Paris Olympics:
Golden swimmer Marchand sends France into raptures
REUTERS – French swimmer Leon Marchand brought the host nation to a standstill once again on Friday with his fourth gold of the Paris Olympics, while Australian Kaylee McKeown wrote history of her own as the first woman to retain both backstroke titles.
Marchand did it in style, roared to the rafters by a rapturous crowd as he joined American greats Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz as the only male swimmers to have won four individual titles at a single Games.
Emphasising his status as the hottest property in the pool, the 22-year-old shattered the 200 metres individual medley Olympic record of one minute 54.23 seconds set by Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Games and replaced it with a new best of 1:54.06.
It is the fourth such record set by the poster boy of the Paris Games, who has taken the burden of expectation and shaped it into another source of strength, in as many finals in the La Defense Arena.
Around the city, and at other venues, crowds celebrated and burst into the national anthem.
At the Stade de France, scene of France’s momentous 1998 World Cup soccer triumph and venue for the track and field events, the decathlon 400m had to be delayed due to the noise from the stands.
“Four gold medals is not what I thought I could possibly do,” the Frenchman said. “I was trying to win one at first. I had four chances of doing it.”
Athletics
World record holder Joshua Cheptegei claimed the 10,000 metres title he so desperately wanted on Friday when he found a late surge to win a fantastic race and take the Games’ first track gold.
The 27-year-old Ugandan, who took silver in Tokyo and gold over 5,000m, produced a devastating last 600 metres to come home in 26:43.14 minutes – knocking 18 seconds off Kenenisa Bekele’s 2008 Olympic record.
Berihu Aregawi, part of a three-pronged Ethiopian front-running group almost from the start, finished strongly for silver in 26:43.44 and Grant Fisher took a superb bronze in 26:43.46 – only the United States’ fourth medal over the distance since the event was added to the Games in 1912.
“My collection for this run is really complete. I’m so excited,” Cheptegei told reporters.
“Barely 16 years ago when I was watching the great Kenenisa Bekele win in Beijing, it was something that grew in my heart.
“I said, ‘one day I want to be Olympic champion’. It is the most special day. I can’t describe the feeling. I’ve wanted this for a long time. When I took silver in Tokyo I was so disappointed. I just wanted to win the 10,000m.”
Shooting
South Korea’s Yang Ji-in won the gold in the women’s 25 metres pistol event at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
France’s Camille Jedrzejewski won the silver, while Hungary’s Veronika Major took bronze.
Yang and Jedrzejewski were tied on 37 points, forcing a shoot-off in which the Korean prevailed 4-1 at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre.
Major also won her bronze via shoot-off, denying India’s Manu Bhaker a third medal at the Paris Games.
Football
France set up a men’s football semi-final with Egypt after beating Argentina 1-0 in a hostile quarter-final marred by ugly scenes at the final whistle.
Players and coaches from both sides clashed on the pitch at the end as the hosts booked their last-four spot.
France will face Egypt in Monday’s semi-final after the Pharaohs beat Paraguay 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
Meanwhile, Fermin Lopez scored twice as Spain defeated Japan 3-0 in Lyon to move into the semi-finals.
Abel Ruiz’s late tap-in sealed victory for the European side, who will now play Morocco in Marseille on Monday.
Morocco dominated from start to finish at Parc des Princes as they thrashed the United States 4-0 to reach the competition’s last four for the first time.