The penultimate day of the Paris Olympics is in full swing with 39 gold medals up for grabs – the highest total on a single day at the Games since 2000.
In the men’s marathon, Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola set a new Olympic record with Great Britain’s Emile Cairess finishing just outside the medal places.
It’s was a mixed start to the day for Team GB, with Erin McNeice missing out on a sport climbing medal but taekwondo pair Caden Cunningham and Rebecca McGowan qualifying for their respective quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, Serbia beat Germany to win men’s basketball bronze, while New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington – already her country’s most decorated Olympian of all time – won another canoeing gold.
What’s happening and when at Paris 2024
Tola sets Olympic record marathon time
Tamirat Tola kicked off Saturday’s medal rush in the men’s marathon, crossing the line in an Olympic record time of two hours six minutes 26 seconds to secure Ethiopia’s first gold of the Games.
The 32-year-old finished 21 seconds in front of Belgium’s Bashir Abdi, with Kenya’s Benson Kipruto 13 seconds further back in third.
It is Tola’s first Olympic gold, adding to the 10,000m bronze he won at Rio 2016, and his 2022 World Championship marathon title.
Great Britain’s Emile Cairess was in medal contention at one point, holding second position after around 30km, but faded during the latter part of the race before fighting back to claim fourth.
Cairess’ time of 2:07:29, which was 29 seconds behind bronze medallist Kipruto, was Team GB’s best Olympic marathon finish for 20 years.
Kenyan great Eliud Kipchoge’s attempt at winning an unprecedented hat-trick of Olympic marathon titles ended in disappointment as he did not finish the race.
McNeice misses out on sport climbing medal
Inspired by Briton Toby Roberts’ sport climbing gold in the men’s boulder and lead final on Thursday, compatriot Erin McNeice had the chance to mirror his success in the women’s event.
It was not to be, however, as she came fifth to miss out on a medal.
Watched on by Roberts, McNeice – nicknamed McBeast – put herself in medal contention after a strong showing in the boulder part of the event, before coming up short in the lead climb.
Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret took gold, in front of American Brooke Raboutou and Austria’s Jessica Pilz.
British taekwondo pair safely through
Team GB’s taekwondo athletes Caden Cunningham and Rebecca McGowan reached the quarter-finals.
Cunningham beat Niger’s Abdoul Issoufou in his men’s +80kg first-round contest, while McGowan thrashed Fiji’s Venice Traill without conceding a point in her women’s +67kg match.
The pair will be hoping to win Britain’s first taekwondo medals of the Paris Olympics after Jade Jones suffered a first-round defeat earlier this week and Bradly Sinden pulled out of his bronze-medal match with injury.
The quarter-finals were set to begin at 13:30 BST.
Serbia win basketball gold before all-star final
NBA star Nikola Jokic starred as Serbia beat Germany 93-83 to win bronze in the men’s basketball.
The three-time Most Valuable Player joint-top scored for Serbia with 19 points alongside Vasilije Mimic.
It is the nation’s second Olympic medal in the event following their silver at Rio 2016.
The gold medal match takes place at 20:30 BST as the USA take on France in a mouth-watering tie.
A star-studded USA side, featuring LeBron James and Steph Curry, are seeking their fifth successive Olympic men’s gold in the event, against France side led by NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wenbanyama.
Carrington wins third Paris gold
New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington just cannot be stopped in the canoe sprint.
The 35-year-old, who is New Zealand’s most decorated Olympian of all time, won her third gold in Paris as she won the women’s kayak single 500m final in a Games-best time of one minute 47.36 seconds.
Carrington, who won her first medal at London 2012, took her tally to nine, which includes eight golds and one bronze.
Hungary’s Tamara Csipes took silver in the event with Denmark’s Emma Jorgensen winning bronze.
Source Agencies
