TOKYO (AP) — Americans April Ross and Alix Klineman have won the women’s beach volleyball gold medal.
The U.S. pair beat Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy of Australia 21-15, 21-16 for the championship on Friday. It’s Ross’ third medal in as many Olympics, to go with the silver she won in London and a bronze from Brazil. Klineman is a first-time Olympian.
The silver for Australia was its first beach volleyball medal since Natalie Cook and Kerri Pottharst took gold on Bondi Beach in Sydney in 2000.
In the bronze medal match, Switzerland’s Joana Heidrich and Anouk Verge-Depre cruised to a straight-set victory over Latvia.
MEANWHILE, The United States women’s volleyball team made it to the gold medal match for the fourth time ever after avenging a semifinal loss five years ago to Serbia with a 25-19, 25-15, 25-23 victory Friday.
The Americans easily dispatched of the team that denied them a chance at their elusive first gold medal in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. They advanced to the gold medal match against the winner of the Brazil-South Korea semifinal. Serbia will play the loser for the bronze.
ALLYSON Felix won her record 10th Olympic track medal with a bronze in the 400 meters. She finished two spots behind gold medalist Shaunae Miller-Uibo.
Miller-Uibo defended her 400-meter title in a time of 48.36 seconds.
Felix now has more Olympic track and field medals than any woman in history. She came into the Tokyo Games even with Jamaican runner Merlene Ottey.
Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic finished second a full .84 seconds behind Miller-Uibo.
It was a far less dramatic finish than in 2016 when Miller-Uibo dived at the finish line to edge out Felix for the gold.
Now, Felix will try to pass Carl Lewis as the most decorated American runner if she participates in the 4×400 meter relay. The U.S. men’s team will also try to medal in the 4X400 relay, and Vashti Cunningham is expected to contend for a gold medal in the women’s high jump.
CANADA won its first Olympic gold medal in women’s soccer, beating Sweden 3-2 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw.
Julia Grosso, just 20, converted the winning penalty kick, putting her shot off the right hand of goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl.
Jessie Fleming made Canada’s first kick in the shootout, but Ashley Lawrence, Vanessa Gillies and Adriana Leon all failed to convert.
