Paris Olympics day 13: Australia claims medals in swimming, kayaking and boxing

While there were no gold medals for Australia on day 13 of the Games, Australian athletes enjoyed some successes, with silver and bronze medals on the water and in the boxing ring.

In the Seine

Australian Moesha Johnson has taken home silver in the women’s 10km marathon swim.

Johnson celebrated the swim — which took place in the Seine after the swim test was cancelled earlier this week over water quality concerns — with a Coca-Cola and a dose of antibiotics.

The Australian K4 crew of Riley Fitzsimmons, Jackson Collins, Pierre van der Westhuyzen and Noah Havard also powered to silver in the 500m kayak sprint.

While their Olympic-best time set in the semi-final would have won gold in the final, Australia’s men’s sprint kayakers were thrilled to snap a 12-year drought and medal in the K4 event.

The crew were edged by 0.04 seconds by Germany.

In the pool

Australia’s Stingers have defied the odds to dethrone three-time defending women’s water polo champions in a dramatic penalty shootout with the US team and muscle into the Olympic gold-medal match in Paris.

Captain Zoe Arancini’s side turned the tables on the world champions, who outplayed them in a three-match series in April, scoring a historic 14-13 triumph after a shootout on Thursday at La Defense Arena.

The win makes them the first Australian women’s side to reach the final since the 2000 team won the inaugural event in Sydney.

In the ring

Charlie Senior has lost his boxing semi-final to Abdumalik Khalokov, but will still claim a rare boxing bronze for Australia in Paris.

Australia’s Caitlin Parker also secured a bronze medal after being defeated 5-0 in Friday morning’s semi-final with Li Qian of China.

The medal is the first won by an Australian woman in Olympic boxing, and Parker said she was proud “for making Australian boxing history”.

On the track

Jessica Hull is through to the women’s 1,500m final, with a chance at claiming another athletics gold medal for Australia.

The 27-year-old said she believes she can win the gold after climbing to fifth on the all-time list at last month’s Paris Diamond League meet.

If Hull wins gold, she will be the first Australian since Herb Elliott in 1960 to do so in the 1,500m event.

On the wall

Australian Oceania Mackenzie has made her first Olympic climbing final, holding sixth place in the boulder and lead event.

While Mackenzie dropped two places on Thursday in the lead section, she is ranked sixth overall and the top eight will decide the medals on Saturday.

In track cycling

Australian Matt Richardson is through to the sprint semi-finals in Olympic track cycling, but Kristina Clonan failed to progress in the keirin.

Elsewhere

Australian canoeist Jessica Fox will represent athletes on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after being voted in by her peers.

Canoeist Jess Fox is among four Olympians picked on Thursday to represent athletes at the International Olympic Committee for the next eight years. Source: AAP / Balint Vekassy

Australia’s double gold medallist in Paris says her election to the IOC’s athletes commission is perfectly timed in the lead-up to the 2032 Brisbane Games.

Fox is among four Olympians picked on Thursday by their peers to represent athletes at the IOC for the next eight years.

With the Australian Associated Press.