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Tokyo Olympics day one, what you missed overnight: Andy Murray wins and China claim first gold

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Yang Qian, of China, reacts after winning the gold medal in the women’s 10-meter air rifle at the Asaka Shooting Range (Picture: AP)

Following Friday’s spectacular opening ceremony, the Tokyo Games is underway in earnest as the world’s finest athletes launch their bid to claim Olympic gold. Here’s what you might have missed overnight…

China wins first gold medal of Tokyo 2020

Qian Yang edged out Anastasiia Galashina in the women’s 10m Air Rifle event (Picture: Getty)

China’s Yang Qian won the Games’ first gold medal, edging out Anastasiia Galashina, representing the Russian Olympic Committee, with Switzerland’s Nina Christen taking bronze.

Scottish shooter Seonaid McIntosh missed out on a place in the women’s 10 metre air rifle final at the Tokyo Olympics’ opening medal event. The 25-year-old Great Britain hopeful finished 12th of 50 starters, just 1.3 points off a top-eight spot that would have kept her medal chances alive.

Andy Murray off to a winning start

Andy Murray’s Olympic campaign got off to a winning start (Picture: Getty)

Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury made a brilliant start to their doubles campaign with victory over second seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.

It looked a tough draw for the scratch pairing against the French Open champions but Murray and Salisbury gelled superbly and dominated the match as it wore on.
A break of the Herbert serve at 4-3 in the opening set was crucial and the British pair ran out 6-3 6-2 winners.

Heather Watson was knocked out in the first round of the Olympic tennis tournament by Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany. Watson, Britain’s only female representative following Johanna Konta’s positive coronavirus test, was beaten 7-6 (5) 6-3.

Helen Glover struggles into semi-final

Helen Glover and Polly Swann compete during the Women’s Pair Heat 2 on day one of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (Picture: Getty)

Helen Glover launched her bid for a third Olympic gold medal and insisted there was more to come. The two-time Olympic champion finished third in her women’s pairs heat with Polly Swann as they opened their Games campaign on Saturday.

‘It’s good to progress to the next round, we both know there is more to come as it wasn’t a perfect row but I guess there’s definitely value in learning in the early rounds,’ said the 35-year-old, who won pairs gold in 2012 and 2016 with Heather Stanning.

‘We are open to what is coming next. We know we have done better in training, it would be more frustrating if we had a perfect row and didn’t have anything to improve on.’

Algerian judoka sent home

Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine has been sent home from theTokyo Olympics after he refused to countenance the prospect of facing an Israeli opponent.

The 30-year-old had been scheduled to face Sudan’s Mohamed Abdalrasool in the opening round of the men’s 73kg judo competition and a victory would have put him on course to face No.5 seed Tohar Butbul.

Covid already causing disruption

The opening match of the women’s beach volleyball competition became the first Covid casualty of the Tokyo Olympics after a Czech athlete tested positive for the virus.

Marketa Slukova tested positive earlier this week, knocking her and partner Barbora Hermannova out of the Tokyo Games.

The Czechs were supposed to be playing a team from the host country that would have been making its Olympic debut. Instead, the Japanese pair of Megumi Murakami and Miki Ishii earned the victory by default.


MORE : Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine sent home from Olympics after refusing to face Israeli opponent


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