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Olympics 2021 updates – Caeleb Dressel, Bobby Finke cap historic week, plus more from Tokyo

August 1, 2021
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It’s Day 9 in Tokyo and the final day of what has been a lucrative location for Team USA at these Olympic Games: the pool.

Team USA had a spectacular last day in the pool. Caeleb Dressel started it by swimming an Olympic-record 21.07 seconds to take gold in the 50-meter freestyle. As soon as he took off from the diving board, there was no looking back for the sprint star.

Right after, Bobby Finke, who sprinted the last 50 meters to win the 800-meter freestyle, came out and did exactly the same in the 1,500-meter freestyle. He hovered in fourth place before he bolted late for his second long-distance gold — becoming the first American swimmer in 37 years to win the 1,500-meter freestyle event.

The brilliant day for Team USA continued with the women’s 4×100 relay team throwing down a nearly perfect race. Regan Smith, Lydia Jacoby, Torri Huske and Abbey Weitzeil missed the gold by 0.013 seconds, finishing second to Australia.

The last race of the day was the men’s 4×100-meter medley relay — an event the U.S. has never lost. Swimming in Lane 1, Ryan Murphy started with the backstroke, followed by Michael Andrew in the breaststroke, Dressel in the butterfly and Zach Apple finishing the race strong in the freestyle.

Team USA’s quartet clocked a world-record time of 3:26:78 to win the gold.

Elsewhere, gold medals will be awarded in both tennis and golf, and the day in Tokyo will be capped by anointing the “fastest man in the world” title to the winner of the men’s 100 meters on the track.

Here’s all the best from the Olympic action:

Caeleb Dressel finished off his individual Olympics run in perfect fashion, winning the 50-meter freestyle in the last session of swimming with an Olympic-record 21.07 seconds. France’s Florent Manaudou finished second, and Brazil’s Bruno Fratus picked up bronze.

Bobby Finke has another gear. After sprinting to the finish line in the 800-meter freestyle, Finke repeated the same in the 1,500 meters. He sprinted for his second individual Olympic gold medal, recording the second-fastest time in U.S. swimming history in 14:39:65. Ukraine’s Mykhailo Romanchuk finished second, and Germany’s Florian Wellbrock took third.

“It means the world to me. I was just trying to hold on and try to get the hand on the wall,” Finke said.

In the 800-meter freestyle, Finke shaved 5.71 seconds off his personal best in 2021 to break an American record and win the Olympic gold. In the 1,500-meter free, he took 9.05 seconds off his personal best in 2021 to win the gold. With Finke’s win, the United States won gold medals in both the men’s and women’s 1,500-meter freestyle events.

This was the first win for Team USA in the men’s 1,500-meter freestyle in 37 years.

Carrying on a golden tradition

Team USA’s Ryan Murphy, Michael Andrew, Caeleb Dressel and Zach Apple swam a world-record pace to win the 4×100-meter medley relay in 3:26:78. This is a race the U.S. has never lost. Great Britain grabbed silver, followed by Italy.

Silver for Saunders

With a throw of 64 feet, 11.25 inches (19.79 meters), 25-year-old American Raven Saunders earned a silver medal in the shot put.

Australia’s McKeon sets Olympic record

Australia’s Emma McKeon continues to flourish in Tokyo, winning the women’s 50-meter freestyle with an Olympic-record swim of 23.81 seconds. This is her sixth Olympic medal in Tokyo, her third gold. Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström finished second, and Denmark’s Pernille Blume picked up bronze.

Australia took the gold in the women’s 4×100-meter relay on the final day of swimming in Tokyo. USA’s Regan Smith, Lydia Jacoby, Torri Huske and Abbey Weitzeil finished in second place — just 0.013 seconds behind the gold medalists.

USA and Australia were neck and neck for most of the race. Australia finished with an Olympic-record 3:51:60. Canada picked up bronze. Australia’s McKeon, who was a part of the relay race, won her second gold of the night — and seventh Olympic medal overall in Tokyo.

McKeon is only the second woman to win seven medals at a single Olympics, tying a record set in 1952, and now has the most Olympic medals of any Australian Olympian.

The future is bright

Today’s aquatic events might have played a part in inspiring the next generation.

The sweep is complete

Team USA swept the top three positions to advance to the finals in two separate events — women’s hammer throw and the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Pedal to the medal

American cyclist Hannah Roberts won silver in the Olympic debut of the BMX freestyle.

We can relate

Kiwis celebrate in style

New Zealand claimed its first-ever gold medal in Olympic rugby sevens with a 26-12 victory over France in the final of the women’s competition at Tokyo Stadium.

Farewell, Tokyo

Katie Ledecky bids farewell to the Olympic Village, but this isn’t the end of the road for the 24-year-old swimmer. She plans to try to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics “and maybe beyond as well.”

With a broken neck!

WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle celebrated the 25th anniversary of winning a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.

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