Paris 2024 Olympics RECAP: Matt Wearn, Nina Kennedy and Peter Bol highlight day 12
Australia is on course for its best-ever Olympics, can they keep up their golden run on day 12 while the Opals and Sharks face knock-out quarter-finals?
WA’s Minjee Lee and Hannah Green will also be in action as the women’s gold get underway while our tack cyclists will go for gold in the men’s team pursuit after their world-record effort.
Recap all the action as it happened below.
Key Events
IN PURSUIT OF GREATNESS - AUSTRALIA WIN RECORD TYING 17TH GOLD
Oliver Bleddyn, Sam Welsford, Conor Leahy and Kelland O’Brien have delivered a record tying 17th gold medal for Australia in the mens track pursuit final - crossing in 3.42.067.
The quartet that includes three West Australians delivered the win over Great Britain by the slimmest of margins until the very end - pipping the Brits by 2.327.
It was neck and neck the entire race, but their competitors slipped in the final lap - giving the Aussie’s the gold medal win.
Kennedy clears opening jump
In her first run on the women’s pole vault medal final, Nina Kennedy smoked the 4.40m distance.
Kennedy is looking to bring home the hardwear, with Australia just one off their record 17 gold medals in a single games.
KEEGAN KEEPS GOLD - PALMER GOES BACK-TO-BACK
Keegan Palmer has gone back-to-back claiming gold in the men’s park skateboarding final.
The 21-year-old came in as the defending champion and wowed judges with his first run, earning the top score of 93.11.
He joins Arisa Trew with Australia bringing home gold in both the men’s and women’s for the park finals.
The world No.2 ranked skater had the medal locked up before his third run, with all the other riders failing to pip him off the top spot.
Wilson finishes with a 58.36
The 17-year-old Keefer Wilson bowed out without completing a run in the skate park final, earning a 58.36 on his final go.
His spot in the final was a surprise, but the young Australian could not hold on in the last attempt to finish it out.
Palmer falls but maintains lead
A strong start came tumbling down for Keegan Palmer in his second run, earning a 63.66.
Palmer still had the top score and was just looking to improve on his first attempt.
He left the commentators stunned calling his feats “humanly impossible”, but couldn’t close out the run.
Wilson takes a nasty fall
The pressure will be on for the final run after Australia’s Keefer Wilson has another throw away attempt in the park finals, clocking a 32.73.
Wilson had another solid run to start, but the Victorian took a hard fall and his trucks did not budge trying to grind - clipping his leg on the way down.
Hoffman holds on
Velodrome cyclist Leigh Hoffman has moved on to the next round after beating Japan’s Yuta Obara in the 1/16 track sprint heat.
By just the slimmest of margins with 0.255 seperating the pair, Hoffman was inches away from being caught but mantained pace to move on - joining Richardson in the next batch of races.
Palmer delivers in first run
The reigning gold medalist Keegan Palmer has wowed on his first run of the men’s park skateboarding final with a 93.11
The 21-year-old out fast with speed, leaving the commentators excited with a mix of kickflip indies and a backside nose grind.
Palmer was just one of two riders to complete a full run in the first round of attempts and sits on top of the leaderboard.
GOLDEN PICS
WA’s Matt Wearn is celebrating his gold medal in style.
Richardson smokes Lendel
Matthew Richardson has put up impressive numbers in the past few days, and blew past against Lithuania’s Vasilijus Lendel in the track sprint 1/16 heat - finishing in 9.477.
Following his world record breaking performance in the qualifiers, Richardson made light work of his comeptitor to move on.
The WA rider already has a bronze medal to his name from the team sprint.
