• Qian Yang of Team China won the first gold medal of Tokyo 2020, in the 10m Air Rifle Women's event on day one.
    Qian Yang of Team China won the first gold medal of Tokyo 2020, in the 10m Air Rifle Women's event on day one.
  • China's Hou Zhihui triumphs in the women's 49kg weightlifting.
    China's Hou Zhihui triumphs in the women's 49kg weightlifting.
  • Javad Foroughi of Iran celebrates on the podium after winning the Men's 10m Air Pistol.
    Javad Foroughi of Iran celebrates on the podium after winning the Men's 10m Air Pistol.
  • Kim Je Deok and An San of South Korea celebrate gold in the archery mixed team event.
    Kim Je Deok and An San of South Korea celebrate gold in the archery mixed team event.
  • Richard Carapaz of Ecuador celebrates winning gold in the Men's Road Race.
    Richard Carapaz of Ecuador celebrates winning gold in the Men's Road Race.
  • Japan's Naohisa Takato celebrates winning the judo men's 60kg final bout against Taiwan's Yang Yung Wei.
    Japan's Naohisa Takato celebrates winning the judo men's 60kg final bout against Taiwan's Yang Yung Wei.
  • China's Yiwen Sun poses on the podium after winning gold in the women’s epee individual.
    China's Yiwen Sun poses on the podium after winning gold in the women’s epee individual.
  • Vito Dell'Aquila of Italy won gold in the men's Taekwondo -58kg category.
    Vito Dell'Aquila of Italy won gold in the men's Taekwondo -58kg category.
  • Hungary's fencer Aron Szilagyi celebrates winning the gold medal in the men’s sabre individual.
    Hungary's fencer Aron Szilagyi celebrates winning the gold medal in the men’s sabre individual.
  • Distria Krasniqi of Team Kosovo poses with the gold medal for the women’s judo 48kg.
    Distria Krasniqi of Team Kosovo poses with the gold medal for the women’s judo 48kg.
  • Thailand's Panipak Wongpattanakit celebrates after winning gold in the women's -49kg Taekwondo.
    Thailand's Panipak Wongpattanakit celebrates after winning gold in the women's -49kg Taekwondo.

Tokyo 2020: All the gold medal winners on day one - in pictures


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The Tokyo 2020 Olympics was finally officially underway on Saturday, a few hours after the opening ceremony.

While spectators are not allowed to attend, that hasn't changed the athletes' fierce pursuit of claiming victory in the biggest sporting event on earth.

There is due to be a total of 11 golds awarded on Saturday in a variety of events across the Olympic city.

Chinese shooter Yang Qian won the first gold, snatching a dramatic last-shot victory from Russia's Anastasiia Galashina in the Women's 10m Air Rifle as attention finally switched from the troubled build-up to the event to the sporting action.

Games chiefs are desperate for sport to take centre stage after the coronavirus pandemic forced a one-year postponement and overshadowed the lead-up to the Games.

But Covid-19 has not gone away, forcing German cyclist Simon Geschke out of the road race while Dutch rower Finn Florijn has also tested positive.

Seventeen new Games-related cases were announced on Saturday, taking the total number to 123, of which 12 are athletes.

Now Games chiefs have another threat to contend with as Tropical Storm Nepartak headed towards Tokyo, with the weather agency saying it was due to arrive on Tuesday.

As a "protective measure" organisers have brought forward to this weekend rowing events that had been scheduled for Monday and said they were following the track of the storm.

All the gold medal winners will be added to the picture gallery above as they take their place on the podium.

Updated: July 24, 2021, 5:03 PM