Katie Nageotte, Nevin Harrison Win Gold Medals for Team USA on Day 13 of Tokyo Olympics

(Photo : Naomi Baker/Getty Images) TOKYO, JAPAN - Nevin Harrison of Team USA reacts to winning the gold medal in the Women's Canoe Single 200-m Final A on day 13 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Sea Forest Waterway on August 05, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

Team USA moved ever closer to the leader, the People's Republic of China, in the race for the overall title after Day 13 of the Tokyo Olympics. Katie Nageotte, Nevin Harrison, Ryan Crouser, and David Taylor III provided the glory for the Americans, who boosted their total haul in the Tokyo Games to 29 golds, 35 silvers, and 27 bronze medals.

They now trail China by just five gold medals heading into Day 14 of the Tokyo Olympics. The Chinese have a total medal haul of 34 golds, 24 silvers, and 16 bronzes. Japan remained in third place, with the host nation bagging 22 golds, 10 silvers, and 14 bronze medals.

Nageotte and Crouser take gold for Team USA in athletics

Katie Nageotte overcame a shaky start in the women's pole vault to claim gold for Team USA. Nageotte cleared the gold-medal winning height of 4.90 meters to edge past Anzhelika Sidorova of the Russian Olympic Committee, who finished second.

It looked like Nageotte's medal dreams would crumble right off the bat after failing in her opening two attempts at 4.50 meters. She managed to clear that height, though, with her final attempt to kick-start her campaign. She also needed three tries to clear 4.90 meters, which proved enough as Sidorova missed her gold-medal-winning attempt at 4.95 meters.

Also winning gold on the field for Team USA was Ryan Crouser. The 31-year-old won his second consecutive Olympic gold in men's shot put in stunning fashion, breaking the Olympic record a whopping five times during the finals. His throw of 23.30 meters was more than enough to defeat American compatriot Joe Kovacs, who took home the silver with a throw of 22.65 meters.

Harrison and Taylor III clinch gold medals in canoeing and wrestling

Nevin Harrison made history for Team USA on Day 13 of the Tokyo Olympics after winning the gold medal in the inaugural women's canoe single 200-meter event. The 19-year-old Seattle native finished with a time of 45.932 seconds to defeat Canada's Laurence Vincent-Lapointe, who won the silver with a time of 46.786 seconds. Ukraine's Liudmyla Luzan claimed the bronze medal with a time of 47.034 seconds.

It has been a remarkable journey for Harrison, who was diagnosed with hip dysplasia when she was just 14 years old. She persevered and battled through her illness as she became a world champion in canoeing three years after that diagnosis. Two years later, Harrison can now call herself an Olympic champion as well.

Also taking gold for Team USA on Day 13 was David Taylor III. The 30-year-old cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats in the sport of wrestling, claiming the victory in the men's freestyle 86 kilogram final against top-seeded Iranian wrestler Hassan Yazdani. Taylor III pulled off a 4-3 victory in the gold medal match to extend his incredible winning streak to 52 international matches.