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Olympics 2021: 5 unmissable Day 5 events and when to watch

Ariarne Titmus and Katie Ledecky, pictured here in the 400m freestyle final.
Ariarne Titmus will take on Katie Ledecky in the 200m freestyle final. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

We’re really settling into our Olympics groove now and Day 5 looks set to deliver another slate of huge opportunities for medals for Australia.

Here are five events to look out for on Day 5 of the Tokyo Olympics.

Rowing Four finals, 10.50am (women’s) and 11.10am (men’s) AEST

An expected typhoon has wreaked havoc on the rowing schedule, but Australia is a big chance for gold in both the men’s and women’s fours this morning.

The women’s team of Lucy Stephan, Rosemary Popa, Jessica Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre smashed the Olympic record on Saturday on the way to qualifying fastest for the final.

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Australia won the world championship in the Women’s Four in 2019, although Stephan is the only rower from that team competing in this combination.

The men’s team – Alexander Purnell, Spencer Turrin, Jack Hargreaves and Alexander Hill – also qualified fastest and was just 0.21sec off also breaking the Olympic record, which was set by Australia in London nine years ago.

A huge opportunity for Australia at the Sea Forest Waterway this morning.

Women’s 200m freestyle final, 11.41am AEST

Round 1 of Titmus v Ledecky lived up to the hype, what can the return bout in the 200m deliver?

Ariarne Titmus etched her name into Olympic folklore when she became the first woman to ever beat Katie Ledecky in an individual event at the Games in the 400m freestyle on Monday.

Titmus managed to put all that behind her yesterday when she qualified fastest for the 200m final, about half a second quicker than Ledecky, who is managing another big workload, having swum a 200m and 1500m heat on Monday night following her loss in the 400m earlier in the day.

Can the great American turn the tables on Titmus in this one?

Men’s 4x200m freestyle relay final, 1.26pm AEST

The king is dead, long live the king.

One of the most stunning stats in Olympic swimming is that Team USA has won a medal in every single men’s relay event ever held at the Olympics – apart from the boycotted 1980 Games in Moscow.

That looks in great danger of ending here as Great Britain, the Russians and Australia look set to knock the Americans off the podium for the first time.

The Brits are the team to beat here thanks to Duncan Scott and Tom Dean, but Australia is the only team to have all four of its swimmers – Alexander Graham, Kyle Chalmers, Elijah Winnington and Thomas Neill – rank in the top 13 for 200m freestyle times this year. We’re in with a shot.

Rohan Dennis, pictured here in action at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Rohan Dennis at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Cycling time trials, 12.30pm (women’s) and 3pm (men’s) AEST

Anyone having Tour de France withdrawals can settle in for an entire afternoon of time trials where Australia is in with a chance.

Grace Brown in the women’s event up first brings in the form of having finished third in the mountain time trial stage of the women’s Giro d’Italia earlier this month.

The big hope, though, is Rohan Dennis in the men’s event.

The two-time time trial world champion pulled out of the road race earlier this week so he could concentrate on this event, where he will go in as one of the favourites for a medal.

Italy’s Filippo Ganna is the man to beat.

Australia v Egpyt, Men’s Football, 9pm AEST

A huge night for Graham Arnold’s Olyroos, who have their destiny in their own hands.

A win over Egypt would guarantee a top-two finish in Group C and a quarter-finals berth, while a draw would also be enough if Spain beats Argentina in the other game being played at the same time.

Our shock 2-0 win over Argentina last Thursday has put us in a great spot, and Arnold will urge his side to continue its style of play against an Egyptian side that has not scored in its two games so far this tournament.

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