U.S. wins bronze in mixed-gender 4x400 relay
TOKYO — The U.S. narrowly won bronze in the Olympic debut of the mixed-gender 4x400 relay Saturday, finishing about one-third of a second off the winner with a time of 3:10.22.
The Americans gained ground in the final leg of the race but ultimately finished behind both Poland, which won gold, and the Dominican Republic, which took silver. Vernon Norwood, who ran the anchor leg, barely sneaked in front of the Netherlands at the finish line to keep the U.S. in a medal spot.
The inclusion of a mixed-gender debut in track is part of a broader initiative by the International Olympic Committee, an attempt to correct some of the gender disparity that has long plagued the Games.
Other sports have included similar mixed-gender events this year for the first time. Mixed-gender relays in triathlon and swimming debuted earlier Saturday; Team USA won silver in the former and missed the podium in the latter.
— Tom Schad
Team USA guaranteed shot at baseball medal after beating South Korea
YOKOHAMA, Japan — Team USA will have a chance to accomplish what they came to Japan to do: win a medal.
An opportunity is now guaranteed following their 4-2 victory over South Korea on Saturday at Yokohama Stadium.
The U.S., winners of Group B, will face Group A winners Japan on Monday. The victor of that matchup will advance to the semifinals, while the loser — at worst — will compete for bronze while still having a chance of making the goldmedal game.
In the early going, the offense looked lost against South Korea right-hander Youngpyo Ko, who used his combination of a side-arm delivery and effective stuff early to keep Team USA off-balance.
Then they saw him for a second time through the order. Ko hit the first batter of the inning, U.S. flag-bearer Eddy Alvarez
Team United States infielder Nicholas Allen celebrates after hitting a solo home run against Korea in group B play at the Tokyo Olympics at Yokohama Baseball Stadium.
— trying to become one of a handful of athletes ever to medal in the Winter and Summer Olympics — and Triston Casas cranked a two-run homer into the empty blue seats past the high rightfield wall two batters later.
Shortstop Nick Allen extended the lead with a solo shot down the left-field line with two outs in the fifth. Three consecutive singles from Jamie Westbrook, Alvarez and Tyler Austin, who now has four RBI in two games these Olympics, made it 4-1.
Meanwhile, starter Nick Martinez was cruising on the mound. After a tough-luck first inning — South Korea scored its lone run on a fielder’s choice following two singles — the right-hander settled down. A day after Friday’s starting pitcher Joe Ryan didn’t allow a free pass, neither did Martinez over five frames with nine strikeouts.
On for the ninth inning, David Robertson issued a leadoff walk and a double. Another hard-hit ball found the glove of Bubba Starling for a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2 and the former MLB veteran retired the next two hitters — punctuated by a diving stop and throw at third base from defensive replacement Jack Lopez at third base — to end the game.
Thanks to a walk and a hit batsmen in the seventh by reliever Edwin Jackson, South Korea brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh inning. But Kunwoo Park lined out to shortstop against Anthony Gose, a former position player and now left-handed reliever, to end the threat.
— Chris Bumbaca
Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah gets 100-meter gold with Olympic record time
Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah won consecutive Olympics golds in the women’s 100 meters, finishing in 10.61 seconds, a new Olympic record.
Her teammate Shelly-Ann FraserPryce was second in 10.74 for the silver followed by Shericka Jackson at 10.76.
— Tyler Dragon
Sweden’s Daniel Stahl wins gold in discus
TOKYO — Sweden’s Daniel Stahl entered Tokyo with the No. 1 ranked mark in the world this year. He ended the Olympic discus final as an Olympic gold medalist.
Using an explosive blend of speed and power in the discus circle, Stahl was able to toss 68.90 to win the men’s discus at the Tokyo Olympics. It’s the first Olympic gold medal for the 2019 discus world champion.
The 28-year-old has had a rapid rise to becoming the top discus thrower in the world. Since failing to qualify for the final in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Stahl’s won a world championship and now he’s an Olympic champion.
Stahl is the first Swedish discus thrower to win an Olympic gold medal. He’s just the second Swedish discus thrower to medal at the Olympics. Sweden’s Ricky Bruch earned a bronze medal in 1972.
— Tyler Dragon
Three Americans advance to men’s 100-meter semifinals
TOKYO — The three Americans in the men’s 100-meter field all advanced Saturday to the semifinals, some more comfortably than others.
Ronnie Baker (10.03 seconds) and Fred Kerley (9.97) cruised into the semis by finishing in the top three of their respective heats, while Travyon Bromell — the prohibitive favorite in the events — squeaked into the semis on time. He ran a 10.05 but finished fourth in his heat.
The U.S. is expected to win at least one medal in the men’s 100. Together, Baker, Bromell and Kerley own six of the eight fastest times in the world this year.
— Tom Schad
Novak Djokovic fails to medal at Olympics
TOKYO – World No. 1 Novak Djokovic came to the Olympics trying to add a gold medal to the three Grand Slam titles he’s already won this year. Instead, he’ll go home without any medal in men’s singles.
A day after his shocking collapse against Alexander Zverev in the semifinals, a frustrated Djokovic dropped a second consecutive threesetter, this time losing to Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta in the bronze medal match 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.
For Carreno Busta, ranked No. 11 in the world, winning a bronze medal here ranks as arguably the biggest achievement of his career alongside his two semifinal appearances at the U.S. Open in 2017 and 2020.
Djokovic was supposed to play another bronze medal match later Saturday in mixed doubles with Nina Stojanovic but the Serbian duo withdrew, giving the medal to the Australian team of John Peers and Ash Barty.
— Dan Wolken
Top-ranked archer going home without a medal
TOKYO — Brady Ellison’s fourth Olympics ended without a medal after the world No. 1-ranked archer came to Japan hoping to win three. Instead, the 32-year-old from Arizona lost in the men’s individual quarterfinals Saturday at Yumenoshima Park. Earlier, he and U.S. teammates lost in the first round of mixed team and men’s team quarterfinals. Ellison plans to compete through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, so he potentially has two more chances (also Paris 2024) for the gold medal that has eluded him since 2008.
— Jeff Metcalfe