Tokyo 2020 : Day 13 Afternoon/Evening

Athletics Comments from Team GB athletes following today’s athletics at the Olympic Stadium. Holly Bradshaw Age: 29 Hometown: Lancashire: Preston Result: Team GB's first pole vault medallist. Won bronze with a best height of 4.85m. Gold went to the United States' Katie Nageotte (4.90m) and silver to Russian Olympic Committee's Anzhelika Sidorova (4.85m) On ending her wait for an Olympic medal "I think this shows my resilience and will to keep going. Pole vault is a funny event, you can be in the shape of your life and still come seventh. "I've been so close for so many years but I knew at one point that I'd get on that podium and it feels so special. "The start of my career, leading up to 2012, I didn't put a step wrong and then I didn't learn much about myself. "Then I had so many injuries and put so much pressure on myself that I got myself into a really dark hole where I didn't want to be. "I had to change my inner values and work on myself to enjoy the sport and now I love what I'm doing. "I've always wanted to start a family but I've had a glimpse in my career that just keep me going. "There were times when I thought I might walk away but since 2018 I've not thought like that. At the core, I just love pole vaulting. "I've had the best season of my life, a new personal best and an Olympic medal." On what comes next "I don't feel I'm at my peak, I think I can give more and next year is a perfect place to do it with four major championships. "I couldn't pole vault for three months and had to train in my house. I feel like this is a reward for staying focussed. "All those days where I trained were worth it now I've got this Olympic medal. "I'm still in shock, it's a mixture of so many emotions I don't know how to explain it." The women's 4x100m relay team of Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita won heat 1 in a British record 41.55, qualifying for Friday's final. Dina Asher-Smith Age: 25 Hometown: London: Orpington On the weather “We’re Brits, so we have to regulate our internal body temperature, because we’re not natural warm weather people, but sprinting-wise the hot weather’s great. "The people from the hot countries are pretending they’re ok, but then they’re in the shade saying ‘we’re fine’ – ‘I’m saying you are not fine! – nobody’s fine!’" On bouncing back after the 100m “After the 100m I did say there was no way I wasn’t going to be here for the 4x100 girls. I’ve been training really hard this week, I only had one day off and John [Blackie, coach] had me back on the training track and essentially all I do need is a few more weeks, a few more sessions of training." On feeling like she needed more time ahead of the 100m “We were saying last night if we’d have had a few more days that would have been the 100m final, a few more weeks or so then 10.8 [seconds]. "It's just one of those things where I am chasing time so give me a few more training sessions and a few more runs and I’ll be closer to where I am used to being and I knew there was no way I wouldn’t be here." Jake Wightman Age: 27 Hometown: Nottinghamshire: Nottingham Result: First in semi-final 1 in a time of 3:33.48, qualifying for Saturday's men's 1500m final On the semi-final “I felt good. All you have to do is come top five – that was the aim – I never planned on winning it. But the opportunity came to kind of pass and my fear was everyone was going to close so quick that I’d rather have a jump into the home straight. But I feel a lot better, felt a lot of better than I thought I would. It has given me a lot of confidence for the final. “Everyone is just getting to the final as smooth as they can so you can’t really judge from the heats or semis its all about how we run in a couple of days time. I hope that’s not my best run, I definitely want it to be in the final and I feel like I am good enough at the moment to try challenge for medals, and that’s what I want to do.” On his 1500m team-mates “The three of us are good mates which is a nice thing - just because you are rivals on the track doesn’t mean you have to dislike each other off it. "I want them to make the final and do well, but I just also want to beat them when it gets to the final. "There is friendly competition between everybody and I think domestic competition pushes you internationally, and that’s showing with three of us in the final.” Josh Kerr Age: 23 Hometown: Scotland: Edinburgh Result: Result: Third in semi-final 2 in a time of 3:32.18, qualifying for Saturday's men's 1500m final On squeezing through the heats “I had to really have a look at myself and recalibrate, work with my team, speak to my family and get myself back in a mental position where I can say ‘you know what? Even though I was the fastest loser getting into the semi-final, I want to be a big Q for getting into the final and show what I can do that hard work doesn’t leave you.’ "I turned it around and I just love racing here." On teammates and UK depth “It’s one of the hardest 1500m teams to make for the Olympics, that shows we can all come out and make an Olympic final. "It's really tough and we have to come out and perform.” Jake Heyward Age: 22 Hometown: Wales: Cardiff Result: Sixth in semi-final 2 in a personal-best time of 3:32.82, qualifying for the men's 1500m final as a next fastest qualifier. The final takes place on Saturday On targeting a spot in the final “When you come and represent the British team you’ve got to be making the finals, that’s the minimum standard set, and Jake and Josh have set the standard over the last couple of years. I wanted to really step up and show how good I was, and reaching the final is a major step forward for me.“ On the semi-final “It was tough. The seniors is a different setup to the juniors. You can get a good position and instantly it can be gone, so it’s really difficult to navigate that and I didn’t actually run the best race – it wasn’t the smartest race, but I battled through and just about managed to qualify. “At the end of the day that’s just the semi-final. It doesn’t really matter what you do at that, it just matters that you get through, but everyone’s going to remember the final so if you go out and have a good one there, that’s what counts.” On reaching the final “It’s amazing to be honest. I don’t really know how to describe it but I hope everybody at home is proud of me and hopefully they’ve now got something to watch on Saturday!” Morgan Lake Age: 24 Hometown: Buckinghamshire: Milton Keynes Result: Qualified for the women's high jump final, which takes place on Saturday, after reaching the qualifying mark of 1.95m On how she feels after qualification “I feel really, really good. The main aim of this competition was to qualify and I’m just so happy. “I stuck to my game plan, didn’t get scared when I missed the jump, just knew I could get it the next time just with small adjustments. “Obviously I couldn’t think too far ahead because to even get to where I want to get I need to make the final first. On her desire for a personal best “I just really want to jump a PB and I know I’m in PB shape, and I know if I jump a PB I can put myself into the mix. So the next aim is again to focus on every single height, try to get first time clearances and see what happens.” On the heat "It was a long time to spend out there in the heat but luckily once we got there the shade was all on our side, as the hours went on the shade was just moving and moving and moving, so everyone was just moving their stuff around the stadium, but the ice towels definitely worked a treat." On the support back home "I was thinking about everyone back home. You obviously get loads of messages before the competition and everyone was like ‘we’ll be watching you, we’re getting up early to watch you’, so before every jump I was just imagining everyone at home and their support, so that was amazing." Andrew Pozzi Age: 29 Hometown: Warwickshire: Stratford-upon-Avon Result: Seventh in the men's 110m hurdles final in a time of 13.30 On his performance "Unfortunately, I didn’t quite have the race that I wanted. Just didn’t quite have enough today and it’s difficult to say but that’s just the situation… I gave it my best. "I’ve worked really hard in order to be here and try be in my best shape, but that’s all I had today." On how he felt ahead of the competition "I arrived in a good place. There’s no excuses unfortunately. I just didn’t have enough and that’s just the way it is. "I prepared really well, worked really hard with an amazing group of people who have supported me so much and I’m just very grateful for everyone that’s given me the opportunity to come out here and give it my best." Boxing Comments from Team GB boxer Galal Yafai after he booked his place in the men’s flyweight gold-medal bout with a split decision victory (3-2) over Saken Bibossinov of Kazakhstan in the semi-finals. Yafai will now face Carlo Paalam of the Philippines for the gold medal on Saturday. Galal Yafai Age: 28 Hometown: West Midlands: Birmingham On what it would mean to win Olympic gold “It’s Olympic gold man, Olympic gold is crazy. I was saying before the fight – imagine if I was Olympic champion! “It’s something I’ve dreamed about and I could never see happening. Being in an Olympic final is something I never thought I could do either and now I’m in it. “It goes to show that if you put in the hard work, you reap the rewards. My two brothers [Kal and Gamal] started me off. Hopefully I can finish it off now.” On whether he and his boxing brothers Kal and Gamal would scrap growing up “Always! My mum would go mad. ‘Take your gloves off, stop hitting your little brother!’. If we had a video recorder back then, you’d be surprised. “It was destined and meant to be – we were fighting every day. In the sitting room, gloves on but it’s put us in good stead now.” On final opponent Carlo Paalam of the Philippines “I’ve never fought him before but we sparred a few years ago. He’s surprised me to be fair – no-one expected me and him to be in the final. “It goes to show – you put in the hard work, you can make a final and get the rewards. I’ll need to do what I’ve done in every fight and more." Cycling (Track) Comments from Team GB track cyclists following today's events at the Izu Velodrome. Katy Marchant Age: 28 Hometown: West Yorkshire: Leeds Result: Involved in a crash with Netherlands' Laurine van Riessen in the women's keirin quarter-final. Got back on the bike to cross the line as fifth finisher. On the crash "I think that's just bike racing - wrong place, wrong time. I just hope that everyone is alright. "I'm alright, a little bit battered and bruised, but alright. "I needed to finish the race in case anything came up on the results, with a relegation or something like that, I'm not really sure what happened but I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught up in it. "But I'm back tomorrow to start the sprint competition." Jason Kenny Age: 33 Hometown: Bolton Result: Eighth overall in the men's individual sprint. Eliminated by Netherlands' Harrie Lavreysen in the men's sprint quarter-finals. Had earlier lost to Denis Dmitriev of the Russian Olympic Committee in the 1/8 Finals before progressing through the 1/8 Finals Repechages. On the competition "Nothing changed from yesterday, I was just taking it one ride as a time. Obviously once I went out against Denis, it was hard. It was savage. "And then straight up against one of the fastest guys in the field [Lavreysen], so it was always going to be a tough ask from there. "That's just where I am physically at the minute. "I don't expect to be the best in the world all the time, it is really hard to win at the end of the day. It was really hard five years ago [at Rio 2016] and it will be hard for whoever takes it. I gave it my best shot but it wasn't good enough really. "For whatever reason I am not good enough physically and these boys are just better." On Matt Walls [Omnium gold medallist] "He was phenomenal wasn't he? It never looked in doubt from the moment he rolled off the start line. He is my roommate as well but I can't take all the credit! "I don't know what I said but it obviously stuck!" Jack Carlin Age: 24 Hometown: Scotland: Paisley Result: Progressed through to Friday's men's individual sprint semi-finals, overcoming Germany's Max Levy in the quarter-finals On his day of racing "Another day in the bag, let's see what happens tomorrow. Bike's feeling good, legs are feeling alright but everyone's sore at this point in the week. "I think we take each race as it comes, keep calm and what will be, will be. "Jason was struggling today - fatigue kicked in from the team sprint but he still went out and gave it his all and that's what Olympic champions do." Diving Comments from Team GB divers Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson following today's women's 10m platform final at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. The event was won by 14-year-old Chinese diver Quan Hongchan with a score of 466.20. Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix Age: 16 Hometown: London: Southwark Result: Finished seventh in the final with a score of 305.50 On how she's feeling "I am so happy. I was speaking to my family because there is an Athlete Moment screen and I started crying. I am very, very proud of where I came. "My dad, my mum and my cousins and my aunties were on the Athlete Moment. They said that they were very proud and that I should be proud as well. They said they miss me and I miss them. It just went back and forth." On how she felt going into the final "I was extremely nervous before the preliminaries so I thought my nerves would get the better of me and I wouldn’t make it to the semi. "Then after the semi I got into the final and that was exactly what I wanted to do. That was my plan. I’ve definitely exceeded my expectations." On how she feels for Paris 2024 "It definitely gives me confidence for Paris. That is very close to my grandparents so my whole family can come. I want my family to come and watch. I am very, very excited." On the Olympic experience "The Olympic experience has been amazing. I’ve got an amazing team and have met so many new people, so many new friends. I definitely didn’t know what to expect coming into the village. I couldn’t ask for a better first Olympics." Lois Toulson Age: 21 Hometown: West Yorkshire: Huddersfield Result: Finished ninth in the final with a score of 289.60 On her performance "I feel very tired. It definitely wasn’t the performance that I wanted to finish on but there was definitely some good stuff to take away from it. "I’ve been very consistent over the three competitions which is a good thing. "That’s something I’ve been working on so there are positives to take away but I’m disappointed overall." On 14-year-old winner Quan Hongchan "She was incredible. She makes diving look very easy - and it’s not! She was incredible to watch. "The Chinese have always been the top. It’s usually a fight for the bronze because the Chinese are first and second. "She is 14 and already diving like that. They literally live at the pool, eat, breathe, and sleep diving. I’m just in awe of them." On whether preparation will be easier for Paris 2024 "I hope so. Obviously, it has been tough for everyone, but I’ve been through a lot of things coming my way and I’ve come through that which I’m really proud of. I’m looking forward to the next few years and getting ready for Paris."