Hélas, Manon Apithy-Brunet and Sara Balzer, the gold and silver medallists respectively in the individual sabre could not recreate the magic for team France. The South Koreans beat them in the semis.
Bad day
Just goes to show that having the gold and silver medallist in your ranks doesn't necessarily mean success. Manon Apithy-Brunet and Sara Balzer couldn't inspire the France team to top spot in the sabre team event. They were foiled by the South Koreans in the semis and then by the Japanese in the bronze medal match.
Good day
So it’s the Olympics final in the team sabre and the other outfit leads 40-37 in the race to 45. What do you do? If you are Olha Kharlan you chill. "I don't know how to explain it,” said the 33-year-old who outfought the South Korean Hayoung Jeon to lead Ukraine to a 45-42 victory. "It's it seems weird because it's the Olympic Games final and everything but at the some time I'm going to enjoy this moment. And I enjoyed all the fencing and just went for it.” Kharlan, who a few years back had a Barbie doll replete with sword in hand modelled on her, will be able to savour a second Olympic gold and her sixth Olympic medal in her fifth trip to the Games.
Look here
St Lucia. Population of nearly 200,000 is on the Olympic map after Julien Alfred brought the eqstern Carribean nation its first medal. And what a medal - the women's 100m title. The 23-year-old got the better of the much fancied Sha'carri Richardson from the United States.
Alfred the great: sprinter's 100m victory gives St Lucia first Olympic medal
Boy, Teddy
Not content with individual gold in the men's +100kg, Teddy Riner celebrated another gold at the games in the mixed team judo event. Japan seemed as if they were about to run away with the final but Riner came in and beat Tatsuru Saito to halve the deficit to 2-1. And the 35-year-old veteran later gained the winning point. Not a bad Olympics, lighting the flame at the opening ceremony and two gold medals.
France defends Olympic title in mixed team judo against Japan
So farewell Hervé
Hervé Renard, head coach of France's women's football team, is off to pastures new following the elimination of the side in the quarter-finals. Brazil got past the French 1-0 to set up a semi-final against Spain. The United States face Germany in the other semi. Renard, 55, left his job as boss of Saudi Arabia to take up the France job. As a man who has led Zambia and Cote d'Ivoire to the Africa Cup of Nations, he is unlikely to be out of work for too long.
