As the 32nd Olympic Games enter their final phase of competitions, China is fast emerging as a new force in sports, pushing the traditional leader USA to the second spot. On Day 13, China was at the top of the table with 32 gold medals and a total of 71 – the same aggregate it had in Rio with 26 gold. The USA that achieved a rare 1000th gold medal mark in Rio had finished at the top of the tally in 2016 with 46 gold medals and an aggregate of 121 medals. But this time the US till day 13 won only 27 gold medals and a total of 83 medals. Besides China, Japan, maybe as a host, has already surpassed its Rio tally and was placed at number three with 21 gold in a total of 40 medals. Though the competitions are being held with stands empty, there is no let up in excitement that this mega sporting event carries with it. Records are being smashed or rewritten and a number of new champions have been thrown up. China’s newly acquired sports supremacy goes across almost all sports and games as it has won laurels in its traditional strongholds of gymnastics, diving, swimming, table tennis and badminton besides making rapid inroads in shooting, weightlifting and also athletics. Another noticeable feature of the games this time has been the position of Russia. It is perhaps the only superpower that is competing in the games here under the name of its Olympic committee Russian Olympic Committee. Canada got its fourth gold medal, and first for men, when Andre de Gasse won the 200 m sprint. Otherwise Canada has 16 medals so far. India were trailing at 60 plus position in the medals tally with a silver and three bronze medals. The last bronze came from men’s hockey.

For India, the games have become special as Indian men’s hockey team after a grueling 41 cruise finally got its foot back on the podium by winning a bronze medal. India beat four times Olympic champions Germany 5-4 in a pulsating bronze medal match. Last time India beat Germany for bronze medal was in Mexico 1968 where India had won 2-1. Indian women, too, made it to the medal round and were to play the defending champions Great Britain for the bronze.

India is keeping its hopes on javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who in the qualification round cleared 86.56 m. Another gold or silver medal hopeful was wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya as he had made the gold medal round.

Coming to some of the exciting events of the games so far has been an incredible race run by Karsten Warholm of Norway in the 400 m hurdles final. The world record holder broke his own record in the astounding time of 45.94 sec. Second placed Rai Benjamin of the USA also broke the oldworldrecord.

Elaine Thompson of Jamaica did a rare double double.She won 100 m and 200 m sprints in 2 Olympics, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

Armand Duplantis of Sweden, the world record holder, won the men’s Pole Vault event at Tokyo Olympics 2020 with a height clearance of 6.02 m. He attempted to create a new world record of 6.19 m but did not succeed.

Armand Duplantis is also the World Pole Vault record holder, both outdoors and indoors. He is only 21.

Christine Mboma of Namibia who won a silver medal in 200 m sprintfor women with a time of 21.81 sec is only 18 years and 2 months old. Her time of 21.81 sec. is now a new under 20 Worldrecord.

Athing Mu of the USA who won the Gold medal in 800 m for women is only 19 years and 25 days old. Her time 1:55.26 sec, a new National record.

Extraordinary Race

Sydney McLaughlin (21) of the USA shattered the World and Olympic records in 400 m Hurdles (women) with a time of 51.46 sec. Rio Olympics champion, D. Muhammad of USA who won the Silver medal in a career best 51.58 sec also bettered her Olympic record. F. Bol of Netherlands won the Bronze in a time of 52.03 sec.

Kenya won Gold and Silver in 800 m for men while Poland finished third.

Poland also won Gold and Bronze in Hammer throw men and Norway got the Silver Medal.

22-year-old Peruth Chemutai of Uganda was a clear winner in women’s 3000 m Steeplechase (women) asthe USA andKenya finished second and third.

Andre de Grasse of Canada finally won a Gold in 200 m for men by returning an excellent time of 19.62 sec. Before this race Andre had been finishing second or third as he did in the 100 m sprint earlier in the games. Finally, he has broken the jinx. K. Bednarek (19.68) and N. Lyles (19.74), both of the USA, finished second and third respectively.

Elaine Thompson-Herah completes a second double

Elaine Thompson-Herah was in a class of her own, winning the 200m Olympic gold medal in a time of 21.53 seconds, with Namibian Christine Mboma taking silver. Gabby Thomas of the U.S. rounded off the podium in third place.

Mboma became only the second Namibian to win a medal at the Olympic Games clocking a new world under-20 record of 21.81, with Thomas following shortly on her heels for the bronze medal, clocking 21.87.

Only two nights earlier, Thompson-Herah raced to a new Olympic record in the 100m final to keep her hopes of a second sprinting double alive.

Thompson-Herah highlighted her imperious form in the half-lap sprint event posting the second-fastest time in history, just 0.19 short of the world record the iconic Florence Griffith-Joyner set at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games.

Tokyo 2020: India men beat Germany in a thriller to claim first Olympic medal in 41 years

A titanic struggle spread a little over four decades and which took India across different continents has scripted success for once world leaders in hockey, India.

Eight times gold medalist, India has got its foothold back on the Olympic podium, this time for a bronze medal, its third. Last time India beat Germany for the bronze medal was in Mexico in 1968 where they won 2-1.

The victory this time, however, was exciting as India overcame 0-1 and 1-3 goal deficits to finally emerge 5-4 winner against four times Olympic champion Germany.

India scripted history in one of the most dramatic bronze medal matches in Olympic hockey.

The sensational 5-4 victory over Die Honamas was instrumental in sealing India’s place on the podium. The win was masterminded by new and old faces together as Simranjeet Singh (2), Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh and Hardik Singh got their names written in golden letters in the history books. Their goals denied Germany a medal at a fourth successive Olympic Games (Gold: Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Bronze: Rio 2016).

Timur Oruz put Germany into the lead just two minutes into the contest after India failed to clear its defensive lines before Simranjeet Singh levelled the scores early in the second quarter with a fierce backhand strike.

Simranjeet’s effort was the first of five goals in the second quarter, with Germany dominating to open up a fully deserved 3-1 lead thanks to goals from Niklas Wellen and Benedikt Furk before India hit a quick-fire double through Hardik Singh and the exceptional Harmanpreet Singh to take the score to 3-3 at half time.

India’s momentum was not interrupted by the half time break, with Rupinder Pal Singh scoring a penalty stroke before Simranjeet Singh chipped home a fifth to put the eight-times Olympic gold medalists into a commanding 5-3 lead going into the final quarter.

Germany have proven time and time again that it never knows when it is beaten, and set about the task of attempting a comeback with typical determination. It reduced the deficit 12 minutes from time when Lukas Windfeder slammed home a low penalty corner, setting up a dramatic climax to the contest.

Die Honamas threw everything they had at their opponents and were given one final chance to salvage the contest when they were awarded a penalty corner with just six seconds remaining. However, the drag-flick from the top of the circle was brilliantly saved by India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, becoming the hero that sealed India’s bronze medal here at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

“That is something which I never felt in my life until today”, said Sreejesh after the match. “That’s a great feeling. I think I need to go back to my home to realize what it is actually. Just waiting for that. I just called my dad because he was the reason behind me being here and I just wanted to tell him that I achieved it.”

India captain Manpreet Singh said: “I don’t know what to say right now. It was fantastic, the way we played today. I think we deserved this medal as we have worked so hard, and the last 15 months has been so difficult for us, being in Bangalore away from our families. From the whole team and the coaches, we would like to dedicate this medal to our doctors and front-line warriors who have been checking us and saved so many people’s lives in India.”

It was a heart-breaking finish to the contest for Germany and its legendary captain Tobias Hauke, with the double Olympic gold medalist unable to add a second bronze to that which he collected at Rio 2016 during the final match of his extraordinary playing career.