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TOKYO. – American athlete, Allyson Felix and British cyclist Laura Kenny, set medal records in their sports and Italy celebrated more track success on day 14 at the Olympics.
Felix, 35, became the most decorated female track and field athlete by taking bronze in a 400m final where Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas retained her title. At the velodrome, Kenny became the most decorated female cyclist and the first British woman to win gold at three Olympic Games as she and Katie Archibald produced a dominant display in the women’s madison, which was added to the Games programme for the first time at Tokyo 2020.
Kenny, 29, also became GB’s most successful female athlete with her fifth gold, and sixth Olympic medal overall. Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan’s bid for a golden treble ended when she took bronze in the 1500m, although she can still win three medals in three events if she gets on the podium in the 10,000m having already won the 5,000m.
Italy’s record showing in athletics continued with victory in the men’s 4x100m relay after a 20km women’s race walk win had earlier ensured their best ever gold-medal haul in track and field at a Games.
Meanwhile, 51-year-old Spanish race walker Jesus Angel Garcia became the first person to compete in an athletics event at eight summer Olympics.
As tears continued to flow on podiums, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said these pandemic-hit Games had exceeded expectations because athletes had given their ‘’soul.’’
With her 10th Olympic medal, Felix overtook Jamaica’s Merlene Ottey as the most decorated female track and field athlete, and she can still add another on Saturday in the 4x400m relay. The 35-year-old, competing in her fifth and final Games, took bronze in the 400m, with defending champion Miller-Uibo winning gold in 48.36 seconds. Felix now has six golds, three silvers and one bronze to her name. In the 1500m, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon retained her title with Britain’s Laura Muir taking silver and world champion Hasan getting the bronze to end her chance of a hat-trick of golds at these Games.
The Dutch athlete will have to recover quickly as she is scheduled to run in the 10,000m final on Saturday.Also on the track on Friday, Jamaican women underlined their sprinting dominance with a gold in the 4x100m relay, with the United States taking silver and Great Britain bronze. Earlier in the day, Poland’s Tomala Dawid won gold in the men’s 50km walk, beating Germany’s Jonathan Hilbert and Canada’s Evan Dunfee.
And China’s Liu Shiying was victorious in the women’s javelin as Poland’s Maria Andrejczyk took silver and Australia’s Kelsey-Lee Barber won bronze.
There were emotional scenes at the velodrome as Kenny became the first British woman to win gold at three Olympic Games as she and Archibald were crowned Madison champions.
“I’ve never wanted to win a medal so much in all my life,” said Kenny. The pair delivered a masterclass in madison racing, winning 10 of the 12 sprints on offer and gaining a lap to finish with more than twice as many points of second-placed Denmark. The Russian Olympic Committee took bronze.
Meanwhile, Harrie Lavreysen became the first Dutchman for almost 90 years to win the Olympic track cycling sprint, as he edged out team-mate Jeffrey Hoogland in a tense final. Italy have their highest athletics gold-medal total at a single Games after a stunning victory in the men’s 4x100m relay gave them a fifth.
The team, made up of Lorenzo Patta, individual 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs, Eseosa Fostine Desalu and Filippo Tortu stormed past Great Britain’s sprinters to take silver by 0.01 seconds. – BBC Sport
Online Reporter