Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald took gold for Great Britain as they won the first ever Olympic women’s Madison in dominant fashion before Laura Muir surged to silver in the 1500 metres final.
It was a fifth career Olympic gold for Kenny, who surpassed Dutchwoman Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel to become the most successful female cyclist in Olympic history as she took gold at a third consecutive Games – the first British woman to do so. Jack Carlin then delivered another velodrome medal for Britain with bronze in the men’s sprint.
Muir ended her wait for a major global outdoor medal by taking a brilliant silver in the 1500m, the Scot running three minutes 54.50 for a new British record as she finished behind Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon.
Kate French put together a brilliant series of performances to become Britain’s second Olympic champion in modern pentathlon and earlier on Friday there was bronze in the women’s hockey after they edged out India in a seven-goal thriller.
Here, the PA news agency breaks down everything you need to know about Friday’s events.
What’s happened?
The British pair of Kenny and Archibald looked in control of the women’s Madison in Izu from the off, winning the first three sprints on the track and then further extending their advantage after the Dutch pair of Kirsten Wild and Amy Pieters were caught in a crash with a little more than 70 laps remaining.
In the second half of the race the Britons hoovered up points in the sprints and gained a lap with a little over 20 to go to build an all-but-insurmountable lead.
By the end of the race, they had won 10 of the 12 sprints to finish with 78 points, more than twice the tally of second-placed Denmark on 35.
Another velodrome medal followed soon after as Olympic debutant Carlin held off a powerful challenge from Denis Dmitriev, 35, to take bronze in the men’s sprint. The 24-year-old Scot took the inside line to beat Dmitriev in the opening race, and then held off a powerful finish from the 35-year-old former world championship.
In the women’s 1500 metres final, Muir ended a run of several near misses at major championships by surging into second place over the final 200m to overtake Sifan Hassan.
The Scot came seventh in the 1500m in Rio after fading despite being in medal contention with 200m to go; the disappointment followed the 2017 World Championships where she finished fourth by 0.07 seconds. Soon after, Dina Asher-Smith completed her Olympic comeback with 4×100 metres relay bronze in Tokyo.
Kent-born French kept her cool superbly in the final run-and-shoot of the modern pentathlon to follow in the footsteps of Stephanie Cook, who was the first female champion in Sydney.
Britain eased into a 2-0 lead in their women’s hockey bronze match against India with goals from Ellie Rayer and Sarah Robertson, but India rallied and, in a frantic four-minute period in the second quarter, they went ahead.
Gurjit Kaur scored twice and Vandana Katariya also netted, but Hollie Pearne-Webb equalised before Balsdon’s strike from a penalty corner clinched a third successive Games podium finish.
Lauren Price, meanwhile, finds herself one win away from being crowned Olympic boxing champion after recovering from having a point taken off to overcome great rival Nouchka Fontijn.
Price looked to be heading for a loss after she was deducted a point in round two for excessive holding. Despite trailing on four of the five cards heading into the last round, Price turned it around to book her place in Sunday’s final, where she will take on China’s Li Qian.
Tom Daley recovered from a modest start in the preliminaries of the men’s 10 metres individual platform to keep his hopes of winning two Tokyo golds alive.
Daley, who topped the podium alongside Matty Lee in the synchronised event last week as he ended a 13-year wait for glory at the Games, is aiming to do the double in the Japanese capital and he reached Saturday’s semi-finals.
What’s still to come?
After bronze for Asher-Smith and company, Britain’s men must contest their own 4x100m relay final.
Sweden, runners-up at Rio 2016 in the women’s football competition, are taking on Canada, who knocked out the United States last time out, in Friday’s final.
Social media moment
History made!
✅ Barcelona 1992✅ Atlanta 1996✅ Sydney 2000✅ Athens 2004✅ Beijing 2008✅ London 2012✅ Rio 2016✅ Tokyo 2020
By taking part in the 50km race walk, Jesús Ángel García just participated in his 8th Olympic Games, most-ever for an athlete in #Athletics 👏 pic.twitter.com/SovrGyngwG
— Olympics (@Olympics) August 6, 2021
