Bolt's 100m crown at play as Dressel seeks to swell Olympic title haul

Bolt's 100m crown at play as Dressel seeks to swell Olympic title haul

Caeleb Dressel chasing more gold on final day of swimming at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
Caeleb Dressel chasing more gold on final day of swimming at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

TOKYO: Usain Bolt's men's 100m crown will have a new owner at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday as Japan's Hideki Matsuyama targets golfing gold and US swimmer Caeleb Dressel aims for two more titles.

Also on day nine, the men's tennis final pits Germany's Alexander Zverev -- who ended Novak Djokovic's pursuit of a Golden Grand Slam -- against Russian Karen Khachanov.

The pandemic-postponed 2020 Games are the first since Athens 2004 to be held without Jamaican sprint king Bolt, who retired in 2017 with the past three 100m and 200m titles, in Beijing, London and Rio.

The first Olympic 100m of the post-Bolt era looks a wide-open contest if the first round is anything to go by. American Trayvon Bromell, who owns the fastest time this year of 9.77sec, only scraped through as a fastest loser after finishing fourth in his heat.

The women's triple jump final focus falls on Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas, who has brought joy to her troubled nation with back-to-back world titles.

Day three of the athletics at the elegant but empty Olympic Stadium will also see New Zealand's veteran shot putter Valerie Adams bid to become the first woman to win a single individual Olympic field event three times.

In the men's high jump Qatar's two-time world champion Mutaz Barshim seeks to shine after making the podium in the past two Olympics.

At the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Dressel is overwhelming favourite to add the 50m freestyle to wins in the 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle team.

He is also expected to go for the meet-ending men's 4x100m medley.

Men's golf set for thrilling climax

In golf, an epic final round is in store at the Kasumigaseki Country Club with Xander Schauffele just one shot clear of Matsuyama.

"To be honest it hasn't settled in just yet," said Matsuyama about playing in the final group of his home Olympics.

"But I'm going to focus on having fun and trying to play well," added the US Masters champion, who contracted coronavirus a month ago.

With twisties-sufferer Simone Biles taking a backseat, freshly crowned all-around champion Sunisa Lee goes for uneven bars gold as the apparatus finals begin at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre.

Heading the list of those out to stop the US teenager is Nina Derwael, aiming to end Belgium's long wait for an Olympic medal of any colour in gymnastics.

Others in with a shout of securing their country's first Olympic honours are Israel's Artem Dolgopyat, who topped men's floor exercise qualifying, and Rhys McClenaghan for Ireland.

The last pair compete in the pommel horse, with McClenaghan already planning an Italian culinary treat should he medal -- a slice of pizza.

Biles's absence from the vault leaves compatriot Jade Carey as the one to beat with Brazil's all-around silver medallist Rebeca Andrade.

The women's badminton final is between Taiwan's world number one Tai Tzu-ying and China's Chen Yufei.

There are also golds on offer in the diving (women's 3m springboard), BMX, weightlifting and sailing, while the fencing action closes with the men's foil team final.

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