What you must watch today
Sport climbing, women’s combined qualification (9am-2.40pm)
The new Olympic sport offers one gold medal apiece for men and women, who must compete across three climbing disciplines: speed, bouldering and lead. The sport’s inclusion for Tokyo was a huge moment for Great Britain’s Shauna Coxsey. She claimed double bronze at the 2019 World Championships, earning a quota spot for Britain in the process, and the 28-year-old then set up a climbing wall in her basement to continue training for the Games during the pandemic. Having already announced her competitive retirement after the Games, she would love to make the final and finish on a high.
Equestrianism, individual jumping final (11am)
British showjumper Ben Maher will go for gold on Explosion W who already has a reputation for winning. It is a combination that evokes memories of Rio individual gold medallist Nick Skelton and Big Star dominating showjumping as they built towards their crowning glory five years ago. Four-time Olympian Maher will be joined in the final by Scott Brash and Harry Charles after all three went clear yesterday, meaning a full house of Britons. They go towards the end of the 30-strong field, having all qualified with good times.
Athletics, men’s 200m final (1.55pm)
Usain Bolt has gone but there looks to be a more than worthy heir in the shape of 17-year-old Erriyon Knighton, who qualified with the sort of nonchalant ease that would have made the Jamaican smile. The Americans last won the event in 2004 when Shawn Crawford led a US clean sweep, and they look capable of repeating that. However, world champion Noah Lyles (above) cut it fine to qualify, easing up so much that Canada’s Aaron Brown and Liberia’s Joseph Fahnbulleh caught him. Lyles finished third but went through as a fast loser.
TOMORROW Sprint canoe, men’s K1 200m final (3.42am)
Crowned Olympic canoe sprint K1 champion in Rio, Liam Heath went on to add the world and European titles the following year. Britain’s most successful Olympic canoeist, with the full set of medals, he is the world champion after another success in 2019, although he was forced to settle for silver at the latest European Championships in June by Sandor Totka, of Hungary. They have been kept apart in today’s heats. Semi-finals and finals will be early tomorrow.
Athletics, men’s 110m hurdles final (3.55am)
Hurdlers have already produced the track moment of the Games, with Karsten Warholm, of Norway, obliterating the 400m hurdles world record to win gold. As for the shorter distance, American Grant Holloway, who was 0.01sec short of breaking Aries Merritt’s 2012 world record of 12.80 at the US trials, is gunning for Olympic gold to add to his 2019 world title. Compatriots Daniel Roberts and Devon Allen will aim to stop him, while Jamaican Ronald Levy and world bronze medallist Pascal Martinotlagarde, of France, began strongly.
Track cycling, men’s omnium (7.30am-10.27am)
Britain have made the podium both times since omnium joined the Olympic programme, with Ed Clancy taking bronze in 2012 and Mark Cavendish silver in 2016. Matt Walls is tasked with extending that streak. He won world bronze last year and then claimed the European title. The competition starts with a scratch race, followed by a tempo race and an elimination race, and then the points race will help to crown the winner. Defending champion Elia Viviani, of Italy, rides again.