Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Brazil win men’s football final, GB reach 20 golds – live!

Athletics: A nation of 1.3 billion erupted in joy on Saturday after Neeraj Chopra won the men’s javelin at the Tokyo Games to secure India’s first ever Olympic athletics gold post-independence,” according the Reuters bureau in New Delhi.

“Thirteen years after shooter Abhinav Bindra won independent India’s first individual Olympic gold in Beijing, 23-year-old Chopra obliterated the field with a best throw of 87.58 metres.

Expectations soared after the 23-year-old seized the lead with a throw of 87.03 on his first attempt and his second sealed India’s first Olympic athletics medal. The cricket-mad country stayed glued to television sets to follow Chopra’s progress, and social media was abuzz as anticipation of a medal grew.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was joined by President Ram Nath Kovind and several other ministers in paying tribute to Chopra’s success. “History has been scripted at Tokyo! What @Neeraj—chopra1 has achieved today will be remembered forever,” Modi tweeted. “The young Neeraj has done exceptionally well. He played with remarkable passion and showed unparalleled grit. Congratulations to him for winning the Gold.”

India is the most successful hockey nation in Olympic history with eight men’s titles but has largely been starved of individual success. The sports fraternity also lavished praise on Chopra who was described by local media as the ‘man with the golden arm’.

“The impact your victory will create on promoting your sport amongst the country’s youth is immeasurable,” Bindra said in a statement. “Also, welcome you to the club. It is not the most happening of places yet and needs more members, but I feel your entry is going to pave the way for many more deserving athletes.”

Former athlete PT Usha, who came fourth in the women’s 400 metres at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, also hailed Chopra’s achievement. “Realised my unfinished dream today after 37 years. Thank you my son @Neeraj—chopra1,” she tweeted, along with a photograph of her with the javelin thrower.

Modern pentathlon: Germany’s modern pentathlon coach, Kim Raisner, was not part of today’s men’s individual competition at the Tokyo Olympics. Raisner struck a horse with her fist and urged rider Annika Schleu to ‘really hit’ the horse when it refused to jump during the women’s event on Friday.

Alfons Hoermann, president of the Germany Olympic Committee, confirmed the news and called for an overhaul of modern pentathlon rules. Competitors are currently allocated horses for the equestrian stage of the event in a random draw shortly before it begins.

“We were all in agreement that the coach will not be at the competition on Saturday,” Hoermann said. “We also consider that an urgent review of the incident is necessary, especially in terms of animal protection, and that the national and international federations draw their conclusions.”

Baseball: Japan have beaten the USA, a state of affairs I am assured by somebody who knows far more about these things than I do is “definitely” a shock.

Men’s football: The players of both teams drop to the ground with exhaustion on the final whistle. Spain’s are gutted and Brazil’s are quickly back on their feet and celebrating jubilantly after winning back to back Olympic golds. On a team comprised mainly of Under-23s, nobody looks happier than the 38-year-old Dani Alves. He is thrilled to bits.

Men’s football: In the final minute of added time, Brazil continue to lead by the odd goal of three. Pedri tries to restore parity for Spain but sends a tired cross/shot wafting high and wide of the angle.

Men’s football: Spain have a desperate penalty appeal for handball turned down at one end moments before Bruno pulls a shot narrowly wide at the other. Richarlison is substituted with six minutes left on the clock. Everton fans will be pleased to see him emerge from the Olympics unscathed.

Men’s football: Or does it? On as a substitute since the 91st minute, Malcolm is played in behind by Antony and finds the far corner from the edge of the six-yard box. His shot took a deflection off the foot of Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon but he couldn’t keep it out.

Men’s football: Little time is wasted during the changeover in extra time. Following a brief pause to allow everyone, including himself, to get fluids on board, the referee blows for the second half. It rermains all square at 1-1 between Brazil and Spain and the prospect of penalties looms.

Steven Bloor has been busy in his dark room, sifting through the best images of the penultimate day of competition in Tokyo.

Men’s football: Meanwhile in Yokohama, we’re approaching the end of the first half of extra time in the gold medal match between Spain and Brazil. Both sets of players look totally exhausted. Well , most of them do. Pedri, who is just 18, is still running all over the place despite the fact he’s playing in his 74th match of the season. And with Leo Messi on his way to Paris Saint-Germain, the Barcelona man is unlikely to get much of a rest in the season ahead.

Men’s handball: A shout-out to reader Alexandre Chesnau, who is watching handball and volleyball so that I can keep an eye on the football instead. “Just informing you that France won the gold in men’s handball by beating Denmark 25-23,” he writes. “The men’s volleyball team leads two sets to nil and 13-12 against Not Russia. We’re feeling pretty happy over here!”

An email: “Just a thought about the Dutch at the athletics tournament,” writes Johan van Slooten. “Before the start of the Games, the Netherlands had achieved 17 medals in athletics in total. In this tournement, they added seven medals – more than the Dutch won between the Games of 1952 and 2016, and the most in any Games (even more than six medals won in 1948, which included four golds by Fanny Blankers Koen).”

Diving: “There’s still a lot further to go, there are 10 countries competing at these Olympic Games where being LGBT is punishable by death,” said Britain’s Tom Daley after securing bronze behind two Chionese competiotrs in the men’s 10m platform. “I feel extremely lucky to be representing Team GB, to be able to stand on the diving board as myself with a husband and a son and not worry about any ramifications.”

Men’s football: The ref blows for full time, which means we’ll have 30 minutes of eatra time followed by penalties, if they are required.

Men’s football: It’s all square in the gold medal match between Brazil and Spain, with Mikel Oyarzabal having cancelled out Brazil’s opener shortly after the hour mark. We’re into the second of three minutes of added time. Richarlison tries to drill a cross from the left into the Spain box but his effort is blocked.

Athletics: And that, unless I am very much mistaken, concludes the track and field competition for these Olympics … unless we’re counting the men’s marathon, which is slated to take place later tonight. And I’m not. Congratulations to all involved.

Athletics: Mariya Lasitskene of the ROC has just won gold in the women’s high jump after Australia’s Nicola McDermott fails with her three attempts at 2m 04cm. Ukraine’s teenage jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh gets the bronze the medal. McDermott went tantalisingly close with her final attempt but couldn’t quite clear the bar.

Athletics: That’s a real turn-up for the books, with the Dutch taking over two seconds off their national record to finish second ahead of Botswana in third.

Athletics: They win easily, while the Netherlands nicked silver from Botswana in the closing stages. Rai Benjamin ran a brilliant anchor leg for the USA.

Athletics: Team GB’s women finished fifth in the women’s 4x400m, by the way.

Athletics: Thoughts turn to the men’s 4x400m final, which the USA are expected to win doing handstands. You never know in the relay, which is a funny old game, so don’t rule out an upset.

Men’s basketball: Hats off to Australia, who have earned themszelves a spot on the podium after beating Slovenia in the bronze medal match. They won 107-93 and their star player Patty Mills finished the game with 42 points. “We’ve set the standard now,” he said after the game. The USA, who beat France in the final, might beg to differ although it’s probably fair to assume Patty was talking about setting the standard for Australian basketball. They’ve never won a medal at it before, so onwards and upwards in every sense of the word.

Men’s football: With 54 minutes gone in the gold medfal match, Brazil lead Spain by the only goal of the game which was scored by Hertha Berlin’s Matheus Cunha.

Equestrianism: I’m not sure if whoever wrote this headline should receive some sort of award or be taken down to the river to pray … for some sort of divine intervention and assistance.

Athletics: Australia’s Nicola McDermott has just failed at her first attempt at 2m 02cm in the women’s high jump. She was the first to attempt it.

Athletics: Thanks to the weather, I’ve managed to miss the women’s 4x400m final, but my pictures return in the immediate adftermath of the race. Team USA have won in a time of 3min 16.85 seconds and were followed home by Poland (3min 20.53sec) and Jamaica (3min 21.24sec). Humble apologies for the brief but irritating loss of transmission.

Weather: In slightly less good news, a torrential downpour of Biblical proportions in one corner of SouthLondon has rendered your reporter’s satellite feed temporarily (I hope) out of commission. If anything interesting or noteworthy is going on in Japan, feel free to keep me informed.

Athletics: In further good news for our Antipodean cousins who excel in the field of leaping, Australia’s Nicola McDermott has just cleared two metres in the women’s high jump, becoming the first in the competition to do so.

Men’s basketball: The bronze medal match between Australia and Slovenia remains ongoing and Australia lead 75-66 with less than a minute left in the third quarter. Patty Mills is running the show for the Aussies, having notched up 36 points, three rebounds, five assists and one steal.

Men’s football: It remains scoreless in the gold medal match between Brazil and Spain as the game approaches half-time. Brazil were awarded a spot-kick through the intercession of VAR earlier, but Richarlison blasted the ball over the bar.

Kon’nichiwa everybody. You join me mere seconds after Jessica Springsteen, daughter of blue collar, working class hero Bruce, has won silver as part of the USA’s showjumping team.

Sweden took the gold in a jump-off, with Peder Fredricson and his mount All In pulling a brilliant clear and quick round out of the fire to steal gold from under the noses of Jessica and her team-mates at the death. Belgium finished third.