Tokyo 2020 Olympics: China top medal table, Covid worries build – live!

Volleyball: Turkey win the third set 25-17! Get those rally caps on, Turkish fans. “We’re going to find out what these world champions are made of,” says the TV commentator. “This is the Olympic stage.”

Call Me Maybe plays around the arena, which is straight from the London 2012 playlist. 17mil views! The US swimmers did well here.

Remember when I was going on about the brilliant table tennis commentator during the women’s final? I’m not surprised to learn that we have a Adam Bobrow feature on the site from 2019. What a guy. More importantly, what a fantastic ambassador for his sport.

Over the years, Bobrow has parlayed both his lifelong obsession with table tennis and endless, unabashed exuberance into viral fame, receiving millions of views on YouTube for goofy videos like “Enter the Snake: Twist of Fury” and “Excessive Ping Pong Celebration”. He’s also made a career out of it. As the official commentator for the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the sport’s main governing body, Bobrow is known as the “voice of table tennis” to fans across the world. He travels with the ITTF’s annual world tour all year long, from Budapest to Japan to Australia, living out of a suitcase painted with illustrations of famous players. As far as he knows, he’s the world’s only full-time table tennis commentator.

Volleyball: As is usually the case, volleyball is the final live event of the night. Turkey’s have to win this third set to keep their match against the USA alive and are making a good fist of it, leading 19-12. The Americans were the world’s top team coming into Tokyo, but that was also the case in both London and Rio. Indeed, the US women have never won this event despite reaching the podium five times since LA in 1984. The 2012 Final, which I had the great privilege of witnessing at Earls Court, was one of the stranger shifts in momentum I’ve seen. After Brazil lost the first set to the US 25-11, they went on to dominate the rest of the match to win gold in four.

Basketball: Spain’s men remain undefeated in Group C, completing their easy win over Argentina, 81-71. They’re through to the quarter-finals with Slovenia, who they play in theri final pool game. There will be a fresh draw after the group games to determine the bracket for the elimination stage of the tournament. For Australian readers, the Boomers are through already but play Germany on Friday. Their quest for a medal in this event over the last, oh, six Olympics, has been one of the defining storylines of Australian sport. Watching this as a 12-year-old in my school library was a chastening experience.

Volleyball: The American women are in cruise control against Turkey, winning the second set 25-20. They are one set away from building on their unbeaten record in Pool B, making sure of their progress to the quarters. The Turkish team entered this tournament as the No4 rank but if they can’t fight back to win this in five, they will need to account for China and Argentina to make the last eight.

Hockey: Australia hold on after a big push from New Zealand in the final minutes. The Hockeyroos are four-from-four, certain to progress to the final eight stage, with the Kiwks are now 2-2, facing a must-win clash against China in their final Pool B game on Saturday.

Hockey: Australia lead New Zealand 1-0 in the fourth quarter of their Group B clash, the winner to guarantee progress to the quarter-finals. The Hockeyroos’ goal was scored by Emily Chalker in the 34th minute. Here’s the finish, if you are reading on from Australia.

“Hi Adam.” Hello to Rakesh Nag in Bangladesh. “Being the citizen of the most populous country with no Olympic medal, I am following this Olympics through Guardian Live Report with no expectation. In these Olympics, I saw Bermuda (Population of 72,000) become the smallest country to win a Gold Medal and San Marino (Population of 34,000) become the smallest country to win a Medal. Maybe some day, Cricket will be introduced in the Olympics (Brisbane 2032 perhaps?) and maybe then we can hope for an Olympic medal.”

Good news, Rakesh: from conversations I’ve been having in the cricket world, T20 is a strong chance for inclusion at LA in 2028.

Tennis: Novak Djokovic is through to the mixed doubles semi-finals. He and Nina Stojanovic have easily accounted for Germans Laura Siegemund and Kevin Krawietz. In the semi-final, they take on the pair representing the Russian Olympic Committee. Djokovic won a bronze for Serbia back in 2008 and has a chance to add two more medals over the next days, in this event and the men’s singles.

“An Onodi not a Noddy,” writes John Cox by way of clarification, in response to our earlier fun. “Named after the great Hungarian gymnast Henrietta Onodi, Olympic gold medallist in 1992. But you knew that, right?” I’m pleased that I do now!

Duncan Scott earns a chance to win a second gold. After anchoring Team GB’s 4×200 relay win in style yesterday (and taking silver in the 200m freestyle on Tuesday), he’s qualified for the 200 IM final. Tom Dart is at the pool for us, wrapping up the evening session.

Tough stuff from the world number one, winning the sixth game 11-9! In her first appearance at the Olympics, she is the champion! The gold/silver duo hold up the Chinese flag together. Brilliant.

Table tennis: The last gold medal up for grabs tonight, the women’s singles. Chen Meng won the fifth game but Sun Yingshais 7-6 up in the sixth. Are we getting the grandstand finish? I sure hope so. And sure does my commentator mate, who is now talking about lessons he took from geometry class in high school. I wish to be his friend.

The fifth time an American has won this famous competition. Rebeca Andrade’s 13.666 on the floor wasn’t quite enough – she’ll finish with silver, Angelina Melnikova (ROC) claiming bronze.

Gymnastics: Rebeca Andrade has stepped out of the square on two occasions – “that will be costly.” It’ll sting, because the routine was a beauty other than those errors. She needs 13.8 to win. Stand by!

Gymnastics: Suni Lee is happy, 13.700 is the score, overtaking the Russian Melnikova. That’s enough to retain her spot for now. But it’s Andrade to finish, who can take it away with a perfect performance.

Gymnastics: Here we go, it’s the leader, Sunisa Lee, on the floor. She nails her first double lay-up – the commentators like her move to the floor. “She’s absorbing the pressure.” A twisting combination follows to finish – and yep, lands it. “It will be a medal but what colour?”

Table tennis: A thrilling finish building in the women’s singles gold medal match. Top seed Chen Meng responded well after losing the first game to take the next two, but world No2 Sun Yingsha claimed the fourth. It’s a best-of-seven decider between the Chinese pair. “Trying to predict the future is a great exercise in humility,” says the world feed commentator, who I can’t get enough of.

Gymnastics: A polite challenge from Andrade on her beam score, which the television commentators seemed to think was a fraction low. The judges saw fit to push it up a notch (a tenth of a point), moving the Brazilian into second. On to the final rotation!

“Hi Adam.” Hello, Bruce Jackson. “I was just watching one of the ROC gymnasts perform a great routine on the bar. One of the moves she included seems to be called a ‘Noddy’. I was wondering if anyone knew of any clips that showed Mr Holder performing the routine that led to that particular move being named after him?”

Musicians with gynmastics moves named after them would make for an interesting wikipedia entry. Alternatively, the Roy & HG model from the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Simpler times, simpler coverage.

Team GB v Australia. The quarter-finals of the women’s football, that’s going to be big. Check out Suzanne Wrack’s preview.

Gynnastics: There’s a dedicated blog for the women’s All-Around, but nearing the final rotation to go it’s worth noting that Rebeca Andrade just nailed her beam routine. The Brazilian, who has floor to come, sits third. Sunisa Lee (USA) is in the gold medal position.

Table tennis: The gold medal game in the women’s singles competition is an all-Chinese affair, Chen Meng against Sun Yingsha – the first and second seed. Sun won the first game though (first to seven), and leads 5-4 (first to 11) in the second. If you’re following the broadcast, the world feed commentator is a gem, bringing 10/10 enthusiasm to his task. Just as it should for a contest like this. “It’s like chess and kung fu combined… with a racket!” Love him.

Marta Martyanova, Larisa Korobeynikova, Adelina Zagidullina and Inna Deriglazova are Olympic champions, the latter holding her nerve after a late rally from the French quartet to triumph 45-34.

Tennis: Alexander Zverev, the German fourth seed, has served out the match against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, winning their quarter-final 6-4, 6-1. He’s booked a final-four stoush against the biggest name in the game, the seemingly unstoppable Novak Djokovic.

Fencing: Not Russia are moments away from gold in the women’s team foil event, leading the French 42-31 in their race to 45.

Righto my watch is over – Adam Collins is here to strike the pose and coax you through the next little bit. Ta-ra for now.

Tennis: Zverev now leads Chardy 6-4 3-1; should he see it out, he earns the rich reward of a defeat to Djokovic.

I say that, but if Zverev serves at his best – lots of firsts, very few seconds – he’s got a chance. If he doesn’t, he’s toast.

Tennis: Marketa Vondrousova has beaten Elina Svitolina 6-3 6-1, so will play belinda Bencic in the finak. Svitolina will have to console herself with her recent marriage to Gael Monfils and husband who wears syoots of this extreme magnificence. She’ll be reet.

Gymnastics: Sunisa Lee of USA has put herself into second place behind Andrade, and this is shaping up into a decent row. She trails by 0.066, with the vault and asymmetric bars done and beam and floor to come.

I love the photo at the top of this, and Fox’s performance, going last chasing a tricky time and then pulverising it, was magical.

Volleyball: Brazil’s women lead Japan 2-0, but trail 13-11 in set three.

Gymnastics: Rebeca Andrade, in her first major international competition since suffering a serious knee injury in 2018, is firing! After two rotations, she’s looking absolutely nails.

Tennis: In the last eight of the men’s singles, Zverev leads Chardy 5-3, while in the last four of the women’s, Vondrousova leads Svitolina 6-3 5-1; the honeymoon from heaven isn’t quite going to happen.

Tennis: Barty and Peers have seen off Sakkari and Tsitsipas 10-6 in the breaker to move into the last four.

That’s it with the swimming for day six. Tomorrow brings us finals in the women’s 200m breaststroke and 100m freestyle, and the men’s 200m backstroke and 200m individual medley.

Swimming: China, Australia, Italy is the 1,2,3 in the second heat of the mixed 4x100m medley relay.

Hockey: Netherlands have held on to beat GB 1-0 in their hockey pool match where’s Jane Sixsmith when you need her? They stay top, now 4 and 0, but GB, after losing their opening match in defence of their title, are improving. Maybe

Swimming: Wow, GB finished in 3:38.75, only just outside China’s world record of 3:38.41.

Swimming: Freya Anderson brings GB home, and with both Guy and Peaty, it’ll take something special to beat them. USA come second, Netherlands third.

Swimming: Heat 1 of the mixed 4×100 medley relay is away; Germany lead, but then James Guy hauls GB ahead with USA behind them.

Swimming: Kaylee McKeown of Australia has just recorded the fastest heat time in the women’s 200m backstroke. Rhyan White of USA qualified in second place.

Fencing: The gold medal match in the women’s foil team even is underway, ROC leading France 11-8.

Boxing: Yup, Chang saw off a spirited challenge from Davison, moving into the last eight with a 5-0 win.

Swimming: Looking down the list of times for those men’s 100m butterfly heats, Dressel was one of only three to break 51s – his time of 50.39 was fastest, with Kristof Milak of Hungary recording 50.62 and Poland’s Jakub Majerski 50.97. Dressel will fancy himself for another gold.

Hockey: It must be hot as you like on the hockey pitch – as they break before the final quarter, you can see the players steaming Netherlands still lead GB 1-0.

Boxing: Chang is bit too good for Davison, who’s fighting hard. She needs a huge final round to progress.

Tennis: Sakkari and Tsitsipas have forced a deciding set against Barty and Peers.

Boxing: Chang has taken the first round against Davison 10-9 and is getting to work in the second.

Swimming: Caeleb Dressel has just won the final heat of the men’s 100m butterfly; he’s had an alright day, considering his earlier gold in the 100m free.

Gymnastics: Simone Biles is in the crowd watching her mates compete, and really, she could not have handled this situation better. Those hoodies are well smart, too.

You can follow the all-around final here.

Boxing: Charley-Sian Davison of GB is just climbing through the ropes for her last 16 bout against Yuan Chang of China, who’s seeded two. Davison is a mother of three – goodness, imagine getting facety with her!

“A bagel?” asks Andrew Benton. “Why not a doughnut? Down with Americanisms!”

Excuse me! Bagels do not originate from the States, though they may have been made famous by them – they were first made by Polish Jews. Doughnuts are probably more American, though they came from the Netherlands originally.

Hockey: With 10 minutes left in the third quarter, Netherlands still lead GB 1-0.

Things just get better and better for the hosts!