Team GB in Tokyo: Medals in the pool and on the water as Dujardin hits six

Tokyo 2020 28 Jul 21

Team GB claimed a third Olympic gold medal in the swimming pool at a single Games for the first time in 113 years as the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay team’s victory topped the action on day five at Tokyo 2020. Here's what happened across Japan.

  • Freestyle relay team take gold after British 1-2 in individual race

  • Charlotte Dujardin becomes Britain’s most decorated female Olympian

  • Team GB win first ever sculling medal with silver in men’s quad

  • British sailors impress with Scott at the double

  • Best of the rest: Sevens miss out on bronze, Gymnastics and Tennis 

  • Coming up on day six: Rowing, hockey, gymnastics and canoeing

Gold rush continues in pool

British Olympic history continues to be made at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre as the men’s 4x200 freestyle relay team claimed a brilliant gold medal in the pool.

That means Team GB have won three swimming golds at a single Games for the first time since 1908 – also the last time a British quartet climbed the top step of the 4x200m freestyle relay podium.

After Tom Dean and Duncan Scott's historic one-two in the individual event on Tuesday, Team GB were favourites heading into the relay – having also qualified fastest from the semi-finals – but Olympic finals are never won on paper.

Dean led the team out, touching third at the end of his 200m, before James Guy overhauled the swimmers in front to put Team GB in the lead and Matt Richards – pulled out of the individual 100m freestyle event to focus on the relay – maintained the advantage.

That gave three-time Olympic silver medallist Scott an anchor-leg lead that he never looked likely to relinquish, as he duly produced a stunning 1:43.45.

A tearful Guy said: “As a kid, winning an Olympic gold medal was my absolute dream and to do it after 25 years is pretty emotional.”

Dean became the first British male to win double Olympic swimming gold in 113 years, when Henry Taylor won three at London 1908.

He said: "I can’t even put it into words, I couldn’t yesterday [after winning the 200m freestyle gold] and I don’t think I can today. I can’t thank these boys enough from the bottom of my heart, it was unreal.”

Freestyle relay gold makes British history

Individual dressage bronze makes it six of the best for Charlotte Dujardin

Charlotte Dujardin became the first British woman to win six Olympic medals with a stunning individual dressage bronze in Tokyo.

Riding young horse Gio, the three-time Olympic champion produced a brilliant ride to snatch third place on the podium in the Grand Prix freestyle final she won in London and Rio.

"It's as good as previous Olympics, it is as good as a gold medal,” said Dujardin.

“A horse that has such little experience. I feel so emotional. He had no idea what he was doing, but he just goes in there and does it.

"If you think he's ten years old doing this, he's going to be a superstar.”

Following a bronze in the team event with Carl Hester and Lottie Fry yesterday, it means Dujardin has three golds, one silver and two bronze medals from three Olympic appearances.

"I can't believe it. To be level with Katherine Grainger was pretty impressive but now I've actually beaten it, oh my God," she added.

"I can't quite believe it, I'm incredibly proud and a bit speechless. I just don't know what to feel.”

Dujardin takes sixth medal with individual dressage bronze

Men's quad sculls take record-breaking silver

Team GB won a men’s quadruple sculls medal for the first time in Olympic history after coming home second to take silver for the first rowing medal of Tokyo 2020.

Harry Leask, Angus Groom, Tom Barras and Jack Beaumont held their nerve to make history on the Sea Forest Waterway, stopping the clock in 5:33.75 in one of the most dramatic races of the meet.

Gold went to the Netherlands while Australia won bronze, with they and fourth-place Poland within a second of the British boat.

The Team GB quartet produced a flying start from the unfavoured lane one and were rewarded for their bravery, going out hard and leading the race in the opening stages to earn their place on the podium.

Team GB had finished fifth in the event at both London 2012 and Rio 2016 and Groom paid tribute to members of the squad past and present.

"We have had history over the years and there have been some phenomenally quick British quads," he said.

"We've just come a little bit unstuck at the Olympics. There's been so much work building up to this, long may it continue."

Brave men's quad sculls scoop silver

Sailors star with Scott in red-hot form

Britain’s sailors enjoyed a successful fourth day of competition, with Team GB leading in three classes, in third place and in fourth in three other classifications.

Windsurfer Emma Wilson is on track for a good week as she tops the standings after nine out of 12 races before the medal race.

The men’s and women’s 49er and 49erFX crews are on top of the standings, with Dylan Fletcher and Stu Bithell leading after four races and Charlotte Dobson and Saskia Tidey out in front after six.

Reigning Olympic champion Giles Scott showed his class after bagging two victories in races three and four in the Finn single-handed dinghy to get himself back into contention.

Scott had come ninth in both his races on day one but recovered to haul himself up to fourth in the overall standings.

Team GB flagbearer Hannah Mills got underway alongside Eilidh McIntyre in the 470 women’s class and the world champions settled their nerves with a third and a fourth to sit third after the opening day of action.

Close calls elsewhere in Tokyo Team GB’s rugby sevens side agonisingly missed out on winning a bronze medal after a 17-12 defeat to Argentina.

Without injured captain Tom Mitchell, the side - who claimed silver in Rio in 2016 - went down in the bronze medal match after losing to New Zealand in the semi-final.

There were two top ten finishes for Team GB in the gymnastics as James Hall placed eight and Joe Fraser finished ninth in the men’s all-around final.

Andy Murray’s hopes of bagging a record fourth Olympic medal were ended as he and Joe Salisbury were beaten 4-6 7-6 10-7 by Croatian pair Ivan Dodig and Marin Cilic in the men’s doubles quarter-finals.

Liam Broady’s singles challenge was curtailed in the third round by France’s Jeremy Chardy, who prevailed 7-6 4-6 6-1.

Coming up on day six After five years away, Helen Glover could claim a third rowing gold alongside Polly Swann in the women’s pair after qualifying third fastest.

Fresh from claiming a fantastic team bronze, gymnastics twins Jessica and Jennifer Gadirova compete in the women’s all-around final.

World champion Mallory Franklin has real hopes of claiming gold at the Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre in the first ever women’s C1 canoe slalom Olympic final.

And in a repeat of the 2016 women’s hockey final in Rio, Team GB will play the Netherlands after winning gold five years ago in a penalty shoot-out.

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