Tokyo Olympics live updates: Australia takes on United States for place in women’s basketball semi-finals – ABC News
The Opals need to beat their old rivals the United States in a quarter-final for a chance at the medals in women’s basketball.
See what’s coming up across the day with our daily schedule, or check out the medal tally.
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Follow all of Wednesday’s action in our live blog.
Live updates
By Kelsie Iorio
Pinned
COMING UP: Aussies still to watch today
BASKETBALL: The Opals face the USA from 2:40pm in the quarter-finals
SAILING: Mat Belcher and Will Ryan’s medal race starts at 3:33pm
DIVING: Nikita Hains and Melissa Wu begin their campaign in the women’s 10m prelim from 4pm
TRACK CYCLING:
- Men’s sprint qualifying starts at 4:30pm, with Matthew Glaetzer racing 12th and Nathan Hart 17th
- Kaarle McCullough takes to the track for the first round of the women’s keirin from 5:30pm (she’s in heat 5)
- Australia’s men’s team pursuit have a chance to win a bronze medal when they take on New Zealand at 6:59pm
ATHLETICS:
- Ashley Moloney and Cedric Dubler in in the high jump from 7:30pm and finish the night with heat 3 of the 400m at 10:46pm
- Jessica Hull in the first women’s 1,500m semi-final at 8pm. Linden Hall in the second at 8:12pm
- Genevieve Gregson will run in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase final at 9pm
- Peter Bol in men’s 800m final from 10:05pm
SPORT CLIMBING: It’s the first-ever Olympic Games women’s sport climbing event — Oceana McKenzie’s speed qualification section starts at 6pm, the bouldering qualification begins at 7pm and the lead qualification starts at 10:10pm
All times in AEST.
By Kelsie Iorio
BASKETBALL: We’re on
Australia’s quarter-final has officially begun against the USA.
I’m watching it on TOK21.
Australia takes the first two points! Cayla George snags one early before Australia gives up a foul.
By Kelsie Iorio
tonights 800 final is unmissabol
-unmissabol
By Simon Smale
Statistically your more likely to get a hole in one then an albatross (3 shots under)
-Fun Golf Facts
I have no idea if that’s true, but I wanted to use this gif.
By Simon Smale
CANOE SPRINT: Aussies qualify for semis
Riley Fitzsimmons and Jordan Wood have just won their quarter final and will go into the semi final of the pairs Kayak sprint 1000m.
So good news for me to finish on.
Handing over the reigns to Andrew McGarry for a bit longer, plus Kelsie Iorio and, a little bit later, Jon Healy.
Enjoy the afternoon’s events!
By Simon Smale
GOLF: Terminology cheats
“Minjee Lee is even par through 10 holes. She bogeyed the third, ninth and tenth, but birdied the fourth, sixth and eighth.”
Um…. is that good?-Utterly Clueless About Golf
Hi, Utterly clueless about golf.
The way I think of it is this: If it sounds icky, that’s bad.
For example, Bogey=icky=bad.
If it sounds cute, eg birdie, then that’s good.
To be more exact about it, each hole is assigned a par score – the number of shots it should take you to hit the ball in the hole.
A bogey means you’ve taken one too many shots than you the par for that hole.
If you’ve double bogeyed, then that’s two shots more than you should have taken, triple=three, etc etc etc.
If you’ve birdied, then that’s one shot less than you should have taken and you get a minus score. The lower the score in golf, the better.
If you get an eagle, that’s two shots better than expected and if you get an albatross, that’s three shots better than expected.
Lowest score wins.
So birdies are good.
By Kelsie Iorio
BASKETBALL: Opals starting lineup
Here’s who will start for Australia against the USA in about 15 minutes:
- Katie Ebzery
- Leilani Mitchell
- Eziyoda Magbegor
- Cayla George
- Jenna O’Hea
By Simon Smale
SKATEBOARDING FOR THE WIN!
Have you ever seen such a supportive competition?
That was awesome – just for their reaction to each other as much as the skill they showed.
Has the Olympics’ newest sport dragged the modern Games back to its Corinthian roots, reminding us all that sport is something that first and foremost should be enjoyed?
I don’t think these young women really cared who won! They were just having so much fun, and being so supportive of each other. So very lovely to see such joy in competition.!
-All champs!
SO touched and inspired by the sportspersonship displayed by these athletes in the skateboarding. Go girls!
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Skating is over and why am I crying
-help
Oh my gawd these skateboarders are my new fav Olympians!!! What a supportive gang!
-New skater fan
Can I just say how awesome the skaters are! So much positivity and support among the group of all competitors. Some of the other athletes in other sports could learn some things from these awesome people!
-Imnotcryingyourecrying
By Kelsie Iorio
DIVING: Women’s 10m platform starts today
Afternoon everyone! What a morning of sport. Loving the sportsmanship we’re seeing in the skateboarding — think we can all learn something from these girls.
Anywho, another event I’m super excited for later on today — diving! We’ve got Nikita Hains and Melissa Wu in the 10m platform preliminaries in about 40 minutes, so if you can tear your eyes away from the basketball, that will be one to watch.
By Andrew Mcgarry
Women’s Park: Gold for Sakura Yosozumi
It’s gold for Sakura Yosozumi!!
Silver for Kokona Hiraki!
And bronze for GB’s Sky Brown!!
She denies a Japanese clean sweep, with Misugu Okamoto in fourth.
Australia’s Poppy Olsen finishes fifth.
What an amazing competition – women’s park has had a great first edition at the Olympics.
By Simon Smale
By Andrew Mcgarry
SKATEBOARDING: Can Misugu Okamoto get the gold in women’s park?
There is one more competitor – favourite Misugu Okamoto.
She is in fourth and needs a big clean run for gold.
There’s some big air on a 540!!
She’s gone for it – and she slides out on the final move!
By Simon Smale
GOLF: How are the Aussies getting on at the Kasumigaseki Country Club?
Another scorching day for a round of golf and both Aussies have had steady starts in their opening rounds.
Minjee Lee is even par through 10 holes. She bogeyed the third, ninth and tenth, but birdied the fourth, sixth and eighth.
Hannah Green is one over through nine holes, a double bogey on the par four third her biggest blemish, although she recovered to birdie the par five fifth not long after. Other than that she’s been straight and true.
Madelene Sagstrom of Sweden has the early lead, she’s five-under through 12 holes.
By Andrew Mcgarry
Women’s Park: Who will take the medals?
Sakura Yosozumi has her chance to improve on her 60.09.
She’s getting good height, a long grind on the top.
There was a 540 in there, but she loses speed and slides off – she scores 50.04 but she stays in the lead for now.
There are three competitors left – next up is Kokona Hiraki. Her run doesn’t last long, and the 12-year-old remains in the silver medal position for now.
Can Sky Brown do it? The young competitor from GB is going well, but she may need some more speed here – she sticks an alley-oop and the crowd cheers!
She does a 540 to finish? Is that enough?
She nailed the final run – she gets 56.47 and takes bronze for now!
By Andrew Mcgarry
SKATEBOARDING: Poppy Olsen does her final run
Brazil’s Dora Varella tries everything in her final run, and comes up just short with one move to slide out.
She will finish on 40.42.
Yndiara Asp has her last shot at the medals, but she can’t stick the routine and her run ends early. She will finish on 37.34.
Poppy Olsen is up – can the Aussie improve again?
She gets good height on the feeble grind. She is working through solidly and clean, a backside 50 – can she deliver a big finish? No, she slips off the top.
She will stay on 46.04, out of the medals.
American Bryce Wettstein needs to get above 53.58 to get into the medals.
She combines a lip to Smith move, but she’s another who has pushed too hard. She hits the deck – she will stay on 44.50 in sixth behind Olsen.
By Andrew Mcgarry
Women’s Park: Misugu Okamoto goes third!
Kokona Hiraki completes her second run safely and she improves her score, getting a 59.04.
Sky Brown falls off just near the end of her second run and stays on 47.53.
Now it’s time for Okamoto and she’s charging here -this looks good, but no! She’s come off! Are these leaders trying for too much here?
She scores 53.58 to take the bronze position, pushing Brown into fourth. Poppy Olsen is fifth with one run to go.
By Andrew Mcgarry
SKATEBOARDING: Poppy Olsen improves in run two
The pressure is rising at the women’s park.
Both Dora Varella and Yndiara Asp have come off early in their second runs.
Now it’s time for Poppy Olsen!
What can the Aussie go this time? A big transfer to start, she’s getting some good height on the Tokyo Bay section.
A good hold, and that’s a great clean run!
She gets 46.04, and she’s up to fourth!
And now Bryce Wettstein comes off as well, and she can’t improve on her first run.
Leader Sakura Yosozumi was looking good, but she comes off as well!
She stays in first on 60.09.
By Andrew Mcgarry
Women’s Park: Sky Brown, Misugu Okamoto come off in first run
Sky Brown goes next, and she was looking good with some nice style, including a solid hold but then her fingers slipped on the board and she came off.
She scores 47.53.
What can Misugu Okamoto do?
She comes off as well! The favourite had a nice 540 to start, but was going for bigger moves and then slid to her knees off a new trick. She gets 20.68.
So Sakura Yosozumi leads after run one.
By Simon Smale
SKATEBOARDING: Lots of love for these joyous athletes
I am just smitten with these girls!! It’s so nice to see athletes genuinely enjoy their sport. They all just look like they’re having fun and making amazing memories 🙂
-New Skateboarding Fan
Having skating at the Olympics is like a breath of fresh air! They bring a real sense of fun, but really get down to business when it counts. And the support amongst the girls is just *chef’s kiss*.
It’s breaking up my monotonous work day at home!!-SK8-ER GRRL
Watching the women’s skateboarding in my lunchbreak, and what an amazingily healthy competition it looks! they’re all supporting and hugging and congratulating each other and it makes me really happy to watch. Also what a great example for younger sportspeople to see
-N
I love how supportive all the skateboarders are – genuine joy from all countries for a good run!
-Here for the Olympic spirit
Totally agree, this is all so wholesome.
By Andrew Mcgarry
Women’s Park: Time for the leaders’ first run
Bryce Wettstein scored 44.50 for the US with a fine first run, she takes the lead and gets a hug from Poppy Olsen again.
And now it’s time for Sakura Yosozumi.- she is having a good run with good height, a solid hold and back-to-back 540s!!
The competitors are all excited for her – this is such a pure contest!
Yosozumi scores 60.09!!! That gives them all something to aim at.
The youngest competitor, Kokona Hiraki goes next – the crowd likes it, and she has increased the difficulty from her prelims. Do the judges like it?
She goes second with 58.05.
