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: Team GB fourth in final medal table
Two gold medals on the final day of the Olympics Games has secured Team GB a fourth-place finish in Tokyo, as the United States topped China on the final day of competition following medals in the women’s basketball final and the women’s omnium.
Japan finish third after a record-breaking Games for the hosts, while Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy all hit double figures for gold medals.
1) United States: 39 gold, 41 silver, 33 bronze - 113 overall
2) China: 38 gold, 32 silver, 18 bronze - 88 overall
3) Japan: 27 gold, 14 silver, 17 bronze - 58 overall
4) Great Britain: 22 gold, 21 silver, 22 bronze - 65 overall
5) ROC: 20 gold, 28 silver, 23 bronze - 71 overall
6) Australia: 17 gold, 7 silver, 22 bronze - 46 overall
7) Netherlands: 10 gold, 12 silver, 14 bronze - 36 overall
8) France: 10 gold, 12 silver, 11 bronze - 33 overall
9 Germany: 10 gold, 11 silver, 16 bronze - 37 overall
10) Italy: 10 gold, 10 silver, 20 bronze - 40 overall
Tokyo Olympics: Team GB match London medal haul
With 65 medals won in Tokyo, Team GB have matched their second-best performance at a modern Olympics and equalled the total set in London in 2012.
Team GB have also finished just two medals short of their record-breaking haul set in Rio five years ago.
Tokyo 2020: 22 gold, 21 silver, 22 bronze - 65 overall
Rio 2016: 27 gold, 23 silver, 17 bronze - 67 overall
London 2020: 29 gold, 17 silver, 19 bronze - 65 overall
Tokyo Olympics: Laura Kenny’s omnium hopes hit by early crash
Laura Kenny’s defence of her omnium title was hit by a heavy crash in the opening scratch race, as she finished sixth overall and missed out on adding to her record-breaking medal haul.
Kenny suffered an early exit in the elimination race and despite finishing with a win in the final sprint, there was too much ground to make up to trouble the medal positions and overall winner Jennifer Valente.
Kenny said: “I hit her so fast, I was just about to come over the top and it was just like, ‘bam’. I had nowhere to go, and then I had a mountain to climb from that point and in the tempo race I just rode off adrenaline.
“When it got to the elimination race I couldn’t have felt any further from me if I tried. When I set off I just felt really tired, instantly. By the time the elimination race came round I was done. I was sat in the chair and I was thinking: ‘I feel sick, my back is killing me’.
“To be honest I was done after the madison. You just hit such a high, and that really was the race we had targeted. We put so much work into that and because we did win I could just go, job done. To refocus and come into the omnium, it just wasn’t to be.”
Tokyo Olympics: Jason Kenny reacts to winning historic seventh gold medal
Jason Kenny said it is a “special” feeling to become Team GB’s most successful Olympian of all time.
Kenny broke away from the field to defend his men’s keirin title with a stunning final sprint, in what was his most impressive performance of the Games after having questioned his form earlier this week.
“Seven gold medals is really special, when you look back on the ones you have already got it seems pretty easy. Then when you try and get more, you remember how hard it is,” Kenny said.
"It is easy to forget the hard work that goes into it. I have been disappointed this week, I haven’t been as competitive as I wanted to be. But in the keirins you can race hard and ride your luck a little bit.
"I couldn’t believe no-one came past, I felt like I was standing still at the end, I was hacking away into the final corner, but just kept telling myself it is a medal. I couldn’t believe it when I crossed the line.
"Before today I had all but given up, I was counting my career in days and races as opposed to years, but maybe I have bought myself more time now.
"The first half a lap I was wondering if it [the gap] was enough and then I thought, ‘it is now or never so I will go for it’.
"I have been racing every race like it is my last, just trying to survive really. I think because I ran every race like it was a final. When I got to the final I was pretty well rehearsed.
"Once we rolled up in the final, for me it was carry on doing what we have been doing."
Tokyo Olympics: Record-breaking Laura Kenny to carry the flag at closing ceremony
Laura Kenny has been named Team GB’s flagbearer for the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics later today.
Kenny became Team GB’s most successful female Olympian of all time after winning her fifth gold medal in the women’s madison alongside Katie Archibald.
“It’s an absolute honour to be selected as the Team GB flagbearer for the closing ceremony, and it rounds off my Games experience,” Kenny said.
“The past 18 months have been tough for everyone, and I really hope me and my Team GB teammates 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.”
Tokyo Olympics: Jason Kenny defends keirin title to win historic seventh gold
In case you missed it, Jason Kenny became the first Briton to win seven Olympic gold medals as he took a stunning victory in the men’s keirin final in Izu earlier this morning.
Kenny had complained of being out of form during the men’s sprint earlier this week but you would not have known it from the way in which he rode away from the field to win by a yawning gap of 0.763 seconds from Azizulhasni Awang of Malaysia.
It also makes Kenny the first Briton to win nine Olympic medals as he adds it to the team sprint silver he took on Tuesday alongside Jack Carlin and Ryan Owens.
More here:
Jason Kenny in seventh heaven after winning keirin gold at Tokyo Olympics
Kenny’s victory secured his seventh Games gold, and his ninth overall medal makes him the most decorated Olympian in British history.
Tokyo Olympics: Lauren Price reacts after winning boxing gold for Team GB
Lauren Price, speaking to the BBC: “I can’t really put it into words. It’s a dream come true. I still can’t believe it, I’ve got to pinch myself, but it goes to show that after years of hard work, if you dream and you work hard enough you can achieve anything. I’m just over the moon.
“Thank you to everyone who supported me along this journey, from starting off at years of age. All the support has got me through, shout out to my Nan as well, and it looks like we’re going to be getting a golden post-box outside my house in Ystrad Mynch, so happy days!
“I know my grandad was looking down on me today, and all week. I can’t really put into words what they’ve done for me over the years. I love them both so much and I can’t wait to go back and see my Nan and show my medal off.”
Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov has defeated team USA’s Richard Torrez Jr by unanimous decision to win gold in the final of the men’s heavyweight boxing.
It means Torrez Jr takes silver, while Frazer Clarke of Team GB and Kamshybek Kunkabayev of Kazakhstan win bronze as losing semi-finalists.
With this win, Uzbekistan jump from joint 37th to 31st position in the medal tally, with three gold and two bronze medals.
Tokyo Olympics: Lauren Price wins GB gold in boxing
Team GB have matched their 65-medal haul from London 2012 in dramatic fashion on the final day of the Tokyo Games, as footballer-turned-boxer Lauren Price defeated China’s Li Qian in the women’s middleweight boxing. It also denies China the chance to reclaim their spot at the top of the medal table, now taken by Team USA.
Tokyo Olympics: US surpass China in medal tally
Team USA have surpassed China in the medal tally after winning three golds on the final day. While China has a total of 38 gold medals, the US has one more and now leads the chart with a total of 112 medals. China are second with 87 podium finishes, while Japan are a distant third with a total of 58 medals, including 27 gold.
Team GB are in fourth place with 22 golds, the two from Jason Kenny and Lauren Price today taking GB above ROC who drop to fifth. With a total of 65 medals, GB have now equalled their haul from the home Games of London 2012.
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