The sixth day of the Olympic Games may not have seen a great number of medals added to the Australian total (just two), but it did generate promise for more success in the coming days.
Australia remains fourth in the Paris Olympics table, standing only behind China, the USA, and hosts France. The green and gold currently have 18, with eight gold, six silver and four bronze.
Women’s 4×200 team shines brightly
The success comes on the back of multiple other medals won by the Australian swim team, including a gold in the women’s 100m backstroke and a silver in the men’s 100m freestyle.
Jemima Montag marches on in the sun
The event was pushed back by almost half an hour, eventually starting at 9.50am (local time), with racers forced to compete under extreme circumstances.
Jemima Montag won bronze in the 20km race walk, an improvement on her sixth-place finish at the Tokyo Games. Source: Getty / Image Photo Agency
At times things seemed hopeless for the Australian athlete, with China’s Yang Jiayu and Spain’s Maria Perez breaking away from the rest of the group early on, but she found what she needed to bounce back and claim her first Olympic medal.
The Victorian said there were many times throughout the course of the event that she thought she wouldn’t even be able to complete the race, much less win a medal.
Wins across the board for Aussie teams
They started off by beating China 21-15, then went on to take out Tokyo gold-medallists USA, 17-15. They are now set to face the hosts, but after these performances, it’s hard to imagine anything being too difficult for them.
Cayla George boosted the score for Australia during the match against Canada. Source: AP / Michael Conroy
The Kookaburras also had a good day, bouncing back from their loss against Belgium by beating New Zealand 5-0. The win seals Australia’s place in the hockey quarter-finals, while the neighbours across the Tasman were sadly eliminated.
Katrina Powell’s team held off for a 3-3 draw, despite falling behind, and remain at the top of their pool with the Latin Americans, but with a better goal difference.
What else is happening?
In the men’s K1 canoe slalom, Timothy Anderson was unable to repeat the feats of Jess Fox, finishing in seventh place, while Tyler Wright made it through to the quarter-finals of the women’s surfing event.