Tokyo Olympics: China return to top of medal table with swimming and table tennis success

By Sports Desk July 29, 2021

China returned to the top of the medal table thanks to swimming and table tennis success at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday.

Host nation Japan slipped into second place on another successful day for China, who have racked up 31 medals in total so far at these Games.

Zhang Yufei won the women's 200m butterfly title ahead of American duo Regan Smith and Hali Flickinger at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

The women's 4x200m freestyle relay team also struck gold for China in the pool.

There was table tennis glory for China too, with Chen Meng beating compatriot Sun Yingsha 4-2 in the final at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

China and Japan both have 15 golds so far, the host nation sitting second as they have 25 medals in total.

The United States have the most medals with a haul of 38, as well as sitting just one adrift of China and Japan's tally of golds.

The Russian Olympic Committee and Australia both have eight apiece, the latter benefiting from success for Jessica Fox in the women's C-1 canoe slalom, plus Izaac Stubblety-Cook winning the 200m breaststroke title.

 

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  • Wolmer’s completes dominant season with ISSA all-island U-19 boys' and girls' Table Tennis titles Wolmer’s completes dominant season with ISSA all-island U-19 boys' and girls' Table Tennis titles

    Just as they did in the Urban Area competition, Wolmer’s completed the ISSA all-island girls’ and boys’ U-19 Table Tennis double at the GC Foster College Auditorium on Wednesday.

    The girls’ team secured a dominant 3-0 win over St. Mary High to claim their third straight all-island crown while the boys’ team defeated Titchfield High 4-1.

    Jamaica College defeated Titchfield 5-0 to win the U-16 boys’ title while Immaculate Conception beat St. Hilda’s 3-1 to win the U-16 girls’ crown.

    For Wolmer’s Girls’ team members Gianna Lewis and Liana Campbell, this win was an excellent way to close out their respective high school careers.

    “Very relieved to be closing out with the all-island title,” Lewis told Sportsmax.tv.

    “My team and I knew we had to bring our A game one last time and we did so,” she added.

    Campbell called securing all-island success for the final time a “surreal feeling.”

    “We embodied our school’s motto, ‘Age Quod Agis.’ Whatever you do, do it well. I am so proud of the team and myself and we’ll continue to excel in this sport,” she added.

    The team’s third member, reigning JTTA National Champion Tsenaye Lewis, also reacted to the win.

    “I am very, very happy with this victory especially since this is my last year playing alongside Liana and my big sister Gianna,” she said.

    Lewis will still be at the school next year and hopes for continued success going forward.

    “This is definitely how I envisioned the end of this era but now I hope we can defend our title for my final year next year,” she added.

    The Lewis sisters will now turn their attention to national duty when they represent Jamaica at the Caribbean Youth Championships in Santo Domingo next week.

    “We are looking forward to competing and representing our country again,” Tsenaye Lewis said.

     

     

     

  • Adam Peaty and Duncan Scott named in Team GB swimming squad for Paris Olympics Adam Peaty and Duncan Scott named in Team GB swimming squad for Paris Olympics

    Adam Peaty and Duncan Scott have been included in Team GB’s 33-strong swimming squad for this summer’s Olympics.

    Peaty secured his spot at Paris 2024 at the British Championships earlier this month and will be gunning for a third successive gold medal in his signature men’s 100 metres breaststroke event.

    He set the fastest time for 2024 in the discipline at the British trials after a turbulent past couple of years in which he has struggled with injuries and a much-publicised battle with his mental health.

    “I’m thrilled to have made my third Olympic team,” Peaty said. “It’s always amazing to be part of Team GB, but with it being so close to home in Paris this summer, and us having more home fans there supporting us, it’s even more exciting.”

    Scott, who became the first Briton to win four medals at a single Games at Tokyo 2020, also booked his passage by winning the men’s 200m individual medley and finishing as runner-up to Matt Richards in the men’s 100m and 200m freestyle events in London a couple of weeks ago.

    Richards aims to break Scott’s record and become the first Briton to win five medals at one Games and has been chosen, as has Tom Dean although the double Olympic champion will almost certainly not defend the men’s 200m freestyle title he won in Tokyo after failing to get a top-two spot in the British trials.

    Freya Colbert and Oliver Morgan are among 10 swimmers who will make their Olympic debuts, while Freya Anderson has been selected despite missing out on automatic qualification after contracting glandular fever at the start of the year.

    Team GB won a record eight medals in the pool in Tokyo, surpassing their previous best of seven from the 1908 Games.

    “Team GB has a proud tradition in Olympic swimming competitions, and I am delighted to welcome all 33 athletes to the team for Paris 2024,” said Team GB chef de mission Mark England.

    “The strength and depth of our pool swimming team was evident to see at the recent Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, and along with the 10 swimmers making their debut for Team GB it is fantastic to welcome back seven Olympic Champions and nine Olympic medallists.

    “I have no doubt the thrilling races we saw at the British Championships last week will be equally close fought.”

  • Wolmer’s wins girls’ and boys’ ISSA U-19 Table Tennis titles Wolmer’s wins girls’ and boys’ ISSA U-19 Table Tennis titles

    Maroon and Gold were the dominant colors at the Campion College Auditorium on Tuesday as Wolmer’s copped both the ISSA girls’ and boys’ Under-19 Table Tennis titles.

    In the girls’ final, the Heroes Circle-based school won a hotly contested final 3-2 against St. Jago High while the boys’ final saw them defeat Kingston College by a similar score line.

    The girls’ final saw a Wolmer’s team boasting three national players, namely 2023 National Champion Tsenaye Lewis, her older sister Gianna Lewis as well as Liana Campbell facing a St. Jago outfit including two national players of their own, Kelsey Davidson and Keara Whyte, who was the runner up to Lewis at last year’s JTTA National Championships.

    The tie began with Tsenaye Lewis defeating Kelsey Davidson three sets to one (11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 11-7) to put the Wolmerians up 1-0.

    Keara Whyte then made it 1-1 with three sets to one victory over Gianna Lewis (11-6, 11-2, 6-11, 11-6).

    Wolmer’s then restored their advantage when Liana Campbell beat Leanna Smith by three sets to one (6-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8).

    In what was perhaps the tie’s most anticipated clash, Tsenaye and Keara White then had a rematch of the 2023 National Championship final with Lewis having the chance to clinch the title for Wolmer’s.

    Whyte had the best possible start, winning the first two sets (11-9, 11-9) before Lewis came roaring back in the third set to win 11-6. The fourth set was then a back-and-forth affair, with Whyte eventually prevailing 14-12 to set up the title-deciding match between Gianna Lewis and Kelsey Davidson.

    In the decider, Lewis won the first two sets (11-2, 11-6) before Davidson got on the board in the third (11-9) before Lewis won the fourth (11-9) to secure the title for Wolmer’s.

    For Lewis (Gianna) and Campbell, this title meant a lot more as they are both outgoing seniors.

    “I am overjoyed to be leaving with this title. My team and I have worked hard and we made it our goal to ensure we take home the gold again this year as our final hoorah,” Lewis told SportsMax.tv.

    “My sister Tsenaye, Liana and I realized that this day would come when the more experienced players will leave Wolmer’s so we have prioritized training and motivating the next generation of players,” she added.

    Campbell described the win as “an incredible and bittersweet feeling.”

    “Ending my last year victorious is such an awarding and joyous feeling. Sharing that with the team creates another fond memory to look back on as I go. I also feel a bit saddened as I’ll never be able to play another ISSA event and represent my school with my lovely teammates. I’ll especially miss the titular bis rides to matches where it was all smiles and laughter.” she added.

    The boys’ final saw Wolmer’s take a 1-0 lead over Kingston College thanks to Joel Lamm’s three sets to one win over Javier Levene (11-3, 6-11, 11-1, 11-2).

    KC got back on level terms when Gemarco Smith won a five-setter (16-14, 11-3, 4-11, 8-11, 11-9) against Wolmer’s captain Azizi Johnson.

    Dominic Robinson then gave the North-Street based institution a 2-1 lead thanks to a straight set (11-2, 11-6, 12-10) win over Maleek Palma.

    Wolmer’s made it 2-2 when Jayden Ebanks beat Alden Howard (10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 11-9) before Jelani Barnaby secured the title for Wolmer’s with a straight set win (11-9, 11-2, 11-6) over KC captain Chadwick Duff.

    “For the girls, this is the third time that we have been champions. Originally it was U-16 but the girls moved up to U-19 and we were also the All Island champions so hopefully we can repeat that,” said winning coach Clive Grossett.

    “For the boys, they also won in U-16 and now they’ve moved up as well. We’re now coming for the all island championship there as well,” he added.

    Immaculate Conception High beat Jonathan Grant 3-0 to win the girls’ U-16 title while Jamaica College beat Kingston College 3-0 to win the boys’ equivalent.

    The all island matchups will be finalized after the ISSA Rural Area semi-finals and finals scheduled for Friday at the GC Foster College.

     

     

     

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