Five takeaways from Wednesday at the Games - The Globe and Mail

SUMMER STAR

With her bronze medal in the women’s 200-metre freestyle, Toronto swimmer Penny Oleksiak became Canada’s most decorated Summer Olympian. The freestyle bronze was Oleksiak’s second of the Games and sixth overall, moving her ahead of rower Lesley Thompson-Willie and runner Phil Edwards. “I don’t think I’m here by chance,” said Oleksiak, who won four medals at the 2016 Rio Games as a 16-year-old.

HALEY MAKES HISTORY

Haley Daniels made Canadian canoe history when she competed in the women’s C-1 canoe slalom at the sun-drenched Kasai Slalom Centre. Daniels didn’t advance out of the qualifying heats, but her biggest victory was being able to compete at all. Daniels was among the athletes who fought for 12 years for women to be able to participate in an Olympic canoe race, an opportunity that has been afforded men for the past 85. “I know we are always fighting for results, but I’ve had to fight for 12 years just to get here. And so being here is really special for me.”

TENNIS TUMBLE

Any chance Canada had of bringing home a tennis medal ended when Félix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriela Dabrowski fell 6-3, 6-4 to the second-seeded Greek tandem of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari on the opening day of mixed doubles competition. Canada’s tennis players won just one match in Tokyo, Leylah Fernandez’s women’s singles opener. It’s a disappointing end to Canada’s Olympic tennis hopes, though the team was without top-ranked players Bianca Andreescu and Denis Shapovalov and veteran Vasek Pospisil.

BLACK INJURED

Canadian gymnast Ellie Black was forced to withdraw from Thursday’s women’s all-around final after suffering an ankle sprain in training. The Canadian Olympic Committee says it hopes Black will recover in time for next week’s balance beam final. The news on Black came shortly after American star and defending champion Simone Biles withdrew from the event to focus on her mental well-being.

SWAGGER RESTORED

The star-studded U.S. men’s basketball team returned to the win column in typically impressive fashion with a 120-66 rout of Iran. American confidence had been shaken after the team suffered a shock 83-76 defeat to France in its tournament opener. The result ended the Americans’ 25-game Olympic winning streak. “After that loss we came together,” guard Damian Lillard said. “It was a lot of communication between then and now where it’s like, ‘All right. It’s time to start looking like Team USA.”’

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Five takeaways from Wednesday at the Games - The Globe and Mail
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