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Sifan Hassan will have run in six middle- or long-distance races in eight days if she is complete her treble

Sifan Hassan won the women’s 5,000m gold to seal the first part of her attempt at an unprecedented Olympic treble and Simone Biles’ gymnastics return was announced on day 10 in Tokyo.

Dutchwoman Hassan surged away on the last lap to win in 14 minutes 36.79 seconds and her victory came just hours after she had recovered from a slip in the heats for the 1500m, an event in which she is chasing a medal along with the 10,000m.

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn had earlier won an emotional first athletics gold for Puerto Rico, while Kenya’s 37-year stranglehold on the men’s 3,000m steeplechase came to an end with gold for Morocco’s Soufiane el Bakkali.

There was also an upset in the women’s football where world champions the United States lost 1-0 to Canada in the semi-finals.

China took the first title in the track cycling at the velodrome, where – after so many days of empty areas – there were fans in attendance. A 50% capacity of up to 1,800 is allowed as the venue is outside Tokyo, where stricter Covid-19 rules apply.

They witnessed a bizarre crash when Australian Alexander Porter’s handlebars suddenly snapped off, throwing him forwards at speed on to the floor, with the rider escaping largely unhurt.

There was a malfunction of a different kind in the shooting, where Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish was distracted by the button on his jacket undoing and fired at a rival’s target instead.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Laurel Hubbard made Olympic history, becoming the first openly transgender athlete to compete at a Games in a different gender category to the one in which they were born.

Hubbard, however, failed to record a successful lift in the women’s +87kg weightlifting.

Hassan shines and Puerto Rico celebrate first athletics gold

It was a wet evening at the Olympic stadium, where the discus final and pole vault qualifying were paused during torrential rain, but it did not stop Hassan as she sat back in the pack before launching a last-lap burst to take a convincing gold in the 5,000m.

That is the only event of the three she has entered where she is not the reigning world champion.

She was fortunate to recover earlier in the day after falling during the 1500m heats, saying she had been tired from her exploits after she got up quickly to overtake several athletes to win the heat.

“Without coffee I would never be Olympic champion. I needed all the caffeine!” she said.

Earlier in the day, Puerto Rico won their first ever track and field gold as Camacho-Quinn cruised to victory in the women’s 100m hurdles.

The 24-year-old is only the second athlete from the US territory to win an Olympic gold medal, after Monica Puig in the women’s tennis singles in 2016.

Greek long jumper Miltiadis Tentoglou provided another first – his country’s first gold in the event – sealing the title with his final attempt of 8.41m having been outside the medal positions before that. Juan Miguel Echevarria took silver and fellow Cuban Maykel Masso got bronze.

But there was disappointment for Jamaica’s 100m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson, who failed to reach the women’s 200m semi-finals after finishing fourth in her heat having eased up metres before the line, and for South Africa’s defending 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk, who was eliminated in the semi-finals of his event.

And there was a surprise in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase where Kenya, who were going for their 10th title in a row, could only win bronze as El Bakkali – who was fourth at Rio 2016 – surged in the final lap to win in 8:08.90 ahead of Ethiopian Lamecha Girma.

In the women’s discus, American Valarie Allman won gold with an effort of 68.98m.

USA miss out on football final again

The USA arrived in Tokyo favourites for the gold medal in the women’s football but they have now failed to qualify for the final for the second successive Games.

They were beaten 1-0 by Canada, with Jessie Fleming scoring the winner from the penalty spot after substitute Deanne Rose was fouled by Tierna Davidson.

Canada will face Sweden in Friday’s gold medal match, while the USA will battle for bronze on Thursday against Australia.

Biles to return as Carey wins floor in her absence

Jade Carey
Jade Carey takes over the Olympic floor title from fellow American Simone Biles

Pre-Games favourite Simone Biles, who has missed four individual finals while she protects her mental health, was on Monday named in the start list for Tuesday’s beam final.

That event is the American’s final chance of an individual medal at these Olympics, where her absence has given others an opportunity to shine while she has cheered them on from the stands.

Her team-mate Jade Carey won the floor gold on Monday with her slick and well executed routine impressing the judges in the Ariake Arena.

The 21-year-old’s score of 14.366 narrowly beat Italian veteran Vanessa Ferrari into second, who won her first Olympic medal at the fourth time of asking.

There was a tie for the bronze medal between Japan’s Mai Murakami and Angelina Melnikova of the Russian Olympic Committee.

China’s Liu Yang performed a confident routine to win gold on the rings, with You Hao completing a one-two for China.

Greece’s Eleftherios Petrounias, the defending champion from Rio 2016, took the bronze after he landed heavily on his knees.

South Korea’s Shin Jea-hwan won the men’s vault gold, with Russian Denis Abliazin taking silver and Armenia’s Artur Davtyan getting the bronze.

Broken records & snapped handlebars on day one in velodrome

Australian cyclist's handlebars snap off at high speed
Alexander Porter walked away from his crash with minor injuries

China’s women picked up the first gold medal in the Izu Olympic velodrome, edging out Germany in the team sprint final.

The gold medallists, who had broken their own world record in the heats, won with a time of 31.895 seconds.

In the team pursuit heats, Germany also smashed a world record during their Olympic qualifying session, crossing the line in a time of 4:07:307 seconds.

That surpassed the previous record set by Great Britain at Rio 2016 by nearly three seconds.

In the men’s team pursuit heats, Australian Alexander Porter had a huge shock when his handlebars snapped off, sending him tumbling to the ground in dramatic fashion.

The 25-year-old skidded across the velodrome’s wooden floor, picking up scrapes and cuts, after the apparent equipment malfunction.

Olympic history for Hubbard

Transgender athlete Hubbard made Olympic history but failed to record a successful lift in the women’s +87kg weightlifting.

The New Zealander became the first openly transgender athlete to compete at a Games in a different gender category to the one in which they were born.

But after a failed attempt to lift 120kg and two failed efforts at 125kg in the snatch, her competition ended.

Hubbard said: “I know that from a sporting perspective I haven’t really hit the standards that I put upon myself and perhaps the standards that my country has expected of me.

“But one of the things for which I am profoundly grateful is that the supporters in New Zealand have given me so much and have been beyond astonishing.

Away from the sporting action, politics in focus

A sprinter from Belarus who refused her team’s order to fly home early from the Olympics has been granted a humanitarian visa by Poland.

Krystina Timanovskaya, 24, was at the Polish embassy in Tokyo after spending the night secured in a hotel under protection from Japanese police.

She said she was forcibly taken to the airport for criticising coaches, and voiced fears for her safety, while Belarus says she was removed from the team because of her emotional state.

Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is looking into the gesture American shot putter Raven Saunders made after the silver medallist raised her arms in an X above her head on Sunday.

Saunders said the gesture represented “the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.”

The IOC relaxed a ban on protests ahead of the Tokyo Games, allowing athletes to “express their views” during news conferences – but political demonstrations are still banned on the medal stand. It is unclear what reprimand Saunders could face, as the IOC has not outlined potential penalties.

Entertainment Gists

Druppythekid Set to release New Two-Track Pack

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Nigerian emerging artist Druppythekid is set to release his new two-track pack, No Love and LA LA LA (Serenade), on November 13, 2026, delivering a message of ambition, self-belief, and defiance in the face of criticism.

Originally from Kwara State and based in Lagos, Druppythekid developed a love for rap, hip-hop, and pop music as a teenager. Introduced to poetry in high school, he found a natural connection between words and rap, eventually joining a rap group before exploring music production at university. After graduation, he began rapping over his own beats, turning his passion into a growing musical pursuit.

On “No Love,” Druppythekid speaks to the determination required to chase dreams despite doubt and opposition. “LA LA LA (Serenade)” takes a more unapologetic approach, dismissing the opinions of those who never believed in him.

Together, the two records reflect one central message: keep pursuing your vision and never let the opinions of others define your journey.

No Love and LA LA LA (Serenade) arrive on major digital streaming platforms on November 13, 2026.

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Entertainment Gists

Who Is Chinwe Zoe? The Nigerian Gospel Singer Behind “Undeniable

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Chinwe Zoe, a Nigerian gospel singer and songwriter, began recording music in December 2025 after years of singing in church and at home. Less than a year later, she has released three singles, including “Chinwendum”, featuring gospel singer Frank Edwards, “Undeniable” and “Jesus Don Win”, her October 2026 release produced by Masterkraft.

For Zoe, the decision to record was connected to a personal experience that changed how she viewed her life and faith. She has described it as a near-death experience that left her with a renewed sense of gratitude. “In that moment, when I thought it was over, God showed me mercy,” she said. “He gave me victory. And that victory was too loud to keep inside.”

Her debut, “Chinwendum”, was released in December 2025 with Frank Edwards featured on the record. She followed it with “Undeniable” on May 7, 2026. The song’s official video has recorded more than 460,000 views on YouTube. In October, she released “Jesus Don Win”, produced by Masterkraft, with a video directed by Avalon Okpe.

Zoe’s approach to songwriting draws on personal experiences and scripture. She has said that she does not begin the process by searching for a melody, but by waiting for a message that she can develop into a song. She describes a process in which an experience or scripture stays with her until it takes musical form. The melody follows, and she hums it before committing anything to writing.

Her guiding principle is that a gospel song should be accessible to listeners while remaining suitable for congregational worship. “It should be simple enough for a child to sing and strong enough for a choir to carry,” she said.

Zoe has identified CeCe Winans, Nathaniel Bassey and Dunsin Oyekan among the musicians whose work has influenced her. She sings in English and Igbo, and occasionally in Pidgin, drawing on the worship tradition in her musical expression.

“Every song I sing comes from a place I have lived,” she said. “My pain taught me how to worship, my joy taught me how to praise.”

Her music has also begun attracting an online audience. Her YouTube channel has recorded more than 627,000 views across nine videos, while her Spotify monthly listeners have been reported at approximately 6,500. Her Audiomack profile is verified. Zoe records under her own imprint, H2 Records, with distribution through ONErpm. She made her first public performance at the 2026 Annual Virtuous Women Network conference in Enugu, where she performed “Undeniable”.

Outside music, she has spoken about her interest in soul winning and described it as connected to her musical work. She has also said that she wants her songs to encourage listeners facing difficult circumstances. “I want my songs to shift mindsets from worry to worship,” she said. “Whenever anxiety comes, whenever life tries to make you feel small, I want you to hear my sound in your spirit and declare victory over your life.”

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Entertainment Gists

N8TAN Announces ‘UPRISING EP’ — A Story of Rising From the Streets to the Top

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Nigerian artist N8TAN is set to unveil his highly anticipated ‘UPRISING EP’, a body of work that chronicles his journey from the streets to the heights of his musical ambition.

Built around themes of struggle, resilience, ambition, survival, and triumph, UPRISING captures the realities of an artist determined to turn adversity into momentum. The project reflects N8TAN’s experiences, the challenges that shaped him, and the relentless drive that continues to push him forward.

More than a collection of songs, UPRISING is presented as a story of transformation—from navigating the streets and confronting uncertainty to finding purpose, embracing growth, and rising toward the top.

With its blend of raw storytelling, infectious energy, and personal perspective, the EP offers listeners an intimate look into N8TAN’s world while reinforcing his determination to carve out his own place in the music industry.

‘UPRISING EP’ is a statement of elevation: a reminder that where you start does not have to determine where you finish.

As N8TAN continues to build his musical identity, UPRISING marks another significant chapter in his journey—and an invitation for listeners to rise with him.

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