Back to the events of the day.
Olympic “history” will remember that it is the Chinese Qian Yang, who picked up, on Saturday, the first gold medal of these Games (10 meter air rifle shooting).
The first French charm came from the Tokyo tatami mats, with the bronze obtained by Luka Mkheidze in the category of less than 60 kg. Beaten in the semi-final by the Taiwanese Yung Wei Yang, the judoka was able to re-mobilize to win against Korean Kim Won-jin in the golden score and unlock the French counter. A beautiful story for the former Georgian refugee, naturalized French in 2015.
A little earlier in the day, for his first Games at only 18 years old, Oceanne Muller had almost created a sensation during the final of the rifle at 10 meters. The young shooter passed qualifying brilliantly, before finishing in 5th place, after less precise shots at the end of the competition. A superb first Olympic experience for the young Alsatian baccalaureate, who had obtained her Olympic qualification on the wire a few weeks ago, thanks to a title of European champion.
He was expected and did not disappoint. The French gymnast and flag bearer Samir Aït Said passed the rings qualifying without a hitch. Seriously injured in Rio, he did not tremble during the realization of his new movement. He took third place, synonymous with qualifying for the final of the competition on August 2. “SAS” is the last survivor of the French gym, after the eliminations of Cyril Tommasone and Loris Frasca.
On the side of disappointments, judoka Shirine Boukli was eliminated in qualifying, beaten by Serbian Milica Nikolic in the under 48 kg category. Serial heads number 2, Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert left the Olympic tennis tournament in the first round, sharply beaten by the British pair Andy Murray-Joe Salisbury (6-3, 6-2).
Hungarian swordsman Aron Szilagyi became a legend, becoming the first fencer to win three consecutive individual Olympic titles.
And also…
The French handball players signed a great victory for their entry into contention against Argentina (33-27). It is a zero point on the other hand for the fencers, with the setbacks of Corlaine Vitalis with the sword and Bolade Apithy in saber, from the qualifications.
Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz took gold in road cycling, while the two-time Olympic gymnastics champion Kohei Uchimura fell in qualifying on high bar.
Discover the menu of tomorrow.
The night of Saturday to Sunday July 25 (for us in the French metropolis) will see the entry in the running of several contenders for the Olympic podium.
Judoka Amandine Buchard, the reigning European champion, will line up in the round of 16 under 52 kg around 5:30 a.m. KST. In fencing, It is Yannick Borel, Olympic team champion in Rio in 2016, who will face Egypt’s Mohamed Elsayed at 6:10 am in the round of 16 in the individual épée.
the skate made its big entry into the Olympic program, with the start of the “street” events. Vincent Milou, champion of Europe and France, will be one of the men to follow. Beginning of hostilities at 1:30 a.m. before the eventual final at around 5 a.m. in mainland France.
Side swimming, the first medals will fall overnight, with several finals. In 400m medley, the youngster Leon Marchand (19 years old) will be the only French representative. It will start at 3:30 in the morning. “I have nothing more to lose, I am entering the final at the Games. I’m going to enjoy it and then we’ll see ” did he declare. No tricolors in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay final, nor in the men’s 400m freestyle final.
One of the highlights will take place at 2 p.m., with the shock of the first round of men’s basketball, France-United States. The Blues had won in the last clash against the Americans, in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Worlds (79-89). The case promises to be more complicated against Durant, Lillard and others.
And also…
The second game of the soccer men’s Brazilian, Olympic champion in Rio against Côte d’Ivoire (10 hours), the quarter-finals in Table tennis mixed, with the French pair Lebesson-Yuan (4:15 a.m.).
Without forgetting the finals in weightlifting, with the French Bernardin Matam in the under 67 kg category (4 h 50 min).
The Games in one animated shot.
The tremendous joy of French judoka Luka Mkheidze, after his victory against Korean Kim Won-jin, synonymous with bronze medal in judo. The first for France in its Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.
The Olympians at the microphone.
“He’s really not a classy boxer…”
Samuel Kistohurry is an angry man. Eliminated in the round of 16 in the -57 kg boxing category by the American Duke Ragan, he saw the latter celebrate his victory by giving him fingers of honor. A not very Olympic attitude and which frustrated the French even more, believing that he had lost to less strong than him. “I am disgusted to be eliminated. The American refused the fight, he was not at the level. He’s really not a classy boxer ” Samuel Kistohurry confessed bitterly.
Snapshots from our special envoys.
Great moment of solitude. No passenger with whom to talk about the rain (there was one, very short, Saturday morning) and the good weather (what a dodger the rest of the day!). This shuttle left around 2:50 pm from the MTM, the “Medial Transport Mall”, bringing together a whole bunch of supercharged buses to transport journalists to the Olympic venues. Including the Tokyo International Forum for weightlifting, in this case, a good half hour drive. For now – if we dare say – the record goes to fencing: a good three quarters of an hour to another convention center, the Makuhari Messe. Hall B for fencing, hall A for taekwondo, wifi for everyone. Athletes also have their shuttle, but bound for the Olympic Village. Two per hour for fencers. And three between 11 p.m. and midnight, honor to the finalists.
Covidometer: nine staff members of the French basketball team in isolation
While the French basketball team must face the American ogre for the first match of the men’s tournament on Sunday, nine members of its staff are already facing the virus. The National Olympic Committee (CNOSF) issued a statement to explain that part of the staff was sidelined, considered as a potential “contact case” by the Japanese authorities: a passenger on the flight to Japan, in which had embarked the tricolor staff, tested positive. Despite a very distant position, the supervisors were isolated “In compliance with health procedures and all protective measures have been taken: saliva tests from July 14, then daily nasopharyngeal PCR tests and isolation from July 19”, detailed the CNOSF. No player is affected. The delegation hopes that the restrictions will be lifted, as tests carried out since July 14 have been negative.
Our selection of articles on the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games