Rio Olympics 2016, Day 3 Highlights: Brazil's first gold, doping row, fencing in hijab and more

The third day of Olympic competition featured a couple of notable firsts: Rafaela Silva captured host Brazil’s initial gold medal of the Rio Games and fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad became the first American ever to compete in the Games wearing a hijab. But there was no let-up in the war between clean and drug-tainted swimmers in the Rio Olympics pool. Silva, who grew up in Rio’s notorious City of God slum, sparked pandemonium as she won Brazil’s first gold of the Games in the women’s under-57kg judo. [caption id=“attachment_2944192” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Rafaela Silva celebrates winning the gold medal with fans. AP[/caption] Silva upset world number one Sumiya Dorjsuren for what was a hugely welcome win for Brazil after apathy and protests in the run-up to South America’s first Olympics. “It’s great for kids who are watching judo now. Seeing someone like me who left the City of God, who started judo at five years of age as a joke,” said Silva, 24, who also won the 2013 world title on home soil. “To be world champion and Olympic champion is something inexplicable.” Overwhelmed with emotion, she performed the Brazilian version of the Green Bay Packers’ “Lambeau Leap” to celebrate with her compatriots. In the women’s sabre tournament, Muhammad, sporting a plain black Muslim head scarf under a red, white and blue mask, was a winner in her opening bout before bowing out. A New Jersey native who started fencing in part because the uniform allowed her to adhere to the tenets of her faith, Muhammad also competes in the team event later this week. [caption id=“attachment_2944210” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Ibtihaj Muhammad of the United States. Getty Images[/caption] Australia won the first gold medal for rugby sevens at the Olympics, beating archrival New Zealand 24-17 in the women’s final. American Lilly King won a trash-talking duel with Russian Yulia Efimova for the gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke, the US men’s basketball team surged after a slow start, beating Venezuela 113-69. [caption id=“attachment_2944222” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Lilly King poses during the medal ceremony. Getty[/caption] It contrasted with the toxic atmosphere on the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre pool deck as swimmers and fans again made their feelings known over doping. Efimova, who has twice failed drugs tests, was booed before the women’s 100m breaststroke final, and she came under fire again after finishing second. “We can still compete clean and do well in the Olympic Games — and that’s how it should be,” said King. Doping has cast a shadow over the Games after revelations of state-sponsored cheating threatened Russia’s presence and ultimately saw their team slashed by nearly a third. Olympic superstar Michael Phelps said drug cheats shouldn’t be allowed back into sport after doping rows clouded the opening days of the Rio Olympics. Phelps said “it breaks my heart” after controversy over athletes who have previously failed drugs tests broke out at the Rio swimming competition. China’s Sun Yang was also embroiled in a row after Australia’s Mack Horton called him a “drugs cheat”, but he kept his cool to win the men’s 200m freestyle. [caption id=“attachment_2944228” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Sun Yang celebrates winning gold in the Men’s 200m Freestyle Final. Getty Images[/caption] Horton’s comment about Sun, who served a doping ban in 2014, drew such a furious response from Chinese media that organisers sought to calm trash-talking between athletes. Chinese patience was also tested by the discovery that a flawed China flag is being used at the Games — prompting organisers to scramble for replacements. The four small, gold stars on the Chinese flag are pointing upwards rather than towards the bigger star, as they are supposed to, a mistake which was poorly received by patriotic Chinese. However, Chen Aisen and Lin Yue won the men’s 10m platform diving for China, who finished day three with five gold medals in total. Japan’s ‘King Kohei’ Uchimura led Japan to victory in the men’s team gymnastics, completing his collection of major titles in the sport. [caption id=“attachment_2944238” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Koji Yamauro, Yusuke Tanaka, Kohei Uchimura, Ryohei Kato and Kenzo Shirai of Japan pose after winning the gold medal. Getty[/caption] Russia took gold and silver in the women’s sabre fencing as Yana Egorian beat Sofiya Velikaya, who again suffered heartbreak after also losing the 2012 Olympic final. Thailand also enjoyed a one-two in the women’s 58kg weightlifting as Sukanya Srisurat beat Pimsiri Sirikaew by 8kg. In rugby, Australia’s women beat New Zealand to become the Olympics’ first rugby sevens champions, prompting a tearful departing haka by the beaten Kiwis. A typically relaxed Usain Bolt shimmied with semi-naked samba dancers as he said he was ready to take on the “Treble-Treble” — his third 100m, 200m and 4x100m sprint sweep — in his final Games. [caption id=“attachment_2944258” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Usain Bolt dances samba during a Jamaican Olympic Association and Puma press conference. AFP[/caption] “This is the last one for sure,” Bolt said at a press conference. “I’ve done enough. I’ve proven myself over and over again, this is the last one.” In Tennis, defending champion Serena Williams ended a three-match losing streak against France’s Alize Cornet to keep her hopes of a fifth Olympic gold medal alive. But it was a rollercoaster 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 victory for the 34-year-old world number one who 24 hours earlier had suffered her first ever Olympic Games women’s doubles loss with sister Venus. Juan Martin del Potro followed up his shock defeat of Novak Djokovic by downing Portugal’s Joao Sousa in front of a legion of passionate, vocal Argentine fans. [caption id=“attachment_2944262” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro reacts after winning his men’s second round singles match. AFP[/caption] Dressed in sky blue football shirts, the Argentine’s followers draped national flags and banners over the centre court barriers and responded defiantly when locals booed the mention of del Potro’s name. However, traditional bitterness between Brazil and Argentina boiled over when a group of fans engaged in a punch-up. But Del Potro eventually ran out of steam when he and Maximo Gonzalez lost their men’s doubles second round tie to Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez. Djokovic suffered a second Olympic defeat in the space of 24 hours when he and Nenad Zimonjic were knocked out of the men’s doubles. The Serb pair lost 6-4, 6-4 to Brazilian fourth seeds Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares. German second seed and Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber recovered from a 4-1 first set deficit to defeat Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard, 6-4, 6-2.