Dylan Bettencourt
This weekend will see the conclusion of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with the race for the medal table still in the balance between China and the United States. The US has the most medals but China is still ahead in the chase for gold.
Attention will be on track with Friday’s action seeing the men’s 4x100m relay taking place at 3:50pm. Surprisingly, the United States team did not qualify for the final with the gold medal anybody’s for the taking, though sprint kings Jamaica start favourites.
Saturday will see both the men and women compete in their 4x400m relay finals. The men’s 1,500m final is also on show in an event that athletes from Kenya will be hoping to dominate.
One of the most treasured medals is in football where Brazil will face Spain in the men’s football final on Sunday. Sweden are up against Canada in the women’s football final on Saturday.
Boxing, Water Polo, Basketball, Cycling, Gymnastics and many others will end their events this weekend with gold medals on offer.
The final event, as ever, will be the marathon on Sunday in which African athletes will hope to retain their traditional ownership of the medal podium.
Tokyo 2020 turned out to be a great event under difficult conditions. Hopefully, Paris 2024 will be held without masks and social distancing with thousands of fans crowding the grandstands.
➤ This weekend sees the third test between the Springboks and the British & Irish Lions and there is bound to be serious fireworks for all the right and the wrong reasons.
The three-match series is tied at 1-1 setting up a third match decider, a situation not seen since 1955. The South African rugby side put on a second-half clinical victory last weekend to defeat Warren Gatland’s men 27-9.
South African rugby fans will be hoping the momentum will carry the Springboks through to a series victory.
The decider will kick off at 6pm on Saturday on DStv channel 201.
It has been a tour filled with drama, non-stop action, and plenty of controversy. It seems a long, long time before the Lions face South Africa again in 2033 – and it seems a very short time before the Springboks are in action again when they run out against Argentina at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium next Saturday.
Image source: @TheSouthAfrican
