Tokyo Olympics LIVE: Games brought to an end in closing ceremony as Paris 2024 welcomes handover
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Your support makes all the difference.As the Tokyo Olympics comes to an end, the 16th and final day of the Games has not been without its drama. With two late golds, Team GB have now equalled their medal tally of 65 from the home Games of London 2012, and the USA have overtaken China at the top of the table.
Cyclist Jason Kenny won Team GB’s first gold of the day with an extraordinary performance in the keirin final. He started at the front and saw a gap, tearing away with more than three laps to go – and the chasing pack simply couldn’t keep up. It makes him the most decorated Briton in Olympic history, with an unmatched seven gold medals.
Hopes were also high for Laura Kenny, who was looking to wrap up her Games with a second gold in Tokyo in the women’s omnium. The reigning champion was initially leading the race before she suffered an early blow after being involved in a huge crash in the opening scratch race. She was able to ride on but unable to climb back up the leaderboard, with Team USA’s Jennifer Valente eventually claiming gold.
In the boxing, Lauren Price has also taken gold for Team GB in her women’s middleweight final against China’s Li Qian at the Kokugikan Arena. It denies China the opportunity to match Team USA on 39 golds – with the Americans winning both the women’s basketball and volleyball today.
Earlier, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge won the final athletics event of Tokyo 2020 with a commanding performance in the men’s marathon in Sapporo, winning his second straight gold medal after the Rio marathon and cementing his place among the all-time greats of the sport.
Follow all the latest news, results and medals below.
Tokyo Olympics: Historic performance from Team GB’s boxers
Lauren Price added Great Britain’s sixth boxing medal with gold in the women’s middleweight this morning, as Team GB finished second overall in the boxing behind Cuba, who won four gold medals.
That represents their best performance in 100 years, with Galal Yafai, Ben Whittaker, Frazer Clarke, Pat McCormack and Karriss Artingstall also adding to GB’s impressive haul.
Tokyo Olympics: GB’s cyclists lead the way
Great Britain’s cyclists won the most medals of all sports for Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics.
Team GB won 12 medals across the track cycling, BMX and mountain biking disciples. GB’s swimmers and divers added 11, while there were record hauls for Great Britain in boxing and equestrian with six and five medals respectively.
Six more medals were added in the athletics while five were won by GB’s sailors.
Tokyo Olympics: Laura Kenny ‘embodies values of Team GB’
Team GB Chef de Mission, Mark England, on the selection of Laura Kenny as GB’s flagbearer at the closing ceremony:
“In a Games in which we’ve celebrated having more women than men competing at a Summer Games for the first time in our history, it gives me huge pride to confirm Laura Kenny, our greatest ever female Olympian, as flagbearer for the closing ceremony.
“Laura has been at the centre of a sport that has enjoyed incredible Olympic success, which has helped drive the interest and participation of cycling throughout the UK. She has also truly embodied the values and spirit of Team GB during her time as an Olympian to date.
“To have remained at such a high level for so long is testament to Laura’s skill, character and determination and it’s a great personal privilege to bestow this honour on Laura today.”
When is the Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony?
The closing ceremony is due to run from 12pm BST to 2.30pm BST.
The ceremony will officially close the Games and also mark the handover to the next hosts of the Summer Olympics - Paris.
Along with closing speeches, the hoisting of flags and the parade of athletes, the Olympic flag will be handed over and a display held of the history and culture both of Tokyo and Paris.
The theme for both ceremonies at Tokyo 2020 is “Moving Forward”.
Tokyo Olympics: Laura Kenny to carry flag for Team GB at closing ceremony
Laura Kenny has been selected as Great Britain’s flag bearer for the closing ceremony of the Olympics in Tokyo.
Kenny claimed her fifth Olympic title and became the first British woman to win gold at three successive Games after victory in the women’s Madison alongside Katie Archibald
Kenny said: “It’s an absolute honour to be selected as the Team GB flag bearer for the Tokyo 2020 closing ceremony, and it rounds off my Games experience.
“The past 18 months have been tough for everyone, and I really hope me and my Team GB team-mates have given the nation something to celebrate.
“It hasn’t quite sunk in that I am now Britain’s most successful female athlete, all I know is that I’ve worked so hard to be here and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family, friends and everyone at British Cycling.”
Laura Kenny to carry flag for Team GB at Tokyo 2020 closing ceremony
Kenny claimed her fifth Olympic title and became the first British woman to win gold at three successive Games.
Tokyo Olympics: Laura and Jason Kenny race ahead in record books
Laura and Jason Kenny have taken their combined tally of Olympic gold medals to 12 during Tokyo 2020, cementing their positions as Great Britain’s most successful competitors at the Games.
Madison success with Katie Archibald was Laura’s fifth Olympic title and preceded Jason’s final-day triumph in the keirin to take his personal golden haul to seven.
With another three silvers between them, they top the ranks of their country’s female and male medallists respectively.
More here:
Laura and Jason Kenny race ahead in record books – the power couple in numbers
Jason Kenny took his golden haul to seven on Sunday.
Tokyo Olympics: Jason Kenny cements his legend with seventh gold
It seemed rather fitting that up in the rarefied hills of Izu, under the shadow of Mount Fuji, that legend was made.
In this remote outpost of these Games, a super-fast Shinkansen and long and winding bus journey from Tokyo, Jason Kenny did what he does best, riding his bike faster than anyone else and making history.
They take keirin racing seriously in Japan, indeed this velodrome is the national school for the close-quarters sprint race in which thrills and spills are measured equally.
Kenny sprung clear from rivals with three laps to go and hammered down the power, catching them all napping and he opened up a huge advantage, tactical genius of quite breathtaking audacity.
By the last lap they were closing fast but Kenny was sniffing history and smelling the finish line. “We said just before the start, if they’re asleep, shall we just launch one - and that’s exactly what happened,” he said.
James Toney reports from the Izu velodrome:
Jason Kenny cements his legend with seventh gold in audacious keirin sprint finish
Britain’s greatest-ever gold medal-winning Olympian with a seventh success and a ninth Olympic medal overall
Tokyo Olympics: Serbia win final gold of the Games in men’s water polo final
Serbia have just beaten Greece 13-10 to win the gold medal in the men’s water polo final, and with that the Tokyo Olympics has come to an end!
Shortly before then, France defeated the Russian Olympic Committee 30-25 to win women’s handball gold.
Tokyo Olympics: Kipchoge retains gold medal in men’s marathon
Eliud Kipchoge cemented his legacy as one of the greatest distance runners of all time after retaining his title in the men’s marathon.
Kipchoge won in a time of 2:08.38 in hot and humid conditions in Sapporo as he defended his gold medal won in Rio five years ago.
“I think I have fulfilled the legacy by winning the marathon for the second time, back to back,” Kipchoge said. “I hope now to help inspire the next generation.”
Tokyo Olympics: Team USA reign supreme in women’s basketball final
The United States defeated Japan 90-75 to win the women’s basketball tournament, and secure their seventh gold medal in a row in the sport.
The team have won every match they have played during that time and in the gold medal match were lifted by Brittney Griner’s 30 points.
Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi won their fifth Olympic gold medals, with Bird indicating after the match that the Tokyo Games would be her last.
The United States also defeated Brazil to win the women’s volleyball tournament.
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