Mutaz Barshim and <a href="https://time.news/when-they-postponed-the-tokyo-olympics-i-cried/" title=""When they postponed the Tokyo Olympics I cried"”>Gianmarco Tamberi shared a romance in Tokyo, a gold medal, and three years later they share in the agony of the high jump qualification. Tamberi arrived with the remnants of a kidney colic and a fever that left him feeling weak on his journey to and from Italy. Despite jumping just 2.24m (enough to advance to the final due to low competition), he was visibly affected by his physical condition. When his close friend from Qatar strained his calf at the start of one attempt, Tamberi rushed to his aid, helping him stretch, pushing away the physiotherapists and even shoving other competitors aside. This act of camaraderie helped his friend recover and Barshim, the favorite for the Olympic spirit medal, cleared the bar at 2.27m.
Tamberi, in blue, assists Barshim, injured in a calf.Phil Noble (REUTERS)
As night fell, the peaceful atmosphere of the stadium transformed into a state of almost ferocity in the final 300 meters of the 3000m steeplechase. American Kenneth Rooks, an unknown in the world of the event, made a reckless move that surprised and stunned the elite runners like Moroccan Souffiane el Bakkali, Ethiopian Lamecha Girma, and Kenyan Abraham Kibiwot. The chaos that ensued was reminiscent of a street chase, with the runners shouting and chasing after Rooks like they would a thief. This unexpected drama unfolded as Girma, the world record holder, suffered a serious injury after colliding with the barrier at the entrance of the last water jump. His misfortune gave El Bakkali the opportunity to claim victory, surpassing Rooks in the water jump and holding him off until the finish line. The Moroccan retained his Olympic title, while Rooks secured silver with a remarkable performance.
The 400m race was a display of extraordinary speed and skill. American Quincy Hall outpaced the favored British Matthew Hudson Smith in the final stretch to claim gold with a remarkable 43.40s, the fourth-best time in history. This remarkable victory overshadowed Hudson Smith, who settled for silver with a season-best performance. The final was filled with talent, with third place going to the young Zambian Muzala Samukonga, and fourth and fifth place going to Jereem Richards and Kirani James, respectively.
The women’s 400m semifinal saw the return of Salwa Naser, Bahrain’s Nigerian-born runner, after a doping ban. She topped the field with a time of 49.08s, putting pressure on Marileidy Paulino, who settled for silver with 49.21s.
Letsile Tebogo from Botswana was the only athlete to break the 20-second barrier in the 200m semifinal, securing his place in the final and setting the stage for a potential gold medal in the 100m.
The discus final saw a surprising upset as Jamaican Roje Stona, a 25-year-old from the University of Arkansas, threw the discus a remarkable 70m, breaking the previous Olympic record of 69.97m set by Mykolas Alekna. This remarkable feat secured Stona the gold medal.
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