Day 11 preview – Women’s basketball into knockout rounds
We are into the quarter-finals of the women’s basketball and medals are on the line at the track, in canoe sprint, in diving, sailing and in the velodrome.
Day 11 (Tuesday, 16 August)
ATHLETICS – Women’s Discus Throw
Rio time: 11:20, AEST: Wednesday 00:20
Dani Samuels, the 2009 World Champion competing at her third Olympics Games, is a strong medal chance. Despite rain at the stadium last evening, Samuels successfully negotiated the qualifying round with a tremendous last attempt throw of 64.46m, exceeding the automatic qualifying distance of 62.00m. The athletes needed to successfully negotiate a late previous evening qualifying round, before this challenging early morning final.
ATHLETICS – OTHER EVENTS
A big two sessions with 16 Aussies in action. In the morning our three top-10 heros from the last few days meet on common ground over 5000 metres. Steeplechases Madeline Hills and Gen LaCaze are joined my 10,000m start Eloise Wellings. There are also first rounds for pole vaulter Alana Boyd, sprinter Alex Hartmann (200m), hurdler Michelle Jenneke (100m hurdles) and metric milers and training partners Luke Mathews and Ryan Gregson.
In the evening, high jumper Brandon Starc lines up as our first Olympic finalist for 20 years. Lauren Wells contests her fifth consecutive 400m hurdles semi-final at a global meet, aiming for the elusive finals berth. After running a tremendous 200m heat, Ella Nelson, will be looking for a first top-8 200m berth for 16 years. In the field events there are qualifying rounds in the javelin (Kim Mickle, Kathryn Mitchell, Kelsey-Lee Roberts) and long jump (Chelsea Jaensch, Brooke Stratton)
BASKETBALL: Women’s quarter-finals Australia vs Serbia
Rio time: 11:00, AEST: 24:00
After a perfect qualifying pool where Australia were five from five, they enter the cut throat knockout phase. They meet Serbia, who were fourth in the other pool and on paper, it should be a comfortable win for Australia.
DIVING: Men’s 3m Springboard Final
Rio time: 18:00, AEST: Wednesday 07:00
Unfortunately new Australian citizen, Kevin Chavez, was a causality of the qualifying rounds, leaving just Grant Nel, who progressed ranked 16th. Nel is making his Olympic debut after a 19-year career in diving.
SAILING
Rio time: 14:05, AEST: Wednesday 03:05
Yesterday was frustrating for most of the Aussie sailors as they waited around for a breeze in the hot conditions. All racing was postponed except in the 49ers who were sent out for three races on an offshore course. Laser sailor Tom Burton will have to wait until tomorrow to sail for the medals. Also in action will be Laser Radial sailor, Ashley Stoddart, while Australia’s 49er team of Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen, who did race yesterday, have moved up to third.
The Laser Radial medal race will take place from 1pm, (2am EAST) followed by the Laser medal race at 1.45pm (2.45am AEST), the Finn medal race at 2.30pm (3.30am AEST) and the Nacra 17 medal race at 3.15pm (4.15am AEST). There are also three races scheduled for the 470 Men and Women and the 49er classes from 1pm (2am AEST).
CANOE SPRINT
Women’s K2 500m
Rio time:09:23, AEST: 22:23
Olympic debutants Alyce Burnett and Alyssa Bull secured a spot in the final with an impressive third in the semis, easing up near the end when it was clear they would qualify. They now take on world champions Belarus, along with Russia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Bull says the final was their goal and anything more is a bonus.
Men’s K1 1000m
Rio time: 10:12, AEST: 23:12
Murray Stewart will be looking to add another Olympic gold medal to the one he won in London four years ago in the K4 1000m. The 30-year-old Stewart goes in as the fastest qualifier after winning his semi-final in a time of 3mins 32secs. One of his biggest dangers will be Russia’s Roman Anoshkin, who won the other semi-final in a time of 3mins 34secs.
CYCLING - TRACK
Women’s Omnium 25km points race
Rio time: 17:05, AEST: 06:05 Wednesday
On the final day of track cycling, Australian Annette Edmondson is in good stead for the second half of the omnium, her pet event. Edmondson sits in seventh position on 90 points, 28 behind leader Laura Trott (GBR) after three of six events. Meanwhile the men will line up for the keirin with Matthew Glaetzer looking to unleash after two fourth-place finishes over the first five days in. The youthful exuberance of rookie Patrick Constable will make him one to watch in the action packed event. The final will close the track cycling program for Rio.
EQUESTRIAN
Show Jumping – team qualification
Rio time: 10:00, AEST: 23:00
Australian captain Edwina Tops-Alexander enters the Rio competition as leader of the Global Champions Tour, the world’s premier five-star show jumping series, a title she won in 2011 and 2012. Riding the mare Lintea Tequila, she was one of 24 in the field of 75 to produce a clear round on the opening day, which counts towards the individual competition and establishes the order for today’s team event. Scott Keach on Fedor, jumped a near precise round in which they knocked one fence, while Matt Williams riding Valinski S and James Paterson-Robinson riding Amarillo picked up eight penalties.
MARATHON SWIMMING – Men’s 10km
Rio time: 09:00, AEST: 22:00
Australia’s Jarrod Poort made his Olympic debut in London four years ago in the 1500m freestyle, but has since made the switch to open water and has been rising up the international ranks ever since. He will face tough competition from the Europeans as the field completes four laps of a course off Copacabana beach.
David Tarbotton and Doug Conway
olympics.com.au
