[attach id=525757 size="medium"]Mashu Baker – judo gold for Japan.[/attach]

Judo: Top-seeded Mashu Baker won the men’s under 90-kilogramme judo competition on Wednesday in a night of double golds for the sport’s birthplace of Japan. He defeated Georgia’s Varlam Liparteliani, who took silver. China’s Cheng Xunzhao and 2015 world champion Gwak Dong-han of South Korea each took bronze. On the women’s side, Japan’s Haruka Tachimoto also won a gold medal. Japan has now won three gold medals in judo and five overall.

Doping: Italy’s 2008 Olympic 50km race walk champion Alex Schwazer has lost his appeal against a provisional ban for a doping violation and was suspended for eight years, the CAS said. Schwazer, who returned from a previous doping ban to lead Italy to the 50km world race walking team title in Rome this year, tested positive in May for a steroid that he said he had not knowingly taken. The IAAF imposed a provisional ban on the 31-year-old but the walker took his case to CAS with his lawyer claiming the athlete’s sample had been tampered with.

Maltese in action: Three Maltese athletes will be in action at the Rio Games today with track and field sprinter Charlotte Wingfield kicking off the proceedings when she takes part in the 100 metres heats (16.55 Malta time) at the Olympic Stadium. Swimmer Nicola Muscat competes in the 50 metres freestyle heats (18.00) at the Aquatics Centre and weight-lifter Kyle Micallef makes his first appearance in the Games in the men’s 85kg category (17.00).

Tennis: Andy Murray survived a major scare against Italy’s Fabio Fognini to reach the quarter-finals in Rio yesterday. The 2012 champion had cruised through his opening two matches and another easy win looked on the cards when he led by a set and a break. But the momentum turned abruptly and Fognini, one of the most talented but unpredictable players on tour, seized his chance. The world number 40 won eight games in a row to lead 3-0 in the decider before Murray fought back from the brink to claim a 6-1 2-6 6-3 victory.