PARIS — The penultimate day of the Paris Olympics on Saturday will have nearly 40 medals up for grabs, with nine finals in athletics alone.
There are also gold medals being given in volleyball, basketball, soccer, golf, table tennis, water polo and more.
FINAL NIGHT IN ATHLETICS AT STADE DE FRANCE
The penultimate day of the athletics programme gets underway with an early-morning men’s marathon then a bumper final night in the Stade de France featuring eight finals, including the men’s 800 and 5,000 metres.
The night concludes with both 4×400 metres relays, with French teams going in both races to ensure an ear-splitting finale.
FRANCE HOPING FOR ANOTHER GOLD IN VOLLEYBALL
Reigning men’s volleyball champions France are back in the gold-medal match and they will need all the home support they can get when they take on world number one Poland, who are seeking their first medal in 48 years.
CARRINGTON CONTINUES MEDAL HUNT IN KAYAK
The final day of competition at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium sees New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington continue her medal hunt in the semi-finals of the women’s kayak single 500m, with the final taking place later on Saturday.
CHINA EYE GOLDEN SWEEP IN DIVING
Diving concludes with the last title — the men’s 10-metre platform. China’s Cao Yuan and Yang Hao are looking to defend China’s honour in the event and complete the golden sweep the country so very much desires in Paris.
FOUR BOXING GOLDS
Four boxing gold medals are on offer on the final day of the tournament — the men’s featherweight and super heavyweight categories as well as the women’s featherweight and middleweight classes.
In the women’s featherweight final, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, one of two boxers in the spotlight over their eligibility for the Paris Games, takes on Poland’s Julia Szeremeta.
KORDA IN HUNT FOR ANOTHER GOLF GOLD
American world number one Nelly Korda pursues her quest for back-to-back golf medals on the final day of the women’s Olympic golf tournament in a group of big names chasing surprise midway leader Morgane Metraux of Switzerland.
EGYPT COULD WIN FIRST GOLD
Ahmed Elgendy can win Egypt’s first gold in Paris when the 2021 silver medallist competes in the men’s modern pentathlon final at the Palace of Versailles after qualifying top in his semi-final.
The women, with France’s Elodie Clouvel likely to be a crowd favourite, kick off the day’s programme with their semi-finals in the sport that features fencing, equestrian show jumping, swimming, laser shooting and running.
CHINA EYE TABLE TENNIS SWEEP
China’s Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha will lead the women’s team against Japan in search of the last gold up for grabs in table tennis, hoping to achieve a golden sweep for the nation. South Korea will play Germany for bronze.
FRANCE SEEK HANDBALL GOLD
The women’s handball final in Lille has hosts France battling Norway for the gold medal while Sweden and Denmark fight for bronze at the Pierre Mauroy stadium.
BOULDERING GOAT GOES FOR GOLD
Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret is expected to show the world once again why she is known as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in the bouldering world in a fitting end to sport climbing’s second appearance at the Olympics.
The defending Olympic champion is the hands-down favourite to win the combined boulder and lead gold medal after dominating in qualifiers.
WRESTLING FAVOURITES
Kyrgyzstan’s world champion Aisuluu Tynybekova will be the favourite in the women’s 62kg event, while in the men’s section American Kyle Dake is eyeing the 74kg gold.
Iran’s Amir Hossein Zare, who won bronze in Tokyo, is tipped to dominate the men’s 125kg category.
FRANCE’S LAST HOPE IN TAEKWONDO
Tokyo bronze medallist Althea Laurin is France’s last hope to win gold in the women’s heavyweight class but she may face Turkey’s Nafia Kus Aydin, last year’s world champion, in the +67 kg class.
South Korea’s Lee Da-bin, a winner at the 2019 world championships, will also be vying for gold, as will Uzbekistan’s 2022 world champion Svetlana Osipova.
In the men’s heavyweights, Niger’s Abdoul Issoufou will strive to become the first from his country to win a gold medal after securing the world championship title in the +87 kg category in 2017.
THREE GOLDS IN WEIGHTLIFTING
A busy day is in store in weightlifting with athletes taking medals in the men’s 102kg, women’s 81kg and men’s over-102kg categories at the Paris Expo venue.
—Reporting by Rohith Nair in Paris; editing by Clare Fallon
