SportsHounds Senior correspondent Mike Osborne wraps up the Australian highlights on Day 6 of 16 at the Paris Olympics.
Mollie O’Callaghan added a third Parisian gold medal to her Olympic collection as Australia’s women continued to lead the way at these Games, winning gold in the pool and a bronze in the 20km walk.
O’Callaghan, who has gold medals from the 200m freestyle and 4x100m relay, was joined by her training partner and 400m freestyle gold medallist Ariarne Titmus as well as Lani Pallister and Brianna Throssell to beat the US and China in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
It was another dominant display by Australia’s Olympic Amazons who have won eight gold medals between them.
While O’Callaghan has three, both Titmus and canoe slalom heroine Jess Fox have two each with all three having chances to add more gold to their growing stack.
While the swimmers soak up the individual glory it seems the relays mean more to them than anything because of the team spirit it invokes.
O’Callaghan immediately went and hung the gold medal around the neck of relay heat swimmer Jamie Perkins, her training mate and Paris roomie.
“This means the world to me, to swim alongside these girls, I have dreamed of doing this since Tokyo,” O’Callaghan said. “To have these girls by me and to have their support is amazing.”
Shayna Jack also swan the heat and will get another gold medal to add to the one she won in the 4x100m freestyle relay.
| Athlete | Sport | Number | Gold Medals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mollie O’Callaghan | Swimming | 3 | W 200 freestyle W 4×100 freestyle relay W 4×200 freestyle relay | |
| Jess Fox | Canoe/kayak | 2 | Kayak Slalom Canoe Slalom | |
| Kaylee McKeown | Swimming | 2 | W 100 backstroke W 200 backstroke | |
| Ariarne Titmus | Swimming | 2 | 400 freestyle 4×200 freestyle relay | |
| Grace Brown | Cycling | 1 | W Time Trial | |
| Shayna Jack | Swimming | 1 | W 4×100 freestyle relay | |
| Emma McKeon | Swimming | 1 | W 4×100 freestyle relay | |
| Meg Harris | Swimming | 1 | W 4×100 freestyle relay | |
| Lani Pallister | Swimming | 1 | W 4×200 freestyle relay | |
| Brianna Throssell | Swimming | 1 | W 4×200 freestyle relay | |
| Cam McEvoy | Swimming | 1 | M 50 freestyle | |
| Matt Ebden | Tennis | 1 | M Doubles | |
| John Peers | Tennis | 1 | M Doubles | |
| Noemie Fox | Canoe/Kayak | 1 | W Kayak Cross | |
| Arisa Trew | Skateboard | 1 | W Skateboard Park | |
| Matt Wearn | Sailing | 1 | M Laser Dinghy | |
| Keegan Palmer | Skateboard | 1 | M Skateboard Park | |
| Oliver Bleddyn | Cycling | 1 | M Team Pursuit | |
| Kelland O’Brien | Cycling | 1 | M Team Pursuit | |
| Sam Welsford | Cycling | 1 | M Team Pursuit | |
| Conor Leahy | Cycling | 1 | M Team Pursuit | |
| Nina Kennedy | Athletics | 1 | W Pole Vault |
Australia’s Elizabeth Dekkers finished tied for fourth in the women’s 200m butterfly as Canada’s Summer McIntosh won the gold in an Olympic record time of 2min03.03.
Dekkers and Denmark’s Helena Bach both touched the wall in 2min07.11 but were not threatening the American silver medallist Regan Smith nor China’s Yufei Zhang who took the bronze.
Australia’s other podium of the day came with 5km to go in 20km Olympic race walk, when bronze medal drifted across the vision of Australian favourite Jemima Montag.
Discombobulated by the excessive heat, humidity and fatigue, the world silver medallist who was in fifth position, hesitated.
“I could see the medal in my head and I was like ‘I do not really want it’ and then I just heard my coach yell ‘get back on’,” the 26-year-old Victorian said afterwards.
Montag snapped back to reality and increased her pace, moving into that elusive bronze medal position which she held in the fierce heat until she crossed the finish line in third behind China’s Yang Jiayu.
The gold medallist broke away early and was never challenged to finish in 1hr25:54min, ahead of Spain’s world champion Maria Perez who was 0.25 seconds behind. Montag clocked 1hr26:25min, just 0:31 seconds adrift of the gold.
Montag, 26, credits her Holocaust survivor grandmother for her strength and endurance which helped her win world championship silver last year in Budapest and now Olympic bronze in Paris.
“She is always with me, and Paris was a very special place for her,” she said. She had a great resilience, a toughness that she passed on to my dad, and he has instilled it in my sisters and I and I thank her for her courage.”
When not race walking Montag, who finished sixth at the Tokyo Olympics, is busy doing a postgraduate medical degree to enable her to work in the preventative health and wellbeing sector. She’ll have a great life experience to share with her patients after Paris.
The relay gold and walking bronze kept Australia in the top four on the Paris medal tally.
Paris Olympic Medal Table
| Rank | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA | 40 | 44 | 42 | 126 |
| 2 | China | 40 | 27 | 24 | 91 |
| 3 | Japan | 20 | 12 | 13 | 45 |
| 4 | Australia | 18 | 19 | 16 | 53 |
| 5 | France | 16 | 26 | 22 | 63 |
| 6 | Netherlands | 15 | 7 | 12 | 34 |
| 7 | Great Britain | 14 | 22 | 29 | 65 |
| 8 | Korea | 13 | 9 | 10 | 32 |
| 9 | Italy | 12 | 13 | 15 | 40 |
| 10 | Germany | 12 | 13 | 8 | 33 |
| 11 | New Zealand | 10 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
The Australian action from other sports in Paris today:
BASKETBALL
The Opals beat Canada 70-65 to bounce back from a shaky opening round loss to Nigeria 62-75 in the women’s basketball at Lille.
“It was an awesome win. The girls stepped up today, so it was brilliant,” said Lauren Jackson who is playing at her fifth Olympics at the age of 43.
“It’s a bit of a time warp, being in an Olympic environment again. But I’m really happy with my role. So long as I’m able to contribute, play defence, get some rebounds, not let my team down in those minutes, I’m happy and I feel like I’m doing my job.”
Guard Sami Whitcomb had an equal game high 19 points as well as 10 assists and five rebounds.
Australia opened up a two point break at quarter time, with the lead extending to six at half time. That was enough to secure victory despite the Canadians winning the second half 33-32.
The Opals can guarantee a quarter-final spot if they beat France in their final pool game on Sunday.
BASKETBALL 3×3
The women’s 3×3 basketball team had two solid wins including a 17-15 thriller over the defending Olympic champions from the USA.
“It feels good to get another win,” said South Australian Lauren Mansfield who scored four points against the Americans. “They are a talented team, so we are proud of how we played today.”
Earlier the Gangurrus beat China 21-15 to give them three wins in a row after an opening loss to Canada.
Alex Wilson was the star today scoring a game high 11 points against China and an equal game high 8 against the Americans.
The Gangurrus are currently second in their pool and must finish in the top two to progress to the semi finals. They next play Azerbaijan and Spain tomorrow.
BMX RACING
Australia’s Saya Sakakibara put on an exhibition of BMX racing as she cruised to victory in all three of her quarterfinals to reach tomorrow’s semis.
The dual World Cup champion and current world No1 said she had been feeling sick and missed training but was now back on track.
“The week was a lot of emotion,” she said. “I missed training because I was sick and I was not feeling my best.
“But once I got to the first gate the crowd and atmosphere got me in the zone. Once I did the first race I said ‘yes I can do this’. It is definitely a big confidence booster.
“It was good to be consistently first because I want to be out the front. In the final I am going to give it all I have got.”
Teammate Lauren Reynolds also qualified for the semifinals as did Izaac Kennedy in the men’s event.
WATER POLO
Australia beat France 9-8 in a cliffhanger as Chaz Poot scored with 24 seconds left on the clock to give his team a 9-7 lead.
The host nation scored again in the final six seconds but ran out of time to challenge the Australians again.
Milos Maksimovic had an equal game high three goals from his seven attempts but was full of praise for goalkeeper Nic Porter who made 10 saves.
“Our difference was the difference. Our goalkeeper was amazing,” Maksimovic said.
“We knew it was going to be a hard game against France here in Paris, but we believed in ourselves. We just need to keep this momentum going.”
The win follows Australia’s earlier victory over defending Olympic champion Serbia and an opening round loss to Spain.
HOCKEY
The Kookaburras beat New Zealand 5-0, getting their Olympic campaign back on track after a 2-6 loss against Belgium two days ago.
Blake Govers finished with three goals while Tom Whickham and Ky Willott scored one each in a clear cut victory played in stifling conditions.
“With the heat, you’ve got to expect it’s going to be exciting hockey,” Wickham said.
“The game is going to open up because of that pressure on physical conditioning, so we have to be ready for that, and we’ll use that to our advantage.”
Opening Ceremony flag bearer and captain Eddie Ockenden said there was always a great rivalry when Australia played NZ.
“They’re a great bunch of guys but we had to win,” he said.
Meanwhile the Hockeyroos had a dramatic 3-3 draw against Argentina to remain undefeated in the women’s competition.
Argentina grabbed two quick goals within seconds of each other in the 10th minute to take a 2-0 lead into the first break and maintained that score through to half time.
The Australians levelled the scores at 2-2 after a goal midway through the third quarter and then again in the minute before three-quarter time.
In a tense last quarter Argentina again grabbed the lead in the 50th minute and it looked like Hockeyroos were done until a penalty corner was awarded in the last minute of play.
The Australians converted through Mariah Williams to snatch the draw.
SAILING
Australian 20-year-old Grae Morris should finish among the medals in the men’s windsurfing on the waters off Marseille.
Morris is leading the fleet of 24 after 13 races and heads into tomorrow’s medal races virtually guaranteed of finishing in the top three.
“I’m super happy but I’ve just got to keep in mind what’s to come because there’s plenty of races and plenty of opportunity for anything to happen,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of adrenaline but I’ve just got to settle it down and get the job done. It’s not finished.”
The Sydney-sider describes his sport as something like a cross-country race on water, with a little bit of rugby thrown in.
“Everything is happening so fast, and some of the time you just lose control,” he said. “Whether it’s you hitting someone else, or a mark, or something breaks because there’s so much power going through it. There are a lot of crashes, and it’s just part of it.”
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Tokyo silver medallists Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy had a strong straight sets win over Canada 21-10 21-16 in their final pool game which will see them qualify for the next stage of the competition.
“I think we came out today and started the game with all guns blazing,” said Clancy.
“That’s where you want to be. At the Olympics, you want to be strong and have no fear. And I think we did that pretty well today.”
The news was not so good for the two men’s teams in Paris with both losing pool games.
Tom Hodges and Zach Schubert suffered their second loss in the tournament going down to Germany in three tough sets.
And Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher were eliminated after their third straight sets loss in Paris.
GOLF
Australia’s former PGA champion Jason Day was tied for 24th with a two-under 69 on the first day of the men’s golf competition at the National course outside Paris.
Day was six shots adrift of Japan’s 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama who was leading after an eight under 63.
Matsuyama led by two shots from double major winner Xander Schauffele of the USA and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz.
Defending Olympic champion Schauffele looms as the in-form danger man having won this year’s British Open and US PGA crowns.
Min Woo Lee, Australia’s other men’s player at the Paris Games, finished with a 5-over 76 and said he was going straight to the driving range to improve his release.
“It sucks, but I’ve got three more days and I have to work my way back into it,” he said.
“It’s the first time I felt nervous standing on the first tee in clothes that mean more than myself. I started off on the wrong foot and never got anything going. My mentality is not to give up. I am playing for more than myself.”
ROWING
Women’s single sculls medal hope Tara Rigney qualified for the final finishing second behind Dutch world champion Karolien Florijn in their semi final at the Nautical Stadium at Vaires-sur-Marne.
Florijn clocked 7min21.26 with Rigney close behind in 7min23.58 while New Zealand’s Emma Twigg won the other heat in 7m17.19.
“She is quick out of the start,” Rigney said of Florijn. “I don’t know how she does it, she has a motor on the back of that boat. I am just doing my best to try and keep up with her.
“But at the end of the day you just go out and race. I love racing.”
Florijn was just as complimentary of her Australian opponent: “She is a very good rower, so I am happy to be in front of her. She pushed quite a bit, but it was a good fun race.”
Meanwhile the Australia’s double sculls pair of Amanda Bateman and Harriet Hudson won the B final in a time that would have won the A final and beaten the New Zealand gold medallists by almost three seconds.
The pair will be rueing their semi-final result where they missed the A final by mere 0.22 of a second.
And the men’s four finished sixth in their final and never really lived up to expectations of challenging for a medal.
SURFING
Australia has three surfers in the quarter-finals of the Olympic surfing in Tahiti after Tyler Wright downed Israel’s Anat Lelior in a tight round three battle.
In small to medium waves for the usually big break at Teahupo’o, Wright emerged a scarred and bruised winner 11.10 to 7.74 using better tactics to keep her opponent off a final wave on which the Australian scored 5.27.
“The hand’s scraped, the leg’s scraped, and I’ll have a big old bruise on my hip,” Wright said after hitting the reef that creates the break.
Wright joins Jack Robinson and Ethan Ewingh in the quarter finals, although the two Australians will face each in a mate-against-mate battle which will at least ensure one of the Irukandji team surfs in the semi-finals.
Wright faces American Caroline Marks in her quarter-final and knows what to expect.
“She’s beaten me a few times,” she said. “She plays certain games, she likes certain waves out here. So I’m going to try and pick apart her game plan, as well stick to my own, and see what I can have an advantage on.”
Australian Medallists at the Paris Olympics
| Athlete | Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mollie O’Callaghan | Swimming | W 200 freestyle W 4×100 freestyle relay W 4×200 freestyle relay | W 4×100 medley relay | Mxd 4×100 medley relay |
| Kaylee McKeown | Swimming | W 100 backstroke W 200 backstroke | W 4×100 medley relay | W 200 ind medley Mxd 4×100 medley relay |
| Ariarne Titmus | Swimming | 400 freestyle w 4×200 freestyle relay | W 200 freestyle W 800 freestyle | |
| Jess Fox | Canoe/kayak | Kayak Slalom Canoe Slalom | ||
| Emma McKeon | Swimming | W 4×100 freestyle relay | W 4×100 medley relay | |
| Meg Harris | Swimming | W 4×100 freestyle relay | W 50 freestyle | |
| Grace Brown | Cycling | W Time Trial | ||
| Shayna Jack | Swimming | W 4×100 freestyle relay | ||
| Lani Pallister | Swimming | W 4×200 freestyle relay | ||
| Brianna Throssell | Swimming | W 4×200 freestyle relay | ||
| Cam McEvoy | Swimming | M 50 freestyle | ||
| Saya Sakakibara | Cycling | W BMX racing | ||
| Matt Ebden | Tennis | M Doubles | ||
| John Peers | Tennis | M Doubles | ||
| Noemie Fox | Canoe/Kayak | W Kayak Cross | ||
| Arisa Trew | Skateboard | W Skateboard Park | ||
| Matt Wearn | Sailing | M Laser Dinghy | ||
| Keegan Palmer | Skateboard | M Park | ||
| Oliver Bleddyn | Cycling | M Team Pursuit | ||
| Kelland O’Brien | Cycling | M Team Pursuit | ||
| Sam Welsford | Cycling | M Team Pursuit | ||
| Conor Leahy | Cycling | M Team Pursuit | ||
| Nina Kennedy | Athletics | W Pole Vault | ||
| Matt Richardson | Cycling | M Individual Sprint M Keirin | M Team Sprint | |
| Kyle Chalmers | Swimming | M 100 freestyle M 4×100 freestyle relay | ||
| Elijah Winnington | Swimming | 400 freestyle | M 4×200 freestyle relay | |
| Flynn Southam | Swimming | M 4×100 freestyle relay | M 4×200 freestyle relay | |
| Zac Stubblety-Cook | Swimming | M 200 breaststroke | ||
| Jack Cart Wright | Swimming | M 4×100 freestyle relay | ||
| Kai Taylor | Swimming | M 4×100 freestyle relay | ||
| Jenna Strauch | Swimming | W 4×100 medley relay | ||
| Chris Burton | Equestrian | Individual Eventing | ||
| Grae Morris | Sailing | M Windsurfing | ||
| Nicola Olyslagers | Athletics | W High Jump | ||
| Jack Robinson | Surfing | M Surfing | ||
| Moesha Johnson | Swimming | W 10km Swim | ||
| Riley Fitzsimmons | Canoe/Kayak | M K4 500m | ||
| Jackson Collins | Canoe/Kayak | M K4 500m | ||
| Noah Harvard | Canoe/Kayak | M K4 500m | ||
| Pierre van der Westhuyzen | Canoe/Kayak | M K4 500m | ||
| Maddison Keeney | Diving | W 3m Springboard | ||
| Stingers | Water Polo | W Water Polo | ||
| Jessica Hull | Athletics | W 1500m | ||
| Matt Glaetzer | Cycling | M Team Sprint M Keirin |
||
| Max Giuliani | Swimming | M 4×200 freestyle relay | ||
| Tommy Neill | Swimming | M 4×200 freestyle relay | ||
| Josh Young | Swimming | Mxd 4×100 medley relay | ||
| Matt Temple | Swimming | Mxd 4×100 medley relay | ||
| Natalya Diehm | BMX Cycling | BMX Freestyle | ||
| Penny Smith | Shooting | W Trap | ||
| Jemima Montag | Athletics | W 20km walk Marathon Relay Walk |
||
| Jessica Morrison | Rowing | W Pair | ||
| Annabelle McIntyre | Rowing | W Pair | ||
| Eleanor Patterson | Athletics | W High Jump | ||
| Leigh Hoffman | Cycling | M Team Sprint | ||
| Rhydian Cowley | Athletics | Marathon relay walk | ||
| Matt Denny | Athletics | M Discus | ||
| Caitlin Parker | Boxing | W 75kg | ||
| Charlie Senior | Boxing | M 57 Kg | ||
| Tom Green | Canoe/Kayak | M K2 500m | ||
| Jean van der Westhuyzen | Canoe/Kayak | M K2 500m | ||
| Opals | Basketball | W Basketball |
Michael Osborne has been a journalist for more than four decades including 35 years with the national news agency Australian Associated Press, rising from junior reporter to Editor.
He was AAP Editor for 11 years and served four years as Head of Sport and Racing. He was also posted to London and Beijing as AAP’s Bureau Chief and Foreign Correspondent.
He has worked at six Olympics and five Commonwealth Games, covered tennis grand slams, golf majors, international cricket, rugby world cups and numerous sporting world championships. He also co-ordinated and managed AAP’s teams and coverage at three Olympic Games in Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
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