Rio Olympics Day 10 round-up: Charlotte Dujardin claims gold
Thursday 31 October 2019 14:48, UK
Day 10 of the Rio Olympics may not have ended with the same level of British success that came on Sunday, but there was still plenty for Team GB to cheer as gold, silver and bronze were won.
Charlotte Dujardin struck gold after successfully defending the Olympic individual dressage title she won at London 2012.
Dujardin, who won silver earlier in the Games as part of Britain's team dressage, set an Olympic record Grand Prix freestyle score of 93.857 per cent on Valegro, to join eventer Richard Meade as the most successful British Olympic equestrian rider with a hat-trick of golds.
The 25-year-old former ballet dancer threw a British record of 74.54m to claim the country's first medal in the event since 1924.
In the velodrome, Mark Cavendish claimed his first Olympic medal as he took silver in the men's omnium.
The 31-year-old went into the last of the six events 16 points behind leader Elia Viviani and although he battled well in the finale, he was unable to overhaul the Italian.
Meanwhile, Laura Trott leads the way in the women's omnium after she came home second in the first of the six events, the scratch race, before winning the individual pursuit and elimination race to move on to 118 out of a possible 120 points.
Trott continues her bid to defend her crown on Tuesday, while Jason Kenny (keirin) and Becky James and Katy Marchant (women's sprint) are also in action.
Britain's women's hockey side also moved a step closer to a medal after they easily overcame Spain 3-1 in their quarter-final.
Goals from Georgie Twigg, Helen Richardson-Walsh and Lily Owsley gave them a 3-0 lead at the interval and despite Spain pulling a goal back in the final quarter, Team GB - who won bronze in 2012 - never looked in danger of being beaten.
Britain's badminton players also enjoyed a productive day, as Chris Langridge and Marcus Ellis enjoyed a surprise victory over Japan's Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa in the men's doubles.
Fellow Briton Rajiv Ouseph was also in action and he performed impressively in reaching the last-eight of the men's singles as he saw off the challenge of Asian champion Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia.
Britain and Ireland's boxers did not fare as well, however, with Team GB flyweight Muhammad Ali eliminated after a points defeat to Venezuela's Yoel Segundo Finol.
And there was a major shock in the women's boxing, where defending champion Katie Taylor of Republic of Ireland was beaten by Finland's Mira Potkonen in the lightweight quarter-finals.
There was drama on the track of an unexpected kind as torrential rain forced the temporary abandonment of competition.
The delay did not last for long, however, and despite the lack of any British interest among the medal contenders, there was still plenty to enjoy.
Kenya's David Rudisha defended the men's 800m title he won in emphatic fashion at London 2012 before an intriguing clash in the women's 400m ended in victory for Shuanae Miller of Barbados.
Miller went out fast and led going into the home straight before defending champion Allyson Felix appeared to have reined her in down the home straight.
But Miller dipped for the line and, either by accident or on purpose, she ended up diving over to take gold.
The Olympic Stadium, full to see Usain Bolt secure his seventh Olympic gold in the 100m on Sunday, was again sparsely populated but the fans who did turn out witnessed home favourite Thiago Braz da Silva win an enthralling pole vault contest.
Da Silva set a new Olympic record of 6.03m to see off the challenge of defending champion Renaud Lavillenie of France.
Some tragic news emerged from the Games during the day, though, after it emerged German canoe slalom coach Stefan Henze had died after sustaining head injuries last week in a car crash in Rio de Janeiro.
Henze's death will be commemorated by Germany in the Olympic Village on Tuesday and the country's flag will be flown at half-mast at all Olympic sites in Rio.
