A total of 25 sets of medals in 13 sports – athletics, open water swimming, boxing, taekwondo, rock climbing, canoeing, diving, weightlifting, sailing, field hockey, track cycling, Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling – will be awarded at the Paris Olympics on Thursday.
The Netherlands’ Sharon van Rouwendaal won gold in the 10 km open water swimming. Austria’s Lara Wadlau and Lukas Maher won gold in mixed dinghy dinghy sailing. Indonesia’s Veddriq Leonardo won the Olympic gold medal in speed climbing. Italy’s Ruggero Tita and Caterina Mariana Banti won gold in the mixed crew Nacra 17 class. China’s Liu Hao and Ji Bowen won the double canoe event.
Indian athlete lost her medal due to being overweight
Indian athlete Vinesh Phogat was disqualified before the final of the Olympic freestyle wrestling tournament. During the weigh-in, it was discovered that the athlete weighed more than the 50kg allowed for her category, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) press service reported. Phogat was supposed to compete for the gold medal against American Sarah Hildebrandt in the final, but she will not receive any medal due to her disqualification.
According to ESPN India, the Indian athlete’s weight increased slightly when she was recovering from her first three bouts. She managed to lose 2kg overnight. However, it was not enough: at the weigh-in she was found to be overweight by 100 grams. According to Indian Express, the night before the weigh-in, the athlete did not sleep. She had been jogging, jumping and cycling in an attempt to lose weight. In the morning, she felt dizzy due to dehydration. She was hospitalised at a medical centre in the Olympic Village.
Dangerous Seine training
Organisers of the Olympic open water swimming competition have allowed athletes to train on the Seine River in Paris. Previously, training had been repeatedly cancelled due to water pollution. This is the only chance for the athletes to familiarise themselves with the venue.
The two-hour training session took place on Wednesday morning. The weather was cold and overcast. Dozens of athletes did the training the day before the women’s ten-kilometre marathon. The men’s competition is scheduled for Friday.
Austrian swimmer Felix Auböck said that if someone says he is not concerned about the water quality, he is “probably lying.” The athlete hopes the organisers will ensure safety for the swimmers.
The day before, a training session before the Olympic competition in Seine was cancelled for the fifth time. The reason was the poor quality of water in the river. Several athletes contracted intestinal infections after the competition, but local authorities denied that it was related to the water in the Seine.
