Emma Twigg competes during the women's single sculls heats at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo / Getty
Emma Twigg competes during the women's single sculls heats at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo / Getty
Seasoned sports journalist and renowned broadcaster Phil Gifford singles out five events to watch on day two of the Tokyo Olympics.
Kiwis at these Tokyo Olympics have been at their best so far either on, or in, the water.
So if there's one of my five picks today you reallyshouldn't miss, it's a fearless 22-year-old swimmer from Wellington, who startled the swimming world last night, Lewis Clareburt.
1) Stay angry by all means
Lewis Clareburt, men's 400 metres individual swim medley, final.1.30pm
The best measure of a champion is surely when they produce their best effort under the most pressure. Hello Lewis Clareburt, slightly behind American Chase Kalisz going into the last, freestyle, leg of his qualifying heat last night, then home to win with a new New Zealand record. The 22-year-old had said he was going to "swim angry" and if that's the case let's hope he's furious this afternoon.
Live updates: nzherald.co.nz. Live commentary: Newstalk ZB. Watch live: SKY Channel 54, TVNZ.
2) Woman on a mission
Emma Twigg, women's single sculls, quarter-final. 2.30pm
Twigg has been a heartbeat outside a medal winning performance at two previous Games, so no wonder there's a spark in her eye in Tokyo that could light a bonfire. After Rio, where she was just 0.3s behind the bronze medal winner, she decided that "I was worth more than that." Sir Murray Halberg was so disappointed at his first Games, in Melbourne in 1956, that he went bush for a while in Australia. Four years later in Rome he swept to gold in the 5000 metres. Twigg stopped rowing after Rio, but decided "I could touch far more people as an elite athlete with a profile than I could sitting behind a desk. That was the motivation to return."
Live updates: nzherald.co.nz. Live commentary: Newstalk ZB. Watch live: SKY Channel 56, TVNZ.
Emma Twigg competes during the women's single sculls heats at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo / Getty
3) No fowl play jokes, okay?
Luuka Jones, Canoe slalom (kayak) heats, 4.50pm
My favourite memory of a sportsperson training during Covid-19 lockdown last year revolves around seeing shots of Jones inside her Tauranga home, lifting tins of canned fruit flanked by two hens from her flock of chickens, who she said usually strictly keeps outside. After winning silver in Rio, this is the discipline in which she has her best chance of success at these Games. The white water course is the same, but in layman's terms, in the kayak, Jones has a paddle with two blades, in the canoe she has just one blade.
Live updates: nzherald.co.nz. Live commentary: Newstalk ZB. Watch live: SKY Channel 56, TVNZ.
Luuka Jones trains at the Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo / Getty
4) Let's do it again
New Zealand v Honduras, men's football, 8pm.
Beating Korea 1-0 was an upset, confirmed by the classic moment when Chris Wood had a friendly post-match handshake rebuffed, and walked away with a look on his face that was a perfect mix of bemusement and wry pleasure. Olympic football teams are a weird mix of under 23 players and three veterans. It's a stroke of great fortune for the Kiwi side that in 29-year-old Burnley striker Wood they have what amounts to a great white footballing shark prowling an opposing team's goal circle, ready to strike with deadly intent.
Live updates: nzherald.co.nz. Watch live: SKY Channel 56, TVNZ
Chris Wood celebrates scoring the opening goal against South Korea. Photo / AP
5) Joy to the world
Billy Stairmand, men's surfing heats, 10.40am. Ella Williams, women's surfing heats, 4pm.
Who hasn't loved the sheer pleasure in their events our snow sport wunderkids radiate? You get strong hints of the same sort of delight from Stairmand and Williams, who were both born to ride boards, Stairmand at the great Raglan break, and Williams at Whangamata, where her parents run a surf shop. On world ratings they've don't loom as medal prospects, but, hey in 2013 when she was 14, Williams got a late call up to the world junior champs in Brazil, and she came back a world champion.
Live updates: nzherald.co.nz. Watch live: SKY Channel 57, TVNZ.
