Inspired Bol leads Dutch to mixed relay glory

Femke Bol of Netherlands in action.

PARIS-- Femke Bol ran a stunning last lap to lead the Netherlands to victory in the Olympic 4x400 metres mixed relay on Saturday, glorious redemption for the 24-year-old who fell just before the line in the same race at last year's World Championships. Bol got the baton in fourth place, around 20 metres behind the leading United States, but ate up the ground in a spectacular 47.93 seconds leg before passing American Kaylyn Brown just before the line. "I just went for it," Bol said. "We just wanted a medal this time, we didn't think it would be gold, just a medal. "Well, we got gold and are the Olympic champions. It is absolutely crazy for a small country like ours." The Dutch team of Eugene Omalla, Lieke Klaver, Isaya Klein Ikkink and Bol clocked three minutes 7.43 seconds, missing the world record time the Americans set in Friday's heats by just two-hundredths of a second. The U.S. took the silver medal in 3:07.74 and Britain claimed bronze in 3:08.01. "We did exactly what we needed to do," said Vernon Norwood, who ran the lead-off leg for the U.S. "We are still world record holders and I can't be more proud of us." The 24-year-old Bol, asked what was going through her mind rounding the bend into the home straight while the jam-packed Stade de France crowd cheered her on at an ear-splitting level, said: "Just keep going, keep going. "And my general anger from (the worlds in) Budapest. That and my teammates cheering me. And the atmosphere in this stadium is absolutely incredible. It's crazy. So everything together." TWO WORDS Victory was within the Netherlands' grasp at last year's worlds before Bol crashed spectacularly to the track. She bounced back to win the 400 hurdles in Hungary, however, and led the Dutch women's 4x400 team to victory. "I keep telling everybody, Femke is just two words -- Femke Bol. She is once in a lifetime, just amazing," said Omalla. "I saw her coming home on the last 100 (metres) and I knew she was going to take it. I knew it. I know we just made history and it is still kind of sinking in." Bol's blistering run on Saturday in front of a crowd who cheered her on with thunderous applause, sets up what should be a thrilling 400 hurdles battle with American world record-holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in Paris Bol however shrugged off the fast time. "I hoped to run that fast some time but in the relay you never look too much at split times, it's more about putting it together as a team and technically you have to race it well," she said. The mixed relay made its debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games where Poland won the gold medal. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe announced recently they plan to test a 4x100 mixed relay.

Summer storm hits Paris as McIntosh claims second gold

Summer McIntosh of Canada in action as she finishes the final to win gold and set a new Olympic record.

 

PARIS- - Canadian teenager Summer McIntosh claimed her second gold medal of the Paris Olympics on Thursday, winning the 200 metres butterfly with another extraordinary swim that washed away doping clouds that have hung over the La Defense Arena pool. Three days after a dominant win in the 400m individual medley, the 17-year-old delivered another clinical swim that oozed with teenage exuberance getting to the wall first in an Olympic record time of 2 minutes, 3.03 seconds. American Regan Smith had to settle for silver for the second consecutive Games, while China's Zhang Yufei took the bronze. With the win McIntosh becomes the first Canadian swimmer ever to claim multiple Olympic golds. Making the moment even more special, it came racing in what was her mother's best event. McIntosh's mom Jill Horstead was also a competitive swimmer and represented Canada at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games. "It's pretty cool tonight winning the 200 fly just because that was by far her main event," said McIntosh. "So sharing that moment with her is pretty cool. "I know she's just so proud of me along with the rest of my family." With the 200 individual medley and relays still to come McIntosh could yet add to her medal haul, which also includes a silver in the 400m freestyle on opening night. While the Canadian wunderkind is quickly turning into one of the Paris pool's star attractions, Zhang was getting nearly as much pre-race attention but for very different reasons. The first final of the night came with a mix of excitement and trepidation with the China swim team and their "Butterfly Queen" Zhang again under the doping microscope. A doping storm has followed China to Paris after the New York Times and German broadcaster ARD reported in April that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned heart medication but were allowed to swim at the Tokyo Games. Zhang was among those swimmers named in the report and went on to win the 200m butterfly in Tokyo. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has not named any of the swimmers. So impressive was McIntosh's swim that the doping discussion was effectively muted, although members of China's bronze medal winning 4x200m free relay team were later asked about the positive tests. "We will prove with our own strength that our results are absolutely clear and there is absolutely no problem," said Yang Junxuan, who swam the opening leg. "Our Chinese swimmers have (undergone) the most tests in the world, and we have been cooperating hard because we believe there will be a fair result." In the butterfly, Zhang was out quickly with McIntosh right on her tail for the first 100 before the Canadian shifted up a gear and the Chinese could not match her. As Zhang faded, Smith moved up to challenge but could also not catch McIntosh. "At the 1.25 mark, I feel like I hadn't even started trying to race it," said McIntosh. "I was really, really controlling it as much as possible. "Usually I kind of go out a bit faster, but I don't know, for whatever reason, I decided to kind of take it home as best as possible. "It worked out somehow."

Triumphant Biles leads U.S. to gymnastics team gold

 PARIS-- Simone Biles clinched her fifth Olympic gold medal as she made a triumphant return to the women's gymnastics team final at the Paris Games on Tuesday, reinforcing her status as one of the world's greatest athletes just three years after abruptly withdrawing from the same event at the Tokyo Games.

Kerber's final tournament ends in thrilling quarters loss to Zheng

  PARIS- - German veteran Angelique Kerber bowed out of professional tennis at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday after losing 7-6(4) 6-4 7-6(6) in the quarter-finals in a three-set thriller against world No. 7 Zheng Qinwen of China.

Gestin grabs canoe slalom gold for France

PARIS- - Nicolas Gestin laid down two stunning runs in the semi-final and final to obliterate the field and claim gold for France in stunning fashion in the men's single canoe slalom at the Vaires-sur-Marnes Nautical Stadium on Monday.

Last to descend in the final after his superlative semi, he flashed through the course to finish more than five seconds ahead of Britain's Adam Burgess, who took silver, with Matej Benus of Slovakia securing the bronze. "I don't know what to say, it's better than my dreams, it's my best race of my life," a delighted Gestin said. "Everyone on my team, my mentor, my brother and I, wanted it. When I crossed the line, I knew I had put in a great run, and now I'll just enjoy it." It was an afternoon of high drama on the stadium's white water as the last 12 paddlers fought it out for the medals, with thrills and spills aplenty before Gestin stole the show. Fourth out of the 12 athletes in the final, Senegal's Yves Bourhis looked to have sensationally taken lead after a hair-raising run, but the judges hit him with a 50-second penalty for missing the ninth gate that quickly dashed his hopes after he passed the finish line. "Unfortunately, it's like that, it's sports - all I can do is accept this, but I have no regrets," Bourhis said. Tokyo gold medal-winner and world number two Benjamin Savsek of Slovenia suffered a similar fate when he clattered into the fifth gate, incurring a 50-second penalty for not going through it correctly. There was also agony for Ireland's Liam Jegou, whose brilliant run was ruined by touching the 23rd and final gate on the course to drop him from first to third with five paddlers to come after him. The tide of luck began to turn when Briton Burgess thundered through his run to go into top spot before Germany's Sideris Tasiadis and Miquel Trave of Spain came up just short. After out-classing the field in the semi-final, Gestin threw himself at the course and put on a display of incredible skill, speed and power, executing a flawless run that ended in a glorious gold medal.

The Daily Herald

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