Olympics: Team GB sailors win double gold as Norway’s Karsten Warholm creates history in the 400m hurdles
Great Britain’s sailors won two gold medals in quick succession this morning, on day 11 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
After a delay to proceedings yesterday owing to no wind, Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell claimed gold in the men’s 49er event. Shortly afterwards Giles Scott retained his men’s Finn title.
But the performance of the morning came from Norway’s Karsten Warholm, who won a thrilling men’s 400m hurdles final and set a new world record.
There was heartbreak for Adam Gemili, however, after he pulled up within the first few yards of his men’s 200m heat. The sprinter had heavy strapping on his right thigh and later said he had a hamstring injury.
The success of the sailors took GBs gold medal haul this games to 13, a total only bettered by China, the US, Japan and Australia.
Elsewhere in the sailing, British pair John Gimson and Anna Burnet are guaranteed a medal in the mixed Nacra 17 final.
In diving, Team GB’s Jack Laugher claimed bronze in the men’s 3m springboard.
Warholm ran 45.94 seconds to smash his own world record and pip American Rai Benjamin, whose time of 46.17 would also have been a world record.
Later today Simone Biles, one of the stories of these Games, makes her return to compete in the highly anticipated women’s beam final.
The women’s 200m final sees Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah aiming to win a sprint double.
Britain’s Pat McCormack, the 2019 world silver medallist, takes on Cuba’s Roniel Iglesias in the men’s welterweight final.
The velodrome, so often the epicentre of British Olympic success in recent years, could produce another medal glut as Laura and Jason Kenny both go for gold in their respective finals.
Laura Kenny will be in action in the women’s team pursuit while her husband will compete in the men’s team sprint.