USA. The Germans are still to ride, but will likely vault bth nations due to their phenomenal performances in rounds 1 and 2.

tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - CHRISTIAN BRUNA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock /Shutterstock
tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - CHRISTIAN BRUNA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock /Shutterstock

12:58 PM

Dressage - Charlotte Dujardin takes the stage

It's going to take a strong performance from the reigning Olympic champion just to secure the silver medal. The USA have fought valiantly and have posted very competitive total that Dujardin will have to work hard to best. We'll bring you the result as soon as we have it...


12:54 PM

Gymnastics - Team GB win bronze

Over in the artistic gymnastics women's team final, where the day has been dominated by the mysterious withdrawal of Simone Biles, Team GB have quietly plugged away and claimed the bronze medal.

You can keep up to date with all the developments with my colleagues Thom Gibbs and Molly McElwee here.


12:51 PM

Fencing - Estonia wins first gold medal in 13 years

AP.

Estonia has its first Olympic gold medal in 13 years after Katrina Lehis sealed a tense 36-32 victory over South Korea in the final of women's team epee fencing.

Individual bronze medalist Lehis was up against No. 2-ranked Choi Injeong in the last bout with scores tied and won 10-6 to take the gold.

The last time Estonia won an Olympic event was in 2008 when Gerd Kanter took the men's discus throw.

Italy beat China 23-21 to win the bronze.


12:35 PM

Weightlifting - Sarah Davies finishes fifth

Team GB athlete Sarah Davies has fallen agonisingly short of the medal positions, lifting 127kg on the clean and jerk, taking her total score to 227kg.

That's enough to take her past the Colombia Mercedes Perez, who also lifted a combined 227kg, but left her 3kg shy of the bronze medal spot, occupied by Chen Wen-Huei on Taipei.

Canadian Maude Charron currently led the field, lifting a combined 236kg to take home gold.

tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - EDGARD GARRIDO /REUTERS
tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - EDGARD GARRIDO /REUTERS

12:15 PM

Taekwondo - Bianca Walkden secures bronze

Not the highest quality match we've seen today, but Bianca Walkden won't mind as she battled her way to a bronze medal in the women's +67kg bracket.

Pole Aleksandra Kowalczuk looked a little lost and couldn't find her range with her attacking kicks. Walkden moved expertly round the mat and avoided any late drama to secure a 7-3 win.

Walkden established an early advantage with three single-shot punches, taking a two-point lead into the second round, but Kowalczuk claimed the only point of the next stanza to reduce the Brit's lead to 4-3 going into the last.

Walkden restored her two-point lead with a shot to the body, then a two-point kick helped her pull clear to 7-3 going into the final minute of the contest - and it was an advantage that this time she would not surrender.

tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Maja Hitij /Getty Images Europe 
tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Maja Hitij /Getty Images Europe

12:09 PM

Taekwondo - Walkden two minutes away from bronze

Walkden is battling away here and is doing admirably to put the disappointment from earlier today behind her. It's been a fairly tepid affair so far, but the Brit holds a very narrow 4-3 lead. Walkden has yet to give away a penalty point so far, something that cost her in the semi-final earlier.


12:06 PM

Taekwondo - Bianca Walkden goes for bronze

The Brit has an early lead in round 1, as she faces off against Pole Aleksandra Kowalczuk. Walkden landed a couple of effective body kicks to take a 4-2 advantage.


11:54 AM

Two gold medals in the bag - now Adam Peaty looks to complete ‘Project Immortal’

Having secured his place among Britain’s Olympic greats, Peaty has admitted he’s already looking ahead to Paris 2024, reports our Chief Sports Reporter Jeremy Wilson.

First, there was 'Project Rio'. Next came 'Project 56' and now, unfolding before our eyes, we have what is already being described as 'Project Immortal'.

Quite where that might take Adam Peaty among the pantheon of sporting legends remains to be seen but, after winning a second Olympic 100 metre breaststroke title on Monday morning, it took only about two hours for the conversation to leap forward.

Great athletes do invariably move swiftly from triumph to next target and, while Peaty will fight that urge in favour of precious family time, his mind could not help but wander. “As soon as I stop having fun, I’ll stop – I’m still having fun,” he said. “We are targeting Paris. Anything after that is a bonus. It’s how young you keep your mind.”

Peaty is now the only Briton to have won back-to-back Olympic swimming titles in the same event. He will also be well aware that no breaststroker from any nation has ever won Olympic gold three times in a row.

You can read more of Jeremy's report on the remarkable swimmer here.


11:44 AM

Weightlifting - Sarah Davies successfully snatches 100kg

Over in the weightlifting, another Team GB medal hopeful Sarah Davies has got her campaign in the Women's 64kg category underway with a successful snatch of 100kg.

She will now have three attempts on the clean and jerk to establish a medal-winning total. For reference, the snatch leaders clocked a score of 105kg.

tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Chris Graythen /Getty Images AsiaPac 
tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Chris Graythen /Getty Images AsiaPac

11:37 AM

Gymnastics - Simone Biles out of team final

Major developments happening over in the gymnastics hall - Simone Biles, one of the faces of this Olympic Games, has been ruled out of the remainder of this team final, with an apparent injury.

Join my colleagues Molly McElwee and Thom Gibbs on our dedicated live blog here for all the latest updates.


11:35 AM

Weightlifting - Polina Guryeva makes history with Turkmenistan's first medal

Reuters.

Weightlifter Polina Guryeva made history on Tuesday as Turkmenistan's first Olympic medallist and, as the shock sank in, began wondering how she might cope with the hero's welcome she is anticipating back home.

A former gymnast and a first-time Olympian, Guryeva won silver in the -59kg class, behind her idol, Taiwan's Kuo Hsing-Chun, who broke Olympic records in all three of the event's categories.

"It's the first medal, and it's me who won it," an overwhelmed Guryeva told reporters at the Tokyo International Forum. "I think I've made myself a name in the history of Turkmenistan... I'm so shocked."

Guryeva said she had found it hard to adapt to the -59kg category, having dropped down from -64kg last year.

"That's how I had the chance to come to the Olympics. It was so hard. I tried and trained so hard," she said, adding that she had used Kuo as a inspiration.

"I like everything about her, I like the technique, how she trains. I want to be like her in the future."

Part of the Soviet Union during most of the 20th century, Turkmenistan declared independence in 1991 and is run by its president as an autocracy.

Guryeva's homecoming is likely to be celebrated in style, a prospect that the 21-year old is only just beginning to come to terms with.

"What am I going to do? I don't know. I'm going to be in shock throughout."


11:29 AM

Gymnastics - Bizarre incident with Simone Biles

One of the greatest Olympians of all-time is suffering in the women's artistic gymnastics team final. After completely misjudging her jump on the vault, she landed awkwardly and has now removed her grips and put on her tracksuit.

She initially walked off from the arena but returned. She has now been ruled out of the uneven bars and reportedly has her foot strapped up .

Get the latest details on our dedicated live blog with my colleague Molly McElwee here.


11:19 AM

Swimming - Jacob Whittle wins 100m freestyle heat

Brit Jacob Whittle has won his 100m freestyle swimming heat to advance through to the next round at the Olympics. Whittle produced a controlled-display, coming from last place at the split to win by a comfortable margin.


11:16 AM

Echoes of Mike Tyson as Moroccan boxer tries to bite opponent's ear in round-of-16 bout

Youness Baalla was losing to New Zealand's David Nyika when he tried to take a chunk out of his ear on way to a points defeat in Tokyo, reports Tom Morgan.

A Moroccan boxer lost his cool and attempted to bite his heavyweight opponent's ear in the Olympic boxing tournament in an echo of Mike Tyson's notorious clash with Evander Holyfield in 1997.

Youness Baalla was already losing to David Nyika when he attempted to bite the right-hand side of his New Zealand opponent's face.

Baalla failed to make an impact with his teeth and the incident was not spotted by the officials, with Nyika going on to win 5-0. But the boxing task force, who are running the tournament, later disqualified the Moroccan for unsportsmanlike behaviour.

"He didn't get a full mouthful," Nyika, 25, explained. "Luckily he had his mouthguard in and I was a bit sweaty. I don't remember what I said to him but I gave him a little bit of a cheek. I have been bitten once on the chest before at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. But c'mon man this is the Olympics."

You can read more on the bizarre incident here.


11:08 AM

Dressage - Brilliant Germans hold sizeable lead heading in to final round

As strong as the British challenge has been today, it seems as though only a Dujardin miracle will bring home a gold medal. The reigning champions Germany have been utterly imperious through the first two rounds and hold a 286.5 point lead.

Isabell Werth on Bella Rosa, prancing to Ode to Joy, delivered another clinical yet majestic ride for the Germans, who look nailed on to retain their title.

Team GB may well be looking over their shoulder a little at the USA, who occupy the bronze medal position as things stands, as they are just 43.5 points behind.

tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - PAUL GROVER /THE TELEGRAPH
tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - PAUL GROVER /THE TELEGRAPH

10:58 AM

Tennis - Murray & Salisbury, Broady march into round three

by Pippa Field in Tokyo.

Britain continued the tennis medal charge on two fronts after wins for Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury in the men's doubles followed by a career-best result for singles player Liam Broady.

Murray was originally meant to be competing on two fronts in Tokyo but a minor thigh strain saw the two-time singles champion prioritise his doubles act alongside new partner Salisbury.

After an impressive opening round win over the second seeds, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, the two backed it up with another smooth performance against German duo Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz, winning 6-2 7-6 (2) to set up a quarter-final clash with Croatian pair Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig.

Asked for a fitness update, Murray was positive in his assessment, saying it had not affected him in his two matches but explained his first priority was keeping his word to Salisbury, and so he had to ditch his singles bid.

"It was very disappointing because I prepared well, was feeling good again and then just had something showing up on the scans that we weren't too happy with," said Murray. "When we spoke about playing, I told Joe if I had any physical issues that I'd prioritise the doubles over singles, that's why I made the decision to stick just with the doubles."

"I would have been annoyed with myself if I'd taken the decision to play with the issue that I had, made it worse, lost my singles and then not been able to perform well in the doubles. I think physically I'll be OK for the rest of the tournament but I'll need to take a break afterwards."

tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Clive Brunskill /Getty Images AsiaPac 
tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Clive Brunskill /Getty Images AsiaPac

Meanwhile Broady continued to make the most of his surprise late call up for Covid-struck Dan Evans by securing the biggest win of his career against Polish seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz.

The 27-year-old, ranked 131 places lower than his opponent, edged a three-set thriller against this year's Wimbledon semi-finalist, winning 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the third round where he will face Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.

Commenting on his win, Broady said: "It helped having watched Hubert a lot over the last couple of years. The team put together a few clips for me on how he plays lefties to get a rough idea about how he plays. That helped a lot, with being more comfortable out there with his game and what to expect.

"It's obviously a career-best and a career high moment, to come in and represent Team GB at the Olympics. It can't have gone any better."


10:48 AM

Dressage - Charlotte Fry delivers excellent display

Charlotte Fry turned in another magnificent display for Team GB in the dressage arena, scoring 2,528.5. That score puts Team GB back on top and piles the pressure on the Germans, who are the only team left to complete round 2.

GB currently sit on a total score of 5,106.0, 43.5 points ahead of the second placed United States. We'll bring you the standings at the end of round 2 once the Germans have produced their second display of pageantry.


10:40 AM

Broadcasters beset by more gremlins

by Tom Morgan in Tokyo.

The broadcasters have been hit by more gremlins in the system in Tokyo - with the wrong commentary broadcast for Eurosport's two women's football matches.

In a trouble-hit opening four-days for coverage, sound was swapped in error for Sweden's game against New Zealand and USA's clash with Australia.

It is the second time in four days the broadcaster has managed to feature the wrong sound for women's football. On Saturday, the match between Sweden and Australia on Eurosport 5 also featured an extended period when audio was broadcast from a boxing bout.

The BBC also annoyed some viewers on Tuesday by showing the rugby sevens and badminton instead of billed coverage of the team dressage final.

Corporation chiefs had earlier acknowledged the "frustrations" of their viewers over the corporation's scaled-down coverage at these Games.

Viewers have bombarded the broadcaster with complaints as it is now only able to screen two live events due to a new deal with American giant Discovery.

Ron Chakraborty, who leads major events at BBC Sport, blamed the shackles of the IOC's new rights arrangements, as he said "we need to be agile and will often have to make difficult decisions".

Anger intensified on Sunday when BBC One missed Team GB's Chelsie Giles winning the first medal of their Games.

Sources close to rights sub-licensing arrangement with Discovery confirmed that had been "an editorial rather than contractual" omission, and Chakraborty on Tuesday laid bare the challenges the broadcaster now faces.

Acknowledging criticism for the first time, he suggested wall-to-wall coverage in recent Games had raised expectations for the BBC.

"We know that our audiences love the Olympics and we set a high bar for ourselves with our London 2012 coverage and since we began on Friday, there’s been lots of noise around our perceived lack of coverage for the Tokyo Games," he said. "Whilst we’d love to still have 24 live streams and our ‘never miss a moment’ offer from London and Rio in 2016, our new rights deal simply doesn’t allow it."

The BBC had controversially lost automatic hosting rights in 2015 after the International Olympic Committee allowed American giant Discovery to table a £920million offer which blew rivals out of the water.

"The result for all European broadcasters was less coverage of the Games, and for us, it means that we’re allowed two live streams - one on BBC One and one that is available to play out on BBC iPlayer, red button and the BBC Sport website," Chakraborty said.

It has taken a while for the Olympics to capture the British public's imagination. Telegraph Sport understands 2.4million tuned in to watch BBC highlights of Friday's ceremony, an historic low. By Saturday morning, 2.7million were watching the men’s road race on BBC One.

Eurosport, meanwhile, had previously explained "we been experiencing some technical challenges and we are working to rectify the situation as a matter of urgency”.


10:31 AM

Football - Team GB to face Canada at noon

Also, at the top of the hour, Team GB's women football team are in action, as they play out their final Pool E match against Canada.

Hege Riise's side have already qualified for the quarter-finals after winning their opening two matches against Chile and hosts Japan.

My colleague Fiona Tomas is on hand to guide you through this match and you can follow all the minute-by-minute action with her over on our dedicated live blog here.


10:23 AM

Gymnastics - Simone Biles and Team GB compete for gold in women's final

The women's artistic gymnastics team final is due to get under way in about 20 minutes time. You can follow along with all the action on our dedicated live blog, which is being run by my colleague Molly McElwee.

It may be the team finals, but it will be all eyes on Simone Biles as the USA aim to defend their Olympic title this morning.

Widely considered the greatest gymnast of all time, the 19-time world champion showed a few chinks in her armour with some wayward landings in qualification. In her preferred events - vault and floor - Biles landed completely off the mat, while on beam her dismount was scrappy too.

The USA team was far from their best and the Russian Olympic Committee qualified top. Biles came under a lot of heat over her team qualifying in second place - a first for the USA in over a decade at a major competition - but even with an under par performance, she still scored at the top of the individual standings. She and her team-mates - Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee and Grace McCallum - will likely step things up a gear with a gold medal on the line and the slate completely wiped clean for the final.

You can follow along with Molly here.


10:12 AM

Britain's taekwondo heartbreak


10:03 AM

'Olympic heroes' F-bombs are a glorious antidote to platitudes of media-trained footballers'

There is something primal about emotive interviews at the Games, far removed from the cliche-spouting rampant in other sports, says Thom Gibbs.

A grown-up suggestion for this grown-up Olympics: let’s impose a temporary relaxation of the watershed.

It is unlikely that young impressionable minds will be consuming much of the live action, given the time difference. If any athletes say something naughty there will be plenty of hours to fire up the bleeping machine before the youthful cohort rise and begin their brisk morning exercise of swiping through Snapchat. Plus the school-age are on holiday, Covid restrictions are gone, and they’re all playing outside together quaintly with kites, footballs and Nintendo Switches.

Out here in Tokyo it’s a kid-free zone. Sightings of the lovable indeterminate animal mascot Miraitowa are rarer than gold medals for San Marino. Everyone here is an adult apart from in the skateboarding, a sport whose stars are barely eligible for secondary school. So who will object to the sort of wide-eyed, foul-mouthed and gloriously unpolished interviews we have been enjoying over the past few days?

You can read Thom's thoughts in full here.


09:54 AM

Sailing - Britons claim two victories in opening skiff races

Reuters.

Britons Charlotte Dobson and Saskia Tidey got their Olympic challenge off to a strong start with two wins in their first three races in the 49er FX skiff class as the sailing events started at the Enoshima Yacht Harbour.

The pair are hoping to improve on their finishes at the Rio Games in 2016, where Dobson came eighth and Tidey 11th with different partners, and they don't mind being a bit conservative in their sailing if it helps them succeed.

"It was a great day. If someone had told us yesterday that we would have those results on day one today, we would have grabbed their hand off them," Dobson told reporters.

"Today was about being as boring as we possibly could, but brave when we saw the opportunity, and I think that's what we did a little bit today. Hopefully, we can hold this thought and do it all again tomorrow."

Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus maintained his lead in the men's Laser dinghy class, with another victory.

There was a rest day for the windsurfers after two days of racing, allowing other classes into the water for the first time.

Alican Kaynar of Turkey secured two wins in the first two races of the men's Finn class dinghy event with Zsombor Berecz of Hungary netting two second places and Spain's Joan Cardon Mendez two thirds, the start of 10 races to decide the medals.

The opening men's skiff race was won by the Irish pairing of Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove and the day's two remaining races were postponed.

The action continues on Wednesday, with the first medal races scheduled for Saturday.


09:45 AM

Alberto Salazar banned from athletics 'for life'

by Ben Bloom in Tokyo

Disgraced athletics coach Alberto Salazar has been banned from athletics for life due to “sexual” and “emotional” misconduct.

Salazar, who helped guide Mo Farah to four Olympic titles, is already banned for four years due to doping offences. However, the US Center for SafeSport has now imposed a permanent ban on the American and given him 10 days to appeal the decision.

The independent organisation handles all allegations of abuse within Olympic and Paralympic sports in the United States. It does not reveal details of investigations and has declined to comment on its decision. In 2019, Mary Cain, an American middle-distance runner and former teenage prodigy, claimed she was driven to self-harm by Salazar’s constant pressure to lose weight while coaching her.

She said she was “emotionally and physically” abused by Salazar’s methods, which caused her to lose her period for three years and break five bones due to osteoporosis. She also said she had “suicidal thoughts” and began to cut herself.

At the time, Salazar refuted the claims and insisted he supported Cain’s health and welfare. But several American former Nike Oregon Project runners described similar stories, and the US Center for SafeSport issued a temporary ban on Salazar at the start of 2020. That ban has now been made permanent. USA Track and Field said it had received notification of the ban and updated Salazar’s status in its own disciplinary records database.

“No form of abuse will ever be tolerated within our sport, and we will continue to prioritize athletes’ emotional and physical safety above all else,” said the federation.

Salazar is currently suspended from coaching after a six-year investigation determined he had possessed and trafficked testosterone while also experimenting with athletes on how far they could push the envelope with certain performance enhancers without getting caught. Shortly after that decision, Nike shut down the Nike Oregon Project. Salazar is currently appealing the doping ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Farah has never been accused of any wrongdoing.

Salazar has not responded to requests for comment on the US Center for SafeSport’s ban.


09:38 AM

Women's mountain biking - Evie Richards secures highest-ever finish for British woman

by Tom Cary, Senior Sports Correspondent in Tokyo

There was to be no British fairytale at the mountain biking for a second day running, but 24 year-old Evie Richards described herself as “super happy” with seventh place on a course made treacherous by torrential rain.

It was the highest placed finish by a British woman in Olympic mountain biking history.

Richards, from Malvern in Worcestershire, had to battle incredibly hard just to make it to Tokyo. She suffered from an eating disorder as a teenager which then developed into a chronic condition - Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) - which can manifest itself in athletes who overtrain and under-fuel. She did not have a period for over three years.

It was only 18 months ago, after intense work with esteemed sports dietician Renee McGregor, that it returned and her form since then has been impressive.

Richards became the first Briton to win a short track mountain bike World Cup race in the Czech Republic last year. She was always an outsider for a medal at her first Olympics, though.

After a downpour in the morning, which forced organisers to modify the course, Richards made a brilliant start to the race, profiting from early chaos to surge from the back of the bunch on the start line into the top handful of riders on the first lap.

tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Tim de Waele /Getty Images AsiaPac 
tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Tim de Waele /Getty Images AsiaPac

She was briefly second. And with riders slipping and sliding all over the place - world champion Pauline Ferrand Prevot lost time early, after falling off her bike - hopes must have been high back at Malvern Rugby Club, where Richards’ friends and family were watching on, that the lifelong Gloucester fan might be able to pull off another Pidcock.

But as things began to settle down, with gravel being added to some sections for the subsequent laps, allowing more traction, Richards dropped back.

She finished seventh, 3min23sec behind Swiss winner Jolanda Neff, who dominated the race from the first lap. Switzerland locked out the podium for the first time in their history, with Sina Frei and Linda Indergand claiming silver and bronze.

Richards, though, was delighted, crossing the line with a Union flag painted on her cheek, and smiling broadly.

“I’m just so happy to be here, to be selected,” she explained. “This is my dream. It’s funny when you listen to Tom [Pidcock, the men’s winner] he’s like ‘Oh, I only planned to do this last year’. But I’ve dreamt about this since I was so young.

“To be here, to race, I never thought I would be here a couple of years ago. So I’m super happy.”

Of the course, she added: “It was super, super hard. I’m really pleased just to finish in one piece. I tried as hard as I could. I couldn’t try much harder.”


09:31 AM

Dressage - GB second after first round

Elsewhere in Japan, Team GB are off to a flying start in the Team Dressage Grand Prix, as Carl Hester turns in a strong first round, getting 78.344 per cent for the young horse.

That puts them on 2577.5, just 74.5 points behind the much-fancied current leaders Germany. Reigning Olympic champion Charlotte Dujardin is still to ride for GB.

tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Julian Finney /Getty Images AsiaPac 
tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Julian Finney /Getty Images AsiaPac

09:23 AM

Rugby Sevens - GB launch furious comeback to advance to semi-final

The second half momentum swung in favour of GB, as the USA lost a man early to a yellow card. GB capitalised quickly on the man advantage, with Harris running in a try to cut the deficit to seven points. Two minutes later Davis went in under the post to level the scores up.

The second-half collapse for the Americans was complete. After giving away a penalty in the GB half, they were asleep to the fast break and Norton flew down their outside to give GB the lead after facing a 21-point deficit, though the conversion was missed. Two minutes of furious defence kept the Americans at bay as GB advanced to the semi-final, winning 26-21. They will face New Zealand in the semi-final at 3am tomorrow morning. An early alarm!


09:12 AM

Taekwondo - Despair for Bianca Walkden

by Pippa Field in Tokyo.

If only a taekwondo round lasted 1min 50secs rather than the full two minutes. Then Great Britain would be leaving Tokyo with at least two golds, and perhaps even three.

Instead the final haul will be two silver - and possibly an additional bronze if Bianca Walkden can somehow recover from that agonising last second semi-final defeat and find a way to return victorious in her later fight.

She managed it five years ago, after a golden point defeat in her Rio semi-final, but it was an experience she never wanted to repeat. Sadly she will have to, this time the longed-for final slipping through her grasp in the very last second, after a successful headkick from South Korean opponent Da-bin Lee. Walkden was laid flat on her back at the hooter, arms and legs spread out in despair, her watching team-mates sharing in her pain.

She will now have to spend just over four hours replaying that last second over and over before her bronze medal fight. It is a position you would not wish on your worst enemy.

Still, she will be able to take strength from those around her. Bradly Sinden and Lauren Williams both practically had one hand on gold during their respective finals in the last two days - the former eight seconds away and the latter 10 seconds - only to see the prize snatched away and silver their consolation.

No result is ever guaranteed in sport. But to come within one second of a first Olympic final deserves so much more. You only hope Walkden is able to rally for bronze. It is the least she deserves.


09:10 AM

Rugby Sevens - Team GB behind big and early

Danny Barrett gave the Americans an early lead after a breakdown in GB's midfield allowed him through for an easy line break and try. Perry Baker then found his way in on the outside after smart footwork from Barrett, before the bleeding continued as Baker ran in another try from the proceeding kick-off as Team GB looked all at sea.

Ollie Lindsey-Hague ran in a try with two seconds left before the half to give the scoreline a semblance of respectability, but GB still trailed 21-7 at the break.


09:00 AM

Andy Murray keen to secure another Olympic medal

PA.

Andy Murray is hoping to be part of Britain's gold rush at the Tokyo Olympics. The Scot, already a two-time champion in singles, is targeting success in doubles with Joe Salisbury and the pair moved through to the quarter-finals with a 6-2 7-6 (2) victory over German duo Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz.

Murray has been enjoying watching the British medals rolling in across other sports, saying: "It was a really good day yesterday. Obviously nice to see Tom Daley winning and Adam Peaty, another amazing performance from him. It's been great, hopefully we can be part of that."

The 34-year-old has put all his eggs into the doubles basket having pulled out of the singles ahead of his first match on Sunday after sustaining a minor thigh strain.

He looked comfortable on court on Tuesday and gave a largely positive fitness update, saying: "It felt fine. It hasn't really affected me at all in the two matches that I've played."

On the singles decision, he said: "It was very disappointing because I prepared well, was feeling good again and then just had something showing up on the scans that we weren't too happy with.

"When we spoke about playing, I told Joe if I had any physical issues that I'd prioritise the doubles over singles, that's why I made the decision to stick just with the doubles.

"I would have been annoyed with myself if I'd taken the decision to play with the issue that I had, made it worse, lost my singles and then not been able to perform well in the doubles. I think physically I'll be OK for the rest of the tournament but I'll need to take a break afterwards."

Murray and Salisbury marked themselves out as potential medal hopes by comfortably beating second seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the first round and they picked up where they left off with a dominant first set against Krawietz and Puetz.

Murray's enthusiasm for the Olympics was clear in the frequent shouts of 'Let's go' that peppered the match, and he has been spending his time away from the court amassing an impressive collection of pins from other nations.

The Scot has found an ingenious way of outperforming his British team-mates, saying: "It's a bit of a competition but we haven't really been given that many pins to exchange so I've been trying to do pins for selfies to gain a bit of an edge.

"It's good fun. You end up meeting some really interesting people. I met two Syrian brothers, one who's competing for Syria, one who's competing for the refugee team. You meet people from all different backgrounds and that's one of the things I love about this competition."


08:50 AM

Watch Tom Dean's family erupt in celebration as he swims to gold medal success


08:41 AM

Tokyo gold rush sees Team GB enjoy best start to an Olympics in modern history

A swimming one-two and a silver in the women's triathlon has taken Britain to 10 medals - eclipsing the previous record of six by day four, reports our sports news correspondent Tom Morgan from Tokyo.

Team GB are enjoying their best start to an Olympics in modern history after striking gold on back-to-back days in Tokyo.

A British swimming one-two in the 200m freestyle and a silver in the women's triathlon take Britain to 10 medals - eclipsing the previous record of just six by day four.

Four golds are also more than the squad has ever achieved so early, with Britain overcoming a Games riddled with the adversity of strict Covid protocols, no spectators and 30C-plus heat.

You can read more on Britain's record-breaking few days here.


08:30 AM

My Olympic muscles: How I got the body that took me to Tokyo 2020

Shauna Coxsey, Sarah Davies and Deborah Kerr tell Josh Burrows how they came to love their potentially medal-winning physiques.

The climber, weightlifter and sprint kayaker have all been on lengthy journeys of hard-work to get themselves to peak physical condition.

You can read about their roads to success here.


08:22 AM

Moment Tom Dean and Duncan Scott claim one-two finish for Team GB in men's 200m freestyle final


08:15 AM

Lord Coe suggests easing on cannabis bans

by Tom Morgan

Sebastian Coe has hinted doping bans on cannabis should be eased in the wake of American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson missing Tokyo 2020.

The president of World Athletics said the absence of the 21-year-old rising star was “a loss to the competition”.

Richardson had been aiming to become the first American in 25 years to win the women's 100m Olympic title since Marion Jones was stripped of the 2000 gold. However, she tested positive for cannabis last month at the Olympic trials after streaking to victory in the 100m.

Richardson said at the time her action came while she was dealing with the news of the death of her mother. She also took the drug in Oregon, where its use is legal.

When asked whether doping rules should be reviewed, Coe told reporters "it should be...It is sensible, as nothing is set in tablets of stone."

"You adapt and occasionally reassess," said Britain's former double Olympic 1500m champion. "The Athletics Integrity Unit is absolutely the best organisation to look at this. I have spoken to (AIU chairman) David Howman about that. The AIU will look at this in the light of current circumstances."

tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Kirby Lee /USA TODAY Sports 
tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Kirby Lee /USA TODAY Sports

Richardson's suspension sparked an outpouring of sympathy, including from President Joe Biden, and calls for a review of anti-doping rules. The Games, however, will take place without one of the biggest young names in athletics.

Cannabis is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) but if athletes can prove that ingestion is unrelated to performance, then receive a shorter ban than the usual two or four years for other banned substances. "I am sorry for her," Coe said. "That we have lost an outstanding talent. It is not unreasonable to have a review on it. She will bounce back. It is a loss to the competition."


08:06 AM

Dressage - How do you make a horse dance?

Over the course of this morning, we'll be focussing on the Dressage Grand Prix special team final, where Britain's medal hopes rest on the shoulders of Charlotte Dujardin & co. This seems as useful a time as any to ask the most important question about the sport - how does one make a horse dance?

Thankfully my colleague Jim White is on hand to examine how Charlotte Dujardin, the current Olympic champion, has spent most of the last five years bringing her horse Gio up to speed.

The simple answer to the question how do you train a horse to dance is this: devote a lot of time to it. There are no short cuts. Charlotte Dujardin, the current Olympic champion, has spent most of the last five years bringing her horse Gio up to speed. She won two Olympic gold medals atop her previous mount, the gelding Valegro. But he was put out to pasture after winning in Rio and she turned her attention to her new partner. Even before Valegro disappeared off to the long grass, Dujardin was working several hours every day in the long process to produce a horse of Grand Prix standard.

The first thing it is wise to do is pick the right horse, at which the gold medalist is something of an expert. The best horses have a naturally balanced canter, able to control themselves off their hind legs. Balance is everything in dressage, the core of the process.

You can read Jim's explainer in full here.


08:00 AM

'Exuberant celebrations of Tom Dean's family back home a reminder of those missing out on shared moment of glory'

The Olympic champions denied chance to share career-defining moment with those who have dedicated time and support to help them to the top, says Jim White.

Three days into the Olympics and we can already award the gold medal for the best bit of news footage. It came from BBC South News, which had wisely sent a camera to the Berkshire home of Tom Dean, to record his nearest and dearest as they watched him compete in the 200 metre freestyle swimming on television.

With the camera pointed at the audience not the screen, this was Gogglebox writ large. And what pictures were delivered. In the family garden in Taplow a large screen had been erected, around which a couple of dozen relatives and friends could see their boy in action.

The tension, the gathering realisation he was in with a chance of securing a gold medal, the explosion when he touched home first was a joy to observe. His mother and father, four siblings and closest pals were a vision of ecstasy as they engaged in an impromptu mosh pit of pogoing delight. That mix of pride, happiness and sheer relief of watching their offspring achieve his dream was something to behold. It may have been in the early hours of the morning, but you suspect the party might have extended well beyond dawn.

You can read Jim's thoughts on the joyful scenes here.


07:53 AM

Slalom - Kimberley Woods struggles in final

It was a disappointing showing for Britain's Kimberley Woods in the women's K-1 slalom final, as she finished in last place. She completely missed the 17th gate, which cost her a 50 point penalty from which she could not recover. A tough morning for Team GB after a strong display overnight...


07:47 AM

Taekwondo - Heartbreak for Bianca Walkden

It was a brutal ending for Bianca Walkden, losing out in the final second of her semi-final. The BBC's taekwondo pundit, former Olympic silver medalist Lutalo Muhammad, shared his reaction of pain on Twitter...


07:40 AM

Georgia Taylor-Brown wins triathlon silver, GB men's rugby and hockey teams humbled - everything you missed from Tokyo 2020 overnight

While you're having your breakfast, why not catch up on what you missed overnight?

As Bermuda celebrated its first ever Olympic title, Britain’s Georgia Taylor-Brown was left to wonder what might have been after heroically clawing her way back from a puncture to win triathlon silver.

Taylor-Brown, the reigning world champion, was perfectly poised in a lead group of five when disaster struck in the closing stages of the cycle and she was forced to watch her rivals pedal into the distance while she rolled her way to the transition zone.

For some it might have signalled the end of their medal hopes. For Taylor-Brown, it was just another challenge to overcome after a tumultuous build-up to a race that had been delayed by 15 minutes due to a tropical storm hitting the Japanese capital.

Three months ago she was on crutches after developing a stress fracture in her femur. Just a week before the Olympics she was forced to prove her fitness or face being taken off the team. She had not competed in a triathlon for almost a year before this race.

My colleagues Uche Amako and Ben Bloom have wrapped up the best of the action, which you can check out here.


07:31 AM

Women's mountain biking - Switzerland sweep medals

It's a Swiss 1-2-3 in the women's cross-country mountain biking, as Jolanda Neff defeats her compatriots Sina Frei and Linda Indergand by 71 seconds and 79 seconds respectively.

Brit Evie Richards, who started strongly, slipped back to 7th, finishing in a time of 1:19:09, two minutes back from the bronze medal place.


07:25 AM

Taekwondo - Walkden loses to last second head kick

It's so cruel for Bianca Walkden...

Walkden is caught off-guard by an early kick to the head from Lee, but recovers well, delivering a pair of blows to the body. However, she racks up a total of eight gam-jeoms (penalty points) in the bout, to her opponents two, and this ill-discipline ultimately proves fatal.

With a minute left in round three, disaster for Walkden. She's adjudged to have kicked her opponent after the referee had called a halt to proceedings. After a very lengthy TV review, that ruling is upheld, resulting in a two point deduction for the Brit, leaving her faced with a mountain to climb. She fights back with a series of body kicks and levels it up with ten seconds left, before taking the lead with two seconds left.

But then, high high drama! In the very final second, Lee slides in and unleashes a brutal kick to the head, which lands, scoring her three points and giving her a narrow, one-point victory. What a brutal sport taekwondo is...

tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - PAUL GROVER /THE TELEGRAPH
tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - PAUL GROVER /THE TELEGRAPH

07:10 AM

Taekwondo - Walkden levels things up

Walkden begins the second round much more aggressively, immediately landing a two two-point kicks to the trunk. However, Lee responds with a good kick to the head to re-establish her advantage. The two fighters then proceed to trade barbs, in a much more free-flowing, attacking round.

Walkden concedes a fourth gam-jeom of the bout, but levels the scores up at 10-10 heading into the final round


07:07 AM

Taekwondo - Walkden behind early

A nervy start to round one from the Brit, she's already conceded three gam-jeom, putting her in an early 3-1 hole heading in to round two, though a late punch does get her on the board.


07:02 AM

Taekwondo - Semi-final time for Bianca Walkden

It's time for Bianca Walkden's semi-final in the +67kg women's taekwondo! She's up against Lee Da-bin of South Korea


06:54 AM

Tennis - Murray & Salisbury win in straight sets

A great win for the British men's double pairing of Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury as they saw of the Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Putz 6-2 7-6 to reach the third round. The match was delayed for a while owing to the adverse weather conditions out in Tokyo today as the last remnants of a typhoon blow through


06:49 AM

Diving - Cheng and Toulson finish 7th

A brave effort from the Team GB representatives, they finish with a total score of 289.26 on their Olympic debuts, which is good enough for a 7th placed finish, ahead of the Malay pair.

China has won gold in this event for the sixth consecutive golds in the Olympics after an incredible performance from their teenage pair, finishing 53 points (!) ahead of the second-placed Americans. Mexico claim a deserving bronze as they edged out the Canadians by just 0.54 points.

tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Dmitri Lovetsky /AP
tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Dmitri Lovetsky /AP

06:33 AM

Women's mountain biking - Richards falls back to fifth

Brit Evie Richards is losing ground on the leading pack of Swiss riders as she's fallen down to 5th in the women's cross-country mountain biking. She's currently 10 seconds shy of Linda Indergand, who occupies the bronze medal spot.


06:31 AM

Diving - Cheng and Toulson look to rescue pride heading in to final dive

A much improved dive from the British girls, they keep their form tight on the more difficult inward 3 1/2 somersaults in tuck. An 8.0 this time for synchronisation, which will boost their spirits, even if it is unlikely to get them back in the hunt for a medal.

However, that dive was good enough to lift them off the foot of the table, as they've leapfrogged Malaysian the pair Mun Yee Leong and Pandelela Pamg.


06:28 AM

Taekwondo - Bianca Walkden to face Lee Da-bin

We're about 30 minutes away from Bianca Walkden's taekwondo semi-final, and we now know she will take on the South Korean Lee Da-bin. We'll bring you live updates from that match right here on Telegraph Sport's live blog, so stay tuned!


06:27 AM

Diving - Cheng and Toulson continue to struggle

Another slightly shaky dive from the British pair, they were beautifully synchronised in the air as they executed their forward 3 1/2 somersaults in pike, but over-rotation on entry to the water resulted in too much splash.

They remain rooted to the foot of the table in this event, sadly, with two dives left.


06:19 AM

Women's mountain biking - Evie Richards up to second

Away from the pool for the moment, Evie Richards has moved into second place in the women's cross-country mountain biking, 19 seconds back of Swiss leader Jolanda Neff.


06:18 AM

Diving - Cheng and Toulson with stronger second dive

A better second dive from the Brits as they shook off some early cobwebs to score 47.40. However, they already look to be out of medal contention.

They've slipped further back from the Chinese 'super-team', a full 21 points off the gold medal spot, and 10 points away from bronze.


06:11 AM

Diving - Nervy start for Eden Cheng and Lois Toulson

Team GB's Eden Cheng and Lois Toulson are underway in the final of the women's 10m doubles diving final and find themselves in last place after the first round.

They've scored 43.20 in their opening dive, leaving them 10 points adrift of the Chinese pair of Chen and Zhang already


06:08 AM

Tennis - Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury resume double's match

Pippa Field.

All on track for Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury in their men's doubles match now play has finally resumed on the outside courts following heavy rain.

The British duo, who are playing together for the first time in Tokyo and who ousted French second seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the first round, were 2-1 against Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz when the weather intervened.

It did not take them long to get back up to speed when play resumed, though, wrapping up the first set 6-2. More of the same again and they will be into the quarter-finals.

tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW /REUTERS
tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW /REUTERS

06:05 AM

In pictures: Tokyo 2020 Olympics Day Four


05:59 AM

Swimming - American teen Jacoby pulls off surprise win in 100m breaststroke

Reuters.

Lydia Jacoby would likely have been watching the Tokyo Games as a spectator had the event not been postponed by a year but the Alaskan teenager upstaged Olympic and world champions to win gold in the women's 100m breaststroke.

The 17-year-old pipped Tatjana Schoenmaker to gold, touching in a time of 1:04.95 with the South African 0.27 behind. Jacoby's team mate, Rio Olympic champion and world record holder Lilly King, was in the bronze medal position in 1:05.54.

Jacoby accelerated over the final 25 metres to push ahead of her two rivals, who had been expected to battle it out for gold. After touching the wall she looked stunned as she looked up at the scoreboard.

Jacoby, the first Alaskan native to win an Olympic swimming gold medal, said she had been planning to come to Tokyo last year with her family to watch the Games before they were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic as she had little chance of making the team.

The extra year has been a gift for her to mature in the sport, she said, adding that she remembered watching King in Rio when she was 12-years-old.

tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Patrick B Kraemer/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock /Shutterstock
tokyo olympics 2020 live taekwondo diving swimming equestrian rugby sevens - Patrick B Kraemer/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock /Shutterstock

"It has been incredible," she said. "Having this extra year ... being a part of the world coming together, it means a lot."

Jacoby, whose parents are both boat captains and take visitors on whale watching tours in Alaska, started swimming aged six and initially took lessons as a child because of the amount of time her family spent on the water.

She will finish her last year of high school before going to study at the University of Texas, Austin.

Defending champion King and Schoenmaker, both 24, joked at their news conference that Jacoby made them feel "so old".

"Today it wasn't my day to win, it was Lydia's day to win," said King. "She just had the swim of her life today so we should celebrate that."

Two Russian swimmers touched the wall after King, with 16-year-old Evgeniia Chikunova finishing fourth and Yuliya Efimova, a six-time world champion, in fifth.


05:53 AM

'Simone Biles and USA should win team gold - but it will be the tightest margin in more than a decade'

In an exclusive column for Telegraph Sport, former Olympian Becky Downie says the delay to the Games has worked in favour of the Russian Olympic Committee, but Biles gives Team USA an undeniable edge.

Going into the women's team final, I don't think it's a guarantee that the USA will win this time. It's the closest it's ever been and now a two-horse race between them and the Russian Olympic Committee.

Over the weekend, the USA qualified second for the major team final – the first time they have been beaten to the top spot in 11 years. The ROC qualified ahead by more than a point – a substantial gap. But, with Simone Biles leading them out, I think the USA will be able to get it together on the day.

It will not be easy, the stakes are massive. I feel like the USA usually have such a big advantage because of their high difficulty routines, so they can afford some mistakes. When you know you can make a mistake you can be a bit more relaxed as well. This time, the pressure is definitely going to be on.

The extra year in this Olympic cycle really changed a lot of things for gymnastics, and other people have upped their game. It's very rare that gymnasts get a very long training block, because we're always competing.

You can read Becky's expert views in full here.


05:46 AM

Taekwondo - Bianca Walkden advances to +67kg semi-final

After a tense start in the opening round, Banca Walkden unleashed a series of devastating body kicks to advance to the semi-final of the women's +67kg taekwondo, defeating Cansel Deniz of Kazakhstan 17-7.

After Lauren Williams won a silver medal yesterday, Walkden is just one win away from guaranteeing at least a silver medal of her own. Her semi-final fight is due to begin at approximately 8am this morning.


05:37 AM

Swimming - British, Russian men triumph as Aussie women shine again

Reuters.

Britain enjoyed a one-two success in the men's 200m freestyle, while Russian swimmers ended U.S. dominance in the 100m backstroke and Kaylee McKeown gave Australia's women more Olympic gold to celebrate at the Tokyo pool.

Tom Dean won gold and team mate Duncan Scott the silver in the 200 freestyle as the two British swimmers left their rivals in their wake, Brazil's Fernando Scheffer taking the bronze.

It was Britain's second swimming gold following Adam Peaty's victory in the 100m breaststroke on Monday and left Dean reflecting on the adversity he has faced on his journey to becoming Olympic champion.

"It’s amazing. It’s a dream come true having a gold around my neck ... I contracted Covid twice in the last 12 months ... sitting in my flat in isolation, an Olympic gold was a million miles away," he said.

It was the first time since 1908 that two male British swimmers have finished on the Olympic podium together.

Scott had gone into the race as the slightly faster swimmer and narrowly favoured for gold, but the blow of missing out was softened by his team mate's joy.

"Just a massive credit to Tom Dean. That was unbelievable. Olympic champion," he said. "To come along so far in the last 18 months, it's a pleasure to watch him. It's great to be able to say he's a good mate out of the pool."

In the men's 100 backstroke, an event won by U.S. swimmers at the last six Games, Evgeny Rylov and Kliment Kolesnikov took top spots on the podium with Rio champion Ryan Murphy of the United States coming third.

Russian men had not won a swimming gold since 1996 when Alexander Popov and Denis Pankratov both topped the podium twice.

Rylov and Kolesnikov were competing under the banner of the 'Russian Olympic Committee' as part of sanctions imposed for several doping scandals.

But although the pair did not witness the raising of the country's tricolour flag when receiving their medals, and were dressed in kit without the national symbol, the formalities had little impact on Rylov.

“I was busy with training while all of this (argument) was going on and I fully focused on training. I think that it doesn’t matter what you wear. What’s important is what is in your soul," he said.

McKeown delivered a stunning late fightback in the women's 100 backstroke to pip Canada's Kylie Masse and add to Ariarne Titmus's gold in the 400m free on Monday as well as the team gold in the 4x100 freestyle relay.

The 20-year-old McKeown's time was just two hundredths of a second shy of the world record she set in the Australian trials in June.

McKeown would almost certainly not have been able to compete at Tokyo if the Games had been held on schedule last year with her father struggling with brain cancer. He died in August.

"It's not necessarily what I have been through, everyone has their own journey. It just so happens I have had a tough time," she said when asked about her preparations.

McKeown forms part of an impressive generation of Australian women swimmers and the latest to see her golden goal come true.

“It’s definitely something that people dream of. Something I have dreamed of,” McKeown said. “To make it a reality is ... really amazing," she said.

“I’m just thankful I have a good support team. A few people before the race came up and said to just have all the faith in the world that you have got this."