Thursday, July 29, 2021 13 Ledecky fights back to win 1,500m after second defeat to Titmus DPA SYDNEY AMERICAN Katie Ledecky Gold medalist Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic is seen at the men’s cycling became the first Olympic road individual time trial during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at champion in the women’s the Fuji International Speedway in Oyama, Japan, on Wednesday. (AFP) 1,500-metre freestyle thanks to a typically dominating performance just over an Imperious Roglic hour after being well-beaten in the final of the 200m free on Wednesday. and van Vleuten The American superstar, who placed fifth in the 200m, Gold medallist USA’s Kathleen led from beginning to end Ledecky poses on the podium claim time trial gold and finished in 15 minutes after the final of the women’s 37.34 seconds to claim her 1500m freestyle swimming event DPA season to forget until Wednes- first gold medal in Tokyo and during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic OYAMA (JapaN) day, having abandoned the sixth overall. Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Tour after week one after suf- Ledecky, 24, was not Centre on Wednesday. (AFP) PRIMOZ Roglic of Slovenia de- fering multiple bruises in a competitive over the shorter stroyed the opposition to claim third-stage crash. distance as 20-year-old Aus- led by 200m Olympic cham- Olympic road cycling time trial He said he would concen- tralian Ariarne Titmus took pion Tom Dean and runner-up gold on Wednesday, a few weeks trate on the Olympics, and after her second Tokyo gold hav- Duncan Scott. after abandoning the Tour de being no factor in Saturday’s ing beaten the US great in a An underwater view shows USA’s Kathleen Ledecky competing in the final of the women’s 1500m freestyle The team of Dean, James France in the wake of a crash. road race delivered in emphatic thriller over 400m earlier in swimming event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on Wednesday. The Guy, Matthew Richards and Roglic, 31, was unstoppa- fashion in the time trial. the Games. American superstar led from beginning to end and finished in 15 minutes 37.34 seconds to claim her first Scott was just 0.03 shy of the ble in the second half of the Just eight seconds ahead of American Erica Sullivan gold medal in Tokyo and sixth overall. (AFP) world record with 6:58.58, a hilly 44.2-kilometre course Dumoulin at the halfway mark fought off Germany’s Sarah new European record. near Mount Fuji to win by on the Fuji Speedway he was Kohler for the silver, more Sullivan said. way that she swam yesterday her to the wall by 0.13 seconds The Russian Olympic more than one minute ahead unstoppable on the second lap than 4 seconds adrift, with A little earlier, Titmus won morning, so I knew it would be with 2:8.52. Committee won silver just of his Dutch Jumbo Visma to win by 1 minute 1.39 sec- Kohler taking a first Ger- gold in the 200m for a second tough to beat her. American Kate Douglass, 0.03 seconds ahead of Aus- team-mate Tom Dumoulin onds with 55:04.19 minutes. man Olympic pool medal in triumph in her hotly anticipat- “It’s not the time I thought who came into the final with tralia with the US fourth. and former world champion Dumoulin took several 13 years in a national record ed duel with Ledecky after de- I could do this morning, but it’s the fastest time, won bronze Australian Emma McKe- Rohan Dennis of Australia. months off cycling this year 15:42.91. feating her in Monday’s 400m the Olympics and there’s a lot of while Hungary’s Iron Lady on topped the women’s 100m The women’s race over before returning in June, got “It is the first women’s freestyle. other things going on.” Titmus Katinka Hosszu placed sev- free heats in an Olympic re- half the distance saw a win as silver just as 2016 in Rio, and 1,500m so I couldn’t have a Titmus, who also won gold will meet Ledecky once more enth as her years of domi- cord 52.13 and South African emphatic, with Dutch rider Evans was another 2.51 sec- better outcome than that. I’m in the 4x100m freestyle relay in Tokyo in the 800m free, nance end. Tatjana Schoenmaker took Annemiek van Vleuten al- onds back for bronze. so, so happy,” Ledecky said. on Sunday, came back in the with the American favourite Hungary’s Milak put on the same honour with 2:19.16 lowed to really celebrate this “For me, it was just noth- “[The gold] means a lot. last 50 metres to beat Hong in the longer race having been the jets in the final stages, in the 200m breaststroke- time around when she added ing to lose. I went on block People maybe feel bad that Kong’s Siobhan Haughey and almost unchallenged since her leaving the rest of the field only 5 hundredths off the gold to road race silver almost from the start and I just fight I’m not winning everything, set a new Olympic record first Olympic win in 2012. for dead and clocking 1:51.25, world record. one minute clear of Marlen for every place,” Roglic said. but I want people to be more 1:53.50. Japan’s Yui Ohashi won a 0.52 seconds shy of his own Briton Luke Greenback led Reusser of Switzerland and a “It was just giving 150 per concerned about other things Haughey, who set an new second individual medley gold world record. the men’s 200m backstroke second Dutch rider, Anna van cent, really everything, every- in the world.” Runner-up Sul- Asian record, touched just while a dominant Kristof Mi- Japan’s Tomoru Honda with Rio champion Ryan Mur- der Breggen, taking bronze. thing and at the end I was just livan heaped praise on her 0.42 seconds later to win the lak also set an Olympic record won silver after touching the phy seventh while his fellow It was a full set of Olym- super happy that I finally was compatriot. silver while Canada’s Penny as he won gold in the 200m wall 2.48 seconds behind American Michael Andrew pic medals on the day for the finished, I was over the finish “I had the Olympic record Oleksiak took bronze. butterfly. Milak, while Italy’s Federico was first in the 200m individ- proud cycling nation Nether- line and then the rest tell me for 16 minutes until she broke “Bloody exhausted,” Tit- Ohashi started slow, Burdisso held on for bronze ual medley. lands. Roglic won the Spanish how fast I was.” it. She’s a legend and she’ll for- mus said after winning gold, touching the wall fifth after the with 1:54.45, just 0.07 ahead And Australia went fasted Vuelta in 2019 and 2020 and Belgian road race silver ever be a legend. The fact that “That was a hell of a tough butterfly leg of the 200m, and of Hungary’s Tama Kendresi. in the 4x200m freestyle relay, was a Tour de France runner- medallist Wout van Aert had I get to swim in the same gen- one. I knew [Haughey] really pulled off a gutsy comeback on And Britain dominated even without Titmus in the up as well last year but had a to settle for sixth. eration as her, it’s just so cool,” wanted this. I could tell by the American Alex Walsh to beat the men’s 4x200m freestyle preliminary round. Sport begins self-reflection after Biles and Osaka highlight stress Jessica beats Superstar gymnast also withdraws Pressure has long been part of elite sport from all-around final to focus on but the assumption champions can handle mentor Werth her mental health everything thrown at them - inside the arena and out - is now being questioned. for German DPA athletes were now coming out BERLIN with mental health problems. they have to do something.” pressure of a home Games was dressage gold “I am happy that sports- First qualifying events were still “a bit much” to take, hav- SIMONE Biles arrived in To- women and sportsmen dare marked by uncharacteristic er- ing also had maximum expo- DPA kyo as a superstar gymnast to do it. I already said about rors from Biles and early in the sure by being cxhosen to light TOKYO many believed would change Naomi that she was kicking team final she made a choice. the cauldron at the opening the perception of her sport something off,” said Enke who “In dropping out ... Simone ceremony. GERMANY returned to the across the world. has set up a foundation to help Biles, the best gymnast Ameri- Irish runner Stephen Scul- top of the individual Olym- She has done that although finance reserach and treat- ca has ever produced, issued a lion did not even attend the pic dressage podium after 25 not in the expected manner of ment of depression. statement as powerful as any- Games he qualified for in the years on Wednesday at the vaulting, twisting, jumping Barney Ronay wrote in thing she’s done in competi- marathon - and at 32 might Tokyo Games with Jessica von and turning that made her Britain’s Guardian paper: tion: She said ‘enough’,” said never get another chance. Bredow-Werndl beating her one of the greatest of all time, “There has never been sport- Lindsey Crouse in the New “I will not be going to To- famous mentor Isabelle Werth.