Tokyo Olympics LIVE updates Bol ends 53-year Aussie drought in 800m USA loom in semi-final for Boomers
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Brandon Starc misses his first attempt at 2.37. His personal best is 2.36.
Brandon StarcCredit:AP
Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi and Qatari world champion Mutaz Essa Barshim are yet to miss an attempted jump.
Barshim came second in Rio and third in London.
Starc has now decided to take a pass for his second attempt at 2.37. This mean’s he has chosen to advance to the next height without having cleared 2.37. He will still get three attempts at that height of 2.39
After needing three attempts to make 2.33, Brandon Starc has nailed the next height of 2.35 to be well within medal contention in the high jump.
Absolutely brilliant. That’s a season’s best jump for Starc.
His personal best is 2.36.
Australian hurdler Liz Clay said three false starts at the beginning of her 100-metre hurdles cost her a finals spot despite running a personal best in Tokyo. Clay said the calibre of competition this year “was insane,†pointing to her 12.7-second run, which would have qualified her for the final in any previous Olympics.
The hurdler missed out by less than a 10th of second on a finals spot after the third semi-final went through in Olympic record time.
Liz Clay.Credit:Getty
“I’m pretty upset,†she said.
“It was pretty frustrating to finally get going on the fourth start. It is my first major, so I thought I held myself together pretty well.â€
The event is loaded with historical significance for Australian athletics. Sally Pearson won gold in the 100 metres at the 2012 Games.
“Sally and I had a really different path to our success,“said Clay.
“I feel like I deserved to be out there just as much as she did. I was a late bloomer, Sally was a prodigy from you know, when she was 18.â€
Clay, 26, said she would like to be an inspiration to other late bloomers. “But it’s great to be, you know, coming up the ranks behind her because she’s an Australian icon,†she said.
Despite the scoreboard, the South African women have played exceptionally well against Australia this evening. Special attention must be paid to their goalkeeper Megan Maartens, who pulled off the unbelievable and saved two penalty shots on goal. It’s by far their best performance at Tokyo given their other losses have been by at least 20 points. Currently seeded third, the win is great timing for Australia, who will progress through to the quarter-finals on Tuesday. The draw has not yet been released but they’ll need tomorrow to regroup ahead of their matches against countries such as Spain, the Netherlands, the US and Hungary.
Brandon Starc has cleared 2.33 metres at his third attempt, and after missing twice he looked like he did it fairly comfortably on his last chance saloon.
Brandon Starc.Credit:Getty
The bar goes to 2.35 metres now.
Peter Bol is the first Australian in an 800-metre men’s final since 1968. He won his semi-final tonight to qualify.
“That’s a big call,†he said of Bruce McAvaney’s declaration that he can win gold. “First thing’s first. Job’s done today but still a lot to go.
“We can’t underestimate any of these runners. Any day someone can come out. Stay humble, stay focused. Creating a lot of noise back home, got to stay humble,†Bol told Channel Seven.
He had a message for his sister too: “Two minutes. My sister said she was so nervous, it’s all over now, just got to wait a few more days. Thank you.â€
2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games gold medal winner Brandon Starc is dangerously close to being eliminated from the high jump.
He has missed two jumps at 2.33 metres. Only once chance left to clear it for Mitchell Starc’s younger brother.
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