08 August 2021 | Olympics

• Uganda ended its Tokyo Olympics journey with a tough men’s marathon. The country failed to secure a podium place after favourite Stephen Kiprotich crashed out within the 13th Km but finished as the 2nd best performing African country after Kenya.
• Politician Taoiseach Micheál Martin congratulated the members of Team Ireland on their hugely successful Tokyo Olympics.
• Scottish athletes are celebrating an incredible Olympic Games after recording another mammoth medals haul of 16 U.S. rolls to women’s hoops gold medal in Bird’s last Olympics.
• Paris handed baton to host next Olympic Games in 2024 after Tokyo. The handover took place at the closing ceremony of the Olympics.

Uganda closed out its participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after winning 4 medals to finish as the 2nd best performing African country at the games. Joshua Cheptegei won 10,000m silver and 5,000m gold. Peruth Chemutai claimed gold in the 3,000m steeplechase while Jacob Kiplimo also won bronze in the 10,000m. Uganda’s last performance for the women’s was the 10,000m in which Mercyline Chelangat finished 24th in 33:10:90. The race was won by Netherland’s Sifan Hassan in 29:55:32. In the men’s category, Fred Musubo braved the sweltering conditions of 27C and 77% humidity to finish marathon 44th in 2:18:29. 2012 London Olympics gold medalist Stephen Kiprotich suffered a DNF while Felix Chemonges came 51st in 2:50:53.

Politician Taoiseach Micheál Martin congratulated the members of Team Ireland as their hugely successful Tokyo Olympics campaign ended today. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “As the Tokyo Olympics draws to a close, the whole country is so proud of every member of Team Ireland. Sport is such an important and essential aspect of Irish life. We have all shared the collective highs, and been inspired by, the achievements of our athletes. Their performances throughout these Games have lifted the spirits of our nation.[Galway Bay FM]

Scottish athletes are celebrating an incredible Olympic Games after recording another mammoth medals haul. Eleven Scots won a total of 16 medals at the Tokyo Olympics. That’s two more than at London 2012 and just two shy of the record set at Rio 2016. Overall, Team GB won 65 medals, finishing fourth in the final standings and equalling the total from London 2012. Team GB took home 22 golds, 21 silvers and 22 bronzes. Of those, three golds, 10 silvers and three bronzes were won by Scots. [The National Scot]

Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi walked off the basketball court together, arm-in-arm, one last time at the Tokyo Games. They started their journey together five Olympics ago and ended it in the same fashion as always — with gold medals hanging around their necks. “All of what we’ve done for USA Basketball, we’ve done together. It’s fitting,” Bird said after the 90-75 win over Japan on Sunday. And now it’s over — at least for the 40-year-old Bird. “The best comparison is college since you know it’s the end,” Bird said. “Now I always have a wonderful feeling and a great taste in my mouth my senior year. That’s how it is with USA Basketball.” [Press Herald]

The Closing Ceremony began with a video looking back at the two weeks of the Games. It acknowledged that there was “more tension than usual” due to the impact of covid, while featuring scenes that reflect “how we were able to bring these unprecedented Games to a peaceful close,” according to officials. “The main focus of the video is not records and scores but the valiant efforts of all the athletes.” Organizers set up a grassy field in the middle of the stadium, in an effort to make athletes feel as if they are at a Tokyo park, organizers said. The move acknowledged that the Olympians could not spend time hanging out in the city, as they normally would have, due to covid restrictions. Performances, like jumping rope and yoga, re-created what it feels like to be in an imaginary park in the capital, a slice of life that organizers hope to convey to the athletes. The Japanese flag was carried in at the top of the ceremonies, with the six flag bearers consisting of four athletes, a person with a disability and a health-care professional — nods to the upcoming Paralympic Games and the efforts of medical workers in the pandemic. A joyous parade of about 4,600 participants, the majority who were Olympians, unfolded after each of the 206 participating members’ flags were marched into the center of the stadium. Athletes milled about after entering, and they clapped, danced and took photos while a row of volunteers greeted them, waving and clapping along. A ska band and a DJ played music to create a lively mood. 62 flags were carried in by volunteers because delegates had to go home, according to the BBC. (Most athletes were required to leave within 48 hours of completing their competition because of the pandemic.) The athletes who attended Sunday night had to spit into vials every day to test negative for the coronavirus to train and compete in their events. The ceremonies concluded with the handoff to the 2024 Paris Games. In the French capital, organizers broadcast an image of a large flag using the Eiffel Tower as a flagpole. A cheering crowd gathered near the Parisian landmark, before a stage featuring breakdancers. The flag’s fabric will be reused for a clothing collection that marks the Paris Games. [The Washington Post]

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