Team Japan continues to add to an impressive haul of medals at the Paris Olympic Games. The latest is gold in the men’s gymnastics team event.
Japan had the inside track on gold after a Chinese gymnast dropped off the high bar twice.
This is Japan’s first gold in the event since the 2016 Rio Games. China won the silver and the US took the bronze.
In skateboarding, Horigome Yuto defended his title in the men’s street event. The 25-year-old came from behind to snatch gold by posting the best score of the event, 97.08 points, on his final run. He beat out Jagger Eaton and Nyjah Huston of the US to stand atop the podium.
In the men’s judo 73-kilogram class, Hashimoto Soichi took home the bronze. The 32-year-old is the oldest first-time Olympian in the history of Japan’s judo team.
Funakubo Haruka also won bronze in the women’s 57-kilogram class. She’s known for her stamina on the mats, and was able to overwhelm her opponent in extra time of the bronze medal match.
But there was disappointment in fencing where Emura Misaki crashed out early in women’s individual sabre. The two-time world champion and world number one was one of Japan’s opening ceremony flagbearers and widely tipped to win gold.
And finally, in tennis, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic beat Spain’s Rafael Nadal in a second round matchup of two legends of the game. The two-time gold medalist Nadal struggled on his favored clay surface, where he’s won 14 of his 22 grand slam titles. Djokovic advanced in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4. He has a men’s record 24 grand slam titles, and is looking to capture his first Olympic gold.