Paris Olympics: Aussies in action on Day 13 and Day 12 results

August 8, 2024 BY

Cyclists Oliver Bleddyn, Sam Welsford, Conor Leahy and Kelland O'Brien won the gold medal for Australia for the first time in 20 years. Photo: DAVID DAVIES/PA/ALAMY

AUSTRALIA: 18 gold, 12 silver, 11 bronze (third overall)

What’s on tonight?

MAJOR AUSTRALIAN MEDAL HOPES

Caitlin Parker is already guaranteed Australia’s first Olympic medal in women’s boxing, but a win in her 75kg semi-final clash against China’s Li Qian will give her a chance to turn bronze to gold.

Charlie Senior fights Uzbekistan’s Abdumalik Khalokov for a place in the 57kg final and a chance to win boxing gold.

Australia has two swimmers taking on the women’s 10km event in the Seine in Chelsea Gubecka, who won silver at last year’s world championships, and Moesha Johnson.

If they advance through Thursday morning’s semi-finals, Australian kayak crews in the men’s and women’s K4 500m will back up and race for gold.

Kurtis Mathews produced a clutch last dive to sneak into the men’s 3m springboard final, opening up a chance of a medal.

OTHER AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION

The Stingers will be out for revenge in their women’s water polo semi-final against the United States after Team USA’s men took out the Aussie Sharks in the quarter-finals.

Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar have another Brazilian road block in the form of veterans Ana Patricia and Duda, with a place in the women’s beach volleyball gold medal match up for grabs.

Jessica Hull will headline the athletics charge, along with Georgia Griffiths in the women’s 1500m semi-finals.

Minjee Lee will look to continue her charge up the leaderboard in round two of the women’s golf after moving into seventh with a late flourish on the opening day.

Maddison Keeney finished as the second-ranked diver in the women’s 3m springboard, advancing to Thursday’s semi-final along with Alysha Koloi.

Sam Welsford will back up from his team pursuit gold in the omnium while fellow track cyclist Kristina Clonan will go around in keirin and Matt Richardson continues in the sprint.

Victorian climber Oceania Mackenzie was ranked fourth in the bouldering heading into the women’s lead semi-final.

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING

The United States will face a strong Serbian side as they look to advance into the gold-medal match in the men’s basketball and defend their Olympic gold.

Egypt and Morocco will battle it out in an African showdown for the men’s football bronze medal, with both countries looking to cap their remarkable Olympic campaign with a historic podium finish.

How the Aussies fared on Day 12

GOLD

Oliver Bleddyn, Kelland O’Brien, Sam Welsford and Conor Leahy (men’s team pursuit) – After demolishing the world record, Australia beat fierce rivals Great Britain in a pulsating men’s team pursuit final to win the Olympic gold medal for first time in 20 years.

Keegan Palmer (men’s park skateboarding) – In only his second Olympics, Palmer pulled off the unthinkable becoming a two-time gold medallist after locking in top spot on the podium in the men’s skateboarding park final.

Matt Wearn (men’s dinghy) – Super sailor Matt Wearn won his second ever Olympic gold after he was forced to race in the final twice after it was initially abandoned close to the finish.

Nina Kennedy (women’s pole vault) – Kennedy soared to new heights to become Australia’s first ever women’s Olympic champion in a field event after clearing 4.90m.

BRONZE

Jemima Montag and Rhydian Cowley (marathon race walk relay mixed) – Montag will be bathing in bronze after she and fellow countryman Cowley collected the bronzed medal in the inaugural Olympic marathon race walk.

Matthew Denny (men’s discus throw) – Denny won Australia’s first Olympic medal in the men’s discus, claiming bronze after the big Queenslander threw 69.31m in the final.

OTHER HEADLINE GOLD MEDALLISTS

Moroccan superstar Soufaine El Bakkali has become the first man to win back-to-back men’s 3000m steeplechase gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1932.

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED

Australia moved closer to a spot on the podium after the Opals dominated Serbia in the women’s basketbal quarter-final 85-67.

The Sharks are out of Olympic medal contention in the men’s water polo after losing to the United States in a penalty shootout by one goal in their quarter-final.

It was revealed Australian men’s hockey star Tom Craig spent a night in custody after he was arrested for buying cocaine. He was released without a fine or criminal record, but has lost his athlete privileges, including attenting the closing ceremony.

Aussie Bailey Lewis’s Olympic campaign is over after losing his men’s 58kg taekwondo quarter-final against Tunisian Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi who went onto win bronze.

Australia’s Kurtis Matthews produced a clutch last dive to just sneak into the men’s 3m springboard final, qualifying seventh out of eight finalists.

– WITH AAP