Day Eleven: Cole Hocker shocks the world
The USA’s Cole Hocker surprises Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win 1500m gold, Gabby Thomas wins the women’s 200m and Team GB’s cyclists are on the verge of more medals.
TOP STORY – USA’s Cole Hocker shocks the world in the 1500m and Gabby Thomas storms to women’s 200m title.
Cole Hocker of the USA surprisingly beat British world champion Josh Kerr and reigning Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win a stunning gold in the 1500m Olympic final.
Ingebrigtsen started the race quickly to encourage Kerr to keep pace with him. Kerr kept his distance for a time but then attacked the Norwegian in the last 300m.
Kerr finally caught Ingebrigtsen on the final straight, but both didn’t notice Hocker surging through on their inside.
Ingebrigtsen tired and was then overtaken by the medalists. Kerr pushed for gold but was beaten to the finishing line by Hocker who won the gold medal in an Olympic record time of 3:27.65.
Kerr undoubtably wanted gold to add to his world title last year in Budapest. However, his time of 3:27.78 was a new British record.
USA’s Yared Nuguse won bronze with a personal best.
Gabby Thomas won the women’s 200m Olympic title with a time of 21.82.
The American has been the fastest woman of the year in the 200m and now finally adds a global title to the silver and bronze medals she won at the world championship and the last Olympics.
100m champion Julien Alfred won silver with Brittany Brown winning the bronze medal. Brown edged out British duo Dina Asher Smith and Daryll Neita by four-hundredths of a second.
Elsewhere, Team GB medal hope, Matt Hudson-Smith is comfortably into Wednesday’s 400m final after winning his semi-final in a time of 44.07.
TRACK CYCLING
Great Britain won a silver medal in the men’s team sprint. They were soundly beaten in the final by the Netherlands after they broke the world record in a time of 40.949.
There was no shame in losing to the Dutch who won the Olympic title in Tokyo before winning several european and world honours before Paris. Australia won the bronze medal.
The GB men’s team pursuit will race for gold after beating reigning world champions Denmark in their heat in a time of 3:42.151
They were behind for much of the race but managed to catch the Danes with a lap to spare. They will face rivals Australia in the final who broke the world record in their heat.
The women’s team pursuit finished third fastest and set a new British record in qualifying. They face the USA in the next round but will need to beat them by 1.5 seconds to contest the gold medal race.
BOXING
Irish boxing superstar Kellie Harrington retained her women’s lightweight Olympic title by beating Yang Wenlu of China in a 4-1 split decision.
Irish fighters have now won gold in this division in three of the last four Olympics. Katie Taylor won the first at London 2012.
Team GB boxer Lewis Richardson lost to Mexico's Marco Verde by split decision in the semi-final of the men’s light middleweight division.
Despite losing the first round, Richardson then boxed superbly in 2nd and 3rd and felt that he had done just enough to get through to the final.
However, the judges scored the fight 3-2 in favour of the Mexican. Richardson was already guaranteed a bronze medal and was Britain’s sole survivor after the others were knocked out of their tournaments early.
SKATEBOARDING – WOMEN’S PARK FINAL
Sky Brown won bronze in the women’s park final in Skateboarding.
The British 16-year-old’s involvement in the competition was in doubt last week after she dislocated her shoulder in a fall in training.
However, Brown finished third in qualifying to ease concerns about her fitness for the event. In the final, Brown’s first run scored 80.57 to put her in fourth position.
Her final two runs were much improved, scoring 91.660 and 92.31 to put her into the silver medal position.
Then, Japan's Kokona Hiraki skated brilliantly on her last run to push Brown into bronze. It is Brown’s second bronze medal after coming third in Tokyo when she was 13.
Australia's Arisa Trew won gold.
DIVING
Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix finished sixth in the women’s 10m platform final. She won bronze in the sychronised event but was well beaten the individual final. Nonetheless has been a successful Olympics for British diving.
The gold and silver medals went to Chinese duo Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi. North Korean Kim Mi-rae won bronze.
In the men’s 3m springboard, Jack Laugher and Jordan Houlden are through to Wednesday’s semi-final. Laugher qualified in third place with Houlden in fourth.
FOOTBALL
Former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes’ USA team are through to the women’s final after beating Germany in the semi-final. Sophie Smith scored the only goal of the game in extra time.
Brazil are also through to Saturday’s final after beating Spain 4-2.
In the men’s competition, host nation France beat Egypt 3-1 to reach Friday’s final. Crystal Palace’s Jean-Phillipe Mateta scored a brace whilst Michael Olise made it safe in extra time.
In the other match, Spain beat Morocco 2-1. Fermin Lopez equalised for Spain after Soufiane Rahimi’s opener for Morocco. Juanlu Sanchez scored the winner with five minutes to play.
The finals will be played at Paris St-Germain’s Parc des Princes.
WRESTLING
Mijaín López of Cuba won his 5th Olympic gold medal in a row after beating Chile’s Yasmani Acosta in the final of the 130kg division.
López's first gold was in Beijing in 2008. He has since won the Olympic title in London, Rio and Tokyo.
After winning the gold medal in Paris he took his boots off in the middle of the mat to signal the end of his career at the age of 41.
HOCKEY
In the men’s Hockey semi-finals, the Netherlands beat Spain 4-0 before Germany beat India 3-2. The finals are on Thursday.
