BRADLY SINDEN and Chelsie Giles claimed Great Britain’s first medals of the Tokyo Olympics on Day Two of the Games.

Sinden picked up a taekwondo silver after losing the men’s -68kg final to Uzbekistan’s Ulugbek Rashitov, after Giles had got Team GB off the mark with a bronze in the women’s -52kg category.

Here, The Northern Echo takes a look at today’s action and Great Britain’s prospects tomorrow.


Today’s action

Sinden had to settle for a heartbreaking silver medal after losing his -68kg men’s taekwondo final to Ulugbek Rashitov of Uzbekistan. The Briton led with eight seconds left on the clock but teenager Rashitov pulled off a dramatic head kick before hanging on for a 34-29 success.

Earlier, Giles collected Team GB’s first medal. After losing to home favourite and eventual gold medallist Uta Abe at the quarter-final stage in the women’s -52kg category, the repechage offered her an alternative route to a podium place, and she grasped the chance, defeating Belgium’s Charline van Snick and then Switzerland’s Fabienne Kocher by Ippon to take bronze.

Jade Jones failed to make history as the first British female to win gold at three consecutive Olympics after she was beaten 16-12 in her opening fight by the Refugee Team’s Kimia Alizadeh.

Andy Murray’s bid to defend his Olympics men’s singles tennis title ended before it began when he withdrew ahead of his first match with a minor thigh strain to focus on his men’s doubles campaign with Joe Salisbury.

Adam Peaty remains on course to become the first British swimmer to retain an Olympic title as he reached Monday’s men’s 100 metres breaststroke final with the fastest time of 57.63. There were no medals for the Brits in the pool on Sunday, with Max Litchfield fourth in the men’s 400m individual medley final for the second Olympics in a row.


What’s coming up?

Peaty will defend his 100m breaststroke title and bid for Great Britain’s first gold of the Games at around 3am UK time on Monday. Jonny Brownlee and Alex Yee will head up Team GB’s challenge for medals in the men’s triathlon, while Tom Daley is in action in the men’s 10m synchro diving with Matty Lee. Lauren Williams goes for taekwondo glory in the women’s -67kg while Max Whitlock, Joe Fraser, James Hall, Giarnni Regini-Moran compete in the men’s team artistic gymnastics final.


Covid watch

World number one Jon Rahm and last year’s US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau have been forced out of the Olympics after they both tested positive for Covid-19 prior to travelling to Tokyo. The pair were due to make their debuts in the Games when the men’s event starts on Thursday at Kasumigaseki Country Club and would have been among the contenders to claim a podium position.