World record holder Eliud Kipchoge vowed to enjoy the moment before setting his next goal after successfully defending his Olympic men's marathon title at Tokyo 2020 on Sunday.
The 36-year-old Kenyan won by over a minute in a time of two hours, eight minutes and 38 seconds, with Dutchman Abdi Nageeye and Belgium's Bashir Abdi taking silver and bronze respectively.
The triumph was a coronation for Kipchoge who won gold at Rio 2016, while he claimed bronze and silver Olympic medals in the 5,000m in Athens and Beijing respectively.
Kipchoge, who is widely regarded as the greatest marathon runner in the modern era, refused to look ahead after his latest win.
"I am a believer of the philosophy that you should only chase one rabbit," Kipchoge said. "If you chase two, then you cannot get all of them.
"For the last two years I have been focusing on the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020, so I will only plan the next thing when there is a big job ahead of me.
"What was in my bucket list was Tokyo 2020. So I will go back now, talk to my coach, and see what the opportunities are and then I will come back to you people. But, for now, I want to enjoy winning here in Tokyo."
Nageeye and Abdi claimed second and third with an enthralling final sprint, edging out Kenyan Lawrence Cherono for the medals. The Dutchman willed on training partner Abdi in the dying stages.
"I was just telling him to stay with us, stay with us the last one (kilometre)," Nageeye said. "I felt good as that is what I was doing. I wasn't volunteering, but I knew if he stayed until the end, the last 200 metres, close your eyes and just sprint."
KENNY CLAIMS HISTORIC SEVENTH OLYMPIC GOLD
British cyclist Jason Kenny secured his seventh career Olympic gold medal, winning the men's keirin final on the final day of the Games after a remarkable race where he stormed ahead unopposed.
Kenny claimed his historic gold by 0.763 seconds from Malaysia's Mohd Azizulhasni Awang who edged Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands on the line to claim silver and bronze respectively.
In a bizarre race, the 33-year-old Kenny pulled clear with two laps to go, with second-placed Matthew Glaetzer not following him, powering ahead and eventually crossing the line on his own.
"It was such a long way," Kenny said. "I felt like the last lap took me about half an hour. But I got there in the end. I still can’t believe I crossed the line on my own."
He first won gold in the team sprint at Beijing 2008, following with two triumphs at London 2012 and three at Rio 2016, including the keirin title which he successfully defended.
Kenny's gold medal means he is the most successful British athlete in Olympic history, pulling clear of cyclist Chris Hoy.
Jason's wife Laura Kenny was involved in a huge crash in the opening round of the women's omnium and missed out on the medals, with gold won by USA's Jennifer Valente. Japan's Yumi Kajihara won the host country's first medal in cycling at Tokyo 2020 with silver.
Canada's Kelsey Mitchell won the gold medal from Ukraine's Olena Starikova in the women's sprint, with Hong Kong's Lee Wai Sze taking bronze.
USA CONTINUE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL DYNASTY
The United States women's basketball team claimed their seventh consecutive gold medal with a 90-75 victory over hosts Japan.
Brittney Griner top-scored with 30 points for USA, along with five rebounds and two assists.
Team USA opened up a nine-point lead at the first change and they were never headed, with a strong display headed by Griner.
USA only hit four three-pointers for the game compared to Japan's eight, but the favourites played to their strengths with strong offensive and defensive contributions from A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.
Wilson added 19 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and five assists, while Stewart was exceptional with 14 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and five assists.
USA veteran Sue Bird signed off on her Olympic career with a fifth gold medal.
USA MOVE CLEAR WITH VOLLEYBALL TRIUMPH
The United States moved into the outright lead on the gold medal table after clinching their first-ever women's volleyball victory.
USA triumphed 3-0 over Brazil, winning 25-21 25-20 25-14 in a dominant final display.
The gold medal took USA's tally to 39 golds, moving ahead of China with 38 as the final day continued to unfold.
Jamaican hurdler Damion Thomas reveals career-saving surgery, eyes return to top form
Jamaican hurdler Damion Thomas, a promising talent who has seen his career hampered by injuries, on Sunday revealed that he underwent surgery on October 21 to address a persistent foot issue. The procedure, known as an osteophytectomy, involved the removal of a bone spur that had been causing severe discomfort and pain in his Achilles tendon and lower heel, limiting his ability to train and perform at his best.
Thomas, who has made significant strides in his athletic career despite facing recurring injuries, expressed gratitude for the medical support he’s received. Under the guidance of Dr. John Thompson, a specialist who has overseen his rehabilitation since March, Thomas has worked through rigorous physical therapy and orthopedic care to manage his injury. However, as the pain continued to affect his performance, surgery became necessary to give him the best chance at a full recovery.
“This past year working with Dr. Thompson has been monumental,” Thomas shared on social media. “Since March, Dr. Thompson’s overseeing of my injury through physical therapy, orthopedic care, and lastly surgical procedure has been a driving force in allowing me to finish the previous season and set myself up for a new future. I am thankful.”
The 24-year-old hurdler, who specializes in the 110m and 60m hurdles, has a decorated history in athletics. A former Louisiana State University (LSU) standout, Thomas won the 2021 NCAA Indoor 60m hurdle title, setting a school record and becoming the fifth-fastest hurdler in NCAA history. In 2018, he equaled the junior world record of 12.99 seconds in the 110m hurdles, a feat that positioned him as one of the most promising young hurdlers globally. Thomas also represented Jamaica at the Tokyo Olympics, advancing to the semi-finals with a time of 13.39 seconds in the 110m hurdles.
In early 2024, Thomas was selected to represent Jamaica at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow. Despite his impressive achievements, ongoing injuries have held him back from reaching his full potential on the international stage.
With the surgery now behind him, Thomas is focused on recovery and a strong comeback. His determination to overcome setbacks highlights his commitment to his sport, and fans are hopeful that the procedure will enable him to return to peak form in the coming season.
Spurs head coach Popovich out indefinitely
The San Antonio Spurs will be without head coach Gregg Popovich indefinitely after he reportedly suffered a health issue prior to the team’s last game.
The 75-year-old Popovich didn’t coach the Spurs (3-3) during Saturday’s 113-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves due to what the team said was an undisclosed illness.
Mike Johnson took over as head coach against Minnesota and will remain in the role while Popovich is sidelined.
“He's not feeling well,” Johnson said prior to Saturday’s game. “This has happened before.
“I think everybody's just always got to be ready for the next man up. We've had it with injuries and sometimes people get sick or don't feel well or things come up in life.
“He's just not feeling well.”
Popovich is the NBA's all-time leader with 1,391 victories and has won five NBA titles while coaching San Antonio since the 1996-97 season.
Bickerstaff: Pistons are 'getting better at everything' after big Nets win
J.B. Bickerstaff believes the Detroit Pistons are "getting better at everything" after bouncing back to beat the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
The Pistons suffered a heavy defeat to the New York Knicks on Friday but made it two wins from three with their 106-92 victory over the Nets after they lost their opening four games of the NBA season.
Detroit finished with six players on double figures, with Cade Cunningham leading the charge with 19 points. It was the second time this season they have had that many players score 13 points or more in a single game, after doing it just once last term.
And while their attack was impressive, they also held the Nets to just 15 points in the fourth quarter, showing a vast improvement to their defense.
Bickerstaff was impressed with how his team have grown already since the start of the season.
"The guys did a great job of bouncing back," Bickerstaff said. "The conversation around the group has been to be better than we were the other night.
"Every single night we step on the floor, we aim to improve. The guys, just from a grit standpoint, how hard they played and how they shared the ball, it was unbelievable.
"We're getting better at everything. I feel our guys have embraced the system. They're really competing on that end of the floor. Individually, everybody's taking the challenge.
"There are still small things systematically, we're going to continue to improve on things. I'm learning what guys are capable of, but guys' willingness to take the challenge has given us an opportunity to put ourselves in a position that now we have a foundation of that, and we can grow from there."
Malik Beasley, who was another to finish on double figures as he scored 18 points, including two critical 3-point shots, believes their more proactive approach to defending pushed them towards the win.
"We started the game physical," Beasley said. "Last game, New York came out and just got whatever they wanted to get to.
"We made a point today to be physical and if we get fouls called early, it is what it is. We need to be known for a grit team, the Bad Boys, that whole thing. We did that [on Sunday]."
The Pistons are in action again on Monday when they face the Los Angeles Lakers.
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