Olympic Games: the medal table, with China ahead of Italy and Japan

The first day of the Tokyo Olympics delivered its verdict for the podiums. China leads the medal standings, ahead of Italy and Japan.

China got off to a strong start in Tokyo, Japan, by winning the first medal at the Tokyo Olympics, thanks to Qian Yang. The Chinese won the 10m rifle shooting competition on Saturday, becoming the first Olympic champion of that day, which awarded 11 titles. China leads the medal table with three gold medals, one in weightlifting, and the fourth in bronze. Italy and Japan are tied for 2nd, with a gold medal and a silver medal. The Italians won the title in men’s taekwondo -58 kg, thanks to Vito Dell’Aquila. In fencing, Luigi Samele was beaten in the saber final by Hungarian Aron Szilagyi.

Two historic gold medals

The Japanese have especially distinguished themselves in judo. In the country where the discipline was born, Naohisa Takato, already three times winner of the world championships and bronze medalist in 2016, was crowned Olympic champion for the first time, the first title for his country this Saturday in Tokyo, in the category of -60 kg. In the final, he beat Taiwanese Yung Wei Yan, 11th in the world rankings and a two-time silver medalist at the Asian championships.

The bronze medals went to Kazakh Yeldos Smetov and Frenchman Luka Mkheidze, who gave France their first medal of the Olympic fortnight. Distria Krasniqi, crowned in -48 kg, still in judo, wrote a page of legend by winning the second medal in the history of her small country, Kosovo. The Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, brilliant winner of the road cycling race, was also one of the first heroes of the day.

Olympic Games: the medal table after the first day

1- China: 4 medals (3 gold, 1 bronze)

2- Italy: 2 medals (1 in gold, 1 in silver)

– Japan: 2 medals (1 in gold, 1 in silver)

4- South Korea: 3 medals (1 gold, 2 bronze)

5- Ecuador: 1 medal (gold)

– Hungary: 1 medal (gold)

– Iran: 1 medal (gold)

– Kosovo: 1 medal (gold)

– Thailand: 1 medal (gold)

10- ROC (Russian Olympic Committee): 2 medals (1 in silver, 1 in bronze)

– Serbia: 2 medals (1 in silver, 1 in bronze)

12- Belgium: 1 medal (silver)

– Spain: 1 medal (silver)

– India: 1 medal (silver)

– Netherlands: 1 medal (silver)

– Romania: 1 medal (silver)

-Taiwan: 1 medal (silver)

– Tunisia: 1 medal (silver)

19- Estonia: 1 medal (bronze)

– France: 1 medal (bronze)

– Indonesia: 1 medal (bronze)

– Israel: 1 medal (bronze)

– Kazakhstan: 1 medal (bronze)

– Mexico: 1 medal (bronze)

– Mongolia: 1 medal (bronze)

– Slovenia: 1 medal (bronze)

– Switzerland: 1 medal (bronze)

-Ukraine: 1 medal (bronze)