Olympic roundup: Felix adds 11th medal to olympic women’s record, both U.S. relay teams take gold on the track
TRACK AND FIELD
WOMEN’S 4x400 METER RELAY
Allyson Felix won her 11th Olympic medal, combining with her American teammates to finish the 4x400-meter relay in 3 minutes, 16.85 seconds for a runaway victory.
The team of Felix, Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad and Athing Mu was never in jeopardy.
Poland finished second, 3.68 seconds behind, and Jamaica finished third.
Felix, who became the most-decorated woman in Olympic track history when she won bronze in the 400 on Friday night, now passes Carl Lewis with the most track medals of any U.S. athlete. Of the 11 medals, seven are gold.
MEN’S 4x400 METER RELAY
There were no bad exchanges this time as the U.S. men won their first gold medal in a track race at the Tokyo Games with a victory in the 4x400-meter relay.
The U.S. men didn’t reach the final of the 4x100-meter relay, but the 4x400 team of Michael Cherry, Michael Norman, Bryce Deadmon and Rai Benjamin was never really in trouble as they completed four laps of the Olympic oval in 2 minutes, 55.70 seconds.
It was the fifth gold for the U.S. men in the 4x400 since 1996.
The Netherlands took silver in a national record 2:57.18 and Botswana won bronze in 2:57.27.
WATER POLO
WOMEN’S
The U.S. has won its third consecutive gold medal in women’s water polo, pounding Spain 14-5 in the final at the Tokyo Olympics.
Maddie Musselman scored three times and Ashleigh Johnson made 11 saves as the U.S. improved to 134-4 since it won gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. After falling 10-9 to Hungary in group play in its first loss at the Olympics since the 2008 final, the U.S. ripped off four straight wins by a combined score of 63-26.
Hungary beat Russia to win bronze.
BASEBALL
A Japanese team of all-stars fulfilled a determined national mission to win the Olympic baseball gold medal for the first time, beating the United States 2-0 Saturday night behind Munetaka Murakami’s third-inning home run.
Masato Morishita and four relievers combined on a six-hitter, and the Japanese men (5-0) matched the accomplishment of the women’s softball team, which upended the Americans for their second straight gold medal.
America, the nation that introduced baseball to Japan in 1872, finished 4-2. Teams were denied access to all 40-man roster players and many eligible top prospects by Major League Baseball and its clubs, hindering the U.S. and other countries whose top players are in MLB.
The Dominican Republic beat South Korea to win bronze.
GOLF
WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL STROKE PLAY
Nelly Korda gave the Americans a sweep of gold medals in golf, holding on for a one-shot victory in a thrill-a-minute finish to the Olympic women’s golf competition.
Korda led by as many as three shots on the back nine. In the end, she needed two putts from just inside 30 feet on the 18th hole for par and a 2-under 69.
Mone Inami of Japan made bogey from a plugged lie in the bunker on the 18th hole and faced a playoff against Lydia Ko of New Zealand for the silver medal.
MEN’S SOCCER
Malcom scored in the 108th minute and Brazil won its second consecutive gold medal in men’s soccer with a 2-1 victory over Spain.
Brazil also won gold on home soil five years ago at the iconic Maracana Stadium. Neymar struck the winner in a 5-4 shootout after a 1-1 draw with Germany.
Brazil had a 1-0 lead at the half, but Mikel Oyarzabal tied it for Spain in the 61st minute off a cross from Carlos Soler.
The Brazilians won a penalty kick in the 37th minute after a collision between Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon and Matheus Cunha. Richarlison, who led the field in Japan with five goals, took the penalty, which sailed well over the goal to keep the game scoreless.
Brazil took the lead in first-half stoppage time when Davi Alves popped the ball high into the box to keep it in play and Cunha slotted it just inside the post.
Gil Bryan nearly scored in the 88th for Spain, but his shot hit the crossbar and the match went to extra time.
Spain won the gold medal in 1992 and was also seeking its second Olympic title.
Brazil advanced to the final 4-1 on a penalty shootout after a scoreless draw with Mexico in the semifinals while Spain got past host Japan 1-0 on Marco Asensio’s goal in the 115th minute.
Mexico downed Japan 3-1 in the bronze medal match in Saitama on Friday.
EQUESTRIAN
JUMPING TEAM
Sweden defeated Jessica Springsteen and the U.S. jumping team in a jump off for the gold medal.
Springsteen and teammates Laura Kraut and McLain Ward each moved cleanly through the shortened jump-off course and did so with a combined time of 124.2 seconds.
Peder Fredricson, the final Swedish rider, needed to circle the track in 40.30 seconds or better without error and cruised to a time of 39.01 for the country’s record fourth gold medal but first since 1924.
Belgium won bronze.