Japan (Tokyo) Fiji’s all-conquering men’s Rugby 7s team has clinched its second straight Olympic title with a dominant win over New Zealand.
The red-hot favorite powered into the lead in the first half, running in 3 tries. The All Blacks had few answers to a unit that departs Tokyo unbeaten.
Fiji wrapped up the game in the second half, dictating possession and shutting down a flagging New Zealand offence.
The defending champion closed it out 27-to-12. Fiji’s second gold follows the islanders’ win in the sport’s Olympic debut at Rio 2016.
The first-ever Olympic gold medals in 3×3 basketball were decided in Tokyo on Wednesday.
The United States took home the women’s title, beating the Russian Olympic Committee in a tight game. China snatched the bronze from France.
On the men’s court, the gold goes back with a Latvian team loaded with some of the world’s top players. Silver and bronze went to ROC and Serbia.
Along with skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing, 3×3 is on the Tokyo menu to pull in younger fans. The shorter form offers a faster, more compact alternative to traditional basketball.
In men’s football, Japan emerged from Group A with a perfect record.
The unbeaten Samurai Blue faced France on Wednesday. Like every game so far, Real Madrid youngster Kubo Takefusa netted the opener. Japan blanked France 4 to zero.
Eight teams advance to the knockout stages, with the quarter-finals starting on Saturday. Defending champion Brazil takes on Egypt.
Meanwhile in badminton, world number one Momota Kento was stunned by number 38 South Korea’s Heo Kwang-hee in the preliminary stage. The Japanese player lost in straight games ending his gold medal bid.
Momota made his Olympic debut after overcoming serious injuries suffered in a car accident and recovering from a coronavirus infection. He said he failed to counter his opponent’s sharp angled smashes. He added he was unable to play with his usual confidence.
And a field packed with the world’s top golfers descended on the lush countryside of the Kasumigaseki Country Club on Thursday for the first round of the men’s golf.
Among the home favorites is reigning Master’s champion Matsuyama Hideki, although world number one, Jon Rahm and sixth-ranked Bryson DeChambeau have been sidelined at home by positive COVID tests.
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