Upsets in Olympic pool as Japan, Tunisia strike gold

Japan's Yui Ohashi competes in the final of the women's 400m individual medley swimming event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on 25 July 2021.
AFP

Japan and Tunisia celebrated shock gold medals on a day of upsets in the Olympic swimming pool on Sunday while Tokyo youngster Yuto Horigome claimed a fairytale hometown victory with the first ever skateboarding gold medal in Olympic history.

On the second full day of Olympic competition, the Tokyo Aquatic Center took centre stage for one of the blue riband sports of the Games with four gold medals up for grabs in a morning finals session.

But while swimming superpowers Australia and the USA traditionally dominate the Olympic pool, it was Tunisian teenager Ahmed Hafnaoui and Japan's Yui Ohashi who made the biggest waves.

Tunisia's Ahmed Hafnaoui celebrates after winning the final of the men's 400m freestyle swimming event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on 25 July 2021.
AFP

Hafnaoui, 18, had only qualified eighth-fastest for the 400m freestyle final but produced a devastating late burst to win in 3min 43.36sec, overhauling Australian Jack McLoughlin, who took silver in 3:43.52.

"I just can't believe that, it's amazing," Hafnaoui said. "I felt better in the water this morning than yesterday and that's it. I'm the Olympic champion now."

It was Tunisia's first ever Olympic medal in the event and just their third gold ever in swimming.

The upsets continued in the women's 400 medley when Japan's Ohashi delighted the host nation to topple defending champion Katinka Hosszu.

Ohashi -- whose previous best performance on the world stage was a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships -- touched in 4:32.08 ahead of US duo Emma Weyant and Hali Flickinger.

"I swam believing in myself. I really did not think of winning the gold," said Ohashi.

The other early medals were split between the US and Australia.

Chase Kalisz, a silver medallist in Rio five years ago, went one better to claim the first US swimming gold of the Games with victory in the 400m medley.

USA's Chase Kalisz celebrates after winning the final of the men's 400m individual medley swimming event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Tokyo on 25 July 2021.
AFP

Meanwhile Australia's dominant women's 4x100m freestyle relay team of Cate Campbell, Emma McKeon, Meg Harris and Bronte Campbell smashed their own world record with victory in 3:29.69.

Skateboarding history

Away from the pool, Sunday's Olympic action saw two new sports make their bow, with the opening rounds of the surfing and skateboarding competitions.

Gold medallist Japan's Yuto Horigome (C), silver medallist Brazil's Kelvin Hoefler (L) and bronze medallist Jagger Eaton of the US pose on the podium at the end of the men's street prelims during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Sports Park Skateboarding in Tokyo on 25 July 2021.
AFP

Both sports were included at this year's Games as part of an International Olympic Committee drive to attract younger fans.

A perfectly scripted skateboard final saw Japanese world champion Horigome strike gold in a tense street competition in Tokyo on Sunday.

The 22-year-old, who grew up just a stone's throw from the Olympic venue, landed three huge tricks in a row to eclipse American favourite Nyjah Huston, who finished seventh.

At Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Tokyo, blue skies and blazing sunshine greeted surfers as they paddled into the Pacific Ocean for the men's and women's heats.

Brazil's Italo Ferreira rides a wave during the men's Surfing first round at the Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach, in Chiba, on 25 July 2021 during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
AFP

It marked the culmination of efforts to get surfing added to the Olympic programme which date back more than 100 years.

"I cannot take my mask off, but behind this mask is a very happy face," said International Surfing Association president Fernando Aguerre.

This file photo taken on 16 July 2021 shows US golfer Bryson DeChambeau playing a shot on the 15th during his second round on day 2 of The 149th British Open Golf Championship at Royal St George's, Sandwich in south-east England.
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Elsewhere on Sunday, Covid-19 claimed another scalp with US golfer DeChambeau withdrawing from the Games after testing positive for the virus.

The PGA Tour said the big-hitting 2020 US Open champion had tested positive before leaving for Japan and would now be replaced by Patrick Reed.

Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo celebrates after defeating Australia's Ashleigh Barty during their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women's singles first round tennis match at the Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo on 25 July 2021.
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Barty, Murray bow out

The opening rounds of the men's and women's tennis singles meanwhile saw the exit of two heavyweights, with women's world number one Ashleigh Barty, the reigning Wimbledon champion, losing 6-4, 6-3 to Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo.

Australia's Ashleigh Barty returns a shot to Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo during their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women's singles first round tennis match at the Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo on 25 July 2021.
AFP

Two-time defending men's champion Andy Murray meanwhile abandoned his singles campaign after succumbing to a muscle injury, Team GB said in a statement. He will continue in the doubles.

Britain's Andy Murray attends a training session at the Ariake Tennis Park ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo on 22 July 2021.
AFP

Barty's exit could ease Japan star Naomi Osaka's route to a possible gold medal.

Osaka, who lit the Olympic flame at Friday's opening ceremony, plays her opening game of the women's singles on Sunday.

Japan's Naomi Osaka returns serves to China's Zheng Saisai during their Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games women's singles first round tennis match at the Ariake Tennis Park in Tokyo on 25 July 2021.
AFP

In other action on Sunday, US gymnastics star Simone Biles launches her bid to become the first woman in more than half a century to retain the all-around title.

The American could leave Tokyo with a career haul of nine Olympic gold medals, equalling the record set by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina in Tokyo in 1964.

Profile of Simone Biles, returning to her second Olympics at Tokyo.
AFP

Biles has not lost an all-around competition since 2013, an eight-year spell that has encompassed 19 world championship titles and four Olympic golds.

A formidable USA team led by Kevin Durant take on France in basketball, and Dutch two-time world champion Anna van der Breggen will target back-to-back golds in the women's cycling road race.