By K. P. Mohan
On a day when the men’s long jump gold medal was nailed on the last jump and on a countback, Asia had limited cause for cheer as the Olympic Games athletics programme wound through its fourth day at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on Monday.
Greek Miltiadis Tentoglou who had led the season charts with 8.60 since the last week of May, put everything he had into his sixth and last jump to edge Cuban Juan Miguel Echevarria for the gold at 8.41 metres. The Cuban who produced an 8.50m in the qualification round, had led the field with 8.41m from third round, but eventually the Greek jumper’s second best mark of 8.15m compared to his rival’s second best of 8.09m clinched the issue on the countback. Another Cuban, Maykel Masso took the bronze with 8.21m in a low-key competition,
Japanese Yuki Hashioka who was a finalist at the 2019 World championships and who effortlessly made it through to the final in this Olympics competition with 8.17m could manage only 8.10m in the final and finished sixth.
Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, on the look-out for a 1500-5000-10000 treble accomplished her first mission this evening winning the 5000m in 14:36.79. In the morning, she had come through the heats of the 1500m despite falling and still recovering to win. Her pace through the final lap was too much for two-time world champion and Rio Olympic silver medallist, Kenyan Hellen Obiri (14:38.36) and Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay (14:38.87), the season leader at 14:13.32 clocked in Hengelo, the Netherlands, in June. Obiri and Tsegay finished in that order behind Hassan. Japanese Ririka Hironaka posted a national record of 14:52.84 while finishing ninth.
“I can’t believe it,” said Hassan. “I used all my energy this morning and I was kind of tired. I couldn’t believe what happened. I felt terrible (after her 1500m fall) and I never thought I was going to be Olympic champion”.
Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali, fourth in Rio, timed his kick to perfection from the last water jump to win the 3000m steeplechase gold ahead of the Kenyans and the Ethiopians. The front-running Ethiopian Lamecha Girma had little left by way of a response on a rain-hit, highly humid day, when the Moroccan challenged him.
El Bakkali could afford to look around as he coasted through the home straight for an 8:08.90 finish, a very creditable effort given the conditions. Girma was second in 8:10.38 while Kenyan Benjamin Kigen claimed the bronze in 8:11.45.
“I am so used to seeing Kenyans win, it’s a big accomplishment for me,” said El Bakkali.
“I have been aiming for this for years and this was my opportunity to show that Morocco is capable of winning this prize in front of the Kenyans.”
Japanese Ryuji Miura who had clocked a national record of 8:09.92 while qualifying for the final came in at seventh in 8:16.90. He had led for a while in the early stages of the race, then tagged along with the leaders and still later, unable to keep up the pace, fell back.
“It was great experience leading the race for a while,”said Miura. “I was aiming for a medal, but I was able to enjoy my first Olympic Games and the final.”
Puerto Rican Jasmine Camacho Quinn scored a comprehensive victory over world record holder Kendra Harrison of the US in the women’s 100m hurdles final 12.37s to 12.52. Quinn had set a National record of 12.26s in the semifinals. Jamaican Megan Tapper (12.55s) took the bronze.
In what was expected to be a close fight among two-time world and Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic of Croatia, world champion Yaime Perez of Cuba and American Valarie Allman, who led the world lists after the preliminaries the other day, ended up with gold for the 26-year-old American.
Perkovic, aiming for a third Olympic title, finished outside the podium with 65.01m in a competition which started in a drizzle and had to be stopped in the third round as rains intensified and competitors started slipping inside the circle.
German Kristin Pudenz claimed the silver with a personal best 66.86m effort in the fifth round that displaced Perez from her second position. Perez’s bronze came in 65.72m. That was under threat till Perkovic took her last throw, which measured only 63.25m. In a foul-ridden competition, Perkovic and Allman had three each and Perez two. Allman could afford them after she set the tempo with her opening throw but the contest never really picked up after that. The rain interruption only added to the anxiety and spoilt the rhythm for the throwers.
India’s Kamalpreet Kaur, with expectations of her Indian fans for a medal high, finished at sixth with 63.70m that she produced on her third attempt under pressure to move out of the eighth slot and get into the top eight for the final three rounds. She equalled countrywoman Krishna Poonia’s 2012 Olympics placing of sixth.
“I was very nervous. But I am grateful to be here carrying my flag”, said Kaur.
“I am disappointed as if I were to throw my PB I would have been able to medal. My idol is Sandra (Perkovic of Croatia) and she gave me a big hug and congratulated me when I made the final. It was a great moment.
“My message to the Indian young athletes is, to never give up. I won’t either!” said Kaur.
Nozomi Tanaka of Japan clocked a national record of 4:02.33 while qualifying in the women’s 1500m heats. She finished fourth in the third heat. Ran Urabe, also of Japan, was, however eliminated in the heats despite a personal best time of 4:07.90. She finished ninth in the second heat.
Asia’s two representatives in the women’s 200m heats, Olga Safronova of Kazakhstan (23.64s) and Dutee Chand of India (23.85s) went out. Safronova was sixth in her heat and Chand seventh and last in her’s.
