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Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden broke her own world record in the women’s 100-meter butterfly to take gold at the Rio Olympics on Sunday night.

Sjostrom led right from the start and touched in 55.48 seconds, breaking the mark of 55.64 she set at last year’s world championships. She sat on the edge of the deck, pumping her arms in the air, and then appeared to be overcome by tears as she climbed to her feet.

This was her first Olympic medal, after she finished fourth in the 100 fly at the London Games four years ago, missing out on the bronze by just 23-hundredths of a second.

It was the fourth swimming world record of the Rio Games.

Penny Oleksiak of Canada took the silver in 56.46, edging out defending Olympic champion Dana Vollmer. The American, who had her first child last year, settled for the bronze this time in 56.63.

DIVING

China opened its bid for a golden sweep in diving, easily winning the women’s 3-meter springboard synchronized title.

Shi Tingmao and Wu Minxia totaled 345.60 points Sunday in the first diving event of the Rio Games. They led throughout the five-round competition and won by a whopping 31.77 points.

FENCING

Italian Daniele Garozzo stunned top-ranked American Alexander Massialas on Sunday to win gold in men’s foil fencing.

Garozzo beat Massialas — who was seeking to become the first American man to win at the Olympics in the modern version of the sport — 15-11 to give Italy its second gold of the Rio Games.

Massialas rallied from six points down in the quarterfinals. But he gave up six straight points to Garozzo in the final as the Italian ran away with the match.

Still, Massialas is the first individual Olympic medalist the U.S. has produced in men’s fencing since Peter Westbrook won a bronze in 1984.

Russia’s Timur Safin took bronze.

WEIGHTLIFTING

Long Qingquan of China set a world record in winning the gold medal in the men’s weightlifting 53-kilogram category. Long’s total score of 307 kilograms set the record and was aided by his final lift in clean and jerk of 170 kilograms.

He was leading the competition after snatch and all the way through clean and jerk until Om Yun-Chol of North Korea lifted 169 kilograms on his final attempt to tie Long for the lead.

Om took silver with 303 kilograms and Sinphet Kruaithong of Thailand won bronze.

Shu-Ching Hsu of Taiwan won her first Olympic gold when Yajun Li of China failed to complete the clean and jerk in women’s weightlifting 53-kilogram category.

Yajun set an Olympic record in the first round snatch by lifting 101 kilos to take the lead into the clean and jerk.

JUDO

Kosovo’s Majlinda Kelmendi won her country’s first-ever Olympic medal — and it’s a gold. The bronze medals were won by Japan’s Misato Nakamura and Natalia Kuziutina of Russia.

Italy’s Fabio Basile took the gold medal in the men’s 66-kilogram division, upsetting the top-ranked Baul An of South Korea in the final.

The Italian had already been so relieved to make it through his closely fought semifinal against Slovenian Adrian Gomboc that he deliberately paused after leaving the mat to kiss his coach on the head.

ARCHERY

South Korea turned in a masterful performance on a blustery day to win the Olympic gold medal in women’s team archery for an eighth straight time.

Ki Bo-bae, Choi Mi-sun and Chang Hye-jin weren’t bothered by the swirling wind as they beat Russia 5-1 in the final Sunday at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Chinese Taipei beat Italy in the bronze-medal match.

SHOOTING

Australia’s Catherine Skinner captured women’s trap gold after hitting 12 of 15 shots in the finals against New Zealand’s Natalie Rooney.

With a time of 55.48, Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom broke her own world record to win gold in the women’s 100-meter butterfly Sunday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/web1_sjostrom.jpg.optimal.jpgWith a time of 55.48, Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom broke her own world record to win gold in the women’s 100-meter butterfly Sunday. David J. Phillip | AP photo

Associated Press