Celebrations erupted amongst Team Japan's quartet of Masaru Yamada, Koki Kano, Kazuyasu Minobe and Satora Uyama at Makuhari Messe as they became the first Asian nation to win gold in the men epee team.
It's been 21 years since a non-European NOC - that being Cuba - won a medal in the event when they took bronze at Sydney 2000.
The Republic of Korea beat China 45-42 for bronze for their first Olympic medal in the men's epee team.
Table tennis: Ma Long wins historic second straight Olympic gold in men's singles
Ma Long of Team China celebrates winning his Men's Singles Gold Medal match at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on July 30, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo: Getty Images)
China’s Ma Long confirmed his status as one of the table tennis greats with back-to-back Olympic men's singles titles, beating compatriot Fan Zhendong 4-2 (11-4, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 3-11, 11-7) in the final on July 30.
It is the fourth straight Olympics that China has claimed the two top steps on the podium in the men's singles event.
In the process, MA became the most decorated male table tennis in Olympic history and the first athlete to win this event multiple times at the Games. His growing list of accolades includes his two men's team gold medals from London 2012 and 2016.
Judo: Japan's Akira Sone wins women's +78kg by Ippon
Akira Sone sealed her Olympic debut with a record ninth judo gold medal by a Japanese athlete at Tokyo 2020 following her victory over Cuba’s Idalys Ortiz on July 30. The 21-year-old also became the youngest Olympic champion in the women’s +78kg event.
The record nine judo gold medals Japanese judokas have won at Tokyo 2020 is the highest in history. Their second highest tally was eight in Athens in 2004. They also won three golds at Tokyo 1964, when the competition was also held in the Nippon Budokan, which is the spiritual home of the sport in Japan, but there were fewer events.
The first bronze medal match in the women's +78kg was won by Azerbaijan’s Irnya Kindzerska, who took down China’s Xu Shiyan with an Ippon. The second bronze was won by France’s Romane Dicko also with an Ippon over Turkey’s Kayra Sayit.
Badminton: China’s Wang Yi Lyu and Huang Dong Ping win mixed doubles gold
Wang Yi Lyu and Huang Dong Ping(right) of Team China react as they compete against compatriots Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong during the Mix Doubles Gold Medal match at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza in Chofu, Tokyo, Japan on July 30, 2021. (Photo: Getty Images)
China’s Wang Yi Lyu and Huang Dong Ping beat compatriots Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong in a thrilling three-set final on July 30 to take the Olympic title.
The match began with Wang and Huang Dong Ping winning the first set 21-17 before the scores were reversed in the second, with Zheng and Huang Ya Qiong triumphing by the same margin.
It all came down to an epic final set that saw the tournament's second seeds come out on top by the slenderest of margins (21-19).
BMX racing: Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte win Great Britain’s first ever Olympic medals
Silver medalist Kye Whyte and gold medalist Bethany Shriever of Team Great Britain pose for a photograph while holding the flag of the country during the BMX final at Ariake Urban Sports Park on July 30, 2021. (Photo: Getty Images)
Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte of Great Britain delivered not one, but two moments of BMX brilliance at Tokyo 2020, in 2021.
Shriever, 22, won gold ahead of double Olympic champion Mariana Pajon of Columbia in the women's competition while Whyte came in second in the men's to clinch the silver.
With their two medals, the Britons also claim a piece of Team GB history. Before today (30 July), the country had never won an Olympic medal in the discipline.
Tennis: Pavic and Mektic win all-Croatian final in men’s doubles
Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic of Team Croatia (bottom) embrace compatriots Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig after winning their Men's Doubles Gold Medal match at Ariake Tennis Park on July 30, 2021. (Photo: Getty Images)
It was an all-Croatian affair in the final of the Tokyo 2020 Men’s Doubles competition at Ariake Tennis Park as the outstanding team of Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic defeated their countrymen Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig in a three-set thriller to top the podium.
The all-Croatian grand finale required a super tie-breaker after Cilic/Dodig clawed back from losing the opening set. But Pavic/Mektic kept their cool to win the first-to-ten tie-breaker (10-6) and scoop the gold medal while Cilic and Dodig had to be content with silver despite a late fight-back in the tie-break.
Earlier in the day on the Ariake Tennis Park courts, the New Zealand men’s team of Marcus Daniell and Michael Venus picked up the bronze medal with a straight two-set victory (7-6, 6-2) over the favoured American team of Austin Krajicek and Tennys Sandgren.
Selemon Barega wins men's 10,000m in first athletics final of Tokyo 2020
Selemon Barega of Team Ethiopia celebrates as he crosses the finish line to gold in the Men's 10,000 metres Final at Olympic Stadium on July 30, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo: Getty Images)
Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega had a dream start to his Olympic debut by opening up the first athletics final at Tokyo 2020 with a win in the men’s 10,000m.
The 21-year-old 5,000m champion had held back for much of the 25-lap race before he kicked for home on the last bend, overtaking world record-holder and world champion, Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, to cross the line first in 27:43.22 at the Olympic Stadium.
It was an all-African podium finish with the 24-year-old close on his heels in 27:43.63 to claim silver and his Ugandan teammate, and world half marathon champion, Jacob Kiplimo, 20, right behind on 27:43.88 in bronze.
Football: US women edge Dutch on penalties on dramatic day of quarter-finals
Megan Rapinoe #15 of Team United States celebrates with Samantha Mewis #3 and team mates following their team's victory in the penalty shoot-out during the Women's Quarter Final match between Netherlands and United States at International Stadium Yokohama on July 30, 2021 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo: Getty Images)
Alyssa Naeher was the star for the USA as she stopped two penalties in the shoot-out, including the first from Vivianne Miedema (who scored both of the Netherlands' goals in regular time) to help the 2019 World Cup champions advance to the semi-finals at Tokyo 2020.
Five years after a quarter-final loss at Rio 2016, the Americans avoided falling at the same hurdle by beating the Netherlands 4-2 on penalties after the sides finished extra time level at 2-2.
That win settled the women's football semi-final line-up after Canada had edged out Brazil in a similar must-see shootout earlier. Australia came back to beat Great Britain in extra time and Sweden defeated hosts Japan 3-1.
Vietnamese swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang ranks 12th in men’s 1500m freestyle
Vietnamese swimming ace Nguyen Huy Hoang finished fifth in Heat 3 and 12th overall among 29 participants in the men’s 1500m event at Tokyo 2020 on July 30.
Hoang completed the race in 15:00.24, nearly eight seconds behind eighth-placed Kirill Martynychev of ROC (14:52.66).
Despite failing to make the final, Hoang’s performance in Tokyo improved by over one second compared to his time at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia (15:01.63).
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic medal count as of 10.30pm on July 30.
