Olympics medal table and live results | Schedule for day nine of Games
Phelps caps glittering Olympic career with one final swimming gold
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4.03pm BST
In the boxing arena, the bantamweight preliminaries are under way and Ireland’s Michael Conlan has made a winning start, comfortably overcoming Aram Avagyan of Armenia.
4.02pm BST
Perhaps inevitably, Great Britain have lost to China in the quarter-finals of the men’s table tennis competition. If you have a house put it on China to win gold.
3.58pm BST
Justin Rose has been given a free drop after a spectator tried to stop his ball following an errant tee shot in the final round of the men’s golf competition. Rose is currently at -14, one ahead of Stenson – famous last words but it looks like the winner will be one of those two.
3.56pm BST
Jemima Sumgong has pulled clear to win the women’s marathon for Kenya with a brilliant finish in 2:24.04. Kirwa takes silver, nine seconds back, and Mare Dibaba holds on for bronze.
Sumgong won the London marathon earlier this year but was just out of the medal places at last year’s word championships so this victory will be all the more sweet.
3.53pm BST
We’re entering the closing stages – and a member of the crowd has just jumped the barriers, waved a sign and jumped the barriers on the other side! He was quickly set upon by police, there are a lot of police around.
3.51pm BST
Sumgong is pulling clear of Kirwa … but Kirwa is coming back at her. Dibaba is way off in the distance and will have to battle to stay in the bronze medal position.
One kilometre to go …
3.49pm BST
Great Britain’s Rajiv Ouseph is into the last 16 of the men’s singles badminton competition following a 21-15, 21-9 victory over Japan’s Sho Sasaki.
3.47pm BST
They’ve reached 40km and Dibaba is indeed slipping off the front. It looks like it’s between Sumgong and Kirwa.
3.46pm BST
It’s still Kirwa, Dibaba and Sumgong at the front of the women’s marathon – Sumgong is looking very strong and putting the pressure on Dibaba.
3.38pm BST
There’s a three strong breakaway in the women’s marathon with five kilometres to go – it’s Kirwa, Dibaba and Sumgong.
3.34pm BST
BREAKING: IOC spokesman: Report of swimmer Lochte robbed at gunpoint ‘absolutely not true,’ according to Lochte and USOC #rio2016
3.28pm BST
Henrik Stenson has made another birdie so he and Justin Rose are both leading at -13. He’s clearly feeling confident, judging by this video. (Apologies but it’s for UK viewers only).
3.24pm BST
Ten kilometres to go and it’s the same seven out in the lead – Tsegaye, Dibaba, Chelimo, Kirwa, Sumgong, Mazuronak and Flanagan.
3.22pm BST
Table tennis news and both Liam Pitchford and Paul Drinkhall have lost their opening matches against China. It means Drinkhall and Sam Walker must win their doubles match to stay in the hunt.
3.20pm BST
Here’s more on the news that the USA swimmer Ryan Lochte has reportedly been held up at gunpoint in Rio …
Related: Ryan Lochte held up at gunpoint in Rio, according to reports
3.13pm BST
3.09pm BST
Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson are both on the course for their final rounds of the men’s Olympic competition. Both have made birdies on the first so Rose leads at -13, one ahead of Stenson.
3.07pm BST
Marathon update …
Volha Mazuronak back leading the group of seven. Comments that she is/was coached by Russian Lilya Shobukhova https://t.co/N13Ei5npJa
3.05pm BST
Irish cyclist Nicolas Roche says he developed a serious case of bacterial pneumonia while in Brazil to compete in the Olympic road race and will be forced to miss the Vuelta a Espana.
Roche suggested on Twitter that he may have gotten sick from a “bad aircon in Rio,” though he did not say how he knew that it was caused by air conditioning, nor did he specify whether it was from a unit in the Olympic village.
3.04pm BST
The swimming events in the pool may have finished but that has not stopped the war of words between Lilly King and Yulia Efimova, who has had more to say.
2.59pm BST
Hot in the Sambódromo. Tough on marathon runners. Tougher still on carnival dancers who are parading up and down. pic.twitter.com/HRx25ZeI5l
2.59pm BST
The leading group in the women’s marathon is down to nine after 25km. Bahrain’s Rose Chilemo leads them now but the nine are very much together and ahead of the rest.
2.57pm BST
Equestrian update for you now – in the jumping qualifying, Ben Maher, like his British team-mate Nick Skelton, has accrued four penalties.
2.54pm BST
Still awaiting confirmation on reports that the American swimmer Ryan Lochte was held at gunpoint at a party last night. It’s Fox Sports News currently reporting it – and the broadcaster is reporting that he is thankfully OK.
2.48pm BST
Some distressing breaking news – the USA’s multiple Olympic swimming gold medallist Ryan Lochte has reportedly been held up at gunpoint in Rio. More on that as soon as I have it.
2.44pm BST
After 20km and it’s still the usual suspects on the front, and they’re still struggling with the poorly staffed feeding stations. The coaches are trying to hand out water bottles, said water bottles are going to ground. Some athletes from the same countries are sharing …
2.42pm BST
Trust the first day of the Greco-Roman wrestling to throw up a huge upset on day one of competition.
The first match of the Olympic wrestling tournament produced one of the biggest upsets the Rio Games will likely see. Unheralded Japanese wrestler Shinobu Ota stunned seven-time world champion Hamid Soryan of Iran 5-4 in the opening set of Greco-Roman bouts in Arena Carioca 2.
The loss was the second straight international flame-out for Soryan, who has won six world titles in addition to gold at the London Games in 2012.
2.32pm BST
In the men’s table tennis quarter-final between China and Great Britain, Liam Pitchford is currently 2-1 down in games and it’s 5-5 in the fourth. China have already won the gold and silver medals in the individual men’s and women’s tournament and many aficionados argue that the Olympics is far weaker than other tournaments but it restricts the number of Chinese competitors to just two. Good luck then Great Britain …
2.24pm BST
After 15km in the women’s marathon, there is still around 12 athletes at the front. Its currently headed by Jepkesho of Kenya.
2.18pm BST
Synchronised swimmers were greeted by clear blue water in the competition pool on Sunday after officials worked through the night to replace murky green water that’s become a big embarrassment for Rio 2016 organisers.
Replacing the water in time for the early-morning training and competition at 11am was a significant challenge the pool holds nearly one million gallons. But divers were training as expected Sunday morning.
Courtesy of Associated Press
2.16pm BST
The women’s marathon is approaching 13km and there’s a group of about 12 that have established a bit of a lead. The area of Rio that they’re currently in is, it has to be said, a picturesque part of the city but shade is in short supply. There’s also a pretty good turnout. It’s obviously free to watch – there’s a lesson for the organisers in there somewhere.
2.13pm BST
Golf update for you. The final pair – including Great Britain’s Justin Rose – isn’t out until 2:39pm but there are a fair few on the course at the moment. Ireland’s Seamus Power is four under for the day, five under for the tournament, after just five holes today. Rose will resume at -12, one shot ahead of Henrik Stenson.
2.10pm BST
Almost the perfect start for Nick Skelton, who accrues four penalties at the very last fence aboard Big Star in the jumping qualifiers.
2.07pm BST
Horses! The qualifiers of the jumping has just started. Great Britain’s Nick Skelton, competing at his seventh Olympics is in action shortly.
Also under way at 10am is Great Britain v China in the men’s table tennis quarter-finals. I’ll be bringing you updates from there as well.
2.04pm BST
Venzuela have finished up comfortable winners in their last 16 clash in the men’s epee against Brazil, prevailing 45-25. Up next for them is France.
1.59pm BST
The athletes are going at a fair old lick in the marathon but the organisation seems pretty shoddy. It’s baking hot and it seems organisers have not made it particularly easy for the athletes to grab a drink on their way round.
1.55pm BST
The women’s marathon is getting a little strung out now but all those expected to contest are at the front – Mare Dibaba and her Ethiopian team-mate Tigist Tufa have been clocked at 17.23min after 5km, as has Visiline Jepkesho of Kenya.
Portugal’s Sara Moreira, the European half-marathon champion, has slowed to a halt. She must be injured which is a great shame for her.
1.50pm BST
Woof!
Slow-mo of start of women's marathon. pic.twitter.com/EJ4lh5RwWb
1.45pm BST
Whenever I think of Olympic marathons, it’s not just your man running from Marathon to Athens to deliver a message that springs to mind, rather it’s also Abebe Bikila’s mind-boggling shoeless victory at Rome 1960. Relive that victory here in this rather excellent gallery.
1.41pm BST
Among the 157 athletes taking place in the women’s marathon are the Estonian Luik sisters – reckoned to be the first triplets to compete alongside each other at the Olympics. And having featured them in our 100 athletes to watch in Rio, why not have a look at it again … how’d we do?
Related: 100 Olympians to watch at Rio 2016
1.36pm BST
It’s the final day of the fencing competition today and on the piste at present are Venezuela and Brazil, competing for a place in the men’s epee quarter-finals. Venezuela current lead 23-15.
1.32pm BST
The women’s marathon is under way. It begins and ends at the Sambódromo, traditionally the scene of carnival samba school parades. Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba, the reigning world champion, is the gold medal favourite but she will be challenged by the Kenyan duo Jemima Sumgong, the 2016 London marathon winner, and Helah Kiprop.
They’ve been running for a minute and I’d have already been dropped …
1.28pm BST
This is a valid point, but swimming is always a grey area – it’s actually a discipline of the Olympic sport of aquatics, just as diving, water polo and synchronised swimming (which begins today!) are.
It has been Great Britain’s best Olympics haul in the pool since 1908 and it could well be added to in the two open water events, but that said the open water events have only been on the Olympic programme in their current guise since 2008 so comparisons with previous Games are difficult.
I'm confused about this British swimming record, and how "It was Great Britain’s best medal haul since 1908" (emphasis added)
Aren't there two more swimming events left? The Women's 10km is on Monday, Men's 10km Tuesday. Both of which are swimming events, unless they're planning to walk somehow, or maybe waterski, or something. Indeed, if I were Keri-Anne Payne or Jack Burnell, I'd be pretty disappointed that British Swimming don't consider them part of the team.
1.07pm BST
Something for readers in the UK … hen party … BBC presenter on live TV … you get the idea …
12.59pm BST
Staying with cycling, and here’s a bit of and ode to Australia’s Anna Meares who captured her sixth Olympic medal on Saturday with bronze in the keirin. Considering there was no women’s team sprint or women’s keirin until London 2012 that is mightily impressive.
Related: Anna Meares' sixth medal elevates her among the great Australian Olympians
12.43pm BST
Great Britain’s most successful Olympian was in the velodrome last night, cheering on his compatriots but when he, Owain Doull, Steven Burke and Ed Clancy appeared on TV Wiggins was the only one not wearing his medal. Asked where it was, he replied (with tongue firmly in cheek it must be said): “I’ve lost it.”
Anyone found it or is Wiggo playing silly beggars?
12.38pm BST
Here’s what HColider1 has to say on Great Britain’s swimming performance: “I don’t think this medal haul quite eclipses Adlingtons double gold. They aren’t directly comparable but that was a real moment in time as an event. For me anyway. Peaty is as impressive as a swimmer. But there is something amazing about the Adlington double and what it has inspired that I think it stands the test of time. The overall haul being better is however an impressive tribute to the efforts made to make British swimming great and we now have a rounded team who can medal across many events with more to come.
12.35pm BST
It’s difficult to mark the exact halfway point of the Olympics, what with the action starting in dribs and drabs before the opening ceremony but it’s safe to say it’s the middle Sunday of the Games.
So have a read of Owen Gibson’s half-time report on the first Olympic Games in South America.
The beach volleyball arena on Copacabana, placed in a prime telegenic site on the world’s most famous strand and housing one of Brazil’s favourite sports, was supposed to be one of the focal points of South America’s firstOlympic Games.
12.26pm BST
Here’s a question for you … after Great Britain won 4x100m medley silver in the final session in the pool it took their swimming tall to five medals – one gold and five silvers. Add in the fact that James Guy, Hannah Miley, Chloe Tutton, Andrew Willis and Fran Halsall all finished fourth (apologies to anyone I’ve forgotten) and you have to had it to Bill Furniss and Chris Spice for turning around GB’s fortunes in the pool. They were ever so disappointing in London and the swimmers’ approach to media relations did them no favours, but credit where credit is due four years later.
It was Great Britain’s best medal haul since 1908 – but my question is does it eclipse Beijing 2008 when Rebecca Adlington’s two gold medals would have placed GB higher in the medals table? Food for thought …
12.18pm BST
Hello world! Who wants to kick things off with one of our snazzy interactives? Yeah you do. Here’s exactly how Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam won heptathlon gold, forcing the defending champion Jessica Ennis-Hill to settle for silver.
Related: How Nafissatou Thiam beat the odds to claim the heptathlon gold in Rio
12.14pm BST
Meanwhile, the debate about the best British Olympian is warming up nicely below the line. “Seb Coe,” says John Smith, whose name suggests he might know a thing or two about best of Britishness. “By defending his 1500m Olympic title he did not only something no Briton has ever done, but something that no other athlete from anywhere has done before or since.” Fair enough, John, although let’s not overlook Tatyana Kazankina, who won 1500m gold in Montreal in 1976 and successfully defended her title four years later in Moscow. And with that, I’m going to leave you in the very capable hands of Gerard Meagher, who will guide you through the next phase of day nine in Rio.
12.07pm BST
I’ve just taken a moment to watch Jessica Ennis-Hill’s interview after the conclusion of the heptathlon, where she narrowly lost out to Belgium’s Nafi Thiam in her attempt to defend the heptathlon title she won in London four years ago. Emotional stuff. But also a reminder, dare I say it, that there is more to life than sport alone. She hinted at the possibility of retirement but, whether she goes or stays, what an inspirational figure she has been – Olympian, world champion, mother, wife … Katarina Johnson-Thompson could have no better role model.
11.52am BST
Who is the greatest British athlete in history? For my money, it has to be Daley Thompson, winner of Olympic decathlon gold in Moscow and Los Angeles, to name but two of his numerous achievements. Ask Roger Black, though, and he’ll tell you it’s Mo Farah. “If we’re going to judge who are the greatest athletes, the only thing missing for Mo Farah is he doesn’t hold a world record,” said Black. “But all athletes know although records are important the mark of an athlete is, ‘Can you race when it matters, the Olympic final?’ … and Mo is one of the great racers of all time. I’m not sure it’s about records for Mo, it’s about medals and they are the most important things. It’s corny but records are there to be broken. I don’t see him getting a world record in the 10,000m or 5,000m but I don’t think he needs to for us to at least talk about him as the greatest British track and field athlete of all time. How do you compare Seb Coe, Daley Thompson, Mo Farah … it’s a subjective question in an objective sport. But I think Mo is the best British athlete of all time.” So there you have it. Feel free to add your thoughts below the line.
11.45am BST
My favourite below the line comment of the day so far comes from funkapuss, who writes: “Phelps and the other big names are great and all, but the really lovely moments come from the looks of utter joy mixed with disbelief of unlikely winners from tiny nations. Yesterday, Monica Puig was the one to cut through my cynicism and remind me what still makes the Olympics such a great event despite all the crap the goes along with it, amazing performance, wonderful scenes.” Couldn’t agree more, funkapuss. The tennis event has been fantastic all round, with dramatic early exits for Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, the spectacular renaissance of Juan Martin Del Potro – who, on a tearful day at the tennis centre, greeted his semi-final win over Nadal in similarly lachrymose style – and Puig’s unlikely takedown of Angelique Kerber. I wouldn’t be surprised if Puig is still weeping now. Between that outpouring of emotion and the bouncy celebration with which she marked her semi-final win over Petra Kvitova – move over Derek Drouin, there’s a new jump specialist in town! – she’s been a joy to watch in Rio.
11.31am BST
“US sports fans confront an uncomfortable question as Sunday night’s showdown between Justin Gatlin and Usain Bolt in the 100m final draws near: is it OK to root for Gatlin?” So writes Bryan Armen Graham. Want to know the answer? You know the drill.
Related: A uncomfortable question for USA fans: is it OK to root for Justin Gatlin?
11.28am BST
Remember Samir Aït-Saïd, the French gymnast who broke his leg in sickening fashion on the vault on day one in Rio? Of course you do. Well, thankfully he’s of a sanguine cast of mind. “There are worse things in life,” he said to l’Equipe. “I’m in good health, that’s the main thing.” Simon Burnton salutes Aït-Saïd’s forbearance – and says Mauricio Pochettino, the Tottenham manager, could learn a thing or two from him.
Related: Samir Aït-Saïd shows the classy response to sporting adversity at Olympics
11.18am BST
Jess flying, Mo crying and a whole lot more … yes, it’s the best pictures from day eight for your delight and delectation. Because we’re good like that.
Related: Phelps' farewell, Farah and Bolt on the track: Rio 2016, day eight – in pictures
11.16am BST
Golf clubs are being wielded in anger as the first action of day nine gets started in Barra da Tijuca. To recap, Justin Rose leads by a shot from Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, who is on 11 under par, with Marcus Fraser of Australia in third on nine under. Anirban Lahiri of India and Japan’s Shingo Katayama are out already, with the group two trio of Siddikur Rahmann, Miguel Tabuena and Julien Quesne – Bangladesh, the Philippines and France, since you ask – hot on their heels. Rose, Stenson and Fraser tee off at 10.39am local time. We’ll keep an eye on events there.
11.03am BST
British rowers claimed nine medals at London 2012. In Rio, where the target was six to eight, they won five. Success or failure? Emma John ponders the issue in the piece below.
Related: British rowers short of medal target but no hiding David Tanner’s pride | Emma John
10.58am BST
I should also mention that, before hopping on to the pommel horse tonight, Max Whitlock will be aiming to pip Japan’s Kenzo Shirai to gold in the men’s floor event. Could he do it? Well, Shirai, whose gold medal-winning floor routine at the World Championships in Antwerp three years ago included a historic first quadruple twist, will take some beating. But Whitlock won a silver medal at the worlds last year and can’t be discounted. The action starts at 2pm Rio time.
10.45am BST
From Geraint Thomas crashing last weekend to 2008 silver medallist Emma Pooley finishing 14th in the individual time trial, the Games began inauspiciously for Team GB’s cyclists. But victory for the men’s team sprint trio, and for Bradley Wiggins and co in the team pursuit, was followed by another world record for the team pursuit foursome of Laura Trott, Elinor Barker, Joanna Rowsell-Shand and Katie Archibald, suggesting British Cycling’s obituary writers can rest for a while yet. So says Helen Pidd. You can read her piece below.
Related: Track success at Rio 2016 smooths over British cycling’s fractious four years
10.34am BST
Writing below the line, “spleenius” remarks: “GB has some male gymnasts competing too. Their prospects are decent, I think?” That they are, spleenius – and it’s not all about Max Whitlock, either. After claiming Britain’s first all-round medal in 108 years when he won the bronze behind Japan’s Kohei Uchimura and Oleg Verniaiev of Ukraine earlier in the week, Whitlock goes in to the men’s pommel horse final tonight as favourite. Victory for the reigning world champion would mean a first gymnastics gold medal in history for Great Britain. But with fellow countryman and London 2012 silver medallist Louis Smith also in contention, Whitlock is unlikely to have things all his own way. The final is scheduled to start at 3.34pm Rio time.
10.15am BST
Their work in Rio done, the British swimming contingent could be forgiven for still being awake, albeit for very different reasons to Greg Rutherford. And frankly, having just helped themselves to a little slice of sporting history, why not wash it down with a caipirinha or three? Here’s a taste of Stuart Goodwin’s piece on Team GB’s performances in the pool.
Britain’s Great Britain’s silver in the men’s 4x100m individual medley relay meant the team ended the Olympic swimming programme in the pool with six medals, the country’s best medal haul in the sport since 1908. The list of one gold and five silvers also exceeded the three-to-five-medal target set by UK Sport prior to the Games.
In the final swimming event at the Olympic Aquatic Centre in Rio, the quartet of Chris Walker-Hebborn, Adam Peaty, James Guy and Duncan Scott finished behind a dominant US team led by Michael Phelps, but even the 23-times gold medallist was said to have been stunned with Peaty’s astonishing breaststroke leg, which was timed at 56.59sec. The Uttoxeter-born swimmer, whose effort was almost half a second quicker than the world record he set in the individual 100m finallast week, said of Phelps’s reaction: “He was swearing and said ‘56.5 is mad’. He was pretty impressed.”
10.05am BST
It’s coming up to 6am in Rio, and you could be forgiven for imagining that the athletes who competed on Saturday are sleeping off their endeavours. Not so Greg Rutherford, who has been up into the wee small hours mulling over his inability to defend his long jump title. Rutherford was inconsolable after Jeff Henderson of the US took gold ahead of the South African Luvo Manyonga, leaving him with “only” a bronze medal to show for his efforts. “I come here to win and when I don’t it’s difficult … It’s a very hard bronze medal to take,” he said in the immediate aftermath of the competition. And eschewing his bed, he’s since been baring his soul further on Twitter. Chin up, Greg.
2/3 I'm really disappointed with today and that may sound mad to some, but I wanted this so bad and gave everything to try and win.
3/3 When your best isn't good enough it hurts and I want to rectify what's happened. Thank you again for the love. It means so much
9.49am BST
Today’s prize for verbal accuracy goes to Pummeluffpapa, who makes the valuable distinction between “reprisal” and “reprise”. In my defence, it was still early. But if Mo did go in for reprisals, Pummel, I wouldn’t want to be Galen Rupp … training partner or no training partner.
the latest reprisal of the Mobot
9.40am BST
Whatever happens to Justin Rose, Andy Murray and the other Brits in action on day nine, Team GB is assured of at least one gold medal. That’s down to the endeavours of track cyclists Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner, who will contest the final of the Olympic men’s sprint. Over to you, Helen Pidd.
Britain’s track cyclists are assured of yet another gold and silver medal after both Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner reached the final of the individual sprint.
The two friends, who won gold in the team sprint with Philip Hindes on Friday night, will go head-to-head in the Rio velodrome on Sunday at 5.04pm local time. They are sharing a room in the Olympic village, which may make pre-race preparation a little tricky on Sunday morning.
9.30am BST
Toilet fishing and a half wombat, half dog? It looks very much like the latest edition of our Rio diary.
Related: Rio 2016 diary: star of the week, toilet fishing, and a half wombat, half dog
9.27am BST
Back to today, and there’s an early start too in the women’s marathon final, in which Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba, the reigning world champion, is the gold medal favourite. It promises to be a suitably epic contest, with Dibaba facing stern challenges from the Kenyan duo Jemima Sumgong, the 2016 London marathon winner, and Helah Kiprop, who pushed her all the way in Beijing. The action gets underway at the Sambódromo, traditionally the scene of carnival samba school parades but reappropriated for use as an archery and marathon venue during the Olympics, at 09.30am Rio time.
9.05am BST
We can’t mention the tennis without pausing for a moment to reflect on the remarkable achievement of the unheralded Monica Puig in winning the women’s singles against Angelique Kerber on Saturday. Her gold medal, the first of that hue for Puerto Rico in any discipline, was just reward for a typically fearless, free-hitting third-set performance to which Kerber – the Australian Open champion, world No2 and recent Wimbledon finalist, if you please – simply had no answer. She’s a thoroughly likeable character, is Puig, and her breakthrough moment feels long overdue, her best previous showing in a major competition having been a fourth round appearance at Wimbledon three summers ago. That is scant return for such a gifted player, but at 22 she has time on her side. Her Rio victories over major winners Garbiñe Muguruza, Petra Kvitova and Kerber point to a big future in the game.
8.50am BST
Farah’s win shunted Britain’s gold medal tally up to 10 – Team GB are now third in the overall standings, behind China and the US – and day nine could bring further joy if Andy Murray can chart a course around the 6ft 6in obstacle that is Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro. That won’t be easy, however, because Del Potro – still feeling his way back into the sport after his prolonged struggles with injury, which have included three wrist operations – has played some inspired tennis in Rio. His semi-final win over against Rafael Nadal on Saturday was a sight to behold, with his serve in fine fettle and that extraordinary forehand in full flow in the final stages of a third set steeped in tension and drama. There were no such problems for Murray, whose straight-sets dissection of Kei Nishikori was nothing less than clinical, but he will need to be at his best against the man who conquered world No1 Novak Djokovic in the opening round. Del Potro left the court in tears after beating Nadal and, with his backhand much improved since his tentative return to the circuit earlier this year, he looks intent on riding that wave of emotion all the way to Olympic gold. The men’s singles final, which will be played over five sets, is scheduled for 3.30pm Rio time.
8.22am BST
While we’re on the theme of the incomparable, how about Mo Farah’s dramatic 10,000m gold? Non-nocturnal Brits may be waking up to the disappointment of learning that Jess Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford fell agonisingly short of the gold standard they set at London 2012, but news of the latest reprise of the Mobot should bring a little cheer to the breakfast tables of the UK. You can relive the highlights of Farah’s victory – and indeed the glittering end to Michael Phelps’ Olympic career – below … although only if you’re in the UK, alas.
8.09am BST
Speaking of the golf, one wonders what thoughts will be going through the minds of Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy et al come the medal ceremony. It’s one thing to talk dismissively about watching “the stuff that matters” at the Olympics rather than golf, as McIlroy did ahead of the Games, but quite another to watch a fellow professional claim a medal that might have been yours had you bothered to turn up and compete. I’d wager there will be the odd pang of regret among some of the sport’s absentees come anthem time, whether they admit it or not.
Rose certainly seems to be enjoying his time in Brazil. “It would mean an awful lot to win, especially when you see what it means to other athletes here,” he said after claiming the lead on day eight. “It would be unbelievable.” And his message to absent friends? “I would just tell them I had a great time, a positive experience and a lot of fun. It’s a unique experience and something you should be able to make room for in your schedule once every four years … You can’t compare it to anything else.” Hear hear.
7.55am BST
Good morning from London and thanks to Russell for that excellent briefing. So then, day nine. Apparently there are one or two things happening in Rio today, as you’ll have gleaned. Most notably, perhaps, Usain Bolt’s bid for a triple-treble of Olympic golds, which starts in earnest with the men’s 100m sprint semi-finals and – should he make it (it couldn’t happen, could it?) – final. Still, as a grey dawn breaks over London, that seems a very long way off right now. And you know what? It is. It’s just coming up to 4am in Rio, and Usain will no doubt be tucked up in bed dreaming of Justin Gatlin and rear-view mirrors. With the Games’ blue riband event not taking place until late evening, it falls to the golfers to get us underway. Erstwhile Ryder Cup partners Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson, respectively placed in the gold and silver medal positions heading into the final round, tee off in just over three hours. They do like their early starts, the golfing fraternity. I’m Les Roopanarine, by the way, and I’ll be guiding you through the day nine build-up until lunchtime UK time.
6.23am BST
Welcome back for day nine at Rio, where we’ve witnessed Mo Farah quite literally picking himself up off the ground to take back-to-back golds with a rousing win in the men’s 10,000m final, while Michael Phelps signed off on his Olympic career with his 23rd gold medal – and his fifth at these Games – in the 4x100 medley relay.
So many emotions! #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/N5NYojqWHk
A wonderful silver for our women's 4x100m medley to cap off the Rio campaign.https://t.co/7QGBfMJumE#OneTeam pic.twitter.com/Qw7jgdnjRt
Mo Farah! The man with the plan!! Got up & handled his Biz!! Righto GB!!
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