A long and arduous journey on and off the track ended in jubilation as Beth Shriever won Britain’s first BMX gold medal at the Olympic Games on Friday.
A succession of injuries, the withdrawal of UK Sport funding, a cancelled “holiday of a lifetime” for her family and the trials of training in lockdown were all erased as the 22-year-old, from Leytonstone, east London, won her race in Tokyo.
After even more tension during a 45-minute rain delay before the semi-final, Shriever held off defending champion Mariana Pajon, of Colombia, in a desperate finish in the final to take the gold.
TOKYO
The Tokyo Games got their first swimming individual world record and a fast start to the track competition on Day 7 of the Olympics.
Tatjana Schoenmaker of South Africa won the women’s 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2 minutes, 18.95 seconds, breaking the mark of 2:19.11 set by Rikke Moller Pedersen of Denmark at the 2013 world championships in Barcelona.
The United States claimed the other two medals. Lilly King set a blistering pace early in the race and held on for a silver in 2:19.92. Annie Lazor grabbed bronze in 2:20.84.
“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” said Schoenmaker, who added to her silver in the 100 breast. ”It couldn’t have been a better race. It still just doesn’t sink in, maybe one day.”
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South African sets world swim record; Aussies add 6th gold
PAUL NEWERRY, AP Sports Writer
July 29, 2021
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1of30From left, Lilly King, of United States, Tatjana Schoenmaker, of South Africa, and Annie Lazor, of United States, pose at the podium after the women s 200-meter breaststroke final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 30, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.Gregory Bull/APShow MoreShow Less
2of30Tatjana Schoenmaker, of South Africa, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women s 200-meter breaststroke final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 30, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.David Goldman/APShow MoreShow Less
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4of30Tatjana Schoenmaker, right, of South Africa, celebrates after her women s 200-meter breaststroke semifinal with Annie Lazor, of the United States, at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.Matthias Schrader/APShow MoreShow Less
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MEDAL ALERT
Selemon Barega of Ethiopia won the first track and field gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics with victory in the menâs 10,000 meters.
Barega won in 27 minutes, 43.22 seconds to upset world champion and world-record holder Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda. Cheptegei took the silver medal and Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda was third.
Barega won at a largely empty Olympic Stadium. It was the only medal event on the first day of track action.
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MEDAL ALERT
The top-seeded pair of Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic won Olympic gold in menâs doubles tennis.
Mektic and Pavic beat Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 in an all-Croatian final.