OLYMPIC GAMES ROUND-UP
■■ BRITISH medal favourite Molly Caudery vowed to learn from her Olympic debut after crashing out of the qualification session with a no mark.
The reigning world indoor champion was the only entrant who elected to skip the 4.40 metres height attempt, electing to enter at 4.55.
It was a decision that proved costly when she failed to clear the bar with her three tries, particularly after it turned out 4.40 was all it took for nine other women to advance.
She told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It’s honestly heartbreaking.
“I wish I could have done better, but I am going to try to learn from this and I will take everything I can from it. I felt great, the best shape of my life. I didn’t feel too nervous. I love a big crowd. I don’t know why, but it wasn’t my day and I’ll use this as an experience to learn from it and to try move on.”
Coming into these Games, Caudery (circled, right) was a strong contender for the podium, if not Olympic gold.
In June, the 24-year-old set a new British record with a personal best of 4.92 in Toulouse – the world-leading mark heading into Paris – but was well off the mark yesterday. She did not get enough forward momentum with her final chance, clipping the bar with her foot as she descended.
She admitted: confessed: “I am currently in a bit of shock. I am so disappointed. I don’t have any excuse.”
Her exit came not long after she had consoled team-mate Holly Bradshaw, who with bronze in Tokyo became the first Briton to win a pole vault medal, but was unable to make 4.40.
Caudery defended the decision to enter at 4.55, saying: “4.55m is a bar that I jump day in, day out. There is not one piece of doubt in my mind that I wasn’t going to clear it.
“When I have been jumping 4.80 and 4.90 all year round, 4.55 shouldn’t have been a problem. It is just a really unfortunate day.”
AMBER Anning and Laviai Nielsen, both part of Great Britain’s bronze medal-winning mixed 4x400 relay team, advanced to the individual women’s 400 metres semi-finals, while Victoria
Ohuruogu faces fighting her way out of the repechage.
Alastair Chalmers qualified for the men’s 400 metres hurdles semi-finals, while Jessie Knight progressed from the repechage to the women’s 400 metres hurdles semis.
SIMONE Biles’ Olympic competition in Paris ended with a silver medal on the floor after what she said was an “absolutely wild” day.
Biles had already claimed three golds, having won the all around and vault titles, plus the team competition and was expected to conclude her campaign with success on the floor.
However, at a packed Bercy Arena, Biles twice stepped out of the floor area during her routine which proved costly as her score of 14.133 left her behind Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade who scored 14.166, with American Jordan Chiles taking third after successfully appealing her initial score.
Biles had earlier finished fifth in the balance beam final when a number of competitors fell, including her American compatriot Sunisa Lee, in what she described as an “odd final” with the crowd shushing those who were shouting encouragement during performances.
She said: “The beam final is always the most stressful, usually we have music or background noise, whatever that may be, and honestly we do better in environments when there’s noise going on because it feels the most like practice.
“Today you could hear the ringtones going off, the photo clickers, and you’re trying to stay in your zone and then the people start cheering and the shushing gets louder so they should be shushed because they’re louder.
“It was really weird and awkward and we’d asked if we’ve could have some music or some background noise. It was an odd beam final.”
AT the velodrome, Great Britain qualified second-fastest in the men’s team pursuit.
They will face Denmark for a place in the final.
GREAT Britain’s women were beaten 3-1 by the Netherlands in their hockey quarter-final.