Alongside Dressel’s triumph in the marquee event, fellow American Bobby Finke clinched the 800m freestyle with an impressive late surge.
China gained their first gold in the Tokyo pool with Zhang Yufei winning the women’s 200m butterfly and then she returned to the pool to help her team upset the favoured Australians to win the 4x200m freestyle relay, setting a world record along the way.
Australia’s Zac Stubblety-Cook took gold in the men’s 200m breaststroke, also thanks to an incredible late surge to the finish.
World champion Dressel powered to victory in an Olympic record 47.02, finishing six hundredths of a second ahead of Rio winner Kyle Chalmers of Australia, with Russian Kliment Kolesnikov taking bronze.
In the 800 free, Finke pulled off a surprise win ahead of Italian world champion Gregorio Paltrinieri, who led all the way until the 750m turn when German Florian Wellbrock moved in front for the last length. But Finke then made his late move and powered home in a time of 7:41.87.
China’s biggest gold medal hope Zhang delivered in style – taking control from the outset as she set an Olympic record of 2:03.86 to improve on her silver from the 100m butterfly.
China also won the gold medal in the women's 4x200m freestyle in a world record time of seven minutes 40.33 seconds.
In the men’s 200m breaststroke, Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands led at the 150m turn and was inside world record time as he fought with Finland’s Matti Mattsson.
Stubbletly-Cook was third on the last turn, 1.2 seconds adrift of the lead, but then delivered an astonishing final lap to secure the country’s fifth gold medal in the pool so far and the first for their men.
Rowing-Croatia, New Zealand triumph in pairs; Ireland, Italy take lightweight crowns
Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Rowing - Men's Pair - Medal Ceremony - Sea Forest Waterway, Tokyo, Japan - July 29, 2021 Gold medallists Martin Sinkovic of Croatia and Valent Sinkovic of Croatia celebrate in their boat with their medals. (Reuters)
Croatia's mighty Sinkovic brothers came out on top in the men's pair and New Zealand's unstoppable crew triumphed in the women's event as Olympic rowing continued on Thursday at Tokyo's blustery Sea Forest Waterway.
Martin Sinkovic and Valent Sinkovic, who won gold in the double sculls in Rio and were pairs world champions in 2018 and 2019 after taking on the sweep discipline, pulled away from the field almost immediately to win in 6:15.29, 1.29 seconds ahead of silver medallists Romania, with Denmark taking bronze.
After clinching their Wednesday semi-final in a world best time, Kiwis Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler again dazzled, overcoming a slow start and taking the lead shortly after the midway point to win in 6:50.19, with the Russian Olympic Committee team and Canada taking silver and bronze.
Ireland delivered a gutsy performance to win the lightweight men's double sculls, as Rio silver medallist Paul O’Donovan and team mate Fintan McCarthy broke away from Germany heading into the home stretch to claiming gold in 6:06.43.
Italy won Olympic rowing gold in the lightweight women's double sculls. France took silver, while the Netherlands claimed bronze.
Vietnam’s rowers achieve the best result in third Olympics participation
Rowers Luong Thi Thao and Dinh Thi Hao in action.
Also this morning, Vietnamese rowers Luong Thi Thao and Dinh Thi Hao finished 3rd in the Lightweight Women's Double Sculls Final C, with a record of 7:19.05, ranked 15th in overall – a commendable achievement of the two rowers.
Previously, in London 2012, Pham Thi Hai and Pham Thi Thao finished 5th in final C, and ranked 16th overall. In Rio 2016, Ho Thi Ly and Ta Thanh Huyen were ranked 18th.
Meanwhile, archer Nguyen Hoang Phi Vu lost 1-7 to Tang Chih-chun (Taiwan, China) in men's individual 1/32 eliminations. Vietnamese archery said goodbye to the Tokyo Olympics in their debut.
