Tokyo Olympics 2021 Highlights: Mary Kom bows out with a smile

Sindhu will play her quarterfinal match against Akane Yamaguchi of Japan on July 30.

6:39 PM

Following is India's schedule on the seventh day of the Tokyo Olympics on Friday, July 30

Archery:

 

Deepika Kumari vs Ksenia Perova (Russian Olympic Committee) in Women's Individual Pre-quarterfinals Match: 6:00am IST.

 

Athletics:

 

Avinash Sable in Men's 3000m Steeplechase Round 1 Heat 2: 6:17am IST.

 

M P Jabir in Men's 400m Hurdles Round 1 Heat 5: 8:27am IST.

 

Dutee Chand in Women's 100m Round 1 Heats: 8:45am IST Start.

 

Mixed 4x400m Relay Race Round 1 Heat 2: 4:42pm IST.

 

Badminton:

 

P V Sindhu vs Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) in Women's Singles Quarterfinal Match: 1:15pm IST.

 

Boxing:

 

Simranjit Kaur vs Sudaporn Seesondee (Thailand) in Women's 60kg Round of 16 Bout: 8:18am IST.

 

Lovlina Borgohain vs Nien-Chin Chen (Chinese Taipei) in Women's 69kg Quarterfinal Bout: 8:48am IST.

 

Equestrian:

 

Fouaad Mirza in Eventing Dressage Day 1 Session 2: Starts at 2pm IST.

 

Golf:

 

Anirban Lahiri and Udayan Mane in Men's Individual Stroke Play Round 2: 04:00am IST.

 

Hockey:

 

India vs Ireland in Women's Pool A Match: 8:15am IST.

 

India vs Japan in Men's Pool A match: 3:00pm IST.

 

Sailing:

 

KC Ganapathy and Varun Thakkar in Men's Skiff 49er Race 7, 8 and 9: 8:35am IST.

 

Nethra Kumanan in Women's Laser Radial Race 9 and 10: 8:35am IST.

 

Vishnu Saravanan in Men's Laser Race 9 and 10: 11:05am IST.

 

Shooting:

 

Manu Bhaker and Rahi Sarnobat in Women's 25m Pistol Qualification Rapid: 5:30am IST.

 

Women's 25m Pistol Final at 10:30am IST.

6:32 PM

Here are the results on Thursday, July 29

BOXING

Women's flyweight round of 16: MC Mary Kom lost to Colombia's Ingrit Valencia Victoria 3-2.

 

BADMINTON

Women's singles: PV Sindhu into quarterfinals with a 21-15, 21-13 win over Mia Blichfeldt of Denmark.

 

ARCHERY

Men's individual round of 32 (1/16 eliminations)

 

Atanu Das stunned Korea's Oh Jin-Hyek 6-5 to advance to the round of 16. With Deepika Kumari still in contention in the women's individual event (she plays next on Friday), Atanu and Deepika are India's best chance for an Olympic archery gold.

 

HOCKEY

Men's pool A: -- India beat Argentina 3-1 to enter the quarterfinals.

 

SHOOTING

25m Pistol Women's Qualification Precision

 

Manu Bhaker and Rahi Sarnobat finished 5th and 25th, respectively, in the first qualification stage. The second, rapid stage is on Friday, July 30. They take 30 shots in precision and 30 in rapid. You can read more about the qualification rules and points systems here.

 

BOXING

Men's super-heavyweight round-of-16: Satish Kumar beat Ricardo Brown of Jamaica by a 4-1 split decision.

 

GOLF

Anirban Lahiri was tied eighth the end of the first of four rounds after in impressive 4-under 67, while Udayan Mane was 60th after carding 5-over 76.

 

SAILING

Men's skiff 49er: KC Ganapathy and Varun Thakkar finished seventh in race 6 (out of 12). They are currently in 17th place overall, out of 19 teams.

 

Men's one person dinghy laser: Vishnu Saravanan finished 23rd in race 8 (out of 10), and is in 23rd position overall.

 

Women's one person dinghy laser radial: Nethra Kumanan finishes 20th in race 8 (out of 10), and is in 31st place overall.

 

ROWING

Lightweight men's sculls final B -- Arjun Lal and Arvind Singh finish 11th. India's highest-ever finish in the event.

 

SWIMMING

Men's 100m butterfly heats: Sajan Prakash finished 2nd in his heat, 46th overall .

 

6:18 PM

Olympics: Djokovic defeats Nishikori to enter semi-finals

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic cruised into the semi-finals of men's singles event at the Tokyo Olympics here at Ariake Tennis Park on Thursday.

The world number one registered a dominant straight-sets 6-2, 6-0 win over Japan's Kei Nishikori in just 72 minutes.

Djokovic, whose best result in Olympics was a bronze medal in Beijing 2008, was not broken even once in the match. Nishikori, considered the local favourite, made 16 unforced errors.

5:16 PM

Olympics 2021 live updates: Sajan Prakash's campaign ends

Men's 100m butterfly heats: Sajan Prakash finishes 46th overall. 

 

He clocked 53.45 seconds in his heat and finished second. 

 

Prakash's campaign in Tokyo Olympics 2020 ends here.

4:20 PM

Olympics 2021 live updates: Swimming

Men's 100m butterfly heats: Sajan Prakash clocks 53.45, comes second in his heat.

 

4:13 PM

Olympics 2021 live updates: Swimming

 

 

Men's 100m butterfly heats: 4:16 pm -- Sajan Prakash in action

3:55 PM

Olympics 2021 live updates: Women's boxing: Mary Kom loses to Ingrit Valencia (Round of 16 of Fly 48-51kg)

Six-time world champion M C Mary Kom's (51kg) pursuit of a second Olympic medal ended in the pre-quarterfinals of the Tokyo Games as she went down to 2016 edition's bronze-medallist Ingrit Valencia in a fiercely-fought showdown here on Thursday.

The 38-year-old legend, who is a multiple-time Asian champion and a bronze-winner from the 2012 London olympics, lost 2-3 to the Colombian, giving it her all in what would now be her final Olympic bout.

Mary Kom had tears in her eyes and a wide smile on her face when the referee raised Valencia's hand at the end of the bout, exhausted after the intense clash.

The Indian had earlier beaten Valencia in the 2019 world championship quarterfinals and it was the Colombian's first career win over the icon. 

3:53 PM

Olympics 2021 live updates: Women's boxing: Mary Kom vs Ingrit Valencia (Round of 16 of Fly 48-51kg)

 

 

 

Round 3: Mary Kom gets the second round in her favour but here comes the final round. Mary Kom looks to make the most of it, she lands a few punches but her opponent is animated too. Stiff competition between the two as the clock ticks away. Some body blows in between. Tough to say who is ahead in this round, both are equally good. Last few seconds and Mary Kom invites her opponent to attack. It ends, lets see who gets it.

3:48 PM

Olympics 2021 live updates: Women's boxing: Mary Kom vs Ingrit Valencia (Round of 16 of Fly 48-51kg)

 

 

Round 2: Valencia gets the first round but Mary Kom looks to attack right from the start. Combination punches lands right where Mary Kom looks to attack. Continous attack from Mary Kom she is going for it. Valencia looks to defend but Mary Kom is all over the ring. She has dominated the round. Looks like she is ahead in this round. 

 

3:44 PM

Olympics 2021 live updates: Women's boxing: Mary Kom vs Ingrit Valencia (Round of 16 of Fly 48-51kg)

 

 

 

Round 1: Mary Kom tackles her opponent with all her might. Ingrit Valencia is unfazed. Mary Kom dodges a few punches, and sends a message with a few. It is a neck-to-neck fight so far. Tough to say who is dominating as both maintain the attack and defence well. Some body blows in the middle by Mary Kom. Looks like Mary Kom has managed to get some points here. Great spectacle here. 

3:40 PM

Olympics 2021 live updates: Women's boxing: Mary Kom vs Ingrit Lorenna (Round of 16 of Fly 48-51kg)

Mary Kom adn her opponent have entered the ring, action is about to begin!

3:29 PM

Mary Kom will be in action at 3:36 pm

Six-time world champion Mary Kom (51kg) powered into the Olympic Games’ pre-quarterfinals after defeating Dominican Republic’s Miguelina Hernandez Garcia in the opening round on Sunday.  Mary Kom will take on Ingrit Lorenna of Colombia in the Round of 16 of women’s Fly (48-51kg) category. 

3:04 PM

Fouaad Mirza Opts For His ‘Lucky Horse’ Before Individual Dressage

2:43 PM

Ravi Shastri comes in support of Simone Biles

2:37 PM

Mary Kom will be in action at 3:36 pm

Mary Kom will be in action at 3:36 pm in her last-16 bout in the women's 51kg category. Sajan Prakash will be in action in 100m men's butterfly heat 2.

1:43 PM

Dutee, Sable to kick off India's athletics campaign; medal hope Neeraj in action on Aug 4 & 7

 

Pinning their slim medal hopes on the sprightly but under-prepared star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, India will begin their Olympic campaign in athletics on Friday, hoping to make amends for the disappointing performances in the last edition.

 

The 23-year-old Chopra, currently ranked fourth in the world, is the brightest prospect for an Olympic medal though he is short on preparations, having competed in only one top-class international event in the run-up ro the Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The 2017 world champion Vetter (personal best 97.76m, season best 96.29m) has been unbeatable this season with 90m-plus throws in seven events between April and June.

 

If he continues his form, Vetter seems to be sure-shot for his first Olympics gold.

 

Discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur, ranked sixth in the world with personal best of 66.59m, could be gunning for a top-5 finish if not for a medal provided she can continue her strong form which helped her break the national record twice recently.

 

Asian Games champion shot putter Tajinder Singh Toor, who bettered his own national mark at IGP 4 in June with a 21.49m throw, can also make it to the final though the event will be extremely competitive going by what had happened in the 2019 World Championships.

 

If the likes of Shivpal Singh (javelin throw), Avinash Sable (3000m steeplechase) and M Sreeshankar (long jump) can better than their personal best, they can also make it to the final round.

 

Sreeshankar's form though has dipped after his national record breaking 8.26m jump during the Federation Cup in March and the AFI was even mulling on dropping him, along with 20km race walker K T Irfan, after he cleared just 7.48m in the 'fitness trial' held on July 21.

 

Sable will kick off proceedings on Friday, followed by Dutee Chand (100m) and M P Jabir (400m hurdles) in their respective heats in the morning session. The mixed 4x400m relay team will be in action in the evening for a place in the final.

 

National record holder Dutee, who has qualified for Olympics on the basis of world rankings, has admitted to the gulf between her timing and that of the medal contenders and she would be looking to reach the semifinals by bettering his personal best.

1:38 PM

Olympics 2021 live updates: Golf: Lahiri, Mane in action

Udayan Mane has dropped to Tied-43rd after the thirteenth hole. Anirban Lahiri drops to Tied-7th.

12:57 PM

I'm more than my accomplishments and gymnastics: Biles

Star American gymnast Simone Biles expressed gratitude for the "outpouring love and support" received since her withdrawal from women's individual all-around final in artistic gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health.

 

"The outpouring love and support I've received has made me realise I'm more than my accomplishments and gymnastics, which I never truly believed before [emoticon: white heart]," said Simone in a tweet posted on Thursday.

 

Jade Carey, who had the ninth highest score in qualifications, will now participate in the individual all-around event in place of Simone.

 

The 24-year-old had pulled out from the women's team final on Tuesday after scoring 13.766 on the vault, the lowest mark in the first rotation. Simone was seen talking with a trainer and then exited the competition floor with the team doctor.

 

She then came back, with a taping on her right leg and hugged her team-mates. She had removed the bar grips and came dressed in jacket and sweatpants, signalling her withdrawal from the team final. The reason behind Simone's withdrawal was cited as mental health concerns.

 

USA, the defending champions in the competition, were placed second behind the eventual gold medal winners, the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).

 

Simone is the most successful USA gymnast of all time. She won four gold medals and a bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She had arrived for the Tokyo Olympics as one of the biggest stars of the mega event.

Simone Biles

12:39 PM

IOC sees no link between Games, Japan case rise

The International Olympic Committee said Thursday that it saw no connection between the current rise of COVID-19 cases in Japan and the Tokyo Games.

 

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said at a daily briefing that no infection has spread from participants in the Summer Games to the Japanese population as far as he is aware.

 

310,000 tests have been carried out at the Games in total so far, only a small fraction of which were positive.

 

Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee spokesperson Masa Takaya underlined that there is no negative impact on the Japanese health system. "In that respect, we've been absolutely right on track to deliver the safe and secure games", Takaya added.

 

Japanese officials sounded alarm Thursday after Tokyo reported record-breaking coronavirus cases for two straight days with the Olympics well underway.

 

Tokyo reported 3,177 new cases on Wednesday, up from 2,848 on Tuesday, setting an all-time high and exceeding 3,000 for the first time.

 

"Obviously it's challenging for any country when there's rising cases of COVID-19, but I am confident that the Olympics are being run without actually affecting that essential secondary care and hospital provision," said IOC medical and scientific director Richard Budgett.

 

Budgett also commented on the debut of Laurel Hubbard who will be the first transgender athlete to compete at an Olympic Games.

Tokyo 2020. Photo: @Reuters

12:29 PM

I just tried to maintain my focus: Atanu after memorable win against Jin Hyek

India's No. 1 men's recurve archer Atanu Das has stated that he just tried to maintain his focus in a nerve-wracking shoot-off against South Korea's Oh Jin Hyek as he cruised into the third round of men's individual event here at the Yumenoshima Ranking Field on Thursday.

 

"It was a tense moment. I've faced shoot-offs before. I knew he was shooting first, and if he would shoot a nine, I could win it," World Archery quoted Atanu as a saying. "I just tried to maintain my focus. It was a tense moment, a win or lose situation. So I just went for the win."

 

"We're giving out best, so let's see what happens," he added.

 

Aiming first in the shoot-off, Jinhyek shot a 9 to which Atanu replied with a brilliant 10 and sealed the match. With this win, Atanu has cruised into the 1/8 eliminations round where he will face the silver medallist of London 2012 -- Japan's Takaharu Furukawa. Notably, Oh Jin Hyek was the gold medalist in the same Olympics.

 

"I could feel a strong wind over my body and I struggled to aim. It was quite a difficult match for me. I don't think I was very good. I am not sad. I am okay. I did all I can do," Korean legend Hyek said after the match.

Indian archery team member Atanu Das. Photo: PTI

11:33 AM

Living up to the hype: Dressel win 1st individual gold medal

In an Olympics where many of the favorites have faltered, Caeleb Dressel lived up to the hype.

 

Dressel claimed the first individual Olympic gold medal of his career with two furious laps of the pool Thursday morning, winning the 100-meter freestyle over defending champion Kyle Chalmers.

 

As is his style, Dressel dove into the pool and came up with the lead. He was still ahead at the lone flip, and turned away the Aussie's bid for a second straight gold.

 

Dressel's winning time was an Olympic record of 47.02 seconds a mere six-hundredths of a second ahead of Chalmers, who had to settle for a silver this time.

 

I wasn't worried about anything, Dressel said. During the race there's only so much you can do. Whatever's going to happen is going to happen. I stuck to my race plan so if it got me first, OK, if it got me second, OK.

 

The bronze was claimed by Russia's Kliment Kolesnikov (47.44), who added to his silver in the 100 backstroke.

 

The first three gold medals of Dressel's career were all in the relays two in Rio de Janeiro, another in the 4x100 free relay at the Tokyo Games.

 

11:31 AM

NEWS UPDATES: Diksha gets late Olympic call, makes plans to get to Tokyo

India's golf challenge at the Tokyo Olympics got a boost with Diksha Dagar being given a late entry into the women's golf competition beginning August 5.

 

Diksha, who was among the reserves when the list was finalised earlier in the month, was conveyed the news by the International Golf Federation through the Indian Golf Union (IGU).

 

The IGU has since begun making arrangements for Diksha to reach Tokyo in time for the Games.

 

She will join Aditi Ashok in the team. It is the first Olympic appearance for the left-handed Diksha, while Aditi will be playing her second Olympics.

 

However, Diksha, who was born with a hearing impairment, will now have the unique honour of having represented India at both the Deaf Olympics in 2017, where she finished second for a silver medal.

 

Diksha qualified after South Africa's Paula Reto decided to withdraw and Austria declined to make a reallocation for their golfer Sarah Schober, as per information from the IGU.

 

Diksha also represented India at the 2018 Asian Games and then turned professional in 2019 and has since won two titles on the Ladies European Tour, one of them a team event.

 

Before the news came in, Diksha was entered and scheduled to play the ISPS Handa Invitational in Ireland.

 

Meanwhile, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) also has started the formalities for the accreditation and travel.

Photo: @Tokyo2020

11:26 AM

Olympics 2021 live updates, men's golf round one: Indian golfers in action today

Anirban Lahiri and S Udayan Mane in action on first Day of Golf events in Olympics 2021

As those ahead of him finish their holes, Lahiri has moved up to T-6th. As round one is disrupted by inclement weather, Mane, meawnhile, sits T-30th at one under par following hole 10.
 

10:22 AM

Olympics 2021 live updates, men's golf round one: Indian golfers in action today

Anirban Lahiri and S Udayan Mane in action on first Day of Golf events in Olympics 2021

Anriban finished round 1 at T7 position. His ranking will move up or down depending upon others performance. Mane, meanwhile, is at currenty tied at 29th spot.
 

10:10 AM

Olympics 2021 live updates, women's 25m air pistol shooting event: Indian shooters in action (Day 1 ends)

Manu Bhaker and Rahi Sarnobat in 25m air pistol shooting event, Qualification round Day 1 (Precision)

Manu Bhaker finishes the qualification round of precision round at 5th spot with a score of 292. While her compatriot Rahi Sarnobat is at 25th position with a score of 287. Serbia's Zorana Arunovic, who shot a stunning 296 to lead the pack, is in first place. 

 

Will Manu be able to maintain her speed in the quick qualifying? Can Rani make up for lost time? We will find it tomorrow 

 

Tomorrow, July 30th, is the fast stage, followed by the finals. 

 

9:35 AM

Olympics 2021 live updates, men's golf round one: Indian golfers in action today

Anirban Lahiri and S Udayan Mane in action on first Day of Golf events in Olympics 2021

Anirban Lahiri is now T-16. He's 2 under par through hole 13; Udayan Mane is 56th -- he's 1 over par through hole 4.
 

8:58 AM

Olympics 2021 live updates, men's heavyweight boxing: Satish Kumar advances to next round (result)

KUMAR Satish (India) vs BROWN Ricardo (Jamaica) - Preliminaries - Round of 16

Satish Kumar wins the match in a split decision, advances to quarterfinals.
 

8:55 AM

Olympics 2021 live updates, men's heavyweight boxing: Satish Kumar in action

KUMAR Satish (India) vs BROWN Ricardo (Jamaica) - Preliminaries - Round of 16

Third and final round begins.
 

8:53 AM

Olympics 2021 live updates, men's heavyweight boxing: Satish Kumar in action

KUMAR Satish (India) vs BROWN Ricardo (Jamaica) - Preliminaries - Round of 16

In the second round, boxer Satish Kumar gets a decision in his favour 4-1.
 

8:50 AM

Olympics 2021 live updates, men's heavyweight boxing: Satish Kumar in action

KUMAR Satish (India) vs BROWN Ricardo (Jamaica) - Preliminaries - Round of 16

Second round begins, Jamaican boxer gets a warning.