Day 5: China bags 3 golds with world records, 3x3 basketball ends Olympic debut

Shi Zhiyong of China attends the awarding ceremony of the men's 73kg weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, July 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

TOKYO, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese weightlifter Shi Zhiyong broke a world record to win back-to-back Olympic titles at Tokyo 2020 on Wednesday, while Japan continued to top the medal standings with 13 golds and 22 in total.

China won three gold medals on Day 5 to lift its medal total to 27, 12 of which are gold. The United States is in third position on 11 golds and 31 medals in all.

Shi easily won the gold in the men's 73-kilogram category, lifting a total 364kg to eclipse his own world record by one kilogram.

Beaming with joy, Shi sat on the dumbbell with a huge roar. "I only did that when I set a new world record," the 27-year-old said after the competition.

"I have always aimed for the new record. Winning the gold medal alone won't satisfy me.

"I believe I have the ability to break the world record, it would be a great regret if I fail to achieve it."

Shi's success brings the number of gold medals won by team China to four, following Chen Lijun in the men's 67kg, Li Fabin in the men's 61kg and Hou Zhihui in the women's 49kg class.

Shi Zhiyong of China competes during the men's 73kg weightlifting event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, July 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

After a 13-year wait, China claimed its second Olympic gold medal in rowing when the women's quadruple sculls crew of Cui Xiaotong, Lyu Yang, Zhang Ling and Chen Yunxia paddled to victory in a commanding style at the Tokyo 2020 Games on Wednesday.

The reigning world champions led all the way to set a new world and Olympic best time at the finish line in six minutes 05.13 seconds, more than six seconds ahead of second-placed Poland. The bronze medal went to Australia in 6:12.08.

"We've had confidence since 2019 (at the World Championships). We've been racing all the other finalists. We've also been beating them, that's why we were confident going into the race," said Lyu Yang.

The Netherlands smashed previous world best time by clocking five minutes and 32.03 seconds in the men's quadruple sculls title.

China also won a bronze medal at the Sea Forest Waterway on Wednesday through Zhang Liang and Liu Zhiyu in the men's double sculls, the first men's medal for China and Asia in an Olympic rowing event.

France bagged gold in 6:00.33 in a new Olympic record time, and the silver went to the Netherlands in 6:00.53.

"Our goal was actually a gold medal," said Liu. "Anyway, it's a big breakthrough for China. It proves that we have the ability to compete against European rowers."

Xie Siyi (L) and Wang Zongyuan of China pose during the awarding ceremony after the diving men's synchronised 3m springboard final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, July 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

Chinese divers continued their superiority in the sport, as Olympic debutants Wang Zongyuan and Xie Siyi won the men's synchronised 3m springboard final with 467.82 points, 23.46 points ahead of the second-placed U.S. pair Andrew Capobianco/Michael Hixon.

It's China's fourth Olympic gold medal in the event since the London Games in 2012.

"I've been waiting for this moment for nine years. I was so happy with our brilliant timing. I have a lot of emotions in my head right now," said the 19-year-old Wang.

In gymnastics, Daiki Hashimoto gave Japan its third straight Olympic title in the men's all-around, scoring a six-apparatus total of 88.465 points at Ariake Gymnastics Center.

China's Xiao Ruoteng was edged into second place by a deficit of 0.4 points in the event which was won by Japanese gymnastics superstar Kohei Uchimura in the two previous Olympics. Russian Nikita Nagornyy had the bronze.

Meanwhile, American superstar Simone Biles has pulled out of the women's all-round final for "further medical evaluation."

In 3x3 basketball, which makes its debut on the Olympic stage in Tokyo, the U.S. defeated the ROC team 18-15 in the women's final, while Latvia was crowned the men's champion after beating the ROC 21-18 in the gold medal game.

China took the bronze in the women's 3x3 with a narrow 16-14 victory over France.

In table tennis, Chinese players displayed top form in the singles events, with the foursome Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng and Sun Yingsha all making Thursday's semifinals.

Following the early exits of Naomi Osaka (tennis) and Tomokazu Harimoto (table tennis), Japan suffered another blow as world No. 1 Kento Momota was knocked out in badminton men's singles group stage.

In fencing, as South Korea retained their men's sabre team crown and Fiji continued to keep men's rugby sevens crowns in their hands.

17 gold medals are up for grab on Thursday in rowing, swimming, shooting, canoe slalom, judo, gymnastics, fencing and table tennis.