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Tokyo Rewind | American sets world record in track final, busy day for UGA athletes

Wrestler David Taylor, who grew up in Roswell, proved victorious over India’s Deepak Punia for the 86kg semifinals.

TOKYO, Japan — It was another historic day at the Tokyo Olympics as Team USA continued to bring in the medals, shattering records and re-writing the history books. The U.S. won six medals in track and field Tuesday, including two gold. And for only the second time in history, an American woman won gold in wrestling. Here's what you missed on Tuesday and overnight. 

Georgia athletes continue dominance 

Tyler Austin, of Conyers, Ga., hit a home run to center field during the fifth inning helping Team USA win 3-1. Team USA’s baseball team is back on track for the semifinals after a repechage game against the Dominican Republic. Repechage in baseball allows teams who failed to qualify to continue to the next round. The team, which features three Georgia athletes, will compete Thursday at 6 a.m.  

The decathlon and heptathlon are in full swing as the Olympics near an end. Last night, the “world’s greatest athlete” competition featured four former UGA athletes, including Team USA’s Garrett Scantling, Estonians Karel Tilga, Maicel Uibo and Johannes Erm. Scantling currently sits in 3rd  place with a score of 3,441. On Tuesday night, Kendell Williams, a former UGA athlete from Marietta began her heptathlon journey. She’s in 5th place with a current score of 2107.  

Olympic wrestler David Taylor, who grew up in Roswell, Georgia, proved victorious over India’s Deepak Punia for the 86kg semifinals. Taylor has a chance at gold in the finals. Before heading to the Olympics, Taylor and Team USA trained in Alpharetta, Georgia.   

Day 12 of the Olympics brings plenty of track and field events as decathlon and heptathlon events unravel. The decathlon wraps up Thursday at 8:40 a.m. with the 1500m race, and the heptathlon finishes Thursday at 8:30 a.m. with the 800m race. We look to former UGA runner Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who won the gold for the women’s 400m in 2016, as she competes in the 400m semifinals Wednesday at 6:38 a.m. Daniel Haugh competes in the hammer throw finals at 7 a.m., hoping to bring a medal to Team USA. 


American breaks own record to win 400m hurdles

On the track, American Sydney McLaughlin broke her own world record to win the women’s 400-meter hurdles in 51.46 seconds. She edged out Dalilah Muhammad, who won silver to make it a U.S. 1-2 finish.

Stewart leads US vs. Australia in Olympics basketball quarterfinals

Breanna Stewart scored 20 of her 23 points in the first half to help the U.S. beat Australia 79-55 on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

The Americans will face Serbia on Friday in the semifinals looking to advance to their seventh consecutive gold medal game. The Serbians, who won the bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Games, rallied to beat China 77-70 in the quarterfinals.

RELATED: Stewart leads US vs. Australia in Olympics basketball quarterfinals

American becomes first Black woman to win Olympic gold

When Tamyra Mensah-Stock defeated Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu 4-1 in the women’s 68-kilogram freestyle wrestling final on Tuesday, she became the first American Black woman to win Olympic gold in wrestling and the second American woman overall.

Credit: AP
Gold medalist, United States Tamyra Marianna Stock Mensah celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the women's 68kg Freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, in Chiba, Japan. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

RELATED: Mensah-Stock becomes 1st Black US woman to win Olympic gold in wrestling

Teen wins 800m gold for Team USA

Athing Mu won the 800-meter gold medal for the United States in her first Olympics after leading almost from start to finish. Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson won the silver and American Raevyn Rogers came from nowhere to clinch the bronze on the finish line.

More medals in track events

American Gabby Thomas took bronze in the women's 200 meters. Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica took gold and Christine Mboma of Namibia took silver.

Christopher Nilsen of the United States took silver in men's pole vault with a personal best of 5.97 meters. Armand Duplantis of Sweden won gold with a height of 6.02 meters.

Tamyra Mensah-Stock of the United States defeated Blessing Oborududu of Nigeria 4-1 in the women’s 68-kilogram freestyle wrestling final to claim the second Olympic gold medal ever for an American female wrestler.

The U.S. men's basketball team advanced to the semifinals after defeating Spain. They will face Australia next. And the U.S. women's water polo team easily defeated Canada to advance to the semifinals.

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