August 5 Tokyo 2020 Olympics news and results

By Joshua Berlinger, Aditi Sangal and Adam Renton, CNN

Updated 12:00 a.m. ET, August 6, 2021
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10:26 a.m. ET, August 5, 2021

Women's football gold medal match has been rescheduled due to heat concerns

From CNN’s Alyssa Kraus and Aleks Klosok

The International Stadium Yokohama, where the women's gold medal match will now take place, is seen on August 2.
The International Stadium Yokohama, where the women's gold medal match will now take place, is seen on August 2. (Koki Nagahama/Getty Images)

The women's football final has been moved to a later kick-off time and switched to a different venue due to heat concerns.

The gold medal match between Sweden and Canada had originally been scheduled for 11 a.m. local time on Friday in Tokyo. However, both teams expressed concerns over heat and humidity.

Olympic organizers confirmed today that the match will now take place at 9 p.m. local time in Yokohama, Japan. For US viewers, the match will be broadcast at 8 a.m. ET on Friday.

This change also impacts the men's bronze medal match between Mexico and Japan, which will now kick off at 6 p.m. local at the Saitama Stadium or 5 a.m. ET.

“In order to continue to provide the best possible conditions for the players, and having taken into consideration the impact of weather conditions at the Olympic Stadium over the last few days, it has been confirmed that this match (Olympic women’s football final) will now take place at 21:00 at the International Stadium Yokohama,” a Tokyo 2020 statement read.

Sweden hopes to go one step further than the 2016 Olympic Games, where the team lost 2-1 in the final.

Meanwhile, Canadian midfielder Quinn, the first openly trans and non-binary athlete at a Games, will be guaranteed to win a medal at the Tokyo Games.

9:47 a.m. ET, August 5, 2021

Defected Belarusian Olympic sprinter hopes to stay in Poland

From Katya Krebs and Hannah Ritchie

Belarusian Olympic athlete Kristina Timanovskaya addresses a press conference on August 5 in Warsaw, Poland.
Belarusian Olympic athlete Kristina Timanovskaya addresses a press conference on August 5 in Warsaw, Poland. (Wojtek Radwanski/AFP/Getty Images)

Belarusian Olympic sprinter Kristina Timanovskaya, who defected to Poland, told reporters Thursday that she hopes she and her husband will be able to stay.

“Once my husband arrives here today, we should make this decision together. I cannot answer anything without him, but I definitely hope we can stay here, and I can continue my sports career and my husband can find some work,” she said during a press conference in Warsaw.

Timanovskaya was set to compete in the women's 200m at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday. Instead, she says representatives of the Belarus national team tried to forcibly send her home for criticizing sporting authorities on her social media. 

After receiving several offers of asylum from European countries, Timanovskaya said she had chosen Poland because her parents thought it was the easiest place for them to try and visit. 

"We chose Poland because I spoke to my parents who said that perhaps Poland will be the best choice for me because they probably would be able to come to visit me sometimes," she said Thursday. 

When asked about her last-minute decision not to return to Belarus, Timanovskaya said she was “not thinking about political asylum” and that the decision was motivated by her wish to remain in sport. 

“I was not thinking about political asylum. All I want is to remain in sports and continue my sports career here,” she told reporters. 

Speaking to CNN on Tuesday, Timanovskaya accused representative of the Belarus national team of taking away her dream by denying her the chance to compete in the women's 200 meters at the Olympics. 

Timanovskaya said the Belarusian media have already started to slander her in recent days over the incident. 

“My parents have told me that they are already talking about me on TV and saying very bad things. That I did not take the chance to run the Olympics ... that I am not a good enough sportswoman and all that. I have been sent photos from Telegram channels where people posted links to my Instagram with requests to write bad things to me,” she explained. 

“Yes, I have received many awful messages. But at that moment, I have been receiving a lot of messages of support from people. I was reading more positive comments than negative,” she added.

9:32 a.m. ET, August 5, 2021

Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam makes history as she retains heptathlon title

From CNN’s Aleks Klosok in London

Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam competes in the women's heptathlon long jump on August 5.
Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam competes in the women's heptathlon long jump on August 5. Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images

Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam became just the second athlete ever to win back-to-back women's heptathlon titles after securing the gold medal on Thursday.

With victory in Tokyo to add to her Rio 2016 crown, Thiam joins American Jackie Joyner-Kersee to win two heptathlon titles at the Games with the American having won in 1988 and 1992.

Thiam retained her title with 6,791 points after completing the seven disciplines.

Anouk Vetter of the Netherlands secured silver with a national record of 6,689 points with her Dutch teammate Emma Oosterwegel taking the bronze medal.

Afterwards, Thiam said she was "so emotional, I can't describe it."

"The first day was difficult for me. So on day two, I had to really focus. I knew I had to do something really good in the long jump and javelin," she told the media.

"My coach was so positive and told me he believed in me today. I am really happy I was able to go through that and put my performances together.

"In the 800m, I was hoping to do a bit better, but I think it was a really positive race, and in the end, I got the medal. I am so happy."

9:10 a.m. ET, August 5, 2021

Belgium win men’s hockey gold after dramatic shootout victory over Australia

From CNN’s Aleks Klosok in London

Belgium's goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch, left, celebrates with teammates after winning the men’s hockey gold medal match on August 5.
Belgium's goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch, left, celebrates with teammates after winning the men’s hockey gold medal match on August 5. Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images

Belgium won the Olympic men’s hockey gold medal with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Australia on Thursday.

A tense final finished 1-1 in regulation time before Belgian goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch earned hero-status, saving three Australian penalties as the Red Lions prevailed 3-2 in the penalty shootout.

Thursday’s victory is only Belgium’s second ever Olympic gold medal in a team sport -- they had previously won gold in men’s football on home soil at the 1920 Games in Antwerp.

For Australia, the wait for a men’s gold medal goes on -- they last claimed the crown at the 2004 Games in Athens.

India took the bronze earlier on Thursday after a thrilling 5-4 victory over Germany, giving the country its first Olympic medal in the sport since the 1980 Games in Moscow.

8:55 a.m. ET, August 5, 2021

Katie Nageotte raises the bar to win gold in women's pole vault

From CNN's Homero De La Fuente

American Katie Nageotte competes in the final of the women's pole vault on Thursday.
American Katie Nageotte competes in the final of the women's pole vault on Thursday. Matthias Schrader/AP

American Katie Nageotte overcame her early struggles at the opening height to win gold in the women’s pole vault at Tokyo 2020. 

Nageotte missed her first two attempts at her opening height of 4.50m but cleared it on her third.

She would then clear 4.70m on her second attempt, before cruising through the 4.80m and 4.85m at the first try.

The 30-year-old then cleared the winning height of 4.90m on her second attempt to win the gold. 

The Russian Olympic Committee's Anzhelika Sidorova cleared 4.85m but failed her final attempt at 4.95m to win the silver medal.

Great Britain’s Holly Bradshaw cleared 4.85m but missed on her attempt at 4.90m to take home the bronze. 

Nageotte joins Jenn Suhr (2012) and Stacy Draglia (2000) as the only American women to win gold in pole vault.

8:43 a.m. ET, August 5, 2021

World champion Steven Gardiner becomes Olympic champion with gold in men’s 400 meters

From CNN's Aleks Klosok

Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas, second from left, on his way to men’s 400 meter gold on Thursday.
Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas, second from left, on his way to men’s 400 meter gold on Thursday. Morry Gash/AP

Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas ran a season’s best time of 43.85 seconds to win Olympic gold in the men’s 400 meters on Thursday.

A dominant performance sees the 25-year-old add to his 2019 400m World Championship crown.

Gardiner becomes just the fourth world champion to win the Olympic gold medal in this event, after Michael Johnson (1996 and 2000), Kirani James (2012) and Wayde van Niekerk (2016).

Colombia’s Anthony José Zambrano collected silver.

With bronze, Kirani James becomes the first man to win three Olympic medals in this event, having won gold in 2012 and silver in 2016.

8:07 a.m. ET, August 5, 2021

Spain’s Sandra Sánchez becomes first Olympic champion in women’s kata

From CNN's Aleks Klosok in London

Sandra Sánchez of Spain competes in the ranking round of the women's kata on Thursday.
Sandra Sánchez of Spain competes in the ranking round of the women's kata on Thursday. Vincent Thian/AP

Spain’s Sandra Sánchez won gold in the inaugural women’s karate “kata” competition with victory over Japan’s Kiyou Shimizu on Thursday.

Sánchez, ranked No.1 in the latest women’s kata world rankings, also becomes Spain’s oldest ever Olympic champion at 39 years and 323 days old.

She surpasses Spain’s previous oldest champion -- track cyclist Joan Llaneras was 39 years and 91 days old when he won gold in the men’s track cycling points race at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Six-time European champion Sánchez also defeated Shimizu in the women’s kata final at the 2018 world championships in Madrid. The Spaniard won with a score of 28.06 to Shimizu's 27.88

Hong Kong's Grace Lau Mo-sheung and Italy's Viviana Bottaro won the bronze medals.

7:47 a.m. ET, August 5, 2021

Abel Kipsang sets new Olympic record during men’s 1,500 meters semifinals

From CNN's Aleks Klosok in London

Kenya's Abel Kipsang competes in the men's 1,500 meters semifinals on August 5.
Kenya's Abel Kipsang competes in the men's 1,500 meters semifinals on August 5. Ina Fassbender/AFP/Getty Images

Kenya’s Abel Kipsang posted a new Olympic record time in the men’s 1,500 meters semifinals at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium on Thursday.

The 24-year-old ran 3:31.65 in the second semifinal, surpassing the previous record set by compatriot Noah Ngeny in the men’s 1,500m final at the 2000 Games in Sydney.

Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj’s world record of 3:26.00, set in Rome in 1998, still remains the time to beat.

World champion Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya and Norway’s highly rated star Jakob Ingebrigsten were the other notable names to qualify for Saturday’s final.

7:07 a.m. ET, August 5, 2021

Olympic marathon events to take place in hot and humid conditions this weekend

From CNN's Taylor Ward and Eryn Mathewson

The site of the Tokyo Olympic marathon and competitive walking events is pictured in Sapporo, Japan, on August 3.
The site of the Tokyo Olympic marathon and competitive walking events is pictured in Sapporo, Japan, on August 3. Kentaro Takahashi/Bloomberg/Getty Images

In an attempt to find cooler temperatures, the men's and women's Olympic marathon events are taking place this weekend in Sapporo, roughly 500 miles (800 km) north of Tokyo.

Unfortunately, the high temperatures that are impacting Tokyo are spreading throughout the entire country, even into Hokkaido.  

The women’s marathon takes place Saturday morning while the men race Sunday. This weekend, Sapporo will see morning low temperatures of around 25° C (77° F) and afternoon highs of 32-34° C (90-93° F). These temperatures are 5-7° C (9-13° F) above normal for early August.  

Despite the fact that the races take place in the morning hours, temperatures during both races will likely be between 27-30° C (80-86° F).

In addition to the heat, relative humidity values between 70 and 80% will make it feel even warmer.

A long road: The hosting of the Olympic Games has been a marathon effort for both organizers and competitors, with a myriad of challenges and hurdles to overcome by hosting a global sporting event in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

For 44-year-old long-distance runner Abdihakim “Abdi” Abdirahman, who is competing at his fifth Games, the road's been even longer.

Although Tokyo could be his final Olympics, the American is hoping to give his best in Sunday's race.

“It's been a difficult time … I'm just going to go out there and give it my best. I'm just going to worry about what I can control.”