Three New Zealand athletes representing the LGBTQ team at the Olympics completed a successful debut in Paris on Saturday.
Robbie Manson, one of 20 male Olympians to come out at the Games, competed with double sculls partner Jordan Parry.
The Netherlands came in first, while New Zealand held off a challenge from a US pair to come in second. All three teams advance to Tuesday’s semifinals.
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In Vers-sur-Marne, east of Paris, reigning Olympic women’s single sculls champion Emma Twigg is also making progress.
The 37-year-old, who is competing in her fifth Olympic Games, won her way through qualifying and will compete again in the quarterfinals, also on Tuesday morning.
In the eventing, Clark Johnston is tied for ninth place after the dressage, leaving the New Zealand team in fourth place ahead of Sunday’s cross-country.
Johnston, 37, is competing at her second Olympic Games after competing as part of the New Zealand eventing team that placed fourth at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she placed sixth overall in the individual competition.
Meanwhile, in men’s gymnastics, Arthur Norrie shed tears of disappointment.
The 30-year-old Brazilian is a former world champion on the horizontal bar, having won gold in that event at last year’s Pan American Games in Santiago.
He was expected to reach the final in Paris and was watched by his girlfriend Joan at the Bercy Arena.
However, Norrie made a mistake early in his routine and suffered a shock defeat.
He cried in front of the media after the match but vowed to try again at the next Olympics.
“Even before I got here, I said I was already thinking about 2028 in Los Angeles,” Norie reportedly told Mando.
“I won’t give up. I know the next cycle will be even harder, that’s natural, but I’m going to give it my all again. I’m very proud to represent my country.”
Norrie will not be competing in the gymnastics team event as representative of Brazil, so her challenge for the Paris Olympics has already ended.
In other Team LGBTQ news on Saturday, Tabea Schendeker was part of the German women’s four-man sculls team that advanced to Final A on Wednesday.
Germany finished second in the qualifying round, while the United States, featuring Grace Joyce and Teal Cohen, finished last of the four teams and advanced to the repechage.
There was some good news for Team USA’s Evi Leibfurs, who placed fourth in the K1 kayak slalom heats, qualifying for Sunday’s semifinals.
