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USA women's team misses out on football final

August 2, 2021

World champions United States failed to reach the women’s gold medal final after a shock defeat to Canada. Elsewhere, Indonesian badminton star Greysia Polii finally struck gold. Follow the latest from Tokyo with DW.

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USA's Alex Morgan in action against Canada
USA's Alex Morgan in action against CanadaImage: Andre Penner/picture-alliance /AP

Canada's women's football team will play for the gold medal after eliminating the United States with a 1-0 in their Monday semifinal.

Jessie Flemming converted from the spot in the 74th minute to put Canada into Friday's women's football final. The victory comes after the Canadians had failed to win their previous 36 meetings against their southern neighbors.

The US suffered an early blow when goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, the heroin of their quarterfinal victory over the Netherlands, landed awkwardly and was forced to leave the game with a leg injury.

The video assistant referee awarded Canada a penalty after Tierna Davidson challenged Deanne Rose on the edge of the box. Flemming converted from the spot past backup American goalkeeper Adrianna Franch.

The US, winners of the last two Women's World Cups, will play for bronze on Thursday.

Here's a roundup of the latest news and results from the Tokyo Olympics:

Gold medals

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn celebrates Puerto Rico's first athletics gold medal
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn celebrates Puerto Rico's first athletics gold medalImage: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Puerto Rico picked up its first-ever gold medal in athletics when Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won the women's 100-meter hurdles. Camacho-Quinn, who set an Olympic record in the semifinals, was shoulder-to-shoulder with American Kendra Harrison before accelerating through the finish. It's the second gold medal the Caribbean US territory has won at the Olympics.

Greece's Miltiadis Tentoglou continued the European renaissance in athletics, winning gold in the men's long jump. The 23-year-old stunned Juan Miguel Echevarria with his final jump, just edging the Cuban star with a jump of 8.41 meters. Tentoglou's gold comes after Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs and Gianmarco Tamberi won gold in the men's 100-meter and high jump, respectively.

Indonesia's Apriyani Rahayu (left) and Greysia Polii (right) after winning women's doubles gold in badminton
Indonesia's Apriyani Rahayu (left) and Greysia Polii (right) after winning women's doubles gold in badmintonImage: Markus Schreiber/AP/picture alliance

In badminton, unseeded Indonesian duo Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu won the women's doubles gold medal, the first gold for the archipelago nation in the event. They shocked the heavily favored Chinese duo Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan in straight sets 21-19, 21-15 in an emotional final. The 33-year-old Polii, who was persuaded not to retire and pair with Rahayu, said her years of "passion and commitment" had been rewarded.

In gymnastics, Jade Carey of the US won gold in the women's floor exercise. China's Liu Yang took the gold in the men's rings final, while Shin Jeahwan of South Korea claimed the men's vault gold medal.

In shooting, Zhang Changhong set a new world record in the men's 50-meter rifle 3 positions, winning with a score of 466.0. France's Jean Quiquampoix won the men's 25-meter rapid-fire pistol, equaling the Olympic record of 34 successful shots.

Germany update

Aline Rotter Focken claimed Germany's first-ever Olympic medal in women's wrestling as she won gold by defeating five-time world champion Adeline Maria Gray of the United States by a 7-3 scoreline in the women's 76kg freestyle final.

At the equestrian park there was another triumph for the German riders. Julia Krajewski rode to individual eventing gold with Amande de B'Néville despite a time penalty on her final round. She thus defended her lead, which she had previously captured in the jumping competition as part of the team competition.

Germany's first athletics medal of the Tokyo Games was claimed by Kristin Pudenz, who took silver in the women's discus. A personla best throw of 66.86 wasn't enough to beat out Valarie Allman of the United States.

In indoor cycling, Lea Sophie Friedrich and Emma Hinze won silver in the women's team sprint final, finishing as runners up to China's Shanju Bao and Tianshi Zhong. Meanwhile, the team of Franziska Brausse, Lisa Brennauer, Lisa Klein and Mieke Kroeger set a new world record during qualifying for the 4,000-meter team pursuit, clocking 4:07.307.

Germany's women's indoor cycling team broke the world record during team pursuit qualifying. Their time of 4:07.307 was nearly three seconds faster than the mark Great Britain set at the 2016 Rio Games.

After losing just once in the group stage, Germany's women's hockey team are heading home following a 3-0 loss to Argentina in the quarterfinals. 

More news from Tokyo

The IOC confirmed that Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya is safe after she refused to board a flight home at the direction of Belarus' Olympic team. She confirmed to Reuters news agency that coaches told her to pack after she objected publicly to being entered in the 4x400-meter relay without her consent.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is investigating a gesture American Raven Saunders made during the medal ceremony of the women's shot put. Saunders, who won silver, raised her arms in an "X" above her head, a potential breach of rules banning protests on the podium. Saunders responded on Twitter to the investigation, writing: "Let them try and take this medal."

Pioneering transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard crashed out of her Tokyo Olympics final Monday after failing all three of her lift attempts in the snatch section of the +87kg weightlifting category.

dv/jt (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)