Tokyo Olympics 2020: Phil Gifford - My five events to watch on day 10

Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand practices head of tonight's competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Photo / AP

Fairytales tend to crash and burn in the real world, but cynicism took a holiday yesterday with the bronze for Dame Valerie Adams. Today harsh reality arrives. The rest of the world is not remotely as interested in the paddling brilliance of Lisa Carrington or the sailing genius of Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, as it is in the storm of controversy over Laurel Hubbard becoming the first transgender athlete at the Games.

1) The Ohope kid hits town

Lisa Carrington - Women's kayak single, 200m heat. 12.37pm

A movie producer presented with a script, not knowing it was a true story, about Lisa Carrington's storied career could be forgiven for saying, "It's heart warming, but do you think you might have overdone the casual Barry Crump Kiwiana thing a bit?" In real life, not at all. Opening shot: Wee eight-year-old Lisa tags along after her two big brothers at Ohope Beach, and sees them riding a surf ski. Cue casual Crumpian dialogue. "They seemed to be pretty good, and it turned out I was alright at it too, and I managed to win a few national titles." Kayaking started as a way for Carrington to keep fit for surf life saving. Since 2009 she's been world class, and after gold in London and gold and bronze in Rio, she starts in Tokyo as the best female paddler in the world. After the 200m single heat, she'll join up with Caitlin Regal in the double kayak 500m qualifying heats.

Updates: nzherald.co.nz.
Live commentary: Newstalk ZB.
Watch live: SKY Channel 55, TVNZ.

2) Pressure? What pressure?

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke - Men's yachting, 49er medal race. 6.33pm

At a Games that's more than measured up to Kiwi expectations (who would have bet money a week ago that we'd have medal winners in tennis and trampoline?) one event in which none of us need feel guilty about adding weight to huge expectations is the 49er yachting. Burling and Tuke may have a memory of going into a major final not being hot favourites, but it'd be a pretty damned distant one. They're men, not machines, but any half decent fortune teller would be seeing gold in their immediate future.

Updates: nzherald.co.nz.
Live commentary: Newstalk ZB.
Watch live: SKY Channel 55, TVNZ.

Full Kiwi schedule below. Click on a name to see athlete's bio, upcoming events, past Games performance and medal chance.

3) The world really is watching

Laurel Hubbard - Women's weightlifting. 87kg + qualifying. 10.50pm.

They've been pontificating about Hubbard everywhere from the New York Times to The Guardian to CNN. She's the only Kiwi athlete singled out for comment before the Games by an International Olympic Committee official, their medical and science director, Dr Richard Budgett, who praised her "courage and tenacity" as the first transgender athlete to be selected for the Olympics. Expect a media meltdown if she wins a medal. What hasn't been given much publicity is the fact that leading into the Games the 43-year-old was ranked seventh in the world, so a podium finish is certainly not guaranteed.

Updates: nzherald.co.nz.
Live updates: Newstalk ZB.
Watch live: SKY Channel 56, TVNZ.

4) Kiwis can ride

Jonelle Price, Tim Price, Jesse Campbell - Eventing. Team show jumping. 8pm

In 1980 I went to Cambridge and interviewed a laconic, extremely likeable, 24-year-old called Mark Todd, who had won the Badminton horse trials earlier in the year. He noted, with amusement, that at the time even some local horsemen, "who should know better", didn't take eventing seriously. They were especially amused by the fact British stars of the day had wonderful Oscar Wildish names like Lucinda Prior-Palmer. Said Todd, "The Lucindas are actually tough, professional, and up to every trick in the book." In 2021 the Prices and Jesse Campbell are poised in fourth place to jump for medals. They'll be cheered on by a nation that now has huge respect for a hard nosed sport, having learned about it the best possible way, by watching Kiwis like Todd and the brilliant Blyth Tait succeed at the highest levels.

Updates: nzherald.co.nz.
Live updates: Newstalk ZB.
Watch live: SKY Channel 57, TVNZ.

5) The best drama on two wheels

Track cycling. Women's team pursuit, 6.54pm, men's team pursuit 8.02pm

The team pursuit is the most exciting event in track cycling. It's cut throat, tactical, physically draining, and Kiwis are good at it. If the women's event grabs you, stick around for men's at 8pm.

Updates: nzherald.co.nz.
Live updates: Newstalk ZB.
Watch live: SKY Channel 56, TVNZ.