Sport
Rio 2016, live blog day nine: All the South African action from the Rio Olympics on Sunday
After a marathon of action on Saturday, Sunday's two main events lived up to all the expectations. Relive the action with our blow-by-blow account here.
04:16: That is where we wrap up our coverage for today, though. We’ll be back tomorrow with more as manic track action continues.
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04:15: After Bolt’s race, while he was being mobbed by reporters, he told everyone to hold up, jotted to the stands and congratulated the South African champ. Lovely moment.
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04:14: Wayde’s race was so good, even
Usain Bolt’s reaction to Wayde van Niekerk’s WR 43.03 in the 400m final. #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/GJIaMLGzIZ
— Stephen Nelson (@Stephen__Nelson) August 15, 2016
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04:12: Usain Bolt cruised into Olympic history, winning his
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04:10: What a night we’ve had. If you woke up to watch, you might never sleep again. As somebody Tweeted earlier: I feel like I could bench press a rhino. If you slept in, shame. The night belonged to South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk, who smashed the 400m world record to win gold in an absolutely incredible race. Despite “running blind” Van Niekerk blitzed it and left his opponents in his dust. It was exceptional. Since the heats, Van Niekerk has looked so, so good.
The new 400m Olympic champion @WaydeDreamer has a message for @MJGold after breaking his world record… https://t.co/gdgl775ptL
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 15, 2016
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03:27: Sorry for the radio silence, I had all this adrenaline and had to go run around the block. Bolt has comfortably won the 100m.
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03:03: This is just…this is wow….Van Niekerk has absolutely obliterated the world record. He almost went inside 43 seconds. He ran it in 43.03. Van Niekerk was absolutely exceptional. Balls of Steel.
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03:01: Wayde van Niekerk is blind on the outside and he is off like a rocket. There’s daylight between him, Merrit and James….but wow. Wow. Wow. Wayde has done it!
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02:23: Pretty historical stuff from Simbine.
.@AkaniSimbine becomes the first SA male sprinter since Danie Joubert in LA 1932 to make it into the 100m final at the Olympics. #IOLYMPICS
— Ockert de Villiers (@ockertde) August 15, 2016
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02:18
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02:15: Final semi coming up. It’s got Yohan Blake and Justin Gatlin in the
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02:10: Of course Bolt wins it. From about 60m, Bolt put on the after burners and wins in 9.86.
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02:08: There’s been a false start from Fisher, the man from Bahrain. He’s been given a red card. What a bummer.
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02:07: Usain Bolt is the AB de Villiers of running.
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02:05: Jimmy Vicaut is first, Benn Youssef second. Simbine’s time was 9.98. We’re onto semifinal two to see if he cracks it…Andy Murray has beaten Del Potro to win gold in the tennis, by the way. He wins 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. But enough of that, Bolt is about to run.
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02:01:
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01:37: Phyllis Francis has won the first semi-final of the women’s 400m in 50.31. Jamaica’s Stephenie Ann McPherson ends in second. In the second semi, Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson has run 49.83…and she can’t believe it. She looks at the board stunned. Natasha Hastings is also through after finishing second.
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01:09: That partisan crowd
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00:17: Unbelievable! Del Potro manages to take the second set against the 2012 Olympic champion despite appearing to be carrying a large wardrobe around the court on his back. We’ll keep an eye on this titanic tussle as the track
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00:09: Told you it could be a late one. Del Potro and Murray are slugging it out and, frankly, both look knackered. The Argentinian is serving to make it one set apiece under the lights with a partisan – and increasingly sozzled – South American crowd right behind him. Ole!
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22:34: The men’s singles tennis final is also on the go as you read this. Great Britain’s Grand Slam champ Andy Murray is a break up in the first set against Juan Martin del Potro, who has only had to pop down the road from Argentina to Rio for the event. It’s best of five sets in the final, so it could be a late one.
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21:59: All the track and field fun to come later on. In the meantime, it’s all about things like the men’s omnium (don’t ask) and
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21:10: Rose was born in Johannesburg. Claim his gold medal if you want.
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21:09: News in from the golf, Justin Rose has won. This from the BBC:
“Rose, 36, was level with Stenson on 15 under par after 17 holes but the Swede bogeyed the last while Rose sank a birdie putt to win by two shots. The 2013 US Open champion closed with a four-under-par 67 to win on 16 under. Open champion Stenson (68) took silver with American Matt Kuchar carding a 63 to take bronze on 13 under.”
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18:14: Tonight is the biggie, though. At 2am, Akani Simbine will race in the 100m semi-finals and at 3 am, Wayde van Niekerk goes for gold in the 400m finals.
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18:13: In the women’s marathon, Lebo Phalula finished 63rd in a time of 2hr 41min 46sec, Christine Kalmer ended in 96th position with a time of 2:48:24. Irvette van Zyl was injured and did not start.
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18:11: In the golf, South Africa has been largely under par. Well, over par, actually, but you know what we mean. Jaco van Zyl did manage to hit a hole in one.
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18:07: We’ll update you on what has already happened today shortly, but first…please enjoy this moment.
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18:05: After a manic day on Saturday is a bit more chilled. Well, if you consider the final of the 400m and the 100m to be chilled.
Photo: 2016 Rio Olympics – Athletics – Semifinal – Men’s 400m Semifinals – Olympic Stadium – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 13/08/2016. Wayde van Niekerk (RSA) of South Africa. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson