Tokyo 2020: Neeraj breaks new ground, Hassan at the double and Ingebrigtsen's new benchmark

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Bengaluru, August 6: Neeraj Chopra made history for India, Sifan Hassan doubled up, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen broke an Olympic record on the final night of athletics events at Tokyo 2020.

At the Olympic Stadium there was plenty of reason to celebrate with the United States rounding out the track events in the Japanese capital in style in the 4x400m relays.

With OPTA inputs, myKhel.com gives you a round-up of all the athletics action at Tokyo 2020 on Day 16 of the Games.

CHOPRA BREAKS NEW GROUND FOR INDIA

Prior to this final evening of competition in the Olympic Stadium, independent India had never won an athletics gold.

All that changed thanks to Neeraj, who took out the men's javelin thanks to a second-round throw of 87.58M.

In a huge shock, overwhelming favourite Johannes Vetter did not even make the cut for the final three throws and finished ninth.

Czech duo Jakub Vadlejch (86.67m) and Vitezslav Vesely rounded out the podium.

HASSAN AT THE DOUBLE

Hassan came into these Games attempting an unprecedented 1500, 5000 and 10,000M treble.

Ultimately, she fell narrowly short after taking bronze in the shortest distance on Friday but the Dutchwoman doubled up with a fantastic win in the 10,000M.

Letesenbet Gidey led for much of the race, with Hassan and Kalkidan Gezahegne making it a three-way tussle. The former fell away on the final bend as Hassan – who is the second woman to win three medals in individual distance events at a single Games – sprinted to the line to come home in a time of 29:55.32.

In the women's marathon Peres Jepchirchir led home a Kenya one-two, a first for the women's event in Olympic competition, in stifling morning conditions. World record holder Brigid Kosgei had to settle for silver and Molly Seidel of the United States completed the podium.

THERE'S NOR-WAY TO BEAT NEW OLYMPIC-RECORD HOLDER JAKOB

In a thrilling men's 1,500M race, Ingebrigtsen finally defeated Timothy Cheruiyot in their 13th career competitive meeting.

To do so, the Norwegian had to run a European and Olympic record time of 3:28.32, with Cheruiyot just holding off Josh Kerr to take silver.

Kerr and the three athletes to follow him all ran PBs, while the first seven men all finished inside the pre-2021 Olympic record time of 3:32.07.

Mariya Lasitskene of the Russian Olympic Committee won a thriller in the women's high jump, clearing 2.04m on her second attempt.

Nicola McDermott, with a new PB and Oceanic record of 2.02m claimed silver, and Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh cleared the same height but took bronze having dislodged the bar first time around.

USA DOMINATE 4x400m RELAYS

As is tradition at an Olympics, the 4x400m relays closed the show. First up were the woman and the United States quartet wowed with a 3:16.85 – the fifth fastest in history and quickest since 1993.

Sydney McLaughlin and Athing Mu consequently won second golds of the Games, while Allyson Felix extended her record of most track and field medals for a female athlete to 11. The teams from Poland and Jamaica were second and third.

The men were just as dominant in the final track event of the night as the quartet of Michael Cherry, Michael Norman, Bryce Deadmon and Rai Benjamin ran home in 2:55.70 to beat the Netherlands and Botswana.