TOKYO, August 4

Canada’s Andre De Grasse added gold to a groaning collection of minor medals with victory in the 200m, Kenya went one-two in the men’s 800m and Peruth Chemutai made history for Uganda on another scintillating night of Olympics athletics today.

That followed another huge 400m hurdles world record in the morning when Sydney McLaughlin saw off fellow American Dalilah Muhammad as the super-fast track and new shoe technology continue to make a mockery of historical comparisons. The 21-year-old finished strongly to clock 51.46 seconds, destroying her own 51.90 set at the US trials.

De Grasse, operating in the considerable shadow of Usain Bolt for most of his career, had won six bronze and two silver medals from global individual races and relays, but has been on fire in Tokyo. Showing perfect judgement, he ran down leader Noah Lyles to win in a Canadian record of 19.62s to make him the eighth-fastest man of all time over the distance. “In 2016, I was a kid and inexperienced but now I have so many expectations to come away with medals,” said 26-year-old De Grasse, who won silver behind Bolt in the 200m in Rio.

Emmanuel Korir and Ferguson Rotich delivered a Kenyan one-two in the men’s 800m to make it four successive golds in the event for the East Africans. After a steady first 500m Korir forged clear to win in 1 minute, 45.06 seconds and become a worthy successor to double champion David Rudisha.

Chemutai became the first Ugandan woman to win an Olympics gold in any sport with a finely-judged performance in the 3,000m steeplechase.

Poland’s Wojciech Nowicki topped a very consistent set with a personal best 82.52m to win the hammer — a double in the event for the country after Anita Wlodarczyk won a third successive title on Tuesday. — Reuters