Great Britain’s women’s hockey team wrote their names into the annals of British sporting history with a dramatic and thrilling penalty shoot-out victory over the world number one ranked Netherlands.
After 4 pulsating quarters of hockey, the scores were locked at 3-3 between GB and the champions of the last two Olympics, meaning the gold medal would be decided in a tense shoot-out.
A heroic performance from GB goalkeeper Maddie Hinch, not only in regular time but also in the shoot-out, ensured goals from Helen Richardson and Hollie Webb were all that was needed to secure a 2-0 triumph and invoke euphoric scenes at Deodoro.
During the match, GB got off to a dream start with Lily Owsley’s goal putting them ahead but the Dutch turned the tide before Crista Cullen pounced to level at 2-2 on the stroke of half-time. The Netherlands went back in front with eight minutes remaining but, with the clock down to three minutes, Nicola White saved the day and squared the scores up.
It was Hinch to the rescue in the shoot-out to ensure Danny Kerry’s team made it a staggering eight wins from eight games in Rio and clinch Great Britain’s first women’s hockey gold, and the sport’s first since the men’s team won in Seoul 1988.
Other highlights on day 14 included:
Equestrian
It was a long time coming for Nick Skelton but the 58-year-old proved that experience and perseverance counts with a flawless display on Big Star to become Great Britain’s first Olympic individual show jumping gold medallist.
In his seventh Olympic Games, Skelton had never won an individual Olympic medal. His only Olympic medal was team gold at London 2012, but Team GB’s senior statesman tore up the form book and delivered the team’s 23rd gold of Rio 2016 with a wonderful performance of jumping on Big Star.
Two faultless, clear rounds ensured the tandem qualified for a jump off to decide the three podium spots. Skelton was first up and posted another perfect round in 42.82 and watched as his five rivals recorded penalties or failed to beat his time. After retiring from the sport in 2000 with a broken neck, and undergoing a hip replacement operation five years ago, Skelton returned to the grandest stage of them all and clinched gold, becoming Great Britain’s oldest champion since 1908.
Taekwondo
Lutalo Muhammad was left crushed following a heart-breaking finish as a last-second head shot from Cheick Sallah Cisse snatched gold away from his grasp.
A pulsating content went into the final round at 4-4, when the British fighter’s fierce surge put him 6-5 ahead. But with one second remaining on the clock, the Ivory Coast’s Cisse caught Muhammad with a reverse turning kick to destroy Muhammad’s dreams of gold and turn the contest around to a brutal 8-6 defeat.
Muhammad had put together a ruthless run to the final, firstly tearing apart Australia’s Hayder Shkara 14-0 in a bout which was stopped before the end of the second round. He then destroyed two-time Olympic champion Steven Lopez 9-2, before picking off Azerbaijan’s Milad Beigi Harchegani, 12-7 in the semi-final.
Despite being forced to settle for silver, Muhammad, who was discovered as part of the Fighting Chance talent ID campaign, does upgrade his bronze medal collected at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Athletics
The women’s 4x100m relay team of Dina Asher-Smith, Desiree Henry, Daryyl Neita and Asha Philip broke a national record to land Great Britain’s first medal in the event since Los Angeles 1984.
Neita stormed home on the final leg to clock a British record of 41.77 seconds and complete the podium behind USA and Jamaica. The men’s 4x100m came up short as Richard Kilty, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, James Ellington and Adam Gemili recorded a time of 37.98. The quartet were upgraded to fifth following the USA’s disqualification, while Usain Bolt anchored Jamaica to victory to gather his ninth Olympic gold.
The men’s 4x400m team were also left disappointed when they were disqualified after running the third fastest overall time in the heats of 2:58.88. Martyn Rooney had led them home following legs from Nigel Levine, Delano Williams and Matthew Hudson-Smith. The women’s 4x400m team of Emily Diamond, Anyika Onuora, Kelly Massey and Christine Ohuruogu advanced to the final following a second-place finish in their heat in 3:14.81.
In the field, Holly Bradshaw put up a fine effort to clear 4.70m but the required height for bronze, 4.80m, was just out of reach. She finished fifth in the overall final standings. Eilish McColgan ran in the 5000m final and finished 13th in 15:12.09
Boxing
Joe Joyce moved one fight closer to an Olympic gold medal after downing Kazahkstan’s Ivan Dychko in a unanimous decision.
Joyce was edged out of the first round across the judge’s boards but the super heavyweight grew in stature throughout the content, tiring out his opponent and punishing him late in the semi-final contest. Joyce will go for gold on Sunday, where he will face France’s Tony Yoka.
Canoe Sprint
Liam Heath laid down a marker ahead of the K1 200m final by clocking the fastest semi-final time.
A day after taking silver in the K2 kayak with Jon Schofield, Heath powered through his semi-final in 34.076 to top the field. He qualified second fastest through the heats in 34.327.
The women’s K4 boat booked their place in the final by finishing joint second with a time of 1:36.254. Jessica Walker, Rachel Cawthorn, Rebii Simon and Louisa Gurski had moved through the heats as fastest losers in 1:36.853 but stepped up in the next round to ensure they would line up in the final.
Golf
Charley Hull lies four shots off podium places heading into the last round of the inaugural women’s Olympic golf tournament.
The 20-year-old shot three over par in the third round on Friday but still remains in touching distance of the medal places, in fifth place overall on five under, heading into Saturday’s fourth and final round.
Modern Pentathlon
Great Britain’s Kate French and Samantha Murray finished strongly to record top ten finishes in the Rio 2016 women’s modern pentathlon competition.
After French and Murray started the fencing competition in 19th and 31st respectively, Murray finished fourth overall in the swimming event before picking up eight fencing bonus points to pull herself back up the standings.
French recorded the joint best score in the riding discipline to move up to ninth overall and, in the final run and shoot event, Murray and French were seventh and eighth best respectively. This left French sixth on the final leaderboard, 18 points off the podium, while Murray placed ninth.
Diving
Tom Daley sent a message to his 10m platform rivals with a stellar five rounds of diving to lead the final scoreboard at the preliminaries. The semi-finals and final take place on Saturday with Daley going in with his confidence sky high, having scored 571.85 to lead the field.