Tokyo 2020 – Day 1: Olympic fever hits Japan
After much delay and controversy, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have begun. According to reports, around half the population of Japan watched some part of the Games on TV, far higher than expectations given the national opposition by many.
It was a mixed day for the hosts – they had a gold medal to celebrate after Naohisa Takato won the men’s under-60kg judo title, defeating Taiwan’s Yang Yung-wei in the final. But then, in a shock upset, Japan’s seven-time Olympic medallist Kohei Uchimura failed to qualify in the gymnastics after a fall during a routine. He had only elected to compete in the high bar, but he did not make the final. It was similarly bad news after Daiya Seto, three-time world champion regarded as Japan’s best hope in the water, failed to qualify for the men’s 400m individual medley final.
It was China that took an early lead on the medal table – Yang Qian was the first athlete to take a gold (at the women’s 10m air rifle final), and she was followed by Sun Yiwen in fencing and Hou Zhihui in women’s ~49kg weightlifting. Hou won with a combined score of 210kg, breaking the Olympic record in the process. The Indian athlete Chanu Salkhom Mirabal finished behind Hou with a total of 202kg, taking the silver and her country’s first Olympic medal in weightlifting.
Many of Team GB’s stars had a successful first day, advancing into the later stages of several disciplines. Adam Peaty began the defence of his 100m breaststroke title, topping the timesheets with 57.56 seconds, while Team GB’s women’s football team guaranteed their progress to the knockout stages with a 1-0 victory over Japan. Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury beat French second seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicholas Mahut 6-3 6-2 in the men’s doubles, and Max Whitlock eased through to the pommel horse final with a score of 14.900 points in qualification. GB men’s hockey won their first game against South Africa 3-1, and there was also progression in the badminton mixed doubles, individual dressage and boxing.
However, Team GB hopes of starting with a medal failed to materialise. Scottish shooter Seonaid McIntosh failed to make the finals in the women’s 10m air rifle, and things went poorly in the men’s road race – grand tour winners Geraint Thomas and Tao Geoghegan Hart both crashed, and Adam Yates only managed ninth place. In the end, it was Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz won took the gold for the event.
The spectre of Covid still hangs over the Games
There was an early exit for Heather Watson, who lost 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in the first round of the women’s singles. Meanwhile, Helen Glover’s ambition to retain her women’s pairs rowing title got off to a shaky start alongside Polly Swann – she came third in their heat, her first defeat in more than a decade, although it comfortably saw them into the semi-finals.
There were other strong starts across the board. Novak Djokovic continues his bid for the ‘Golden Slam’, opening with a routine 6-2 6-2 win over Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien in the men’s singles. Team USA’s women’s softball team, the gold medal favourites, beat Mexico 2-0, a brief spot of light for the nation on their first day one without a medal of any colour since 1972.
The spectre of Covid still hangs over the Games – Dutch rower Finn Florijn, who was due to take part in the men’s single sculls repechage, became the first athlete to test positive for the virus after competing. We saw the unusual protocol for athletes putting on their own medals, athletes stating that things would be much better if fans were present (many went to the road race despite warnings not to) and there are still high-level conversations about what could happen in the event of a widescale outbreak.
Medal table:
- China
Gold (3), Silver (0), Bronze (1), Total (4)
=2. Italy/Japan
Gold (1), Silver (1), Bronze (0), Total (2)
- South Korea
Gold (1), Silver (0), Bronze (2), Total (3)
=5. Ecuador/Hungary/Iran/Kosovo/Thailand
Gold (1), Silver (0), Bronze (0), Total (1)
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