Paris Olympic Wrap – Day 12 Wednesday August 7

Sportshounds senior correspondent Mike Osborne wraps up Australia’s greatest day in Olympic history on Day 12 of 16 at the Paris Games.

Australia enjoyed its greatest single day in Olympic history winning four gold and a couple of bonus bronze medals, to make these Paris Games the country’s most successful ever.

The four gold medals were won by Matt Wearn at the sailing in Marseille, Keegan Palmer in the skateboard, the men’s team pursuit at the velodrome and Nina Kennedy in the pole vault.

They took the Australian gold medal count to 18, surpassing the 17 won in Tokyo and Athens 2004 and leaving the country a clear third on the table behind sporting super powers China and the USA.

The bronze medals were won by Jemima Montag and Rhydian Cowley in the marathon relay walk while Matt Denny also grabbed one in the men’s discus.

The first three gold medals came in a rush within about two hours between 4.35pm and 6.45pm as first Wearn defended his crown in the laser dinghy, just as Palmer did in the men’s skateboard park event shortly afterwards.

“I have been dreaming about winning one gold for three years and now I have two,” Wearn said. “Going back-to-back, no-one else has done it, which shows just how special it is.”

Palmer said he couldn’t believe his luck when a number of his competitors fell in the skateboard final: “I was lucky with everyone falling off their runs. I couldn’t hold it together in my last two runs either. I can’t believe it. C’mon Australia, let’s do this.” 

Then cyclists Oliver Bleddyn, Kelland O’Brien, Sam Welsford and Conor Leahy combined to win Australia’s first men’s team pursuit gold medal in two decades.

“It is pretty crazy to call ourselves Olympic champions now. We probably did not have these expectations when we started training together,” Welsford said.

“It has been 20 years since Australia won this, so that will sink in (over) the next week.”

It took until the last event of the night to finish to secure the fourth gold when reigning world champion Kennedy won the pole vault with a leap of 4.90m.

“I’m here and I am a gold medallist, this is so sick,” Kennedy said following her dizzy victory. I have been very open about my intentions. I wanted to win that gold medal and I did. I could not be prouder of myself and my team. “

But there were also two other significant medals in track and field.

Montag’s marathon walk relay bronze alongside Cowley making her the first female athlete since Raelene Boyle in Munich 1972 to win two medals at the one Olympics following her bronze in the individual 20km walk.

And Denny became Australia’s first men’s throwing medallist in Olympic history, despite wanting to do better.

“It’s hard to figure how I feel about it,” he said. The way it all played out I would have preferred higher but I can’t not be proud of my performance even though I know there is more there.

“But I enjoy the privilege of having pressure because it makes me perform. I’m super stoked to finally get on the medal stand.”

Montag said she was exhausted after her earlier bronze medal but powered through for her teammate Cowley who painted his fingernails gold for good luck.

“After last week’s bronze I knew we were a real medal chance,” she said. “When I lost motivation to do it for myself, it was about doing it for Rhydian, doing it for our coach who was going bonkers on the sidelines, and for everyone who has played a role. I really had to rely on those thoughts in the last few laps.”

Today’s medals left Australia third on the medal table in Paris.

Paris Olympic Medal Table

The Australian action from other sports in Paris today:

ATHLETICS

World championship bronze medallist Mackenzie Little and 2018 Commonwealth champion Kathryn Mitchell qualified for the women’s javelin final, both throwing over the required 62m on their second attempts.

However, two-time former world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber failed to qualify with a best throw of 57.73m.

Little said it was a relief to get through the tough heats.

“We’ve seen in this competition already that world champions and record holders are bowing out in qualifying, so it’s certainly not something to take for granted,” she said. “It’s just a relief, more than anything.”

Sprint hurdlers Michelle Jeneke, who hit a barrier, Liz Clay, and Celeste Mucci all head to the repechage after failing to qualify directly for the semi finals.

“I got out really well and then I just felt something pop in my lead leg down towards my knee and so I lost all power. That’s why I took a tumble,” Jeneke said.

“I wanted to make sure I got up and finished. This is the Olympic Games and I want to get to the line. I thought there was still a chance I might be able to do the repechage. We’ll have to see how things pan out over the next 24 hours but running the repechage is my intention at the moment.”

And Peyton Craig qualified for the semifinal of the men’s 800m but teammates Peter Bol and Joseph Deng will have to qualify through the repechage.

BASKETBALL

The Opals and basketball legend Lauren Jackson will play for a medal in Paris after beating Serbia 85-67 in their quarter final but are likely to/will face the powerful USA team in the semi finals on Friday.

The Australians dominated proceedings against Serbia jumping out to a 26-19 lead at quarter time and stretching the gap to 48-32 at half time and 72-48 at three-quarter time.

The Opals controlled the game so clearly that Jackson, who has not finished without a medal at her previous four Olympics, was not needed and the 43-year-old was rested ahead of the semifinal against the Americans. 

“In tournaments like this, how you start is how you finish, and we wanted to come out throwing the first punch,” said Alanna Smith who finished with a game high 22 points. “We know how Serbia like to play, they’re very physical, they like to get teams on their heels, so we knew we had to get on top of it first.”

A tearful Cayla George, who scored 18 points including three 3-pointers, said the Opals would be ready for team USA.

“I’ve got the water works happening now we’ve made it through to the semis,” she said. The sisterhood is real.

“If we play USA next, that’s ok as a lot of the girls play in the States. We’ll play whoever we’re matched up with.”

Coach Sandy Brondello was of a similar mindset. 

“Most of us play in the WNBA. We face these players day in, day out,” she said. They’re humans. They’re basketball players. Anything can happen. You have got to believe it. It’s got to be a positive mind set, knowing on any given day you can come out, and you can beat them.” 

CANOE/KAYAK

Kayak mum Alyce Wood paddled into the semifinals of the women’s 500m singles after finishing second in her heat with two-year-old daughter Florence in the crowd. 

“It’s nice to have Florence on the sidelines for a hug later on,” said Wood, 21, who trained through her pregnancy and resumed competition six months after giving birth in a bid to compete at her third Olympics.

“Being a mum athlete is not taken lightly by me. The further I go along on this journey I realise that it’s something not done very often. If I can leave a legacy for the girls after that becoming a mum and having a child is not the end of your athletic career then I’ll be a pretty happy person.”

Tom Green also paddled into the semi final of the men’s K1 1000m after winning his heat, following his success in the K2 500m with Jean van der Westhuyzen

“I’m here to do what I need to do,” he said in reference to the K2 500. “The K1 is just a fun event in a sense, and we are just really focused on the K2.”

DIVING

Rio Olympic bronze medallist Maddison Keeney qualified second for the women’s 3m springboard semi finals behind China’s Chen Yiwen.

“My first dive was a bit shaky but my last dive was good,” Keeney said. There’s nothing super outstanding but there are things in there that I’m proud of, technique-wise, under pressure. I’ve been doing a lot of work in training and improving my consistency.”

The Commonwealth champion in the individual event, Keeney won a bronze in the 3m synchronised event at the 2016 Olympics with Anabelle Smith, but the pair finished fifth here in Paris.

Keeney’s teammate Alysha Koloi also qualified for the semi final in 16th position.

And Kurtis Matthews finished 11th in his semi final to make the final of the men’s 3m springboard.

CYCLING

Team sprint bronze medallist Matt Richardson won through to the quarter-finals of the individual sprint which will be decided tomorrow while Kristina Clonan is in to the quarterfinals of the women’s keirin.

GOLF

Minjee Lee had a 1-under par 71 to finish the first round of the women’s Olympic golf at the National course in Paris six shots behind leader Celine Boutier of France.

Boutier had a 7-under 65 to set the standard for the women with South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai three shots behind in second.

While Lee was tied for seventh, Australia’s other contender Hannah Green was 5-over the card and tied for 47th.

WATER POLO

It took a penalty shootout for the USA to end the Australian men’s water polo team’s Paris Olympic dream.

The Australians led 5-3 at half time but the Americans powered back in the second half and onl;y levelled the scores at 7-7 with a goal in the final minute.

The match then went to penalties which the USA team won 4-3.

Australian goalkeeper Nic Porter who had a stellar tournament and saved one penalty in the shootout said the loss was heartbreaking.

“For us to come here and miss out on the Olympic semifinals by millimetres is heartbreaking. It was one of those games where it was just hard for us to get into a rhythm,” he said. 

“We had our chances, and worked our way back to a one-goal advantage with a minute left. “Unfortunately, that’s the way sport goes sometimes. Full credit to the US. They really pulled it out of the fire there.”

Australian Medallists at the Paris Olympics

Mike Osborne

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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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