The United States cut China's lead at the top of the medal table to five as they collected four golds on day 13 of the Games.
Coming into Thursday's events, China boasted a seven-gold buffer as leaders but that was reduced by the USA's Katie Nageotte in the women's pole vault and Ryan Crouser in the men's shot put – the latter of which became a back-to-back Olympic champion.
More golds followed for the USA, with Nevin Harrison winning the women's single canoe 200m sprint – her country's first medal in either canoe or kayak sprint since 1992 – and David Taylor succeeding in the men's 86kg freestyle wrestling in the last second.
After shooting a blank the previous day, China ensured a five-gold gap going into Friday as the women's table tennis team continued their dominance, overcoming Japan to secure their fourth gold in four consecutive Games.
The table-toppers have now won all four of the women's diving events in Tokyo, too, as 14-year-old Quan Hongchan set a world record in the 10m platform, making it a China one-two with fellow teenager Chen Yuxi.
Defending Olympic champion Risako Kawai, who is also a three-time world champion, triumphed once more in the women's 57kg wrestling freestyle, meaning early leaders Japan remain in third with a gold count of 22.
Australia suffered shoot-out heartbreak in the men's hockey final but climbed up to fourth with men's kayak double 1000m sprint success and their first-ever Olympic gold medal in skateboarding, courtesy of Keegan Palmer's park win.
Their 17 gold medals at the Games with three days to go equalled Australia's best-ever haul, matching the total they collected at Athens in 2004.
The Russian Olympic Committee leaped up a spot to fifth as Zaur Uguev was crowned champion in the men's 57kg wrestling freestyle and Albert Batyrgaziev fought to gold in the men's featherweight boxing.
Great Britain, who now boast 16 medals after winning just the one event on Thursday, slipped back down to sixth position with Matthew Walls' omnium gold ending Team GB's frustrating unsuccessful spell in the cycling track events.
GC Foster College secure Men’s and Women’s titles at Inter Collegiate Track & Field Championships
GC Foster College emerged as overall winners on the Men’s and Women’s sides at Friday’s Inter Collegiate Track and Field Championships held at the GC Foster College track.
The men finished with 203 points, 71 points ahead of UWI Mona in second while the rest of the top five included Mico University College (77 points), Moneague College (50 points) and Shortwood Teachers College (39 points).
On the women’s side, GC Foster racked up 175 points wo win ahead of Moneague College (96 points), Mico University College (84 points) and UWI Mona (74 points).
Lushane Wilson was a standout performer on the men’s side, jumping a record 2.21m to win the high jump, breaking the late Germaine Mason’s record of 2.20m done all the way back in 2003. Wilson also won the triple jump with 15.38m ahead of teammate Chevau Parkinson (14.89m) and UWI Mona’s Jeremy Hibbert (14.29m).
GC Foster’s Kadrian Goldson was also in fine form, running 10.28 to win the 100m ahead of UWI Mona’s Guyanese Olympian, Emmanuel Archibald, who ran 10.35 for second. Goldson’s GC Foster teammate Odaine McPherson was third in 10.41. The 200m was won by UWI Mona’s Manzinho Barrett in 21.15 ahead of the GC Foster pair Jevaughn Whyte (21.20) and Michael Sharp (21.22).
Archibald rebounded to win the long jump in 7.55m ahead of triple jump runner-up Parkinson (6.83m) and GC Foster’s David Tomlinson (6.77m).
GC Foster’s Zandrion Barnes ran 45.75 for a comfortable victory in the 400m. UWI Mona’s Blaine Buckle was second in 48.01 while GC Foster’s Sage Primus ran 48.51 for third.
On the women’s side, GC Foster finished first and second in the 100m through Mickaell Moodie (11.65) and Keiffer Bailey (12.02) while UTECH’s SHanaka Anderson was third in 13.01.
The 400m saw a similar result for the hosts as Odeisha Nanton ran 55.94 for victory ahead of teammate Toniann Lindsay (57.57) while Moneague College’s Shanita Beckford was third in 58.99.
Bernal back in hospital but escapes fractures after Volta a Catalunya crash
Egan Bernal has escaped significant damage but will remain in hospital for treatment following a clash at the Volta a Catalunya.
Two-time Grand Tour champion Bernal was making his UCI World Tour return at this week's event in Spain, which is led by Primoz Roglic after six stages.
However, Bernal will not be finishing the race after he abandoned on Saturday following a crash.
Bernal had not raced in a World Tour event since 2021, having missed the majority of 2022 due to a serious training crash in his homeland of Colombia.
The 26-year-old required surgery on his spine, while he also suffered two collapsed lungs, fractures in his right leg and kneecap, a broken thumb and a lost tooth in a collision with a parked bus.
Fortunately, Bernal has avoided any such injuries on this occasion.
In an update on social media, INEOS Grenadiers explained Bernal had been taken to hospital following the crash, but "imaging showed no signs of fractures".
The statement added: "Further medical assessment will continue over the next few days and treatment for skin abrasions he sustained."
It is the second abandonment in as many races for Bernal, who suffered a knee injury during the Vuelta a San Juan.
World Athletics votes to restrict transgender athletes from competing against females; tighter restrictions for DSD athletes
The World Athletics Council agreed to update the eligibility regulations for transgender and DSD athletes to compete in the female category.
For DSD athletes, the new regulations will require any relevant athletes to reduce their testosterone levels below a limit of 2.5 nmol/L for a minimum of 24 months to compete internationally in the female category in any event, not just the events that were restricted (400m to one mile) under the previous regulations.
The principle of restricted events has been removed from the regulations.
Interim provisions will be introduced for those relevant athletes who are already competing in what were the unrestricted events (distances below 400m and above one mile, plus field events). These provisions include a requirement to suppress their testosterone levels below 2.5nmol/L for a minimum of six months, before they are eligible to compete again.
The six months period is consistent with the previous regulations, which required six months of testosterone suppression (below 5nmol/L) for DSD athletes to compete in the restricted events. The interim provisions do not apply to the previously restricted events (400m to one mile) where two years of testosterone suppression will be required before the relevant athlete is eligible to compete.
These regulations will come into effect on 31 March 2023.
In regard to transgender athletes, the Council has agreed to exclude male-to-female transgender athletes who have been through male puberty from female World Rankings competition from 31 March 2023.
World Athletics conducted a consultation period with various stakeholders in the first two months of this year, including Member Federations, the Global Athletics Coaches Academy and Athletes’ Commission, the IOC as well as representative transgender and human rights groups.
It became apparent that there was little support within the sport for the option that was first presented to stakeholders, which required transgender athletes to maintain their testosterone levels below 2.5nmol/L for 24 months to be eligible to compete internationally in the female category.
In terms of DSD regulations, World Athletics has more than ten years of research and evidence of the physical advantages that these athletes bring to the female category.
However, there are currently no transgender athletes competing internationally in athletics and consequently no athletics-specific evidence of the impact these athletes would have on the fairness of female competition in athletics.
In these circumstances, the Council decided to prioritise fairness and the integrity of the female competition before inclusion.
However the Council agreed to set up a Working Group for 12 months to further consider the issue of transgender inclusion.
This Working Group will include an independent chair, up to three Council Members, two athletes from the Athletes’ Commission, a transgender athlete, three representatives of the Member Federations and representatives of the World Athletics Health and Science Department.
Its remit will be to consult specifically with transgender athletes to seek their views on competing in athletics; to review and/or commission additional research where there is currently limited research and to put forward recommendations to Council.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “Decisions are always difficult when they involve conflicting needs and rights between different groups, but we continue to take the view that we must maintain fairness for female athletes above all other considerations. We will be guided in this by the science around physical performance and male advantage which will inevitably develop over the coming years. As more evidence becomes available, we will review our position, but we believe the integrity of the female category in athletics is paramount."
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