Medal Count 2016 Olympics: Friday Results, Standings and Latest Reaction
Russia's medal fortunes took a positive turn on Friday after they clinched a fifth successive gold in the final of the synchronised swimming team event at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
The team was nearly flawless in their free routine performance and built on Thursday's terrific technical routine to ensure their dominion over synchronised swimming remained unsullied.
There was more good news for Russia, too, after they made a last-ditch comeback to beat Hungary in the bronze medal final of the women's water polo, bringing their overall medal tally up to 47.
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It's common knowledge Russia's athletes have been banned from taking part in all track and field events, but Friday's results stand as proof the country is capable of competing elsewhere.
Here's how the overall medal table looks after Friday's results so far:
Visit the official Rio 2016 website for a look at the medal table in full.
Russia's Synchronised Streak Lives On
One could hardly have told one Russian performer from the next on Friday as a pristine performance in the synchronised swimming free routine bagged their 13th gold medal of the Summer Games.
Russia have been the nation to beat in this particular event since Sydney 2000, and NBC Olympics confirmed their iron grip on the coordination showcase endured on Friday:
A fifth consecutive gold medal saw to it that Russia remained the only nation in the 21st century to win a synchronised swimming team gold, and even Lego Batman couldn't help but admire:
Every team selected a theme for their Friday free routine, and the motif of "Angels" turned out to be a fortunate selection for Russia, who scored 99.1333 to beat silver medallists China and Japan in third.
Their overall score of 196.1439 points—also taking into account Thursday's technical routine—was almost four points higher than any other country managed, illustrating their dominance over this particular field.
Hungary Water Polo Frustrations Continue
Hungary were condemned to a third consecutive fourth-place finish in women's water polo on Friday after Russia forced a penalty shootout with the last throw of normal play to draw 12-12.
Coach Attila Biro's Hungarian side trailed for much of the final before taking a two-goal cushion near the match's conclusion, except it proved too good to be true after a last-second equaliser from Anastasia Simanovich.
Hungary had thrown away their opportunity in regulation, and after trading blows, they eventually lost 7-6 in the shootout thanks to Hanna Kisteleki's blocked attempt.
Having finished just shy of the podium at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, Hungary face a daunting route to recovering from this blow as another Olympic dream went astray.
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