Sprinters Seek Post-Bolt Gold On Day 3 Of Olympic Athletics
Zeeshan Mehtab Published August 01, 2021 | 01:00 AM
Tokyo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Aug, 2021 ) :The third day of athletics at the Tokyo Olympics takes place on Sunday. AFP Sport looks at five stand-out events: - Men's 100m - Final - The Tokyo Olympics are the first since Athens in 2004 to take place without Jamaica's Usain Bolt, winner of eight golds.
Bolt retired after the 2017 world championships in London, after taking three consecutive Olympic 100m titles in Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro, as well as three straight 200m crowns.
The semi-finals and final on Sunday were blown open after American Trayvon Bromell, who owns the fastest time this year of 9.77sec, the seventh-quickest in history, scraped through as a fastest loser after finishing fourth in his heat.
US teammates Ronnie Baker and Fred Kerley have been left holding the baton while Canada's Andre de Grasse and South African Akani Simbine are sure to offer some decent competition.
- Women's shot put - Final - New Zealand veteran Valerie Adams is the first shot putter in history to reach five Olympic finals, and will bid to become the first woman to win a single individual Olympic field event three times.
The 36-year-old has battled back from a number of injuries and managed her season's best of 19.75m in July.
Competition comes in the form of China's Gong Lijiao, who has topped the world lists in three of the last four seasons and is the best so far this year, throwing 20.39m in June.
- Women's triple jump - Final - All eyes will be on Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas, who has brought joy to her troubled nation with back-to-back world triple jump titles.
The 25-year-old is the only woman in the world to have jumped beyond 15 metres and has done so 17 times, including at all six of her competitions this year.
Having won silver in Rio, it looks like there is little to stop her going one better.
"I'm always giving my best," she said. "And, above all, I'm a warrior." - Men's high jump - Final - Qatar's Mutaz Barshim will seek to shine in what promises to be a highly competitive event.
Barshim, 30, won Olympic bronze in 2012 (later upgraded to silver after Russia's Ivan Ukhov was stripped of the gold for doping) and silver in 2016 before winning his two world titles.
He has cleared 2.40m 11 times since 2013.
But rivals for gold include authorised neutral athletes Ilya Ivanyuk and Mikhail Akimenko, plus Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi.
An outsider could be American JuVaughn Harrison, who is attempting a rare double of high jump and long jump.
- Men's 400m hurdles - Semi-finals - The one-lap hurdles has been touted as one of the headline events of the Tokyo track meet, pitching Norwegian Karsten Warholm against American rival Rai Benjamin.
Both safely negotiated their heats, with the final to be held Tuesday.
Benjamin ran 46.83sec when winning the US trials, but not to be outdone, Warholm, at his home meet in Oslo and in his favoured lane seven, then ran 46.70sec to break Kevin Young's world record set at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Warholm held off Benjamin in a thrilling duel at the 2019 world championships in Doha, and the rivalry between the pair should guarantee a spectacle.
Athletes chasing a podium finish include Brazil's Alison Dos Santos and Qatar's sub-47sec performer Abderrahman Samba.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Robinson, bowlers help New Zealand go 2-1 up against Pakistan
Shahzeb Chachar to hold khuli kachehri on April 26
Heatwave amid Israel's aggression in Gaza brings new misery, disease risk
Tourism must change, mayor says as Venice launches entry fee
Court adjourns Judicial Complex attack case till May 17
Nasreen Noori’s book ‘Popatan Jahra Khwab’ launched
Wafaqi Mohtasib inspection team visits Excise and taxation office
AJLAC announces 5th Conference titled ‘People’s Mandate: Safeguarding Civil ..
Pak-US officials engage to enhance trade, investment ties
IBCC to promote educational excellence, expand regional presence
Pakistani 'Blue Helmets' serving UN Peacekeeping Mission in DR Congo set to leav ..
Putin says plans to visit China in May
More Stories From Sports
-
Robinson, bowlers help New Zealand go 2-1 up against Pakistan
6 hours ago -
National Hockey camp to be organized for Azlan Shah tournament
7 hours ago -
Islamabad Tennis Club demolished by CDA amid anti-encroachment action at public park: Tarar
9 hours ago -
Shayan, Rashid, Junaid to represent Pakistan in U12 Regional Qualifying Jrs
9 hours ago -
Olympic Games Paris 2024: How teams qualified
9 hours ago -
ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy unveiled in Islamabad
9 hours ago
-
Pakistan to tour New Zealand for 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is next March
9 hours ago -
Xavi and Barca remain tied in marriage of convenience
9 hours ago -
Pakistan Master Tenpin Bowling C'ship postponed
9 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results
9 hours ago -
1st-ever National Sports Revival conference starts next month
11 hours ago -
Usain Bolt named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
11 hours ago