No medal tonight for the French delegation, the day after a historic day for French sport, with the coronations of handball players and volleyball players, while waiting for the handball players who will play the title against the Russian Olympic Committee (8:00 am). But at the opening of this last day of the Tokyo Olympic Games on Sunday, Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge once again lit up the marathon, as did Briton Jason Kenny, now the greatest tracker in the history of the Olympic Games, while Team USA has does equally well in the female and male table.
Sacred Kipchoge and a little more in the legend
Favorite of the marathon event, the Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, title holder, offered himself a double after his victory in Rio in 2016. Starting 5km from the finish, the world record holder of the discipline has never was reached and cut the line in 2:08:38 ″. He became the first long-distance runner to win a medal at four different Olympics: bronze in 5000m (Athens 2004), silver in 5000m (Beijing 2008), gold in marathon (Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020).
On the French side, two French representatives had taken the start of the race. Nicolas Navarro was not far from entering the top 10, he took 12th place by setting his best time of the season (2h12′50 ″). In the fight for the medal until about the 30th kilometer, Morhad Amdouni, him, cracked on the last part of the test, finishing in 17th position, despite his best time of the season also (2h14′33 ″). The last Habs in contention, Hassan Chahdi imitated his compatriots by also signing his chronometric record for the season (2h18′40 ″), but did not do better than 45th.
7th Olympic title for Kenny
By winning the keirin, Briton Jason Kenny became, on the night, the most successful cyclist in history on the track. At 33, the silver medalist in team speed in Tokyo, retained his title on the keirin and surprised his opponents by leaving alone in a breakaway, in the final, without ever seeing one of his competitors. Crowned with a 7th gold medal, Jason Kenny surpasses legend Chris Hoy (6 titles) among the greatest trackers of all time.
Having started well after qualifying for the semifinals of the keirin, the Frenchman Rayan Helal, on the other hand, did not manage to pass the last course, dismissed by a wave in the last lap. In the classification final, the bronze medalist in team sprint took 10th place overall, after coming close to falling in the final package.
In omnium, the French Clara Copponi did not have the necessary resources in the last event, the points race, to snatch a podium. Despite her first place in elimination, the pistarde failed in 8th place in the final classification, after a fall during the initial scratch. The American Jennifer Valente adorned herself with gold, after obtaining bronze in team speed.
Seven in a row for American basketball players
Their male counterparts had paved the way, Saturday, by removing the Blues from Vincent Collet in the final; It was the turn of Team USA, the women’s version, to extend its hold on world basketball, by offering itself a 7th consecutive title at the Olympic Games, after having disposed of Japan (90-75). Brittney Griner (30 points, 5 rebounds), A’ja Wilson (19pts, 7rbds, 5bds) and Breanna Stewart, in double-doubles (14pts, 14bds), led their team to a 9th title in history. You have to go back to the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 to see another nation win, at the time the unified team of the former USSR.
