Karsten Warholm of Norway obliterated his own world record in the Olympic 400-meter hurdles, finishing in 45.94 seconds.
ADVERTISEMENTKarsten Warholm of Norway has beaten his own world record to win the 400-metre hurdles gold medal on Tuesday at the Tokyo Olympics.
The two-time world champion ran 45.94 seconds to win a final where six of the first seven finishers set either national or area records.
It's the second time in just over a month that Warholm has lowered the record. He set the previous mark of 46.70 at Oslo on July 1.
Second-place finisher Rai Benjamin of the United States finished in 46.17, also bettering the 46.7 record that Warholm set just last month.
“Sometimes in training, my coaches keep telling me this could be possible with the perfect race,” Warholm said of the prospect of breaking 46 seconds. “But it was hard to imagine it because it's a big barrier, and it's something you don't even dream about.”
From Kayak to boxing, here is what else is happening today in Tokyo.
Chinese gymnasts take gold and silver on balance beam
Chinese gymnasts Guan Chenchen and Tang Xijing swept the gold and silver in balance beam with American Simone Biles winning bronze in the event.
Guan took the gold with a score of 14.633, ahead of Tang (14.233).
Biles (14.000) earned her seventh career Olympic medal — tied with Shannon Miller for the most by an American in gymnastics — by drilling a slightly watered-down version of her usual routine in front of a crowd that included IOC President Thomas Bach.
Germany secures long jump top spot
Malaika Mihambo of Germany took the top spot in the women’s long jump with a 7-meter leap on her final attempt and edged US veteran Brittney Reese for the Olympic gold medal.
Mihambo won the world championship title in 2019 and finished just off the podium in fourth place at the 2016 Olympics.
The 34-year-old Reese now has back-to-back Olympic silver medals at the Tokyo Games and from Rio de Janeiro after winning the title at London in 2012.
Hungary's canoers win 1000M gold, silver
Balint Kopasz dominated the final 250 meters to pull away and win the gold medal in the canoe sprint men’s kayak 1,000 for a 1-2 finish for Hungary at Sea Forest Waterway.
Hungary’s Adam Varga edged Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta by 0.047 seconds at the finish for the silver medal.
Kopasz came in as the reigning world champion and was locked in a tough battle with Pimenta over the first 750 meters before his final push to the win.
British cyclist Clancy retires with injury
British track cyclist Ed Clancy withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics and announced his retirement because of an ongoing back and sciatica injury, hours before his pursuit team was scheduled to compete in its first-round ride.
Charlie Tanfield will replace him alongside Ethan Hayter, Ethan Vernon and Ollie Wood in the four-man lineup.
Clancy has been part of the gold medal-winning pursuit squad during the last three Olympic cycles. He also has a bronze medal in the multidiscipline omnium while spending just over 20 years on the national team.
ADVERTISEMENTClancy said he was “absolutely gutted that my Olympic career has ended this way."
But he said he wants the rest of the team to have the best chance of winning a medal
Japan wins featherweight boxing
Sena Irie of Japan has claimed the first-ever women’s featherweight boxing gold medal with a unanimous decision over the Philippines’ Nesthy Petecio.
Irie became the first female boxer to win a medal for Japan when she secured the first gold of the Tokyo boxing tournament by sweeping the third round on all five judges’ cards at the Kokugikan Arena. Irie’s crisper punches won over the judges in a bout with plenty of clinching.
Petecio settled for the Philippines’ first boxing medal of any kind since 1996, but Manny Pacquiao’s home nation is in contention for at least two more medals in Tokyo.
ADVERTISEMENTFeatherweight was one of two women’s weight classes added to the Olympics in Tokyo. The women’s field also was expanded to 100 fighters from 36 in its first two Olympics.
Italy’s Irma Testa and Britain’s Karriss Artingstall won the division’s inaugural bronze medals.
Cuba wins surprise gold medal in men's canoe race
Cuba won a surprise gold medal in the men’s canoe double 1,000 meters, ahead of China and Germany.
Germany had won the event at five of the last seven Olympic games and Sebastian Brendel had been in the German boat for gold medals in 2012 and 2016.
But the race developed into a battle between Cuba and China over the final 500 meters. Cuba’s Serguey Torres Madrigal and Fernando Dayan Jorge Enriquez edged across the line to win by 0.2 seconds.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Cuban duo had won silver at the world championships in 2019, but Cuba hadn’t medaled in this event at the Olympics since 2000.
Germany won bronze to earn a medal in the events for the seventh consecutive Olympics.