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Ethiopia claims first athletics gold at Tokyo 2020

Tokyo, Jul 30 (EFE).- Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega won the gold medal in the men’s 10,000m Friday as track and field events got underway at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, while host country Japan beat its gold medal haul record with nine days left in the competition.

Friday marked the starting gun for athletics at the Games with Barega bagging the first gold with a time of 27:43.22. Uganda clinched a brace of medals with Joshua Cheptegei taking the silver and Jacob Kiplomo, the bronze.

With a fencing victory in the men’s teams épée, Japan clinched its 17th gold medal of the Games so far, outstripping its all-time Olympic record of 16 in both Tokyo 1964 and Athens 2004. Japan is second in the medals table behind China, which has 18.

It was heartbreak for Team GB and elation for Team Australia in the women’s football as the Matildas equalized late in the game to force extra time in a quarter-final match they went on to win 4-2. The Australians will face Sweden in the next round.

In the other quarter-final, Team USA and the Netherlands went to penalties after the scoreline was held at 2-2. None other than Megan Rapinoe stepped up for the winning shot to secure a spot in the semi-final against Canada.

It wasn’t all commiserations for the Brits on Friday however as Bethany Shriever in the women’s BMX racing final while fellow GB cyclist Kye Whyte took silver in the men’s behind Dutchman Niek Kimmann. EFE

jt/mp

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