We get into the business end of various team sports, notably badminton, hockey and basketball. And of course there is plenty of track and field action. Chitrabhanu Kadalayil looks at Day 13’s not-to-be-missed events. Note, all mentioned times are UAE.
Women’s badminton, singles semi-finals
Carolina Marin will know the gold medal is hers to lose as the world’s best player takes on China’s Li Xuerui at 3.30pm in the first semi-final. If the Spaniard beats the world No 3, she will not have to worry about facing rival Chinese Wang Yihan, who was beaten by PV Sindhu in the last eight. The Indian is ranked four places behind her semi-final opponent, Japan’s world No 6 Nozomi Okuhara, but will fancy her chances.
4 x 100m Relay, Round 1
Jamaica are favourites to win the 4x100m relay in both the men’s and women’s events, the heats for which begin at 6.20pm. The women’s team includes three of the four members who won gold at the Beijing worlds last year: Elaine Thompson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Veronica Campbell Brown. The men’s team have Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake. Enough said.
Women’s basketball, semi-finals
Serbia’s confidence will be sky-high at the moment after they beat Australia, the most consistent women’s basketball team at the Olympics after the United States. The 14th-ranked Serbs face Spain in the first semi-final at 10pm. The other last-four encounter — between France and the US — will begin four hours later.
Men’s boxing, light heavy (81kg) final
Julio Cesar la Cruz will have his eyes on the gold when he meets Kazakhstan’s London 2012 silver medallist Adilbek Niyazymbetov at 10.30pm. The Cuban beat Frenchman Mathieu Bauderlique in their semi-final and has sounded bullish about his chances. “I have to produce a really good performance, but I think I will make it,” he said.
Men’s hockey, final
Had the semi-finals gone according to script, the Netherlands would have beaten Belgium, and Argentina would have lost to reigning champions Germany. Instead we have an unlikely final with Argentina set to clinch their first hockey medal. Belgium’s attack makes them slight favourites in their first final in 96 years. Action starts at midnight.
