Japan's Yuki Hashioka came sixth in the men's long jump on Monday at the Tokyo Olympics as Miltiadis Tentoglou brought Greece its first gold in the event.
Hashioka leaped 8.10 meters in his sixth and final attempt, while Tentoglou went 8.41, also with his last try, to match Juan Miguel Echevarria's record, edging the Cuban on a superior second-best distance. Maykel Masso of Cuba was third in 8.21.
Hashioka's sixth-place finish was the best by a Japanese jumper since Junichi Usui came seventh at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
"I'm frustrated. My condition wasn't that bad but there were areas which weren't quite clicking and I feel I could have done a bit better," said the 22-year-old Hashioka. "I could go beyond 8 meters at the end so that was the one positive."
"(That it was the best Japanese finish in 37 years) shows you how long Japan has been behind the best in the event and it's a good start also for Japanese athletics looking ahead to the Paris Games. I'll base myself overseas next year in order to experience tough events and get stronger on the international stage."
In other events, Nozomi Tanaka rewrote her own Japan record in the women's 1,500 heats, clocking 4 minutes, 2.33 seconds to advance to the semifinals, but Ran Urabe missed out in 4:07.90. Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands topped her heat after overtaking everyone despite falling at the start of the final lap.
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won the women's 100 hurdles in 12.37, not quite matching her Olympic record 12.26 set Sunday in the semifinals, but the Puerto Rican doing enough for her first gold medal.
Kendra Harrison of the United States clocked 12.52 for the silver and Jamaican Megan Tapper took the bronze in 12.55.
There was a surprise in the women's 200 heats as 100 bronze medalist Shericka Jackson failed to advance to the semifinals.
The Jamaican tried to take it easy in her heat, but eased off too much before the finish and eventually crossed the line in fourth in 23.26.
Intermittent rain during the evening session caused delays in field events and ensured no world or Olympic records were to fall on the track.
Japan's Ririka Hironaka set a new national record in the women's 5,000-meter final, however, crossing in 14:52.84. Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands took gold in 14:36.79, sprinting away from Kenya's Hellen Obiri and Gudaf Tsegay in the home stretch.
Ryuji Miura of Japan finished seventh in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase final won by Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali in 8:08.90.
The Moroccan made his move on the final lap to take gold and put his country on the medal table, finishing 1.48 ahead of Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma. Kenya's Benjamin Kigen took bronze.
In the women's discus final, Olympic debutant Valarie Allman of the United States won gold with a throw of 68.98. Germany's Kristin Pudenz took silver with 66.86, while Cuba's Yaime Perez claimed bronze with 65.72.
In the men's 400 semifinals, Grenada's Kirani James qualified fastest for the final in 43.88, while Colombia's Anthony Jose Zambrano was the second-fastest qualifier, running 43.93.
Rio de Janeiro gold medalist and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa was unable to reach the final after running fifth in his semi.
In the women's 400 hurdles semifinals, American Sydney McLaughlin ran 53.03 to qualify fastest for the final, with countrywoman Dalilah Muhammad next fastest in 53.30.
