Tokyo 2020+1 - Proud Daley achieves his dream at last

TOM DALEY wept tears of joy as he completed his 13-year Olympic career with a first gold in the 10m synchronised platform diving alongside debutant Matty Lee.

Daley - who first competed for Great Britain as a 14-year-old at the Olympics in 2008 in Beijing - had won successive bronze medals in London 2012 and at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

But, this time, the Plymouth lad and his 23-year-old Leeds-born diving partner Lee absolutely nailed their final dive to stay ahead of their Chinese rivals Cao Yuan and Chen Aisen.

After six rounds, the British duo had scored 471.81 points compared to 470.58 for the Chinese - and so, Daley, after so many years of trying, had finally achieved his boyhood dream.

"I still can't honestly believe what is happening," Daley said. "That moment, being about to be announced as Olympic champions, I was gone. I was blubbering."

With seven days completed, Great Britain has eight gold medals and 28 altogether - and sits sixth in the medal table, behind only China, hosts Japan, United States, the team representing Russia, and Australia.

In particular, the performance in the swimming pool has been something of a revelation, with the clock turned back to 1908 when London hosted the Games for the first time.

For the first time in 113 years, Team GB has won seven medals in swimming at a single Games in a haul which includes four gold, two silver and a bronze for Luke Greenbank in the 200m backstroke.

Earlier, Adam Peaty had started the ball rolling with an emphatic victory in the 100m breaststroke, an event in which he still has not lost for seven years.

But, if that was expected, a first British 1-2 in the pool since 1908 came as a complete shock as Tom Dean and Duncan Scott dominated the 200m freestyle.

Scott also won silver in the 200m individual medley - and Dean and Scott then combined with James Guy, Matt Richards, and Callum Jarvis in the heats, to achieve a crushing victory in the 4x 200m freestyle relay.

Debutant Richards, aged only 18, was outstanding in the third leg and set up Scott perfectly for the anchor leg as the race finished with the British teams missing out on the world record by just three-hundredths of a second.

Not to be outdone by Dean, Peaty also now has two gold medals at these Olympics - and three overall - after being part of the team which won the inaugural mixed 4×100 metre medley relay.

Peaty raced alongside Guy, Kathleen Dawson, Anna Hopkin, and Freya Anderson in the heats, as the British wrote their names in the history books as the first Olympic winners of this event.

Meanwhile, in the gymnasium, there was more history being made by Team GB as the women's team - Amelie Morgan, Alice Kinsella and the 16-year-old Gadirova twins, Jennifer and Jessica - came from behind for a first Olympic teams medal since 1928.

Bryony Page added to her silver from Rio de Janeiro with a bronze this time in the women's trampoline - and, with the individual event finals now getting under way, the British medal haul from the Ariake Gymnastics Centre might not be finished just yet.

Of course, taekwondo has always delivered for Team GB, ever since its introduction to the Games at Sydney in 2000 - and these Tokyo Olympics have been no different.

Bradly Sinden and Lauren Williams both won silver on debut in the featherweight and welterweight categories respectively - while the more experienced Bianca Walkden took bronze after suffering a controversial semi final defeat.

Staying with martial arts - and judo has been less successful for Team GB with the events unsurprisingly dominated by hosts Japan.

Nevertheless, the national sport of the home nation will always be recorded as Britain's first medal of these Tokyo Olympics with Chelsie Giles taking bronze in the 52kg category on day two.

Elsewhere, in the equestrian, Charlotte Dujardin became the most decorated British female Olympian - for now.

Dujardin, on her new horse Gio, won bronze medals in individual and team horse dancing - or dressage, to give its proper name - to take her overall career total in the Olympics to six - three gold, one silver, two bronze).

Track cyclist Laura Kenny can overtake Dujardin with medals in each of her three events - and, staying on two wheels, there have already been some strong performances from Team GB.

Tom Pidcock took gold with a dominant display in the men's mountain bike cross-country - and, in BMX, Bethany Shriever won each of her three races for gold in the women's event while Kye Whyte took silver in the men's final race.

Trusty triathlon delivered again as Jess Learmonth, Jonathan Brownlee, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Alex Yee struck gold in another new event at the Olympics - a mixed relay - after Yee and Taylor-Brown had both won silver in the respective men's and women's competitions.

Slalom canoeist Mallory Franklin was also on the second step of the podium in the women's C1 event - and, at around about the same time as that, British world champion, Matt Coward-Holley took bronze in the men's trap shooting.

For the rowing team, there was a silver in the men's quadruple sculls and a bronze in the men's eight on the Sea Forest Waterway - but, for the first time since 1984, Britain failed to win a gold medal at an Olympic regatta.

No fewer than six fourth-placed finishes go some way to explaining the overall low haul - and Emily Craig and Imogen Grant can be especially gutted at having missed out on bronze by one-hundredths of a second in the women's lightweight double sculls.

But, funded a generous £25m by UK Sport via the National Lottery, the rowing team simply had to do better than they did - and some tough questions will now need to be asked.

Indeed, the abiding Team GB memory from the rowing competition in Tokyo will be the sight of the men's four - in an event won five times in a row by the British boat from Sydney onwards - almost taking out the Italians by actually steering into the wrong lane.

Certainly, British Rowing will not look back on the Tokyo Olympics with much fondness at all.

There was also disappointment in the athletics with the events in the Olympic Stadium only just under way.

Big hope Dina Asher-Smith failed to qualify for the women's 100m final - and, citing a hamstring injury incurred during the trials before the Games, the 25-year-old has now pulled out of her favoured 200m.

There is better news from the Enoshima Yacht Harbour where there are no fewer than six British boats which have been navigated into a top three position, as it stands.

And there are four guaranteed medals in boxing with featherweight Karriss Artingstall, middleweight Lauren Price, welterweight Pat McCormack and light-heavyweight Benjamin Whittaker all taking home at least a bronze after reaching the semi finals of their events.

But, as Asher-Smith and others show, these Olympics have shown that there is nothing beyond that which is absolutely guaranteed in sport.

Naomi Osaka, the home face of these Games, lost 6-1, 6-4 to world number 42 Marketa Vondrousova in the third round of the women's tennis - and, in the men's competition, Novak Djokovic gave away a one-set lead to lose his semi final to Alexander Zverev.

Earlier, Tunisian teenager Ahmed Hafnaoui stunned the field in the men's 400m freestyle swimming by taking gold, having qualified for the final with the slowest time.

Then, later that day in the women's cycling road race, Austrian Anna Kiesenhofer pulled off what CNN described as "one of the biggest shocks in Olympics history".

Kiesenhofer had trained for the event without a coach or a professional team and her only genuine chance of a medal was from the early breakaway which she initiated.

Slowly but surely, Kiesenhofer's fellow riders at the front fell back - and, with the leading group down to just three, the Austrian broke away by herself for the final 41km while climbing the Kagosaka Pass.

All of the riders, except for Kiesenhofer, were eventually swallowed up by the Dutch-led peleton - and, as Annamiek Van Vleuten crossed the line for silver, she thought she had won gold - until she was told about the previously unheralded Austrian.

Unquestionably, though, the biggest story of the first week came in the Ariake Gymnastics Centre where American gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the all-round final after a single vault on Wednesday.

World super-star Biles had looked out-of-sorts in the opening days of the competition - but had still qualified for the all-round final and the finals of each of the five pieces of apparatus.

At first, it was speculated that a physical injury was going to prevent Biles from attempting to achieve a remarkable six gold medals at these Games.

However, it quickly emerged that Biles had actually stepped away from the Olympics for the good of her mental health.

"After the performance I did, I just didn't want to go on. I have to focus on my mental health. I just think mental health is more prevalent in sports right now.

"We have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do.

"I don't trust myself as much anymore. Maybe it's getting older. There were a couple of days when everybody tweets you and you feel the weight of the world.

"We're not just athletes. We're people at the end of the day and sometimes you just have to step back."

Biles's actions have rightly drawn much praise - and, here in the UK, BBC presenter Alex Scott delivered an extremely eloquent summary of the situation.

“The four-time Olympic champion has transcended her sport, raised awareness on a range of very important issues and she’s done it again," Scott said. "Finding one’s voice is just as difficult as any skill that can be mastered.

“Simone has ensured that the Tokyo Olympics will also be defined by things other than sport. (This is) a conversation that needs to be continued. Mental health is important and it does matter.”

It may be difficult to see - but, for sure, the right decision for anyone sometimes is simply just to walk away and allow the situation to ease.

For now, though - my very best wishes to Biles and Asher-Smith, and indeed anyone else who feels as if they are struggling a little right now.


🔴MEDAL TABLE Updated on 31-July at 17:18 BST

Pos		G	S	B	TOTAL
1	CHINA (CHN)	21	13	12	46
2	JAPAN (JPN)	17	5	8	30
3	UNITED STATES (USA)	16	17	13	46
4	RUSSIAN OLYMPIC TEAM (ROC)	11	15	11	37
5	AUSTRALIA (AUS)	10	3	14	27
6	GREAT BRITAIN (GBR)	8	9	11	28
7	SOUTH KOREA (KOR)	5	4	7	16
8	FRANCE (FRA)	4	9	6	19
9	NETHERLANDS (NED)	4	7	5	16
10	NEW ZEALAND (NZL)	4	3	3	10
11	GERMANY (GER)	3	4	10	17
12	CANADA (CAN)	3	4	5	12
13	SWITZERLAND (SUI)	3	3	4	10
14	CZECH REPUBLIC (CZE)	3	3	1	7
15	CROATIA (CRO)	3	1	2	6
16	ITALY (ITA)	2	8	14	24
17	CHINESE TAIPEI (TPE)	2	2	3	7
18	HUNGARY (HUN)	2	2	2	6
19	SLOVENIA (SLO)	2	1	1	4
20	KOSOVO (KOS)	2	0	0	2
21	BRAZIL (BRA)	1	3	4	8
22	GEORGIA (GEO)	1	3	1	5
23	ROMANIA (ROU)	1	3	0	4
24	SPAIN (ESP)	1	2	2	5
25	HONG KONG (HKG)	1	2	0	3
25	SOUTH AFRICA (RSA)	1	2	0	3
27	AUSTRIA (AUT)	1	1	3	5
28	SERBIA (SRB)	1	1	2	4
29	JAMAICA (JAM)	1	1	1	3
30	NORWAY (NOR)	1	1	0	2
30	POLAND (POL)	1	1	0	2
30	SLOVAKIA (SVK)	1	1	0	2
30	SWEDEN (SWE)	1	1	0	2
30	TUNISIA (TUN)	1	1	0	2
35	TURKEY (TUR)	1	0	2	3
36	ESTONIA (EST)	1	0	1	2
36	FIJI (FIJ)	1	0	1	2
36	IRELAND (IRL)	1	0	1	2
36	UZBEKISTAN (UZB)	1	0	1	2
40	BELARUS (BLR)	1	0	0	1
40	BERMUDA (BER)	1	0	0	1
40	ECUADOR (ECU)	1	0	0	1
40	ETHIOPIA (ETH)	1	0	0	1
40	GREECE (GRE)	1	0	0	1
40	IRAN (IRI)	1	0	0	1
40	LATVIA (LAT)	1	0	0	1
40	PHILIPPINES (PHI)	1	0	0	1
40	QATAR (QAT)	1	0	0	1
40	THAILAND (THA)	1	0	0	1
50	COLOMBIA (COL)	0	2	1	3
51	DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (DOM)	0	2	0	2
51	VENEZUELA (VEN)	0	2	0	2
53	INDONESIA (INA)	0	1	2	3
53	MONGOLIA (MON)	0	1	2	3
55	BELGIUM (BEL)	0	1	1	2
55	CUBA (CUB)	0	1	1	2
55	DENMARK (DEN)	0	1	1	2
55	SAN MARINO (SMR)	0	1	1	2
55	UGANDA (UGA)	0	1	1	2
60	BULGARIA (BUL)	0	1	1	2
60	INDIA (IND)	0	1	0	1
60	JORDAN (JOR)	0	1	0	1
60	NORTH MACEDONIA (MKD)	0	1	0	1
60	TURKMENISTAN (TKM)	0	1	0	1
65	UKRAINE (UKR)	0	1	0	1
66	KAZAKHSTAN (KAZ)	0	0	5	5
67	EGYPT (EGY)	0	0	3	3
67	ISRAEL (ISR)	0	0	2	2
67	MEXICO (MEX)	0	0	2	2
70	ARGENTINA (ARG)	0	0	2	2
70	AZERBAIJAN (AZE)	0	0	1	1
70	FINLAND (FIN)	0	0	1	1
70	IVORY COAST (CIV)	0	0	1	1
70	KUWAIT (KUW)	0	0	1	1
70	MALAYSIA (MAS)	0	0	1	1
70	PORTUGAL (POR)	0	0	1	1

🔴TEAM GB MEDALS Updated on 31-July at 21:58 BST

GOLD

26-July	Tom Pidcock	Cycling	Men's cross-country	Report
26-July	Tom Daley Matty Lee	Diving	Men's synchornised 10m platform	Report
26-July	Adam Peaty	Swimming	Men's 100m breaststroke	Report
27-July	Tom Dean	Swimming	Men's 200m freestyle	Report
28-July	Tom Dean James Guy Matt Richards Duncan Scott [Callum Jarvis]	Swimming	Men's 4 x 200m freestyle relay	Report
30-July	Bethany Shriever	Cycling	Women's BMX racing	Report
31-July	Jess Learmonth Jonathan Brownlee Georgia Taylor-Brown Alex Yee	Triathlon	Mixed relay	Report
31-July	Kathleen Dawson James Guy Adam Peaty Anna Hopkin [Freya Anderson]	Swimming	Mixed 4 x 100m medley relay	Report

SILVER

25-July	Bradly Sinden	Taekwondo	Men's -68kg	Report
26-July	Lauren Williams	Taekwondo	Women's -67kg	Report
26-July	Alex Yee	Triathlon	Men's individual	Report
27-July	Duncan Scott	Swimming	Men's 200m freestyle	Report
27-July	Georgia Taylor-Brown	Triathlon	Women's individual	Report
28-July	Tom Barras Jack Beaumont Angus Groom Harry Leask	Rowing	Men's quadruple sculls	Report
29-July	Mallory Franklin	Canoeing	Women's C-1	Report
30-July	Duncan Scott	Swimming	Men's 200m individual medley	Report
30-July	Kye Whyte	Cycling	Men's BMX racing	Report

BRONZE

25-July	Chelsie Giles	Judo	Women's 52kg	Report
27-July	Bianca Walkden	Taekwondo	Women's +67kg	Report
27-July	Jennifer Gadirova Jessica Gadirova Alice Kinsella Amelie Morgan	Gymnastics	Women's team all-round	Report
27-July	Charlotte Dujardin Charlotte Fry Carl Hester	Equestrian	Team dressage	Report
28-July	Charlotte Dujardin	Equestrian	Individual dressage	Report
29-July	Matthew Coward-Holley	Shooting	Men's trap	Report
30-July	*see below	Rowing	Men's eight	Report
30-July	Luke Greenbank	Swimming	Men's 200m backstroke	Report
30-July	Bryony Page	Gymnastics	Women's trampoline	Report
31-July	Emma Wilson	Sailing	Women's RS:X	Report
31-July	Karriss Artingstall	Boxing	Women's featherweight	Report

*Men's eight Josh Bugajski, Jacob Dawson, Charles Elwes, Thomas Ford, Thomas George, James Rudkin, Moe Sbihi, Oliver Wynne-Griffith, Henry Fieldman (cox)

Tokyo 2020+1 - The unwanted Olympics

THE TOKYO Olympics kicked off properly on Friday - albeit 12 months late - with an Opening Ceremony which passed off without major incident in front of thousands of empty seats.

Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka lit the flame in the cavernous Olympic Stadium to mark the official beginning of 16 full days of top sporting action in her home capital following the most difficult build-up to a Games in history.

After all, no one could have predicted much of what the world has been through in the last 18 months - and it is worth adding that these Olympics will take place while Tokyo is still officially in a state of emergency because of the coronavirus pandemic.

These Games are effectively shut away from any supporters, with even the Japanese public barred, as a fourth wave rips through the largely unvaccinated mega-metropolis.

Unsurprisingly, the Olympic Village has not escaped the coronavirus carnage with the latest figures showing that there have now been 127 confirmed cases among the athletes and officials so far. 

As recently as Wednesday this week, the head of the Tokyo 2020+1 organising committee had not ruled out cancelling the Games "if there is a spike in cases".

But, on the same day, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said cancellation was "never an option".

Already, though, the level of concern among the Olympians is understandably high. Six Team GB athletes were forced to self-isolate on arrival in Japan after a passenger on their flight to Tokyo tested positive for COVID-19.

British 800m runner Daniel Rowden admitted that the news had left many in the team “in a little bit of a panic” as they wondered if they might be next.

“To be locked in a room and not be able to train takes away from your confidence, takes away from your preparation,” he said.

“And then also there’s a bit of fear that the same thing could happen to us. Those athletes were on the flight the day before us, so there’s a little bit of trepidation that the same thing could happen to people on our flight as well.”

Elsewhere, the United States gymnastics team - including potential star of the Olympics, Simone Biles - has decided to stay in a Tokyo hotel instead of the athletes' village. 

Of course, some athletes did not even get to Tokyo - and not for the usual reason of failing to make the grade in qualifying.

Previous British medal hopeful Amber Hill has been forced to withdraw from the shooting competition after testing positive for COVID-19 - while the tennis draws have been particularly badly affected. 

Several top players have withdrawn either due to health reasons or scheduling related challenges.

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios and Stan Wawrinka on the men’s side, as well as Simona Halep, Bianca Andreescu, Serena Williams and Coco Gauff on the women’s side, will not be at Tokyo 2020+1.

Worse still for Tokyo, the coronavirus pandemic has been far from the only major controversy in the build up to these Games.

In February, Yoshiro Mori was forced to step down as the head of the organising committee after he made remarks about women that were criticised as "inappropriate". 

Mr Mori was quoted as saying women talked too much and that meetings with many female board directors would "take a lot of time".

In March, Olympics' creative chief Hiroshi Sasaki had to step down after suggesting that plus-size comedian Naomi Watanabe could appear at the Opening Ceremony as an "Olympig".

Then, earlier this week, composer Keigo Oyamada quit the team creating the ceremony after it emerged he had bullied classmates with disabilities at school.

Somehow, the scandal was not over - and, on Thursday, director of the Opening Ceremony - Kentaro Kobayashi - was sacked after footage from 1998 emerged in which he made jokes about the Holocaust.

Those comments may have been a long time ago - but that revelation was the last thing which these Olympics needed - and some of the Japanese the public, and even some of the the sponsors, have already seen enough.

A poll - held earlier this week - reported in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, itself an official media partner, found that just 33% are in support of the Games being held, while 55% are opposed.

That is actually an improvement on an earlier poll, held in May, in which an incredible 83% of Japanese voters said the Tokyo Olympics should be postponed or scrapped.

However, that slight softening of attitude has still not been enough to prevent some of the biggest sponsors in Japan from cutting back on their own costs.

Motor manufacturer Toyota, a top-tier sponsor, announced on Monday that it would scrap its Olympic-themed television adverts in Japan for the duration of the Games - and its president, Akio Toyoda, was not at the Opening Ceremony.

In this latter regard, other household Japanese names quickly followed suit. 

NTT, NEC, Panasonic and Fujitsu, along with the leaders of Keidanren - the country’s most powerful business lobby - all abandoned the idea of attending the big curtain-raiser.

For sure then, the Opening Ceremony was a bereft affair - shorn of supporters and sponsors, there was a much-reduced number of athletes who dutifully filed their way into the Olympic Stadium to little fanfare.

Rower Mohamed Sbihi and sailor Hannah Mills were the two Team GB flag-bearers - but only 22 British athletes, out of a total cohort of 375, took part in the parade.

In fairness to them, the athletes' focus - having at least actually made it this far - will no doubt now be on their event, and their Olympic dreams of glory.

Of course, Team GB has performed extremely well at recent Olympics - finishing in fourth, third and second place in the medal tables of Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 with gold medal totals of 19, 29 and 27 and overall medal totals of 51, 65 and 67 respectively.

Similarly, on this occasion, Britain can again expect to be pretty competitive with 12 particularly big chances of success listed below:

• Adam Peaty • Swimming • 100m breaststroke
  This is something of a banker - Peaty has not lost a single race in seven years and holds the fastest 20 times ever recorded in the event
• Lauren Price • Boxing • Middleweight
  Price is the top-ranked female boxer in this category so she has been hotly tipped to follow in the footsteps of two-time heavyweight champion Nicola Adams
• Jade Jones • Taekwondo • Featherweight
  This would be a third successive gold for Flint-born Jones but her defence four years ago is the only successful back-to-back triumph since taekwondo was introduced to the Olympics in 2000.
• Charlotte Dujardin • Equestrian • Individual eventing, Team eventing
  Dujardin's horse Valegro was retired after the Games in Rio so the triple-gold medal winner will instead mount Gio in both the individual and team events
• Sholto Carnegie Oliver Cook Rory Gibbs Matthew Rossiter • Rowing • Men's four
  Victory in Tokyo would be a sixth successive Olympic gold for Team GB in this event but this new-look quad will face tough competition from Australia
• Bianca Walkden • Taekwondo • Heavyweight
  Walkden won bronze in Rio de Janeiro but can use her wealth of experience to make it into the gold medal bout this time
• Jason Kenny • Cycling • Men's sprint, Men's keirin, Men's team sprint
  Already with six golds on the mantelpiece, Kenny has three chances to get the one medal which he needs to become the most decorated Olympian in Team GB history
  
• Laura Kenny • Cycling • Women's omnium, Women's madison, Women's team pursuit
  The four-time gold medallist also has three events in which to increase her haul
  
• Dina Asher-Smith • Athletics • Women's 200m
  The 25-year-old took gold in this event at the 2019 World Championships in Doha and is by far Team GB's best medal hope in the athletics arena
• Max Whitlock • Gymnastics • Pommel horse
  Whitlock became Britain's first ever gold medallist in artistic gymnastics when he won both the men's floor and pommel horse exercises in Rio de Janeiro, and he will compete again on the pommel horse in Tokyo
• Andy Murray Joe Salisbury • Tennis • Men's doubles
  Murray is unlikely to be too competitive in the defence of his singles' title but stands a good chance of adding to his medal haul alongside specialist doubles player Salisbury
• Dan Goodfellow Jack Laugher • Diving • 3m synchronized springboard
  Laugher - with Chris Mears - stunned the Chinese five years ago in Rio de Janeiro when the pair became Britain's first diving Olympic champions, and Laugher has now built up a similarly impressive partnership with Goodfellow in this event
  

In a refreshingly understanding approach, UK Sport has broken from recent tradition by declining to provide Team GB with an official medals target.

The governing body has still gone on record to state that it hopes Team GB will win between 45 and 70 medals at Tokyo 2020+1, down from a previous prediction in 2018 of between 54 and 92.

But UK Sport said that the new aspirations follow close consultation with sports and take account of the "extraordinary circumstances" presented to athletes and staff in the build-up to the Games.

Furthermore, success will be measured in a "broader and more holistic" way than just the number of medals, it added.

This change in approach is welcome - but it is also typical really of the world in which we currently live - a place of fear and death where nothing feels particularly certain.

May the Olympic flame provide some light and warmth over the next couple of weeks. The world certainly needs it.

🔴 2020+1 TOKYO OLYMPICS🔴
SPORT-BY-SPORT PREVIEW

🔴ARCHERY
• 23 July-31 July • Yumenoshima Park • Medal events 5
Team GB
• Tom Hall, Patrick Huston, James Woodgate
• Sarah Bettles, Naomi Folkard, Bryony Pitman

🔴 ATHLETICS
• 30 July-8 August • Olympic Stadium • Medal events 48
Team GB
• Zharnel Hughes, Reece Prescod, Chijindu Ujah, Adam Gemili, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Oliver Dustin, Elliot Giles, Daniel Rowden, Jake Heyward, Josh Kerr, Jake Wightman, Andrew Butchart, Marc Scott, Sam Atkin, David King, Andrew Pozzi, Phil Norman, Zak Seddon, Jona Efoloko, Richard Kilty, Niclas Baker, Cameron Chalmers, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Michael Ohioze, Lee Thompson, Joe Brier, Tom Bosworth, Callum Wilkinson, Ben Connor, Callum Hawkins, Chris Thompson, Ben Williams, Tom Gale, Harry Coppell, Scott Lincoln, Lawrence Okoye, Taylor Campbell, Nick Miller
• Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita, Asha Philip, Beth Dobbin, Ama Pipi, Jodie Williams, Nicole Yeargin, Alexandra Bell, Keely Hodgkinson, Jemma Reekie, Laura Muir, Katie Snowden, Revée Walcott-Nolan, Jessica Judd, Eilish McColgan, Amy-Eloise Markovc, Tiffany Porter, Cindy Sember, Meghan Beesley, Jessie Knight, Jessica Turner, Elizabeth Bird, Aimee Pratt, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Ashleigh Nelson, Zoey Clarke, Emily Diamond, Laviai Nielsen, Hannah Williams, Stephanie Davis, Jess Piasecki, Steph Twell, Abigail Irozuru, Jazmin Sawyers, Lorraine Ugen, Emily Borthwick, Morgan Lake, Holly Bradshaw, Sophie McKinna, Katarina Johnson-Thompson

🔴 BADMINTON
• 24 July-2 August • Musashino Forest Sport Plaza • Medal events 5
Team GB
• Toby Penty, Ben Lane, Sean Vendy, Marcus Ellis
• Kirsty Gilmour, Chloe Birch, Lauren Smith

🔴 BASEBALL
• 28 July-7 August • Fukushima Azuma Stadium • Medal events 1
No Team GB competitors

🔴 BASKETBALL
• 25 July-8 August (basketball) • Saitama Super Arena • Medal events 2
• 24 July-28 July (3x3 basketball) • Aomi Urban Sports Park • Medal events 2
No Team GB competitors

🔴 BOXING
• 24 July-8 August • Kokugikan Arena • Medal events 13
Team GB
• Galai Yafai, Peter McGrail, Luke McCormack, Pat McCormack, Ben Whittaker, Cheavon Clarke, Frazer Clarke
• Charley Davison, Karriss Artingstall, Caroline Dubois, Lauren Price

🔴 CANOEING
• 25 July-30 July (slalom) • Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre • Medal events 4
• 2 August-7 August (sprint) • Sea Forest Waterway • Medal events 12
Team GB
• Adam Burgess, Bradley Forbes-Cryans, Liam Heath
• Mallory Franklin, Kimberley Woods, Katie Reid, Emily Lewis, Deborah Kerr

🔴 CLIMBING
• 3 August-6 August • Aomi Urban Sports Park • Medal events 2
Team GB
• Shauna Coxsey

🔴 CYCLING
• 24 July-28 July (road) • Musashinonomori Park, Fuji International Speedway • Medal events 4
• 2 August-8 August (track) • Izu Velodrome • Medal events 12
• 29 July-1 August (BMX) • Ariake Urban Sports Park • Medal events 4
• 26 July-27 July (mountain bike) • Izu MTB Course • Medal events 2
Team GB
• Tao Geoghegan Hart, Geraint Thomas, Adam Yates, Scott Yates, James Knox, Jack Carlin, Jason Kenny, Ryan Owens, Philip Hindes, Ed Clancy, Ethan Hayter, Ethan Vernon, Matthew Walls, Oliver Wood, Charlie Tanfield, Tom Pidcock, Kye White, Ross Cullen, Declan Brooks, James Jones
• Elizabeth Deignan, Anna Shackley, Joscelin Lowden, Katy Marchant, Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Neah Evans, Laura Kenny, Josie Knight, Ellie Dickinson, Evie Richards, Bethany Shriever, Charlotte Worthington

🔴 DIVING
• 25 July-7 August • Tokyo Aquatics Centre • Medal events 8
Team GB
• James Heatly, Jack Laugher, Tom Daley, Noah Williams, Daniel Goodfellow, Matty Lee
• Scarlett Mew Jensen, Grace Reid, Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, Lois Toulson, Katherine Torrance, Eden Cheng

🔴 EQUESTRIAN
• 24 July-7 August • Equestrian Park • Medal events 6
Team GB
• Carl Hester, Tom McEwen, Oliver Townend, Scott Brash, Ben Maher, Harry Charles, Gareth Hughes
• Charlotte Dujardin, Charlotte Fry, Laura Collett, Holly Smith, Rosalind Canter

🔴 FENCING
• 24 July-1 August • Makuhari Messe Hall • Medal events 12
Team GB
• Marcus Mepstead

🔴 FIELD HOCKEY
• 24 July-6 August • Oi Hockey Stadium • Medal events 2
Team GB
• David Ames, Jacob Draper, Alan Forsyth, Rupert Shipperley, Harry Martin, Chris Griffiths, Ian Sloan, Sam Ward, Phil Roper, Adam Dixon (c), Brendan Creed, Ollie Payne, Liam Ansell, Jack Waller, James Gall, Liam Sanford, Tom Sorsby, Zach Wallace
• Giselle Ansley, Grace Balsdon, Fiona Crackles, Maddie Hinch, Sarah Jones, Hannah Martin, Shona McCallin, Lily Owsley, Hollie Pearne-Webb, Izzy Petter, Ellie Rayer, Sarah Robertson, Anna Toman, Susannah Townsend, Laura Unsworth, Leah Wilkinson, Sabbie Heesh, Jo Hunter

🔴 FOOTBALL
• 21 July-7 August • Olympic Stadium (finals), various other venues • Medal events 2
Team GB
• Ellie Roebuck, Lucy Bronze, Demi Stokes, Keira Walsh, Steph Houghton (c), Sophie Ingle, Nikita Parris, Kim Little, Ellen White, Fran Kirby, Caroline Weir, Rachel Daly, Carly Telford, Millie Bright, Lauren Hemp, Leah Williamson, Georgia Stanway, Jill Scott, Niamh Charles, Ella Toone, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Sandy MacIver

🔴 GOLF
• 29 July-7 August • Kasumigaseki Country Club • Medal events 2
Team GB
• Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood
• Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Mel Reid

🔴 GYMNASTICS
• 24 July-3 August (artistic) • Ariake Gymnastics Centre • Medal events 14
• 6 August-8 August (rhythmic) • Ariake Gymnastics Centre • Medal events 2
• 30 July-31 July (trampoline) • Ariake Gymnastics Centre • Medal events 2
Team GB
• Joe Fraser, James Hall, Giarnni Regini-Moran, Max Whitlock, Jake Jarman
• Jennifer Gadirova, Jessica Gadirova, Alice Kinsella, Amelie Morgan, Laura Gallagher, Bryony Page, Georgia-Mae Fenton

🔴 HANDBALL
• 24 July-8 August • Yoyogi National Stadium • Medal events 2
No Team GB competitors

🔴 JUDO
• 24 July-31 July • Nippon Budokan • Medal events 15
Team GB
• Ashley McKenzie
• Chelsie Giles, Lucy Renshall, Gemma Howell, Natalie Powell, Sarah Adlington

🔴 KARATE
• 5 August-7 August • Nippon Budokan • Medal events 8
No Team GB competitors

🔴 MODERN PENTATHLON
• 5 August-7 August • Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, Ajinomoto Stadium • Medal events 2
Team GB
• Joe Choong, Jamie Cooke
• Kate French, Jo Muir

🔴 ROWING
• 23 July-30 July • Sea Forest Waterway • Medal events 14
Team GB
• John Collins, Graeme Thomas, Sholto Carnegie, Oliver Cook, Rory Gibbs, Matthew Rossiter, Tom Barras, Jack Beaumont, Angus Groom, Harry Leask, Josh Bugajski, Jacob Dawson, Charles Elwes, Thomas Ford, Thomas George, James Rudkin, Mohamed Sbihi, Oliver Wynne-Griffith, Henry Fieldman (cox)
• Victoria Thornley, Helen Glover, Polly Swann, Emily Craig, Imogen Grant, Karen Bennett, Rowan McKellar, Rebecca Shorten, Harriet Taylor, Lucy Glover, Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne, Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne, Hannah Scott, Chloe Brew, Katherine Douglas, Rebecca Edwards, Emily Ford, Fiona Gammond, Caragh McMurtry, Rebecca Muzerie, Sara Parfett, Matilda Horn (cox)

🔴 RUGBY SEVENS
• 26 July-31 July • Ajinomoto Stadium • Medal events 2
Team GB
• Alec Coombes, Ben Harris, Ethan Waddleton, Ross McCann, Alex Davis, Tom Mitchell, Robbie Fergusson, Dan Bibby, Harry Glover, Ollie Lindsay-Hague, Max McFarland, Dan Norton, Tom Bowen
• Holly Aitchison, Abbie Brown, Abi Burton, Deborah Fleming, Natasha Hunt, Megan Jones, Jasmine Joyce, Alex Matthews, Helena Rowland, Hannah Smith, Celia Quansah, Emma Uren, Lisa Thomson

🔴 SAILING
• 25 July-4 August • Enoshima Yacht Harbour • Medal events 10
Team GB
• Tom Squires, Elliot Hanson, Giles Scott, Chris Grube, Luke Patience, Stuart Bithell, Dylan Fletcher, John Gimson
• Emma Wilson, Alison Young, Eilidh McIntyre, Hannah Mills, Charlotte Dobson, Saskia Tidey, Anna Burnet

🔴 SHOOTING  *withdrew after testing positive for COVID-19
• 24 July-2 August • Asaka Shooting Range • Medal events 15
Team GB
• Matthew Coward-Holley, Aaron Heading
• Seonaid McIntosh, Kirsty Hegarty, Amber Hill*

🔴 SKATEBOARDING
• 25 July-26 July (street) • Ariake Urban Sports Park • Medal events 2
• 4 August-5 August (park) • Ariake Urban Sports Park • Medal events 2
Team GB
• Sky Brown, Bombette Martin

🔴 SOFTBALL
• 21 July-27 July • Fukushima Azuma Stadium • Medal events 1
No Team GB competitors

🔴 SURFING
• 25 July-28 July • Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach • Medal events 2
No Team GB competitors

🔴 SWIMMING
• 24 July-1 August (swimming) • Tokyo Aquatics Centre • Medal events 35
• 4 August-5 August (marathon swimming) • Odaiba Marine Park • Medal events 2
Team GB
• Ben Proud, Matt Richards, Jacob Whittle, Tom Dean, Duncan Scott, Kieran Bird, Daniel Jervis, Luke Greenbank, Brodie Williams, Adam Peaty, James Wilby, Ross Murdoch, James Guy, Jacob Peters, Joe Litchfield, Max Litchfield, Callum Jarvis, Hector Pardoe
• Anna Hopkin, Freya Anderson, Kathleen Dawson, Cassie Wild, Sarah Vasey, Molly Renshaw, Abbie Wood, Harriet Jones, Laura Stephens, Alys Thomas, Alicia Wilson, Aimee Willmott, Lucy Hope, Alice Dearing

🔴 SYNCHORNISED SWIMMING
• 2 August-7 August • Tokyo Aquatics Centre • Medal events 2
Team GB
• Kate Shortman, Isabelle Thorpe

🔴 TABLE TENNIS
• 24 July-6 August • Tokyo Metropolitian Gymnasium • Medal events 5
Team GB
• Liam Pitchford, Paul Drinkhall
• Tin-Tin Ho

🔴 TAEKWONDO
• 24 July-27 July • Makuhari Messe Hall • Medal events 8
Team GB
• Bradly Sinden, Mahama Cho
• Jade Jones, Lauren Williams, Bianca Walkden

🔴 TENNIS
• 24 July-1 August • Ariake Tennis Park • Medal events 5
Team GB
• Liam Broady, Andy Murray, Joe Salisbury, Jamie Murray, Neal Skupski
• Heather Watson

🔴 TRIATHLON
• 26 July-31 July • Odaiba Marine Park • Medal events 3
Team GB
• Jonathan Brownlee, Alex Yee
• Vicky Holland, Jess Learmonth, Georgia Taylor-Brown

🔴 VOLLEYBALL & BEACH VOLLEYBALL
• 24 July-7 August (beach volleyball) • Shiokaze Park • Medal events 2
• 24 July-8 August (volleyball) • Ariake Arena• Medal events 2
No Team GB competitors

🔴 WATER POLO
• 24 July-8 August • Tatsuni Water Polo Centre • Medal events 2
No Team GB competitors

🔴 WEIGHTLIFTING
• 24 July-4 August • Tokyo International Forum • Medal events 14
Team GB
• Zoe Smith, Sarah Davies, Emily Muskett, Emily Campbell

🔴 WRESTLING
• 1 August-7 August • Makuhari Messe Hall • Medal events 18
No Team GB competitors

Hamilton revives title challenge after dramatic day at Silverstone

LEWIS HAMILTON collided with World Drivers' Championship leader Max Verstappen at the British Grand Prix - and then won the race - to revive his ailing title defence. 

The victory following the incident on the opening lap at Silverstone reduced the Dutchman's title advantage back down to just eight points - and sparked an angry set of exchanges between the drivers and team bosses at Mercedes and Red Bull. 

Christian Horner, the Red Bull principal, said he considered Hamilton to have earned a "hollow victory" and commented in a tone dripping with sarcasm: "I hope Lewis is very happy with himself." 

Verstappen later wrote on Twitter from hospital where he underwent precautionary checks: "Very disappointed to be taken out like this. 

"Watching the celebrations while still in hospital is disrespectful and unsportsmanlike but we move on."

In the case of the defence, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff responded: "It is a situation we all have seen in the past when great drivers race with each other. 

"When nobody is prepared to give in, these kinds of situations can happen. But it takes two to tango."

Hamilton himself added his own comment on Twitter which read: "Today is a reminder of the dangers in this sport. I send my best wishes to Max who is an incredible competitor. 

"I'm glad to hear he is ok. I will always race hard but always fairly."

In fairness to Hamilton's critics, the stewards at Silverstone did not entirely agree with that assessment on this occasion - and they punished him with a 10-second penalty. 

Red Bull criticised the leniency of the punishment - the second-lowest available - but they are increasingly in danger of coming across as rather sore losers. 

For sure, Hamilton stuck a wheel up the inside of Copse corner and failed to make it to the apex - but it felt as if the main reason for the clash was that neither driver wanted to give an inch to their title rival. 

In this regard, the British Grand Prix stewards judged Hamilton to be "predominantly at fault", adding that Hamilton went into the corner "slightly behind and on the inside". 

However, they appear to have assessed the incident accurately - and their penalty award, while not harsh, was a pretty fair outcome. 

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc took the main immediate advantage from the shunt, gaining the lead from third place on the grid, and going onto hold it for the next 49 laps of the 52-lap race. 

But the 23-year-old Monegasque in the red Prancing Horse came up just short as Hamilton - despite his penalty - got into position to complete a clean overtake, ironically at Copse, on lap 50. 

Hamilton therefore secured an eighth win at Silverstone in the British Grand Prix - but this was not any ordinary victory at home. 

Following the recent dominance of Verstappen during this first half of the season, this must count as one of the most important wins in his 15-year F1 career. 

Ahead of the race at Silverstone, the Dutchman had won four of the previous five races to turn a 14-point deficit after the Spanish Grand Prix into a 32-point lead following his lights-to-flag victory at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

In Monaco and in the Styrian Grand Prix - which was also at the Red Bull Ring - an utterly dominant Verstappen had also led from start to finish. 

Indeed, it could easily have been so much worse this year for Hamilton so far.

At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on 6 June, in the sixth race of the season, Verstappen retired from the lead with a left-rear tyre failure on lap 45 of 51. 

The Dutchman's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez scored only his second win in F1 after Hamilton made a bad braking error on the restart to fall out of the points altogether - but a Verstappen victory in Baku would have been far more costly to the Stevenage-born champion.

Even this weekend at Silverstone, Verstappen - once he recovers and calms down - will still feel as if he has the edge on Hamilton. 

The British driver qualified ahead of Verstappen in the traditional qualifying session, held on Friday evening - but his Dutch opponent was in front of him before the first corner in the new-fangled one-third distance sprint qualifying trial held on Saturday afternoon. 

In a break from tradition, it was the latter session which confirmed Verstappen on pole for the Grand Prix itself - and, perhaps more vitally, confirmed to everyone that the Red Bull is the faster car. 

Undoubtedly, Verstappen has had a rough weekend - and a hell of a heavy crash at the force of 51G, that is 51 times the force of gravity - but he is still rightly odds-on for the Drivers title. 

Next week, the Hungaroring in Budapest will host the last Grand Prix before the four-week summer break - but, after the recess, the races really come thick and fast. 

The nine visits to Belgium, Verstappen's Netherlands home race, Italy, Russia, Turkey, Japan, United States, Mexico and Brazil are all scheduled to be crammed into a 10-week period between 29 August and 7 November - ahead of two races in the Middle East in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

In other words, Mercedes must work fast to improve their pace if Hamilton is going to have a genuine chance against Verstappen.

It may have been a tough weekend - but the future remains bright for Verstappen.

HAMITON v VERSTAPPEN

		HAMILTON			v			VERSTAPPEN
28-March	BAHRAIN	1st	25		(+7)		18	2nd
18-April	EMILIA ROMAGNA	2nd	19	44	(+1)	43	25	1st
02-May	PORTUGAL	1st	25	69	(+8)	61	18	2nd
09-May	SPAIN	1st	25	94	(+14)	80	19	2nd
23-May	MONACO	7th	7	101	(-4)	105	25	1st
06-June	AZERBAIJAN	15th	0	101	(-4)	105	0	18th
20-June	FRANCE	2nd	18	119	(-12)	131	26	1st
27-June	STYRIAN	2nd	19	138	(-18)	156	25	1st
04-July	AUSTRIA	4th	12	150	(-32)	182	26	1st
18-July	GREAT BRITAIN	1st	27	177	(-8)	185	3	Retired

REMAINING CALENDAR

(11)	01-August	2pm	HUNGARY	Hungaroring, Mogyoród
(12)	29-August	2pm	BELGIUM	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot
(13)	05-September	2pm	NETHERLANDS	Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort
(14)	12-September	2pm	ITALY	Monza Circuit, Monza
(15)	26-September	1pm	RUSSIA	Sochi Autodrom, Sochi
(16)	03-October	1pm	TURKEY	Istanbul Park, Tuzla
(17)	10-October	6am	JAPAN	Suzuka International Course, Suzuka
(18)	24-October	8pm	UNITED STATES	Circuit of the Americas, Austin, TX
(19)	31-October	7pm	MEXICO	Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City
(20)	07-November	5pm	BRAZIL	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo
(21)	21-November	-	TBC	-
(22)	05-December	4pm	SAUDI ARABIA	Jeddah Street Circuit, Saudi Arabia
(23)	12-December	1pm	ABU DHABI	Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi

FIA F1 DRIVERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2021

			Points
1	Max Verstappen (NED)	Red Bull-Honda	185	(5 wins)
2	Lewis Hamilton (GBR)	Mercedes	177	(4 wins)
3	Lando Norris (GBR)	McLaren-Mercedes	113
4	Valtteri Bottas (FIN)	Mercedes	108
5	Sergio Pérez (MEX)	Red Bull-Honda	104	(1 win)
6	Charles Leclerc (MON)	Ferrari	80
7	Carlos Sainz Jr. (ESP)	Ferrari	68
8	Daniel Ricciardo  (AUS)	McLaren-Mercedes	50
9	Pierre Gasly (FRA)	Alpha Tauri-Honda	39
10	Sebastian Vettel (GER)	Aston Martin-Mercedes	30
11	Fernando Alonso (ESP)	Alpine-Renault	26
12	Lance Stroll (CAN)	Aston Martin-Mercedes	18
13	Esteban Ocon (FRA)	Alpine-Renault	14
14	Yuki Tsunoda (JPN)	Alpha Tauri-Honda	10
15	Kimi Räikkönen (FIN)	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari	1
16	Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA)	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari	1
17	George Russell (GBR)	Williams-Mercedes	0
18	Mick Schumacher (GER)	Haas-Ferrari	0
19	Nicholas Latifi (CAN)	Williams-Mercedes	0
20	Nikita Mazepin (RUS)	Haas-Ferrari	0

FIA F1 CONSTRUCTORS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2021

			Points
1	Red Bull-Honda (AUT)	Max Verstappen - Sergio Pérez	289	(6 wins)
2	Mercedes (GER)	Lewis Hamilton - Valtteri Bottas	285	(4 wins)
3	McLaren-Mercedes (GBR)	Lando Norris - Daniel Ricciardo	163
4	Ferrari (ITA)	Charles Leclerc - Carlos Sainz Jr	148
5	Alpha Tauri-Honda	Pierre Gasly - Yuki Tsunoda	49
6	Aston Martin-Mercedes (GBR)	Lance Stroll - Sebastian Vettel	48
7	Alpine-Renault (FRA)	Fernando Alonso - Esteban Ocon	40
8	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari (SUI)	Kimi Räikkönen - Antonio Giovinazzi	2
9	Williams-Mercedes (GBR)	George Russell - Nicholas Latifi	0
10	Haas-Ferrari (USA)	Mick Schumacher - Nikita Mazepin	0

Euro 2020+1 Final - Not this time, maybe never

➡️ EURO 2020+1 FINAL • 11-July 20:00 BBC ITV • London (ENG) - after extra time
ITALY 1 Bonucci 67
ENGLAND 1 Shaw 2
• ITALY won 3-2 on penalties

ITALY Donnarumma, Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Emerson (Florenzi 118), Barella (Cristante 54), Jorginho, Verratti (Locatelli 96), Chiesa (Bernardeschi 86), Immobile (Berardi 54), Insigne (Belotti 91) Unused subs Sirigu, Pessina, Acerbi, Bastoni, Toloi, Meret. Booked Barella, Bonucci, Insigne, Chiellini, Jorginho
ENGLAND Pickford, Walker (Sancho 120), Stones, Maguire, Trippier (Saka 70), Phillips, Rice (J. Henderson 74 (Rashford 120)), Shaw, Mount (Grealish 99), Sterling, Kane Unused subs Ramsdale, Mings, Coady, Calvert-Lewin, Johnstone, James, Bellingham. Booked Maguire
Referee Bjorn Kuipers (NED)

ENGLAND gave up a glorious opportunity for a first major international honour in 55 years after succumbing to Italy in the Final in a dreaded penalty shoot-out.

Milan, and soon-to-be Paris Saint-Germain, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was the Italian hero of the night as he saved spot-kicks from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after Marcus Rashford had hit the post.

Jordan Pickford had done his best to keep England in it, producing saves from Andrea Belotti and Jorginho - but it was perhaps inevitable that penalties would ultimately haunt Gareth Southgate again.

The night - on the pitch at least - had all started so well, too. The excellent Luke Shaw put the Three Lions ahead with only 117 seconds on the clock, slamming home a cross from Kieran Trippier on the half-volley.

Encouraged by the early goal, England went on to have the better of opening exchanges of the first half with familiar joy coming down both flanks.

Clear opportunities remained at a premium, however - and Italy came back into the half as it wore on with Federico Chiesa and Marco Verratti both getting sight of goal.

Neither man troubled Pickford too much as a Wembley crowd of more than 67,000 roared its half time approval at the 1-0 interval lead.

The second half was always likely to be tougher and a far less sloppy performance on the ball from Italy gradually allowed them to take control of the tempo and the match as a whole.

With almost an hour on the clock, Chiesa tried to catch Pickford out at his near post then, five minutes later, forced a good, low save from the Everton goalkeeper.

The equaliser was on its way - and, from a corner, a Verratti header forced Pickford into a magnificent one-handed save off the post.

Unfortunately for Pickford, though, the ball fell straight to Leonardo Bonucci and the Juventus veteran was able to bundle the ball into the net from inside the six-yard box.

Still, England could not turn the tide and Domenico Berardi might have done better with a volley from 12 yards - but thereafter the time drifted away from both teams and so came extra time.

Not that the additional 30 minutes ever really threatened to settle the game. Instead, respective head coaches Southgate and Roberto Mancini intentionally introduced the players who they fancied to do the job from the spot.

Once again, it was the Italians who came closest when Pickford reacted well to prevent Federico Bernardeschi from getting on the end of Emerson Palmieri's cross from the left.

Meanwhile, England's best effort was no more than a half-chance really as Donnarumma did enough to put John Stones off his header from a long throw by Kyle Walker.

And so to penalties. Italy - with their shoot-out win over Spain in the semi final still fresh in the memory - took first.

But, after Harry Kane and Beradi converted the opening kicks, England got their noses in front when Pickford saved to his left from Belotti and Harry Maguire smashed his turn into a camera occupied in the top corner of the net.

Of course, the advantage did not last long after goalscorer Bonucci hit the net again for Italy and Rashford missed the next for England.

Rashford's delayed, stuttering run-up actually seemed to work as Donnarumma dived the wrong way but, with the whole left side of the net gaping, the Manchester United forward inexplicably hit the ball against the face of the upright.

Back level again, the Italians retook the lead in the shoot-out as Bernardeschi fired down the middle before Sancho placed his penalty with little power into Donnarumma.

Pickford's brilliant save from Jorginho kept England alive - but, in an effective sudden death situation, the responsibility for the fifth Three Lions penalty fell onto the shoulders of 19-year-old Saka.

A forgivably nervous effort was sat up at a good height to Donnarumma's left and the Milan prodigy made a comfortable save to send the Azzurri fans, players and bench into dreamland.

After all, it is one matter compiling an unbeaten run of 34 matches - and quite another keeping the sequence going throughout a tournament to the point of winning silverware.

For Italy, this triumph is especially remarkable, coming less than four years since the team had failed even to qualify for the World Cup on a heartbreaking night in November 2017 at the San Siro in Milan.

England's fortunes under Southgate appear to be turning around more slowly - nevertheless, the Three Lions are headed in the right direction - on the pitch at least.

Off the pitch, this was a far darker night for English football than it needed to be.

There was trouble even before kick off as a "large number of drunken yobs" tried to force their way in to Wembley without tickets ahead of the Final.

Idiots fought with stewards and police as they attempted to break through security gates, and the Metropolitan Police made 45 arrests.

Far worse followed, though. Rashford, Sancho and Saka - three young black men - were all subjected to vile racist abuse on Twitter and other social media following their penalty misses.

Meanwhile, the Rashford mural in Withington, Manchester - painted in recognition of his work to tackle child food poverty - was vandalised with racist graffiti.

Home Secretary Priti Patel condemned the online behaviour - but her stomach-turning hypocrisy was rightly called out by squad member Tyrone Mings.

Aston Villa defender Mings said Ms Patel had "stoked the fire" by refusing to criticise fans who booed the England team for taking the knee.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson - who hardly had an exemplary race relations record in his days as a journalist or as Mayor of London - had taken the same view as Ms Patel when asked for his response to the boos.

But, although progress is still painfully slow, perhaps the last 48 hours might just make everyone realise that people, on mass, do not operate in a vacuum.

For sure, the advent of social media, with its ability still for users to operate accounts as anonymous shills, has much to do with the greater awareness of these issues.

However, the wider politics in the United Kingdom over the last decade have also definitely made it more acceptable for groups and individuals to be subjected to "othering" by ill-intentioned, and often outright racist, people.

Of course, the vast majority of England fans are not badly-behaved or knuckle-dragging numbskulls - but what a shame so many of the bad apples have taken the spotlight away from a team which has enjoyed a pleasing resurgence.

From their failure to get through the Group Stage at the 2014 World Cup and their humiliation against Iceland at Euro 2016, the Three Lions have now backed up their 2018 semi final with an even more impressive showing this summer, albeit with home advantage for six out of the seven matches.

For now, though, Wembley 2021 must be added to Turin in 1990, Southgate's Wembley despair in 1996, Saint-Etienne in 1998, Lisbon in 2004, Gelsenkirchen in 2006, and Kiev in 2012 in an ever-increasing list of penalty shoot-out pain.

This time, it was a Final at least - one step further than the semi final exit three years ago at the World Cup against Croatia.

But still, despite the insistence of millions, football steadfastly refused to come home.

Perhaps, despite the recent undoubted progress by this likeable team, it is destined never to do so.

➡️ EURO 2020+1 ⬅️
The full results

➡️ SEMI FINAL • 06-July 20:00 BBC • London (ENG) - after extra time
SPAIN 1  Morata 80
ITALY 1  Chiesa 60
• ITALY won 4-2 on penalties

SPAIN Simon, Azpilicueta (M. Llorente 85), Garcia (P. Torres 109), Laporte, Jordi Alba, Koke (Rodri 70), Busquets (c) (Thiago 105), Pedri, F. Torres (Morata 62), Oyarzabal (Moreno 70), Olmo Unused subs De Gea, D. Llorente, Sanchez, Gaya, Ruiz, Traore Booked Busquets
ITALY Donnarumma, Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini (c), Emerson (Toloi 74), Barella (Locatelli 85), Jorginho, Verratti (Pessina 74), Chiesa (Bernardeschia 107), Immobile (Beradi 61), Insigne (Belotti 85) Unused subs Sirigu, Acerbi, Cristante, Bastoni, Florenzi, Meret Booked Toloi, Bonucci
Referee Felix Brych (GER)

➡️ SEMI FINAL • 07-July 20:00 ITV • London (ENG) - after extra time
DENMARK 1 Damsgaard 30
ENGLAND 2 Kjaer 39og, Kane 104

DENMARK Schmeichel, Christensen (Andersen 79), Kjaer (c), Vestergaard (Wind 105), Stryger Larsen (Wass 67), Hojberg, Delaney (Jensen 88), Maehle, Braithwaite, Dolberg (Norgaard 67), Damsgaard (Poulsen 67) Unused subs Skov, Skov Olsen, M. Jorgensen, Lossl, Cornelius, Ronnow Booked Wass
ENGLAND Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw, Phillips, Rice (J. Henderson 95), Saka ((Grealish 69) Trippier 105), Mount (Foden 95), Sterling, Kane (c) Unused subs Rashford, Ramsdale, Mings, Coady, Sancho, Johnstone, James, Bellingham Booked Maguire
Referee Danny Makkelie (NED)

➡️ QUARTER FINALS

02-July	17:00	SWITZERLAND	1-1	SPAIN	St Petersburg (RUS)
ITV		Shaqiri 68	(1-3) aet	won on penalties Zakaria 8og
02-July	20:00	BELGIUM	1-2	ITALY	Munich (GER)
BBC		Lukaku 45+2pen		Barella 31, Insigne 44
03-July	17:00	CZECH REPUBLIC	1-2	DENMARK	Baku (AZE)
ITV		Schick 49		Delaney 5, Dolberg 42
03-July	20:00	UKRAINE	0-4	ENGLAND	Rome (ITA)
BBC				Kane 4, 50, Maguire 46 J. Henderson 63

➡️ LAST 16

26-June	17:00	WALES	0-4	DENMARK	Amsterdam (NED)
BBC				Dolberg 27, 48 Maehle 88 Braithwaite 90+6
26-June	20:00	ITALY	2-1	AUSTRIA	London (ENG)
BBC		Chiesa 95 Pessina 105	aet	Kalajdzic 114
27-June	17:00	NETHERLANDS	0-2	CZECH REPUBLIC	Budapest (HUN)
ITV				Holes 68, Schick 80
27-June	20:00	BELGIUM	1-0	PORTUGAL	Seville (ESP)
ITV		T. Hazard 42
28-June	17:00	CROATIA	3-5	SPAIN	Copenhagen (DEN)
ITV		Gonzalez 20og Orsic 85 Pasalic 90+2	aet	Sarabia 38 Azpilicueta 57 F. Torres 76 Morata 100 Oyarzabal 103
28-June	20:00	FRANCE	3-3	SWITZERLAND	Bucharest (ROM)
ITV		Benzema 57, 59 Pogba 75	(4-5) aet	won on penalties Seferovic 15, 81 Gavranovic 90
29-June	17:00	ENGLAND	2-0	GERMANY	London (ENG)
BBC		Sterling 75, Kane 86
29-June	20:00	SWEDEN	1-2	UKRAINE	Glasgow (SCO)
BBC		Forsberg 43	aet	Zinchenko 27 Dovbyk 120+1

➡️ GROUP A	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
(Q) ITALY	3	0	0	7	0	+7	9
(Q) WALES	1	1	1	3	2	+1	4
(Q) SWITZERLAND	1	1	1	4	5	-1	4
TURKEY	0	0	3	1	8	-7	0

11-June	20:00	TURKEY	0-3	ITALY	Rome
BBC				Demiral 53og, Immobile 66 Insigne 79
12-June	14:00	WALES	1-1	SWITZERLAND	Baku
BBC		Moore 74		Embolo 49
16-June	17:00	TURKEY	0-2	WALES	Baku
BBC				Ramsey 42, C. Roberts 90+5
16-June	20:00	ITALY	3-0	SWITZERLAND	Rome
ITV		Locatelli 26, 52, Immobile 89
20-June	17:00	SWITZERLAND	3-1	TURKEY	Baku
ITV		Seferovic 6, Shaqiri 26, 68		Kahveci 62
20-June	17:00	ITALY	1-0	WALES	Rome
ITV		Pessina 39

➡️ GROUP B	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
(Q) BELGIUM	3	0	0	7	1	+6	9
(Q) DENMARK	1	0	2	5	4	+1	3
FINLAND	1	0	2	1	3	-2	3
RUSSIA	1	0	2	2	7	-5	3

12-June	17:00	DENMARK	0-1	FINLAND	Copenhagen
BBC				Pohjanpalo 60
12-June	20:00	BELGIUM	3-0	RUSSIA	St Petersburg
ITV		Lukaku 10, 88, Meunier 34
16-June	14:00	FINLAND	0-1	RUSSIA	St Petersburg
BBC				Al. Miranchuk 45+2
17-June	17:00	DENMARK	1-2	BELGIUM	Copenhagen
ITV		Poulsen 2		T. Hazard 55, De Bruyne 70
21-June	20:00	RUSSIA	1-4	DENMARK	Copenhagen
BBC		Dzyuba 70pen		Damsgaard 38, Poulsen 59 Christensen 79, Maehle 82
21-June	20:00	FINLAND	0-2	BELGIUM	St Petersburg
BBC				Hrádecky 74og, Lukaku 81

➡️ GROUP C	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
(Q) NETHERLANDS	3	0	0	8	2	+6	9
(Q) AUSTRIA	2	0	1	4	3	+1	6
(Q) UKRAINE	1	0	2	4	5	-1	3
NORTH MACEDONIA	0	0	3	2	8	-6	0

13-June	17:00	AUSTRIA	3-1	NORTH MACEDONIA	Bucharest
ITV		Lainer 18, Gregoritsch 78 Arnautovic 89		Pandev 28
13-June	20:00	NETHERLANDS	3-2	UKRAINE	Amsterdam
ITV		Wijnaldum 52, Weghorst 58 Dumries 85		Yarmolenko 75 Yaremchuk 79
17-June	14:00	UKRAINE	2-1	NORTH MACEDONIA	Bucharest
ITV		Yarmolenko 29 Yaremchuk 34		Alioski 57
17-June	20:00	NETHERLANDS	2-0	AUSTRIA	Amsterdam
BBC		Depay 11pen, Dumfries 67
21-June	17:00	NORTH MACEDONIA	0-3	NETHERLANDS	Amsterdam
ITV				Depay 24, Wijnaldum 51, 58
21-June	17:00	UKRAINE	0-1	AUSTRIA	Bucharest
ITV				Baumgartner 21

➡️ GROUP D	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
(Q) ENGLAND	2	1	0	2	0	+2	7
(Q) CROATIA	1	1	1	4	3	+1	4
(Q) CZECH REPUBLIC	1	1	1	3	2	+1	4
SCOTLAND	0	1	2	1	5	-4	1

13-June	14:00	ENGLAND	1-0	CROATIA	London
BBC		Sterling 57
14-June	14:00	SCOTLAND	0-2	CZECH REPUBLIC	Glasgow
BBC				Schick 42, 52
18-June	17:00	CROATIA	1-1	CZECH REPUBLIC	Glasgow
BBC		Perisic 47		Schick 37pen
18-June	20:00	ENGLAND	0-0	SCOTLAND	London
ITV
22-June	20:00	CROATIA	3-1	SCOTLAND	Glasgow
ITV		Vlasic 17, Modric 62, Perisic 77		McGregor 42
22-June	20:00	CZECH REPUBLIC	0-1	ENGLAND	London
ITV				Sterling 12

➡️ GROUP E	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
(Q) SWEDEN	2	1	0	4	2	+2	7
(Q) SPAIN	1	2	0	6	1	+5	5
SLOVAKIA	1	0	2	2	7	-5	3
POLAND	0	1	2	4	6	-2	1

14-June	17:00	POLAND	1-2	SLOVAKIA	St Petersburg
ITV		Linetty 46		Szczesny 18og, Skriniar 69
14-June	20:00	SPAIN	0-0	SWEDEN	Seville
BBC
18-June	14:00	SWEDEN	1-0	SLOVAKIA	St Petersburg
BBC		Forsberg 77pen
19-June	20:00	SPAIN	1-1	POLAND	Seville
BBC		Morata 25		Lewandowski 54
23-June	17:00	SLOVAKIA	0-5	SPAIN	Seville
ITV				Dubravka 30og, Laporte 45+3 Sarabia 56, F. Torres 67, Kucka 71og
23-June	17:00	SWEDEN	3-2	POLAND	St Petersburg
ITV		Forsberg 2, 59 Claesson 90+4		Lewandowski 61, 84

➡️ GROUP F	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
(Q) FRANCE	1	2	0	4	3	+1	5
(Q) GERMANY	1	1	1	6	5	+1	4
(Q) PORTUGAL	1	1	1	7	6	+1	4
HUNGARY	0	2	1	3	6	-3	3

15-June	17:00	HUNGARY	0-3	PORTUGAL	Budapest
ITV				Guerreiro 84 Ronaldo 87pen, 90+2
15-June	20:00	FRANCE	1-0	GERMANY	Munich
ITV		Hummels 20og
19-June	14:00	HUNGARY	1-1	FRANCE	Budapest
BBC		Fiola 45+2		Griezmann 66
19-June	17:00	PORTUGAL	2-4	GERMANY	Munich
ITV		Ronaldo 15, Jota 67		Ruben Dias 35og, Guerreiro 39og Havertz 51, Gosens 60
23-June	20:00	PORTUGAL	2-2	FRANCE	Budapest
BBC		Ronaldo 31pen, 60pen		Benzema 45+2pen, 47
23-June	20:00	GERMANY	2-2	HUNGARY	Munich
BBC		Havertz 66, Goretzka 84		Ad. Szalai 11, Schafer 68

➡️ THIRD-PLACED TEAMS	Group	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
(Q) PORTUGAL	[F]	1	1	1	7	6	+1	4
(Q) CZECH REPUBLIC	[D]	1	1	1	3	2	+1	4
(Q) SWITZERLAND	[A]	1	1	1	4	5	-1	4
(Q) UKRAINE	[C]	1	0	2	4	5	-1	3
FINLAND	[B]	1	0	2	1	3	-2	3
SLOVAKIA	[E]	1	0	2	2	7	-5	3

➡️ SCORERS
5 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Patrick Schick (Czech Republic)
4 Karim Benzema (France), Emil Forsberg (Sweden), Romelu Lukaku (Belgium), Harry Kane (England)
3 Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands), Robert Lewandowski (Poland), Haris Seferovic (Switzerland), Raheem Sterling (England), Kasper Dolberg (Denmark), Federico Chiesa (Italy), Alvaro Morata (Spain)
2 Manuel Locatelli (Italy), Ciro Immobile (Italy), Andriy Yarmolenko (Ukraine), Roman Yaremchuk (Ukraine), Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands), Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland), Memphis Depay (Netherlands), Yussuf Poulsen (Denmark), Ivan Perisic (Croatia), Kai Havertz (Germany), Matteo Pessina (Italy), Thorgan Hazard (Belgium), Pablo Sarabia (Spain), Ferran Torres (Spain), Lorenzo Insigne (Italy), Mikkel Damsgaard (Denmark)
1 Breel Embolo (Switzerland), Kieffer Moore (Wales), Joel Pohnjanpalo (Finland), Thomas Meunier (Belgium), Stefan Lainer (Austria), Goran Pandev (North Macedonia), Michael Gregoritsch (Austria), Marko Arnautovic (Austria), Wout Weghorst (Netherlands), Karol Linetty (Poland), Milan Skriniar (Slovakia), Raphael Guerreiro (Portugal), Aleksei Miranchuk (Russia), Aaron Ramsey (Wales), Connor Roberts (Wales), Ezgjan Alioski (North Macedonia), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium), Attila Fiola (Hungary), Antoine Griezmann (France), Robin Gosens (Germany), Diogo Jota (Portugal), Irfan Kahveci (Turkey), Christoph Baumgartner (Austria), Andreas Christensen (Denmark), Joakim Maehle (Denmark), Nikola Vlasic (Croatia), Callum McGregor (Scotland), Luka Modric (Croatia), Aymeric Laporte (Spain), Viktor Claesson (Sweden), Adam Szalai (Hungary), Andras Schafer (Hungary), Leon Goretzka (Germany), Joakim Maehle (Denmark), Martin Braithwaite (Denmark), Sasa Kalajdzic (Austria), Tomas Holes (Czech Republic), Cesar Azpilicueta (Spain), Mislav Orsic (Croatia), Mario Palasic (Croatia), Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain), Paul Pogba (France), Mario Gavranovic (Switzerland), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Ukraine), Artem Dovbyk (Ukraine), Nicolo Barella (Italy), Thomas Delaney (Denmark), Harry Maguire (England), Jordan Henderson (England), Luke Shaw (England), Leonardo Bonucci (Italy)
11 own goals Merih Demiral (Turkey) v Italy, Wojciech Szczeny (Poland) v Slovakia, Mats Hummels (Germany) v France, Ruben Dias (Portugal) v Germany, Raphael Guerreiro (Portugal) v Germany, Lukas Hradecky (Finland) v Belgium, Martin Dubravka (Slovakia) v Spain, Juraj Kucka (Slovakia) v Spain, Pedri (Spain) v Croatia, Denis Zakaria (Switzerland) v Spain, Simon Kjaer (Denmark) v England

➡️ RED CARDS
Grzegorz Krychowiak (Poland) v Slovakia
Ethan Ampadu (Wales) v Italy
Harry Wilson (Wales) v Denmark
Matthijs De Ligt (Netherlands) v Czech Republic
Marcus Danielson (Sweden) v Ukraine

Remo Freuler (Switzerland) v Spain