Rio Olympics 2016 medal tally, day 13: Table toppers USA complete century of medals

Rio de Janeiro: The United States continued their strong performance at the Rio Olympics on Thursday when Dalilah Muhammad powered to a brilliant victory in the women’s 400m hurdles to become the first winner of the event for her country in Olympic history, taking the US medal tally to 100.

The 26-year-old, the fastest woman in the world this year over the distance, blasted out of the blocks and held on to a commanding lead for a deserved gold in 53.13sec.

Also for the US, Ashton Eaton equalled the Olympic record when retaining his decathlon crown on Thursday, but he was pushed all the way by France’s Kevin Mayer. Eaton amassed 8,893 points in the gruelling 10-discipline event to tie with the Czech Republic’s Roman Sebrle record set at the 2004 Athens Games. His victory extended his remarkable unbeaten streak in combined events competition that stretches back to his triumph in London in 2012.

In wrestling, American Helen Maroulis denied Saori Yoshida a fourth straight Olympic wrestling gold with a stunning upset of the Japanese great in the 53kg final at Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. Maroulis, a reigning world champion competing in her first Olympics, made the United States’ first-ever women’s wrestling gold one to remember with her victory over the 13-time world champion, calling it “an honor” just to meet Yoshida on the mat.

In what was clearly the highlight of the day, Usain Bolt wrote another chapter of improbable Olympic history with a third consecutive 200m crown on Thursday as Ashton Eaton led an American gold rush by clinching back-to-back decathlon titles. Bolt, who just days earlier had become the first man in history to win three 100m titles in a row, surged to victory in the 200m in 19.78sec at the Olympic Stadium.

It was a historic day in the Olympic taekwondo competition on Thursday as Ahmad Abughaush won Jordan’s first ever Games medal and Kimia Alizadeh claimed a first women’s medal for Iran. Abughaush beat Alexey Denisenko of Russia 10-6 to win the men’s under-68kg division while Alizadeh landed bronze in the women’s under-57kg category by beating Nikita Glasnovic of Sweden 5-1.

At the end of day 13, United States topped the medal tally with 100 medals (35 Gold, 33 Silver, 32 Bronze). Great Britain on 56 medals (22 Gold, 21 Silver, 13 Bronze) again reclaimed the second spot from China on 58 medals (20 Gold, 16 Silver, 22 Bronze) in what has now become a constant tussle between the two on the medal tally.

Germany on 32 medals (13 Gold, 8 Silver, 11 Bronze), followed by Russia on 44 medals (12 Gold, 15 Silver, 17 Bronze) rounded up the fourth and fifth spot respectively.

India now features on the medal tally in the 71st position with one medal (0 Gold, 0 Silver, 1 Bronze).

Here is the Rio Olympics medal tally after day 13:

With inputs from AFP and PTI