Sportshounds senior correspondent Mike Osborne wraps up the Australian highlights on Day 13 of 16 at the Paris Olympics.
It was silver linings for Australia in Paris on Day 13 as the green and gold recovered from its greatest single day at an Olympics with four gold medals on Day 12.
And but for a few millimetres, Australia could have had two more gold medals instead of two more silvers.
It started with a narrow loss in the women’s marathon 10km swim when Moesha Johnson was beaten by five seconds after two hours in the River Seine, and then the men’s kayak four lost their 500m sprint final by 0.04 of a second.
The K4 500m silver medallists vowed to drink Paris dry after being denied a suspense-laden victory by two-time Olympic champions Germany, who beat the green and gold paddlers in a heart-stopping photo finish.
The Australian crew of three-time Olympian Riley Fitzsimmons, former AFL player Jackson Collins, former NRL player Noah Havard and Pierre van der Westhuyzen said they were inspired by the Australian team’s historic success but had to accept silver after setting an Olympic best time in the quarter finals.
“Being from a surf club background, we are going to try to drink Paris dry tonight, that’s for sure,” Fitzsimmons said.
Harvard said waiting for the result was almost as painful as the race.
“I don’t think I have ever had so much suspense in my life. We knew we medalled. Just looking and waiting, we were on the wrong side of the gold but I am so happy with the performance.”
It was a second Olympic medal for the family of South African-born van der Westhuyzen, whose older brother Jean won gold in the Tokyo Olympics in the K2, with Tom Green. Tom and Jean will paddle to defend their K2 1000m Olympic title on Friday.
Pierre said he was stoked to have a medal around his neck. “We said we wanted to put down a race that would make us proud of each other and whatever that result was. This is something no one will ever be able to take away from us.”
Meanwhile Johnson was singing the Alice Cooper song Poison over and over in her head as she swam to silver medal in the 10km swim.
The irony was not lost on the 26-year-old surprise medallist who rated the water quality as not too bad although it “definitely had a taste”.
Johnson finished behind close friend and flatmate Sharon van Rouwendaal from Holland.
Johnson, who also finished sixth in the women’s 1500m in the pool, led narrowly for much of the two-hour race but could not beat the Dutchwoman in the race to the line.
“It’s unbelievable. I came into this dreaming of a podium, and to walk away with a beautiful silver medal is just special,” Johnson said, acknowledging how tough her friend is to beat.
“Sharon’s my best friend, also the GOAT (greatest of all time) of the sport, so to be right up there with her sharing that podium is just more than a dream come true.
“We’re both foreigners in our training squad, and so we stick together. We’re housemates (in Germany). Her family has basically adopted me now just cause I’ve been so far away from home. To have a friend in such an individual sport is so special.”
Johnson lost the race as the swimmers went under the bridge at Pont des Invalides.
“Going under the bridge, there’s these pillars, and it really changes the intensity of the current flow and there were two options, and I knew whatever option I would take she’d go (with) the other one. So I just stuck to my line and just, you know, that’s where we fought for positioning. I took my line and stuck to it, she took her line and stuck to it, and obviously that’s probably where she passed me and made her move.”
Boxers Charlie Senior and Caitlin Parker both finished with Olympic bronze medals after losing their semi-final fights.
Senior lost his 57kg division bout to Abdumalik Khalokov of Uzbekistan in a clear cut decision with all five judges awarding the fight against the Australian.
“Coming here for bronze wasn’t the goal,” Senior said. “Leaving with gold is what everyone dreams of. That’s the aim. “I went up against a top-class opponent and he was the better man.”
Parker lost her 75kg fight against China’s Li Qian by a similar 0-5 margin but is still the first Australian female boxer to have won an Olympic medal.
“I’m proud of myself. I said I was going to go to war and I did. I left everything out there,” Parker said. “I know I will come back stronger. I always do. “I didn’t make the Rio Olympics. I went to Tokyo. I’ve got a bronze here and I’m coming back for more. Dreams do come true and I’ll make them come true for the next one.”
In the water polo, Australia’s women will play the equally-undefeated Spanish team for gold after sensationally knocking out the three-time American champions in the semi-finals.
An outstanding, sudden-death save by goalkeeper Gabi Palm destroyed the US dream and handed Australia’s women their first gold-medal contest in 24 years. It also means they are guaranteed their first medal since winning bronze at the 2012 London Olympics.
After scoring one of the biggest upsets at the Paris Olympics, the Australia players and supporters exploded on the Paris pool deck into an avalanche of tears and screams.
The Stingers have won three Olympic medals since water polo was introduced for women at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. They won gold in Sydney 2000, and bronze in Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
The Australian action from other sports in Paris today:
ATHLETICS
Middle distance runner Jessica Hull qualified for the final of the 1500m after a comfortable second place in her semi final behind Ethiopian Diribe Welteji.
Hull, who set a world record in the women’s 2000m event shortly before the Games, is in excellent form to challenge for a medal in Paris having also cruised through her heat,
However the big challenge is coming from world record holder Faith Kipyegon who cruised to victory in the other semi final. Australia’s other 1500m runner Georgia Griffith finished ninth and was run out in that semi.
“It was fast, but in a way that makes it simpler and a less stressful way to race the semifinal,” Hull said. “I feel like I probably relaxed a little more than I would’ve if it were tense late into the game.
“I felt really good tonight, but tonight isn’t the final so I’ve got to go back, recover and come back on Saturday. I’m in a great position coming in. If I can just execute on Saturday night, I’m going to be proud.”
Michelle Jeneke, Liz Clay and Celeste Mucci were run out in the women’s 100m hurdles repechage, as were Peter Bol and Joseph Deng in the men’s 800m repechage.
Australia’s men’s and women’s 4x100m relays failed to progress from the first round.
DIVING
Madison Keeney finished second in the women’s 3m springboard diving to comfortably qualify for tomorrow’s final behind China’s Chen Yiwen.
Chen won the gold medal in the women’s 3m synchronised event with partner Chang Yani who was fourth in the semi, while Keeney was fifth in that synchronised event with Anabelle Smith.
“I’m pleased with my performance and to get through to the final. Nothing was really my best but it was nice and consistent,” said Keeney who didn’t qualify for Tokyo but was fifth in this event at the Rio 2016 Games where she won bronze with Smith in the synchronised event.
“It’s been a really long time since Rio, I almost can’t remember doing an Olympics, but I’m just really happy to be consistent and comfortable with me diving.”
Kurtis Matthews finished 10th in the final of the men’s 3m springboard.
CYCLING
Matt Richardson is chasing his second medal of the Paris Games in the individual sprint, after earlier taking bronze in the team sprint with Matt Glaetzer and Leigh Hoffman.
Richardson, 25, is on target to collect two more medals in the individual sprint and the keirin on what he describes as the world’s fastest sea-level track that’s “like NASCAR on bikes”.
The English-born former gymnast and Commonwealth champion Richardson appears to be in the kind of form that could beat the dominant Dutch superstars Harrie Lavreysen and Jeff Hoogland.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Tokyo silver medallists Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy will play for a bronze medal in Paris after losing their semi final 1-2 to Brazil’s Ana Patricia Silva Ramos and Eduarda Santos Lisboa.
The Australians won a tight first set 22-20 in 24 minutes after being down 15-18 at one stage. But the Brazilians bounced back to take the second set 16-21 in 19 minutes.
In a pulsating third and deciding set the score went point for point with Brazil always just ahead of the Australians and they ultimately took the decider 12-15 in 14 minutes.
The Australian duo will now play Tanja Hueberli and Nina Brunner from Switzerland in the bronze medal match.
“That’s the beauty of sport, you could play the best game of your life and you still won’t win,” Clancy said.
SPORT CLIMBING
Oceania Mackenzie qualified for Saturday’s final of the women’s boulder & lead event finishing sixth after the semifinal at the Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue.
“I haven’t competed in an Olympic final before and I just can’t wait to do some more climbing with an amazing crowd behind me,” said the 22-year-old Mackenzie who was born in Germany but now lives in Melbourne.
“It’s a really fun climb and I really enjoyed it. I just have fun and try my best.”
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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