One of the quieter – well, less busy – mornings for Team Ireland, as the Games reached its 15th and penultimate day. Catch up on all you need to know from the overnight action in Tokyo.
The Irish Eye
It was very much a case of mixed emotions for the Irish in the women’s marathon; a gruelling race in 30.6°C heat and 62.7% humidity.
Fionnuala McCormack and Sinéad Diver, the latter representing Australia, produced two brilliant runs in sweltering conditions, while Aoife Cooke withdrew just before halfway.
McCormack finished 25th in 2:34.09, while Mayo native Diver crossed the line in 10th in a time of 2:31.14 after an exceptional run.
With a much smaller list of Irish athletes to keep an eye on through the night, Stephanie Meadow and Leona Maguire were the two others flying the flag on the final day of the women’s golf event.
Meadow’s fantastic final-day charge fell just short, her sizzling 66 seeing her finish on 12-under and tied for seventh, four shots off the medals.
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Maguire produced a brilliant fightback after a challenging second-half to the tournament, signing off on a 71 to leave her five-under and in a share of 23rd.
Who else is making headlines?
Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir won the women’s marathon to kick off Super Saturday, landing the first of the 35 gold medals on offer.
27-year-old Jepchirchir crossed the line in 2:27.20 to secure back-to-back women’s Olympic marathon titles for Kenya, seeing off compatriot and world record holder Brigid Kosgei and USA’s Molly Seidel in second and third respectively.
“It feels good. I’m so, so happy because we win as Kenya,” the winner said afterwards. “I’m happy for my family. I’m happy for my country.”
USA edged past France to claim the Olympic men’s basketball gold medal and their fourth consecutive title, with 11-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant scoring a game-high 29 points.
American superstar Nelly Korda took gold in the women’s golf, the world number one living up to her favourite tag with some phenomenal golf over a dramatic few days. Of remarkable sporting stock, she celebrated with sister, Jessica, who was also competing.
Japan’s Mone Inami bagged the silver medal after a playoff, while Lydia Ko of New Zealand claimed the bronze.
And Great Britain’s Britain’s Galal Yafai defeated Carlo Paalam to win the flyweight Olympic title, denying the Philippines a first boxing gold medal in the country’s history.
Your must-see Olympic schedule for today
All Irish eyes will be on track cycling at 8.55am as Mark Downey and Felix English go into the men’s Madison final at the Izu Velodrome. If yesterday’s women’s edition is anything to go by, expect more chaos.
Tonight, Stephen Scullion, Paul Pollock and Kevin Seaward will run the men’s marathon for Team Ireland at 11pm, while Kellie Harrington goes for gold in her lightweight final — though that’s technically tomorrow, at 6am on Sunday.
Meanwhile, it’s the final day of athletics at Olympic Stadium, so expect some blistering finals. Sifan Hassan is on the hunt for a third medal in the 10,000m at 11.45am, the men’s 1500m should be one to watch, and get ready for more relay drama as the men’s and women’s 4x400m are decided.
The men’s football gold medal match – Brazil v Spain – is another to keep an eye on at 12.30pm, while Great Britain diver Tom Daley goes into the final of the 10m platform at 7am.
Take your pick elsewhere: there’s more basketball — Australia v Slovenia in the bronze medal match at 12pm — boxing, beach volleyball, handball, karate, modern pentathlon, gymnastics, volleyball, water polo and wrestling all down for decision.
God, we’ll miss this come Monday.
Highlight of the night
It had to be the two Irish finishers in the women’s marathon, given a snapshot of their back stories:
Diver is a 44-year-old mother of two, who only took up running 11 years ago and ran her first official marathon in 2014. McCormack, at her fourth Games, was in excellent form on the world’s biggest stage just eight months after giving birth to her second daughter.
Some further reading
Sport doesn’t care. It really doesn’t. Worked your ass off for five years for this moment? Big deal. Ploughed your time and your savings and most of your existence into mastering this one performance? So what. Tough luck.
Cathal Dennehy’s column for the Irish Independent reflecting on Natalya Coyle’s Modern Pentathlon heartbreak yesterday is his latest superb offering from the ground in Tokyo.
Quote of the day
I just want to say hi to my Dad and my Mam. My Dad is probably the proudest man on the planet at the moment. So hi guys — and I know that everyone at home in Belmullet, they’re all out to watch this race, so thank you all.”
The immediate thoughts of Australia’s Mayo marathon star Diver were with those on home soil after her incredible 10th-place finish. The Belmullet woman gave a lovely interview to 7News, a TV broadcaster in her adopted country, afterwards.
