Tokyo Olympics: Canada secures second Olympic medal with synchronized diving silver

Felix Auger-Aliassime, of Canada, plays against Max Purcell, of Australia, during the first round of the tennis competition at the Tokyo Olympics.

Seth Wenig/The Associated Press

Latest Olympic updates

OLYMPIC EVENTS FOR JULY 25

1. Tennis: Felix Auger-Aliassime’s opponent Max Purcell of Australia pulled off a surprise upset by defeating the Montrealer in men’s singles play. Purcell, ranked 190th overall, replaced two-time defending gold medalist Andy Murray last minute after Murray withdrew due to a right quadricep sprain. Auger-Aliassime will be competing in men’s mixed doubles with teammate Gabriela Dabrowski later this week.

2. Diving: Jennifer Abel and Melissa Citrini-Beaulieu have secured Canada’s second medal of the Tokyo Games, with a silver in the women’s three-metre synchronized springboard event. The Canadians were placed sixth after the first two dives but overcame their nerves as the event wore on. In the final three dives, the pair pulled away to finish with a total score of 300.78.

3. Taekwondo: Skylar Park of Winnipeg fell to Taiwan’s Chai-Ling Lo after reaching the women’s taekwondo quarter-final. Earlier this morning, Park bested Australia’s Stacey Hymer to advance to this stage in the competition. Park and Lo began their bout cautiously in the opening round before ramping up in the final – but Park could simply not catch Lo.

4. Softball: Japan defeated Canada in softball 1-0 in extra innings, closing our window of opportunity to make it to the finals. Canada will play for bronze at the Tokyo Olympics and is assured a spot in the top four. Canada has never won a softball medal at any Olympics, though came close with a fourth place showing at Beijing in 2008.

5. Boxing: After a long fight to reach the Tokyo Olympics, Mandy Bujold was eliminated from the women’s boxing competition by Serbia’s Nina Radovanovic in her opening bout. Bujold had earlier won a human rights claim against the International Olympic Committee after she had been left out of consideration for the Tokyo Games.

6. Tennis: After lighting the Olympic cauldron on Friday, Naomi Osaka defeated her first Olympic rival of the Tokyo Games, Zheng Saisai of China, early today. The match was her first in nearly two months after taking a mental health break and skipping the French Open and Wimbledon. Other top-ranked tennis players haven’t fared as well, with Ash Barty falling to 48th-ranked Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain.

OFF THE FIELD

1. Masks: Under a new policy from the International Olympic Committee, athletes are allowed to briefly remove their masks while on the podium for photo opportunities. Masks are still mandatory, inside and outside of event spaces, for all athletes, staff, and members of the media to wear – but the new policy allows for a 30-second window for photographers to snap photos of Olympic champions, unmasked.

2. COVID-19: The last two U.S. Open winners will not attend the Tokyo Olympics after a pair of positive COVID-19 tests. Top-ranked players Bryson DeChambeau of the U.S. and Jon Rahm of Spain are among the most high-profile athletes to have to bow out of the Tokyo Games due to COVID-19. DeChambeau will be replaced by U.S. golfer and 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed.

3. Heat: Athletes have been competing in intense heat and humidity in Tokyo’s stifling summer climate, where temperatures regularly top 33 degrees Celsius. In response, the International Olympic Committee confirmed that it would back schedule changes to the Games if needed to avoid the hottest midday temperatures.

4. Olympic friendships: Bailey Andison knew that qualifying for the Canadian Olympic swimming team meant she’d get the chance at competing in Tokyo alongside her childhood best friend Brook Henderson, representing Canada in golf. The two made a pact that if they both qualified, then they would attend the Games.

5. Skateboarding: Outside Ariake Urban Park in Tokyo, onlookers can spot numerous – and ironic – white posters. They tell you that skating is banned outside the arena that saw the first ever skateboarding Olympic medal awarded to Japan’s Yuto Horigome. American skateboarding athlete Nyjah Huston said in an interview that he hoped skateboarding’s entrance into the Olympics will make it more socially acceptable.

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Situation in Tokyo, by numbers

WHAT IS THE OLYMPIC MEDAL TALLY IN TOKYO SO FAR?

So far, China has the most gold medals, six, followed by Japan with five and the United States with four. Canada has two silver medals.

JAPAN’S LATEST COVID-19 DATA

WHAT TIME IS IT IN TOKYO RIGHT NOW?

Olympic highlights for July 25

Canada’s Maggie MacNeil, pictured July 24, 2021, during the women’s 100m butterfly heats at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

KAI PFAFFENBACH/Reuters

The Tokyo Olympic pool is where it’s at tonight for Canada. After helping claim Canada’s first Olympic medal in Tokyo, Maggie MacNeil gets another shot at adding to her haul when she competes at 9:30 p.m. ET in the women’s 100m butterfly. Many Canadians will also be cheering on Summer McIntosh as she competes in the women’s 400m freestyle final. Tune in at 10:20 p.m. ET

Photos of Canada’s medal winners at Tokyo Olympics and other highlights

Video moments from Canada’s first silver medals at the Games

Canada has won its first medals at the Tokyo Olympics, taking silver in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay and women’s three-metre synchronized diving. Penny Oleksiak surged home in the last leg to secure the relay silver and the divers came back from being in sixth. Also at the pool, Japan won its first swimming gold medal at the Games and Tunisia won gold in an upset over Australia and the United States. The Globe and Mail

Legendary Olympians are great performers, and Penny Oleksiak is one of them

Penny Oleksiak has done it again, driving the women’s freestyle relay team to a silver place finish and securing her fifth Olympic medal. At just 21, Oleksiak is only one medal behind the two greatest Canadian Olympians by overall medal performance – Cindy Klassen and Clara Hughes, who both brought home six medals each. In the intervening years between the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, Oleksiak kept a low profile. But now that all eyes are on her, she’s doing what she does best – winning.

COVID-19 precautions at Olympics merely a “theatre of safety” during Sunday’s swimming events

The stands at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre may be mostly barren of spectators, but about two- or three-hundred athletes, coaches and officials were still in attendance. During introductions, cheering echoed through the arena. As the events kicked off, so too did the sparse audience kick off their masks. When their country-people won, COVID-19 protocols went out the window in favour of hugging. This performance begs the question, if athletes and officials are “permitted to whoop it up in the stands, why weren’t the Japanese people invited to attend an event they paid for?” Columnist Cathal Kelly writes, “The people forced to stay home aren’t watching the safest major sports tournament ever staged. They are watching the theatre of safety. They are watching farce.”

Kylie Masse sets Olympic record in backstroke, only to have to eclipsed twice over in next heat

Nathan VanderKlippe shares his latest from Tokyo to our behind the scenes diary written by Globe reporters currently attending the Games. Kylie Masse had little time to celebrate being an Olympic record holder when she finished her backstroke heat in just 57.70 seconds. In the very next bout, that brief record was overtaken by Regan Smith of the U.S., with 57.57 seconds, then again by Kaylee McKeown of Australia, with 57.45 seconds.

Tokyo Olympic events to watch tomorrow, July 26

1. Swimming, 6:00 a.m.: Canadians Penny Oleksiak and Summer McIntosh hit the pool for the 200-metre freestyle heat at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

2. Basketball, 4:20 a.m.: Flag-bearer Miranda Ayim competes in the women’s basketball tournament where Canada will be facing off against Serbia – one of the favourites to win.

3. Volleyball, 6:40 a.m.: The Canadian men’s team will square off with Japan in volleyball – a shot at redemption after dropping their opening match against Italy. Canada has yet to win an Olympic medal in volleyball.

4. Softball, 1:30 a.m.: Canada will attempt to bring home its first Olympic medal in softball during this bronze medal game against Italy.

Check the full Olympic schedule for the latest event times and competitors.

The Tokyo Olympics: Essential reads

What athletes and teams should Canadians look out for? Consult our guide.

How did Canada’s swimmers use data to get stronger? Grant Robertson and Timothy Moore explain.

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