Tokyo 2020 Day Five: Pacific athletes – who to watch and when

Day Five of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics is all about rugby sevens and whether Fiji can defend their gold medal from 2016.

Rugby Sevens (Men’s)

The Fiji men’s sevens team are through to the final four at the Tokyo Olympics after beating Australia 19-0 in their quarter final clash.

Yadra Viti

We need you prayers and support today. 2.30pm FJT semi V Argentina

Comment and show your support. #HowWeSevens #TokyoOlympics #rugby #Tokyo2020 #sevens #TosoViti pic.twitter.com/PKQQqhWVW4

— Fiji Rugby Union (@fijirugby) July 27, 2021

Captain Jerry Tuwai opened the scoring as the defending champions led 7-0 at half-time. The reigning world player of the year added another try midway through the second half before Aminiasi Tuimaba sealed the win with just over a minute left on the clock.

Fiji will face Argentina for a place in the final – scheduled for kick off at 2:30pm – after the South Americans overcame an early red card to upset South Africa 19-14.

Tuwai said with their country suffering with the covid-19 pandemic, the team is keen to bring happiness to their people.

New Zealand and Great Britain will contest the other semifinal after beating Canada and the United States respectively.

Judo

Kinaua Biribo will today make history as Kiribati’s first Olympic judoka. She hopes to give back to her community upon returning home, telling The Guardian “When I go back, I’m going to do school visits and tell this story – to inspire I-Kiribati kids, especially the girls… Sport is not only sport – it can take you anywhere.”

Event start time: 2:00pm

Sailing

American Samoa duo Adrian Hoesch and Tyler Paige set sail tomorrow afternoon on the hunt for gold as the Men’s Two Person Dinghy – 470 Event.

Adrian Hoesche is no stranger to the medal podium, having won bronze in this discipline at the Junior European Championship of the 470s in Wales in 2013, representing Germany.

Tyler Paige has represented the United States of America in previous international sailing competitions.

Event start time: 3:05

Canoe Slalom

Cook Islands athlete Jane Nicholas made it to the semifinals of the Canoe Slalom Kayak event yesterday, where she finished the event ranked 22nd.

Today she will compete in Heat 1 of the Canoe Heats round, slated to be underway at 3:50pm, and Heat 2 at 6:00pm.

Swimming (Women’s)

Mineri Gomez of Guam has talked about struggling to train for the Olympics due to the Covid-19 pandemic, having to train at the beach, until her dad built her a 15-metre pool at their home.

“My dad, he built the pool in our backyard. We were talking about it for a long time, then he built a temporary one, then he built the big one. I knew he could build stuff because he builds everything we have at the house, but the big pool, it was kind of amazing. I couldn’t really believe that it happened’, she told Guam Pacific Daily News. 

One of only two Marshall Island athletes, Collen Furgeson, has long been making her country proud, having made her international debut in 2013, representing Marshall Islands at the World Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

Gomez (Guam) and Furgeson (Marhsall Islands) are competing in the Women’s 100m freestyle, in Heats 1 and 2 respectively.

Congratulations to Lincoln College member Colleen Furgeson for earning her spot to represent the Marshall Islands in swimming at the #Tokyo2020 Olympics. We’ll be rooting for you from afar!https://t.co/5fCAxriXYf#theNSLS #olympics

— The NSLS (@theNSLS) July 9, 2021

Event start time: 10:00pm

Swimming (Men’s)

Tasi Limtiaco will be representing the Federated States of Micronesia in the Men’s 200m Individual Medley in Heat 1.

Event start time: 10:54pm

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