On a busy day for the New Zealand team in Tokyo, womens rowing pair Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast captured the countrys first gold of the Games. Tomorrow, theyll attempt to win a second as part of the New Zealand womens eight.
Single sculler Emma Twigg will be hoping to match their achievement after powering into tomorrows final. The 34-year-old has never won an Olympic medal of any colour but is in great form and tipped to make the podium after finishing fourth in London and Rio and ninth in Beijing in 2008.
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Michael Venus and Marcus Daniell proved no match for Croatias Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig as they lost their semifinal.
The Black Ferns sevens team kicked off their campaign with an impressive 29-7 win over Kenya as they look to go one better than they did in Rio five years ago, where they took home silver medals. They then roared back from 21-0 down to edge Great Britain 27-21 in a classic.
Elsewhere, Rio silver medallist Natalie Rooney finished a disappointing 10th in the womens trap shooting, while sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke had a mixed day in the 49er regatta, but remain on course for a repeat gold medal from Rio.
Portia Woodman bursts through the Kenyan defence during the Black Ferns sevens dominant 29-7 win in their opener.
Golfer Ryan Fox was the first Kiwi in action on Thursday, and made a solid but unspectacular start to the mens golf tournament at Kasumigaseki Country Club. He shot a one-under par 70 to tie for 30th in the 60-strong field.
Michael Venus and Marcus Daniell proved no match for Croatias Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig as they lost their semifinal in straight sets. But all is not lost for the Kiwi pair, who can still win a bronze medal.
There was also disappointment for Kiwi paddler Luuka Jones, who failed to qualify for the womens C1 canoe slalom after three costly two-second penalties in her semifinal run.
In the pool, Lewis Clareburt qualified seventh-fastest for the 200m individual medley final on Friday, his second medal race in five days.
Kiwis in action at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday (NZ times):
ROWING
11.30am: Stephen Jones & Brook Robertson (mens pair B final)
12.30pm: Grace Prendergast & Kerri Gowler (womens pair A final)
1.50pm: Emma Twigg (women’s single sculls, A/B semifinal 2)
2.50pm: Jordan Parry (men’s single sculls, C/D semifinal 2)
GOLF
11.52am: Ryan Fox (mens tournament, round one)
SHOOTING
12pm: Natalie Rooney (women’s trap qualification round 4)
2.05pm: Natalie Rooney (women’s trap qualification round 5)
5.30pm: Natalie Rooney (womens trap, medal round if qualified)
CYCLING BMX
From 1.21pm: Rebecca Petch (womens BMX racing quarterfinals, run 1)
From 2.03pm: Rebecca Petch (womens BMX racing quarterfinals, run 2)
From 2.45pm: Rebecca Petch (womens BMX racing quarterfinals, run 3)
RUGBY SEVENS
2.30pm: Black Ferns sevens v Kenya (womens pool A)
SAILING
3.05pm: Sam Meech (Laser races 7, 8)
3.05pm: Micah Wilkinson & Erica Dawson (Nacra 17 races 4, 5, 6)
3.05pm: Peter Burling & Blair Tuke (49er races 5, 6)
5.35pm: Josh Junior (Finn races 5, 6)
6.05pm: Paul Snow-Hansen & Dan Willcox (men’s 470 races 3, 4)
SWIMMING
3.14pm: Lewis Clareburt (mens 200m individual medley semifinals*)
CANOE SLALOM
5.21pm: Luuka Jones (womens C1 semifinal)
6.55pm: Luuka Jones (women’s C1 final if qualified)
TENNIS
6pm: Marcus Daniell & Michael Venus v Marin ili & Ivan Dodig (Croatia) (mens doubles semifinals)
RUGBY SEVENS
9.30pm: Black Ferns sevens v Great Britain (womens pool A)
SWIMMING
10pm: Eve Thomas (womens 800m freestyle, heat 1)
11.16pm: Ali Galyer (womens 200m backstroke, heat 4)
HOCKEY
12.15am: Black Sticks v Australia (womens pool B)
