Tokyo Olympics digest: Indonesia takes gold in women’s badminton

Indonesia’s unseeded duo of Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu defeated the overwhelmingly favored Chinese pair of Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan in straight sets 21-19, 21-15 to win the women’s doubles gold medal in badminton.

 It is the first time Indonesia, a nation traditionally strong in badminton, struck gold in the women’s doubles at an Olympics.

“Twenty years ago, when I was 13 years old, I knew that Indonesia hadn’t made any history in women’s doubles,” said Polii, 33, who had been on the brink of retiring before being persuaded to team up with Rahayu, 23.

“I knew that I was born to be a badminton player, and I had that faith when I was 13 years old that I wanted to make history for Indonesia.”

Emotions ran high throughout the match, with both sides screaming for points. At one point, Polii broke her racket in frustration, got a new one and returned to help Indonesia win the point.The match ended on a boundary review, with Polii and Rahayu elating when the shuttlecock was ruled out.

The result extends China’s struggles in women’s doubles. The Chinese had dominated the badminton draw, winning five straight Olympics from 1996 to 2012. Monday’s result comes after China failed to medal in the event at the 2016 Rio Games.

Here’s a roundup of the latest news and results from the Tokyo Olympics:

Gold medals

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn celebrates Puerto Rico’s first athletics gold medal

Puerto Rico picked up its first-ever gold medal in athletics when Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won the women’s 100-meter hurdles. Camacho-Quinn, who set an Olympic record in the semifinals, was shoulder-to-shoulder with American Kendra Harrison before accelerating through the finish. It’s the second gold medal the Caribbean US territory has won at the Olympics.

Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou continued the European renaissance in athletics, winning gold in the men’s long jump. The 23-year-old stunned Juan Miguel Echevarria with his final jump, just edging the Cuban star with a jump of 8.41 meters. Tentoglou’s gold comes after Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs and Gianmarco Tamberi won gold in the men’s 100-meter and high jump, respectively.

In shooting, France’s Jean Quiquampoix won the men’s 25-meter rapid-fire pistol, equaling the Olympic record of 34 successful shots.

Germany update

Germany’s women’s indoor cycling team broke the world record during team pursuit qualifying. Their time of 4:07.307 was nearly three seconds faster than the mark Great Britain set at the 2016 Rio Games.

After losing just once in the group stage, Germany’s women’s hockey team are heading home following a 3-0 loss to Argentina in the quarterfinals. 

More news from Tokyo

The IOC confirmed that Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya is safe after she refused to board a flight home at the direction of Belarus’ Olympic team. She confirmed to Reuters news agency that coaches told her to pack after she objected publicly to being entered in the 4×400-meter relay without her consent.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is investigating a gesture American Raven Saunders made during the medal ceremony of the women’s shot put. Saunders, who won silver, raised her arms in an “X” above her head, a potential breach of rules banning protests on the podium. Saunders responded on Twitter to the investigation, writing: “Let them try and take this medal.”

dv (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

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