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Galal Yafai fights for gold as Holly Bradshaw holds GB medal hopes on Thursday

Holly Bradshaw is chasing Britain’s first Olympic pole-vault medal (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire)
Holly Bradshaw is chasing Britain’s first Olympic pole-vault medal (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire)

The big names may be falling by the wayside but Great Britain still have chances of increasing their medal tally as the Tokyo Olympics approach their final stretch.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at what is in store for Team GB athletes on Thursday – and who could take their places on the podium.

Athletics

Holly Bradshaw is a pole-vault medal hope (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)
Holly Bradshaw is a pole-vault medal hope (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)

It was supposed to be Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s night, but in the injury-enforced absence of the heptathlon world champion, attention shifts to pole-vaulter Holly Bradshaw who has a chance to become Britain’s first Olympic medallist in the discipline. Bradshaw eased through qualifying by clearing 4.55m at her first attempt – one of only seven athletes to do so at the first time of asking. Andrew Pozzi goes in the men’s 110m hurdles final, but only qualified as a fastest loser.

Boxing

Galal Yafai is into the flyweight boxing semi-finals (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)
Galal Yafai is into the flyweight boxing semi-finals (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

The guaranteed medals may be rolling in for GB’s boxing team but they are still in search of their first gold. Flyweight Galal Yafai can take a step closer to breaking that duck when he faces Saken Bibossinov of Kazakhstan in his semi-final. Meanwhile, Ireland’s world champion Kellie Harrington goes in the women’s lightweight semi-final against Sudaporn Seesondee.

Canoe Sprint

Liam Heath is looking to defend his Olympic title from Rio (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Archive)
Liam Heath is looking to defend his Olympic title from Rio (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Archive)

Liam Heath stands a strong chance in the men’s kayak single 200m, and enters the event as the defending champion from Rio 2016. Heath also medalled in the K2 event in Brazil, but that event was subsequently axed from the Olympic programme, leaving the 36-year-old to place his full focus into defending his title in the Japanese capital.

Cycling

Katy Marchant is the best medal hope in the velodrome (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)
Katy Marchant is the best medal hope in the velodrome (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)

Katy Marchant represents Team GB’s best chance of adding to their cycling medal haul in Izu on Thursday, as she goes in the women’s keirin. Matt Walls also goes in the men’s omnium but is considered something of an outside bet to make the podium.

Diving

Lois Toulson will look to secure a final place (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)
Lois Toulson will look to secure a final place (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)

Lois Toulson and Andrea Spendolini Sirieix both compete in the women’s 10m platform competition. Negotiating the morning semi-final is probably the limit of the pair’s ambitions, although Toulson is a former European Games gold medallist while Spendolini Sirieix – daughter of TV’s star maitre d’ Fred – broke through with a bronze medal at last year’s European Championship.

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