Some fascinating sport for the last big day of competition in Tokyo. Lydia Ko's on the charge, in the K4 team Lisa Carrington takes on her toughest assignment of the Games and dare we wish for one or more breakthrough Kiwi rides at the Izu velodrome? Plus the woman who
Tokyo Olympics 2020: Phil Gifford - My five events to watch on day 15
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The women's K4 kayak team. Photo / Getty
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The argument that Lisa Carrington is our greatest ever Olympian will probably go on forever. Personally I don't have a rigid view.
Like the Halberg Awards, no thinking person would feel you can truly judge a swimmer against a rugby team against a runner.
Here's what I do know about Lisa Carrington. My wife and I were lucky enough to meet Carrington at a private dinner party in 2018. She was hugely likeable, funny, and intelligent. As an athlete, Carrington is patently extraordinary.
So no question that as a person and a competitor she's wonderful, and I wouldn't argue with anyone who felt she was the greatest of all time.
But for me, speaking from a totally personal point of view, she's not alone on the summit of our sporting Olympus, sharing the space with Valerie Adams, because Valerie's like family and we love her, and Peter Snell, because back in 1964 he was the first athlete to make me realise Kiwis really could beat the world.
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Updates: nzherald.co.nz.
Live commentary: Newstalk ZB.
Watch live: SKY Channel 56, TVNZ.
Full Kiwi schedule below. Click on a name to see athlete's bio, upcoming events, past Games performance and medal chance.
Keeping her nerve
Women's golf, individual stroke play. 11.18am.
Lydia Ko needed something special yesterday in her third round and she delivered.
Her five-under par 66 saw her zoom up the leader board into equal third place. And that was just the start of the drama.
With a mini-typhoon heading towards Japan, nobody's exactly sure if the fourth and final round will be played today or delayed until tomorrow. Either way, Ko's picked a great time to find her best form.
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Updates: nzherald.co.nz.
Live commentary: Newstalk ZB.
Watch live: SKY Channel 57, TVNZ.
Come the hour
Women's cycling, sprint, 6.33pm.
Into the last eight in the sprint, Ellesse Andrews has shown a maturity way beyond her 21 years.
"You do what you have to do," was a quote from last night that felt like the words of a battle-hardened veteran which, after a couple of days in Tokyo, she's become.
She grew up in Central Otago where, as a 13 year old, she made a deal with her father, Jon, a track sprint Commonwealth Games bronze medal winner in 1990. If he'd pay for dancing lessons, she'd do more bike riding with him. The bike riding soon won most of her affection.
Updates: nzherald.co.nz.
Live updates: Newstalk ZB.
Watch live: SKY Channel 55, TVNZ.
The game-face suits him
Men's cycling, Madison. 7.55pm.
Campbell Stewart, Corbin Strong.
Stewart's silver medal as a late substitute is one of the best stories of these Games. Riding seriously since he was 12, he says he keeps his game face on most of the time, only relaxing to do a bit of "wood working in the garage."
The Madison, which he was always selected for, gives him the opportunity to farewell Tokyo in style.
Updates: nzherald.co.nz.
Live updates: Newstalk ZB.
Watch live: SKY Channel 55, TVNZ.
Don't underestimate the men and women in black
Men's cycling Keirin, 6.48pm.
Sam Webster and Sam Dakin.
Webster and Dakin are not rated as real medal chances. But, hey, nobody rated Ellesse Andrews a hot chance in the Keirin either, and she won silver.
Updates: nzherald.co.nz.
Live commentary: Newstalk ZB.
Watch live: SKY Channel 55, TVNZ.
