Men’s 100m
Kenny Bednarek (United States) and Fred Kerley (United States) went fastest in round one but Kishane Thompson (Jamaica) arguably looked strongest. Oblique Seville (Jamaica) took the first semi-final with Akani Simbine (South Africa) winning in semi-final two. Thompson would take the final semi-final. The final followed an epic light show. Lamont Jacobs (Italy) got the best start. It would look like Thompson had it wrapped up for 95m of the race only for Lyles with his 200m endurance and a perfect dip to get the victory on the line. They were shown as the same time, with Lyles winning by five-thousandths of a second. All eight finalists would finish within 0.12.
🥇Noah Lyles 🇺🇸
🥈Kishane Thompson 🇯🇲
🥉Fred Kerley 🇺🇸
I wanted to go against the Lyles double and picked the wrong race. Kerley was always a sensible pick for a medal. Omanyala disappointed
Men’s 200m
It was the American show in the heats as Erriyon Knighton (United States) and Kenny Bednarek (United States) were the two men under 20 seconds. Zharnel Hughes (Great Britain) would pull out prior to the competition. Bednarek would cruise to win the first semi-final. Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) beat Noah Lyles (United States) in the second semi. Knighton took the third semi, in the slowest time. In the final Bednarek and Tebogo seemed to get out fastest. By the turn, they were alongside Lyles. It was at 150m when Lyles started to tread water with Tebogo pulling clear. He would win, slowing down in a 19.46. It was revealed after the race that Lyles had COVID.
🥇Letsile Tebogo 🇧🇼
🥈Kenny Bednarek 🇺🇸
🥉Noah Lyles 🇺🇸
I was right about Tebogo stopping the American sweep. I wish we had Lyles at 100% health as the pair of them could have pushed each other to special times
Men’s 400m
In the heats, the big news was Steven Gardiner pulling out. Michael Norman (United States) impressed going fastest. The first semi-final was won by Quincy Hall (United States) whilst Alexander Doom (Belgium) pulled up. Kirani James (Grenada) took the second heat with Matthew Hudson-Smith (Great Britain) taking the third. In the final, it was Jereem Richards (Trinidad and Tobago) who went out hard. Hudson-Smith would soon pass him at the top of the home straight. He would lead until about 395 when he was passed by Hall. A fast-finishing Muzala Samukonga (Zambia) managed to get bronze ahead of Richards.
🥇Quincy Hall 🇺🇸
🥈Matthew Hudson-Smith 🇬🇧
🥉Muzala Samukonga 🇿🇲
My prediction was ruined with Gardiner not competing. I thought Hudson-Smith would lead and the others would be trying to catch him.
Men’s 800m
Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Kenya) went fastest in the heats. Shocks came as Adrian Ben (Spain), Benjamin Robert(France), Koitatoi Kidali (Kenya), Peter Bol (Australia) and Slimane Moula (Algeria) were all eliminated. The first semi-final was won by Djamel Sedjati (Algeria). The second was taken by Marco Arop (Canada) with the final semi won by Wanyonyi. It was Wanyonyi who led the final, making it a fast affair with a 50-second opening lap. Sedjati was at the back of the field at the lap. Tual would go into the lead on the back straight only for Wanyonyi to go ahead at the bend. Sedjati would come around the field but it was not enough as Wanyonyi held on to win gold in a very fast race, holding on to win by gold by 0.01.
🥇Emmanuel Wanyonyi 🇰🇪
🥈Marco Arop 🇨🇦
🥉Djamel Sedjati 🇩🇿
My original drafts had Wanyonyi winning but the Diamond League races before the Olympics made me edge to Sedjati as Wanyonyi had the race go as he wanted without getting the win.
Men’s 1500m
Ermias Girma (Ethiopia) would go fastest in the heats, with Josh Kerr (Great Britain) and Stefan Nillessen(Norway) winning the other heats. Jakob Ingebritsen (Norway) would take the first semi-final, pulling away with Kerr. In the second Yared Nuguse (United States) won in a faster time. Ingebritsen would go straight to the front in the final and push on at 800m. Timothy Cheriuyot (Kenya) would follow with the field incredibly strung out. Kerr would close the gap down the back straight. He would go around with 80m to go only to be followed by the American duo, Cole Hocker (United States) and Nuguse. It was Hocker who had the most in the tank with Ingebritsen fading, having gone off too hard. The front three were separated by 0.15 with Hocker taking an Olympic record.
🥇Cole Hocker 🇺🇸
🥈Josh Kerr 🇬🇧
🥉Yared Nuguse 🇺🇸
I thought an American would beat Kerr as he concentrated on Ingebritsen. I picked the wrong one and the wrong position. Ingebritsen was too aggressive and Kerr ran his race to beat him
Men’s 5000m
It was a Norwegian sweep in the heats. Narve Gilje Nordas (Norway) took the first and Jakob Ingebritsen (Norway) the second. Because of the incidents in the heats, it was a massive field for the final and it was slow. With two laps to go, the field started to string out a bit led by Addisu Yihune (Ethiopia). The first big attack would launched by Hagos Gebrihwet (Ethiopia) and he led Ingebritsen with a lap to go. Ingebritsen would go past with 200m to go and soon open a gap on Yihune with Ronald Kwemoi (Kenya) soon looking like the best challenger. Grant Fisher (United States) would finish quickly to take bronze.
🥇Jakob Ingebritsen 🇳🇴
🥈Ronald Kwemoi 🇰🇪
🥉Grant Fisher 🇺🇸
The race was run to suit Ingebritsen. Krop was nowhere which could have been predicted in his seasonal form. Gebrhiwet was 0.19 off of bronze.
Men’s 10,000m
It was quite a fast pace which was set early by the Ethiopians. At halfway, the field was still together but starting to look very strung out. Yomif Kejelcha (Ethiopia) would continue to inject pace. It was still a group of thirteen, just about, with three laps to go. At 600m to go, Berihu Aregawi (Ethiopia) led only for Joshua Cheptegei (Uganda) to make an attack over the top and lead with 400m to go. He got a small gap and soon it was Mo Ahmed (Canada) coming back at him. A bump sent Kejelcha backwards and Grant Fisher (United States) soon went into third and then second. Aregawi would come down the outside to take a silver medal but no one could get near Cheptegei, who set an Olympic record.
🥇Joshua Cheptegei 🇺🇬
🥈Berihu Aregawi 🇪🇹
🥉Grant Fisher 🇺🇸
I mentioned Fisher as a danger and so it proved
Men’s 110m Hurdles
Grant Holloway (United States) was the fastest by some way in the heats. Freddie Crittenden (United States) would jog through the heat knowing he would be in the repechage round whilst Hansle Parchment (Jamaica) would also need the repechage. In the first semi-final, Holloway went under 13 seconds. Rasheed Broadbell (Jamaica) and Orlando Bennett (Jamaica) won the other heats. In the final, Daniel Roberts (United States) got the best start but would clatter some hurdles and Holloway would pull away to get a comfortable victory.
🥇Grant Holloway 🇺🇸
🥈Daniel Roberts 🇺🇸
🥉Rasheed Broadbell 🇯🇲
Holloway dominated as predicted. Crittenden was clearly hampered
Men’s 400m Hurdles
The big names cruised through the heats led by Karsten Warholm (Norway). The first semi-final would be won by Warholm, with Clement Ducos (France) beating Alison Dos Santos (Brazil) to qualify for the final. Kyron McMaster (British Virgin Islands) and Rai Benjamin (United States) took the other heats. Warholm would go off fastest in the final but Benjamin led with 100m to go. He would only pull away down the home straight with an incredible 46.46.
🥇Rai Benjamin 🇺🇸
🥈Karsten Warholm 🇳🇴
🥉Alison Dos Santos 🇧🇷
I predicted this well aside from the emergence of Ducos
Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase
Soufiane El Bakkali (Morocco) won the first heat comfortably. Teammate Mohamed Tindouft (Morocco) would go faster in the second heat. The final heat was taken by Lamecha Girma (Ethiopia). It looked for a while like being a fast race with the Ethiopians injecting the pace, only for it to slow and be a big bunch with 400m to go. It was still eight men with 300m to go. Girma seemed to be tracking El Bakkali only for him to take a mighty fall. El Bakkali would win behind his trademark fast finish, who knows what would have happened if Girma stood up as El Bakkali did not look at his best.
🥇Sofiane El Bakkali 🇲🇦
🥈Kenneth Rooks 🇺🇸
🥉Abraham Kibiwot 🇰🇪
I will maintain that Girma was going to win this until his awful fall. I mentioned Kibiwot as a medal threat. Did anyone expect Rooks to challenge?
Men’s 4x100m Relay
The United States went through as the fastest qualifier. China won the second heat which was slower. The big surprise was Jamaica not qualifying. The race would open up as the first changeover from the United States was a mess. With 100m to go, it was Japan with Canada and Italy just behind. Simbine and Hughes would drag their teams through the race but Andre De Grasse had enough to hold on
🥇Canada 🇨🇦
🥈South Africa 🇿🇦
🥉Great Britain 🇬🇧
I called Jamaica struggling. Canada surprised me considering I thought they were past their best. South Africa was not a team I expected to be at that level.
Men’s 4x400m Relay
Botswana won the first heat with the United States only coming third. France took the second. Botswana and the United States led at the first changeover. At halfway it was the same order with Great Britain on their tail. The third leg would see the United States go into first followed by Botswana. Belgium were seemingly a distant fourth. Tebogo would track down Rai Benjamin over the final 100m without passing as the United States set another Olympic record.
🥇United States 🇺🇸
🥈Botswana 🇧🇼
🥉Great Britain 🇬🇧
I went away from Botswana mainly wondering about the final leg. Tebogo cleared those fears with an incredible leg.
Men’s High Jump
Shelby McEwen (United States) was the qualifier who led, with no fouls. JuVaughn Harrison (United States) didn’t make the final. In the final four men went clear with no failures at 2.27. At 2.31 that reduced to two men although Ryoichi Akamatsu (Japan) went clear the first time at 2.31. At 2.34, Hamish Kerr (New Zealand), Mutaz Barshim(Qatar) and Stefano Sottile (Italy) all went clear the first time. McEwen went clear on his third jump. At 2.36 both Kerr and McEwen went clear first time. Instead of sharing the gold medals as per the last Olympics, they competed in a jump-off with Hamish Kerr winning with a 2.34 clearance.
🥇Hamish Kerr 🇳🇿
🥈Shelby McEwen 🇺🇸
🥉Mutaz Essa Barshim 🇶🇦
This event changed the most in my drafts. I did get Kerr. Barshim hadn’t shown enough this season for me to predict him to get a medal.
Men’s Pole Vault
Five men qualified at 5.75 with no faults. In the final, everyone who attempted it would clear 5.50 with no faults. Eight men would clear 5.70 the first time. It was three who went over 5.80 the first time, although Armand Duplantis (Sweden) did pass. Duplantis, Emmanuil Karelis (Greece) and Ersu Sasma (Turkey) went clear at 5.85 with no faults. Two others went clear. Sam Kendricks (United States) was the first man over 5.90 followed by Karalis and Ernest John Obiena (Philippines). Kendricks would go clear at 5.95 followed by Karalis and when Obiena failed at 5.95, the medals were decided. Duplantis would go 6.10 to set an Olympic record. It would take three attempts but he followed it with a 6.25 to set an incredible world record.
🥇Armand Duplantis 🇸🇪
🥈Sam Kendricks 🇺🇸
🥉Emmanuil Karelis 🇬🇷
I mentioned Karelis and Kendricks as contenders but did not predict either
Men’s Long Jump
Miltiadis Tentoglou (Greece) led qualification with an 8.32. The big news was Tajay Gayle (Jamaica) missing the final. In the final, Mattia Furlani (Italy) took the lead with an 8.34 in the first round only for Tentoglou to go out to 8.48. Wayne Pinnock would also improve in the second round to 8.36. None of the top six would improve after the second round.
🥇Miltiadis Tentoglou 🇬🇷
🥈Wayne Pinnock 🇯🇲
🥉Mattia Furlani 🇮🇹
Again, I mentioned Pinnock and Furlani as potential contenders
Men’s Triple Jump
Pedro Pichardo (Portugal) had the furthest qualifying jump as one of five men over 17m. Jordan Diaz (Spain) opened with a 17.86 to lead from Pichardo at 17.79. It would be a consistent set from Diaz and whilst Pichardo would improve to 17.84, it was not enough to get the gold in what would be an All-Cuban-born podium.
🥇Jordan Diaz 🇪🇸
🥈Pedro Pichardo 🇵🇹
🥉Andy Diaz 🇮🇹
I mentioned the dominance of the Cuban jumpers and so it turned out
Men’s Shot Put
Leonardo Fabbri (Italy) took until the third attempt but he went furthest in qualification. Behind him were Tomas Stanek (Czech Republic) and Payton Otterdahl (United States). Ryan Crouser (United States) would make his mark instantly in the final with a 22.64 ahead of Kovacs with a 21.69. In the second round Crouser improved by 5cm with Rajindra Campbell (Jamaica) in second at 22.15. Crouser would increase his lead in the following round as he went out to 22.90. There would be no improvement in round four or five for any of the leading contenders. Joe Kovacs (United States) would improve in the final round but only enough to take silver on count back from Campbell.
🥇Ryan Crouser 🇺🇸
🥈Joe Kovacs 🇺🇸
🥉Ravindra Campbell 🇯🇲
It’s silly to predict against Crouser but on form this season Kovacs looked stronger. I didn’t mention Campbell as a medal contender
Men’s Discus Throw
Lukas Weishaidinger (Austria) would go furthest in the opening round of qualification. Mykolas Alekna (Lithuania) would go furthest in the whole competition with a big throw in the second round. Kristjan Ceh (Slovenia) led with a 67.27 in the opening round only for Alekna to go to 68.55. Ceh would follow with a 68.41 to keep the pressure on. Matthew Denny (Australia) would take the lead himself with a 69.31. Still, in the second round, Alekna would go back into the lead with an Olympic record 69.97. It was Roje Stona (Jamaica) who next went into the lead, throwing 70.00.
🥇Roje Stona 🇯🇲
🥈Mykolas Alenka 🇱🇹
🥉Matthew Denny 🇦🇺
I went against Alenka but I thought championship experience would come to the fore. Instead, it was Stona in a big surprise.
Men’s Hammer Throw
Five men hit the automatic qualification threshold with Ethan Katzberg (Canada) leading. It was a massive 84.12 from Katzberg in the opening round of the final that put him in pole position. In round two, he followed with 82.28 and it was the last throw over 80m in the final. Mykhaylo Kokhan (Ukraine) would go 79.39 in round two to put him in second ahead of Eivind Henriksen (Norway) on 79.18. Bence Halasz (Hungary) would throw a 79.97 in the third round which took him into second.
🥇Ethan Katzberg 🇨🇦
🥈Bence Halasz 🇭🇺
🥉Mykhaylo Kokhan 🇺🇦
I expected Nowicki to look stronger but instead, it was Halasz.
Men’s Javelin Throw
Neeraj Chopra (India) went furthest in qualifying ahead of Anderson Peters (Grenada). Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago) took the early lead with an 86.16 although Julian Weber (Germany) would go further but it was a foul. Peters would go into the lead in the second round with an 87.87. The Olympic record would go in the second round, as Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan) threw an incredible 92.97. Chopra would go into second place with an 89.45.
🥇Arshad Nadeem 🇵🇰
🥈Neeraj Chopra 🇮🇳
🥉Anderson Peters 🇬🇩
The podium came from the five I mentioned as contenders. I wish I was braver on Nadeem as I thought he had a serious chance.
Men’s Marathon
Eyob Faniel (Italy) attacked just before halfway and it distanced Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya). Tamarat Tola (Ethiopia) was the first to launch an attack that saw him dropping runners. The three chasers were Bashir Abdi (Belgium), Benson Kipruto (Kenya) and Deresa Geleta (Ethiopia) but it was Geleta who was first in trouble. Abdi would soon pull away for Kipruto but it was too late to catch Tola, setting an Olympic record.
🥇Tamarat Tola 🇪🇹
🥈Bashir Abdi 🇧🇪
🥉Benson Kipruto 🇰🇪
I mentioned Abdi as a threat. I wanted to be against Kipchoge and perhaps should have been more aggressive about it
Men’s 20km Walk
It was mainly a bunch group that remained together for a lot of the walk. Gradually it had become a group of eight with four km to go. Caio Bonfim (Brazil) was first to launch a serious attack and with 3m to go it was down to four. The other contenders were Alvaro Martin (Spain), Brian Pintado (Ecuador) and Massimo Stano (Italy). Stano would start to go off the back of the group. On the final lap, Pintado was first to attack and the others were unable to respond. He took out 14 seconds on that last lap and was followed home by Bonfim.
🥇Brian Pintado 🇪🇨
🥈Caio Bonfim 🇧🇷
🥉Alvaro Martin 🇪🇸
I had Bonfim as my fourth-placed finisher. Pintado was not someone I really considered as an option.
Men’s Decathlon
Damian Warner (Canada) led after the 100m, as he usually does. Sander Skotheim (Norway) won the high jump with Warner keeping a 50-point lead. Makenson Gletty (France) won the shot put but Leo Neugebauer (Germany) went into the lead. Heath Baldwin (United States) topped the high jump whilst Ayden Owens-Delerme (Puerto Rico) won the 400m. Neugebauer led Owens-Delerme by 42 points at the end of day one ahead of Skotheim and Warner. Warner went back into first with the 110m hurdles. Lindon Victor (Grenada) would set a Decathlon Olympic best in the discus with Neugebauer back to first. Janek Oiglane (Estonia) won the pole vault, going over 5m. The big news came as Warner did not land a vault, eliminating him from the competition. With two events to go Neugebauer led Markus Rooth (Norway) and Victor. Niklas Kaul (Germany) set an Olympic decathlon best in the javelin and a poor Neugebauer throw meant Rooth led by 16 from him entering the 1500m. A wet track would only make the 1500m slower especially for the top three. Rooth would come home first overall with Neugebauer staying close enough to Victor to take silver.
🥇Markus Rooth 🇳🇴
🥈Leo Neugebauer 🇩🇪
🥉Lindon Victor 🇬🇩
I did not really consider Rooth as a contender.
Women’s 100m
Shericka Jackson would pull out prior to the Olympics beginning. Marie-Josée Ta Lou (Ivory Coast) went fastest in round one as one of nine women under 11 seconds. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) would pull out before the semis due to a hamstring injury. Melissa Jefferson (United States) won the first semi-final. Julien Alfred (Saint Lucia) would take the second ahead of Sha’Carri Richardson (United States). Tia Clayton (Jamaica) took the final semi. Neita got out of the blocks quickly but soon it was Alfred who took control of the race. She would pull away and set an incredible national record.
🥇Julian Alfred 🇱🇨
🥈Sha’Carri Richardson 🇺🇸
🥉Melissa Jefferson 🇺🇸
It felt wrong to go against Fraser-Pryce but every instinct told you she would not medal here. I mentioned Jefferson and she was the bronze medalist
Women’s 200m
Again the big news was Shericka Jackson pulling out before the heats, as did Marie-Josee Ta Lou. Gabrielle Thomas (United States) went fastest in the heats ahead of Favour Ofili (Nigeria).
Julian Alfred (St Lucia) took the first semi in 21.98 but Thomas would go faster in the second semi. Brittany Brown (United States) would win the third. As always, Dina Asher-Smith (Great Britain) got a great start. On the bend, Thomas took the advantage and moved ahead of Alfred. Alfred would eventually get an advantage over the others. Between third and sixth was just 0.04 but it was Brown who got the final 20m ahead of the Brits.
🥇Gabrielle Thomas 🇺🇸
🥈Julian Alfred 🇱🇨
🥉Brittany Brown 🇺🇸
Shericka not running hindered my prediction. I would have got Alfred second. I don’t think Brown would have been my bronze medal pick.
Women’s 400m
Marileidy Paulino (Dominican Republic) would go quickest in the heats whilst Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bahamas) would pull up, her injuries proving too much. Salwa Eid Naser (Bahrain) took the first semi, with Paulino impressive in taking the second. The fastest woman in the year Nickisha Price (Jamaica) was eliminated and Natalia Kaczmarek (Poland) won the third. In the final, Naser and Paulino would go off hard. No one would be able to catch her as she set an Olympic record.
🥇Marileidy Paulino 🇩🇴
🥈Salwa Edi Naser 🇧🇭
🥉Natalia Kaczmarek 🇵🇱
Naser wouldn’t have been a prediction. She has not shown form since the ban. Price maybe run her race in London.
Women’s 800m
Tsige Duguma (Ethiopia) went quickest in the heats when beating Mary Moraa (Kenya). The big names who went out included Adelle Tracey (Jamaica), Habitam Alemu (Jamaica) and Halimah Nakaayi (Uganda). Moraa would win the first semi with a nice finish over the last 100m. It was Duguma from the front in the second before Keely Hodgkinson (Great Britain) went quickest in the third. It was a fight from 100m to get to the front and it was not until 300m that Hodgkinson got where she wanted. Moraa would follow and it looked like being a titanic battle down the back straight. Instead, Hodgkinson pulled away and Moraa would only go backwards and Duguma would accelerate past Moraa to take silver.
🥇Keely Hodgkinson 🇬🇧
🥈Tsige Duguma 🇪🇹
🥉Mary Moraa 🇰🇪
The field has a fresh look although it was a shame to not see Mu run.
Women’s 1500m
Gudaf Tsegay (Ethiopia) went fastest in the heats with Diribe Welteji (Ethiopia) and Nelly Chepchichir (Kenya) winning the others. Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) won the first semi-final with Welteji winning the second. Tsegay would start quickest, leading after a lap. Soon, Kipyegon would follow and it was a group of nine heading into the final lap. Tsegay would soon drift out of the leading pack. With 200m to go it was a pack of four as Kipchoge led Welteji, Jessica Hull (Australia) and Georgia Bell (Great Britain). Kipyegon would pull away down the final 100m with Welteji fading.
🥇Faith Kipyegon 🇰🇪
🥈Jessica Hull 🇦🇺
🥉Georgia Bell 🇬🇧
Tsegay had an awful games. I don’t think I would have got to Bell even without that.
Women’s 5000m
The three big guns were in the first heat and it was Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) who won the first, with Beatrice Chebet (Kenya) winning the second. Kipyegon would go to the front but it was not a quick pace at all. The time at the front was short lived and soon many others had taken a turn. Taye would up the pace. With two laps to go. There was a pack of nine with Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) at the back. The attack from Kipyegon would come with 600m to go. Chebet and Hassan would respond but only Chebet would hold on to her tail. Chebet would look comfortable down the back straight and in the final 100m would go past to take gold. The race would continue to be controversial afterwards as Kipyegon was disqualified for a jostle with Gudaf Tsegay (Ethiopia) who would finish outside of the medal hunt only to be reinstated hours later.
🥇Beatrice Chebet 🇰🇪
🥈Faith Kipyegon 🇰🇪
🥉Sifan Hassan 🇳🇱
I did not really consider Chebet as a major contender. Tsegay was not at her best as mentioned
Women’s 10,000m
An 80-second first lap saw an incredibly slow pace. It was 15.49 at halfway which meant there was still a big pack. The pack was still 13 runners with two laps to go. With one lap to go it was still eight and with 100m to go it was a pack of seven. Beatrice Chebet (Kenya) would go at the 100m mark and was fast enough to seal the gold.
🥇Beatrice Chebet 🇰🇪
🥈Nadia Battocletti 🇮🇹
🥉Sifan Hassan 🇳🇱
I wouldn’t have predicted Battocletti as a medalist. I thought Hassan could get it but it was probably a bit fast for her to win.
Women’s 100m Hurdles
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (Puerto Rico) went fastest in the heats. Grace Stark (United States) won the first semi with compatriot Alaysha Johnson (United States) winning the second. The third was the toughest heat, won by Camacho-Quinn with three others going through. It was the Americans who got the best starts but at the line, it looked to be three abreast. Masai Russell (United States) was given the gold by 0.01 ahead of Cyrena Samba-Mayela (France) with Camacho-Quinn a further 0.02 behind.
🥇Masai Russell 🇺🇸
🥈Cyrena Samba-Mayela 🇫🇷
🥉Jasmine Camacho-Quinn 🇵🇷
I called Russell the likeliest of the new names and still went elsewhere
Women’s 400m Hurdles
Femke Bol (Netherlands) went quickest in the heats but Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (United States) was arguably more impressive. Rushell Clayton (Jamaica) won the first semi. McLaughlin took the second with Bol winning the final semi. McLaughlin-Levrone was fastest out but Femke was soon level at the fourth. As they got to 300m the American had a big gap and it would only grow down the home straight as she set an incredible world record. Bol was second at 300m but was followed by a pack of hurdlers. Down the back straight she was overtaken by Anna Cockrell (United States) who won silver.
🥇Syndey McLaughlin-Levrone 🇺🇸
🥈Anna Cockrell 🇺🇸
🥉Femke Bol 🇳🇱
I mentioned Cockrell as a possible contender. Bol potentially suffered from too many races or the pressure of the big race
Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase
Peruth Chemutai (Uganda) went quickest in the heats. Beatrice Chepkoech (Kenya) and Winfred Yavi (Bahrain) would win the other heats. Chepkoech would take the final out aggressively and it was soon a group of seven and reduced at halfway to five. Chemutai would take over from the front and with a lap to go they were pulling away with Yavi. Chepkoech would start to backwards with 400m to go and Yavi would attack coming off the water barrier to beat Chemutai and set an Olympic record.
🥇Winfred Yavi 🇧🇭
🥈Peruth Chemutai 🇺🇬
🥉Faith Cherotich 🇰🇪
Chepkoech disappointed and instead, Chemutai took a place on the podium
Women’s 4x100m Relay
The United States went fastest in winning the first heat, with Great Britain taking heat two. The race was run in the pouring rain. It looked like Britain led after the first couple of legs. Germany handed over in the lead for the final leg as Britain struggled to hand over the baton on the last. They did manage to come past Germany but the United States managed to beat them both.
🥇United States 🇺🇸
🥈Great Britain 🇬🇧
🥉Germany 🇩🇪
I had Germany down as contenders but expected a stronger Jamaican team with Fraser-Pryce and Jackson.
Women’s 4x400m Relay
United States won the first heat with Jamaica taking the second. The big shock came as Poland went out. It was the United States who led after the first leg. The gap was massive at halfway and Jamaica would pull up on the second leg. That left Ireland in second ahead of Netherlands and Great Britain. Those two would close in on Ireland alongside France. United States would dominate to take gold, only 0.1 off the world record. Femke Bol would overtake Ireland and Britain to take silver.
🥇United States 🇺🇸
🥈Netherlands 🇳🇱
🥉Great Britain 🇬🇧
Do not bet against Femke Bol in a relay!
Women’s High Jump
Angelina Topic (Serbia) was the story of qualification. She qualified on a fractured ankle but had to pull out of the final. Qualification was led by Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukraine) and Nicola Olyslagers (Australia) who qualified with no faults. Lamara Distin (Jamaica) and Morgan Lake (Great Britain) missed qualifying. Eight ladies would go over 1.91. Four were clear at 1.95 with no faults and they were joined by four others. Olyslagers would go over 1.98 on her first attempt and Mahuchikh would follow. None of the other competitors were able to follow. Mahuchikh would go clear in her first attempt at 2.00 with Olyslagers failing. It was the third attempt where she would join her on 2.00. There would not be another successful jump leaving Mahuchikh as the gold medalist.
🥇Yaroslava Mahuchikh 🇺🇦
🥈Nicola Olyslagers 🇦🇺
🥉Eleanor Patterson 🇦🇺
🥉Iryna Gerashchenko 🇺🇦
Topic may have been a contender without the injury
Women’s Pole Vault
The big news from qualifying was the elimination of Molly Caudery (Great Britain), not landing a mark. She could have entered 15cm and made the final but chose to take the risk. In the final, nine vaulters would succeed at 4.70. Clear on the first vault at 4.80 were Alysha Newman (Canada), Angelica Moser (Switzerland), Katie Moon (United States) and Nina Kennedy (Australia). They were joined by Amalie Svabikova (Czech Republic). Kennedy went over 4.85 on her first attempt. Newman and Moon would go over on their second attempts. Kennedy would then clear 4.90 and no one else could follow.
🥇Nina Kennedy 🇦🇺
🥈Katie Moon 🇺🇸
🥉Alysha Newman 🇨🇦
It was disappointing for Caudery to not make it through qualifications.
Women’s Long Jump
Tara Davis-Woodhall (United States) led qualification in the first round before going to 6.90 in the second. Malaika Mihambo (Germany) would have two fouls before landing a 6.86 to make the final. Mihambo took the early lead in the final with a 6.77 only for Larissa Iapichino (Italy) to go to 6.78 and Davis-Woodhall to go to 6.93. Jasmine Moore (United States) would take the lead with a 6.96 continuing a great first round. Iapichino would go to 6.87 in the second round with Davis-Woodhall going to 7.05 to take the lead. Mihambo improved on her third jump again to go 6.95. Davis-Woodhall went to 7.10 in the fourth to keep the pressure up. Mihambo improved to 6.98 in the fifth round but wasn’t able to beat the American.
🥇Tara Davis-Woodhall 🇺🇸
🥈Malaika Mihambo 🇩🇪
🥉Jasmine Moore 🇺🇸
What a set of jumps put together by Davis-Woodhall. Moore was not someone I considered as a contender.
Women’s Triple Jump
Shanieka Ricketts (Jamaica) would go furthest in the first round. Leyanis Perez (Cuba) would go longest in qualification though with a 14.68. Perez would take the first-round lead over Ricketts. Thea Lafond (Dominica) would go to 15.02 in the second round. Ricketts would improve as well to 14.87. Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk(Ukraine) would not make the final three rounds. The rain would fall and it would see the competition decrease in quality, with no one coming near Lafond. She won Dominica’s first Olympic gold.
🥇Thea Lafond 🇩🇲
🥈Shanieka Ricketts 🇯🇲
🥉Jasmine Moore 🇺🇸
Peleteiro was nowhere near. I wish I had been bolder about Lafond who is a jumper I really rate.
Women’s Javelin Throw
Maria Andrejczyk (Poland) went furthest in qualification. The shock came as Kelsey-Lee Barber (Australia) went out. In the final, Haruka Kitaguchi (Japan) went into the lead in round one with a 65.80. Flor Ruiz (Colombia) went into second with a 63.00 in the second round. Round three was the key as the second to fourth were decided. Jo-Ane van Dyk (South Africa) went to 63.93 with Nikola Ogrodnikova (Czech Republic) at 63.68 and Sara Kolak(Croatia) a further 28 centimetres behind.
🥇Haruka Kitaguchi 🇯🇵
🥈Jo-Ane van Dyk 🇿🇦
🥉Nikola Ogrodnikova 🇨🇿
Neither of the Australians was anywhere near their best
Women’s Shot Put
Sarah Mitton (Canada) led qualification as one of three women over 19m. Chase Jackson (United States) missed the final, only going out to 17.60. The final was in horrible conditions for shot putting and Jaida Ross (United States) went out to 19.28 in round one. Madison Lee Wesche (New Zealand) would take the lead with a 19.58 effort in round two. Mitton and Raven Saunders (United States) would struggle in the conditions not making it to the final three throws. Wesche would improve her lead to 19.86 in the fifth round. Yemisi Ogunleye (Germany) would go into the lead on her final throw with a 20.00.
🥇Yemisi Ogunleye 🇩🇪
🥈Madison Lee Wesche 🇳🇿
🥉Song Jiayuan 🇨🇳
This was arguably one of the shocking results of the Olympics and I’d be surprised if anyone got this correct
Women’s Discus Throw
Valarie Allman (United States) led the discus qualification by almost four metres. Feng Bin (China) led in the opening round with a 66.33. Allman would go into first in round two with a 68.74. Sandra Elkasevic (Croatia) went into second with a 67.51 in round three. Bin would tie with that but move into second by virtue of a better second throw. Allman would seal gold in round four by going out 69.50. When Elkasevic sealed the bronze, there was a large celebration from the popular Croatian.
🥇Valerie Allman 🇺🇸
🥈Feng Bin 🇨🇳
🥉Sandra Elksaevic 🇭🇷
I got this correct
Women’s Hammer Throw
Annette Echikunwoke (United States) led the first round of qualification but it was Krista Tervo (Finland) who went furthest in qualification. In the final, Camryn Rogers (Canada) led after the first round with Zhao Jie (China) going into first in the second round. Rogers took the lead back in the third round with a throw of 74.47 only for Echikunwoke to go out to 75.48. Rodgers would go into second in the fourth round with a 75.44. Her best throw came in the fifth round with a 76.97 as she went into the lead.
🥇Camryn Rogers 🇨🇦
🥈Annette Echikunwoke 🇺🇸
🥉Zhao Jie 🇨🇳
I picked the wrong American for silver.
Women’s Marathon
The pack would stay together for a long time. Melody Julien (France) would establish a small break but was soon pulled back in. With 10km to go, the pack had gone down nine. It was soon trimmed to five, led by Sharon Lokedi(Kenya). Behind her was Amane Beriso (Ethiopia), Hellen Obiri (Kenya), Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) and Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia). Beriso was first to drop from the pace before Lokedi dropped off. Soon it was two as Obiri fell away. Hassan would attempt to attack down the inside and there were elbows as Assefa did not leave her any space. Hassan would get through and go on to take gold, in an Olympic record. The winning margin was the smallest margin of victory in a women’s Olympic marathon.
🥇Sifan Hassan 🇳🇱
🥈Tigst Assefa 🇪🇹
🥉Hellen Obiri 🇰🇪
I thought the schedule would be too much for Hassan. The top three were the three I’d rate as the top three marathon runners in the field but I felt more major championship experience was needed.
Women’s 20km Walk
The women were not bunched for as long as the men. An attack was made a long way before halfway by Yang Jiayu (China) with a group of eleven behind her. At halfway her lead was 33 seconds. The fracture would come at 14km as Maria Perez (Spain) and Ma Zhenxia (China) came out of the front of the group. Perez would attack Zhenxia and start to take some time out of Jiayu. With three laps to go, it was still a gap of 20 seconds. Zhenxia would go backwards and it would be Jemima Montag (Australia) who would go into the bronze medal position. The following lap, the gap was down to fifteen seconds. Jiayu would increase the gap ahead of the final lap and instead, Montag had got to within five seconds of Perez. Montag was not able to catch Perez.
🥇Yang Jiayu 🇨🇳
🥈Maria Perez 🇪🇸
🥉Jemima Montag 🇦🇺
Garcia was not able to compete to the extent I expected.
Women’s Heptathlon
Annik Kaelin (Switzerland) led the hurdles from Taliyah Brooks (United States). In the high jump, it was Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Great Britain) and Nafissatou Thiam (Belgium) who led the field with a 1.92 to put themselves into the top two positions. Thiam would win the shot put to go into first but Johnson-Thompson threw her personal best. She would win the 200m to go into the overnight lead. Martha Aruajo (Colombia) went furthest in the long jump but Thiam gained a centimetre after a poor round for Johnson-Thompson. Thiam went furthest in the shot put to take a strong lead over the Brit. Kaelin was third, five points ahead of Noor Vidts (Belgium). The 800m was led off by Anna Hall (United States) and she would win impressively. Johnson-Thompson was not able to get enough of a gap allowing Thiam to take gold.
🥇Nafissatou Thiam 🇧🇪
🥈Katarina Johnson-Thompson 🇬🇧
🥉Noor Vidts 🇧🇪
Johnson-Thompson was able to perform better than I expected. Vidts was a bigger surprise to me.
Mixed 4x400m Relay
The United States would set a world record in the heats. Great Britain won the other heat but were over three seconds behind. United States would lead the final out with Belgium, Great Britain and the Netherlands as the chasers. That is how they would enter the final lap. Great Britain would pass Belgium on the back straight but Femke Bol would catch up on the final straight and go past the competitors.
🥇Netherlands 🇳🇱
🥈United States 🇺🇸
🥉Great Britain 🇬🇧
Don’t back against Bol in the relays!
Mixed Walk Relay
It was Linke/Feige (Germany) who led at the first changeover ahead of Martin/Perez (Spain). At the halfway point Cowley/Montag (Australia) led Zhang/Yang (China) and Ortiz/Gonzalez (Mexico). Behind them, there was a pack of five chasers. In the third leg, Spain would go into a big lead, followed only by Pintado/Morejon (Ecuador) with China punished for rule breaches. Italy were 47 seconds behind the lead at the final changeover. Australia would push back towards the bronze medal on the final leg and she flew past Italy. Montag would attempt to chase down Morejon but it would fall a little bit short
🥇Alvaro Martin/Maria Perez 🇪🇸
🥈Glenda Morejon/Brian Pintado 🇪🇨
🥉Rhydian Cowley/Jemima Montag 🇦🇺
This was a hard event to pick given the newness.
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