The W1x story of the week after Wednesday was that of a dejected Irishwoman, Sanita Puspure, too unwell to finish higher than fifth in her semifinal and as such unable to add the Olympic title to her 2019 world championship. She had a bad start, and had her focus disrupted by the unforgiving Russian late qualifier Hanna Prakatsen, who beat her in Lucerne, but it wasn't until Friday that she admitted she had been ill and would not be contesting the B-final. That left it to Prakatsen, unbeaten all season since her switch this year into the single, and Emma Twigg, returning to the sport she adores after a complex period involving coming out and marrying her fiancée, and making her peace with being famous in New Zealand. Barring an upset, the top two medals would go to these two, the only question being whether Twigg could ruin Prakatsen's inexorable rise. The scrap for the bronze would involve European runner-up Vicky Thornley (GBR), European bronze Jeannine Gmelin (SUI), China's great hope Jiang Yan and 2016 European champion Magdalena Lobnig.