Team Spain’s Rio Olympics gold tally has already topped London 2012
Sprint canoeist Marcus Cooper Walz wins unexpected gold on Tuesday
An unexpected win for Marcus Cooper Walz in the 1,000-meters canoe sprint event on Tuesday has brought Spain’s medal tally at the Rio Olympics to six, including four gold, with six days left until the Games end.
Spain has already picked up one more gold than it did at the 2012 London Games.
British-born Walz’s win puts him alongside fellow canoeist Maialen Chorraut, swimmer Mireia Belmonte and tennis players Rafa Nadal and Marc López from Team Spain to take the top place on the Olympic podium.
Spain’s hopes of boosting its tally on Wednesday lie with Ona Carbonell and Gemma Mengual in the synchronized swimming duo
Belmonte took Spain’s first medal on August 7, the second day of the Games, coming third in the 400m individual medley event. On August 11, she took her first Olympic gold.
The next day, Maialen Chourraut won Spain’s second gold in the 1,000-meters kayaking event.
On August 13, Nadal and López beat Romania’s Horia Tecău and Florin Mergea in the men’s doubles to take Spain’s third gold.
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As well as her gold in the women’s 200-meter butterfly, Belmonte has taken two bronze medals in the 200-meter freestyle, while Lydia Valentín won bronze in the women’s 75-kilo weightlifting event
Spain’s hopes of boosting its tally on Wednesday lie with Ona Carbonell and Gemma Mengual in the synchronized swimming duo. The pair perform fifth at 7pm Spanish time.
Cuban-born Orlando Ortega is also tipped to take a medal in the 110-meter men’s hurdles, which will take place at 3.45am
English version by Nick Lyne.
