London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2025

What happened on day 14 of Tokyo 2020?

What happened on day 14 of Tokyo 2020?

Laura Kenny became the first British woman to clinch gold at three Olympics and pentathlete Kate French triumphed as Team GB won seven medals on Friday.

Cyclists Kenny and Katie Archibald took the women's madison before French followed up in the modern pentathlon for Britain's 18th gold at Tokyo 2020.

Laura Muir won 1500m silver, with another coming for the men's 4x100m relay team and a bronze for the women.

GB also claimed bronzes in women's hockey and the men's cycling sprint.

Team GB now have 58 medals in total and with two days of competition left are battling to finish above Australia and the Russian Olympic Committee, who have 17 golds each.

Muir shattered the British 1500m record as the Scot finished second behind Kenya's defending champion Faith Kipyegon, who set a new Olympic record.

Sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, whose 100m and 200m campaigns were ended by injury, returned to help the British team win bronze in the women's 4x100m relay final.

Britain's men's relay team featured Zharnel Hughes, who false started in the 100m final, and were agonisingly pipped to gold on the line with Italy ahead by just one hundredth of a second.

Boxer Lauren Price reached Sunday's middleweight gold-medal bout by winning her semi-final against Dutch opponent Nouchka Fontijn.

That came a few hours after the hockey team beat India in a 4-3 thriller to win bronze.

In the velodrome, Jack Carlin also claimed a bronze by beating Denis Dmitriev, who represents the Russian Olympic Committee, in the best-of-three men's sprint races.

Earlier the 24-year-old Scot was beaten by Dutch world champion Harrie Lavreysen - who ended Jason Kenny's nine-year reign as Olympic champion on Thursday and went on to take gold - in the semi-finals.

Medal table analysis - can GB beat London and Rio?
Great Britain are fourth in the medal table

Simon Gleave, head of sports analysis, Nielsen Gracenote:

Tokyo 2020 is Great Britain's fourth best Olympics and second best outside the UK, after Rio 2016. Great Britain now have 58 medals with another two guaranteed from boxers Galal Yafai and Lauren Price. Only London 1908 (146 medals), Rio 2016 (67) and London 2012 (65) have produced more medals.

Team GB had 60 medals at this stage in Rio and 58 in London.

The 18 golds won so far fall well short of London's 25 and Rio's 24 at this stage. Two to four more gold medals for Great Britain seem realistic this time for a final total of 20 to 22.

Kenny seals golden treble


Laura Kenny's fifth gold, which follows six Olympic titles for husband Jason, means the Kenny household boasts a total of 11 - the same as Team GB claimed in total at three Games from 1988 to 1996.

The Tokyo triumph was her first Olympic victory as a mother, having welcomed son Albie in August 2017.

"When I fell pregnant, there was a moment two months into the pregnancy where I woke up and said to Jason 'I can't do this, I'm not going to be able to carry on [with cycling], there's just no way.' And here we are," she said.

"All week I've been saying please don't ask me about Albie - I've never missed him so much."


Kenny and Archibald credited coach Monica Greenwood - who took over coaching the endurance squad in December - for their win, revealing they had been training against GB's men's under-23 squad to perfect their madison plan.

"I couldn't do it without these girls. With Katie I feel like I'm racing with a sister - I'm so grateful to have her here and her support. I couldn't have done it without her," added Kenny, who won team pursuit silver earlier in the week.

It further extends her status as Britain's most successful female Olympian. She now has six Olympics medals - the same number as equestrian's Charlotte Dujardin, who has won three golds.

French fires GB to another gold


French took Britain's gold-medal tally to 18 in Tokyo with a storming final event in the modern pentathlon - the laser run, a 3,200-metre run punctuated by four shooting stages.

Starting in fifth position overall, the 30-year-old moved into the gold-medal position with a dominant performance which saw her finish more than 15 seconds ahead of Lithuania's London 2012 champion Laura Asadauskaite.

After finishing fifth at Rio 2016, French became Britain's first champion in the event since Stephanie Cook topped the podium at Sydney 2000.

"I tried not to think too much about getting a medal. I'm so pleased I was able to hold it together. It's always been a dream and I can't believe it's come true."

The event, which covers fencing, swimming, riding, shooting and running ended in heartbreak for Annika Schleu in a typically unpredictable equestrian round.

Horses are randomly allocated to riders and the German's mount Saint Boy proved more of a sinner as his wayward antics ended her medal hopes.

Relief for Muir as she finally earns Olympic medal


Muir fought back tears as she celebrated winning an Olympic medal after a series of near-misses in major outdoor championships.

The 28-year-old Scot slipped out of medal contention on the last lap to finish seventh at Rio 2016, while also agonisingly coming close to the podium in three World Championships.

In Friday's final in Tokyo she was thought to have a chance of winning bronze at best, with Kipyegon and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands - who Muir will share the podium with - considered the favourites.

A determined Muir kept pace with the pair in a fast race and overtook Hassan in the final 200 metres before setting a new national record.

"I don't know what to say - I've worked so hard for so long," she told BBC Sport in an emotional post-race interview.

"I've been fourth, fifth twice, sixth and seventh every year since 2015 and with everything last year being postponed and not knowing what was going on - I got a silver!"

How versatile Price swapped football for boxing


Price, 27, is a talented and versatile athlete having played football for Wales and been a kickboxing world champion - with the Duke of Cambridge among her fans.

Also a former taxi driver, Price switched her full focus to boxing after winning middleweight bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Now she is the reigning world, Commonwealth and European champion, with the shot at the Olympic title to come on Sunday.

Price won her semi-final bout with Dutch opponent Fontijn on a split decision to go into the gold-medal round.

"It's mad, to be honest," said Price, who won 52 caps for the senior Wales football team.

"It's everyone's dream to get to the final and I'm going to do the utmost to bring back that gold."

GB win hockey medal after turbulent five years


Five years ago in Rio, Great Britain's women's hockey team won their first Olympic gold in a moment which has gone down in the nation's sporting folklore.

But expectations were much lower going into Tokyo following a turbulent Olympic cycle.

Several star names have retired, including captain Kate Richardson-Walsh and forward Alex Danson, while there have been injuries to other key players and the upheaval of head coach Danny Kerry leaving to take over the men's side.

In 2019, they were thrashed 8-0 by the Netherlands and needed to beat Chile in a two-legged qualifier to even reach Tokyo.

"This cycle has not been too much of a rollercoaster because there's not been many highs," captain Hollie Pearne-Webb told BBC Sport.

"Olympic bronze even a few months ago was not in our wildest dreams."

What else happened on Friday?


* Canada beat Sweden in a dramatic penalty shootout after the women's football final ended 1-1.

* American Allyson Felix became the most decorated female track and field athlete of all time by taking 400m bronze for her 10th Olympic medal. Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas won the gold medal, with GB's Jodie Williams sixth.

* Olympic individual champion Ben Maher, riding Explosion W, helped Great Britain into Saturday's showjumping team final as seventh of 10 qualifiers.

* Diver Tom Daley will seek a second gold medal of the Games in the 10m platform on Saturday (07:00 BST) after progressing from the preliminary round.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
Women in Partial Nudity — and Bill Clinton in a Dress and Heels: The Images Revealed in the “Epstein Files”
US Envoy Witkoff to Convene Security Advisers from Ukraine, UK, France and Germany in Miami as Peace Efforts Intensify
UK Retailers Report Sharp Pre-Christmas Sales Decline and Weak Outlook, CBI Survey Shows
UK Government Rejects Use of Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Aid for Ukraine
UK Financial Conduct Authority Opens Formal Investigation into WH Smith After Accounting Errors
UK Issues Final Ultimatum to Roman Abramovich Over £2.5bn Chelsea Sale Funds for Ukraine
Rare Pink Fog Sweeps Across Parts of the UK as Met Office Warns of Poor Visibility
UK Police Pledge ‘More Assertive’ Enforcement to Tackle Antisemitism at Protests
UK Police Warn They Will Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’
Trump Files $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against BBC as Broadcaster Pledges Legal Defence
UK Says U.S. Tech Deal Talks Still Active Despite Washington’s Suspension of Prosperity Pact
UK Mortgage Rules to Give Greater Flexibility to Borrowers With Irregular Incomes
UK Treasury Moves to Position Britain as Leading Global Hub for Crypto Firms
U.S. Freezes £31 Billion Tech Prosperity Deal With Britain Amid Trade Dispute
Prince Harry and Meghan’s Potential UK Return Gains New Momentum Amid Security Review and Royal Dialogue
Zelensky Opens High-Stakes Peace Talks in Berlin with Trump Envoy and European Leaders
Historical Reflections on Press Freedom Emerge Amid Debate Over Trump’s Media Policies
UK Boosts Protection for Jewish Communities After Sydney Hanukkah Attack
UK Government Declines to Comment After ICC Prosecutor Alleges Britain Threatened to Defund Court Over Israel Arrest Warrant
Apple Shutters All Retail Stores in the United Kingdom Under New National COVID-19 Lockdown
US–UK Technology Partnership Strains as Key Trade Disagreements Emerge
UK Police Confirm No Further Action Over Allegation That Andrew Asked Bodyguard to Investigate Virginia Giuffre
Giuffre Family Expresses Deep Disappointment as UK Police Decline New Inquiry Into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Claims
Transatlantic Trade Ambitions Hit a Snag as UK–US Deal Faces Emerging Challenges
Ex-ICC Prosecutor Alleges UK Threatened to Withdraw Funding Over Netanyahu Arrest Warrant Bid
UK Disciplinary Tribunal Clears Carter-Ruck Lawyer of Misconduct in OneCoin Case
‘Pink Ladies’ Emerge as Prominent Face of UK Anti-Immigration Protests
Nigel Farage Says Reform UK Has Become Britain’s Largest Party as Labour Membership Falls Sharply
Google DeepMind and UK Government Launch First Automated AI Lab to Accelerate Scientific Discovery
UK Economy Falters Ahead of Budget as Growth Contracts and Confidence Wanes
Australia Approves Increased Foreign Stake in Strategic Defence Shipbuilder
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson proclaims, “For Ukraine, surrendering their land would be a nightmare.”
Microsoft Challenges £2.1 Billion UK Cloud Licensing Lawsuit at Competition Tribunal
Fake Doctor in Uttar Pradesh Accused of Killing Woman After Performing YouTube-Based Surgery
Hackers Are Hiding Malware in Open-Source Tools and IDE Extensions
×