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Japan vs Great Britain LIVE: Tokyo 2020 final score, result and reaction as Team GB reach quarter-finals

The second match of the group stage for Team GB as they continue their search for medals

Karl Matchett
Saturday 24 July 2021 20:40 BST
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(Getty Images)

Great Britain are through to the knockout stages of the Olympics women’s football competition with a game to spare after a 1-0 victory over hosts Japan. It was a professional display in a contest they bossed, though not with outright control. Similar to their 2-0 victory over Chile, they won the most important passages and, again, it was Ellen White’s name on the scoresheet. That her three goals in two games have come from just five shots says as much about her effectiveness in front of goal as it does of how Team GB have not quite been at their creative best. Nevertheless, the first part of the job is done.

For Japan, their hopes of automatic qualification take a hit, especially after Canada beat Chile earlier in the day to move to four points, with a cushion of three in second. However, they can still make it through if they defeat the South Americans on Tuesday to move to four points and, thus, qualify as the best two of the three third-place sides.

Follow all the latest updates from the Olympics and the reaction from Japan against Great Britain here:

China leads medal count after first day of Tokyo Olympics

China is on top of the medal count after day one of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, having won three gold and one bronze medal at the end of the first day.

South Korea is in second place with one gold and two bronze medals.

In third, Italy and Japan are tied with one gold and one silver medal each.

The Russian Olympic Committee is then tied with Serbia, having won one silver and one bronze medal.

Five countries have claimed one gold medal – Ecuador, Hungary, Iran, Kosovo, and Thailand.

For the first time in almost 50 years, Team USA has ended day one of the Summer Olympics games without winning a medal.

The US ended up on top of the medal count in Rio in 2016 and in London in 2012. In Rio, Team USA took home 121 medals, 51 more medals than second-place finisher China. In London, the US won 104 total medals.

Gustaf Kilander24 July 2021 20:40

Is Brazil vs Ivory Coast on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Tokyo 2020 fixture

When is the game?

The match kicks off at 9:30am BST on Sunday 25 July at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama.

Where can I watch it?

The game can be streamed live on the Eurosport player and discovery plus. It is not being shown on UK TV channels.

What is the team news?

Andre Jardine probably won’t be tempted to make too many changes after his Brazil side put in an effervescent showing against Germany, even allowing for the sloppy concession of two second-half goals. Paulinho or Malcolm may be pushing for a start in attack, with Claudinho perhaps the player most likely to be replaced after Matheus Cunha and Richarlison put in exceptional displays.

Ivory Coast have to make one change to their bench at least, as Aboubacar Doumbia was sent-off in the closing stages of the win over Saudi Arabia and will be suspended as a result. They are unlikely to rotate heavily though, knowing they’ll need a result either here or against Germany to make the knockouts.

Read more:

Karl Matchett24 July 2021 20:20

Sunday’s events and start times

Another packed day of sport at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is scheduled on Sunday.

Andy Murray and Naomi Osaka will both be in action on the tennis court, Jade Jones will attempt to become the first woman in British history to win Olympic gold in three different Games in the -57kg taekwondo category, surfing will make it’s Olympic debut, USA’s popular men’s team will take to the basketball court, the women’s cycling road race will be staged on the outskirts of Tokyo, and Simone Biles will make her first appearance of these Games.

Here is the full event schedule:

Tokyo Olympics 2020 schedule: Sunday’s events and start times

Andy Murray and Naomi Osaka will both be in action on the tennis court

Lawrence Ostlere24 July 2021 20:00

Team USA ends day 1 of Summer Olympics without a medal for the first time since 1972

Day one of the Tokyo Olympics has ended without Team USA winning a medal for the first time in a Summer Olympics since the 1972 games in Munich, Germany – 49 years ago.

Team USA competed in five of seven medal events on Saturday. China’s Yang Qian won the first gold medal of the day when she beat the competition in the women’s 10m air rifle final.

Mary Tucker of the US, a favourite to win the event, came in sixth place.

The US archery mixed team made up of Brady Ellison and Mackenzie Brown, on top of the world rankings, were beat by Indonesia in the first round, 5-4.

The other medal events that included Team USA were fencing, cycling, and weightlifting.

China has the most medals after the first day with four.

China’s Yang Qian won the first gold medal of the day when she beat the competition in the women’s 10m air rifle final.
China’s Yang Qian won the first gold medal of the day when she beat the competition in the women’s 10m air rifle final. (AP)
Gustaf Kilander24 July 2021 19:40

When is Jade Jones competing in taekwondo for Team GB?

One of Great Britain’s legitimate medal hopes at the Tokyo Olympics takes to the stage over the weekend, with Jade Jones competing in the women’s taekwondo event.

Jones has enormous pedigree in the world of her sport, it’s fair to say - she won gold at the Youth Olympic Games in 2010, before doing the same on the senior stage at London 2012.

At Rio in 2016 Jones won a second Olympic gold medal and she will now be attempting to make it three in a row, the first British woman to do so if successful in Japan, as well as the first taekwondo fighter to ever claim three Olympic titles.

Read more:

Tokyo 2020: When is Jade Jones competing in taekwondo for Team GB?

Can the star of taekwondo make it three gold medals in a row?

Which category is Jones competing in?

Jade’s weight category is the Women’s -57kg.

When is the event?

Sunday 25 July, with the first qualification contest starting at 2am BST.

Which round will Jones compete from?

Jade Jones enters the competition from the round of 16, which starts from 2:28am.

Her fight is 3:52am and will be against the winner of the qualification contest.

The quarter-finals start from 6:12am, while the semi-finals are shortly after 8:04 am and repechages from 11am.

Should Jones go the distance once more, the gold medal contest will be at 1:30pm.

Karl Matchett24 July 2021 19:20

Nyjah Huston: Who is Team USA’s star skateboarder at Tokyo Olympics ?

He is one of the world’s most high-profile skateboarders with more than 4.7m followers on Instagram.

Californian Nyjah Huston is being tipped for crossover stardom when he competes in the first ever Olympic Games skateboarding competition, in the Mens’s Street category.

The 26-year-old is the highest paid skateboarder in the world and has a string of sponsorship deals with the likes of Nike, Monster Energy, Mountain Dew and Doritos.

Huston grew up in Northern California in a home-schooled Rastafarian family that was strictly vegan, with a Black father and a white mother.

His father, Adeyemi was a skateboarder, and in 2005 the family bought a 15,000sq-ft skatepark near their home in Davis, California.

Read more:

Who is Team USA’s star Olympic skateboarder Nyjah Huston

Californian signed his first skateboarding deal at the age of just seven

Graeme Massie24 July 2021 19:00

Simone Biles: Who is the US gymnast competing at Tokyo 2020 Olympics and when does she compete?

She is arguably the most dynamic gymnast of all time and is set to bring down the curtain on her glittering Olympic career in Tokyo.

Simone Biles may stand at only 4ft 8 tall, but the 24-year-old is one of world sport’s biggest stars.

She won four Olympic gold medals at Rio in 2016 in the team event, the individual all-around, the vault, and the floor exercise, as well as a bronze medal in the balance beam.

And in doing so, she set an American record for the most gold medals in women’s gymnastics at a single games.

Read more:

Who is gymnast Simone Biles competing at Tokyo 2020 Olympics?

Simone Biles: Who is the US gymnast competing at Tokyo 2020 Olympics?

When is Simone Biles competing at Tokyo 2020?

Simone Biles enters Tokyo 2020 with a real chance of taking home five gold medals.

The American won four gold medals at the last Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, taking victory in the individual all-around, floor and vault competitions, as well as earning gold as part of the triumphant USA team.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, Biles has a remarkable 19 gold medals from five appearances at the World Championships, and four skills named after her – two on the floor, one on the balance beam and a double-twisting vault.

Biles is aiming to become the first woman to defend her all-around gold medal since 1968 in Japan, and is also regarded as the favourite to take victory in the vault, floor and balance beam at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre.

The USA are likely to defend their team competition crown, which will be Biles’ first chance at gold. The women’s team final is due to start at 11.45am BST on Tuesday 27 July.

Read more:

When is Simone Biles competing at Tokyo 2020?

The 24-year-old, who won four golds at Rio 2016, is expected to be one of the stars of the Games

Olympic gymnast shares her daily food routine

Simone Biles has revealed what she typically eats in a day as she gears up for competing in the Tokyo Olympics.

Speaking to Women’s Health, the 23-year-old gold medal gymnast, who has won a total of 30 Olympic and World Championship medals for the US gymnastics team, explained that she doesn’t track calories or monitor what she eats in any particular way.

“I eat what I feel good with and try not to overeat or stuff myself because I’m always at the gym,” she said before expanding on why she chooses not to track her food.

“For gymnasts, in particular, [tracking] can lead to health problems and eating issues, so I just eat what I know I can and should,” she said.

For a pre-workout breakfast, Biles said she usually has a “quick bite” in the morning, either oatmeal or fruit.

Read more:

What gold medal gymnast Simone Biles eats in a day

‘I eat what I feel good with,’ says the 23-year-old gold medal gymnast

Graeme Massie, Harry Latham-Coyle, Olivia Petter24 July 2021 18:40

First Lady Jill Biden cheers on Team USA in swimming, 3x3 basketball, and football

First Lady Jill Biden spent her Saturday supporting Team USA, crisscrossing Tokyo to attend swimming, 3x3 basketball, and football.

Team USA swimmers greeted Dr Biden by chanting her name in the arena from across the pool.

She also spoke to the US women’s 3x3 basketball team, who beat France 17-10 and Mongolia 21-9 on the opening day of the new Olympic sport.

She then attended the US women’s football team’s 6-1 win against New Zealand.

The Americans made a forceful comeback after losing their first game to Sweden, 3-0.

Gustaf Kilander24 July 2021 18:20

Tokyo 2020: Team GB Boxer Karriss Artingstall wins but Peter McGrail eliminated

British featherweight Karriss Artingstall made an encouraging start to her Olympic campaign with a comfortable opening victory over Keamogetse Kenosi but Peter McGrail was eliminated in his first round bout.

Macclesfield-born Artingstall, a gunner in the British Army and a bronze medallist at the 2019 World Championships, proved too classy for her Botswanan opponent, who struggled with her headguard on several occasions.

Artingstall was given the nod by all five judges in every round, with four scores of 30-27 and one of 30-26, as she eased into the last-16 of the 57kg category at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo

“It’s not my best performance at all, I wouldn’t even rate it over a six (out of 10), but I (have) just done what I had to do,” said Artingstall after she booked a second round clash against third seed Jucielen Romeu of Brazil.

“Seeds mean nothing to me, it’s just a number at the end of the day. I have never come across her myself so I don’t know what to expect. But as long as I am in there on my A game, I am a nightmare for anyone to beat.

“I’ll warm up throughout the tournament, and you’ll definitely see better performances from me.”

Kurt Walker overcame a cut to his right eyebrow in the corresponding men’s division following a savage left hook in the third round by Spain’s Jose Quiles, but the Irishman was awarded a unanimous decision win earlier on Saturday.

“I thought I had done enough. I was dominant in the first and third rounds. In the second he gave his all but then he had nothing left for the third,” said Walker. “I had to dig deep, but that’s a great first fight for me.”

Walker next faces top seed and reigning world champion Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov of Uzbekistan.

“He’s got two arms and two legs like myself so it doesn’t bother me,” added Walker. “If you want to be the best then you have to beat the best. I’m fighting at the Olympics which is more than I thought I’d be doing last year, so I’m happy.”

However, British rival McGrail fell at the first hurdle, the Merseysider dropping a unanimous decision to veteran Thai Chatchai-Decha Butdee, who also competed at London 2012 and Rio 2016.

(Getty Images)
Karl Matchett24 July 2021 18:00

Tokyo 2020: Thomas focused on time trial after abandoning road race due to crash

Geraint Thomas immediately switched his focus to Wednesday’s Olympic time trial after being forced to abandon the road race following a crash as Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz stormed to victory.

The Yates twins were Britain’s only finishers after Thomas and Tao Geoghegan Hart were caught in a crash around 70km into the race – with Geoghegan Hart losing his front wheel in a storm drain in the centre of the road to bring down Thomas behind him.

Thomas landed hard on his right side – having dislocated the same shoulder during the Tour de France – and knowing his race was effectively over the Welshman pulled out on their first passage of the finish line, still with 60km to go, to turn attention towards Wednesday’s time trial.

“I’m feeling beaten up but not too bad,” said Thomas – whose medal hopes in Rio were dashed by a late crash five years ago. “I’ve definitely felt worse. The muscles and everything went into spasm almost.

“It was a freak thing, Tao slipped on the metal ridge in the middle of the road and I had nowhere to go, I just went straight down.

“It’s disappointing after all the hard work and sacrifice, especially after the Tour and everything that happened there, but we live to fight another day and I’ll try to rest up now to give Wednesday one last go.”

Karl Matchett24 July 2021 17:40

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