● Paralympic Games 2024: Paris ● The Paris 2024 organizers announced that 1.7 million tickets out of a total of 2.6 million available have been sold so far, with 700,000 sold since the beginning of the 2024 Olympic Games on 26 July.
French buyers have purchased 92% of the tickets so far, but sales have been made to individuals and groups from 144 countries. The top markets outside of France, so far, are Great Britain (27% of the foreign sales), Germany (14%), the U.S. (10%), Belgium (7%) and The Netherlands (5%).
The Paralympic Games open on 28 August.
● World University Games ●Mascot fans, check out “Wanda,” a Peregrine falcon introduced as the mascot of the 2025 World University Games in Rhone-Ruhr (GER). From the announcement:
“[T]he graceful bird now mainly inhabits the industrial landscape along the Rhine and in the Ruhr region. With a speed of over 320 km/h [~200 mph], the peregrine falcon is also the fastest animal in the world and thus symbolises the high performance achieved at the Games.”
The “Wanda” name was one of 50 suggested by the Rhine-Ruhr organizing committee staff – a play on its German name, “wanderfalke” – and was included in the final list of four, voted on via Instagram.
● Athletics ●Sweden’s Olympic men’s vault champ Mondo Duplantis returned to competition in the Olympic capital of Lausanne (SUI), winning the in-city vault with a meet record of 6.15 m (20-2).
Competing on the shores of Lake Leman, Duplantis won the event at 6.00 m (19-8 1/4), then added to his own meet record, but even though supported by an estimated 5,000 fans, decided not to try for another world record given less-than-perfect conditions.
Two-time World Champion Sam Kendricksof the U.S. was second at 5.92 m (19-5). The rest of the Athletissima meet comes on Thursday.
● Baseball ● Pools for the 2026 World Baseball Classic were announced, with play in Houston, Miami, San Juan in Puerto Rico and Tokyo, Japan:
● Pool A (San Juan): Canada, Cuba, Panama, Puerto Rico, and a yet-to-be qualified team.
● Pool B (Houston): Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, United States, qualifier.
● Pool C (Tokyo): Australia, Czech Republic, Japan, Korea, qualifier.
● Pool D (Miami): Dominican Republic, Israel, Netherlands, Venezuela, qualifier.
Pool play is slated for 5-11 March, followed by quarterfinals in Houston and Miami and semifinals and the 17 March finals in Miami.
● Cycling ●With a sloping finish into Seville at the end of the 177.0 km route, stage 5 of the 79th Vuelta a Espana was going to be a mass sprint – and it was – with 21-year-old Czech rider Pavel Bittner getting his first career Vuelta stage victory (and his first win on the UCI World Tour) with a bike throw at the line. Stage three winner Wout van Aert (BEL) was second and Australia’s Kaden Groves, the stage two victor, was third, as the first 150 riders recorded the same time of 4:25:28.
Three-time winner Primoz Roglic(SLO) continues as the race leader, by eight seconds over Joao Almeida (POR) and 32 seconds up on Enric Mas(ESP).
● Football ● In a move to reduce in-stadium violence between “fans,” the Cyprus Football Association has instituted a limit of 800 supporters for visiting teams for 10 of the 14 teams in the first-division league.
The Cyprus government wanted a complete ban on traveling fans, but has agreed on 800 for “high risk” games until laws on fan violence are revised. Marios Hartsiotis, the national justice minister, said in an interview:
“Soccer is a celebration and I say again, this celebration shouldn’t turn into a fighting ring, or a war, or a battle that puts lives at risk.”
● Swimming ●SwimSwam.comreported on unhappy letters from coaching associations written to the USA Swimming Board of Directors, concerned with the direction of the sport in the U.S. From the American Swimming Coaches Association letter:
“Our observations of the Paris Olympics show that parity is the new norm in international swimming competition. The rest of the world has continually raised their bar, investing in high performance and increasing their support of athletes. While competition is healthy and brings out the best in our own athletes and coaches, there is no doubt that the United States is being challenged more than ever. The opportunity to perform our very best at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles and enhance our presence at the top of the medal table begins immediately.
“The American Swimming Coaches Association is deeply concerned with current USA Swimming membership trends, our perceived weaker performance on the world stage, and significant coach feedback expressing dissatisfaction with our national governing body. We see the next four years being some of the most important in our sports history domestically.
“We are calling for a well-designed and transparent quad plan, from the grassroots to national team levels, that allows our sport to capitalize on the next four years, culminating with a home Olympics.”
The letter added, “We are asking for, and expecting, reflection and change,” including the appointment of an “experienced and accomplished coach” to head the national team program.
The USA Swimming Coaches Advisory Council letter to the Board noted six concerns, including “Membership and retention rates continue to decline, and an increasing number of swimmers are leaving USA Swimming for AAU” and a “General distrust toward USA Swimming leadership.”
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“There are quite a lot of opinions about the Games in France, some positive, some negative.
“My personal position is that the Olympics without the participation of the Russian Olympic team with the best athletes in the world in a number of disciplines cannot be called either complete or fair.”
That’s Russian Olympic Committee President Stanislav Pozdnyakov, speaking on Wednesday about the future of Russian athletes in the Games and the continuing suspension of the ROC by the International Olympic Committee.
There were only 15 Russian athletes at the Paris Games, competing as “neutrals,” the smallest Russian or Soviet presence in the Games since London 1908.
Added Pozdnyakov:
“Unfortunately, the political order has triumphed in the International Olympic Committee over honest sporting principles and the spirit of Olympism as a unique phenomenon uniting countries and peoples. Therefore, for us, this Paris page is empty, without text, and it has been turned over.”
Asked about the ROC’s stance now that the Paris Games are concluded, he expressed some hope for the future:
“At the moment, the task of the ROC is to maintain its position and not to worsen the situation.
“As you know, the ROC membership is temporarily suspended, and this situation gives both sides the opportunity not to make hasty moves and prepare for a full restoration of relations.
“Under the current circumstances, I am satisfied with the current level of relations, it is informal, but the experience that our organization has in overcoming crises with colleagues will allow us to return to the right trajectory in a short time.”
However, that does not mean that Russian will be back for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina:
“The 2026 Olympic Games? As you know, there will be a number of changes in the International Olympic Committee, so it is difficult to assess Milan’s prospects now.
“We are looking at the situation objectively and setting real tasks and goals that are related to the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal in 2026 and the 2028 Olympic Games.”
Further to the changes in the IOC and the forthcoming election of a new president, Pozdnyakov restated his long-time theme of collusion against Russia:
“Unfortunately, both [President Thomas] Bach himself and the IOC are hostages of the economic model that is being implemented in practice.
“The overwhelming majority of his sponsors are transatlantic corporations, usually with Western participation, which put pressure on the IOC. He was unable to overcome political pressure, no matter how hard he tried, so it is quite difficult to say whether Bach’s successor will be better or worse.”
One candidate that Russia would prefer not to see elected is Britain’s two-time Olympic 1,500 m champ Sebastian Coe, head of World Athletics, whose federation has slammed the door on Russian participation for years, first due to the Russian doping scandal and now over the invasion of Ukraine.
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There’s no shortage of interest in Australia for the Games of the XXXV Olympiad, with the newest proposal a privately-financed A$6 billion project called Northshore Vision 2050.
This plan, created by the Brisbane Design Alliance, a multi-firm consortium, places a massive new development on industrial land by the Brisbane River:
“Northshore Vision 2050 proposes a dramatic, world-class 60,000-seat stadium with an adjacent aquatic centre, wave pool, and retail and hospitality zone. Pedestrian promenades extending east and west maximise access to the river, opening up the precinct as a new tourism destination that provides a unique riverfront experience and is accessible by ferry.”
The project would provide the main stadium for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the swimming venue and 2,500 apartments in a complex which can be used as the Olympic Village in 2032.
The program would include entertainment venues, restaurants, shops and park spaces. But it would be developed well beyond 2032:
“Subsequent stages over the following 15 years would integrate an additional 12,000 residential apartments and townhouses; enterprise, innovation and cultural zones; and a specialist high performance sports science and sports medicine zone.”
It’s ambitious, with a projected cost of A$6 billion (about $4.05 billion U.S.) that landed with a thud. TheStadiumBusiness.com reported:
“The project has been met with resistance from the state government, which is planning on upgrading the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre (QSAC) Stadium to serve as the main venue during the Games.
“[Queensland] Premier Steven Miles has said it is ‘highly unlikely’ that the A$6bn Brisbane Design Alliance project can be privately funded, while Labor minister Di Farmer has also revealed that tenders have already been issued for the QSAC Stadium upgrade.”
Observed: As the IOC will elect a successor to Thomas Bach(GER) as President next March, the Brisbane experience will be a fascinating test of Bach’s “Olympic Agenda 2020,” which instituted a “build-less” venues policy for future Olympic organizers.
Los Angeles 2028 was committed to a “no-build Games” in its bid, thanks to the wealth of existing facilities in Southern California. But Brisbane has some building to do and Premier Miles not only ended the A$2.7 billion redevelopment project of the famed Brisbane Cricket Ground (the Gabba), but brushed aside the proposal of his own review commission to build a brand new stadium, costing even more at A$3.4 billion!
Australian swimmers have been demanding a new aquatics facility primarily to make them better, and the Queensland plan does envision a new, multi-purpose arena to be used for the Games and as the major entertainment facility into the future.
Bach brought fiscal sanity to the Olympic Games, but will retire next June. Brisbane 2032 will be a test of whether his spend-less approach will become permanent.
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“My dream is to have this election in Ancient Olympia, to remind everybody where the Games started, 2,800 years ago.
“Every eight or 12 years to organise the election of the IOC president in Ancient Olympia, this is something that is feasible. I think that overall it would give positive vibes to everybody in the Olympic Movement.”
That was Hellenic Olympic Committee President Spyros Capralos (GRE) in an interview with Agence France Presse in April of this year, referring to the forthcoming election of the new head of the International Olympic Committee president in 2025 and his hopes to have the 143rd IOC Session in Olympia.
So much for dreams.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday that “officials from the Hellenic Olympic Committee say the IOC session will be held at a coastal resort in the Messinia region, south of Ancient Olympia.”
The reason is the lack of large-enough facilities in Olympia to host the event, which is expected to draw more-than-usual media interest due to the IOC Presidential election. The Session is scheduled for 18-21 March in 2025, with a large field of candidates and an actual election, rather than the confirmation of Games sites now used.
Some activity at Olympia may be part of the Session program, but not the Session itself.
Nektarios Farmakis, the governor of the western Greece region, said in a statement the choice was a missed opportunity and
“For all of us, the land of the Olympics, Ancient Olympia is not just a museum of old values. It is a living place of deep spiritual significance, a beacon that draws visitors from all over the world.”
In fact, an IOC Session has never been held at Olympia. Six prior Sessions have been held in Athens: 1906, 1954, 1961, 1978, 2004 (attached to the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad) and in 2021, held mostly online due to Covid-19.
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“[O]ur results suggest that most U.S. elite athletes competing at the international or Olympic / Paralympic level are not doping.”
That’s the good news from an aggressive study made in early 2020 and reflecting pre-pandemic doping prevalence among elite American athletes, published in May of 2024 in the SportsMedicine–Open site
This was an online survey program, with USADA providing e-mail addresses for 2,616 athletes, of which 1,595 answered during April and May 2020, just as Covid-19 restrictions were becoming widespread in the U.S. After removing those whose responses were incomplete, there were 1,398 usable surveys or 53.4% of the targeted audience, and reportedly the largest-ever survey of U.S. athletes about doping. The surveys were anonymous and carried no penalties for any response; the incentive was a $20 Amazon gift card. The right people were reached:
“Most participants had competed at the Olympics or Paralympics (45.4%) or World Championships (35.9%). The remaining 18.7% had competed at an international competition (e.g., Pan-American Games) or national championship.”
The questions concerned the time frame from April and May 2019 and April and May 2020, and specific inquiries were made about different categories of substances – steroids, masking agents, hormones and so on – and about whether they were used during in-competition periods or during out-of-competition periods. The results:
Prohibited substances (at all times): ● 1.1% used anabolic agents ● 1.0% used an Asthma inhaler beyond allowed dosage ● 0.4% used peptide hormones ● 0.3% used beta-2 agonists ● 0.2% used hormone and metabolic modulators ● 0.1% used diuretics or masking agents
Prohibited substances in-competition: ● 4.2% used cannabinoids ● 0.8% used stimulants ● 0.6% used glucocorticoids ● 0.2% used narcotics
Prohibited methods: ● 0.6% used blood manipulation ● 0.1% used stem-cell or gene editing
These are fairly low numbers, but when collated across all responses, showed a maximum of 128 “users” or 9.2% or a minimum of 6.5%. The difference comes in the inconsistency of answers to the questions from some athletes.
Of the 128 who said they were doping, 108 said they were using only one substance (84.4%) with the remaining 20 using two or more.
The study noted that while the overall incidence of doping was low, it’s still higher than the 1% who are sanctioned for doping violations based on a positive test.
The analysis recognized that it is always possible to find under-reporting in surveys of this type, and extensive cross-questions were used to ensure accuracy (and still there were issues). The bottom line for the researchers:
“Our study contributes to those efforts by being the first study, to our knowledge, to assess doping prevalence among elite athletes, subject to the WADA code, in the United States using the complete list of categories from the WADA Prohibited List.
“Depending on how the consistency check items were treated, estimates of use without a [Therapeutic Use Exemption] among our sample of elite U.S. athletes in the past 12 months across all Prohibited List categories ranged from 6.5 to 9.2%.
“Further, the survey found that a smaller percentage of athletes, 2.9%, reported using non-specified substances or methods, the most egregious type of doping. In other words, our results suggest that most U.S. elite athletes competing at the international or Olympic / Paralympic level are not doping.”
The study is a confirmation that dopers are a distinct minority. But one is enough to win a medal.
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In view of a torrent of mis-information that has circulated about the World Anti-Doping Agency and its funding, the WADA Annual Report was posted during the Paris Olympic Games on 7 August.
Presented in an irritating online format which requires endless clicking to move through the report, it nonetheless presents a good overview of WADA’s efforts during 2023. The easier-to-scan financial information offers a very clear idea of who funds WADA, data which has been widely mis-represented in many places.
WADA’s largest individual funder – by far – is the International Olympic Committee at 46.6%. The breakdown:
Total Receipts in 2023: $48.590 million U.S. ● $22.768 million (46.9%): Governmental entities ● $22.625 million (46.6%): International Olympic Committee ● $3.197 million (6.5%): Montreal subsidy, miscellaneous
In terms of which governments contribute the most, by region:
● $10.057 million (45%): Europe ● $6.806 million (31%): Americas ● $4.585 million (21%): Asia ● $599,000 (3%); Oceania ● 66,000 (0.3%): Africa
The formula for government contributions was agreed in 2001 and confirmed at the World Conference on Doping in Sport in March 2003, signed by 193 national governments. The amount paid by the U.S. has been agreed within the “Americas” percentage that has shifted over time, but with the U.S. paying 50% of the Americas’ contribution and Canada paying 25% since 2004. So, for 2023, with the Americas paying $6.806 million, the U.S. share was $3.403 million, or 7.0% of the total WADA budget. Those are the actual numbers.
Any statement that the U.S. is the largest funder among the governmental entities is quite true, but it’s less than a sixth of what the IOC pays. And it’s worth noting that the IOC also funded the start-up of the International Testing Agency, a separate organization, in 2020 with $30 million for 2020-24 and has promised $10 million for 2025-28; the ITA gets most of its funds from the organizations for which it does testing and other services.
A significant growth in the WADA budget is anticipated for 2024 and 2025, to $54.5 million this year and $57.5 million in 2025, with new money coming from expected commercial partnerships, most likely from the medical technology field.
WADA ended 2023 with assets of $80.996 million and reserves of $49.094 million, so its finances are in good shape at present.
The report described a heavy compliance process, which starts with questionnaires sent to national anti-doping agencies as we as regional bodies and International Federations. These are reviewed and compliance issues with the World Anti-Doping Code are identified.
In 2023, a high total of 108 “compliance procedures” from 88 different organizations were created, but most – 82% – were resolved before any sanctioning review took place, a positive development. At the end of 2023, three National Olympic Committees were non-compliant – Gabon, North Korea and Russia – and the first two became compliant in 2024. Four NOCs have appealed their non-compliant status to the Court of Arbitration for Sport:
● Nigeria ● Russia ● South Africa ● Venezuela
As far as Russian state-sponsored doping scandal, the impact of the 2019 retrieval of data from the infamous Moscow Laboratory continues, with “the number of athletes who have now been sanctioned as part of this project has reached the 253 [cases] milestone, with an additional 32 charged and 94 cases that remain under investigation.”
The overall prognosis on compliance: “[I]n 2023, there is evidence that the maturity of the anti-doping system is increasing, although compliance by all Signatories is still not ‘business-as-usual.’ WADA continues to require compliance measures to verify and monitor Signatory compliance, and deadlines have proven effective in encouraging Signatories to take the necessary actions.”
On the scientific front, the report noted that the Athlete Biological Passport program, which allows for longer-term tracking of athlete readings, added two important tools in 2023. The first was the Endocrine Module, which offers a better reading on the use of prohibited Human Growth Hormones (hGH) than previous tests. Also, testing for steroids in blood samples has been improved and “provide a more immediate temporal snapshot of steroid levels prior to metabolism and excretion in urine.”
Interestingly, the blood steroidal markers “has helped identify normal blood steroid results in some cases of athletes with long-standing suspicious urine profiles, indicating that their urine data was most likely not due to doping.”
WADA is involved and funds in more than 100 projects and studies worldwide, both in the development of better anti-doping strategies and testing, and in education programs to convince athletes, coaches and others that it’s better not to be doping at all.
At the end of 2023, WADA staff totaled 187 people from 52 nations, working at the Montreal (CAN) headquarters and in field offices in Cape Town (RSA), Lausanne (SUI), Montevideo (URU), and Tokyo (JPN).
No new testing or doping violations statistics were included in the report; these are published elsewhere at different times of the year. The last full report of testing statistics was for 2020.
Despite all the chatter about WADA, its finances are healthy and its footprint, especially in scientific advancements, is expanding. It has a high standing in many countries, but at present, not in several for whom the 2021 Chinese swimming incident, with 23 stars given no sanctions for trimetazidine positives, has shaken confidence in the agency.
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● Paralympic Games 2024: Paris ● French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Tuesday that about 25,000 police officers will provide security for the Paris Paralympics and that no significant threats have been made against the event.
In-venue security will be handled by an additional 10,000 private security officials from the Paris 2024 organizing committee. The Paralympics is expected to welcome 4,400 athletes in all.
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The Paralympic Torch Relay will start on 24 August, from Stoke Mandeville, England, where a sports program for disabled veterans from World War II was held in parallel with the 1948 Olympic Games in London. That event eventually became today’s Paralympic Games.
The Paris Paralympic opening will be on 28 August, after the Paralympic Flame is run through the Channel Tunnel into France and then spread about 12 torchbearers, starting a program of 1,200 torchbearers running through 50 locals over four days, meeting again at the Paralympic opening in Paris on 28 August.
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Russian media were not allowed to be accredited for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, based on a decision of the French government. Same for the Paralympics, where two TASS journalists were refused accreditation for the event by the Paris 2024 organizers, referring to instructions from the French authorities.
Russia has 88 athletes accredited for the Paralympics, with the approvals of two others still in process.
● Cycling ●Spain’s Mikel Landa attacked in the final 400 m of the climb up to the Pico Villuercas in central Spain at the end of stage 4 of the 2024 Vuelta a Espana, but was caught by Belgium’s Lennert van Eetvelt.
Then, van Eetvelt was himself caught right at the line by three-time Vuelta winner Primoz Roglic (SLO), with the top seven all timing 4:26:49 for the 170.5 km first climbing stage. Portugal’s Joao Almeidafinished third and Spain’s Enric Mas fourth.
Roglic now takes over the race lead, with an eight-second lead on Almeida and 32 seconds on Mas. Defending champ Sepp Kuss of the U.S. is 13th, 1:14 back of the leader.
● Football ●Multiple reports have identified Argentine Mauricio Pochettino as the next coach of the U.S. men’s national team, with contract details still being worked out with English Premier League club Chelsea, which fired him with year to go on his contract.
The men’s team has four matches scheduled in the fall:
● 07 Sep.: vs. Canada in Kansas City ● 10 Sep.: vs. New Zealand in Cincinnati ● 12 Oct.: vs. Panama in Austin ● 15 Oct.: vs. Mexico at Guadalajara
The match in Guadalajara will be the first-ever visit for the U.S. men to the Estadio Akron, which will be one of the venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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FIFA announced that Bank of America has joined as the “Official Bank Sponsor” of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. It’s FIFA’s first-ever global bank sponsor.
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Under continuing pressure from domestic leagues, the FIFPRO players association and the World Leagues Association about the expansion of FIFA events, notably the 2025 Club World Cup to be played in the U.S., FIFA has said it will entertain discussions about the international match and tournament calendar.
Earlier this month, a FIFA spokesperson told the BBC:
“Fifa has reiterated an invitation to meet and discuss the calendar with World Leagues Association and Fifpro, having received no response to a letter on 10 May 2024.
“Fifa believes there is a more productive way forward for football than the threat of legal action and the offer to engage in dialogue remains on the table.”
● Shooting ●Six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode of the U.S. said in an interview that she plans to compete for a spot on the U.S. team at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
She won gold-silver-gold in Double Trap in 1996-2000-2004, then had to switch to Skeet as Double Trap was eliminated from the program. She didn’t miss a beat, winning silver-gold-bronze in Beijing, London and Rio in 2016, medaling in six straight Games She just missed making the American teams for Tokyo and Paris.
Now 45 and a Vice President of the International Shooting Sports Federation, she said:
“I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I love. I’ve had some pretty major bumps in the road. But I want to be defined by what I did on the field, and in the legacy of helping the sport and people, not on all the challenges I had, because there are people out there with much worse things than me that they are having to deal with.
“And I think it’s also important to say that’s really what the Olympics represent, which is overcoming obstacles.”
Asked what she has found so special about the Olympic Games:
“When you are at the Olympics you are surrounded by the best of the best in every sport in the world. And you kind of just take that for granted, you don’t even realize how incredible some of these people’s stories are.
“And then when you do take the time to talk to them you find how similar our stories are. The reality is that we all have struggles, we all had obstacles that we had to overcome. And we were all able to be successful and to be there. It’s incredible to be surrounded by so many people that are like-minded.”
● Tennis ● Men’s world no. 1 Jannik Sinner (ITA) was cleared of doping in a March incident, according to the International Tennis Integrity Agency:
“[A]n independent tribunal convened by Sport Resolutions has ruled that Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner bears No Fault or Negligence for two Anti-Doping Rule Violations under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP), having twice tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol in March 2024.”
Sinner was provisionally suspended, but demonstrated the source of the positive and was allowed to continue competing. In specific:
“The player explained that the substance had entered their system as a result of contamination from a support team member, who had been applying an over-the-counter spray (available in Italy) containing clostebol to their own skin to treat a small wound. That support team member applied the spray between 5 and 13 March, during which time they also provided daily massages and sports therapy to Sinner, resulting in unknowing transdermal contamination.
“Following consultation with scientific experts, who concluded that the player’s explanation was credible, the ITIA did not oppose the player’s appeals to lift the provisional suspensions.”
The matter was heard by an independent panel, which determined a “no fault” finding. Because of the positive, however, Sinner’s results at the ATP Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells, were nullified, and he loses both the prize money and ranking points won. The decision could be appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
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Olympic men’s 100 m gold medalist Noah Lyles doesn’t get much respect in some quarters.
Last week, on the Up & Adams podcast from the Miami Dolphins training camp, host Kay Adams spoke to Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill about him and the upcoming season, but also about Lyles, notably his widely-seen comment at the 2023 World Athletics Championships asking why NBA title teams should be called “World Champions” for winning a domestic league title.
Hill skipped over Lyles’ come-from-behind win in the 100 m and blasted him for his bronze in the 200 m, where he ran 19.70 despite having a 102-degree temperature and Covid:
“Noah Lyles can’t say nothing after what just happened to him. You know what I’m saying, he didn’t want to come out and pretend like he’s sick. I feel that’s like horseradish.
“So, this for real, right now? Oh, so for him to do that, and say that we’re not world champions of like our sport, c’mon brother, just speak on what you know about, you know what I’m saying, and that’s track.”
Adams pushed Hill about racing Lyles, and the Dolphins receiver continued the trash talk:
“I would beat Noah Lyles. I won’t beat him by a lot, but I would beat Noah Lyles.
“Guess what, when I beat him, I’m going to put on a Covid mask. And let him know I mean business. Because I do mean business.”
Adams came back to the issue later in the show and Hill opened up again:
“I don’t think I want to race brother no more, because if I race him and I beat him, then he’s gonna complain and say he had Covid or something. And I know all the track people going to get on there and say, ‘Oh, football speed is different from track speed, and you think Tyreek can beat [Lyles].’
“Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson are going to say, ‘yeah, Tyreek, you can’t beat him.’ You don’t know what I can do, bro.”
Lyles dismissed Hill on the Nightcap podcast posted last Saturday, telling host Shannon Sharpe:
“Tyreek is just chasing clout. Anytime someone fast comes up, he would try to race them. If he really wanted to race people, he would’ve showed up like DK Metcalf. And the man raced in the 60 meters this year [last year] in the Masters division. The man dodges smoke. I don’t got time for that.
“He’s challenging me. We’re racing in the 100, we can race. If he’s truly serious about it. If he’s truly serious about it, and I’m not talking about you’re just talking on the Internet and you ain’t actually coming to me and talking to my agent and saying let’s set something up, if you are serious about it, you’ll see me on the track.”
(Metcalf, another star receiver, competed in the 2021 Golden Games at Mt. San Antonio College and ran 10.37 for ninth in his heat.)
Hill responded on X on Sunday, posting“Sign the contract and lock in that 50 yard race ….”
Racing at 50 yards? OK, so Hill is not serious and this is all talk. No one, but no one, races at 50 yards any more, even Hill. Lyles was quite right, that Hill competed in the 2023 USATF Indoor Masters Championships, winning the men’s age 25-29 60 meters in a very creditable 6.70. That’s not far from his best of 6.64 back in 2014 when he was at Oklahoma State.
Lyles, by comparison, has run 6.43 indoors for 60 m at altitude and 6.44 twice, all in 2024. Hill’s 6.70 would have ranked 294th on the 2024 world indoor list.
50 yards? Why not require Lyles to wear shoulder pads?
But the trash talk between the two of them points to a crucial difference between the NFL and the other professional leagues and track, and an issue that Lyles has been pounding on for some years now.
There are similarities between football and track in that both are – for the most part – once a week sports. NFL games are on Sundays, with teams playing odd games on a Thursday or Monday once or twice each per season. Track meets are weekend affairs, often one day, but sometimes two or three for the huge relay meets or championship events.
But the NFL, and the other professional leagues, have worked diligently to create dependable viewing windows to attract and keep their audiences and have media partners which create auxiliary programming for promotional purposes. In fact, thanks to the cable explosion, there are specific U.S. channels that are owned by Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA and NHL.
In contrast, the Diamond League, currently the top-tier competition program in track, is all over the place. In 2024, the 15 meets (16 days) are scheduled:
● 3 on Thursday (Oslo, Lausanne, Zurich) ● 4 on Friday (Doha, Monaco, Rome, Brussels) ● 5 on Saturday (Xiamen, Shanghai, Eugene, London, Brussels) ● 4 on Sunday (Marrakech, Stockholm, Paris, Silesia)
And there’s no consistent broadcast or cable home for these events – they are mostly on NBC’s Peacock streaming service – and the arrangements for every one is different.
And during the Nightcap podcast with Sharpe and Chad Johnson, Lyles made the point again, noting an upsurge in interest from the Netflix “SPRINT” series and the Olympic Games:
“The hard part is that we as a sport are not ready for the popularity that is going to come.
“Everybody is going to say, ‘I want to be a track and field fan!’ ‘I want to follow Fred [Kerley]!’ ‘I want to follow Noah!’ ‘I want to follow Erriyon [Knighton]!’ Guess what? We don’t even have a place to tell them to go to watch the track meet.
“Because it’s in every other different country, a different place [each time]. And you got to get a VPN [Virtual Private Network to see it]. And you got to find your own Web site. You have to go on these back-alley places to just watch regular TV in a different language. We, ourselves, are not ready, infrastructurally-wise to say, ‘Hey world! Come on, we’ve got something amazing for you.’ And that’s the hard part.
“The rights for the Diamond League just got dropped by NBC and moved to Flotrack. Now we’re putting it behind a paywall and making it even harder for fans to become new fans. It hurts because I knew this was going to happen.”
And he noted that he has not signed on with the new Grand Slam Track concept:
“But the thing that’s stopping me at the heart of it is I have yet to hear a TV provider. Again, what good is it if we’re producing these great times, these great shows, these great rivalries and we have nobody seeing it. Now we’re in the same problem we’re with the Diamond Leagues and World Championships. I need to hear a TV provider and I need to know that it’s going to be able to be seen consistently.”
And Lyles is not alone. Twice Olympic women’s 400 m champ Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone – who has signed on with Grand Slam Track – said the same thing earlier this year:
“I feel like we don’t do a good job marketing ourselves, especially in the U.S. market. We need more TV deals, we need people to actually be able to see our sport and not have to pay all the time to watch subscriptions online.
“That’s just my opinion.”
Creating a coherent schedule of first-tier meets, with dependable timing and visible broadcasters is the absolute key to making track & field a bigger player in the U.S. sports scene. The athletes have never been better, but it is consistent, easy-to-find television exposure, accentuated by digital media, that is needed to break through.
And unless that comes, there will be no breakthrough. It took the NFL decades to get a national television contract, and track has been waiting longer than that.
Today, we are seeing the most private-money interest in track in more than 50 years. The NFL has shown the way, and the opportunity is there. Isn’t this the time to get the leading athletes together and figure out the way forward?
Rich Perelman Editor
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“I think the Oklahoma project is one that embodies the way that we are looking at the Games hosting from now on.”
That’s from International Olympic Committee Sports Director Kit McConnell(NZL), speaking during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games about the 2028 plan to place the Canoe Slalom events at the existing RiverSport OKC facility, acknowledged as the best in the United States.
There is no existing facility in the Southern California area which is used for slalom racing, and the LA28 organizing committee has promised not to build new venues for the 2028 Games, leaning instead on the wide variety of sports facilities already available.
So, for Canoe Slalom, a temporary facility was envisioned, originally in the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area in the northern part of Los Angeles, and was going to be expensive. That was in 2014, when the original L.A. bid for the 2024 Olympic Games was compiled.
But the Oklahoma City slalom facility came on line in 2016 and new possibilities emerged. In 2017, Los Angeles agreed to stage the 2028 Olympic Games, and in the interim, the Riversport OKC facility became the premier Canoe Slalom venue in the U.S.
Said McConnell:
“Using an existing venue with a strong community of canoeing and reaching out to different parts of the country using those existing venues is a really a great model to use.
“I know they are hosting the World Championships in 2026 in the build-up to LA28. It is a great pathway towards the Games so full support for that.
“You have got a really great base to work from for a number of years to build the excitement that we see here in Paris.”
The Riversport OKC facility has already hosted International Canoe Federation World Cup events, and the 2026 Worlds will be a full demonstration of what the site can be during 2028. In addition, the LA28 organizers placed softball in Oklahoma City as well, taking advantage of the city’s history as the site of the annual NCAA Women’s College World Series. The 13,000-seat Devon Park – formerly the Don E. Porter ASA Hall of Fame Stadium (until 2017) and USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium (2017-24) – includes four fields, so training facilities are already included.
McConnell noted the efficiency of using the Oklahoma City site for slalom and the Long Beach Marine Stadium – used for rowing at the 1932 Olympic Games – for the Canoe Sprint events:
“It will be a really good balance of using that existing slalom venue in a different part of the country and taking sprint downtown, right by the beach in what is truly a heritage venue from a previous Olympic Games many years ago.
“I think it is a really good balance for the sport to have the sprint right downtown in the heart of the host city and using the existing venue with an existing community to build on for slalom.”
The IOC, under its Olympic Agenda 2020, now pushes for as little construction as possible at Olympic Games, preferring existing or temporary sites, the primary factor which led to the $232.5 million surplus created by the last Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles, in 1984.
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Now this is pretty wild. Coming up on 1 September is the Fribourg Track Lab meet at St. Leonard University in Fribourg (SUI) is a meet which will use long-discussed, but never-implemented concepts in track & field:
● It’s a six-team event, with team scoring in a meet of only hour and 45 minutes, and eight events: men’s 200 m, men’s 400 m, women’s 800 m, women’s 100 m hurdles, men’s high jump, women’s vault, women’s long jump and men’s javelin.
● In the 200 m, 400 m and 100 m hurdles, the false-start limit of 0.1 seconds is revised to 0.0. If an athlete reacts faster than 0.1 – currently a false start – keep running.
● In the women’s vault, each athlete gets six jumps only, but the height is not the crossbar, but the actual highest vertical point cleared. The winner is the one with the highest actual height cleared.
● In the men’s long jump, the traditional take-off board – 20 cm or eight inches wide – is replaced with a 40 cm (15 3/4 inches) take-off “zone” designed to reduce or eliminate foul jumps.
Moreover, the distance achieved is not measured from the end of the take-off area, but the actual distance jumped from take-off. Each athlete gets four jumps.
● In the men’s javelin, after the first attempt, a throw is only measured if it is an improvement on an athlete’s best prior effort. Otherwise, it’s a foul.
These are ideas that have been argued over for years, but are now going to be tested in a live, competitive format. The concept is this:
“Fribourg Track Lab is an innovative and unique athletics meeting. It is not a standard athletics competition. It is a laboratory where the codes are shaken up but where the best athletes from around the world come together. The focus is not on performance but on three main areas.”
Those are teams, technology and innovations. There are some stars booked for the meet, including, but not limited to:
● Angelica Moser (SUI), European women’s vault gold medalist ● Alison dos Santos (BRA), 2022 World men’s 400 m hurdles champ ● Timothe Mumenthaler (SUI), European men’s 200 m champ ● Anderson Peters (GRN), two-time World javelin champ ● Nadine Visser (NED), two-time European Indoor 60 m hurdles champ
According to European Athletics, this is hardly a rogue experiment, but an outreach of new ideas, sanctioned by World Athletics:
“The initiative is led by LoRo-Sport Fribourg and TEAMMATE, a Swiss company active in innovative solutions in sports. It is being supported by the local authorities in Fribourg, Switzerland, and endorsed by World Athletics, European Athletics, and the Wanda Diamond League. The meeting will also be a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Meeting.”
It will be televised by the European Broadcasting Union and streamed on the European Athletics and World Athletics platforms.
Is this the future … or track gone mad?
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● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns European television rights for the 2024 Olympic Games for its Eurosport subsidiary, hailed strong audiences:
“Cumulative reach of more than 215 million in Europe viewing Olympics content on Warner Bros. Discovery’s platforms – 23% more than Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (+40 million).”
Especially significant was subscriber growth across all major markets in Europe, particularly France, Great Britain, Italy, Poland, and Sweden.
And the announcement noted that 82% of all homes in which televisions were on in the evening in Sweden on 5 August were watching Kanal 5, with the track & field session featuring Swedish world-record-setter Mondo Duplantis.
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The IOC Athletes’ Commission issued a statement on Saturday, praising the IOC’s initiative against online abuse, but noting:
“[W]e are deeply saddened that during the Olympic Games over 8,500 targeted abusive posts were verified and had to be escalated for further action.
“As athlete representatives, we condemn, in the strongest terms, all forms of attack and harassment, regardless of the opinions one might hold about particular decisions. We wholeheartedly extend our full sympathy and support to the athletes and individuals affected by this unacceptable behaviour. These athletes deserve far more respect for what they have achieved.”
● Paralympic Games 2024: Paris ● The Paris 2024 organizers have updated their ticket sales data, with 1.4 million of an available 2.6 million sold so far. About 400,000 tickets were sold during the Olympic Games.
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The International Paralympic Committee said there are 98 “neutral” athletes approved to compete in Paris: 90 Russians and eight from Belarus. The Russian Paralympic Committee told the Russian news agency TASS that there is “no final clarity” on four athletes.
● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ●The USOPC named a 225-member team for the 2024 Paralympic Games, to start in Paris on 28 August at the Place de la Concorde:
“The 2024 roster features an equal split of men and women (110 apiece not including the five guides) and an impressive group of 141 returning Paralympians, including three six-time Paralympians, four five-time Paralympians, eight four-time Paralympians, 21 three-time Paralympians, 42 two-time Paralympians, 63 one-time Paralympians and 78 athletes making their Paralympic debut.
“The resume of veterans includes 100 medalists who have earned a combined 122 gold medals from over 277 Paralympic podium appearances. Sixty-three athletes have won multiple Paralympic medals with 34 winning multiple Paralympic gold medals.”
Among the headliners:
● Jessica Long, a 29-time Paralympic medalist in swimming, with 16 golds.
● Tatyana McFadden, a six-time Paralympian in track and field with a record 20 Paralympic medals in that sport.
● Oksana Masters, a six-time Paralympian and the most decorated winter Paralympian ever, returns in road cycling, already with 18 total Paralympic medals across three sports.
The third six-time Paralympian is Tahl Leibovitz, in table tennis. Archer Jordan White is the youngest U.S. athlete at 15, with shooter Marco De La Rosa the oldest at 52. There are four athletes on the team under age 18.
The 2024 Paralympic Games is expected to include more than 4,400 athletes in 22 sports and 549 medal events. NBC will show 1,500-plus hours of coverage on its Peacock streaming service; more than 140 hours will be shown across NBC, USA Network, and CNBC.
● Boxing ●National federations in Chinese Taipei, Pakistan, Bhutan, Fiji and Ecuador have joined World Boxing, bringing the membership total to 42. The federation is trying to attract enough national federations to obtain recognition from the International Olympic Committee as the international federation for the sport.
An important milestone will be the 31 August Extraordinary Congress of the 42-member Asian Boxing Confederation, specially assembled to vote on whether to join World Boxing.
● Cycling ● Belgian star Wout van Aert, the Paris 2024 Olympic Time Trial gold medalist, won the expected mass sprint to the line in stage 3 of the 79th Vuelta a Espana.
Van Aert got to the line ahead of stage 2 winner Kaden Groves (AUS) and Jon Aberasturi (ESP) with the first 115 riders given the same time of 4:40:52. Van Aert now has a 13-second lead on American Brandon McNulty, winner of the opening stage.
Still in the opening stages in Portugal, the race moves into Spain on Tuesday and features the first climbing stage, with three ascents, including a significant uphill finish to the 1,544 m Pico Villuercas in central Spain.
● Fencing ● A controversial referee had his sanction extended from nine months to four years by the USA Fencing Board of Directors, in view of his actions at a January 2024 Division I women’s Sabre bout at the North American Cup in San Jose, California.
Jacobo Moraleswas suspended in April for “providing input to [referee Brandon] Romo during the Erickson/Nazlymov bout.” The sanction was appealed to the USA Fencing Board, which stated:
“Under the circumstances, and in light of aggravating factors not considered by the panel, the USA Fencing Board of Directors finds the nine-month suspension decreed by the panel to be substantially inadequate.”
The situation had caused considerable turmoil within the federation, with many calls for a longer ban. Morales is now banned from participating as a referee in any USA Fencing event, to 4 September 2028.
● Wrestling ●“This is a particularly difficult case. The facts are not in dispute: the Applicant was above the 50 kg limit for her wrestling category when she weighed-in for the finals at the Paris Olympics. Had she competed, she would have been awarded either the gold or the silver medal. Her success in the competition had led to her being in that position.”
That’s from the 24-page full opinion, now published, of the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissal of the appeal by Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who qualified all the way to the final of the women’s 50 m Freestyle final in Paris, only to be disqualified and get nothing.
She asked for a second silver medal to be awarded to her, but was denied, with the arbitrator writing that the United World Wrestling rules are clear in this circumstance:
“It is equally the case that these terms are emphatic as to the consequences, draconian as they are, and making it clear that not only is the wrestler removed from the competition but also ranked last and without a ranking.”
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Andre Young, better known as the rapper Dr. Dre, founder of Death Row Records, was featured with Snoop Dogg, performing in the LA28 Olympic handover ceremony video shown during the closing of the Paris 2024 Games on 12 August.
Born in Compton, California, he’s fired up about the 2028 Olympic Games coming back to Southern California; he was 19 when the 1984 Olympic Games was last held in Los Angeles, about eight years before he exploded as an international hip-hop star.
“I actually started playing around with archery in junior high, right. I stopped for a while and my son bought me a setup, I think, I don’t know if it was for my birthday or Father’s Day or something.
“Like that so I have it set up in my backyard and I heard that qualifying for the Olympics is 77 feet and I practice at 90. Yeah wouldn’t that be interesting to go especially with it being here in L.A. and win a gold medal. …
“I feel like I can do anything.”
What he is going to have to do is start practicing a lot more. He got the “70″ part right as far as distance goes, but Olympic archery is shot at 70 meters – not feet – or 229 feet, 8 inches, more than two-and-a-half times as far as he shoots now.
But he can get some good help. TMZ Sports spoke with U.S. star and Atlanta 1996 double gold medalist Justin Huish, who is ready to assist:
“Archery is kind of like golf; anyone can do it at any age. There’s not really an age limit. I’m going to be 50 years old next year myself and I’m still competing at a high level, and expect t give a good push here for the [2028] Games and at that point, I’ll be 53.
“So, anything can happen. We’ve had times where someone has made the team that wasn’t someone who wasn’t in the archery community in the years past.
“It really would matter would he be able to put the time and effort in fast-tracking that. There’s like a reality to shooting this sport. It’s 6-7 days a week, 6-7 hours a day endeavor to actually really get good. You could be a phenom and you don’t really know.”
Would Huish like to train him?
“100 percent. Dr. Dre, hit me up. I’ll be there. I live in SoCal. I’ll come to your house.
“I will train, I will dedicate my time to train with you. I will give you all my top sponsors, the best equipment money can buy to be an Olympic-style Recurve shooter. I can get you in contact with all of our top coaches, U.S. Olympic coaches. Anything you need. If you’re really serious about this, hit me up. We’ll make it happen.”
After his legendary Atlanta victories, Huish continued to compete, then retired for about 13 years, coming back in 2019 to try for Tokyo 2020. He just missed making the final 16, then competed for the Paris 2024 team and finished ninth overall. He plans to continue his quest to get back to the Games in 2028.
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There was, as predicted, a lot of tourism related to the 2024 Olympic Games to Paris and the Ile-de-France region. But if you were not interested in the Games, you skipped Paris.
That’s what the early data shows in a snapshot report from the Paris je t’Aime (“Paris, I Love You”) tourism department, which released a preliminary statistical review of the Games period of 26 July to 11 August last week:
● 11.2 million people who attended some Paris 2024 activity ● Up 4% from the same period in 2023 (10.8 million) ● A little short of the projected 11.3 million
Tourists accounted for just 3.1 million of that 11.2 million total, or 27.7%, and of those, 45% were French. So, of the 11.2 million visitors to the Paris metro region for the Games, 85% were from France. That’s worth noting for the future.
Foreign guests accounted for 1.7 million, or 15% of the total. That’s up from 1.5 million in 2023, or a 13% increase, hardly a tsunami. It also means that if you weren’t coming for the Games, you didn’t go to Paris. Where the foreign guests came from did change for the Games:
● 1. 230,000 from the United States, up 21% over 2023 ● 2. 130,000 from Germany, up 42% ● 3. 115,000 from Great Britain, up 21%
There were also significant increases from Brazil (107,000, up 109.4% from 2023), China (82,000, up 64.9%) and Japan (47,000, up 94%). But they didn’t stay that long. Data from U.S., German and British visitors showed an average stay of 2.9 nights. They came, they saw, they left.
There was also a huge number of “daytrippers,” people living in France, but outside the ile-de-France region, coming in to see the Games and then go home. They accounted for 27.7% of all visitors, equal to the total of all overnight stayers, from France and abroad.
The rest – 46.6% of the total – were not visitors, but Ile-de-France region residents who took part in the Games in some way, whether as ticket holders or going to a Games festival site. The Games were a major hit with Paris and the Parisians, who made the event come alive, especially as compared with the Covid-dampened Tokyo Games in 2021.
Takeaway: discounting residents who took part in some Games activity, the breakdown:
● 3.1 million French daytrippers (no overnight stay) ● 1.4 million French tourists (overnight stays) ● 1.7 million foreign tourists (overnight stays)
So the actual influx of overnight visitors into Paris for the Games was 3.1 million, vs. 2.6 million combined in 2023, or a 19.2% increase. That’s the Olympic bump. Not millions, but 500,000 across the 17 days of the Games.
The report stated that the displacement caused by the Games would be made up by tourism over the remainder of the summer (July to September), with the 2024 tourist totals expected to equal 2023 at 9.5 million.
“With the ‘Olympic Games effect,’ the whole of the Paris region benefitted from a positive trend in visitor numbers, in both Olympic and non-Olympic areas.
“Hotel occupancy rates are up in all the départements of the inner suburbs: +13,1 points in Seine-Saint-Denis, +8,3 points in Val-de-Marne, +13,1 points in Hauts-de-Seine.
“The hotel occupancy rate in inner Paris was 84% from 23 July to 6 August, up 10,1 points vs 2023.
“The biggest increase is for the high-end market, with an occupancy rate of 85,5%, up 16,5 points vs 2023.”
The key number of the 84% occupancy rate during the three days leading up to the Games and the first 12 days of the Games – up more than 10% over 2023 – then receding as sports finished and people left.
And the report noted specifically the huge increase – more than double – in stays in the Saint-Denis area. Why? Because of the events held there, especially rugby and track & field at the Stade de France and the closing ceremony. Accommodations close to the venues will do better than anywhere else at the Games for 2028, 2032 and forever.
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The Paris 2024 organizers also deserve credit for new programming concepts that drew a lot of interest during the Games:
● 213,000 spectators at the Parc des Champions, a new concept with daily celebrations of medal winners, music and giant screens, a parallel to the Medals Plaza seen at the Olympic Winter Games.
● 200,000-plus reservations to visit the unique Olympic Cauldron, the electronic “Olympic Flame” at the Tuileries Gardens.
And while there was no official count of the attendance at the Opening Ceremony along the Seine River, the City of Paris reported 358,500 people were counted in the opening ceremony “area” between 6 p.m. and midnight.
This was a magnet for foreign guests, with 62% of the crowd (221,600) from outside of France, led by Americans (23%), and visitors from Brazil, China and Mexico. French attendees were 136,900), with two-third from the Paris region.
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It has been three-and-a-half years since 23 star Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine at the national championships in January of 2021, but the issue is hotter now than ever.
Beyond the war-of-words between the World Anti-Doping Agency, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency over the CHINADA decision that no sanctions were required due to food contamination that installed the trimetazidine heart medication in the swimmers, the U.S. Congress got involved:
● 25 June 2024: A rare evening hearing was held by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s sub-committee on Oversight and Investigations, featuring Olympic star swimmers Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt, and USADA chief Travis Tygart.
● 25 July 2024:The House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a six-page letter to WADA President Witold Banka (POL), listing 13 questions and asking for the complete case file on the Chinese swimming incident. It included:
“As a U.S. taxpayer supported entity, WADA has a responsibility to the American people to ensure this integrity by enforcing international testing requirements. We believe WADA has fallen short of this important mission.”
The day before, on 24 July, Salt Lake City was awarded hosting rights to the 2034 Olympic Winter Games, but with the proviso that the organizers had to agree – which they did – to the inclusion of a new clause – 39.2.c. – in the Olympic Host Contract:
“39.2. The IOC shall be entitled to terminate the OHC and to withdraw the Games from the Host, the Host NOC and the OCOG if:
“c. the Host Country is ruled ineligible to host or co-host and/or to be awarded the right to host or co-host the Games pursuant to or under the World Anti-Doping Code or if, in any other way, the supreme authority of the World Anti-Doping Agency in the fight against doping is not fully respected or if the application of the World Anti-Doping Code is hindered or undermined.”
This has not impressed the U.S. Congress, which has continued to pour on the pressure.
On 30 July, during the Paris Games, two U.S. Reps and two U.S. Senators introduced the “Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act of 2024,” designed:
“to permanently provide the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) the authority to withhold up to the full amount of membership dues to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) if the organization fails to operate as a fair and independent actor to ensure athletes are competing in drug-free Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
On 15 August, three Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee – Jeff Duncan (R-South Carolina), Morgan Griffith (R-Virginia) and Debbie Lesko (R-Arizona) – fired off a new letter to Banka and WADA, which asks for:
● “[A] detailed account of the investigation into the 23 Chinese swimmers’ positive tests, including the rationale for keeping those results secret …”
● “Complete a thorough and independent investigation, where the scope and investigator are determined by neutral third parties.”
● “Review and reform WADA’s processes to ensure no country is above the rules …”
The new House letter does itself no favors when it includes clearly erroneous statements like “The U.S. government is WADA’s largest funding source.” The U.S. is the largest dues payer among the government entities that fund about half of WADA’s annual budget, but the International Olympic Committee itself pays fully half of WADA’s budget. Someone didn’t get their facts straight.
And that the pushing and shoving has resumed following the Paris Games is not a good sign for either side. The Salt Lake City organizers and Utah Governor Spencer Cox (a Republican) have promised to work through these issues with the Congress, especially concerning the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019, but nothing is likely to happen until after November’s elections.
And then it may depend on who wins.
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International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach of Germany told the 142nd IOC Session on Saturday, 10 August, that he would not accept any extension of his term and would conclude his term in June 2025.
On Monday, 12 August, the IOC published regulations for the forthcoming election, to take place during the 143rd IOC Session at Olympia, Greece from 18-21 March 2024. The key passage:
“The IOC Members must declare their intention to be a candidate in a letter to the IOC President by no later than 15 September 2024.
“The candidature campaign will start on the date decided by the IOC Executive Board, that is to say on 16 September 2024.
“On 16 September 2024, the IOC will publish a press release to officially announce the names of the candidates running for the IOC presidency. This list will include information on each candidate’s IOC membership status, as well as any other positions held in the Olympic Movement.
“This text will be shared with all the candidates shortly ahead of publication.”
It’s on and we’ll know the candidates in less than a month.
The IOC’s directives focused specifically on the do’s and don’ts of campaigns, including:
● “The promotion of a candidature shall be conducted with dignity and moderation, and shall be done exclusively by the candidate.”
● “The promotion of a candidature for the IOC presidency shall exclude any form of advertisement (including but not limited to a paid advert in any type of media, regardless of the person/entity financing the advert).”
● “Any type of promotion undertaken by the candidate shall respect the other candidates and shall in no way be prejudicial to any other candidate, in particular by avoiding comparisons.”
● “The use of a communications agency shall be limited to the production of the Candidature Document.”
So, the goal is to limit the use of high-powered public relations firms in the sports trade, and there are more restrictions:
● Limits on visits: “The candidates shall limit the number of their personal trips related to the election campaign, in order to avoid excessive expenditure, which could be a factor of inequality amongst them.
“The candidates are encouraged to contact their fellow IOC Members via virtual means.”
“The cost of any such trips shall be at the candidate’s personal expense. The CECO must be notified of any trip planned in relation to the promotion of a candidature 10 days beforehand, so that it can be formally registered in advance.”
● Ban on public rallies: “No public meeting or gathering of any kind may be organised in the framework of promoting a candidature.”
This would also eliminate, for example, a luncheon or dinner given for IOC members under the guise of saluting the Olympic Council of Asia during an OCA Executive Board meeting (or any other confederation).
● Ban on funding: “No assistance, whether financial, material or in kind, be it direct or indirect, shall be given to candidates by an IOC Member or by any other person or entity.
“If such assistance is proposed, the candidate concerned has a duty to refuse it and to inform the CECO [IOC Ethics Commission].”
● Ban on gifts: “Candidates shall not, under any circumstances and under any pretext, give presents, offer donations or grant advantages of any nature or value to any IOC Member or any other person or entity.
“The candidates shall not invite IOC Members to any event organised by their NOC or IF, any other person or entity, or the national embassies of their country. If such an invitation is received, the invited person has a duty to refuse it and to inform the CECO.”
● Ban on promises: “Candidates shall not make any promise or commit to any undertaking, whatever the timing of the action promised, for the direct or indirect benefit of an IOC Member, group of IOC Members, organisation, region or partner.
“Any such promise or undertaking would be perceived as an attempt to adversely affect the integrity of the institution.”
Further, no debates are allowed, but there will be a presentation to all IOC members, in Lausanne, between 20-24 January 2025.
So, it’s a pretty closed process. Who wins?
It’s too early for that, but there are some obvious candidates, starting with the individuals selected by Bach to head the more important IOC commissions:
● Coordination Comm./Beijing 2022: Juan A. Samaranch (ESP: elected 2001) ● Coordination Comm./Paris 2024: Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant (BEL: 2012) ● Coordination Comm./Milan Cortina 2026: Kristen Kloster (NOR: 2017) ● Coordination Comm./L.A. 2028: Nicole Hoevertsz (ARU: 2013) ● Coordination Comm./Brisbane 2032: Kirsty Coventry (ZIM: 2013) ● Esports Commission: David Lappartient (FRA: 2022) ● Future Host Comm./Summer: Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic (CRO: 2020) ● Future Host Comm./Winter: Karl Stoss (AUT: 2016)
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe (GBR) has publicly indicated his interest in the position, but will be swimming upstream, as only one IOC President has previously been an International Federation chief. But it was from athletics: Swede Sigfrid Edstrom, who was IOC head from 1942-52, selected in part because he was from a neutral country during World War II.
Not to be underestimated in a rising executive, Federation Equestre Internationale President Ingmar De Vos (BEL), elected to the IOC in 2017 and the incoming head of the important Association of Summer Olympic International Federations. He was the designated speaker to complain about the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019 at the pre-Paris Games portion of the IOC Session, a selection that did not go unnoticed.
There will be more who will consider the possibilities; we’ll know the field on 16 September.
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● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Praise for the French security services from Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who said last week, “These Olympic Games involve both great French medals and a great gold medal for the ministry of the interior and the security forces.”
There were some 75,000 security personnel in all, including 2,000 specialists from other countries.
Crisotech founder Louis Bernard (FRA), whose firm consults on crisis management, noted:
“Everything went very smoothly. It’s almost surprising that things went just as well as we imagined they would in the stadiums (where there was lots of security) as in the streets.
“The road cycling event, for instance, brought together 500,000 people in the streets of Paris, with zero violence. It seems that the spectators didn’t come to Paris to fight, which is sometimes the case during football matches. …
“It’s always difficult to say for certain whether an attack didn’t occur because the security services performed their job well. Many arrests were made before the opening ceremony. Groups and people who had vowed to disrupt the event were prevented from doing so, so yes, the hard work must have paid off.”
The Games were not without incident and multiple arrests were made prior to the Games based on planned threats, and there was a short shutdown of the French railway systems prior to the Games. But the highly-debated opening on the Seine River was smooth and the Games were mostly without incident.
Officials are asking for the same vigilance for the Paralympic Games, to open on 28 August.
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British athletes whose Paris 2024 medals have been tarnished, notably by moisture, or chipped, have an offer of free repair from the Birmingham-based Vaughtons firm, which makes the emblems for luxury automobiles such as Aston-Martin.
“[A]head of any official commissions, Vaughtons managing director Nick Hobbis, has already offered to help any British Olympic medal winner free-of-charge with any work on their medals.
“That offer applies to both the recently ended Olympic and forthcoming Paralympic Games.
“Mr Hobbis said: ‘We are so proud of our Olympic and Paralympic athletes. It would be an honour to help provide those athletes with a lifetime of care for their medals.’”
The Paris 2024 medals were manufactured by the Monnaie de Paris, the French Mint.
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One of the enduring memories of Paris 2024 will be American basketball icon Steph Curry’s four three-point shots in the final three minutes against France, sealing the win for the U.S. It caused disappointment, and for McDonald’s in France, a possible change in menu.
A tongue-in-cheek post after the game showed a package of “Classic Curry” sauce, which is offered in France, with the caption:
“For obvious reasons, we are considering removing this sauce. For 4 years minimum.”
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A lot of American collegians – from many countries – won medals at Paris 2024. The tally offered by the NCAA showed:
“At the 2024 Paris Olympics, 272 former, current and incoming NCAA student-athletes combined to earn 330 medals for 26 countries. The medalists competed in 21 Olympic sports and represented 90 schools and 22 conferences.
“Of the medals earned by athletes with NCAA ties, 127 were gold, 95 were silver and 108 were bronze. Women accounted for 58% of all NCAA medalists and 80, or 63%, of the 127 gold medals.
“The United States included the most NCAA medalists of any country, with 184 medalists [and 236 medals].”
The top medal-winning schools included Stanford (34 medals by 22 athletes); Cal (17 by 13), Texas (16 by 13), Virginia (15 by 8) and USC (13 by12).
The top medal-winning sports were swimming (79 medals won by 40 athletes), track & field (76 by 62), basketball (28 by 28), volleyball (27 by 27) and water polo (23 by 23).
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● In the first of dozens of such announcements coming over the next four years, the “Nederlands Olympisch Comité ∙ Nederlandse Sport Federatie” – known as NOC*NSF – has agreed to partner with the City of Mission Viejo as its primary pre-LA28 Games training site.
Mission Viejo, in Orange County, is about an hour south of the City of Los Angeles. The announcement noted:
“Primary sports training in which the Dutch will train in Mission Viejo and surrounding communities include athletics, swimming and possible team sports like handball and volleyball. The final selection of sports will be confirmed at a later date.
“Specific training dates are to be determined with the focus on TeamNL conducting training camps as early as 2026 and then again in 2028 weeks prior to the respective Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
The Mission Viejo effort was led by two-time Olympic champion Brian Goodell, a star swimmer at UCLA and winner of the 400 m and 1,500 m Frees in Montreal in 1976. He’s now a Mission Viejo City Council member and Chair of the City’s Sport and Economic Tourism Committee.
● Olympic Games 2040 ● Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, said Friday:
“I dedicate this decision to the 10, 12 and 15-year-olds of today. Poland will officially bid to host the Olympic Games.
“The realistic prospect, given the decisions, commitments and preliminary statements of the International Olympic Committee, is that we can talk about 2040 or 2044.”
The IOC has said it has more than 10 countries interested in discussions on future Games, from 2036 and beyond. Poland very successfully hosted the 48-nation, 29-sport 2023 European Games in Krakow and the Malopolska region.
● Athletics ●They promised it a year ago and now it’s on.
Sweden’s world-record-holding pole vault star Mondo Duplantis and Norway’s world-record-holding 400 m hurdler Karsten Warholmwill race over 100 m prior to the Weltklasse Zurich Diamond League meet, on 4 September at the Letzigrund Stadium.
The two argued over who was faster before the Zurich meet last year and now they will run it off. Duplantis hasn’t run the 100 since 2018 in high school, when he clocked 10.73 and 10.57w bests. Warholm’s last 100 was indoors (!) in 2017, timed in 10.49.
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If you noticed those unfamiliar-looking headbands being worn during the Paris 2024 Olympic marathons, by Kenya’s defending champ Eliud Kipchoge and Dutch women’s marathon winner Sifan Hassan and others, they’re a new style from Colorado-based Omius, Inc.
Twenty squares of graphite are used to help with cooling. According to Canada’s Running Magazine:
“The graphite pieces contact the skin directly and are held in place by a silicon grid. They function by absorbing sweat, and their irregular surfaces greatly increase the amount of surface area subject to sweat evaporation, which speeds cooling.”
Hassan wore the headband, as did Belgium’s men’s silver medalist, Bashir Abdi.
● Breaking ●Australia’s Rachael “Raygun” Gunn, 36, a PhD in Cultural Studies, lost her three Olympic battles in the B-Girl division by 18-0 scores, or 54-0 in total. As a result, she has been heavily criticized and a petition was set up on change.org that drew 45,000-plus signatures condemning Gunn for “manipulating” the qualification process and misappropriated funding, asking for an apology from her and the Australian chef de mission, Anna Meares.
Matt Carroll, the Australian Olympic Committee chief executive, blasted back:
“It is disgraceful that these falsehoods concocted by an anonymous person can be published in this way. It amounts to bullying and harassment and is defamatory. We are demanding that it be removed from the site immediately.
“The petition has stirred up public hatred without any factual basis. It’s appalling.
“No athlete who has represented their country at the Olympic Games should be treated in this way and we are supporting Dr Gunn and Anna Meares at this time. It’s important that the community understands the facts and that people do not form opinions based on malicious untruths and misinformation.”
The petition has been removed. Gunn wrote on Instagram:
“I really appreciate the positivity, and I’m glad I was able to some joy in your lives. That’s what I hoped. I didn’t realize that would open the door to so much hate, which is frankly, been pretty devastating.”
“I went out there and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics, and I gave my all.”
● Cycling ●The first sport to really get going again after Paris has been cycling, with the UCI World Tour and UCI Women’s World Tour both with important events that started the day after Paris 2024.
At the third Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma moved up from third in 2022 and 2023 to win in 2024, taking the lead on the hilly fifth stage.
The race began in Rotterdam (NED), with Dutch star Charlotte Koolwinning the first two stages, then countrywoman Demi Vollering won the third stage and maintained the lead through stage 4. Niewiadoma was runner-up to Blanka Vas (HUN) in stage 5 and took the lead by 19 seconds over American Kristen Faulkner, the Olympic Road Race champion.
Niewiadoma was sixth, fourth and fourth on the last three stages, staying close to Vollering, who won stage 8, with Niewiadoma 1:01 back. That was just good enough, as the Pole timed 24:36:07 for the race, just four seconds up on Vollering, the defending champion. Third went to another Dutch rider, Pauliena Rooijakkers, 10 seconds back. Faulkner was 38th.
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The 81st Tour de Pologne for men also started on the Monday following the Paris 2024 Games, with two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) winning a tight battle with Italian Diego Ulissi, by 13 seconds.
Vingegaard didn’t win a stage, but was in the lead after his second-place finish in the second-stage Individual Time Trial. He was ninth in the hilly stage 3 and fourth in stage 6, staying with the other race contenders. Wilco Kelderman (NED: +0:20) was third and American Magnus Sheffieldwas fifth, 37 seconds back.
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The final Grand Tour of the year, the 79th Vuelta a Espana has started, this time in Portugal, with a 12 km time trial won by American Brandon McNulty, who was fifth in the Paris 2024 time trial.
Sunday’s second stage, a hilly, 194 km ride to Ourem, was a mass sprint at the end, won by Kaden Groves (AUS) over Wout van Aert (BEL), the Paris 2024 time trial bronze winner, who took the race lead. He’s up three seconds on McNulty.
The race continues to 21 September in Madrid.
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Olympic men’s 100 m gold medalist and 100-200 m World Champion Noah Lyles told the Nightcap podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson that track and field, as a sport in the U.S., is not ready to be popular.
Appearing for almost an hour on Saturday’s show, Lyles laid it out with clarity:
“The hardest pill is going to be for us to swallow as a sport [is this].
“SPRINT just came out [on Netflix]. It is successful around the world. It is successful in the U.S. They’re about to come out with another season. It’s going to be great. The hard part is that we as a sport are not ready for the popularity that is going to come.
“Everybody is going to say, ‘I want to be a track and field fan!’ ‘I want to follow Fred [Kerley]!’ ‘I want to follow Noah!’ ‘I want to follow Erriyon [Knighton]!’ Guess what? We don’t even have a place to tell them to go to watch the track meet.
“Because it’s in every other different country, a different place [each time]. And you got to get a VPN [Virtual Private Network to see it]. And you got to find your own Web site. You have to go on these back-alley places to just watch regular TV in a different language. We, ourselves, are not ready, infrastructurally-wise to say, ‘Hey world! Come on, we’ve got something amazing for you.’ And that’s the hard part.
“The rights for the Diamond League just got dropped by NBC and moved to Flotrack. Now we’re putting it behind a paywall and making it even harder for fans to become new fans. It hurts because I knew this was going to happen.
“I knew that SPRINT was going to be successful because we have great athletes and great stories. The second part, we are not ready for it yet. We need to get ready and we need to do it fast because it’s coming to L.A.”
Sharpe asked whether Lyles has had discussions with Michael Johnson about his new Grand Slam Track project, to debut in 2025. Answer:
“I’ve been in talks between me, Michael and my agent. We’ve been in talks since the day I heard about it. Trying to get as much information. Trying to get as much of a feel for what’s going on. There’s a lot that I like that he’s doing. There’s a few things that I think could be a little better.
“But the thing that’s stopping me at the heart of it is I have yet to hear a TV provider. Again, what good is it if we’re producing these great times, these great shows, these great rivalries and we have nobody seeing it. Now we’re in the same problem we’re with the Diamond Leagues and World Championships. I need to hear a TV provider and I need to know that it’s going to be able to be seen consistently.”
There’s lots more from Lyles about Paris, about the 100 m, Covid, the relays and so on. Sharpe and Johnson also have members of the men’s winning 4×400 m team as well, before they get back to football.
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Asian nations paid handsomely for their Olympic gold-medal winners according to media reports following the Paris 2024 Games, especially for Philippine gymnast Carlos Yulo.
Yulo, 24, stands 4-11 and won the Paris men’s Floor Exercise and Vault, his first Olympic medals; he previously won those events in prior FIG World Championships in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
But he didn’t get the same attention then as he is now.
On his return, he was saluted and the Philippine star reported that he is receiving:
● 20 million PHP (Philippine pesos) prize money under law ● 20 million PHP from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ● 14 million PHP from the Philippine House of Representatives ● 16 million PHP from various individual donots ● An undisclosed sum from iconic boxer Manny Pacquiao ● 2 homes and a condominium from developers ● 150,000 flight miles per year for life from Philippine Airlines ● 28 free flights for a year from Cebu Pacific Airlines ● Lifetime free pizza from Pizza Hut ● Lifetime free ice cream from Dairy Queen ● Lifetime free buffets from Vikings Philippines
And there are many more items. It’s over $2 million in all; no word on any tax breaks, however.
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Pakistan was just as thrilled with the men’s javelin win by Arshad Nadeem, who was showered with rewards totaling about $897,000 in U.S. dollars for the country’s first-ever individual Olympic gold medal.
He reportedly received $538,000 from the Pakistani government and $359,000 from Punjab Province. He is also to receive a gold crown, have a sports stadium named for him, a sports academy named for him and is to receive the nation’s highest civil award.
He also received a car with a special license plate – “PAK 92.97″ – commemorating his Olympic-record throw of 92.97 m (305-0).
● Hong Kong paid HK $6 million (about $969,755 U.S.) to its gold-medal winners Ka-Leon Cheung and Vivian Mai Wan Kong, both in fencing.
● Taiwan paid NT $20 million (about $621,282 U.S.) each to its three gold medalists: boxer Yu-ting Lin and badminton Doubles winners Yang Lee and Chi-lin Wang.
● Thailand’s taekwondo gold medalist Panipak Wongpattanakit can choose from a lump sum of $281,972 (U.S.), or $338,367 over four years for her win, from the Thai National Olympic Committee.
● Iran paid its three gold winners 18 billion tomans or about $428,767, to wrestlers Saeid Esmaeiliand Mohammad Hadi Saravi, and taekwondo winner Arian Salimi.
France’s swimming star Leon Marchand will get €320,000 for his four golds, or about $353,000 U.S.
As far as the U.S. goes, SwimSwam.com compiled the top earners in swimming, who are also the top earners for the entire U.S. team, from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s Operation Gold fund and an enhanced payout from USA Swimming. Three scored more than $200,000:
● $261,875 for Torri Huske (3 gold, 3 silver) ● $250,714 for Katie Ledecky (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) ● $225,625 for Regan Smith (2 gold, three silver)
On the track, 400 m hurdles stars Rai Benjamin and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone each won their event and ran on the winning 4×400 m relay for $75,000 in USOPC Operation Gold money plus $50,000 from World Athletics for their individual wins and another $12,500 for the relay, for $137,500 total. That does not, of course, account for sponsorship bonuses.
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It has been a tough year for 20-year-old sprint star Erriyon Knighton of the U.S., a two-time World Championships medal winner in 2022 and 2023.
He’s run in a grand total of three meets so far this year: in two relays in Gainesville at the end of March, third at the Olympic Trials in June and a fourth at the Olympic 200 m in Paris on 8 August.
In the middle of all of this was a doping positive from a 26 March 2024 sample, in which Knighton tested positive for epitrenbolone, a metabolite of the anabolic steroid trenbolone and was provisionally suspended as of 12 April 2024.
At a hearing on 14 and 16 June, the United States Anti-Doping Agency asked for a four-year suspension; Knighton’s team asked for a “no-fault” funding due to the epitrenbolone being ingested from meat – oxtail – eaten by Knighton on 22-23 March at a Brandon, Florida restaurant.
The oxtail meat used by the restaurant was traced to Nicaragua and tested in the U.S., which found trenbolone to be present. The arbitrator wrote:
“Respondent has provided sufficient evidence to establish there was no intentional doping. The amount in Respondent’s sample was low.”
Moreover, the arbitrator noted the evidence assembled by Knighton to show “no fault”:
“Respondent did not just ‘plead and speculate.’ Instead, he set out ‘in a systematic way’ to establish that he was ‘a victim.’
“He established by uncontroverted evidence that meat imported into the United States is barely tested for trenbolone; the restaurant where the meal was purchased sources oxtail meat containing trenbolone; he tested negative three (3) weeks prior and after the March 26 test; he has no doping history; there is no evidence that the Prohibited Substance is micro-dosed; he takes no supplements other than a protein powder; his hair sample was negative; there was no deception detected in his polygraph test; and the explanation of what occurred with the meal purchase and his consumption of it was plausible.”
And so the arbitrator issued a 39-page decision on 18 June of a “no fault” finding, allowing Knighton to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency was not happy with the finding, but accepted it. But the case has become a cause celebre as it was cited by the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency as a “whitewash” of a star U.S. athlete in a doping case.
That, in turn, raised the interest of the World Anti-Doping Agency in the case, which has also responded to the ferocious attacks on it by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency by pointing to this and other cases of contaminated meat where “no fault” findings have been made (this is hardly the case every time, just ask now-suspended U.S. women’s middle-distance star Shelby Houlihan).
But WADA does not control anti-doping inquiries in track & field. The separate, Monaco-based Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) does and last week, it announced a follow-up appeal:
“The AIU has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the case relating to Erriyon Knighton (USA).
“This appeal is against the decision of an arbitration tribunal in the United States that the Athlete established No Fault or Negligence after USADA brought charges against the Athlete for the Presence of epitrenbolone and Use of trenbolone.”
So now the case will be heard again at the Court of Arbitration for sport, but as a decision has been issued, it will be up to the AIU to prove that Knighton’s positive did not come from the ingestion of contaminated meat.
But until the hearing is held, Knighton is not suspended and can continue to compete.
¶
In the meantime, the Knighton case is being used for political purposes in the continuing war of words between the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, the World Anti-Doping Agency, the International Olympic Committee and the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency over the Chinese doping incident from January 2021.
In that now-infamous situation, 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine, a prohibited substance under the World Anti-Doping Code. CHINADA did not impose any sanctions, investigated, and issued a finding of contamination in the kitchen in which these athletes were served meals.
USADA chief Travis Tygart has railed against the handling of the case by CHINADA and WADA, up to and including a U.S. House of Representatives sub-committee hearing. WADA and the IOC have struck back, insisting that WADA’s supreme authority in worldwide doping matters be respected.
Tygart has pointed out, in response, that he wants WADA to follow its own rules.
On 6 August, CHINADA issued its own statement during the Paris Olympic Games, in fact, while the 200 m in which Knighton was competing, was going on. In it:
“[W]hen it comes to the contamination cases of the Chinese swimmers, USADA has shown a typical double standard by trying its best to clear American athletes on one hand, but on the other hand accusing CHINADA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) of “covering up the truth” and demanding sanctions against Chinese athletes while ignoring the repeated clarifications by WADA and the report by the Independent Prosecutor.”
And the CHINADA statement runs on, repeating the same lines that it and WADA have used to slap back at the USADA:
“The Knighton case just shows that USADA’s rhetoric about fairness and clean sport runs counter to its actual practices. … [W]e urge USADA to cease fabricating false narratives, politicizing anti doping and manipulating public perception, to stop disrupting and undermining the well-functioning world anti-doping order and global governance system, and to put an end to the abuse of ‘long-arm jurisdiction’ and threatening and pressuring with so-called ‘legal means.’”
“What is clear by today’s release is that CHINADA will resort to misdirection and propaganda to attempt to deflect from the fact that it swept 23 positive tests for TMZ under the carpet, as well as two positive tests for metandienone or dianabol, both powerful performance-enhancing drugs.”
And Tygart pointed to the key difference between the cases:
“USADA both gave [Knight] a provisional suspension and argued that the appropriate sanction under the rules is four years.”
Observed: This is a tough time for the 20-year-old Knighton. Nevertheless, he is listed as a starter for Thursday’s Diamond League men’s 200 m in Lausanne, facing Olympic champ Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.
CHINADA’s statement has plenty of holes, but shows the desperation in many circles to try and get the U.S. to cancel the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019, which gives the U.S. Justice Department the authority to track doping activity anywhere, worldwide.
Knighton? He’s just a kid, trying to run fast.
This is only going to get rougher, for all concerned.
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The wild ride of American gymnast Jordan Chiles continues with the continuing cascade of conflicting information which has seen the Court of Arbitration for Sport decide that she was not the winner of the Paris 2024 Artistic Gymnastics women’s Floor Exercise bronze medal back on 5 August.
There is hope for Chiles, however. First, a recap of what happened:
● 5 August: Chiles, 23, competed in the Olympic women’s Floor Exercise final in Paris, initially scoring 13.666 to place fifth. However, American coaches filed a inquiry with the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), and Chiles’ difficulty score for her routine was increased from 5.800 to 5.900, increasing her score to 13.766, and she was awarded the bronze medal.
● 6 August: Romanian gymnasts Ana Barbosu(18) – fourth at 13.700 – and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea (17) – fifth at 13.700 – filed separate appeals with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, asking for the change in Chiles’ score to be rescinded and each made a case for the bronze medal.
● 8 August:A further filing by both Romanian gymnasts asked for all three to be awarded the bronze medal.
● 10 August: A hearing before three arbitrators was held and a decision announced later the same day, with Chiles’ score reverting to 13.766 for fifth place and Barbosu as the bronze medalist. All other submittals were dismissed. The FIG published the decision in a short post, without comment.
● 10 August: On the same day, USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee issued an unhappy statement:
“We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise. The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring.
“Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media. No athlete should be subject to such treatment. We condemn the attacks and those who engage, support or instigate them. We commend Jordan for conducting herself with integrity both on and off the competition floor, and we continue to stand by and support her.”
“USA Gymnastics on Sunday formally submitted a letter and video evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, conclusively establishing that Head Coach Cecile Landi’s request to file an inquiry was submitted 47 seconds after the publishing of the score, within the 1-minute deadline required by FIG rule. …
“The time-stamped, video evidence submitted by USA Gymnastics Sunday evening shows Landi first stated her request to file an inquiry at the inquiry table 47 seconds after the score is posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds after the score was originally posted.
“The video footage provided was not available to USA Gymnastics prior to the tribunal’s decision and thus USAG did not have the opportunity to previously submit it.”
“The IOC will reallocate the bronze medal to Ana Barbosu (Romania). We are in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.”
● 12 August:The Court of Arbitration for Sport slammed the door on the USA Gymnastics’ request; according to a USAG posting:
“USA Gymnastics was notified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday that their rules do not allow for an arbitral award to be reconsidered even when conclusive new evidence is presented. We are deeply disappointed by the notification and will continue to pursue every possible avenue and appeal process, including to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, to ensure the just scoring, placement, and medal award for Jordan.”
● 14 August:The Court of Arbitration for Sport published the full opinion of its 10 August decision, which included some remarkable information, including that the USOPC and USA Gymnastics did not know about the filings until 9 August at 10:23 a.m. and had only until 8 p.m. that same day to file any submissions, and to be ready for a hearing at 8 a.m. the next morning. A submission on Chiles’ behalf was filed at 7:57 p.m.
The decision noted that as regards the timing of the filing of the inquiry concerning Chiles’ score, Donatella Sacchi(ITA), President of the FIG Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Technical Committee, was closely questioned, and the opinion stated:
“It appears on the basis of the evidence that no one on behalf of FIG was in place to monitor the compliance with its mandatory one-minute rule. The verbal inquiry made on behalf of Ms. Chiles was reviewed by Ms. Sacchi on the assumption that it had been submitted on a timely basis, without the same having been checked and without any possibility of a violation being flagged.
“There was here a manifest default in the arrangements: there was no monitoring system in place to allow the referee to know whether or not the request for an inquiry was filed in a timely manner. In the circumstances, the Panel wishes to make clear that it considers it to have been entirely reasonable for Ms. Sacchi to proceed as she did, on the assumption that a monitoring arrangement was in place and that, in the absence of notification as to a late request, she should proceed to conduct the inquiry.
“The failure was the responsibility of the FIG, not of Ms. Sacchi or of Ms. Canqueteau-Landi.”
However, the opinion also stated that USA Gymnastics did not challenge the 1:04 inquiry period for the inquiry during the hearing. And the CAS panel simply took at face value the 1:04 timing of the inquiry, with no other evidence before it, and reversed Chiles’ score.
● 17 August:Barbosu received a bronze medal from the IOC in the Romanian capital of Bucharest.
So, now what?
USA Gymnastics and the USOPC don’t have many options. The IOC has made its decision and given a bronze to Barbosu, but long-time observers remember the firestorm from the judging fiasco at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and the award of dual golds to Russian Pairs skaters Elena Berezhnayaand Anton Sikharulidze and Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, after the Canadians had initially been placed second.
The IOC Executive Board could so the same thing in this case, but the date of future meetings has not been announced as yet.
USA Gymnastics and the USOPC can also apply to the Swiss Federal Tribunal for a re-hearing by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but with a different panel. The grounds for this are very limited, under Swiss Private International Law Act §190; there are five.
There appear to be no grounds for the arbitration panel being improperly arranged, despite allegations of one arbitrator having done business with the Romanian government before; no jurisdictional questions, or that claims were not decided. However:
§ 190 “d. where the principle of equal treatment of the parties or their right to be heard in an adversary procedure were violated;
§ 190 “e. where the award is incompatible with public policy.”
Certainly, USA Gymnastics can make a cogent argument that its treatment was compromised by not being informed of the filings, or the hearing in a timely way, especially since it was able to come up with evidence on the timing on its inquiry a day after the hearing after not being notified of the Romanian filings for three days.
The public policy argument is more nebulous, but the inadmission for timing reasons of evidence which USA Gymnastics said the CAS panel agreed was “conclusive” seems to defeat the reason for having the Court of Arbitration in the first place.
The IOC can end all of this with a look back to what happened in Salt Lake City in 2002. That’s not likely to happen quickly, but it may happen in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal seems sure. Chiles will return to UCLA when classes resume on 26 September; she has already learned a lot this summer.
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The good news is that the Olympics ratings crater that was Tokyo 2020 (2021) is in the past, as NBC announced a daily average of 30.7 million viewers for its afternoon and primetime shows across NBC and its many platforms on television and digital.
On its face, this figure would be the most ever for an NBC-televised Olympic Games, even better than the London 2012 Games, which reached 30.3 million nightly for its primetime show only.
But those numbers are totally different.
In 2012, the only measurement was for the nightly primetime show on NBC itself. In 2024, the explosion of channels created a different measurement that NBC calls “Total Audience Delivery” or “TAD”:
“Total Audience Delivery is based upon live-plus-same day fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics. Live viewership from 2-5 p.m. ET (Paris Prime) is inclusive of NBC, Peacock, USA Network, E!, Paris Extra 1, Paris Extra 2, and additional NBCU digital platforms. Primetime viewership includes NBC, Peacock, USA Network, Paris Extra 1 and Paris Extra 2.”
Also, no out-of-home audiences were in the figures for Rio 2016; Nielsen added those in 2020. So how to compare prior Games with Paris 2024?
NBC has provided some of the answers.
● No matter how you measure, Paris 2024 was a huge improvement over the 16.9 million Total Audience Delivery average for Tokyo 2020, during Covid and in a bad time zone for American viewers.
● In the case of streaming, the NBC audience report explained:
“Over the full Games, Paris Prime (daytime) and U.S. primetime coverage posted a streaming TAD of 4.1 million viewers daily across Peacock and NBCU Digital platforms.”
● A prior report which covered the first 12 days (out of 17) of the Games showed that the NBC and USA Network primetime shows – only, aired at the same time – averaged 15.9 million viewers nightly. Let’s use that as the full-Games average.
That would indicate that the primetime-only audience was, charitably, somewhere in the 18 million range daily during the Games. That would be considerably less than the Rio 2016 primetime audience of 25.4 million.
Further, if we disassemble the Total Audience Delivery of 30.7 million daily:
● 15.9 million estimate for the primetime shows on NBC and USA; ● 4.1 million for the digital streaming, for 20.0 million combined, leaves ● 10.7 million estimate for the afternoon viewing window on all channels.
If we compare the primetime viewing figures for Rio – 25.4 million across the 2016 Games – Paris did not do as well. But:
(1) Rio was in the Atlantic time zone, one hour ahead of Eastern, meaning many finals were live in primetime. That was not the case in Paris.
(2) Americans do not watch television the same way in 2024 as in 2016. Many just watch highlights, many just watched the primetime shows. But many also tuned in during the day, on whatever platform was available to them, and that has to be taken into account.
NBC has not yet published a “total reach” figure for Paris 2024, which will be quite interesting. Prior Games showed:
● 2012: 217 million audience; 69.1% of U.S. population ● 2016: 198 million audience; 61.3% of U.S. population ● 2021: 150 million audience; 45.3% of U.S. population
This figure will be quite interesting for 2024; TSX was told it was not yet available.
NBC also published a list of top Olympic markets for Paris 2024 by ratings (percent of total homes in a specific market watching)
● 1. 18.9, New Orleans, Louisiana ● 2. 18.5 (tie), West Palm Beach, Florida ● 2. 18.5 (tie(, Tulsa, Oklahoma ● 4. 17.5, Dayton, Ohio ● 5. 17.3, Minneapolis, Minnesota ● 6. 17.1, Kansas City, Missouri ● 7. 16.7, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ● 8. 16.2, Fort Myers, Florida ● 9. 16.1 (tie), Milwaukee, Wisconsin ● 9. 16.1 (tie), Louisville, Kentucky ● 9. 16.1 (tie), Richmond, Virginia
None of these markets are in the top 10 in the U.S.; Minneapolis is the largest at no. 15. The top large market for the Games was Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas (no. 5), in a tie for 18th at 15.2.
Observed: By any measurement, the Paris 2024 Games was a huge improvement in interest and engagement over Tokyo, dispelling any argument that the Olympic Games is somehow not relevant any more.
That an average of more than 30 million Americans watched the same thing over a 17-day period is really impressive and speaks to continuing, strong interest in the Games as a spectator event, or as the head of the Olympic Broadcasting Services has said, an “audience aggregator.”
This is good news for NBC, for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, but especially for the International Olympic Committee, which now has better leverage to ask for even more money from NBC or another U.S. network or a consortium, which may be the future.
The last U.S. rights extension with NBC was in 2014, paying $7.65 billion for six Games: Olympic Games in 2024-28-32 and Winter Games in 2022-26-30 The Salt Lake City Winter Games in 2034 will be the first Games on a new U.S. contract, yet another reason why the IOC will be loathe to invoke its new “termination clause” over any disrespect to the World Anti-Doping Agency.
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At the first-ever World Athletics Championships held in the United States, in Eugene, Oregon in 2022, the powerful U.S. team led all nations with 33 medals, including 13 golds, nine silvers and 11 bronzes.
Competing outside the U.S. – in Paris – two years later, the U.S. Olympic track & field team, astonishingly, did even better, winning 34 medals: 14 gold, 11 silvers and nine bronzes.
This was a historic performance, in fact the best by a U.S. track & field team since the much-smaller Stockholm Games – starring Jim Thorpe – in 1912! The top U.S. Olympic T&F medal performances, counting back from Paris 2024:
● 2024: 34 medals (14-11-9) in Paris ● 1984: 40 medals (16-15-9) in Los Angeles ● 1932: 35 medals (16-13-6) in Los Angeles ● 1912: 42 medals (16-14-12) in Stockholm ● 1904: 67 medals (23-22-22) in St. Louis ● 1900: 39 medals (16-13-10) in Paris
The 1984, 1932 and 1904 totals were for Games held in the U.S., and did not have complete participation as compared with other Games. The Soviet-led boycott impacted the 1984 Games, there were only 386 athletes competing in 1932 due to the Great Depression, down 45% from 1928, and the U.S. had 196 of the 233 entries (84%) in St. Louis in 1904.
Once you remove those, this was the best performance in 112 years, since 1912 and the third-highest total in history for an Olympic Games held outside the U.S.! Only Stockholm (42 medals) and Paris 1900 (39) were ever better!
And more: Paris 2024 was the first time since Barcelona 1992 that the U.S. track & field team won more Olympic medals than the American swimmers!
What happened?
On an individual level, just more than 30% of the U.S. entries posted marks which were better than those at the Olympic Trials – that is, comparing marks in the Trials finals with the last round reached in Paris, whether heats, semis of finals – held in Eugene (again) from 21-30 June.
Where a .300 “batting average” isn’t that good in swimming, with 54 total entries, it looks a lot better in track & field across 108 entries. Overall:
● .329 at Rio 2016: 37.5 out of 114 entries were better ● .265 at Tokyo 2020: 30 out of 113 entries were better ● .306 at Paris 2024: 33 out of 108 entries were better
The improvement from Tokyo was marked, both for the men and the women (this is for events at the Stade de France and does not include any road races or walks).
● The U.S. men were very, very good. They won 17 individual medals, to 13 for the American women, and “batted” .324 vs. their Trials performances, the best since Rio:
● .421 at Rio 2016: 24.0 of 57 better ● .313 at Tokyo 2020: 17.5 out of 56 better ● .324 at Paris 2024: 17.5 out of 53 better
By event group:
● 3/9 in Sprints (100-200-400 m) ● 4/6 in Mid-distance (800-1,500 m) ● 5/9 in Distance (Steeple-5,000-10,000 m) ● 0.5/6 in Hurdles (110-400 m) ● 3/12 in Jumps (HJ-PV-LJ-TJ) ● 1/9 in Throws (SP-DT-HT-JT) ● 1/3 Combined (Decathlon)
The distance performance was the difference in Paris, with sensational results by Bryce Hoppel in the 800 m (even without a medal) and medal winners Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse in the 1,500 m, Kenneth Rooks in the Steeple and Grant Fisher in the 5,000 m and 10,000 m. Nine of those 15 entries bettered their Trials performances at the Games.
Certainly, the men’s 4×100 m disaster was embarrassing, but it does little to take the shine off an impressive performance. That the U.S. men won 17 individual medals with only 32% of the entries bettering their Trials marks shows how difficult it is to make the U.S. team, and to re-peak a month later.
● The U.S. women lagged behind the men in bettering their Trials performance, as was true in Rio and Tokyo. But they were better, markedly better than in 2016 and 2021, winning 13 individual medals (5-4-4):
● .237 at Rio 2016: 13.5 of 57 better ● .219 at Tokyo 2020: 12.5 out of 57 better ● .287 at Paris 2024: 15.5 out of 54 better
By event group:
● 1/9 in Sprints (100-200-400 m) ● 0/6 in Mid-distance (800-1,500 m) ● 4/9 in Distance (Steeple-5,000-10,000 m) ● 3/6 in Hurdles (100-400 m) ● 5/11 in Jumps (HJ-PV-LJ-TJ) ● 1.5/10 in Throws (SP-DT-HT-JT) ● 1/3 in Combined (Heptathlon)
There were some crashes, notably Chase Jackson’s failure to qualify for the women’s shot final and only 29% of the entries bettered their Trials marks, but that was good enough for 13 medals.
The debate over Trials vs. Games performance has raged in the U.S. for decades, going back at least as far as the 1960s. Because of the mid-summer placement of the Games from 1976 on, the U.S. Trials have usually been in late June, as it was this year, from 21-30 June, about a month before the Games.
But along with trying to get the U.S. men’s 4×100 relay to run its potential – their last Olympic win was in 2000 – no one has been able to find the right solution to the problem of making the U.S. team and then having to compete at the same or higher level a month later. TSX research has shown that for track, a “.300 batting average” overall has generally produced very good Games or World Championships results.
Adding it all up:
Men: ● .421: 24.0/57 at Rio 2016 ● .313: 17.5/56 at Tokyo 2020 ● .324: 17.5/54 at Paris 2024
Women: ● .237: 13.5/57 at Rio 2016 ● .219: 12.5/57 at Tokyo 2020 ● .287: 15.5/54 at Paris 2024
Total: ● .329: 37.5/114 at Rio 2016 (32 medals) ● .265: 30.0/113 at Tokyo 2020 (26 medals) ● .306: 33.0/108 at Paris 2024 (34 medals)
There were exterior factors in Paris which helped the U.S. tracksters. Russia and Belarus were not there at all, and Ethiopia (4 medals) and Jamaica (6) were down from their usual production. Kenya won 11 medals (4-2-5), after 10 in Tokyo and 13 in Rio.
Still, Paris was a remarkable performance for American track & field, notably for the men, winning the 100-400-1,500-110 hurdles-400 hurdles and the shot put. The questions now are about the women’s performance, and how will the schedule be arranged for 2028 to try and ensure even a better outcome, notably without being able to hold the Trials at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which is projected to still be under construction at the time.
And for those who think that a blockbuster outcome for a home Olympic Games in 2028 is a lock, consider this: the U.S. track & field team won 30 medals in Barcelona in 1992 and regressed to 23 in Atlanta in 1996. Nothing is easy.
Rich Perelman Editor
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The USA Swimming Olympic team produced another sensational performance at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Across 35 events in the pool, Americans led the parade of 19 medal-winning countries with 28, a total reached by only 10 countries across all sports combined in the entire Games (wow!):
● 28: United States (8-13-7) ● 19: Australia (7-9-3) ● 12: China (2-3-7) ● 8: Canada (3-2-3) ● 7: France (4-1-2)
It was the ninth straight Games in which the U.S. led the swimming total medal count and led the gold medal count. It was a tremendous performance … but somehow not quite satisfying to many observers. There are reasons to feel that way. The U.S. total of 28 was the fewest since 2004, when it also won 28.
And the gold-medal production was down significantly. In fact, the U.S. total of eight in Paris was the fewest since Seoul 1988, when a strong American women’s team had to deal with a doped-up East German squad that took 10 out of 15 women’s events.
Further, three of the American wins in Paris were on relays, so the U.S. earned five individual goals: two from Katie Ledecky in the women’s distances, Torri Huske in the women’s 100 m Butterfly, Kate Douglass in the 200 m Breaststroke and Bobby Finke with a world record in the men’s 1,500 m Freestyle.
On the men’s side, that’s the worst performance since 1956, when William Yorzyk won the men’s 200 m Fly for the only American men’s gold in swimming at the Melbourne Games.
So what happened?
In short, the most of the American team failed to replicate or improve on their performances at the U.S. Olympic Swimming in Indianapolis in June. Swimming in Lucas Oil Stadium in front of 285,202 fans across 17 sessions, seven different U.S. swimmers produced world-leading marks in seven events, but only one of those seven – Ledecky – won gold in Paris.
In fact, the American performance “batting average” at the Games, compared to the Trials, took a nosedive in Paris:
● .577 at Rio 2016 (30 better out of 52) ● .518 at Tokyo 2020 (29 better out of 56) ● .304 at Paris 2024 (17 better out of 56)
What?
Yep, more than a 200-point fall from Rio and Tokyo. Here’s how it happened:
● The U.S. men’s team had, relative to its Olympic Trials performances, a terrible Paris Games. In comparing the American performances at the Trials finals with the last round reached in Paris – whether heats, semis or finals – only four performances out of 28 were better.
That’s 14.3%. The breakdown:
● 3/12 in Freestyle (50 to 1,500 m) ● 0/4 in Backstroke (100-200 m) ● 1/4 in Breaststroke (100-200 m) ● 0/4 in Butterfly (100-200 m) ● 0/4 in Medley (200-400 m)
The only U.S. men to surpass their Indianapolis performances were Luke Hobsonin the 200 m Free (bronze), Finke in the 800 m Free (silver) and 1,500 m Free (gold) and Nic Fink in the 100 m Breast (silver).
There were four world leaders from Indianapolis who combined for two bronze medals in Paris: Ryan Murphy in the 100 m Back and Carson Foster in the 400 m Medley. Murphy set a world-leading time in Indy in the 200 m Back, but was eliminated in the semifinals; same for Matt Fallon in the 200 m Breast.
● The U.S. women were better, at 46.4%, with 13 performances out of 28 better in Paris then in Indianapolis. By stroke:
● 6/12 in Freestyle (50 to 1,500 m) ● 2/4 in Backstroke (100-200 m) ● 1/4 in Breaststroke (100-200 m) ● 1/4 in Butterfly (100-200 m) ● 3/4 in Medley (200-400 m)
The world-leading performers that came out of Indianapolis had mixed results in Paris. Ledecky won the 1,500 m Free and improved her time, but Regan Smith was 0.53 off her Indy world-record time in the women’s 100 m Back and Gretchen Walsh was 0.32 off her 100 m Fly mark from the Trials finals.
Huske and Gretchen Walsh were better in the 100 m Free (silver and 8th), Erin Gemmellgot a lifetime best in the 200 m Free (semifinals), Ledecky improved in both the 800 and 1,500 m Frees (golds) and Paige Madden got a lifetime best in the 800 m Free (silver).
Regan Smith and Phoebe Bacon both improved in Paris in the 200 m Back final (silver, 4th), and Douglass improved to win the 200 m Breast final, and Smith improved in the 200 m Fly final (silver). Alex Walsh improved in the 200 m Medley, but was disqualified for an illegal turn, and both Katie Grimesand Emma Weyant improved in the 400 m Medley (silver, bronze).
Adding it all up, the comparison with Rio and Tokyo are pretty stark:
Men: ● .538: 14/26 at Rio 2016 ● .393: 11/28 at Tokyo 2020 ● .143: 4/28 at Paris 2024
Women: ● .615: 16/26 at Rio 2016 ● .643: 18/28 at Tokyo 2020 ● .464: 13/28 at Paris 2024
Total: ● .577: 30/52 at Rio 2016 ● .518: 29/56 at Tokyo 2020 ● .304: 17/56 at Paris 2024
One of the culprits often looked to in situations like this is a change in timing of the Olympic Trials vs. the Games. But that’s not the situation here, about a month each time:
● 2024: U.S. Trials: 15-23 June ~ Games: 27 July-4 August ● 2021: U.S. Trials: 13-20 June ~ Games: 24 July-1 August ● 2016: U.S. Trials: 26 June-3 July ~ Games: 6-13 August
How did others fare? The U.S. can get some consolation from a comparison with Australia, which despite winning seven golds, took only five individual golds as well, two from Backstroke ace Kaylee McKeown.
The Australian selection system is different from the U.S. and Trials placers are not selected if they don’t meet a pre-determined cut-off standard set by Swimming Australia. Counting only performers actually selected from their Trials performances, the Dolphins also had trouble in Paris.
The Australian men surpassed their Trials performances – held the week before the U.S., from 10-15 June – just 8.0 of 25 times (.320) and the women, just 4.5 out of 24 (.188) for a “batting average” of just .255 from 12.5 out of 49.
So both federations are going to have to figure out how to swim better in temporary pools, as the Rio and Tokyo Olympic competitions were both held in newly-built aquatic centers and Paris in the Paris La Defense Arena in a temporary pool (but the U.S. Trials in Indy were also in a temporary pool). In 2028, another temporary pool will be built at SoFi Stadium.
The U.S. swimming haul of 28 medals in Paris was outstanding and comprised 22.2% of the entire U.S. medal total at the Games. But it is now possible to understand why it didn’t feel that good while it was happening. A .300 average is good in baseball, but not in swimming. Four years to change that.
Rich Perelman Editor
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● Errata:Sunday’s Closing ceremony review said the taped LA28 beach program was at Venice Beach. It was in Long Beach; thanks to David Casey for the right locale. ●
● Schedule:No TSX on Wednesday, but back Thursday with more analysis on Paris, in the pool and on the track! ●
For many years, the International Olympic Committee would not release formal medal counts for the Olympic Games, insisting the competitions were between athletes and not nations.
This was true even as late as the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, with fully computerized scoring. So for news media who wanted a medal count list, they could not get it at the massive results racks in the Main Press Center, but had to walk to the far corner of the floor and request it from the Xerox copy center, where it was cheerfully provided.
No such issues now, where the medal table is offered within the official results system. But even so, trying to determine team results by medals only is simply silly. Even the IOC agrees with this, as it presents diplomas to the top finishers, beginning with the Athens Games in 1896. The number awarded was expanded in 1923 to the top three, to the top six finishers from 1949, and to eight in 1981.
It’s a much better way to discern true team achievements and The Sports Examiner has been keeping score at Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and now Paris 2024, using the familiar NCAA track & field scoring system of 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points, giving extra weight for gold and silver finishes.
On that basis, the Paris scoring – in full – looked like this, across 329 events and 2,634 places, including ties:
● Ranked 1-10: 1,297.0 United States (223 event scorers) 947.5, China (157) 747.5, France (149) 725.0, Great Britain (136) 585.5, Australia (109) 580.0, Italy (119) 564.0, Japan (114) 515.0, Germany (117) 418.5, Netherlands (78) 362.0, Canada (80)
● 11-20: 355.5, South Korea (66) 294.5, Spain (68) 260.0, New Zealand (53) 251.0, Hungary (51) 245.5, Brazil (56) 174.5, Ukraine (41) 163.0, Switzerland (42) 155.0, Poland (40) 146.5, Belgium (33) 145.0, Uzbekistan (28)
● 120-124: 1.5, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1) 1.5, Niger (1) 1.5, United Arab Emirates (1) 1.0, Aruba (1) 1.0, Cayman Islands (1)
So, a total of 123 National Olympic Committees – including Russia and Belarus – plus the Refugee Olympic Team scored points, out of 206 NOCs total. That’s 59.7%, not bad, and much better than the 45.1% of NOCs which won medals.
How does all of this compare with Rio and Tokyo? Well:
● In terms of medals, there were athletes from 93 NOCs – including Belarus and Russia – which won medals in Paris, plus the Refugee Olympic Team, which won its first-ever medal, in boxing. Exactly the same in Tokyo: 93 NOCs won medals, no change.
In terms of points, 123 NOCs scored points in Paris, vs. 121 in Tokyo, again, almost identical. And in Rio in 2016, there were 120 NOCs who scored points, again about the same. No real movement there. It is worth noting that there were 306 events in 2016, 339 in 2021 in Tokyo and 329 in Paris.
● Russia scored 602.5 points at Rio 2016 and 789.5 in Tokyo, with more events. Having essentially no Russian athletes in Paris was a help to multiple countries, notably China, but both the U.S. and China performed more-or-less as they did in Tokyo, with or without the Russians:
United States: ● 2016: 1,280.6 points and 222 scorers ● 2021: 1,291.0 points and 230 scorers ● 2024: 1,297.0 points and 223 scorers
China: ● 2016: 824.5 points and 150 scorers ● 2021: 939.7 points and 157 scorers ● 2024: 947.5 points and 157 scorers (the same!)
However, U.S. medal production was up in Paris, with 126 total medals (40-44-42) compared to 113 (39-41-33) in Tokyo and even more than in a home-hemisphere Games in Rio, at 121 (46-37-38).
Same for China, which collected 91 medals in Paris (40-27-24), up from 89 in Tokyo – a home-hemisphere Games (38-32-19) – and well ahead of 70 in Rio (26-18-26).
● The French went nuts. It sent by far its biggest-ever team at 573 athletes – second only to the U.S. – and produced 64 medals (16-26-22), the most since it hosted in 1900! And the points and placements reflect this surge:
● 2016: 513.0 points and 108 scorers ● 2021: 460.0 points and 101 scorers ● 2024: 747.5 points and 149 scorers
That’s amazing: 62.5% more points and 47.5% more scorers that just three years before. But this was to be, for the most part, expected. In Tokyo, the Japanese team scored 705.5 points, 63.1% ahead of its Rio total– about the same as France – and had 136 scorers vs. 88 in Rio, up 54.5%.
(Before you go berserk thinking about what the U.S. might do in 2028, remember that the U.S. team somehow managed to win less medals at its last home Olympic Games – Atlanta 1996 – than it won in Barcelona in 1992, 108 to 101.)
● The award for consistency goes to Great Britain, whose government provides most of the funding for its Olympic team. After the high of hosting the London 2012 Games, Team GB has remained highly relevant:
● 2016: 759.0 points and 133 scorers ● 2021: 728.5 points and 137 scorers ● 2024: 725.0 points and 136 scorers
In terms of total impact, the U.S. retained its position vs. the rest of the world in Paris, but China edged up once again:
United States: ● 2016: 10.73% of all points available ● 2021: 9.76% ● 2024: 10.10%
China: ● 2016: 6.91% of all points available ● 2021: 7.11% ● 2024: 7.38%
The top ten scorers in Paris totaled 6,742 points or 52.5% of all points scored in the Games, just a little higher than the 52.2% in Tokyo in 2021.
The U.S., China and the French had Games to remember, but the numbers show that their experience in Paris was right in line with Tokyo, where Japan went wild, just as the French did this time.
Rich Perelman Editor
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Those who believed that the Olympic Games are passe are choking this morning on their croissant with the overwhelming success of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, now concluded in Paris.
And when have you heard a team owner or league president thank – first and foremost – the fans?
Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguetdid exactly that in his moving Closing Ceremony remarks, which stunningly included:
“When the Olympic Cauldron rose up into the Parisian skies, a momentum began.
“And from the next morning, with the first medals, a wave started building. This wave took over the country, carried the whole world in its wake and went beyond anything we could imagine.
“We wanted strong images, our competition venues will go down in the history of the Games. We wanted excitement, we got passion. We wanted to be inspired, we got Leon Marchand. Together, we have experienced Games like nothing the world has seen before.
“We even had a whale take part in the surfing finals in Tahiti!
“From one day to the next, time stood still and a whole country got goosebumps. From one day to the next, Paris became a party again and France came back together. From one day to the next, the whole of France became Olympic.
“All of this was only possible because all of you showed up. First, you, the millions of spectators. … Your passion made every first round a final; every venue a raucous arena; every medal a national holiday.”
The French people were incredible:
● Paris 2024 sold more tickets – 9.5 million out of about 10 million available and mostly to the French – than any other organizing committee in history, by at least 1.2 million. And even the events without tickets were adored, with perhaps a million on the streets to see the two cycling road races, a national passion in France.
● The French turned out in tens of thousands to the nine-day “Champions Park” concept that parallels the Medals Plaza at the Olympic Winter Games, with more than 220,000 to meet hundreds of medal winners, see musical performances of all kinds and follow the action on giant screens.
● More than 1.3 million went to check out the “Nations Park” in the Parc de la Villette, with more sports demonstrations and the “national houses” of 15 National Olympic Committees.
● The new “Marathon Pour Tous” had 17,361 runners from 20 to 85 running on the Olympic Marathon course starting at 9 p.m. on Saturday and another 16,440 from 16 to 94 for the 10 km race that started at 11:30 p.m.!
● And there were millions more who attended festival events in communities across the country, also set up with giant screens, music, sports demonstrations and more.
Estanguet thanked the athletes, the Paris 2024 staff and the 45,000 volunteers – both of whom have the Paralympic Games ahead of them – and the government agencies and security services, who kept the Games safe, despite the braying of the naysayers. And he again spoke to the core of Paris 2024’s success:
“You have made these Games your Games. You have all shown up. France has shown up.
“We saw ourselves of a people of diehard complainers… we found ourselves in a country of wild supporters, who never want to stop singing!
“Tonight, I have never felt so proud to be French. Together, we have shown the world the most beautiful face of France.”
Paris and France embraced the Games, a scene which has been repeated again and again over the decades, but was lost in the misery of the Covid pandemic, which silenced the Tokyo 2020 Games.
It was magic, Olympic magic and even Estanguet, a three-time Olympic gold medalist in slalom canoeing, expressed his surprise in how it all turned out:
“Like an athlete getting ready for the biggest competition of their life, we planned for every scenario… But we weren’t ready for that.
“There is no way we could have prepared for everything we have just experienced together.”
One of the greatest achievements – and least noticed – was the close cooperation of Estanguet and chief executive Etienne Thoboisand their staff with the public authorities, especially the City of Paris, the Ile-de-France region which handled much of the public transport, and the French Interior Ministry, which led the security effort.
The City of Paris and Mayor Anne Hidalgo, especially, had their own ideas about what was important about the Games, especially in the sustainability arena. Yes, there were complaints about the lack of air conditioning in the Olympic Village, but everyone got through it. The Seine was, indeed, clean enough to swim in. Bridges and roads were closed, but once everyone figured it out, life went on, as did the Games.
It was exactly this widespread, private-public cooperation which made Los Angeles 1984 such a success, and which doomed Atlanta in 1996, when the city and the organizers were barely talking to each other. It will be needed again in Los Angeles in 2028.
After the devastating impact of Covid on Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Movement needed Paris 2024 and needed France. And the French stepped up. The important, memorable and pivotal Paris 2024 Games will always be known as the Games where the love returned to the Olympics.
Rich Perelman Editor
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A fabulous Games of the XXXIII Olympiad closed Sunday in Paris at the Stade de France, a celebration of a sport that re-introduced the Olympic Games that had been silenced during the Covid-plagued Tokyo 2020 edition.
The ceremony began with French swimming icon – and four-time gold medalist – Leon Marchand closing down the innovative “balloon cauldron” for the Olympic Flame and bringing in away in a safety lamp for transport to the stadium.
The entry of the athletes took 31 minutes, with the U.S. entering next to last as host of the next Games.
The artistic program of the ceremony took place across a 26,000 sq. ft. stage shaped like a world map, highlighting the continents. As with the torch-running figure in the opening, a “Golden Voyager” was the focus of the opening sequence, leading to honors for Greece as the originator of the Olympic Games and the appearance of the statue of Nike, housed in the Louvre.
A lengthy sequence of bringing giant rings together with performers formed the Olympic Rings, suspended inside the stadium in a spectacular stunt.
Following a lengthy musical interlude featuring the French band Phoenix and others, came the much-cheered remarks from Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet, which included this raucously-received phrase:
“All of this was only possible because all of you showed up.
“First, you, the millions of spectators… Your passion made every first round a final; every venue a raucous arena; every medal a national holiday.”
Said International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach(GER), for whom this will be his last Games in charge of the Olympic Movement:
“We know that the Olympic Games cannot create peace. But the Olympic Games can create a culture of peace that inspires the world. This is why I call on everyone who shares this Olympic spirit: let us live this culture of peace every single day.
“These Olympic Games could only inspire the world, because our French friends prepared the stage. And what a magnificent stage it was!
“Millions of people celebrating the athletes in the streets of Paris and all across France. Millions of spectators in iconic venues creating an overwhelming atmosphere. More than half of the world’s population sharing this spectacular celebration of the unity of humankind in all our diversity.”
And closed with thanks:
“Dear French friends, you have fallen in love with the Olympic Games. And we have fallen in love with all of you.
“Thank you Paris, thank you France!”
The protocol elements follows, with the formal handover of the Olympic Flag from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to Bach to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, accompanied by gymnastics star Simone Biles.
The Los Angeles show was next, comprising 21 minutes of an in-stadium rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” by H.E.R., then Tom Cruise rappelling down from the top of the stadium, taking the flag by motorcycle out of the Stade and connecting to a video of a ride onto an airplane, and then landing at the Hollywood sign – completed with Olympic Rings on top of the “oo” in “wood.”
The video had the flag given to World Champion mountain biker Kate Courtney, who biked through City Hall and to the Memorial Coliseum, where the flag passed to Atlanta 1996 icon Michael Johnson, who ran it back into the city, giving it to two-time Olympic skateboard medalist Jagger Eaton, who ended up in Long Beach and an LA28 stage complete with sand sculptures.
The show included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish and Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.
Back in Paris, Marchand came out with the Olympic Flame in the safety lamp and Bach, accompanied by representative athletes from the five continents and the Refugee Olympic Team, blew out the flame. Games over, after a final rendition by Yseultof “My Way.”
Said Bach:
“In accordance with tradition, I call upon the youth of the world to assemble four years from now in Los Angeles, United States of America, to celebrate with all of us the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad.”
But we’ll always have Paris. ~ Rich Perelman
¶
The International Olympic Committee said it would respect the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport and has requested the return of the women’s Floor Exercise bronze medal from American Jordan Chiles:
“Following the CAS decision with regard to the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Floor Exercise Final and the amendment of the ranking by the International Gymnastics Federation, the IOC will reallocate the bronze medal to Ana Barbosu (Romania).
“We are in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the reallocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.”
The CAS ruling reversed the change made at the venue when Chiles score was reviewed and increased by 0.1 points. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee said it would appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal, which has limited grounds for review:
“We firmly believe that Jordan rightfully earned the bronze medal, and there were critical errors in both the initial scoring by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeal process that need to be addressed.
“The initial error occurred in the scoring by FIG, and the second error was during the CAS appeal process, where the USOPC was not given adequate time or notice to effectively challenge the decision. As a result, we were not properly represented or afforded the opportunity to present our case comprehensively.
“Given these circumstances, we are committed to pursuing an appeal to help Jordan Chiles receive the recognition she deserves. We remain dedicated to supporting her as an Olympic champion and will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter swiftly and fairly.”
“USA Gymnastics on Sunday formally submitted a letter and video evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, conclusively establishing that Head Coach Cecile Landi‘s request to file an inquiry was submitted 47 seconds after the publishing of the score, within the 1-minute deadline required by FIG rule.
“In the letter, USA Gymnastics requests that the CAS ruling be revised and Chiles’ bronze-medal score of 13.766 reinstated.
“The basis for the CAS ruling on Friday striking down the inquiry was that “The inquiry submitted on behalf of Ms. Jordan Chiles in the Final of the women’s floor exercise was raised after the conclusion of the one-minute deadline provided by article 8.5 of the 2024 FIG Technical Regulations and is determined to be without effect.”
“The time-stamped, video evidence submitted by USA Gymnastics Sunday evening shows Landi first stated her request to file an inquiry at the inquiry table 47 seconds after the score is posted, followed by a second statement 55 seconds after the score was originally posted.
“The video footage provided was not available to USA Gymnastics prior to the tribunal’s decision and thus USAG did not have the opportunity to previously submit it.”
● Les Temps ● The Olympic Games are done, the Paralympics are coming and so is some really hot weather for getaway day: a high of 100 in Paris on Monday and a low of 70. The prediction is for crowding at all Paris airports, bus and train stations!
● Medals & Teams ● The U.S. finished with an amazing 126 medals, the most ever in a Games outside the country. Amazing. Consider this: the 126 is the most medals won by any nation at any Games in the era of almost-full or full attendance, beginning in 1988 in Seoul. The U.S. had the previous high with 121 in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. And the most since the 1984 Games in Los Angeles (174).
It’s the eighth-straight Games that the U.S. has led the total medal count and the fourth in a row with the most (or tied for most) gold medals. The final totals:
● 1. 126, United States (40-44-42) ● 2. 91, China (40-27-24) ● 3. 65, Great Britain (14-22-29) ● 4. 64, France (16-26-22) ● 5. 53, Australia (18-19-16) ● 6. 45, Japan (20-12-13) ● 7. 40, Italy (12-13-15) ● 8. 34, Netherlands (15-7-12) ● 9. 33, Germany (12-13-8) ● 10. 32, South Korea (13-9-10) ● 11. 27, Canada (9-7-11) ● 12. 20, Brazil (3-7-10) ● 12. 20, New Zealand (10-7-3)
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much more diverse, inclusive and equitable representation of team achievement, the U.S. put up a tremendous performance. And the French went insane:
● 1. 1,297, United States ● 2. 947 1/2, China ● 3. 747 1/2, France ● 4. 725, Great Britain ● 5. 585 1/2, Australia ● 6. 580, Italy ● 7. 564, Japan ● 8. 515, Germany ● 9. 418 1/2, Netherlands ● 10. 362, Canada ● 11. 355 1/2, Korea ● 12. 294 1/2, Spain ● 13. 260, New Zealand ● 14. 251, Hungary ● 15. 245 1/2, Brazil
A total of 124 countries (out of 206) – plus the Refugee Team, and including Belarus and Russia, as “neutrals” – scored points in Paris. A full rundown of the scores coming in the next days.
● Television ● At last report, NBC said its 12-day Olympic viewing average for 2024 at 31.6 million in 2024, compared to 17.8 million for Tokyo (a lot better) and the 10-day average of 27.7 million for Rio (better).
The measurement of “Total Audience Delivery” is based upon live-plus-same day custom fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics. This is not a true “apples-to-apples” with prior Games, however, as the audiences prior to 2024 were for the NBC primetime show only and the Paris totals are for the daytime show (live) and the primetime show together. No out-of-home audiences were in the figures for Rio 2016; Nielsen added those in 2020.
● Athletics: Women’s Marathon A final, crazy twist to the track & field events in Paris, as Dutch star Sifan Hassan won an unlikely gold with a fast finish in an Olympic Record of 2:22:55, beating world-record holder Tigst Assefa (ETH) by three seconds.
It completed an amazing performance in which she won the 5,000 m bronze, the 10,000 m bronze and the marathon gold!
The race started with 68 F temperatures and 66% humidity at 8 a.m. and the lead pack of 20 passed the halfway mark in 1:13:22. The big hill in the middle of the race whittled the lead group to nine by 30 km and six by 35 km.
Hassan said afterwards she was feeling terrible most of the race, but seeing herself with the leaders after 30 km, she suddenly felt better. By the 40 km mark, five were left, with Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi leading, and teammate Hellen Obiri, the 2024 Boston winner, Assefa and Ethiopia’s 2023 World Champion, Amane Beriso.
Beriso fell back first, then Lokedi and in the final drive, Obiri had the lead and was pushing, but could not break away. Assefa broke away with Hassan with 500 m left and then Hassan sprinted ahead and ran away to run in 2:22:55, with Assefa at 2:25:58. Incredible. Obiri got third in 2:123:10, with the temperature at 79 F (with 47% humidity). Lokedi was fourth in 2:23:14.
Dakotah Lundwurm, who led briefly at the 23 km mark, was the top American finisher, in 12th (2:26:44), with Emily Sisson in 23rd (2:29:53); Fiona O’Keeffe did not finish.
Hassan, now 31, completed an astonishing double-triple: Tokyo wins at 5,000 and 10,000 m and a 1,500 m bronze, then the 5-10 bronzes and the marathon win in Paris. How good was this: it’s the first time since the 5-10-Marathon triple win by Emil Zatopek (CZE) in 1952 that anyone has won medals in all three of those events in the same Games.
● Basketball: Women Going into Paris, the U.S. women looked like one of biggest locks in the Games and they won an eighth-straight Olympic gold with their 61st straight victory in Olympic play. But it was anything but easy, as the Americans overcame France, 67-66.
The game was tied at 25-25 at half and the U.S. had a 45-43 lead at the end of three. But the French had a 53-51 lead with 5:04 to go. A’ja Wilson’s jumper with 3:11 left gave the U.S. a 58-55 edge, but France’s Gabby Williams made a jumper with 1:33 to go to close to 60-59.
A Kahleah Copper jumper and a Wilson free throw extended the U.S. lead to 63-59 with 17 seconds left. Kelsey Plum made two free throws for a 65-61 lead with 0:11 left, but Williams sank a three to close to 65-64 with 0:05 to go. Copper made two foul shots for a 67-64 edge and then Williams took a long pass from the backcourt and made a desperation bank from the right side at the buzzer, but her foot was inside the three-point line and it counted only for two! That close, and the final was 67-66.
The U.S. shot just 34% from the field and the French were at 32%. Wilson once again led the Americans, with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Plum – who won a Tokyo 3×3 gold – and Copper had 12 points each. France was led by Williams – born in Nevada – who had 19. Wilson was named as the Olympic tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
In the bronze-medal game, Australia beat Belgium, 85-81.
U.S. guard Diana Taurasi won a record sixth gold for the U.S. and perhaps the most poignant moment was for Brittney Griner, imprisoned in Russia for 10 months, to receive her third Olympic gold, wiping away tears during the playing of the national anthem.
● Cycling/track: Men’s Keirin; Women’s Sprint-Omnium Men’s Sprint winner Harrie Lavreysen won the speed double, taking the men’s Keirin final by 0.056 seconds over Matthew Richardson (AUS) and Matthew Glaetzer (AUS) in a wild race that saw the other three riders crash. Lavreysen added the Olympic gold to his collection of three Worlds wins in this event in 2020-21-22.
Women’s Keirin winner Ellesse Andrews (NZL) completed the double with a gold in the women’s Sprint, winning the final over 2022 World Champion Lea Friedrich (GER) by 2:0 (by 0.095 and 0.624 seconds). Emma Finucane (GBR), the Keirin bronze medalist, won bronze again in the third-place race-off with Hetty van de Wouw, 2:0.
American Jennifer Valente came in as the defending champ in the women’s Omnium and defended in style, winning the Scratch Race, placing second in the Tempo Race, winning the Elimination Race and cruising home in the Points Race (7th) for a total of 144 points. That was well ahead of Daria Pikulik (POL) with 131 and Ally Wollaston (AUS), who finished with 125.
● Handball: Men Denmark defeated Germany by 39-26 to take re-take the Olympic title they won at Rio in 2016 after falling to silver in Tokyo. The Danes piled up a 21-12 halftime lead and won the second half by 18-14 as well. Denmark now has Olympic golds in 2016 and 2024 and Worlds wins in 2019-21-23.
Mathias Gidsel led the winners with 11 goals and Magnus Jacobsen had seven. Juri Knorr led Germany with seven scores. Spain won a tight, 23-22 battle with Slovenia to win the bronze.
● Modern Pentathlon: Women A tight battle between Rio 2016 silver medalist Elodie Clouvel of France and Hungary’s Michelle Gulyas, the 2022 Worlds runner-up, had to be decided in the final, Laser Run event.
Gulyas was second in fencing, won the riding and was fourth in the swimming, but started the Laser Run 13 seconds behind Clouvel, who had won the fencing, finished ninth in riding but was third in swimming. But on the Laser Run, Gulyas finished in 11:10.01 – seventh fastest – and broke the tape as Cloudvel managed only 11:32.35, no. 14 on time.
That meant Gulyas compiled a world-record total of 1,461 points to 1,452 for Clouvel. Korea’s Seong-min Seong was a strong third, placing second in riding and swimming and finishing with 1,441 points.
This was good-bye to the Modern Pentathlon as conceived in 1912, a five-event combination of fencing, swimming, riding, shooting and running. Following a horse abuse incident at Tokyo 2020, riding will be eliminated in favor of obstacle course, an unpopular decision with many pentathletes.
● Volleyball: Women The U.S. was the defending women’s Olympic champion from Tokyo, but Italy was the best team in 2024, winning the 2024 women’s Nations League, thrashing the U.S. in the quarterfinals and defeating Japan, 3-1, in the final.
In the Olympic final, it was about the same, as the Italians won in straight sets, 25-18, 25-20, 25-17. It’s Italy’s first Olympic medal in women’s volleyball.
Brazil won the bronze by 3-1 over Turkey.
● Water Polo: Men Serbia jumped out to a 5-2 lead at the quarter and kept going for a 13-11 win and the Olympic title, winning a third straight gold in dramatic fashion. Serbia had to beat Croatia to win in 2012 and against 2024.
The Serbs had an 8-5 lead at the half and 11-8 after three and won by two goals in the end. Nine Serbs scored, led by Milos Cuk with three goals and Nikola Dedovic with two. Croatia got three goals from Jerko Marinic Kragic.
The U.S. won the bronze-medal game by 11-8 over Hungary after a 3-0 penalty shoot-out following an 8-8 tie in regulation time. Seven Americans scored, led by Ben Hallock with two. It’s the first U.S. medal since a 2008 silver.
● Weightlifting: Women’s +81 kg Very little doubt about this class, as China’s Wenwen Li was the defending champion and the 2019 and 2022 World Champion and won with 309 kg combined, winning the Snatch and tying for the top Clean & Jerk lift. It’s China’s fourth straight win in this class.
South Korea’s Hye-jeong Park, the 2024 Worlds gold winner, was second at 299 kg, with Britain’s Emily Campbell getting the bronze at 288 kg. American Mary Theisen-Lappen was fifth at 274 kg.
● Wrestling: Men’s Freestyle 65 kg-97 kg; Women’s 76 kg Japan’s Kotaro Kiyooka, who has never won a Worlds medal before, completed an unlikely run to Olympic gold, defeating Iran’s 2022 World Champion, Rahman Amouzad in the men’s 65 kg final by 10-3. Kiyooka led 10-1 after the first period and cruised to victory. Sebastian Rivera of Puerto Rico and Islam Dudaev of Albania won the bronzes.
Bahrain’s Akhmed Tazhudinov, the 2023 World Champion, won the men’s 97 kg final by pinfall in 1:52 against Georgia’s Givi Matcharashvili, the two-time Worlds bronze winner. Iran’s Amirali Azarpira won one bronze over the U.S.’s Kyle Snyder, the Rio 2016 winner, by 4-1, and Magomedkhan Magoledov (AZE) won the other.
Japan’s Yuka Kagami, the 2023 World Champion, won the women’s 76 kg final against American Kennedy Blades, 3-1. The match was tied at 1-1 after the first period, but Kagami managed the win with the only second-period score. Milaimy Martin of Cuba and Tatiana Renteria (COL) took the bronze medals.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet told reporters on Saturday just how much of a success the Paris Games have been:
“We loved these Games so much that we don’t want them to end.
“They were popular, joyful, engaging and daring. France showed a welcoming face. We saw a happy France and happy French people. This will also remain in the intangible legacy of the Paris 2024 Games.”
And he, too, was worried about the opening on the Seine and the enormous rainstorm, saying “I was stressed until the end of the opening ceremony. But the artists achieved feats in the rain that were on a par with those of the athletes who came after them.”
Estanguet said that Paralympic Games ticket sales are picking up and that the focus must remain constant to ensure a second success.
¶
“We acknowledge, that behind the scenes, and speaking candidly, not everything was perfect.”
That’s Belgian IOC member Pierre-Olivier Beckers, head of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for Paris 2024, explaining at the IOC Session on Saturday:
“You will easily realize the challenge for the organizing committee to ramp up effectively for operations on day one with over 68 sessions, 800,000 spectators, over 5,000 accredited press, and 14,000 people in the Olympic Village. This was immense, and yes, very largely, it was met successfully.
“But even with a comprehensive readiness and test event program, once the Games get going, it is inevitable that some plans require adaptation and the quicker, the better.
“And these adaptations took place. For example in the transport service, or at the main dining hall, or the Olympic Family seating area, some apps that didn’t work as planned, as you are all certainly aware.”
But there was a benefit:
“But, we know now that we can deliver the Games in a more efficient way, more cost-effective and more sustainable way.”
¶
Some of the Paris 2024 Olympic medals have been quickly deteriorating, including U.S. skateboarder Nyjah Huston, who complained of discoloration:
“They’re apparently not as high quality as you’d think. It’s looking rough. I don’t know, Olympic medals, we gotta step up the quality a little [bit]. The medal looking like it went to war and back.”
The meals were manufactured by the French Mint. A Paris 2024 spokesperson told Britain’s Daily Mail:
“Paris 2024 is aware of a social media report from an athlete whose medal is showing damage a few days after it was awarded.
“Paris 2024 is working closely with the Monnaie de Paris, the institution tasked with the production and quality control of the medals, and together with the National Olympic Committee of the athlete concerned, in order to appraise the medal to understand the circumstances and cause of the damage. The medals are the most coveted objected of the Games and the most precious for the athletes.”
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman held a news conference in Paris, promoting the next-in-line LA28 Games. The Agence France Presse story quoted Bass:
● “The ‘No Car Games’ means that you will have to take public transportation to get to all of the venues. In order to do that we have been building out our transportation system.
“That’s not going to be enough. We’re going to need over 3,000 buses that we will borrow from all around the country. You can’t do that without cooperation on every level of government, and I’m happy to say that we certainly have that.”
● “In 1984 Angelenos were terrified that we were going to have terrible, terrible traffic. And we were shocked that we didn’t. And in 1984 we didn’t have any of the technology that we do today.
“I think we can do that again. So part of having a no-car Olympics means getting people not to drive, but also using public transportation to get to the Games.
● “We certainly learned from Covid that you have essential workers, people that must come to work. But if you limit it to that, it’s going to be a lot easier because we did go through Covid. So people will have some reference point in recent history as to how you can do that.”
“The LA28 organizing committee – a private group tasked with staging the Games – prefers to say it is planning a ‘public transit first’ Games. Some venues will have ample parking, others will not. Organizers say no one will be told they cannot drive to a competition.”
Asked about L.A.’s significant homelessness issue, Bass replied:
“We are going to get Angelenos housed. That is what we have been doing and we’re going to continue to do that. We will get people housed, we will get them off the street.
“We will get them into temporary housing, we will address the reasons why they were unhoused and get them into permanent housing.”
● Athletics ● Two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge did not finish the Olympic race on Saturday, explaining:
“I had a pain in my back at about 20km and decided not to finish and try to get out. The hills didn’t affect me at all. The pain made me stop.”
And now?
“I don’t know what my future will hold. I will think about it over the next three months. I still want to try to run some marathons.”
¶
“I feel very proud of the team that was put out there. I think they ran incredible.
“I also feel disappointed and lied to and embarrassed. I feel like I was blindsided because I was told one thing this morning and, for hours, thought I was running in the final. It seems everyone knew besides me.”
That’s U.S. women’s 400 m Trials winner Kendall Ellis, who was left off the women’s 4×400 m relay that won on Saturday. Ellis told ESPN she received a text message from U.S. women’s relay coach Mechelle Freeman on Saturday morning that she would not be on the relay, citing her poor form in Paris (she didn’t make the 400 m final).
After a meeting with Freeman at the Olympic Village, per Ellis:
“At the end of the conversation, she said, ‘You seem ready. I’m going to put you on this relay in the third leg.’ She told me to pick up my uniform for the finals. I said, ‘OK’ and got to the stadium at 6:15 under the impression I was running.”
During warm-ups, a different U.S. coach told her she would not be running, and Ellis’ personal coach, Quincy Watts, was told by Freeman that was the case. “That was four minutes before the race,” according to Ellis. She added:
“We had a good conversation [this morning], a good meeting. I’m an incredible relay runner. It was disappointing to not be on the relay, but I’m angry about the way it was done. I don’t feel supported or valued as a member of the team or as a 400-meter runner, and I don’t feel respected. …
“I feel like so many athletes on the U.S. team have had this concern of there being a lack of transparency and communication regarding U.S. relays. This is not new. This is not shocking. There is a history of this on USA relays, and I am fed up and would like to bring awareness to it.”
The U.S. team of Shamier Little, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas and Alexis Holmes won in 3:15.17, an American Record and the no. 2 performance all-time.
● Boxing ●Algerian women’s 66 kg gold medalist Imane Khelif, at the center of controversy over her status as a women, filed suit in Paris on Saturday. Per attorney Nabil Boudi:
“Mrs Khelif contacted the firm, which filed a complaint yesterday for aggravated cyber harassment with the online hate centre of the Paris prosecutor’s office.
“The criminal investigation will determine who initiated this misogynistic, racist and sexist campaign, but will also have to focus on those who fueled this digital lynching. The unfair harassment suffered by the boxing champion will remain the biggest stain of these Olympic Games.”
¶
Uzbekistan dominated boxing, winning five golds in Paris, but almost lost its head coach to cardiac arrest.
The Associated Press reported that Tulkin Kilichev was revived by two TeamGB medical staff on Thursday after Hasanboy Dusmatovwon the 51 kg class:
“According to GB Boxing, team doctor Harj Singh and physical therapist Robbie Lillis found Kilichev in life-threatening distress. They performed CPR on the coach, and Lillis also used a defibrillator, the team said.”
He has been recovering in a Paris hospital.
● Swimming ●Bobby Finke’s 1,500 m Freestyle win – in world-record time – was the only U.S. men’s Olympic gold in the pool and Nightcap podcast hosts Shannon Sharpeand Chad Johnson gifted him, as promised, with a world-record-bonus check for $50,000.
There were three more world records set by U.S. relays in the pool, also eligible for the $50,000 bonus.
They also promised to pay $25,000 to each U.S. track & field athlete who won in Paris, and the Americans took home 14 golds.
● Wrestling ●Indian 50 kg women’s wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified for being overweight, filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Paris that was heard on Friday, 9 August.
She was asking to be awarded a silver medal, since she qualified for the final. As she was disqualified, another wrestler was substituted for her and lost to American Sarah Hildebrandt. The decision, which will turn on United World Wrestling rules, was to have been announced on Saturday, but is now expected to be provided on Tuesday (13th).
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In a stunning close to the 142nd Session of the International Olympic Committee, President Thomas Bach (GER) informed the membership that he would not agree to an extended term and that a new leader will be elected next March in Olympia, Greece.
Asked by multiple members to stay on, Bach said in a 13-minute, prepared address, he considered the issue carefully:
“So many of you have asked me to have my mandate extended and to agree with a change to the Olympic Charter for this purpose. …
“As a result of deep deliberations and extensive discussions, also with my family, present in the room, I have come to the conclusion that I should not have my mandate extended beyond the term limits enumerated by the Olympic Charter.
“In order to safeguard the credibility of the IOC, we all, and in particular, I, as your President, have to respect the highest standards of good governance which we have set for ourselves.
“I was one of the promoters and authors of such a term limit at the time of the review of the revision of the Olympic Charter. Until today, I strongly believe that after 12 years in the office as IOC President, our organization is best served with a change in leadership.”
Speaking about his watch-phrase of “change or be changed,” Bach, now 70, said, “This mantra also applies to me.”
Bach referred to the IOC’s excellent standing, with Olympic Games already awarded for 2028 and 2032 and Winter Games awarded for 2026-30-34, and $13.5 billion in committed revenues through 2032. But also spoke directly about his concerns for the future, especially the IOC’s new Esports Games and its artificial intelligence initiative:
“To implement effectively all these projects, to address the technological tsunami of converging sciences like A.I., biochemistry and neuroscience, you need to be immersed in this digital world. You need to participate in this digital world. You need to have a deep understanding of these new ways of thinking and communicating. Otherwise, you cannot safely navigate our Olympic Movement ship through the high waves of this tsunami.
“For this new way of living, I, with my age, I am not the best captain. New times are calling for new leaders. I know, with this decision, I am disappointing many of you. I can only plead to you to respect that I am deeply convinced this to be in the best interest of our beloved Olympic Movement.”
So:
“I want to insure a smooth transition and hand over the steering wheel of our ship to my best possible successor, whom you will choose. To facilitate this, I will ask the Executive Board to schedule the election for March 2025, and the beginning of the mandate of the President for June 24, 2025.”
The race is on, and there are plenty of candidates, with the winner inheriting an IOC and an Olympic Games far different than when Bach took over in 2013.
¶
Saturday’s final, two-hour program of the IOC Session in Paris started with congratulations to the Paris 2024 organizing committee.
Following the obligatory video, which included a message from Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet, were live comments from the head of the IOC’s Coordination Commission, Belgian Pierre-Olivier Beckers.
He commended the Paris 2024 organizing committee for a brilliant Games, saying “I think our wildest expectations have been surpassed.”
He added that a record total of more than 9.5 million tickets were sold and new concepts were successfully received, including 220,000 people so far attending the Champions Park, 1.3 million people who have visited the “Nations Park” in the Parc de la Villette, with so many of the national “houses” and the new “Marathon pour Tous,” the Saturday evening program in which more than 40,000 runners will run on the Olympic marathon course.
Beckers also commended the organizers for their efforts in fixing the issues that came forward, in the Village dining hall, in transportation and in working through the online apps which did not work, at least at first.
A strong statement was made on behalf of the much-discussed Algerian boxing champion Imane Khelifby Saudi IOC member Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud – the Saudi Ambassador to the United States – who pushed back against the criticism of Khelif’s gender, pointing out that she was born and raised as a girl.
The IOC also formally the elected to membership the four members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission selected by the athletes at the Paris Games and who will serve an eight-year term through 2032: Kim Buiof Germany (gymnastics, elected 80-0), Marcus Daniell of New Zealand (tennis, 79-2), Allyson Felix of the U.S. (track & field, 74-4) and canoeing star Jess Fox (Australia, 78-1).
This is an important step for U.S. influence within the IOC, which came to Paris with two IOC members in Anita DeFrantzand International Tennis Federation President David Haggerty. Now, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Chair Gene Sykes was elected during the IOC Session prior to the opening of the Games and Felix has become the fourth U.S. member.
The 143rd IOC Session will be in Olympia, Greece, from 18-21 March, with an IOC Presidential election as the focal point. ~ Rich Perelman
¶
The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced a decision in favor of Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu on the 5 July final of the women’s Floor event in gymnastics, ruling that the change in score for Jordan Chiles of the U.S. cannot be allowed as the appeal was filed in 1:04 and outside of the 1:00 time limit after her routine concluded.
Chiles’ score reverts to the 13.666 she was given and she moves from third to fifth.
USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee issued a joint statement:
“We are devastated by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling regarding women’s floor exercise. The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring.
“Throughout the appeal process, Jordan has been subject to consistent, utterly baseless and extremely hurtful attacks on social media. No athlete should be subject to such treatment. We condemn the attacks and those who engage, support or instigate them. We commend Jordan for conducting herself with integrity both on and off the competition floor, and we continue to stand by and support her.”
● Les Temps ● Forecast for Sunday’s final day and the closing ceremony is for a high of 92 and low of 69, with sunny skies. Pretty warm, but a nice way to end.
● Medals & Teams ● The U.S. is up to a sensational 122 medals with a day to go and more in the pipeline for Sunday:
● 1. 122, United States (38-42-42) ● 2. 90, China (39-27-24) ● 3. 63, Great Britain (14-22-27) ● 4. 62, France (16-24-22) ● 5. 50, Australia (18-18-14) ● 6. 43, Japan (18-12-13) ● 7. 39, Italy (11-13-15) ● 8. 32, Netherlands (13-7-12) ● 9. 31, Germany (12-11-8) ● 10. 30, South Korea (13-8-9) ● 11. 27, Canada (9-7-11) ● 12. 20, Brazil (3-7-10)
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much diverse, inclusive and equitable representation of team achievement, the U.S. continues to lead:
● 1. 1,248, United States ● 2. 933 1/2, China ● 3. 740 1/2, France ● 4. 704 1/2, Great Britain ● 5. 564, Italy ● 6. 560 1/2, Australia ● 7. 536 1/2, Japan ● 8. 494, Germany ● 9. 390 1/2, Netherlands ● 10. 361, Canada ● 11. 340 1/2, Korea ● 12. 281 1/2, Spain ● 13. 243, New Zealand ● 14. 239 1/2, Brazil ● 15. 227 1/2, Hungary
Now, a total of 122 countries (out of 206) – plus the Refugee Team, and including Belarus and Russia, as “neutrals” – have scored points so far.
● Television ●NBC reported the 12-day Olympic viewing average for 2024 at 31.6 million in 2024, compared to 17.8 million for Tokyo (a lot better) and the 10-day average of 27.7 million for Rio (better).
The measurement of “Total Audience Delivery” is based upon live-plus-same day custom fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics. This is not a true “apples-to-apples” with prior Games, however, as the audiences prior to 2024 were for the NBC primetime show only and the Paris totals are for the daytime show (live) and the primetime show together. No out-of-home audiences were in the figures for Rio 2016; Nielsen added those in 2020.
● Artistic Swimming: Duet China’s 2024 World Champions, twin sisters Liuyi Wang and Qianyi Wang, finished fourth in the Free Routine, but still won with 566.4783 points, ahead of Great Britain (Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe : 558.5367) and the Netherlands, with sisters Bregje de Brouwer and Noortje de Brouwer (558.3963).
The U.S. pair of Jaime Czarkowski and Megumi Field finished 10th (484.7488).
● Athletics: Men’s 800 m-5,000 m-Marathon-4×400 m-High Jump Women’s 1,500 m-100 m hurdles-4×400 m-Javelin Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola, the 2022 World Champion and 2023 New York City Marathon winner added the Olympic gold medal to his collection, winning a hot and humid race in Paris in an Olympic Record of 2:06:26.
Tola took the lead for good around 30 km in a race which started in 63 F temperatures, but with 74% humidity and finished at 72 F and 57% humidity just after 10 a.m. He led at the half in 1:04:51, but broke away between 25-30 km, forging a lead of 11 seconds on Britain’s Emile Cairess.
By 35 km, the lead was 18 seconds and the issue was decided. Behind Tola was a loose pack of six runners vying for the other medals. By 40 km, Belgium’s Bashir Abdi – third in Tokyo – moved up to second and ran away from Kenya’s Benson Kipruto, this year’s Tokyo Marathon winner and world leader on time (2:02:16). Abdi won the silver at 2:06:47, with Kipruto taking the bronze at 2:07:00.
Americans Conner Mantz (2:08:12) and Clayton Young (2:08:44) finished 8-9, and Leonard Korir was 63rd in 2:18:19. Ten of the 81 starters did not finish, including Kenya’s two-time defending champion Eliud Kipchoge, who dropped out after 30 km and said this was his last Olympic marathon. It was the first time he had not finished a marathon.
At the Stade de France, the much-awaited men’s 800 m final had Kenya’s 2023 Worlds runner-up Emmanuel Wanyonyi leading at the bell and trying to hold off France’s Gabriel Tual. But World Champion Marco Arop of Canada came on off the final turn and moved past Tual to challenge Wanyonyi.
Tual faded and Bryce Hoppel of the U.S. and favored Djamel Sedjati (ALG) were sprinting to the line, but could not catch Wanyonyi or Arop. Those two ran to the line and it took the phototimer to separate them with 1:41.19 for Wanyonyi to win – Kenya’s fifth gold in a row in this event – to 1:41.20 for Arop. They are now nos. 3-4 in history.
Sedjati got to third, but no further in 1:41.50 (no. 8 performance ever) and Hoppel was fourth in an American Record of 1:41.57, now the no. 6 performer all-time. Tual faded to six, but ran 1:42.14!
The U.S. was in lanes 4-5-6 with Grace Stark, Masai Russell and Alaysha Johnson in the women’s 100 m hurdles final. Off the gun, U.S. Trials winner Russell and Johnson were off strongly, ahead of defending champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn. But Johnson hit hurdle four and was out of it and Stark came up to challenge. Camacho-Quinn was headed to the lead, but Russell pushed ahead over the final hurdle and on the run-in.
But on the inside was France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela, coming hard over the final hurdle and flying to the finish. It took another photo to separate them, with Russell’s lean getting her the Olympic gold in 12.33 (wind: -0.3 m/s), with Samba-Mayela at 12.34 and Camacho-Quinn at 12.36. Nadine Visser (NED) and Stark were right together, with Visser getting fourth as both timed 12.43. Johnson was seventh in 12.93.
Back came Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the men’s 5,000 m – where he is two-time World Champion – after a stunning fourth in the men’s 1,500 m. The field was 22 after all the adds from the carnage in the heats, and the race started slowly. European champ Dominic Lobalu, on the Refugee Team as he is not yet a Swiss citizen, had the early lead. At 3,000 m, Ethiopians Biniam Mehary (17) and Addisu Yihune were in front, with Ingebrigtsen fifth. They were still there with three left, with John Heymans (BEL) and American Grant Fisher.
Then Ethiopian star Hagos Gebrhiowet pushed, headed to the bell with Ingebrigtsen chasing, but 3 m back at the bell. Ingebrigtsen was back in contact and went to the lead with 200 m to go. He was flying into the straight and ran unchallenged to the line in 13:13.66 to add to his Tokyo 1,500 m gold.
Behind him there was a mad sprint to the line among five, with Kenya’s Ronald Kwemoi passing the Ethiopians to get second in 13:15.04. Fisher, the 10,000 m bronze winner, made a dead sprint on the straight to get a stunning third in 13:15.13, moving from seventh at the turn. Lobalu wad fourth in 13:15.27, then Gebrhiwet in 13:15.32. Places 2-6 were separated by less than a second. American Graham Blanks was a very creditable ninth in 13:18.67.
Could Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon won a third straight women’s 1,500 m gold? Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, who had failed to medal in either the 5,000 m or 10,000 m had the early lead and Kipyegon closed up to ensure that Tsegay did not run away. Tsegay passed 800 m in 2:03.3 and at the bell, Kipyegon took over with Australia’s 2,000 m world-record holder Jessica Hull second. Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, took second on Kipyegon’s shoulder; then with 200 to go, Kipyegon was moving away and won her third gold in an Olympic Record of 3:51.29.
Hull passed Welteji on the run-in for silver in 3:52.56, and Britain’s Georgia Bell sprinted to third past Welteji for the bronze in 3:52.61. Welteji was fourth and Britain’s Tokyo runner-up Laura Mur was fifth with lifetime bests of 3:52.75 and 3:53.37. For the U.S., Nikki Hiltz was seventh in 3:56.38 and Elle St. Pierre was eighth in 3:57.52.
The surprise in the men’s 4×400 m was that 400 m gold medalist Quincy Hall was not on the American team, apparently due to injury. Instead, it was Chris Bailey to start, followed by Vernon Norwood, Bryce Deadmon and Rai Benjamin. Botswana passed first with Norwood close, but with Botswana in front, then Britain with Matthew Hudson-Smith. But Norwood came hard at the end and Deadmon raced to the lead with Botswana flying into second.
Deadmon held the lead and passed in the lead to Benjamin on anchor with 200 m winner Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and this was close. Benjamin held a small lead and held it and held it, right to the line, despite Tebogo’s furious sprint in the final straight. The U.S. finished in 2:54.43, an Olympic Record, to 2:54.53, with Britain third in 2:55.83. It’s the no. 2 performance in history for the U.S. and no. 3 for Botswana.
The splits were spectacular: 44.50 for Bailey, 43.30 for Norwood, 43.50 for Deadmon and a magnificent 43.13 for Benjamin for his second gold in two days. Tebogo? He finished in an astonishing 43.03. Hudson-Smith’s second leg for Great Britain was even faster at 43.00.
The meet finished with the women’s 4×4, with Shamier Little, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas and Alexis Holmes on anchor. The Dutch had Femke Bol waiting on anchor.
Little was sensational, passing first to McLaughlin-Levrone with a solid lead and McLaughlin-Levrone had a 30 m lead with a stunning 47.70 leg. Thomas extended the lead to 40+ meters at 49.4 and Holmes was all alone, finishing strongly in the second-fastest time in history in 3:15.27, surpassing the U.S. silver-medal finish with Florence Griffith-Joyner at the 1988 Seoul Games.
Little timed 49.50, McLaughlin-Levrone was 47.70, Thomas did 49.30 and Holmes finished in 48.77 for the U.S.’s eighth straight win in this event. Astonishing. Bol was fourth coming into the straight and of course she closed up to second, in the final 10 m, in 48.62 and 3:19.50. Britain and Ireland were 3-4 in 3:19.72 and 3:19.90.
The men’s high jump had Tokyo co-champs Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT) and Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA) back, but with Tamberi dealing with an apparent kidney stone outbreak and visiting a hospital emergency room in the morning. And he went out at 2.27 m (7-5 1/4), with eight others remaining. At 2.31 m (7-7), six made it and the bar went to 2.34 m (7-8). Four got over: Barshim, New Zealand’s World Indoor winner Hamish Kerr, Italy’s Stefano Sottile and U.S. Trials winner (and World Indoor silver winner) Shelby McEwen. Three made it over on their first try but McEwen needed three.
On to 2.36 m (7-8 3/4), and McEwen and Kerr made it on their first try to tie for the lead and a lifetime best for McEwen (now equal 8th all-time U.S.)! Barshim missed twice and passed and Sottile missed, so the medalists were decided and on to 2.38 m (7-9 3/4), a height only Barshim had made before. But Barshim missed and took the bronze.
Kerr and McEwen both missed all three at 2.38 m and went to a jump-off, once again at 2.38, but both missed. Now down to 2.36 m, and both missed, but Kerr cleared at 2.34 for the gold as McEwen missed. It’s New Zealand’s first-ever high-jump gold.
In the women’s javelin, Japan’s favored Haruka Kitaguchi, the 2023 World Champion, picked the right time to get a seasonal best of 65.80 m (215-10) in the first round! World leader Flor Denis Ruiz (COL) moved up to second at 63.00 m (206-8) in round two, but South Africa’s Jo-Ane van Dyk reached 63.93 m (209-9) to move to second after three rounds. But she did not improve and Kitaguchi was the Olympic Champion.
No one could challenge and Czech Nikola Ogrodkikova took the bronze at 63.68 m (208-11) in the third round.
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With only the women’s marathon to go, the U.S. track & field team ha 34 medals, including 14 golds, 11 silvers and nine bronze. Stunning, even with the flub in the men’s 4×100 m. Next best: Kenya and Great Britain with 10 medals each. This was an overwhelming demonstration of quality across the entire meet from the U.S., emphatically its best Olympic T&F performance in years. Wow.
● Basketball: Men A fabulous final game between the U.S. and France saw the Americans with consistent second-half leaders of 9-10 points, but the French closed to within three with three minutes left, only to be devastated by Steph Curry.
Curry hit eight three-pointers in the game, but broke French hearts with four sensational threes in the final minutes to key the U.S. to a 98-87 victory and their fifth gold medal in a row.
The U.S. was ahead at the quarter by 20-15 and 49-41 at half. But France never lost contact and got within 82-79 with 3:04 to play. But Curry was in launch mode and hit long threes with 2:47, 1:52, 1:19 and a circus rainbow with two men on him with 0:35 left to cinch it.
French star Victor Wembanyama had 26 and Guerschon Yabusele had 20 for France, while Curry shot 8-13 from the floor to score 24 points, with 15 from Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and 14 from LeBron James. The U.S. shot 54% from the floor for the game and 50% (18-36) from three-point range.
Durant won his four gold medal and James won his third, but Curry’s heroics in the semi-final comeback against Serbia and in the final will be long remembered.
Serbia won the bronze medal match, 93-83, over FIBA World Cup winners Germany. Nikola Jokic and Vasilije Micic had 19 each for the winners; Franz Wagner led the Germans with 18.
● Beach Volleyball: Men The hottest team coming into the tournament was Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, the 2023 Worlds silver medalists and winners of four Elite 16 tournaments this season. They proved to be the best in the Olympic tournament, sweeping Germans Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler, 21-10, 21-13, to win the gold,
Tokyo Olympic winners Anders Mol and Christian Sorum (NOR) won the bronze over Qatar’s Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, 21-13, 21-16.
● Boxing: Men’s 57 kg-+92 kg; Women’s 57 kg-75 kg Top-seeded Abdumalik Khalokov (UZB), the 2023 World Champion, added the Olympic gold in the men’s 57 kg class with a 5:0 decision against Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu (KGZ). The bronze medals went to Charlie Senior (AUS) and ex-Cuban Javier Ibanez (BUL).
In the Super Heavyweight,+92 kg class, Tokyo gold medalist Bakhodir Jalolov (UZB) defended his title with a 5:0 whitewash over Spain’s unseeded Ayoub Ghadfa, the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist. Germany’s Nelvie Tiafack and Djamili-Dini Aboudou Moindze (FRA) won the bronze medals.
In the women’s 57 kg class, two-time World Champion Yu-ting Lin (TPE) was the top seed and is in the final, after enduring questioning of her female status by the discredited International Boxing Association. She won her first three of bouts by 5:0 decisions, and won the final in the same way against Poland’s Julia Szeremeta, who won the country’s first boxing medal since 1992 and is its first finalist since 1980!
Esra Yildiz (TUR) and Nesthy Petecio (PHI) are the bronze winners.
Top-seeded Tokyo runner-up and Rio bronze winner Qian Li of China finally won gold in the women’s 75 kg class. She defeated Panama’s seventh-seed Atheyna Bylon, 35, the Worlds runner-up in this class in 2022 in a close fight, with four of five judges giving Li a 29-28 edge.
Bronzes went to Caitlin Parker of Australia and to Cindy Ngamba, an ex-Cameroonian who won the first-ever medal for the Refugee Olympic Team.
● Breaking: B-Boys The men’s Breaking final saw 2022 World Champion Phil Wizard of Canada (Philip Kim) sweep with a 5-4, 9-0, 9-0 (23-4) victory over Danny Dann (FRA: Danis Civil).
American Victor (Victor Montalvo), the 2023 World Champion, won the bronze by 9-0, 5-4, 6-3 (20-7) over Japan’s Shigekix (Shigeyuki Nakarai).
● Canoeing/Sprint: Men’s K-1 1,000 m;
Women’s C-1 200 m-K-1 500 m The Paris Games will be remembered for the brilliance of New Zealand icon Lisa Carrington. Already the winner – with others – in the women’s K-2 and K-4 races, she won her eighth career Olympic gold, duplicating her triple golds at Tokyo 2020, with another win in the K-1 500 m.
She set an Olympic best of 1:47.36, coming from second at the halfway mark and passing Hungary’s Tamara Csipes, who finished second at 1:48.44. Denmark’s three-time World Champion Emma Jorgensen finished third in 1:49.76.
The men’s K-1 1,000 m went to 2014 World Champion, Czech Josef Dostal, who came from second in the last half of the race to win in 3:24.07, just ahead of Hungarians Tokyo silver winner Adam Varga (3:24.76) and Tokyo gold medalist Balint Lopasz (3:25.68).
The women’s sprint – the C-1 200 m – had defending champion Nevin Harrison back and she was nose-to-nose with Canada’s nine-time World Champion Katie Vincent, and Vincent got the gold this time in 44.12, to 44.13. Cuba’s Yarisleidis Cirilo, the 2023 Worlds winner, won the bronze in 44.36.
● Cycling/Track: Men’s Madison Portugal’s Iuri Leitao and Rui Oliveira had never won a Worlds medal in the Madison and Leitao just missed a gold in the Omnium. But they scored in the last five sprints and piled up 55 points to win, ahead of Simone Consonni and famed road racer Elia Viviani (47) and Denmark’s defending champions Nikas Larsen and Michael Morkov (41).
● Diving: Men’s 10 m Platform China completed its first-ever sweep of the Olympic program as Yuan Cao scored 547.50 points and won three of six dives to take the third straight gold for China. Rikuto Tamai of Japan, the 2022 Worlds silver winner, was second at 507.65 and Britain’s Noah Williams was third at 497.35.
Cao won in Tokyo in 2020 and is the first to repeat since Greg Louganis of the U.S. in 1984 and 1988.
● Football: Women Brazil and the U.S. struggled through a scoreless first half, with the Brazilians on offense in the first half, taking shots at U.S. keeper Alyssa Naeher, while maintaining possession that kept the American offense in check.
But the RSS line – Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson – produced once again, this time in the 57th minute, when Korbin Albert sent a ball into the box for Swanson, who scored on a right-footed shot to the bottom right corner of the Brazilian goal. It was Swanson’s fourth goal in the tournament.
But the Brazilians attacked again and again, continuously frustrated by the U.S. defense.
At 90+4, Brazil found the magic on a through-ball by midfielder Angelina, and midfielder Adriana got a clean header from the right side of goal that looked like a game-tier, but it was swatted away by Naeher with her right hand and the danger was averted.
The U.S. defense played the game out and finished with the 1-0 victory and its first Olympic gold since London 2012. New coach Emma Hayes (GBR) won her 10th consecutive game as head of the American team and led them to victory.
Brazil finished with a startling 60% of possession in the game and 13 shots to nine for the U.S., along with 15 fouls against the U.S. (to 12). But it was not enough and the U.S. won a hard-fought tournament that included two extra-time games to get to the final.
It’s the third time Brazil has won silver to the U.S.’s gold, also in 2004 and 2008.
Germany defeated Spain, 1-0, on a penalty shot by Giulia Gwinn in the 65th, to win the bronze.
● Golf: Women New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, a two-time LPGA Majors winner, shot a one-under 71 in the final round to come out on top in the women’s golf tournament. She finished at 278, where co-leader Morgane Metraux (SUI) faded with a 79 and Germany’s Esther Henseleit charged with a final-round 66 to come from 13th to the silver medal at -8 (280).
China’s Xiyu Lin also played well on Saturday at -3 and won the bronze medal at -7 (281). The leading American was Rose Zhang, who finished in a tie for eighth at -5 (283).
● Gymnastics: Rhythmic Group All-Around China, the 2023 Worlds silver winner, won the 5 Hoops segment and was third in the 3 Ribbons + 2 Balls program and won the Rhythmic Group gold at 69.800 points, over 2023 Worlds winner Israel (68.850) and Tokyo bronze medalist Italy (68.150).
● Handball: Women Norway held a small, 15-13 lead over France at halftime, but won the second half by 14-8 to take the women’s gold by 29-21. Henny Reistad scored eight goals for Norway and Dale Brattset had six, and Stine Oftedal added five. France was led by Orlane Kanor, with five.
For Norway, this was their fifth Games in a row with a medal: gold-gold-bronze-bronze and now gold again. France has won medals in three straight Games in this event: silver-gold-silver.
● Modern Pentathlon: Men Egypt has been a serious contender for years in this sport, but rarely champion … until now. Ahmed Elgendy, the Tokyo runner-up and 2021 Worlds bronze winner, won the fencing, was sixth in swimming and sixth in riding and started the Laser Run with a 17-second edge on the field.
And he crossed first, with the 11th-best time, to win the event with a world best of 1,555 points, comfortably ahead of Japan’s Taishu Sato (1,542) and Italy’s Giorgio Malan (1,536). The top 12 were all within 50 points at the end.
Neither Sato or Malan had ever won a senoir-level World or Olympic medal before.
● Sport Climbing: Women’s Boulder & Lead No doubt, as Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret repeated her Olympic gold from Tokyo, scoring 168.5 points ahead of 2023 Worlds bouldering bronze winner Brooke Raboutou (USA: 156.0) and Austria’s two-time World Champion Jessica Pilz (AUT: 147.4).
● Table Tennis: Women’s Team Top-seeded China swept aside Japan, 3-0, to win the women’s Team gold and won for the fifth time: every time it has been held. China won all 12 matches in its four matches.
Korea swept Germany, 3-0, to win the bronze medal.
● Taekwondo: Men’s +80 kg; Women’s +67 kg Iran’s 2023 Worlds bronze medalist at 87 kg, Arian Salimi won the gold over Britain’s Caden Cunningham, the 2023 European Games winner at +87 kg. The match was a see-saw, with Cunningham taking the first period at 6-3, but Salimi winning 9-1 and 6-3 to take the title.
Cuba’s Tokyo bronze winner and 2019 World Champion Rafael Alba and 2023 World Champion Cheick Sallah Cisse (CIV) won the bronze medals.
France’s Tokyo bronze medalist and 2023 Worlds 73 kg winner Althea Laurin was the winner in the women’s +67 kg class, defeating Svetlana Psipova (UZB) in the final by two rounds to none (3-0, 3-3 criteria). Korea’s Tokyo runner-up, Da-bin Lee and Rebecca McGowan (GBR) took the bronzes.
● Volleyball: Men France defended its Tokyo 2020 gold medal with a three-set sweep of 2018 FIVB World Champion Poland, 25-19, 25-20, 25-23.
The French are the first to repeat as men’s champs since the U.S. did it in 1984 and 1988. The U.S. won the bronze with a difficult, 25-23, 30-28, 26-24 win over Italy on Friday.
● Water Polo: Women After silver-medal finishes in 2012 and at Tokyo 2020, Spain won its first Olympic gold with an 11-9 victory over Australia. Spain led only by 3-2 at half, but the scoring picked up in the second half, with Spain holding a 7-5 lead after three quarters on the way to the 11-9 final.
Bea Ortiz scored four times to lead Spain and Alice Williams was the star for Australia, with five scores. Australia won its fourth Olympic medal in this event and first silver, its highest finish since winning the inaugural tournament in 2000.
The Netherlands upset the U.S. in the bronze-medal game by 11-10, coming back from a 7-3 deficit at the half and 9-6 at the end of the third. The Dutch outscored the Americans by 5-1 in the final quarter, with Sabrina van der Sloot scoring with one second left to take the bronze medal, her sixth goal of the match. The U.S. was led by Maddie Musselman, Jenna Flynn and Ryann Neushul with two each.
It’s the first time the U.S. has not won a medal in Olympic women’s play.
● Weightlifting: Men’s 102 kg-+102 kg; Women’s 81 kg China’s Huanhua Liu, the 2023 World Champion, won the men’s 102 kg class at 406 kg, barely ahead of defending champion Akbar Djuraev (UZB) at 404 kg. Bot made their first Clean & Jerk attempt, but missed the other two; a lift for Djuraev on either of his last two tries would have given him the win.
Third was Yauheni Tsikhantsou of Belarus (as a “neutral”), the 2023 Worlds bronze winner, at 402 kg; he missed this final C&J attempt, which would also have won. American Wes Kitts finished eighth at 374 kg.
Norway’s Solfrid Koanda came down in weight, from 87 kg, where she was the 2022 World Champion, and set an Olympic Record of 275 kg, including an Olympic Record of 154 kg in the Clean & Jerk to win the women’s 81 kg class. Egypt’s Sara Ahmed, the 2023 Worlds winner at 76 kg, won the silver at 268 kg and Neisi Dajomes, the Tokyo 76 kg gold medalist, taking the bronze at 267 kg.
Finally, Georgia’s Lasha Talakhadze won his third straight Olympic title in the +102 kg class, lifting a combined total of 470 kg to edge Armenia’s Varazdat Lalayan, the 2023 Worlds runner-up (467 kg) and ex-Armenian Gor Minasyan (BRN: 461 kg), who took the bronze.
Talakhadze missed his last lift in the Snatch, but won the Clean & Jerk by enough to seal his victory without having to attempt his last lift.
● Wrestling: Men’s Freestyle 74 kg-125 kg;
Women’s Freestyle 62 kg Ex-Russian Razambek Zhamalov (UZB), the 2019 World U-23 champ, won the men’s 74 kg class with a pinfall over Japan’s Daichi Takatani, the 2022 Asian Champs runner-up, in 2:12 for the gold medal, after piling up a 5-0 lead.
Kyle Dale of the U.S., the 2022 World Champion and Tokyo bronze winner, won one bronze and Albania’s Chermen Valiev won the other.
There was a wild bout in the super-heavy 125 kg class, as Georgia’s three-time World Champion Geno Petriashvili piled up a 10-1 lead on and 2023 Worlds gold medalist (and Tokyo bronze winner) Amir Hossein Zare, but Zare came back to close to 10-9, but fell short.
In championship action, Petriashvili defeated Zare in the Tokyo 2020 semifinal by 6-3, Zare defeated Petriashvili, 11-0 in the 2023 Worlds final. Now Petiashvili got the Olympic gold by defeating Zare, barely.
Turkey’s Taha Akgul and Giorgi Meshvildishvili (AZE) won the bronzes.
Japan has now won the women’s 62 kg class all six times it has been held at the Games, as Sakura Motoki, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, dominated Ukraine’s Iryna Koliadenko, the Tokyo 2020 bronze medal winner, by 12-1 in the final. Aisuluu Tynykevova (KGZ), the Tokyo runner-up and three-time World Champion, won one bronze and Grace Bullen of Norway won the other.
● Athletics: Women’s Marathon Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir is the defending champion and won in London over world-record holder Tigist Assefa (ETH), 2:16:16 to 2:16:23. Two-time Olympic 5,000 m silver winner Hellen Obiri (KEN) won Boston this year and is a definite threat, with teammate Sharon Lokedi second.
Dutch star Sifan Hassan was fourth in the fast Tokyo Marathon this year, but what’s left after bronze medals in the 5,000 m and 10,000 m? Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso comes in as the 2023 World Champion and was third in the Tokyo Marathon in March.
Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter was fourth in the 2023 Worlds marathon and has to be accounted for, as does American Trials winner Fiona O’Keeffe (2:22:10) and runner-up Emily Sisson (2:18:29 in 2022).
● Basketball: Women The women’s basketball final has the U.S. trying for an eighth consecutive gold medal and carrying a 60-game win streak against France.
Guard Diana Taurasi has been on five of those teams and is looking for a sixth gold. The American women defeated Brazil to win gold in 1996 in Atlanta, then Australia in 2000-04-08, France in 2012, Spain in 2016 and Japan in Tokyo in 2021. The U.S. beat China in the FIBA World Cup final in 2022 with A’ja Wilson the most Valuable Player.
The American women have won their games by 102-76, 87-74, 87-68, 88-75 in the quarters against Nigeria and 85-64 against Australia in the semis. France was 2-1 in its group, losing to Australia, but beat Germany in the quarters 84-71 and needed overtime to get past Belgium, 81-75. This is not expected to be close.
● Cycling/track: Men’s Keirin; Women’s Sprint-Omnium Malaysia’s Azizulhasni Awang, the Tokyo silver medalist and Rio bronze medalist is back, as is Tokyo bronze winner Harrie Lavreysen (NED), the Sprint winner in Paris. Lavreysen has won this event at the 2020-21-22 Worlds, but Colombia’s Kevin Quintero won it in 2023, and he and Matthew Richardson (AUS: silver) and Shinji Nakano (JPN: bronze) are back as well.
The women’s Sprint has Tokyo champ Kelsey Mitchell (CAN) back, plus Rio 2016 bronze winner Katy Marchant (GBR). Britain’s Emma Finucane, who won the Keirin bronze, was the 2023 World Champion in the Sprint, ahead of German Lea Friedrich (the 2022 winner) and Paris Keirin winner Ellesse Andrews of New Zealand. The 2022 Worlds silver-bronze winners, Mina Sato (JPN) and Steffie van der Peet (NED) are going to be in the mix.
In the track cycling finale, the women’s Omnium will have American Jennifer Valente back to defend her Tokyo 2020 victory. She’s still on top, winning the 2023 Worlds Omnium from Amalie Dideriksen (DEN) and Belgian star Lotte Kopecky. Tokyo runner-up Yumi Kajihara (JPN) returns, as does 2022 Worlds silver winner Maike van der Duin (NED).
● Handball: Men This has to be close. Germany got to the final by beating France, 35-34, in extra time, then surviving against Spain, 25-24. The Danes beat Sweden, 32-41, and Slovenia, 31-30.
The Danes won at Rio 2016 and were second in Tokyo; the Germans won the bronze in Rio for their last medal. In the IHF Worlds, Denmark has won the title in 2019-21-23, with the last German medal a win in 2007.
● Modern Pentathlon: Women Time to say good-bye to the Modern Pentathlon as conceived in 1912, a five-event combination of fencing, swimming, riding, shooting and running. Following a horse abuse incident at Tokyo 2020, riding will be eliminated in favor of obstacle course, an unpopular decision with many pentathletes.
But there is this last hurrah. Tokyo winner Kate French (GBR) and Lithuania’s Laura Asadauskaite – the London winner and Tokyo silver medalist – both return. French hopes are with Rio 2016 silver medalist Elodie Clouvel.
Korea’s Seung-min Seong won the 2024 women’s Worlds gold, ahead of Hungary’s Blanka Guzi, while Italy’s Elela Micheli and Alice Sotero went 1-2 in 2023. Micheli also won in 2022, ahead of Michelle Gulyas (HUN). If it comes down to the Laser Run and Asadauskaite is close, don’t count her out.
● Volleyball: Women The U.S. is the defending women’s Olympic champion from Tokyo. Italy was the 2018 Worlds runner-up, and won the 2024 women’s Nations League, thrashing the U.S. in the quarterfinals and defeating Japan, 3-1, in the final.
And, at the last FIVB women’s Worlds in 2022, Italy swept aside the U.S. by 3-0 to win the bronze medal. The Italians had never won a medal in women’s volleyball; they look primed to be golden.
● Water Polo: Men Serbia and Croatia have been around the medals in this sport for decades. Croatia won the 2024 World Championships, with Serbia fourth, and won in 2017 with Serbia third. Serbia won in 2015, beating Croatia in the final, 11-4.
Serbia has won the last two men’s Olympic water polo golds, defeating Croatia and Greece in the finals in 2016 and at Tokyo 2020. Croatia won at London 2012 with Serbia third. Too close to call.
● Weightlifting: Women’s +81 kg China has won the last three women’s super-heavy class golds and Wenwen Li returns as the defending champion and the 2019 and 2022 World Champion. South Korea’s Hye-jeong Park won the 2024 Worlds gold ahead of Mary Theisen-Lappen of the U.S., with Lisseth Ayovi (ECU) and all three are entered. So are the silver and bronze winners from the 2022 Worlds, Emily Campbell (GBR) and Thai Duangaksom Chaidee. There aren’t enough medals to go around.
● Wrestling: Men’s Freestyle 65 kg-97 kg; Women’s 76 kg Japan’s Kotaro Kiyooka, who has never won a Worlds medal before, will face Iran’s 2022 World Champion, Rahman Amouzad in the men’s 65 kg final.
Bahrain’s Akhmed Tazhudinov, the 2023 World Champion, is in the men’s 97 kg final against Givi Matcharashvili, the Worlds bronze winner in 2022 and 2023. Kyle Snyder, the Rio 2016 winner, will wrestle for one of the bronzes.
Six-time World Champion Adeline Gray was expected to contend at 76 kg, but was defeated at the U.S. Trials by Kennedy Blades. And Blades is into the Olympic final in Paris, to face the 2023 Worlds winner, Japan’s Yuka Kagami.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Refugee Team ●Manizha Talash, a member of the Refugee Olympic Team, was disqualified on Friday during the breaking qualifying round for wearing a blue cape with the words “Free Afghan Women.”
Talash is from Afghanistan, but left in 2021 for Pakistan and is now living in Spain.
● Athletics ●Carl Lewis, now the coach at Houston, after the latest disaster in the men’s 4×100 m relay in Paris:
“It is time to blow up the system. This continues to be completely unacceptable. It is clear that EVERYONE at @usatf is more concerned with relationships than winning. No athlete should step on the track and run another relay until this program is changed from top to bottom.”
He wrote on X prior to the relays:
“If @TeamUSA wins all relays tomorrow, you talk to the athletes. If something happens and they do not sweep. ONLY talk to the coaches. Yes, I said it!!!”
¶
Noah Lyles had contracted Covid and a temperature of 102 degrees when he ran the final of the men’s 200 m according to his coach, Lance Brauman, finishing third to Letsile Tebogo (BOT) and fellow American Kenny Bednarek.
“Those guys raced great,” Brauman told The Associated Press. “But to get a bronze medal in 19.70 with a temperature of about 102, that wasn’t too bad.
“I mean, he was sick. People are going to say whatever they want, and that’s fine, but the dude was sick. What he had to do to muscle out that medal, that’s going to be hard to forget.”
¶
Great moment on Friday for 10 athletes who received their re-allocated Olympic medals in the Champions Park from the IOC, including London 2012 gold medalists Erik Kynard of the U.S. in the men’s high jump and women’s 400 m hurdler Lashinda Demus. Eight of the 10 medals were in athletics, from revised results in which Russian athletes were disqualified for doping.
¶
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“The athletes, the French people and the fans all around the world are in love with the Games, and with each other. In the venues, in the streets of Parisat the Olympic Village, you can feel and experience and see the enthusiasm, which is shared by everyone.
“We have all seen the way that France and the French people have taken these Games really to their hearts. It was not just a sober organization, it was a celebration coming from the heart, with all the friendliness, the hospitality, the curiosity, the interest was really heart-warming to see, and you could see hundreds of thousands, millions of the French people on the streets of Paris and full stadia everywhere.”
That’s International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach(GER) at his Friday news conference, giving high praise to the Paris 2024 Games and underscoring the reforms he brought to the Olympic Movement in 2014:
“These are exactly the Games we envisaged with Olympic Agenda: more sustainable, more urban, younger, more inclusive, first Olympic Games with full gender parity. That was the vision of Olympic Agenda. And all of this with the athlete at the center of all the efforts.”
Bach remarked on the remarkable connection between the athletes and what was missing – due to Covid – in Tokyo, the fans:
“The athletes inspired the audience and the audiences giving this inspiration back to the athletes, so you can see, really, a spiral of excitement growing.”
He was also grateful to the excellent work of the Paris 2024 organizers and the support of the local, regional and national governments, especially in a time when there is no majority party in the National Assembly and all of the ministers were holdovers:
“All these achievements would not have been possible without an organizing committee as a partner who fully shares, and shared from the very beginning of their planning, all our values, our mission and our values. And therefore, I cannot thank enough the organizing committee under the great leadership of my fellow Olympian Tony Estanguet for the great work. …
“In this sense, I would like to include all the members of the organizing committee, all the workforces of the different kinds, the security teams, of course, the volunteers, whose smiles and friendliness I think we all benefitted from, and everyone else involved. It was also, from them, an Olympic-quality performance.
“This is also true for the public authorities, the public services here at all levels here in France, starting from the President of the Republic, to the many municipal authorities and services, all over France.”
Asked about the future of the Games and what to expect from Los Angeles in 2028, Bach emphasized:
“It’s up to each organizing committee to adapt the relevant measures in their way. … When it comes to more urban, then L.A. must, because of the structure of the city, take a different approach. You don’t have city centers in L.A. with iconic landmarks as you have here in Paris …
“Each edition of the Games has to be different. If L.A. would like to copy the Eiffel Tower, it would be a recipe for disaster. Each Olympic Games have to be authentic and have to be creative and have to show the culture of the host country, the host city and to be open to share this with the world.”
Bach was asked about all the pre-Games worries, and noted, “It is human that before such an event is taking place, that there are many people who have many concerns and they think about kind of risks here and risks there. But the proof is in the pudding.”
He was also asked about what Paris 2024 could have done better. His response:
“This is not a serious question.”
Case closed. ~ Rich Perelman
● Les Temps ● A happy updated forecast for the last couple of days of the Games:
● 10 Aug. (Sat.): High of 87 ~ low of 64, sunny ● 11 Aug. (Sun.): 93 ~ 70, sunny
There is now no rain in the forecast for the following week.
● Medals & Teams ●The U.S. has 111 medals with two days to go, the most medals it has ever won in a European-hosted Olympic Games:
● 1. 111, United States (33-39-39) ● 2. 83, China (33-27-23) ● 3. 57, Great Britain (14-20-23) ● 4. 56, France (14-20-22) ● 5. 48, Australia (18-16-14) ● 6. 37, Japan (16-8-13) ● 7. 36, Italy (11-12-13) ● 8. 29, Netherlands (13-6-10) ● 8. 29, Germany (12-9-8) ● 10. 28, South Korea (13-8-7) ● 11. 24, Canada (7-6-11) ● 12. 18, Brazil (3-6-9)
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much diverse, inclusive and equitable representation of team achievement, the U.S. continues to lead:
● 1. 1,120, United States ● 2. 854, China ● 3. 656 1/2, France ● 4. 648, Great Britain ● 5. 522 1/2, Italy ● 6. 510 1/2, Australia ● 7. 449 1/2, Japan ● 8. 443, Germany ● 9. 352, Netherlands ● 10. 315 1/2, Canada ● 11. 312 1/2, Korea ● 12. 239 1/2, Spain ● 13. 220 1/2, Brazil ● 14. 202, New Zealand ● 15. 192 1/2, Hungary
Now, a total of 117 countries (out of 206) – plus the Refugee Team, and including Belarus and Russia, as “neutrals” – have scored points so far.
● Television ● NBC continues to show strong audiences for the Games, although the second-week numbers are down – as usual – from week one:
● 26 Jul. (Fri.): 29.3 million (28.6 + Telemundo 0.7) ● 27 Jul. (Sat.): 32.4 million ● 28 Jul. (Sun.): 41.5 million ~ gymnastics women’s qualifying ● 29 Jul. (Mon.): 31.3 million ● 30 Jul. (Tue.): 34.7 million ~ gymnastics women’s Team final ● 01 Aug. (Wed.): 29.1 million ● 02 Aug. (Thu.): 31.7 million ~ gymnastics women’s All-Around ● 03 Aug. (Fri.): 27.4 million ● 04 Aug. (Sat.): 34.6 million ~ gymnastics women’s Vault ● 05 Aug. (Sun.): 35.4 million ~ men’s 100 m final ● 06 Aug. (Mon.): 29.1 million ~ gymnastics women’s Beam & Floor ● 07 Aug. (Tue.): 27.4 million ● 08 Aug. (Wed.): 26.0 million (estimate) ● 09 Aug. (Thu.): 28.5 million
NBC reported the 12-day Olympic viewing average for 2024 at 31.6 million in 2024, compared to 17.8 million for Tokyo (a lot better) and the 10-day average of 27.7 million for Rio (better).
The measurement of “Total Audience Delivery” is based upon live-plus-same day custom fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics. This is not a true “apples-to-apples” with prior Games, however, as the audiences prior to 2024 were for the NBC primetime show only and the Paris totals are for the daytime show (live) and the primetime show together. No out-of-home audiences were in the figures for Rio 2016; Nielsen added those in 2020.
● Athletics: Men’s 400 m hurdles-4×100 m-Triple Jump Women’s 400 m-10,000 m-4×100 m-Shot-Heptathlon It was raining in the Stade de France at the start of the session, which was hardly helpful. The U.S. stayed with same squad that had the fastest time in the heats and Melissa Jefferson was off well on the start and had an excellent pass to Tee Tee Terry. The second pass was good, but Gabby Thomas made up space, but had some trouble with the pass to Sha’Carri Richardson.
But Richardson got the stick and took off and she got the lead with 25 m to go, looked over at the other lanes and burst through the line in 41.78. Britain, with Daryll Neita on anchor, was second in 41.85 and Germany third in 41.97.
The U.S. men did not have Noah Lyles – suffering from Covid – for the 4×100 m final, so Christian Coleman now teamed with Kenny Bednarek, Kyree King and Fred Kerley on anchor. But as Coleman ran strongly on the first leg, the pass to Bednarek was a disaster, with Bednarek leaving early and coming to essentially a stop. Bednarek got going, but was way behind, and King and Kerley finished seventh across the line in 37.89.
Andre De Grasse brought Canada home in 37.50, with South Africa second in 37.57 and Britain third in 37.61. The U.S. was later disqualified for passing out of the zone and has not won a medal in this event since 2004 (and hasn’t won since 2000). If Lyles had been healthy, the first exchange would have been from Coleman to Kerley, which worked in the heats.
The sun came out for the women’s 400 m, which was all Marileidy Paulino (DOM), as expected. Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser was out strongly on the outside, but Paulino moved up on the turn and was clearly in the lead coming home, winning in a sensational 48.17, an Olympic Record and now no. 4 on the all-time list with the no. six performance ever.
Naser was a clear second in 48.53, ahead of European champ Natalia Kaczmarek (POL: 48.98). American Alexis Holmes was sixth in a lifetime best of 49.77.
The women’s 10,000 m remained bunched with Francine Niyomukunzi (BDI) leading at 5,000 m at 15:38.4. Then the Kenyans took over, with Margaret Kipkemboi ahead of world-record holder Beatrice Chebet (the 5,000 m winner) at 6,000 m, and Ethiopia’s Tisige Gebreselama went to the front by 7,000 m. At 8,000 m, Chebet moved up to trail Kipkemboi, but the lead pack of 13 was still together with four laps to go. And then Parker Valby of the U.S. ran to the front with 3 1/2 laps left!
At three laps to go, the pack was together again and Gudaf Tsegay moved into contention coming into the straight. Down to 800 m left and Kipkemboi was back in front, but with defending champ Sifan Hassan (NED) moving up. At the bell, sprinting finally started and the race broke up. On the back straight, Lilian Rengeruk came to the front with Kipkemboi with Italy’s Nadia Battocletti moving up, But Chebet roared around the turn and ran to the line with Battocletti chasing in 30:43.25 and 30:43.35, a national record.
Hassan moved into third in the final 75 m and got a second bronze in 30:44.12. Americans Weini Kelati was eighth in 30:49.98, followed by Karissa Schweizer, ninth in 30:51.99 and Valby, 11th in 30:59.28.
The final race of the night was the long-anticipated men’s 400 m hurdles, where Karsten Warholm (NOR) and Rai Benjamin of the U.S. went 1-2 in world-record style in Tokyo.
Off the gun, Warholm in lane seven got off well, but Benjamin – a lane outside in eight – was right with him down the back straight, something that rarely happens to the Norwegian. Benjamin was smooth on the turn and was in front over hurdle eight. He accelerated and Warholm chopped his step on hurdle nine and it was over. Benjamin had a small chop on 10, but rolled home with the win in 46.46, equal to his season best and the no. 5 performance all-time.
Warholm was a clear second in 47.06, with 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santos (BRA: 47.26) third. Redemption and satisfaction for Benjamin for sure,
European champ and ex-Cuban Jordan Diaz (ESP) blew up the men’s triple jump in the first round, landing at 17.86 m (58-7 1/4) and daring anyone to follow. Ex-Cuban Andy Diaz (ITA), the Tokyo bronze winner, jumped 17.63 m (57-10 1/4) in round one and defending champion and ex-Cuban Pedro Pichardo (POR) got close at 17.84 m (58-6 1/2) in round two. Jamaica’s 2023 world leader, Jaydon Hibbert, reached 17.61 m (57-9 1/2) in the second.
Diaz also jumped 17.84 m (58-6 1/2) in round four as a back-up jump and Andy Diaz improved to 17.64 m (57-10 1/2) in round six. And when Pichardo’s final jump was a monster 17.81 m (58-5 1/4), it still wasn’t enough and Jordan Diaz won the gold.
U.S. Trials winner Salif Mane jumped 17.28 m (56-8 1/2) in round one, and improved to 17.41 m (57-1 1/2) in round six and moved into sixth overall.
In the women’s shot, collegiate record holder Jaida Ross of the U.S. got out to the early lead at 19.28 m (63-3 1/4), but was passed by Maddison-Lee Wesche (NZL: 19.58 m/64-3) and Yemisi Ogunleye (GER: 19.55 m/64-1 3/4) by the end of the third round.
China’s Jiayuan Song moved into third in the fourth round at 19.32 m (63-4 3/4), and then Wesche exploded with a lifetime best to take the lead at 19.86 m (65-2) in round five. Ogunleye improved to 19.73 m (64-8 3/4) in round five and took the lead at 20.00 m (65-7 1/2) to take the lead on the penultimate throw of the event. Wesche got close, but did not improve and Ogunleye closed out a shocking, upset win.
Raven Saunders of the U.S. was 11th at 17.79 m (58-4 1/2) and World Indoor champ Sarah Mitton (CAN), the pre-meet co-favorite, was 12th at 17.48 m (57-4 1/4).
Belgium’s Nafi Thiam moved into the lead by winning the women’s heptathlon javelin at 54.04 m (177-3), taking a 121-point lead into the 800 m over Katarina Johnson-Thompson (GBR).
American Anna Hall had a big throw in the javelin negated when her feet landed on the toeline; she was fifth going into the second heat of the 800 m and took the lead right away. She won her race in 2:04.39, with Johnson-Thompson second in a lifetime best of 2:04.90. Thiam got a lifetime best of 2:10.62 in sixth and that was enough for her third straight Olympic gold with 6,880 points. Johnson-Thompson scored 6,844 for second and Belgium went 1-3 with Noor Vidts scoring a lifetime best of 6,707 for third. Hall finished fifth at 6,165.
● Beach Volleyball: Women The final was a battle between 2022 World Champions Duda Lisboa and Ana Patricia Ramos of Brazil, in a re-match with Canada’s 2022 Worlds runner-ups Melissa Human-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson. The marathon first set was won by the Brazilians, 26-24, but the Canadians came back in set two, 21-12. But the Brazilians got the final set and the gold, 15-10.
In the bronze-medal match, Swiss Tanja Huberli and Nina Brunner completed an upset campaign, beating Tokyo runners-up Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy (AUS) by 21-17, 21-15.
● Boxing: Men’s 71 kg-92 kg; Women’s 50 kg-66 kg Uzbekistan’s 2023 World Champion Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev was a decisive winner against Mexico’s second-seeded Marco Verde in the men’s 71 kg final by 5:0. American Omari Jones and Lewis Richardson (GBR) won the bronzes.
Uzbekistan has another opportunity at 92 kg, with Lazizbek Mullojonov, the 2023 Worlds bronze winner, facing Loren Alfonso (AZE), and Mullojonov dominated, winning 5:0, with three judges voting for him by 30-27.
Enmanuel Reyes (ESP) and Davlat Boltaev (TJK) won the bronze medals.
In the women’s 50 kg final, top-seeded Yu Wu of China, the 2023 World Champion, faced Turkey’s Tokyo runner-up Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkey, the 2022 World Champion and the Tokyo 2020 runner-up. Wu won by decision and won the first round by 4:1, the second by 4:1 and 5:0 in the third for the 4:1 decision across all five judges.
Aira Villegas (PHI) and Nazym Kyzaibay (KAZ) took the bronze medals.
At 66 kg, China’s Liu Yang, the 2023 World Champion, faced Algerian Image Khelif, in the spotlight during the Games over claims by the International Boxing Association that she is not a woman. Khelif has competed for years in the women’s division and was the 2022 IBA Worlds runner-up and was dominant in the final, winning 5:0 and by 30:27 on all five cards.
Nien-chin Chen (TPE) and Janjaem Suwannapheng (THA) claimed the bronzes.
● Breaking: B-Girls Here it was, Breaking as an Olympic sport, and in the final, Japan’s Ami (Amu Yuasa) was a 6-3 winner in round one and a 5-4 winner in rounds two and three for a 16-11 total and the gold medal over Lithuania’s 2023 World Champion Nicka (Dominika Banevic). China won the bronze with 671 (Qingyi Liu) taking the bronze battle against India (India Sardjoe: NED), 2:1 (19-8).
● Canoeing: Sprint Men’s C-1 1,000 m-K-2 500 m;
Women’s C-2 500 m-K-2 500 m Another triumph for New Zealand legend Lisa Carrington, who teamed with Alicia Hoskin to win the women’s K-2 500 m, Carrington’s seventh Olympic gold. She won with Caitlin Regal in Tokyo, but with Hoskin, led at the half and finished in 1:37.28.
Hungary’s Tamara Csipes and Alida Gazso finished second in 1:39.39, just ahead of a tie for third between Germany’s Paulina Paszek and Jule Hake and Hungary’s Noemi Pupp and Sara Fojt.
World Champion Martin Fuksa (CZE) was the wire-to-wire winner of the men’s C-1 1,000 m final, winning by 3:43.16 to 3:44.33 over defending champ Isaquias Queiroz (BRA), with Moldova’s Serghei Tarnovschi third in 3:44.68.
Fuksa, a three-time Sprint World Champion, now has his first Olympic medal.
Germans Jacob Schopf and Max Lemke led at the half and held on to win the men’s K-2 500 m in 1:26.87, just ahead of Bence Nadas and Sandor Totka (HUN) in 1:27.15. Australia’s Tokyo 2020 C-2 1,000 m winners, Jean van der Westhuyzen and Thomas Green, were third in 1:27.29.
Americans Jonas Ecker andAaron Small made the final and finished eighth (1:30.02).
China’s defending champions Shixiao Xu and Mengya Sun had no trouble in the women’s C-2 500 m final, winning in 1:52.81, ahead of Ukraine (1:54.30) – which was second in Tokyo – and Canada – third in Tokyo – in 1:54.36. Both Ukraine (Liudmyla Luzan) and Canada (Katie Vincent) had one of their Tokyo team members back again for second medals.
● Cycling/track: Men’s Sprint; Women’s Madison No surprises in the men’s Sprint. Dutch star Harrie Lavreysen won in Tokyo, had already won the Team Sprint in Paris and had won the Worlds gold five times in a row. So he added to the trophy case with the Paris gold, defeating Australia Matthew Richardson, the 2022 Worlds runner-up, 2-0, by 0.024 and 0.047 seconds.
Britain’s Tokyo bronze winner Jack Carlin took the bronze, winning two of three from Dutch star Jeffrey van Hoogland, the Tokyo silver medalist.
Italy’s Chiara Consonni and Vittoria Guazzini won the women’s Madison in an upset with 37 points to 31 for Britain’s Elinor Barker and Neah Evans, the 2023 World Champions. The Dutch team of Maike van der Duin and Lisa van Belle won the bronze (28) with the U.S. pair of Jennifer Valente and Lily Williams fourth.
● Diving: Women’s 3 m Springboard China’s Yiwen Chen entered as the 2022 and 2023 World Champion and won four of the five dives for the Olympic gold with 376.00 points. The fight for second was a surprise, as 2024 World Champion Yani Chang (CHN) had a disastrous first dive (12th) while Australia’s 2019 Worlds bronze medalist Maddison Keeney was second and Keeny won the final dive to claim silver at 343.10 to 318.75.
China continued its march to a gold-medal sweep, but Keeney’s silver is a surprise.
● Football: Men The men’s final was crazy, with Spain taking a 3-1 lead at the half, but the French tying it with a 79th-minute goal by Maghnes Akliouche and then a penalty at 90+3 by Jean-Philippe Matea!
In extra time, Sergio Camello got the winners for Spain with a brilliant, right-side shot to the far side of the French goal in the 100th minute and the final at 120+1 for the 5-3 win and the gold medal.
Spain moved up from silver in Tokyo. Morocco stomped Egypt, 6-0, for the bronze.
● Gymnastics: Rhythmic All-Around No question about Germany’s 2023 World Champion Darja Varfolomeev, who won three of the four apparatus – Hoop, Ball and Clubs – to win at 142.850, ahead of Boryana Kaleyn (BUL: 140.600) and 2022 World Champion Sofia Raffaelli (ITA: 136.300). Kaleyn won on Ribbon, with Varfolomeev second.
● Hockey: Women Of course the final was tight, even though the Netherlands came in at 7-0 and China was 4-3. Both scored one goal in regulation and it went to penalties, with Pien Sanders, Maria Verschoor and Marijn Veen scoring three for the Dutch while China could only manage one goal in four tries.
The bronze-medal game also went to penalties, with Argentina finally defeating Belgium by 3-1, after a 2-2 tie.
● Sailing: Men’s Kite Delayed a day due to a lack of wind on Thursday, 2022 Worlds runner-up Toni Vodisek (SLO) led after the seven-race opening series with just 12 net points. But in the finals, Austria’s Valentin Bontus, fourth at the 2022 Worlds, was supreme, winning all three races anf taking the gold medal. Vodisek placed second and Singapore’s Max Maeder, who won the 2023 and 2024 Worlds, was third.
American Markus Edegran finished ninth.
● Sport Climbing: Men’s Boulder & Lead The men’s Combined event – Boulder and Lead – was be contested for the first time at the Olympic level, with Britain’s Toby Roberts, 19, finished third in the Boulder segment and then tied for third in Lead and that was enough for an upset win with a total of 155.2 points.
Japan’s Sorato Anranu won the Boulder segment but was only fifth in Lead and totaled 145.4 points for second. Jakob Schubert (AUT), a consistent Worlds medalist, won the bronze at 139.6 and American Colin Duffy was strong on Boulder, but seventh on Lead to finish fourth at 136.4.
● Swimming: Men’s 10 km open water This turned into a two-man race with Hungary’s 2024 World Champion Kristof Rasovszky leading and German Oliver Klemet, the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist close. But Rasovszky held on and touched first in 1:50:52.7 to 1:50:54.8, moving from silver in Tokyo to gold in Paris.
Hungary’s David Betlehem worked his way up from sixth after four laps to the bronze-medal position on the final half-lap and was third in 1:51:09.0, just out-touching Italy’s Domenico Acerenza (1:51:09.6). Ivan Puskovitch of the U.S. was 19th in 1:57:52.5.
● Table Tennis: Men’s Team No problem for China, which has never lost this event at the Games. Its fifth straight gold came at the expense of Sweden by 3:2, 3:2 and 3:2 for a 3-0 sweep by Chuqin Wang, Long Ma and Zhendong Fan. In fact, China did not lost a single match-up in its four wins: 12-0.
Ma 35, won his sixth Olympic gold from 2012-24, with two Singles wins and four Team titles. France won the bronze-medal match over Japan, 3:2.
● Taekwondo: Men’s 80 kg-Women’s 67 kg Tunisia Firas Katoussi, the 2022 Worlds bronze medalist, triumphed in the men’s 80 kg final, defeating Iran’s 2022 Worlds bronzer Mehran Barkhordari, 2:0, winning by 4-2 and 5-1.
Italy’s Simone Alessio, the 2023 Worlds winner, won a bronze over Carl Nickolas of the U.S. by 2-0, and Edi Hrnic (DEN) took the other, also 2-0, over Geon-woo Seo (KOR).
Serbia’s Aleksandra Perisic, the 2022 Worlds runner-up, got to the final of the women’s 67 kg class, but it was 18-year-old Viviana Marton (HUN) who pulled the upset, winning 7-4 and 4-2 for a 2:0 victory and the gold medal.
American Kristina teachout won a bronze with a 9-1, 3-0 (2:0) win over China’s Jie Song, and Sarah Chaari (BEL) won the other, 2:1 against Ozoda Sobirjonova (UZB).
● Weightlifting: Men’s 89 kg; Women’s 71 kg The U.S. came to Paris having won one Olympic gold in women’s weightlifting, back in 2000. Now there are two, as Olivia Reeves, the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist, set an Olympic Record in the Snatch at 117 kg and made two of three lifts in the Clean & Jerk to finish at 262 kg, ahead of Mari Sanchez (COL: 257 kg) and Ecuador’s 2023 Worlds silver medalist Angie Palacios (256 kg).
In the men’s 89 class, a new division for 2024, Bulgaria’s Karlos Nasar, 20, moved up from his 2021 Worlds gold at 81 kg to win in Paris, so-winning the Snatch at 180 kg and then setting an Olympic Record of 224 kg in the Clean& Jerk to finish with a WORLD RECORD of 404 kg!
Colombia’s Yeison Lopez also lifted 180 kg in the Snatch, but 210 in the C&J and finished second at 390 kg, with Antonio Pizzolato (ITA: 384 kg) taking the bronze, his second straight Olympic third after his 81 kg bronze in Tokyo.
● Wrestling: Men’s 57 kg Free-86 kg Free; Women’s 57 kg Free Japan’s Rei Higuchi, the Rio 2016 silver winner, took the men’s 57 kg gold with a 4-2 victory over Spencer Lee of the U.S. Lee had a 2-0 lead after the first period, but Higuchi won the second period by 4-0 for the victory.
India’s Aman Aman and Gulomjon Abdullaev (UZB) won the bronze medals.
Iranian star Hassan Yazdani is a three-time World Champion in the men’s 86 kg Freestyle class, but was thoroughly beaten in the men’s 86 kg final by Bulgaria’s Magomed Ramazanov, a former Russian was the 2020 European silver winner at 79 kg, by 7-1.
The U.S.’s Aaron Brooks won a bronze medal by 5:0, and Greece’s Dauren Kurugliev won the other.
Three-time World Champion Tsugumi Sakurai has mauled the field in the women’s 57 kg class, winning 6-1, 11-0 before a pinfall and then 10-4 against 2016 Olympic 53 kg winner Helen Maroulis of the U.S. in the semis. She did not let up in the final against Moldova’s Anastasia Nichita, the Worlds 2023 runner-up, winning 6-0.
Maroulis won her third Olympic medal – a bronze this time – with a pinfall of Canada’s Hannah Taylor in 24 seconds. China’s Kexin Hong won the other bronze by 10-0 over Giullia Penalber of Brazil.
Elsewhere:
● Athletics ● In the morning heats, the men’s 800 m semis were won by favored Djamel Sedjati (ALG: 1:45.08), 2023 World Champion Marco Arop (CAN: 1:45.05) and Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi (1:43.32), with American Bryce Hoppel second in 1:43.41. Teammates Brandon Miller (1:45.79 in semi one) and Hobbs Kessler (1:46.20 in semi two) did not advance.
All three Americans advanced in the women’s 100 m hurdles semis, with Grace Stark winning semi one in 12.39, then Alaysha Johnson winning semi two in 12.34 and defending champ Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PUR) winning semi three in 12.35. Masai Russell of the U.S. was right behind in 12.42. World-record holder Tobi Amusan (NGR) was the no. 9 qualifier and did not advance, finishing third in semi one (12.55).
The women’s 4×400 m heats had the U.S. winning easily in the first race, with Quanera Hayes (51.27), Shamier Little (49.22), Aaliyah Butler (50.41) and Kaylyn Brown (50.54) winning by more than three seconds in 3:21.44. The next-best time of the day was Great Britain in second in the same heat at 3:24.72.
The U.S. was in the men’s 4×400 m first heat, with 16-year-old Quincy Wilson running lead-off. And he ran like a high school sophomore – which he is – at 47.27 and in seventh place. From there, Vernon Norwood, 32, ran 43.54 to get the U.S. back into contact and into sixth. Bryce Deadmon, the 2023 U.S. national champion, followed with a 44.20 leg to get the Americans into fourth, with the top three qualifying automatically. Anchor Chris Bailey steamed to a 44.14 final leg and passed Japan on the final turn to get the U.S. into the final at 2:59.15. Botswana, with Letsile Tebogo running 44.33 on lead-off, won at 2:57.76, with Great Britain next at 2:58.88 and those were the top three times of the day.
● Basketball ●The U.S. women had no trouble with Australia in their semifinal, leading 45-27 at half and rolling to an 85-64 victory and their 60th straight win in Olympic play. Breanna Stewart led the U.S. with 16 points, Jackie Young had 14 and Kahleah Copper had 11. On to the final. The U.S. shot 50% and held Australia to 36%.
Just as in the men’s tournament, the U.S. will face France, which needed overtime to defeat Belgium, 81-75, in its semifinal.
● Volleyball ● The U.S. men won a hard-fought bronze medal with a 25-23, 30-28, 26-24 win over Italy, the first U.S. medal since Rio 2016.
● Water Polo ●In the men’s semifinals, Serbia defeated the U.S., 10-6, taking a 6-4 halftime lead, 8-6 after three and scoring two more in the final quarter. Nikola Dedovic had four scores for the winners; Marko Vavic scored two to lead the U.S.
In the second semi, Croatia managed a 9-8 win over Hungary, holding on after a 7-5 halftime lead. Loren Fatovic scored five to lead Croatia.
The medal matches will be on Sunday; the U.S. has a chance for a medal for the first time since 2008.
● Artistic Swimming: Duet This event has been dominated nu Russia, which had won six straight Olympic golds coming into 2024. They aren’t entered, so China’s 2024 World Champions, twin sisters Liuyi Wang and Qianyi Wang, are favored. Their primary challengers are Britain’s Kate Shortman and Isabelle Thorpe (‘24 Worlds Tech silver and Free bronze), Dutch Free silver sisters Bregje de Brouwer and Noortje de Brouwer and Spain’s Duet Tech bronze medalists Alisa Ozhogina and Iris Tio.
● Athletics: Men’s 800 m-5,000 m-Marathon-4×400 m-High Jump Women’s 1,500 m-100 m hurdles-4×400 m-Javelin Back-to-back Olympic champ Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) has not been dominant, finishing 10th at the Tokyo Marathon in his only race of the year, in March. Tokyo winner Benson Kipruto, the world leader at 2:02:16 is a favorite and Alexander Mutiso, the London winner (2:04:01) are the other Kenyans.
Ethiopia counters with London runner-up and three-time Olympic track gold medalist Kenenisa Bekele, Seville Marathon winner Deresa Geleta (2:03:27) and Sisay Lemma, the 2024 Boston winner. Tokyo silver winner Abdi Nageeye (NED) is back as is bronze winner Bashir Abdi (BEL), and what about France’s Morhad Amdouni (2:03:47)?
On the track, the greatest year in history in the men’s 800 m will be decided among Djamel Sedjati (ALG), the 2022 Worlds runner-up, Kenyan Emmanuel Wanyonyi, France’s Gabriel Tual and Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui, all of whom have run 1:42.04 or faster. American Bryce Hoppel is an excellent tactician and won the World Indoor title, and 2023 Worlds winner Marco Arop (CAN) are also contenders.
The men’s 5,000 m is shaped by the 1,500 m held on 6 August. How will Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen react to his fourth-place finish? If he’s looking for redemption after a loss, as he did at the 2022 and 2023 Worlds, he won both with strong finishes. Opposing him are Ethiopian stars Hagos Gebrhiwet and Yomif Kejelcha, who were 1-2 in the race of the year in Oslo in 12:36.73 and 12:38.95, with Jacob Kiplimo (UGA: 12:40.96) third. If you’re looking for a story, how about European champ Dominic Lobalu, who does not have Swiss citizenship yet, so he’s running on the Refugee Olympic Team! American Grant Fisher, third in the 10,000 m, is looking for another medal.
The women’s 1,500 m should be a showcase for Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, the two-time defending champion and world-record setter at 3:49.04. Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, entered in the 15-5-10, ran 3:50.30 in China in April and Australian Jessica Hull got the world 2,000 m record and has run 3:50.83 this year. Ethiopians Birke Haylom and Diribe Welteji, Tokyo runner-up Laura Muir (GBR) and others are all in the hunt for medals.
No one knows how the women’s 100 m hurdles will finish. Defending champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PUR), Americans Masai Russell (world leader: 12.25), Grace Stark (12.31) and Alaysha Johnson (12.31) are all contenders, as is Ackera Nugent of Jamaica (12.28). The crowd will be with France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela (12.31).
Tokyo Olympic co-champ Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA) won the Euro title at a world-leading 2.37 m (7-9 1/4) and was the favorite, but apparently developed kidney stones just before arriving in Paris. His Olympic co-champ Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT) could be ready to challenge, and American Shelby McEwen is clearly a medal possibility.
The women’s javelin should be a fight between 2023 Worlds winner Haruka Kitaguchi (JPN), 2023 bronze winner Mackenzie Little (AUS), little-known Flor Dennis Ruiz of Colombia, the world leader at 66.70 m (218-10) and European champ Victoria Hudson (AUT). American Maggie Malone Harden is also a medal possibility.
If the U.S. can keep the stick off the ground, both the men’s and women’s 4×400 m teams will be favored. The men have 400 gold winner Quincy Hall, 2022 World Champion Michael Norman, Chris Bailey, Vernon Norwood, and Rau Benjamin to anchor, as he did in Tokyo. No one should be that close.
The women can call on Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone on anchor, as in Tokyo, and have solid legs in front from Kendall Ellis, Kaylyn Brown, Aliyah Butler and Alexis Holmes, among others. But the Dutch – with Bol on anchor – will be in contention, as will Ireland and perhaps Poland.
● Basketball: Men Of course, it had to be France and the U.S. in the final, a re-match of the Tokyo final, won by the Americans by 87-72 after the French had beaten the U.S. in the group stage. In Paris, the French edged Canada, 82-73 and then eliminated 2023 FIBA World Cup champs Germany, 73-69.
The U.S., trying to win its fifth title in a row, is led by LeBron James (two-time gold-medalist) and Kevin Durant, a three-time gold medalist in 2012-16-20. Durant almost single-handedly pushed the U.S. over the top in Tokyo. They have had lots of help from Steph Curry, whose 36 points helped bring the Americans back from 17 down against Serbia, finally taking the lead in the fourth quarter and winning, 95-91.
What the U.S. does about young French star center Victor Wembanyama will be fascinating: pushed around by Joel Embiid, or smothered by Bam Adebayo, or both?
● Beach Volleyball: Men The hot team coming into the tournament was Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, the 2023 Worlds silver medalists and winners of four Elite 16 tournaments this season. Germans Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler eliminated defending champs Anders Mol and Christian Sorum (NOR) and get to play for gold; Wickler won a Worlds silver back in 2019 with a different partner.
● Boxing: Men’s 57 kg-+92 kg; Women’s 57 kg-75 kg Top-seeded Abdumalik Khalokov (UZB) is in the men’s 57 kg final and is the 2022 Asian Games winner and 2023 World Champion. Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu (KGZ) has gotten better with each round, winning by 3:2, then 5:0 and 4:1. Upset perhaps?
The bronze medals went to Charlie Senior (AUS) and ex-Cuban Javier Ibanez (BUL).
In the Super Heavyweight,+92 kg class, Tokyo gold medalist Bakhodir Jalolov (UZB) is back and will face Spain’s unseeded Ayoub Ghadfa, who won by quarterfinal and semifinal by unanimous (5:0) decisions. Jalolov is a two-time World Champion, including 2023; Ghadfa was a 2023 Worlds bronze winner.
Germany’s Nelvie Tiafack and Djamili-Dini Aboudou Moindze (FRA) won the bronze medals.
In the women’s 57 kg class, two-time World Champion Yu-ting Lin (TPE) was the top seed and is in the final, after enduring questioning of her female status by the discredited International Boxing Association. She has won all three of her bouts by 5:0 decisions. Poland’s Julia Szeremeta has already won the country’s first boxing medal since 1992 and is its first finalist since 1980! She has also dominated, winning her fights by decisions: 4:`1, 5:0. 5:0 and 4:1.
Esra Yildiz (TUR) and Nesthy Petecio (PHI) are the bronze winners.
Top-seeded Tokyo runner-up and Rio bronze winner Qian Li of China is back to try for gold in the women’s 75 kg class. She won the 2018 Worlds gold and was the bronze winner in 2023. Panama’s seventh-seeded Atheyna Bylon, 35, won the Worlds gold back in 2014 in the 69 kg class and was the runner-up in this class in 2022.
Bronzes went to Caitlin Parker of Australia and to Cindy Ngamba, an ex-Cameroonian who won the first-ever medal for the Refugee Olympic Team.
● Breaking: B-Boys In the men’s Breaking, Victor Montalvo of the U.S. (Victor) enters as reigning World Champion, ahead of Philip Kim (CAN: Phil Wizard) and Shigeyuki Nakarai (JPN: Shigekix). They will battle Olympic Qualifier Series stars Lee-Lou Demierre (NED: Lee) and Korea’s Hong-yul Kim (Hongten).
● Canoeing/Sprint: Men’s K-1 1,000 m;
Women’s C-1 200 m-K-1 500 m The Tokyo K-1 1,000 m podium is back: Olympic champ Balint Kopasz (HUN), silver winner Adam Varga (HUN) and bronze medalist Fernando Pimenta (POR). Pimenta and Varga were 1-2 at the 2023 Worlds with Jakob Thordsen (GER) third, and Czech Josef Dostal, the 2014 World Champion, won the K-1 500 m at the 2022 Worlds.
But the fastest time in the heats was by unheralded German Anton Winkelmann.
The women’s sprint – the C-1 200 m – has defending champion Nevin Harrison back and she posted the fastest time in the heats. Tokyo bronzer Liudmyla Luzan (UKR) is back as well, but so is the medal stand from the 2023 Worlds: Cuba’s Yarisleidis Cirilo, Antia Jacome (ESP) and China’s Wenjun Lin. Not everyone can get a medal this time.
In the women’s K-1 500 m, New Zealand’s 2021 World Champion, Aimee Fisher, had the fastest heat time, with the other heats won by Sweden’s Linnea Stensils, Nan Wang (CHN) and Alida Dora Gazso of Hungary. This event looks to be wide open in the absence of stars like New Zealand’s Lisa Carrington, busy with other races.
● Cycling/Track: Men’s Madison This is only the fifth time this race has been on the Olympic program and parts of the Tokyo podium are back. Winners Michael Morkov and Niklas Larsen return to defend, with Britain’s silver winner Ethan Hayter with a new partner (Oliver Wood) and France’s Omnium winner Benjamin Thomas – third in Tokyo – now partnered with Thomas Boudat. Meanwhile, 2023 World Champions Jan Willem van Schip and Yoeri Havik (NED) are in, as are New Zealand’s Aaron Gate and Campbell Stewart who won bronze.
● Diving: Men’s 10 m Platform China plans to complete its first-ever sweep of the Olympic program with Yuan Cao and Hao Yang. Cao won in Tokyo in 2020 and wants to be the first to repeat since Greg Louganis of the U.S. in 1984 and 1988. However, Yang won at the 2024 Worlds over Cao, by almost 11 points.
Chasing both will be Ukraine’s Oleksiy Seeda, third at the 2024 Worlds and Cassiel Rousseau (AUS), who pulled off a major upset with his win at the 2023 Worlds. Lightning striking twice?
● Football: Women A U.S. women’s team which had sagged to fifth in the FIFA World Rankings has been revitalized under new coach Emma Hayes (GBR) and the RSS line of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson. With stern midfield play from Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle and solid goalkeeping from Alyssa Naeher, the Americans won their group games by a combined 9-2 and then skated through two extra-time wins over Japan and Germany by 1-0 each to land in the final. Hayes’s team is 9-0 so far.
Brazil is trying for its first women’s Olympic gold after being runner-up to the U.S. in 2004 and 2008. Only 1-2 in group play, they got by France, 1-0, in their quarterfinal and then got Women’s World Cup winner Spain out of sorts and won by a stunning 4-2. They will try to do the same against the U.S., looking for its fourth Olympic women’s gold.
● Golf: Women The women’s golf tournament started with the U.S. coming in with the top two in the rankings, in Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu. Korda won the Chevron Championship this year, but the other majors went to Yuka Saso (JPN: U.S. Open), Amy Yang (KOR: Women’s PGA) and Ayaka Furue (JPN: Evian). Korda has been on fire, winning six tournament this year, but none since May.
But after 54 holes, Swiss Morgane Metraux and Lydia Ko (NZL) were both -9 (207), with Miyu Yamashita (JPN) and Rose Chang of the U.S. tied for third at -7. Korda is lurking at -4 in a tie for seventh,
● Gymnastics: Rhythmic Group All-Around Bulgaria is the defending Olympic champion (and 2022 Worlds winner), with Italy third in Tokyo, but Israel, China and Spain were 1-2-3 at the 2023 World Championships. Expect those four to fight for the medals.
● Handball: Women No surprise for Norway and France to be playing in the gold-medal game. The French have been silver-gold in Rio and Tokyo and Norway has won medals in four Games in a row: gold-gold-bronze-bronze.
The two met in the 2023 IHF Women’s Worlds final, with France pulling out a 31-28 win.
● Modern Pentathlon: Men Hungary’s Csaba Bohm and Balazs Szep went 1-2 at the 2024 UIPM Worlds in June, with Korea’s Tokyo bronze winner Woong-tae Jun third. Expect them to be challenged by the 2022 Worlds podium, starting with Joe Choong (GBR), the defending Olympic champion, plus Emiliano Hernandez (MEX) and Mohanad Shaban of Egypt. France’s hopes are with Valentin Prades, the 2018 Worlds silver medalist.
● Sport Climbing: Women’s Boulder & Lead The women’s Sport Climbing Combined event has a prohibitive favorite in Slovenian Janja Garnbret. She was the Tokyo 2020 gold medalist and owns three Worlds golds in Boulder and two more in Lead. Austria’s Jessica Pilz, Japan’s Ai Mori and American Brooke Raboutou should all be in the fight for medals. But Garnbret stands alone.
● Table Tennis: Women’s Team No surprise: no. 1 seed China will meet no. 2 Japan in the gold-medal final. China has won this event all four times it has been held and defeated Japan for the gold in 2012 and at Tokyo 2020. China has won all nine sets in its three matches; Japan has won nine of 10.
And China has defeated Japan in five straight Worlds Team finals in 2014-16-18-22-24. Let’s say China is favored.
● Taekwondo: Men’s +80 kg; Women’s +67 kg In the men’s +80 kg heavyweight category, Cuba’s Tokyo bronze winner and 2019 World Champion Rafael Alba returns, but the focus is likely on 2023 World Champion Cheick Sallah Cisse (CIV) and runner-up Carlos Sansores (MEX), who won in 2022. Turkey’s Emre Atesli, the 2023 Worlds bronze winner, should also be in the mix.
● Volleyball: Men France and Poland will meet in the final, after the French sailed past Italy, 3-0, in their semi and Poland had to come from behind to get past the U.S., 3-2.
France are the defending champs from Tokyo and won the 2024 FIVB Nations Cup in June. But the Poles are a powerhouse, winning the FIVB Worlds in 2014 and 2018, and losing in 2022 only in the final to Italy. Is the pro-French crowd enough to make a difference?
● Water Polo: Women The U.S. women won three straight Olympic golds, but lost in an extended penalty shoot-out against Australia in the semifinals. Spain is in the final as in 2012 and at Tokyo 2020, and after winning the 2013 Worlds over Australia, lost to the U.S. in the Worlds final in 2017-19-2023.
The Spanish have to be favored, but no one can tell the Australians they can’t win after their performance against the U.S. The Americans will face the Netherlands for the bronze medal.
● Weightlifting: Men’s 102 kg-+102 kg; Women’s 81 kg In the men’s 102 kg class, defending champion Akbar Djuraev (UZB) returns, along with China’s 102 kg World Champion Huanhua Liu, along with silver winner Yeon-hak Jang (KOR) and bronze winner Yauheni Tsikhantsou of Belarus (as a “neutral”). Djuraev won the 2024 Worlds at 109 kg, but has gone down in weight for Paris; will he be as effective?
The weightlifting world is waiting for the world’s strongest man to show what he can do in Paris in the +102 kg class. Georgia’s Lasha Talakhadze owns all the world records and all the Olympic records, and the 6-6, 403-lb. giant will be defending his Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic golds. He owns seven World titles and is the overwhelming favorite.
Armenia’s Varazdat Lalayan was the 2023 Worlds runner-up and ex-Armenian Gor Minasyan (BRN) took the bronze. If they stumble in Paris, look for Iran’s Ali Davoudi or Syria’s Man Asaad to get into the mix for a medal.
The women’s 81 kg division has Australia’s 2023 Worlds bronze winner Eileen Cikamatana as a leading entry and 76 kg World Champion Sara Ahmed (EGY) ready to challenge. But Ecuador’s Neisi Dajomes, the Tokyo 2020 76 kg winner, is going to be a factor, but this is a higher weight for her. Norway’s Solfrid Koanda has come down in weight, from 87 kg, where she was the 2022 World Champion, to compete. Look for 2024 European 81 kg champ Weronika Zielinska-Stubinska to be in the mix as well.
● Wrestling: Men’s Freestyle 74 kg-125 kg;
Women’s Freestyle 62 kg Japan’s Daichi Takatani, the 2022 Asian Champs runner-up, upset 2022 World Champion Kyle Dake of the U.S. in the semifinals in a wild scoring fest, 20-12. He will face ex-Russian Razambek Zhamalov (UZB), the 2019 World U-23 champ, in the final.
In the super-heavy 125 kg class, Georgia’s three-time World Champion Geno Petriashvili and 2023 Worlds gold medalist (and Tokyo bronze winner) Amir Hossein Zare will meet in a replay of two recent championship bouts.
Petriashvili defeated Zare in the Tokyo 2020 semifinal by 6-3, but Zare defeated Petriashvili, 11-0 in the 2023 Worlds final.
Japan has won the women’s 62 kg class all five times it has been held at the Games. Japan has Sakura Motoki in the final, the 2023 Worlds silver winner, against Ukraine’s Iryna Koliadenko, the Tokyo 2020 bronze medal winner.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Anti-Doping ● The World Anti-Doping Agency announced an above-their-dues donation from the Japan Anti-Doping Agency of ¥23.773 million, or about $160,000 U.S. The money will be used for “for one year to support the development of Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) in Asia and Oceania.”
The announcement noted that Japan has contributed more than $2.3 million U.S. above their dues to support WADA projects commissioned by the Japanese government. While there has been attention given to Chinese donations about their dues, added donations have been made by other countries, notably Canada and Japan.
● Korea ●The latest international flap on the Korean Peninsula is whether North Korean athletes have received the Samsung Galaxy Flip6 phones being distributed by International Olympic Committee sponsor Samsung to all athletes.
The IOC Press Office issued a Thursday statementthat “We can confirm that the athletes of the NOC of DPRK have not received the Samsung phones.”
However, if they were received by the National Olympic Committee and taken back to North Korea, it would be a violation of United Nations sanctions against the North Korean regime. The South Korean foreign ministry is working to ensure that the phones are not allowed to be brought into North Korea.
● Russia ●Russia’s new sports minister, Mikhail Degtyarev is now telling people that the continuing invasion of Ukraine and the takeover of Ukrainian sports organizations is not the reason why Russia and Belarus were sanctioned for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He told the Russian news agency TASS:
“If we talk about a conflict, for example, ours, about the [Ukraine invasion], now in the world, according to various estimates, up to 20 armed conflicts are in a high stage, so to speak, of fervor. There are conflicts everywhere, I’m not even talking about the Israeli-Palestinian one. But for some reason only Russia and Belarus are banned.
“This is unfair. Everyone has common sense, eyes, everyone understands that this is not connected with a special military operation. This is connected exclusively with a Russophobic position, a political one.”
No word in the TASS story about whether Degtyarev had been tested recently by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (or any other, for that matter).
● Athletics ● South Africa’s two-time Olympic women’s 800 m champion, Caster Semenya, the subject of a years-long battle over rules concerning athletes with hyperandrogenism, told the German ARD channel that she plans to run for the presidency of World Athletics in 2015.
Current chief Sebastian Coe(GBR) will be termed out and Semenya, 33, says “It’s not about me, it’s about protecting athletes and making sure they are all treated equally.”
● Boxing ● IOC chief Thomas Bach (GER) was asked about the timing on a decision on boxing being admitted to the 2028 Games program with a new international federation in charge and he indicated that this would need to happen in the first half of 2025.
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Thursday was one of those thrilling Olympic days in which the layers of drama were piled one on top of another, especially for American fans. Another world record from Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the women’s 400 m hurdles. A redemption win for Grant Holloway in the men’s 110 m hurdles. Another bronze for Noah Lyles in the 200 m, running – as is turns out – after being diagnosed with Covid a couple of days ago.
A heart-breaking, shoot-out loss for the women’s three-time defending champion water polo squad to Australia, but a near-miraculous comeback by the men’s basketball team against Serbia.
But through it all, the United States has once again demonstrated a breadth and depth no one can match. With three days to go, the American team has surpassed 100 medals for the sixth straight Olympic Games, now with 103 (30-38-35).
The U.S. is believed to be the only team to ever win less medals in a home Olympic Games than the one before – the U.S. won 101 medals in Atlanta after 108 in Barcelona – but since then has led the total medal count (it led in Atlanta, too):
● 2000: 93 in Sydney ● 2004: 101 in Athens ● 2008: 112 in Beijing ● 2012: 104 in London ● 2016: 121 in Rio ● 2020: 113 in Tokyo
And now 103 thus far in Paris and close to its all-time best of 108 in a Games held in Europe (in Barcelona in 1992).
There will be a lot to unpack about which sports did well and which did less well; the swimmers had a “down” Olympics according to some observers, but brought home 28 medals! The track and field team has been running wild and has 27 medals (9-10-8) with two full days left.
It’s an amazing achievement, especially for the only National Olympic Committee which does not receive its funding directly from its national government. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee gets most of its funding from a share of the U.S. television rights paid to the International Olympic Committee and from the IOC’s TOP sponsorship program.
And given the strong viewing of the Paris Games in the U.S., it appears those revenue streams are looking strong into the future. ~ Rich Perelman
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The people’s Games: the pin-trading Olympics by Karen Rosen
The Parc de la Villette in northeast Paris features 14 “houses” such as Club France, La Casa Brasil and India House where fans can eat, drink, watch the Olympic Games on large television screens and mingle with athletes.
But it’s in the red building called “House of Olympic Collectors” where visitors get down to business.
“My eyes were opened to a whole new world,” said Aleena Butler, 36, of Los Angeles, who was in search of Nigerian and Mexican Olympic pins to reflect her heritage.
Hundreds of people pack into the 150-square meter space during the eight hours it is open each day – buying, selling or trading pins and making memories. The International Association of Olympic Collectors (AICO) and the French Olympic and sports collectors association (AFCOS) rented the space for 14,000 Euro when no sponsor stepped in. The Olympin Collectors Club donated $1,000.
“I probably take a lap through here every couple of days just to see,” said Lucas Friedrich, 27, who works for a Canadian Olympic Committee sponsor. “This is my first Games and I didn’t know much about it. I showed up here with no pins and now I have 60.
“The Dutch shoes were the coveted pins to find other than Snoop Dogg.”
Friedrich nabbed the Dutch shoes pin, but was still looking for Snoop, who is in Paris working for NBC.
Many people want only Paris 2024 pins, but pins from earlier Games are readily available on tables rented for $10 per-four-hour-session by experienced collectors.
“It’s a big success,” said Catherine Salaun, vice president of the French collectors group. She said the House of Olympic Collectors has attracted a lot of media publicity, and has hosted city and Olympic officials.
“The room is full in the afternoon,” Salaun said. “It’s crazy.”
Pins! Pins! Pins! (TSX photo by Karen Rosen)
In addition to the ground floor packed with pin tables, there are exhibits on a ramp to the second floor featuring other Olympic memorabilia, such as medals, mascots and torches.
“We stumbled upon this and now we’re pin collectors,” said Butler.
Her friend, Shannon Zhu chatted with Chinese collectors, who help friends back home by sending them photos of pins they find to see if they need them
“I’ve learned so much from them just now,” Zhu said. “Do they have these pin centers everywhere?”
There is one other gathering place to trade Olympic pins in Paris. Coca-Cola, which sponsored its first pin trading center in Calgary in 1988 and stopped after PyeongChang in 2018, apparently decided it was missing the action.
The company started promoting pin trading at its Coca-Cola Food Fest near Invalides, with the first session on July 29. Visitors who bought a meal and a drink could get a free pin. “We have all been hoping Coke would be active in hosting pin trading at these Games, so here’s our chance,” Scott Reed of Atlanta, one of the organizers, posted on social media.
And everyone from athletes to officials, volunteers and fans, also can trade anywhere they see someone with a lanyard, hat or vest full of pins.
“It’s just a reason to have conversations with people you wouldn’t generally approach in the street,” said Friedrich. “You just meet some interesting people who have been to 15 or 20 Games or people who have done it for the first time. I’ll always take a peek at their lanyards to see if they have anything. Anybody who wants to trade, I’ll talk to them.”
And if Friedrich runs into Snoop Dogg, he’ll know what to do.
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Track & field icon Allyson Felix of the U.S. was elected to a full, eight-year term on the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission, extending her temporary appointment from 2022.
She was the leading vote-getter at 2,880 among 6,576 athletes who voted at Paris 2024 (61.96% of those eligible). Also elected were Kim Bui (GER: gymnastics), Jessica Fox (AUS: canoe) and Marcus Daniell(NZL: tennis).
This is an important step for Felix and the U.S., and places her in a position to be elected as an IOC member in the near future.
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One of the cardinal rules of any Olympic Games is you do not give your accreditation badge to someone else. That’s grounds for being ejected from the Games and possibly more.
After being eliminated in the women’s 53 kg class in her opening bout, 19-year-old Indian wrestler Antim Praghalgave her accreditation to her sister, Nisha, to collect her belongings from the Olympic Village. Nisha was detained by the Paris police upon her exit due to the unauthorized use of the accreditation. There were reports that she actually got into the Village and to her sister’s room. She was eventually released with a warning, but only after Antim also had to give a statement.
“I had high fever, and had taken permission from my coach to go to the hotel with my sister. I needed some of my belongings which were in the Games Village. My sister took my card and asked the officials there if she could take my belongings. They took her to the Police Station for accreditation verification.”
There was also an issue of a taxi driver not being paid, which she explained:
“My coaches had stayed back at the venue and when they wanted to come back, we booked a cab for them. My coaches did not have enough cash and due to the language issues, led to an argument with the taxi driver.”
She said that money had to be obtained from their hotel room to take care of the fare, and is leaving Paris on Thursday. According to an IOA statement:
“The Indian Olympic Association has decided to fly wrestler Antim and her support staff back after a disciplinary breach was brought to IOA’s notice by the French authorities.”
Reports indicate Antim may be suspended for three years.
● Les Temps ● The updated forecast shows sun for the last couple of days of the Games:
● 09 Aug. (Fri.): High of 81 ~ low of 59, cloudy ● 10 Aug. (Sat.): 87 ~ 63, sunny ● 11 Aug. (Sun.): 93 ~ 71, cloudy
There is rain in the forecast for Wednesday the 14th, but no indication that it will move up.
● Medals & Teams ● The U.S. passed the century mark on Thursday, with the gold-medal chase vs. China still very tight:
● 1. 103, United States (30-38-35) ● 2. 73, China (29-25-19) ● 3. 54, France (14-19-21) ● 4. 51, Great Britain (13-17-21) ● 5. 44, Australia (18-14-13) ● 6. 33, Japan (13-7-13) ● 7. 30, Italy (10-11-9) ● 8. 28, South Korea (13-8-7) ● 9. 25, Netherlands (11-6-8) ● 10. 22, Germany (9-8-5) ● 11. 21, Canada (6-5-10) ● 12. 15, Brazil (2-4-8)
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much diverse, inclusive and equitable representation of team achievement, the U.S. continues to lead:
● 1. 1,025 1/2, United States ● 2. 763, China ● 3. 607, France ● 4. 578 1/2, Great Britain ● 5. 476, Australia ● 6. 456, Italy ● 7. 388, Japan ● 8. 366, Germany ● 9. 303 1/2, Korea ● 10. 301, Netherlands ● 11. 286, Canada ● 12. 198, Spain ● 13. 185, Brazil ● 14. 183, New Zealand ● 15. 146 1/2, Switzerland
Now, a total of 109 countries (out of 206) – plus the Refugee Team (102), and Belarus and Russia, as “neutrals” – have scored points so far.
● Television ● NBC reported the 12-day Olympic viewing average for 2024 at 32.2 million in 2024, compared to 18.2 million for Tokyo (a lot better) and the 10-day average of 28.6 million for Rio (better).
The measurement of “Total Audience Delivery” is based upon live-plus-same day custom fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics. This is not a true “apples-to-apples” with prior Games, however, as the audiences prior to 2024 were for the NBC primetime show only and the Paris totals are for the daytime show (live) and the primetime show together. No out-of-home audiences were in the figures for Rio 2016; Nielsen added those in 2020.
● Athletics: Men’s 200 m-110 m hurdles-Javelin Women’s 400 m hurdles-Long Jump It’s hard to imagine a night with more drama than this one, and here’s what happened, more or less in the order it happened:
● Noah Lyles got a good lane draw in the men’s 200 m final, in five, with semi winners Erriyon Knighton (USA: 6), Letsile Tebogo (BOT: 7) and Kenny Bednarek (USA: 8) all to his outside. But off the gun, Tebogo was sensational, taking the lead off the turn and no one could catch him.
He had Bednarek right outside him and they were close on the straight, with Lyles third. There was no let-up from Tebogo, 21, and he won in 19.45 (wind: +0.4 m/s), making him the no. 5 performer in history and the no. 9 performance. Bednarek was a clear second – as he was in Tokyo – in 19.62, then Lyles, whose usual late rush did not materialize, in 19.70. Knighton was fourth in 19.99.
A stunner. Lyles had to be attended to afterwards, lying on the track and breathing heavily. But Tebogo was clearly the best, up from sixth in the 100 m. Lyles was wheelchaired off, and he said afterwards he said he was proud of his performance after having been diagnosed with Covid a couple of days ago. He was leaning toward not participating in the 4×100 m relay, saying the U.S. has more than enough firepower to win without him.
● U.S. stars Tara Davis-Woodhall and Jasmine Moore were on it in the women’s long jump, with Davis-Woodhall taking the lead at 6.93 m (22-9), then passed by Moore, who hit the board perfectly and soared 6.96 m (22-10).
Davis-Woodhall fired up in round two, taking the lead at 7.05 m (23-1 3/4) and defending champ Malaika Mihambo (GER) moving into third at 6.95 m (22-9 3/4) in round three. Davis-Woodhall got another big jump in round three at 6.95 m to back up her series … just in case.
And she had more: 7.10 m (23-3 1/2) in round four to extend the lead. Mihambo got out to 6.98 m (22-10 3/4) in round five to take second and fouled her final jump, leaving Davis-Woodhall as the winner!
Moore won the bronze and fellow American Monae Nichols was sixth at 6.67 m (21-10 3/4).
● Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone lined in five for the women’s 400 m hurdles, with challenger Femke Bol in six. And right off the gun, McLaughlin-Levrone had her foot on the gas, first to the first hurdle, but Bol was close by hurdle five. Then, on the turn, McLaughlin stormed ahead and the race was over between hurdles seven and eight. She flew on the straight, extended the lead and even with a slight chop on the 10th, crossed in another WORLD RECORD of 50.37!
Bol was passed over hurdle 10 by American Anna Cockrell, who won a surprise silver in a lifetime best of 51.87, with Bol third in 5215. And Jasmine Jones of the U.S. was fourth in a lifetime best of 52.29.
It’s McLaughlin-Levrone’s sixth world record; she owns the top three performances in history and seven of the top 11. Cockrell’s fabulous run moved he to no. 4 all-time; her old best was 52.64!
● Grant Holloway said he had one of his worst races ever in the Tokyo Olympic final, winning silver, and he was not going to let that happen again. And Holloway did not miss his chance.
He and teammate Daniel Roberts got off best, but Holloway rocketed over the first five hurdles and was way out in front. He couldn’t keep up that pace and came back a bit, but was a clear winner in 12.99 (-0.1).
Both Roberts and Rasheed Broadbell of Jamaica clobbered the last hurdle and they came to the line together, with Roberts declared the silver winner with both in 13.09 (13.085 to 13.088) – a difference of 0.003.
Freddie Crittenden of the U.S. was sixth in 13.32; defending champ Hansle Parchment (JAM) was eighth in 13.39. It’s the first U.S. Olympic win in this event since 2012 and first 1-2 since 2012, when Aries Merritt and Jason Richardson took gold and silver.
● The men’s javelin got turned sideways in round two, as Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, the 2023 Worlds silver medalist, got a spectacular throw of 92.97 m (305-0), an Olympic Record. Defending champion Neeraj Chopra (IND) got close in round two, at 89.45 m (293-5), but could not improve; he had only the one fair throw for silver, and five fouls.
Anderson Peters (GRN), the 2022 World Champion, managed 88.54 m (29-6) in round three and that was good enough for bronze.
It’s Pakistan’s first-ever individual Olympic gold; the country won the men’s field hockey gold in 1960-68-84. Now comes Nadeem.
After the first day of the women’s heptathlon, defending champion Nafi Thiam of Belgium won the high jump and equaled her lifetime best to win the shot put to lead after three events. She finished the day at 4,007 points, but was second as two-time World Champion Katharine Johnson-Thompson (GBR) won the 200 m in 23.44 and finished at 4,055.
American Anna Hall, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, stands third at 3,956, ahead of Noor Vidts (BEL) at 3,951.
● Boxing: Men’s 51 kg-Women’s 54 kg This is the lightest weight for men – Flyweight – with top-seeded Billal Bennama (FRA), the 2023 Worlds runner-up, making it to the final against no. 2 seed. Hasanboy Dusmatov (UZB), the Rio 2016 49 kg gold medalist. It was no contest, as Dusmatov was awarded a 5:0 victory by the judges for his second Olympic gold.
Junior Alcanatara (DOM) and Daniel Varela de Pina (CPV) won the bronzes.
In the women’s 54 kg class, the only seeded fighter to get to the final was no. 8 Yuan Chang (CHN), the 2022 Asian Games silver medalist, facing Hatice Akbas (TUR). And Chang was the clear winner, with a 5:0 win from the judges.
The bronzes went to Chol-mi Pang (PRK) and Ae-ji Im (KOR).
● Canoeing: Men’s C-2 500 m-K-4 500 m; Women’s K-4 500 m Another triumph for the iconic Lisa Carrington and New Zealand in the women’s K-4 500 m. Leading from the start, Carrington, Alicia Hoskin, Olivia Brett and Tara Vaughn won a battle with Germany, 1:32.20 to 1:32.62. For Carrington, 35, it’s her sixth Olympic gold to go with one bronze, and she has more to do in Paris.
Hungary, which had won this event in three World Championships in a row, won the bronze at 1:32.93 over Poland (1:33.17).
China’s Hao Liu and Bowen Ji came in as Worlds runners-up from 2023, but won the Olympic gold in the men’s C-2 500 m by daylight in 1:39.48, leading from start to finish. Italy’s Gabriele Casadei and Carlo Tachini came from seventh at halfway and charged to a silver medal in 1:41.08, just ahead of Spain’s Joan Moreno and Diego Dominguez (1:41.18).
Russia’s Zakhar Petrov and Alexy Korovashov placed fourth, competing as “neutrals.”
Germany defended its Tokyo Olympic win and its current World Championship gold with a 1:19.80 to 1:19.84 win over Australia at the line. Only third at the half, they overcame Australia and leaders Spain to win again. The Spanish held on to the bronze in 1:20.05.
● Cycling: Men’s Omnium; Women’s Keirin After three of four events, Fabio van den Bossche (BEL: 106), a two-time European Omnium medalist, had the lead on two-time Worlds silver winner Benjamin Thomas (FRA: 98) and 2023 World Champion Iuri Leitao (POR: 94) with only the Points Race to go.
But Thomas, despite a fall, drove the crowd into a frenzy by winning the Points Race, 66-59 over Leitao and took the Omnium gold by 166153 over Leitao, with van den Bossche getting the bronze at 131. Grant Koontz of the U.S. was 16th (42).
Tokyo runner-up Ellesse Andrews (NZL), the 2023 World Champion, attacked with two laps left and won the women’s Keirin, finishing 0.062 seconds up on Hetty van de Wouw (NED) and 0.092 up on Emma Finucane (GBR). It’s Andrews’ second medal of the Games after a Team Sprint silver.
● Diving: Men’s 3 m Springboard Tokyo Olympic champion Xiyi Xie won again, winning three of the six dives in the finals to score 543.60 points and edge teammate three-time World Champion Zongyuan Wang, who won two dives and scored 530.20. Mexico’s Osmar Olvera won one dive and claimed the bronze at 500.40.
American Carson Tyler was fourth, but well back at 429.25. China is now 6-for-6 in diving and has never swept the Olympic program; it won seven of eight in Rio and Tokyo.
● Hockey: Men’s final This was a tight game from the start and ended as a 1-1 tie and on to a penalty shoot-out, with neither team able to score in the first two rounds, but Thierry Brinkman, Thijs van Dam and Duco Telgenkamp converting three straight for the Dutch to win, 3-1 and take the gold.
Germany won the group match by 1-0 and this was even closer. It’s the first Dutch win since 2000 in Sydney. Germany moved up from bronze in Rio.
India won the bronze medal – same as in Tokyo – with a 2-1 win over Spain.
● Sailing: Women’s Kite; Mixed 470, Mixed Nacra 17 This was the first appearance of kiteboarding at the Games, with the women’s Kite concluded on Thursday.
In the final race, France’s Lauriane Nolot fell into the water, giving Britain’s leader, Ellie Aldridge a chance to get away and she did to win the first Kite gold in Olympic history. She won both races in the final, but Nolot finished second overall, coming back to third in the last race as American Daniela Moroz was given a penalty.
The penalty also clinched the bronze for Annelous Lammerts (NED).
The men’s Kite final had to be delayed because of a drop in wind.
The Mixed 470 is a new format for 2024, and Austria’s Lara Vadlau and Lukar Mahr held onto their lead despite a seventh-place finish in the medal race and won with 38 net points. 2024 Worlds bronze winners Keiju Okada and Miho Yoshioka of Japan moved up to silver with 41 points with a third in the medal race and Swedes Anton Dahlberg and Lovisa Karlsson (SWE: 47) moved from fourth to third with a fourth-place finish in the medal race.
In the Nacra 17 multihull, Italy’s Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti added to their trophy cases. Already the defending champions and 2022-23-24 World Champions, they finished second in the medal race and won the Paris gold with 31 net points. Well back in second were Mateo Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco (ARG: 55), with Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson (NZL: 63) taking the bronze.
Tokyo silver winners John Gimson and Anna Burnet (GBR: 69) finished fourth.
● Sport Climbing: Men’s Speed Amazing finish, as American Sam Watson lowered his world record from 4.75 to 4.74 to win the bronze medal over Reza Alipour (IRI) and then Indonesia’s three-time seasonal World Cup winner Veddriq Leonardo won the gold-medal final over China’s Peng Wu in 4.75, which would have equaled Watson’s world mark from the qualifying!
Wu also set a personal best of 4.77 for silver.
● Swimming: Women’s open-water 10 km Dutch star Sharon van Rouwendaal cemented her place as the finest women’s open-water swimmer ever with her second Olympic gold in the women’s 10 km race on Thursday. She won a tight battle with Australia’s Moesha Johnson, breaking free only in the final half-lap to win in 2:03:34.2 to 2:03.39.7. Italy’s Ginerva Taddeucci was a close third (2:03:42.8), well ahead of defending champ Ana Marcela Cunha of Brazil (2:04:15.7).
In the last three Games, van Rouwendaal has won gold-silver-gold and has 10 World Championships medals, including two 10 km open-water wins in 2022 and 2024. Americans Katie Grimes and Mariah Denigan finished 15th and 16th in 2:06:29.6 and 2:09:42.9.
● Taekwondo: Men’s 68 kg; Women’s 57 kg Tokyo Olympic champ Ulugbek Rashitov (UZB) defended his gold with a clear, two-round win (6-4, 5-1) over Jordan’s 2022 Asian Games runner-up, Zaid Kareem, in the men’s 68 kg final. Yushuai Liang (CHN) and Edival Pontes (BRA) won the bronzes.
Korea’s Yu-jin Kim, the 2021 Asian Champion, was a decisive winner in the women’s 57 kg final, defeating Iran’s 2023 World 53 kg champ, Nahid Kiyani, two rounds to none, out-scoring her by 5-1 and 9-0. Skylar Park of Canada and Kimia Alizadeh, the Rio 2016 bronze medalist who escaped from Iran and now fights for Bulgaria, won the bronzes. Alizadeh was on the Refugee Olympic Team in Tokyo, so she has fought for three different teams in three Games.
● Weightlifting: Men’s 73 kg; Women’s 59 kg Indonesia’s Rizki Juniansyah, the 2022 Worlds runner-up co-led the Snatch and led the Clean & Jerk to finish with an Olympic Record of 354 kg, ahead of 2023 World Champion Weeraphon Wichuma (THA), at 346 kg. Bozhidar Andreev (BUL) lifted a combined 344 kg for the bronze.
Juniansyah ended a a five-Games win streak for China in this event.
In the women’s 59 kg final, 2023 World Champion Shifang Luo romped to victory, setting Olympic Records in the Snatch (107 kg), Clean & Jerk (134 kg) and for the total at 241 kg. That was 5 kg up on 2022 Worlds bronze winner Maude Charron of Canada (236 kg total) and Chinese Taipei’s defending champ Hsieh-Chun Kuo (235 kg).
● Wrestling: Men’s Greco 67 kg-87 kg; Women’s 53 kg Saeid Ismaeili of Iran was down by 3-0 after the first period, but staged a furious rally to win the men’s Greco-Roman 67 kg gold by 6-5 over Ukraine’s Tokyo Olympic runner-up Parviz Nasibov.
Hasmat Jafarov (AZE) and Luis Orta Sanchez (CUB) won the bronze medals.
Iran has a second shot at gold in the 87 kg final, as 2023 Worlds 82 kg runner-up Alireza Mohmadi faced Bulgarian 2023 Worlds bronze medalist Semen Novikov, but it was no contest as Novikov pitched a 7-0 shutout.
Ukraine’s Zhan Beleniuk, the defending champion and also a member of the country’s parliament, won one of the bronzes, and Dane Turpal Bisultanov won the other.
In the women’s 53 kg final, Japan’s 2023 World Champion, Akari Fujinami dominated Lucia Yepez (ECU), the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist, and won by a 10-0 technical foul. Fujinami score four points in the first period and six in the second to end the bout in 3:37. Hyo-gyong Choe (PRK) and Qianyu Pang (CHN) won the bronzes.
Elsewhere:
● Athletics ● In the morning qualifying, a huge shock in the women’s shot, where two-time World Champion Chase Jackson of the U.S. had two fouls and a third throw of 17.60 m (57-9) and did not qualify for the final.
“I do not really know what happened,” she said. “I guess the pressure got to me. I don’t really have a lot to say about it. I just want to get to my family.”
World Indoor champ Sarah Mitton (CAN) led the qualifying at 19.77 m (64-10 1/2), and Tokyo runner-up Raven Saunders of the U.S. (18.62 m/61-1 1/4) and teammate Jaida Ross (18.58 m/60-11 1/2) both advanced.
In the men’s 800 m repechage round, Brandon Miller advanced to the semis with a win in race four in a speedy 1:44.21.
The U.S. men posted the fastest time in the 4×100 m relay heats, with Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, Kyree King and Courtney Lindsey running 37.47 to win heat one. The shocker was that Jamaica was fourth in heat two in 38.45 and did not advance.
The American women also had the fastest time, winning heat one in 41.94 with a team of Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry, Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson. Great Britain won heat two at 42.03 without Darryl Neita or Dina Asher-Smith, and should be faster in the final. m 4×100 h
In the afternoon women’s 1,500 m semifinals, the first semi was slow and the pack was running to the bell with Tokyo runner-up Laura Muir taking the lead, with two-time defending champ Faith Kipyegon (KEN) moving into second. Kipyegon took the lead on the backstraight, ahead of Muir and Elle St. Pierre of the U.S. And Kipyegon moved away on the straight to win in 3:58.64, with Georgia Bell (GBR: 3:59.49), St. Pierre (3:59.74) and Muir (3:59.83) in 2-3-4 and qualifying easily.
Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay went right to the front in semi two after her disappointing ninth-place finish in the 5,000 m. Tsegay, Diribe Welteji and 2,000 m world-record-setter Jessica Hull (AUS) were in front with two laps to go and then at the bell. Welteji had the lead with 200 m left, with Hull charging and those two ran away on the straight and raced for 75 m before shutting down and going 1-2 in 3:55.10 and 3:55.40!
Nikki Hiltz of the U.S. passed Tsegay on the straight for third, 3:56.17 to 3:56.41. Emily Mackay of the U.S. was 13th in 4:02.03 and did not advance.
● Basketball ●The men’s semifinals had home favorites France edging FIBA World Cup champions Germany, 73-69, in the first game. The game was tied at 33 at half, The French had a 56-50 lead after three and held on, with 6-8 forward Guerschon Yabusele leading France with 17 points. Guard Dennis Schoeder had 17 for the Germans.
The French extended to 66-53 with 6:51 to go and weather a furious German attack that closed to 70-68 with 39 seconds left and 71-69 with nine seconds remaining. But two free throws by Isaia Cordinier sealed it with seven seconds to play.
The U.S. and Serbia were in the nightcap, and the Serbs were all over the Americans, dominating the half on the way to a 54-43 lead. Even with Steph Curry hitting for 20 points for the U.S., Serbia shot 19/35 (54%) and 10-19 on three-pointers. Guard Aleksa Avramovic had 15 points, with center Nokola Jokic scoring nine points and handing out seven assists. Serbia out-rebounded the U.S., 20-14 and led by 17 at one point.
Despite U.S. attempts to into the lead, Serbia led by 76-63 at the end of three. But the Americans crept a little closer and a key sequence with 7:19 to play saw Kevin Durant hit a three-pointer and a Jokic foul gave the U.S. possession again. Three seconds later, Devin Booke hit a three and the U.S. was suddenly within 78-73.
The U.S. poured it on, raised their defensive level significantly and out-scored the Serbs by 32-15 in the quarter, getting even at 84-all and edging ahead with five points from Curry and finally two foul shots by Curry with four seconds left for the 95-91 final.
Curry scored 36 on 12-19 shooting and 9-14 from three; center Joel Embiid added 19 and point forward LeBron James had 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Serbia got 20 from Bogdan Bogdanovic and 17 from Jokic (and 11 rebounds), but it was not enough.
● Beach Volleyball ●The hottest team in the tournament coming in was Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig and they will play for gold after defeating Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan (QAT) by 21-13, 21-17 in Thursday’s first semi. Germans Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler upset defending champs Anders Mol and Christian Sorum (NOR) by 21-13, 17-21, 15-13) to advance as well.
In the women’s semis, Brazil’s 2022 World Champions, Ana Patricia Ramos and Duda Lisboa got to the final with a 20-22, 21-15, 15-12 win over Tokyo bronze winners Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy. They will meet Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson – the 2022 Worlds runners-up – who ousted Swiss Tanja Huberli and Nina Brunner, by 14-21, 22-20, 15-12.
● Football ● Morocco won the men’s bronze with a 6-0 shutout of Egypt on Thursday, with the France-Spain final on Friday.
● Volleyball ● The defending Olympic champion U.S. women will get a chance at a second straight gold after a tight, 25-23, 18-25, 25-15, 23-25, 15-11 win over Brazil in the first semifinal. Outside hitters Kathryn Plummer and Avery Skinner led the U.S. with 26 and 19 points, respectively.
Italy swept aside Turkey in the other semi, 25-22, 25-19, 25-22, to reach the final for its first-ever Olympic medal. The Italians won the 2022 Worlds bronze.
● Water Polo ● The U.S. women, three-time defending Olympic champions, lost a thriller against Australia in their semifinal. The U.S. had a 5-2 lead at half, but the game was tied at 8 on a late Australian goal. Then the penalty shoot-out was tied at five, and after Zoe Arancini made her for a 6-5 Australian lead, Maddie Musselman’s try was saved.
Australia will play Spain, the Tokyo runners-up, which won over the Netherlands, also in a penalty shoot-out by 5-4, after a 14-14 tie in regulation.
● Athletics: Men’s 400 m hurdles-4×100 m-Triple Jump Women’s 400 m-10,000 m-4×100 m-Shot-Heptathlon One of the best races of the Games is expected to be the men’s 400 m hurdles, with Olympic champ and world-record holder Karsten Warholm (NOR), facing Tokyo runner-up and 2024 world leader Rai Benjamin of the U.S., with Brazil’s 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santos a threat to both.
Benjamin finally beat Warholm at the Diamond League Final in 2023 and won this year at the Monaco Diamond League, and had the world-leading mark of 46.46 from the U.S. Trials. Is this his year? Sure looks like it, but in any case, these three should be on the medal stand. If anyone falters, Kyron McMaster (IVB) will be ready to pounce.
In the men’s triple jump, Olympic champ Pedro Pichardo (POR) led the qualifying, ahead of European champ Jordan Diaz (ESP), and 2023 World Champion Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR). But U.S. Trials champ Salif mane jumped just as far and what about Jamaican star Jaydon Hibbert, who had the world’s long mark in 2023? This should be fabulous.
The women’s 400 m has been assumed to belong to 2023 World Champion Marileidy Paulino (DOM), and she looked great winning her semi in an eased-up 49.21. But 2019 World Champion Salwa Eid Naser won her semi in 49.08 and seems ready to go for gold. Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek won the third semi, but will be challenged for a medal by Amber Anning (GBR), Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke and American Alexis Holmes.
Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay led an Ethiopian women’s 10,000 m sweep at the 2023 Worlds, but a world-record attempt set up for her at the Pre Classic was stolen by Kenyan Beatirce Chebet, who grabbed the record at 28:54.14 to 29:05.92 for Tsegay. And then Chebet won the Olympic 5,000 m in an upset over Faith Kipyegon, with Tsegay ninth. Now what? Will the pace be slow enough to give others a shot? What about Tokyo Olympic champ Sifan Hassan (NED), who won the 5,000 m bronze?
The women’s shot is expected to feature two-time World Champion Chase Jackson of the U.S., but World Indoor champ Sarah Mitton (CAN) is the world leader, Jessica Schilder (NED) won the European title and what about Tokyo Olympic winner Lijiao Gong of China? Americans Raven Saunders (Tokyo silver) and Jaida Ross are also sure they can medal in Paris.
The women’s heptathlon will finish and is expected to be a battle between defending Olympic champ Nafi Thiam of Belgium, two-time World Champion Katharina Johnson-Thompson (GBR) and Tokyo Olympic silver winner Anouk Vetter (NED) and American Anna Hall. Thiam, when healthy, has been tough to deal with, but Hall is on the ascent and is no. 5 all-time at 6,988 from 2023.
Then there are the relays, with the U.S. men and women both favored. The American men will likely start with 2019 World Champion Christian Coleman, have 2022 World Champion Fred Kerley run the backstraight, but with Noah Lyles down with Covid, perhaps Erriyon Knighton on the turn and Kenny Bednarek to finish? Great Britain, South Africa, Italy, Canada, Japan are all contenders; the question isn’t who has the fastest runners, but who can get the stick around.
The U.S. women have Sha’Carri Richardson to anchor, and can call on 200 champ Gabby Thomas on the turn, Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry and more. The U.S. is the favorite, but that has not stopped the stick from hitting the track before. Great Britain, with Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita, Jamaica and France will apply pressure.
● Beach Volleyball: Women Brazilian stars (and 2022 World Champions) Duda Lisboa and Ana Patricia Ramos are the favorites and will stage a re-match with Canada’s 2022 Worlds runner-ups Melissa Human-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson in the final.
● Boxing: Men’s 71 kg-92 kg; Women’s 50 kg-66 kg In the men’s 71 kg final, Mexico’s Marco Verde, the 2023 Pan Am Games winner and second seed, faces 2023 World Champion Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev (UZB), who was unseeded. Is this picture as wrong as it seems? Omari Jones of the U.S. and Leis Richardson (GBR) secured the bronzes.
Uzbekistan has another opportunity at 92 kg, with Lazizbek Mullojonov facing Loren Alfonso (AZE). It was Alfonso who took out two-time Olympic champ Julio Cesar La Cruz of Cuba in their first match by 3:2. Mullojonov was the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist, Enmanuel Reyes (ESP) and Davlat Boltaev (TJK) won the bronze medals.
In the women’s 50 kg final, top-seeded Yu Wu of China, the 2023 World Champion, faces Turkey’s Tokyo runner-up Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkey, the 2022 World Champion and the Tokyo 2020 runner-up. This might be one of the best fights of the Games. Aira Villegas (PHI) and Nazym Kyzaibay (KAZ) took the bronze medals.
At 66 kg, China’s Liu Yang, the 2023 World Champion faces Algerian Image Khelif, in the spotlight during the Games over claims by the International Boxing Association that she is not a woman. Khelif has competed for years in the women’s division and was the 2022 IBA Worlds runner-up (so how could she compete then?). It’s a long, sordid story that will continue after the Games, but she has a chance to win a gold here that will echo forever. Nien-chin Chen (TPE) and Janjaem Suwannapheng (THA) claimed the bronzes.
● Breaking: B-Girls Breaking will have its Olympic debut in Paris, and is not in the 2028 Olympic program, so this may be it. The 2023 World Champs medalists were Dominika Banevic (LTU: Nicka), Ayumi Fukushima (JPN: Ayumi) and Sya Dembele (FRA: Syssy). Also look for Japan’s Ami Yuasa (Ami) and Americans Sunny Choi (Sunny) and Logan Elanna Edra (Logistx).
● Canoeing: Sprint Men’s C-1 1,000 m-K-2 500 m;
Women’s C-2 500 m-K-2 500 m Defending champ Isaquias Queiroz (BRA) is back and was second at Rio 2016. Czech Martin Fuksa is the current World Champion and wants an Olympic medal, but will have to fend off London 2012 and Rio 2016 winner Sebastian Brendel (GER) and 2023 Worlds runner-up Catalin Chirila.
Portugal’s Joao Ribeiro and Messias Baptista enter as the current World Champions, but will be challenged by Australia’s Tokyo 2020 C-2 1,000 m winners, Jean van der Westhuyzen and Thomas Green. Look for Hungary, Spain and perhaps both German teams to contend for medals.
The women’s C-2 500 m has China’s Shixiao Xu and Mengya Sun returning as defending champions, and runners-up Ukraine (Liudmyla Luzan) and Canada (Katie Vincent) have half of their teams back. Xu and Sun won the 2023 Worlds golds, but have runner-up Spain – Antia Jacome and Maria Corbera – back to challenge.
In the women’s K-2 500 m, New Zealand superstar Lisa Carrington is back as defending champ, but with Alicia Hoskin this time, but with silver winner Poland returning both Karolina Naja and Anna Pulawska. The 2023 Worlds silver and bronze winners are ready as well: Poland’s Martyna Klatt and Helena Wisniewska, and Germans Paulina Paszaek and Jule Hake.
● Cycling/track: Men’s Sprint; Women’s Madison Dutch star Harrie Lavreysen won in Tokyo, has already won the Team Sprint in Paris and has won the Worlds gold five times in a row. He’s the favorite, right? He will get an argument from 2022 Worlds runner-up Matthew Richardson (AUS), Tokyo bronzer Jack Carlin (GBR) and teammate and Tokyo runner-up Jeffrey Hoogland (NED).
The women’s Madison has Britain’s 2023 World Champion Neah Evans and Elinor Barker back, as well as runners-up Alexandra Manly and Georgia Baker (AUS). Look for Denmark’s Amalie Dideriksen and Julie Leth to be a problem for both. Americans Jennifer Valente and Lily Williams, fresh off their Team Pursuit gold, should also contend.
● Diving: Women’s 3 m Springboard China has Yiwen Chen and Yani Chang entered, with Chen the World Champion in 2022 and 2023 and runner-up in 2024. Chang won in 2024 and was second in 2023 and third in 2022.
Korea’s Su-ji Kim won the 2024 bronze and Australian star Maddison Keeney, the 2019 Worlds bronze winner, could be a threat.
● Football: Men Remember, this is a U-23 tournament with three over-age players available to each side. So there is a world-class flavor to final between host France, which will have a ravenous home crowd behind them, and Spain. The Spanish were runners-up in Tokyo, but the French have not won an Olympic medal since winning the gold at the Rose Bowl in 1984, before 101,799!
In their five matches, the French are 5-0 and are 11-1 in goals-against.
● Gymnastics: Rhythmic All-Around None of the Tokyo medalists are back and this event has been dominated by 2022 World Champion Sofia Raffelli (ITA) and 2023 Worlds winner Darja Varfolomeev (GER). The challenges should come from Israel’s Daria Atamanov, the 2022 Worlds bronzer and Bulgaria’s Stiliana Nikolova, third in 2023. Also highly capable is Nikolina’s teammate, Boryana Kaleyn.
● Hockey: Women The defending champion Dutch women are 7-0 and have outscored their opponents by 25-6 and has won the last three FIH World Cups. Opposing them is China, which had a 2-3 record in the group stage, but beat Australia, 3-2, and Belgium in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 tie to reach the final.
This is a re-run of the 2008 Olympic final in Beijing, won by the Dutch, 2-0.
● Sport Climbing: Men’s Boulder & Lead The men’s Combined event – Boulder and Lead – will be contested for the first time at the Olympic level, with 2023 Worlds medalists Jakob Schubert (AUT), American Colin Duffy and Japan’s Tomoa Narasaki all contenders. German Alexander Megos, three-time Boulder World Champion Adam Ondra (CZE) and Japanese star Sorato Anraku are also in the mix, especially strong on Boulder.
● Swimming: Men’s 10 km open water The men’s 10 km open-water swim in the Seine (hopefully) could be a rematch of the last three World Championships: 2022 winner Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), 2023 champ Florian Wellbrock (GER) and 2024 gold medalist Kristof Rasovszky (HUN), who went Wellbrock-Rasovszky-Paltrinieri in Tokyo in 2021. They are the favorites, but watch for France’s Marc-Antoine Olivier, the 2024 runner-up.
● Table Tennis: Men’s Team This event has been held four times at the Games and China has won all four. China has won 11 team Worlds golds in a row. So, they’re the favorites. They will find Sweden in the final, which won a Worlds Team bronze as recently as 2018. But Chuqin Wang, the legendary Long Ma and Singles winner Zhendong Fan are overwhelming favorites.
● Taekwondo: Men’s 80 kg-Women’s 67 kg Simone Alessio is the current men’s 80 kg World Champion from 2023, where he defeated American Carl Nickolas in the final. Bronze winner Seif Eissa (EGY), also a Tokyo bronze medalist in 2021, is back, as is Tokyo runner-up Saleh Al-Sharabaty (EGY). Throw in Iran’s 2022 Worlds bronzer Mehran Barkhordari and this class could be wide open.
Ruth Gbagbi, the Rio and Tokyo bronze winner, is back at 67 kg and was the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist as well. World Champion Magda Wiet-Henin is likely the favorite, with Julyana Al-Sadeq (JOR) back to try to move from Worlds silver to Olympic gold. Serbia’s Aleksandra Perisic, the 2022 Worlds runner-up, also has to be considered.
● Weightlifting: Men’s 89 kg; Women’s 71 kg The men’s 89 kg division is a new Olympic class for 2024, previously at 81 kg in Tokyo. Italy’s Tokyo bronze winner, Antonio Pizzolato, is back, but will face 2023 World Champion Mirmostafa Javadi (IRI) and third-place Keydomar Vallenilla (VEN), the 2022 World Champion. South Korea’s Dong-ju Yu should also be in the mix.
The women’s 71 kg is another new class, down from 76 kg in Tokyo. None of the Tokyo medalists are back, so Worlds silver winner Angie Palacios is a possible favorite, along with bronze winner Olivia Reeves of the U.S., 2022 World Champion Loredana Toma (ROU) and France’s two-time European champ Marie Fegue. Egypt’s Worlds 64 kg silver winner from 2021, Neama Said, has moved up and could contend, also Korea’s 64 kg Tokyo bronze winner, Wen-huei Chen.
● Wrestling: Men’s 57 kg Free-86 kg Free; Women’s 57 kg Free Spencer Lee of the U.S. had a tough first match with a 3-2 win, but then romped in his next two matches by 12-2 and 14-4 to make it to the final against Rei Higuchi of Japan, the Rio 2016 silver medalist and 2023 Worlds runner-up. Lee, 25, was a three-time NCAA champ for Iowa, and won the 2024 Pan American title. But Higuchi will be a tall order.
Iranian star Hassan Yazdani is a three-time World Champion in the men’s 86 kg Freestyle class and will be trying for a second Olympic gold after winning in Rio in 2016 at 74 kg. Bulgaria’s Magomed Ramazanov, a former Russian was the 2020 European silver winner at 79 kg.
Three-time World Champion Tsugumi Sakurai has mauled the field in the women’s 57 kg class, winning 6-1, 11-0 before a pinfall and then 10-4 against 2016 Olympic 53 kg winner Helen Maroulis of the U.S. in the semis. She will be the favorite against Moldova’s Anastasia Nichita, the Worlds 2023 runner-up.
= INTEL REPORT =
● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● Swim star Katie Ledecky and gold-medal rower Nick Mead (men’s Fours) were selected as Closing Ceremony flagbearers for the U.S. team. Per the USOPC:
“Ledecky and Mead were chosen?by a vote of fellow Team USA athletes through a process led by the Team USA Athletes’ Commission, which serves as the representative group and voice of Team USA Athletes.”
“The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) says U.S. agency USADA broke the global code by letting several athletes it had caught between 2011 and 2014 violating drugs rules go undercover and keep on competing without prosecution in exchange for information on other violators.”
“WADA is now aware of at least three cases where athletes who had committed serious anti-doping rule violations were allowed to continue to compete for years while they acted as undercover agents for USADA, without it notifying WADA and without there being any provision allowing such a practice under the Code or USADA’s own rules. …
“When WADA eventually found out about this non-compliant practice in 2021, many years after it had started, it immediately instructed USADA to desist.”
The three athletes have retired, according to WADA. U.S. Anti-Doping Agency head Travis Tygart, in a statement, slammed back at WADA, including:
“[T]he expansive investigations done by USADA and the involved [international federation], referenced in WADA’s statement today, demonstrates exactly what WADA should have done with the [2021] Chinese swimmers’ positives: develop the evidence to identify the truth and uphold the rules to protect clean sport.
“WADA and the IF were also aware of the athletes’ cooperation, including the athletes’ return to competition, one of which was necessary for the U.S. federal law enforcement (the Drug Enforcement Agency and FBI) investigation into a human and drug trafficking scheme.
“During these investigations, the athletes provided intelligence to federal law enforcement, USADA, and the IF that led to criminal charges and anti-doping rule violations. USADA collaborated closely with WADA and the IF to ensure that those engaging in doping violations, as well as criminal offenses, were identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. WADA was notified of the violations and sanction, and WADA did not appeal them, though they had the right to do so. The Code allows for substantial assistance, such as what was provided in this case, and WADA did not initiate a compliance case against USADA as they should have if they truly believed we failed to follow the rules.”
So goes the tug-of-war (of words) between WADA and the USADA.
● Television ● Interesting data from NBC, which offered the top U.S. cities in terms of viewing interest in the 2024 Olympic Games (ratings and share shown):
● 19.8 ~ 25: New Orleans, Louisiana ● 19.6 ~ 28: West Palm Beach, Florida ● 19.2 ~ 25: Tulsa, Oklahoma ● 18.4 ~ 33: Minneapolis, Minnesota ● 17.9 ~ 26: Dayton, Ohio ● 17.8 ~ 30: Kansas City, Missouri ● 17.1 ~ 26: Fort Myers, Florida ● 16.9 ~ 27: Milwaukee, Wisconsin ● 16.8 ~ 25: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ● 16.7 ~ 23: Louisville, Kentucky and St. Louis, Missouri
All of these are outside the top 10 television markets in the country; the best reception in the top 10 is in no. 5 Dallas, Texas at 20th, with a 15.5 average rating and 31 share.
● Athletics ●Ethiopia’s Steeplechase world-record holder Lamecha Girmawas knocked unconscious after his violent fall on the final lap of the men’s Steeple final on Wednesday and had to be taken off the track by stretcher.
He was taken to a hospital and regained consciousness, but was held for observation.
¶
A television cameraman walked right into runners during heat two of the men’s 5,000 m on Wednesday morning. He was moving from the outside lane toward the curb when the runners flashed by with less than four laps to go.
He realized the situation and tried to back away, but several of the runners had to run around him, although no one fell. Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen was in the heat (he won it) and said afterwards:
“It’s amateurish. That should not happen in an Olympics.
“I was just far enough out in front to see that something or the other is happening. He has quite a large camera rig. He realized it quite quickly, but the damage is done. For some, their race is ruined.”
¶
From Norway’s Tokyo Olympic 1,500 m champion Ingebrigtsen after his fourth-place finish in the Paris 1,500 m, on Instagram:
“My team always say that ‘because you have a big mouth and is the one to beat, you have everything to lose in competition.’ Today, Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse and Josh Kerr outsmarted me. They were ‘the best guys’ when it really mattered. And I want to congratulate them all on a great performance!
“Of course, I am disappointed!
“Running is the ultimate sport. Everyone can participate. Everyone can set their own goals and achieve them. All you need is to show up. Not long ago, I trained alongside kids and average runners at Sandnes stadium. Today, I competed alongside one of my countrymen in an Olympic 1500 final. Ten years ago, no one in Norway would have believed this was possible. Until Henrik and Filip showed us all that it is.
“I sincerely want to express my gratitude and love to them and the rest of the team, and to my partners and the Norwegian athletics association and all my followers for the support this year.”
Ingebrigtsen won his heat in the men’s 5,000 m and is on to the final.
¶
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The U.S. figure skating team never expected the Eiffel Tower to loom behind them when they received their Olympic medals from the 2022 Beijing Games.
“We’re all like, ‘What are we doing here?” Nathan Chen said with a laugh. “But it’s amazing.”
Two and a half years after skating in the team event in Beijing, the eight Americans finally had gold medals draped around their necks at Champions Park in Paris. Japan received silver medals while Russia, the original Olympic champs who were downgraded to bronze after Russian Kamila Valieva‘s doping positive, did not attend. The Russian Olympic Committee is under suspension and the IOC said the Russian bronze medals “will be awarded in due course.“
The Japanese skaters, minus Shoma Uno, punched the air with joy while the pairs skaters and ice dancers performed lifts on the stage. The U.S. team beamed and showed off their medals, mostly staying in a line.
“It was liberating, it was exciting, it was invigorating, it was loud,” said pairs skater Alexa Knierim.
This was Chen’s second gold from the 2022 Beijing Games. His first, for the men’s event, came at the Olympic Medals Plaza in the Chinese capital adjacent to the Bird’s Nest Stadium. He also has a bronze medal in the team event from PyeongChang from 2018.
“The other (award ceremonies) were always freezing,” Chen said. “We’d have hand warmers in our pockets. Here we’re like sweating, so it’s very different.”
Since February 2022, they’d been sweating out the Valieva case, lobbying for medals … any medals.
While they waited, not knowing if they would receive silver from the original results or gold, the skaters went on with their lives. Some retired, ice dancers Evan Bates and Madison Chock got married, and Madison Hubbell had a baby. Vincent Zhou went to college while Chen graduated.
A decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on 25 July cleared the way for the ceremony, and officials scrambled to bring the skaters and their friends and family to Paris, 5,000 miles and seemingly a lifetime away from Beijing.
Champions Park is a celebration space at the Trocadero where different athletes are feted daily by a crowd of up to 13,000. Long lines of people try to enter the free zone each day, where giant mascots roam the grounds to take photos with fans.
Some spectators were perhaps surprised to see figure skaters on the Wednesday program, which opened promptly at 5 p.m. with their awards ceremony.
“This is about the Olympic spirit,” the announcer intoned. “This is their moment.”
The announcer explained that the doping positive had delayed their medals, and that Paris was delighted they would receive them there. Video from the ice in Beijing played on the giant screens.
“Life is unexpected,” said Bates, a team captain, “but the best part of all is the parents, coaches and all the Olympic fans. I feel like the Olympics has been revived here in Paris after the two pandemic Games and I’m so grateful to see it thriving.”
International Skating Union President Jae Youl Kim (KOR) and IOC member Martin Fourcade (FRA) presented the medals, alongside Maria Theresa Samaranch (ESP), an ISU Council member and daughter of former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch.
“I might be throwing Evan under the bus, but he had a couple of tears running down his face,” Chen said.
Bates has competed in four Olympic Games and this was his first medal. “I’m super proud of our team, for not just the performances in Beijing, but for the way that we’ve stuck together, supported one another over the last two and a half years,” he said.
Bates said they hadn’t been together as a team in two years until that morning. “The day has just been an absolute dream,” he said.
Tim Koleto, an ice dancer from Japan, said that since there was no podium, the absence of the Russian team was less obvious. “It’s been a long wait,” he said, “but it’s absolutely worth it.”
American team member Zhou, who came down with Covid and was in isolation for most of his stay in Beijing, would have missed the ceremony had it been held as scheduled during the 2022 Olympics.
Zhou said the reallocation of medals was a win for clean sport. “I feel almost privileged in a way because there’s many people who deserve the same thing and won’t get it,” he said.
But the American and Japanese skaters will always have Paris.
Chen has enjoyed the Games, watching track and field and heading to basketball. Was he recognized at the Stade de France? “Oh no,” he said, “not at all.”
But he and his teammates are now recognized in the history books.
¶
If you noticed what was essentially an LVMH commercial during the Opening Ceremony, or the ubiquitous availability of Samsung phones for selfies on the victory stand, get ready for more.
That’s from Anne-Sophie Voumard (SUI), Managing Director, IOC Television and Marketing Services, who explained on Wednesday that the ban on field-of-play advertising for Olympic TOP sponsors will continue, but product placement will be on the rise:
“That is the direction we want to go into, we want to be unique in our actions. We don’t have any visibility on the field of play. We want to keep that position, but we want to work with our partners is that we can integrate their products in a way which is more organic in the Games. …
“So this is the path that we are taking deliberately and you will see things evolve during the next editions of the Games in this sector.”
¶
The worldwide attention to the Paris Games has been spectacular, with billions of engagements on all levels of media. One of the engines behind the flood of highlights and videos has been the Olympic Broadcasting Services, led by Yiannis Exarchos (GRE). He explained on Wednesday:
“When we started designing the coverage of the Games for Paris, one of the main objectives that we had in mind is to achieve, to do justice in the Olympics as one of the few audience aggregators that are left in the media world.
“You know very, very well that one of the major issues today is the ultimate disaggregation of audience. People consume content everywhere in many different parts, in many different ways. How do you make sense of all that? How do you manage to get the Olympics out there?
“This has been one of our fundamental objectives. The way to go about doing it was obviously to try and produce in ways that would fit all these audiences, that would help all these audiences reach the Games. This is what has been behind our effort to produce so much and so diverse content here.
“By the end of the Games, we will have produced more than 11,000 hours of content. This is more than a year and three months worth of content, in 17 days. The competition itself is something less than 4,000 hours, so we produce three times that.
“Why? Because audiences and different audiences want to see and want to experience the Games in different ways. They want to see things behind the scenes, they want to see features on athletes, they want to have fun moments. They want things that excite them.
“So this has been the effort to design this production in a way that there is a way of experiencing the Olymoic Games regardless of whether you belong to the generation that was born before the Second World War or whether you belong to the A Generation, which is coming now, which are very different ways.”
New technologies have played an important role in this. Exarchos noted the now-crucial role that the delivery of broadcast signals – in real time – worldwide via the “OBS Cloud” – a project with TOP sponsor Alibaba from China – has changed everything:
“Cloud in these Games became the prominent means of distribution of content to broadcasters. It has surpassed satellite, it has surpassed fiber. And, of course, this creates huge flexibilities and capacities to broadcasters to handle content, and volumes of content that they do not regularly deal with.”
One of the things that this has done is to reduce the space and infrastructure required for the International Broadcasting Center and broadcast space at the venues. It has also allowed, for example, for NBC to have 1,800 of its Olympic broadcast team at its Stamford, Connecticut broadcast center and only 1,200 on-site in France. ~ Rich Perelman
● Les Temps ● The updated forecast shows sun for the last couple of days of the Games:
● 08 Aug. (Thu.): High of 83 ~ low of 65, cloudy ● 09 Aug. (Fri.): 82 ~ 62, cloudy ● 10 Aug. (Sat.): 87 ~ 64, sunny ● 11 Aug. (Sun.): 94 ~ 71, sunny
There is rain in the forecast for Wednesday the 14th, but hopefully will not speed up to land on Sunday.
● Medals & Teams ●Eight more medals for the U.S. on Wednesday and now a large gap with everyone else on total medals, although the gold-medal chase is very tight:
● 1. 94, United States (27-35-32) ● 2. 65, China (25-23-17) ● 3. 51, France (13-17-21) ● 4. 49, Great Britain (12-17-20) ● 5. 41, Australia (18-12-11) ● 6. 31, Japan (12-6-13) ● 7. 27, South Korea (12-8-7) ● 7. 27, Italy (9-10-8) ● 9. 20, Netherlands (9-5-6) ● 10. 19, Canada (6-4-9) ● 11. 18, Germany (8-5-5) ● 12. 14, Brazil (2-4-7)
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much diverse, inclusive and equitable representation of team achievement, the U.S. continues to lead:
● 1. 927 1/2, United States ● 2. 688 1/2, China ● 3. 565, France ● 4. 540, Great Britain ● 5. 456, Australia ● 6. 421, Italy ● 7. 360, Japan ● 8. 308 1/2, Germany ● 9. 285 1/2, Korea ● 10. 270 1/2, Canada ● 11. 258, Netherlands ● 12. 173 1/2, Brazil ● 13. 157, Spain ● 14. 151, New Zealand ● 15. 142 1/2, Switzerland
Now, a total of 101 countries (out of 206) – plus the Refugee Team (102), and Belarus and Russia, as “neutrals” – have scored points so far.
● Television ●No Tuesday figures, but NBC reported the 12-day Olympic viewing average for 2024 at 32.2 million in 2024, compared to 18.2 million for Tokyo (a lot better) and the 10-day average of 28.6 million for Rio (better).
The measurement of “Total Audience Delivery” is based upon live-plus-same day custom fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics. This is not a true “apples-to-apples” with prior Games, however, as the audiences prior to 2024 were for the NBC primetime show only and the Paris totals are for the daytime show (live) and the primetime show together. No out-of-home audiences were in the figures for Rio 2016; Nielsen added those in 2020.
● Errata ● Apologies for misspelling the name of Germany’s winner in the equestrian jumping final in yesterday’s post, which was actually Christian Kukuk, now corrected. However, the horse’s name – Chester 47 – was presented correctly.
● Artistic Swimming: Team This is a combination of the Technical Routine, Free Routine and Acrobatic Routine, with China leading through all three phases and winning at 996.1389. The U.S. was a surprise second, fourth in the Tech routine, then second in the Free and the Acrobatic on Wednesday, scoring 914.3421, the first medal in this discipline since 2004; the last time the U.S. did better than bronze was in 1996, when the U.S. team won.
Spain was a clear third in 900.7318, well ahead of France at 886.6487.
● Athletics: Men’s 400 m-Steeple-Discus; Women’s Vault; Mixed Walk Relay Spain’s 2023 World 20 km Champion Alvaro Martin moved from sixth to first on the third leg of the Marathon Walk Mixed Relay and then saw Maria Perez, the women’s 2023 20 km Worlds winner, extend their lead from two seconds to 51 seconds and win in 2:50:31. They walked away from Ecuador’s Brian Pintado and Glenda Morejon (2:51:22) and Rhydian Cowley and Jemima Montag (AUS: 2:51:38).
The men’s 400 m had London 2012 winner Kirani James facing 2022 World Champion Michael Norman of the U.S. and U.S. Trials winner Quincy Hall and European champ Matthew Hudson-Smith. Off the gun, Jareem Richards (TTO) in lane nine was off hot and was in the lead, with Hudson-Smith coming up in lane six onto the turn. Onto the straight, Richards was strong, but Hudson-Smith was moving into the lead. Hall was straining, chugging and gritting his teeth while passing James, passing Richards and setting off after Hudson-Smith, getting to the lead with 20 m to go and winning in a sensational 43.40, moving to no. 4 all-time with the no. 5 performance all-time.
Hudson-Smith moved to no. 5 all-time in silver position at 43.44, a national record, with Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga following Hall into third at 43.74, another national record. Richards held on to fourth (43.78, national record) and James was fifth in 43.87. Chris Bailey of the U.S. was sixth in 44.58 and Norman was a distant eighth in 45.62.
The Ethiopians ran 1-2-3 to start the men’s Steeple to try and take the sting out of defending champion Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR). But El Bakkali stayed in contact, with Samuel Firewu leading; with three laps left, El Bakkali was eighth as the field bunched up with the pace slowing.
A dozen were together with two laps left and El Bakkali moved from inside to outside to get running room, but he was eighth at the bell. But the slowing pace gave American Kenneth Rooks an opportunity and he sprinted into the lead into the backstraight and tried to steal the race.
Four tore after him, but on the backstraight, approaching the turn, Ethiopia’s world-record holder, Lamecha Girma, tumbled over the barrier and lay on the track. Off the water jump, Rooks stayed in front briefly, but El Bakkali took the lead on the straight and had the speed to win comfortably in 8:06.05, defending his Olympic gold. Rooks and Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot were in a struggle all the way to the line, with Rooks coming back at the line to get a stunning silver in 8:06.41 and Kibiwot third in 8:06.47.
Rooks’ best was 8:15.08 coming in, no. 24 on the 2024 world list. He’s now the second-fastest steepler in U.S. history. It’s the third U.S. medal in this event in 40 years.
Lithuania’s world-record-holder in the discus, Mykolas Alekna, made history by smashing the Olympic Record – held by his father, Virgilijus Alekna, from Athens 2004. That came in the second round, as the son got out to 69.97 m (229-6), further than Dad’s 69.89 m (229-3). Australian Matthew Denny, fourth in Tokyo, reached 69.31 m (227-4) in round two and 2022 World Champion Kristjian Ceh (SLO: 68.41 m/224-5) was third.
Then came a lightning strike, as Jamaica’s Roje Stona, 19th in the qualifying round at the 2023 Worlds, came up with a three-foot lifetime best – and an Olympic Record – of 70.00 m (229-8) in round four. Denny finished third, Alekna fouled and Stona – the 2023 NCAA runner-up – became one of the most unlikely Olympic champs in memory.
The women’s vault got serious at 4.80 m (15-9), with five over and then at 4.85 m (15-11), co-World Champion Nina Kennedy got over on her first try to take the lead. Everyone else missed their first tries, but Moon and Canada’s Alysha Newman cleared on their second. European champion Angelica Moser missed twice and passed to 4.90 m (16-0 3/4).
Kennedy cleared again and maintained the lead, as Moser missed and was out and now the medalists were decided. Newman missed all three and finished third; Moon missed once and passed to 4.95 m (16-2 3/4). But she missed twice and Kennedy became Olympic champion. It’s Australia’s first win in this event.
● Boxing: Men’s 63.5 kg-80 kg Erislandy Alvarez won Cuba’s second straight gold in this weight class, defeating France’s three-time World Champion Soufiane Oumiha by decision by 3:2. Ouhima wins his second silver in this class, also in 2016.
Canada’s Wyatt Sanford and Georgia’s Lasha Guruli were the semifinal losers and share the bronze.
In the 80 kg final, Ukraine’s 2017 World Champion and the Tokyo 2020 runner-up Oleksandr Khyzhniak defeated 2023 World Champion Nurbek Oralbay (KAZ) by 3:2, after an impressive semifinal win over two-time Olympic gold medalist Arlen Lopez of Cuba, 3-2. Lopez and Dominican Cristian Pinales have the bronzes.
● Cycling/track: Men’s Team Pursuit; Women’s Team Pursuit Australia’s men finished silver-silver-bronze in the last three Games but finally got its gold in Paris, as Oliver Bleddyn, Sam Welsford, Conor Leahy and Kelland O’Brien won the final from Great Britain, 3:42.067 to 3:44.394.
Italy won the bronze over defending champion Denmark, 3:44.197 to 3:46.138.
The U.S. women had gone silver-silver-bronze in the last three Games in the women’s Pursuit, this time it was all-stars Jennifer Valente (Tokyo Omnium gold), Lily Williams, Chloe Dygert (Paris Time Trial bronze) and Kristen Faulkner (Paris Road Race gold) winning in 4:04.306 a tight battle over New Zealand (4:04.937). It’s the U.S.’s first gold in the event.
Great Britain won the bronze, after a silver in Tokyo and wins in London and Rio, timing 4:06.382 to 4:08.961.
● Sailing ● Men’s Laser; Women’s Laser Radial Australia’s Matthew Wearn is now a three-time Olympic champion, winning again in Marseille with five top-two finishes and a win in the medal race to finish with 40 net points. That was well ahead of Cypriot star Pavlos Kontides, the London 2012 runner-up and a two-time World Champion, with 56 net points. Peru’s Stefano Peschiera was only ninth in the medal race, but held on to the bronze at 84 net points, just ahead of Jonatan Vadnai (HUN: 84).
Rio 2016 winner and four-time World Champion Marit Bouwmeester (NED) dominated the women’s Laser Radial class, with six top-three placings an a net total of 38 points. Equally secure in second was Denmark’s four-time World Champion and Tokyo 2020 winner Anne-Marie Rindom at 61 net, followed by Line Hoest (NOR: 75). Maud Jayet (SUI: 90) was fourth and American Erika Reineke finished ninth (110 net).
● Skateboarding: Men’s Park Australia’s Keegan Palmer, the Tokyo Olympic winner, shut down the event in the first round, scoring 93.10 and becoming a two-time Olympic champion, His biggest rival turned out to be American Tom Schaar, who scored 90.11 in the first round for second place, then moved up to 92.23 in round two, but no further. Brazil’s Agusto Akio scored only 2.66 on his first run, but came through in the third round at 91.85 for the bronze medal.
American Tate Carew, the 2023 Worlds bronzer, finished fifth at 91.17, as the top five riders managed six scores above 90 points.
● Sport Climbing: Women’s Speed Poland’s two-time World Champion Aleksandra Miroslaw set a world record of 6.06 in the qualifying on the 15 m wall and was almost as good in the final, clocking 6.10 to defeat China’s Lijuan Deng (6.18). Fellow Pole Aleksandra Kalucka, the 2021 World Champion, won the bronze, beating Rajiah Sallsabillah (INA), 6.53 to 8.24. American Emma Hunt, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, was fifth.
● Taekwondo: Men’s 58 kg; Women’s 49 kg Korea’s Tae-joon Park, the 2023 Worlds 54 kg champ, won the men’s 58 kg gold after Gashim Magomedov (AZE) withdraw after being down by 13-1 in the second period. France’s Cyrian Ravet won one bronze after defending champ Vito Dell’Acqua (ITA) withdrew, and Tunisia’s Mohamed Jendoubi defeated Adrian Vicente (ESP) for the other, two rounds to none.
Thailand’s Panipak Wongpattanakit was the Tokyo gold medalist in the women’s 49 kg class and defended her title with a gold-medal victory against Qing Guo of China by two round to one, 6-3, 2-3, 6-2. Iran’s Mobina Nematzadeh and Croatia’s Lena Stojkovic won the bronzes.
● Weightlifting: Men’s 61 kg; Women’s 49 kg China’s Fabin Li was the favorite, set an Olympic Record of 143 kg in the Snatch and won at 310 kg combined, ahead of Thai Theerapong Silachai (303 kg). American Hampton Morris, 20, won the 2023 Worlds Clean & Jerk segment, but failed in the Snatch and got no placing. In Paris, he won the first Olympic medal by an American man in 40 years – since 1984 – placing fifth in the Snatch and winning the Clean & Jerk at 172 kg for a total of 298 kg and the bronze medal!
Morris was one kilo up on Mohamad bin Kasdan (MAS) at 297 kg, in fourth. Morris said afterwards about his C&J tries at 172 kg:
“That first attempt up on stage, I’m mad. The white paint on the platform is slick, it’s not safe. On the next two attempts I moved the barbell away from it and I was able to make my second attempt.
“I approached the bar knowing I would make it. I didn’t have any doubt in my mind I would do it. It’s something I’ve done in training plenty of times. There’s no room for doubt in this sport. Just know you can make it and execute.”
China’s defending champion Zhihui Hou won her second straight Olympic gold, lifting a combined total of 206 kg, including an Olympic Record of 117 kg in the Clean & Jerk. That was just enough to get by Mihaela Cambei (ROU: 205 kg) and Thailand’s 2021 World Champion Surodchana Khambao (200 kg). American Jourdan Delacruz made three of her six lifts and finished fifth at 195 kg.
● Wrestling: Men’s Greco 77 kg-97 kg; Women’s 50 kg Freestyle Another crazy day on the mats, especially in the women’s 50 kg Freestyle, where India’s Vinesh Phogat was supposed to face American Sarah Hildebrandt.
But Phogat was disqualified after failing Wednesday’s weigh-in, apparently just 100 g over, but still overweight. Team physician Dr. Dinshaw Paudiwala explained:
“Vinesh’s nutritionist felt that the usual amount she takes is 1.5 kg totally over the day gives enough energy for the bouts. However, after three intense matches, there was a concern of rebound weight gain following the competition. To prevent dehydration, some water was administered.
“Her post-participation weight at the end of the semi-finals in the evening was found to be 2.7 kg more than the allowed weight. The team and the coach started their usual process, which includes limitation of water and food intake, along with intense sweating methods.”
“We had only 12 hours to reduce her weight, which led us to employ extreme measures like steam, sauna, and exercise. We even had to resort to cutting her hair. If we had a few more hours, we might have managed to shed that 100 grams.”
She was admitted to the polyclinic in the Olympic Village for dehydration and is expected to recover.
Meanwhile, Cuba’s Yuseneylys Guzman, who lost to Phogat in the semis, was advanced to the final instead. Hildebrandt, who won bronze in Tokyo and is a four-time Worlds medal winner, took care of business and won by 3-0 for the second U.S. gold in as many days. It’s the first American gold in this weight class.
Behind them, four-time World Champion Yui Sasaki, who lost to Phogat in the round of 16, was advanced to the bronze-medal match and defeated Ukraine’s Oksana Livach, 10-0. The other bronze went to China’s Ziqi Feng.
¶
In the men’s Greco 77 kg class, Japan’s Nao Kusaka, the 2023 Worlds bronze winner and 2024 Asian champ, won decisively over Demeu Zhadrayev (KAZ), by 5-2, with Kusaka overcoming a 2-0 deficit after the first period.
Armenia’s Malkhas Amoyan and Akzhol Makhmudov (KGZ) won the bronze-medal matches.
Iran’s Mohammad Hadi Saravi, the 2021 World Champion and Tokyo bronzer, won the men’s Greco 97 kg gold with a tight, 4-1 win over Artur Aleksanyan of Armenia.
Aleksanyan won his fourth Olympic medal: 2012 bronze, then gold-silver-silver. Cuban Gabriel Rosillo and Uzur Dzhuzupbekov (KGZ) took the bronze medals.
Elsewhere:
● Athletics ● In the morning heats, Kenya’s Tokyo 2020 runner-up, Emmanuel Wanyonyi led all men’s 800 m qualifiers at 1:44.64, with favorite Djamel Sedjati (ALG) winning heat five in 1:45.84. American Bryce Hoppel qualified second in heat six at 1:45.24, and Hobbs Kessler – a day after his fifth-place finish in the 1,500 m – qualified third in heat four at 1:46.15. Brandon Miller was eighth in heat three (1:46.34) and is in the repechage.
There was drama in the men’s 5,000 m heats, as Britain’s George Mills was stepped on by France’s Hugo Hay, starting a crash which impacted multiple runners. Norway’s Narve Nordas won the heat in 14:08.16, but Mills, Dominic Lobalu (SUI-Refugee) and three more were advanced to the final by the referee and the jury after review. Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen won heat two in 13:51.59. Americans Graham Blanks and Grant Fisher both advanced, but Abdi Nur was 19th in heat two in 14:15.00 and was eliminated.
Defending champ Joshua Cheptegei (UGA), winner of the 10,000 m, withdrew from the 5.
In the men’s high jump qualifying, American Shelby McEwen was among five who cleared 2.27 m (7-5 1/4) to lead the parade, along with co-Olympic champ Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT) and 2024 World Indoor winner Hamish Kerr (NZL). Despite a possible kidney stone that had him in the hospital over the weekend, co-Tokyo winner Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA) also qualified, at 2.24 m (7-4 1/4). Americans JuVaughn Harrison (2.20 m/7-2 1/2) and Vernon Turner (2.15 m/7-0 1/2) did not qualify.
No big surprises in the women’s 100 m hurdles heats, led by defending champ Jasmine Camacho-Quinn at 12.42, then world-record holder Tobi Amusan (NGR: 12.49) and U.S. Olympic Trials winner Masai Russell (12.53). Two-time World Champion Danielle Williams (JAM: 12.59), Americans Alaysha Johnson (12.61) and Grace Stark (12.72) and World Indoor winner Devynne Charlton (BAH: 12.71) all advanced.
Poland’s Tokyo runner-up, Maria Andrejczyk got a seasonal best of 65.52 m (214-11) to lead the women’s javelin qualifying; Japan’s World Champion Haruka Kitaguchi qualified seventh at 62.58 m (205-4). The lone American, Maggie Malone Hardin, did not qualify, finishing 24th at 58.76 m (192-9).
In the evening session, Paris runner-up Kenny Bednarek won the first men’s 200 m semi in 20.00 (wind: -0.1 m/s), running easily ahead of Alexander Ogando (DOM: 20.09). Three-time World Champion Noah Lyles was in semi two, but Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo was in front into the straight and won in 19.96 (-0.2) to 20.08, both eased up over the last 10 m.
Erriyon Knighton ran a good turn in semi three, but came off second into the straight. He had to work hard, but got to the front and held off ex-Florida star Joseph Fahnbulleh (LBA), 20.09 to 20.12 (-0.6).
Three-time World Champion Grant Holloway kept flying in the men’s 110 m hurdles, winning semifinal one in 12.98 (+0.1), way ahead of Spain’s Enrique Llopis (13.17). Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell won semi two in 13.21 (-0.1), just ahead of American Freddie Crittenden (13.23) and Jamaica’s Orlando Bennett edged Daniel Roberts of the U.S. in semi three, 13.09-13.10 (+0.6).
Olympic champ Karsten Warholm (NOR) got out hard in the 400 m hurdles semis and passed 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santos (BRA) on his outside. In the straight, Warholm was challenged by France’s Clement Ducos, but won, 47.67 to 47.85. Dos Santos was third in 47.95 and Trevor Bassitt of the U.S. fourth in 48.29.
Kyron McMaster, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, held his form together in the straight to win semi two in 48.15, with Rasmus Magi (EST: 48.16) coming late for second and American CJ Allen fading to fourth in 48.44. Olympic silver winner Rai Benjamin of the U.S. ran hard for 200 m, then jogged the remainder and won semi three in 47.85. Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke was second in 48.34. Awesome.
In the men’s triple jump qualifying, Spain’s European champ Jordan Diaz took one jump – 17.24 m (56-5 3/4) and was in – and was in, as was 2023 World Champion Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR) at 17.16 m (56-3 3/4) in Group A.
Defending Olympic champ Pedro Pichardo (POR) led Group B at 17.44 m (57-2 3/4), the best of the day, with U.S. Trials winner Salif Mane next at 17.16 m (56-3 3/4). Americans Donald Scott had a best of 16.77 m (55-0 1/4: 14th) and Russell Robinson managed 16.47 m (54-0 1/2: 22 nd) and did not advance.
In the women’s 400 m semis, Bahrain’s 2019 World Champion Salwa Eid Naser was strong in semi one and impressed at 49.08 over Ireland’s European runner-up (and 2023 NCAA champ for Texas) Rhasidat Adeleke (49.95). American Aaliyah Butler was sixth in 51.18.
World leader Nickisha Pryce (JAM) and 2023 World Champion Marileidy Paulino (DOM) were in semi two, with Paulino dominating in 49.21, with American Alexis Holmes coming from fourth to second on the straight in 50.00. Pryce was fourth in 50.77. Semi three was the slowest, with Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek leaning at the tape to win in 49.45 over Amber Anning (GBR and Arkansas) in a lifetime best of 49.47. Kendall Ellis, the U.S. Trials winner, was fourth in 50.40 and did not advance.
● Basketball ●In the women’s quarterfinals, France handled Germany, 84-71 and Belgium got by Spain, 79-66, in the upper bracket to meet in the semifinals on Friday. Australia hammered Serbia, 85-67 in the lower bracket and will plat the U.S., which skated past Nigeria,
The U.S. had a 52-33 lead at the half and 76-48 after three. The final was 88-74, with A’ja Wilson scoring 20 and grabbing 11 rebounds, plus 15 from Jackie Young and 13 from Breanna Stewart.
The U.S., overwhelming favorites for gold, won its fourth straight game in this tournament and 59th in a row in Olympic competition. Their last loss was in 1992, with seven straight gold-medal performances since.
● Beach Volleyball ●The American men’s pair of Miles Partian and Andrew Evans were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Tokyo bronze winners Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, 21-14, 21-16. They will meet co-favorites David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig (SWE) in one semifinal. Defending Olympic champs Anders Mol and Christian Sorum (NOR) face Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler (GER) in the other.
● Volleyball ● The U.S. men lost a heartbreaker to Poland in the quarterfinals, up by two sets to one and then losing 25-23 and 15-13 in the final two sets; Poland – the 2014 and 2018 World Champions and runner-up in 2022 – will play France in the final.
The French swept 2022 Worlds winner Italy, by 25-20, 25-21 and 25-21, to defend their Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold. The U.S. and Italy will play for the bronze.
The U.S. women, the defending champions, are in the semis tomorrow against Brazil, with Turkey and Italy in the other semi.
● Water Polo ●The U.S. men escaped with a penalty shoot-out win in their quarterfinal against Australia on Wednesday. The Aussies had a 5-3 lead at half, and got the lead, but the game was 7-7 at the end of regulation. Finally, Marko Vavic scored the winner in the fourth round of the penalty shoot-out for the 4-3 win (officially, 11-10)
The U.S. will now play Serbia, a 12-11 winner over Greece, in one semi on the 9th, with Hungary and Croatia in the other. Hungary had to defeat Italy in a penalty shoot-out as well, and Croatia beat Spain, 10-8.
The defending champion U.S. won are in their semis tomorrow against Australia also, while Spain plays the Netherlands in the other.
● Athletics: Men’s 200 m-110 m hurdles-Javelin Women’s 400 m hurdles-Long Jump Noah Lyles barely won the 100 m and will have to be sharper to win the 200 m. He finished second in his semi to Letsile Tebogo, the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist and the other semi winners, Tokyo runner-up Kenny Bednarek of the U.S. and teammate Erriyon Knighton, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, now think they can win.
In the men’s 110 m hurdles, three-time World Champion Grant Holloway, no. 2 all-time at 12.81 and the world leader at 12.86 in 2024, wants the Olympic gold that eluded him in Tokyo, when he was passed late by Hansle Parchment (JAM). Holloway will face good competition from teammates Freddie Crittenden and Daniel Roberts, plus Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell Orlando Bennett, the other semifinal winners.
Holloway is one of the best starters in the world; it’s how he finishes – sometimes – that lets others back into the race.
Then there is the much-anticipated clash of titans in the women’s 400 m hurdles, with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the U.S., the defending Olympic champ and world-record holder at 50.65 the clear favorite. But Dutch star Femke Bol is only a half-step back at 50.95 and is also the 2024 European champion. Who has the strength over hurdle 10 and the run-in?
Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton and Americans Anna Cockrell and Jasmine Jones are the expected contenders for the bronze.
The most popular track & field athlete in the world is probably India’s javelin ace and defending Olympic champ, Neeraj Chopra, the 2023 World Champion, with millions of social-media followers. The whole country will be cheering him on against Tokyo runner-up Jakub Vadlejch (CZE), Pakistan’s Worlds silver winner Arshad Nadeem and Grenada’s 2022 Worlds winner Anderson Peters.
German Malaika Mihambo is the defending Olympic champion and the world leader in the women’s long jump at 7.22 m (23-8 1/4). But she will have to deal with the effervescent and energetic Tara Davis-Woodhall, who has reached 7.14 m (23-5 1/4) and was the 2023 Worlds runner-up. This should be quite a battle, with Italy’s Larissa Iapichino, Americans Jasmine Moore and Jamaica’s Ackelia Smith ready to pounce if either falters.
● Boxing: Men’s 51 kg-Women’s 54 kg This is the lightest weight for men – Flyweight – with top-seeded Billal Bennama (FRA) making it to the final against no. 2 seed. Hasanboy Dusmatov (UZB). Bennama won the Worlds silver last year and won the European Games. Dusmatov, 31, won a gold at Rio 2016 in the 49 kg class (Light Flyweight) and won the 2023 Worlds over Bennama. Dusmantov has the experience, but not the home crowd, which might make the difference.
Junior Alcanatara (DOM) and Daniel Varela de Pina (CPV) won the bronzes.
In the women’s 54 kg class, only eighth-seed Yuan Chang (CHN) got through to the final and will face unseeded Hatice Akbas (TUR). Chang won an Asian Games silver in 2022, but Akbas comes in as the 2022 World Champion at 54 kg and won a European Games bronze in 2023. And she wasn’t seeded?
The bronzes went to Chol-mi Pang (PRK) and Ae-ji Im (KOR).
● Canoeing: Men’s C-2 500 m-K-4 500 m; Women’s K-4 500 m The men’s C-2 500 m has not been on the Olympic program since 2008. Germany’s Tim Kretschmer and Tim Hecker won the 2023 Worlds, and are in the semis along with runners-up Hao Liu and Bowen Ji of China, who had the fastest time in the heats.
This could be a medal possibility for Belarusians Zakhar Petrov and Alexey Korovashkov, competing as neutrals. They won the first heat and had the third-fastest time on the day.
This is only the second time in the Games for the men’s K-4 500 m, with Germany the defending champion and current World Champion … with three of the four back from Tokyo. Spain beat the Germans in the 2022 Worlds and were close behind in their heat. Serbia and Hungary (2023 Worlds silver) looked good in the heats and Australia posted the fastest time so far in the quarterfinal. But the Germans are the ones to beat.
Hungary has won the women’s K-4 500 m three times in a row, but New Zealand, Poland and Spain won the medals at the 2023 Worlds. And they went 1-3-2 in the first heat, advancing to the final. Germany, Hungary and China were the top three in heat two and all the times were close. The Kiwis have the brilliant Lisa Carrington, 35, aboard, winner of five Olympic golds, three in Tokyo. Her leadership might be the difference.
● Cycling: Men’s Omnium; Women’s Keirin Britain has 2022 World Champion Ethan Hayter ready to go, dueling with two-time Worlds silver winner Benjamin Thomas, New Zealand’s 2022 bronzer Aaron Gate and 2023 World Champion Iuri Leitao.
Not to be overlooked: Shunsuke Imamura, who won the 2023 Worlds bronze, or returning Tokyo medal winner Elia Viviani, 35, who won this event in Rio in 2016.
This is the fourth time in the Games for the women’s Keirin, with Tokyo runner-up Ellesse Andrews (NZL) the current World Champion. This is a race for the sprinters, and Martha Bayona (COL: 2023 Worlds silver) and Lea Fredrich (GER: 2022 Worlds gold, 2023 Worlds bronze) clear contenders.
Look out for Japan’s Mina Sato the 2022 Worlds runner-up on this track (!), as well as Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Lauriane Genest (CAN).
● Diving: Men’s 3 m Springboard China continues its push for an Olympic sweep, with Tokyo winner Siyi Xie back again, as well as silver winner Zongyuan Wang. Wang has won three straight Worlds golds, in 2022-23-24, with Xie (a two-time Worlds winner) second in 2024. They’re favorites to go 1-2.
Britain’s Jack Laugher won bronze in Tokyo and ranked third after the preliminary round. He’s won two Worlds bronzes as well, but will be challenged by Mexico’s two-time Worlds medal winner Osmar Olvera.
● Hockey: Men’s final Germany came in as the reigning World Cup champion from 2023, with the Netherlands third, winning a medal for the fourth straight edition. These two powerhouses will go for the gold medal at the historic Stade Yves-du-Manoior, the featured venue of the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris.
The Germans were 4-1 in group play and then won 3-2 over Argentina in the quarters and 3-2 over India in the semis. The Dutch were 3-1-1, but have rolled over Australia, 2-0, and stomped Spain, 4-0. Germany won the group match by 1-0 on a third-minute goal by Niklas Wellen, it figures to be just as close again.
India will play Spain in the bronze-medal game; India won the Tokyo bronze, but the Spanish have not won a medal since 2008.
● Sailing: Men’s Kite; Women’s Kite This is the first appearance of kiteboarding at the Games. So far in Paris, 2022 Worlds runner-up Toni Vodisek (SLO) led after seven races and Singapore’s Max Maeder, who won the 2023 and 2024 Worlds for men, was second.
Riccardo Pianosi (ITA) stands third and Valentin Bontus (AUT) was fourth and are in the semifinals and trying to advance.
In the women’s Kite, Lauriane Nolot of France is the leader with 12 net points; she won both the 2023 and 2024 Worlds, beating Ellie Aldridge (GBR) in 2024. Aldridge is second, also with 12 and they are both in the finals.
Next is American Daniela Moroz (17 points net), a six-time World Champion, with Annelous Lammerts (NED: 23) fourth; both are in the semifinals.
● Sport Climbing: Men’s Speed In the men’s Speed event in Sport Climbing, 2023 Worlds gold and silver winners Matteo Zurloni (ITA) and Jinbao Long (CHN) will be challenged by Indonesia’s World Cup winner Veddriq Leonardo. Former World Cup winner Bassa Mawem (FRA) is a serious contender, as is American Samuel Watson, who stole the show in qualifying with a world record of 4.75 seconds for the 15 m wall!
● Swimming: Women’s open-water 10 km In the women’s 10 km open-water event, scheduled to be held in the Seine River if the bacteria count is OK, look for Rio 2016 winner Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED), Tokyo 2020 winner Ana Marcela Cunha (BRA) and 2023 Worlds winner Leonie Beck (GER) as the favorites. The U.S. has 2023 Worlds bronze winner Katie Grimes, and Worlds silver medalist Chelsea Gubecka (AUS) is also a contender. These are some of the fittest people on the planet.
● Taekwondo: Men’s 68 kg; Women’s 57 kg Tokyo Olympic champ Ulugbek Rashitov (UZB) and runner-up Bradly Sinden (GBR) both return, along with bronze winner Hakan Recber (TUR). Sinden has been at or near the top consistently: the 2019 and 2023 Worlds winner and silver in 2021.
Tokyo bronze winners Chia-ling Lo (TPE) and Turkey’s Hatice Ilgun both return, and Lo has been the Worlds runner-up in 2022 and 2023, with Ilgun getting a bronze both times. But China’s 2022 World Champion Zongshi Luo and three-time Worlds medalist Jade Jones (GBR) should not be underestimated.
● Weightlifting: Men’s 73 kg; Women’s 59 kg China has won the men’s 73 kg class five times in a row, and two-time Olympic champ Zhiyong Shi is back to try for a third. Thailand’s Weeraphon Wichuma is the current World Champion and bronze winner Muhammed Ozbek (TUR) and both will challenge. Indonesia’s Rizki Juniansyah won the 2022 silver and is a contender.
Four-time World Champion Hsing-Chun Kuo (TPE) won the Tokyo 2020 Olympic title at 59 kg and will defend, but will have to deal with China’s Shifang Luo, the 2023 World Champion and silver winner, Ukraine’s Kamila Konotop and 2022 Worlds winner Yenny Alvarez of Colombia and bronze medalist Maude Charron (CAN).
● Wrestling: Men’s Greco 67 kg-87 kg; Women’s 53 kg Ukraine’s Tokyo Olympic runner-up Parviz Nasibov will face Saeid Esmaelii (IRI) in the men’s Greco 67 kg final and Iran has a second shot at gold in the 87 kg final, as 2023 Worlds 82 kg runner-up Alireza Mohmadi will fight Bulgarian Semen Novikov
Lucia Yepez (ECU), the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist, is in the women’s 53 kg final against Akari Fujinami of Japan, the 2023 World Champion.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● “Covid-19 is still very much with us. The virus is circulating in all countries.”
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove(USA), the WHO’s Director of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention said to Agence France Presse that “in recent months, regardless of season, many countries have experienced surges of Covid-19, including at the Olympics, currently, where at least 40 athletes have tested positive.”
That’s for Covid and other respiratory illnesses. She added, “It’s not surprising to see athletes being infected, because as I said before, the virus is circulating quite rampantly in other countries.”
● Israel ●“Yael Arad, president of the Israeli National Olympic Committee, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that team members had received ‘centralized’ threats meant to generate ‘psychological terror’ in athletes, without giving further details.”
French prosecutors are already looking into death threats against Israeli athletes, and the release of personal details of some Israeli athletes. A memorial service was held Tuesday to remember the murder of 11 members of the Israeli delegation by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Munich Games.
● Boxing ●As reported by the Italian daily Il Fatto Quotidiano (“The Daily Fact”)
“After various rumors circulating in recent days, confirmation now comes directly from the president of CONI, Giovanni Malago, who in an interview with La Stampa revealed some messages received by the Italian athlete. ‘Everything is exploited today by politics. From the right to the left. Angela showed me the pressure she was subjected to in the days before the match by the IBA.’ That is, the International Boxing Association.”
“Angela” is Angela Carini, the Italian fighter who retired in her match with Algerian Imane Khelifafter 46 seconds in the women’s 66 kg class. The report did not indicate the nature of the messages.
● Cycling ● More world records to keep track of at the famed Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome:
Men’s Team Sprint: ● 41.191 by the Netherlands (Lavreysen-van den Berg-Hoogland) in heats ● 40.949 by the Netherlands in the final
Men’s Team Pursuit: ● 3:42.151 by Australia (Bleddyn-Welsford-Leahy-O’Brien) in heats
Five world marks were set in the women’s Team Sprint, so the total is up to eight (so far).
● Equestrian ● Federation Equestre Internationale chief veterinarian Goran Akerstrom (SWE) told Reuters that photographs of horses after the Dressage competition at Versailles on Tuesday showed blue tongues due to oxygen shortage:
“The concern on those pictures were the blue tongues, likely caused by high rein tension,” noting that the double bridles used played a role in reducing oxygen to the tongue, causing “pain or unnecessary discomfort.”
Horse welfare issues have been raised in the sport, and were the reason riding has been eliminated in the modern pentathlon following Paris.
● Table Tennis ● A 29-year-old woman has been arrested by police in Beijing over social-media comments about Chinese athletes and officials following the women’s Singles final, won by Meng Chenover Yingsha Sun, both from China.
The woman “maliciously fabricated information and blatantly defamed others, resulting in an adverse impact on society,” according to a police statement on Tuesday.
The Chinese commentary site Weibo – similar to X – stated it banned 300 users and deleted more 12,000 posts over “illegal” comments.
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Olympic history was made in the pool earlier in the Paris 2024 Games when Katie Ledecky of the U.S. won the women’s 800 m Freestyle for the fourth time in a row. And on the shooting range, when American Vincent Hancocktook the men’s Skeet gold for the fourth time, in five Games.
They joined Paul Elvstrom(DEN: sailing 1948-60), and Americans Al Oerter(discus 1956-68), Carl Lewis (long jump, 1984-96) and Michael Phelps(200 m Medley, 2004-16) in winning one event four times. Now they are all in second place.
Cuban heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler Mijain Lopezwon the men’s 130 kg class for the fifth straight time on Tuesday: 2008-12-16-20-24. He had essentially retired, but came back to try for the record-breaking win and he got it decisively, defeating ex-Cuban Yasmani Acostaof Chile, 6-0.
Across five Olympic Games, Lopez has won 20 straight bouts. There were some close ones, but not that many. His Olympic record is even more remarkable, considering his last World Championship medal was in 2015 and his last Worlds win was in 2014. But 10 years later, he won Olympic gold again, at age 41.
Looking into the future, could American Amit Elor do the same? Just 20 and the younger wrestler on the American team, she steamrolled the field and won the women’s 68 kg Freestyle category with a 3-0 victory in the final against Meerim Zhumanazarova(KGZ). In four matches, she scored 31 points to two for her opponents.
Elor’s Olympic win may be her only worldwide championship in 2024, down from three in each of the past two years. She won the 2022 Worlds gold at 72 kg, Worlds U-23 gold and World Junior gold and did the same in 2023. And she had to step down in weight – there is no 72 kg class at the Olympics – and won again.
Could she win in Los Angeles, Brisbane and wherever 2036 and 2040 are? She might, and if so, she will only tie Lopez. ~ Rich Perelman
¶
“I’m not going to comment on the chaotic scenes yesterday. I think you all either were there or took part in that ‘press conference.’ The one thing I will say about it is that it clearly demonstrates – it clearly demonstrates – that the sport of boxing needs a new federation to run boxing.”
That’s International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams at the Tuesday morning news conference, who then went on with a comment:
“If you ever needed any evidence at all that the [International Boxing Association] is unfit to run boxing, just to look at the key members of the IBA who took part in that travesty yesterday, I think tells you everything you need to know.
“The sad thing is that boxing is incredibly important, an incredibly important Olympic sport, I think I’ve said that before. For us, it’s important not just because it’s a great sport, because actually it’s of those sports which has a real, social aspect to it. It often works in areas which are underprivileged and so it’s incredibly important.
“We would call on, and as I say, I think the best recruiting sergeant for a new federation would be that press conference yesterday. I would ask everyone who hasn’t seen it to please watch it because I think it will give you an idea of why we are desperately in need of a federation that can take this forward.”
So what happened at the IBA event on Monday? It was perhaps summarized best by FrancsJeux.com, which reported (computer translation from the original French):
“The place: a long lounge on the top floor of a very Parisian building in the 9th arrondissement, a stone’s throw from the Grands Boulevards and the Musée Grévin. The atmosphere: overheated, in every sense of the word. And sometimes totally surreal.
“Let’s be clear: the IBA has not really moved the issue forward. Not at all. … they have not really convinced. Above all, they have not provided any evidence that could attest to the relevance and credibility of the femininity tests imposed on the two athletes.
“They have just detailed the chronology of the case. … Nothing very new, then. Embarrassing.”
Then the IBA President, Russian Umar Kremlev, whose appearance by videoconference was delayed for more than an hour by technical issues, and who did not speak about the two boxers which the IBA says are not women, but went back to his ancient criticisms of the Paris 2024 Games and the IOC.
¶
The Seine water quality continues to be an issue, as World Aquatics cancelled today’s open-water practice due to Enterococci levels above levels with which it was comfortable. The E. Coli levels, however, were satisfactory.
A second training session in the Seine is scheduled for 7 August and a decision will be taken at 4 a.m. The open-water events on 8-9 August are still expected to be held in the river, although there may be some rain overnight.
● Les Temps ●The updated forecast shows sun for the last couple of days of the Games:
● 07 Aug. (Wed.): High of 79 ~ low of 61, cloudy ● 08 Aug. (Thu.): 83 ~ 64, cloudy ● 09 Aug. (Fri.): 82 ~ 62, cloudy ● 10 Aug. (Sat.): 85 ~ 64, sunny ● 11 Aug. (Sun.): 92 ~ 71, sunny
There is rain in the forecast for Wednesday the 14th, but hopefully will not speed up to land on Sunday.
● Medals & Teams ● Eight medals for the U.S. on Tuesday and now a large gap with everyone else on total medals, although the gold-medal chase is very tight:
● 1. 86, United States (24-31-31) ● 2. 59, China (22-21-16) ● 3. 48, France (13-16-19) ● 4. 46, Great Britain (12-15-19) ● 5. 35, Australia (14-12-9) ● 6. 29, Japan (11-6-12) ● 7. 26, South Korea (11-8-7) ● 7. 26, Italy (9-10-7) ● 9. 19, Netherlands (8-5-6) ● 10. 18, Canada (6-4-8) ● 11. 17, Germany (8-5-4) ● 12. 13. Brazil (2-4-6)
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much diverse, inclusive and equitable representation of team achievement, the U.S. continues to lead:
● 1. 843 1/2, United States ● 2. 635, China ● 3. 539 1/2, France ● 4. 515, Great Britain ● 5. 399 1/2, Australia ● 6. 393 1/2, Italy ● 7. 337 1/2, Japan ● 8. 302 1/2, Germany ● 9. 275 1/2, Korea ● 10. 252 1/2, Canada ● 11. 248, Netherlands ● 12. 156, Brazil ● 13. 136 1/2, Spain ● 14. 135, New Zealand ● 15. 132 1/2, Switzerland
Now, a total of 96 countries (out of 206) – including Belarus and Russia, as “neutrals” – have scored points so far.
● Television ●NBC continues to show strong audiences for the Games, which confirm the star power of Simone Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team:
● 26 Jul. (Fri.): 29.3 million (28.6 + Telemundo 0.7) ● 27 Jul. (Sat.): 32.4 million ● 28 Jul. (Sun.): 41.5 million ~ gymnastics women’s qualifying ● 29 Jul. (Mon.): 31.3 million ● 30 Jul. (Tue.): 34.7 million ~ gymnastics women’s Team final ● 01 Aug. (Wed.): 29.1 million ● 02 Aug. (Thu.): 31.7 million ~ gymnastics women’s All-Around ● 03 Aug. (Fri.): 27.4 million ● 04 Aug. (Sat.): 34.6 million ~ gymnastics women’s Vault ● 05 Aug. (Sun.): 35.4 million ~ men’s 100 m final ● 06 Aug. (Mon.): 29.1 million ~ gymnastics women’s Beam & Floor
NBC reported the 10-day average for 2024 is 32.6 million in 2024, compared to 18.2 million for Tokyo (a lot better) and the 10-day average of 28.9 million for Rio (better).
The measurement of “Total Audience Delivery” is based upon live-plus-same day custom fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics. This is not a true “apples-to-apples” with prior Games, however, as the audiences prior to 2024 were for the NBC primetime show only and the Paris totals are for the daytime show (live) and the primetime show together. No out-of-home audiences were in the figures for Rio 2016; Nielsen added those in 2020.
● Athletics: Men’s 1,500 m-Long Jump; Women’s 200 m-Steeple-Hammer Defending champ Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) went to the lead right away, passing 400 m in 54.82, with Kenya’s Brian Komen on his right shoulder. At 800 m, Ingebrigtsen was at 1:51.38 and Kenyan Tim Cheruiyot and Josh Kerr (GBR) were 2-3. But at the bell, Ingebrigtsen was towing the field through 1,200 in a sensationally fast 2:47.27.
Kerr moved up to second with Cole Hocker of the U.S. third with 200 m to go and onto the straight Kerr came up and so did Hocker. Then Hocker fell back a little, but then found an amazing overdrive gear and flew on the inside to pass Ingebrigtsen and Kerr and winning in a shocker in 3:27.65, an Olympic Record and an American Record!
Meanwhile, Yared Nuguse of the U.S. was also in contact and passed Ingebrigtsen with 50 m to go and almost caught Kerr for the silver, with Kerr getting a national record of 3:27.79 in second and Nuguse in a lifetime best of 3:27.80! Ingebrigtsen was fourth (3:28.24), with American Hobbs Kessler getting fifth in a lifetime best of 3:29.45!
Hocker is now no. 7 all-time and Kerr is no. 8. It’s the first time the U.S. had two medals in this event since Abel Kiviat and Norm Taber went 2-3 in 1912 in Stockholm! Seven of the top nine had lifetime bests and three national records were set.
A little later, women’s 100 m winner Julien Alfred (LCA) was in lane eight in the women’s 200 m final, with world leader Gabby Thomas of the U.S. inside her. Off the start, Alfred had her patented blur start, but Thomas was rolling and had the lead into the straight. She ran away from everyone and dominated the race to win in 21.83 (wind: -0.6 m/s). No doubt at all.
Alfred was running hard on the straight, but could not make up anything on Thomas. But behind her, it was a three-way fight with the U.S.’s Brittany Brown in lane six, and Britain’s Daryll Neita and Dina Asher-Smith inside her. Neita fell back first and Brown leaned hard to get the bronze in 22.20, with Asher-Smith at 22.22 and Neita at 22.23. It’s the U.S.’s first win since Allyson Felix in 2012 and only the second in the last eight Games.
The third U.S. finalist, NCAA champ McKenzie Long, was seventh in 22.42.
European runner-up Mattea Furlani got everyone’s attention as third in the order in the men’s long jump final, landing at 8.34 m (27-4 1/2) to take the lead. But defending champ Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) responded at 8.27 m (27-1 3/4) on his first jump, then exploded to 8.48 m (27-10) in round two to take the lead.
Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock also fired up in round two to grab second at 8.36 m (27-5 1/4). Furlani jumped 8.34 m again in round five, but the medalists did not change. Swiss Simon Ehammer reached 8.20 m (26-11) for fourth.
Tentoglou’s back-to-back long jump titles are the first in the Games since Carl Lewis’ four in a row from 1984 to 1996.
World-record holder Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN) had the early lead in the women’s Steeple, stringing out the field with defending champ Peruth Chemutai (UGA) behind her. Chemutai took over with four laps left, and Ethiopian Sembo Almayew was in the mix with Chepkoech in second. With two laps left, five were in the mix, with Chemutai and Chepkoech still at the front, but with World Champion Winfred Yavi (BRN) moving up to challenge. Chemutai, Chepkocech and Yavi were together at the bell, then Yavi took off after Chemutai.
Off the last water jump, they were together, and off the final hurdle, Yavi stormed to the lead and won going away in an Olympic Record of 8:52.76, with the no. 4 performance ever. Chemutai was second in 8:53.34, now the no. 5 performer ever with the no. 7 performance. Faith Cherotich of Kenya came up to get the bronze in 8:55.15, as Chepkoech faded to sixth (9:04.24).
Americans Courtney Wayment and Val Constien were 12th and 15th at 9:13.60 and 9:34.08.
In the women’s hammer, World Champion Camryn Rogers of Canada led after round one, then China’s Jie Zhao led after round two, but the U.S.’s Annette Echikunwoke blasted a seasonal best 75.48 m (247-8) to take the lead in round three!
Rogers closed to 75.44 m (247-6) for second in round four, and finally got to the lead in round five at 76.97 m (252-6) and added the Olympic title to her 2023 World title.
Zhao remained in third with her second-round toss of 74.27 m (243-8). It’s the first time that either Canada or the U.S. have won an Olympic medal in this event.
The U.S.’s DeAnna Price, the 2019 World Champion, was a disappointing 11th at 71.00 m (232-11). Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk was trying for a fourth straight Olympic gold, but a thigh injury suffered in 2022 while stopping a thief trying to break into her car derailed her significantly. She finished a very creditable fourth with a seasonal best of 74.23 m (243-6).
● Boxing ● Women’s 60 kg Ireland’s Kellie Harrington won in Tokyo at 60 kg and defended her title, downing China’s top-seeded Wenlu Yang, the 2022 Asian Games winner and 2023 Worlds bronze medalist, by 4:1. Four judges had the fight for Harrington by 29:28 and one had Yang winning, 29-28.
Brazil’s Beatriz Ferreira and Shih-yi Wu (TPE) took the bronzes.
● Cycling ● Men’s Team Sprint The Dutch trio of Jeffrey Hoogland, Harrie Lavreysen and Roy van den Berg won the Olympic title in Tokyo, won the 2021 and 2023 World titles and came in as favorites. Against a strong British team in the final, the Dutch left no doubt, winning with a world record of 40.949, reaching an average speed of 41 miles an hour.
The British trio of Jack Carlin, Ed Lowe and Hamish Turnbull finished in 41.814. Australia defeated France for the bronze, 41.597 to 41.993.
● Diving ● Women’s 10 m Platform China is closing in on an Olympic sweep, winning its fifth straight event, with Tokyo champion Hongchan Quan defending her victory with a 425.60 to 420.70 win over teammate and Tokyo runner-up Yuxi Chen, with whom she won the 10 m Synchro gold. Quan won four of the five dives. North Korea’s Mi Rae Kim, fourth at Rio in 2016, got the bronze at 372.10.
It’s now five golds in a row for China in this event.
● Equestrian ● Individual Jumping How’s this for tight: three riders went through the final with no faults, requiring a jump-off!
London 2012 gold medalist Steve Guerdat (SUI), Tokyo bronze winner Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) and Christian Kukuk (GER) were not only perfect, but within a second-and-a-half on time, so they had to do it again. In the jump-off, only Kukuk – and Chester 47 – were perfect again, with Guerdat and van der Vleuten suffering four penalty points and Guerdat faster on time for the silver. And van der Vleuten got the bronze again.
Laura Kraut was the top American rider in eighth (four penalties) and Karl Cook was 16th (8). It’s Germany’s first win in this event since 1996.
● Skateboard ● Women’s Park Japan’s 15-year-old Kokona Hiraki, the 2023 World Champion, put up a solid 91.98 score in the first round and looked like a possible winner through two rounds of the women’s Park final. But in the final round, Australia’s 14-year-old Arisa Trew jumped from third to first at 93.18. Two riders later, Britain’s Tokyo bronzer Sky Brown (16) tried to get back up to second and improved to 92.31.
That put Hiraki in third as the final rider. She pulled off a superb run, scoring 92.63 that gave her the silver, but leaving Drew, a two-time X Games champ as the surprise winner. Bryce Wettstein of the U.S. finished sixth, at 88.12.
● Surfing: Men’s and Women’s Shortboard After all the tumult about moving this event to Tahiti and then the seemingly endless delays because of the weather and the surf conditions, the Olympic competition finally concluded with wins for France and the U.S.
The men’s final was a joy for France, with 22-year-old Kauli Vaast – the Word Surfing Games bronze medalist – scoring a 17.67 to 7.83 win over Australia’s Jack Robinson, a seven-time World Surfing League event winner. Vaast, who did not make the finals of any of the eight World Surfing League stops so far this season, scored solidly, at 15.10, 15.33, 10.96 and 17.67 in the elimination rounds, and his 17.67 in the gold-medal match was the second-highest score of anyone in the knock-out rounds.
Brail’s Gabriel Medina, the 2024 World Champion, won the bronze medal, 15.54 to 12.43 over Alonso Correa (PER).
The U.S. won the Tokyo 2020 women’s surfing gold with Carissa Moore, but this time it was 2023 WSL Finals winner Caroline Marks who barely edged 2023 World Champion Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) in the gold-medal final by 10.50 to 10.33. Marks scored 7.50 on the second wave and that was the difference in the five-wave final that took 35 minutes to complete.
In the women’s bronze-medal match, France’s Johanne Defray – a two-time Worlds medalist – claimed a bronze for the host country with a 12.66 to 4.93 over Brisa Hennessey (CRC).
● Wrestling ● Men’s Greco-Roman 60 kg-130 kg;
Women’s Freestyle 68 kg Olympic history in the men’s Greco-Roman 130 kg class, as Cuba’s 41-year-old Mijain Lopez came out of retirement and won his fifth consecutive gold in the super-heavyweight class, defeating ex-Cuban Yasmani Acosta of Chile by 6-0 in the final.
Lopez is the first one to ever win the same event five times in a row and he was clearly better than everyone else in Paris, winning his matches by 7-1, 3-1, 4-1 and 6-0. He placed his shoes on the mat at the end of the match, indicating his retirement … again.
Iran’s Amir Mirzazadeh and China’s Lingzhe Meng won the bronze medals.
More history, this time in the women’s 68 kg final, as American Amit Elor – age 20 – defeated Meerim Zhumanazarova (KGZ) by 3-0 to win her seventh global title in the last three years. She won the 2022 Worlds gold at 72 kg, Worlds U-23 gold and World Junior gold and did the same in 2023. Now, she stepped down in weight – always difficult – and is Olympic champion.
She beat 2023 World champion Buse Tosun (TUR) by 10-2, then shut down Wiktoria Choluj (POL) by 8-0 and Sol Gum Pak (PRK) by a 10-0 technical fall in the semis and 3-0 in the final: that’s 31-2 in four matches.
In the men’s Greco 60 kg final, Japan’s Tokyo silver medalist, Kenichiro Fumita, moved up to gold, defeating China’s 2023 Worlds bronze medalist, Liguo Cao, by 4-1 in the final. Zholaman Sharshenbekov (KGZ) and Se Ung Ri (PRK) won the bronze medals.
Elsewhere:
● Athletics ● Lots of interest in the men’s 110 m hurdles repechage and whether American Freddie Crittenden – who jogged through the heats to protect against possible injury – would be well enough to advance.
No problem: Crittenden led the repechage at 13.42 and is into the semifinals.
Similarly, Trevor Bassitt of the U.S. moved on to the semis in the men’s 400 m hurdles, second in the repechage at 48.64, winning race one.
India’s defending champion Neeraj Chopra led the qualifying in the men’s javelin at 89.34 m (293-1), ahead of two-time World Champion Anderson Peters (GRN: 88.63 m/290-9). Curtis Thompson of the U.S. was 27th at 76.79 m (251-11) and did not advance.
Kendall Ellis, the U.S. Trials winner in the women’s 400 m, rebounded from a lousy heats performance to lead the repechage and move on to the semis, winning race four at 50.44.
The women’s 1,500 m heats were staggeringly fast, with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay – a day after rhe 5,000 m final – winning heat one in 3:58.84, ahead of Britain’s Tokyo runner-up Laura Muir (GBR: 3:58.91) with the top six under 4:00. Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji won heat two in 3:59.73 and Nelly Chepchirchir (KEN) won heat three in 4:02.67. All three U.S. runners – Emily Mackay, Nikki Hiltz and Elle St. Pierre – got through to the semis.
All of the favorites moved ahead in the women’s long jump qualifying, with Tara Davis-Woodhall of the U.S. at 6.90 m (22-7 3/4), followed by European runner-up Larissa Iapichino (ITA: 6.87 m/22-6 1/2), defending champ Malaika Mihambo (GER: 6.86 m/22-6 1/4) and Tokyo bronze winner Ese Brume (NGR: 6.76 m/22-2 1/4). Americans Jasmine Moore (6.66 m/21-10 1/4) and Monae Nichols (6.64 m/21-9 1/2) also qualified.
In the afternoon session, Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton won the first semi in the women’s 400 m hurdles in 53.00, with American Jasmine Jones right behind at 53.83. Defending champ Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won semi two in 52.13, and Femke Bol led from the start in semi three, winning in 52.57. Anna Cockrell of the U.S. came up on the straight to get second in 52.90.
In the men’s 400 m semifinals, American Quincy Hall won the first race in 43.95, Grenada’s 2012 champion Kirani James looked very impressive in race two in 43.78 – nol. 2 in the world for 2024 – and European champ Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR) won the third semi from 2022 World Champion Michael Norman of the U.S., 44.07 to 44.26. The third American, Chris Bailey, qualified from semi two on time (44.26) and is in the final.
● Basketball ● In the men’s quarterfinals, 2023 FIBA World Cup champs Germany came from behind and won the second half by 40-27 to eliminate Greece, 76-63. Franz Wagner led the winners with 18 points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 in a losing cause for the Greeks.
The Germans will play France, an 82-73 winner over Canada, taking a 23-10 lead at the quarter and holding firm. Guerschon Yabusele had 22 points to lead the French.
In the lower bracket, Serbia was down to Australia by 24 points in the first half, but cut the deficit to 54-42 by half and then had the lead by two at the end of three quarters. The game went into overtime with Serbia winning, 95-90. Paddy Mills led all scorers for Australia with 26, and superstar Nikola Joklic had 21 for the Serbs.
They will play the U.S., which had no trouble with Brazil, scoring the last 15 points of the first half to close with a 63-36 lead. The final was 122-87, with Devin Booker scoring 18, Anthony Edwards at 17 and Joel Embiid adding 14. Bruno Cabocio had 30 to lead Brazil.
● Beach Volleyball ●In the men’s quarters, co-favorites David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig (SWE) got past Evandro de Oliveira and Arthur Lanci of Brazil, 2-0, and Germans Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler won their match against Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot (NED), also by 2-0.
The U.S. pair of Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh play tomorrow against Tokyo bronze winners Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Yijan of Qatar.
The U.S. women’s team of Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng, reigning World Champions, were upset and eliminated by the Swiss Tanja Huberli and Nina Brunner, 21-18, 21-19, in their quarterfinal.
● Football ● The U.S. women faced Germany in a semifinal in Lyon, with a scoreless first half that did not offer many chances for either side. The U.S. had 64% of possession and a 7-2 edge on shots, but no goals.
The second half was more of the same. The Germans had the best of the first 20 minutes, but the American attack was better later in the game. Mallory Swanson scored in the 86th, but she was clearly offsides. The U.S. had 61% possession and a 13-8 shots edge, but it was still 0-0 after 90 minutes.
In the extra time, U.S. forward Mallory Swanson sent a ball from the midfield into the box on the right side and Sophia Smith was able to run onto it and with German keeper Ann-Katrin Berger coming out at a bad angle, Smith sent a right-footed shot into the goal for a 1-0 lead in the 95th. Smith almost got another in the 104th from the left side, but Berger saved it with her left leg. The U.S. had a 5-3 shots advantage in the first extra period.
The Germans almost got a goal in the 119th off a free kick, a rebound, a pass toward goal and a header that was somehow saved by U.S. keeper Alyssa Naeher and that was it. The U.S. finished with 57% possession and 19-15 on the shots and on to the final on Saturday in Paris.
It’s the first U.S. appearance in the final since the Americans won three straight Olympic golds in 2004-08-12.
The other semi, in Marseille, saw Brazil go up 1-0 in the sixth minute on what was called an own goal off defender Irene Paredes. Striker Gabi Portilho made it 2-0 in stoppage time at the end of the half and then Brazil went up 3-0 on a header by Adriana in the 71st. The final was 4-2; Brazil last appeared in the Olympic women’s final in 2008, losing to the U.S. for the second straight time.
● Volleyball ● In the men’s semis on Wednesday, World Champion Italy will meet France and the U.S. will play Poland, the 2014 and 2018 World Champions. The women’s semis are on the 8th, with the defending champion U.S. playing Brazil and Turkey playing Italy.
● Water Polo ● In the women’s quarterfinals, the defending champion U.S. outlasted Hungary, 5-4, on a Rachel Fattal goal with 3:02 to go. Australia beat Greece, 9-6, and the Americans will play Australia in their semifinal on Thursday.
The Netherlands got by Italy, 11-8 and Spain pounded Canada, 18-8, in the lower half of the bracket.
● Artistic Swimming: Team This is a combination of the Technical Routine, Free Routine and Acrobatic Routine, with China – the Acrobatic Routine Worlds Champion in 2023 and 2024 – leading after the Tech phase at 313.5538 and Spain second at 287.1475.
In the Free Routine, China remained the leader, scoring 398.8917 points to claim a 712.4455 to 643.0255 lead on the U.S., which was second on Tuesday at 360.2688. The U.S. hasn’t won a medal in this event since 2004.
China was the Acrobatic Routine World Champions in 2024, with the U.S. third, so the current standings could end up being the medal standings as well. Spain is 10 points back in third.
● Athletics: Men’s 400 m-Steeple-Discus; Women’s Vault; Mixed Walk Relay The Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay is a replacement for the men’s 50 km Walk, now eliminated from the Olympic program. The event is a two-person program of alternate legs that add to the marathon distance of 42.195 km with legs of 11.45 km (man), 10 km (women), 10 km for the man and finishing with a 10.745 km leg for the woman.
The most significant trial of the event was at the 2024 Race Walking Team Championships where Italy’s Francesco Fortunato and Valentina Trapletti won in 2:56:45, with Japan second and Spain third. China will be a factor as well.
Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith is the men’s 400 m world leader at 43.74, getting his breakthrough win at the London Diamond League last weekend. And what about U.S. Olympic Trials winner Quincy Hall, who won his semi, ran 43.80 earlier and keeps getting better? And lurking behind both is 2022 World Champion Michael Norman, who ran a seasonal best of 44.10 in the heats and looked sensational. London 2012 winner Kirani James (GRN) looked fabulous in his semi, in 43.78, and is also a major factor in the medal hunt.
The men’s Steeple appears to be a showdown between Olympic and World champ Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR), who just keeps winning, and world-record holder Lamecha Girma (ETH). If either fails, Kenya’s Amos Serem and Abraham Kibiwot and Ethiopians Getnet Wale and Samuel Firewu. A surprise from the heats was Morocco’s no. 2, Mohammed Tindoufti, who ran a lifetime best 8:10.62!
The men’s discus could be a showcase for new world-record setter Mykolas Alekna (LTU), chased by Olympic champ Daniel Stahl (SWE), 2022 World Champion Kristjan Ceh (SLO), Australia’s Matt Denny and ex-American Alex Rose of Samoa. So far, Alekna, 21, has had all the answers this season.
American Katie Moon won the Tokyo Olympic title in the women’s vault and shared the Worlds gold with Nina Kennedy (AUS) in 2023. But Moon has been off of late and Swiss Angelica Moser won the European title and must be considered. The shocker in qualifying was the no-height for Britain’s Molly Caudery, the 2024 world leader and the World Indoor Champion.
● Boxing: Men’s 63.5 kg-80 kg France’s 2017-2021-2023 World Champion Soufiane Oumiha was the Rio silver medalist and the final is a re-match with Cuba’s Erislandy Alvarez. Canada’s Wyatt Sanford and Georgia’s Lasha Guruli were the semifinal losers and share the bronze.
At 80 kg, 2023 World Champion Nurbek Oralbay (KAZ) faces 2017 World Champion and the Tokyo 2020 runner-up Oleksandr Khyzhniak of Ukraine. Khyzhniah scored an impressive semi-final victory over two-time Olympic gold medalist Arlen Lopez of Cuba, 3-2. Lopez and Dominican Cristian Pinales have the bronzes.
● Cycling/track: Men’s Team Pursuit; Women’s Team Pursuit In the men’s Pursuit, Australia and Great Britain were 1-2 in qualifying and the first round and will face off for the gold. British teams won this event at the 2008-12-16 Olympic Games and Australia has gone 2-2-3 in 2012-16-20.
Denmark won bronze at Rio 2016 and silver in Tokyo and won the 2023 Worlds gold, but will have to settle for facing defending champion Italy for the bronze.
The women’s Pursuit is also about familiar faces. Great Britain won in 2012 and 2016 over the U.S. both times, and then Germany got gold in Tokyo, ahead of Britain and the U.S. Britain won again at the 2023 Worlds over New Zealand, however, with France third.
In the qualifying, New Zealand and the U.S. were fastest at 4:04.679 and 4:05.238, with Britain third at 4:06.710.
● Sailing: Mixed 470, Mixed Nacra 17 The opening races of the Mixed 470 – a new format for 2024 – showed Austria’s Lara Vadlau and Lukar Mahr with 24 net points and leading a tight pack following eight races, ahead of 2024 World Champions Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman (ESP: 31), 2024 Worlds bronze winners Keiju Okada and Miho Yoshioka (JPN: 35) and Anton Dahlberg and Lovisa Karlsson (SWE: 39).
In the Nac17 multihull standings after 12 races, Italy’s Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti are the defending champions and 2022-23-24 World Champions, and lead the fleet with six wins and 27 net points. Hanging close are Mateo Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco (ARG: 41), with Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson (NZL: 47) tied with Tokyo silver winners John Gimson and Anna Burnet (GBR: 47) for third. Only the medal race remains.
● Skateboarding: Men’s Park The men’s skateboard park final has Tokyo Olympic winner Keegan Palmer (AUS) back again, facing American Worlds gold and bronze medalists, Gavin Bottger and Tate Carew. Brazil’s 2018 World Champion Pedro Barros is also going to be in the mix.
● Sport Climbing: Women’s Speed Poland’s two-time World Champion Aleksandra Miroslaw went crazy in the qualifying, lowering her own world record down to 6.06 seconds! But she still has to win the final.
She will have to deal with American Emma Hunt, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, World Champion Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi (INA) and Poland’s 2021 Worlds winner Natalia Kalucka.
● Taekwondo: Men’s 58 kg; Women’s 49 kg Defending men’s 58 kg champion Vito Dell’Acqua – also the 2022 Worlds winner – and silver medalist Mohamed Jendoubi (TUN) are both back and will battle South Korea’s 2023 World 54 kg gold medalist Tae-joon Park (KOR) and Worlds 58 kg medal winners Georgii Gurtsiev (BLR as “neutral”) and bronze winner Adrian Vicente of Spain.
Thailand’s Panipak Wongpattanakit was the Tokyo gold medalist in the women’s 49 kg class and won bronze and silver at the 2022 and 2023 Worlds. Spain’s Adriana Cerezo won silver in Tokyo, but is the 2023 World Champion, and Tokyo bronze winner Abishag Semberg (ISR) is also back. The stiffest challenges might be from 2023 Worlds winner Merve Dincel (TUR) and bronze winner Bruna Duvancic (CRO).
● Weightlifting: Men’s 61 kg; Women’s 49 kg The lightest men’s class has Fabin Li (CHN) as the favorite, having won the 2019-22-23 World Championships golds, ahead of Eko Yuli Irawan (INA) in 2022 and Italian Sergio Massidda in 2023. The U.S. has a hopeful in Hampton Morris, who won the 2023 Worlds Clean & Jerk segment, but did not have a successful Snatch lift.
China has defending champ Zhihui Hou returning, also the 2018 World Champion and runner-up in 2023. American Jourdan Delacruz won the Worlds bronze in 2023, and the 2021 Worlds winner, Thai Surodchana Khambao is also in, along with runner-up Rika Suzuki (JPN) and 2022 Worlds runner-up Saikom Mirabai Chanu of India.
● Wrestling: Men’s Greco 77 kg-97 kg; Women’s 50 kg Freestyle In the men’s Greco 77 kg class, Japan’s Nao Kusaka, the 2023 Worlds bronze winner and 2024 Asian champ, faces Demeu Zhadrayev (KAZ), 34, a 71 kg Worlds silver winner way back in 2017.
At 97 kg, Artur Aleksanyan of Armenia is back for a fourth Olympic medal. He won at 98 kg at Rio 2016, has a bronze in London 2012 at 97 kg and a Tokyo silver at 97 kg. He will face Iran’s Mohammad Hadi Saravi, the 2021 World Champion who also won a Tokyo bronze that year.He has followed up with Worlds bronzes in 2022 and 2023.
In the women’s 50 kg freestyle wrestling class, India’s Vinesh Phogat defeated Olympic champ and four-time World Champion Yui Sasaki (JPN) in the first round and has moved through to the final. Phogat won the Worlds bronze in 2023 at 53 kg.
She will face American Sarah Hildebrandt, the Tokyo bronze winner and a four-time Worlds medalist: two silvers and two bronzes, including in 2022 and 2023. This will be the first time the U.S. has done better than bronze in this class.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● LA28 announced Autodesk as the “Official Design and Make Platform” for the organizing committee, placing the engineering software company at the center of the enormous development, planning and temporary construction operations for the 2028 Games.
An Autodesk ad will run on NBC during the Paris 2024 closing ceremonies on 11 August and Autodesk Chief Marketing Officer Dara Treseder told Marketing Dive:
“This LA28 partnership is across the board for us. It’s at the very top of the funnel, getting people to learn about Autodesk. Autodesk can be used to design and make anything, Autodesk is helping to bring the LA28 Games to life. …
“We’re very excited about this partnership, it’s not something we’ve ever done before and it’s a big bet for us. But we know this bet is absolutely worth it because the authenticity is there, we know we can have outsized impact driving the business forward.”
● Athletics ● A further explanation of why the Solomon Islands entered marathoner Sharon Firisuasin the women’s 100 m, where she finished her 100 m heat in 14.31 (a lifetime best), ninth in heat four, and 35th overall in the preliminary round.
According to the Solomon Islands National Olympic Committee, Firisua was the only athlete eligible to compete since her name was in the Paris 2024 registration database, although her event was not specified. Said Martin Rara, the NOC President:
“Going to the Olympics even on a wildcard, there is a process; the only reason why Sharon ran the 100 m is because there was no one else in the system.
“If there was anybody else entered into the system, we would have gone with another option, a middle-distance runner or sprinter.”
But in order to maintain a universality place for 2028, Firisua had to run, and did.
● Cycling ●A full recounting of the record-breaking in the women’s Team Sprint at the Velodrome National showed a total of five record-setting performances:
● 45.472 in qualifying by Great Britain (Capewell-Finucane-Marchant) ● 45.377 in round one by Germany (Hinze-Friedrich-Grabosch) ● 45.348 in round one by New Zealand (Andrews-Fulton-Petch) ● 45.338 in round one by Great Britain ● 45.186 in the gold-medal final by Great Britain
The day started with China holding the record at 45.487 from 2023. Said Katy Marchant after the Brits defeated New Zealand for the gold: “I have no words! It’s a dream come true. We’re over the moon! We’ve worked so incredibly hard towards this.”
● Triathlon ● Paris 2024 reported the water-quality readings in the Seine for the triathlon Mixed Relay were sufficient for World Triathlon to allow it to continue. The federation’s level for Enterococci is less than 400 and the four testing points showed levels of 326, 387, 411 and 517 on the day before and then 242 to 378 on the day of the race, with another testing point outside of the race course at 436. Not perfect, but sufficient.
¶
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In from of a roaring crowd at the Stade de France for the men’s pole vault, Sweden’s defending Olympic champion, Mondo Duplantis won and set another world record.
Five men cleared 5.85 m (19-2 1/4), but only three cleared 5.90 m (19-4 1/4) plus Duplantis, who passed. It got hotter at 5.95 m (19-6 1/4) as two-time World Champion Sam Kendricks of the U.S. and Duplantis cleared on their first tries.
That put the pressure on Emmanouil Karalis (GRE) and E.J. Obiena (PHI), who had both cleared 5.90 m. Obiena missed all three times to finish fourth on misses, and Karalis missed once at 5.95 and then twice at 6.00 m (19-8 1/4) to take bronze. Duplantis, meanwhile, cleared 6.00 m on his first try to take the lead, while Kendricks missed his three tries and won the silver, moving up from bronze in 2016; he missed Tokyo with Covid.
What would Mondo do? Now a two-time Olympic champ, he went to 6.10 m (20-0) for the Olympic Record and cleared easily. And now the bar went to 6.25 m (20-6) to try for a ninth world record. He had missed this height 15 times in a row coming in – all this year – and he was way over on his first try, but hit the bar with his left hand and right elbow and knocked it off. Same for the second try, way over on the hip height, but knocking off the bar with his right elbow again and curling his lip in disgust.
But on the third try, he snaked over cleanly and on his 18th try at 6.25 m, set his ninth world mark in an event he has reimagined. Fabulous. He said afterward:
“I haven’t processed how fantastic that moment was. It’s one of those things that don’t really feel real, such an out of body experience. It’s still hard to kind of land right now.
“What can I say? I just broke a world record at the Olympics, biggest possible stage for a pole vaulter. The biggest dream since a kid was to break the world record at the Olympics, and I’ve been able to do that in front of the most ridiculous crowd I’ve ever competed in front of.”
And on the world-record jump:
“I tried to clear my thoughts as much as I could. The crowd was going crazy. It was so loud in there, it sounded like an American football game. I have a little bit of experience being in a 100,000 capacity stadium, but I was never the center of attention. Just trying to channel the energy everybody was giving me, and they were giving me a lot of it. It worked out.”
As for what he plans to do now: “Now I’m just ready to eat a bunch of food. The party is going to be pretty big. Not that much sleep, a lot of partying, a good time.”
Remember, he’s only 24. Only Bob Richards of the U.S. had won repeat Olympic golds in 1952 and 1956, and Duplantis has equaled him. Could he win five in a row in Los Angeles (at 28), Brisbane (32) and wherever 2036 is … at age 36? ~ Rich Perelman
¶
Paris booksellers along the Seine say the Olympics
is bad for business by Karen Rosen
After a successful fight against the removal of their dark, green boxes in the lead-up to the opening ceremony, the booksellers are not cashing in during the Games.
“It’s no good for us,” said Jean, a bookseller who declined to give his last name for fear of getting into trouble with city administrators.
He gestured with two thumbs down.
Jean is based across the river from the Conciergerie, which featured prominently during the opening ceremony in the French Revolution segment. He said his sales were down by 80 percent in July, especially with the kiosks closed from 14 July to 28 July during preparations for the ceremony. For the first few days of August, he saw a slight improvement, but sales were down 60-70 percent from his typical gross for the same time period.
The problem, Jean said, is that many Olympic tickets were bought by Parisians or people who live in the region and they don’t frequent the stalls.
Remy Pascal, whose kiosk is near the cathedral of Notre Dame, echoed that sales were poor in July, but said he hoped August would be better. “The tourists, they buy, but not the Olympic people. And there are not as many tourists as usual.” He expected tourists to return when the Games have ended. He also forecast a boost in sales when the cathedral, which was damaged during a fire in 2019, reopens later this year.
From his vantage point, Jean has noted how other businesses are doing. He said nearby restaurants are not crowded, nor are the “hop on/hop off” buses. On the boats that cruise the Seine, he said, “instead of 300 people, there are 25-30 people.”
The “bouquinistes,” as the stalls are called, have been a fixture since the 1800s and feature posters and souvenirs in addition to books.
The Paris police prefecture originally sought to relocate about 600 of the 900 kiosks ahead of the opening ceremony. While security concerns were cited, the move would also have made more space for spectators. The Cultural Association of Booksellers said some of the historic boxes could be damaged and plotted legal action.
They got a reprieve in February when French president Emmanuel Macron intervened so they would not be forced to move. After losing business during the Covid lockdowns, the booksellers were looking forward to sales of Olympian proportions.
However, on the second Sunday afternoon of the Games, many boxes were locked shut as if the operators did not think it was worth it to open.
● Les Temps ●The updated forecast continues mostly cloudy for the remainder of the Games:
● 06 Aug. (Tue.): High of 87 ~ low 63, cloudy ● 07 Aug. (Wed.): 80 ~ 59, cloudy ● 08 Aug. (Thu.): 82 ~ 64, sunny ● 09 Aug. (Fri.): 81 ~ 60, cloudy ● 10 Aug. (Sat.): 86 ~ 65, sunny ● 11 Aug. (Sun.): 90 ~ 68, cloudy
The open-water 10 km events are scheduled for 8-9 August.
● Medals & Teams ● Seven more medals for the U.S. on Monday, but China now in front again on gold medals (surfing is not included):
● 1. 78, United States (20-30-28) ● 2. 53, China (21-18-14) ● 3. 46, France (12-16-18) ● 4. 42, Great Britain (12-13-17) ● 5. 32, Australia (13-11-8) ● 6. 26, South Korea (11-8-7) ● 6. 26, Japan (10-5-11) ● 8. 56, Italy (9-10-6) ● 9. 17, Netherlands (7-5-5) ● 9. 17, Canada (5-4-8) ● 11. 16, Germany (7-5-4) ● 12. 11. Brazil (2-4-5)
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much diverse, inclusive and equitable representation of team achievement, the U.S. continues to lead
● 1. 771, United States ● 2. 584.5, China ● 3. 506, France ● 4. 472, Great Britain ● 5. 386 1/2, Italy ● 6. 368 1/2, Australia ● 7. 306 1/2, Japan ● 8. 286 1/2, Germany ● 9. 275 1/2, Korea ● 10. 236 1/2, Canada ● 11. 226 1/2, Netherlands ● 12. 135, New Zealand ● 13. 132, Spain ● 14. 122, Brazil ● 15. 119 1/2, Switzerland
Now, a total of 94 countries (out of 206) – including Belarus and Russia, as “neutrals” – have scored points so far.
● Television ●NBC continues to show strong audiences for the Games, which confirm the star power of Simone Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team:
● 26 Jul. (Fri.): 29.3 million (28.6 + Telemundo 0.7) ● 27 Jul. (Sat.): 32.4 million ● 28 Jul. (Sun.): 41.5 million ~ gymnastics women’s qualifying ● 29 Jul. (Mon.): 31.3 million ● 30 Jul. (Tue.): 34.7 million ~ gymnastics women’s Team final ● 01 Aug. (Wed.): 29.1 million ● 02 Aug. (Thu.): 31.7 million ~ gymnastics women’s All-Around ● 03 Aug. (Fri.): 27.4 million ● 04 Aug. (Sat.): 34.6 million ~ gymnastics women’s Vault ● 05 Aug. (Sun.): 35.4 million ~ men’s 100 m final
NBC reported the 10-day average for 2024 is 33.0 million in 2024, compared to 18.3 million for Tokyo (a lot better) and the 10-day average of 29.2 million for Rio (better).
The measurement of “Total Audience Delivery” is based upon live-plus-same day custom fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics. This is not a true “apples-to-apples” with prior Games, however, as the audiences prior to 2024 were for the NBC primetime show only and the Paris totals are for the daytime show (live) and the primetime show together. No out-of-home audiences were in the figures for Rio 2016; Nielsen added those in 2020.
● Athletics: Women’s 800 m-5,000 m-Discus Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson was the prohibitive favorite in the women’s 800 m, and she was in front by 200 m and took the bell at 58.30. Kenya’s Mary Moraa, the 2023 World champion, came up tight on the outside and challenged, but Hodgkinson was matching her into the straight. Then Hodgkinson had that extra gear that no one else has had this season and she won decisively in 1:56.72. Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma passed Moraa on the straight to get silver in a lifetime best of 1:57.12 to 1:57.42 for Moraa. American Juliette Whittaker was seventh in 1:58.50.
The women’s 5,000 m final was predictably slow off the start, with Norway’s Karoline Grovdal in front after 2,000 m at 6:05.4. But things picked up and the Ethiopians came to the front, with Ejgayehu Taye leading at 3,000 m in 9:00.1, just ahead of world-record holder Gudaf Tsegay. Then Kenya’s World Champion, Faith Kipyegon went to the front with two-time Worlds medalist Beatrice Chebet right behind. Kenya and Ethiopia held the top six places with three laps to go.
Tsegay and Kipyegon pushed each other as they got to 800 m to go, and a front pack of eight broke away with 500 m left. On to the bell, with Kipyegon and Chebet 1-2 and defending champ Sifan Hassan (NED) moving up. But Kipyegon and Chebet broke away with Hassan chasing in full sprint and the medalists were set. Into the straight, Chebet moved past Kipyegon with 75 m to go and won in a sensational upset in 14:28.56. Chebet won the World Road 5 km gold in 2023 and got the 10,000 m record in May and blew by Kipyegon to claim the win, only Kenya’s second in this event all-time. Kipyegon won silver in 14:29.60 and Hassan took the bronze in 14:30.61.
Kipyegon was disqualified for the pushing with Tsegay, meaning everyone else temporarily moved up, but the disqualification was reversed on appeal.
Italian Nadia Battocletti set a national record of 14:31.64 and was fourth; Taye was sixth, Grovdal seventh and Tsegay was eighth. Americans Karissa Schweizer and Elise Cranny finished 10-11 in 14:45.57 and 14:48.06 and Whittni Morgan was 14th in 14:53.57, a lifetime best.
On the infield, defending champion Valarie Allman of the U.S. needed to take charge of the women’s discus and she did, taking the lead at 68.74 m (225-6) in round two, a throw that was not matched. She was close in round three (68.06 m/223-3) and then clinched it at 69.50 m (228-0). After a foul in the fifth, she finished at 69.21 m (227-0), meaning all four of her fair throws would have won.
Behind her were China’s 2022 World Champion, Bin Feng and Croatia’s 2012-16 Olympic champ Sandra Elkesevic, silver and bronze at 67.51 m (221-6), with Feng getting second on a better second mark. It’s the fourth Olympic win for the U.S. all-time and third in the last five Games.
● Badminton: Men’s Singles; Women’s Singles Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen won his second straight Olympic gold with a 21-11, 21-11 win over Thailand’s reigning World Champion, Kunlavut Vitidsarn. It’s the first Olympic medal for Thailand in this event.
Malaysia’s Zii Jia Lee won the bronze, 13-21, 21-16, 21-11, over India’s Lakshya Sen.
Korea’s Se-young An came in as the reigning women’s World Champion and took the Olympic hold, sweeping aside China’s Bing Jiao He, 21-13, 21-16, in 52 minutes. The 2016 Olympic champ and three-time World Champion Carolina Marin of Spain had to retire due to an injury, so Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (INA) is the bronze medalist.
● Basketball: Men’s 3×3; Women’s 3×3 In the men’s semis, the Netherlands pounded Lithuania, 20-9, and France dispatched Latvia, 21-14, to meet in the final. Worthy de Jong (NED) drove for a tying shot with a second to go in regulations to knot the final at 16 and go to overtime. And de Jong won it with a fadeaway two-point shot for the 18-17 win.
Lithuania defeated Tokyo winners Latvia, 21-18 in the bronze-medal game.
The women’s semis had Spain getting an 18-16 overtime over the U.S., with Hailey Van Lith scoring eight for the U.S. and Spain getting nine from Sandra Ygueravide.
The U.S. – Hailey Van Lith, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard and Cierra Burdick – took the bronze with a 16-13 victory over Canada, with Van Lith scoring six to lead the Americans. In the gold-medal game, Germany (8-1) got a two-pointer from Sonja Greinacher with 30 seconds left and held on to beat Spain (5-4) for the title, 17-16. Greinacher led the winners with five; Juana Camilion had six for Spain.
● Canoeing: Men’s Kayak Cross; Women’s Kayak Cross The question coming in was whether Australia’s Jessica Fox could sweep all three women’s golds, and it was a Fox that won, but it was the younger sister, Noemie Fox in a significant upset.
Jessica was stunningly eliminated in the qualifying phase, but Noemie won her heat, won her quarterfinal, won her semi and took the gold, ahead of Angele Hug (FRA) and 2023 Worlds winner Kimberley Woods (GBR), who held the early lead.
The winner of exactly one medal in World Cup Kayak Cross events, Noemie, 27, was in her first Olympic Games and now has her own Olympic gold.
New Zealand’s Finn Butcher, the 2021 Worlds silver medalist, was the upset winner of the men’s Kayak Cross over three-time defending champion Joseph Clarke (GBR), with German Noah Hegge third. In parallel to Fox, Butcher had never won a World Cup race – two silvers and a bronze in Kayak Cross – in his career, but is now Olympic Champion.
● Cycling: Track Women’s Team Sprint In the final, Britain’s Sophie Capewell and Emma Finucane (with Katy Marchant) won the final over Shaane Fulton and Ellesse Andrews (NZL, with Rebecca Petch) in a world-record time of 45.186 to 45.659.
Three-time defending World Champions Germany had the no. 3 time in he second round and took the bronze, 45.400 to 45.690 over the Netherlands.
● Gymnastics: Men’s Parallel Bars-Horizontal Bar; Women’s Balance Beam-Floor Carnage in the women’s Beam, as four of the eight finalists fell, including Americans Simone Biles and Suni Lee. That left Italy’s Alice D’Amato – with a clean routine – as the winner at 14.366, her first major international medal in the event! She was followed by 2023 Worlds silver winner Yaqin Zhou (14.100) and Italy’s Manila Esposito.
Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade finished fourth at 13.933, followed by Biles (13.100) and Lee (13.100). Biles had won two straight Olympic bronzes on Beam; the U.S. had won a Beam medal in five straight Games. It’s Italy’s first gold in women’s gymnastics.
On Floor, Biles performed superbly, but was dinged for out-of-bounds violations on two of her tumbling runs – 0.6 points – and that made the difference. Andrade scored 14.166 to 14.133 for Biles, with fellow American Jordan Chiles third at 13.766 after a review of the routine added 0.1 to her score to lift her over Ana Barbosu (ROU: 13.700).
This is the fifth straight Games for the U.S. with at least one Floor medal; Biles and Aly Raisman went 1-2 for two on the podium in Rio in 2016.
China’s Jingyuan Zou defended his Olympic title in the men’s Parallel Bars, scoring an impressive 16.200 – the same score as in qualifying – well ahead of Ukraine’s two-time European champ Ilia Kovtun (15.500). That’s five wins for China in this event in the last seven Games. All-Around champ Shinnosuke Oka (JPN) won the bronze at 15.300.
Oka and Colombia’s Angel Barajas both scored 14.533 in the Horizontal Bar final, with Oka winning on a higher execution score. Barajas, 17, won a bronze at the 2023 World Junior Championships and moved up to Olympic silver a year later! China’s Boheng Zhang and 2018 Asian Games winner Chia-hung Tang (TPE) shared the bronze at 13.966 (and the same execution score!).
● Shooting: Men’s 25 m Pistol; Mixed Team Skeet China’s Yuehong Li won bronze medals in the men’s Rapid-Fire Pistol event in Rio and Tokyo, but finally got to the top of the podium in Paris, scoring 5-4-5 on his last three shots to win, 32-25, over Yeong-jae Cho of South Korea. Xinjie Wang of China took the bronze with 23.
Italy won the first-ever Mixed Team Skeet competition by 45-44 over the U.S., in a match-up of four Olympic medal winners: Diana Bacosi (22/24) and Gabriele Rossetti (23/24) just ahead of Americans Austen Smith (21/24) and Vincent Hancock (23/24).
China defeated India, 44-43, in the bronze-medal match.
● Triathlon: Mixed Relay World Triathlon confirmed to athletes on Sunday evening that the race would be held on Monday morning, with confounding readings of between 727 (acceptable) to 1,553 (unacceptable) at the four measuring points on the Seine, but a second set of readings was in the acceptable range of 687 to 984.
The race itself was a thriller, with Britain’s gold medalist, Alex Yee, in the lead over Tim Hellwig (GER) after the first leg, but Lisa Tertsch (GER) overhauled Georgia Taylor-Brown for the lead at the half.
Britain’s Samuel Dickinson tagged first at the end of the third leg over Lasse Luhrs of Germany, and they had about 20 seconds on the U.S. and Portugal. On the anchor, Taylor Knibb went wild for the U.S., with the fastest leg in the field by 15 seconds (22:13), making up the ground on both the British and the Germans. Knibb got the lead on the run over Beth Potter (GBR) and Laura Lindemann (GER), but the three were together on the run-in and Lindemann won at the tape, with Knibb getting the silver on the lean, after another photo review.
The Germans were timed in 1:25:39 and the U.S. and Great Britain were both at 1:25:40, with only 0.005 separating the silver and bronze winners.
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CNN reported that Switzerland lost one of its triathletes – Adrien Briffod – to gastrointestinal illness in advance of the Mixed Relay on Tuesday, but replaced him and did not blame the water quality in the Seine River.
Swiss Olympic Chief Medical Officer Hanspeter Betschart said, “A survey of my colleagues from other countries has so far not revealed any accumulation of gastrointestinal illnesses among the athletes who started the individual race last Wednesday.”
Belgium withdrew its Mixed Relay team from Monday’s competition due to illness, but did not specify its nature. A Belgian paper reported an E. Coli infection in Claire Michel after she competed in the women’s tri in Paris and finished 38th; a Paris 2024 spokeswoman said the illness was not related to the competition. The Belgians did complain about the cancellation of the training swims due to bacteria levels in the river and the fluid schedule:
“The COIB [Belgian Olympic Committee] and Belgian Triathlon hope that lessons will be learned for future triathlon competitions at the Olympic Games such as guaranteeing training days, competition days and the competition format, which must be clarified in advance and ensure that there is no uncertainty for the athletes and support personnel.”
Elsewhere:
● Athletics ● The morning qualifying started with the men’s 400 m hurdles, with defending champ Karsten Warholm (NOR) posting the fastest time at 47.57, with Rai Benjamin of the U.S. winning heat one at 48.82. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos advanced out of heat three in third place. American CJ Allen (48.64) advanced out of heat three, but Trevor Bassitt (fifth in heat two, 49.38) is in the repechage.
World-record holder Mykolas Alekna (LTU) led the men’s discus qualifiers at 67.47 m (221-4) with defending champ Daniel Stahl and 2022 World Champion Kristjian Ceh (SLO) also advancing to the final. No Americans advanced, as Sam Mattis (62.66 m/205-7), Andrew Evans (62.25 m/204-2) and Joseph Brown (61.68 m/202-4) finished 14th, 17th and 22nd, respectively.
In the women’s 400 m heats, 2023 World Champion Marileidy Paulino was the fastest at 49.42. Alexis Holmes qualified second in heat six (50.35), Aaliyah Butler was second in heat five (50.52), but Kendall Ellis (51.16) was fifth in heat one and is in the repechage. Defending champ Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) pulled up before the 200 m mark in her heat and walked across the finish in 2:22. 29 in seventh, injured. She is in the repechage but is apparently out.
The women’s vault qualifying was at 4.55 m (14-11) and 4.40 m (14-5 1/4), with defending champion Katie Moon the only American to advance. Brynn King and Bridget Williams both made 4.40 m but were eliminated on misses. The shocker was that world leader Molly Caudery of Great Britain no-heighted and was eliminated. Moreover, fellow Brit and Tokyo bronze medalist Holly Bradshaw also did not advance after clearing 4.20 m (13-9 1/4).
In the afternoon session, the first heat of the men’s Steeple got crazy when Kenya’s Amos Serem, no. 2 on the 2024 world list, was elbowed and went around the penultimate water jump on the inside. He had to stop, go back and jump into the water and then put on a full-out sprint over the final 500 m to try and get to a fifth-place qualifying spot. He got back into contact by the final water jump and picked off several men, but ended up sixth in 8:18.41, 0.08 away from fifth. Defending champ Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) won in 8:17.90; American James Corrigan was 10th in 8:36.67.
But Serem got a reprieve as he was advance to the final by the referee.
Morocco’s Mohamed Tindouft won the second heat in a lifetime best of 8:10.62, ahead of Samuel Firewu (ETH: 8:11.61). American Matthew Wilkinson was a non-qualifying sixth in 8:16.82. In heat three, world-record holder Lamecha Girma controlled the race and won easily in 8:23.89, with American Kenneth Rooks staying in touch and getting second in 8:24.95. New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish, the World Indoor 1,500 m champ, left his move too late and was seventh and did not qualify.
The men’s 200 m heats were next, with Tokyo Olympic runner-up Kenny Bednarek of the U.S. winning heat four in style at 19.96 (wind: +0.2 m/s) , ahead of Alexander Ogando (DOM: 20.04). In heat five, Erriyon Knighton of the U.S. trailed around the turn, then turned on the jets and won in 19.99 (+0.2). World Champion Noah Lyles was in the final, sixth heat in lane five, one lane behind defending Olympic champ Andre De Grasse (CAN). Lyles was third coming off the turn, but powered into the straight and won in an eased-up 20.19 (+0.1). On to the semis.
In the women’s 200 m semis, 100 m winner Julien Alfred (LCA) blew away the field in race one, including American McKenzie Long, dominating in 21.98 (0.0), with Nigeria’s Favour Ofili second (22.05) and Long at 22.30 in third. World leader Gabby Thomas was in semi two, coming off the turn behind 2019 World Champion Dina Asher-Smith, then sailing away to a 21.86 win (+0.2), with Asher-Smith at 22.31.
● Basketball ●The U.S. men (3-0) will play Brazil (1-2) in their quarterfinal on Tuesday (6th) in Paris and if victorious, will play the winner of Serbia (2-1) vs. Australia (1-2) in the semis on the 8th. France (2-1) and Canada (3-0) and Germany (3-0) and Greece (1-2) play in the upper part of the bracket.
The women’s quarters are on Wednesday, with the U.S. (3-0) winning 58 straight games in Olympic play and facing Nigeria (2-1) in their quarterfinal. The winner will play the victor in the Serbia (2-1) vs. Australia (2-1)
● Beach Volleyball ● Americans Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh defeated Paolo Nicolai and Samuele Cottafava (ITA) in the round-of-16, 21-17, 21-18 and are on the quarters on the 7th. Olympic and World Champions Anders Mol and Christian Sorum (NOR) eliminated Americans Chase Budinger and Mike Evans, 21-16, 21-14.
The women’s quarters are on the 6th and 7th, with World Champions Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes playing Tanja Huberli and Nina Betschart (SUI) on Tuesday.
Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson eliminated the U.S. duo of Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth on Monday, 21-19, 21-18.
● Football ● In the men’s semifinals, two-time defending champion Brazil was eliminated, so a new champion – in this mostly U-23 tournament – is coming. Spain, the Tokyo runner-up is on to the final again after a tense, 2-1 win over Morocco on a Juanlu Sanchez goal from the right side all the way across to the left corner of the Moroccan goal in the 86th minute.
France and Egypt tied 1-1 after 90 minutes and went to extra time, with Jean-Philippe Mateta giving the French the lead, 2-1, on a strike in the 99th. Michael Olise made it 3-1 for France with a goal in the 108th and the home team moves on to try for its first Olympic gold since 1984!
The final will be on the 9th (Friday).
The women’s semis, including the U.S. vs. Germany, are on Tuesday.
● Sport Climbing ●Poland’s Aleksandra Miroslaw crushed her own world record in the women’s Speed qualifying (15 m) at 6.06 seconds, shattering her 6.24 mark from 2023.
● Volleyball ●In the quarterfinals, 2022 World Champion Italy (4-0) outlasted Japan, 3-2, and defending champion France (3-1) edged Germany, 3-2, in the upper half of the men’s bracket and will meet in the semis on the 7th.
Worlds runner-up Poland (3-1) got past Slovenia, 3-1, and in the match between 2022 World bronzer Brazil and the U.S., the 2018 Worlds bronze winner, resulted in an American victory by 3-1 (26-24, 28-30, 25-19, 25-19). They also play on the 7th.
● Water Polo ● The defending champ U.S. women (3-1) are in the quarterfinals tomorrow, facing Hungary (2-2) with the winner facing the victor in the Australia (4-0) vs. Greece (1-3) match in the semis on the 8th.
The lower bracket has Netherlands (3-1) vs. Italy (1-3) and Canada and Spain (4-0).
The U.S. men (3-2) are in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, facing Australia (3-2), with the winner to play the survivor of Greece (4-1) and Serbia (2-3) in the upper bracket. Italy-Hungary and Croatia-Spain (4-0) are in the lower bracket.
● Athletics: Men’s 1,500 m-Long Jump; Women’s 200 m-Steeple-Hammer The men’s 1,500 m final is one of the much-awaited showdowns in Paris, with defending champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen having been beaten at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships finals by Britain’s Jake Wightman and then Josh Kerr.
Wightman is not in Paris, but Kerr is and showed Ingebrigtsen that he’s quite fit after his eased-up second to the Norwegian in the first semi in 3:32.38 and 3:38.46, with Cole Hocker of the U.S. third in 3:32.54. In the second, American mile record holder Yared Nuguse and Hobbs Kessler were 1-2 and looking controlled while posting times of 3:31.72 and 3:31.97. These folks are so fit that the race will only be settled in the final 100 m, but everyone will be keying off Ingebrigtsen.
The men’s long jump has Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou trying for a second straight Olympic title; he was the 2023 World Champion and led the qualifying at 8.32 m (27-3 3/4) with radek Juska (CZE) second at 8.15 m (26-9). It can’t be that easy; expect a charge from Italy’s European runner-up Matteo Furlani and 2022 Worlds bronzer Simon Ehammer (SUI), and Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock, the 2023 Worlds silver winner.
The women’s 200 m was expected to be all about Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, the 2022 and 2023 World Champion, but she did not start in the heats. Meanwhile, American Gabby Thomas is the world leader at 21.78 and showed a gear no one else has to win in the London Diamond League, and in her semifinal. Fellow Americans Brittany Brown – the 2019 Worlds runner-up – and NCAA champ McKenzie Long of the U.S. are in the final, but the main challenge is now expected from former NCAA champ and 100 m gold medalist Julien Alfred (LCA). Underrated but in the mix is 2019 World Champion Dina Asher-Smith (GBR).
The women’s Steeple has no obvious favorite, with defending champ Peruth Chemutai (UGA) the world leader at 8:55.09, world-record holder Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN) close behind, Val Constien of the U.S. at 9:03.22 and 2023 World Champion Winfred Yavi (BRN) also in the top five. Is 2022 World Champion Norah Jeruto (KAZ) the wild card in all this?
The women’s hammer has 2023 Worlds winner Cam Rogers of Canada back, and 2019 World Champion DeAnna Price of the U.S. back and in form. They look like the clear favorites, but Finland’s Krista Tervo led the qualifying at 74.79 m (245-4), a national record! Poland’s Anita Wladarczyk has won three straight Olympic golds in this event, but was the last qualifier; any magic left at age 38?
● Boxing ● Women’s 60 kg Ireland’s Kellie Harrington won in Tokyo at 60 kg and is back to defend, having also won the 2022 European title and the 2023 European Games. She will face China’s top-seeded Wenlu Yang, the 2022 Asian Games winner and 2023 Worlds bronze medalist. Both have sailed through their fights and are experienced: Harrington is 34 and Yang is 33.
Brazil’s Beatriz Ferreira and Shih-yi Wu (TPE) took the bronzes.
● Cycling ● Men’s Team Sprint The Dutch trio of Jeffrey Hoogland, Harrie Lavreysen and Roy van den Berg won the Olympic title in Tokyo, won the 2021 and 2023 World titles and took silver in 2022. They are the favorites to repeat.
Australia, keyed by Matthew Richardson, was second at the 2023 Worlds and won in 2022 and should be the chief pursuers, accompanied by France and Great Britain.
● Diving ● Women’s 10 m Platform China has won the last four Olympic golds in the women 10 m platform, with Hongchan Quan winning in Tokyo and the 2024 World Champion. Teammate Yuxi Chen won silver in Tokyo, but won the 2019-22-23 Worlds golds. They look like a strong 1-2, with lots of possibilities for the bronze, starting with Australia’s Melissa Wu – bronze in Tokyo – in her fifth Olympic Games.
Britain’s Andrea Splendolini-Sirieix won bronze at the 2024 Worlds, Pamela Ware (CAN) won bronze in 2023 and Pandelela Rinong (MAS) in 2022.
● Equestrian ● Individual Jumping Defending Olympic champ Ben Maher (GBR) is back, along with two-time Olympic silver winner Peter Fredricson (SWE) and teammate Henrik von Eckermann, the 2022 World Champion. Tokyo bronze medalist Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) also won a 2022 Worlds bronze.
London 2012 champ Steve Guerdat (SUI) is back and won the 2018 Worlds bronze; teammate Martin Fuchs won the silver. The U.S. has Team Jumping stars McLain Ward and Laura Kraut, and do not discount Belgium’s 2022 Worlds silver medalist Jerome Guery.
● Sailing ● Men’s Laser; Women’s Laser Radial Australia’s Matthew Wearn has won the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 golds in the Laser class and has won the last two World Championships in 2023 and 2024. He’s leading through eight races at 38 net points, with two wins and two seconds.
Pavlos Kontides (CYP), the 2012 Olympic silver medalist and 2017-18 World Champion stands second at 52, with Peru’s Stefano Peschiera third at 62. Two-time Worlds medalist Michael Beckett is fourth and Norway’s Herman Tomasgaard – who won the 2023 Worlds silver – is fifth.
Rio 2016 winner and four-time World Champion Marit Bouwmeester (NED) has a large lead in the women’s Laser Radial class, with 30 net points after nine races. Denmark’s four-time World Champion Anne-Marie Rindom won at Tokyo 2020, and is second (51), ahead of Line Hoest (NOR: 71) and Maud Jayet (SUI: 76).
● Skateboard ● Women’s Park This event, one of the favorites in Tokyo will likely be a test to see if Britain’s Sky Brown, now 16, can break up Japanese stars including 2023 World Champion Kokona Hiraki, defending Olympic champ Sakura Yosozumi and 2023 Worlds runner-up Hinano Kusaki.
Minna Stess of the U.S. won the 2023 Worlds bronze; can she break up the party?
● Wrestling ● Men’s Greco-Roman 60 kg-130 kg;
Women’s Freestyle 68 kg American wrestling star Amit Elor has won three Worlds golds in each of the last two seasons in the women’s 72 kg class: junior, U-23 and senior. But that weight class is not in the Games and so she stepped own to 68 kg
No problem. She beat 2023 World champion Buse Tosun (TUR) by 10-2, then shut down Wiktoria Choluj (POL) by 8-0 and Sol Gum Pak (PRK) by a 10-0 technical fall in the semis. Elor will face Meerim Zhumanazarova (KGZ) in the final.
In the men’s Greco-Roman 60 kg class, Japan’s Kenichiro Fumita, the Tokyo silver winner, has won bronze and silver in the last two Worlds and is a two-time World Champion. Is it his turn? He will face China’s Liguo Cau, a 2023 Worlds bronze winner.
History may be in the making in the Greco 130 kg – heavyweight – class as Cuba’s legendary Mijain Lopez – now 41 – is in the final for an unprecedented fifth consecutive gold in this class.
He sailed through his bracket with wins of 7-1, 3-1 and 4-1 and now will be a huge favorite against Chile’s Yasmani Acosta – born in Cuba – a bronze medalist at the 2017 Worlds.
Lopez has won Olympic golds in 2008-12-16-20, but has not won a Worlds medal since 2015, but he in position to make history.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Athletics ●How did Noah Lyles win the men’s 100 m? By being 1/100th of a second faster than everyone else between 80-90 m and 90-100 m.
Analysis of the 100 m final showed that Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson had the lead from the 30 m mark and was up on Lyles – in seventh place – by 5.56 to 5.61 at 50 m. But from then:
Lyles: ● 0.83 – 0.82 – 0.83 – 0.84 – 0.86
Thompson: ● 0.85 – 0.83 – 0.83 – 0.85 – 0.87
All of that got both to the line in 9.79, with Lyles just 0.005 faster and the gold medalist. What’s amazing is that Lyles was eighth – and last – at 20 m and 30 m, seventh at 50, third (!) by 60 m and second by 90 m, then won at the line.
However, the fastest 10 m in the entire race belonged to South Africa’s Akine Simbine: 0.81 between 60 and 70 m, where he moved from seventh to fourth. Lyles’ 0.82 from 60-70 was the second-fastest segment in the entire race.
World Athletics noted that the Olympic final was the first time ever that eight men broke 10.00 in a wind-legal race. Wow.
¶
Asked about her feelings about winning the women’s high jump while her country continues in its defense against Russia, Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh said in an interview session at the Ukraine House:
“I have two years of experience. Of course it’s difficult to focus only on track and field but it gives me some power. I feel the power on the track.
“Before my attempt for 2.10 meters [world record], I thought that the people in Ukraine would be so happy if I jumped that. Because it would be good news in this terrible war and I did. It really motivated me.
“We are Ukrainian. We cannot not think about that because it’s our country. We are citizens of Ukraine and we want the war to stop as soon as possible and rebuild all the cities. Unfortunately we cannot get lives back, the ones we lost. I think that we are paying a big price for independence. But I hope that in the next 10 years it will be the most modern country. Because I compare it with other European countries and we really had progressed in all fields before the war.”
¶
It was reported that Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi, the co-Olympic gold medalist at Tokyo 2020 and the reigning World Champion, posted a note showing himself in a hospital on Sunday:
“Unbelievable… This can’t be true.
“Yesterday, two hours after I wrote ‘I deserve it’ on social media, I felt a stabbing pain in my side. Emergency room, CT scan, ultrasound, blood test. Probable kidney stone.
“And now I find myself, three days before the event for which I sacrificed everything, lying in a bed, helpless, with a fever of 38.8.” (101.8 F)
He added: “Only one thing is certain, I don’t know how I will get there, but I will be there on that platform and I will give my soul until the last jump, whatever my condition will be.” The high jump qualifying is on Wednesday.
● Swimming ● Once the aquatics and international doping communities get past the immediate fracas over the January 2021 doping positives of 23 Chinese swimmers, it’s likely that some folks from World Aquatics, its Aquatics Integrity Unit and the International Testing Agency will examine China’s rapid performance rise in world swimming. Consider its medal performance in the past four years:
● 2021: 6 medals (3-2-1) at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (37 events) ● 2022: 5 medals (1-0-4) at 2022 World Championships (42 events) ● 2023: 16 medals (5-3-8) at 2023 World Championships (42) ● 2024: 11 medals (7-3-1) at 2024 World Championships (42) ● 2024: 12 medals (2-3-7) at Paris 2024 Olympic Games (37)
It’s a remarkable rise in such a short time, not dissimilar to China’s rise from zero medals in 2000 to two in 2004 to six in 2008 and then to 10 at London 2012. But it was down to six in Rio in 2016 and stayed there in 2020. So what happened between 2022 and 2023?
● Table Tennis ●The Associated Press reported that two table tennis players will compete at both the Paris Olympic Games and Paralympic Games:
“Brazil’s Bruna Alexandre and Australia’s Melissa Tapper are participating in the Olympics and the upcoming Paralympics …
“The 29-year-old Alexandre had her right arm amputated because of a blood cot when she was a few months old. The 34-year-old Tapper has brachial plexus palsy, a type of paralysis to her right arm caused during her birth.”
● Tennis ● Worth noting that with his gold-medal performance in the men’s Singles in Paris, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic became the fifth player ever to win the “Golden Slam”: the four Grand Slam events and the Olympic gold, joining Steffi Graf(GER), Americans Andre Agassi and Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal(ESP).
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Lots and lots of drama today, with American Bobby Finke setting a world record in the men’s 1,500 m Freestyle and then the women’s 4×100 m Medley Relay finishing with another world mark in the final event in the pool.
Over at the track, the drama was all over the men’s 100 m in the semifinals, with Jamaica’s Oblique Sevillebeating Noah Lyles of the U.S. in the first race, 9.81 (lifetime best) to 9.83 (wind: +0.7 m/s). South Africa’s Akani Simbinewon semi two in 9.87 (0.0), and Jamaica’s world leader, Kishane Thompson, was impressive in taking semi three in 9.80 (+0.5) over Fred Kerley of the U.S. (9.94 seasonal best).
So in the final, Olympic 200 m medalist Kenny Bednarek (USA) was in lane two, 2022 World Champion Kerley was in three, and Thompson in four. African champ Simbine was in five, Seville in six, 2023 World Champion Lyles in seven, Worlds runner-up Letsile Tebogo (BOT) in eight and defending Olympic champ Lamont Marcell Jacobsof Italy in nine. Spectacular.
The final was preceded by a dramatic light show, and the Stade de France was loud, but off the gun, Lyles was behind and Thompson got to the lead of an even field by 50 m. But as Kerley was coming hard to his left, Lyles had the fastest finish once again and got to the line first – from sixth at 90 m – with a hard lean, and won in a lifetime best of 9.79 (+1.0 m/s wind).
How close? Lyles was timed in 9.784 to 9.789 for Thompson – 0.005 difference – with Kerley the bronze winner at 9.81 and Simbine fourth at 9.82. Bednarek was seventh in 9.88.
Thompson could feel (and see) Kerley to his left in three, but had no idea of what was happening to his right, as Lyles moved up from seemingly nowhere. It’s the first U.S. win in the 100 since 2004 – by Justin Gatlin – and he and Kerley put two on the podium for the first time since that Athens race, when Maurice Greene was third.
Lyles moved up to equal-12th all-time at 9.79 and equal-sixth with Greene in U.S. history. Kerley’s path to the bronze was equally epic, as he was running poorly into June, dumped his sponsor ASICS because he wasn’t getting the results he wanted from their products and went free-agent through the U.S. Trials, wearing Nike spikes. Let’s see what happens to him now.
No rest for Lyles or Bednarek, however, as the 200 m heats start tomorrow, an event in which Lyles is – unlike the 100 – the clear favorite. But Bednarek thinks he can beat him. ~ Rich Perelman
¶
At the morning news conference, Paris 2024 volunteers took the floor, talking about their experiences so far, which have been good. The training program was extensive, with 80 different “modules” created for training at the various sites and different functions.
Asked if there were any Russian volunteers, after reports that they were all refused by French authorities, the response from Games Times Workforce Operations Director Alexandre Morenon-Conde was “there are some.”
¶
The surfing competition in Tahiti was originally expected to be completed by 31 July, but the waves at Teahupo’o have been pretty wild at times, leading to cancellation of sessions on 30 and 31 July, then again on 3-4 July. With a little luck, the semifinals and finals will be held on Monday, 5 August (maybe).
● Les Temps ●The updated forecast continues mostly cloudy for the remainder of the Games, with the organizers hopeful that the triathlon relay and the open-water swims can be held in the Seine:
● 05 Aug. (Mon.): High of 87 ~ low of 62, sunny ● 06 Aug. (Tue.): 87 ~ 63, cloudy ● 07 Aug. (Wed.): 79 ~ 60, cloudy ● 08 Aug. (Thu.): 83 ~ 65, cloudy ● 09 Aug. (Fri.): 82 ~ 62, cloudy ● 10 Aug. (Sat.): 84 ~ 65, sunny ● 11 Aug. (Sun.): 87 ~ 68, cloudy
The triathlon mixed relay is scheduled for 5 August (hopefully) and the open-water 10 km events for 8-9 August.
● Medals & Teams ● The U.S. had another big day on Sunday – 10 medals, including five golds – and is suddenly tied with China for the most gold medals:
● 1. 71, United States (19-26-26) ● 2. 45, China (19-15-11) ● 3. 44, France (12-14-18) ● 4. 37, Great Britain (10-12-15) ● 5. 31, Australia (12-11-8) ● 6. 24, South Korea (10-7-7) ● 6. 24, Japan (9-5-10) ● 8. 22, Italy (7-10-5) ● 9. 17, Canada (5-4-8) ● 10. 15, Netherlands (6-5-4) ● 11. 12, Germany (5-5-2) ● 12. 10. Brazil (1-4-5)
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much better representation of team achievement, the U.S. pulled away to a solid lead with a big Sunday:
● 1. 703, United States ● 2. 499, China ● 3. 476, France ● 4. 434, Great Britain ● 5. 351 1/2, Australia ● 6. 340 1/2, Italy ● 7. 278 1/2, Japan ● 8. 255 1/2, Korea ● 9. 234 1/2, Germany ● 10. 230 1/2, Canada ● 11. 201 1/2, Netherlands ● 12. 119, Spain ● 13. 111, New Zealand ● 14. 110 1/2, Switzerland ● 15. 106 1/2, Hungary
Now, a total of 91 countries (out of 206) – including Belarus and Russia, as “neutrals” – have scored points so far.
● Television ●NBC continues to show strong audiences for the Games, which confirm the star power of Simone Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team:
● 26 Jul. (Fri.): 29.3 million (28.6 + Telemundo 0.7) ● 27 Jul. (Sat.): 32.4 million ● 28 Jul. (Sun.): 41.5 million ~ gymnastics women’s qualifying ● 29 Jul. (Mon.): 31.3 million ● 30 Jul. (Tue.): 34.7 million ~ gymnastics women’s Team final ● 01 Aug. (Wed.): 29.1 million ● 02 Aug. (Thu.): 31.7 million ~ gymnastics women’s All-Around ● 03 Aug. (Fri.): 29.2 million* (estimated)
NBC reported the eight-day average for 2024 is 32.4 million in 2024, compared to 18.6 million for Tokyo (a lot better) and the eight-day average of 29.6 million for Rio (better).
The measurement of “Total Audience Delivery” is based upon live-plus-same day custom fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics. This is not a true “apples-to-apples” with prior Games, however, as the audiences prior to 2024 were for the NBC primetime show only and the Paris totals are for the daytime show (live) and the primetime show together. No out-of-home audiences were in the figures for Rio 2016; Nielsen added those in 2020.
● Archery: Men In another classic between two competitors who know each other well, Korea’s Woo-jin Kim and American Brady Ellison had to go to overtime to settle the men’s gold-medal match. Kim, a three-time World Champion, already had Paris wins in the men’s Team and Mixed Team events and Ellison had won the Rio bronze, plus two Team medals and the Mixed Team bronze in Paris. Neither had an Olympic gold
In the final, Ellison won the first end, 29-27, Kim won the second, 28-24 and Ellison took the lead again at 29-27 in the third. Kim tied it at 29-27 in the fourth and both shot 30 in the fifth end (!) for a 5-5 tie.
In the shoot-off, both shot 10, but Kim’s arrow was judged closer to the center, giving him the 6-5 win and his third Paris gold. He equaled the three-golds achievement of fellow Korean San An from Tokyo, who won the women’s gold, Team gold and Mixed Team gold.
For Ellison, the silver was his fifth Olympic medal (0-3-2). Korean Woo-seok Lee defeated German Florian Unruh, 6-0, for the bronze.
● Athletics: Men’s Hammer; Women’s High Jump The men’s hammer started with an explosion, with World Champion Ethan Katzberg sending the ball-and-chain out to 84.12 m (276-0) on his first throw! No one else reached 80 m in the first three rounds, with Bence Halasz (HUN) second in 79.97 m (262-4).
Katzberg also reached 82.28 m (269-11) in round two, but no one else could get to 80 m. Halasz won silver and Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Kokhan’s second-round throw of 79.39 m (260-5) held up for the bronze. American Rudy Winkler was fourth after the first round at 77.92 m (255-8), and finished sixth. It’s Canada’s first gold in the event and its first Olympic medal in this event since 1912!
World-record setter Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) and 2023 Worlds runner-up Nicola Olyslagers (AUS) were clear of the field in the women’s high jump pretty quickly, as the only ones to make 1.98 m (6-6), with fellow Australian Eleanor Patterson sharing the bronze at 1.95 m (6-4 3/4) with Ukraine’s Iryna Gerashchenko.
Mahuchikh, who looked completely in control with makes on her first three heights, sailed over 2.00 m (6-6 3/4) on her first try, but Olyslagers took three to get over. On to 2.02 m (6-7 1/2) and Mahuchikh suffered her first miss. She missed again, but Olyslagers missed all three tries and with the Olympic gold already hers, Mahuchikh tried 2.04 m (6-8 1/4) for the Olympic Record, but missed and retired. A try for another record will come another day. A big, high-profile 1-3 for Ukraine in Paris.
American Vashti Cunningham cleared 1.95 m and finished fifth.
● Badminton: Men’s Doubles Defending Olympic champions Yang Lee and Chi-lin Wang won their second straight gold, defeating China’s Wei Keng Liang and Chang Wang in the final by 21-17, 18-21, 21-19. Mayalsia’s Aaron Chia and Wool Yik Soh took the bronze from second-seed Danes Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen.
● Cycling: Women’s Road Race With about 3.5 km remaining in the women’s 157.6 km road race, Belgian Lotte Kopecky – the biggest winner on the UCI Women’s World Tour this season – and American Kristen Faulkner had caught the leading pair of Blanka Vas (HUN) and all-time great, 37-year-old Marianne Vos (NED), the 2012 Olympic champ and three-time World Champion.
But once Faulkner, who had been steady this season, but hardly a star, got even with the leaders, she attacked and no one could stay with her. Faulkner flew to the finish and won in 3:59:23, a sensational 58 seconds ahead of Vos, who out-sprinted Kopecky and Vas for the silver.
Fellow American Chloe Dygert was 15th in 4:03:03. It’s the first U.S. win in this race – in fact, its first medal in this race – since it was first held in the Games, in Los Angeles in 1984 with Connie Carpenter and Rebecca Twigg going 1-2. Dutch riders have won a medal in this race in four straight Games.
● Equestrian: Individual Dressage A second straight gold for favored defending Olympic champ Jessica von Bredlow-Werndl (GER) and TSF Dalera BB, who scored 90.93% to win over teammate Isabell Werth, 55, the Tokyo silver winner and now a seven-time Olympic medal winner, including gold in 1996.
Werth scored 89.614% to edge 2022 World Champion Charlotte Fry (GBR: 88.971) for the silver; Dinja van Liere (NED: 88.432%) was fourth.
● Fencing: Men’s Team Foil Italy won the 2022 Worlds and Japan won in 2023, so naturally they faced off in the final. The top seed, Japan, won by 45-36, winning its first-ever gold in the event and its first medal since a silver at London 2012. Italy took its first Olympic medal since winning in London.
France defeated the U.S. for the bronze medal, 45-32, ending a streak of two straight Olympic bronzes for the Americans.
● Golf: Men An incredible finish in the final round, as two-time Masters winner Scottie Scheffler (USA), the world’s top-ranked golfer shot a sizzling 62 to shoot up the leaderboard and win the Olympic tournament by one stroke at -19 over Tommy Fleetwood (GBR) and two over Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (-17).
Scheffler started Sunday in sixth place, but birdied the first three holes and then went crazy on the back nine with birdies at 10-12-14-15-16-17 and a par at 18 to finish at 265 (67-69-67-62).
Fleetwood was near the top the whole tournament and third coming into Sunday, shooting a 66 for the silver and Matsuyama shot a 65 but only moved up from fourth to third. Fleetwood suffered a bogey on the 17th on Sunday while Scheffler made birdie to take the lead for good.
Third-round co-leader and defending champ Xavier Schauffele (USA) shot a 73 to drop to a tie for ninth. Spain’s Jon Rahm, the other co-leader, shot 70 to finish in a tie for fifth,
● Gymnastics: Men’s Rings-Vault; Women’s Uneven Bars China’s Yang Liu defended his Tokyo Olympic title, scoring 15.300 to edge countryman Jingyuan Zou (15.233) in the Rings final. Greece’s Rio 2016 winner, Eleftherios Petrounias, won a bronze in Tokyo and won another bronze here at 15.100, just ahead of France’s Samir Alt Said (15.000).
Petrounias is the first ever to win a Rings medal in three straight Games.
Carlos Yulo – at 4-11 – made more history for The Philippines by winning the Vault, scoring 15.116, winning his second event in Paris, after taking the Floor final. He was the 2021 World Champion and 2022 runner-up and defeated Armenia’s 2022 World Champion Artur Davtyan (14.966) and Britain’s Harry Hepworth (14.949) and 2023 World Champion Jake Jarman (14.933).
Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour led the qualifying in the women’s Uneven Bars at 15.600 and kept right on going into the final, scoring 15.700 to win, moving up from silver at the 2023 World Championships. China’s 2023 World Champion Qiyuan Qiu took the silver at 15.500 and the U.S.’s Suni Lee repeated as the Olympic bronze medalist at 14.800. Belgium’s Nina Derwael, the defending champ, finished fourth at 14.766.
● Shooting: Women’s Skeet Chile’s Francisca Crovetto had never won a Worlds medal coming into the Olympic final, but the 2023 Pan American Games winner scored Chile’s third Olympic gold ever, in her third Olympic Games.
She scored 31 hits in a row to get into a shoot-off with Britain’s Amber Jo Rutter, the 2022 Worlds runner-up, at 55-all. On the shoot-off, Crovetto won, 7-6. Austen Smith of the U.S. won the bronze at 45 hits.
● Swimming: Men’s 1,500 m Free-4×100 m Medley;
Women’s 50 m Free-4×100 m Medley “I’m really happy.”
That’s Bobby Finke of the U.S., defending his Tokyo men’s 1,500 m Freestyle title in WORLD RECORDstyle, finishing in 14:30.67, just about a second faster than his prior best from the 2023 Worlds (14:31.59).
He won by nearly four seconds over Italy’s Rio 2016 winner Gregorio Paltrinieri (14:34.55) and World Champion Daniel Whiffen (IRL: 14:39.63). Finke said afterwards that he was irritated after his 800 m Free silver and once he saw that he was in front after 100 m, he just kept pushing.
In the women’s 50 m Free, it was all Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden, the heavy favorite, who won in 23.71, the no. 7 performance in history. No one was close; Meg Harris got the silver for Australia (23.97), with Yufei Zhang (CHN: 24.20) getting the bronze. American Gretchen Walsh was fourth (24.21).
In the men’s 4×100 m Medley, the U.S.’s Ryan Murphy touched second to Jiayu Xu (CHN) on the Back leg, handing to Nic Fink on Breast, but Haiyang Qin touched first again, with the U.S. third to Great Britain. Caeleb Dressel was third at the turn on the Fly, but motored home in second position with a 49.41 leg, fastest in the field.
The French had the lead on the final leg over the U.S. and China, with Hunter Armstrong facing China’s world-record holder Zhanle Pan, who overtook him and won in 3:27.46, the no. 5 performance in history. Pan, who set the world record in the 100 m Free in 46.40, swam the fastest split in history at 45.92, with Armstrong excellent at 47.19.
The French got another medal with the bronze, with Leon Marchand on Breast, in 3:28.38 and Britain was fourth at 3:29.60. The U.S. swam 3:28.01, no. 7 in U.S. history, but it was the first time the U.S. lost this race when it has contested it in Olympic history.
Last on the program was the women’s 4×100 m Medley, with Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske, who won the Mixed Medley Relay on anchor. Smith and Kaylee McKeown touched 1-2 for the U.S. and Australia on the Back, then King burst out to a significant lead on the Breast leg and Walsh had a 2.89-second lead on Canada and Australia.
Walsh increased the lead to 3.41 seconds on Canada with Huske in the water, who finished strong with a WORLD RECORDof 3:49.63. Smith’s Back leg of 57.28 was only 0.15 off her own 57.13 world record! King’s leg of 1:04.90 was brilliant and made the difference. Walsh swam 55.03, equal to the fastest ever, by Sjostrom in 2017.
And Huske finished in 52.42 to finish off the record, her third gold in Paris with wins in the 100 m Fly and the women’s 4×100 m Medley and the Mixed 4×100 m Medley plus silvers in the 100 m Free and women’s 4×100 m Free. Amazing; she’s 21.
Australia got the silver in 3:53.11 and China took bronze in 3:53.23.
And in the much-ballyhooed match-up between Australia and the U.S. for gold medals – that’s the way Australia looks at it – the Americans won eight and Oz had seven. The U.S. finished with 28 total medals (8-13-7) to 18 for Australia and 12 for China.
● Table Tennis: Men’s Singles The Cinderella story stopped in the final, as Sweden’s Truls Moregard, the 19th seed, won the first set, but was then comprehensively defeated by second-seed Zhendong Fan (CHN) by 4-1 (7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8, 11-8). Fan was the Tokyo runner-up and now has an Olympic gold to go with his two World Championship titles.
China has now won seven of the 10 men’s table tennis Olympic golds and five in a row. France’s Felix Lebrun swept last Hugo Calderon (BRA), 4-0 (11-6, 12-10, 11-7, 11-6) to win the bronze.
● Tennis: Men’s Singles, Women’s Doubles Serbia’s Novak Djokovic managed a taut, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3) victory over world no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s final at Roland Garros to edge ahead in their all-time personal match-up to 4-3.
At 37, Djokovic won his second Olympic medal after a bronze in Beijing way back in 2008. Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti won the bronze medal over Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.
Italy’s Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini had to go to a third set tie-break in the women’s Doubles final against Russians Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, competing as “neutrals,” but won by 2-6, 6-1, 10-8.
Errani, 37, has won the career Slam in Doubles, and she and Paolini made the final of the French Open women’s Doubles in 2024, but lost. Now they are Olympic champions. Spain’s Christina Bucsa and Sara Sorribes defeated Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova (CZE) for the bronze, 6-2, 6-2.
Elsewhere:
● Athletics ●The news of the day in qualifying was that Shericka Jackson, Jamaica’s two-time World Champion, did not show for the heats of the 200 m. She withdrew from the 100 m due to injury; no reason was given for her absence in the 200.
In the heats, world leader and Tokyo Olympic bronzer Gabby Thomas of the U.S. led at 22.20 from heat two, followed by Favour Ofili (NGR: 22.24 in heat one), Dina Asher-Smith (GBR: 22.28 in heat one) and Brittany Brown of the U.S. (22.38 in heat five). McKenzie Long of the U.S. won heat four in 22.55.
The other news came in the men’s 110 m hurdles, where World Champion Grant Holloway of the U.S. had the fastest qualifier at 13.01, 0.22 faster than anyone else. Daniel Roberts barely qualified in third in heat three (13.43) and Freddie Crittenden jogged to a last-place finish in heat two, in 18.27. But that was the plan:
“I had a little aggravation in my abductor yesterday for my pre-meet. I went to Team USA medical staff, medical doctors, and they said it’s not an injury, but there’s a lack of activation in my muscle that’s causing pain and discomfort.
“So the plan was to come here, get through the round, and as long as I didn’t get disqualified or hit any hurdles, the idea was that I could get through and get another opportunity in the repechage round. So I just wanted to get here, make sure I didn’t make anything worse, and give it everything I’ve got on Tuesday.”
Wow. The repechage is new, replacing the “fastest losers” advancement with an actual race to get into the semifinals. Crittenden, in his first Olympics, is a beneficiary of that change.
Defending champion Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) led the men’s long jump qualifying at 8.32 m (27-3 3/4); Americans Jarrison Lawson (no mark), Jeremiah Davis (7.83 m/25-8 1/4) and Malcolm Clemons (7.72 m/25-4) did not qualify; the U.S. also did not have a finalist at Beijing 2008, or in Moscow 1980, so it’s the third time in an event where Americans have won 22 golds.
Dutch star Femke Bol won heat three in 53.38 to lead the women’s 400 m hurdles qualifying, with Americans Jasmine Jones (53.60) winning heat two and world-record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (53.60) winning heat five. Teammate Anna Cockrell won heat four in 53.91.
The women’s Steeple heats had defending champion Peruth Chemutai (UGA: 9:10.51), 2023 World Champion Winfred Yavi (BRN: 9:15.11) and world-record holder Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN: 9:13.56) as heat winners; Americans Courtney Wayment and Val Constien advanced; Marisa Howard did not.
Finland’s Krista Tervo led the women’s hammer qualifying with a national record of 74.79 m (245-4), ahead of World Champion Cam Rogers (CAN: 74.69 m/245-0), 2019 World champ DeAnna Price of the U.S. (73.79 m/241-9) and Annette Echikunwoke (USA: 73.52 m/241-2). Erin Reese of the U.S. did not qualify at 70.23 m (230-5).
In the afternoon in the men’s 400 m heats, Michael Norman of the U.S., the 2022 World Champion, cruised to a brilliant win in heat two in a staggering 44.10! U.S. Trials winner Quincy Hall came on late to win heat four in 44.28, the second-fastest time of the day. These are in heats, folks.
European champ Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR) won heat one in 44.78, with Chris Bailey of the U.S. second in 44.89. London 2012 champ Kirani James of Grenada won heat five in 44.78.
Defending champion Jakub Ingebrigtsen (NOR) strung out the first semi in the men’s 1,500 m, with World Champion Josh Kerr right behind at the bell. They finished that way, qualifying easing in an astonishing semifinal time of 3:32.38 and 3:32.46. American Cole Hocker sat behind the leaders and finished third in 3:32.54 and qualified third.
American Yared Nuguse led semi two through the bell, with teammate Hobbs Kessler moving into third on the back straight. Nuguse just kept cruising, looked composed and ran unchallenged through the line in another fabulous time: 3:31.73! Kessler moved up to second in the final 50 m, in 3:31.97! Britain’s Neil Gourley was an easy third in 3:32.11 (as if 3:32.11 could ever be easy.)
Kenya’s 2023 World Champion Mary Moraa won the first women’s 800 m semi by coming off the final turn hard and running away from Ethiopia’s Worknesh Mesele, 1:57.86 to 1:58.06. Semi two had Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma, the 2024 World Indoor winner coming hardest on the straight to win in a lifetime best of 1:57.47, just ahead of Shafiqua Maloney (VIN: 1:57.59 national record) and American Juliette Whitaker with a lifetime best in 1:57.76 (who advanced to the final on time).
Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, the favorite, went to the lead right away in semi three and turned into the final straight in the lead and ran away to win in 1:56.86, ahead of Prudence Sekgodiso (1:57.57), and Nia Akins of the U.S. (1:58.20), who did not advance.
● Basketball ● The U.S. women cruised to a convincing win over Germany, 87-68, winning the second quarter by 25-10 and the third quarter by 28-17, with Jackie Young leading all scorers with 19. That’s 58 straight in Olympic play and on to the quarterfinals, which will be held on 7 August.
The U.S. and Spain were the only undefeated teams; France won group B at 2-1. The U.S. will play Nigeria or Belgium, with the games now moved to Paris.
● Beach Volleyball ● The U.S. men’s teams are playing Monday in the round-of-16, with Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh facing Paolo Nicolai and Samuele Cottafava (ITA) and Chase Budinger and Miles Evans in a difficult draw against Norway’s Olympic and World Champions, Anders Mol and Christian Sorum.
The women’s pair of World Champions Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes are through to the quarters after a 21-18, 17-21, 15-12 win over Valentina Gottardi and Marta Menegatti on Sunday. Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth play their round-of-16 match on Monday against a dangerous Canadian pair in Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson.
● Volleyball ●The U.S. women swept last France by 3-0 to finish 2-1 in Group A and move into the quarterfinals on Tuesday, facing Poland, with the winner to play the winner of Brazil-Dominican Republic in the semifinals on 8 August.
● Water Polo ●The U.S. men (2-2) will play Croatia (3-1) tomorrow to finish group play and get ready for the quarterfinals. The U.S. women finished 3-1, losing to Spain, and will play Hungary in their quarterfinal on Tuesday.
● Athletics: Men’s Vault; Women’s 800 m-5,000 m-Discus The men’s vault final means Swedish superstar Mondo Duplantis will be back, trying not only to defend his Tokyo title, but to increase his world record to 6.25 m (20-6). He’s 0-15 so far, but don’t bet against him in Paris. Next best is probably America’s two-time World Champion Sam Kendricks, E.J. Obiena (PHI) and perhaps Greek Emmanouil Karalis or Australia’s Kurtis Marschall.
The women’s 800 m is clearly the property of British star Keely Hodgkinson, who won the London Diamond League with a lifetime best of 1:54.61, no. 6 all-time. Mary Moraa, Kenya’s 2023 World Champion and World Indoor winner Tsige Duguma (ETH) look like the strongest challengers, along with South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso.
Another big favorite will be Kenya’s former world-record holder Faith Kipyegon in the women’s 5,000 m, who was also the 2023 Worlds winner over defending Olympic champ Sifan Hassan (NED) and two-time Worlds medalist Beatrice Chebet (KEN). Ethiopia’s 2022 World Champion Gudaf Tsegay – the current world-record holder – and Ejgayehu Taye (14:18.92) are definite medal contenders, but can either kick with Kipyegon? Doesn’t seem likely.
American Valarie Allman won the Tokyo Olympic title, won the Worlds bronze in 2022 and silver in 2023. She’s the most consistent thrower and the favorite. She led the qualifying over 2012-16 Olympic champ Sandra Elkasevic (CRO) and 2022 World Champion Feng Bin, with Dutch star Jorinde van Klinken a medal threat as well.
● Badminton: Men’s Singles; Women’s Singles Defending champion Viktor Axelsen (DEN), a two-time World Champion has to be the favorite, but Thailand’s reigning World Champion, Kunlavut Vitidsarn has been second and first in the last two Worlds and is ready.
India’s 2021 Worlds bronze winner, Lakshya Sen will face Zii Ja lee (MAS) in the bronze-medal match.
Korea’s Se-young An and won her first Worlds gold in 2023, and will face China’s Bingjiao He, a two-time Worlds bronze-medal winner, in the final.
The 2016 women’s Olympic champ and three-time World Champion Carolina Marin of Spain had to retire due to an injury, so Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (INA) is the bronze medalist.
● Basketball: Men’s 3×3; Women’s 3×3 The men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball finals will be held, with the U.S. women the defending Olympic champs, but have a new line-up. The Americans won the 2023 FIBA World Cup with Cameron Brink, Hailey van Lith, Cierra Burdick and Linnae Harper, but lost Brink to injury for Paris. Van Lith and Burdick are back, along with replacement Dearica Hamby and Rhyne Howard. They finished 4-3 in round-robin play, with Germany the top seed at 6-1.
The U.S. won its play-in game against China, 21-13, to qualify for the semis against Spain (4-3) and the Germans will face Canada (5-3). Interestingly, neither Germany or Spain have won a Worlds medal in women’s 3×3.
Defending Olympic champion Latvia and the Netherlands were the strongest men’s teams, at 7-0 and 5-2 in the round-robin. They should meet in the final; Latvia plays France (4-4) in one semi and the Dutch will meet Lithuania (5-3) in the other. Latvia won the 2023 Worlds bronze and Lithuania and France finished 2-3 at the 2022 Worlds.
● Canoeing: Men’s Kayak Cross; Women’s Kayak Cross This is the first time on the Olympic program for Kayak cross – former known as “Extreme” – with Britain’s Joseph Clarke the three-time defending men’s World Champion, from 2021-22-23. He led the time trial runs on 2 August, ahead of Pedro Goncalves (BRA), France’s K-1 runner-up Titouan Castryck and 2022 Worlds silver winner Boris Neveu (FRA). Italy’s Giovanni de Gennaro won the K-1 and is clearly a threat.
The women’s Kayak Cross final is the third and final slalom canoeing event, and will Australian star Jessica Fox – the 10-time individual World Champion – complete a women’s golden sweep? It’s possible as she won the Worlds gold in this event in 2021 and 2022. Britain’s Kimberley Woods won the 2023 Worlds, ahead of Camille Prigent (FRA), who led the time trial on 2 August.
German Elena Lilik and Evy Leibfarth of the U.S., who won the K-1 silver and bronze, are contenders, as are Britain’s Mallory Franklin, the Tokyo C-1 runner-up and Brazil’s Ana Satila, the 2018 World Champion.
● Cycling: Track Women’s Team Sprint Germany’s Lea Friedrich, Emma Hinze and Pauline Grabosch are the 2021-22-23 World Champions. Let’s make them the favorites, to be challenged by China’s Bao-Guo-Yuan, second in 2022 and third in 2023, and Great Britain’s Lauren Bell, Sophie Caldwell and Emma Finucane, third in 2022 and second in 2023. No other team in Paris has won a Worlds medal in this event since 2020.
● Gymnastics: Men’s Parallel Bars-Horizontal Bar; Women’s Balance Beam-Floor First up for the women is the Balance Beam, in which Biles has been World Champion in 2014-15-2019-2023 and won Olympic bronzes in Rio and Tokyo. She will be challenged by China’s Yaqin Zhou, the 2023 runner-up, Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade, the 2023 bronzer and U.S. A-A star Suni Lee.
In qualifying, Zhou posted the highest score at 14.866, followed by Biles (14.733), Andrade (14.500) and Lee (14.033). Biles is looking for her eighth career Olympic gold here.
Biles is the unquestioned favorite in the Floor Exercise, where she won Olympic gold in 2016 and Worlds golds in 2013-14-15-18-19-23. She led the qualifying by a big margin at 14.600, with Andrade next at 13.900 and then Jordan Chiles of the U.S. – the 2022 Worlds runner-up – at 13.866. It will be tough to break up those three, but next best are Sabrina Voinea (ROU: 13.800) and Alice D’Amato (ITA: 13.700).
The men’s Parallel Bars could be another showdown between Tokyo Olympic winner Jingyuan Zou of China and runner-up Lukas Dauser of Germany. They were also 1-2 at the 2022 Worlds, with Carolos Yulo (PHI) third, but Dauser won in 2023. Zou led the qualifiers at 16.200, followed by teammate Boheng Zhang (15.33), Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka (JPN: 15.300) and Ukraine’s Oleg Verniaiev (15.266). Dauser was ffth.
The men’s Horizontal Bar qualifying saw China’s Zhang with the top score of 15.133, then 2018 Asian Games champ Chia-hung Tang (TPE: 14.933) and Takaaki Sugino (JPN: 14.733). Not to be overlooked is Tin Srbic (CRO), the 2017 World Champion and 2023 silver medalist.
● Shooting: Men’s 25 m Pistol; Mixed Team Skeet In the last four Olympic Games in the men’s 25 m Rapid-Fire Pistol, Germany’s Christian Reitz had a gold and a bronze, Cuba’s Leuris Pupo has a gold and a silver, China’s Yuehong Li has two bronzes and France’s Jean Quiquampoix is the defending champion from Tokyo and won silver in Rio in 2016. All are in.
However, none of these won medals at the 2022 Worlds, with silver medalist Clement Bessaguet and bronzer Ghulam Mustafa Bashir (PAK) both entered.
The Mixed Team Skeet event is new for 2024 and Americans Vincent Hancock – the four-time Olympic gold winner – and Austen Smith are the reigning World Champions. Ukraine and Great Britain were 2-3.
● Triathlon: Mixed Relay If the bacteria levels in the Seine allow, the race will go off as scheduled. However, training swims in the river were called off for Friday and Saturday.
Anyway, Germany, Switzerland and New Zealand went 1-2-3 in the 2024 Worlds and Germany, New Zealand and the Swiss were 1-2-3 in 2023. But the French team, including Olympic women’s champ Cassandre Beaugrand won four in a row in 2018-19-20-22 and are contenders.
Same for Great Britain, with individual winner Alex Yee, women’s 2023 World Champion Beth Potter and sixth-place Georgia Taylor-Brown.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Athletics ●Jamaica’s iconic sprint star and two-time Olympic champ Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce did not appear for her semifinal in the women’s 100 m in Paris, but it was not because she wasn’t allowed onto the warm-up track.
Fraser-Pryce was directed to a different gate and was prepping for her semi, but sustained an injury, according to Jamaica’s chef de mission Ian Kelly. He told Reuters, “Mrs. Fraser-Pryce was allowed to enter the warm up track but from another gate from which she was directed to enter from.
“There is no truth that she was not allowed to enter the stadium. Unfortunately she was not able to compete due to an injury sustained during her final warmup.”
● Boxing ●As yet another insult to the International Olympic Committee, the now-excluded International Boxing Association offered a gold-medalists’ prize of $100,000 to Italian boxer Angela Carini, who ended her first-round bout with Algerian Imane Khelifafter 46 seconds in the women’s 66 kg class.
On Saturday, the Italian Boxing Federation (FPI) refused the award from the IBA, to be $50,000 to the boxer and $25,000 each to the coach and the national federation, posting:
“With regards to the press release issued by the IBA (International Boxing Association), regarding the financial offer made by IBA President Umar Kremlev [RUS] in favour of the FPI, the Italian Boxing Federation denies what has been reported by some media regarding the hypothesis of accepting any kind of cash prize.”
The Italian news agency ANSA reported, “The note does not mention Carini, but the federation has made it known that not even the athlete will accept the money from the IBA.”
¶
IOC spokesman Mark Adams (GBR) was asked Sunday morning about an IBA letter sent to the IOC in June 2023 concerning a chromosome test given to Khelif during the 2023 Women’s World Championships and once prior that stated she had a male structure. His reply:
“The tests themselves, the process of the tests, the ad hoc nature of the tests are not legitimate and you’ll also expect me to tell you that I’m not going to discuss the individual, intimate details of athletes in public, which I think is pretty disgraceful for those who’ve leaked that material. Frankly, to be put in that position must be awful, on top of all the social media harassment that these athletes have had. …Even the way that material was shared is against legal, ethical and all other measures.”
He added:
“A letter was sent, the testing, the method of the testing, the idea of the testing, which happened kind of overnight, none of it is legitimate and therefore doesn’t deserve any response, particularly not in detail.”
● Cycling ● Worth noting after Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel won both the men’s Individual Time Trial and Road Race in Paris, that Leontien van Moorsel (NED) won both on the women’s side at Sydney in 2000.
● Equestrian ● Another medal milestone for the great Isabell Werth of Germany, who won a 13th career Olympic medal as her team won the Dressage for the third consecutive Games. She now owns eight golds and five silvers from 1992 to 2024, a brilliant, 32-year career with medals in seven different Games.
Among women in (summer) Olympic Games history, only Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina (18 from 1956-64) and American swimmer Katie Ledecky(14 from 2012-24) have more than Werth’s 13. And at 13, she is tied with Australian swimmer Emma McKeon (6-2-5 from 2016-24).
And for Werth at 55, why stop?
● Shooting ●U.S. star Vincent Hancock, asked about his fourth Olympic gold in men’s Skeet (2008-12-16-24), said afterwards:
“It’s like a dream come true … again. It feels awesome. I couldn’t ask for any better. This was the hardest one yet. It seems like every time it gets harder.”
Asked about the company he’s in – he joined Al Oerter, Carl Lewis and Michael Phelps as Americans to win an event four times (Katie Ledecky joined later), he explained:
“It’s pretty awesome. Carl Lewis is probably my favorite Olympian and I’ve been lucky enough to watch Michael Phelps at a few Olympics I’ve been at. He’s an incredible athlete. Knowing my name is with their names; I have no words.”
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“I think what we can say so far and what has become clear to everybody, France and the French people have welcomed the world with open arms and open hearts and have given the world a glimpse of France and a glimpse of the passion of the French people for sport.
“This is France completely in love with the Olympic Games, in the city of love, Paris, not only in Paris, but overall in France.”
That’s International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach (GER) praising the first week of the Paris Olympic Games, adding that he was especially impressed by the passion not only of the athletes, but the spectators:
“All this creates a magic that inspires the world.”
As a former fencer, he also noted that “You have never seen fencing until you have seen fencing in the Grand Palais,” and tried a not-so-successful quip about the triathlons:
“The triathlon was sensational, or should I say, Seine-sational. I don’t know if it works, but I gave it a try, you know. At least, say it was a good try.”
Noting the strong television and digital engagement in many countries, he noted that “We are on track for more than half of the world’s population to follow the Olympic Games Paris 2024.”
Then it was on to boxing, of course, and the continuing fracas over boxers Yu-ting Lin (TPE: 57 kg) and Imane Khelif (ALG: 66 kg) in the women’s division. Nine of the 15 questions were about this and Bach’s reply to the first inquiry – what can the IOC do to stop this – was the most insightful:
“To put an end to it is more up to you than up to us.”
Then this:
“Let’s be very clear here. We are talking about women’s boxing. We have two boxers who were born as a woman. They have been raised as a woman. Who have a passport as a woman. And who have competed for many years as woman. And this is the clear definition of a woman.
“There was never any doubt about them being a woman. What we see now is that some want to own the definition of who is a woman. And there I can only invite them to come up with a scientific-based new definition of who is a woman, and how can somebody being born, raised, competed and having a passport as a woman, cannot be considered a woman.
“If they are coming up with something, we are ready to listen, we are ready to look into it, but we will not take part in a politically-motivated, sometimes politically-motivated, cultural war.
“And allow me to say that what is going on in this context in the social media, with all this hate speech, with all this aggression and accuse, and fueled by this agenda, is totally unacceptable.”
He also noted the comments of Angela Carini, who retired after 46 seconds of her bout with Khelif:
“I would also like to quote here, the Italian boxer, who was competing against the Algerian female boxer, she said: “You know, these controversies have definitely made me sad and I feel sorry for my opponent, who is also only here to fight. I have nothing against Khelif. If I met her again, I would hug her.”
“I think this explains it all, and this is what the Olympic spirit is about. The respect for your opponent, whether you win or whether you lose, and by the way, both of these women have lost a number of fights.
“Imane alone has lost nine in international competitions in the recent years, and there was never an issue about this. She has even been invited by the Italian boxing federation to train with her Italian fellow athletes in Italy, and there was no issue about this.”
Bach was asked if the noise on this issue was perhaps part of a Russian-backed disinformation campaign to try and hurt the Paris Games:
“I cannot make this precise, but what we have seen from the Russian side, in particular, from the international federation from which we had to withdraw the recognition for many reasons [IBA], that they have undertaken, already way before these Games with a defamation campaign against France, against the Games, against the IOC, and they have made a number of comments in this respect which I do not want to repeat, to give them too much honor.
“So if you want to have an idea about the credibility of information coming from this not-anymore-recognized international federation, I can only suggest to you, look into the comments they and the leaders of this federation have made recently, and then make your own judgement.”
German investigative reporter Jens Weinreich, writing in The Inquisitor, pointed to when the IBA pivoted to disqualify Khelif:
“Imane Khelif, who has been boxing internationally since 2018, was listed and tolerated as a woman in the realm of the IBA until she won in the [round of 16] against Russia’s Azalia Amineva at the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi.”
Khelif’s wins in the quarters and semis were taken away and the semifinal loser was promoted to the final. Wrote Weinreich: “This is where the Kremlin speaks.”
Bach, for his part, made the IOC’s position on boxing and the Olympic Games clear:
“We want boxing in the program of the Olympic Games. This is the target. But the boxing But the boxing can only be in the Olympic Games in L.A. if we have a reliable partner. So now the national boxing federations, they have to make their choice. It’s up to them.
“If they want their athletes to win medals in Olympic Games, in a fair competition, with an international federation with a good reputation, with a good governance, with a clear anti-doping policy, with financial transparency, then they must found an international federation as a partner for the IOC. It is in their hands and for their athletes to win medals, if they want them to win medals.”
¶
Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet was also at Saturday’s news conference and thanked the 45,000 volunteers for making the Games a success so far, and lauded not only the performances on the field, but the enthusiasm of the spectators:
“The athletes and the spectators are bringing a lot to the country as well. What we have been experiencing for the past week has been historical. It’s something incredible that’s happening in France.”
Estanguet said that 93% of the tickets to the Games had been sold (9.3 million), a record for any Olympic Games. Moreover, 400,000 people have watched the Games from fan sites around the country, and 77,000 have attended the new Champions Park concept. And a remarkable 160,000 have visited or reserved times to see the Olympic Cauldron in the Tuileries Garden.
¶
It was a historic day for two American stars, as Vincent Hancock won his fourth gold in men’s Skeet and Katie Ledecky won a fourth straight gold in the women’s 800 m Freestyle.
Those two join fellow Americans Al Oerter (discus, 1956-68), Carl Lewis(long jump, 1984-96) and Michael Phelps in the 200 m Medley in 2004-16. Three others have done it: Denmark’s Paul Elvstrom in sailing (1948-60 across two classes), Kaori Icho(JPN: 2004-16) in women’s wrestling and Cuban Greco-Roman wrestler Mijain Lopezfrom 2008-20. Pretty great. ~ Rich Perelman
● Les Temps ● The updated forecast continues mostly cloudy for the remainder of the Games, but a couple of sunny days coming:
● 04 Aug. (Sun.): High of 78 ~ low of 58, cloudy ● 05 Aug. (Mon.): 87 ~ 63, sunny ● 06 Aug. (Tue.): 88 ~ 64, cloudy ● 07 Aug. (Wed.): 79 ~ 60, cloudy ● 08 Aug. (Thu.): 83 ~ 63, cloudy ● 09 Aug. (Fri.): 88 ~ 65, sunny ● 10 Aug. (Sat.): 88 ~ 65, cloudy ● 11 Aug. (Sun.): 83 ~ 65, cloudy
The triathlon mixed relay is scheduled for 5 August and the open-water 10 km events for 8-9 August.
● Medals & Teams ● The U.S. had a big day on Saturday, and continues to lead in the overall medal count:
● 1. 61, United States (14-24-23) ● 2. 41, France (12-14-15) ● 3. 37, China (16-12-9) ● 4. 33, Great Britain (10-10-13) ● 5. 27, Australia (12-8-7) ● 6. 22, Japan (8-5-9) ● 7. 21, South Korea (9-7-5) ● 8. 19, Italy (6-8-5) ● 9. 15, Canada (4-4-7) ● 10. 14, Netherlands (6-4-4) ● 11. 10, Germany (4-4-2) ● 11. 10. Brazil (1-4-5)
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much better representation of team achievement, the U.S. continues to lead:
● 1. 597.5, United States ● 2. 437, France ● 3. 426, China ● 4. 381 1/2, Great Britain ● 5. 318, Australia ● 6. 297 1/2, Italy ● 7. 256, Japan ● 8. 233, Korea ● 9. 204 1/2, Canada ● 10. 200, Germany ● 11. 186 1/2, Netherlands ● 12. 111, New Zealand ● 13. 108 1/2, Switzerland ● 14. 98 1/2, Spain ● 15. 98, Brazil
Now, a total of 88 countries (out of 206) have scored points so far.
● Television ● NBC continues to show strong audiences for the Games:
● 26 Jul. (Fri.): 29.3 million (28.6 + Telemundo 0.7) ● 27 Jul. (Sat.): 32.4 million ● 28 Jul. (Sun.): 41.5 million ● 29 Jul. (Mon.): 31.3 million ● 30 Jul. (Tue.): 34.7 million ● 01 Aug. (Wed.): 29.1 million ● 02 Aug. (Thu.): 31.7 million
NBC reported the seven-day average for 2024 is 33.0 million in 2024, compared to 18.8 million for Tokyo and the seven-day average of 30.1 million for Rio (including the opening ceremony).
The measurement of “Total Audience Delivery” is based upon live-plus-same day custom fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics. This is not a true “apples-to-apples” with prior Games, however, as the audiences prior to 2024 were for the NBC primetime show only and the Paris totals are for the daytime show (live) and the primetime show together. No out-of-home audiences were in the figures for Rio 2016; Nielsen added those in 2020.
● Errata ● Apologies for a mix-up in Thursday’s post, stating Spain’s Alvaro Martin, who won the Paris bronze in the men’s 20 km Walk, “Martin Alvaro” instead! Correction made; thanks to Phil Minshull of SpainSports for noticing it first.
● Archery: Women South Korea continued its dominance, with a 1-2-4 finish, with 2022 Asian Games champ Si-hyeon Lim winning the final over Su-hyeon Nam, 7-3. France’s Lisa Barbelin took the won over Korean Hun-young Jeon, 6-4.
Korea has now won this event in 10 of the last 11 Olympic Games.
● Athletics: Men’s Shot Put-Decathlon; Women’s 100 m-Triple Jump; Mixed 4×400 m History for American shot star Ryan Crouser, the Rio and Tokyo Olympic winner, who overcame all sorts of injuries and blew away the competition with throws of 22.64 m (74-3 1/2), 22.69 m (74-5 1/2) and what proved to be the winning throw of 22.90 m (75-1 3/4). He had two more fouls in a rainy ring and then skipped his last throw, but claimed his third straight gold. He’s the world-record holder and has to be the greatest in history.
Fellow American Joe Kovacs, second in Rio and Tokyo, was also second here until Jamaican Rajindra Campbell came up with a big throw of 22.15 m (72-8) in round two. Kovacs got close at 21.71 m (71-2 3/4) in round three, then muscled out to 22.15 m in the final round to equal Campbell, but take the silver on a better second mark. So Kovacs second and Campbell third; American Payton Otterdahl was fourth at 22.03 m (72-3 1/2).
The rain started falling by the time of the finals in the running events, adding a complication.
The Mixed 4×400 m relay had the U.S. back with the same line-up that set the world record in the heats. Vernon Norwood (44.50) passed first and handed again to Shamier Little (49.40), but this time with Lieke Klaver (NED) right on her hip. But Little surged in the straight and handed to Bryce Deadmon with 3 m lead. Deadmon (44.70) was barely in front of Belgium on the straight and handed to Kaylyn Brown with only a small lead.
Brown, an Arkansas frosh, moved to a 4 m lead over Great Britain coming into the straight. But Femke Bol (NED) was coming hard and she zoomed past Brown to win the gold in the final 60 m. The split: Bol ran 47.93!Brown was excellent at 49.14, but it wasn’t enough.
The Dutch won in 3:07.43, the second-fastest time in history, over the U.S. (3:07.74). Bol made up 25 m in the last 200 m to win from fourth place; almost inhuman. Great Britain was third in 3:08.81.
The rain subsided but the track was still wet by the time of the women’s 100 m final, with World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson of the U.S. in seven, St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred – who looked best in the semis – in six and Jamaican teen Tia Clayton – also a semi winner – in four.
Off the gun, it was no contest. Just as in the semi, former NCAA champ Alfred got off well and was never headed, dominating the race in 10.72 (wind: -0.1), winning St. Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medal. Richardson was off poorly, but moved up to second by 60 m, moving past training partner Melissa Jefferson to finish 2-3 for the U.S. in 10.87 and 10.92, with Britain’s Daryll Neita fourth in 10.96. Twanisha Terry, the third American, was fifth in 10.97 and Clayton was seventh in 11.04.
The rain impacted the women’s triple jump as well, but did not impress Dominica’s Thea LaFond, the 2024 World Indoor Champion. With Tokyo winner and world-record holder Yulimar Rojas (VEN) out with injury, LaFond exploded with a lifetime best of 15.02 m (49-3 1/2) in the second round and no one could match. Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts had he best in the second round at 14.87 m (48-9 1/2) and that held up for silver, with Jasmine Moore of the U.S. getting into third at 14.67 m (48-1 3/4) before the downpour.
It’s Dominica’s first Olympic medal, and Moore won the first-ever medal in this event for the U.S.! Keturah Orji of the U.S., fourth in Rio, finished ninth at 14.05 m (46-1 1/4) in round three.
In the decathlon, Norway’s Markus Rooth took the lead after the javelin, as world leader Leo Neugebauer (GER) was 17th in the javelin and Rooth was sixth to stand at 8,113 to 8,097 for the German. Grenada’s Lindon Victor was in third place at 8,053.
Rooth was fifth in the discus, second in the vault and that sixth in the jav, then 11th in the 1,500 m to finish with a national record 8,796, with Neugebauer at 8,748 and Victor at 8,711. Harrison Williams was the top American in seventh (8,538), then Heath Baldwin in 10th (8,422). Zach Ziemek was 17th at 7,983.
● Badminton: Women’s Doubles In the all-China final, Qingchen Chen and Yi Fan Jia – three-time defending World Champions – won a tough battle with countrywomen Sheng Shu Liu and Ning Tan, 22-20 and 21-15. China’s last Olympic 1-2 was in 2004 in Athens.
Japan’s Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida won the bronze over Pearly Tan and Muralitharan Thinaah, 21-11, 21-11.
● Cycling: Men’s Road Race History for Belgian star Remco Evenepoel, who attacked with 15 km to go on the hilly, 272.3 km course and became the first to win both the Olympic Time Trial and Road Race!
No one could follow him on his final surge, but he suffered a tire puncture to go. Happily, a support car came by quickly and he rode a replacement bike to the line in 6:19:34, ahead of Valentin Madouas (FRA: 6:20:45) and Christophe Laporte (6:20:50). Matteo Jorgenson was the top American, in ninth at 6:20:50; Brandon McNulty was 24th (6:21:54).
● Equestrian: Team Dressage It was tight, but Germany won its 10th Olympic gold in its last 11 tries, scoring 235.790 to edge 2022 World Champions Denmark (235.669). Wow. Great Britain was a solid third at 232.492, ahead of the Netherlands (221.048).
● Fencing: Women’s Team Sabre This has been a strong event for Ukraine; in the three times it has been held at the Games, the Ukrainians won in 2008, got silver in 2016, but missed the podium in Tokyo. But this time, after a bronze-medal performance by Olha Kharlan in the individual Sabre, Ukraine sailed past Italy, 45-37, then stomped Japan by 45-32 to get to the final, winning over South Korea in a tight, 45-42 final.
Kharlan has been on all three of Ukraine’s medal winners, and Alina Komashchuk and Olena Kravatska were on the Rio 2016 silver winners as well. Japan won the bronze over France, 45-40.
● Gymnastics: Men’s Floor-Pommel Horse; Women’s Vault Simone Biles powered her way to the women’s Vault gold, using her signature “Yurchenko Double Pike” to score 15.700 on her first vault and scored 14.900 on her second vault, the “Cheng.”
The average of 15.300 was more than enough to repeat her gold from Rio 2016, well ahead of Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, the All-Around runner-up (14.966 average) and fellow American Jade Carey (14.466). It’s Carey’s third Olympic medal after her Floor gold in Tokyo and the U.S. Team gold in Paris.
Seven golds now for Biles, who still has the Beam and Floor to go and could win both.
The men’s Floor was a triumph for 2019 World Floor Champion Carlos Yulo (PHI), who scored 15.000 to edge defending champion Artem Dolgopyat (ISR: 14.966). It’s Yulo’s first Olympic medal, although he has been a solid competitor at the World Championships level since 2018. Britain’s Jake Jarman, the qualifying leader, won the bronze at 14/933, ahead of Ilia Kovtun (UKR: 14.533).
Ireland’s Rhys McClenaghan, the 2022 and 2023 World Champion, led all qualifiers at 15.200 and won the final at 15.533, edging two-time Asian champ Nariman Kurbanov (KAZ: 15.433). American Stephen Nedoroscik, the 2021 World Champion, won the bronze at 15.300, just ahead of defending Olympic champ Max Whitlock (15.200).
● Judo: Mixed Team This was the second time this event has been held at the Games and France defended its Tokyo 2020 title, coming from 3-2 down to win by 4-3, thanks in the end to superstar Teddy Riner’s win by ippon over Tatsuru Saito at +100 kg in golden score in 6:26.
Brazil defeated Italy, 4-3 and Korea defeated Germany, 4-3, for the bronze medals.
● Rowing: Men’s Singles Sculls-Eights; Women’s Single Sculls-Eights Germany’s Oliver Zeidler won three Worlds gold, but now is an Olympic champion, leading from the start and winning in 6:37.57. She was well in front of Belarus’ Yauheni Zalaty (6:42.96), competing as a “neutral.” Dutch star Simon van Dorp, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, was second most of the way, but fell to third in the final quarter of the race in 6:44.72.
Great Britain, the 2023 World Champions in the men’s Eights, won the Olympic gold at 5:22.88, moving from second at 1,000 m and taking the lead for the second half of the race. The Dutch were the early leaders and won silver in 5:23.92, with the U.S. third all the way in 5:25.28. It’s the first U.S. medal in this event since 2008, also a bronze.; the British and Dutch were 1-3 in Rio in 2016.
Karolien Florijn (NED), the 2022 and 2023 World Champion, left no doubt in the women’s Single Sculls, leading wire-to-wire in 7:17.28, clear of defending Olympic champ Emma Twigg of New Zealand (7:19.14). Lithuania’s Viktorija Senkute moved up from fifth to third over the last half of the race to win bronze in 7:20.85. American Kara Kohler was fifth in 7:25.07.
Two-time defending champs Romania had control of the women’s Eights final by midway and won easily in 5:54.39. Canada, the defending champ from Tokyo was a clear second in 5:58.84, followed by Great Britain – fourth at the 2023 Worlds – moved up for the bronze in 5:59.51. The U.S. finished fifth in 6:01.73.
● Sailing: Men’s IQFoil; Women’s IQFoil The IQFoil is a new type of equipment for the men’s and women’s windsurfing event at the Games, replacing the RS:X.
Australia’s Grae Morris won the opening series with 60 points, but with Israel’s Tom Reuveny close behind. In the final, the two were close the entire way, but Reuveny was in front by five seconds at the end and took the gold, the fourth Olympic gold in its history and first in sailing.
Dutch star Luuc van Opzeeland, a medal winner in the last four Worlds, was third in the medal race, 10 seconds back to Reuveny and took home the bronze.
Britain’s Emma Wilson, the Tokyo windsurfing (RS:X) bronze winner, dominated the event with eight wins during the week, and advanced to the final automatically. But once there, she ended up with another bronze, as 2024 World Champion Marta Maggetti and 2022 World Champion Sharon Kantor (ISR) fought a tight battle to the line with Maggetti winning.
● Shooting: Men’s Skeet; Women’s 25 m Pistol History for American Vincent Hancock, who led a U.S. 1-2 in the men’s Skeet final, scoring 58/60 and making his first 28 in a row and his last 26 in a row. Conner Prince, coached by Hancock, took the silver at 57, missing his fourth shot, then hitting 39 in a row before a couple more misses.
That was enough for silver as Meng Lee (TPE) took the bronze at 45. Hancock joins greats like Al Oerter (discus), Carl Lewis (long jump) and Michael Phelps (200 m medley) in winning the same event four times in Olympic competition: 2008-12-20-24.
In the women’s 25 m Pistol, South Korea’s no. 1-ranked Jiin Yang won the gold in a shoot-off with France’s 2022 Worlds runner-up, Camille Jedrzejewski, 4-1, after a tie at 37 after the first 10 shots. Hungary’s Veronika Major took the bronze, at 31; American Katelyn Abeln was eighth (5).
● Swimming: Men’s 100 m Fly-Mixed 4×100 m Medley; Women’s 800 m Free-200 m Medley Very close in the men’s 100 m Fly at the turn, but Canada’s Josh Liendo had the lead on the way home, until Kristof Milak (HUN) surged in the final 20 m to get to the wall first in 49.90, fastest in the world this year and the no. 10 performance of all time. Liendo was just behind at 49.99 and teammate Ilya Kharun got the bronze at 50.45, just ahead of Swiss Noe Ponti (50.55). No Americans made the final.
Kate Douglass had the lead over Canada’s Summer McIntosh on the Fly leg of the women’s 200 m Medley, but McIntosh got the lead on the Back leg, with Australia’s Kaylee McKeown coming up to second. Then Alex Walsh of the U.S. took over on Breast and had 0.51 on McIntosh, but it was not enough as McIntosh took the lead with 15 m left and touched in an Olympic Record of 2:06.56, the no. 3 performance in history. It’s her third gold, to go along with the 200 m Fly and 400 m Medley … at age 17.
Douglass came up for the silver medal in 2:06.92, the no. 10 performance ever. Walsh was third, but was disqualified for a Back-to-Breast turn violation, which left McKeown to pick up the bronze after the DQ in 2:08.08.
The 800 m final was exactly 12 years after the London Games, where Katie Ledecky won her first Olympic gold. She was trying for a fourth, but with 400 m Free champ Ariarne Titmus shadowing her. Ledecky was up by just 0.29 at the 400 m, but up to 0.82 at 600 m.
American Paige Madden was challenging Titmus with 150 to go, as Ledecky was still in front at 700 m (+1.40). Ledecky had a body-length lead at the final turn (+1.53), kept pulling and won cleanly at 8:11.04, the no. 14 time in history.
Ledecky now has the top 17 times in history in the event and won the 800 m Free for the fourth time in a row, joining fellow Americans Oerter, Lewis, Phelps and, also today, Vincent Hancock.
Titmus was second in 8:12.09, a lifetime best and no. 3 all-time, and Paige Madden of the U.S. was third with a five-second lifetime best in 8:13.00, now no. 4 all-time. Ledecky won her fourth gold in the 800 by 1.25 seconds vs. 4.13 seconds in 2012, 3.77 in 2016 and 1.26 over Titmus in Tokyo.
The day finished with the Mixed 4×100 m Medley, with the U.S. (Ryan Murphy) and Jaiyu Xu (China) essentially tied after the Back leg, then Nic Fink of the U.S. finished second to Haiyang Qin (China) after the Breast leg. Gretchen Walsh took over on the Fly, just ahead of Yufei Zheng, with Torri Huske of the U.S. on Freestyle. Huske turned first and held on as the race tightened with Junxuan Wang and touched with a world recordof 3:37.43!
China was just 0.12 back as Huske split 51.88 to 51.96. Australia got the bronze with a national record of 3:38.76.
● Table Tennis: Women’s Singles China remained perfect, with 10 Olympic wins in the 10 times this event has been held. This time, it was second-seed Meng Chen coming from behind to defend her 2020 Tokyo title and defeat top-seeded Yingsha Sun by 4-2: 4-11, 11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6. It’s the eighth time that China has gone 1-2 in this event.
Japan’s Hina Hayata was the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist and won bronze here, 4-2, over Korea’s Yubin Shin.
● Tennis: Men’s Doubles; Women’s Singles Matthew Ebden and John Peers (AUS), new partners for the Olympic Games, won the gold with a 6-7, 7-6, 10-8, over Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram. The U.S. also won the bronze, with Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul defeating Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek (CZE), 6-3, 6-4.
China’s 2024 Australian open runner-up, Qinwen Zheng, won the country’s first gold in the women’s Singles with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Croatian Donna Vekic, a Wimbledon semifinalist this year. No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek (POL) took the bronze, 6-2, 6-1, over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK).
Elsewhere:
● Basketball ●The U.S. men crushed Puerto Rico, 104-83, to sweep their three group games and move on to the quarterfinals. Puerto Rico led, 29-25, at the quarter, but the NBA stars grabbed a 64-45 halftime lead and cruised in, with 26 points from Anthony Edwards.
The U.S., Germany and Canada all finished 3-0 in group play and will head to the quarterfinals on 6 August.
The U.S. women’s 3×3 team beat China, 14-12, in their final round-robin game to finish 4-3 overall and in third place. They then beat China again, 21-13, with Dearica Hamby scoring nine points to move into the semifinals on 5 August against Spain; the U.S. won their earlier match-up by 17-11. Canada and Germany will play in the other women’s semi.
● Beach Volleyball ● The U.S. men’s team of Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh finished 2-1 in group play and are in the round-of-16 that starts tomorrow. Miles Evans and Chase Budinger of the U.S. (1-2) are in a play-in game to enter the elimination round.
The women’s teams of Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth and Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes both finished 3-0 and are on to the round-of-16 in the women’s tournament.
● Athletics ●Kenny Bednarek and Fred Kerley won their heats in the men’s 100 m, both in 9.97, while World Champion Noah Lyles was second to NCAA champ Louie Hinchliffe (GBR) in heat three, 9.98 to 10.04.
In the men’s vault, Swedish star Mondo Duplantis and two-time World Champion Sam Kendricks of the U.S. made the final at 5.75 m (18-10 1/2), but Tokyo runner-up Chris Nilsen and Jacob Wooten of the U.S. did not advance.
● Football ●The U.S. women advanced to the semis with a 1-0 win over Japan, with Trinity Rodman scoring the lone goal in stoppage time of the first extra period (105+2). She took a pass on the right side, faked to the right, dribbled to the left and sent a laser all the way to the far left side of the Japan goal for the winning score.
The Americans will play Germany, which eliminated defending champ Canada, 4-2, on penalty kicks after a 0-0 tie. Their semi will be on 6 August.
● Swimming ● In the women’s 50 m Freestyle, U.S. Trials winner Simone Manuel did not make it out of the heats, tying for 18th. Poland’s Kasia Wasick won the first semi from Yufei Zhang (CHN), 24.23 to 24.44, with Shayna Jack (AUS: 24.29) in third.
The second semi had heavily-favored Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), already the 100 m Free winner, turning on the jets in the final 10 m to win in 23.66, an Olympic Record and the no. 3 performance in history. American Gretchen Walsh was a clear second in 24.17, from Australia’s Meg Harris (24.33).
● Volleyball ● The U.S. men won all three games in pool play and are into the quarterfinals on the 5th against a dangerous Brazil team (1-2). The defending champion U.S. women are 1-1 in Group A with a game to go against 0-2 France, trying to get to the quarterfinals on the 6th.
● Water Polo ● The U.S. women, the defending champs, finished 3-1 in group play and are onto the quarterfinals on 6 August.
The U.S. men are 2-2 with one more game to play in the group stage, still in playoff position if they can hand onto fourth place; they have a tough task against Croatia on the 5th.
● Archery: Men American Brady Ellison won the 2019 Worlds gold in men’s Recurve archery and is always counted among the contenders for Olympic gold, now in his fifth Games. But Turkey’s Mete Gazoz is the defending champ and won the 2023 Worlds title, and Korea’s Woo-jin Kim owns three Worlds golds from 2011-15-21. Also in the mix: Brazil’s 2022 runner-up and 2023 bronzer Marcus d’Almeida.
● Athletics: men’s 100 m-Hammer; Women’s High Jump Maybe the marquee event of the day will be the men’s 100 m final at the Stade de France, with 2023 World Champion Noah Lyles coming off a lifetime best of 9.81 at the London Diamond League. But then there’s 2022 Worlds winner Fred Kerley of the U.S. and 2024 world leader Kishane Thompson of Jamaica (9.77), countryman Oblique Seville (9.82) and Kenyan strongman Ferdinand Omanyala (9.79). And no one is talking about 200 m star Kenny Bednarek of the U.S., who got a lifetime best of 9.89 for second at the U.S. Trials. This is going to be fun.
Ethan Katzberg of Canada was a surprise winner of the men’s hammer at the 2023 Worlds, but he’s not a surprise any more and is the 2024 world leader by almost nine feet! Defending Tokyo Olympic champ Wojciech Nowicki of Poland was second at the Worlds last year and teammate Pawel Fajdek – the 2022 Worlds winner – is going to be in the mix.
The story of the women’s high jump is about new world-record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who won at the Paris Diamond League meet on 7 July, becoming the first to clear 2.10 m (6-10 3/4). She’s no shoo-in, however, with Australians Eleanor Patterson (2022 World Champ) and Nicola Olyslagers (2023 Worlds silver) for company. American Vashti Cunningham made the final, but has not been in top form this season.
● Badminton: Men’s Doubles China’s Wei Keng Liang and Chang Wang will meet Yang Lee and Chi-lin Wang from Chinese Taipei in the gold-medal final. The Taiwanese are the defending Olympic champs from Tokyo, defeating another Chinese pair in 2021. However, Liang and Wang are the 2023 Worlds bronze medalists and are fully capable.
This is the ninth time that the event has been held in the Games, with China having won just twice.
● Cycling: Women’s Road Race The women’s 157.6 km road race has all of the top stars of the UCI Women’s World Tour: Belgian Lotte Kopecky (four wins this season), Dutch stars Demi Vollering (four wins) and Lorena Wiebes (three wins) and Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini (two wins, and the Tokyo bronze). But don’t be surprised if Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma or Americans Kristen Faulkner or Chloe Dygert are right there at the finish as well.
● Equestrian: Individual Dressage Defending Olympic champ Jessica von Bredlow-Werndl (GER) is in the field, as is equestrian legend Isabell Werth, Tokyo silver winner and a six-time Olympic medal winner, including gold in 1996.
Also qualified for the final are the top two medalists from the 2022 Worlds are here: Charlotte Fry (GBR) and runner-up Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour (DEN). Von Bredlow-Werndl had the highest qualifying score by almost two points.
● Fencing: Men’s Team Foil France and Italy have won four of the last five Olympic tournaments and the U.S. has won the last two bronzes, but the 2023 Worlds belonged to Japan (gold), China (silver) and Hong Kong (bronze). In 2022, however, it was Italy-U.S.-France. So all six should be in contention.
In the individual Foil, France and Italy each had two quarterfinalists, and the U.S., Hong Kong and Japan had one each.
● Golf: Men After three rounds, defending champ Xavier Schauffele of the U.S. and Spain’s Jon Rahm are tied at -14 (199), with Tommy Fleetwood (-13) just behind and Nicolai Hojgaard (DEN) and Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) both at -11.
Rahm has been consistent at 67-66-66, while Schauffele has backed off his opening 65 with a 66 and a 68 on Saturday.
● Gymnastics: Men’s Rings-Vault; Women’s Uneven Bars On the women’s Uneven Bars, Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour led the qualifying at 15.600, ahead of 2023 World Champion Qiyuan Qiu (15.066), with American Suni Lee in third place (14.866).
Belgium’s Nina Derwael is the defending Olympic champ and the U.S.’s Suni Lee was third in Tokyo in 2021. Simone Biles was ninth and did not make the final … but is the first alternate.
The men’s Rings has China’s Yang Liu returning as defending Tokyo Olympic Rings champ and as the 2023 World Champion. But he was second in qualifying to Jingyuan Zou, 15.300 to 15.233. Samir Alt Said (FRA: 14.966) and Glen Cuyle (BEL: 14.900) were 3-4, but do not count out Greek Eleftherios Petrounas, the Rio 2016 gold medalist, the Tokyo bronze winner and a three-time World Champion.
Ukraine’s 2023 Worlds bronze winner Nazar Chepurnyi led the Vault qualifying at 14.833, just ahead of Harry Hepworth (GBR: 14.766) and Aurel Benovic (CRO: 14.900). Watch out for four-time Worlds Vault medal winner Igor Radivilov (UKR) and Britain’s 2023 World Champion, Jake Jarman.
● Shooting: Women’s Skeet The women’s Skeet final has Slovakia’s Danka Bartekova as the favorite: 2023 World Champion and 2012 bronze medalist. But the U.S. has 2023 Worlds silver winner Dania Jo Vizzi, Team Worlds medalist Austen Smith and Italy fields 2016 Olympic champ Diana Bacosi.
● Swimming: Men’s 1,500 m Free-4×100 m Medley;
Women’s 50 m Free-4×100 m Medley The men’s 800 m Free final had Ireland’s Daniel Whiffen beating defending champ Bobby Finke of the U.S. by 0.56, with Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri third and Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaouadi fourth.
They’re all back. Finke is the defending champ at 1,500 m from Tokyo, Whiffen won the 2024 World title in February. Paltrinieri is the Rio 2016 Olympic champ in this event. Whiffen, Finke and Turkey’s Kuzey Tuncelli are 1-2-3 on the 2024 world list. Take your pick.
The women’s 50 m Free should belong to sprint great Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden, already the 100 m Free winner. She took the second semi in an Olympic Record of 23.66, ahead of Gretchen Walsh of the U.S. (24.17) and Meg Harris of Australia (24.33). Poland’s Kasia Wasick, China’s Yufei Zhang and Oz’s Shayna Jack (24.23-24.24-24.29) are all medal contenders behind Sjostrom
The U.S. won the men’s 4×100 medley relay in Tokyo and has Ryan Murphy and Caeleb Dressel back, and won the 2023 Worlds, with Murphy, Nic Fink and Jack Alexy back. They will be favored, with Australia, China, Britain and Italy all chasing.
Australia is the logical favorite in the women’s 4×100 m medley, with the U.S. chasing. They went 1-2 in Tokyo, with Canada third, but the U.S. won in 2023, again with Canada third. The winning American squad from last year’s Worlds are all back: Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Kate Douglass.
● Table Tennis: Men’s Singles An amazing story, as Chinese star Zhendong Fan, second-seeded coming in and Tokyo runner-up, will meet Sweden’s underdog Truls Moregard. It was Moregard who beat top-seed Chuqin Wang (CHN) in the round of 32 by 4-2, a day after Wang had his primary racket smashed by photographers racing to get a shot after he and Yingsha Sun won the Mixed Doubles.
Wang had to use a back-up racket and lost and Moregard – the 2021 Worlds silver medalist – won his next three matches to make the final. Can he believe it? Brazil’s Hugo Calderano will meet Felix Lebrun (FRA) for the bronze.
● Tennis: Men’s Singles, Women’s Doubles World no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz (ESP: 21) will face world no. 3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) in the Olympic final at Roland Garros, where Alcaraz won the French Open earlier this year. Alcaraz defeated Djokovic to win the 2024 Wimbledon title and their match history is at 3-3.
Djokovic is also a French Open, three times over, from 2016, 2021 and 2023.
Italy’s Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini are in the women’s Doubles final against Russians Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, competing as “neutrals.” Errani, 37, has won the career Slam in Doubles, and she and Paolini made the final of the French Open women’s Doubles in 2024, but lost. Andreeva, 17, and Shnaider, 20, both reached the Doubles quarterfinals at the 2024 French Open, but with different partners.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ●French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a television interview:
“During the first week of the Olympic Games, 200 people have been detained, 180 of them have been taken into custody.
“Every day, we detain people who we suspect of committing a crime. This was also the case on the opening day of the Olympics.”
● Anti-Doping ●The International Testing Agency has announced a possible fourth doping positive from Paris, against Afghanistan’s Mohammad Samim Faizad, in the 81 kg class in judo. He tested positive for the steroid stanozolol from an in-competition test n 30 July. He is provisionally suspended, but can ask for the testing of his B-sample.
“While total revenue from television rights and sponsorship saw a slight decrease in 2023, (US$46.3m vs $48.7m), other revenues, including monies from RusAF, Kenya and the Label Road Race programme, increased by 27% which helped revenue remain broadly flat for the period at US$54.2m.
“Reassured by a solid cash position at the end of 2022, World Athletics continued to invest sensibly in competition and development, leaving a favourable cash position at the end of 2023 of US$33m.”
Look for a closer review after the hubbub of the Paris Olympic Games has concluded.
¶
In an all-too-familiar refrain, Vanderbilt women’s NCAA discus champ Veronica Fraley wrote on X:
“I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW and can’t even pay my rent. my school only sent about 75% of my rent while they pay football players (who haven’t won anything) enough to buy new cars and houses”
No problem; Public Enemy co-founder Flavor Flav, already supporting the women’s water polo team, answered back:
“I gotchu,,, DM me and I’ll send payment TODAY so you don’t have to worry bout it TOMORROW,,, and imma be rooting for ya tomorrow LETZ GO,!!!”
And Alexis Ohanian, who is putting on his own T&F invitational (with no field events), also chimed in:
“C’mon now! I’ll split it with @flavorfav”
Unfortunately, Fraley missed qualifying for the final by one spot, in 13th. She added later:
“Thanks for the supporting messages but I want to clarify my irritation isn’t with the school itself, mainly the rules that bar me from making the amount I’m WORTH as a collegiate athlete such as NIL which favors popularity over performance. that’s all I’m sayin. Wish me luck tm!”
● Badminton ● China’s Si Wei Zhengand Ya Qiong Huang won the Olympic Mixed Doubles title in Paris on Friday and on top of the gold medal, Huang accepted an unexpected wedding proposalfrom fellow Chinese star Yuchen Liu, the Tokyo 2020 men’s Doubles silver medalist.
¶
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France’s Leon Marchandcame into the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad with a chance to make swimming history. And did he ever!
Marchand won all four of his individual events in Paris:
● 28 July: 400 m Medley in 4:02.95 (Olympic Record) ● 31 July: 200 m Butterfly in 1:51.21 (Olympic Record) ● 31 July: 200 m Breaststroke in 2:05.85 (Olympic Record) ● 02 Aug.: 200 m Medley in 1:54.06 (Olympic Record)
Total domination for the 22-year-old who just completed his sophomore season at Arizona State and then turned professional in April. But even the four golds aren’t a true measure of what Marchand achieved.
There are 44 instances of athletes winning four or more golds in a single Olympic Games, counting both summer and winter. Of those, 16 instances are in swimming, topped, of course, by Michael Phelps’ sensational eight golds in 2008. Marchand is now part of that four-and-more club.
But a closer look reveals how special Marchand’s achievement is, because all of his wins were in individual events, not relays. Look how many times has that been done:
● 2008-5: Michael Phelps (USA: 200 m Free, 100-200 m Fly, 200-400 m Medley) ● 1972-4: Mark Spitz (USA: 100-200 m Free, 100-200 m Fly) ● 1988-4: Kirsten Otto (GDR: 50-100 m Free, 100 m Back, 100 m Fly) ● 2004-4: Michael Phelps (USA: 100-200 m Fly, 200-400 m Medley) ● 2024-4: Leon Marchand (FRA: 200 m Breast, 200 m Fly, 200-400 m Medley)
That’s five times in all (by the way, Otto has never admitted taking performance-enhancing drugs) and the first time in 20 years.
He is also the only French athlete to win four Olympic golds in a single Games and France is now one of just 15 countries to have a four-time gold winner in a single Games, winter or summer.
For his trouble, Marchand will receive €320,000 or about $349,168 in prize money from the French National Olympic Committee for his four golds, with the last won in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron.
But surely, he deserves more. What else, for the emperor of swimming?
Perhaps a one-year loan of the Crown of Napoleon? Should be easy to arrange: it’s close by, in the Louvre! ~ Rich Perelman
● Les Temps ● The updated forecast continues mostly cloudy for the remainder of the Games:
● 03 Aug. (Sat.): High of 79 ~ low of 65, cloudy ● 04 Aug. (Sun.): 78 ~ 60, cloudy ● 05 Aug. (Mon.): 87 ~ 65, sunny ● 06 Aug. (Tue.): 87 ~ 65, cloudy ● 07 Aug. (Wed.): 80 ~ 61, cloudy ● 08 Aug. (Thu.): 83 ~ 62, cloudy ● 09 Aug. (Fri.): 85 ~ 63, cloudy ● 10 Aug. (Sat.): 84 ~ 63, cloudy ● 11 Aug. (Sun.): 85 ~ 63, cloudy
The triathlon mixed relay is scheduled for 5 August and the open-water 10 km events for 8-9 August.
● Medals & Teams ●The U.S. had a big day with four golds on Thursday, and continues to lead in the overall medal count:
● 1. 43, United States (9-18-16) ● 2. 36, France (11-12-13) ● 3. 31, China (13-9-9) ● 4. 27, Great Britain (9-10-8) ● 5. 22, Australia (11-6-5) ● 6. 18, Japan (8-4-6) ● 7. 17, Italy (5-8-4) ● 8. 16, South Korea (7-5-4) ● 9. 11, Canada (3-2-6) ● 10. 9, Netherlands (4-3-2) ● 11. 7, Germany (2-3-2) ● 11. 7. Brazil (1-3-3)
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much better representation of team achievement, the U.S. continues to lead, but with China now second:
● 1. 431, United States ● 2. 374, France ● 3. 358, China ● 4. 316, Great Britain ● 5. 255, Italy ● 6. 222 1/2, Australia ● 6. 222 1/2, Japan ● 8. 171 1/2, Korea ● 9. 161 1/2, Canada ● 10. 145, Germany ● 11. 129 1/2, Netherlands ● 12. 96 1/2, Switzerland ● 13. 91, Spain ● 13. 91, New Zealand ● 15. 84 1/2, Brazil
Now, a total of 76 countries (out of 206) have scored points so far.
● Archery: Mixed Team Korea won the Mixed Team final, defending its Tokyo title, with a 6-0 victory over Germany (38-35, 36-35, 36-35) with Si-hyeon Lim and Woo-jin Kim. Kim has now won four Olympic golds: three in the men’s Team event in 2016-20-24 and now the Mixed Team.
Casey Kaufhold and Brady Ellison teamed up for a U.S. bronze. They lost to Germany in their semi, 5-3, but defeated India, 6-2, by 38-37, 37-35, 34-38, 37-35). For Ellison, it’s a fourth Olympic medal, with men’s Team silvers in 2012 and 2016 and now a Mixed Team bronze to go with a Rio bronze in the men’s final.
● Athletics: Men’s 10,000 m The Ethiopians ran at the front, as a team, from the start, led by world leader Yomif Kejelcha, Berihu Aregawi and defending champ Selemon Barega. American Grant Fisher stayed near the front and was third at the half, with Aregawi at 13:23.2.
The Ethiopians strung the race out, but with Fisher among them, as well as Canada’s Mo Ahmed, with 10 laps left. Then Kejelcha started to press and Ahmed moved up; Fisher stumbled on he rail and lost some places, but maintained his balance in the pack of 13 who remained in contact.
Kejelcha kept up the tow, ahead of Ahmed, Fisher, and Kenyans Bernard Kibet and Daniel Mateiko. Barega took the lead with seven laps left but the race slowed and the pack tightened up and Uganda’s world-record holder Joshua Cheptegei moved into contention. With five left, the pack of 13 was just marking time and Kejelcha was back in front.
Aregawi led with three left, over Ahmed and Fisher in third, then the running really started with 800 m to go and Aregawi in front. And then Cheptegei ran to the front with 500 m left, with Aregawi and Kejelcha charging behind him.
In full stride, Cheptegei was pushing hard away from Kejelcha, with Ahmed running into second with 200 m left. Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo was third and into the straight, Cheptegei was in a full sprint trying to fend off Ahmed, but with Fisher running hard behind and passing Ahmed and looking like the silver winner. But Aregawi put on a dead sprint from lane three and got the silver at the line, with Ahmed fourth.
Cheptegei repeated as Olympic champion with an Olympic record of 26:43.14, Aregawi finished in 26:43.44 and then Fisher – fifth in Tokyo – got the bronze in 26:43.46, with Ahmed fourth in 26:54.79. Nico Young of the U.S. was a very creditable 12th in 26:58.11 and Woody Kincaid was 16th in 27:29.40.
Fisher won the first U.S. medal in this event since Galen Rupp’s silver in 2012 and only the fourth all-time.
In the first day of the decathlon, Germany’s Leo Neugebauer – the world leader and favorite – led with 4,650 points, just short of his 4.85 total at the NCAA meet, winning the shot put, the high jump and the 400 m! Puerto Rico’s Ayden Owens-Delerme was second at 4,608, then Norway’s Sander Skotheim and Tokyo winner Damien Warner (CAN: 4,561). Harrison Williams was the top American in eighth (4,432) and Heath Baldwin was 11th (4,366).
● Badminton: Mixed Doubles China won this event for the fifth time in eight editions in the Games, with Si Wei Zheng and Ya Qiong Huang – the 2022 World Champions – defeating Won Ho Kim and Na Eun Jeong (KOR) by 21-8, 21-11 in 41 minutes.
Japan’s three-time Worlds medalists Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino won the bronze over Hong Kong’s Seung Jae Seo and Yu Jung Chae, 21-13, 22-20.
● Cycling: Men’s BMX Racing; Women’s BMX Racing France simply dominated the men’s race, getting to the front right away and sweeping the medals with three-time World Champion Joris Daudet winning in 31.422, followed by Sylvain Andre (31.706) and Roman Mahieu (32.022). Cameron Wood of the U.S. was fifth in 32.446. It’s the first-ever medals sweep in the event.
The women’s World Cup season was dominated by Australia’s Saya Sakakibara, who won four of six races and the Olympic final was more of the same. She took the race in 34.231, well ahead of Manon Veenstra (NED: 34.594) and Zoe Claessens (SUI: 35.060), the only one to beat the Australian this season. But not on Friday. American Alise Willoughby, the Rio 2016 runner-up, was sixth at 36.171.
● Diving: Men’s 3 m Synchro China’s Daoyi Long and Zongyuan Wang – the 2022 and 2024 World Champions – won four of the six dives outright and scored 446.10 to win a tight battle with surprising Juan Celaya and Osmar Olvera of Mexico (444.03). In fact, the Mexicans were in the lead after the fourth dive, but the Chinese won dives five and six to take the title, Wang’s second straight Olympic win. It’s Mexico’s first-ever medal in this event.
Britain’s Jack Laugher and Anthony Harding, two-time Worlds silver winners, took the bronze with 438.15. The U.S. pair of Tyler Downs and Greg Duncan finished eighth at 346.08.
● Equestrian: Team Jumping Britain’s team of Ben Maher, Harry Charles and Scott Brash had only two penalties combined and won the Olympic gold. It’s Britain’s first win since 2012 and Maher and Brash were on that team as well.
The U.S. trio of Laura Kraut, McLain Ward and Karl Cook had four penalties and won the silver, over France (7, bronze) and the Netherlands (7, fourth). Ward, 48, won his fifth Olympic medal, including golds in 2004 and 2008, and silvers in Rio, Tokyo and Paris. Kraut was on the U.S. silver-medal team in Tokyo, winning her second silver.
● Fencing: Men’s Team Epee Hungary hadn’t won this event since 1972, but faced defending champion Japan in the final and won a tight battle by 26-25. The Czech Republic won the bronze, with a 45-41 upset of France.
It’s the first-ever medal for the Czechs in this event, and Hungary’s fourth win.
● Gymnastics: Men’s Trampoline; Women’s Trampoline If you were wondering whether a “neutral” athlete was going to win a medal in Paris, they did.
Ivan Litvinovich of Belarus defended his 2020 Olympic title in the men’s trampoline final, scoring 63.090, over China’s 2023 Worlds silver medalist Zisai Wang at 61.890 and two-time World Champion Langyu Yan at 60.950.
Britain’s Bryony Page scored 56.480 in the final to finally win an Olympic gold. One of the most decorated trampoliners ever, she won the Olympic silver from Rio and bronze from Tokyo, was 2021 World Champion, 2022 runner-up and 2023 World Champion. Now, Olympic champion.
Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya of Belarus competing as a “neutral” won the silver at 56.060 and Canada’s Sophiane Methot was tight bronze-medal competition with China’s defending Olympic champ Xueying Zhu (55.510).
Right or wrong, two medals for Belarus.
● Judo: Men’s +100 kg; Women’s +78 kg One of the greatest judoka of all time proved it on Friday as Teddy Riner, 35, won his third Olympic title by ippon at 3:44 over Korea’s Min-jong Kim. The Olympic gold medalist in 2012 and 2016, he returned from a Tokyo bronze to take another Olympic gold – his fourth, including the Mixed Team in Tokyo – to go with his 12 World titles. Amazing.
Alisher Yusupov (UZB), a two-time Worlds bronze winner, won one bronze over Tatsuru Saito (JPN), and Temur Rakhimov (TJK) won the other by waza-ari over Cuba’s Andy Granda, the 2022 World Champion.
In a sorry incident in the quarterfinals, Riner defeated Tokyo runner-up Guram Tushishvili (GEO) by ippon, then the Georgian kicked him in the groin and pushed Riner’s face away, drawing a red card and an immediate disqualification. It obviously did not impede Riner, but Tushishvili was prevented from coming back to compete for the bronze and cannot take part of the Mixed Team event. Tushishvili did shake Riner’s hand before they left the mat.
Brazil’s Beatriz Souza and Israel’s Raz Hershko were the 2023 World Championships bronze-medal winners, but found themselves facing each other for the Olympic gold in the women’s +78 class. Souza scored waza-ari 44 seconds into the match and that was enough for the victory; she now has an Olympic gold to go with a Worlds silver and two Worlds bronzes.
It’s the first medal in this class for Brazil or Israel. France’s Romane Dicko, the 2022 World Champion, won one bronze and Ha-yun Kim (KOR) won the other.
● Rowing: Men’s Pairs-Lightweight Double Sculls; Women’s Pairs-Lightweight Double Sculls Croatian brothers Martin and Valent Sinkovic won the Double Sculls gold in Rio in 2016, then decided to move to Pairs and won in Tokyo. Now they are three-time gold medalists after taking the Paris men’s Pairs in 6:23.66, coming from fourth at the 1,500 m mark!
They passed Britain’s Oliver Wynne-Griffith and Tom George, the 2023 Worlds silver winners, but the Brits won the Olympic silver and Swiss World Champions Roman Roeoesli and Andrin Gulich got the bronze at 6:24.76.
In the men’s Lightweight Double Sculls, defending Tokyo champs Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan (IRL) had the fastest semifinal time, and took over the final in the last 1,000 m to win in 6:10.99, comfortably ahead of Italy’s 2023 Worlds bronze winners Stefano Oppo and Gabriel Soares (6:13.33) and Greece’s Antoninos Papakonstantinou and Petros Gkaidatzis (6:13.44).
The 2023 Worlds winners in the women’s Pairs, Dutch stars Ymkje Clevering and Veronique Meester, dominated the final for the Olympic title in 6:56.67, leading from start to finish, more than four seconds clear of the field. Romania’s Ioana Vrinceanu and Roxana Anghel – who won the 2023 Worlds bronze – moved up from third to second in the final 500 m for second (7:02.97) and Australia’s Jess Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre were a clear third in 7:03.54. The U.S. team of Azja Czajkowski and Jess Thoennes was fourth in 7:05.31.
In the final appearance of lightweight rowing in the Olympic Games – these events will not be on the Los Angeles 2028 program – Britain’s 2022 and 2023 World Champions Emily Craig and Imogen Grant were in charge from the start and won in 6:47.06. No doubt.
Romania’s Gianina van Groningen and Ionela Cozmiuc were second all the way and took silver in 6:48.78, and Greece’s Dimitra Kontou and Zoi Fitsiou had the fastest final 500 m and squeezed into third in 6:49.28. The U.S.’s Michelle Sechser and Molly Reckford finished sixth in 6:55.60.
● Sailing: Men’s 49er; Women’s 49erFX Spain’s three-time Worlds medalists, Diego Botin and Paul Trittel, were in front and won the medal race to take the gold easily with 70 net points. New Zealand’s Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie won four races and finished second with 82 and Americans Ian Barrows and Hans Henken (88 net) finished with the bronze after a fourth place in the medal race.
Botin had never won an Olympic medal and was fourth with Iago Lopez in Tokyo; at age 30, in his third Games, he’s got an Olympic medal and it’s gold.
A really tight race in the women’s Skiff (49erFX) saw Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz (NED), the 2022 and 2024 World Champions barely hold on with 74 net points after a third in the medal race. Sweden’s Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler, the 2023 World Champions, won the medal race, but had to settle for silver with 76 net points, just ahead of France’s Charlene Picon (the Rio 2016 windsurfing gold medalist) and Sarah Steyaert, sixth in the medal race and finishing with 79 net points for the bronze. The U.S. pair of Stephanie Roble and Maggie Shea finished 10th (125).
● Shooting: Women’s 50 m Rifle/3 Positions A year ago, Switzerland’s Chiara Leone finished 31st in the ISSF Worlds in the women’s 50 m Rifle/3 Positions. On Friday, she won the Olympic gold, setting an Olympic record of 464.4, with three of her last five shots scoring more than 10 points. The U.S. got a silver medal from Sagen Maddalena, who was fifth in Tokyo in this event, fourth in Paris in the 10 m Air Rifle and got her first Olympic medal in her second Games at 463.0. China’s 2023 World Champion Qiongyue Zhang was third at 452.9.
It’s the U.S.’s fourth medal in this event all-time and the first since 2012.
● Swimming: Men’s 50 m Free-200 m Medley;
Women’s 200 m Back Defending champ Caeleb Dressel of the U.S. got the best start in the men’s 50 m Freestyle, but in the middle of the pool, Australia’s Cameron McEvoy got to the front with 20 m to go, touching with the left hand in 21.25, just ahead of 2022 World Champion Ben Proud (GBR: 21.30) and France’s Florent Manaudou (21.56).
It’s McEvoy’s first medal in this event, but Manaudou’s fourth medal in a row: gold in 2012, then silver-silver-bronze. Dressel faded to sixth in 21.61.
In the women’s 200 m Back, Canada’s Kylie Masse had the lead at the first turn, but Regan Smith got the lead by 100 m and was just ahead of Australia’s Kaylee McKeown at the final turn. McKeown got to the lead with 25 m to go and won, competing a 100-200 Olympic Back double in 2:03.72, an Olympic record, the no. 6 performance ever. Smith was second in 2:04.06 – her fifth Olympic silver – and Masse held on for the bronze in 2:05.57.
Fellow American Phoebe Bacon finished fourth in 2:05.61.
Then the crowd went wild for French hero Leon Marchand in the men’s 200 m Medley, the 2023 World Champion. Defending champ Shun Wang (CHN) led off the Fly, then Marchand took the lead on the Backstroke over Wang and Carson Foster of the U.S.
Marchand moved away on the Breast leg and turned with a lead of 1.73 seconds for home and won his fourth gold with the crowd roaring in 1:54.06, the no. 2 performance in history and just 0.06 off the 2011 world record by Ryan Lochte of the U.S. Tokyo runner-up Duncan Scott (GBR) moved past Wang for second (again) in 1:55.31, with Wang taking bronze (1:56.00) and Foster fourth in 1:56.10. Sensational!
● Tennis: Mixed Doubles Czechs Katerina Siniakova and Tomas Machac pulled out a tough match with China’s Xinyu Wang and Zhizhen Zhang, winning 6-2, 6-7 and 10-8, winning the last four points after being down 8-6.
It’s the second gold for Siniakova, who also won a women’s Doubles gold in 2020.
Canada’s Gaby Dabrowski and Felix Auger-Aliassime took the bronze medal, 6-3, 7-6 (2) from Demi Schuurs and Wesley Koolhof (NED).
Elsewhere:
● Athletics ●The track meet started with morning heats and Maree-Josee Ta Lou (CIV) had the fastest qualifier in the women’s 100 m with seasonal best of 10.87. All of the favorites advanced, including Sha’Carri Richardson of the U.S. (10.94), Melissa Jefferson (USA: 10.96), Twanisha Terry (USA: 11.15) and Julien Alkfred (LCA: 10.95). Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.92), Tia Clayton (11.00) and Shashalee Forbes (11.19) also made it as well.
The U.S. ran a veteran crew of Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylyn Brown in the heats of the mixed 4×400 m. Norwood (44.47) had a slight lead and Little pulled away late in her leg (49.32) and gave Deadmon at 5 m lead. The lead expanded as Deadmon ran a brilliant (44.17) and Brown had a 12 m lead at the hand-off. Brown destroyed the field with a 49.45 leg and won by 50 m in a WORLD RECORD 3:07.41!
France set a national record of 3:10.60 in second, ahead of Belgium (3:10.74). Britain won heat two with a final charge from Nicole Yeargin in 3:10.61 (national record), beating the Dutch (3:10.81) and Italy (3:11.59).
In the men’s 1,500 m, Josh Kerr (GBR: 3:35.83) won heat one, with Yared Nuguse of the U.S. a qualifying fifth (3:36.56); Ermias Girma (ETH: 3:35.21) won heat two, with American Cole Hocker second (3:35.27), and Stefan Nilleessen (NED: 3:36.77) won heat three, followed by Hobbs Kessler (USA: 3:36.87) and defending champ Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR: 3:37.04).
Italy’s European champ Leonardo Fabbri led the men’s shot qualifiers at 21.76 m (71-4 3/4), with Payton Otterdahl (21.52 m/70-7 1/4) and two-time defending champ Ryan Crouser (21.49 m/70-6 1/4) both automatic qualifiers. Joe Kovacs of the U.S. also qualified at 21.24 m (69-8 1/4).
World Champion Ethan Katzberg led the men’s hammer qualifying at 79.93 m (262-3), with American Rudy Winkler fourth at 77.29 m (253-7). U.S. Trials winner Daniel Haugh had no legal mark.
Kenya’s World Champion Faith Kipyegon and defending Olympic champ Sifan Hassan were the top two qualifiers in the women’s 5,000 m at 14:57.56 and 14:57.65, both in heat one. Kenyan star Beatrice Chebet won heat two in 15:00.73; Americans Elise Cranny, Karissa Schweizer and Whittni Morgan all qualified for the final.
The women’s high jump qualifying saw world-record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) clear 1.95 m (6-4 3/4) along with five others. Vashti Cunningham of the U.S. qualified for the final at 1.92 m (6-3 1/2).
Cuba’s Leyanis Perez led the women’s triple jump qualifying at 14.68 m (48-2), ahead of Shaniecka Ricketts (JAM: 14.47 m/47-5 3/4) and Jasmine Moore of the U.S. at 14.43 m (47-4 1/4). The U.S.’s Keturah Orji qualified in 11th at 14.09 m (46-2 3/4) but Tori Franklin was 14th at 14.02 m (46-0) and did not qualify.
Defending champion Valarie Allman of the U.S. led the women’s discus qualifying with a brilliant opening throw of 69.59 m (228-3), ahead of Croatia’s 2012-16 Olympic champ Sandra Elkasevic (nee Perkovic) at 65.63 m (215-4) and China’s 2022 World Champion Bin Feng (65.40 m/214-7). American Veronica Fraley was 13th and a non-qualifier at 62.54 m (205-2); teammate Jayden Ulrich was 18th at 61.08 m (200-5).
● Basketball ● The U.S. men fell to 1-4 in Pool A of the 3×3 tournament after losses on Thursday to Lithuania, 20-18, and Latvia, 21-19. Canyon Barry led the U.S. in scoring in both games, with nine and 10 points, respectively. Guard Jimmer Fredette, still injured, did not play in either game.
On Friday, the U.S., still without Fredette, got by France, 21-19 (Barry, 16) and got by China, 21-17 (Barry, 14), to get to 3-4 and make it to the play-in matches on 4 August to try to get to the semifinals.
The U.S. women lost on Thursday to Australia, 17-15, but defeated Spain, 17-11 to get to 1-3 and then won twice on on Friday, beating France by 14-13 and Canada by 18-17 in overtime to get to 3-3. The Americans will play China in a play-in game on Saturday to try to get into the semis.
● Beach Volleyball ● In Pool F of the men’s tournament, Spain’s Pablo Herrera and Adrian Gavira (2-1) swept past Miles Evans and Chase Budinger (1-2) of the U.S., 21-13, 21-15, in their final group match. As a third-place team, Evans and Budinger will advance to a play-in round on Saturday to try and reach the round-of-16.
In the women’s Pool C, Americans Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng – the 2023 World Champions – played their final group match and defeated Svenja Muller and Cinja Tillmann (GER), 21-18, 21-18, to finish 3-0 and win the group. Elimination matches will start on Sunday.
● Football ●The U.S. men’s team was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Morocco, 4-0. It was a 1-0 game at the half on a 29th-minute penalty shot by Soufiane Rahimi, but then Ilias Akhomach scored in the 63rd and Achraf Hakimi made it 3-0 in the 70th. Mehdi Maouhoub added a penalty at 90+1 for the final score. Morocco had a 15-9 edge on shots and 53% possession. They’re on to the semis.
● Golf ●There’s a three-way tie for the lead in the men’s tournament after two rounds, with defending champ Xavier Schauffele of the U.S., Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama all at 131 (-11). Next closest is Spain’s Jon Rahm at –9.
● Swimming ● In the men’s 100 m Butterfly semis, France’s Maxime Grousset thrilled the crowd with a win in semi one in 50.41, just ahead of Canada’s Josh Liendo (50.42). Defending champ Caeleb Dressel of the U.S., in his third event of the day, was fifth in 51.57, and did not make the final. Hungary’s Kristof Milak, the 200 m Breast bronze winner and Tokyo runner-up, won semi two in 50.38, ahead of Noe Ponti (SUI: 50.60).
Dressel was distraught afterwards, but still has relay duty to come.
Canada’s Sydney Pickrem won the first semi in the women’s 200 m Medley in 2:09.65, ahead of Yuting Yu (CHN: 2:09.74). But the action was in the second race, with American Alex Walsh – the Tokyo silver winner – taking the lead on the Breast leg and winning in 2:07.45, ahead of 400 m Medley winner Summer McIntosh (CAN: 2:08.30) and Tokyo bronze winner Kate Douglass of the U.S. (2:08.59). That second semi should produce the medalists.
● Volleyball ●The U.S. men defeated Japan, 25-16, 25-18, 18-25, 25-19, to finish at 3-0 in the men’s Group C and move on to the quarterfinals. Slovenia (3-0) won Group A and Italy and Poland (both 2-0) will play tomorrow to settle Group B.
● Water Polo ● The defending champion U.S. women’s team stomped France, 17-5, to finish at 3-1 in Group B and is assured of advancing to the quarterfinals. Maddie Musselman led the U.S. with four goals.
● Archery: Women A South Korean archer has won this event in nine of the last 10 Olympic Games, but could the streak end in Paris?
At the 2023 Worlds, Marie Horackova (CZE), Alejandra Valencia (MEX) and Satsuki Noda (JPN) were on the podium; no Koreans. In 2021, American Casey Kaufhold won the silver behind Korea’s Min-hee Jang, who is not in Paris.
But the Korean women won the Team event and Si-hyeon Lim was the 2022 Asian Games winner and set an Olympic Record of 694/720. And Su-hyeon Nam was second at 688. They are ready.
● Athletics: Men’s Shot Put-Decathlon; Women’s 100 m-Triple Jump; Mixed 4×400 m The men’s Shot has world-record holder Ryan Crouser of the U.S. trying for a third Olympic gold in a row, and he would normally be favored. But he has had nagging injuries which have interfered with training, so is he vulnerable?
Italy’s 2024 European champ Leonardo Fabbri beat Crouser in the London Diamond League meet with a late-round throw, and two-time World Champion Joe Kovacs of the U.S. is always a threat, is the 2024 world leader at 23.134 m (75-10 3/4) and won Olympic silvers in Rio and Tokyo. Teammate Payton Otterdahl was third at the U.S. Trials and, on a good day, is a threat for a medal, as is 2022 World Indoor winner Darlan Romani (BRA).
The world leader is German Leo Neugebauer, who won the NCAA title for Texas with a sensational 8,961 score. He led the first day at 4,650, just short of the 4,685 he scored at the NCAAs and looks in control, winning the last three events of the day. Puerto Rico’s Ayden Owens-Delerme stood second at 4,608, with Sander Skotheim (NOR: 4,588) third.
Canada’s Tokyo winner Damian Warner is fourth at 4,561 and dangerous, with European champ Johannes Erm (EST: 4,510) fifth.
The women’s 100 m lost Jamaican star Shericka Jackson, but two-time Olympic champ Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (2008-12) is ready to go (10.91 this season), as is teammate Tia Clayton (10.86). But the favorites are World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson (10.71), whose last race was in June, and St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred (10.78), who looked good winning the Monaco Diamond League meet in June and the 60 m World Indoor title in March.
Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas, the Tokyo winner and four-time World Champion, is injured and out. Cuba’s Leyanis Perez, third at the 2023 Worlds, is the world leader at 14.96 m (49-1), but World Indoor winner Thea LaFond (DMA), European champ Ana Peleterio-Compaore (ESP) and Ukraine’s Tokyo runner-up Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk are all capable. So are Americans Jasmine Moore and Rio 2016 fourth-placer Keturah Orji if they can catch a big one.
The Mixed 4×400 m relay is always insane. Dropped batons, falls, running out of order are all possible, even likely. Most likely: teams other than the U.S. will run their biggest stars to try and win, such as Femke Bol (NED), Marileidy Paulino (DOM) and Natalia Kaczmarek (POL).
The U.S. quartet of Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylyn Brown ran a world record of 3:07.41 in the heats? Will they make a change? Why?
● Badminton: Women’s Doubles China’s Qingchen Chen and Uifan Jia have won the last three Worlds golds, so they have to be favored. They’re into the semifinals, as are teammates (and third-seeds) Sheng Shu Liu and Ning Tan, who will face Japan’s fourth-seeded Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida. China’s last Olympic 1-2 was in 2004 in Athens. It’s a possibility again.
● Cycling: Men’s Road Race A hilly, 272.3 km course awaits the men, with Belgian stars Remco Evenepoel, the 2022 World Champion and already the Time Trial winner in Paris, and Wout van Aert, the Time Trial bronze winner, ready to go.
Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel, the 2023 World Champion, is in the mix and home hopes for France are with Christophe Laporte – the 2022 Worlds runne-up – and Julien Alaphilippe. Britain’s Tom Pidcock, who just won the Mountain Bike gold for the second time in a row, is a threat and the U.S. might have contenders in Matteo Jorgenson and Brandon McNulty.
Someone might break away and steal this race.
● Fencing: Women’s Team Sabre Let’s see, Hungary, France and Japan went 1-2-3 at the 2022 Worlds. In 2023, it was Hungary, France and South Korea. A pattern?
And with France going 1-2 in the individual women’s Sabre with Sala Balzer and Manon Apithy-Brunet, let’s make the home team the favorite. It will be loud at the Grand Palais. Look for Ukraine as a contender as well.
● Equestrian: Team Dressage Germany has won nine of the last 10 Olympic golds in this event, led by the immortal Isabell Werth – actually 55 – on six of those teams. She’s back, as is Jessica von Bredlow-Werndl, who was on the Rio and Tokyo gold-medal teams.
But Denmark won the 2022 Worlds over Britain and Germany and are sure contenders. The British lost star Charlotte Dujardin to a horse-abuse video incident, but still should be a medal contender. The Netherlands and Sweden will be looking for a medal as well.
● Gymnastics: Men’s Floor-Pommel Horse; Women’s Vault The first of three nights of apparatus finals are upon us, with the men’s Floor featuring returning Tokyo champion Artem Dolgopyat (ISR), silver winner Ray Zapata (ESP) and bronzer Ruoteng Xiao (CHN).
But Dolgopyat was only seventh in qualifying, Zapata was third and Xiao didn’t make it. Instead, it was Jake Jarman (GBR) with the best score of 14.966, followed by Carlos Yulo (PHI: 14.766) and Zapata, with Illia Kovtun (UKR) fourth.
On Pommel Horse, two-time defending Olympic champ Max Whitlock (GBR) is back and qualified third at 15.166. But Ireland’s Rhys McClenaghan, the 2022 and 2023 World Champion, led all qualifiers at 15.200 and is the favorite. He will have to be sharp to beat American Stephen Nedoroscik – the man with the glasses – who qualified second (also 15.200), won the 2021 Worlds gold and was the clincher for the U.S.’s team bronze-medal performance.
And the women’s Vault? No question that the incomparable Simone Biles is favored to win, as she did at Rio 2016 and in the 2018 and 2019 Worlds. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade is a real competitor, however, having won the 2023 Worlds over Biles and scoring 15.100 in the team final to 14.900 for Biles, admittedly with a watered-down vault to help the team scoring. Biles won the Vault in the All-Around at 15.766 to 15.100 for Andrade.
American Jade Carey, the 2022 World Champion in the event, was third in qualifying at 14.666 with Korea’s Tokyo Vault bronze medalist Seo-jeong Yeo fourth (14.400).
● Judo: Mixed Team This event has been held seven times in the IJF World Championships and Japan has won all seven. But France – with Teddy Riner and Clarisse Agbegnenou won in Tokyo (!) over Japan and has been second in the last six Worlds. They are the favorites; Italy, the Dutch, Georgia and Israel are likely contenders for bronze.
● Rowing: Men’s Singles Sculls-Eights;
Women’s Single Sculls-Eights Tokyo men’s Single Sculls gold medalist Stefanos Ntouskos (GRE) is back. Three-time World Champion Oliver Zeidler (GER) is favored. The 2023 Worlds silver and bronze winner, Simon van Dorp (NED) and Thomas Mackintosh (NZL) are in. Zeidler is the one to beat.
The men’s Eights hasn’t had a repeat Olympic winner since 1976-80 and it won’t have one this time as New Zealand did not make the A final. Instead, Great Britain (2023 World champs) and the U.S. won their heats. Netherlands, Germany, Romania and Australia got in via repechage and the Dutch and Australia have been 2-3 in the 2022 and 2023 Worlds. The U.S. men’s Four upset the world; will lightning strike again (remember, there was a lightning strike last night!)?
The women’s Single Sculls has Tokyo Olympic champ Emma Twigg (NZL) back and she had the fastest semifinal time, so she’s favored. But Karolien Florijn (NED), the 2022 and 2023 World Champion, won the other semi and beat Twigg for gold the last two years.
Challenging both are Tokyo bronze winner Magdalena Lobnig (AUT) and Australia’s 2022 and 2023 Worlds bronze winner Tara Rigney. Kara Kohler of the U.S. is in the final; a surprise?
The American women’s eight famously won Olympic titles in 2008-12-16, but Canada, New Zealand and China swept to the medals in Tokyo. Great Britain, fourth at the 2023 Worlds, and two-time defending World Champions Romania won the heats and the U.S. – second in the 2023 Worlds – won the repechage to get in along with Canada, Australia and Italy. Can Canada repeat? Romania is the favorite.
● Sailing: Men’s IQFoil; Women’s IQFoil The IQFoil is a new type of equipment for the men’s and women’s windsurfing event at the Games, replacing the RS:X.
Heading into the elimination rounds Grae Morris (AUS) won the opening series with 60 net points over Israel’s Tom Reuveny (63), Josh Armit (NZL: 66) and Poland’s Pawel Tarnowski (66).
Dutch star Luucvan Opzeeland has won medals in the last four Worlds (3-2-1-3 from 2021-24) and Tarnowski was the 2024 Worlds silver winner.
Britain’s Emma Wilson, the Worlds bronze and silver winner in 2023-24 won the opening series with just 18 points, with Israel’s Sharon Kantor at 49 and Marta Maggetti (ITA: 70) in third Kantor was the 2022 World Champion and Maggetti won in 2024.
● Shooting: Men’s Skeet; Women’s 25 m Pistol Possible history in men’s Skeet as American Vincent Hancock, the Olympic gold medalist in 2008-12-20 is going for a fourth title, at age 35. He’s a five-time World Champion and was the 2022 Worlds runner-up to Azmy Mehelba of Egypt, with Qatar’s Rashid Al-Athba third.
Tokyo runner-up Jasper Hansen (DEN), Rio winner Gabriele Rossetti (ITA) and runner-up Marcus Svensson (SWE) are also in, and this could be a classic.
In the women’s 25 m Pistol, Rio 2016 winner Anna Korakaki (GRE) is back, 2018 World Champion Olena Kostevych of Ukraine, two-time Worlds bronze winner Doreen Vennekamp and India’s Manu Bhaker, already a two-time bronze winner in Paris (10 m Air Pistol, Team Air Pistol) are all contenders. But someone completely unheralded could win this.
● Surfing: Men’s and Women’s Shortboard The great experiment In Tahiti will conclude, with Brazil’s 2024 World Champion Gabriel Medina and two-time World Champion Filipe Toledo, American John John Florence and Australia’s Jack Robinson all stars on this year’s World Surfing League tour.
The U.S. has defending champ Carissa Moore back in the women’s competition, who will be challenged by 2023 World Champion Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), France’s two-time Worlds medalist Joanne Defray and Americans Caroline Marks and Caitlin Simmers.
● Swimming: Men’s 100 m Fly-Mixed 4×100 m Medley; Women’s 800 m Free-200 m Medley Caeleb Dressel of the U.S. won the men’s 100 Fly in Tokyo, but did not make the final. Instead, Hungary’s Tokyo runner-up, Kristof Milak who already won the 200 m Breast – led the semis at 50.38, ahead of Noe Ponti (SUI: 50.60). France’s Maxime Gousset, the 2023 World Champion, won the second semi in 50.41, out-touching Canada’s Josh Liendo (50.42).
The iconic Katie Ledecky has won the women’s 800 m Free in London, Rio and Tokyo and will try to equal Michael Phelps in winning the same event four times in a row. He did it in the 200 m Medley in 2004-08-12-16. The other Tokyo medalists are back – Ariarne Titmus (AUS) and Simona Quadarella (ITA) – and they are expected to put up a considerable fight this time.
Ledecky has won this event by 4.13 seconds in 2012, 3.77 in 2016 and just 1.26 over Titmus in Tokyo. And she isn’t the world leader, having been crushed by Canada’s Summer McIntosh in February. This should be very, very close. Quadarella won the 2024 Worlds, which Ledecky did not attend, with Isabel Gose (GER) second. If fully healthy, Australia’s second swimmer, Lani Pallister is fully capable of medaling; she had Covid earlier in the meet.
In the women’s 200 m Medley, the second semifinal showcases Tokyo silver winner Alex Walsh of the U.S. (2:07.45), Canada’s 400 m Medley winner Summer McIntosh (2:08.30) and Tokyo bronzer and Paris 200 m Breast winner Kate Douglass (USA: 2:08.59). They very much looked like the medal winners, with Sydney Pickrem (CAN) taking the first semi in 2:09.65.
The Mixed 4×100 m Medley is always a guessing game: who swims what leg? It was held for the first time in the Olympic Games in Tokyo, with Great Britain beating China and Australia with the U.S. fifth. But the Americans won at the 2022 Worlds over Australia and the Netherlands, and China won in 2023, with Australia second and the U.S. third.
Australia has the edge in the women’s 100 Free and 100 Back and the men’s 100 Free. The U.S. should be better in the men’s 100 Back, Breaststroke and Butterfly, but who swims what? China is going to be a contender again, for sure.
● Table Tennis: Women’s Singles In the nine editions of the Games in which this event has been held, China has won all nine and been 1-2 seven times. And Yingsha Sun and Meng Chen are both alive and will face Hina Hayata (JPN) and Yubin Shin (KOR) in their semis.
Chen is the defending Olympic champ, defeating Sun in Tokyo. At the World Championships, Sun beat Chen for the 2023 Worlds gold, with Hayata winning bronze. It could well turn out that way again.
● Tennis: Men’s Doubles; Women’s Singles The U.S. gained its first men’s Doubles finalist since 2012 when Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram defeated Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek (CZE), 6-2, 6-2, in their semi. Krajicek won the French Open Doubles in 2023 and Ram has won an Australian and three U.S. Open Doubles titles (all with other partners).
Matthew Ebden and John Peers (AUS) are also new partners and defeated Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul of the U.S., 7-5, 6-2, in the semis. Peers and Ashleigh Barty won an Olympic Mixed Doubles bronze in Tokyo.
Croatia’s Donna Vekic, a Wimbledon semifinalist this year, meets China’s Qinwen Zheng, the Australian Open runner-up in 2024, in the Olympic final. Both are first-time Olympians. No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek (POL) won the bronze, 6-2, 6-1, over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK).
= INTEL REPORT =
● Olympic Winter Games 2022: Beijing ●The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced that it has dismissed the appeal by the Canadian Olympic Committee, Skate Canada and the members of the Canadian team in the figure skating Team event at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games:
“Following the hearing that took place on 22 July 2024, the Panel of CAS arbitrators in charge of the matter deliberated and concluded that the results of the Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva in the Olympic Figure Skating Team Event were correctly disqualified, without any possibility in the ISU Rules to re-allocate points in favour of Team Canada, following the retroactive disqualification of Kamila Valieva.”
This means that the final results of the Team event are finalized, with the U.S. winning with 65 points, Japan second with 63 and Russia with 54.
Only the decision was stated, without a full, detailed decision, which is to be issued in the future. There are significant questions to be answered about the International Skating Union applied its scoring rules in this case, which the ISU itself did not answer in detail.
With Canada’s appeal dismissed, the medal-award ceremony will take place on 7 August at the Champions Park for the U.S. and Japan.
● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ●USOPC chief executive Sarah Hirshland would like to see a lot more money paid to U.S. medalists at the Olympic Games … as soon as the organization has the resources to do so. She told the Sports Business Journal:
“I’ll say we’re having very serious conversations with donors, individuals, about the ability to significantly increase athlete earnings in a number of ways.
“So, you think about the athlete life cycle, from when an athlete qualifies for the team to those who win a medal. There’s still hundreds of athletes who aren’t in that space, and so it’s a little bit of taking a step back and thinking more broadly. Do I think that winning an Olympic gold medal is worth more than $37,000? A hundred percent, yes. It’s embarrassingly low, in my mind. But the reality of the economics of where we sit today, it is what it is.
“We’re not in a position today where I can see enough revenue growth in corporate and commercial revenue – certainly in the next four years – to markedly change the numbers in our existing structure. So, we’re looking at it and saying, philanthropy in the next four years is our best bet to significantly create some transformational opportunity there.”
● Television ● Polish television has reinstated commentatorPrzemyslaw Babarz, who was suspended after he criticized the song “Imagine” during the Paris opening ceremony, stating “A world without skies, nations and religions – this is the vision of the world that should embrace everyone. This is the vision of communism, unfortunately.”
Questions were raised about his removal violating freedom of expression and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called TVP’s action “stupidity on an Olympic scale.” Babarz returned to announcing at the track & field events that started Friday.
● Athletics ● World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe(GBR) told reporters he welcomed outside investment from group such as Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track:
“I think we should be comforted by the fact that in the last few years the ecosystem of athletics has suddenly become an attractive proposition for external investments and that’s a good thing. Any additional event, which we will of course welcome has to have a quality threshold, has to work for the athletes, has to work for the broadcasters. And this is a complicated landscape. …
“If people are going to come into this landscape I welcome them. It’s a good sign that the sport is heading in the right trajectory.”
He also reflected on the absence of field events from Grand Slam Track:
“I don’t think it’s my role to control the market or even try to skew it in one particular direction. That’s really a matter for those that are putting the investments in. What I can tell you is our commitment in World Athletics, to the development of a sport that is track and field. And its development at the same speed is undeniable. And again, our innovation teams are spending as much time trying to figure out how we can work alongside those disciplines in the field to make sure that they have as much excitement and traction as our track events.”
Asked about the continuing improvements in shoe technology that has driven performance to new heights, he explained:
“It’s the evolution of technology and for the very first time we now have an evaluation team at World Athletics that is working alongside the shoe companies and we work very well together. We talk to the athletes, we talk to the coaches and we created regulations; they’re not perfect, but I think that is the way technology works.
“As an international federation, or any organization in a civilization I don’t think it’s best to try to strangle innovation and technology and the shoe companies are a very important part of our landscape. I think there’s a balance to be struck and we will continue to monitor that.”
● Boxing ● The International Olympic Committee issued a further statement in the fracas over the inclusion of Yu-ting Lin(TPE: 57 kg) and Imane Khelif (ALG: 66 kg) in the women’s division in Paris, including:
“As with previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passport. …
“We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The two athletes have been competing in international boxing competitions for many years in the women’s category, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.
“These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.”
The statement further emphasizes:
“The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure – especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years.”
This was expanded upon by spokesman Mark Adams (GBR) at the Friday morning news conference:
● “There still is neither scientific or political consensus on this issue. It’s not a black-and-white issue and we would, at the IOC, be very interested to hear of such a solution, such a consensus on this and we would be the first to act on this should a common understanding be reached. But, as we say, has yet to be the case across sport, in general.”
● “I don’t think anyone, in the athlete or the political or the scientific community, even if there were a sex test that everyone agreed with and everyone agreed with the criteria, I don’t think anyone wants to see a return … This is a minefield, and unfortunately, as with all minefields, we want a simple solution, a simple explanation, everyone wants a black-and-white explanation of how we can determine this. That explanation does not exist, neither in the scientific community, nor anywhere else.
“As I’ve said before, if we can find a consensus, and we will work towards consensus, we will certainly work to apply that. Clearly, that’s not going to happen at these Games, but this is a question also, I guess, in all sports, and I think we are open to listen to anyone with a solution to that question.”
● “It’s not a black-and-white issue. There is no consensus, certainly not from the political and social side and absolutely not from the scientific side. It’s a whole of different indicators, one of the reasons why we did away, as I understand, with the sex testing is because it’s impossible to have a sex test that is comprehensive and works and is not discriminatory.”
But he said the IOC would be in favor of a solution, if one can be found:
“So, it’s very difficult, but I would also say again, we have the will; if there is a consensus, if we can get towards a consensus, we would be happy to implement that. But for the time being, we have to go on what we have, which is the passport.”
● Swimming ●/From correspondent Karen Rosen/Praise for the great Katie Ledecky from teammate Claire Weinstein, 17, who told reporters after the U.S. silver in the women’s 4×200 m Freestyle relay:
“It’s just an honor to even be on the same team as Katie.
“She’s the most humble person I know and she’s such an inspiration, too, even before I was ever on a high-level team with her. I’ve always looked up to her since I was a little kid, so it’s really crazy being on the same relay as her and being on the same team with her and having her as a mentor.”
Weinstein was asked about her silver medal, which weighs 525 g (about 1.2 pounds) and is 9.2 mm (0.36 inches) thick, reportedly the thickest ever:
“It’s heavy. It’s hurting my neck.”
¶
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Full circle for the great Simone Biles, who dominated the gymnastics world in Rio, suffered in Tokyo and then returned in Paris to win a brilliant women’s All-Around gold on Thursday. It was not easy, however.
Biles took the lead right away with a sensational 15.766, over Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade (15.100) and Kaylia Nemour (ALG: 14.033). But on the Uneven Bars, Andrade starred with a 14.066 and Biles – in her least-favorite event – scored 13.733 and Andrade had the lead at 29.766 to 29.566 for Nemour and 29.499 for Biles. Defending Olympic A-A champ Suni Lee of the U.S. sat fifth after a very nice 14.866 on Bars.
No worries, though, as Biles is great on Beam and Floor. She rebounded with an excellent, polished routine – and just one small wobble – and scored 14.566 to 14.133 for Andrade and 13.233 for Nemour. Lee scored 14.00 to move into contention for the bronze, sitting fourth behind Italy’s Alice D’Amato, 42.833 to 42.799 for Lee and Nemour.
On Floor, D’Amato, the 2024 European A-A runner-up, scored 13.500 and Nemour, the African A-A champ, scored 13.100, opening the door for Lee. She responded enthusiastically, hitting her routine and impressing the judges at 13.666 and assuring herself of no worse than the bronze.
Then came Andrade, whose spirited routine suffered from an out-of-bounds infraction on her first tumbling pass, but scored 14.033, the best so far. Then Biles was Biles on Floor, generating unequaled power on all of her tumbling passes, getting the crowd into a frenzy and scoring 15.066 to win the A-A gold after an eight-year interval.
Andrade was a clear second at 57.932, duplicating her silver from Tokyo, and Lee won her second A-A medal with the bronze at 56.465. D’Amato was fourth (56.333) and Nemour was fifth (55.899).
Biles was first in Vault, Beam and Floor, setting her up for a possible three more golds in the apparatus finals, and a possible five golds in Paris. Only 13 athletes have won five in a single Games and only two in Gymnastics: Vitaly Scherbo of the Unified Team (ex-USSR) in 1992 and Anton Heida of the U.S., way back in 1904 in St. Louis.
Biles now has nine career Olympic medals (6-1-2) and IF she swept her apparatus events – she did not make the Uneven Bars final – that total about be 9-1-2 for 12 total. And nine golds would put her in rarefied air with five others who have won that many (behind only swim star Michael Phelpswith 23):
● 9: Paavo Nurmi (FIN: track & field 1920-28) ● 9: Larisa Latynina (URS: gymnastics 1956-64) ● 9: Mark Spitz (USA: swimming 1968-72) ● 9: Carl Lewis (USA: track and field 1984-96)
She is amazing and she is not done yet in Paris. At 27, she is already re-writing the record book on age in gymnastics. Would she be interested in competing in a home Olympic Games?
In swimming today, Katie Ledecky won silver on the U.S. women’s 4×200 m Free relay to win her 13th Olympic medal (8-4-1), the most ever among American women and second most all-time in the Olympic Games among women to the Soviet Latynina (18). ~ Rich Perelman
● Les Temps ●The updated forecast continues mostly cloudy for the remainder of the Games, which should help the triathlon and open-water swimming situation. However, more rain and a lightning storm came in Thursday in Paris, which is not going to help. Forecast:
● 02 Aug. (Fri.): High of 84 ~ low of 60, cloudy ● 03 Aug. (Sat.): 78 ~ 64, cloudy ● 04 Aug. (Sun.): 79 ~ 61 cloudy ● 05 Aug. (Mon.): 85 ~ 65, sunny ● 06 Aug. (Tue.): 88 ~ 66, cloudy ● 07 Aug. (Wed.): 78 ~ 58, cloudy ● 08 Aug. (Thu.): 81 ~ 60, cloudy ● 09 Aug. (Fri.): 83 ~ 61, cloudy ● 10 Aug. (Sat.): 82 ~ 64, cloudy ● 11 Aug. (Sun.): 85 ~ 64, cloudy
Paris 2024 said the E. Coli reading in the Seine on 31 July at 6 a.m. was very good, between 192 to 308, vs. a minimum standard of 1,000. If the rain stays away, the triathlon mixed relay and the open-water 10 km events on 4-5 August should go forward as scheduled.
● Medals & Teams ● The U.S. had a big day with four golds on Thursday, and continues to lead in the overall medal count:
● 1. 37, United States (9-15-13) ● 2. 27, France (8-11-8) ● 3. 24, China (11-7-6) ● 4. 20, Great Britain (6-7-7) ● 5. 18, Australia (8-6-4) ● 6. 16, Japan (8-3-5) ● 6. 16, Italy (5-7-4) ● 8. 12, South Korea (6-3-3) ● 9. 8, Canada (3-2-3) ● 10. 6, Germany (2-2-2) ● 10. 6, Netherlands (2-2-2) ● 10. 6. Brazil (0-3-3)
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much better representation of team achievement, the U.S. continues to lead, but with China now second:
● 1. 357 1/2, United States ● 2. 292 1/2, China ● 3. 288 1/2, France ● 4. 238, Great Britain ● 5. 222 1/2, Australia ● 6. 224 1/2, Italy ● 7. 192, Japan ● 8. 135, Korea ● 9. 130, Germany ● 10. 124 1/2, Canada ● 11. 83 1/2, Netherlands ● 12. 73 1/2, Brazil ● 13. 68, Spain ● 14. 65, New Zealand ● 15. 61 1/2, Switzerland
Now, a total of 70 countries (out of 206) have scored points so far.
● Errata ●Some readers of Wednesday’s post saw a reference to the “2023 Olympic Winter Games” when it should have been “2034.” Thanks to reader Paul Merca for spotting this; it has been corrected in the online version. Also U.S. Sen. Chris van Hollen is from Maryland, not New Jersey; thanks to reader Mike Harrigan for the correction.
● Athletics: Men’s 20 km Walk; Women’s 20 km Walk The first medal in track & field came in the men’s 20 km Walk amid 68 F temperatures and 92% humidity at 8 a.m. on a loop course in the middle of Paris, with Ecuador’s Brian Pintado taking the lead at 9 km and staying with the lead group until he moved away in the final 1,000 m for a 14-second win in 1:18:55.
Brazil’s 2023 Worlds bronze winner Caio Bonfim won a very tight fight for second vs. 2023 World Champion Alvaro Martin (ESP) and defending champ Massimo Stano (ITA), 1:19:09 to 1:19:11 to 1:19:12.
It’s Pintado’s third Games; he was 37th in Rio in the 20 km and 12th in Tokyo.
The women’s race started at 9:50 with 73 F temps and 86% humidity, which dropped to 67% during the race; still very tough. China’s Jiayu Yang, the world leader in 2024 at 1:26:07, led essentially from the start and was in front from the 5 km mark on. She had a 12-second lead by the 7 km mark and won by 25 seconds in 1:25:54 over 2023 World Champion Maria Perez (ESP: 1:26:19).
Australia’s 2023 Worlds runner-up Jemima Montag moved up from fifth to third after 17 km and finished with the bronze at 1:26:25, with Lorena Arenas (COL: 1:27:03) in fourth.
● Canoe Slalom: Men’s K-1 Italy’s Giovanni di Gennaro was the Worlds runner-up in 2022 and won a dramatic battle for the gold in 88.22 with no penalties, to best Titouan Castryck (FRA: 88.42) and Pau Echaniz (ESP: 88.87). Defending champ Jiri Prskavec (CZE) actually had the fastest time on the course – 87.74 – but suffered four penalty seconds and finished eighth.
It’s Italy’s third win in this event, most recently in London in 2012.
● Fencing: Women’s Team Foil There was little doubt that the U.S., with gold and silver medalists Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs, and Italy, with two-time World Champions Alice Volpi and Arianna Errigo, were favorites to meet in the final. They did.
The U.S. sailed past China (45-37) and Canada (45-31), while the Italians whipped past Egypt (45-14) and Japan (45-39). In the final, the U.S. piled up a 35-26 lead after seven of nine bouts, following substitute Maia Weintraub’s 5-1 showing over Francesca Palumbo. But Volpi out-pointed Kiefer, 6-5 and Errigo closed to 42-39 against Scruggs. But Scruggs won three straight points for a 45-39 victory!
It’s the U.S.’s first Olympic gold in this event and only its second ever, after a silver in 2008. Japan defeated Canada, 33-32, in the bronze-medal match.
● Judo: Men’s 100 kg; Women’s 78 kg Azerbaijan’s Zelym Kotsolev came in as the 2024 World Champion in the men’s 100 kg class, and left as Olympic gold medalist, defeating Georgia’s Ilia Sulamanidze in the final by ippon. It’s Azerbaijan’s first win in the event, but third medal, but the first of any color in this class for Georgia.
Israel’s Peter Paltchik, the 2023 Worlds bronze winner, took one bronze and Muzaffarbek Turoboyev (UZB) – the 2022 World Champion – took the other.
Two-time Worlds medal winner Alice Bellandi was the last one standing in a clash of champions in the women’s 78 kg class and won with by ippon over Israel’s 2023 World Champion Inbar Lanir for Italy’s first-ever gold in this event. It last won a medal in 2004.
It’s Israel’s first medal in this class in a country which continues as an emerging power in this sport. In the bronze medal matches, China’s Zhenzhao Ma scored an upset over two-time World Champion Anna-Maria Wagner (GER), and Patricia Sampaio (POR) defeated Japan’s 2024 Asian champ Rika Takayama.
● Rowing: Men’s Double Sculls-Fours;
Women’s Double Sculls-Fours Great Britain came in with two straight Worlds golds to their credit, but the U.S. was second in 2023 and got to the lead quickly and did not give it up, scoring a surprise gold in 5:49.03 to 5:49.88 for New Zealand.
The American quartet of Nick Mead, Justin Best, Michael Grady and Liam Corrigan had the fastest splits in three of the four segments on the course and scored the first U.S. win in this event since 1960! The U.S. did win a bronze as recently as 2012. New Zealand won its first medal in this event since 1984. The British finished with the bronze, in 5:52.42.
Tokyo silver winners Melvin Twellaar and Stef Broenink (NED) won the 2023 Worlds golds and were favored, but were in a battle with Romania’s Andrei Cornea and Marian Enache, who had the lead after 1,000 m. But the Dutch got ahead by 0.32 at 1,500 m … and could not hold on. The Romanians won it, 6:12.58 to 6:12.92 for their first-ever medal in this event. Ireland’s Daire Lynch and Philip Doyle were a solid third (6:15.17) ahead of the U.S. (Sorin Koszyk and Ben Davison) in 6:17.02.
In the women’s Double Sculls, New Zealand’s Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors won their semifinal, but were sitting only third at the halfway mark. But they moved up to the front by the 1,500 m mark and eked out a victory over Romania’s defending champions, Nicoleta-Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis, 6:50.45 to 6:50.69! Britain’s Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne and Rebecca Wilde were a clear third in 6:53.22. It’s the third Olympic win for New Zealand, previously in 2004 and 2008.
The Netherlands, the 2023 World Champions, won silver in the women’s Four in Tokyo, but had the lead throughout in the Paris final, winning a tight battle with Great Britain, 6:27.13 to 6:27.31. The fastest-moving boat in the final 500 m was New Zealand which was a clear third in 6:29.08. The U.S. finished fifth in 6:34.88.
● Shooting: Men’s 50 m Rifle/3 Positions China’s Yukun Liu scored three of his last five shots within the 10 ring and won with 463.6 to 461.3 for Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish, the 2022 World Champion.
It’s the second straight Olympic win for China in this event, with Liu fifth at the 2022 Worlds in this event, but silver medalist in the 50 m Rifle/Prone event. He entered, however, as the world-record holder at 468.9 from May of this year.
It’s Kulish’s second career Olympic medal, after his silver in the 10 m Air Rifle in Rio in 2016. India’s Swapnil Kusale won the bronze at 451.4. China has now won this event in four of the last six Olympics.
● Swimming: Men’s 200 m Back; Women’s 200 m Breast-200 m Fly-4×200 m Free Relay First up was the women’s 200 m Butterfly, with China’s defending champ Yufei Zhang taking it out hard, with Canada’s 2023 World champ Summer McIntosh second at 100 m, with Regan Smith just third. McIntosh took the lead on the final turn, with Zhang and Smith following. Smith moved up on McIntosh on the underwater, but McIntosh was too good, winning in 2:03.03, an Olympic Record and the no. 2 performance of all time.
Smith timed in 2:03.84, the no. 3 performance ever and an American Record, breaking his own mark of 2:03.87 from 2023. Zhang held on for third in 2:05.09 and U.S. teen Alex Shackell was sixth in 2:07.73. It’s Smith second consecutive Olympic silver in this event.
Greece’s Apolostolos Christou – the 2024 World Champion – had the lead in the men’s 200 m Back at the 100 m mark, with favored Hubert Kos (HUN) second. It took until the final 15 m, but Kos got to the wall first in 1:54.26, Hungary’s first medal in the event since Sandor Wladar won in Moscow in 1980!
Christou managed the silver in 1:54.82, the first time he has been faster than 1:56 in his career! Swiss Roman Mityukov, a semifinal winner, got the bronze with a late rush in 1:54.85; American Keaton Jones was fifth in 1:55.39, the first time the U.S. missed a medal in this event since Barcelona in 1992.
Defending champ Tatjana Schoenmaker-Smith led the women’s 200 m Breast final over Kate Douglass of the U.S. at the first turn, but Douglass turned first at 100. The 2024 World Champion, Tes Schouten came up to challenge both, but Douglass turned first and her turn gave her the lead again. But it was closer and closer, and Douglass held on to touch first in 2:19:24, breaking her own American Record and the no. 6 performance of all-time.
Schoenmaker-Smith won silver in 2:19.60 and Schouten took the bronze in 2:21.05. Fellow American Lilly King, the Tokyo runner-up, was eighth in 2:25.91. It’s the fourth Olympic win for the U.S. in the last six Games in this event.
The women’s 4×200 m Free Relay was the final event, with Australia favored and Mollie O’Callaghan was the clear leader, handing to Lani Pallister, with China second. Brianna Throssell took over for Australia, with China staying close. The U.S. was third with Claire Weinstein (1:54.88) and Paige Madden (1:55.65).
Then Katie Ledecky (1:54.93) happened, taking second from China with 50 m to go on her leg and within 0.33 of Australia. Star Ariarne Titmus (1:52.95) brought Australia home with the win as expected in an Olympic record of 7:38.08, the no. 2 performance ever.
Erin Gemmell (1:55.40) was second on the final turn and held second at 7:40.86 (no. 6 performance ever, and no. 2 all-time U.S.), with defending champion China third in 7:42.34.
The U.S. silver gives Ledecky her 13th Olympic medal (8-4-1), meaning she now has more medals than any other American woman in history, with the women’s 800 m Freestyle – in which she is the favorite – still to come.
Elsewhere:
● Beach Volleyball ●The American pair of Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth were tied, 1-1, with China’s Chen Xue and Xinyi Xia when a lightning delay came in with the U.S. leading the third set, 3-2 and the venue was cleared.
After a half-hour, the match resumed and the Americans rallied from 8-7 down and won, 15-12, to finish 3-0 in Pool B and move on to the round of 16.
● Basketball ●A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart led the U.S. once again in an 87-74 win in Group C over Belgium in Lille. Stewart had 26 points and Wilson had 23 points and 13 rebounds as the Americans won their 57th straight game in Olympic play and clinched a quarterfinal berth.
This was not easy, however, and the U.S. was tied at the quarter, 23-23, but pulled ahead by 46-38 at half. The U.S. shot 44.6% from the field, and held Belgium to 41.4%. Center Emma Meesseeman had 24 to lead Belgium on 11-19 shooting.
The U.S. will finish group play against Germany on the 4th.
● Boxing ●The controversy over the presence of two boxers who competed in the women’s division – without issue – at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, but were disqualified to compete as women by the International Boxing Association for its 2023 Women’s World Championships, exploded in Paris in the first round of the women’s 66 kg class, as Italian Angela Carini quit in her bout against Algerian Imane Khelif after 46 seconds.
Carini’s coach Emanuele Renzini did not expect this, saying after the fight: “I was not aware of her intentions. We talked through the whole issue in the last few days. I gave her the chance to walk away before the fight, if she did not feel comfortable with. Angela told me she was unfazed by the controversy. She wanted to fight. How am I surprised on scale from 1 to 10? Eight.”
According to an AIPS report, the situation is even stranger:
“The overwhelming pressure might have put Angela’s state of mind off balance because Imane Khelif was not unknown to the Italian team. In fact the Algerian spent several weeks training with Carini, [Assunta] Canfora and some other athlete and no one raised concern about her ‘masculinity.’”
“On 24 March 2023, IBA disqualified athletes Lin Yu-ting [TPE] and Imane Khelif [ALG] from the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships New Delhi 2023. This disqualification was a result of their failure to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA Regulations. …
“Point to note, the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential. This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors.”
The IBA said tests on both athletes – apparently DNA tests – were carried out at the 2022 and 2023 Worlds. Lin is a two-time World Champion, at 54 kg in 2018 and 57 kg in 2022 and is top-seeded in Paris.
International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams has fielded multiple questions on this issue and reiterated that both are considered eligible under the rules in place, which are the same as in Tokyo, where both competed. Asked about whether the boxing regulations should have been updated since Tokyo – the IBA was excluded from the Olympic Movement in 2023 – he said Thursday:
“We are looking for, and …we need to have a new boxing federation, and sadly, if we don’t have one, we won’t have boxing in Los Angeles. We really want it for all sorts of reasons, not just the spectacle but because [it] actually does a great deal of social good
“We are really hoping there will be a federation that can deal with these issues, as you know, the current eligibility is based on Tokyo, which is only three years ago.
“What I would say, just quickly, on testosterone, is that testosterone is not the perfect test. Many women can have testosterone which is in what would be called ‘male’ levels and still be women, who compete as women. So, this panacea, this idea that suddenly you do one test for testosterone and that sorts everything out, not the case, I’m afraid.
“But each sport needs to deal with these issues. They know their sports and their disciplines the best and we need to target, and tailor, I should say, the testing and son with that, but I think we’re all agreed – I hope we’re all agreed – that we’re not calling for people to go back to the bad old days of sex testing, which was a terrible thing to do and I’m sure we’re all agreed that’s not the way forward in this situation.”
● Football ●The men’s quarterfinals come Friday, with France meeting Argentina in Bordeaux, to play the winner of Egypt and Paraguay in Marseille.
The U.S. meets Morocco in Paris for the right to play the winner of Japan and Spain, playing in Decines-Charpieu.
● Judo ●For those wishing that politics and sports don’t mix, please skip this item.
In the 66 kg class, Morocco’s Abderrahmane Boushita was reported not to shake hands with Israel’s Baruch Shmailov after the latter’s win in their first-round bout, and Nurali Emomali (TJK) apparently refused to shake hands after beating Shmailov in the round of 16.
In the men’s 73 kg class, the first-round match between Israel’s Tohar Butbul and Algeria’s Messaoud Fris was a walkover for Butbul as Drius reported overweight. There was considerable speculation that this was intentional given difficult relations between the countries and the International Judo Federation said it would investigate further. The federation has been consistent in following up on anti-Semitic behavior in the sport.
● Swimming ●In the men’s 50 m Free, defending champ Caeleb Dressel was in lane one in semi one after qualifying 13th, but had the early lead and faded a bit at the end, taking second behind Jordan Crooks (CAY), 21.54 to 21.58.
Favored Cameron McEvoy (AUS) got out well, but Britain’s Ben Proud had the lead until the touch, when both were together in 21.38, with Leonardo Deplanno (ITA) third in 21.50. Dressel qualified fifth overall and will have an opportunity to defend.
The women’s 200 m Back semis had Phoebe Bacon turning first at 100 m, at 150 m and won decisively in 2:07.32, ahead of Canada’s Tokyo runner-up, Kylie Masse (2:07.92). Regan Smith came back from the 200 Fly final 39 minutes earlier to take third in 2:08.14. Defending Olympic champ Kaylee McKeown (AUS) led after 100 m, but Honey Osrin (GBR) turned first at 150. McKeown won in 2:07.57, with Osrin second at 2:07.84.
The last qualifying races of the day were in the men’s 200 m Medley, with 400 m Medley bronze winner Carson Foster of the U.S. turning first at 100 m. Foster turned first at 150 and lunged at the wall to win in 1:56.37, ahead of Tokyo runner-up Duncan Scott (GBR: 1:56.49) and defending gold medalist Shun Wang (CHN: 1:56.54).
France’s two-time World Champion Leon Marchand, on the way to a possible fourth gold in Paris, won semi two in 1:56.31, ahead of Japan’s 2019 World Champion Daiya Seto (1:56.59). American Shaine Casas was fourth in 1:57.82, but missed the final with the no. 9 time.
● Water Polo ●The U.S. men fell to 1-2 in pool play in the six-team Pool A, losing to Greece, 13-11, with Alex Bowen and Max Irwing scoring two goals each for the U.S.
● Archery: Mixed Team South Korea has already won the men’s and women’s team events and is poised to win here as well. Woo-jin Kim, a member of the men’s winners, teamed with Si-hyeon Lim – on the winning women’s team in Paris – to win the 2023 Worlds in Berlin and so they have to be the favorites.
The Netherlands and Mexico won silver and bronze in Tokyo; Germany and Italy won silver and bronze at the 2023 Worlds. The U.S. has a medal shot with 2021 Worlds runner-up Casey Kaufhold and 2019 World Champion Brady Ellison.
● Athletics: Men’s 10,000 m The first final on the track could be a repeat of the sensational Tokyo final in 2021, with Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega out-sprinting world-record holder Joshua Cheptegei and countryman Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda.
Cheptegei won the 2022 Worlds with Kiplimo third and he won again at the 2023 Worlds in Budapest over Daniel Ebenyo (KEN) and Barega. On the clock, however, Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha, a two-time World Indoor 3,000 m champ, ran 26:31.01 in June to win the national trials over Berihu Aregawi and Barega and has the speed to challenge anyone. American Grant Fisher, fifth in Tokyo, believes he is in the mix, too; and why not teammate Nico Young, who just turned 22 but ran 26:52.72 at the U.S. Trials?
● Badminton: Mixed Doubles This is the eighth time this event has been held at the Games, with China winning four times. But while 2022 Worlds gold medalists Siwei Zhang and Yaqiong Huang (CHN) can be favored, they lost the 2023 Worlds final to Seung-jae Seo and Yu-jung Chae (KOR). Japan’s Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino have gone silver-silver-bronze in the last three Worlds and Thai stars Dechapol Puavarannukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai won the 2021 Worlds. All are contenders.
● Cycling: Men’s BMX Racing; Women’s BMX Racing Niek Kimmann (NED), Kye Whyte (GBR) and Carlos Ramirez (COL) were the medalists in Tokyo and all are threats again. During the six-race UCI World Cup racing this season, Kimmann won the last two, but watch out for France’s Romain Mahieu and Joris Daudet, who each won once. So did Whyte and Australia’s Izaac Kennedy.
Daudet, on a home track, is especially dangerous with three career Worlds golds, including in 2024. Kamren Larsen of the U.S. won a bronze in the final World Cup race of the year and could be a threat.
The women’s World Cup season was dominated by Australia’s Saya Sakakibara, who won four of six races and was second in the other two. Swiss Zoe Claessens won those and they are the favorites. But there has to be room for defending Olympic champ Beth Shriever (GBR), Rio 2016 Olympic silver winner Alise Willoughby (USA) and Dutch star Manon Veenstra, who won three medals during the World Cup season.
● Diving: Men’s 3 m Synchro As with all diving events, China is the favorite and Daoyi Long and Zongyuan Wang won the 2022 and 2024 World Championships golds. In fact, Wang is a defending gold medalist from Tokyo, where he teamed with Siyi Xie.
Britain’s Jack Laugher teamed with Chris Mears to win this event in Rio in 2016 and Laugher and Anthony Harding won Worlds silvers in 2022 and 2023 and could be a threat. Teams from Italy – Lorenzo Marsaglia and Giovanni Tocci – plus France and Spain are all medal contenders.
● Equestrian: Team Jumping Sweden won in Tokyo in 2021 and took the Worlds gold in 2022; four different nations – the U.S., Britain, France and the Swedes – have won the Games golds from 2008 on, and the U.S. has medaled three times out of four, all including McLain Ward, also on the 2024 team.
The Netherlands and Britain took the silver and bronze at the 2022 Worlds.
● Fencing: Men’s Team Epee Japan won in Tokyo in 2021, with Koki Kano – the individual Olympic champ in Paris – with South Korea taking the bronze. But France won in Athens, Beijing and Rio and won the Worlds gold in 2019 and 2022 (with Italy second). They’re going to be in it.
Italy won the 2023 Worlds, with France second and Venezuela third.
● Gymnastics: Men’s Trampoline; Women’s Trampoline This is one of the events in which an “Individual Neutral Athlete” could star. Ivan Litvonovich from Belarus is the defending Olympic champion. But with Russia and Belarus excluded from the World Championships from 2022, Dylan Schmidt – the Tokyo bronzer – won the 2022 Worlds gold. China’s Langyu Yan and Zisai Wang were 1-2 in 2023, with Ryusei Nishioka (JPN) in third.
Yan also won in 2021, with Nishioka second
Britain’s Bryony Page owns Olympic silver from Rio and bronze from Tokyo, was 2021 World Champion, 2022 runner-up and 2023 World Champion. She has to be a favorite for a medal, at least!
China’s Yueling Zhu returns as the Tokyo Olympic winner (and 2023 Worlds runner-up), and teammate Yicheng Hu won the 2022 Worlds bronze. Japan’s Hikaru Mori took the 2022 Worlds gold, and American Jessica Stevens took the 2023 Worlds bronze. All should be in the mix for the podium.
● Judo: Men’s +100 kg; Women’s +78 kg The crowd will be loud for one of France’s sports heroes, the great Teddy Riner. He won the Olympic titles in 2012 and 2016, was third in 2020 and owns 12 Worlds gold medals. A final torchbearer at the opening of the Games, he has the eyes of the nation upon him.
However, he is not invincible as Tokyo showed, and at age 35, he will be challenged by Tokyo 2020 winner Lukas Krpalek (CZE), also the 2019 World Champion in this class. Georgia’s Guram Tushishvili won the Tokyo silver and was the 2018 World Champion. Not to be discounted is two-time Olympic bronze winner Rafael Silva (BRA) and Uzbek Alisher Yusupov, a Worlds bronze winner in 2023 and 2024.
Korea’s Min-jong Kim won the 2024 Worlds gold and took bronzes in 2019 and 2022. All think they have a shot against Riner.
Japan’s Akira Sone is back to defend her +78 kg Olympic title from Tokyo, and she also won the 2019 and 2023 World titles. She’s the favorite.
The challengers start with 2024 Worlds runner-up Kayra Ozdemir (TUR), the 2023 Worlds bronze medalists Beatriz Souza (BRA) and Raz Hershko (ISR) and 2022 Worlds winner Romane Dicko of France, who will have the home-tatami advantage!
● Rowing: Men’s Pairs-Lightweight Double Sculls; Women’s Pairs-Lightweight Double Sculls In the Men’s Pairs, Croatian brothers Martin and Valent Sinkovic are the story. After winning the Double Sculls in Rio, they switched to the Pairs and won in Tokyo! They also won the Pairs Worlds in 2018 and 2019, but did not contest the race at the 2023 Worlds.
Romania’s Florin Arteni and Florin Lehaci posted a nearly identical time in winning their semifinal and are contenders along with 2023 Worlds gold medalists Roman Roosli and Andrin Gulich (SUI) and British runner-ups Oliver Wynne-Griffith and Tom George.
This will be the last call for the Lightweight Double Sculls, which will no longer be part of the Olympic program after Paris. Defending Tokyo champs Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan (IRL) had the fastest semifinal time, with Italy’s 2023 Worlds bronze winners Stefano Oppo and Gabriel Soares taking semifinal two.
Swiss Jan Schaeuble and Raphael Ahumada won the 2023 Worlds silver, and Greece’s Antoninos Papakonstantinou and Petros Gkaidatzis showed medal potential in the semis.
The 2023 Worlds winners in the women’s Pairs, Dutch stars Ymkje Clevering and Veronique Meester won their semi decisively and look like favorites. Australia’s Jessica Morrison and Annabelle McIntyre won the other semi and were second at the 2023 Worlds. Romania’s Ioana Vrinceanu and Roxana Anghel – who won the 2023 Worlds bronze – and Americans Azja Czajkowski and Jess Thoennes were second in the semis and look like bronze-medal possibilities.
Britain’s Emily Craig and Imogen Grant won the 2022 and 2023 Worlds golds, with American boats behind them each time. Michelle Sechser and Molly Reckford are rowing for the U.S., with Sechser in both the 2022 and 2023 silver-winning boats.
Ireland’s 2022 Worlds bronzers Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen and Romania’s Gianina van Groningen and Ionela Cozmiuc are also clear contenders.
● Sailing: Men’s 49er; Women’s 49er FX This is the Skiff class for men and women, with different equipment. Spain’s three-time Worlds medalists, Diego Botin and Paul Trittel had the lead after the 12 opening races, with 68 net points, over Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove (IRL: 73 net) and Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie (NZL: 76). Americans Ian Barrows and Hans Henken (80 net) are in position to challenge for a medal, as are Poland’s Dominik Buksak and Szymon Wierznicki (83 net).
Botin has never won an Olympic medal and was fourth with Iago Lopez in Tokyo; at age 30, he may finally be due, in his third Games.
The women’s 49erFX class was won in both Rio and Tokyo by Brazilians Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze, but they have been in difficulty in Marseille, in eighth place after 12 races. France’s Charlene Picon, the Rio 2016 windsurfing gold medalist has teamed up with Sarah Steyaert and are in the lead with 67 net points and five runner-up finishes. Just a point back are Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz (NED) with 68 net points and two wins; they’re the 2022 and 2024 World Champions and 2023 runners-up. The Swedish pair of Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler, the 2023 World Champions and 2024 runners-up, are a solid third at 74 net, but are fighting for bronze with Helene Naess and Marie Roenningen (NOR: 76).
● Shooting: Women’s 50 m Rifle/3 Positions Swiss Nina Christen is the only medalist back from Tokyo and 2022 Worlds medalists Jenny Steve and Jeanette Hegg Duestad from Norway are also in the field.
The favorites might be China’s Qiongyue Zhang and Jiayo Han, who were 1-2 at the 2023 Worlds. American Sagen Maddalena, who was fourth in the Paris 10 m Air Rifle, won the Worlds bronze in 2023; she was fifth in Tokyo in this event.
● Swimming: Men’s 50 m Free-200 m Medley;
Women’s 200 m Back Tokyo men’s 50 m Free champ Caeleb Dressel is back to defend his title, but he is hardly the favorite. Instead, Australia’a Cameron McEvoy, the 2023 World Champion, and 2022 World Champion Ben Proud (GBR) had the top semifinal times (21.38), with Dressel qualifying fifth (21.58).
France’s national hero, Leon Marchand, looks like a sure winner in the men’s 200 m Medley, where he is a two-time World Champion. He led the qualifying at 1:56.31, shadowed by American Carson Foster, the 2024 Worlds silver winner, who won the first semi in 1:56.37, ahead of Tokyo runner-up Duncan Scott (GBR: 1:56.49) and defending gold medalist Shun Wang (CHN: 1:56.54).
Australia’s Kaylee McKeown will defend her Tokyo 2020 women’s 200 m Back title against another assault from American Regan Smith and Phoebe Bacon. Bacon looked great in the semis, winning in 2:07.32 and McKeown taking semi two in 2:07.57. Tokyo runner-up Kylie Masse (CAN) is in the mix for medals as well.
● Tennis: Mixed Doubles The semifinals have Czech Katerina Siniakova and Tomas Machac and Canada’s Gaby Dabrowski and Felix Auger-Aliassime in one match and Demi Schuurs and Wesley Koolhof (NED) against China’s Xinyu Wang and Zhizhen Zhang in the other.
Siniakova is already an Olympic winner, in women’s Doubles from 2020. Koolhof won the 2022 French Open mixed doubles with a different partner; Wang won the 2023 French Open women’s doubles.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● French Prime Minister Gabriel Attai said Wednesday that French security and information technology agencies have repulsed multiple cyberattacks, including against the Bercy Arena and the Parc de La Villette:
“All these 68 cyberattacks, including the two cyberattacks that targeted Olympic sites, were detected in time and foiled.”
● Athletics ● The Athletics Integrity Unit explained Tuesday that it is trying to protect the Olympic track & field competitions to severely-enhanced testing of athletes from high-risk federations:
“[S]ince January 2019, Rule 15 of World Athletics’ Anti-Doping Rules has established the National Federation Anti-Doping Obligations and, among other things, outlines the minimum requirements for testing of the national teams of ‘Category A’ Federations deemed to have the highest doping risk and considered as a threat to the overall integrity of athletics.
“At present, these are: Bahrain, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Ukraine. In addition, four other federations (not classified as ‘Category A’ Federations) – Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Portugal – had the minimum testing requirements imposed on them by the World Athletics Council in February this year.
“Based on Rule 15, athletes from all ten federations were subject to very strict minimum testing requirements to be eligible to compete in Paris 2024; being required to have a minimum of three Out-of-Competition (OOC) tests in the ten months leading up to the Olympic Games. Ultimately, more than 97 per cent of the 268 athletics competitors entered for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, from these federations, met the strict standard.”
Five of the seven athletes not meeting the standard were rejected as entries for Paris and two – both from Ukraine – were allowed in.
¶
Speaking on the “Nightcap” podcast, former NFL players and now media stars Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson said they would personally pay bonuses to U.S. track & field stars Noah Lyles and others.
Both said they would pay Lyles $25,000 each if he won the men’s 100 m, but said nothing about the 200 m. Sharpe said he would pay $50,000 out of his own pocket to any American who sets a world record.
● Fencing ●Italian coaches were livid over officiating in the final of the men’s Foil final, with Hong Kong’s Ka Long Cheung coming from behind to win his second consecutive Olympic gold, 15-14, over Italian Filippo Macchi.
Cheung’s Instagram page received complaints from Italian fans about the outcome, but were responded to by Cheung supporters promoting “pineapple pizza” to celebrate. Reuters reported:
“A Hong Kong Pizza Hut advert on Facebook that was trending online showed pizza covered in pineapples alongside a fencer skewering a pineapple. It said customers could add pineapple toppings for free when dining at the restaurant.”
● Gymnastics ● U.S. Olympic alternate Joscelyn Roberson wrote on Instagram that she is leaving Olympic gymnastics for NCAA competition at Arkansas:
“See you later elite gymnastics
“This journey has been a lot of things; a dream come true, fantastic, great, awful, hard, and everything in between but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I want to thank all my family and friends for supporting me throughout this journey, I know it hasn’t been easy. To my old coaches and teammates, thank you for your continued support and I will never forget what y’all sacrificed for me to be where I am today. …
“I made it to the Olympics! No matter the role I played, I still got here and did everything I could. With that being said, this wasn’t my ultimate goal, and I still have a dream/goal to achieve. To alternates in every sport; past, present, and future, your job is REALLY REALLY hard. Give yourself grace and appreciate how much of an accomplishment it still is!
“I’m so excited to start this new journey in NCAA at Arkansas!! I’ll be back soon.”
¶
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For our updated, 547-event International Sports Calendar for the rest of 2024 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
Last week, the International Olympic Committee modified a section of the Host City Contract with the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games for the hosting of the 2034 Olympic Winter Games to now read:
“The IOC shall be entitled to terminate the [Olympic Host Contract] and to withdraw the Games from the Host, the Host [National Olympic Committee} and the [organizing committee] if:
“c. the Host Country is ruled ineligible to host or co-host and/or to be awarded the Games pursuant to or under the World Anti-Doping Code or if, in any other way, the supreme authority of the World Anti-Doping Agency in the fight against doping is not fully respected or if the application of the World Anti-Doping Code is hindered or undermined.”
This comes directly from WADA’s 2021 decision not to appeal a decision of the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency that 23 swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine were no to be sanctioned due to a finding of food contamination during a January 2021 national championship meet.
WADA has been harshly criticized in Olympic circles and at a U.S. Congressional hearing of a sub-committee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. After the contract language was agreed to by the Salt Lake City bid committee (which is an innocent bystander in all this) and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the hope is that both sides could calm down.
“permanently provide the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) the authority to withhold up to the full amount of membership dues to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) if the organization fails to operate as a fair and independent actor to ensure athletes are competing in drug-free Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
The announcement also added that “The bill authorizes ONDCP to use all available tools to ensure that WADA fully implements all governance reforms, including a proper conflict-of-interest policy, and that independent athletes from the United States and other democratic countries, or representatives of such athletes, have a decision making role on WADA’s Executive Committee and governing bodies.”
Referring to the termination clause inserted by the IOC to support WADA in the host-city agreement with the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games for the 2034 Olympic Winter Games, Senator Chris van Hollen (D-Maryland) told The Associated Press:
“That sort of blackmail and bullying is exactly the problem that we’re trying to get at. I think that [the WADA] position is absolutely unsustainable, and I’m confident that will not happen at the end of the day.”
IOC spokesman Mark Adams (GBR) explained their position on Wednesday:
“We have asked for a dialogue between WADA and all the stakeholders. From our understanding, the question is about respective international agreements, and those international agreements have been signed by everyone around the world, including the U.S.”
Meanwhile, a New York Times story reported that two Chinese swimmers, Muhan Tang and Junyi He, tested positive for metandienone, an anabolic steroid, in October of 2022, but were eventually cleared due to a finding of contamination in a hamburger they ate about a month prior to the test.
“In fact, this relates to a wider series of cases involving athletes from different sports (two swimmers, one shooter and one BMX rider), all of whom tested positive for trace amounts of a prohibited substance, metandienone, in late 2022 and early 2023, in different locations and at different times. Upon notification, the athletes were all immediately provisionally suspended, pending investigation and remained so until late 2023 when the investigation concluded. Therefore, in the case of the two swimmers, they were suspended for more than one year. …
“The investigation by CHINADA included the testing of hundreds of meat samples from various sources, with dozens revealing positive results for metandienone. CHINADA also analyzed the athletes’ nutritional supplements and conducted hair tests, which were negative. Significantly, both the swimmers provided negative doping control samples in the days before and after the single trace positive. Following its investigation, CHINADA concluded that the four cases were most likely linked to meat contamination and, in late 2023, closed the cases without asserting a violation, with the athletes having remained provisionally suspended throughout that time.”
However, WADA noted that the cases are not closed:
“[O]ff the back of these cases, WADA wanted to assess the circumstances, scale and risk of meat contamination with metandienone in China and other countries. As a result, WADA initiated an investigation in early 2024. That is being conducted by WADA’s independent Intelligence and Investigations Department and, given it is ongoing.”
WADA criticized the story in The Times, stating:
“The politicization of anti-doping continues with this latest attempt by the media in the United States to imply wrongdoing on the part of WADA and the broader anti-doping community. As we have seen over recent months, WADA has been unfairly caught in the middle of geopolitical tensions between superpowers but has no mandate to participate in that.”
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chief Travis Tygartalso had a comment, including:
“Unfortunately, we learned from WADA’s announcement today that they have been allowing China to operate on a special set of rules that allows them to disregard the WADA Code on transparency that the rest of the world is following.
“As it stands, the WADA rules dictate that even if a positive test is proven to be caused by contamination, national anti-doping agencies must find a violation, disqualify results, and make a public announcement. The public announcement is mandatory under the current rules, and we must all play by the same rules of transparency if there’s going to be any confidence and trust in the global anti-doping system. With the Chinese positives, WADA admits that China did not follow the rules on transparency. And even if WADA believed that the Chinese positive tests were caused by contamination, China is still required to follow the rules by finding violations, disqualifying results, and making the cases public.”
And Tygart, of course, expects the worst:
“Now, clean athletes and the world are left asking, why not follow the rules and announce the Chinese positives as required if these were truly proven contamination cases? The lack of answers to these basic questions leads to the logical conclusion that these were not cases of actual contamination, and this may have been the reason why WADA turned a blind eye when China swept them under the carpet.”
This does not sound like calm. ~ Rich Perelman
● Les Temps ●The updated forecast for Paris shows clouds for most of the remainder of the Games, with showers predicted only for Thursday. This should help the triathlon and open-water swimming situation:
● 01 Aug. (Thu.): High of 88 (F) ~ low of 66, morning storms ● 02 Aug. (Fri.): 84 ~ 61, cloudy ● 03 Aug. (Sat.): 81 ~ 64, cloudy ● 04 Aug. (Sun.): 80 ~ 63 cloudy ● 05 Aug. (Mon.): 88 ~ 67, sunny ● 06 Aug. (Tue.): 82 ~ 63, cloudy ● 07 Aug. (Wed.): 77 ~ 59, cloudy ● 08 Aug. (Thu.): 79 ~ 59, cloudy ● 09 Aug. (Fri.): 82 ~ 62, cloudy ● 10 Aug. (Sat.): 82 ~ 62, cloudy ● 11 Aug. (Sun.): 79 ~ 59, cloudy
The triathlon mixed relay is scheduled for 5 August; the open-water swimming is slated for 4-5 August.
● Medals & Teams ● After day five of competitions, the U.S. and France continue with the most medals:
● 1. 30, United States (5-13-12) ● 2. 26, France (8-10-8) ● 3. 19, China (9-7-3) ● 4. 17, Great Britain (6-6-5) ● 5. 16, Australia (7-6-3) ● 6. 15, Japan (8-3-4) ● 7. 13, Italy (3-6-4) ● 8. 12, South Korea (6-3-3) ● 9. 7, Canada (2-2-3) ● 10. 6, Germany (2-2-2) ● 11. 4, three tied
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much better representation of team achievement, the U.S. continues to lead:
● 1. 278 1/2, United States ● 2. 262 1/2, France ● 3. 245, China ● 4. 207, Great Britain ● 5. 193, Australia ● 6. 182 1/2 Italy ● 7. 173, Japan ● 8. 135, Korea ● 9. 124 1/2, Germany ● 10. 97 1/2, Canada ● 11. 55 1/2, Brazil ● 12. 49 1/2, New Zealand ● 13. 47, Switzerland ● 14. 45, New Zealand ● 15. 42, Sweden
Now, a total of 64 countries have scored points so far, up by four from Monday.
● Television ● A big audience of 34.7 million – broadcast, cable and streaming – saw NBC’s coverage of Paris 2024 on Tuesday:
● 26 Jul. (Fri.): 29.3 million (with Telemundo) ● 27 Jul. (Sat.): 32.4 million ● 28 Jul. (Sun.): 41.5 million ● 29 Jul. (Mon.): 31.3 million ● 30 Jul. (Tue.): 34.7 million
This is way up on Covid-impacted Tokyo (18.4 million for day 5), but a little behind Rio 2016’s first Tuesday (36.1 million). The four-day average for 2024 is 34.0 million in 2024, compared to 19.0 million for Tokyo and the four-day average of 30.7 million for Rio (no Friday opening).
The measurement of “Total Audience Delivery” is based upon live-plus-same day custom fast national figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics.
● Canoe: W Slalom C-1 The great Jessica Fox (AUS) dominated the field in the women’s C-1, posting the only time on the course under 100 seconds at 99.06 and even with a two-second penalty at gate 19, had a final time of 101.06 that was more than two seconds better than the rest of the field.
Fox, a 10-time World Champion in individual events and a four-time C-1 winner, now has won both the K-1 and C-1 and defended her Tokyo 2020 gold in the C-1. She can now be the first to win three Canoe Slalom golds in a single Olympic Games in the Kayak Cross, an event she has been World Champion twice.
Behind her was 2021 World Champion Elena Lilik (GER) at 103.54, with no penalties and then American Evy Leibfarth at 109.95 (two penalties). Still just 20, she had won six World Cup medals in the various disciplines, but none in C-1 since 2022. It’s the first U.S. medal in this event – it’s only the second time being held – and the first American medal in slalom canoeing since Rebecca Giddens’ silver in the K-1 in 2004.
● Cycling: Men’s BMX Freestyle; Women’s BMX Freestyle China’s Yawen Deng was sixth at the 2023 UCI World Championships, but led from the start in Paris, scoring 92.50 in the first round. She improved to 93.50 in round two and was the clear winner; only American Perris Benegas – the 2018 World Champion – could also manage a score over 90 (90.70), on her second run.
Natalya Diehm (AUS) was third at 88.80, on her first run. Five-time World Champion Hannah Roberts of the U.S. had trouble and finished eighth with her first-round score of 70.00. She said afterwards, “I crashed in practice and had to shake that off, then I crashed in my first run. It was just a lot mentally. I put a lot of pressure on myself. There are a lot of things that can go wrong in a very short amount of time, and unfortunately, today just wasn’t my day.”
The men’s final saw Argentina’s Jose Torres Gil, third in the order, put down an excellent run to score 94.82 and take the lead. Only Britain’s 2023 World Champion, Kieran Reilly could get close, scoring 93.70 as the final rider in the first round.
France Anthony Jeanjean, the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Series winner, fired up to score 93.76 in the second round to move into third and almost Reilly did a little better at 93.91, he could not match Torres Gil, who took the gold. He had previously won the 2023 Pan American Games title, but was not a Worlds medalist.
Americans Marcus Christopher (93.11) and Justin Dowell (88.35) finished fourth and seventh, respectively. Defending champion Logan Martin (AUS; 64.40) was ninth.
● Diving: Women 10 m Synchro China’s World Champions, Yuxi Chen and Hongchan Quan had no trouble winning as projected, scoring 359.10 and winning all five dives. In the seven times the event has been held, China has won all seven. Chen won for the second straight Games; she paired with Jiaqi Zhang in Tokyo.
North Korea won its first medal in this event with Jin Mi Jo and Mi Rae Kim taking silver at 315.90, comfortably ahead of Britain’s Andrea Splendolini Sirieix and Lois Toulson (304.38). This is exactly the same order as at February’s World Championships in Qatar. It’s the first Olympic medal for all four.
Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell of the U.S. finished sixth at 287.52.
● Fencing: Men’s Team Sabre South Korea defended its Tokyo 2020 gold by defeating 2023 World Champion Hungary in the final, 45-41. It wasn’t all that close for the Koreans, defeating Canada by 45-33, then France by 45-39 and 45-41 in the final. The French were easy winners in the bronze-medal match against Iran, 45-25.
● Gymnastics: Men’s All-Around The winners of the last three Worlds and the Tokyo Games were in, with Daiki Hashimoto of Japan the defending champ and the winners of the 2022 and 2023 Worlds. China’s Boheng Zhang won in 2021, and led the qualifying.
But the 2024 Olympic gold was essentially decided in the first rotation, with Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka, 20, the 2023 Asian A-A champion, scoring 14.566 and Zhang scoring 13.233 and playing catch-up the rest of the night.
Oka also out-scored Zhang in the Pommel Horse, but Zhang posted better scores in the Rings, Vault, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar. But in the final event, Zhang’s 14.633 was not enough, as Oka scored 14.500.
All together, Oka won with 86.832 to Zhang’s 86.599 and teammate Ruoteng Xiao – the Tokyo runner-up – was third at 86.364. It’s the fourth straight win for Japan in the men’s All-Around.
Defending champ Hashimoto was sixth with 84.598; Americans Paul Juda and Fred Richard were 14th and 15th at 82.197 and 82.166.
● Judo: Men’s 90 kg; Women’s 70 kg Georgia’s Lasha Bekauri defended his Tokyo gold and scored decisive win against Japan’s Sanshiro Murao to take the men’s 90 kg class, scoring twice for a cumulative ippon in 3:56.
It’s the fourth win for Georgia in the last six Games in this class and Bekauri is only the second to win back-to-back golds in this class; Peter Seisenbacher (AUT) did in 1984-88.
Murao moved up from bronze at the 2023 Worlds. France’s Maxime-Gael Ngayap Hambou won one bronze and Greece’s Theodoros Tselidis won the other. It’s the first French medal in this class since 2000.
Two-time World Champion Barbara Matic of Croatia, in her third Olympic Games, finally won a medal and it was gold as she defeated surprise finalist Miriam Butkereit (GER) in the final by waza-ari. It’s the first-ever medal for Croatia in judo!
Austria’s Michaela Polleres, the Tokyo 2020 silver winner, won one bronze via ippon over Ai Tsunoda (ESP), and Gabriella Willems (BEL) took the other bronze – also by waza-ari – over Tokyo bronze winner Sanne van Dijke (NED).
● Rowing: Men’s Quadruple Sculls; Women’s Quadruple Sculls The Netherlands repeated as Olympic champs in the men’s Quadruple Sculls, with two of the same rowers from Tokyo – Tone Wieten and Koen Metsemakers – and Lennart van Lierop and Finn Florijn as newcomers. They won decisively in 5:42:00 to 5:44.40 for Italy and 5:44.59 for Poland.
Great Britain won its first medal in the women’s Quadruple Sculls since 2008 and got its first win ever, moving up from third at the World Championships. It was tight, however, by 6:16.31 to 6:16.46 over the Dutch, the 2023 Worlds winners, with the British moving to the front only in the final 500 m.
Germany was well back for third in 6:19.70.
● Shooting: Women’s Trap Guatemala won its first-ever Olympic gold in any sport as Adriana Ruano – the 2023 Pan Am Games champ – won with an Olympic Record of 45/50 in the final, ahead of Italy’s 2018 Worlds bronze winner Silvana Stanco (40) and Penny Smith of Australia (32). Ruano hit her first 16 targets and 23 of her first 25, then ran off 11 straight hits during her last 25 to win.
● Swimming: Men’s 100 m Free-200 m Breast-200 m Fly; Women’s 100 m Free-1,500 m Free First up was the women’s 100 m Free, with American Torri Huske – in lane one – leading at the turn and looking strong, ahead of fellow American Gretchen Walsh. The push from the Australians – 200 m Free winner Mollie O’Callaghan and Shayna Jack – didn’t materialize, but Huske was in a fight to the wall with world-record holder Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – now 30 – who got the lead only on the touch at 52.16, with Huske at 52.29. It’s the fastest time in the world this year.
Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey was third in 52.33 and O’Callaghan missed a medal by 0.01 at 52.34. Walsh faded and finished eighth in 53.04.
Sjostrom was surprised and ecstatic; she won bronze in the 2016 100 m Free, but is favored in the 50 m Free. But she has the 100 gold, Sweden’s first win in the event. Huske won her third medal of the meet, and is now the no. 8 performer ever and no. 2 all-time U.S.
The crowd was wild for French star Leon Marchand in the men’s 200 m Fly, but world-record holder Kristof Milak was leading at the 100 and almost a body-length ahead. Marchand was second at the final turn by 0.72 and had a fabulous underwater to get close. And he kept coming, taking the lead with 15 m to go and touching in 1:51.21, an Olympic record and moving him to no. 2 in history, with the no. 4 performance. Wow.
Milak’s 1:51.75 is the no. 8 performance ever. Canada’s Ilya Kovtun was third in 1:52.80, now no. 7 on the all-time list.
Katie Ledecky was out to defend her women’s 1,500 m gold from Tokyo in the second time the event has been held. She had the lead at the first turn and had more than a body length by 100 m (+1.60). France’s Anastasiia Kirpichnikova – a former Russian – was second through 800 m, with Italy’s 2024 World Champion Simona Quadarella third.
Ledecky was seven seconds up by 1,200 m and kept extending her lead, winning in Olympic record time of 15:30.02, fastest in the world for 2024 and the no. 8 performance in history. It’s her 37th straight win at the distance, and she owns the top 20 times in history.
Her gold gives her eight Olympic wins, plus three silvers and a bronze, with more swims to go. She tied – at 12 – fellow swimmers Jenny Thompson (1992-2004: 8-3-1), Dara Torres (1984-2008: 4-4-4) and Natalie Coughlin (2004-12: 3-4-5) for the most Olympic medals won by any American woman in history.
Kirpichnikova got the silver at 15:40.35 and Isabel Gose (GER) came up for the bronze in 15:41.16, and Quadarella fourth at 15:44.05.
The crowd rose again to greet Marchand, trying for a third gold an hour and 52 minutes after his prior win, in the 200 m Breast final. He led after 50 m and after 100 m, with defending champ Zac Stubblety-Cook (AUS) moving up. But Marchand turned first at 150 m, and had a 1.18-second lead over the Australian and held on to win in 2:05.85, an Olympic record, the fastest in the world in 2024 and the no. 2 performance in history!
And Marchand will be the favorite for a fourth gold in the 200 m Medley, where he is the 2023 World Champion.
Stubblety-Cook was a clear second in 2:06.79, followed by Caspar Corbeau (NED) in 2:07.90 for the bronze. American Josh Matheny was seventh in 2:09.52.
The last final of the night was the men’s 100 m Free, and world-record holder Zhanle Pan of China left no doubt, crushing the field in a brilliant world record of 46.40, chopping 0.4 seconds off his own mark from February! It’s the first world record of the Games.
Australia’s Kyle Chalmers was more than a second behind in second at 47.58 – from eighth at the turn – and then Romania’s David Popovici, the 2022 World Champion in third. The Americans, Jack Alexy and Chris Guiliano, were seventh (47.96) and eighth (47.98).
● Triathlon: Women and Men Good news, as the water-quality (E. Coli) readings for the four measuring points on the Seine ranged between 488 and 770, well below the 1,000-unit threshold required by World Triathlon, so the races went off as scheduled at 8 a.m. for the women and 10:45 for the men.
Both were classics.
Defending women’s champ Flora Duffy led the swimming leg, but 10 were together at the front of the cycling pack. Several competitors crashed on the cycling course and did not finish, but at the transition Julie Derron (SUI), Maya Kingma (NED), Emma Lombardi (ITA) and World Champion Beth Potter (GBR) in front.
France’s Worlds runner-up Cassandre Beaugrand, powered by the pro-French crowd, moved up to challenge Derron, Potter and Lombardi, but after the bell, Beaugrand accelerated away and was a clear winner over the final 2.5 km loop, winning in 1:54:55, with Derrpon second (1:55:01) and Potter third (1:55:10). Lombardi was fourth in 1:55:16 and Duffy fifth in 1:56:12; Taylor Spivey was the top American in 10th (1:57:11), with Taylor Knibb 19th (1:58:37) and Kirsten Kasper 49th (2:06:38). Beaugrand’s 32:42 run was the fastest in the field by nine seconds and won the race for her.
The men’s race was also decided on the final lap of the run. Italy’s Alessio Crociani was first out of the water, but by the end of the bike phase, there were 32 in the front pack (!).
Britain’s Alex Yee, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, got going early in the run, but was eventually overtaken by Tokyo bronze winner Hayden Wilde (NZL), who looked like a possible winner with a 15-second lead going into the final lap. But Yee was within 10 seconds with 1,500 m to go and kept closing, winning with the fastest run in the field (29:47) in 1:43:33 to 1:43:49 for Wilde.
France’s Leo Bergere, the 2022 World Champion, took the bronze from teammate Pierre Le Corre, 1:43:43 to 1:43:51. Americans Seth Rider and Morgan Pearson were 29th and 31st in 1:47:53 and 1:48:26.
Elsewhere:
● Basketball ● In the much-awaited re-match with South Sudan, the U.S. men’s 5×5 team had no trouble, leading 28-14 at the quarter and 55-36 at half. The Americans shot 54% for the half to 37% for South Sudan and had 17 assists on 19 made baskets. Center Bam Adebayo had 14 points off the bench to lead the U.S.
The lead was 73-57 at the end of the third, and the final was 103-86, with Adebayo finishing with 18, Kevin Durant with 14 and Anthony Edwards with 13 as six Americans scored in double figures. South Sudan’s Noni Omot led all scorers with 24. The U.S. shot 53% from the floor to 42% for South Sudan.
The U.S. is 2-0 in Group C and into the quarterfinals; it will finish group play against Puerto Rico on Lille on 3 August.
¶
In its second pool-play game, the U.S. 3×3 men’s team lost to Poland, 19-17, and are 0-2. They have five games remaining with the top six in the eight-team tournament to move on to the playoffs. Canyon Barry and Dylan Travis each had six points for the U.S.
The U.S. women’s 3×3 team also lost, to Azerbaijan, 20-17, in their second match and are 0-2, despite seven points from Dearica Hamby. The situation is the same as for the men: five games to go, with the top six (of eight) advancing to the elimination round.
● Beach Volleyball ● Americans Kelly Cheng and Sara Hughes, the 2023 World Champions, moved to 2-0 in Pool C play in Paris, defeating Clemence Vieira and Aline Chamereau (FRA), 21-16, 23-21.
● Football ● The U.S. women were back in action in Marseille, this time against Women’s World Cup fourth-placer Australia and dominating the first half with 79% of possession and finally getting a goal in the 43rd off a corner, a header by Sophia Smith and a rebound that was kicked in by forward Trinity Rodman.
It was 2-0 in the 77th as substitute midfielder Korbin Albert sent a right-footed shot from outside the box into the top left corner of the Australian goal. But the Australians made it close at 2-1 with a stoppage-time goal at 90+1 from Alanna Kennedy, but a punch by U.S. keeper Alyssa Naeher on a final corner from Australia ended it.
The U.S. had 72% possession and 21-7 on shots, and is now 3-0, won its group and will play Japan in the quarterfinals. U.S. coach Emma Hayes (GBR) is now 7-0 as the American coach.
¶
The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed the Canadian appeal on the six-point penalty against the women’s team imposed by FIFA for its drone-spying incident vs. New Zealand. Even so, Canada defeated Colombia, 1-0, to finish 3-0 in Group A and move on to the playoffs as the second-place team in the group. France, which lost 2-1 to Canada, ended up 2-1 with six points and undefeated Canada had three points (9-3). Colombia also advanced as the third-place team in the group.
● Swimming ● In the women’s 200 m Fly semis, 2023 World Champion Summer McIntosh (CAN) and 2023 bronze winner Regan Smith of the U.S. were 1-2 at midway, and that’s how they finished, at 2:04.87 and 2:05.39.
Defending Olympic champ Yufei Zhang of China headlined the second semi and led from the start and led at the final turn, but U.S. teen Alex Shackell – 17 – was right with her on the final lap and was second, 2:06.09 to 2:06.46, much slower than the first semi.
The men’s 200 m Back semis had Hungary’s 2023 World Champion, Hubert Kos in front and he extended his lead through the final turn and won in 1:55.96, with Lukas Martens (GER) – the 400 m Free winner – next at 1:56.33. Italy’s Thomas Ceccon, the 100 m Back winner, was fourth in 1:56.59.
Swiss Roman Mityukov won the second semi in 1:56.05 over Petar Coetze (RSA: 1:56.09), with Keaton Jones of the U.S. moving up in the final 20 m for fourth in 1:56.39. Ryan Murphy, the Rio 2016 winner, faded badly in the final 20 m and finished sixth in 1:56.62 and did not advance to the final.
The women’s 200 m Breaststroke semi one had 2024 World Champion Tes Schouten (NED) leading at the 100 and won in 2:22.74, ahead of Kaylene Corbett (RSA: 2:22.87) and China’s Shiwen Ye, the 200-400 m Medley winner from London 2012, third in 2:23.13.
Semi two was loaded, with defending champ Tatjana Schoenmaker-Smith (RSA), U.S. Trials winner Kate Douglass, Tokyo runner-up Lilly King of the U.S. and 100 m Breast bronzer Mona McSharry (IRL). Smith and Douglass were away from the field and Douglass won at the touch in 2:19.74 to 2:19.94. King was third at 2:23.25, so both Americans are in the final.
● Table Tennis ● China’s Chuqin Wang teamed with Yingsha Sun to win the Olympic Mixed Doubles gold on Tuesday, but as photographers rushed for pictures in the moment of victory, his racket was damaged.
Visibly upset, he said after composing himself, “At that moment, I lost control of my emotions a little. I couldn’t understand why the photographers would do that.
“I guess they didn’t mean it. I can’t do anything now that it’s already happened. I believe I’ll still be able to play well with my backup bat. Maybe this is fate.”
Maybe it was. Playing in the men’s Singles on Wednesday, world no. 1 Wang lost to Sweden’s Truls Moregard in the round of 32 by 4-2 (12-10, 11-7, 5-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6) and was eliminated. Said the Swede:
“I have almost never taken a set against Wang, so it’s crazy to win here. I think how I played in the tactical game was really clever, and I didn’t feel that he had his best day at the beginning.”
● Volleyball ● The defending champion U.S. women rebounded from their opening, pool-play loss to China with a five-set, 25-17, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 17-15 win over Serbia, evening their record at 1-1.
Opposite Andrea Drews led the U.S. with 16 points and middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu added 14.
● Water Polo ● The U.S. women sailed past Italy, 10-3, in pool play on Wednesday, with a 6-2 lead at the half. Eight different U.S. players scored and Maddie Musselman had three goals’ Ashleigh Johnson had nine saves in goal.
● Athletics: Men’s 20 km Walk; Women’s 20 km Walk The men’s Tokyo winner, Massimo Stano (ITA) is back, along with runner-up Koki Ikeda (JPN), and they are 1-2 on the 2024 world list with Ikeda at 1:16:51 and Stano at 1:17:26. China’s national champ Jun Zhang is also under 1:17:30 at 1:17:26. But watch out for battle-tested stars like 2023 World Champion Alvaro Martin (ESP), silver winner Perseus Karlstrom (SWE) and Brazil’s bronzer, Caio Bonfim.
The women’s Tokyo winner, Antonella Palmisano (ITA) is also back, as is silver winner Sandra Arenas and China’s Liu Hong, 37, bronze in Tokyo, gold in Rio and silver way back at London 2012. But Kimberly Garcia Leon (PER) won both the 20 km and 35 km walks at the 2022 Worlds in Eugene and Maria Perez (ESP) won both in 2023 in Budapest. Best on the clock in the field are China’s Jiayu Yang (1:26:07) and Zhenxia Ma (also 1:26:07). Not to be ignored: 2023 Worlds silver winner Jemima Montag (AUS). Temperatures into the 70s and possibly 80s could be a problem.
● Canoe Slalom: Men’s K-1 Czech Jiri Prskavec won in Tokyo after a bronze in Rio and has been World Champion in 2015 and 2019. He’s clearly in the mix again and won two World Cup stops in 2023. But Joseph Clarke (GBR) is the reigning World Champion from 2023, ahead of Prskavec and Morocco’s Mathis Soudi. Jakub Grigar (SVK) won the Olympic silver in Tokyo and Giovanni di Gennaro (ITA) was second in the 2022 Worlds and both should contend for medals.
And what about Peter Kauzer (SLO), now 40, the Rio 2016 runner-up and a two-time World Champion? Why not?
● Fencing: Women’s Team Foil Italy, France and the U.S., led by Tokyo 2020 Foil gold medalist Lee Kiefer, figure to be the favored choices in the women’s Foil team final. Italy, the U.S. and France won the medals at the 2022 Worlds and Italy, France and Japan went 1-2-3 in 2023, with the U.S. fourth. Kiefer will be accompanied by Lauren Scruggs, Jackie Dubrovich and Maia Weintraub.
● Gymnastics: Women’s All-Around The women’s All-Around final is scheduled at 12:15 p.m. Eastern time, with American superstar Simone Biles – the 2016 Olympic champion in this event – looking for another gold, after six Worlds golds in this event, including in 2023.
She’s the favorite, having led the qualifying at 59.566, a huge score, trailed by Brazil’s Tokyo silver winner Rebeca Andrade (57.700) and Tokyo A-A gold winner and U.S. teammate Suni Lee (56.132). They appear to be the class of the field.
If there is to be a surprise, it could be from Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour (55.966 in qualifying) or Italy’s Manila Esposito (55.898).
● Judo: Men’s 100 kg; Women’s 78 kg Japan’s Aaron Wolf, born to a Japanese mother and American father, won the Tokyo 2020 gold and is back to defend, along with bronze winner Jorge Fonseca (POR). But neither have been on the podium at the 2022, 2023 or 2024 Worlds. Muzaffarbek Turoboyev (UZB) won in 2022, with Michael Korrel (NED) getting a bronze, and Zelym Kotsolev (AZE) won in 2024, over Canada’s Shady El Nahas, with Spain’s Nikoloz Sherazadishvili getting a bronze. And there is Israel’s 2023 bronze winner Peter Paltchik in the mix. Can Wolf win again?
The women’s 78 kg class has two-time World Champion Anna-Maria Wagner of Germany (2021, 2024), three-time World Champion Mayra Aguiar (BRA: 2014-17-22) and Israel’s 2023 World Champion Inbar Lanir all ready to go. Wagner and Aguiar won bronzes in Tokyo.
Italy has two-time Worlds medalist Allice Bellandi, France has Tokyo runner-up and 2024 Worlds bronzer Madeleine Malonga and there are Worlds bronze winners Guusje Steenhuis (NED: 2023) and Emma Reid (GBR) also ready. But, what about Japan’s 2024 Asian champ Rika Takayama?
● Rowing: Men’s Double Sculls-Fours;
Women’s Double Sculls-Fours Tokyo silver winners Melvin Twellaar and Stef Broenink (NED) are back and won the 2023 Worlds golds. They look like favorites, but with challenges from Ireland’s 2023 bronze winners, Daire Lynch and Philip Doyle, 2022 Worlds silvers Aleix Garcia and Rodrigo Conde (ESP) and perhaps even Sorin Koszyk and Ben Davison of the U.S.
Great Britain has won two Worlds golds in a row in the men’s Fours, but the U.S. was second in 2023 and is hunting a medal, along with New Zealand, the Dutch and defending Olympic champ Australia.
The women’s Double Sculls has returning gold medalists Nicoleta-Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Radis from Romania, and Dutch bronze winner Lisa Scheenaard is back with new partner Martina Veldhuis. New Zealand’s Brooke Francis and Lucy Spoors placed fifth at the 2023 Worlds and look ready to move up as they won their semifinal.
Australia won the women’s Fours in Tokyo, over the Dutch and the Irish and a different Dutch crew won the 2023 Worlds over Romania and Great Britain. The British and Dutch won the heats – and are favored – and the U.S. won the repechage to also make the final.
● Sailing: Men’s 49er; Women’s 49er FX This is the Skiff class for men and women, with different equipment. Spain’s three-time Worlds medalists, Diego Botin and Paul Trittel had the lead after nine of 12 opening races, with 35 net points over Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove (IRL: 46 net) and Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie (NZL: 50). Close behind are Britain’s James Peters and Flynn Sterritt (56 net) and Americans Ian Barrows and Hans Henken (58 net).
Botin has never won an Olympic medal and was fourth with Iago Lopez in Tokyo; at age 30, he may finally be due, in his third Games.
The women’s 49erFX class was won in both Rio and Tokyo by Brazilians Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze, but they have been in difficulty in Marseille, in 15th place after nine races. In the lead is Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz (NED) with 35 net points and two wins; they’re the 2022 and 2024 World Champions and 2023 runners-up. France’s Charlene Picon, the Rio 2016 windsurfing gold medalist has teamed up with Sarah Steyaert and they are in second place at 39 net and five runner-up finishes. The Swedish pair of Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler, the 2023 World Champions and 2024 runners-up, are a solid third at 57 net, but appear to be fighting for bronze.
● Shooting: Men’s 50 m Rifle/3 Positions None of the Tokyo medalists are back, but 2023 Worlds gold medalist Alexander Schmirl is, along with silver winner Petr Nymbursky (CZE). This could be a big day for Ukraine, with 2022 World Champion Serhiy Kulish ready to go, as are the 2022 silver man, Tomasz Bartnik (POL) and bronzer Jon-Hermann Hegg (NOR).
Watch out for China’s Linshu Du, the 2022 World Junior Champion in this event. Petar Gorsa, now 36, won a Wolds silver for Croatia back in 2018
● Swimming: Men’s 200 m Back; Women’s 200 m Breast-200 m Fly-4×200 m Free Relay In the men’s 200 m Backstroke, Hungary’s 2023 World Champion, Hubert Kos confirmed his status as the favorite, winning semi one in 1:55.96, with Lukas Martens (GER) – the 400 m Free winner – next at 1:56.33. Swiss Roman Mityukov won the second semi in 1:56.05 over Petar Coetze (RSA: 1:56.09), with Keaton Jones of the U.S. moving up in the final 20 m for fourth in 1:56.39, the only American to make the final.
The women’s 200 m Breaststroke final showed defending champ Tatjana Schoenmaker-Smith (RSA) and U.S. Trials winner Kate Douglass as the favorites, 1-2 in semi one in 2:19.74 and 2:19.94. Tes Schouten (NED), the 2024 World Champion, looked good in semi one at 2:22.74, ahead of Kaylene Corbett (RSA: 2:22.87) and China’s Shiwen Ye, the 200-400 m Medley winner from London 2012, third in 2:23.13. Ireland Mona McSharry and Tolyo runner-up Lilly King are also medal contenders.
In the women’s 200 m Fly, 2023 World Champion Summer McIntosh (CAN) and 2023 bronze winner Regan Smith of the U.S. were 1-2 in semi one, at 2:04.87 and 2:05.39 and looked like the favorites. Defending Olympic champ Yufei Zhang of China headlined the second semi and won in 2:06.09, with American teen Alex Shackell was right with her on the final lap and second in 2:06.49.
The women’s 4×200 m Freestyle relay will be another Australia vs. U.S. showdown, with the Australians setting a world record at the 2023 Worlds and the U.S. a clear second. That looks to be the situation again, as the Aussies have four in the top 11 in the world this year and the Americans have four in the top 21.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Russia ●The World Friendship Games, a Russian-backed multi-sport event scheduled for September was officially moved to 2025. An International Friendship Association said in a statement on Tuesday:
“After consulting with a number of athletes and international sports federations, the International Friendship Association (IFA) has come up with the initiative to postpone the World Friendship Games to 2025.
“The main reason for reconsidering the Games dates is the insufficient recovery time for top athletes participating in major international tournaments in the summer of 2024.
“The decision to postpone the Games will allow for a more representative lineup of participants and provide the opportunity to expand the World Friendship Games program with cultural and entertainment components.
“If the Russian Government approves postponement of the Games, the Organizing Committee, together with the International Friendship Association, will propose new dates for the tournament.”
● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ●The USOPC posted on its Team USA account on X (ex-Twitter) that with the silver and bronze medals won by Regan Smith and Katharine Berkoffin the women’s 100 m backstroke, the United States has now won 3,000 Olympic medals in its history.
That’s the most of any nation, of course.
● Athletics ● Jamaica’s Shericka Jacksonsaid that she will skip the women’s 100 m in Paris and concentrate on the 200 m.
One of the primary expected challengers to American Sha’Carri Richardson, the 2023 World Champion, Jackson said that she needs to “protect my body” and focus on one individual event. She won the Jamaican Trials at 10.84, no. 5 in the world for 2024, with Tia Claytonsecond at 10.86 and two-time Olympic champ Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce third (they will both run), but showed inconsistent form during the spring.
The women’s 200 m will take place after the 100 m, giving Jackson a few extra days of rest before starting; she’s the two-time defending World Champion in that event. Richardson’s toughest challenge now would appear to be St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred (10.78 in 2024).
“Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili revealed on social media that she won’t be competing in the women’s 100m at the 2024 Olympics because the Athletics Federation of Nigeria failed to enter her name despite her qualifying.
“Ofili and several other Nigerian athletes also missed out on Tokyo 2020 due to being disqualified by the Athletics Integrity Unit.
“She still hopes to compete in the 200m, if her name is registered.”
A former LSU star, Ofili has run 11.06 this year and 10.78 wind-aided in the 100 m, and 22.33 in the 200 m.
¶
Dutch distance star Sifan Hassan announced she will contest the women’s 5,000 m on 2 August, the 10,000 m on 9 August and then the marathon on 11 August, the last day of the Games.
She had also entered the 1,500 m, but has dropped that. She won the 5,000 and 10,000 m in Tokyo and won the Chicago Marathon in 2023.
¶
Another strange situation in the women’s 100 m, with Solomon Islands marathoner Sharon Firisua – 72nd in the Tokyo Olympic women’s marathon in 2021 – entered in the 100 m by the National Olympic Committee of the Solomon Islands.
Firisua did not qualify for the women’s marathon for Paris, but the Solomon Islands was granted a place in the 100 m for “universality.” So, the NOC entered her instead of a sprinter, without any input from the country’s track & field federation. Firisua has never run the 100 m before.
● Equestrian ● It was hot on Tuesday at the gardens at Versailles and the equestrian Dressage Team Grand Prix, about 93 degrees Fahrenheit on the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) Index, a standard measure of heat and humidity impact.
So, the Federation Equestre Internationale and Paris 2024 implemented mitigation programs, starting with monitoring of the horses via advanced thermal imaging technology for body temperature and three additional cooling stations for the horses were added, for a total of five.
Each were equipped cold water, ice, fans and personnel for rapid temperature reduction of the horses after competition. A great photo of a cooling station, with a horse getting treatment, is here.
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“Following a meeting on water quality held on 30 July at 3.30am attended by Paris 2024, representatives of World Triathlon and their technical and medical delegates, the International Olympic Committee, Météo France, the City of Paris and the prefecture of the Ile-de-France region involved in carrying out water quality tests, the decision has been made to postpone the men’s triathlon event which was due to be held on 30 July at 8am.”
World Triathlon posted that announcement just after 4 a.m. Paris time on Tuesday, moving the men’s triathlon to Tuesday at 10:45 a.m., following the women’s race at 8 a.m. During the morning news conference, Aurelie Merle, the Paris 2024 Sports Director explained the results and the process going forward:
● “The tests that were carried out on the Seine revealed that the water quality were not sufficient on the entirety of the course. That’s why we immediately informed the athletes and the coaches as soon as the decision was taken at 4 o’clock in the morning.”
● She noted that testing was done at four points on the course. With reference to the E. Coli levels (in units per 100 ml), “it was between 980 and 1,553, which means there was one that we below the threshold [1,000], two that were just slightly above, and one which I mentioned, which was a bit more above.”
● “We know that the sun and the heat have a very strong impact on the quality of the water and that’s why we feel – because we were so close this morning that we can, hopefully, deliver tomorrow morning, the water quality will be better.”
● “Both triathlons are subject, as well, to the same forthcoming water test, so they have to comply with the established World Triathlon threshold for swimming. So, that will take place tomorrow at 3:30.”
● “We still have a contingency day in place for the 2nd of August and we are working hand-in-hand with World Triathlon and the different stakeholders to make sure that all the opportunities are looked into, depending on the weather forecast, that the triathlon will take place.”
The decision will be made based on readings taking up to 21 hours prior, combined with weather forecasting and river flow measurements. The very heavy rains on the 26th and 27th – reported to be equal to the normal total for all of July in Paris – really impacted the water quality and were a direct cause of the postponement.
World Triathlon President Marisol Casado(ESP) noted that issues with swimming are not uncommon in the sport, not only concerning pollution, but wave strength and electrical storms as well. She added:
“At this point, we are quire confident that it will happen tomorrow and then we will be very happy, all of us.”
The postponement is an embarrassment for the Paris Games, but if the races can get going on Tuesday, it’s not such a big deal. ~ Rich Perelman
¶
The Champions Park in the Trocadero opened on Monday and was a massive success, with 26,000 people passing through, with multiple medal winners – especially from France – soaking up the atmosphere and the interaction with fans.
● Les Temps ●The updated forecast shows continued cooling, with more rain possible, further complicating the triathlon and open-water swimming situation:
● 31 July (Wed.): High of 88 (F) ~ low of 71, possible storms ● 01 Aug. (Thu.): 84 ~ 66, cloudy ● 02 Aug. (Fri.): 84 ~ 63, sunny ● 03 Aug. (Sat.): 81 ~ 65, cloudy ● 04 Aug. (Sun.): 80 ~ 63 cloudy ● 05 Aug. (Mon.): 85 ~ 66, cloudy ● 06 Aug. (Tue.): 85 ~ 65, cloudy ● 07 Aug. (Wed.): 76 ~ 60, morning rain ● 08 Aug. (Thu.): 78 ~ 61, cloudy ● 09 Aug. (Fri.): 80 ~ 62, cloudy ● 10 Aug. (Sat.): 79 ~ 61, cloudy ● 11 Aug. (Sun.): 79 ~ 60, cloudy
If the triathlons cannot be held on Tuesday, the make-up date is 2 August, and the mixed relay for 5 August; the open-water swimming is slated for 4-5 August.
● Medals & Teams ● After day four of competitions, the U.S. and France continue with the most medals:
● 1. 26, United States (4-11) ● 2. 18, France (5-9-4) ● 3. 14, China (6-6-2) ● 4. 13, Japan (7-2-4) ● 5. 12, Great Britain (4-5-3) ● 6. 11, Australia (6-4-1) ● 6. 11, South Korea (5-3-3) ● 8. 11, Italy (3-4-4) ● 9. 6, Canada (2-2-2) ● 10. 4, Brazil (0-1-3) ● 11. 3, four tied
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much better representation of team achievement, the U.S. continues to lead:
● 1. 227 1/2, United States ● 2. 184 1/2, France ● 3. 179, China ● 4. 156 1/2 Italy ● 5. 151, Great Britain ● 6. 140 1/2, Japan ● 7. 139, Australia ● 8. 123 1/2, Korea ● 9. 87 1/2, Germany ● 10. 85 1/2, Canada ● 11. 43, Brazil ● 12. 37, New Zealand
A total of 58 countries have scored points so far, up by four from Monday.
● Television ● No new numbers at posting time on Tuesday, but the first three days of NBC’s total audiences – broadcast, cable and streaming – for Paris 2024 have been excellent:
● 26 Jul. (Fri.): 29.3 million (with Telemundo) ● 27 Jul. (Sat.): 32.4 million ● 28 Jul. (Sun.): 41.5 million
This is way up on Covid-impacted Tokyo and running ahead of audiences for Rio 2016 through the first three days.
● Games of the Xth Olympiad: Los Angeles 1932 ● Tuesday marked the 92nd anniversary of the opening of the first Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles, in 1932, before 101,022 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It was a turning point for the Olympic Movement in many ways, including, but not limited to:
● First Olympic Games held over the now-familiar 16-day schedule – now 17 – where prior events had been staged over weeks or months.
● First Games presenting awards using the three-tier victory stand, an innovation borrow from the first British Empire Games, in 1930.
● First Olympic Village for all male competitors, a temporary installation in Baldwin Hills, with the women also accommodated in one location, in the luxury Chapman Park Hotel.
The Games, with real estate developer William May Garlandas head of the organizing committee, was also the first to turn a financial surplus. The Xth Olympiad Committee, as it was known, received $1 million from a public bond issue in 1929 to begin the organizing of the Games and finished – thanks to strong ticket sales – with a cash surplus of $1.25 million. It paid back – with interest – the bond at $1,053,733, and finished with a surplus of $196,267 in 1933, which was given to the City and County of Los Angeles.
The Official Report of the Games stated that 1,503 athletes were entered from 37 countries and 1,427 competed, in 117 events in 14 sports.
● Fencing: Women’s Team Epee After placing three in the top 16 in the individual epee, France was the favorite in the women’s Team Epee, against Italy, the Tokyo bronze winners and 2023 Worlds runners-up. The final was a classic, with France up 19-15, but Italy got wins from Giulia Rizzi and Mara Navarria to take a 24-23 lead and with a 6-6 tie in the final bout, it ended 30-29 for the Italians.
It’s Italy’s first Olympic win in this event, after a silver in 1996 and bronze in Tokyo. Poland, the 2023 World Champions, defeated China, 32-31, for the bronze in Paris.
● Gymnastics: Women’s Team No doubt whatsoever. Playing it safe with some routines that de-emphasized the risky, the United States women dominated the women’s Team final, winning their third gold medal in the last four Games at 171.296, with Italy a solid second at 165.494 and Brazil third at 164.497.
The U.S. won on all four apparatus, taking the Vault at 44.100 – its best score of the day – then on Uneven Bars (43.332), Beam (41.699) and Floor (42.165). Superstar Simone Biles had the top U.S. score on Vault at 14.900, defending Olympic All-Around champ Suni Lee was best on Uneven Bars (14.566) and Beam (14.600) and Biles was best on Floor (14.666). Jordan Chiles (all four events) and Jade Carey (14.800 on vault) also competed for the Americans.
The fight for second was wild, with the Italians ranking 5th-3rd-3rd-5th on the four apparatus to get the silver, while Brazil was 2nd-5th-6th-2nd.
The U.S. has won a medal in this event in nine straight Olympic Games. Next up for the individual stars is the women’s All-Around with Biles and Lee leading the charge, on Thursday.
● Judo: Men’s 81 kg; Women’s 63 kg Two Olympic golds for Takanori Nagase (JPN), who defended his Tokyo title by defeating three-time World Champion Tato Grigalashvili (GEO) in the 81 kg final. It’s Japan’s fifth Olympic gold in this category – more than anyone else – and the first time someone has won twice.
Korea’s two-time Worlds bronzer Joon-hwan Lee defeated Belgium’s 2021 World Champion Matthias Casse, 1-0, for one bronze and Somon Makhmadbekov (TJK) won the other, over Antonio Esposito (ITA).
The women’s 63 kg gold was won by 2023 Worlds runner-up Andreja Leski (SLO), who dominated surprise finalist (and silver medalist) Prisca Awiti Alcaraz (MEX), the 2023 Pan American Games bronze winner. It’s Mexico’s first-ever Olympic medal in judo.
Six-time World Champion, and defending Olympic champ Clarisse Agbegnenou (FRA) had to settle for one bronze, and Laura Fazliu (KOS) won the other.
● Rugby Sevens: Women In the semifinals, defending champ New Zealand cruised by the U.S., 24-12, and Canada defeated Australia, 21-12. In the final, Canada had a 12-7 lead at half, but could not hold it as Michaela Blyde and Stacy Waaka both got a try and the Kiwis prevailed, 19-12.
It’s two Olympic golds in a row for New Zealand, which has been in the final all three times the women’s tournament has been played in the Games (2-1-0). Canada won bronze in Rio and now a silver in Paris.
In the bronze-medal match, the U.S. won a thriller from Australia, 14-12, as Alex Sedrick scored a try and conversion as time ran out to overcome a 12-7 deficit. It’s the U.S.’s first-ever medal in Rugby Sevens.
● Shooting: Men’s Trap; Mixed Team 10 m Air Pistol Britain’s Nathan Hales, the 2022 Worlds silver winner and world-record holder at 49/50, shot an Olympic Record 48/50, including his last 18 in a row, to win the men’s Trap title, 48-44 over China’s 2022 Asian Games winner Ying Qi. Jean Brol Cardenas (GUA) won the bronze at 35 and American Derrick Mein, the 2022 World Champion, finished fifth (26).
It was Britain’s first win in this event since 1968!
In the Mixed Team 10 m Air Pistol, Serbia – Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec – moved up from fourth in Tokyo and won the gold in a tight, 16-14 match over Turkey’s 2023 Worlds runners-up, Sevval Tarhan and Yusuf Dikec. The Serbs had to win the last two shots to come from behind and win.
India, the 2023 World Champions, took bronze as Manu Bhaker got her second bronze of the Games, this time with Sarabjot Singh, 16-10 over South Korea.
● Swimming: Men’s 800 m Free-4×200 m Free Relay;
Women’s 100 m Back First up was the women’s 100 m Back final was a showdown between defending champ Kaylee McKeown of Australia and Americans Regan Smith – the world-record holder – and Katharine Berkoff. Canada’s Kylie Masse actually led at the turn and Smith had the lead with 25 m to go, but McKeown’s finish was the best and she won in an Olympic Record of 57.33, the equal-second performance ever. Smith was a clear second in 57.66, ahead of Berkoff in 57.98. Masse was fourth in 58.29.
McKeown is only the second to win back-to-back Olympic titles, equaling Natalie Coughlin’s feat in 2004-08.
The men’s 800 m Freestyle had defending champ Bobby Finke of the U.S., with Australia’s Elijah Winnington – the 2024 Worlds silver winner – leading through the first 350 m, ahead of 2024 World Champion Daniel Whiffen (IRL). Whiffen took over at 400 m, with Finke and Italy’s Tokyo silver winner Gregorio Paltrinieri closest.
Whiffen and Paltrinieri had a half-second edge at 600 m, and Paltrinieri was the clear leader at 700 m. Whiffen got the lead at the final turn and while Finke chased down the Italian, it was Whiffen who got to the touch to win in an Olympic Record of 7:38.19, now the no. 5 performer and no. 5 performance of all time. Finke got the silver in 7:38.75, his no. 2 time ever, and Paltrinieri got the bronze in 7:39.38.
James Guy led off the men’s 4×200 m Freestyle relay for Great Britain, with Luke Hobson third for the U.S. and Tom Dean (GBR) Carson Foster were 1-2 after 400 m. Matthew Richards, the 200 m Free silver winner, continued the lead over American Drew Kibler and handed to Duncan Scott a 0.50-second lead on the anchor. Scott expanded the lead into the final turn, with Kibler fighting for second against Australia’s Thomas Neill.
Britain completed an Olympic back-to-back and won in 6:59.43 with the same quartet who won in Tokyo, with the no. 6 performance in history. The U.S. was second – after missing the medals in Tokyo – in 7:00.78, the no. 7 performance in American history, with Australia third in 7:01.98.
● Table Tennis: Mixed Doubles No doubt about this one, even though it took six games, as China’s 2022 and 2023 World Champions Chuqin Wang and Yingsha Sun defeated surprise finalists Jong Sik Ri and Kum Yong Kim – seeded 16th! – by 4-2 (11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8).
In the bronze-medal match, South Korea’s Jonghoon Lim and Yubin Shin swept aside the veteran Hong Kong pair of Chun Ting Wong and Hoi Kem Doo, the 2023 Worlds bronze medalists, by 4-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-7, 14-12).
Elsewhere:
● Beach Volleyball ●Still in men’s Pool D play, Americans Miles Partian and Andrew Benesh evened their record at 1-1 with a 21-12, 2826 win over Mohamed Abicha and Zouheir El Graoui (MAR).
In Pool F, Americans Chase Budinger and Miles Evans (1-1) were defeated by Dutch stars Stefan Boermans and Yorick De Groot (2-0), 21-13, 21-15.
● Basketball ● The 3×3 tournaments have begun, with the U.S. women – the reigning World Champions – losing to Germany, 17-13, in their opener. Hailey van Lith led all scorers with six points, while Marie Reichert and Sonja Greinacher each had five for the Germans. An early 8-7 lead evaporated for the U.S. as Germany scored four straight and took control, 11-7 and held on.
In the 3×3 opener for World Champion Serbia and the U.S. – runners-up in 2023 – Serbia won, 22-14, with a stifling defense; Marko Brankovic had eight points for Serbia. Kareem Maddox led the U.S. with 6.
The U.S. men’s 5×5 team will next play against South Sudan on Wednesday; it took a LeBron James drive and layin to get a 101-100 win in their exhibition game on 20 July in London.
● Football ●The U.S. men (1-1) got off to a good start against Guinea (0-2) in Saint-Etienne in their final Group A game, as Djordje Mihailovic curled in a free kick from the left side of the box straight into the top left corner of the goal in the 14th for a 1-0 lead.
Forward Kevin Paredes doubled the lead in the 31st, running onto a lead pass from striker Paxten Aaronsen on the right side and then moving to the middle and slotting a left-footed shot past Guinea keeper Soumaila Sylia. Guinea had 59% possession in the half, but the U.S. led on shots, 10-7.
Paredes got a second goal in the 75th on a left-footed shot from inside the box off a feed from substitute forward Jack McGlynn for a 3-0 lead and that’s the way it finished. Guinea had 62% possession and had some chances, with 16 shots to 14 for the U.S., but no goals.
So the U.S. (2-1) is on to the quarterfinals in Paris, behind France (3-0), and will face Morocco.
● Swimming ● In the men’s 100 m semis, Australia’s Rio 2016 champ Kyle Chalmers won in 47.58, coming on in the final 20 m to touch first ahead of Nandor Nemeth (HUN: 47.61), France’s Maxime Grousset (FRA: 47.63) and Chris Guiliano of the U.S. (47.72). Semi two had Jack Alexy of the U.S. leading at the turn, but China’s Zhanle Pan – the world-record holder – came on in the final 25 m to touch first in 47.21, ahead of the 200 m Free winner, David Popovici (ROU: 47.66) and Alexy (47.68). Both Alexy and Guiliano advanced to tomorrow’s final.
French star Leon Marchand was the focus of the 200 m Butterfly semis, leading semi one from the start, winning in 1:53.50 in his third race of the day, after two morning heats in the 200 Fly and 200 Breast. Canada’s Ilya Kharun was second in 1:54.01. World-record holder Kristof Milak (HUN) won the second semi in 1:52.72, ahead of Noe Ponti (SUI: 1:54.14); Thomas Heilman of the U.S. (17) was sixth in 1:54.87 and did not advance.
The men’s 200 m Breast semis had Tokyo winner Zac Stubblety-Cook coming on during the final 50 m to win in 2:08.57, ahead of Zhihao Dong (CHN: 2:08.99), with Josh Matheny of the U.S. in fourth (2:09.70) and advancing to the final. Marchand came back 85 minutes later for the second semi, and he led from the start and won convincingly in 2:08.11, with Ippei Watanabe (JPN) second in 2:09.62. Matt Fallon of the U.S., who was the world leader coming in, was fifth in 2:09.96 and did not advance.
Before Marchand’s last swim was the women’s 100 m Free semifinals, with Gretchen Walsh of the U.S. leading the first semi at the turn, but Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey won in 52.64, followed by Shayna Jack (AUS: 52.72), with Walsh fourth (53.18). Australia’s 200 m Free winner Mollie O’Callaghan came on in the final 10 m to win semi two in 52.75, with Junxuan Yang (CHN: 52.81) and world-record holder Sarah Sjostrom (SWE: 52.87) ahead of 100 m Fly winner Torri Huske of the U.S. (52.99). Both Americans made the final.
● Volleyball ●The defending champion U.S. women got a rude welcome to Paris with a 20-25, 19-25, 25-17, 25-20, 13-15 loss to China, the Rio 2016 Olympic champs, in their opening match on Monday.
At 0-1, the U.S. has matches remaining against Serbia (1-0) and France (0-1) with two pr three teams in the group qualifying for the semifinals.
In the men’s Group C, the U.S. defeated Germany by 25-21, 25-17, 17-25, 20-25, 15-11) on Tuesday to go to 2-0 and qualify for the quarters. It has one pool-play match left vs. Japan on 2 August.
● Water Polo ●The U.S. men got back to 1-1 in Group A pool play, beating Romania by 14-8 with a combined 7-1 edge in the second and third quarters. Hannes Daube and Alex Bowen each had three scores for the Americans, now sitting third in the group (four advance) with three more pool-play games.
The American women (1-1) suffered a rare loss in pool play on Monday, with Spain (2-0) winning, 13-11, in a rematch of the Tokyo 2020 gold-medal game. This time, the Spain had a 6-5 lead at the half, and 11-9 after three quarters and held on to win. Beatriz Ortiz had five scores for the Spanish, while Jordan Raney had two for the U.S. The U.S. is second in its group of 5, with four to qualify for the playoffs and two more games to go in Group B.
● Canoe: W Slalom C-1 What will Jess Fox do? The Australian star won the K-1 and is the defending champion in the C-1, in an event in which she is a four-time World Champion. She will be challenged by 2023 World Champion Mallory Franklin (GBR), Brazil’s Ana Satila, Austrian Victoria Wolffhardt, German Elena Lilik and K-1 runner-up Klaudia Zwolinska (POL).
● Cycling: Men’s BMX Freestyle; Women’s BMX Freestyle The cycling women’s BMX Freestyle finals has Tokyo Olympic silver winner – and five-time World Champion – Hannah Roberts looking to move up to the top of the podium. Britain’s Tokyo winner, Charlotte Worthington, is back as is Swiss Nikita Ducarroz, the Tokyo bronze medalist, and do not forget about fellow American Perris Benegas, the 2018 World Champion.
In the men’s final, France’s Anthony Jeanjean, who won the 2024 qualifying series, 2023 World Champion Kieran Reilly (GBR), Tokyo Olympic champ Logan Martin (AUS), Japan’s 2022 World Champion, Rim Nakamura and 2018 Worlds winner Justin Dowell of the U.S. are all contenders.
● Diving: Women 10 m Synchro In diving, the U.S. won one medal at the 2023 World Championships, a bronze by Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell and they are up again. The pair won the Tokyo Olympic silver in 2021 and will be looking for a repeat medal performance, with China’s World Champions, Yuxi Chen and Hongchan Quan strongly favored.
Chen also won in Tokyo, but with Jiaqi Zhang as her partner.
● Fencing: Men’s Team Sabre The U.S. has a powerful entry in the men’s fencing Sabre team final, having won the 2023 Worlds bronze with Eli Dershwitz, Colin Heathcock and Mitchell Saron. Hungary, the reigning World Champion, defending Olympic champ South Korea and Italy are all contenders.
● Gymnastics: Men’s All-Around Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto will be defending his 2023 Worlds gold as well as his victory at Tokyo 2020. American Fred Richard stunned with a bronze at the 2023 Worlds and is looking for the first U.S. medal in the A-A since Danell Leyva’s bronze at London 2012. Japan has won this event in three straight Games.
China’s Boheng Zhang led the qualifying A-A scores at 88.597, with Shinnosuke Oka (JPN: 86.865) second and Hashimoto (85.064). Richard qualified 10th at 83.498 and Paul Juda also qualified, in 13th at 82.865.
● Rowing: Men’s Quadruple Sculls; Women’s Quadruple Sculls The Netherlands is the defending Olympic men’s champion, but Great Britain, the U.S. and New Zealand went 1-2-3 at the 2023 Worlds and Great Britain and Australia were 1-2 over the Dutch at the 2022 Worlds.
In the women’s race, China, Poland and Australia won the Tokyo medals, and China won over the Netherlands at the 2022 Worlds. But at the 2023 Worlds, it was the Dutch who were best, followed by Romania and Great Britain.
● Shooting: Women’s Trap Slovakia’s Zuzana Rehak-Stefecekova is back to defend her Tokyo 2020 gold, but Rio 2016 winner Catherine Skinner (AUS) and London 2012 winner Jessica Rossi (ITA) are also back!
Rossi won the silver medal at the 2023 Worlds, and gold medalist Yi-chun Lin (TPE). Spain’s Fatima Galvez, the 2019 Worlds bronze winner and 2023 Worlds bronzer Kathrin Murche (GER) is also a contender. The U.S. has two quality entrants who can challenge in Rachel Tozier and Ryann Phillips.
● Surfing: Men’s and Women’s Shortboard The great experiment In Tahiti will conclude, with Brazil’s 2024 World Champion Gabriel Medina and two-time World Champion Filipe Toledo, American John John Florence and Australia’s Jack Robinson all stars on this year’s World Surfing League tour. Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi is back and won the Tokyo silver and Morocco’s Ramzi Boukhiam won the World Surfing Games silver in 2023.
The U.S. has defending champ Carissa Moore back in the women’s competition, who will be challenged by 2023 World Champion Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), France’s two-time Worlds medalist Joanne Defray and Americans Caroline Marks and Caitlin Simmers.
● Swimming: Men’s 100 m Free-200 m Breast-200 m Fly; Women’s 100 m Free-1,500 m Free French star Leon Marchand – who swam at Arizona State and is transferring to Texas – is the favorite in the men’s 200 m Butterfly, where he was the 2023 World Champion in a national-record time of 1:52.43. He will be challenged by Hungarian world-record holder Kristof Milak, the world no. 2 in 2024 and Swoss Noe Ponti That race is at 8:36 p.m.
Some 99 minutes later, Marchand expects to be back in the water to try – potentially – for a third gold in the men’s 200 m Breaststroke final, at 10:15 p.m. He’s going to have to deal with defending champion Zac Stubblety-Cook (AUS), Zhihao Dong (CHN) and Japan’s former world-record holder Ippei Watanabe.
In between will be the women’s 1,500 m Freestyle final, with American star Ledecky defending her Tokyo 2020 gold in this event, which was held for the first time three years ago. She’s an overwhelming favorite, owning the top four times of the year and eight seconds faster than Italy’s Simona Quadarella, the 2024 World Champion.
Also on the schedule are the finals in the men’s and women’s 100 m Freestyles. Tokyo Olympic men’s champion, Caeleb Dressel of the U.S., didn’t make the team in this event, beaten out by emerging stars Chris Guiliano (47.25) and Jack Alexy (47.08). China’s Zhanle Pan won the 2024 Worlds gold and owns the world record at 46.80, with Romanian co-favorite David Popovici at 46.88 and Rio 2016 winner Kyle Chalmers (AUS) a definite threat. Alexy and Guiliano both made it to the finals, as the final qualifiers.
The women’s 100 m Free features world-record holder Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan and Shayna Jack, China’s Junxuan Yang and Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, who might end up winning! Americans Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske are both in the field and are contenders for medals.
● Triathlon: Women and Men Defending champion Flora Duffy (BER) is back, as is silver winner Georgia Taylor-Brown. But the hottest athlete right now might be France’s Cassandre Beaugrand, second in the 2023 Worlds to Beth Potter (GBR) last year, but already a winner on the 2024 World Triathlon Championship Series.
French teammate Emma Lombardi is a threat, as is American Taylor Knibb, third in the 2023 Worlds. Fellow Americans Taylor Spivey and Kirsten Kasper could also be serious medal contenders.
In the men’s race to follow, French hopes are on 2022 World Champion Leo Bergere and Pierre LeCorre, Britain looking to 2020 Olympic silver winner Alex Yee, plus New Zealand’s Tokyo bronze winner Hayden Wilde and 2020 Olympic winner Kristian Blummenfeldt (NOR) all contenders. The U.S. has an outside shot for a medal with Morgan Pearson.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Anti-Doping ●The International Testing Agency announced a provisional suspension of Nigerian boxer Cynthia Temitayo Ogunsemilore in the women’s 60 kg category, returning a positive test for the masking agent Furosemide. A bronze medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but lost her opening bout on Monday by forfeit.
It’s the third doping positive reported at Paris 2024 by the ITA.
● Fair Play ●The International Fair Play Committee, in conjunction with the International Olympic Committee, is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first Olympic Fair Play award, given at the 1964 Olympic Winter Games to Italian bobsled star Eugenio Monti:
“Nominations for the Paris 2024 Fair Play Award are now open, and open to everyone. National Olympic Committees, International Federations, athletes, coaches and the public can submit nominations through a dedicated CIFP email, [email protected], as well as the social media channels listed below.
“After the nominations have been received from the public, a jury composed of representatives from the CIFP, the IOC, athletes and the media will shortlist the nominees. The public will then have the opportunity to vote for the winners, who will be revealed shortly after the conclusion of the Paris Games.”
The CIFP was founded by Frenchman Jean Borotra in 1963 and has showcased this important element of sport at the Olympic Games and many other events. Moreover, in Paris, a new work by 1980 Venezuelan football Olympian Cheche Vidal – Fair Competition – will be launched on 1 August.
On 2 August, Vidal – a key executive at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the U.S., responsible for technology – will join an important, four-way conference with the Fair Play Committee, the International Society of Olympic Historians, Panathlon International, and the International Pierre de Coubertin Committee, with the objective of finding shared projects that can further illuminate the spirit of the Games and of fair play.
In addition, the CIFP will present a Tokyo Olympic Fair Play award to Japan’s Sakura Yosozumi, the Tokyo women’s Park Skateboard gold medalist, for her role in giving support an an injured competitor. The trophy will be presented by International Olympic Committee member Prince Albert (MON), himself a previous winner of the Fair Play award during his bobsled career.
● Sports Medicine ●The issue of transgender athletes is not top-of-mind at the Paris Games, but the advocacy has not stopped.
A comprehensive, study-based approach is being taken by The International Consortium on Female Sports (ICFS) and the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), which released a compact guide to nine frequently-asked-questions about male-to-female conversions in elite sport:
● It outlines the biological and competitive disparities that exist between male and female athletes, backed by scientific research and data.
● It explains that testosterone suppression in male athletes does not eliminate their inherent physiological advantages, which include but are not limited to, increased muscle mass, bone density, and oxygen-carrying capacity. These advantages provide male athletes with an unfair competitive edge in female categories.
Said Dr. Mary O’Connor, a 1980 U.S. Olympic Team member in rowing and the ICONS Rowing Chair:
“The International Olympic Committee has instructed journalists not to accurately report the sex of athletes even when males are competing against women.
“The injustice of allowing men in women’s sport is unfair, unsafe and dehumanizing to women. Asking the media to hide it from the public is inexcusable.”
The FAQ also specifically addresses the case of American women’s 1,500 m star Nikki Hiltz, who identifies as non-binary and has been described as transgender. Nope: “This athlete is female and has always competed in the women’s category.”
● Athletics ● It isn’t always easy being Noah Lyles. He spoke to reporters on Monday about his Paris experience so far:
“I’ve become kind of popular in the Village, and unfortunately, that has come with its own set of challenges in being able to find my own space within the Village, whether that’s eating or training in the gym.
“I know some athletes like to leave the Village and stay in hotels, but I like to enjoy the whole Olympic experience, being with other athletes and stuff like that. But it has come with its own challenge of finding my own safe place, and it’s been kind of hard for me to find that place within the Village, and I don’t want to leave.”
“I’m not even the most popular person in the Village, so I know I’m not the only one who’s had to deal with situations like this, and I just wanted to bring that to people’s attention, that even though we might be superstars in your eyes, we still are human beings, and we do want to be able to have our space and our time. And, I want to enjoy the Olympics, just like you guys.
“I’ve now been finding myself eating at very random times in the back of the cafeteria, just to kind of have my space with just my girlfriend as we’re just trying to enjoy a meal. I’m just being vocal and being very honest with myself.”
Nevertheless, he is oozing confidence, looking forward to starting the men’s 100 m on Saturday (3rd):
“As I go into this biggest stage in the world, I’m now saying, Hey, I’ve been through the hardest parts. I’ve been at the bottom. I’ve fought my way back up. I’ve fixed the weaknesses. Now here I am stronger than before. If I lose this time, it’s not going to be because I beat myself, it’s just going to be that they had to be that much better. But to be honest, with Noah Lyles being Noah Lyles, there’s nobody.”
¶
U.S. shot star Ryan Crouser, trying for a third straight Olympic gold, said the event is tougher than ever before:
“In particular, men’s shot is has been consistently good for eight years now, and it’s been the same usual suspects. And now we add in [Italy’s Leonardo] Fabbri as well, so it will be, I believe, quite the competition, and a lot of guys are in good shape right now. …
“None of us really wanted to take a back seat. All of us have been fighting to be at the top. And for me, it’s knowing that Tom Walsh, Joe Kovacs, Darlan Romani, all of the guys, if I’m not training hard every single day, they’re catching me, they’re passing me. And so they have the same attitude. That level of competition and special group of guys have pushed shot put to, I think, levels that no one thought it could reach.”
Crouser admitted, that at 31, it’s not the same as when he was in Rio eight years ago:
“There were some challenges this spring. As a self-coached athlete, I have had a bit of difficulty recognizing that I am getting older. This is a difficult pill to swallow. So I did a bit of overtraining and had the injuries that accompany that. Now I realize I cannot do exactly what I did daily in the days when I was younger.
“But I still believe at the top end I am as good as I ever was, if not better. It makes me cherish this Olympic experience even more because I can see that I cannot do this forever. I know I have a limited time in the sport. Once you realize that, it makes you appreciate it even more.”
● Fencing ● Four-time World Champion Olha Kharlanwon the women’s Sabre bronze on Monday, especially meaningful since it was the first medal of the Games for Ukraine. She said afterwards:
“Of course it’s been a really difficult moment to compete the past two and a half years when in my country there’s war.
“Since I have five [Olympic] medals already, this one is definitely a special one because with all the conditions that we were preparing and all the news, all what happened in Ukraine with the war, it’s tough and all the Ukrainian athletes here are suffering.
“All of us we have our own story, but I hope this medal will bring to my country some joy, some hope, and if you see the last bout … never give up. It shows that Ukraine will never give up.
“I saw a lot of Ukrainian flags today and in the end the French people here were cheering for me and were supporting me. And it gives a lot of hope and a lot of joy and support. Really, it was amazing.”
Kharlan was trailing by 11-5, but came back to win the bronze over South Korea’s Se-bin Choi, 15-14.
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The figure skating Team Event at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China, finished on 7 February 2022.
The medals will be presented 913 days later, on Wednesday, 7 August 2024 at the Champions Park in Paris, during the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad.
That was confirmed on Monday by the International Olympic Committee at its daily news conference, with the U.S. and Japan now confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport as the gold and silver-medal winners, following the disqualification of Russia due to the doping positive from women’s skater Kamila Valieva.
It is not clear whether the bronze medalist will be decided by that time, as the International Skating Union declared Russia in third place, seemingly ignoring its own scoring rules, and with a filing by Canada to be declared as the bronze-medal winners now in the decision stage at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
A second series of medal ceremonies will take place at the Champions Park as well, two days later, on 9 August at 1:55 p.m. Paris time, with re-allocations ceremonies of medals of events whose results have been changed due to doping positives from Russia and elsewhere. Two Americans are in line to receive golds from the London 2012 Games: Erik Kynardin the men’s high jump and Lashinda Demus in the women’s 400 m hurdles.
The ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. Paris time (11 a.m. Eastern time). The Champions Park, a temporary facility located near the Eiffel Tower, is a new concept for 2024, essentially an in-city festival space with music daily, but also a visit from Olympic medal winners to make appearances between 5:30 and 7 p.m. daily and interact with the crowd of up to 11,000. It opened Monday.
Said IOC spokesman Mark Adams (GBR):
“We wanted this to be settled as quickly as possible, for everybody concerned, for all the athletes. It’s the athletes that we care about. Unfortunately, when the legal process gets involved, the wheels can move very slowly, and as you see, once we have a result, we have expedited matters to make sure the allocation can be here, somewhere suitable.
“You can never replace the moment of winning, the moment of victory and the medal allocation during the Games, but we felt and the athletes agreed that this is as good a place as any, and, like everyone, it seems a shame for the delay, but the process has to be followed properly, and the process has been followed properly, the medals are being allocated at last and the athletes and their families and their teams can celebrate properly, finally.”
It’s about time, and, to be real, a more exciting format for the medal ceremony for the U.S. team members – Nathan Chen, Vincent Zhou, Karen Chen, Alexa Knierim, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Zachary Donohue, Madison Chock and Evan Bates – as the Beijing Winter Games were held with very limited attendance due to Covid, and there should be thousands at the Champions Park in Paris.
If you have to wait more than 900 days to get your medals, getting a trip to Paris thrown into the bargain isn’t a bad way to go. ~ Rich Perelman
¶
Etienne Thobois, the Paris 2024 chief executive, told reporters that 200,000 tickets had been sold since the start of the Games, at the rate of about 40,000 day, mostly for football matches “because that’s the place where the most tickets are available.”
Paris has sold more than nine million tickets, the most ever for an Olympic Games.
¶
“The decision will be taken at 4 o’clock in the morning, based on samples taken 24 hours in advance within the framework of a protocol which was agreed with the international federation, which has the final say. The decision is taken together with the organizers, the IOC and the international federation. The decision will be taken at 4 a.m. and the delegations will be immediately informed so that the athletes can be notified as quickly as possible. An a statement will be made at 4 o’clock in the morning.”
That’s from Thobois, explaining the process by which the decision on holding the swimming portion of the triathlon in the Seine River. He explained:
“We’re monitoring very closely, the level of the Seine is going down very rapidly. The weather forecast is bright and shiny, and specifically today, it’s going to be hot so we’re confident that we will be able to hold [the event], even though we canceled the familiarization [swim] this morning, the competition tomorrow and Wednesday and we still have a contingency plan that is in place for Friday, in case.
“As far as we are concerned, we are still confident to be able to hold the competition tomorrow.”
● Paris ●Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, during a France Bleu radio interview, said that she would like to see the Olympic Rings remain on the Eiffel Tower into the future and that the images of 10 French women shown during the Olympic opening and the hot-air balloon “cauldron” placed on permanent display after the Games:
“There are three symbols that we must focus on so that they can remain as a legacy. There are the Olympic Rings on the Eiffel Tower, the cauldron, an extraordinary, magnificent object, and the place in which it is located is magnificent. There are also the very beautiful statues that we saw emerge in the sorority painting and about which I have long said to myself that they would also have their place in Paris, particularly in the 18th arrondissement.
“These three magnificent symbolic artistic objects deserve all our attention. They are undoubtedly part of iconic objects, a legacy of the Games that we will want to keep. But we have to work on it.”
The cauldron, in the Tuileries Garden, is being viewed daily by about 10,000 spectators, who need to obtain a ticket for a specific time to prevent overcrowding. As for the Rings and the Eiffel Tower, Christophe Dubi(SUI), the IOC’s Executive Director for the Olympic Games, was enthusiastic:
“It’s a great source of pride, to have the Rings that can be kept in place. … It is phenomenal.”
IOC spokesman Adams further explained:
“It’s one of the, if you like, minor reforms of Olympic Agenda [2020], President [Thomas] Bach has wanted the [Olympic] Rings to be more present. The Rings, after the Sydney Olympic Games were taken down from the bridge, so we are very happy if a city or a region or a country wants to have the Rings, but that is entirely in the first place something here for the Parisians, the Mayor and so on, to discuss.
“Do we like the Rings to be seen in an Olympic city, absolutely. Should they remain, I think that’s a question for Paris and for the French people.”
● Les Temps ●The updated forecast shows slight cooling, with rain possible on 30-31 July – the dates of the triathlons – and showers on 6 August:
● 30 July (Tue.): High of 98 (F) ~ low of 71, sunny ● 31 July (Wed.): 88 ~ 70, cloudy ● 01 Aug. (Thu.): 83 ~ 65, possible storms ● 02 Aug. (Fri.): 83 ~ 62, cloudy ● 03 Aug. (Sat.): 81 ~ 65, cloudy ● 04 Aug. (Sun.): 80 ~ 64 cloudy ● 05 Aug. (Mon.): 80 ~ 66, cloudy ● 06 Aug. (Tue.): 79 ~ 64, rainy ● 07 Aug. (Wed.): 78 ~ 61, morning rain ● 08 Aug. (Thu.): 79 ~ 61, morning rain ● 09 Aug. (Fri.): 79 ~ 60, cloudy ● 10 Aug. (Sat.): 78 ~ 59, cloudy ● 11 Aug. (Sun.): 79 ~ 60, cloudy
The triathlons are scheduled for 30-31 July and the mixed relay for 5 August; the open-water swimming is slated for 4-5 August.
● Medals & Teams ● After day three of competitions, the U.S. and France are piling up the medals:
● 1. 20, United States (3-8-9) ● 2. 16, France (5-8-3) ● 3. 12, Japan (6-2-4) ● 3. 12, China (5-5-2) ● 5. 10, Great Britain (2-5-3) ● 6. 9, Australia (5-4-0) ● 6. 9, South Korea (5-3-1) ● 8. 8, Italy (2-3-3) ● 9. 5, Canada (2-1-2) ● 10. Five tied with three each.
In our TSX team rankings, using a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system and a much better representation of team achievement, the U.S. continues to lead:
● 1. 175 1/2, United States ● 2. 157, France ● 3. 139, China ● 4. 127 1/2, Japan ● 5. 127 Italy ● 6. 124, Great Britain ● 7. 110, Australia ● 8. 96 1/2, Korea ● 9. 79 1/2, Germany ● 10. 62 1/2, Canada ● 11. 37, Brazil ● 12. 31, Kazakhstan
A total of 54 countries have scored points so far.
● Television ● NBC was thrilled with the fast-overnight audience estimates for Friday’s opening ceremony, with a total audience of 28.6 million for the live coverage and primetime show, plus 666,000 on Spanish-language Telemundo Deportes.
That’s 29.3 million across the U.S., way up on recent Games:
● 2021: 17.9 million for Tokyo (Covid-impacted) ● 2016: 26.5 million for Rio de Janeiro ● 2012: 40.7 million for London
Saturday’s fast-national data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics showed a total audience of 32.4 million across all platforms, far ahead of the first competition day at Tokyo 2020 (17.7 million), counting live afternoon programming and the primetime show. That’s slightly better than the 31.8 million total audience for NBC’s day 2 broadcast of the 2016 Rio Games.
Sunday was even better, with 41.5 million total audience delivery, almost double the 21.7 million audience for Tokyo 2020’s first Sunday and much better than the Day 3 total of 31.5 million from Rio 2016.
● Errata ●Thanks to sharp-eyed reader Olivier Bourgoin, who corrected Sunday’s error calling U.S. women’s football striker Trinity Rodman, ”Tiffany” Rodman. No doubt, she’s a jewel, but that’s not her name. Sorry.
● Archery: Men’s Team South Korea won its third straight Olympic gold in this event, defeating France in the final by 5-1, and three-time individual World Champion Woo-jin Kim won his third gold as a member of all three teams.
The French were a surprise in second – its first-ever event in this event – but Turkey’s bronze was not, out-shooting China, 6-2. It’s also turkey’s first Olympic medal in this event.
● Canoeing: Men’s Slalom C-1 There was no stopping France’s Nicolas Gestin in the C-1. The 2023 Worlds silver winner, he was the last man on the course and ripped off the fastest run on the course at 91.36 – with no penalties – to win a home gold.
Slovenia’s 37-year-old Benjamin Savsek was the defending champion and started eighth, posting the no. 2 time on the course (94.93), but missed a gate and suffered a 50-second penalty to finish 11th. Instead, it was Adam Burgess (GBR: 96.84) for the silver and Matej Benus (SVK), the Rio silver medalist, claimed the bronze (97.03).
● Cycling: Men’s Mountain Bike Defending Olympic champ Tom Pidcock (GBR) wanted to get to the front and he did early, but got all he could handle from France’s Victor Koretzky, a two-time winner on the UCI World Cup circuit this season.
Koretzky led Pidcock by 36 seconds after lap 3, but Pidcock passed South Africa’s Alan Hatherly and Koretzky to lead by the end of lap 7 and then at the end in 1:26:22, nine seconds better than the French star. Hatherly was a close third, finishing 11 seconds back in 1:26:33, and he and Kortezky won their first Olympic medals. Riley Amos was the top American, in seventh at 1:28:08.
● Diving: Men’s 10 m Synchro How could you doubt China’s Junjie Lian and Hao Yang, who won this event at the 2022, 2023 and 2024 World Championships?
No need. They won at 490.35, comfortably ahead of Britain’s Tom Daley and Noah Williams, who were the silver winners at the 2024 Worlds (463.44) won silver; Daley now has won bronze-gold-silver in this event in the last three Games.
A distant third was Canada’s Rylan Wiens and Nathan Zsombor -Murray at 422.13, up from fifth at the 2024 Worlds.
● Equestrian: Eventing Germany’s Michael Jung returned to the top of the podium on the individual Eventing final, winning his third gold – also in 2012 and 2016 – but with a new horse (Chipmunk FRH), standing second after Dressage, first after Cross Country and with only four penalty points in Jumping, won at 21.80.
Australia’s Christopher Burton (Shadow Man) was third going into Jumping, but had only 0.4 penalties to move from third to second at 22.40, while Laura Collett (GBR, with London S2) had 4.8 penalties to drop to third with 23.10. Boyd Martin (Fedarman B) was the top U.S. finisher in 10th (32.10).
With Britain finishing 3-4-21 individually, that was good enough for the team title, with 52.50 points, ahead of France (87.20) and Japan (93.80). The U.S. was ninth (128.50). It’s Britain’s second straight Olympic win, and Collett and Tom McEwen won their second straight Olympic Team golds.
● Fencing: Men’s Foil; Women’s Sabre Hong Kong’s Ka Long Cheung scored the final two points of the gold-medal match to repeat as Olympic men’s Foil champ with a tingling, 15-14 victory over Italy’s Filippo Macchi. It’s only the third time for a repeat Olympic champ in the event and the first since Christian d’Oriola (FRA) in 1952 and 1956!
Macchi was a surprise, ranked 13th worldwide and having a career total of three World Cup or Grand Prix medals! The bronze went to American Nick Itkin, the 2023 Worlds silver winner, who overcame Japan’s Kazuki Iimura, 15-12, for the bronze. It’s the U.S.’s fifth men’s Foil medal ever and only the second since 1960.
France had two major contenders in the women’s Sabre, with world no. 1 Sara Balzer, the 2023 European silver medalist and Manon Apithy-Brunet, the Tokyo bronze medalist and 2023 European champion. They ended up meeting in a classic in the final, with Apithy-Brunet edging Balzer for the gold, 15-12.
It’s France’s second-ever medal in the event, as Apithy Brunet won the Tokyo bronze. Olha Kharlan, the four-time World Champion from Ukraine who was involved in the mess with a Russian loser at the 2023 Worlds that clouded her qualification for Paris, won the bronze anyway – her third, after 2012 and 2016 – by defeating Korea’s Se-bin Choi, 15-14.
● Gymnastics: Men’s Team Japan came in as the favorite and delivered, placing second on Floor and Parallel Bars, third on third on Vault and winning the Horizontal Bar to score 259.594, just enough to edge out China (259.062) for its second gold in the last three Games. It’s the sixth straight Games with a medal for Japan in this event and the fifth straight for China.
The U.S. qualified fifth, and were consistent, finishing second on Vault, Rings and Horizontal Bar, third on Floor and Pommel Horse and fourth in Parallel Bars to claim the bronze at 257.793, well clear of Great Britain (255.527). It’s the first U.S. men’s team medal since 2008.
For the U.S., Asher Hong scored 14.133 or better in four events and Fred Richard scored 14.033 or better in his four.
● Judo: Men’s 73 kg; Women’s 57 kg Gold for 2024 World Champion Hidayet Heydarov (AZE), who defeated surprise finalist Joan-Benjamin Gaba (FRA) in the final, despite both being issues yellow cards.
Japan’s Soichi Hashimoto, the 2017 World Champion, won his first Olympic medal with a bronze-medal victory over Akil Gjakova (KOS) and Adil Osmanov (MGL) took the other with an upset over Italy’s 2023 Worlds bronzer Manuel Lombardo.
Canada’s Christa Deguchi, the 2023 World Champion, won a rematch of the 2024 Worlds final, which she lost against Korea’s Mi-mi Huh. Deguchi won this time and took Canada’s first gold or silver in the event. Huh won Korea’s first medal in the event since 1996.
France’s Tokyo silver medalist Sarah-Leonie Cysique won one bronze and Japan’s Haruka Funakubo, the 2022 Worlds runner-up, defeated Brazil’s 2016 Olympic winner, Rafaela Silva for the other. It’s the third straight for a bronze in this weight class for Japan.
● Shooting: Men’s 10 m Air Rifle; Women’s 10 m Air Rifle China’s Lihao Sheng moved up from silver at Tokyo to take the gold in Paris (his second of the Games), scoring an Olympic Record of 252.2 in the final. That was enough to defeat Sweden’s 2023 World Champion, Victor Lindgren (251.4), with Miran Maricic (CRO: 230.0) in third.
In the women’s 10 m Air Rifle final, 16-year-old Hyo-jin Ban won a thriller in a shoot-off with China’s Yuting Huang, the 2022 Worlds runner-up. Tied at 251.8 after 24 shots, Ban shot 10.4 to Huang’s 10.3 to win the gold. It’s Korea first medal in the event since 2002 and its first win since 1992.
Swiss Audrey Gogniat took the bronze at 230.3, ahead of American Sagen Maddalena in fourth (207.7).
● Skateboarding: Men’s Street Japan’s Yuto Horigome, the defending champion and 2021 World Champion, scored a sensational 97.08 on his final trick to score 281.14 and win the Street gold, edging American Jagger Eaton, who led all the way to the final round.
Eaton, the 2021 World Champion and Tokyo bronze medalist, scored 91.92 as the no. 2 run of the day and then got trick scores 93.87 and 95.25 for a total of 281.04. Fellow American Nyjah Huston, the six-time World Champion, was a disappointing seventh in Tokyo, but was solid in Paris, scoring 93.37 for the best run and had scoring tricks of 92.79 and 93.22 on his first two to finish with the bronze at 279.38.
● Swimming: Men’s 200 m Free-100 m Back; Women’s 200 m Free-100 m Breast-400 m Medley There was no doubt that Canada’s 17-year-old sensation Summer McIntosh – the world-record holder – was going to win, and she did.
McIntosh was first at the end of the Fly leg, with a big lead over American Katie Grimes, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, and Grimes got closer after the Backstroke leg. But McIntosh was strong on the Breast leg and moved away, while Grimes was getting heat from behind from Freya Colbert (GBR) and fellow American Emma Weyant, the Tokyo runner-up.
McIntosh was unchallenged on the way to gold in 4:27.71 – the no. 5 performance in history (she has four of the five) – but Grimes and Weyant were 2-3 at the final turn and finished that way, in 4:33.40 and 4:34.93. Colbert was fourth in 4:35.67.
The men’s 200 m Free had 2022 World Champion David Popovici (ROU) as the favorite, but 400 m Free winner Lukas Martens (GER) was first at the 100 m. They were 1-2 at the final turn and Luke Hobson of the U.S. was suddenly in the picture with 40 m to go. But Popovici found an extra gear in the final 15 m and touched first – somehow – in 1:44.72, with Britain’s Matthew Richards – in lane one – getting the touch for silver in 1:44.74 and Hobson got the bronze in 1:44.79. Britain’s Duncan Scott, the Tokyo runner-up, was fourth in 1:44.87; just 0.15 across the top four. Martens ended up fifth in 1:45.46.
China’s Jiayu Xu, the Rio 2016 silver medalist, had the lead in the men’s 100 m Back final at the turn, with Rio 2016 winner Ryan Murphy of the U.S. – out in lane two – in close attendance. Murphy got to the front with a brilliant underwater following the turn, but Italy’s 2022 World champ Thomas Ceccon surged in the final 20 m to get the lead and passed Murphy, winning in 52.00. Xu came up and got Murphy in the final meter or so for silver, 52.32 to 52.39. For the brilliant Murphy, it’s his seventh Olympic medal and third in this event (gold-bronze-bronze) in the last three Games.
China’s Qianting Tang, the 2024 World Champion, led at the turn of the women’s 100 m Breast final, ahead of Ireland’s Mona McSherry, a 2021 Worlds Short-Course bronze winner. But Tokyo silver winner Tatjana Schoenmaker-Smith (RSA) pulled through in the middle of the final lap and got to the front with 10 m to go and touched for the win in 1:05.28, with Tang at 1:05.54 and McSharry fading slightly to third in 1:05.59. American Lilly King, the Rio 2016 winner and Tokyo bronze medalist, was seventh at the turn and moved up to tie for fourth at 1:05.60, 0.17 behind her winning mark at the Olympic Trials.
Australia’s Ariarne Titmus was going for a double-double in the 200 and 400 m Frees in Tokyo and Paris, but Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, the Tokyo silver winner, was the leader at 50, 100 and 150 m in the women’s 200 Free final! Titmus came into the lead on the final turn, but it was 2023 World Champion and teammate Mollie O’Callaghan who had the best move in the last 25 m and edged ahead to stay, winning in an Olympic Record of 1:53.27, the no. 7 performance of all-time. Titmus was scond in 1:53.81 and Haughey a very deserving third in 1:54.55. American Claire Weinstein, 17, finished eighth in 1:56.60.
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Elsewhere:
● Basketball ● The U.S. women won their 56th straight game in Olympic play, pushing aside Japan in Lille, 102-76. The Americans had a 22-15 lead at the half, 50-39 at half and 79-56 at the end of three quarters.
Center A’ja Wilson led the U.S. with 24 points on 10-16 shooting (and 13 rebounds) and sharpshooting guard Breanna Stewart led the U.S. with 22 points on 11-15 from the field. Kelsey Plum and Sabrina Ionescu added 11 each. Japan was led by Maki Takada with 24. The U.S. outshot Japan, 55-38%.
● Beach Volleyball ● The U.S. team of Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, the 2023 Worlds bronze medalists, defeated Australia’s Tokyo silver winners, Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy in straight sets, 21-16, 21-16, in pool play to move to 2-0 in Paris.
● Rugby Sevens ● The U.S. women were fourth during the 2023-24 Sevens Series season and fifth at the Grand Finals and moved into the quarterfinals in Paris with a 17-7 win over Great Britain. They’ll play New Zealand next, the seasonal winner in the Sevens Series (four tournament wins), on Tuesday.
● Swimming ●World-record holder Regan Smith of the U.S. had no trouble winning her first semifinal in the women’s 100 m Backstroke, in 57.97, with Canada’s Kylie Masse – the Tokyo runner-up – second in 58.82. Defending Olympic champ Emma McKeon (AUS), the former world-record holder, led at the turn of semi two and then had to stretch a bit to beat Katharine Berkoff of the U.S., 57.99 to 58.27.
● Tennis ● Just a second-round match, but the 60th meeting between Serbia’s top-seeded Novak Djokovic and Spain’s Rafael Nadal, with Djokovic winning 6-1, 6-4, to eliminate the 38-year-old Spaniard.
● Fencing: Women’s Team Epee Estonia, South Korea and Italy won the medals in Tokyo, but Poland took the 2023 World title from Italy, with the Koreans third. In 2022, the Koreans took the Worlds gold, over Italy, with Poland third.
But looking at the individual women’s Epee results in Paris, France had three of the final 16, and the U.S. and Ukraine each had two. The French were fourth at the 2022 Worlds and might be a hot pick on their home pistes.
● Gymnastics: Women’s Team All eyes on Simone Biles as the U.S. women compete in the team final, trying for their third gold medal in the last four Olympic Games. The American women have won this event in the last seven Worlds and are favored again. Biles suffered what appeared to be a minor left calf injury during the qualifying, but still put up the highest individual All-Around score.
The American women scored 172.296 in the qualifying, well ahead of surprising Italy (166.861), China (166.628) and Brazil (166.429). If the U.S. executes its plan, it should be another gold, after silver in Tokyo.
● Judo: Men’s 81 kg; Women’s 63 kg Japan’s Takanori Nagase is the defending Olympic champion from Tokyo and is ready to defend, along with bronze winners Shamil Borchashvili (AUT) and Belgian Matthias Casse, the 2021 World Champion and world-ranked no. 1.
They will be challenged by no. 2-ranked Tato Grigalashvili (GEO), the 2022-23-24 World Champion (who beat Casse in two finals), 2022 and 2023 bronzer Joon-hwan Lee (KOR), and Dutch star Frank de Wit, the 2021 Worlds bronze medalist. A surprise pick might be Israel’s 2019 World Champion, Sagi Muki, now ranked no. 18.
French fans will be pulling for Tokyo winner Clarisse Agnegnenou to repeat, and she is the favorite, having won Worlds golds in 2014-17-18-19-21-23. However, bronze winner Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard (CAN) is back, as is 2023 Worlds silver winner Andrea Leski (SLO) and bronze winners Szofi Orbas (HUN), and Joanne van Lieshout (NED), who won the 2024 Worlds gold over Angelika Szymanska (POL).
● Rugby Sevens: Women New Zealand, Australia and France all powered through their groups with 3-0 records, with the U.S. looking next best at 2-1.
Australia beat New Zealand in Rio and New Zealand beat France in Tokyo, and Australia (three wins), New Zealand (four wins) and France were the best teams in the 2023-24 Rugby Sevens Series. The Aussies beat France in the women’s Grand Finals in June and are likely to do so again.
● Shooting: Men’s Trap; Mixed Team 10 m Air Pistol The men’s Trap final is on, with the U.S. having the 2022 World Champion in Derrick Mein. Croatia’s Giovanni Cernograz is the reigning World Champion and was the 2012 Olympic champ, but Tokyo 2020 winner Jiri Liptak (CZE) and bronze winner Matthew Colley-Smith (GBR, also the 2019 World Champion) are both back.
Not to be overlooked are Italy’s 2019 Worlds runner-up Mauro de Filippis, or American Will Hinton, a member of the U.S. Team winners at the 2023 Worlds, with Mein.
In the Mixed Team 10 m Air Pistol event, Turkey will face Serbia for the gold and India and Korea will compete for the bronze. The Turks – Sevval Tarhan and Yusuf Dikec – were 2023 Worlds silver medalists in this event, behind India and Korea won the silver at the 2022 Worlds.
The Serbs – Zorana Arunovic and Damir Mikec – will be looking for redemption after finishing fourth in this event in Tokyo.
● Surfing: Men’s and Women’s Shortboard In Tahiti, the surfing finals will be on, with Brazil’s 2024 World Champion Gabriel Medina and two-time World Champion Filipe Toledo, American John John Florence and Australia’s Jack Robinson all stars on this year’s World Surfing League tour. Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi is back and won the Tokyo silver and Morocco’s Ramzi Boukhiam won the World Surfing Games silver in 2023.
The U.S. has defending champ Carissa Moore back in the women’s competition, who will be challenged by 2023 World Champion Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), France’s two-time Worlds medalist Joanne Defray and Americans Caroline Marks and Caitlin Simmers.
● Swimming: Men’s 800 m Free-4×200 m Free Relay;
Women’s 100 m Back Defending Olympic men’s 800 m Freestyle champ Bobby Finke is ready to defend his title, made somewhat easier by the withdrawal – due to injury – of 2023 World Champion Ahmed Hafnaoui of Tunisia. However, Finke is only no. 6 on the 2024 year list, with 2024 World Champion Daniel Whiffen (IRL), Australia’s 400 m Free silver winner Elijah Winnington and Sam Short, Italy’s Tokyo silver winner Gregorio Paltrinieri and others ahead of him. Will he have that famous kick he showed in Tokyo?
Great Britain, the U.S. and Australia went 1-2-3 in the men’s 4×200 m Free relay at the 2023 Worlds, and China will also challenge in 2024. The British have four of the top nine performers on the world list and are clear favorites; the U.S. have four of the top 13.
The women’s 100 m Backstroke final should be a classic between Olympic champ Kaylee McKeown of Australia and new world-record holder Regan Smith of the U.S. Between them, they own the top seven performances of the year, followed by American Katharine Berkoff and Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan. Smith’s world mark of 57.13 is definitely in danger.
● Table Tennis: Mixed Doubles This is only the second appearance of Mixed Doubles in the Games after it was held for the first time in Tokyo. China’s Chuqin Wang and Yingsha Sun are the favorites after winning the Worlds gold in 2022 and 2023, but the North Korean duo of Jong Sik Ri and Kum Yong Kim – seeded 16th! – are a surprise in the final.
The bronze-medal match has South Korea’s Jonghoon Lim and Yubin Shin, who reached the 2023 Worlds quarterfinals against the veteran Hong Kong pair of Chun Ting Wong and Hoi Kem Doo, the 2023 Worlds bronze medalists.
● Triathlon: Men Assuming the full event is held – swimming, cycling and running – French hopes are on 2022 World Champion Leo Bergere and Pierre LeCorre, Britain looking to 2020 Olympic silver winner Alex Yee, plus New Zealand’s Tokyo bronze winner Hayden Wilde and 2020 Olympic winner Kristian Blummenfeldt (NOR) all contenders. The U.S. has an outside shot for a medal with Morgan Pearson.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The French newspaper Le Parisien reported that police arrested 44 members of a group called “Extinction Rebellion” who had plans for sabotage during the Games.
A car driven by one activist had bales of straw, mats and 35 buckets of water. An Extinction Rebellion social-media post said the protest had been canceled “following the crackdown on activists prior to it starting.”
¶
Airline travel to France is down during the Games period, as the Olympics is keeping people away who might otherwise visit in another year. And CNBC reported that airlines which had jacked up prices are now discounting them in hopes of getting last-minute flyers. And:
“Like the airlines, many hotels raised rates to take advantage of the tourism bump, only to discount them following a spring season of slow bookings.
“Still, average rates are up nearly 70% this July, from 202 euros last year to 342 euros during the Olympic period, Paris’ tourism board said. Estimates from the travel price comparison website Trivago show rates have jumped even more, up 85% year on year in Paris, and 131% in Lille, which is hosting some of the Games’ basketball and handballs competitions.”
So those who did go are really paying for it.
● Press-Radio-TV ● On the same day that the head of the Olympic Broadcasting Services, Yiannis Exarchos(GRE) made extensive comments at the Paris 2024 Main Press Center about the importance of fair reporting of women in sport, Eurosport fired longtime swimming commentator Bob Ballard(GBR) for a sexist comment.
Following the victory ceremony for the Australian women in the 4×100 m Freestyle Relay on Saturday, Ballard, 82, was heard saying, “Well, the women just finishing up. You know what women are like… hanging around, doing their make-up.”
“During a segment of Eurosport’s coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment.
“To that end, he has been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effect.”
¶
The Russian news agency TASS reported that it had the accreditation of its four journalists revoked by the Paris 2024, citing government instructions. The TASS report included:
“The revocation of accreditation from TASS journalists was a total surprise for us. …
“The Paris 2024 Organizing Committee cited the decision of the French authorities when it deprived the journalists of their legitimate right to do their job but it provided no concrete claims or reasons for such a decision.”
● Beach Volleyball ●There were some boos on Sunday for Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, 29, who was convicted of child rape in 2016 and served 13 months in prison in Great Britain and The Netherlands out of a four-year sentence in Britain, where the offense occurred.
Van de Velde was selected for the 2024 Dutch team, playing with Matthew Immers and world-ranked no. 11, lost to Italy’s Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula by 22-17, 19-21, 15-13.
Questions about whether van de Velde should have been allowed to play were directed to the International Olympic Committee, which explained that the selection process for athletes is up to the respective National Olympic Committees. Spokesman Mark Adams (GBR) said that he understood that van de Velde is not staying in the Olympic Village, but at a hotel arranged by the Dutch NOC.
● Cycling ● American cyclist Haley Battenwon the women’s Mountain Bike silver, but was docked CHF 500 for “failure to respect the instructions of the race organization or commissaires,” going through a service lane alongside the course.
Her silver medal was not challenged.
● Football ●The French Public Prosecutor’s office said it has opened an inquiry into death threats against three Israeli athletes, and a racist incident at the Israel vs. Paraguay men’s football match at the Parc de Princes in Paris on Sunday.
A report cited about 50 or more fans “dressed in black, masked and carrying Palestinian flags unfurl a banner saying ‘Genocide Olympics'” and one “made gestures of an anti-Semitic nature.” The Paris 2024 organizers filed a police complaint. Paraguay won the match, 4-2.
● Sailing ● Pretty good fan turnout for the first day of sailing in Marseille, with 8,000 filling up the Club 2024 viewing area onshore, to watch the 49er and 49erFX classes. Pretty good!
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The Paris Games are underway and thrilling in the pool, on the court, and with the majestic Eiffel Tower above it all.
However, Sunday is also 28 July, exactly 40 years since the opening of the Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad in Los Angeles, an event which changed the entire direction of the Olympic Movement.
Coming off of the capture and murder of Israeli at Munich 1972, the billion-dollar financial debacle of Montreal 1976 and the U.S.-led boycott of the Moscow 1980 Games, there were many who were sure that there would be no Los Angeles Games in 1984. But there was.
Opening 40 years ago today in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the 1984 Games shattered the molds of the past and offered a new pathway forward that not only revolutionized the Olympic Movement, but sports around the world, forever:
● A private, non-for-profit corporation organized the Games and had a surplus of $232.5 million, used to promote youth sports in Southern California and endow the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the National Governing Bodies with support that continues today.
● Completely new approaches to television rights sale and corporate sponsorship caused the International Olympic Committee to take over the sales of both on a worldwide basis, raising its quadrennial income into the millions.
● Existing venues were used wherever possible, with just three sports facilities built: a cycling velodrome at Cal State Dominguez Hills (replaced by the multi-venue Dignity Health Sports Park), a swimming pool at USC (still there) and a shooting range in Chino (still in operation today).
● Volunteers were used for most of the workforce – 33,500 of them – to augment an organizing committee which had 1,750 staff as of 1 June 1984, but more than 100,000 with all of the staff and vendors, by 28 July.
● Los Angeles was the only bidder for the 1984 Games (no, Tehran never bid). There were only two bidders in 1981 for the 1988 Games. But after Los Angeles, there were suddenly six enthusiastic bids from Europe and Australia and the Games were back in business. And the success of football at the Games led directly to the 1994 FIFA World Cup coming to the U.S. and the founding of Major League Soccer.
There are dozens more innovations introduced by the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee that endure to today in Paris, including the format of the accreditation system, the use of temporary pools, the beyond-the-Games period Olympic Arts Festival, a years-long youth sports program, the introductions of technologies to the Games such as voicemail and electronic mail and many more.
I was honored to be the head of Press Operations for the LAOOC and the Editor-in-Chief of the Official Report. What came out clearly was the vision, most especially of five individuals who made the key decisions that brought to Games to Los Angeles and made it successful: John Argue, the bid architect, in collaboration with L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley, LAOOC President Peter Ueberroth, Executive Vice President and General Manager Harry Usher and key advisor, television sales architect and ceremonies producer David Wolper.
They had a lot of help, of course, but remembering the Rocket Man, the 84 grand pianos playing “Rhapsody in Blue,” the greatest card stunt in history and then the Games, it’s worth taking a moment to see how far a nearly-broke IOC has come with the Paris Games of 2024. ~ Rich Perelman
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● Les Temps ●The updated forecast shows slight cooling, with rain possible on 30-31 July – the dates of the triathlons – and showers on 6 August:
● 29 July (Mon.): High of 89 (F) ~ low of 67, sunny ● 30 July (Tue.): 95 ~ 71, cloudy ● 31 July (Wed.): 86 ~ 69, possible storms ● 01 Aug. (Thu.): 82 ~ 64, possible storms ● 02 Aug. (Fri.): 82 ~ 64, sunny ● 03 Aug. (Sat.): 80 ~ 65, cloudy ● 04 Aug. (Sun.): 80 ~ 63 cloudy ● 05 Aug. (Mon.): 79 ~ 65, cloudy ● 06 Aug. (Tue.): 81 ~ 63, rainy ● 07 Aug. (Wed.): 76 ~ 60, cloudy ● 08 Aug. (Thu.): 77 ~ 58, cloudy ● 09 Aug. (Fri.): 77 ~ 59, cloudy ● 10 Aug. (Sat.): 78 ~ 60, cloudy ● 11 Aug. (Sun.): 78 ~ 60, cloudy
The triathlon is scheduled for 30-31 July and the mixed relay for 5 August; the open-water swimming is slated for 4-5 August.
The triathlon training session in the Seine for Sunday was cancelled, but Paris 2024 Communications Director Anne Deschamps told the morning news conference:
“Still very confident with the weather forecast for the next 48 hours, the water quality will be improved and thanks to all the work that has been undertaken by our public stakeholders, we saw the water quality of the River Seine improve significantly over the last week. So, we are still very confident.”
● Medals & Teams ● After two full days of competition (26 of 329 events), the U.S. leads with 12 medals overall (3-6-3), followed by France (8: 3-3-2) and Japan (7: 4-2-1). Australia also has four golds, but six medals in total.
Our exclusive TSX team rankings, using an eight-place, 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring by event, give a much more “diverse, equitable and inclusive” view of the relative achievements of the teams:
● 1. 111, United States ● 2. 84, Italy ● 3. 80 1/2, France ● 4. 78, China ● 5. 75, Australia ● 6. 69 1/2, Japan ● 7. 58 1.2, Germany ● 8. 58 1/2, Korea ● 9. 47, Great Britain ● 10. 30 1/2, Brazil ● 11. 27, Canada ● 12. 20, Belgium
A total of 48 National Olympic Committees have scored points to far.
● Paris 2024 ●The organizing committee announced that it has now sold more than nine million Olympic tickets, out of the total of 10 million available.
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Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet told the FrancsJeux.com site that Teddy Riner and Marie-Jose Perec, who lit the cauldron at the Friday opening, did not know they would be involved until the day of the show:
“I called them late Friday morning to ask them to light the cauldron.
“For me, Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner embody all the magic of French sport. Their choice was obvious. And they got involved in the adventure of the Paris 2024 Games from the start. I knew they would be available and that they would accept. I waited until the last minute to let them know because I wanted to keep it a secret for as long as possible.”
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The opening continues to draw criticism in some quarters for depictions of scenes which have offended Christian groups, especially with regard to a re-imagined portrayal of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, “The Last Supper,” Deschamps, the Paris 2024 Communications Director, told reporters on Sunday morning:
“There was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think that [producer] Thomas Jolly tried, with the intention to celebrate community tolerance – that was his words yesterday – and looking at the result of the polls [86% in France liked the ceremony], that we shared, we believe this mission was achieved.
“If people have taken any offense, we are, of course, really, really sorry.”
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Polish state television TVP dismissed announcerPrzemyslaw Babjarz for comments made during the Friday opening, which included a response to the segment including “Imagine” by John Lennon:
“A world without skies, nations and religions, this is the vision of the world that should embrace everyone. This is the vision of communism, unfortunately.”
TVP’s statement explained, “We inform you that after yesterday’s scandalous words, Przemyslaw Babjarz has been suspended from his official duties and will not comment on the competitions during the Olympic Games.”
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French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Saturday that 19 people were arrested on Friday in connection with the Olympic opening.
● Archery: Women’s Team The South Korean women came in having won all nine editions of this event in Olympic competition and won again – just barely – over China, 5-4.
Hun-young Jeon, Si-hyeon Lim and Su-hyeon Nam won the first end by 56-53, then 55-4 for a 2-0 lead. But China came back to score 54-51 and 55-53 wins, so a shoot-off commenced.
Jeon and Nam shot 10 and 9 and Lim finished with a shot barely inside the 10 ring and a 29-27 victory, 29-27. Very, very close.
Mexico, third at the 2023 Worlds, won the bronze by 6-2 over the Netherlands. The U.S. team of Casey Kaufhold, Catalina GNoriega and Jennifer Mucino-Fernandez was eliminated in the preliminary round by Chinese Taipei, 5-1.
● Canoe: Women’s Slalom K-1 Australia’s Jessica Fox, the greatest women’s slalom racer ever, grabbed her first Olympic gold in this event, adding to her fourth World Championships wins, with an error-free performance in the final.
Fox led the qualifying at 92.18 (0 penalties), but was only eighth in the semi. But in the final, she recorded a 96.08 time with no penalties and that was good enough. Poland’s Klaudia Zwolinska, the 2023 Worlds bronze winner, was second at 97.53 (0) and Kimberley Woods (GBR), the 2023 Kayak Cross Worlds winner, got third at 98.94 (0). No one else broke 100 seconds.
Fox, now 30, had won silver-bronze-bronze in this event at London-Rio-Tokyo, but now has a K-1 gold to go with her Tokyo C-1 gold. And the C-1 and Kayak Cross are still to come.
American Evy Leibfarth was 15th in qualifying and did not advance to the final.
● Cycling: Women’s Mountain Bike France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, 32, won Worlds golds in 2015-19-20-22-23, dominated the event, winning the seven-lap race in 1:26:02, nearly three minutes up on 2022 Worlds bronze medalist Haley Batten of the U.S. (1:28:59) and Rio 2016 gold medalist Jenny Rissveds (SWE: 1:29:04). Dutch star Puck Pieterse was fourth (1:29:25).
Ferrand-Prevot made history as the first French Olympic medal winner in this event, and raced away from the field by the end of the second lap. Batten was chasing a medal on the descent of lap four but broke a wheel; she recovered quickly. By lap six, she and Rissveds had separated from the rest of the field and Batten extended her lead for silver on the final lap.
Fellow American Savilla Blunk was 12th.
● Fencing: Men’s Epee; Women’s Foil Japan scored its first-ever Olympic medal in men’s individual Epee as Koki Kano, an Olympic gold medalist as a member of the Japanese Team in Tokyo, scored an upset win over the 2018 World Champion, France’s Yannick Borel, 15-9.
Egypt’s Mohamed Elsayed won a tight match for the bronze medal over Tibor Andrasfi (HUN), 8-7.
In women’s Foil, defending Olympic champion Lee Kiefer opened with a tight, 15-13 win in the round-of-32, , then 15-9 in the round-of-16, 15-4 in the quarters and then a tense, 15-10 win over two-time World Champion Alice Volpi of Italy, to get to the final once again.
Her surprise opponent was teammate Lauren Scruggs, who got past two-time World Champion Arriana Errigo (ITA) by 15-14 in the quarters and then Canada’s Eleanor Harvey, 15-9, in the semis. So it was an all-American final for the first time ever in this weapon, with Kiefer winning decisively, 15-6 for her second straight Olympic gold. It’s the third time that it’s been done, with the last a three-peat by Valentina Vezzali in 2000-04-08.
Harvey won the bronze against Volpi, 15-12
● Judo: Men’s 66 kg, Women’s 52 kg Four-time World Champion Hifumi Abe added a second Olympic gold to his resume with a win over Brazil’s Willian Lima in the men’s 66 kg class. Lima was a surprise, having reached only the round of 16 in three prior World Championships.
Abe’s win was the sixth straight Olympic Games with a medal for Japan in this event. In the bronze-medal matches, Denis Vieru (MDA) defeated Walide Khyar (FRA) and Gusman Kyrgyzbayev (KAZ) defeated Strahinja Buncic (SRB).
After Abe and sister Uta Abe won golds on the same day in Tokyo in 2021, it could have happened again, but Uta was defeated in the round-of-16. Instead, it was Tokyo 2020 48 kg gold medalist Distria Krasniqi (KOS) who was trying for a second straight Olympic gold – up a weight class – but was edged in the final by waza-ari by Diyora Keldiyorova (UZB).
In the bronze-medal matches, Amandine Buchard (FRA) defeated Reka Pupp (HUN) and Larissa Pimenta (BRA) beat Odette Giuffrida (ITA).
Uta Abe was defeated in her first-round match; said Hifumi, “When my sister lost, I was shocked and I felt bitter all day. But I had to fight. I’m so glad I could get a gold medal for the sake of my sister.”
● Shooting: Men’s 10 m Air Pistol; Women’s 10 m Air Pistol China scored a second shooting gold with 2022 World 50 m Pistol winner Yu Xie shooting 10.0 on each of his final two shots to edge Italy’s Federico Maldini, 240.9 to 240.0. Italy’s Paolo Monna was third at 218.6.
Let’s call this surprising. None had won Worlds medal in this event before and Xie and Maldini were 14th and 19th in this event at the 2023 World Championships. But they are on the Olympic podium now. It’s China’s fourth Olympic gold in the 10 times this event has been held.
Korea won its second shooting gold as well, in the women’s 10 m Air Pistol and went 1-2 with Ye-jin Oh setting an Olympic record of 243.2 points, ahead of teammate Yeji Kim (241.3). Neither had previously won a Worlds medal in this event, and it’s the first-ever Olympic medals for Korea in this event.
India’s Manu Bhaker won the bronze – India’s first medal in this event – at 221.7.
● Skateboarding: Women’s Street Japan scored gold and bronze in this event in skateboarding’s debut in Tokyo, but improved to gold and silver in Paris. Coco Yoshizawa, 14, won the gold this time, ahead of teammate Liz Akama (15).
They were 1-2 in qualifying and Yoshizawa had the no. 2 score on her run – Akama led, 89.26 to 86.80 – but had massive scored in tricks four and five of 96.49 and 89.46 to compile 272.75 points. Akama scored 92.07 and 84.07 on her first two tricks, but then flamed out and won silver at 265.95.
Brazil’s Rayssa Leal, the Tokyo silver winner and now 16, was fifth after her run but had big scores of 86.98 and 89.11 on two of her tricks and won bronze at 253.37. Americans Poe Pinson (222.34) and Paige Heyn (173.23) finished 4-5.
● Swimming: Men 400 m Medley-100 m Breast;
Women’s 100 m Butterfly The La Defense Arena was crazy for home favorite Leon Marchand, the world-record holder in the men’s 400 m Medley, and he took the lead on the Fly leg, just ahead of Daiyo Seto (JPN). Marchand stayed in front of Seto and Carson Foster of the U.S. after the Backstroke.
Marchand swam away from the field on the Breast leg and Foster came up on Seto, taking second at the turn to Freestyle. But Marchand was all alone and racing only against the world record and won in 4:02.95, the no. 2 performance in history.
A tight battle for second saw Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita come up on the final leg for second over Foster, 4:08.62 to 4:08.66. Seto faded to seventh in 4:11.78. Foster won a U.S. medal for the 10th straight Games in this event, but the first time since 1984 that the U.S. had not won a gold or silver in the event.
The men’s 100 m Breast had Britain’s Adam Peaty – the world-record holder – trying for an Olympic three-peat, but he was slightly behind China’s 2023 World Champion Haiyang Qin at the turn, by 0.05.
But the field closed in on Qin and Peaty in the final 25 m, with Italy’s 2020 Olympic bronze winner Nicolo Martinenghi inching closer and closer, with American Nic Fink also moving up. As Qin faded, Martinenghi pushed to the wall and touched first in 59.03, and Fink caught Peaty at the wall and they tied for silver in 59.05. The top four were separated by just 0.08, and Qin faded to seventh in 59.50.
Gretchen Walsh set a world record of 55.18 in the women’s 100 m Butterfly at the U.S. Trials and she and Torri Huske were in lanes 4-5 in the final in Paris. Walsh had a tiny lead on China’s Yufei Zhang at the turn, but then Huske stormed in the final 25 m to overtake both and got the final stroke to the wall to win in 55.59 (equal-6th performance all-time) to 55.63. Zhang, one of the Chinese swimmers who tested positive in 2021, was third in 56.21. Defending champ Maggie Mac Neil (CAN) was fifth in 56.44.
The U.S. last went 1-2 back in 1984. Huske was fourth in Tokyo, but now Olympic champ; it’s the first U.S. win in this event since 2012, when Dana Vollmer won in London.
Elsewhere:
● Basketball ● The U.S. men opened against Serbia in Lille and the Serbians immediately went up to 10-2, requiring a time-out by U.S. coach Steve Kerr. But guard Steph Curry hit a three and the U.S. got the lead at 14-12 and ended the quarter up by 25-20.
The star of the half was Kevin Durant – his first appearance with the U.S. team – scoring a sensational 21 points on 8-8 shooting, including 5-5 from three. LeBron James added 12 on 5-5 shooting and the Americans sizzled at 22-33 (67%) in the half, compared to 19-37 (51%) for Serbia, and led by 58-49.
Serbia was within 69-59 with five minutes to play in the third, but the U.S. ran off a 15-6 run to the end of the quarter to run away at 84-65. The Americans were 10-17 from the floor in the quarter vs. 5-18 for the Serbs. Over.
The final was 110-84, with Durant scoring 23 points in 16:44 of playing time. The U.S. finished at 62% from the field to 42% for Serbia, with James adding 21, 15 from Jrue Holiday, 12 from Devin Booker and 11 from Curry.
In Group C, the U.S. will next meet South Sudan – which came within 101-110 of beating the U.S. in their exhibition game – on the 31st in Lille. South Sudan handled Puerto Rico in its opener on Sunday, 90-79, but suffered an indignity when the wrong national anthem was apparently played.
In the Saturday opener, Australia defeated Spain, 92-80, in Group A and Canada beat Greece, 86-79, despite 34 points for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Germany, the FIBA World Cup champions in 2023, defeated Japan, 97-77, in Group B and Victor Wembanyama had 19 for France in its 78-66 win over Brazil.
● Beach Volleyball:Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng, the 2023 World Champions, started their Olympic campaign with a tight, 21-16, 21-11 win over Czechs Barbora Hermannova and Marie-Sara Stochlova.
● Football ● The U.S. women had their second pool-play match against Germany – the 2022 European runners-up – in Marseille, and had quite a half, scoring in the 11th as Sophia Smith rushed in from the left side to finish a Trinity Rodman cross for a 1-0 lead.
The German equalized in the 22nd, as Guilia Gwinn sent a right-footed shot diagonally to the left corner of the U.S. goal, the first score in the sixth game that Emma Hayes (GBR) has been the American coach.
No worries, the U.S. pressure paid off in the 26th as Mallory Swanson scored on a rebound, and then Smith got a second in the 44th for a 3-1 lead, sending a right-footed shot from outside the box into the goal.
The second half was just as active, but with less scoring. Both sides had chances and U.S. keeper Alyssa Naeher made a couple of sprawling saves to keep the Germans at bay. Finally, in the 89th, sub striker Lynn Williams took a left-side lead pass from Swanson, had space and sent a line-drive into the net for the 4-1 final.
The score wasn’t close, but the statistics were, with the U.S. at 54% possession, but the Germans with a 12-10 edge on shots. The U.S. will finish group play against Australia (1-1), which beat Zambia, 6-5, in Nice.
● Gymnastics ● The U.S. women were impressive in qualifying, piling up a total of 172.296 points, winning the third rotation group and advancing to the final. Italy was next best at 166.861.
In a true show of strength, the U.S. was 1-3-4 in the All-Around, with Simone Biles leading at 59.566, followed by defending A-A champ Suni Lee at 56.132 and then Jordan Chiles at 56.065! Only two can advance from one country, however. Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade, the 2022 World A-A Champion, was second at 57.700.
In the apparatus qualifying, the U.S. advanced seven out of a possible eight to finals:
● Vault: Biles led at 15.300, Andrade was second (14.683) with Jade Carey third at 14.433 and Chiles was fourth (14.216); only the top two from a country can advance.
● Uneven Bars: Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour was the leader at 15.600, with Lee third (14.866) and Biles ninth and a non-qualifier (14.433). Chiles tied for 13th and Hezly Rivera was 20th.
● Beam: China’s Yaqin Zhou led with 14.866, followed by Biles (14.733), then Andrade (14.500) and Lee (14.033), with Chiles tied for 14th (13.600).
● Floor: Biles and Chiles were 1-3 at 14.600 and 13.866, with Andrade second at 13.900. Lee was 24th (13.100).
The women’s team final is on Tuesday.
● Swimming ● First up was the men’s 200 m Freestyle, with Luke Hobson winning the first semi in 1:45.19, ahead of 400 m Free winner Lukas Martens (GER: 1:45.36). Romania’s Olympic favorite David Popovici, the 2022 World Champion, led Tokyo silver winner Duncan Scott in the second semi, 1:44.53 to 1:44.94. Hobson’s time ranked third overall.
China’s Qianting Tang, the 2024 World Champion, won the first women’s 100 m Breaststroke semi in 1:05.83. South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker-Smith – the Tokyo runner-up – won the second semi, leading most of the way, in 1:05.00, with Mona McSharry (IRL) passing Rio 2016 Olympic champ Lilly King of the U.S. late for second, 1:05.51 to 1:05.64. They were the top three qualifiers for the final.
Italy’s Thomas Ceccon, the 2022 World Champion, turned on the jets late to take semi one of the men’s 100 m Backstroke, edging Yohann Ndoye-Brouard (FRA) and Pieter Coetze (RSA), 52-58 to 52.63 (tie). American Ryan Murphy, the Rio 2016 champion, faded in the final 20 m and was fourth in 52.72, but made it into the final.
Jiayu Xu (CHN), the Rio silver medalist, had the lead at the turn of the second semi and held strong to win in 52.02, the fastest qualifier. Apostolos Christou (GRE), the 2024 Worlds bronzer, was second, but well back at 52.77, with American Hunter Armstrong unable to make a charge and finished a non-qualifying fifth in 53.11, after winning the Worlds golds in February at 52.68.
The women’s 200 m Free was the final qualifying race of the night, with American Claire Weinstein winning the first semi in 1:55.54, a lifetime best. Favorite Ariarne Titmus led an Aussie 1-2 in the second semi at 1:54.64 with Mollie O’Callaghan in 1:54.70 and Tokyo runner-up Siobhan Haughey (HKG) third in 1:55.51
● Water Polo ●Italy defeated the U.S., 12-8, in the men’s Group A opener, outscoring the U.S. 4-1 in the first period and 4-2 in the third. Hannes Daube led the U.S. with three scores. Group play continues through 5 August.
● Archery: Men’s Team As with the women, South Korea has been dominant, winning the last two Olympic golds, with three-time individual World Champion Woo-jin Kim on both squads; Korea has, in fact, won five of the last six. They’ve also won the last two Worlds in 2021 and 2023. Turkey and Japan were 2-3 at the 2023 Worlds; the U.S. did not qualify a men’s team.
● Canoeing: Men’s Slalom C-1 Slovenia’s 37-year-old Benjamin Savsek was the Olympic winner in Tokyo, and owns two world titles, including in 2023. He’s the favorite. But 2022 World Champion Sideris Tasiadis (GER), Alexander Slafkovsky (SVK), France’s Nicolas Gestin and Paolo Ceccon (ITA) are also in the mix.
● Cycling: Men’s Mountain Bike Swiss Nico Schurter won the Rio 2016 gold and owns 10 World Championships golds, so any time he is in the race, he has to be considered as a favorite. But so is defending Olympic champ Tom Pidcock (GBR), , also the 2023 World Champion.
South Africa’s Alan Hatherly, Denmark’s Simon Andreassen, and American Chris Blevins have all won World Cup races this season and are contenders.
● Diving: Men’s 10 m Synchro China’s Junjie Lian and Hao Yang have won this event at the 2022, 2023 and 2024 World Championships and are the favorites. But China was upset in Tokyo, as Britain’s Tom Daley and Matty Lee won, ending a streak of five straight Chinese golds in the event.
At the 2024 Worlds, Britain’s Daley and Noah Williams won silver and Kirill Boliukh and Oleksii Sereda (UKR) won bronze and they are back again.
● Fencing: Men’s Foil; Women’s Sabre Italy’s Tommaso Marini won the 2023 Worlds over American Nick Itkin and France’s Enzo Lefort defeated Marini at the 2022 Worlds, with Itkin winning a bronze. So all three are contenders. Hong Kong’s Ka Long Cheung was a 2022 bronze and Kyosuke Matsuyama (JPN) won a 2023 bronze, and American Alexander Massialas, the Rio runner-up and Gerek Meinhardt, a two-time Olympic Team bronze winner … and Lee Keifer’s husband!
Remember the fracas with Ukraine’s four-time World Champion Olha Kharlan in the women’s 2023 World Championships in Sabre, where she was disqualified for not shaking hands with a Russian she defeated in an early round? Well, she qualified and could be contending for her fifth career Olympic medal. Japan’s Misaki Emura is probably the favorite, winning the last two world titles.
France has two major contenders in world no. 1 Sara Balzer, the 2023 European silver medalist and Manon Brunet, the Tokyo bronze medalist and 2023 European champion.
● Gymnastics: Men’s Team The men’s gymnastics team final will continue the U.S. quest for a medal, with Japan and China favored to contend for gold. Those two have combined to win five of six Olympic golds in the event this century, while the last U.S. men’s team medal was a bronze in 2008.
The Chinese led the qualifying at 263.028, ahead of Japan (260.594), with Britain third (256.561) and the U.S. in fifth (253.229).
● Judo: Men’s 73 kg; Women’s 57 kg Japan’s Soichi Hashimoto has won five Worlds medals in this weight class, including the 2017 world title, but no Olympic medals. He’ll be contending against 2023 World Champion Nils Stump (SUI), runner-up Manuel Lombardo (ITA), bronze winner Muradjon Yuldoshev (UZB) and 2024 World Champion Hidayet Heydarov (AZE).
Korea’s Mi-mi Huh won the 2024 Worlds gold in the women’s 57 kg class, defeating Canada’s Christa Deguchi in the final. Can they do it again? Deguchi won the 2023 Worlds gold against Japan’s Haruka Funakubo, who lost in the 2022 final to Brazil’s iconic Rafaela Silva, the 2016 Olympic champ and a two-time World Champion.
Meanwhile, Tokyo winner Nora Gjakova (KOS) and silver winner Sarah-Leonie Cysique (FRA) are also back, and Ukraine Daria Bilodid, the Tokyo 2020 bronze winner at 48 kg has moved up two classes to challenge.
● Shooting: Men’s 10 m Air Rifle; Women’s 10 m Air Rifle Sweden’s Victor Lindgren is the 2023 World Champion, but will face China’s Tokyo 2020 runner-up, Lihao Sheng, the 2022 Worlds bronze medal winner, and Danilo Sollazzo (ITA), the 2022 Worlds silver medalist.
Croatia’s Petar Gorsa (36) was the 2018 Worlds runner-up; possibly a surprise in Paris? Same for countryman Miran Maricic, the bronze winner, but only 27.
China’s Yuting Huang, already a winner in Paris in the women’s 10 m Team Air Rifle event, is a likely favorite, but will have to deal with home favorite Oceanne Muller of France, the 2023 European Games winner, and Norway’s Jeanette Heff Duestad, the 2023 European Championships winner.
Sagen Maddalena of the U.S. won a 2022 Worlds silver in the Team event and was the 2023 Pan Am Games gold medalist.
● Skateboarding: Men’s Street (rescheduled) American Nyjah Huston has world titles from 2010-12-14-17-18-19, but did not medal in Tokyo, finishing seventh. But he’s back and looking for a medal this time. Japan swept the 2023 Worlds with Sora Shirai, Kairi Netsuke and Yuto Horigome, also the 2021 World Champion.
Aurielen Giraud (FRA) took the 2022 Worlds and Gustavo Ribeiro (POR) has two Worlds medals, including silver in 2022.
● Swimming: Men’s 200 m Free-100 m Back;
Women’s 200 m Free-100 m Breast-400 m Medley There are clear favorites in the 200 m Freestyles, with Romania’s David Popovici the one to beat in the men’s race, with 400 m Free winner Lukas Martens (GER) and Luke Hobson of the U.S. in the mixed for medals.
The U.S. won six straight men’s Olympic 100 m Backstroke titles in a row from 1996-2016, but Ryan Murphy – the Rio winner – finished third in Tokyo. He’s back and at 29 is the world leader in the event at 52.22. But he will have to contend with teammate Hunter Armstrong, the 2024 World Champion, Italy’s 2023 Worlds runner-up Thomas Ceccon (ITA) and China’s Jiayu Xu.
The women’s 200 m Free with defending champion Ariarne Titmus and Australian teammate Mollie O’Callaghan expected to go 1-2. American Claire Weinstein won a semifinal and Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey is in the mix for a medal.
Lilly King, the Rio 2016 Olympic champ and Tokyo bronze winner, will try for a third straight medal in the women’s 100 m Breaststroke final. But she is only third on the 2024 world list behind 2024 Worlds winner Qianting Tang (CHN) and South Africa’s Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Tatjana Schoenmaker-Smith, the two semifinal winners.
Summer McIntosh will be in the pool again, facing off again with American Katie Grimes in the women’s 400 Medley, where they went 1-2 in the 2023 World Championships. Britain’s Freya Colbert and Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko were 1-2 at the 2024 Worlds in February and are contenders.
¶
Elsewhere, the U.S. women’s basketball team – undefeated in 55 straight games in Olympic play – will open pool play against Japan in Lille.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Anti-Doping ●The International Testing Agency announced two doping positives and provisional suspensions in Paris, against Iraqi men’s 81 kg judoka Sajjad Ghanim Sehen Sehen (anabolic steroids metandienone and boldenone) and Nigerian women’s 60 kg boxer Cynthia Temitayo Ogunsemilore (for the masking agent furosemide).
Both can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s Anti-Doping Division set up in Paris.
● Football ● “Drone-gate” as it has been nicknamed, has made defending women’s champion Canada’s path out of the group stage a question mark. In the wake of Canada’s admission that a coach flew drones over a New Zealand training session, FIFA’s Appeal Committee announced Saturday:
● “[A]n automatic deduction of six points from the Canadian Soccer Association’s Women’s representative team’s standing in Group A of the [Olympic Football Tournament], and a fine of CHF 200,000, and
● “[Coach] Beverly Priestman, [analyst] Joseph Lombardi and [assistant coach] Jasmine Mander: each official suspended from taking part in any football-related activity for a period of one year.
“CSA was found responsible for failing to respect the applicable FIFA regulations in connection with its failure to ensure the compliance of its participating officials of the OFT with the prohibition on flying drones over any training sites.”
Preistman [GBR] had already withdrawn as coach and Lombardi and Mander had been sent home by the Canadian Olympic Committee. The COC was considering appealing the six-point penalty as it impacts the players, who had nothing to do with the drone surveillance project.
Canada defeated New Zealand, 2-1, in its opener and has games against France and Colombia coming up in Group A.
The scandal has expanded to the men’s team, with reports of a possible use of drones at the recent Copa America held in the U.S.
● Wrestling ● There has been a fair amount of chirping about one problem or another at the Olympic Village, but not everyone is unhappy. Take women’s U.S. national team coach Terry Steiner, who wrote in an online blog for TheMat.com:
“I started my day by grabbing a cup of coffee right outside our village apartment. There are a few Grab & Go stations around the village. You can order coffee of your choice and my favorite a chocolate croissant or other bakery items and walk away. Everything is free inside the village. All food items, water, coffee, tea, etc.… is free of charge for any Olympic Delegation Member that has access inside of the village.
“We also have free laundry service. You drop it off before 10:00 a.m. and you can pick it up after 6 p.m.. There are free bikes you can grab and ride throughout the village as well. It is all about customer experience. The Host Committee puts in a lot of work to make the Olympic Experience something that will last in our memories for a lifetime. It is truly special to be a part of it, I feel very humbled and blessed to have this experience again.”
He accompanied six U.S. wrestlers who met the news media:
“[O]ur representatives were, [women’s Freestyle:] Sarah Hildebrandt, Helen Maroulis, [men’s Freestyle:] Kyle Dake, Kyle Snyder, [Greco-Roman:] Adam Coon and Kamal Bey. They did such an unbelievable job. I wish everyone could have heard their responses to the media’s questions. It was a pleasure to sit and listen to them. They showed so much maturity in their thought processes.
“America should be very proud of the kinds of answers they gave. They stressed having gratitude for what they have the opportunity of doing, focusing on the process of winning and staying in the moment. They know what is at stake, but they are so at peace with themselves. Winning is the byproduct of an outstanding process. Making the right decisions in their lives day after day, year after year. The true riches of this sport is the development of the human being. Every parent in America should have the opportunity to listen to what they talked about and how struggles and strive for perfection has built them into very solid human beings.”
So it’s not all problems. The wrestlers are still in training; competition starts on 5 August.
¶
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The Paris 2024 opening made a big impression, not only for the audacious use of the Seine River for the parade of athletes, but also for the inclusion of so many cultural and political touchstones, especially for France, but also elements that were pointed out elsewhere.
Paris 2024 ceremonies chief Thomas Jolly was not at all apologetic, telling a Saturday morning news conference (as interpreted online):
“The Olympic Games, and this ceremony, is naturally a political moment with a big ‘P.’ It’s the city, in the Greek sense. There’s the city, there’s the country, there’s the world, so naturally we speak about ‘us.’
“And as far as we speak about us, we are political. The idea is not to be subversive, or to shock people, or to mock people, not at all. The idea is to say that we are – a big ‘we’ – we had Republican ideas, we had ideas about inclusion, about generosity, about solidarity, things I believe we need most.”
As for the rain, there ceremonies team had been assured 10 days earlier that 26 July should be sunny. They had to improvise very late in the process and did remove some dancers from locations which were slippery and dangerous.
Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet said that the segment that featured its sponsor LVMH as reflective of their partnership with the organizing committee, and not any part of a contractual agreement.
It was also explained that the “Olympic flame” and the hot-air balloon cauldron actually had no fire at all, but CO2 combined with water vapor in a sustainability demonstration combined with a lot of lighting, instead of gas. This “electric flame” was developed by Paris 2024 partner EDF.
In all, there were about 6,800 athletes from 205 delegations in the Seine parade and more than 300,000 spectators. The overnight television audience in France was 27.7 million, about 41% of the entire population.
Reporters praised the ceremony, but noted it wasn’t perfect.
There was an embarrassment as the public address introduction of the South Korean team – formally the Republic of Korea – was as the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” in French and English.
That’s the formal name for North Korea. The South Korean delegation noticed, and the International Olympic Committee issued a statement, including:
“An error occurred in our broadcast when introducing the team of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of the Republic of Korea during the Opening Ceremony, we apologise sincerely.”
IOC spokesman Mark Adams called the incident, “clearly, deeply regrettable and we apologize wholeheartedly.”
The Olympic flag was also apparently flown upside down during the ceremony during the protocol segment of the program. And a media bus returning to the Main Press Center hit a street pole, throwing some passengers to the floor.
Stuff happens. It was still great. ~ Rich Perelman
● Les Temps ● With multiple changes due to rain on Saturday, weather in Paris is officially an issue. The forecast has more sun and more rain, which could prove troublesome for the triathlon later in the week:
● 28 July (Sun.): High of 80 (F), low of 61, sunny ● 29 July (Mon.): 89 ~ 68, sunny ● 30 July (Tue.): 93 ~ 71, cloudy ● 31 July (Wed.): 87 ~ 69, possible storms ● 01 Aug. (Thu.): 85 ~ 64, cloudy ● 02 Aug. (Fri.): 83 ~ 64, sunny ● 03 Aug. (Sat.): 84 ~ 65, cloudy ● 04 Aug. (Sun.): 81 ~ 63 cloudy ● 05 Aug. (Mon.): 78 ~ 64, cloudy ● 06 Aug. (Tue.): 79 ~ 62, cloudy ● 07 Aug. (Wed.): 78 ~ 61, rainy ● 08 Aug. (Thu.): 79 ~ 60, cloudy ● 09 Aug. (Fri.): 78 ~ 61, cloudy ● 10 Aug. (Sat.): 79 ~ 60, cloudy
The triathlon is scheduled for 30-31 July and the mixed relay for 5 August; the open-water swimming is slated for 4-5 August.
● Medals & Teams ●After the first day of medal action, the U.S. and Australia both have five (3-2-0 for Australia, 1-2-2 for the U.S.). France has four medals and China and Italy won three each.
Of course, TSX prefers our eight-place, 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 scoring by event, giving a much more “diverse, equitable and inclusive” view of the relative achievements of the teams:
● 1. 61, Australia ● 2. 47, United States ● 3.40 1/2, France ● 4. 40, China ● 5. 32 1/2, Italy ● 6. 30, Germany ● 7. 25 1/2, Korea ● 8. 25, Great Britain ● 9. 19 1/2, Kazakhstan ● 10. 19, Belgium
A total of 37 National Olympic Committees scored points on day one.
● Shooting: Mixed Team 10 m Air Rifle As has become traditional, the first medals of the Games were awarded in shooting, with China defending its gold medal in the Mixed 10 m Air Rifle with Lihao Sheng and Yuting Huang winning over Jihyeon Keum and Hajun Park (KOR), 16-12. Kazakhstan won the bronze, 17-5, over Germany.
● Cycling: Men’s Time Trial; Women’s Time Trial The women’s Time Trial went first, over a wet, flat, 32.4 km course, and came down to the final two riders. In the final 10 riders, the lead moved from no. 9 Lotte Kopecky (BEL), then to no. 6 Juliette Labous (FRA), to no. 5 Demi Vollering (NED), to no. 4 Anna Henderson (GBR) and then to no. 2 Grace Brown of Australia.
That left Chloe Dygert of the U.S. as the last one up, and despite a brief crash, she was able to challenge Henderson’s split times, but could not touch Brown, the national time trial champion and a winner earlier in the year on the UCI Women’s World Tour. She won in 39:38.24, by a huge margin over Henderson (41:09.83) with Dygert third (41:10.70). Taylor Knibb of the U.S. also crashed and finished 19th (43:03.46).
It’s Australia’s first-ever medal in this event, but the sixth time in the eight times it has been held that the U.S. has won a medal.
¶
The men’s time trial, over the same course, produced fabulous results for cycling-mad Belgium, as Tour de France third-placer and 2023 World Time Trial Champion Remco Evenepoel won in 36:12.16, ahead of two-time World Time Trial champ Filippo Ganna (ITA: 36:27.08).
Belgium’s Wout van Aert, a three-time World Cyclo-Cross champ, took the bronze at 36:37.79; American Brandon McNulty was fifth (37:16.60), and Magnus Sheffield, who had a crash, was 16th (38:05.24).
It’s not only Belgium’s first-ever gold in the event, but its first medal since 1924 in Paris, when Henri Hoevenaers won the silver! Ganna won Italy’s first medal in the Time Trial since 1932!
● Diving: Women’s 3 m Synchro As expected, China took the gold, with World Champions Yani Chang and Yiwen Chen winning with 337.68 points, ahead of Americans Saran Bacon and Kassidy Cook (314.64) and Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen (302.28). The Chinese won all five dives.
In the seven editions of this event at the Games, China has now won six times. It’s the second time the U.S. has won a medal in this event, also a silver in 2012 with Kelci Bryant and Abigail Johnston.
● Fencing: Men’s Sabre; Women’s Epee Korea was always a contender, with men’s Sabre bronze medals in Rio and Tokyo, but finally broke through with a gold from 2019 World Champion Sang-uk Oh. He defeated surprise finalist Fares Ferjani – 13th-seeded from Tunisia – by 15-11 in the final.
Italy’s Luigi Samele, the Tokyo 2020 runner-up, took the bronze by defeating top-seeded Ziad Elsissy (EGY), the 2023 Worlds bronze winner, 15-12. Mitchell Saron was the best American finisher, reaching the round-of-16.
¶
The women’s Epee final had world no. 1 Vivian Man Wai Kong (HKG) eking out a difficult, 13-12 win over France’s Auriane Mallo-Breton, only 12th at the 2023 World Championships. Kong had won bronze medals at the 2019 and 2023 Worlds, but collected the first-ever medal in this event for Korea.
Hungary’s 10th-seeded Eszter Muhari won the bronze over 12th-seeded Nelli Differt (EST), 15-14.
● Judo: Men’s 60 kg; Women’s 48kg The men’s final saw Yeldos Smetov (KAZ) finally get to the top of the podium. He won a silver at Rio 2016, then bronze in Tokyo and finally completed his medal set with a gold over France’s Luka Mkheidze by waza-ari, despite receiving two yellow cards. Mkheidze also moved up, having also won a bronze in Tokyo.
Spain’s 2023 World Champion Francisco Garrigos and Japan’s Ryuju Nagayama won the bronze-medal matches.
¶
Japan’s Natsumi Tsunoda, the 2023 World Champion, took the women’s 48 kg final by defeating 2024 World Champion Baasankhuu Bavuudorj of Mongolia by waza-ari after 2:54. It’s the first Olympic win for Japan in this weight class since 2004!
Sweden’s Tara Babulfath, the 2024 Worlds bronzer, and Shirine Boukli (FRA) took the bronze medals.
● Rugby Sevens: Men Fiji came in having won both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 tournaments and roared into the final once again by smashing Australia, 31-7, in its semifinal. It was rewarded with a match with home-standing France – at the Stade de France – a 19-5 winner over South Africa.
In the final, it was all for Les Blues, who dominated with a 28-7 victory for its first-ever medal in the Olympic rugby sevens. It was 7-7 at half, but Aaron Grandidier Nkanang scored 21 second into the second half, Antoine Dupont got a try at 5:30 and he got a second at 7:28 to finish the scoring.
In the third-place match, South Africa defeated Australia, 26-19. It’s South Africa’s second Olympic bronze, also in the debut tournament in 2016. The U.S. placed eighth, losing the 7-8 final to Argentina, 19-0.
● Skateboarding: Men’s Street Due to the rain, this was re-scheduled for 29 July (Monday).
● Swimming: Men’s 400 m Free-4×100 m Free Relay;
Women’s 400 m Free-4×100 m Free Relay
German Lukas Martens, the world leader and qualifying leader, took the lead right away and led Korean Woo-min Kim and Elijah Winnington (AUS) at 100 m, 200 m and Martins, Kim and Sam Short (AUS) led at 300 m. Martens extended his lead at the turn at 350 m and held on to touch first in 3:41.78. Winnington came back to pass Kim for second, 3:42.21 to 3:42.50, with Short fourth (3:42.64). American Aaron Shackell, in his first Games at 19, finished eighth in 3:47.00.
The eagerly-awaited women’s 400 m Freestyle had Rio 2016 champ Katie Ledecky as the qualifying leader, just ahead of Tokyo 2020 winner (and world-record holder) Ariarne Titmus of Australia (4:02.46) in heat three. In the final, Titmus got out best and she and McIntosh turned first at 100 m, with Ledecky fourth. Paige Madden moved up to third by 150, but Titmus and McIntosh were moving away by 250 with Ledecky third. Titmus was the clear leader by 300 m, with only McIntosh close.
Titmus finished in 3:57.49, the no. 9 performance of all time, and McIntosh was second in 3:58.37, with Ledecky hanging on for third in 4:00.86, two and a half seconds slower than her time at the Olympic Trials. It’s her 11th career Olympic medal. Madden finished sixth in 4:02.26, just 0.18 off her lifetime best.
Titmus defended her Tokyo 2020 victory and is the first repeater in the event since Martha Norelius of the U.S. in 1924 and 1928.
In the women’s 4×100 m Freestyle Relay, the favored Australians swam their best legs first, with Mollie O’Callaghan and Shayna Jack and had the lead after two legs, with China the closest. The U.S. was fourth with Kate Douglass and Gretchen Walsh, but Huske moved up to second at 300 m and it became a battle on the final leg.
Australia’s Meg Harris – third at their trials – had to swim the fastest leg of the day at 51.94 to hold off the hard-closing Simone Manuel of the U.S. (52.61) and China’s Qingfeng Wu (52.31) to win in an Olympic Record of 3:28.92, the no. 2 performance of all time. The Americans set U.S. record of 3:30.20 in second (no. 5 performance all-time), with China at 3:30.30 (no. 7).
It’s the fourth straight gold for Australia in this event, although closer than some expected.
The men’s 4×100 Free Relay started China taking the lead with wold-record holder Zhanle Pan at 46.92 over Jack Alexy (47.67), but Chris Guiliano got the lead for the U.S. on the second leg with a fast 47.33.
Then the 6-6 Hunter Armstrong – better known until this year as a backstroker – took over and blew the race apart. His sensational 46.75 leg gave the U.S. a lead it would not relinquish and with star Caeleb Dressel on anchor (47.53), the U.S. was a convincing winner in 3:09.28. It’s Dressel’s eighth Olympic gold.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Rio 2016 100 m Free winner Kyle Chalmers put in a 46.59 finisher to move up to second in 3:10.35, passing Italy (3:10.70) in third, with China fourth (3:11.28).
Elsewhere:
● Beach Volleyball ● The U.S. women’s duo of Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth – favorites for a medal – won their opener against Canada’s Heather Bansley and Sophie Bukovec, 21-17, 21-14.
● Football ●The U.S. men’s team got off to a good start in its second match, against New Zealand in Marseille, as Djordje Mihailovic scored on a fourth-minute penalty
Off a free kick in the 12th, defender Nathan Harriel headed the ball, which bounced to the ground. He kicked it and when New Zealand could not clear, defender Walker Zimmerman slammed the rebound into the net for a 2-0 lead.
The U.S. stayed on offense and in the 30th, got another score on a rebound, by midfielder Gianluca Busio, whose shot came right back to him and he sent another shot forward that ricocheted off a defender and into the Kiwi goal for a 3-0 advantage. The U.S. had only 40% of possession in the half, but out-shot New Zealand, 7-1.
The second half was a little more cautious for the U.S., but sub striker Griffin Yow crossed from the left side to midfielder Paxten Aaronson in the middle of the box, who sent a left-footed shot into the right side of the net for a 4-0 lead in the 58th.
Jesse Randall got a goal for New Zealand in the 78th to finish the scoring, and ended with 52% possession, but the U.S. had 19 shots to 9.
● Gymnastics ● The men’s team qualifying was led as expected by China (263.028) and Japan (260.594), with Great Britain, Ukraine, the U.S. (5:253.229), Italy, Switzerland and Canada advancing to the team final.
China’s Boheng Zhang had the best All-Around score at 88.597, followed by Shinnosuke Oka (JPN: 86.865) and defending A-A champion Daiki Hashimoto (JPN: 85.064, including a fall on the horizontal bar). American Fred Richard qualified in 10th (83.498) and Paul Juda qualified in 13th (82.865).
The U.S. qualified one apparatus finalist, Stephen Nedoroscik, second on the Pommel Horse.
● Hockey ●U.S. women opened vs. Argentina in Pool B and lost, 4-1.
● Swimming ● In the women’s 100 m Butterfly semis, U.S. champ Gretchen Walsh – the world-record holder – looked very bit the favorite, winning semi one easily with an Olympic Record of 55.38! Teammate Torri Huske won semi two in 56.00, trailed by China’s Yufei Zhang (56.15) and defending champ Maggie Mac Neil (CAN: 56.55).
In the men’s 100 m Breaststroke semifinals, Britain’s Adam Peaty – trying for a three-peat – led all qualifiers at 58.86, with 2024 World Champion Nic Fink second in the first semi in 59.16. China’s Haiyang Qin, the 2023 World Champion, won semi two in 58.93.
● Tennis ● Most of the schedule was wiped out due to the rain and is being rescheduled, but some of the later matches finally got in.
● Volleyball ●The U.S. men opened against Argentina, winning in straight sets, 25-20, 25-19, 25-16. Next will be Germany, on the 30th.
● Water Polo ● The defending champion U.S. women opened in Group B with a 15-6 victory over Greece, taking a 3-0 lead in the first and 9-2 at half. Jenna Flynn scored four goals (three in the first half) and Jovana Sekulic, Tara Prentice and Maggie Steffens had two each.
● Archery: Women’s Team This event has been held nine times in Olympic competition and South Korea has won all nine. However, in a startling development, they failed to win a medal at the 2023 Worlds in Berlin, as Germany won over France, with Mexico third; the Koreans lost to Indonesia in the round of 16.
Possible again? Yes. Likely? No.
● Canoe: Women’s Slalom K-1 The biggest star in women’s slalom, Australia’s Jessica Fox, will be the focus of the women’s K-1 final, where she has won silver-bronze-bronze in the last three Games, but is a four-time World Champion in the event. Start of a sweep for her in all three women’s slalom events?
● Cycling: Women’s Mountain Bike The women’s cross-country (XCO) world title has mostly belonged to France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, 32, who has Worlds golds from 2015-19-20-22-23. She has to be the favorite again, with teammate Loana Lecomte and Dutch star Puck Pieterse – 2-3 at the 2023 Worlds – certain to challenge again
Longshots: Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds, the 2016 Olympic champ, and American Haley Batten, both of whom have won World Cup races this season.
● Fencing: Men’s Epee; Women’s Foil Defending men’s Epee champion Romain Cannone won a bronze at the 2023 Worlds and is in the mix with winner Mate Tomas Koch (HUN) and Davide Di Veroli (ITA), the 2023 runner-up. Cannone won the 2022 Worlds gold, beating another strong Paris contender, Kazuyasu Minobe (JPN), in the final.
Defending Olympic champion Lee Kiefer will try for a second straight gold in the women’s Foil fencing tournament. She’s won bronze at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, but also two Grand Prix titles in 2024. Italy’s two-time World Champions, Alice Volpi and Arianna Errigo, figure to be in her way, as will home favorite Ysoara Thibus, the 2022 World Champion.
● Judo: Men’s 66 kg, Women’s 52 kg One of the best memories of Tokyo 2020 was the same-day gold medals for brother and sister Hifumi Abe and Uta Abe in the men’s 66 kg and women’s 52 kg class. They are back to try for the double-double!
They are certainly favored: they both are four-time World Champions and both won titles at the 2018, 2022 and 2023 Worlds!
● Shooting: Men’s 10 m Air Pistol; Women’s 10 m Air Pistol Nine countries have won medals in the men’s 10 m Air Pistol in the last four Games, and the merry-go-round could continue. Tokyo silver medalist Damir Mikec (SRB) made the final, as did German star Christian Reitz, the Rio 2016 Rapid-Fire Pistol gold medalist. China has 24-year-old Yu Xie, who won the Worlds 50 m Pistol gold in 2022 and Korea’s Won-ho Lee is back after finishing fourth at the 2022 Worlds.
Tokyo Olympic women’s bronze medalist Ranxin Jiang (CHN) is back, and teammate Xue Li took the 2023 Worlds bronze in this event. Vietnam’s Thu Vinh Trinh and Hungary’s Veronika Major are clear contenders. Korea’s Yeji Kim won a World Cup 25 m Pistol event this year
● Skateboarding: Women’s Street The Olympic debut in Tokyo saw Momiji Nishiya (age 13) win over Rayssa Leal (BRA: 13) and Funa Nakayama (JPN: 16). They are still stars, although older, with Leal winning the 2022 Worlds, with Nishiya third and Nishiya taking bronze again in the 2023 Worlds.
Japan’s 2023 Worlds winner was Yumeka Oda, all of 17, who beat Leal for gold last year.
● Swimming: Men 400 m Medley-100 m Breast;
Women’s 100 m Butterfly The man who may be France’s face of the Games will be in the men’s 400 m Individual Medley: Leon Marchand. He won the 2023 world title in world-record time (4:02.50) and comes in as the favorite. He’ll be chased by 2024 world leader Carson Foster of the U.S., Japan’s three-time World Champion Daiya Seto and 2024 World Champion Lewis Clareburt (NZL).
Britain’s Adam Peaty will be trying for an unprecedented third straight Olympic gold in the men’s 100 m Breaststroke. He’s the world leader at 57.94, but will have to deal with China’s 2023 World Champion and American Nic Fink, the 2024 World Champion.
The women’s 100 m Butterfly has American world-record setter Gretchen Walsh being chased by Tokyo bronze winner Emma McKeon (AUS), as well as American teammate Torri Huske and 2024 World Champion Angelina Kohler (GER). This is going to be great.
In preliminary action, women’s gymnastics team qualifying will feature Simone Biles and the favored U.S. women, and the U.S. men’s team opens with Serbia and NBA superstar center Nikola Jokic in Lille, and the U.S. women’s football squad has its second match in pool play against Germany – the 2022 European runners-up – in Marseille.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Olympic Games 1996: Atlanta ● Saturday marked a sad anniversary, of the 1:25 a.m. bombing at the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta by terrorist Eric Rudolph. The device killed one, injured 111 and a photographer died later of a heart attack while running to the scene.
Rudolph was convicted in 2005 and sentenced to four life terms for this and two other bombings.
● NCAA ●NCAA athletes are all over Paris, and a continuous-updated list shows that 1,217 of its athletes are at the Olympic Games, with 385 on the U.S. team (out of 592!), followed by Canada (131), Australia (44), Nigeria (38) and Germany and Jamaica (34).
In terms of the top schools: USC (58), Stanford (54), California and Michigan (41), Florida (39), UCLA (34) and LSU (33). Of the 1,217, 1,166 are from Division I schools.
● Boxing ●Sad news that Samoan boxing coach Lionel Elika Fatupaito passed away on Friday, at the Olympic Village due to a cardiac arrest.
● Swimming ●Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Australia’s Tokyo 200 m Breaststroke gold medalist Zac Stubblety-Cook said he is considering a protest if he is on the victory stand with China’s Haiyang Qin, who won the 50-100-200 m Breast events at the 2023 World Championships. He is well aware of the potential sanctions under Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter:
“Everyone probably is aware of Rule 50 here and the repercussions that happen with that. I think potentially we could see protests in other events as well. Personally I think I will make a decision probably on the day.
“But you know at the end of the day, I’m a clean athlete and I’m trying to abide by those rules and I just hope my competitors do the same. …
“It’s obviously disappointing to hear that news and hear about the pre-Tokyo 23 athletes testing positive, some multiple times.
“And for me, racing someone that was one of those athletes and finding out he was one of those athletes was disappointing. “I think it’s less about what country they came from and more about the system and how the system ultimately feels like it’s failed. And that’s the truth.”
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It’s on. The weather was poor, but the show was great … and safe.
The long-awaited opening of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris began with 65-degree temperatures, clouds and increasing summer rain, and the now-obligatory video introduction, with French soccer icon Zinedine Zidaneeventually taking torch and running it into Paris, and into the live ceremony.
The concept of using 85 boats to carry the delegations on the Seine across 6 km – and boats of every size, some with one delegation and some with many – allowed the combination of the entertainment elements and the continuing torch relay with the parade.
Lady Gaga performed shortly after the first set of boats passed as part of the 12 “tableau” of the ceremonies, each of which celebrated a specific French theme. The first theme, “Enchante” also included dancers from the Moulin Rouge doing the Cancan, and a masked torchbearer – evoking the story of the “Phantom of the Opera” – crossing the Seine on a zipline and then a direct salute to Paris 2024 sponsor LVMH, whose Louis Vuitton division made the trunks to house the medals and torches.
The parade was held after 41 delegations after the first theme, with the cultural program – themes “Liberte” and “Equality” – taking stage for 25 minutes before the boats resumed.
The Notre Dame Cathedral bell was rung for the first time since the 2019 fire and the “Liberte” segment recognized the French Revolution, with music from the one-time prison, the Conciergerie and a chorus member dressed as Marie Antoinette … and holding her severed head! An impressive pyrotechnic display introduced French pop star Aya Nakamura, who was warmly received.
The “Fraternite” theme started with the masked torchbearer running through the Louvre and works from the museum being raised on the side of the river as an escort on the Seine as the parade continued.
An animated “Despicable Me” segment – produced in France – showcased the continuing masked torchbearer adventure and the 1913 rescue of the Mona Lisa. This led to a solitary – and spectacular – rendition of a re-arranged Le Marseillaise from the roof of the Grand Palais by French mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel.
A second rendition of the French anthem was rendered by Saint-Cirel and the 34 members of the Radio France Choir School, which was wildly received by the crowd of perhaps 320,000 on the lower and upper quays of the Seine.
The themes of “Sisterhood,” “Sportsmanship” and “Festivity” brought through all of the delegations except the host country. The last three to enter are the future hosts of the Olympic Games: Australia for 2032, then the U.S. for 2028 and finally, France.
The parade continued past sunset at 9:37 p.m. local time, with just more than a dozen boats in the water, all heavily lit and even more impressive. The U.S. came in on a single barge with its huge team – about 350 attended the ceremony – and then the masked torchbearer was back in action to set up the entry of the French team.
A link to Tahiti showed a welcome from the surfing athletes, getting ready for their competition at Teahupo’o, then back to Paris, where the enormous French barge got a huge welcome from the crowd.
The program moved into a short “Darkness” segment 10 p.m. local time, reflecting a world in conflict, then moved to “Solidarity,” as the last of the boats docked and the athletes moved into seating at the Place du Trocadero, in front of the Eiffel Tower, for the protocol aspects of the program.
(A historical note: the parade of athletes at Rio 2016, the last full Olympic parade as the Tokyo parade was limited due to Covid, took 2:37 and about 2:30 on the Seine in Paris, plus some time to offload everyone. An impressive feat of engineering by the Paris organizers!)
The Olympic flag was brought in on a metal horse “ridden” by Floriane Issert, that powered down the Seine while the national flags paraded into the Place du Trocadero stadium, then transferred to a real horse which Issert rode in, leading the flags of the nations, with athletes on both sides of the Eiffel Tower-shaped runway.
The “Solemnity” segment featured the well-known protocol, with Paris 2024 organizing committee chief Tony Estanguet welcoming the athletes – he was a three-time gold medalist in slalom canoeing – and those who are helping make the Games happen:
“The Games have reminded us that, in France even if we have a hard time agreeing on things, in the moments that count, we can come together and combine all our strengths for a single purpose. …
“Thank you to the 45,000 volunteers. You have come from 155 different countries, from all walks of life: teachers, retired people, nurses, students … and your enthusiasm will light up these Games!”
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER) gave his eight-minute address in French and then in English and then back to French, including:
“Our dream is coming true tonight: a reality for everyone to see. Olympians from all over the globe, showing us what greatness we humans are capable of.
“So I invite everybody: dream with us. Like the Olympic athletes, be inspired with the joy that only sport can give us. Let us celebrate this Olympic spirit to live life in peace, as the one and only humankind, united in all our diversity.
“This is why tonight, with my heart full of emotions, I invite the whole world: let us celebrate this joy of sport together with all the athletes. Have faith in the future. Together, let us celebrate the best of our shared humanity.”
After French President Emmanuel Macron formally opened the Games at 10:54 p.m. Paris time, there was one more task to perform.
The finale – “Eternity” – was the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. Zidane appeared in person, bringing the torch into the Trocadero stadium, handing to tennis star Rafael Nodal (ESP) – 14-time winner of the French Open – followed by a light show on the Eiffel Tower.
Then Nadal and the torch were back on the Seine, back in a boat, accompanied by sports immortals Serena Williams, Carl Lewis of the U.S. and Nadia Comaneci (ROU), while another light show took over the Eiffel Tower and a dance performance in the stadium. They handed the torch to French tennis star Amelie Mauresmo, running along the spectators next to the Seine and into the Louvre.
She began a series of hand-offs that reached 17 more athletes, in the Tuileries Gardens.
The final torchbearers were two of France’s greatest: judoka Teddy Rinerand triple gold medalist track & field star Marie-Jose Perec. They lit together a giant ring of fire as part of a giant cauldron.
The cauldron itself was an homage to the hydrogen-gas balloon, a French invention, with a ring of fire base of 23 feet in diameter topped by a hot-air balloon of 99 feet high and 72 feet in diameter, which rose majestically in the air in a startling display.
And one more surprise, with Celine Dion performing brilliantly, despite her health challenges, to close the show in stunning fashion.
¶
Was the ceremony a success? Yes it was. Absolutely. The athletes loved being part of something new, something never before attempted, even with the rain.
One of the things that the Seine River parade of nations achieved was no concentrated booing of any delegation, a welcome reprieve from what could have been. Of course, the French barge was rapturously welcomed.
Congratulations to the French security services, national, regional and local, who managed to safeguard what was widely expected to be an almost impossible task.
As a ceremony and as entertainment, what made the opening so astonishing was, ultimately, also the biggest problem.
The Seine-as-stage was too big, too enormous to focus anyone’s attention on either the countries or the cultural elements, some of which were really special. It was a grand, ambitious idea, but too ambitious. These ceremonies are better in stadiums or civic locations where spectators – live and on television – can appreciate one element at a time.
The Seine was novel, but the most moving, most dramatic elements were the stage programs with the torch and Dion’s expected, but moving performance.
LA28 has its ceremony in two stadia, beginning at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and then at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Two stages, but one at a time, another new challenge.
Most important, the Paris Games are on. This will be fun. ~ Rich Perelman
¶
● Les Temps ●Weather in Paris now is cool, but it’s going to heat up this week:
● 27 July (Sat.): High of 71 (F), low of 55 F; rainy ● 28 July (Sun.): 81 ~ 61, cloudy ● 29 July (Mon.): 90 ~ 67, cloudy ● 30 July (Tue.): 93 ~ 71, cloudy ● 31 July (Wed.): 87 ~ 68, possible storms ● 01 Aug. (Thu.): 82 ~ 63, cloudy ● 02 Aug. (Fri.): 81 ~ 62, cloudy ● 03 Aug. (Sat.): 83 ~ 63, cloudy
In addition to the heat, the question is whether conditions will be good enough for the triathlon and open-water swimming events. The regulations:
World Aquatics requirements for inland waterways: ● Enterococci score: <200 is Excellent; <400 is Good; >400 is Unacceptable ● E. Coli score: <500 is Excellent; <1,000 is Good; >1,000 is Unacceptable
World Triathlon requirements for inland waterways: ● Enterococci score: <200 is Excellent; <400 is Good; <330 is Sufficient ● E. Coli score: <500 is Excellent; <1,000 is Good; <900 is Sufficient
The City of Paris released more bacteria readings from the Seine River; over the last week and a half (Sunday through Saturday, Sunday through Tuesday):
● 14 July (sunny): Enterococci ~ 175 — E. Coli ~ 975 (good) ● 15 July (clouds): Enterococci ~ 110 — E. Coli ~ 950 (good) ● 16 July (clouds) : Enterococci ~ 180 — E. Coli ~ 750 (good) ● 17 July (sunny): Enterococci ~ 90 — E. Coli ~ 900 (good) ● 18 July (sunny): Enterococci ~ 100 — E. Coli ~ 500 (good) ● 19 July (sunny): Enterococci ~ 80 — E. Coli ~ 400 (good) ● 20 July (rainy): Enterococci ~ 50 — E. Coli ~ 400 (good)
● 21 July (clouds): Enterococci ~ 800 — E. Coli ~ 2,000 (unacceptable) ● 22 July (rainy): Enterococci ~ 150 — E. Coli ~ 1,000 (acceptable) ● 23 July (rainy): Enterococci ~ 120 — E. Coli ~ 200 (good)
It’s really all about the rain. The triathlon is scheduled for 30-31 July and the mixed relay for 5 August; the open-water swimming is slated for 4-5 August.
= PREVIEWS =
For a look at the expected highlights of the first four days of the Games, check our preview here.
= INTEL REPORT =
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ●A significant sabotage effort impacted France’s high-speed train network on Friday. Reuters reported:
“SNCF, the state-owned railway operator, said vandals had damaged signal substations and cables along the lines connecting Paris with cities such as Lille in the north, Bordeaux in the west and Strasbourg in the east. Another attack on the Paris-Marseille line was foiled.”
Service was restored quickly to many lines, but some will not be back in full service until Saturday.
● Olympic Games 2040 ●Bypassing the centennial of the infamous Nazi Games of 1936, the German government declared its interest on Thursday for a new Olympic bid:
“The Federal Government is in favour of Germany hosting the Olympic Games again. The Federal Government passed a decision to sign a joint declaration to this effect with the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and with those federal states and cities interested in making a submission.
“In this way, the coalition is demonstrating its support for another German bid to host the Olympics. The Federal Government would prefer to submit a bid for the 2040 Summer Games, which would take place 50 years after German reunification.
“‘The Olympic and Paralympic Games are a great opportunity for our country. They not only arouse enthusiasm for sport but also have the potential to boost social cohesion and provide an economic impetus for our country,’ said Federal Minister of the Interior and Sport Nancy Faeser.”
Faeser said the 2040 bid would use existing venues and likely spread them out in the country. The cities of Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Leipzig and Munich, as well as the regions of North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria all signed onto the declaration.
● Anti-Doping ●The World Anti-Doping Agency released a study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showing very modest use of the sometimes-criticized Therapeutic Use Exemption across the Olympic and Winter Games of 2016-18-20-22:
“Of the 28,583 athletes who competed in four editions of the Olympic Games, the total prevalence of athletes with TUEs was 0.90% among all competitors. At the four Paralympic Games, the total TUE prevalence among the 9,852 athletes was 2.76%.”
WADA Medical Director Dr. Alan Vernec (CAN) explained:
“The TUE Program is a necessary part of sport, allowing athletes with legitimate medical conditions to receive appropriate treatment. …
“The results of this study provide objective data to dispel some of the concerns and misconceptions surrounding TUEs that they are prone to misuse or serve as a means for ‘legitimized’ doping.”
● Athletics ●U.S. sprint star Noah Lyles spoke with NBC’s Maria Taylorduring the ceremony and he oozed confidence, saying he had new lifetime bests in him – after a 9.81 PR in the 100 m last week – said “The more you cheer, the faster I run.”
He also showed off his fingernails, with “I C O N” painted on four fingers, with promises of changes during the Games.
¶
Problems at the USATF Junior Olympic Championships at Texas A&M, with USATF posting a statement:
“With all our events, USA Track & Field (USATF) adheres to the security protocols put in place by every host venue, and we expect parents, coaches, athletes, and fans to be respectful of the rules made by the facility.
“On Wednesday, July 24th, Texas A&M University determined that the crowd had exceeded capacity and consequently restricted entry to the facility. The actions of a small group of people resulted in an injury to a Texas A&M University employee, a USATF official, and others. We strongly condemn this behavior and will take disciplinary action against those involved.”
● Boxing ●The national federations of Italy, South Korea, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands have joined World Boxing, bringing the total to 37. With the expulsion of the International Boxing Association from the Olympic Movement, World Boxing was set up specifically to try and save boxing’s place on the 2028 Olympic program in Los Angeles.
Said World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst(NED):
“We are continuing to process applications from a number of other countries and it is clear that more and more National Federations now recognise that the only path that will see our sport remain a part of the Olympic programme at Los Angeles 2028 and beyond is to join World Boxing now.”
¶
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For our updated, 547-event International Sports Calendar for the rest of 2024 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
1. WADA asserts its primacy, U.S. Congress slaps back, hard 2. Russian Valieva appeals dismissed, U.S. to get Beijing golds 3. Special Paris 2024 mascot award for medalists 4. Paris 2024: U.S. women throttle Zambia, 3-0, in opener 5. Gallup poll shows modest U.S. interest in Paris Games
● The war of words between the World Anti-Doping Agency and the U.S. continued following the IOC Session, in which a termination clause for disrespecting WADA was inserted into the hosting contract for the 2034 Winter Games now awarded to Salt Lake City. WADA chief Witold Banka called again for control of NCAA competitions and the U.S. professional leagues and was closely questioned in a tense news conference in Paris. Meanwhile, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter with 13 questions and a demand for a staff briefing to Banks, with an 8 August reply date. Oy.
● The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed the three Russian appeals on the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games figure skating Team Event, confirming the U.S. and Japan in the first two places and clearing the way for the medal ceremony to take place in Paris on 9 August … more than two years after the event was concluded.
● The Paris 2024 organizers announced that Olympic medal winners will be presented with an official Games poster on the victory stand and receive a specially-created Phryges mascot doll with gold, silver or bronze medals on the chest (and gold, silver or bronze shoes!). Let’s see how long it takes to change the protocol and award the Phyrges on the victory stand.
● Paris 2024: Competition continued with the U.S. women’s football team overpowering Zambia in their opener by 3-0, scoring all the goals in the first 25 minutes. Trinity Rodman got the first goal, followed by two from Mallory Swanson in the 24th and 25th minutes. It was no contest.
● Gallup released polling data which indicated American viewing interest for the Paris Games is the lowest it has seen since it began asking the question in 2000. However, there is no doubt about the most eagerly-anticipated sport on the program: women’s gymnastics, with men’s and women’s track & field a distant second and third, and swimming (men and women) and men’s basketball further back in a tie for fourth.
● Panorama: Los Angeles 1984 (Washington Post looks back at 1984 in words and in a podcast!) = Paris 2024 (6: ticket sales up to 8.7 million; opening ceremony spectators urged to arrive four hours early; Reuters reports 155 individuals under special security surveillance; AP reports on movement of homeless to actual housing during Games; British complain about Village food, are eating in British House; TASS collects reports of complaints so far) = French Alps 2030 (2: Turin mayor says speed skating will be there; World Ath and UCI plotting cross country and cyclo-cross for OWG) = NBC (Snoop Dogg says “My preparation for prime time is being me”) = Football (Argentina files complaint with FIFA over Morocco match and fans running onto the field) = Judo (IJF chief says “many things are missing” at arena) = Tennis (Murray to play only Doubles in Paris) ●
● Errata: An error in Thursday’s preview on the women’s long jump, as Monae Nichols – not Quanesha Burks – is on the U.S. team for Paris. Sorry about that, Monae. Thanks to the one and only Duffy Mahoney for the correction. ●
● Schedule: With the opening of the Paris Games on Friday, look for same-day coverage – reviews, previews and intel – from TSX, generally by 8 p.m. Eastern time daily (at least that’s the goal!). ●
1. WADA asserts its primacy, U.S. Congress slaps back, hard
Wednesday’s scripted imposition of a “we’ll take the Games back if the U.S. doesn’t respect WADA” clause into the hosting agreement with the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games for the 2023 Olympic Winter Games was only part of the beginning of the tug-of-war between the International Olympic Committee, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the U.S. government.
WADA President Witold Banka (POL) – a 46.11 400 m runner in his youth – released a statement following Wednesday’s IOC Session and the imposition of the “respect WADA or else” clause into the hosting agreement. It included a reminder that WADA’s objectives with the U.S. only start with a reduction in hostility, but hardly end there:
“Following concerns expressed by many within the global anti-doping community about the politization of anti-doping within the U.S., it is very encouraging to hear their stated commitment to WADA and willingness to help strengthen the American anti-doping system, in particular for young athletes coming through the college system and for the professional leagues. WADA stands ready to support them every step of the way for the good of athletes in the U.S. and everywhere.”
Banka has repeatedly chided the U.S. for not having WADA’s authority extend to NCAA athletes (all divisions) and to Major League Baseball, the NFL, NBA, NHL and other leagues. Whether there will even be an intercollegiate athletics system in the U.S. in the future is questionable at this point, and in the case of professional leagues, doping controls are negotiated directly between owners and player unions. In such cases, the players have a true say – a direct one – in doping controls, in startling contrast to WADA’s “athlete voice” which is less than a shadow of the power of a true union.
If the short-term goal is to reduce the impact, or begin the process of revoking the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019 – inspired by the Russian state-sponsored doping project from 2011-15 – which creates extra-territorial jurisdiction for the U.S. Justice Department, the U.S. Congress has to be involved. And on Thursday, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, before whom a sub-committee hearing on 25 June that Banka did not attend, issued a six-page letter co-signed by the Chair and the Ranking Member, which included:
“WADA purports to maintain the integrity of sports by creating a fair and competitive sporting environment free from doping. As a U.S. taxpayer supported entity, WADA has a responsibility to the American people to ensure this integrity by enforcing international testing requirements. We believe WADA has fallen short of this important mission.”
And concern over the January 2021 Chinese doping incident was further underlined from a political perspective:
“We are particularly concerned with the excessive deference being extended toward CHINADA – a state-funded operation with leadership deeply intertwined with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as current CHINADA director Li Zhiquan also serves as a Committee Secretary for the CCP.”
The Committee submitted 13 specific questions for WADA to answer by 8 August – while the Paris Games are still underway – and “and provide a date at which a representative can be available to brief our staff.” Included in the requests was for a copy of the complete case file.
Banks appeared for a news conference on Thursday at the Paris Main Press Center, described in an AIPS report as:
“The lack of trust in the room was palpable as countless journalists demanded accountability for WADA’s decision on the case, with Witold Banka, President of the WADA and Olivier Niggli, Director General of WADA, in the hot seat.”
Said Banka of the changes forced on the Salt Lake City-Utah bid team:
“This decision was not to cut criticism, because we are always open for constructive criticism. It was to ensure the harmonisation of the anti-doping system is protected.
“WADA is the global anti-doping regulator, and we oversee the system. We have almost 700 code signatories, including 200 countries. Our role is to make sure that the anti-doping rules in respective countries are working in accordance with the code.
“Yesterday’s decision by the IOC is to make sure that stakeholders respect WADA’s position in the global anti-doping landscape.”
And he was clear about his disdain for the Rodchenkov Act, explaining, “Well, it’s highly incorrect for one country to try to impose jurisdiction on the anti-doping decisions on the rest of the world because, clearly, the extraterritorial clause is obvious and gives the USA power to investigate all the anti-doping cases in the world.”
And regarding the comments from U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chief Travis Tygart:
“How can we comment on such unprofessional comments? I’m speechless.”
Bur Banka said WADA will follow through on its plan to hold the USADA responsible for the Rodchenkov Act:
“Our role is to make sure that our stakeholders are following our regulations, rules and national legislation under the world anti-doping code.
“The Rodchenkov Act, especially the extraterritorial clause, will be the subject of our upcoming compliance review in order to see whether or not this legislation is in line with our World Anti-Doping Code.
“One of the tools which we have is a compliance monitoring programme. We are monitoring whether our stakeholders are acting by the code.
“Sometimes, in some countries, the anti-doping regulations and rules are implemented through national legislation, and in other countries, they are implemented through our system.
“One of our duties is to make sure that the system is harmonised, and that these rules are in accordance with the code. So now we’re going to analyse very carefully whether the Rodchenkov Act and this clause is in line with the WADA Code.”
Banka also said WADA could not guarantee that there will be no athletes who are doping in Paris, explaining, “Our role is not to give the stamp of credibility to every single athlete, it’s obvious that you will never eliminate doping from the sporting landscape. You will always find someone who wants to cheat.
“Our role is to oversee the system, to make sure the system is robust, to make sure that we are using all the existing tools to test athletes properly.”
For his part, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee President Gene Sykes – now an IOC member – said there is hope:
“That is the opportunity for WADA and USADA to agree. They don’t agree yet, but they really haven’t been talking to each other. “They’ve been playing a game of ping-pong with media bullets, and it’s obviously been distressing. It’s been especially distressing to the international sports movement because they see this as something that undermines the United States’ acceptance of the World Anti-Doping Code.”
“We’re not trying to escape from the World Anti-Doping Code. We’re trying to support it and make it stronger. What we want to do is cool the tempers and find a way for these organizations to constructively work together.”
Observed: Sykes and SLC-Utah Committee chief executive Fraser Bullock are trying to be the adults in the room, but it won’t be easy, at least in the short run.
Both WADA and USADA want effective anti-doping administration and USADA chief Tygart’s whole issue with the Chinese swimming incident is that the rules of the World Anti-Doping Code were not enforced! And there are unspoken truths about this case which are being conveniently ignored.
Beyond the direct WADA-USADA fight and that with the U.S. Congress – which may well not even be discussed until after the U.S. elections in November – the IOC has now placed itself in the position of a diver on the 10 m platform.
It can execute a dive perfectly, with a minimal splash and all-around appreciation. It can make a bigger splash and have points deducted, but still win, or it could hit its head and suffer a potentially ghastly injury. The IOC has no interest in making life difficult for either the LA28 organizers or the new team to be formed in Salt Lake City, and it has very significant business interests in the U.S.
The IOC and the U.S. need each other, but the IOC’s imposition of a new termination clause into the Salt Lake City hosting agreement now heightens tensions and raises questions about whether IOC chief Thomas Bach (GER) will stay on beyond his current 12-year term, what the policy views of a new IOC President might be, and how future U.S. broadcasters will view this development.
The current contract with NBC ends with the 2032 Games in Brisbane, and Salt Lake City 2034 would be the first Games in a new agreement with one or more U.S. rights-holders.
And forgetting the Rodchenkov Act entirely for a moment, there are much more devastating actions that the U.S. government could take against the IOC, if it were motivated to do so. Let’s hope it is not so motivated, now or in the future.
2. Russian Valieva appeals dismissed, U.S. to get Beijing golds
“[T]he appeals are dismissed.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced Thursday that the three appeals by various Russian entities – the Russian Olympic Committee, the Russian figure skating federation and the members of the Russian team that competed in the Team Event at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games – have all been thrown out.
The immediate impact is to clear the way for the U.S. team, which was elevated to gold-medal status after the doping disqualification of Kamila Valieva, will be able to receive their medals at the Paris 2024 Champions Park on 9 August. Same for Japan, which finished third on the ice, but is now confirmed as the silver medalists.
Per the announcement:
“The Appellants had sought a ruling from CAS re-ranking the figure skating Team Event and awarding the gold medal to the ROC. Following the hearing that took place on 12 June 2024, the Panel deliberated and concluded that the results of Ms Valieva in the Olympic Figure Skating Team Event were correctly disqualified in the Challenged Decision, and that the ROC Skating Team could not be awarded the gold medal. Consequently, the above-mentioned appeals are dismissed.”
“This decision comes just in time to still be able to make the medal allocation for gold and silver possible during the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
“The IOC will now work with the @ISU_Figure, USOPC and the JOC to bring the athletes to Paris in order to hold the ceremony here in the Champions Park based on the amended results from the ISU.
“We are glad that this opportunity can be offered to the athletes and teams who, unfortunately, had to wait for a very long time for their medals due to the ongoing legal case.”
“The ISU has taken note of today’s CAS decision, which brings the case a step closer to being finalized, allowing the skaters to finally receive the medals they deserve. The ISU extends its gratitude to the athletes for their patience and resilience throughout this process. Following this decision, the ISU will coordinate with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with regard to the awarding of the medals.”
There is a remaining issue to be decided, concerning the bronze medal, which the ISU’s re-ranking left Russia with the bronze medal, in apparent contravention of its own rules. The Court of Arbitration for Sport release noted that the hearing on this matter was held on 22 July and “The second CAS Panel is now deliberating. It is not possible to indicate at this time when the second Panel’s decision will be issued.”
3. Special Paris 2024 mascot award for medalists
Beginning with Rio 2016, the custom of awarding flowers on the Olympic victory stand – which was almost instantly discarded – was replaced with a souvenir keepsake of the organizing committee. Great idea.
The Paris 2024 organizers announced a special edition of their Phryges mascot for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with gold, silver or bronze shoes (or prosthetic), gold, silver or bronze medals on the chest and the word “bravo” sewn into the back.
“[E]ach athlete awarded a medal at the Paris 2024 Games will receive, alongside their medal, a medallist mascot together with the Games’ Iconic Poster.
“For the Olympic Games, the poster will be presented during the victory ceremony, whereas the mascot will be presented after the ceremony, in the Village.
“For the Paralympic Games, the medallist mascots will be presented during the victory ceremony, whereas the Paralympic poster will be presented at a later stage. These gifts will be presented by 515 Paris 2024 Volunteers.”
These items are made in France, in Brittany and are not on public sale: you have to win a medal to get one.
Observed: Hopefully, the organizers will change their protocol and give the medalist mascots on the victory stand so that they can be waived by the athletes as symbols of the Paris Games. Who wants to waive a poster?
4. Paris 2024: U.S. women throttle Zambia, 3-0, in opener
In its last game before its Olympic opener, the U.S. women’s football team could not score against Costa Rica. But in Nice, the American women lined up a shooting gallery against Zambia, with an overwhelming, 3-0 victory in their Group B opener.
The U.S. had four chances in the first quarter-hour, with strikers Tiffany Rodman (9th) and Mallory Swanson (15th) hitting the crossbar, then Rodman took an entry pass from midfielder Lindsey Horan inside the box, turned to her right and around a defender and sent a hard shot from the middle of the box past an out-of-position Ngambo Musole for the 1-0 lead.
Then the goals came quickly, with Horan sending a perfect pass to the onrushing Swanson coming into the box from the right side, and sending a left-footed shot that cut back to the left for a 2-0 lead in the 24th. Just a minute later, Swanson was cutting through the box from right to left again and Sophia Smith found her for an easy goal and a 3-0 advantage.
It got worse for Zambia as defender Pauline Zulu defender was red-carded in the 34th for a foul on Smith, who was heading into the box again; Smith left and had to be replaced by Lynn Williams. The half ended at 3-0, and the U.S. with 74% possession and a 15-1 edge on shots.
The second half was calmer, with the U.S. maintaining possession and looking for opportunities and Zambia better concentrated on defense.
Horan, Swanson and Horan left the game for subs in the 65th minute, and while the attacks continued, the Americans were content to leave the final at 3-0. The U.S. finished with 79% possession and a 27-8 shots advantage.
Under new coach Emma Hayes (GBR), the U.S. is 5-0, with a 11-0 goals-against total. Next up will be Germany, 3-0 winner over Australia on Thursday, on Sunday in Marseille.
In the women’s Group A, defending champion Canada managed a 2-1 win over New Zealand with a goal by Evelyne Viens in the 79th, amid drone-spying issues by two now-removed Canadian officials of New Zealand practices. France defeated Colombia, 3-2, with three first-half goals.
In Group C, Spain edged Japan, 2-1 on a 74th-minute goal by Mariona Caldentey and Brazil got past Nigeria, 1-0 with Gabi Nunesscoring in the 37th.
¶
The second day of the Rugby Sevens men’s tournament saw the U.S. beat Uruguay, 33-17 and advance to the playoffs as the third team in Group C (1-1-1). However, Australia eliminated the Americans by an 18-0 score in the quarterfinals.
New Zealand, Australia and defending champion Fiji were all 3-0 winners in their groups, with Australia advancing to the semis and Fiji defeating Ireland in a hard-fought, 19-15 game. However, New Zealand was eliminated by South Africa by 14-7 and will now face France, a 26-14 winner over Argentina.
The semis will be held on Saturday (27th).
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In the Archery ranking round, Korea’s three-time World Champion Woo-jin Kim led the men’s ranking round at 686/700, ahead of teammate Je-deok Kim (682). American Brady Ellison, the 2019 World Champion, was seventh (677) and reigning Olympic champ Mete Gazoz was eighth (676).
Fellow Korean Si-hyeon Lim – eighth at the 2023 Worlds – set a world record of 694 in the women’s round, breaking the 2019 standard of 692 by Chae-young Kang (KOR). American Casey Kaufhold was fourth at 672.
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Handball opened play in the women’s tournament, with Denmark, Korea and Sweden winning in Group A, and France, the Netherlands and Brazil in Group B.
5. Gallup poll shows modest U.S. interest in Paris Games
“While the 2024 Olympic Games are still likely to draw sizable audiences compared with other concurrent entertainment options, far fewer Americans plan to watch the events than in prior years.”
That’s from Gallup, reporting on a poll of more than 1,000 Americans from 1-21 July about their viewing intentions for the Paris Games (4% margin of error). Their conclusion:
“The U.S. viewing audience for the 2024 Paris Games is poised to be the smallest for any prior Summer Olympics Gallup has measured. Thirty-five percent of U.S. adults plan to watch a great deal (10%) or fair amount (25%) of the games, which is down from 48% measured for the 2016 Olympics and figures just shy of 60% from 2000 to 2012.”
Gallup has surveyed television interest in the Olympic Games beginning with Sydney 2000, asking the same question, but with declining results (Tokyo 2020 not shown due to Covid lifestyle interference) on how much of the Games people expect to watch:
● 2000: 59% great or fair amount – 28% not much – 12% none (Sydney) ● 2004: 59% great or fair amount – 29% not much – 12% none (Athens) ● 2008:56% great or fair amount – 29% not much – 14% none (Beijing) ● 2012: 59% great or fair amount – 28% not much – 13% none (London) ● 2016: 48% great or fair amount – 30% not much – 21% none (Rio) ● 2024: 35% great or fair amount – 34% not much – 30% none (Paris)
The question was “How much of the Olympics do you intend to watch – a great deal, a fair amount, not much or none at all?” and so not tied to a choice of network, cable or streaming, but simply “viewing” on any platform. In terms of the demographic spread:
All adults: ● 2000-12:58% expected to watch quite a bit ● 2016: 48% (-10%) ● 2024: 35% (-13%)
By age groups: ● 2000-12: 57% ages 18-49 quite a bit ● 2016: 44% (-13%) ● 2024: 30% (-14%)
● 2000-12: 59% ages 50+ quite a bit ● 2016: 52% (-7%) ● 2020:42% (-10%)
In terms of interest in specific sports, the first choices showed there is only one sport in the Paris Games for American audiences:
In terms of sports in a respondent’s “top three,” women’s gymnastics was listed by 68%, followed by men’s track (33%), women’s track (32%), women’s swimming (30%) and men’s swimming (29%).
By gender, 85% of women had women’s gymnastics in their top three, followed by women’s swimming (41%) and women’s track (35%). For men, 52% had men/s track in their top three, with women’s gymnastics second (49%) and men’s swimming third (34%).
The sports interest reports came from a Web survey of 2,072 U.S. adults from 1-14 July, with a 2% margin of error.
NBC’s viewing data from the U.S. Olympic Trials broadcasts showed good interest and audience levels back at Rio 2016 levels, if not better.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
● Olympic Games 1984: Los Angeles ● The Washington Post’s Les Carpenter did an in-depth, months-in-preparation story looking back on the 1984 Olympic Games and the pivotal changes it brought to the Olympic Movement, and a podcast, with guests Joan Benoit Samuelson, Edwin Moses and even a few comments from then-LAOOC Vice President/Press Operations Rich Perelman.
The story was titled, “The miracle of 1984: How Los Angeles saved the dying Olympics” with the sub head of “Four decades ago, Peter Ueberroth transformed the Games from an unwanted burden to a coveted entertainment behemoth.”
The podcast title is “How the 1984 Olympics saved the Games.”
Enjoy!
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ●The Paris organizers said Thursday that 8.7 million of the total of 10 million tickets for the Olympic Games have been sold, extending their record for the most tickets sold for any Olympic Games.
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The City of Paris sent an email notice to resident and Opening Ceremony spectators on Thursday that included:
“The opening ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. Spectators are invited to arrive as soon as possible, as soon as the doors open at 3:30 p.m., with their ticket (lower platforms) or access ticket (upper platforms) and an identity document. Access will no longer be allowed after 6:30 p.m.”
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“As part of a vast security operation for the Paris Games, which start on Friday, authorities have turned to powers passed under a 2017 anti-terror law, placing 155 people under surveillance measures that strictly limit their movement and oblige them to register daily with police even though some have never faced criminal charges, according to official data and a Reuters review of cases.”
The Reuters story, posted on Thursday, noted the agency reviewed 27 cases, of which six have been overturned and four partially revised. Activists and attorneys for arrestees decried excessive security outreach by the French authorities, who have made no apologies for attempts to keep the Games safe amid continuing threats.
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The Associated Press posted a Thursday story noting “French authorities have been clearing out migrant and homeless encampments for months leading up to the massive global sports event, which is an important moment for President Emmanuel Macron at a time of political turmoil. …
“Authorities also have been sharply criticized as they have bused camping migrants from the city center where the Olympics are taking place to the fringes of Paris or other areas. Activist groups and migrants have called the practice – long used in other Olympic host cities like Rio de Janeiro in 2016 – a form of ‘social cleansing.’”
French authorities stated that they are moving people off of the streets into real housing, as they have for years, with Ile-de-France regional government chief of staff Christophe Noel Du Payrattelling the AP:
“We are taking care of them. We don’t really understand the criticism because we are very much determined to offer places for these people.”
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“Our athletes have decided they would rather go and eat in our performance lodge in Clichy, so we are having to get another chef to come over as the demand is far exceeding what we thought it would be.”
That’s from British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Anson, speaking to The Times (London), adding:
“There are not enough of certain foods: eggs, chicken, certain carbohydrates. And then there is the quality of the food, with raw meat being served to athletes. They have got to improve it over the next couple of days dramatically.”
Carrefour, the French supermarket giant, said “the initial assessments of the meals consumed, it has been requested to revise upwards the quantities initially planned, which the group will be able to satisfy.” The catering management team, Sodexo Live!, said it is modifying its offerings to “satisfy the needs of the athletes” after noticing a “very high demand for certain products.”
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Complaints are always part of the run-up to any Olympic Games and the Russian news agency TASS posted a report which included some commonly-seen, early-on issues from prior Games, and some overstatements:
“European media have previously reported on the poor quality of service for athletes, robberies of Olympians, problems with food supplies, uncomfortable ‘cardboard’ beds, complaints about stuffiness in transport. Rats continue to terrorize Parisians and Olympic guests, and bedbugs have attacked France in the run-up to the competition.”
● Olympic Winter Games 2030: French Alps ●One of the open issues in the French Alps bid has been the speed skating venue, but Stefano Lo Russo, the Mayor of 2006 Winter Games host Turin, wrote on Instagram that the Torino Oval Lingotto (capacity: 8,500) would host the sport.
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The FrancsJeux.com site reported that World Athletics and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) are joining up to propose two new Winter Games sports: cross country and cyclo-cross.
According to UCI chief David Lappartient (FRA):
“Cross-country and cyclo-cross could share the same site. They would have the advantage of reinforcing the universality of the Winter Games, where few African countries are currently represented.”
Asked about the IOC requirement that Winter Games sports must be conducted on snow or ice, Lappartient opined, “It is not mandatory that they are contested all the time on snow or ice.” It is not at all clear that the IOC’s Program Commission will share their view.
● NBC ● During a call with reporters, rapper Snoop Dogg, in Paris as part of the NBC team, was asked about his preparation for the Games:
“My preparation for prime time is being me. Google me. Look me up, dog. I’ve done fighting a bit. I’ve done sporting events. This is what I do. I’ve been doing this since y’all have been goldfish. What they’re going to find out is I know the sport, I know the angle, I know the conversations. Tune in so you can be a part of it. …
“Just so you know, I’ve been sliding into the practice facilities with different teams, whether it was judo, weightlifting, 3-on-3 basketball, fencing. I’m one of those individuals that likes to get involved. Not only do I communicate and talk with them, I may try the event.
“[I’m] learning the backstory of these athletes and their families, and then learning the backstory of some of these events — these sporting events I have no clue about — but [I’m] learning and loving them at the same time.
“It’s going to be a great experience because the way I speak it, you tend to want to pay attention to it because it’s going to be something different, and it’s going to be a little bit more insightful because I have spent time with these athletes and some of their family members as well.”
● Football ● “Some of the fans thought it was the end of the match and decided to invade the pitch. The atmosphere was festive. At no time was there any security risk for players or spectators. Within minutes of the final whistle, a security bubble formed around the athletes.”
That’s the statement from Thomas Collomb, the deputy director of security for Paris 2024, about Morocco fans rushing the field near the end of the Argentina-Morocco men’s football match in Saint-Etienne on Wednesday. An Argentine goal late in stoppage time appeared to tie the game at 2-2, but was disallowed on video review after two hours, with Morocco winning the match by 2-1.
The stadium was cleared and the teams played out the final three minutes of stoppage time without fans. Argentina’s football federation filed a complaint with FIFA, and federation head Claudio Tapia said:
“Having to wait almost two hours in the dressing room, after Morocco fans entering the pitch, the violence that the Argentina delegation suffered, our players having to warm up again and continue to play a match that should have been suspended by the main referee, is really something that makes no sense and that goes against the competition rules.”
Argentina coach Javier Mascherano added: “What happened on the field was a scandal. This isn’t a neighborhood tournament, these are the Olympic Games. …
“The game was suspended because of security. At no moment did they talk to us about any revision [of the goal].
“Obviously it’s confusing, but we have to move forward. It’s already happened, it’s over. We have to focus on the two games [left]. Save up the anger and let it all out in the coming games.”
FIFA issued a statement that it will “appoint an integrity expert to support the necessary investigations into the potential breaches of the FIFA regulations following the incidents that took place during the match between the representative teams of Argentina and Morocco played on 24 July 2024.”
● Judo ●“I come to Paris with great enthusiasm, we are prepared from a sporting point of view, but unfortunately the place is not prepared and we are suffering.
“The entire IJF team is on site working with the local team to complete the site, but it should have been ready much sooner. … many things are missing in the installation.”
That’s International Judo Federation President Marius Vizer (ROU), speaking with Agence France Presse on Wednesday.
A Paris 2024 statement noted that the Champ-de-Mars Arena “will be ready on time for the competition … there are still some points [needing] attention, such as the assembly of certain equipment and the cleaning of the site.”
And: “Our teams are fully mobilised to ensure these finishing touches.”
● Tennis ●Britain’s Andy Murray, 37, withdrew from the Olympic men’s Singles competition and will only play in the men’s Doubles with Dan Evans:
“I’m getting a bit older now so it gets harder to recover from injuries. I just ran out of time really [for singles], but happy to be in the doubles with Dan and we play well together.”
Murray, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has said he will retire following the Paris Games.
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For our updated, 547-event International Sports Calendar for the rest of 2024 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
1. Paris Preview IV: how many golds for U.S. basketball, Noah Lyles? 2. France, Salt Lake City get Winter Games as IOC gets tough 3. USADA’s Tygart: shocked that IOC is “stooping to threats” 4. USOPC selects Coco Gauff as female flagbearer 5. Paris 2024: French whip U.S., 3-0, in football opener
● Our final Paris preview, of the final four days of the Games, with U.S. teams in basketball, beach volleyball, water polo and other sports pursuing team titles, and individual stars like Noah Lyles, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Grant Holloway and more running for records … and history.
● The French Alps was conditionally awarded the 2030 Olympic Winter Games by the International Olympic Committee, subject to providing the still-missing government guarantees by 1 October. Salt Lake City was awarded the 2034 Winter Games, based on a universally-admired bid, but not before having to agree to a clause in the Host City Contract that would allow the IOC to remove the Games if the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the U.S. government does not “fully respect the supreme authority of WADA and that the application of the World Anti-Doping Code is not hindered or not undermined.”
● The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency posted a furious reply to the IOC’s actions against him and the U.S. government, saying “It is shocking to see the IOC itself stooping to threats in an apparent effort to silence those seeking answers to what are now known as facts.”
● The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced that 20-year-old tennis star Coco Gauff – in her first Olympic Games – will be the female flagbearer at Friday’s Opening Ceremony on the Seine River.
● Sports are actually being played in Paris now, with France’s men’s football team defeating the U.S., 3-0, in Marseille, while a wild Argentina-Morocco game was suspended after fans ran on the field to protest a stoppage-time, tying goal by Argentina … which was overturned on video review!
● Panorama: Paris 2024 (ITA says 95% of Paris athletes tested; strike threat by dancers for opening avoided) = Int’l Olympic Committee (Sykes elected from U.S., Berraf extended) = Oceania National Olympic Committees (87 athletes used the pre-Games training center) = Athletics (2: new doping charge against suspended Kenyan marathoner; 60 new grants from USATF Foundation) = Boxing (IBA says Bach should resign) = Tennis (Sinner out of Paris with tonsilitis) ●
1. Paris Preview IV: how many golds for U.S. basketball, Noah Lyles?
(For our Paris Preview part I, covering 27-28-29-30 July, click here; for 31 July-01-02-03 August, click here; for 04-05-06-07 August, click here.)
The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad will wrap up on Sunday, 11 August in Paris, with lots of memories, some spectacular performances, some head-scratchers and commercials you will have seen so many times you can recite the words!
Here’s our fourth look at what to look out for as the competition winds up, especially in track & field and the team sports.
● Thursday, 8 August ● A big schedule of 25 finals on day 14 of the Games with three of the highest-profile American athletes in action.
Noah Lyleswill have finished the 100 m four days earlier and will be the favorite for his specialty, the men’s 200 m on the 8th. He’s won the last two Worlds golds in this event, owns the American Record at 19.31 and is the world leader at 19.53. He was embarrassed with his Tokyo bronze in the event, but is going to get an argument from fellow Americans Kenny Bednarek – who won the Tokyo silver – and Erriyon Knighton, the 2023 Worlds runner-up.
Bednarek thinks he can win in Paris as does Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo. But no one can match Lyles’ finishing speed.
In the men’s 110 m hurdles, three-time World Champion Grant Holloway, no. 2 all-time at 12.81 and the world leader at 12.86 in 2024, wants the Olympic gold that eluded him in Tokyo, when he was passed late by Hansle Parchment (JAM). So far, Holloway’s biggest threats are from teammates Freddie Crittenden(12.93) and Daniel Roberts (12.96) and Italy’s European champ Lorenzo Simonelli (13.05).
Holloway is one of the best starters in the world; it’s how he finishes – sometimes – that lets others back into the race.
Then there is the much-anticipated clash of titans in the women’s 400 m hurdles, with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the U.S., the defending Olympic champ and world-record holder at 50.65 the clear favorite. But Dutch star Femke Bol is only a half-step back at 50.95 and is also the 2024 European champion. Who has the strength over hurdle 10 and the run-in?
Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton and Americans Anna Cockrell and Jasmine Jones are the expected contenders for the bronze.
The most popular track & field athlete in the world is probably India’s javelin ace and defending Olympic champ, Neeraj Chopra, the 2023 World Champion, with millions of social-media followers. The whole country will be cheering him on against Tokyo runner-up Jakub Vadlejch (CZE), Pakistan’s Worlds silver winner Arshad Nadeem and Grenada’s 2022 Worlds winner Anderson Peters.
German Malaika Mihambo is the defending Olympic champion and the world leader in the women’s long jump at 7.22 m (23-8 1.4). But she will have to deal with the effervescent and ever-present Tara Davis-Woodhall, who has reached 7.14 m (23-5 1/4) and was the 2023 Worlds runner-up. This should be quite a battle, with Italy’s Larissa Iapichino, American Jasmine Moore and Jamaica’s Ackelia Smith ready to pounce if either falters.
In the men’s Speed event in Sport Climbing, 2023 Worlds gold and silver winners Matteo Zurloni (ITA) and Jinbao Long (CHN) will be challenged by Indonesia’s World Cup winner Veddriq Leonardo. Former World Cup winner Bassa Mawem (FRA) and American Samuel Watson are also contenders.
In the women’s 10 km open-water event, scheduled to be held in the Seine River if the bacteria count is OK, look for Rio 2016 winner Sharon van Rouwendaal (NED), Tokyo 2020 winner Ana Marcela Cunha(BRA) and 2023 Worlds winner Leonie Beck (GER) as the favorites. The U.S. has 2023 Worlds bronze winner Katie Grimes, and Worlds silver medalist Chelsea Gubecka(AUS) is also a contender. These are some of the fittest people on the planet.
● Friday, 9 August ●A massive program of 34 finals is scheduled, with many of the team events moving into the medal round. But the Stade de France will still be busy with athletics and one of the showcase events of the Games.
That’s the men’s 400 m hurdles, with Olympic champ and world-record holder Karsten Warholm (NOR), facing Tokyo runner-up and 2024 world leader Rai Benjamin of the U.S., with Brazil’s 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santos a threat to both.
Benjamin finally beat Warholm at the Diamond League Final in 2023 and won this year at the Monaco Diamond League, and had the world-leading mark of 46.46 from the U.S. Trials. Is this his year? Sure looks like it, but in any case, these three should be on the medal stand.
The women’s 400 m has been assumed to belong to 2023 World Champion Marileidy Paulino (DOM), but Jamaica’s NCAA champ Nickiska Pryce has the world-leading time at 48.57 from the London Diamond League, with Natalia Kaczmarek (POL: 48.90) second. Throw in Ireland’s Rhasidat Adelekeand Americans Kendall Ellis and Kaylyn Brown and things look suddenly tighter.
Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay led an Ethiopian sweep at the 2023 Worlds, but a world-record attempt set up for her at the Pre Classic was stolen by Kenyan Beatrice Chebet, who grabbed the record at 28:54.14 to 29:05.92 for Tsegay. Will anyone challenge? Will the pace be slow enough to give others a shot? Is Tokyo Olympic champ Sifan Hassan (NED) in shape?
The women’s shot is expected to feature two-time World Champion Chase Jackson of the U.S., but World Indoor champ Sarah Mitton (CAN) is the world leader, Jessica Schilder (NED) won the European title and what about Tokyo Olympic winner Lijiao Gong of China? Americans Raven Saunders(Tokyo silver) and Jaida Ross are also sure they can medal in Paris.
The women’s heptathlon will finish and is expected to be a battle between defending Olympic champ Nafi Thiamof Belgium, two-time World Champion Katharina Johnson-Thompson (GBR) and Tokyo Olympic silver winner Anouk Vetter (NED) and American Anna Hall. Thiam, when healthy, has been tough to deal with, but Hall is on the ascent and is no. 5 all-time at 6,988 from 2023.
Then there are the relays, with the U.S. men and women both favored. The American men will likely start with 2019 World Champion Christian Coleman, have 2022 World Champion Fred Kerley run the backstraight, hand to Bednarek or Knighton on the turn and then Lyles to finish. Jamaica, Italy, Canada, Japan are all contenders; the question isn’t who has the fastest runners, but who can get the stick around.
The U.S. women have Sha’Carri Richardsonto anchor, and can call on Gabby Thomas on the turn, Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry and more. But Jamaica, with Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will be formidable, as will Great Britain with Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita, and France. Again, the stickwork is what counts.
In men’s Freestyle wrestling, David Taylorof the U.S. won the 2023 Worlds 86 kg class over Iranian star Hassan Yazdani, a three-time World Champion. But Taylor was defeated at the U.S. Trials by Aaron Brooks, now in Taylor’s shoes.
Helen Maroulis famously won the Rio 2016 women’s 53 kg class and won a Tokyo bronze at 57 kg. She’s back at 57 kg, dealing with three-time World Champion Tsugumi Sakurai (JPN) and Moldova’s Anastasia Nichita, the 2023 runner-up. Sakurai defeated Maroulis at the 2022 Worlds gold-medal match.
American teams have won medals in women’s beach volleyball in five straight Games and have good possibilities in 2024 with World Champions Sara Hughes and Kelly Chengand Beach Pro Tour Finals winners Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth. Both will have to deal with Brazilian stars (and former World Champions) Duda Lisboa and Ana Patricia Ramos, and Carol Salgado and Barbara Seixas. Canada’s former Worlds winners Melissa Human-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson and Tokyo runners-up Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar(AUS) must be monitored.
Breaking will have its Olympic debut in Paris, and is not in the 2028 Olympic program, so this may be it. The 2023 World Champs medalists were Dominika Banevic (LTU: Nicka), Ayumi Fukushima (JPN: Ayumi) and Sya Dembele (FRA: Syssy). Also look for Japan’s Ami Yuasa (Ami) and Americans Sunny Choi (Sunny) and Logan Elanna Edra(Logistx).
The men’s 10 km open-water swim in the Seine (hopefully) could be a rematch of the last three World Championships: 2022 winner Gregorio Paltrinieri(ITA), 2023 champ Florian Wellbrock (GER) and 2024 gold medalist Kristof Rasovszky (HUN), who went Wellbrock-Rasovszky-Paltrinieri in Tokyo in 2021. They are the favorites, but watch for France’s Marc-Antoine Olivier, the 2024 runner-up.
In Sport Climbing, the men’s Combined event – Boulder and Lead – will be contested for the first time at the Olympic level, with 2023 Worlds medalists Jakob Schubert (AUT), American Colin Duffy and Japan’s Tomoa Narasaki all contenders. German Alexander Megos, three-time Boulder World Champion Adam Ondra (CZE) and Japanese star Sorato Anraku are also in the mix, especially strong on Boulder.
● Saturday, 10 August ● A staggering program of 39 finals on the penultimate day of the Games, with nine athletics events, opening with the men’s marathon.
Back-to-back Olympic champ Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) has not been dominant, finishing 10th at the Tokyo Marathon in his only race of the year, in March. Tokyo winner Benson Kipruto, the world leader at 2:02:16 and Alexander Mutiso, the London winner (2:04:01) are the other Kenyans.
Ethiopia counters with London runner-up and three-time Olympic track gold medalist Kenenisa Bekele, Seville Marathon winner Deresa Geleta (2:03:27) and Sisay Lemma, the 2024 Boston winner. Tokyo silver winner Abdi Nageeye (NED) is back as is bronze winner Bashir Abdi (BEL), and what about France’s Morhad Amdouni (2:03:47)?
On the track, the greatest year in history in the men’s 800 m will be decided among Djamel Sedjati (ALG), the 2022 Worlds runner-up, Kenyan Emmanuel Wanyonyi, France’s Gabriel Tualand Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui, all of whom have run 1:42.04 or faster. American Bryce Hoppel is an excellent tactician and won the World Indoor title, and 2023 Worlds winner Marco Arop (CAN) are also contenders.
The men’s 5,000 m will be shaped by the 1,500 m held on 6 August. Will Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen be coming off a victory, with momentum, or looking for redemption after a loss, as he did at the 2023 Worlds, where he won in a tight finish. Opposing him are Ethiopian stars Hagos Gebrhiwetand Yomif Kejelcha, who were 1-2 in the race of the year in Oslo in 12:36.73 and 12:38.95, with Jacob Kiplimo (UGA: 12:40.96) third. World-record holder Joshua Cheptegei, the defending Olympic champ will also be in the mix; if you’re looking for a story, how about European champ Dominic Lobalu, who does not have Swiss citizenship yet, so he’s running on the Refugee Olympic Team!
The women’s 1,500 m should be a showcase for Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, the two-time defending champion and world-record setter at 3:49.04. Ethiopia’s Tsegay, entered in the 15-5-10, ran 3:50.30 in China in April and Australian Jessica Hull got the world 2,000 m record and has run 3:50.83 this year. Ethiopians Birke Haylom, Diribe Welteji, Tokyo runner-up Laura Muir(GBR) and others are all in the hunt for medals.
No one knows how the women’s 100 m hurdles will finish. Defending champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PUR), 2022 Worlds winner Tobi Amusan (NGR), Americans Masai Russell(world leader: 12.25), Grace Stark (12.31) and Alaysha Johnson (12.31) are all contenders, as is Ackera Nugent of Jamaica (12.28). The crowd will be with France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela (12.31).
Tokyo Olympic co-champ Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA) won the Euro men’s high jump title at a world-leading 2.37 m (7-9 1/4) and appears to be the favorite. But his Olympic co-champ Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT) could be ready to challenge. New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr, the World Indoor champ and Americans JuVaughn Harrison and Shelby McEwen are clearly medal possibilities.
The women’s javelin should be a fight between 2023 Worlds winner Haruka Kitaguchi (JPN), 2023 bronze winner Mackenzie Little (AUS), little-known Flor Dennis Ruiz of Colombia, the world leader at 66.70 m (218-10) and European champ Victoria Hudson(AUT). American Maggie Malone Harden is also a medal possibility.
If the U.S. can keep the stick off the ground, both the men’s and women’s 4×400 m teams will be favored. The men have Trials stars Quincy Hall, Michael Norman,Chris Bailey, Vernon Norwood,teen sensation Quincy Wilson (44.20), and Benjamin to anchor, as he did in Tokyo. No one should be close. Lyles is agitating for a spot on this team, but it’s a hard sell.
The women can call on McLaughlin-Levrone on anchor, as in Tokyo, and have solid legs in front from Ellis, Brown, Aliyah Butler and Alexis Holmes, among others. But the Dutch – with Bol on anchor – will be in contention, as will Ireland and perhaps Poland.
The U.S. has high hopes in the men’s Freestyle wrestling 74 kg class, with 2022 World Champion Kyle Dake, the Tokyo bronze medalist. He will be challenged by Belarus “neutral” Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, and two-time World Champion Frank Chamizo of Italy.
In the super-heavy 125 kg class, Turkey’s 2022 Worlds winner Taha Akgul, Georgia’s three-time World Champion Geno Petriashvili and 2023 Worlds gold medalist Amir Hossein Zare are favorites, along with American Mason Parris, a 2023 Worlds bronzer.
The men’s basketball final is scheduled, with the U.S. favored to win its fifth title in a row, led by LeBron James (two-time gold-medalist) and Kevin Durant, a three-time gold medalist in 2012-16-20. Durant almost single-handedly pushed the U.S. over the top in Tokyo, after a loss to France in the group stage and then a 87-72 win in the final. In its four straight wins, the American men beat Spain twice, then Serbia in Rio, 96-66, before the tussle with France in 2021.
Norway’s Anders Moland Christian Sorum are defending Olympic men’s bgeach volleyball champions, but the hottest team right now is Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, winners of four Elite 16 tournaments this season. Americans Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh, Brazil’s George Wanderley and Andre Stein, Czech World Champions Ondrej Perusic and David Schweiner and Germans Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler might be the best chances to stop an all-Scandinavian final.
In the men’s Breaking, Victor Montalvo of the U.S. (Victor) enters as reigning World Champion, ahead of Philip Kim (CAN: Phil Wizard) and Shigeyuki Nakarai (JPN: Shigekix). They will battle Olympic Qualifier Series stars Lee-Lou Demierre (NED: Lee) and Korea’s Hong-yul Kim (Hongten).
One of the most closely-watched tournaments will be in women’s football, with Spain the 2023 Women’s World Cup winners over England, and Sweden defeating Australia for the bronze. In Tokyo, Canada defeated Sweden in the final and the U.S. got by Australia for bronze. The once-dominant U.S. won Olympic golds in 2004-08-12, but Germany won in 2016 over Sweden, loser in two straight Olympic finals.
The women’s golf tournament concludes today, with the U.S. coming in with the top two in the rankings, in Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu. Korda won the Chevron Championship this year, but the other majors went to Yuka Saso (JPN: U.S. Open), Amy Yang (KOR: Women’s PGA) and Ayaka Furue (JPN: Evian; not entered). Korda has been on fire, winning six tournaments this year, but none since May.
The women’s Sport Climbing Combined event has a prohibitive favorite in Slovenian Janja Garnbret. She was the Tokyo 2020 gold medalist and owns three Worlds golds in Boulder and two more in Lead. Austria’s Jessica Pilz, Japan’s Ai Moriand Miho Nonaka and Americans Brooke Raboutouand Natalia Grossman should all be in the fight for medals. But Garnbret stands alone.
Volleyball is a relatively recent addition to the Olympics, starting in 1964. Of late, Brazil defeated Italy in 2016 and France defeated Russia to win in Tokyo in 2021. At the World Championships, Poland won in 2014-18 and Italy defeated Poland to win in 2022. Those are the expected contenders again (no Russia this time), and France won the 2024 Nations League over Japan. The last U.S. medal was a bronze in 2016.
The U.S. women have been dominant in water polo, winning three straight Olympic golds over Spain, Italy and Spain in 2012-16-20. Same in the World Championships, taking five of the last six, with the Netherlands winning in 2023. Spain, Hungary and Italy all expect to challenge, but the Americans are favored once again.
● Sunday, 11 August ●Even on the final day, there are 13 medal events to be held, starting with the women’s marathon in the morning.
Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchiris the defending champion and won in London over world-record holder Tigist Assefa(ETH), 2:16:16 to 2:16:23. Two-time Olympic 5,000 m silver winner Hellen Obiri(KEN) won Boston this year and is a definite threat, with teammate Sharon Lokedi second.
Dutch star Hassan was fourth in a fast Tokyo race this year, but what’s left after running the 1,500 m, 5,000 m and 10,000 m? Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso comes in as the 2023 World Champion and was third in the Tokyo Marathon in March.
Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter was fourth in the 2023 Worlds marathon and has to be accounted for, as does American Trials winner Fiona O’Keeffe (2:22:10) and runner-up Emily Siisson (2:18:29 in 2022).
American Zain Retherford won the 2023 men’s Worlds Freestyle wrestling 70 kg title, and has moved down in weight to 65 kg to challenge Iszmail Muszukajev (HUN) and Sebastian Rivera (PUR), the gold and silver winners at the 2023 Worlds.
At 97 kg, Rio 2016 gold medalist Kyle Snyder was runner-up in Tokyo and owns seven Worlds medals in this class. He won a bronze in 2023, and is aiming at World Champion Akhmed Tazhudinov(BRN) and Magomedkhan Magomedov(AZE), the gold and silver winners.
Six-time World Champion Adeline Gray was expected to contend at 76 kg, but was defeated at the U.S. Trials by Kennedy Blades. The 2023 World winner, Japan’s Yuka Kagami, and runner-up Alperi Medet Kyzy(KGZ) are her targets in Paris.
The women’s basketball final is scheduled, with the U.S. trying for a seventh consecutive gold medal and carrying a 55-game win streak into Paris. Guard Diana Taurasi has been on five of those teams and is looking for a sixth gold. The American women defeated Brazil to win gold in 1996 in Atlanta, then Australia in 2000-04-08, France in 2012, Spain in 2016 and Japan in Tokyo in 2021. The U.S. beat China in the FIBA World Cup final in 2022 with A’ja Wilson the most Valuable Player.
In the track cycling finale, the women’s Omnium will have American Jennifer Valente back to defend her Tokyo 2020 victory. She’s still on top, winning the 2023 Worlds Omnium from Amalie Dideriksen (DEN) and Belgian star Lotte Kopecky.
The U.S. is the defending women’s Olympic champion from Tokyo, but Serbia has won the Worlds gold in 2018 and 2022, over Italy and Brazil, respectively. Italy won the 2024 women’s Nations League, thrashing the U.S. in the quarterfinals and defeating Japan, 3-1, in the final. The Italians have never won a medal in women’s volleyball; they look primed to do so this time.
Serbia has won the last two men’s Olympic water polo golds, defeating Croatia and Greece, but Spain, Hungary and Croatia are the World Champions from 2022-23-24, with Italy taking 2022 and 2024 silvers. They’re the main contenders for 2024 in Paris, while the U.S. men will try to win a medal for the first time since a silver in 2008.
That’s a look at all 16 days of medal events, which you’ll see on television or online on various NBC channels. Look for our coverage of all 329 events as the Games progress.
2. France, Salt Lake City get Winter Games as IOC gets tough
With so many prior announcements, there wasn’t a lot of drama expected on the second day of the 142nd Session of the International Olympic Committee, with the votes for the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 Olympic Winter Games.
But, in the end, there was plenty.
The French Alps bid for 2030 had issues with the government guarantees required by the IOC and could not be confirmed. French President Emmanuel Macron appeared at the Session and noted that an agreement between the national government and the two regions in which the Games will be held had been reached, and
“I want to confirm my full commitment and the full commitment of the French nation, and I assure you that I will ask the next Prime Minister to include not only these guarantees, but also an Olympic law in the priorities of the new government.”
As the recent French legislative elections did not give any party or coalition a governing majority, there is no new government in place at this time. So the IOC voted to conditionally award the 2030 Winter Games to the French Alps by a vote of 84-4 with seven abstentions. The IOC explained:
“While French Alps 2030 submitted a signed copy of the Olympic Host Contract prior to the IOC Session, the IOC will not counter sign it until the Games Delivery Guarantee is received, at the latest by 1 October 2024, and ratified by the French Parliament no later than 1 March 2025.”
¶
There were no open questions about the Salt Lake City bid for 2034, which has been continuously praised by the IOC’s Future Host Commission. But there was another issue on the minds of the IOC members, having nothing to do with the Olympic Winter Games.
Instead, the reaction of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the U.S. Congress to the January 2021 Chinese doping incident – in which 23 swimmers tested positive, but none were sanctioned – came front and center, in a 45-minute, mostly scripted tirade, led off by IOC member Ingmar de Vos (BEL), the head of the Federation Equestre Internationale and the incoming head of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) , who launched into a prepared, eight-minute address, which included:
● “I don’t want to go too much in detail about the case itself … but it was clearly not a case of doping. And according to all the available evidence, scientific and otherwise, it was a case of no-fault environmental contamination and the low levels of TMZ [trimetazidine] present could have given no performance enhancement to the athletes concerned.
“Such cases of environmental contamination happen regularly in all parts of the world, and in different sports, including in the United States of America, and where anti-doping organizations have closed cases of no-fault food contamination and where WADA decided not to appeal such no-fault contamination scenarios.”
● “[S]everal United States initiatives based upon this case on China – consequently, foreign soil – are extremely worrying and, basically for us, unacceptable.
“They are the result of the famous Rodchenkov Act that we have questioned already many times in the past. A United States Congress hearing, letters from the United States Senate, a U.S. Federal criminal investigation regarding an anti-doping case on a foreign territory, the issuing of a subpoena to our colleague, the Executive Director of World Aquatics, to testify as a witness in the U.S. investigation regarding this Chinese case, are clearly intended to undermine the role of WADA and the trust in the global anti-doping system.”
● “Regretfully, this is another example of the politicalization of sport, the abuse of sport for political reasons. What will be the impact on our events, on the events our international federations have already allocated to the United States and what should we think when we are considering the allocation of future events to the United States? And what is the risk that they are going to be impacted by another geopolitical crisis.”
● “But we really to understand what is going to happen in the future and where is this going to end.”
This was followed by comments from a couple of other members, before IOC President Thomas Bach (GER) said the solution was a change to the Host City Contract for the organization of the Games. He handed the floor to Australian member John Coates:
● “The IOC has reinforced the current language of the current Host Contract in order to protect the integrity of the international anti-doping system, and to allow the IOC to terminate – to terminate – the Olympic Host Contract if – and here I quote – ‘in cases where the supreme authority of the World Anti-Doping Agency in the fight against doping is not fully respected, or if the application of the World Anti-Doping Code is hindered or undermined.’
● “Now, we are pleased to inform you that both the state of Utah and the USOPC have fully supported this addition and have already signed the Olympic Host Contract.”
● Coates singled out U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee President Gene Sykesand SLC-Utah chief executive Fraser Bullock, that they “are committed to partnering with the IOC in the discussions that must – I say that word again – must be had with the various U.S. authorities to insure that they fully respect the supreme authority of WADA and that the application of the World Anti-Doping Code is not hindered or not undermined.
“We appreciated that and we have very much looking forward as soon as possible after these Paris Games, working with you to achieve those statements.”
After some minor comments from six other members, Sykes addressed the IOC:
“On the broad issue of the respect for WADA, I want to offer some comments and then make a commitment to all of you. On behalf of all of the organizations that you’ve seen the past couple of days – L.A., Salt Lake City, the USOPC – we are committed to fostering WADA’s authority, as WADA’s authority is crucial for the opportunity to provide clean sport for athletes and give them confidence that they can be protected.
“So our view is this is of paramount importance and we take your concerns very seriously. There were a few comments about the recommendations that will come in the final report from the investigator, Mr. Cottier, as well as the recommendations in the report of World Aquatics. Those recommendations offer us some opportunity to begin a dialogue and begin the process of solving this issue, and we are committed to solving this issue.
“We will do that, we respect the treatment that we’ve had, the very open conversations and dialogue. We certainly accept the obligations and responsibility inherent in the amendment to the Olympic Host Contract.
“So, from our perspective, we take very seriously to heart all of your comments and we pledge to you that we will be good partners, and we will support with you this very, very important institution.”
Bullock had perhaps the clearest perspective of all:
“We’ve been at this 22 years and something like this happens. Has nothing to do with us. But it has to do with our country and it has to do with the Olympic Movement, and the Paralympic Movement. And so we’ve got to get this right.
“And when I look at the situation right now, we need to bridge the gap and bring everybody together. … We can be a catalyst.”
Bach called the entire affair a “healthy discussion among friends” and added:
“It is very unfortunate, and I am sorry for you, and for us, that this issue arose now, at the time when it comes to your election. You have nothing not only to do with this, I think you were also extremely clear in your commitment to the integrity of the international fight against doping and the supreme authority of WADA.”
In the end, the award to Salt Lake City passed by 83-6 with six abstentions, joyously celebrated by the Salt Lake City delegation in the room and hundreds more camped out in the early morning in Washington Square.
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games were, of course, thrilled.
Sykes said in a statement, “This is a great day for winter sport in the United States and around the world.
“The Games vision brought forth by the Salt Lake team – inclusive of state and city leaders, the remarkable bid team and the community that showed support for this effort throughout – has been collaborative and forward-looking from the very start.”
Bullock added:
“Today’s decision by the International Olympic Committee is as much about the Olympic and Paralympic Movement as it is about Salt Lake City-Utah.
“We are proud to show the world how our living legacy brings value to our communities, enriches the lives of youth, and helps contribute to the world of sport.”
This will be the fifth Olympic Winter Games held in the U.S., with two in Lake Placid in 1932 and 1980, Squaw Valley, California (now Palisades Tahoe) in 1960 and the highly-successful Salt Lake City Games in 2002.
The drive to return the Winter Games to Salt Lake City began in February 2012 with the formation of a committee to explore a new bid, led by then-Utah Governor Gary Herbertand Utah Sports Commission President Jeff Robbins. The USOPC recognized Salt Lake City as its preferred Winter Games bidder in December 2018 and the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games was created in February 2020.
3. USADA’s Tygart: shocked that IOC is “stooping to threats”
The central figure in the IOC’s fury over the China doping incident from 2021 is U.S. Anti-Doping Agency chief Travis Tygart, who was not impressed with the discussions and actions at the IOC Session on Wednesday:
“We are thrilled the U.S. will host the 2034 Winter Games in Salt Lake and we will do everything in our authority to ensure those Games are fair and clean, as what country wants to invest in fraudulent Games that are not played by the rules?
“Of course, we do have full respect for the World Anti-Doping Code, which is why we are so shocked by WADA leadership’s decision to turn their back on the rules in the case of the 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive and to allow China to cover them up.
“It is shocking to see the IOC itself stooping to threats in an apparent effort to silence those seeking answers to what are now known as facts. It seems more apparent than ever that WADA violated the rules and needs accountability and reform to truly be the global watchdog that clean athletes need.
“Today’s demonstration further showed that as it stands today, WADA is just a sport lapdog, and clean athletes have little chance. If WADA has nothing to hide, they would welcome the chance to answer questions, not run and hide.
“The IOC should be leading the charge to protect clean sport, and it will be devastating to clean athletes around the globe to see a blind eye turned toward these positive tests. We will continue to call for a strong, independent WADA and for transparency over threats. There are basic unanswered questions of how WADA allowed China to sweep 23 tests under the rug, and athletes and the public still deserve answers.”
Tygart was a driving force behind the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019 and will be involved in any future discussions about any amendments and how USADA’s attitude toward will be approached in the future.
Observed: There is a lot more to unpack about the IOC’s actions in bullying – and that’s what it was – the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee during the election for the 2034 Winter Games. And the IOC acknowledged that nothing is going to get done until after Paris, and in terms of any changes to the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019, it may have to wait until after the U.S. elections in November.
In the meantime, two things are true: the brilliant efforts of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games has brought the Winter Games back for a second time, and that the IOC has picked a fight with a tireless opponent in Tygart, who famously pursued Lance Armstrong.
This isn’t over; the whole issue has just gotten a lot more complicated.
4. USOPC selects Coco Gauff as female flagbearer
Tennis star Coco Gauff, 20, was chosen as the U.S. female flagbearerand will share the honor with basketball icon LeBron James at Friday’s opening ceremony in Paris.
It’s the first Olympic Games for Gauff, who said:
“I never thought in a million years I would have the honor of carrying the American flag for Team USA in the Opening Ceremony.
“I could not be more proud to lead my teammates with LeBron as we showcase our dedication and passion on the biggest stage there is, at a moment where we can bring athletes and fans together from around the world.”
According to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, “Gauff and James were chosen by a vote of fellow Team USA athletes through a process led by the Team USA Athletes’ Commission, which serves as the representative group and voice of Team USA Athletes.”
She was nominated by Olympic teammate Chris Eubanks, a Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 2023, who revealed the selection to Gauff and other U.S. Olympians in a touching video now posted.
Gauff won the 2023 U.S. Open women’s Singles title and was the French Open women’s Doubles winner in 2024 with Katerina Siniakova (CZE). Gauff will play in both the Singles and Doubles in Paris.
This is the second time that the Olympic opening has had both male and female flagbearers; Gauff will be the first tennis player to serve as a flagbearer for the U.S.
5. Paris 2024: French whip U.S., 3-0, in football opener
Competition started in Paris and elsewhere, with France opening with a football win over the U.S., 3-0, in a Group A match in Marseille.
Olympic men’s football is a U-23 tournament, with three over-age players allowed per team, and the first half was scoreless, with both sides having some chances, but most of the match played in the midfield.
The second half started the same way, then everything changed beginning in the 60th minute. American midfielder Djordje Mihailovic hit the crossbar with a shot, then France took the lead as striker Alexandre Lacazettefound space to dribble at the top of the box and sent a hard shot from right to left and finding the far corner of the American goal and past keeper Patrick Schulte in the 61st.
The U.S. responded with immediate pressure, and Paxten Aaronson’s header was saved by French keeper Guillaume Restes in the 63rd, and a header from defender John Tolkin hit the post in the 64th from right in front of goal.
But more lightning from the French as midfielder Michael Olise sent a seeing-eye liner from the right of goal near the top of the box just over the out-stretched hands of Schulte for the 2-0 lead in the 69th. The French added a third in the 85th as defender Loic Bade got clear and headed in a corner kick over the head of Schulte.
The U.S. scored at 90+3, but it was called back for offsides. The French ended with 53% possession and a 10-9 edge on shots, but Restes made three key saves to one for Schulte. The Americans will play New Zealand next on the 27th, in Marseille.
New Zealand defeated Guinea, 2-1, in Nice in the other Group A game, and Iraq opened with a Group B win over Ukraine, 2-1, in Decines-Charlpieu. The other Group B match was in Paris and got crazy with Argentina apparently tying Morocco at 2-2 in a very extended stoppage time at 90+16.
But irate Moroccan fans ran onto the field and debris was thrown as well. The match was suspended for almost two hours, with the 26,717 fans told to leave after an hour. The match was completed without spectators for the final three minutes of stoppage, after a video review that resulted in the Argentine goal being disallowed for offsides. And so, Morocco ended with a 2-1 win.
In Group C, Spain edged Uzbekistan, 2-1, in Paris and Egypt and the Dominican Republic played to a 0-0 tie in Nantes. Japan slugged Paraguay, 5-0, in Bordeaux in Group D and Mali and Israel played to a 1-1 tie in Paris.
¶
Rugby was the other sport opening on Wednesday, with New Zealand and Ireland going 2-0 in Group A, Argentina and Australia both 2-0 in Group B and Fiji posting a 2-0 mark in Group C.
France was 1-0-1 in group, tying the U.S. 12-12 and beating Uruguay, 19-12. The U.S. lost to Fiji, 38-12, in its second match and will play Uruguay Thursday to try and advance.
Competition in both sports continues on Thursday, plus the ranking round in archery and the first handball matches.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The International Testing Agency reported to the IOC Session that 32,600 athlete tests were made since the beginning of the year. The ITA stated that “special focus was put on high-risk disciplines, of which 75% of participating athletes were tested three times or more and 95% at least once.”
Some 88% of the athletes in Paris were tested at least once, with 13% tested once and 75% tested multiple times. A chart showed that 94% of U.S. athletes were tested more than once and that 98% of all Chinese athletes were tested more than once. Among the other leading nations with athletes tested more than 90% were Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kenya, South Korea and Turkey.
¶
A threatened strike by about 220 dancers who were to be part of Friday’s opening on the Seine River was called off on Wednesday after an agreement was made with the Paris 2024 organizers, according to the proposal submitted.
● International Olympic Committee ● The IOC Session elected eight new members on Wednesday, including Gene Sykes from the U.S., with the IOC’s total membership expanded to 111 members.
Australian John Coates and Turkey’s Ugur Erdener, longtime head of World Archery, were elected as Honorary Members as they are both past 70 and their terms of office will end on 31 December 2024.
However, the term of Algerian member Moustapha Berraf, the head of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) was extended from 2025-28, although he will reach age 70 before the end of the year. The statement explained, “This is due to his position as President of ANOCA and his pioneering role in promoting the Olympic Movement and its values through the National Olympic Committees in Africa.” Berraf was the IOC member who asked Bach to extend his term as President beyond the 12-year limit during the IOC Session in India in 2023.
● Oceania National Olympic Committees ● Final count on the pre-Games training camps in Divonne-les-Bains in eastern France: 12 National Olympic Committees and 87 athletes in the five sports of 5 sports of athletics, swimming, judo, rugby, and weightlifting.
ONOC and Panam Sports both arranged pre-Games training facilities for their NOCs.
● Athletics ● Another Kenyan doping charge announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit: 2:20:10 marathoner Celestine Chepchirchir(from 2022). She is already banned for three years from 26 March 2024 and now is facing a new charge for testosterone use.
¶
The USA Track & Field Foundation announced 60 grants to athletes of $15,000 each ($900,000 total) “to cover essential expenses such as travel, coaching, physical therapy, recovery, equipment, and other costs related to preparing for major competitions.”
Of the 60, 17 were to athletes completing their NCAA eligibility and moving into the professional ranks.
● Boxing ● The head of the International Boxing Association, Umar Kremlev (RUS) and chief executive Chris Roberts (GBR) posted an open letter to the IOC which started:
“On behalf of the global boxing community, I demand Thomas Bach and his team to resign immediately. During Bach’s administration tenure, the IOC has deteriorated considerably, ceasing to be an organization that unites athletes and serves our sports communities. Instead, it has become wealthy beyond imagination through artificial conflicts, which in turn is an insult to athletes.”
The post reiterated the long-held gripes of the IBA and demanded once again that prize money be paid at the Olympic Games. It will, no doubt, be ignored.
● Tennis ● World no. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy said Wednesday he has withdrawn from the Paris 2024 Games due to tonsillitis. It’s a disappointment he finds hard to swallow.
¶
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Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine celebrates after winning the Women's High Jump on day two of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 2022 (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images for World Athletics)
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1. Paris Preview III: Biles back, more swimming, plus Lyles in the 100! 2. Conditional IOC award coming on 2030 Winter Games 3. IOC annual report shows 80-82% Olympic Movement spending 4. IOC oversight chair” “every reason” to be confident in LA28 5. World Aquatics says China swimmers tested 651 times!
● Paris Preview III: As Simone Biles and the U.S. swimmers finish their events, track & field takes over with Noah Lyles in the men’s 100 m, Mondo Duplantis chasing a world record in the men’s vault, Gabby Thomas vs. Shericka Jackson in the women’s 2 and more!
● International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said that a conditional award of the 2030 Olympic Winter Games will likely be made to the French Alps on Wednesday, as the government guarantees have not been delivered due to the turmoil in the French government after recent elections. The 12-year agreement to host an Olympic Esports Games with the Saudi National Olympic Committee was approved, with many details yet to be worked out.
● The IOC released its annual report, showing excellent financial stability, with $3.8 billion in reserves and a surplus of more than $201 million in 2023. The IOC, according to its own financial statements, spent from 80-82% of its operating revenue for the Olympic Movement in 2022 and 2023.
● The head of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games echoed confidence in the work so far of the LA28 organizing committee, while U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee President Gene Sykes promised “we are preparing to welcome the world with the warmth and the respect that embody the spirit of the Olympics and Paralympics.”
● World Aquatics released a blizzard of testing statistics showing that the 31-member Chinese swim team for Paris 2024 had been tested 651 times in calendar year 2024. This included sampling from the International Testing Agency and others; altogether, nearly 4,800 doping tests have been carried out on swimmers of all nations.
● Panorama: Paris 2024 (NBC has 1,800 Olympic staff in Connecticut, 1,200 in Paris) = Los Angeles 2028 (Dick’s Sporting Goods joins as sporting goods retailer) = Oceania National Olympic Committees (confederation training camp welcomed 72 athletes from 10 NOCs) = U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (Felix nominated for election to IOC Athletes Commission) = Athletics ($2.65 million in new Schwarzman grants) = Basketball (U.S. women beat Germany, 84-57, in tune-up) = Equestrian (Dressage star Dujardin suspended, out of Games) = Football (New Zealand screams foul on Canadian drone spying!) = Tennis (Murray to retire after Paris) ●
1. Paris Preview III: Biles back, more swimming, plus Lyles in the 100!
(For our Paris Preview part I, covering 27-28-29-30 July, click here; for 31 July-01-02-03 August, click here.)
The second week of the Paris Olympic Games will see the focus shift from the mat and the pool to the Stade de France for athletics, and to another kind of mat sport: wrestling. Some highlights to look for, starting with the U.S. perspective, but also elsewhere.
● Sunday, 4 August ●There will be 20 finals on this day, with artistic gymnastics, swimming and track & field on their final day for all three to be in competition.
On the mat, Simone Biles is a likely finalist, but will not be the favorite in her least-favorite event, the Uneven Bars. Belgium’s Nina Derwael is the defending Olympic champ and the U.S.’s Suni Lee was third in Tokyo. China’s Qiyuan Qiuis the reigning World Champion, with Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour the runner-up; Biles has one career Worlds Uneven Bars medal, a 2018 silver.
China’s Yang Liu won the Tokyo Olympic Rings title and is the 2023 World Champion. Look for a challenge from teammate Hao You – second in Tokyo and third in 2023 – and Greek Eleftherios Petrounas, the Rio 2016 gold medalist, the Tokyo bronze winner and a three-time World Champion.
The men’s Vault is pretty open, with Adem Asil (TUR) winning the 2022 Worlds gold over Jingyuan Zhou (CHN), but Jake Jarman (GBR) won last year, with Ukraine’s Nazar Cheppurnyithird.
It’s the final day in the pool, with defending Olympic men’s 1,500 m champBobby Finke of the U.S. ready to go. Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui, the 2023 World Champion – over Finke – is injured and not in Paris, but Ireland’s Daniel Whiffen, the 2024 Worlds winner, is a threat for gold as well. Not to be ignored is German Florian Wellbrock, the Tokyo bronze winner.
The women’s 50 m Free should belong to sprint great Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden. She was the Tokyo runner-up to Emma McKeon of Australia, who didn’t make the team in this event in 2024. Sjostrom owns the top five times in the world and seven of the top eight. Australia has Shayna Jack to challenge, Poland offers Kasia Wasick, and Simone Manuel amazingly won this event at the U.S. Trials and won this event at the 2019 Worlds in a huge upset. Does lightning strike twice?
The U.S. won the men’s 4×100 medley relay in Tokyo and has Ryan Murphy and Caeleb Dressel back, and won the 2023 Worlds, with Murphy, Nic Finkand Jack Alexyback. They will be favored, with Australia, China, Britain and Italy all chasing.
Australia is the logical favorite in the women’s 4×100 m medley, with the U.S. chasing. They went 1-2 in Tokyo, with Canada third, but the U.S. won in 2023, again with Canada third. The winning American squad from last year’s Worlds are all back: Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walshand Kate Douglass.
Maybe the marquee event of the day will be the men’s 100 m final at the Stade de France, with 2023 World Champion Noah Lyles coming off a lifetime best of 9.81 at the London Diamond League. But then there’s 2022 Worlds winner Fred Kerley of the U.S. and 2024 world leader Kishane Thompsonof Jamaica (9.77), countryman Oblique Seville(9.82) and Kenyan strongman Ferdinand Omanyala (9.79). And no one is talking about 200 m star Kenny Bednarek of the U.S., who got a lifetime best of 9.89 for second at the U.S. Trials. This is going to be fun.
Ethan Katzberg of Canada was a surprise winner of the men’s hammer at the 2023 Worlds, but he’s not a surprise any more and is the 2024 world leader by almost nine feet! Defending Tokyo Olympic champ Wojciech Nowicki of Poland was second at the Worlds last year and teammate Pawel Fajdek – the 2022 Worlds winner – is going to be in the mix.
The story of the women’s high jump is about new world-record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who won at the Paris Diamond League meet on 7 July, becoming the first to clear 2.10 m (6-10 3/4). She’s no shoo-in, however, with Australians Eleanor Patterson (2022 World Champ) and Nicola Olyslagers (2023 Worlds silver) for company, as well as new star Angelina Topic (SRB).
American Brady Ellison won the 2019 Worlds gold in men’s Recurve archery and is always counted among the contenders for Olympic gold, now in his fifth Games. But Turkey’s Mete Gazoz is the defending champ and won the 2023 Worlds title, and Korea’s Woo-jin Kim owns three Worlds golds from 2011-15-21. Also in the mix: Brazil’s 2022 runner-up and 2023 bronzer Marcus d’Almeida.
The women’s 157.6 km road race has all of the top stars of the UCI Women’s World Tour: Belgian Lotte Kopecky(four wins this season), Dutch stars Demi Vollering (four wins) and Lorena Wiebes (three wins) and Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini(two wins, and the Tokyo bronze). But don’t be surprised if Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma or Americans Kristen Faulkner or Chloe Dygert are right there at the finish as well.
Sunday will be the final round of the men’s golf tournament, with the U.S. sending defending champion Xander Schauffele, who just won two of the golf majors this season. The Americans have four qualifiers, also world no. 1 Scottie Scheffler, no. 5 Wyndham Clark and no. 7 Colin Morakawa. Ireland’s Rory McElroy is ranked second, Spain’s Jon Rahm is ninth and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyamais ranked 12th, all of whom have won majors.
The women’s Skeet final has Slovakia’s Danka Bartekova as the favorite: 2023 World Champion and 2012 bronze medalist. But the U.S. has 2023 Worlds silver winner Dania Jo Vizzi, Team Worlds medalist Austen Smith and Italy fields 2016 Olympic champ Diana Bacosi.
The men’s tennis Singles final is on Sunday, with the survivors of a line-up that includes world no. 1 Jannik Sinner (ITA), no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz (ESP), no. 3 Novak Djokovic(SRB), no. 4 Alexander Zverev (GER) and Russian “neutral” Daniil Medvedev (no. 5). The tournament is at Roland Garros, where Alcaraz defeated Zverev in five sets in June.
● Monday, 5 August ●A big program of 18 finals and the last day of artistic gymnastics … and Biles. And she will be everywhere.
First up is the Balance Beam, in which Biles has been World Champion in 2014-15-2019-2023 and won Olympic bronzes in Rio and Tokyo. She will be challenged by China’s Yaqin Zhou, the 2023 runner-up, Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade, the 2023 bronzer and 2022 World Champion Hazuki Watanabe (JPN).
Biles is the unquestioned favorite in the Floor Exercise, where she won Olympic gold in 2016 and Worlds golds in 2013-14-15-18-19-23. Chasing will be Tokyo winner Jade Carey of the U.S., Andrade and Britain’s 2022 Worlds winner Jessica Gadirova.
The men’s Parallel Bars could be another showdown between Tokyo Olympic winner Zou of China and runner-up Lukas Dauser of Germany. They were also 1-2 at the 2022 Worlds, with Carlos Yulo (PHI) third, but Dauser won in 2023 over China’s Cong Shi.
The men’s Horizontal Bar could be an opening for American Brody Malone, the 2022 World Champion, competing against Japan’s A-A ace Daiki Hashimoto, the Tokyo Olympic winner, and Tin Srbic (CRO), the 2017 World Champion. Hashimoto and Srbic were 1-2 again at the 2023 Worlds, with China’s Weide Su third.
The men’s vault final means Swedish superstar Mondo Duplantis will be back, trying not only to defend his Tokyo title, but to increase his world record to 6.25 m (20-6). He’s 0-15 so far, but don’t bet against him in Paris. Next best is probably America’s two-time World Champion Sam Kendricks, teammate and Tokyo silver winner Chris Nilsen, E.J. Obiena (PHI) and perhaps France’s Thibault Collet.
The women’s 800 m is clearly the property of British star Keely Hodgkinson, who won the London Diamond League with a lifetime best of 1:54.61, no. 6 all-time. Teammates Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell were 2-3 in London and 2-3 on the year list, and all three will be challenged by Kenyan 2023 World Champion Mary Moraa.
Another huge favorite will be Kenya’s world-record holder Faith Kipyegon, who won the 2023 Worlds winner over Sifan Hassan (NED) and Beatrice Chebet (KEN). Ethiopia’s Tsige Gebreselama and Ejgayehu Taye are the world leaders at 14:18.76 and 14:18.92, but can either kick with Kipyegon? Unlikely.
American Valarie Allman won the Tokyo Olympic title, won the Worlds bronze in 2022 and silver in 2023. She’s the most consistent thrower and the favorite. But the world leader is Cuban Yaime Perez, the 2019 World Champion, and 2022 World Champion Feng Bin is a definite threat.
The men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball finals will be held, with the U.S. women the defending Olympic champs, but have a new line-up. The Americans won the 2023 FIBA World Cup with Cameron Brink, Hailey van Lith, Cierra Burdick and Linnae Harper, but lost Brink to injury for Paris. Van Lith and Burdick are back, along with replacement Dearica Hamby and Rhyne Howard. They’re still favored over France, the 2023 runner-up.
The American men, with Jimmer Fredette, Canyon Barry, Kareem Maddox and Dylan Travis won the 2023 Worlds silver behind two-time defending champs Serbia. They’re favored to meet in the final again.
The women’s Kayak Cross final is the third and final slalom canoeing event, and could Australian star Jessica Fox– the 10-time individual World Champion – be aiming for a golden sweep? It’s possible and she won the Worlds gold in this event in 2021 and 2022.
The Mixed Team Skeet event is new for 2024 and Americans Vincent Hancock and Austen Smithare the reigning World Champions.
● Tuesday, 6 August ● The track & field action will the center of attention of the 15 finals on tap, with Norway’s defending Tokyo Olympic champ Jakob Ingebrigtsen the favorite in the men’s 1,500 m.
He won the race of the year in Monaco on 12 July, running 3:26.73, no. 4 all-time, ahead of 2019 World Champion Tim Cheruiyot (KEN), Brian Komen (KEN) and American star Yared Nuguse. Ingebrigtsen was beaten in the 2022 Worlds by Jake Wightman (GBR) and in 2023 by Britain’s Josh Kerr. But, assuming he’s healthy, no one appears able to touch him now.
The women’s 200 m was expected to be all about Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, the 2022 and 2023 World Champion. But she’s been off-form in 2024, no. 18 on the world list. Meanwhile, American Gabby Thomas is the world leader at 21.78 and showed a gear no one else has to win in the London Diamond League. NCAA champ McKenzie Long of the U.S. is in the medal hunt, as is St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred.
The men’s long jump has Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou trying for a second straight Olympic title, and he was the 2023 World Champion as well. The women’s Steeple has no obvious favorite, with defending champ Peruth Chemutai (UGA) the world leader at 8:55.09, world-record holder Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN) close behind, Val Constien of the U.S. at 9;03.22 and 2023 World Champion Winfred Yavi(BRN) also in the top five.
The women’s hammer has 2023 Worlds winner Cam Rogers of Canada back, and 2019 World Champion DeAnna Price of the U.S. back and in form. They look like the clear favorites.
The women’s skateboard park final will likely be a test to see if Britain’s Sky Brown, now 16, can break up Japanese stars including 2023 World Champion Kokona Hiraki, defending Olympic champ Sakura Yosozumi and 2023 Worlds runner-up Hinano Kusaki.
American wrestling star Amit Elor has won three Worlds golds in each of the last two seasons in the women’s 72 kg class: junior, U-23 and senior. But that weight class is not in the Games and so she steps down to 68 kg and will face Japan’s Nonoka Ozaki, the 2022 World Champion at 62 kg and 2023 Worlds winner at 65 kg. Who wins? Oh yes, the 2023 World Champion – Turkey’s Buse Tosun – is ready to go as well.
● Wednesday, 7 August ● With 21 finals, the total completed events will reach 218, out of 329.
On the track, no one really knows what’s going on with the men’s 400 m. Tokyo Olympic champ Steven Gardiner(BAH) is back, but hasn’t run very fast this year. Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith is the world leader at 43.74, getting his breakthrough win at the London Diamond League last weekend. And what about U.S. Olympic Trials winner Quincy Hall, who ran 43.80 earlier and keeps getting better. And lurking behind all of these are ever-improving Vernon Norwood of the U.S. (44.10) and 2022 World Champion Michael Norman(44.21). Crazy.
The men’s Steeple appears to be a showdown between Olympic and World champ Soufiane El Bakkali(MAR), who just keeps winning, and world-record holder Lamecha Girma (ETH). If either fails, Kenya’s Amos Serem and Ethiopian Abraham Seme are ready to step in.
The men’s discus could be a showcase for new world-record setter Mykolas Alekna (LTU), chased by Olympic champ Daniel Stahl(SWE), 2022 World Champion Kristjan Ceh (SLO) and ex-American Alex Rose of Samoa. So far, Alekna, 21, has had all the answers this season.
American Katie Moon won the Tokyo Olympic title in the women’s vault and shared the Worlds gold with Nina Kennedy (AUS) in 2023. But Moon has been off of late and Britain’s Molly Caudery is the world leader and the World Indoor Champion. Swiss Angelica Moser won the European title and must be considered.
The men’s skateboard park final has Olympic winner Keegan Palmer (AUS) back again, facing American Worlds gold and bronze medalists, Gavin Bottger and Tate Carew. Brazil’s 2018 World Champion Pedro Barros is also going to be in the mix.
American Emma Hunt, the 2023 Worlds runner-up, is one of the contenders in the women’s speed climbing event, but facing a tough field including World Champion Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi (INA) and Poland’s two-time World Champion Aleksandra Miroslaw and 2021 Worlds winner Natalia Kalucka.
In the women’s 50 kg freestyle wrestling class, Olympic champ and four-time World Champion Yui Sasaki (JPN) is back, as is two-time Worlds silver winner Dolgorjavyn Otgonjargal(MGL). The U.S. has Sarah Hildebrandt, the Tokyo bronze winner and a four-time Worlds medalist.
Our last preview comes Thursday, for the final four days of the Games.
2. Conditional IOC award coming on 2030 Winter Games
“There will be a vote on the 2030 project, but it will be a vote being linked with conditions. It will not be an unconditional vote. That what we always said, without a firm guarantee, there cannot be an unconditional vote, and since, for constitutional reasons, the French government could not yet deliver these formal and firm guarantees.
“Then, there will be conditions being linked with this vote.”
That’s International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (GER), explaining at a Tuesday news conference, that the French Alps 2030 bid for the Olympic Winter Games is poised to be approved on Wednesday by the IOC Session, but only provisionally.
In the recent French legislative elections, no party or coalition won majority control of the National Assembly and so a new government has not been formed. Therefore, the IOC’s required governmental guarantees over finances, access, security and other matters cannot be approved.
So, the IOC will choose, but wait for the formalities to be concluded.
There was no discussion of the Salt Lake City-Utah bid for the 2034 Winter Games, which is expected to sail through and be formally approved on Tuesday.
Bach was asked about the demands from the National Olympic Committee of Palestine and politicians in some other countries to exclude Israel from the Games due to its response to the 7 October 2023 invasion and hostage-taking by Hamas:
“The position of the IOC is very clear. We have two National Olympic Committees – that’s the difference with the world of politics – and that, in this respect, both have been living in peaceful coexistence and the Olympic Games are a competition not between countries, they are a competition between athletes being delegated by the National Olympic Committees.
“So if we would enter there into a political discussion with regard to wars and conflicts, on the Opening Ceremony on Friday, then we may be in the end, 100 NOCs and not with 206 NOCs given the way too many wars and conflicts in the world.
“If we would violate our political neutrality, and from this fact that the Olympic Games are not competitions between countries, exactly – governments – but among athletes, the Palestinian NOC has greatly benefitted. Because Palestine is not a recognized member-state of the United Nations, but the NOC of Palestine is is a recognized National Olympic Committee, enjoying the equal rights and opportunities like all the other National Olympic Committees.”
Multiple reporters tried to find clever ways to ask Bach about whether he will agree to extend his term in office beyond 2025, as he was asked to do at the IOC Session in India in 2023. He artfully dodged the questions and said he was focused on the Paris Games at present. He is expected to make his position known some time after the Games conclude.
It was noted during the Session presentations that no amendments to the Olympic Charter that would allow Bach to ask for an extended term have been introduced and that the IOC’s Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer has said no discussion of the issue is appropriate until after the Paris Games.
¶
The IOC Session approved – as expected – the agreement with the National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia to host a to-be-determined number of Olympic Esports Games over the 12-year period beginning in 2025. Next:
“Following today’s decision, work will begin immediately on selecting a city and venue for the inaugural edition of the Olympic Esports Games, the specific timing of the event, the titles to be included, the qualification process for the players and further details.
“At the same time, the IOC will create a new dedicated structure within its organisation, clearly separated from the organisational and financial model for the Olympic Games.”
The presentation that was approved included a slide which showed the Olympic Esports Games is recommended to take place every two years, based on national teams, with three different game types, led by physical virtual sports and simulated sports. Part of the discussion included the possibility to hold Olympic Esports Games outside of Saudi Arabia during the contract period.
3. IOC annual report shows 80-82% Olympic Movement spending
The flow of money into the Olympic Movement continues at a strong pace, according to the International Olympic Committee’s newly-released annual report for the calendar year 2023.
Even with no Olympic Games being held, revenue from sponsors, licensing and hospitality payments added up to $902.1 million, down from $2.362 billion in 2022, when the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing was held.
Overall, the IOC now stands at $6.492 billion in assets, up from $5.295 billion at the end of 2022. Reserves are a staggering $3.800 billion, up from $3.624 billion at the end of 2022. These are good times for the IOC.
There was no update on the projected revenues for the 2021-2024 quadrennial, which was impacted by the shift of the Tokyo 2020 Games to 2021. The figure of $7.6 billion in revenue from 2017-2020 was repeated, from two primary sources:
● 61% from television media rights ● 30% from sponsorships ● 9% from other rights and revenues
And, in a separate announcement at the IOC Session, contracted revenues of $7.3 billion for 2025-28 and $6.2 billion for 2029-32 – when the current NBC television contract will end – were confirmed.
The IOC takes great pride in reporting that it spends 90% of its revenue on the Olympic Movement, but its own financial statements have consistently shown the total to be about 80% or so. Same for 2022 and 2023:
2022: ● $2.363 billion operating revenue ● $1.188 billion expense for revenue distribution ● $589.0 million expense for Olympic-related events ● $165.0 million expense for Olympic Movement promotion ● $1.942 billion expenses or 82.1% Olympic Movement spending
2023: ● $902.1 million operating revenue ● $363.0 million expense for revenue distribution ● $208.0 million expense for Olympic-related events ● $153.8 million expense for Olympic Movement promotion ● $724.8 million expense or 80.3% Olympic Movement spending
The IOC spent $173.9 million in administration in 2022, lost $24.5 million on investment and had a surplus for the year of $222.8 million. In 2023, even with much less revenue, the IOC spent $185.5 million on administration, made $220.4 million on its investments and had a surplus for the year of $201.2 million.
The Olympic organizing committees for 2024, 2026 Winter and 2028 all received advances against television rights payments from the IOC in 2023, with Paris 2024 receiving $1.648 billion and LA28 receiving $30.38 million.
The IOC has created a special focus on its digital programs as a path to the future, recognizing that the mobile phone is as much a personal companion today as clothes. In 2023, the IOC’s Olympics.com platform had 115 million unique visitors, up 28% from 2022, and a monthly average of 18 million users through October 2023.
There were 110 million users across the @Olympics social-media platforms and 640 million monthly engagements on all platforms and languages.
4. IOC oversight chair: “every reason” to be confident in LA28
The Los Angeles 2028 organizing committee gave its update to the IOC Session on Tuesday in Paris, with the Chair of the IOC’s Coordination Commission expressing optimism.
Nicole Hoevertsz(ARU), who competed as a synchronized swimmer at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, told her fellow members:
“We are convinced that Los Angeles is the perfect place to create the ‘what’s next,’ which is the over-arching vision of what the OCOG wants for its Games. I fully believe that we are also at the right moment of the evolution of the Games to make this happen.
“As we witnessed this morning from the presentation of our dear Paris colleagues, the Olympic Games Paris 2024 are going to be absolutely spectacular. … And we have every reason to be equally as confident in the organizing committee of LA28.
“We can project ourselves with the highest level of ambition, as the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 will be next on our agenda.”
She was also especially complimentary about the proposed changes to the venue plan announced over the last few weeks, and its attachment to a unique L.A. expertise advantage:
“I believe this revised plan shows where tradition meets transformation. It marries exciting new venue opportunities which have become available in the last few years, and promises a spectacular experience for both athletes and fans.
“Each week, world-class events are staged all over the City of Los Angeles, showcasing the very best of sport and entertainment. Nowhere else is there such a mature event delivery market.
“It has been the recurring theme for these Games, the OCOG will collaborate closely with the experience that exists in the market.”
The LA28 delegation was introduced by Gene Sykes, the President of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, who has been nominated to be an IOC member himself later in the Session. He was joined by LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman, new chief executive Reynold Hoover and Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans.
Sykes expressed a desire for closer coordination with the IOC and with the Olympic Movement:
“It’s more than just hosting a global sporting event. It’s a chance to celebrate and embody the values and mission of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement. Excellence, friendship, respect are more than mere words. They are guiding principles that bring people together, fostering unity and understanding.
“At a time when unity is so needed, the Olympic and Paralympic Games offer a beacon of hope and a platform to showcase out shared humanity.
“The LA28 Games will be a celebration of diversity, an opportunity to inspire the next generation and a moment for the United States of America to demonstrate our commitment to global camaraderie.
“We are dedicated to working hand-in-hand with the International Olympic Committee, its commissions, the International Federations, to ensure the 2028 Games are a resounding success. We understand the importance of hospitality and the treatment of our international guests and visitors. Rest assured, we are preparing to welcome the world with the warmth and the respect that embody the spirit of the Olympics and Paralympics.”
Wasserman gave an overview of the venue changes, emphasizing their best-in-class nature, saying that these were subject to Los Angeles City Council approval, with the review to begin in mid-August. And:
● “We now have agreements in place with the cities of Inglewood, Long Beach, Carson and Oklahoma City to provide access, support an services that are crucial to our Games delivery and experience.”
● “This year, we received our National Special Security Event designation from the Federal government. It is the highest security designation in our country, on par with a Presidential inauguration. This designation, received earlier this year, was the earliest by three years in the history of our country that it has been awarded. And it allows us to immediately begin planning and executing with all relevant security agencies.”
● He introduced some of the newest commercial partners and added “We have lots more in the pipeline, which we look forward to announcing in the fall, after Paris, after the Games are complete.”
LA28 has a team in Paris to observe the Games and see how planning assumptions change into operations on the ground. A very special handover segment was promised for the closing ceremony on 11 August.
5. World Aquatics says China swimmers tested 651 times!
The widespread and continuing sensitivity to the January 2021 Chinese doping incident in which 23 swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine, but were not suspended due to a Chinese Anti-Doping Agency finding that their food had been contaminated was met with a Tuesday release from World Aquatics.
“Swimmers from China were the most tested athletes during this period. Since 1 January 2024, the 31 swimmers from China competing in Paris have each been tested at least 10 times by World Aquatics, with an average of 13 tests per swimmer. World Aquatics conducted a total of 418 tests through this programme. All Chinese swimmers have been tested out-of-competition at least eight times by World Aquatics, independently of any other anti-doping organisation and using a WADA-accredited laboratory based in Europe.
“Including tests conducted by other anti-doping organisations, Chinese swimmers have been tested on average 21 times since 1 January 2024. Australian swimmers have been tested an average of four times in the same period, and USA swimmers an average of six times.”
A chart showed the average number of 2024 tests from all sources of swimmers from the 10 power nations:
● 21x on 31 swimmers from China ● 6x on 46 swimmers from the U.S. ● 5x on 36 swimmers from Italy ● 5x on 21 swimmers from Hungary ● 4x on 41 swimmers from Australia ● 4x on 30 swimmers from Great Britain ● 4x on 29 swimmers from France ● 4x on 28 swimmers from Canada ● 4x on 27 swimmers from Japan ● 4x on 25 swimmers from Germany
The total number of World Aquatics tests for Paris 2024 totals 2,983 on 1,283 swimmers, compared to 2,002 tests on 876 swimmers for Tokyo and 2,648 tests on 1,041 swimmers for Rio 2016.
Including tests from other anti-doping organizations, the Paris total is 4,774 on 1,394 swimmers in all.
It’s a lot of tests and the ITA is continuing with its testing as athletes enter the Olympic Village. Whether any cheaters are caught is yet to be determined.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ●NBC noted that of its 3,000-plus staff involved in the production of the 2024 Games, about 1,800 will be in Stamford, Connecticut and 1,200 in Paris itself. The number of commentators alone is more than 150, with multiple former Olympians who have won a combined 90 Olympic medals.
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and LA28 announced Dick’s Sporting Goods as their “the Official Sporting Goods Retail Provider.”
Dick’s had previously been involved with the USOPC for Rio 2016 and the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games and will be “an Official Supporter of Team USA for Paris 2024, Milano Cortina 2026, and LA28.”
There is also a significant benefit at the National Governing Body level, as the “partnership will also include travel and training apparel, using DICK’S owned brands, for 11 Team USA national governing bodies, beginning with USA Canoe/Kayak this summer.”
● Oceania National Olympic Committees ● Panam Sports is not the only confederation of National Olympic Committees with a multi-team training site in France. ONOC opened a program in Divonne-les-Bains in eastern France in mid-July, with assistance from the IOC’s Olympic Solidarity program and a contribution from the Australian government through the Australian Olympic Committee.
As many as 72 athletes were present at any one time for pre-Games training from American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall islands, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.
● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ●The USOPC announced that retired track star Allyson Felix, appointed for a partial term to the IOC Athletes Commission, is running for a full term as one of the 12 elected members, at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Four members will be elected, for eight-year terms, in Paris.
The 11-time Olympic medalist is widely respected and has been involved already in athlete-support projects, including the first “Olympic Nursery” in the Paris 2024 Village.
● Athletics ●The USA Track & Field Foundation announced 65 Stephen A. Schwarzman athlete grants for 2024:
“This year, 65 professional track and field athletes will receive $30,000 Stephen A. Schwarzman grants, while an additional 35 athletes will receive $20,000 grants. In total, these 100 outstanding athletes will receive $2.65 million in support. This funding will help cover expenses such as equipment, coaching, travel, medical costs, recovery tools, and other essential needs for these professional athletes.”
● Basketball ●The U.S. women’s Olympic team, coming off a loss to the WNBA All-Stars, defeated Germany in an exhibition at the O2 Arena in London, 84-57.
The Americans had a 22-9 lead at the quarter and 44-32 at the half, with Breanna Stewart leading the way with 13 points.
The Germans were game, but were worn down by the relentless U.S. offense and showed more and more fatigue from both the pace of the game and American defensive ball-hawking. While the U.S. led, 64-50, going into the fourth quarter, they outscored the Germans, 20-7 to extend the final margin to 27 points.
A’ja Wilson had 19 points and 14 rebounds, Stewart finished with 15, and Jewell Loyd scored 11. Next up is pool play in Paris, with the defending champion U.S. facing Japan next Monday; the American women have won six straight Olympic golds and own a 55-game win steak in Olympic play.
● Equestrian ●“The FEI has officially announced the provisional suspension of British Dressage athlete Charlotte Dujardin (FEI ID: 10028440), effective immediately from the date of notification, 23 July 2024.
“This decision renders her ineligible to participate in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games or any other events under the jurisdiction of the FEI.”
Dujardin, 39, is a six-time Olympic medalist, with London 2012 golds in Dressage and Team Dressage and in Rio 2016 in Dressage, and was expected to be a contender in Paris. The FEI bulletin explained:
“On 22 July 2024, the FEI received a video depicting Ms. Dujardin engaging in conduct contrary to the principles of horse welfare. This video was submitted to the FEI by a lawyer representing an undisclosed complainant. According to the information received, the footage was allegedly taken several years ago during a training session conducted by Ms. Dujardin at a private stable. …
“Ms. Dujardin confirmed that she is the individual depicted in the video and acknowledged that her conduct was inappropriate.
“On 23 July 2024, Charlotte Dujardin requested to be provisionally suspended pending the outcome of the investigations and voluntarily withdrew from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and also confirmed that she will not participate in any competitions pending the outcome of the FEI’s investigation.”
Media accounts reported that Dujardin whipped a horse multiple times during training, which was captured on video. Dujardin said in a statement that “What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse.
“I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.”
● Football ● “The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair-play and we are shocked and disappointed. We offer our heartfelt apologies to New Zealand Football, to all the players affected, and to the New Zealand Olympic Committee.”
That’s a Tuesday statement after the New Zealand Olympic Committee filed a protest with the IOC over a drone that flew over the New Zealand women’s football training site:
“Team support members immediately reported the incident to police leading to the drone operator, who has been identified as a support staff member of the wider Canadian Women’s football team, to be detained.
“The NZOC has formally lodged the incident with the IOC integrity unit and has asked Canada for a full review.”
The New Zealand Olympic Committee and football federation added they “are deeply shocked and disappointed by this incident.”
● Tennis ● British star Andy Murray, 37, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in London and Rio, confirmed that he will retire following the Paris Games.
The winner of the 2012 U.S. Open and Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, he had been dogged by injuries in the latter part of his career, but will retire as a beloved champion, becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.
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For our updated, 547-event International Sports Calendar for the rest of 2024 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
1. Paris Preview II: Look for Sha’Carri, Simone and Katie on 3 August 2. Bach reveals future IOC revenues, demands more digital outreach 3. U.S. men outlast World Champs Germany, 92-88, in London 4. LeBron James selected as male U.S. flagbearer 5. ICC puts USA Cricket on notice for possible expulsion
● More Paris previews, including an amazing triple-header on Saturday, 3 August, with U.S. stars Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky and Sha’Carri Richardson all in action and in position for Olympic golds. Plus more U.S.-Australia showdowns in the pool and the return of Tokyo superstar Caleb Dressel.
● At the opening of the 142nd Session of the International Olympic Committee in Paris, IOC chief Thomas Bach called for peace, said the IOC had $13.5 billion in committed revenue through 2032 and insisted that the future of the Movement depends on engagement with “digital natives.”
● The U.S. men’s Olympic basketball needed LeBron James to take over in the fourth quarter to get a 92-88 exhibition win over FIBA men’s World Cup champions Germany in London. The American men finished 5-0 in their exhibition tour and will open in Lille against Serbia this weekend.
● James was honored by being voted as the U.S. male flagbearer for the Paris opening on Friday; the first men’s basketball player to be so honored. The women’s flagbearer will be announced on Tuesday.
● Cricket will become an Olympic sport in 2028, but the International Cricket Council is considering a suspension or expulsion of USA Cricket as not “fit-for-purpose.”
● Panorama: Paris 2024 (4: French theatrical theme to be used to start sessions; about 4,000 tickets remain for opening; Brazil using a/c in Village; USA Gymnastics has “cooling” sleep system sponsor) = Los Angeles 2028 (new, 40th LA28 emblem unveil for handover) = Ukraine (no hand-shaking with Russians) = Aquatics (Chinese being heavily tested in Paris) = Athletics (2: Mu in Paris fashion show; Muhamed and Smith take USATF 8 km champs) = Basketball (U.S. women U-17s crush seven to win FIBA World Cup) = Cycling (Pogacar too tired, will not race Paris) ●
1. Paris Preview II: Look for Sha’Carri, Simone and Katie on 3 August
(For our Paris Preview part I, covering 27-28-29-30 July, click here.)
Taking a look at the Paris 2024 Olympic schedule, the line-up for Saturday, 3 August is one of those days that television networks dream of. It includes the finals of the women’s Vault in Artistic Gymnastics (10:20 a.m. Eastern time), expected to feature Simone Biles, the women’s 800 m Freestyle in swimming with Katie Ledecky in another fight with Australian Ariarne Titmus (3:08 p.m.) and World Champion Sha’Carri Richardsonexpected to run in the women’s 100 m final at about 3:20 p.m. Eastern.
Wow. But there’s a lot more on that day and others. A quick look at the likely highlights, from the U.S. perspective and the overall Games view:
● Wednesday, 31 July ● A total of 19 finals on this day, but the biggest action will be in the pool.
French star Leon Marchand – who swam at Arizona State and is transferring to Texas – will likely be coming off a win in the men’s 400 m Medley on the 28th, but will have his hardest day on Wednesday.
No question, he’ll be the favorite in the men’s 200 m Butterfly, where he was the 2023 World Champion in a national-record time of 1:52.43. He will be challenged by Hungarian world-record holder Kristof Milak, the world no. 2 in 2024 and world leader Tomoru Honda (JPN), the Worlds bronze medalist last year. U.S. hopes are on 17-year-old Thomas Heilman, the Trials winner. That race is at 8:36 p.m.
Some 99 minutes later, Marchand expects to be back in the water to try – potentially – for a third gold in the men’s 200 m Breaststroke final, at 10:15 p.m. He’s going to have to deal with China’s 2023 Worlds winner Haiyang Qin, who has the world record at 2:05.48, and silver winner Zac Stubblety-Cook (AUS) and American bronzer Matt Fallon are back as well. In fact, Fallon is the world leader with his Trials-winning time of 2:06.54.
In between will be the women’s 1,500 m Freestyle final, with American star Ledecky defending her Tokyo 2020 gold in this event, which was held for the first time three years ago. She’s an overwhelming favorite, owning the top four times of the year and eight seconds faster than Italy’s Simona Quadarella, the 2024 World Champion.
Also on the schedule are the finals in the men’s and women’s 100 m Freestyles. Tokyo Olympic men’s champion, Caeleb Dressel of the U.S., didn’t make the team in this event, beaten out by emerging stars Chris Guiliano (47.25) and Jack Alexy (47.08). China’s Zhanle Pan won the 2024 Worlds gold and owns the world record at 46.80, with Romanian co-favorite David Popovici at 46.88.
The women’s 100 m Free features world-record holder Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan and Meg Harris, 2024 Worlds winner Marrit Steenbergen (NED), American Kate Douglass and Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey. No one knows how this is going to turn out.
In gymnastics, this is the night of the men’s All-Around final, with Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto defending his 2023 Worlds gold as well as his victory at Tokyo 2020. American Fred Richard stunned with a bronze at the 2023 Worlds and is looking for the first U.S. medal in the A-A since Danell Leyva’s bronze at London 2012. Japan has won this event in three straight Games.
The cycling BMX Freestyle finals will be held, with Tokyo Olympic silver winner – and five-time World Champion – Hannah Roberts of the U.S. looking to move up to the top of the podium. Britain’s Tokyo winner, Charlotte Worthington, is back as is Swiss Nikita Ducarroz, the Tokyo bronze medalist, and do not forget about fellow American Perris Benegas, the 2018 World Champion.
In the men’s final, France’s Anthony Jeanjean, who won the 2024 qualifying series, 2023 World Champion Kieran Reilly (GBR), Tokyo Olympic champ Logan Martin (AUS), Japan’s 2022 World Champion, Rim Nakamura and 2018 Worlds winner Justin Dowell of the U.S. are all contenders.
In diving, the U.S. won one medal at the 2023 World Championships, a bronze by Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell and they are up again. The pair won the Tokyo Olympic silver in 2021 and will be looking for a repeat medal performance, with China’s World Champions, Yuxi Chen and Hongchan Quan favored.
The U.S. has a powerful entry in the men’s fencing Sabre team final, having won the 2023 Worlds bronze with Eli Dershwitz, Andrew Doddo, Colin Heathcock and Mitchell Saron. Hungary, the reigning World Champion, defending Olympic champ South Korea and Italy are all contenders.
Australia’s Jessica Fox, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ in the C-1 slalom canoe race, will be going for two in a row, in an event in which she is a four-time World Champion. She could come in having already won the K-1 and looking for a possible three-event sweep. She will be challenged, especially by 2022 World Champion Ricarda Funk (GER).
● Thursday, 1 August ● There are finals in 18 events scheduled, but there is no doubt where the biggest focus will be: on gymnastics superstar Biles.
The women’s All-Around final is scheduled at 12:15 p.m. Eastern time, with Biles – the 2016 Olympic champion in this event – looking for another gold, after six Worlds golds in this event, including in 2023.
She’s the favorite, but Tokyo winner Suni Lee of the U.S. is in the field, and Tokyo runner-up – and the 2023 Worlds silver winner – Rebeca Andrade of Brazil is a clear contender. But this should mostly be about Biles.
In swimming, Canadian star Summer McIntosh – the 2023 World Champion – is back and is the world leader in 2024 at 2:04.33. But not far behind is American star – and Tokyo Olympic runner-up – Regan Smith at 2:03.80 and 2023 Worlds silver winner Elizabeth Dekkers (AUS: 2:05.20).
The 2023 Worlds medal winners in the women’s 200 m Breaststroke were South African Tatjana Schoenmaker (defending Olympic champ), American Douglass and Tes Schouten (NED). They are the top three on the world list in 2024 – in that order – and between them own 13 of the top 14 performances of the year. Right behind: Tokyo runner-up and 2022 World Champion Lilly King of the U.S.
The women’s 4×200 m Freestyle relay will be another Australia vs. U.S. showdown, with the Australians setting a world record at the 2023 Worlds and the U.S. a clear second. That looks to be the situation again, as the Aussies have four in the top 11 in the world this year and the Americans have four in the top 21.
The men’s 200 m Backstroke could be a trip to the past, with Rio 2016 gold medalist Ryan Murphy of the U.S. the world leader at 1:54.33, ahead of Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez (1:54.51) and fellow American Keaton Jones (1:54.61). Murphy was the Tokyo runner-up in the event and would prefer to be on the top step.
Italy, France and the U.S., led by Tokyo 2020 fencing Foil gold medalist Lee Kiefer, figure to be the favored choices in the women’s Foil team final. Italy, the U.S. and France won the medals at the 2022 Worlds and Italy, France and Japan went 1-2-3 in 2023, with the U.S. fourth. Kiefer will be accompanied by Lauren Scruggs, Jackie Dubrovichand Maia Weintraub.
Great Britain has won two Worlds golds in a row in the men’s Fours, but the U.S. was second in 2023 and is hunting a medal, along with New Zealand, the Dutch and defending Olympic champ Australia.
● Friday, 2 August ● A big line-up of 23 finals will push the total of completed events to 117, about a third of the way through the total program. But in France, this will be Teddy Riner Day.
At 35, standing 6-8 and weighting over 300 pounds, Riner is one of the greatest judokas of all time. He is a 12-time World Champion, including co-champion in 2023 and won Olympic golds in 2012 and 2016. He took bronze in 200 and is out to win two golds in Paris: in his +100 kg class and in the Mixed Team event, where he won an Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.
He will be pushed by Cuban Andy Granda, Georgia’s Guram Tushishvili, and Japan’s Tatsuru Saito, but the massive crowd will be squarely behind Riner.
Dressel of the U.S. will get a chance to defend his Tokyo gold in the men’s 50 m Freestyle final. Australia’s Cameron McEvoy won the 2023 Worlds and was second in 2024 and Britain’s Ben Proudwas the 2022 World Champion. But Dressel has moved his way up and stands no. 4 on the world list at 21.41 and he will be in the mix.
French star Marchand will be back for his individual finale in the men’s 200 m Medley, where he was the 2023 World Champion and will be favored. China’s Shun Wang, the defending Olympic champ – and one 11 swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine in 2021, but was not sanctioned – is just one of the contenders, including Americans Carson Foster (the 2024 Worlds runner-up) and Shaine Casas, Britain’s 2023 Worlds runner-up Duncan Scott, and Canada’s 2024 Worlds winner Finlay Knox.
The women’s 200 m Backstroke is expected to be another thriller between Australia’s 2023 Worlds winner (and Tokyo Olympic champ) Kaylee McKeown and runner-up Regan Smith of the U.S. Between the two of them, they have the top six times of the year. Canada’s Kylie Masse and Phoebe Bacon of the U.S. are solid choices to fight for bronze.
The track & field program will get underway with the 20 km walks in the morning and the men’s 10,000 m on the track, along with multiple preliminaries. Ethiopians Yomif Kejelcha (26:31.01), Berihu Aregawi (26:31.13) and Tokyo Olympic champ Selemon Barega (26:34.93) led the fastest 10,000 race in history in the national trials in June, after six Kenyans – led by Daniel Mateiko’s 26:50.81 – ran under 27 minutes at its trials race in Eugene in May. Add in Tokyo champ and world-record holder Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) and wild cards like Grant Fisher of the U.S. and this could be a wild finish.
In archery, the Mixed Team final is scheduled, with Korea, Germany, Turkey, Italy and the U.S. duo of Brady Ellison and Casey Kaufholdall contenders.
Defending Olympic champ Niek Kimmann (NED) is a favorite for the cycling BMX final for men, having won two World Cup races this season. Britain’s Kye White, the Tokyo silver winner, took one and three-time World Champion Joris Daudet won one. Australia’s Izaac Kennedy is also a contender.
No doubt about the women’s BMX favorite: Australia’s Saya Sakakibara won four of the six World Cup races and was second to Swiss Zoe Classens in the other two. American Alise Willoughby won medals in the last three World Cups and Britain’s Tokyo Olympic winner, Beth Shriever, won two medals this season.
The U.S. has won Olympic silvers in Rio and Tokyo in the equestrian Team Jumping final, with McLain Ward back from both of those teams. The Americans should be contenders with Sweden, Belgium, France and Germany for medals.
In the women’s 50 m Rifle/3 Positions, Sagen Maddalena of the U.S. won a Worlds bronze in 2023, behind China’s Qiongyue Zhang and Jiayu Han, and is looking for her first Olympic medal in her second Games. They will all have to deal with Norway’s Worlds medalists Jenny Stene and Jeanette Hegg Duestad.
● Saturday, 3 August ●A huge program of 27 finals and a day that could feature Biles, Ledecky and Richardson of the U.S.
Biles is clearly the favorite in the women’s Vault, an event she has won twice at the World Championships and at Rio 2016. Andrade won the Vault over Biles at the 2023 Worlds and is the defending champion. American Jade Careywon at the 2022 Worlds and Korea’s Seo-jeong Yeo won the 2020 Olympic bronze and the 2023 Worlds bronze. But if Biles is on, no one can touch her.
Ledecky will favored to win her fourth straight Olympic gold in the 800 m Freestyle, but Australia’s Titmus is not far behind on the year list: 8:12.95 to 8:14.06. Italy’s Quadarella is also in the mix for a medal.
Dressel will be defending his Tokyo gold in the men’s 100 m Butterfly and he was an impressive winner at the U.S. Trials at 50.19. But the world leader is Canada’s Josh Liendo (50.06), followed by Swiss Noe Ponti(50.16). France’s 2023 World Champion, Maxime Grousset will also have something to say.
American Alex Walsh beat McKeown in the women’s 200 m Medley at the 2022 Worlds and Douglass and Walsh were 1-2 in 2023, with China’s Yiting Yu third. Among the Paris entry, McKeown, Douglass and Walsh are 1-2-3, with Canada’s Sydney Pickrem fourth. Should be some fight.
Great Britain won the mixed 4×100 m Medley Relay in Tokyo, but the U.S. took the Worlds golds in 2022 over Australia and 2023 over China. With Alexy or Guiliano, Dressel, Smith and King, the Americans look solid.
On the track, Richardson is the World Champion and the world leader (10.71) in the women’s 100 m and is favored over ex-Texas star Julian Alfred (LCA), U.S. teammate Melissa Jeffersonand Jamaica’s 2023 Worlds runner-up Shericka Jackson and 2008-12 Olympic champ Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, still going at 37. Lots of eyes on this one.
The men’s shot is a question of health. If Ryan Crouser, the 2016 and 2020 Olympic champ and the world-record holder is healthy, he’s the favorite. But European champ Leonardo Fabbri(ITA) is having a career year and beat Crouser at last weekend’s London Diamond League meet. Lurking just behind is two-time World Champion and two-time Olympic silver winner Joe Kovacs of the U.S., completely capable of winning.
The men’s decathlon has German Leo Neugebauer, who won the NCAA title for Texas with a monster score of 8,961 as the favorite, but French hopes are for good health and a miracle performance from world-record holder Kevin Mayer, the two-time World Champion and two-time Olympic silver winner from Rio and Tokyo. If healthy, watch out for Canada’s defending Olympic champ Damian Warner, who has scored 8,678 this season.
The mixed 4×400 m relay could be a showcase for 16-year-old sensation Quincy Wilson of the U.S. He ran 44.20 (!) last week at the Holloway Pro Classic in Florida and as the sixth-place finisher in the 400 m at the U.S. Trials, he should be on this team. The U.S. always goes in as the favorite, but with stars Femke Bol (NED), Marileidy Paulino (DOM) and Natalia Kazcmarek (POL) as likely anchors, will the U.S. have a big enough lead to win?
In archery, the women’s Recurve final is scheduled and Kaufhold of the U.S. is ranked no. 1 worldwide, and won a Worlds silver in 2021. But she will be facing a strong Korean entry, with Min-hee Jang the 2022 World Champion and Czech Marie Horackova the 2023 Worlds gold medalist. Not to be overlooked: Mexico’s Alejandra Valencia, the 2023 Worlds runner-up.
The cycling men’s road race will be without Tour de France star Tadej Pogacar, but is 273 km long and on a hilly course with more than a dozen short, but intense climbs. This should work in the favor of Tour third-placer Remco Evenepoel (BEL) and teammate Wout van Aert, perhaps Canada’s Michael Woods, or perhaps home favorite Julien Alaphilippe (FRA). The U.S. has two interesting entries in Brandon McNulty and Matteo Jorgenson, who could surprise.
Germany, the U.S. and Great Britain won the medals in Tokyo in the Dressage Team final, and Denmark, Britain and Germany were 1-2-3 at the 2022 Worlds. All four should be contender this time.
The U.S. women won the Eights in the 2008-12-16 Olympic Games, but were fourth in Tokyo, as Canada won gold. After a fourth at the 2022 Worlds – Romania won – the U.S. was back up to silver in 2023, a couple of seconds behind the Romanians, with Australia third. Great Britain and the Netherlands appear to be the class of the men’s field.
Poland’s no. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek leads the entries for the women’s Singles tennis event, which will have the final today at Roland Garros. Americans Coco Gauff (no. 2) and Jessica Pegula (no. 5) are contenders, as is no. 4 Elena Rybakina (KAZ). Much attention will be paid to 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, who reached the French Open semis in Paris this year; she is competing as a “neutral.”
More previews coming on Wednesday!
2. Bach reveals future IOC revenues, demands more digital outreach
The biggest show at any Olympic Games is the opening ceremony, but one of the little-noticed, but often important rituals of the event is the opening of the International Olympic Committee Session that precedes it.
This meeting of all of the IOC membership is always celebrated with a special ceremony, and the IOC membership and many Olympic Family members gathered at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris for a 100-minute program on Monday evening. They saw some inspiring entertainment, including a vibrant tap-dance routine to Louis Prima’s 1936 jazz standard “Sing, Sing, Sing” and the expected welcoming speeches from French National Olympic Committee President David Lappartient (also the head of the Union Cycliste Internationale), Paris 2024 head Tony Estanguet and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Then there was IOC President Thomas Bach, who reiterated many of his familiar themes in a 34-minute address on making the Games more equitable, more urban and more sustainable, but also outlining a bright future for the Olympic Movement:
● “Thanks to the financial support from our commercial partners we have already today secured 7.3 billion U.S. dollars of revenue for the next Olympiad from 2025 to 2028. Even for the Olympiad 2029 to 2032, we have already secured 6.2 billion dollars. With a full pipeline, these figures will only increase.”
● “This stability is also reflected in the ever-growing relevance of the Olympic Games. At present, we have already allocated the Games of the Olympiad until 2028 to L.A. and until 2032 to Brisbane.
“What is more, we currently have a double-digit figure of countries and [National Olympic Committees] interested in hosting Olympic Games in 2036 and some even in 2040. I cannot remember a time when we have been in such a favourable situation, with such a significant number of interested parties to host Olympic Games 12 or even 16 years in advance. It may not come as a surprise to you, when I say that this is all thanks to our Olympic Agenda reforms.”
Bach also spoke passionately about the future of the Games and the Olympic Movement and how it rests with the “digital-native” generation:
● “Whatever our views are on esports and gaming, the numbers speak for themselves. Globally, there are well over 3 billion people familiar with gaming, a figure that continues to grow by the day. While in 2021, the global gaming live-streaming audience was just around 800 million people, this figure will grow to 1.5 billion spectators next year. These are all young people.
“We cannot ignore these staggering numbers. They make it crystal clear: if we want to continue to be relevant in the lives of young people, if we want to continue to inspire the next generation with our Olympic values, then we have to go to where the young people are, in the real world and in the digital world. We have to go to esports.”
● “What is more, we are in a position to propose to you the creation of Olympic Esports Games with a partner and first host that is a recognised leader in this area: National Olympic Committee of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is a country with 23 million gamers and has become an established host of events and competitions of the esports community. As such, the Saudi NOC has a unique expertise in esports and in working with all the stakeholders of the esports market.
“By partnering with the Saudi NOC we ensure that all our activities will happen in full compliance with the Olympic Charter. At the same time we want to support the enormous progress the Saudi NOC has made with regard to the popularisation of sport and in particular the participation of girls and women in sport.”
This is sure to bring criticism as the Saudis are hardly celebrated for women’s rights, but the country’s leadership role in the esports world is an established fact. And Bach went on to underscore the importance of the Olympic Esports Games initiative and the younger generation that already embraces the digital life:
“This change manifests itself in new ways of speaking with each other; in very different habits and lifestyles; in a more individualistic interpretation of values; in more raucous and more aggressive self-expression. We may embrace this, or we may take issue with one or the other manifestation of this new social fabric. The fact remains, we have to address it.
“Young people everywhere are living such digital lives. Our young Olympic fans are living digital lives. The 120 million followers who engage with us over 600 million times per month are living digital lives. The athletes are living digital lives. If we want to remain relevant in their digital lives, we must engage with this digitally-native generation in their digital way of living.”
Bach closed with another reminder of the Olympic Games as a symbol of what could be:
“In these difficult times, there are so many divisive forces tearing humanity apart: the far too many wars and conflicts around the world, decoupling of the global economy, greed, hate, fake news, protectionism, the list goes on.
“Whenever you speak with people, everybody is fed up. People are fed up with all this hate, aggression, the killing, war and confrontation. In their hearts – in all our hearts –we are longing for something which brings us together. We are longing for something that gives us hope.
“This is why billions of people are looking forward to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 as this symbol of hope, as this symbol of togetherness. They see the Olympic Games as the only event that still brings the entire world together in peaceful competition.”
Estanguet, for his part, shared the message everyone wanted to hear (as provided by the simultaneous interpreter online):
“We are ready. The athletes are ready. All of the sites are ready. All of the support personnel. All of France, are ready to root them on.”
3. U.S. men outlast World Champs Germany, 92-88, in London
LeBron James. Once again, the 39-year-old star was the difference for the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team in its final exhibition game, a hard-fought, 92-88 victory at the O2 Arena in London (GBR).
The difference early was defense, with the Americans clamping down in the first quarter after a slow start. Two three-point makes from guard Jrue Holiday got the U.S. started on a 21-4 run in the last five minutes to take a 29-17 lead, which ended at 29-19. Germany shot only 7-23 from the floor, vs. 10-16 for the U.S., with excellent lead-outs on defensive rebounds.
The second quarter went back and forth, with the U.S. maintaining the lead, but the Germans edging closer. But with 1:16 left, a key sequence saw center Joel Embiid block an Isaac Bonga layup try, with the loose ball going to guard Anthony Edwards, who outsprinted the defense for a right-handed thunder slam for a 48-39 lead, eventually 48-41 at the half.
But the Germans, the 2023 FIBA World Cup champions who defeated a much less talented American team in the semifinals last year, came right back and went on a 12-2 run to take a 53-52 lead with 7:15 to go in the third quarter. A James layup, an Embiid three and a James three gave the U.S. a 62-55 lead with 5:38 to go, but it didn’t last. Three-pointers from guard Andreas Obst, and five points from forward Franz Wagner in the final 1:02 of the period gave the Germans a 71-68 lead going into the fourth as the U.S. defense disappeared in a 30-20 quarter.
The U.S. got even quickly and got the lead back with 6:07 to go on a left-handed circus shot from guard Devin Booker, sinking a baseline rainbow after being fouled and on the way to the floor. Finally, James took over.
He muscled his way to the rim for back-to-back layins for an 85-82 lead with 3:33 to go, made two foul shots for an 87-82 U.S. lead, then sank a right-of-the-circle three for a 90-86 lead and clinched it by driving through the entire German defense for a right-hand bank at the rim for a 92-86 edge with 45.4 seconds to go. The final was 92-88.
James, 39, had 20 points on 8-11 from the field and handled the ball for the U.S. in the final four minutes. Amazing.
The Germans exposed continuing holes in the U.S. defense, making 13 three-pointers, even though it required 45 shots! The American offense produced 49% shooting, but 6-17 on threes and had 14 turnovers, to just seven for Germany.
Five other U.S. stars scored in double figures, with Embiid getting 15 and Holiday, 13, with Edwards adding 11 and Steph Curry and Anthony Davis scoring 10 each. Franz Wagner led Germany with 18, Obst had 17, and Daniel Theis and Dennis Schroder had 13 each.
The win ended the American exhibition season at 5-0. Star forward Kevin Durantwas rested with a continuing calf injury, but he is expected to play in the Olympic opener on Sunday against Serbia in Lille. The Americans will also face South Sudan on 31 July and then Puerto Rico on 3 August in pool play.
4. LeBron James selected as male U.S. flagbearer
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced Monday that basketball icon LeBron James will be the male flagbearer for the U.S. team at the Olympic opening on the Seine River in Paris on Friday. Per the USOPC:
“James and his [female] flag bearer counterpart were chosen by a vote of fellow Team USA athletes through a process led by the Team USA Athletes’ Commission, which serves as the representative group and voice of Team USA Athletes.”
The female flagbearer will be revealed on Tuesday. About 350 American athletes are expected to participate in the opening.
James is readying for his fourth Olympic Games, having been a member of the 2004 team at age 19, winning a bronze medal. He helped lead the U.S. to gold medals in 2008 and 2012.
He is also the first men’s basketball player to carry the U.S. flag during the Olympic opening and the third basketball player overall. Women’s stars Dawn Staley (Athens 2004) and Sue Bird (Tokyo 2020) are the only other basketball players given the honor. The IOC instituted the male-and-female flagbearer concept at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Nominated to be flagbearer by teammate Steph Curry, James said:
“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together.
“For a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything to not only myself, but to my family, all the kids in my hometown, my teammates, fellow Olympians and so many people across the country with big aspirations. Sports have the power to bring us all together, and I’m proud to be a part of this important moment.”
5. ICC puts USA Cricket on notice for possible expulsion
With T20 cricket poised to join the Olympic program for Los Angeles 2028, this should be a happy time for the International Cricket Council and USA Cricket. Then came this announcement on Monday, from the ICC Annual Conference in Columbo, Sri Lanka:
“The ICC Board confirmed that there will be a review into the delivery of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. This will be overseen by three directors, Roger Twose [NZL], Lawson Naidoo [RSA] and Imran Khwaja [SGP] who will report back to the Board later in the year.
“USA Cricket and Cricket Chile have been formally put on notice and have 12 months to rectify their current non-compliance with the ICC Membership Criteria. Neither Member is considered to have in place a fit for purpose detailed governance and administrative structure and systems.
“The ICC Americas office will work with Cricket Chile to support them in remedying their non-compliance. The Board agreed that a Normalisation Committee comprising of Board and Management representatives will be set up to oversee and monitor USA Cricket’s compliance roadmap and the ICC Board will reserve its right to suspend or expel the Member for continued non-compliance.”
India won its second ICC T20 World Cup title in the final over South Africa on 29 June, with the tournament hosted by the U.S. and West Indies. There were questions about the quality of the plying surfaces at multiple sites, credited for low scoring at some matches, also the quality of the organization in the matches played in the six nations in the West Indies and the costs of the U.S. sites in Florida, New York and Texas.
The ICC inquiry into USA Cricket will have impacts beyond the sport. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee is obligated to recognize and work with a National Governing Body for each sport on the Olympic, Paralympic and Pan American Games program, and cricket currently has no affiliated body within the USOPC structure.
The USOPC could oversee cricket internally for now until the ICC’s issues are settled, but all of this pushes off any programming to support the sport in the U.S. as it readies for its role in 2028.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● Paris 2024 organizing committee chief Tony Estanguet said during his Sunday news conference at the Main Press Center that a special protocol, adapted from French theater, will signal that sessions are ready to start.
A bell will be rung, then a baton will rap 12 times to indicate the show is about to start. The baton will be struck by a parade of athletes, celebrities, officials, volunteers or even a member of the public.
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Estanguet said about 4,000 lower-quays tickets for the opening on Friday are still available, out of a planned total of 104,000.
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The Italian news agency ANSA reported that Brazil has joined the list of National Olympic Committees renting air-conditioning units for its athletes and staff in the Olympic Village. With 277 in the delegation coming to Paris, the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) rented 130 a/c units at a cost of €39,000 (about $42,477 U.S.).
Said a COB spokesperson, “It couldn’t have been done otherwise.”
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Further to the Olympic Village and sleep, USA Gymnastics announced a deal with Newport, Rhode Island-based BedJet to supply “cooling sleep systems” for the American gymnasts in Paris:
“U.S. athletes will have BedJet Climate Comfort Sleep Systems and Cloud Sheets available to them. The BedJet attaches to any bed and uses air combined with a patented Cloud Sheet to rapidly wick away body heat and sweat trapped in the bed for fast cooling relief and improved sleep.”
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● The LA28 organizing committee issued its 40th emblem using the special, changing “A,” offering a joint France-U.S. “A” in salute of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and the coming 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
A special Paralympic “handover” emblem will be released later.
● Ukraine ● The head of the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee, Vadym Gutzeit, said on Friday on Ukrainian television:
“We have reached agreements with the international federations regarding the necessity to greet [athletes] during and after sports competitions.
“We have agreed that we will not greet each other [with Russians], we will not shake hands.”
● Aquatics ●SwimSwam.comreported on a Chinese social-media post on extensive drug testing of the Chinese swimming delegation in Paris:
“During the Chinese Olympic swimming squad’s first 10 days in Paris, its roster of 31 athletes has already been drug tested almost 200 times in total, according to a since-deleted social media post on Weibo by team nutritionist Yu Liang. If those numbers are indeed accurate, that comes out to about six tests per swimmer.”
● Athletics ●Tokyo Olympic 800 m champ Athing Mu did not make the U.S. team in 2024, suffering a fall in the Trials 800 m final, but she will be in Paris.
Mu is part of a phalanx of 24 former female Olympic and Paralympic athletes who will be part of a 28 July fashion show staged by PARiTY Paris and hosted by 4TheWalk, a merchandise and experience company founded by four-time Olympic ice hockey medalist Angela Ruggiero. The event celebrates the equal number of men and women competing at Paris 2024.
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Ahmed Muhamed and Rachel Smith won the USATF 8 km Championships on Saturday in Kingsport, Tennessee, held in conjunction with the Crazy 8s 8k.
Muhamed used a finishing surge on the final straightaway to win over Isai Rodriguez – who led for most of the race – by 22:26 to 22:27. Hillary Bor was third in 22:34.
Smith ran away from the field and won easily in 25:40, with Emma Grace Hurley second in 25:57. Natosha Rogers finished third in 26:11.
● Basketball ●The U.S. women’s U-17 team crushed seven opponents in a row to win the 2024 FIBA women’s U-17 World Cup, held in Leon and Iraputo, Mexico.
The Americans won their group-stage games by 82-55 over Australia, 121-36 vs. Puerto Rico and 123-42 against Croatia. In the playoffs, the U.S. pounded Egypt by 114-45, then Japan by 95-59 in the quarters, France by 84-66 in the semis and finally Canada, 84-64 in the final.
Sierra Canyon (Ca.) HS guard Jerzy Robinsonof the U.S. led all scorers at 20.9 points per game, and was named Most Valuable Player. It’s the sixth time in seven editions of this tournament that the U.S. has won.
● Cycling ●Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar (SLO) withdrew from the Olympic road race in Paris, citing fatigue. Pogacar became the first rider since 1998 to win the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the same year.
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1. Paris Preview I: Simone and the Duel in the Pool 2. Five world leads in London, but Lyles sends the message 3. Lyles stirs the pot with 4×4 chatter 4. Seine river readings continue good, but what about rain? 5. St. Louis 1904 gold stars as RR Auction concludes
● Paris Preview I: A look at the first four days of the Paris Games, which will be highlighted by the duel between the U.S. and Australia in the pool, and the artistic gymnastics team competitions for men and women. Can the Japanese Abe brother-and-sister combo pull off back-to-back double golds on the same day in judo?
● Another fab Diamond League meet, this time in London with 60,000 fans in attendance, and three world-leading performances by British athletes: Matthew Hudson-Smith in the men’s 400 m and Keely Hodgkinson in the women’s 800 m and the women’s 4×100 m. But the loudest statement might have been Noah Lyles with a lifetime best win in the men’s 100 m.
● Lyles stirred the pot during a podcast appearance last week, suggesting his preferred U.S. 4×400 m line-up for Paris would be Chris Bailey, him, Michael Norman and Rai Benjamin, and leaving off Trials winner Quincy Hall! Lyles doesn’t make the decisions, but Hall was livid, and said so on X.
● Water-quality readings from the Seine River continued to be generally good, sufficient to meet the World Aquatics and World Triathlon standards for competitions during the Paris Games. The real question is rain, and the forecast is promising.
● A 1904 Olympic gold medal for rope climbing – by a man with a wooden leg! – was the top seller at the just-concluded RR Auction, bringing a final price of $80,163 Olympic gold medals from 1964-2000-2012 all sold for $50,000-plus and a total of 18 items brought final prices of $20,000 or more.
● Panorama: Paris 2024 (5: 17th Belarusian “neutral” added; Darmanin says no known threat against Games; two years in prison for teen threatening torch relay; Parisians unprepared for Seine closings; U.S. cybersquatter trying to livestream Paris Games) = Los Angeles 2028 (Inglewood “people mover” project assailed by U.S. Rep. Waters) = International Olympic Committee (2: Olympic Solidarity budget increased to $650 million; former member Kevan Gosper passes at 90) = Basketball (2: U.S. men survive South Sudan on James layup; U.S. women fall to WNBA All-Stars) = Cycling (2: Pogacar wins third Tour de France; Riley and Urban sweep U.S. Mountain Bike titles) = Softball (Japan beats U.S. in WSBC World Cup) = Sport Climbing (2: Japan dominated IFSC Lead World Cup; U.S. officials fail to confirm entries so American climbers disqualified) ●
1. Paris Preview I: Simone and the Duel in the Pool
The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad actually start on Wednesday (24th) with men’s group-stage games in football and men’s rugby sevens matches, with archery ranking rounds and handball matches on Thursday prior to the “opening ceremony” on Friday. The U.S. women’s football squad plays its opener against Zambia on the 25th.
With everything on live in the U.S., either on NBC, its cable channels or on the Peacock streaming service, there’s too much to watch as the 32 sports and 329-event program gets started.
So, to help whet the appetite, some highlights to look for in the first few days of the Games:
● Saturday, 27 July ●The Paris schedule continues the first-week line-up with swimming and artistic gymnastics which has been in use since Munich 1972. Swimming will move to the second week in 2028, but for now, look for the Australians and American to claw and scratch at each other right away.
The first day of swimming will feature an all-out brawl in the women’s 400 m Freestyle between defending Olympic champion – and world-record holder – Ariarne Titmus of Australia, Rio 2016 Olympic champ Katie Ledecky of the U.S. and Canada’s 17-year-old sensation, Summer McIntosh. They are 1-2-3 on the 2024 world list at 3:55.44, 3:58.35 and 3:59.06 and figure to be the medal winners. Titmus’ world mark of 3:55.38 from 2023 is expected to be demolished.
Later in the program will be the women’s 4×100 m Freestyle relay, an Australian strong-suit with three Olympic wins in a row; the U.S. hasn’t won this since 2000. The Oz quad of Mollie O’Callaghan, Shayna Jack, Meg Harrisand Bronte Campbell are sure favorites, but the U.S. is not far behind with Kate Douglass, Torri Huske, Gretchen Walsh and Rio 2016 100 m Free co-champ Simone Manuel.
On the men’s side, the U.S. has won the last two 4×100 m Free Relays and has another strong team with Chris Guilianoand Jack Alexypushing Tokyo 100 m Free winner Caeleb Dresselto relay duty in his event. But Australia won the 2023 World Championship with the U.S. third and Rio 2016 100 m Free champ Kyle Chalmers will be a dangerous anchor for Oz.
American Chloe Dygertis the reigning World Champion in the women’s Individual Time Trial in cycling and is favored for a medal. Triathlete Taylor Knibb also qualified and will be trying for a medal in her “second” sport.
Gymnastics has the men’s team qualifying, with Japan and China favored; they went 1-2 at the 2023 Worlds, but the U.S. won the bronze in 2023 and will be looking for its first Olympic medal since 2008. Worlds All-Around bronze winner Fred Richard and three-time U.S. champ Brody Malone are the team leaders.
The U.S. also has a great shot at a medal in fencing in the men’s Sabre, with Colin Heathcock, 2023 World Champion Eli Dershwitz and Mitchell Saron. They won bronze at the 2023 Worlds behind Hungary and South Korea.
● Sunday, 28 July ●The women’s team qualifying in artistic gymnastics will be on, meaning the return of Simone Biles and the American team which won gold in 2016, but was second to Russia in 2020. No Russia this time, but with so many injuries, will Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera live up to their roles as team favorites and also qualify for individual apparatus finals?
In the pool, Britain’s Adam Peaty will be trying for an unprecedented third straight Olympic gold in the men’s 100 m Breaststroke. He’s the world leader at 57.94, but will have to deal with China’s 2023 World Champion Haiyang Qin and American Nic Fink, the 2024 World Champion.
The man who may be France’s face of the Games will be in the men’s 400 m Individual Medley: Leon Marchand. He won the 2023 world title in world-record time (4:02.50) and comes in as the favorite. He’ll be chased by 2024 world leader Carson Fosterof the U.S., Japan’s three-time World Champion Daiya Seto and 2024 World Champion Lewis Clareburt (NZL).
The women’s 100 m Butterfly has American world-record setter Gretchen Walsh being chased by Tokyo bronze winner Emma McKeon (AUS), as well as American teammate Torri Huske and 2024 World Champion Angelina Kohler (GER).
Defending Olympic champion Lee Kieferwill try for a second straight gold in the women’s Foil fencing tournament. She’s won bronze at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, but also two Grand Prix titles in 2024. Italy’s two-time World Champions, Alice Volpi and Arianna Errigo, figure to be in her way, as will home favorite Ysoara Thibus (FRA), the 2022 World Champion.
The U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team opens with Serbia and NBA superstar center Nikola Jokic in Lille, while the U.S. women’s football squad has its second match in pool play against Germany – the 2022 European runners-up – in Marseille.
The biggest star in women’s slalom canoeing, Australia’s Jessica Fox, will be the focus of the women’s K-1 final, where she has won silver-bronze-bronze in the last three Games, but is a four-time World Champion in the event. Start of a sweep for her in all of the women’s slalom events?
In Judo, one of the best memories of Tokyo 2020 was the same-day gold medals for brother and sister Hifumi Abe and Uta Abe in the men’s 66 kg and women’s 52 kg class. They are back to try for the double-double!
● Monday, 29 July ● Summer McIntosh will be in the pool again, facing off again with American Katie Grimes in the women’s 400 Medley, where they went 1-2 in the 2023 World Championships. Britain’s Freya Colbert and Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko were 1-2 at the 2024 Worlds in February and are contenders.
Lilly King, the Rio 2016 Olympic champ and Tokyo bronze winner, will try for a third straight medal in the women’s 100 m Breaststroke final. But she is only third on the 2024 world list behind 2024 Worlds winner Gianting Tang (CHN) and South Africa’s Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Tatyana Schoenmaker.
The U.S. won six straight men’s Olympic 100 m Backstroke titles in a row from 1996-2016, but Ryan Murphy – the Rio winner – finished third in Tokyo. He’s back and at 29 is the world leader in the event at 52.22. But he will have to contend with teammate Hunter Armstrong, the 2024 World Champion, Italy’s 2023 Worlds runner-up Thomas Ceccon (ITA) and China’s Jiayu Xu.
There are clear favorites in the 200 m Freestyles, with Romania’s David Popovicithe one to beat in the men’s race and Titmus and teammate Mollie O’Callaghan expected to go 1-2 in the women’s final.
The men’s gymnastics team final will continue the U.S. quest for a medal, with Japan and China favored to contend for gold.
The U.S. women’s basketball team will open pool play against Japan in Lille.
The U.S.’s men’s Foil team will contend for a medal, with 2023 Worlds runner-up Nick Itkin, 2016 Olympic silver winner Alex Massialas, and Gerek Meinhardt, a member of the Rio and Tokyo bronze-medal squads. Japan, China, Italy and France are all contenders.
Remember the fracas with Ukraine’s four-time World Champion Olha Kharlan in the women’s World Championships in Sabre, where she was disqualified for not shaking hands with a Russian she defeated in an early round? Well, she qualified and could be contending for her fifth career Olympic medal. Japan’s Misaki Emura is probably the favorite, winning the last two world titles.
● Tuesday, 30 July ●All eyes on Simone Biles as the U.S. women compete in the team final, trying for their third gold medal in the last four Olympic Games. The American women have won this event in the last seven Worlds and are favored again. Brazil, France, China, Britain and Canada should all be medal contenders, but if the U.S. executes its plan, it should be another gold, after silver in Tokyo.
The women’s 100 m Backstroke final should be between Olympic champ Kaylee McKeown of Australia and new world-record holder Regan Smith of the U.S. Between them, they own the top seven performances of the year, followed by American Katharine Berkoff and Australia’s O’Callaghan. Another classic in the making and a likely world record.
Defending Olympic men’s 800 m Freestyle champ Bobby Finke is ready to defend his title, made somewhat easier by the withdrawal – due to injury – of 2023 World Champion Ahmed Hafnaouiof Tunisia. However, Finke is only no. 6 on the 2024 year list, with 2024 World Champion Daniel Whiffen (IRL), Australia’s Elijah Winnington and Sam Short, Italy’s Tokyo silver winner Gregorio Paltrinieri and others ahead of him. Will he have that famous kick he showed in Tokyo?
Great Britain, the U.S. and Australia went 1-2-3 in the men’s 4×200 m Free relay at the 2023 Worlds, and China will also challenge in 2024. The British have four of the top nine performers on the world list; the U.S. have four of the top 13.
In shooting, the men’s Trap final is on, with the U.S. having the 2022 World Champion in Derrick Mein. Croatia’s Giovanni Cernograz is the reigning World Champion and was the 2012 Olympic champ.
The men’s triathlon will be held – weather and bacteria levels in the Seine permitting – with French hopes on 2022 World Champion Leo Bergere and Pierre LeCorre, Britain looking to 2020 Olympic silver winner Alex Yee, New Zealand’s Tokyo bronze winner Hayden Wilde and 2020 Olympic winner Kristian Blummenfeldt(NOR) all contenders. The U.S. has an outside shot for a medal with Morgan Pearson.
In Tahiti, the surfing finals will be on, with Brazil’s Italo Ferreira and 2024 World Champion Gabriel Medina, American John John Florence and Australia’s Jack Robinsonall stars on this year’s World Surfing League tour.
The U.S. has defending champ Carissa Mooreback in the women’s competition, who will be challenged by 2023 World Champion Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), France’s two-time Worlds medalist Joanne Defray and Americans Caroline Marks and Caitlin Simmers.
Tomorrow, more previews of next week’s biggest events!
2. Five world leads in London, but Lyles sends the message
Another excellent Diamond League meet, this time in London (GBR) with perhaps 60,000 in attendance at the Olympic Stadium, for the final major meet prior to Paris. And the competition was hot, with world leads in five events:
To say that the home crowd was happy is the understatement of the year!
World leader Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) stamped herself as the Olympic favorite with a stand-out victory in the women’s 800 m, taking control of the race from the start and breakaway with countrywoman Jeema Reekie going into the bell (behind the pacesetter). Hodgkinson maintained the lead and extended through the final 200 m to win going away in a world-leading 1:54.61, a lifetime best and breaking her own national record. Reekie was an impressive second in a lifetime best of 1:55.61 and Georgia Bellcame up for a British sweep in a lifetime best of 1:56.28, passing Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin (1:56.83 season best) on the straight. American Allie Wilson was seven in a lifetime best of 1:57.52 and Tokyo Olympic 1,500 m runner-up Laura Muir finished eighth in 1:57.63.
Hodgkinson is now no. 6 all-time in the event, with the no. 7 performance ever; it’s the fastest time in the 800 m since 2018.
The British fans were sent into dreamland again a few minutes later, as 2023 Worlds runner-up Matthew Hudson-Smith making up the staggers Jareem Richards (TTO) and 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James (GRN) by 250 m of the men’s 400 m. Hudson-Smith was clear of the field off the turn, with Vernon Norwood of the U.S. moving up for second on the straight. Hudson-Smith surged to the line and was a clear winner in a world-leading 43.74 – now no. 12 all-time – with Norwood getting a lifetime best of 44.10 in second. Richards (44.18) and Britain’s Charles Dobson (44.23) both got PRs in third and fourth, with James fifth in a seasonal best of 44.38.
Canada’s Christopher Morales Williams, the NCAA champ for Georgia, had another disappointing performance in sixth at 44.90.
The men’s 3,000 m was fast, with American Record holder Grant Fisher taking the lead with 500 m to go and moving smartly through the bell, ahead of Ethiopia’s Telahun Bekele and Edwin Kurgat (KEN). Coming up quickly, however, was Swiss European 10,000 m champ Dominic Lobalu, who moved into second by the 2,800 m mark and then set his sights on Fisher.
The American led into the straight, but Lobalu had the most speed and got to the line first in a world-leading 7:27.68, a national record. Fisher was just behind with a seasonal best of 7:27.99 – the no. 2 performance in U.S. history – and Kurgat was third in 7:28.53, with Bekele fourth (7:30.80) and Sean McGortyof the U.S. fifth with a lifetime best of 7:32.79. Lobalu will compete as a refugee in Paris as he is not yet a Swiss citizen.
The women’s 400 m had NCAA champion Nickisha Pryce of Jamaica, running her first race in three weeks, but European bronze winner Lieke Klaver had the lead on the backstraight and into the turn. Pryce moved strongly into the lead and stormed away for a world-leading 48.57 victory and a Jamaican national record! Meanwhile, European champ Natalia Kaczmarek passed Klaver and moved up on Pryce in the straight for second in 48.90, also a national record, with Klaver third in 49.58, a lifetime best! Americans Lynna Irby-Jackson (50.71) and Talitha Diggs (52.47) were sixth and eighth.
Britain’s 4×100 m team of Dina Asher-Smith, Imani Lansiquot, Amy Hunt and Daryll Neitawas looking for a hot time and they got it, winning in 41.55 for the world lead and equaling the national record. France, anchored by Chloe Galet, was a distant second in 42.10.
There was an opportunity for a statement to be made in the men’s 100 m, and World Champion Noah Lyles made it. Britain’s Jeremiah Azu and Jamaican Ackeem Blake were out best, but Lyles had the lead against a good field by 60 m and was not going to be passed, winning in a lifetime best of 9.81 into a slight headwind of 0.3 m/s. South Africa’s Akani Simbine came up in the last 5 m with a seasonal best of 9.86 for second and Letsile Tebogo (BOT) was third in 9.88, equaling his lifetime best. NCAA champ LouisHinchliffe was fourth in 9.97.
Lyles moved up to third on the 2024 world list and has run faster in each of his five 100 m finals this season: 10.01, 9.96w, 9.85, 9.83 and now 9.81. He’s trending the right way for Paris.
The men’s mile was marred by a bad fall on the first turn, with British stars Neil Gourley and George Mills unable to continue. The race went on and had Tokyo Olympian Stewart McSweyn (AUS) in the lead through 1,200 m, but countryman Ollie Hoare, the 2022 Commonwealth Games 1,500 m champ, took over with a little more than 200 m to go. He was holding off Norway’s 2023 Worlds 1,500 m bronze winner Narve Nordasand two dueled all the way to the finish, with Hoare finally getting the win with a lunge in 3:49.03 and Nordas at 3:49.06. McSweyn was passed on the straight by Adel Mechaal (ESP) for third, 3:49.21 to 3:49.45. American Vince Ciatteigot a lifetime best in 12th at 3:52.54.
Brazil’s 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santoshad control of the men’s 400 m hurdles on the backstraight, but he was getting a significant challenge from Ismail Abakar (QAT), with Jamaica’s 20-year-old Roshawn Clarke moving up. Dos Santos maintained the lead, with Abakar chasing, until Clarke passed the Qatari on the straight to grab second. Dos Santos won in 47.18, with Clarke getting a seasonal best of 47.63 and Abakar a lifetime best of 47.72. CJ Allen of the U.S. was sixth at 48.49.
Japan won the men’s 4×100 m in 38.07, ahead of Australia (38.31).
New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr, the World Indoor champ, took four attempts in the men’s high jump and cleared them all, reaching 2.30 m (7-6 1/2) for the win over JuVaughn Harrisonof the U.S. (2.26 m/7-5).
The men’s shot foretells a fabulous Olympic competition, with world-record holder Ryan Crouser getting out to the early lead at 22.23 m (72-11 1/4) and holding it through four rounds. But then Italy’s European Champion, Leonardo Fabbri– having a career year – grabbed the lead at 22.52 m (73-10 3/4), and while Crouser improved to 22.37 m (73-4 3/4) in the fifth, he could not catch him and had to settle for second, his first loss of the season, in his fourth meet. Americans Payton Otterdahland Joe Kovacs went 3-4 at 22.13 m (72-7 1/4) and 22.03 m (72-3 1/2).
The women’s 200 m had three Americans, three British and St. Lucia star Julien Alfred and it was hot starter Asher-Smith who got out brilliantly and had a 2m lead, ahead of teammate Neita, into the straight. But Alfred pushed into the lead on the straight in lane seven, only to be passed by a flying Gabby Thomas of the U.S. in lane six, who won on the lean in 21.81 (-0.9), with Alfred second in a lifetime best of 21.86, now no. 3 in 2024. Asher-Smith and Neita got seasonal bests of 22.07 and 22.20, while Tamara Clark and Jenna Prandini of the U.S. were 6-7 in 22.69 and 22.93.
Thomas simply outran the field in the final 60 m and equaled her winning time from the U.S. Trials. She now has the three fastest performances of the year.
Dutch star Femke Bol won as expected in the women’s 400 m hurdles, blasting out to the lead immediately in lane six and racing to the win in 51.30, the no. 4 performance in history and a time only she and world-record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone(USA) have ever run.
Behind Bol, Jamaica’s two-time Worlds bronze medalist Rushell Clayton held second for most of the race, but was overtaken on the run-in by two-time Worlds runner-up Shamier Little, who got a seasonal best of 52.78 to 53.24 for Clayton.
Worlds co-champ Nina Kennedy (AUS) was the only one to clear 4.85 m (15-11) in the women’s vault, with Canada’s Alysha Newman the only other to make 4.75 m (15-7). World leader Molly Caudery (GBR) and Sandi Morris of the U.S. tied for third at 4.65 m (15-3).
Olympic champ Katie Moon of the U.S., had trouble, clearing 4.50 m (14-9) on her third and then missing all three tries at 4.65 to finish eighth.
Olympic and European champ Malaika Mihambo (GER) put the women’s long jump away early with her first-round jump of 6/.98 m (22-6 1/2), ahead of European bronze winner Agate de Souza (POR), who reached 6.75 m (22-1 3/4) on her final try to pass Larissa Iapichno(ITA: 6.70 m/21-11 3/4). American Tiffany Flynn was sixth at 6.50 m (21-4).
Australia’s Mackenzie Little, the 2023 Worlds bronze medalist, bombed her first throw in the women’s javelin out to a lifetime best of 66.27 m (217-5) and no one could catch her. She moved up to no. 2 in the world for 2024.
Serbia’s Adriana Vilagos also got a personal best of 65.58 m (215-2) – in the fifth round, a national record and no. 4 this year – for second, with American Maggie Malone-Hardin third at 62.99 m (206-8). World Champion Haruka Kitaguchi (JPN) was fourth at 62.69 m (205-8).
That’s it for the Diamond League until after Paris, with the circuit to return in Lausanne (SUI) on 22 August.
¶
London wasn’t the only important action, with the Holloway Pro Classic in Gainesville, Florida and a shocker from teen sensation Quincy Wilson.
Still just 16, Wilson took down an impressive field, including 2023 U.S. champ Bryce Deadmon in a sensational 44.20 – now no. 8 in the world for 2024 – with Deadmon at 44.23 and Matthew Bolinggetting a lifetime best of 44.84. Remember, he was sixth at the U.S. Trials and a minimum, will be on the Mixed 4×400 m!
Worlds 200 m silver winner Erriyon Knighton won the 200 m in 19.92 (+0.3) and Emmanuel Matadi (LBR) took the 100 m in a speedy 9.91 (+1.2), a national record. Josh Hoey of the U.S., fourth at the Trials, won the 800 m over Rio 2016 bronze medalist Clayton Murphy, 1:44.22 to 1:45.01.
U.S. Trials runner-up Russell Robinson won the triple jump at 16.91 m (55-5 3/4), with Christian Taylor in fifth at 16.14 m (52-11 1/2), closing out his magnificent career. Taylor, 34, finally succumbed to injuries after Olympic golds in 2012 and 2016 and World Championships wins in 2011-15-17-19. He finishes as no. 2 all-time in the TJ at 18.21 m (59-9) from 2015 and will be remembered as not only a ferocious competitor, but dignified, pleasant and with a winning smile. He was one of the sport’s true ambassadors.
Kenya’s Dorcus Ewoi won the women’s 800 m, taking over from Olympic champ Athing Mu entering the final straight and won in a lifetime best of 1:58.19, ahead of Addy Wiley of the U.S. (1:58.71). Mu had no strength on the straight and faded to fifth in 2:00.29.
NCAA champ Grace Stark, third at the U.S. Trials, won her heat in 12.42 and then defeated world-record holder Tobi Amusan (NGR) and Trials winner Masai Russell in the final, 12.58-12.60-12.66 into a 1.7 m/s headwind!
3. Lyles stirs the pot with 4×4 chatter
World sprint champion Noah Lyles loves to talk and he filled up more than 83 minutes on the Track World News podcast last week (15th) with Colin Waitzman and Noah Williams talking about the sport, promotion, fashion and the 4×400 m relay in Paris.
Asked what he would like to see the U.S. men’s 4×4 relay final line-up look like, he suggested U.S. Trials third-placer Chris Bailey as the starter, then:
“I would want the second leg, but I also know that Rai wants second leg, but I feel that Rai is our best finisher because – I don’t know why – he just has it in him. He’s our best finisher.
“So I put me [second] and then Michael Norman and I put Rai Benjamin. And that would be my 4×4.
“And the only reason I wouldn’t use the current U.S. champion [Quincy Hall] is because I don’t think he’d be a starter. I feel using him on the first leg would just be almost like a waste of his talent. That’s the only reason; I don’t see him getting his full capability out of first leg.”
He did have praise for Hall, however, following his Monaco Diamond League win in a lifetime best 43.80, then the world leader (now no. 2):
“I was very shocked … He’s looking primed and ready, and he’s a dog. That’s his mentality, it’s ‘I’m going to go out there and die, or I’m going to go out there and win.’ That’s the way he thinks, and that’s the way you’re going to have to think. It’s very hard to break that mentality against your other competitors, because if someone tries to go off of you, they don’t know what they’re going to get, they don’t know if they can hang.”
Well, the fire was started. Hall replied a few days later, on X (ex-Twitter; shown as posted):
● “@LylesNoah I don’t bother nobody but my blocks ready anytime you feel like you can beat me in the 400 you was talking to much on my name on yo little podcast @TrackWorldNews1 I don’t do the little slick comments and remarks I line up”
● “To the people thinking I’m a bad person cause my last post you just gotta know me to know I’m a competitor always have been so don’t take nun personal I’m just ready for anybody and everybody i won and lost before but always been a dog while doing it
“For the folk who mad saying he didn’t diss me or I’m overthinking yall can miss me with all that im rapped out about the situation my blocks still ready but if we ain’t doing it that’s coo to but let me get ready for the Olympics”
And Benjamin, always the voice of reason and one of the most thoughtful stars in the track & field world, and who anchored the victorious U.S. 4×400 team in Tokyo, got the last word for now (shown as posted):
“Yall gotta stop this 4×4 talk. And you ‘blogs’ have to be better. Noah is an outspoken individual. We know that, yall know that. He voiced an OPINION. It isn’t FACT. And subconsciously and consciously a lot of you are using him for clicks. We’re a few days away from competing
“Let the athletes focus on the job they are TASKED with ahead and stop sewing deceit and resentment in OUR camp ahead of the games. We’re a great team with PHENOMENAL talent and athletes. Let us just do us please”
This isn’t over. In fact, it hasn’t started. And that makes it fun, at least for those not in the running to be on the men’s 4×400 team in Paris.
And what about 16-year-old Quincy – 44.20 – Wilson?
Lyles was thrilled with his 9.81 lifetime best in London on Saturday and is already thinking about the men’s 4×100 m relay as well:
“A PB and getting faster before Paris. I wanted to dip under the 9.80; I thought I was going to get a wind like everyone else. I know exactly where I am ahead of Paris. I knew we’d be getting more eyes on us, I’ve been waiting for this for six years!
“I live for the biggest moments, the more eyes the better I perform. As soon as I get on the stage when the TV is on and people are watching, I perform. I’m very excited for the relay, we’ve all been together talking about the world record but we’ve got to get those sticks around and we’ve got to get them around cleanly and that’s what we’ve been doing the most: communicating.”
4. Seine river readings continue good, but what about rain?
It’s really about the rain. The water quality in the Seine River near the Pont Alexandre III, where the triathlon and open-water swimming events are scheduled, continues to be good except when there are heavy rains.
Strong rains on 9 July caused a significant increase in river pollution at the Pont Alexandre III, which came back down again quickly with moderate rain the following two days. So, for the first 16 days of July, 14 had acceptable water quality for competitions.
As for the readings, first the International Federation requirements:
World Aquatics requirements for inland waterways: ● Enterococci score: <200 is Excellent; <400 is Good; >400 is Unacceptable ● E. Coli score: <500 is Excellent; <1,000 is Good; >1,000 is Unacceptable
World Triathlon requirements for inland waterways: ● Enterococci score: <200 is Excellent; <400 is Good; <330 is Sufficient ● E. Coli score: <500 is Excellent; <1,000 is Good; <900 is Sufficient
The City of Paris publicly posts its testing results of the Seine for contamination at four locations, showing high scores during period of heavy rain and less during dry weather. At the “Site Olympique” – the Pont Alexandre III, where the Olympic events will be held (numbers estimated from a visual graph):
● 30 June (rainy): Enterococci ~ 400 — E. Coli ~ 2,000 (unacceptable) ● 01 July (sunny): Enterococci ~ 100 — E. Coli ~ 950 (good) ● 02 July (rainy): Enterococci ~ 62 — E. Coli ~ 580 (good) ● 03 July (rainy): Enterococci ~ 190 — E. Coli ~ 1,100 (unacceptable) ● 04 July (sunny): Enterococci ~ 160 — E. Coli ~ 900 (good) ● 05 July (clouds): Enterococci ~ 75 — E. Coli ~ 900 (good) ● 06 July (rainy): Enterococci ~ 135 — E. Coli ~ 800 (good)
● 07 July (sunny): Enterococci ~ 45 — E. Coli ~ 500 (good) ● 08 July (clouds): Enterococci ~ 95 — E. Coli ~ 600 (good) ● 09 July (rainy): Enterococci ~ 105 — E. Coli ~ 850 (good) ● 10 July (clouds): Enterococci ~ 1,500 — E. Coli ~ 2,800 (unacceptable) ● 11 July (rainy): Enterococci ~ 100 — E. Coli ~ 1,000 (good) ● 12 July (rainy): Enterococci ~ 300 — E. Coli ~ 1,000 (good) ● 13 July (clouds): Enterococci ~ 400 — E. Coli ~ 950 (good)
● 14 July (sunny): Enterococci ~ 175 — E. Coli ~ 975 (good) ● 15 July (clouds): Enterococci ~ 110 — E. Coli ~ 950 (good) ● 16 July (clouds) : Enterococci ~ 180 — E. Coli ~ 750 (good)
The forecast for the first nine days of the Games is now available, with cloudy conditions expected every day, and no day with a chance of rain of more than 24%. If this proves right, the triathlon and swim events should go off as scheduled.
The triathlons are slated for 30-31 July (cloudy), with the mixed relay for 5 August and the open-water 10 km events for 8-9 August.
5. St. Louis 1904 gold stars as RR Auction concludes
A gold medal in rope climbing from the 1904 St. Louis Olympic Games – one of the most controversial ever held – was the star of the latest RR Auction of Olympic memorabilia that finished last Thursday evening.
Some 183 lots sold, led by a gymnastics gold won by George Eyser, born in Germany, but who became a U.S. citizen in 1894. He competed in the 12-event men’s Individual All-Around and placed 71st and 118th in the All-Around for field sports. But he won a silver for the four-event All-Around and later took individual golds for the Vault, Parallel Bars and Rope Climb, plus another silver in the Side Horse and a bronze in the Horizontal Bar. That’s six medals in all.
Not bad for a guy with a wooden leg! Really. The gold at auction was for rope climbing and brought the most of any item in the sale. There were 30 items which brought $10,000 or more (prices shown include the buyer’s premium):
● $80,163: 1904 St. Louis gold medal (rope climbing) ● $58,855: 2012 London gold medal (track & field) ● $52,363: 1964 Tokyo gold medal (fencing) ● $51,620: 2000 Sydney gold medal (taekwondo) ● $44,688: 1980 Lake Placid Winter torch ● $44,549: 2024 Paris torch ● $43,036: 1920 Antwerp gold medal ● $26,121: 2016 Rio silver medal (wrestling) ● $25,944: 1936 Berlin gold medal (equestrian) ● $25,469: 1956 Stockholm silver (equestrian)
● $25,280: 1976 Innsbruck Winter silver medal (ice hockey) ● $25,078:1948 London gold medal ● $22,390: 1968 Grenoble Winter gold medal (ice hockey) ● $21,588: 1924 Paris gold medal (boxing) ● $21,588:2004 Athens gold medal (baseball) ● $21,171: 1956 Melbourne torch ● $20,735: 1988 Calgary Winter torch ● $20,000:1976 Innsbruck Winter torch ● $19,244: 1968 Mexico City gold medal (gymnastics) ● $18,779:1936 Garmisch Winter bronze medal
● $16,079: 1988 Calgary Winter silver medal (alpine skiing) ● $15,813: 1976 Montreal gold medal (rowing) ● $12,685: 1952 Oslo Winter bronze medal ● $12,490: 1972 Sapporo Winter torch ● $12,426: 1980 Lake Placid Winter bronze medal (speed skating) ● $12,183: 1984 Los Angeles gold medal ● $12,079: 1992 Barcelona gold medal ● $10,666: 1906 Athens gold medal ● $10,321: 1912 Stockholm gold medal ● $10,208: 1928 Amsterdam gold medal
There were some other, less expensive items that sold, such as the 1972 Munich Olympic Games torch – in reduced size – that was also a lighter! It went for $250.
A ticket for the 1908 London Games at the main stadium for 24 July – the day Johnny Hayes of the U.S. won the marathon – went for a surprising $4,125. The 1984 Olympic winner’s diplomas for springboard and platform diving awarded to U.S. star Greg Louganis – and autographed by Louganis – sold for $3,785.
A 1996 souvenir Wilkinson dagger of 10 1/2 inches, in its original box, sold for $1,411.
Not all of the items sold as some did not meet the reserve price. The super-rare 1960 Olympic Winter Games torch – one of 23 – was one that did not reach the required minimum.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ●At a Saturday news conference following the first day of the International Olympic Committee Executive Board meetings, it was noted that more than 8.8 million tickets have now been sold for the Paris, the most ever for a single Olympic Games.
Further, the re-allocation of final places in wrestling have added one “neutral” from Belarus: Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedeau, the 2020 Olympic silver winner in the men’s Freestyle 74 kg class, and the 2024 European silver winner at 79 kg.
He will be in the 74 kg class in Paris and brings the total number of “neutrals” to 32: 15 from Russia and 17 from Belarus.
¶
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in an interview published on Sunday that close to one million security checks related to the 2024 Games have been made on individuals associated in any way with the event, and 4,340 have been rejected, “some over radical Islamist connections or suspicion of being foreign spies.”
He told the Journal du Dimanche:
“They are probably not there to carry out attacks. But in addition to intelligence and traditional espionage, there is the possibility of accessing entry points into computer networks to carry out a cyberattack.
“For example, we refused a large number of ‘journalists’ who claimed to cover the Games. On the other hand, we accepted the presence of Russians who work for the International Olympic Committee. We apply the precautionary principle.”
He added, however, “To our knowledge, we have no known threat to the security of the Olympic Games.”
As for the opening on the Seine River:
“In the past days I did a new reconnaissance by boat on the Seine with the police. I confirm that the ceremony will take place in the format announced by the President of the Republic.
“Apart from the flow of the river and the low risk of bad weather, there is – to date – no identified threat to the Games. Neither our intelligence services nor the foreign services with which we coordinate have detected any foreign threat. But you have to stay very humble and focused.”
¶
A teen arrested Wednesday after online threats and possibly attacking the Olympic torch relay, was sentenced to two years in prison. The Associated Press reported:
“The Paris public prosecutor’s office said in a statement the 19-year-old man was convicted after a swift trial overnight Friday on charges of sharing bomb-making instructions on social media, posts inciting hate and death threats as well as posts with personal information that put people at risk.”
¶
Friday’s opening of the security perimeter around the River Seine and the closure of most of the bridge crossings within the footprint of the Olympic opening ceremony were met with considerable confusion by Parisians and visitors who did not know about them.
The City of Paris had engaged in a heavy social-media and e-mail campaign to notify residents about the closures along the Seine and elsewhere, but when the security measures took effect, many were not ready.
“Thousands of people trying to cross the Seine – on bikes, in cars and on foot – were flummoxed by a blockade of security checkpoints along the river restricting access for Parisians and tourists alike unless they had a preapproved QR code that justified the need for travel within the perimeter. …
“The expectation, clearly, was that hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors were supposed to do extensive online research on security perimeter dates and interactive maps.”
¶
GamesBids.comreported that a U.S.-based company, CityPure LLC, is setting up a livestream operation from the Paris Games to show live competitions online.
The company says it will file for a declaratory judgment in its favor in Houston on Monday, saying its agreements over domain-name registrations with the IOC and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee in 2009 and 2017 allow it to do so. The story noted that the IOC is aware of the project and is following up with its own response.
● Olympic Games 2028: Los Angeles ● A proposed $2 billion elevated train extension called the “Inglewood Transit Connector” would move spectators from the existing Metro K Line to major venues such as SoFi Stadium, the Kia Forum and the new Intuit Dome and although planned to open in 2030, might be available for the 2028 Olympic Games.
But Rep. Maxime Waters (D-CA District 43), a power player in Washington, D.C., has asked that the project – which has received $1 billion in Federal support – be scrapped. She said in a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation:
“It will not provide convenient connectivity to employment or public services for local residents.
“The ITC is designed primarily to allow public transit users to connect the extra 1.6 miles from Metro’s K Line to sports and entertainment venues. Shuttle buses could most likely accomplish the same goal at a fraction of the cost, but have not been seriously considered as an alternative.”
Inglewood Mayor James Butts disagrees and said “You can’t come in at the 11th hour with a little fairy tale story about how something is so terrible. … “Who would lobby against a project that will go on for five to six years and provide prevailing wage jobs for 17,000 people? …
“It’s a catalyst for Metro. It’s going to reduce greenhouse gases. It’s going to remove cars from the roadway. It’s going to remove the impact on the residents of Inglewood on game days and concert days.”
● International Olympic Committee ● The IOC Executive Board approved a budget of $650 million for the 2025-28 Olympic Solidarity program, the most ever, and a 10% increase over the $590 million approved for 2021-24.
Athlete support programs are being increased to $66 million, increased investment in youth programs and refugee athletes, and an 11% increase for all National Olympic Committees (to $119 million) for management programs and administrative support.
An increase is expected from the current 1,331 Olympic scholarship athletes and 215 teams supported for Paris 2024.
¶
One of the key IOC members as the organization transitioned to a more professional structure, Australian Kevan Gosper, passed away at age 90 on 19 July after a short illness.
He was a world-class 400 m runner, winning an Olympic silver in the men’s 4×400 m at Melbourne in 1956, with a personal best of 46.3 from 1960. He became an IOC member in 1977 and served to 2013 until he became an Honorary Member. He served three terms on the IOC Executive Board from 1986-94 and from 1995-2002.
Gosper was Chair and chief executive of Shell Australia in Melbourne, and later head of Shell Asia Pacific operations out of London, between 1980-93.
● Basketball ● The U.S. men’s Olympic Team escaped with a 101-100 win over South Sudan in London (GBR) on Saturday, and the two will meet again in Olympic group play.
The U.S. got 25 points from LeBron James, 15 from Lakers teammate Anthony Davis (and 11 rebounds) and 14 from center Joel Embiid, but had no answer for guard Marial Shayok(born in Ottawa), who scored 24, plus 15 from guard Carlik Jones (born in Cincinnati) and 14 from forward J.T. Thor (born in Omaha).
The Americans were terrible from three-point range at 7-28, while the South Sudanese made 14-33. South Sudan came from down 2-12 to take a 26-24 lead at the quarter and led 58-44 at the half, on 61% shooting. A huge third quarter – 37-18, including a 16-0 run – gave the U.S. an 81-76 lead after three and then it was tight through the fourth.
It was 85-84 with 7:48 to play, then the U.S. ran out 90-84 on five straight from James. But it was 91-90 with 5:24 to go, then Davis and Jayson Tatum scored six for the U.S. to move ahead again, by 97-92. Thor’s pull-up three-pointer gave the Sudanese the lead, 100-99 with 20 seconds left, but James drove for a layin with eight seconds left and South Sudan missed three shots for the win at the end.
The U.S. has one more exhibition game left, also in London vs. FIBA World Cup champions Germany on the 22nd.
¶
The U.S. women’s Olympic team faced the WNBA All-Stars in Phoenix in their next-to-last tune-up for Paris, and got plastered, 117-109, in a game that was not that close.
The teams went back and forth in the first half, with the WNBA ending the first quarter up by 24-23, and the Olympic squad up by 54-52. Then Arike Ogunbowale happened.
After scoring no points in the half, the Dallas guard put on a show in the third quarter, scoring 21 points – including five three-pointers – for the WNBA to out-score the U.S., 36-25 and lead by 88-79.
The fourth quarter saw the WNBA continue on fire, extending with a 13-0 run to take a 106-86 lead with 4:45 to play on another Ogunbowale three-pointer. The U.S. made a 23-11 run to close up the score, but there was no question about the victory.
Ogunbowale scored an All-Star Game record 34 points on 10-20 shooting with 8-13 from three-point land and 6-7 free throws. She turned the game around, but guard Allisha Gray had 16 points, forward Nneka Ogwumike had 14, guard Kelsey Mitchell had 13 and forward Angel Reese had 12 (and 11 rebounds). Guard Caitlin Clarkhad 10 assists.
The U.S. frontcourt of Breanna Stewartand A’ja Wilson had 31 and 22 points, respectively, star guard Diana Taurasihad 14 and center Brittney Griner had 10 for the U.S. But the American defense was too porous and could not stop Ogunbowale, who got free again and again and shot 10-18 from the floor and 8-13 from three. And 14 turnovers – compared to eight for the WNBA stars – did not help.
The American women will play Germany in London on Tuesday for their final exhibition match.
● Cycling ●Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacarromped to victory at the 111th Tour de France, leaving no doubt whatsoever of his superiority, winning the final climbing stages of the race on Friday and Saturday and finishing with a brilliant 6:17 margin of victory after the Individual Time Trial into Nice on Sunday.
Going into Friday’s 144.6 km triple climb from Embrun to Isola 2000, Pogacar had a 3:11 lead on two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) and 5:09 on Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel.
On the final, 16 km climb – from 865 m to 2022 m – six riders formed the lead group and then American Matteo Jorgenson attacked, followed by Stage 17 winner Richard Carapaz(ECU). Jorgenson maintained the lead, as Simon Yates(GBR) closes on Carapaz. But Pogacar whips by both and finally overtakes Jorgenson with 2 km left and won in 4:04:03, up 21 seconds on the American. Yates (+0:40), Carapaz (+1:11), Evenepoel (+1:42) and Vingegaard (+1:42) all follow.
On Saturday, the 132.8 km route included four major climbs, starting in Nice and finishing uphill on the 1,676 m Col de la Couillole. A group of ten riders charges up the final climb, but five more – including Pogacar and Vingegaard – move up to challenge and pass everyone except Carapaz and Enric Mas (ESP) at the front.
Vingegaard takes the lead and Pogacar follows and they race to the line, with Pogacar attacking in the final 150 m for a seven-second win in 4:04:22. Carapaz and Evenepoel are 3-4 at 23 and 53 seconds behind, and Pogacar entered the final day with a lead of 5:14 on Vingegaard and 8:04 on Evenepoel.
Sunday’s Individual Time Trial from Monaco to Nice was a hilly, 33.7 km course with a flat finish, and Pogacar finished with his third straight stage win in 45:25, up 1:03 on Vingegaard, 1:14 on Evenepoel and 1:14 on Jorgenson in fourth.
That gave Pogacar a 6:17 margin in Vingegaard, the biggest of his three Tour wins, 9:18 on Evenepoel and 19:03 on Joao Almeida (POR) in fourth. Jorgenson was the top American, in eighth, 26:34 behind the winner.
Pogacar was the favorite and looked like it from start to finish. He’s the first rider since 1998 to win the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the same year and has targeted the World Road Championships in Switzerland in September as his final major of the year.
He has specifically rejected the idea of trying for an unprecedented sweep of the Grand Tours, with the Vuelta a Espana coming in mid-August. Too much.
Both won the Cross-Country Olympic national title, with Riley – a star on the UCI Mountain Bike U-23 circuit with five medals this season – storming to a 32-second lead after the first lap and winning in 1:22:02. Robbie Day and Devon Feehan were well back in 2-3 in 1:25:19 and 1:25:46.
The results were the same in Sunday’s Short Track race, but a lot closer, as Riley won in 21:22, with Day second in 21:33 and Feehan in 21:47.
Urban, who has been moving up on the UCI World Cup circuit, got her first senior-level national XCO title with an impressive win on Saturday, riding away from 2018 World Champion Kate Courtney, 1:15:23 to 1:16:17, with Gwen Gibson in third (1:16:30).
Courtney and Gibson got a lot closer in the Sunday’s Short Track race, but Urban won again, 19:58 to 19:59, with Gibson in third at 20:00.
● Softball ●Japan won its fourth WBSC World Cup title by defeating the U.S. in the championship final, 6-1, in in Castions di Strada (ITA).
The U.S. grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first, but RBI singles by third baseman Yui Sakamoto and center fielder Ayana Karoji gave Japan the lead in the top of the second. Meanwhile the American bats were silenced by Miu Goto in innings 2-5 and then 42-year-old Yukiko Ueno finished in relief.
Japan exploded for four runs in the top of the fourth, on a bloop single by catcher Yume Kuriishi, a single by left fielder Ayane Nakagawaand a two-run single by shortstop Kyoko Ishikawa to finish the scoring. Japan ended with 11 hits to five for the U.S.
The U.S. and Japan have – between them – won the last 13 titles in this tournament, with the Americans taking 10, but Japan winning three of the last six.
The U.S. and Japan were both 3-0 in group play in the finals, and the U.S. won the Super Round at 3-0, beating Japan, 2-0, as both advanced to the finals. Canada won the bronze, 11-7 over the Netherlands in 11 innings.
Softball will be back on the program for 2028 in Los Angeles, but with the tournament to be played in Oklahoma City, site of the annual Women’s College World Series.
● Sport Climbing ● Japan dominated the Lead finals at the IFSC World Cup in Briancon (FRA), sweeping the men’s medals with 20-year-old Zento Murashita (47+) winning his first World Cup podium, 20-year-old Satone Yoshida in second (45, first World Cup medal) and 18-year-old Shion Omata (42+) taking the honors.
Mei Kotake followed up on her first World Cup women’s medal in Chamonix with her first World Cup gold at 49+, followed by 2021 Worlds bronze winner Laura Rogora (ITA: 45) and Mattea Potzi(AUT: 42+).
¶
No U.S. climbers competed in Lead since all of them were disqualified. Per USA Climbing:
“We deeply regret to announce that USA Climbing failed to confirm the attendance of our Lead athletes registered to compete at the IFSC World Cup Briançon 2024. Despite their registration, the rules require a confirmation of attendance in person by a Team Official at the competition venue. Unfortunately, the Jury President of the event, following the rules, informed our onsite staff that our Lead athletes would not be eligible to participate.
“We can only imagine the immense disappointment our athletes and fans must be feeling right now, and we want to express our sincerest apologies for this inexcusable oversight. Our staff are actively working on ways to prevent this from happening again in the future by putting additional safeguards in place to mitigate such issues moving forward.
“In light of these circumstances, USA Climbing will reimburse travel expenses for the athletes and their family members who traveled to support them.”
The U.S. Speed climbers did compete; there were 10 U.S. entries listed for Lead, although at least two had said they did not plan to compete in Briancon.
¶
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1. Paris 2024 Olympic Village opens for athletes 2. Neutrals: Russia 15, Belarus 16 with a week to go 3. Bach: 2030 Winter award needs French gov’t guarantees 4. Salt Lake City watch party on Olympics vote at 3 a.m. 5. Argentina’s government supports football chants
● The Paris 2024 Olympic Village opened on Thursday and will house 14,500 athletes and officials during the Games. The complex is loaded with amenities and will become 2,000 family apartments and 800 student residences after the Olympic and Paralympic Games are concluded.
● The International Olympic Committee’s “neutrals” review panel issued its last update on 13 July and with the Village open, has received confirmations of 15 Russian and 16 Belarusian entries, after extending invitations for 30 Russians and 23 Belarusians. The totals are quite a bit less than anticipated.
● IOC President Thomas Bach said in an interview that the French government guarantees backing the 2030 Winter Games bid for the French Alps are needed for its election. It is possible that a conditional award could be made as the French government is in disarray following the 7 July legislative elections.
● Party time! Salt Lake City and other Utah towns are planning watch parties and celebrations for Wednesday as Salt Lake City’s bid for the 2034 Winter Games is expected to be confirmed by the IOC. The presentation will be made at 3 a.m. Utah time.
● The Argentina Under-secretary for Sport said in a radio interview that apologies should be made for the racist chant sung by players after the Copa America final win last Sunday. He was promptly fired by the Argentine President, supported by the Vice President, both with incendiary messages on X.
● Panorama: Paris 2024 (2: anti-auto group says Paris polluted; theatrical union to strike on Olympic opening day over pay) = U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (Google partnership also involving NBC announced) = U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum (Paris 1924-2024 exhibit open with “$24 for ‘24″ donation program) = World Games (new World Games Series to debut in Hong Kong in October) = Athletics (3: Lyles, Thomas, Bol, Crouser headline London Diamond League on Saturday; more Kenyan doping suspensions; AIU tested 3,504 athletes in 2023) = Cycling (Campenerts wins stage 18, Pogacar still leads in Tour de France) = Football (FIFA postpones Israel-expulsion review until end of August) = Sport Climbing (Fossali and Deng win IFSC Speed World Cup in Briancon) = Volleyball (Azevedo lone FIVB President candidate) ●
1. Paris 2024 Olympic Village opens for athletes
After all the worry about time and money, the Paris 2024 Olympic Village, built by the French governmental agency SOLIDEO, on time and within the €1.5 billion (~$1.64 billion U.S.) budget, opened on Thursday.
The 133-acre site will house the 10,500 athletes plus 4,000 team officials and be serviced by 2,500 volunteers. There are 345,000 pieces of furniture in the Village – 16,000 beds! – and the massive main dining hall seats 3,200 at a time, with 200 chefs preparing 40,000 meals daily; a secondary dining hall is available for 600. The fitness center is more than 3,000 sq. m (~31,000 sq. ft.), with 350 exercise and fitness machines, open around the clock, and eight training sites are available within the Village.
The entertainment zone, with multiple sections, comprises more than 800 sq. m (~8,200 sq. ft.), including the “Disconnection Bubble,” with a barista workshop and massage seats; the “Play Zone” arcade and game center, and “Social Zone,” which has a stage, giant television screens and, of course, a bar.
The on-site medical “Polyclinic” is equipped to assist 700 visits a day with 3,500 sq. m of space (~36,000 sq. ft.), with a blood sampling room, an emergency department and areas for physiotherapy, chiropody, dermatology, gynecology, cardiology and ophthalmology, 18 cold baths in a recovery area, and, of course, a pharmacy.
The “Village Plaza” is the only meeting place within the Village for visitors, with a café, a family area beauty and barber salon, supermarket and more.
There is a significant IOC sponsor presence in the Village, with Samsung continuing its program of gifting each athlete with a new phone (any Galaxy Z Fold 6s?) , Proctor & Gamble supporting the new Village Nursery for athletes and young children and Coca-Cola, which in addition to providing beverages, will provide two reusable bottles to each athlete to reduce waste.
Bridgestone is providing 280 bicycles and Toyota is offering its Accessible People Mover as the transport system within the Village.
All of this will be operational to 13 August for the Olympic Games and from 21 August to 10 September for the Paralympic Games.
Although specifically built because of the 2024 Olympic Games, the Village is actually a civic redevelopment project in the three towns of Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen and L’Île-Saint-Denis. After the Games period, the buildings will be converted into 2,800 housing units – 2,000 family homes and 800 student apartments – and eventually accommodate 6,000 total residents.
Offices for up to 6,000 employees will be enabled, along with two schools, a gym and other amenities.
2. Neutrals: Russia 15, Belarus 16 with a week to go
With a week to go before the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee’s Individual Neutral Athlete Eligibility Review Panel appears to have finished its work, with the last update issued last Saturday (13th).
The current status shows that 15 Russian athletes and 16 from Belarus will be competing as “neutrals” in Paris, which is considerably fewer than projected by the IOC itself back in March:
“The experts currently project that, under the most likely scenario, 36 AINs with a Russian passport and 22 AINs with a Belarusian passport will qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The maximum number, which is unlikely to be reached, would be 54 and 28 respectively.”
In fact, Russian athletes earned 48 qualifying places and Belarusians earned 32, for a total of 80. But after the IOC’s review panel finished, only 53 invitations were issued for 30 Russian places and 23 for Belarus. Out of these, acceptances were limited to 15 Russian and 16 Belarusians as follows:
Canoeing (announced 28 June, for 5 quota places): ● 3 for Russia (3 invited, 3 accepted) ● 2 for Belarus (2 invited, 2 accepted)
Cycling/road (15 June for 4 places): ● 3 for Russia (3 invited: 2 accepted, 1 declined, new invite accepted) ● 1 for Belarus (1 invited: accepted)
Gymnastics/trampoline (15 June for 3 places): ● 1 for Russia (1 invited: 1 accepted) ● 2 for Belarus (2 invited: 2 accepted)
Judo(28 June for 12 places): ● 12 for Russia (4 invited; 4 declined)
Modern Pentathlon (27 June for 2 places): ● 2 for Belarus (none invited)
Rowing (27 June for 2 places): ● 2 for Belarus (2 invited, 2 accepted)
Shooting (27 June for 3 places): ● 3 for Belarus (2 invited, 2 accepted)
Swimming (3 July per qualifying standards): ● 1 invitation for Russia (1 accepted) ● 3 invitations for Belarus (3 accepted)
Taekwondo (15 June for 5 places): ● 4 for Russia (none invited) ● 1 for Belarus (1 invited, 1 accepted)
Tennis (27 June for 10 places): ● 8 for Russia (8 invited: 4 accepted, 4 declined; 5 new invites, 3 accepted, 2 declined) ● 2 for Belarus (2 invited, 2 declined)
Weightlifting (15 June for 4 places): ● 4 for Belarus (2 invited, 2 accepted)
Wrestling (15 June for 26 places): ● 16 for Russia (10 invited: 0 accepted, 10 declined) ● 10 for Belarus (6 invited: 1 accepted, 5 declined)
Only one recent change, with Russian wrestler Shamil Mamedov– the 2023 World Freestyle 65 kg bronze medalist – declining his invitation after initially accepting it. The rest of the Russian wrestlers and the Russian federation decided not to go and Mamedov was said to have “injury” issues. In any case, he’s not going now.
So, with the entry deadline of 8 July now passed and a week to go, the “neutral athlete” project looks like this:
● 80 qualifying places total across 12 sports ● 53 invitations: 30 Russians and 23 Belarusians ● 31 acceptances: 15 Russians and 16 Belarusians
This will be the smallest “Russian team” since London 1908, when it sent six athletes, and the smallest Belarusian team ever (first competed as an independent in 1996). At Tokyo 2020, Russia sent 334 and Belarus sent 103.
Observed: For those who believe that due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, no Russian or Belarusian athletes should be at Paris 2024, the 31 total “neutrals” are too much. There is no doubt that Russia has been humiliated by having most of its athletes unable to go to Paris, but it has not impacted its war aims at all, still foiled by heroic Ukrainian resistance.
And the Ukrainians will have a large team in Paris, in obvious contrast. That’s how it’s going to be.
3. Bach: 2030 Winter award needs French government guarantees
The election of the French Alps bid to host the 2030 Olympic Winter Games is slated for 24 July at the International Olympic Committee Session in Paris, but could be delayed or even only conditionally awarded.
IOC President Thomas Bach told the French all-sports daily L’Equipe (translation from the original French by GamesBids.com):
“I am not going to speculate on legal details but without guarantees we cannot make an unconditional decision for the attribution of the Games. All stakeholders are aware of this. We are waiting.”
However, he was optimistic:
“We have had very constructive discussions knowing that we need to have a guarantee.
“Afterwards, we can discuss the legal details that would enable us to make a decision. If it is a firm guarantee, we can make a firm decision. If there are still details to be resolved, we need to know what conditions would still need to be met. These are different scenarios, we have to wait.”
The situation has been clouded by the legislative elections in France on 30 June and 7 July, in which no party received a majority and, as yet, no government has been assembled. In fact, no group is close; with 289 seats needed for a majority, no party has more than 180. So far, no coalition government has been announced and the existing government – whose coalition, the Ensemble de la Renaissance, which won 159 seats – is staying on as caretakers until a new government is assembled.
Salt Lake City’s bid for 2034 is in good shape, has all of the required guarantees and is expected to be elected without difficulty.
4. Salt Lake City watch party on Olympics vote at 3 a.m.
While the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games bid team will be making its final presentation to the International Olympic Committee in Paris next Wednesday (24th), a watch party back at home is being organized for 3 a.m. at Washington Square in Salt Lake City.
This is the same location where a watch party saw Salt Lake City win the right to host the 2002 Winter Games, and conveniently, will also be a focal point of Utah’s annual “Pioneer Day” celebrations.
Video boards in the square will fire up on Tuesday (23rd) with advance coverage of the presentation and vote from KSL-TV from 5 to 11 p.m. On Wednesday, the expected schedule includes (Mountain time zone):
● 3:00 a.m.: SLC-Utah Committee presentation ● 4:00 a.m.: IOC Session vote ● 4:20 a.m.: Anticipated announcement ● 5:30 a.m.: Unveiling of the SLC-UT 2034 transition logo ● 9:00 a.m.: Days of 47 Parade begins
The 2002 Olympic torch will be lit at Rice-Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah, and “CELEBRATE 2034″ events will also be held at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City from 4-9 p.m. A festival program with vendors, food, activities, giveaways, and an athlete meet-and-greet will be on from 4 to 6 p.m., followed a free Flying Ace All-Stars Freestyle Show at 6:30 p.m. and live music by Freedog at 7:00 p.m.
Mort events will be held during the day and evening in the Heber Valley, and at the Peaks Ice Arena in Provo.
The Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games presentation team will leave for Paris on 22 July (Monday) from Salt Lake City International Airport.
5. Argentina’s government supports football chants
The criticism of Argentine players for a racist chant sung following its victory at the Copa America final in Miami Gardens, Florida last Sunday has been rejected by the national government.
FIFA has said it was looking into the incident, which was posted in a video by midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who apologized on Instagram. The French Football Federation statement included:
“Given the seriousness of these shocking remarks, which are contrary to the values of sport and human rights, the FFF president has decided to contact its Argentinian counterpart and FIFA directly to file a legal complaint for racist and discriminatory remarks.
“The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, condemns in the strongest terms the unacceptable racist and discriminatory remarks made against the players of the France team as part of a song sung by players and supporters of the Argentina team.”
The chant mocked the African heritage of some of the French players.
In Argentina, however, the situation is different.
Argentine Under-Secretary for Sport Julio Garro said in a radio interview that apologies should be made, but later that night, he was fired by Argentina President Javier Melei; the government issued a post on X (ex-Twitter):
“No government can tell what to comment, what to think or what to do to the World Champion and Double Americas Champion Argentine National Team, or to any other citizen. For this reason, Garro is no longer Sports undersecretary.”
Argentina’s Vice President, Victoria Villarruel, was even more strident, ripping French history:
“Argentina is a free and sovereign country. We never had colonies or second-class citizens. We have never imposed our way of life on anyone. But neither will we tolerate that they do it to us.
“Argentina was made with the sweat and courage of Indians, Europeans, Creoles and blacks like Remedios del Valle, Sergeant Cabral and Bernardo de Monteagudo. No colonialist country is going to intimidate us for a song or for telling the truths that they do not want to admit.
“Enough of feigning indignation, hypocrites. Enzo, I support you, Messi, thanks for everything! Argentines always with your heads held high! Long live Argentina!”
¶
In Spain, Pedro Rocha, the President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) was banned for two years by Spain’s Sports Administrative Court (TAD) for “serious infractions.” Rocha took over from then-President Luis Rubiales in 2023 in the aftermath of the kissing incident with midfielder Jenni Hermoso of the winning Spanish team at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The court held that during his time as Interim President from September 2023 until he was elected as President in April 2024, “Rocha made decisions beyond his authority, including the dismissal of senior RFEF members such as general secretary Andreu Camps, who had been appointed by [former President Luis] Rubiales in 2018.”
Three violations were alleged and the court instituted the two-year ban on one of them and issued fines of €33,000 (about $35,961 U.S.) for each of the other two. Rocha can appeal the ban, which would prevent him from standing for election again in September or October, and ask for it to be tolled until the appeal can be completed.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ●Respire, an activist anti-automobile organization in France, has issued a “warning” about poor air quality at the Paris Games, reporting pollution levels near the ring road close to the Olympic Village, and at other sites in the city.
The Games will go on.
¶
A French union representing theatrical workers called a strike for 26 July, the day of the Olympic opening ceremony, citing “outrageous disparities in treatment.”
According to the union, “some non-Parisian artists being paid and housed, when the majority of them – the most precarious – won’t be, even though they have the same employment contracts.” It claimed that 250-300 of the professional dancers – out of about 3,000 in the ceremony – were being underpaid.
● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ● The USOPC announced a new partnership with Google, “with Google being named the Official Search AI Partner of Team USA, marking the first time the technology company has entered into a partnership with Team USA.”
The project will include a deep integration with NBC’s coverage, including “Try It With Google Gemini” with “Chief Superfan Commentator” Leslie Jones, “One Day in Paris” with selected athletes in social videos aided by Google Lens, Circle to Search, Immersive View in Google Maps and Gemini, and enhanced 3D broadcasts.
● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum ● The Museum has opened a special “Return to Paris: 1924-2024” exhibit with a special look back at the last Paris Games and offering a special giving opportunity: $24 for ‘24:
“Donations to the $24 for ‘24 campaign will enhance exhibits and programs that educate and inspire visitors about the values and achievements of America’s greatest athletes. This support is crucial in allowing the museum to continue its mission of celebrating the spirit of Team USA and inspiring guests to pursue their own dreams. Your contribution will help preserve the history and legacy of America’s Olympians and Paralympians, ensuring their stories continue to motivate future generations.”
● World Games ● The International World Games Association introduced a new concept, a World Games Series, to be held for the first time in Hong Kong from 11-13 October 2024.
It will include three sports – Pom Doubles cheerleading, Freestyle Inline roller skating, and wushu – with a total of 88 athletes. A second Series is planned for Chengdu (CHN) in February or March 2025, ahead of the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, to be held in August.
The event is being sponsored by the Samaranch Foundation, a China-based charitable organization created by the Samaranch family to further the work of IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch (ESP) and his friendship with China during his 20-year term in office.
● Athletics ● The final Diamond League meet before the Paris Games is on Saturday in London (GBR), with a powerful line-up, including Worlds men’s 100 m gold and silver medalists from 2023, Noah Lylesof the U.S. and Letsile Tebogo (BOT), world women’s 200 m leader Gabby Thomas (USA) against St. Lucia star Julien Alfredand 2019 World Champion Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain.
The British crowd will be absolutely wild for European women’s 800 m champ Keely Hodgkinson, and Dutch star Femke Bol, no. 2 all-time, will headline the women’s 400 m hurdles. Brazil’s 2022 World Champion, Alison dos Santos, will highlight the men’s 400 hurdles race.
The men’s shot is a Paris preview, with U.S. Trials winner Ryan Crouser, European champ Leonardo Fabbri and two-time World Champion Joe Kovacs of the U.S.
The meet will be shown live on NBC’s Peacock streaming service from 9-11 a.m. Eastern, with a replay on CNBC on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern.
¶
Another Kenyan doping sanction from the Athletics Integrity Unit: Reuben Kipyego, a 2:03:55 – no. 32 all-time – from his second-place at the 2023 Milan Marathon. He was suspended for two years beginning 27 May 2024 for “whereabouts” failures.
¶
The Athletics Integrity Unit published its annual report for 2023, noting it collected 13,363 samples from 3,504 athletes from 136 nations last year, with 67.3% collected out-of-competition.
The AIU has identified its prime targets through its Registered Testing Pool of 857 athletes considered most likely to compete for medals, and adding more at other World Athletics competitions.
The focus is on Africa and distance running, with 47.4% of all samples collected from African athletes and 60% of all samples taken from distance runners, either in road racing (42%) or track racing (18%). The second-largest testing area was Europe (24.6%) and the second-largest testing group was the sprints (13%).
The breakdown by gender was 51.5% men and 48.5% women and blood samples are rapidly catching up to urine, with 42% blood and 58% urine in 2023.
Out of all this came 81 international cases and 347 national cases from 63 countries (428 total). Of the 81 international cases, no violations was found in two cases, 48 were concluded with sanctions, eight had atypical findings and 23 are still pending.
This was done with a $12.0 million budget, against which AIU did receive $4.1 million in income and $7.9 million in support was provided by World Athletics.
● Cycling ● Veteran Belgian rider Victor Campenerts won his first stage win at the 18th stage of the 111th Tour de France on Thursday, winning a final sprint over Matteo Vercher(FRA) and Michal Kwiatkowski(POL), with all three timed in 4:10:20 over the hilly, 179.5 km course to Barcelonnette.
Campenaerts, 32, has now won stages at the Giro d’Italia (2021) and the Tour de France. Behind him, there was no change in the overall standings, as leaders Tadej Pogacar (SLO), Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) and Remco Evenepoel(BEL) were all 13:40 behind the leader.
Two-time winner Pogacar maintains a 3:11 lead on two-time defending champion Vingegaard and 5:09 on Evenepoel with three stages left. Friday and Saturday are difficult climbing stages of 144.6 km (with three climbs) and 132.8 km with four climbs, before Sunday’s 33.7 km Individual Time Trial in Nice to conclude the race.
“An independent legal assessment of the Palestinian Football Association proposals against the Israel Football Association was due to be provided to FIFA Council by 20 July 2024.
“Following requests for an extension from both parties to submit their respective positions, duly granted by FIFA, more time is needed to conclude this process with due care and completeness.
“The assessment will be shared with the FIFA Council for any subsequent decision to be taken no later than 31 August 2024.”
Reports had circulated that a negative report against Israel was being filed, but the issue will be moot now until the end of August. Israel will play in the men’s Olympic tournament in Paris.
● Sport Climbing ● At the IFSC World Cup for Lead and Speed in Briancon (FRA), 2019 World Speed champ Ludovico Fossali (ITA) earned the men’s Speed gold with a final-round win over Erik Noya (ESP), 4.97 to 5.06. Jianghuo Long of China, the 2023 Worlds silver winner, took the bronze.
The women’s Speed winner was China’s Lijuan Deng in 6.41, an Asian Record, ahead of Korean Jimin Jeong (6.73).
● Volleyball ● The Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) announced that only a single candidature for President has been received for elections in the fall: FIVB Director General Fabio Azevedo of Brazil.
Azevedo, 51, came to the federation in 2013 after fellow Brazilian Ary Graca became FIVB President in 2012. Azevedo had worked in the Brazilian national federation (1997-2010) and with his own event management firm until then. Graca, now 81, is termed out and the election will take place during the 15-17 November FIVB Congress in Portugal.
¶
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For our updated, 547-event International Sports Calendar for the rest of 2024 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
1. Wasserman: LA28 to “put Los Angeles on an elevated trajectory” 2. Paris Mayor Hidalgo swims in the Seine 3. Manfred “open-minded” on MLB players at LA28 4. Pound warns U.S. on Chinese doping outrage 5. Copa America final security mess has not ended
● In an interview during Sunday’s LA84 Foundation 40-year celebration, LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman explained what he and his team hope to learn at the Paris Games, what makes organizing the Games so challenging and his hopes for Los Angeles as a result of the third Olympic Games to be held there.
● Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo fulfilled her promise and swam in the Seine River in Paris, prior to the opening of the 2024 Olympic Games, along with the Prefect of the Ile-de-France region, and the head of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, Tony Estanguet.
● In a news conference during the Major League Baseball All-Star break, Commissioner Rob Manfred said talks are continuing with LA28 on having MLB players involved in Olympic play for the first time. The head of the players’ union said that players were interested in participating in the Games.
● The first President of the World Anti-Doping Agency and IOC Honorary Member Dick Pound of Canada told Reuters that the current U.S. government probe into the Chinese swimming doping incident in 2021 could lead to a suspension of the U.S. by WADA … which would mean it could not host the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
● The Copa America and the UEFA Euro 2024 both set attendance records, but the security issues at the Copa America final resulted in blame being cast on tournament owners CONMEBOL and the Hard Rock Stadium authority in Miami. FIFA’s 2026 World Cup team, headquartered near Miami, is on notice.
● Panorama: Rio 2016 (two weightlifting doping positives on re-analysis) = Paris 2024 (3: plenty of tickets still available; new night-style official poster available; arrest of a teen neo-Nazi who wants to attack Games) = Russia (Friendship Games to be postponed from September) = U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (2: six digital “creators” to cover U.S. in Paris; Team USA TV project unveiled) = Athletics (three more Kenyan doping suspensions) = Basketball (Curry scores 24 to lead U.S. men over Serbia) = Cycling (Pogacar continues with big Tour de France lead) = Football (U.S. women play to 0-0 tie with Costa Rica in hot D.C.) = Weightlifting (U.S.’s Kitts suspended by ITA, but can compete in Paris) ●
● Memorabilia: Last day for registered bidders to get in on the 380-item auction of Olympic-related items, including 71 medals and 40 torches at RR Auction’s semi-annual sale, ending on Thursday (18 July)! The super-rare 1960 Olympic Winter Games torch – one of 23 – is up to $267,952! ●
1. Wasserman: LA28 to “put Los Angeles on an elevated trajectory”
While much of the programming at last Sunday’s 40-year celebration of the 1984 Olympic Games and the legacy of the LA84 Foundation remembered the pivotal Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad and the impact since, there was also a look ahead to the 2028 Olympic Games, coming to Los Angeles once again.
LA28 Chair Casey Wassermanwas interviewed by KNBC4 Los Angeles anchor Colleen Williams, looking not only at what will come in four years, but what is happening now. Said Wasserman about what LA28 is doing:
“I think what’s difficult is – I think what’s complicated is – the scale of the Olympic Games as you started to refer to is sort of unlike anything you can imagine. And I always understood it intellectually, but now when you’re in the details, you know it’s truly hard to comprehend.
“We have these funny stats that we like to talk about, the operational equivalent of seven Super Bowls a day for 30 days. I like to tell people, because our sport program is 36 sports, so we will have essentially what is 72 world championships – men’s and women’s – in 17 days.
“No other city on earth could even come close to handling the Games in the way that we can. It’s funny, people always say, ‘I don’t feel like you’re doing anything,’ and I remind people, ‘we’re not building anything.’
“So the funny thing about our Games, in some cases is, literally not until February-March-April of ‘28 will you actually see the Games come together, because we don’t have anything to do except to do sort-of the preparation for a lot of the facilities and venues. But that’s all in the last six months, physically speaking.”
Williams noted that the venues are spread across the Southern California area – this was also a key to the success of the 1984 Games – but Wasserman explained:
“When you start with the premise that these are going to be a privately-funded Games and we have committed that at the absolute worst, we will break even, it really sets the standard. You have to use venues that are the most appropriate, operationally and financially, while being respectful to the City of L.A., and the city we’re in. So, the venue decisions we made are really driven by being in Southern California and being fiscally responsible.
“People don’t remember, in 1984, they had preliminary soccer games at West Point [actually, Annapolis, Maryland, Cambridge, Massachusetts and Stanford, California], so the concept that the Games are always in one city is kind of a fallacy. We have more concentration in a very small area than probably people realize, between the Valley – where there were no events in ‘84 – down to Long Beach; there’s some 85% of our venues are in that, it’s only about 35-40 miles, so it’s a pretty compact Games. Think about this: we don’t have a single venue, as of today, in Orange County or San Diego, whereas every other city on earth would be thrilled to have the venues that Orange County and San Diego have be part of the delivery.”
Spoiler alert: note Wasserman’s use of “as of today” concerning venues in Orange County or San Diego. They are coming; almost certainly surfing will be Huntington Beach or The Tresles and there will likely be others.
Wasserman also underscored the need to be quiet now so that the planning can be in place for later:
“Just a few little things. Look, the unique thing for us is, we will spend 85% of our budget in the last 18 months. That’s $6 billion in 18 months. Now, our job is on two-fold: to push as hard as we can to generate as much revenue as we can, so we know exactly what we have to spend. And then the work – and we’re lucky to have our new CEO here, Reynold Hoover – to drive the operations and the delivery to make sure that we give ourselves as much room, as [LA84 ticketing executive] Debra [Duncan] said, things can happen and things do happen, in the planning and the preparation so that when it’s go-time, we’ve sort of got enough contingency on both sides to get where we need to go.”
A large LA28 delegation will go to Paris in a few days and Wasserman talked about what he was looking forward to see:
“A few things. The first is, when we got the Games in 2017, we thought we’d see Tokyo in ‘20 and Paris in ‘24, to sort of observe. Obviously, I was in Tokyo for nine days, and except for one two-hour window, I never got out of my hotel, obviously for Covid. So this is our only chance to observe a Games at scale, and there is no replica for that.
“You can’t read about it, you have to see it.
“It’s not the obvious stuff, necessarily. It’s not the 70,000 people at a track meet. It’s the International Broadcast Center that has 3,500 people, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 18 months. The transportation depot, replenishing all the venues every night, the quantity of stuff that has to happen at the scale that it has to happen, we all need to see and digest.
“And I think that’s the most important thing, not that we’re going to do it the same way, not that we have the same path that they have in Paris, but the ability to observe is what I think will frame what becomes our delivery plan.”
And will the excitement that swept Los Angeles in 1984 come again in 2028?
“I would say two things. One, a lot of the excitement we feel today is because what we’re doing today, which is, 1984 was such an incredibly special moment in this city, in every regard. The people in L.A. love the Olympics and they’re not afraid of the Olympics. They embrace having the Olympics and so, coming back, that has created an opportunity for us to build on that.
“And the second thing is, look, we’re going to bring – the Mayor said it – we’re going to bring the entire world to L.A. and let’s show the world how great L.A. is in every regard.
“And that’s on all of us. We’re an event for 17 days and then 10 days for the Paralympics which is our the first time. This is about how do we use the Olympics to motivate to push the city forward, and then coming out of the Olympics, really put Los Angeles on an elevated trajectory.”
2. Paris Mayor Hidalgo swims in the Seine
Joined by more than a dozen others, including Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet and Marc Guillaume, the Prefect of Paris and the Ile-de-France region, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo fulfilled her promise to swim in the Seine River ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The swim, heavily covered by news media – including a dozen on inflatable rafts in the river – came on Wednesday morning, with Hidalgo and others swimming about 100 m in 68-degree (F) waters, with seven security boats in the water as well. She said afterwards:
“It’s a dream day … and the sun is out.
“It’s sweet and wonderful and the result of a lot of work. I remember at the very beginning in 2015 when we began our campaign for the Games, the international triathlon federation said why not a triathlon in the Seine? Will athletes be able to swim in the Seine? Today we can say they can.”
Estanguet, who won three golds for France in slalom canoeing, added:
“Today we have confirmation that the Seine is swimmable and that the triathlon and marathon swimming competitions can take place in it.
“As organisers we’re very happy to be able to offer athletes the best conditions … but over and above that what is at play is using the Games to speed up the transformation of the city and make it possible to swim in the Seine.”
Swimming in the river had been banned since 1923, but a massive, €1.4 billion (~$1.5 billion U.S.) project to update the wastewater treatment system, including massive new reservoirs to contain overflows due to heavy rains, was completed ahead in June. Measurements of bacteria levels in the river have shown it to meet – over the last 10 days, and with little rain forecast for the Games period – the quality requirements of World Aquatics for open-water swimming and World Triathlon.
Another hopeful sign: officials have sighted about 30 species of fish in the river, compared to three in 1970.
French President Emmanuel Macronhas also promised to swim in the Seine, but has not announced – and may not announce – when he will dive in.
3. Manfred “open-minded” on MLB players at LA28
The question of if and how Major League Baseball players could participate in the 2028 Olympic tournament in Los Angeles was addressed by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred during his All-Star Game news conference with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
“I sat with [LA28 Chair] Casey [Wasserman] last week. We’re talking about what can be done? What exactly would it look like? What are the compromises that we would have to make in terms of our season? So I remain open-minded on that topic.
“I do think that maybe the thing that I found most persuasive that Casey is saying is forget about what’s going to happen with baseball in the Olympics long-term because I think we all know when you’re in Paris they’re probably not going to build a baseball stadium, right?
“But, but when you’re in L.A., you focus on L.A. It is an opportunity that we need to think about.”
Any deal on Major League players will require the agreement of the MLB Players Association, and union chief Tony Clark said there is player interest:
“The feedback that we’ve gotten so far from players is such that there is an interest in participating if given an opportunity.
“So we expect, at least as of right now based on the feedback that we’ve gotten, that’ll be a conversation we’ll look to have. But the players will determine whether or to what extent that is something that needs to be leaned in on, not just for 2028, but I think it’s probably an important discussion to be had beyond 2028, knowing that the opportunity to have it in 2028 could be a building block toward it being more consistently in the Olympics moving forward.”
The overwhelming response to baseball as a demonstration sport at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles – attendance at Dodger Stadium averaged 48,195 for the eight sessions – was a key driver to its inclusion, along with softball, for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona (ESP). Baseball and softball were included through 2008, then eliminated, but returned by Tokyo 2020 as an added sport. LA28 received approval for baseball and softball as added sports.
4. Pound warns U.S. on Chinese doping outrage
Canadian lawyer and longtime International Olympic Committee member – now an Honorary Member – Richard W. “Dick” Pound was the founding President of the World Anti-Doping Agency and has been famous for his zeal in the anti-doping movement.
But even he thinks the U.S. government and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency are going too far with their strident criticism of the handling of the 2021 case of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine, but were not sanctioned as the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency ruled that the positive tests were due to food contamination.
After a U.S. House hearing at which Olympic swim stars Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt and USADA chief Travis Tygarttestified, a request was made of the U.S. Justice Department to inquire under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019, which provides extra-territorial jurisdiction to penalize individuals who assist in doping. A meeting is being scheduled with World Aquatics Executive Director Brent Nowicki (USA) on the China case.
“That legislation is non-compliant with the anti-doping code,” Pound told Reuters on Tuesday.
“My guess is that one of the steps that WADA is going to take at this point is to turn this particular issue over to the Compliance Review Committee.
“Which I suspect, if or when there’s a hearing on it, they will declare the United States non-compliant. It would mean they could not host the Olympics.”
Pound thinks that the International Olympic Committee could even delay next week’s vote to confirm Salt Lake City as the host for the 2034 Olympic Winter Games:
“There’s certainly an opportunity, because apparently we have a session in Puerto Rico in November.
“An easy way to finesse that would be to say, well. listen. these would be Games in the Americas, maybe that’s the place we should make our announcement in Puerto Rico.
“If I were King of the Mountain, I would call up [United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee Chair] Gene Sykes and say, listen, the drums are starting to beat here and it’s this legislation that puts the U.S. offside.”
Pound, never one to mince words in order to be clear, added:
“When you look at the context, this was a national competition, a domestic China competition, there wasn’t an American within 6,000 miles. Now all of a sudden they’re trying to upgrade this to a Rodchenkov violation, which is just bad.
“You’ve already seen that shot across the bow from [the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations], saying, hey listen, this is serious and the U.S. may be disqualified from participation in a lot of these events.
“I think there’s a danger of USADA and the U.S. playing itself offside in a way that could jeopardize both the 2028 [Los Angeles] and 2034 [Salt Lake City] Games.”
5. Copa America final security mess has not ended
On the field, Sunday’s Copa America final was a historical triumph for Argentina, a 1-0 winner over Colombia for a second straight title and its 16th all-time, the most by any nation.
But off the field, it was a disaster, with an 82-minute delay before the game could start, due to unruly, unticketed fans who stormed gates and climbed into ventilation shafts to try and get into Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Police reported making 27 arrests and ejected 55 others, but were overwhelmed at specific points at the venue, even with 800 officers on hand.
On Monday, CONMEBOL – the South American confederation which owns and operates the Copa America – blamed the stadium authority:
“[F]ans without tickets went to the stadium’s vicinity, which delayed the normal access of people who did have tickets, slowing down the entry and leading to the closure of doors.
“In this situation, CONMEBOL was subject to the decisions made by the Hard Rock Stadium authorities, according to the contractual responsibilities established for security operations.
“In addition to the preparations determined in this contract, CONMEBOL recommended to these authorities the procedures proven in events of this magnitude, which were NOT taken into account.”
“Preparations included an increase in the number of law enforcement officers and security on-hand, with more than double the personnel than a typical at-capacity stadium event.
“Throughout the afternoon and evening, there were numerous attempts by unruly fans without tickets to overpower security and law enforcement personnel at entry points to the stadium, putting themselves, other fans and security and stadium staff at extreme risk.
“Various stadium gates were closed and re-opened strategically in an attempt to allow ticketed guests to enter safely and in a controlled manner. Fans continued to engage in illegal conduct — fighting police officers, breaking down walls and barricades and vandalizing the stadium, causing significant damage to the property.
“When it became apparent that it would not be safe to start the match at 8 p.m., a joint decision was made to postpone. Shortly after 8 p.m., stadium officials, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF and law enforcement officers communicated and decided to open stadium gates for a short period of time to all fans to prevent stampedes and serious injury at the perimeter.
“We will continue to work with law enforcement to identify and hold criminals accountable who engaged in illegal conduct tonight. It is disappointing that a night of celebration was impacted by unlawful and unsafe behavior, and we will fully review the processes and protocols in place tonight and work with law enforcement to ensure such an event never happens again.”
Colombian coach Nestor Lorenzo said afterwards the situation troubled his players:
“Imagine, from the locker room we were trying to communicate with family members, with friends, to see if they were in trouble or not, it was overwhelming. So that was chaotic. We tried to keep the team calm, but there was anxiety. …
“Everything became uprooted. I repeat, it happened for both teams. It’s a complaint, but not a cry.”
After the match, Ramon Jesurun, the head of the Colombian football federation, and his son, Ramon Jamil Jesurin – who were accredited – tried to enter the field, but were restrained by private security officials. They tussled with the guards and were arrested and both were charged with three counts of felony battery. They posted bond on Monday after a hearing with a judge. The Colombian federation apologized for the incident.
Observed: The incident in Miami was a warning for the FIFA World Cup 2026 organizers – FIFA is the organizing body for the event – and the host committees for the 16 venues in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., that football fans are not like baseball or NFL fans, and everyone had better be ready for this.
Wednesday’s statement came after another incident involving the Argentinian team, which in 2022 was chanting lyrics which included racist and homophobic language aimed at France and star striker Kylian Mbappe, which Argentina defeated in the FIFA World Cup final in Qatar.
After the victory in the Copa America final on Sunday, the chants were again heard, this time in a live video posted by Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, 23, from the team bus!
“I want to apologize sincerely for a video posted on my Instagram channel during the national team celebrations. The song includes highly offensive language and there is absolutely no excuse for these words. I stand against discrimination in all forms and apologize for getting caught up in the euphoria of our Copa America celebrations. That video, that moment, those words, do not reflect my character or beliefs. I am truly sorry.”
His behavior is also being scrutinized by his club team, Chelsea, of the English Premier League.
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The chaos of Sunday’s Copa America final was not limited to Miami.
More than 200 people were involved in a brawl outside the Sabor Colombiano restaurant on South Union Avenue in the Westlake District of Los Angeles, with at least two stabbings reported. Police responded at about 9 p.m. to calls concerning fighting on the street.
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In terms of fans who did attend the Copa America with tickets, the tournament – as expected – established a new attendance record of 1,571,878, or 49,121 average for each of the 32 matches played across 14 venues.
The old record came at the other time that the Copa America was held in the U.S., in 2016, when 1,483,855 (46,370 average) attended across 32 matches held in 10 different venues.
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By contrast, the UEFA European Championships final was reasonably calm as Spain scored late for a 2-1 win over England, which lost in the for the second straight time, before 65,600 at Berlin’s Olympistadion.
The tournament ended with an all-time attendance record of 2,681,288 or 52,574 average for the 51 matches. Forgetting the Covid-tinged 2020 edition, the 2024 tournament surpassed the 2016 edition as the most-attended ever:
● 2016: 2,427,303 (47,594 average) in France (51 matches) ● 2012: 1,440,896 (46,841) in Poland-Ukraine (31) ● 2008: 1,143,990 (36,903) in Austria-Switzerland (31) ● 2004: 1,160,802 (37,445) in Portugal (31) ● 2000: 1,223,833 (36,220) in Belgium-Netherlands (31)
In comparison to the Copa America issues, Germany’s Interior Ministry noted less security issues during the tournament than expected. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the police were “prepared for all conceivable dangers from Islamist terrorism, through hooligan violence to cyberattacks and dangerous drone flights.
“There were significantly fewer security incidents and offenses than our security authorities had expected beforehand at an event with millions of people. Above all, the very high police presence across the country was decisive in this.”
Across the month-long tournament, about six million fans watched from “fan zones” in addition to the 2.6 million attendees. The German Interior Ministry stated there were about 170 arrests and 320 temporary detentions. About 2,340 violations were related to the tournament, with 700 involving bodily harm, 120 thefts and 140 cases involving violence against police officers.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
● Olympic Games 2016: Rio ●The start of the re-analysis of doping samples from the 2016 Olympic Games has resulted in two potential positives being announced by the International Testing Agency in weightlifting.
Men’s 77 kg bronze medalist Mahmoud Ehab (EGY) was identified with a positive for a Methandienone metabolite, and fifth-placer Alexandru Spac (MDA) showed positive for the Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone metabolite.
Both can now ask for the B-samples to be tested; if positive, the cases will be pursued at the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ●The Paris organizers have sold more tickets that for any Olympic Games ever held – 8.7 million – but they still have more available.
A bit more than 1.2 million tickets remain from the 10 million Olympic total. Another 50,000 tickets, across 30 sports, were put on sale on Thursday, with tickets continuing to come into public sale, especially for the sports with large capacities, including football and the basketball prelims and handball finals in Lille.
The U.S. remains the biggest ticket buyer outside of the host country, followed by Germany, Great Britain, Spain and Belgium.
¶
A special “celebration edition” of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic poster – at nighttime – has been produced, naturally, in a limited edition of 2,024 copies, available on 25 July, a day before the opening on the Seine River.
Printed in France on 70 x 100 cm paper (27.6 x 39.4 inches), each goes for €200, as long as they last.
¶
French Interior Minister Gerard Darmaninreported Wednesday that police had arrested the “administrator of the Telegram channel ‘French Aryan Division,’ a young Alsatian is suspected of having called for violent actions during the Olympic Games.”
The 19-year-old neo-Nazi was arrested by the police of the Anti-Terrorist Sub-Directorate, apparently also a threat to the Olympic Torch Relay.
● Russia ● A weird sequence of events concerning the World Friendship Games, designed to be held from 15-29 September 2024, and heavily criticized by the International Olympic Committee as a political exercise by the Russian government.
The head of the Russian Weightlifting Federation, Maxim Agapitov, said Tuesday: “The World Friendship Games were scheduled. I officially know that these Games were rescheduled for the next year.”
Later the same day, he retracted his comments, telling the Russian news agency TASS: “I have no official information and speaking about the postponement I relied on open sources. I do not have the authority to disclose official information.”
Then the Friendship Games organizing committee announced:
“The Organizing Committee of the World Friendship Games continues actively preparing for the tournament. At the moment, due to a proposal of the International Friendship Association to postpone the Games to other dates, consultations are underway with all interested parties regarding new dates of the tournament.
“We will make an official announcement as soon as a relevant decision is made.”
The question now is not whether the event will not be held in September – it won’t – but whether it will ever be held.
● U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee ●Following a recent trend especially impactful in track & field, the USOPC has six former athletes and digital personalities on the ground in Paris to document and report on the Games on their own social channels in their own style.
Olympic swimming stars Missy Franklin Johnson and Katie Hoff from the “Unfiltered Waters” podcast, Tokyo Olympic skateboarder Heimana Reynolds, and two-time Olympic ice dancing medalists Alex Shibutaniand Maia Shibutaniwill be joined by “HighlightHER” creator Ari Chambers.
A separate team of six creators will cover the Paralympic Games, including Olympic women’s long jump favorite Tara Davis-Woodhall, the wife of Paralympic track & field medalist Hunter Woodhall.
¶
Following the demise of NBC’s cable Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA and the NBC Sports Network, a new outlet for American Olympic programming has been badly needed. The USOPC announced Tuesday a new streaming service called “Team USA TV.”
This is an all-digital, online project with the channel’s scheduled content on Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, VIZIO WatchFree+, LG Channels and Xumo Play, and launching soon on NBC’s Peacock subscription channel.
The channel is a joint project of the USOPC, NBCUniversal and FAST Studios as a permanent promotional vehicle for American Olympic and Paralympic sport.
● Athletics ● The Athletics Integrity Unit continues to sanction Kenyan athletes for doping, with three more announced on Tuesday. Daniel Muindi, 29, a 2:09:25 marathoner from 2019 was suspended for three years from 10 July 2024 for the use of Norandrosterone.
Judith Jerubet, 35, a 2:25:54 marathoner from 2023 was banned for two years from 7 June 2024 for using Triamcinolone acetonide. Rodgers Gesabwa, 36, a 2:09:40 marathoner from 2022, was provisionally suspended for using Benzoylecgonine.
● Basketball ●Star guard Steph Curry scored 24 points, with 6-9 from three-point range, to lead the U.S. Olympic men’s team to an impressive 105-79 win over world no. 4 Serbia in Abu Dhabi (UAE) on Wednesday.
The teams were tied at 28 at the quarter, but the Americans ran away with a 31-17 second quarter that featured nine points from Curry. A 24-13 third quarter gave the U.S. an unassailable 83-58 lead entering the fourth.
Center Bam Adebayo added 17 points off the bench and guard Anthony Edwards had 16 in a reserve role for the U.S., which improved to 3-0 on its exhibition tour prior to the Paris Games.
Serbian star center Nikola Jokichad 16 points, but the Serbs shot only 40.8% compared to 52.9% for the U.S., and 85% free-throw shooting. The two teams will meet in the Group C opener in Paris on 28 July.
The U.S. will complete its pre-Games schedule in London with matches against South Sudan (also an Olympic opponent) on the 20th and World Cup champ Germany on 22 July.
● Cycling ● No significant change at the 111th Tour de France, with Slovenia’s two-time winner Tadej Pogacar looking ready to win his third, maintaining a 3:11 over two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) after Wednesday’s 17th stage.
On Tuesday, Belgium’s Jasper Philipsenwon his third stage of the race by taking the mass sprint at the end of the mostly-flat 188.6 km ride to Nimes. He finished ahead of Phil Bauhaus (GER) and Alexander Kristoff (NOR) as the top 111 riders received the same time.
The more challenging stage 17 on Wednesday, a hilly, 177.8 km course with an uphill finish to Superdevoluy, the Olympic Road champ Richard Carapaz soloed in the last 13.3 km to win in 4:06:13, well ahead of Simon Yates (GBR: +0:37) and Spain’s Enric Mas (+0:57).
Further back were Pogacar (+7:23) and Vingegaard (+7:25), so Pogacar’s lead is now 3:11 with the race concluding on Sunday. There is another hilly stage on Thursday and then two difficult climbing stages on Friday and Saturday, where Vingegaard says he will make a run at Pogacar before the race ends in Nice on the 21st.
● Football ● The U.S. women’s National Team contested a final prep match before heading to Paris with a 0-0 tie vs. Costa Rica in oppressively hot conditions in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.
With temperatures as high as 98 degrees, the U.S. dominated play, with 79% possession for the first half and 80% for the game, out-shooting Costa Rica by 10-2 in the first half and 16-0 in the second. But no goals.
The forward trio of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith created chance after chance, with significant help from Lindsey Horan, but could not score. Costa Rican keeper Noelia Bermudez was also sharp with 12 saves. On to Paris; under new coach Emma Hayes, the U.S. has not allowed an opponent goal so far, a good early sign.
● Weightlifting ● Timing is everything. U.S. lifter Wes Kitts, entered in Paris in the men’s 102 kg class, will have served a one-month suspension from the International Testing Agency for using a prohibited substance in competition. Per USA Weightlifting:
“His sample from the IWF World Cup in April contained methylhexaneamine, a stimulant only prohibited in competition. Although Wes appeared at this competition, he did not intend to compete at that competition due to injury. USA Weightlifting informed the IWF more than a week prior to his session that Wes would not be lifting.
“The ITA and Wes agreed that, because of his unintentional use and the specific circumstances of his positive test, Wes would receive a one-month suspension from July 3 to August 2. He is eligible to represent the United States in competition, and is expected to compete Saturday, Aug. 10 in the men’s 102 kg competition in Paris.”
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1. LA84 Foundation salutes 40 years of impact since the 1984 Games 2. USOPF’s Walshe: “Everyone can get involved at every level” 3. French authorities reject 3,570 possible troublemakers for Paris 2024 4. World Aquatics review identifies doping sanctions changes 5. World Rowing commends LA28 move to Long Beach
● The 40-year anniversary of the revolutionary 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles was celebrated on Sunday at the LA84 Foundation, with dozens of iconic Olympic athletes on hand and veterans of the organizing committee.
● The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation received a $25 million gift (!) to further its “One For All” campaign, which supports the USOPC’s efforts in athlete health, sport performance and athlete career training and transition. There are varying levels of benefits, of course, for donors, but all of the fund-raising in the U.S. is for the American team and not for the organization of the Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
● The French interior minister said that more than 3,500 individuals have been excluded from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as volunteers, ticket holders or other positions as identified potential security threats. And the checks are continuing.
● A review of the World Aquatics anti-doping procedures related to the Chinese swimmer doping positives from January 2021 included recommendations to allow bodies other than the national anti-doping agency involved to issue sanctions in cases where there are delays or possible interference with the process.
● World Rowing posted a statement in support of the announcement of the move by LA28 to relocate the rowing events to the Long Beach Marine Stadium – the 1932 Olympic venue – instead of at Lake Perris in Riverside County. But there will still be issues to deal with.
● Panorama: Paris 2024 (3: Last Russian wrestler opts out; Russia paying $2.26 million to athletes who missed int’l events; Jill Biden to lead U.S. delegation for Paris opening) = Winter Games 2030 (will French Alps be approved if guarantees not provided?) = Basketball (U.S. men beat Australia, 98-92, in Abu Dhabi) = Cycling (Johnson and Zubris win three each at U.S. Track Nationals) = Fencing (USA Fencing gets fencing sponsor) = Gymnastics (U.S. sending oldest women’s team since 1952!) = Water Polo (U.S. men defeat Greece in Paris tune-up) = Wrestling (U.S. finishes with most Olympic entrants) ●
● Memorabilia: Last week to bid on the 380-item auction of Olympic-related items, including 71 medals and 40 torches at RR Auction’s semi-annual sale, now to 18 July! ●
● Schedule: There will be no TSX post on Wednesday, but we’ll be back on Thursday. ●
1. LA84 Foundation salutes 40 years of impact since the 1984 Games
In any discussions of the most important Olympic Games in history, the Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad in Los Angeles always stands out. The only city to bid for the 1984 Games, the privately-organized and funded Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee revolutionized the Olympic Movement.
Now-common concepts in television rights sales, corporate sponsorship, volunteer staffing, use of existing facilities, the cultural festival, youth programs and many technical innovations took the Olympic Movement from an unsure footing in the 1970s to a brilliant future. Despite a boycott by the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies, a record number of 140 countries came to the Games, which set records for attendance and ended with an unprecedented surplus of $232.5 million.
About $93 million of that surplus went to form what is now the LA84 Foundation, whose purpose is to support youth through sports in the Southern California area. It has impacted more than 3.9 million children, more than 198,000 coaches and communities through 3,065 grants across the area over 40 years.
All that was celebrated on Sunday at the LA84 Foundation headquarters in the historic West Adams District with more than 250 attendees – including more than 30 Olympians and Paralympians – for a spectacular anniversary party and a special screening of a new film about the impact the Foundation has had. The date of 14 July was exactly 40 years since the opening of the Olympic Villages in 1984 and four years ahead of the opening of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Attendees, which included many members of the LAOOC staff from 1984, were treated to a first look at a new exhibition in the Foundation library which documents and explains aspects of the 1984 Games, including memorabilia, but also a showcase for memorable moments and some of the stunning concepts used in 1984, including the unexpected “Festive Federalism” color and design scheme that dominated the visual imagery of the event.
The formal program was inside a massive tent placed on the Foundation’s parking lot, with NBC4 Los Angeles news anchor Colleen Williamsas host. The Olympians were marched in as if during an Olympic opening ceremony, with iconic hurdler Edwin Moses reprising his role of taking the Olympic Oath, as he did during the 1984 opening ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Many of the great stars of 1984 were there. Quadruple gold medalist Carl Lewis, diving star Greg Louganis, gymnastics gold medalist Bart Conner (with wife Nadia Comaneci), triple jump winner Al Joyner, basketball icon Cheryl Miller and many more.
LA84 Foundation Chair Bill O’Brien explained the Foundation’s work and its breadth of programs over 40 years, followed by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who will receive the Olympic Flag at the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on 11 August.
Bass referenced O’Brien’s listings of what the 1984 Games and then the LA84 Foundation accomplished and deadpanned to the audience:
“How’s that for a little bit of pressure, huh? Mayor [Tom] Bradley. City didn’t spend any money. Forty years later, there’s a legacy. That is an incredible challenge.”
Bass, 70, spoke to the time when the ‘84 Games surprised and excited Los Angeles:
“For those of us who remember the Games, and I was certainly there as a witness to all that ‘84 did. We were so paranoid that the city was going to go crazy, we weren’t going to be able to drive anywhere, and everything, and it was like the best driving in L.A., right?
“And for those of you who are too young to remember, just think about what it was like to drive during Covid. That was what ‘84 was like, and we had no technology that we have now.”
She also noted the already-in-progress legacy project of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic organizers, with $160 million being invested prior to the Games in subsidizing youth sports participation through the City’s Recreation and Parks Department. Looking ahead to 2028:
“Our plans are taking [shape], and we have an incredible foundation from which to work with. One of the things that I’m very excited about with the Games is that our city has so much to offer, and when the world comes, we want the world to see all of Los Angeles, all of our neighborhoods.”
Bass also said she was already thinking about the Paris closing:
“At the closing ceremony, I have to receive the flag and I have to waive the flag like this, and so what I said to [LA84 Foundation President] Renata [Simril], ‘Renata, you’ve got to give me that flag so I can start to practice.’ I looked at YouTube and I saw the closing ceremony in Tokyo, so I know what’s going to happen, but I have to make sure that my shoulders are in shape, because I heard it’s heavy.”
Williams led a panel discussion with ‘84 gold medalists Lewis and Miller, with Lewis talking about his standout moment on the way to four golds in track & field:
“My standout moment had to be the 100 meters … it’s the first event, and so, of course, that’s the most vulnerable because, I would say, if you make a mistake at the start, you’ve got 99 meters to be pissed off” to laughs from the audience. He won, of course, and remembered back to when he started running, under the direction of his parents in New Jersey. “For one moment, you’re the center of the world. It’s incredible.”
Miller acknowledged her “idol” – sitting in the audience – Ann Meyers Drysdale, the 1976 Olympic silver medalist in women’s basketball, explaining “my dream didn’t start until I watched her win an Olympic gold medal [actually silver] and she was the driving force.”
Miller remembered the emotion of her own gold-medal awards ceremony at The Forum, “The national anthem never sounded better. It invoked such a passion and a respect, a humbleness, that I’m living in the greatest country – and still am – and be able to represent and win an Olympic gold medal, priceless. Absolutely priceless.”
Williams asked both for advice for future athletes, looking to 2028. Lewis advised, “keep it simple’ and keep doing what got you to the Games. Miller said, “All it takes is all you have.”
A panel followed with Debra Duncan – a key member of the LAOOC Ticketing Department and later a chair of the LA84 Foundation – and U.S. IOC member Anita DeFrantz, in 1984 an LAOOC Vice President for the Olympic Villages. Duncan explained that despite ending with a huge surplus, the organizing effort was based on not spending money:
“Peter [Ueberroth, LAOOC President] and Harry [Usher, LAOOC Executive Vice President] did a good job of never letting us think we had any money. And that’s how we spent, like we had very little. …
“And we never knew what was going to happen, so we were all very nervous, right, Anita? I don’t think any of us ever thought, wow, we’re going to make even a million dollars.”
DeFrantz added, “a tiny little surplus” was the goal, and Duncan agreed, “not to lose money.
“I don’t think we ever sat back and said, ‘we’ve got it.’ We never knew for sure.”
Asked about how she felt when the Games ended, Duncan remembered, “I think I was sad when it ended. It was such a fulfillment of a lot of hard work, and it was great, it was beautiful, we celebrated the athletes. … It was such a success.”
DeFrantz told the story that three days after the closing, at the USC Village, “There was one athlete, from Australia, who didn’t want to leave. So we had to circle him and say, ‘The Village is closed.’”
Williams had also a session with LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman. Earlier, a special ceremony was held in the garden of the LA84 Foundation to present a 1952 Olympic gold medal in Yachting (as then known) to Michael Schoettle, a member of the crew for the winning Complex II from the U.S. in the 5.5 m class. The ceremony included DeFrantz of the U.S. and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee President Gene Sykes and chief executive Sarah Hirshland. Schoettle, now 87, stayed involved with American sailing for decades, was a member of the competition management team for the 1984 Olympic sailing events in Long Beach and was the team leader for the U.S. team at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
2. USOPF’s Walshe: “Everyone can get involved at every level”
(Part II on the fund-raising efforts of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation)
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced a fund-raising goal of $500 million in 2023 for the 2021-to-2028 period – called the “One for All: The Campaign for Team USA” – and is confident of receiving cash and pledges of $225 million by the end of 2024, with the Los Angeles Olympic Games coming in 2028.
Christine Walshe, the President of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation – the USOPC’s fund-raising arm – explained in an exclusive interview with The Sports Examiner where all this money is going to go once received, to three “impact areas”:
● “We’re raising $100 million for athlete health and wellness. We want more athletes to have health insurance, we have a very large mental-health portion of our campaign and then we are also trying to make sure we provide sports-medicine opportunities for our very diverse group of athletes. With so many female athletes now making up the delegation – we have, of the 592 athletes that are going to Paris, 314 are women – and we need to make sure we have the sports medicine suite of services that definitely benefit all of our athletes, but especially the women because we’ve been behind … we’ve got to make sure we’re meeting that population where they need to be. …
“We do have a program where people can donate to an athlete’s family fund, and they receive a grant if they have a child that is younger than three years old, to help them with child care as they compete and train.”
● “After the mental health and wellness, which is $100 million, we then have $300 million dedicated to sport performance. As you know, Team USA is the largest, most diversely-talented team on the planet. …
“So $300 million is going to make sure they have what they need on the field of play. We want to make sure that all of elite athletes of this country know that it’s still possible to be an Olympian and Paralympian. With the NCAA and the collegiate space changing so much, and [name-image-likeness payments], it’s critical that we continue to improve direct athlete support. We have that Sport Ambassador program, tech and innovation – you can give a restricted gift to the tech and innovation fund – you can also create micro-grants for NGBs that are smaller: 50% of the National Governing Body population’s operating budgets are $10 million. They need help and we have all kinds of great ways to do that.”
● “And then the last area of impact is athlete career and transition, with $100 million going to athlete services. Fifty-seven percent of our athletes earn less than $50,000 year, the average age is 28 years old and 70% of these athletes have gone to college, but once they leave the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, they need help transitioning into their next career. And that’s what that impact area is meant to do.”
Walshe expanded on the multiple levels of fund-raising from the foundational layer of smaller givers across more than a million U.S. households, on up to wealthy givers:
“So this is meant to be a community program, everyone can get involved at every level and really engage with the athlete stories at the bottom, to personally interacting with athletes, sport, [National Governing Bodies], leadership, then beginning to get involved in the strategy of where the dollars go, as a leader of the organization, a trustee, or a six-figure contribution. And then we go into restricted giving of incremental impact.”
As you would imagine, there are benefits offered to the larger givers. Walshe noted that, “Above $150,000, at a $300,000 contribution, you can join us at the Olympics. We’re bringing 750 individuals to the Paris Games. We have a huge hospitality program that you can become a guest of ours for a gift of $50,000, all the way up to $5 million. And that helps people join the Games as a VIP or a member of the Foundation delegation.
“At that point, you can potentially have a leadership role and be invited or nominated to join the Foundation, which is really exciting, and then after that, you get to really dive in to where the dollars go.”
So how do you engage potential large donors? Walshe said there are various concepts for this, with the hope that people will “invest” in Team USA and if they become highly successful, will give more:
● “At each level: you’re in the direct mail [level], you’re hearing stories, and then you get into that next level, you’re in larger groups, but you’re meeting athletes, and as you climb up the ladder for engagement, you’re spending more time directly with athletes, as you hear about the needs that they have or that their peer group has.”
● For higher-end givers: “We do family videos; athletes just using their iPhones and sending the donor community videos to thank them for their contribution. We bring people like Katie Ledecky and other athletes, wonderful athletes to family homes for what we call ‘Jeffersonian dinners,’ and larger cocktail parties, and we will have alumni with us in Paris. We have two athlete ambassadors that are part of the campaign: Summer Sanders the Olympian [four swimming medals at Barcelona 1992] and Brad Snyder the Paralympian [8-time Paralympic swimming medalist 2012-20].”
● “So, absolutely, some of the tactics are not only to be able to see the athletes on the field of play, but to get to know their personal stories.”
Since changing its name and adding “Paralympic” in 2019, the USOPC had taken great pains to promote its Paralympic athletes. Walshe said that the Paralympic impact on donors is not to be underestimated:
“We see a ton of [higher message] open rate when we talk about Paralympians. We get a lot of engagement on our Paralympic story telling, in the mail and digital and definitely – anecdotally – I can tell you that as we embrace and engage people in group settings, it is always the Paralympic story that really moves people and they love the fact that we represent both Olympians and Paralympians, and hence the reason we’ve asked Brad Snyder to be a campaign ambassador….
“What I can tell you is that adding Paralympics to the USOPC has really encouraged the philanthropic community to even want to give more.”
What the Foundation is not doing is raising money for the LA28 organizing committee. All of the funds it raises is for the USOPC and its programs. Walshe noted:
“We’re one storefront. They won’t open a development shop or a foundation fund-raising effort. We’re it, so we created a partnership with them, and so we’re representing not only Team USA, but also LA28. … hey will not be raising philanthropic dollars separately.”
And they will get none from the USOPF. LA28 and the USOPC are in a separate partnership for the sales of corporate partnerships – run by LA28 – called U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties, with revenue shared according to a contracted formula.
The situation is a little different with the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, set to be awarded the hosting rights for the 2034 Olympic Winter Games on 24 July at the International Olympic Committee Session in Paris.
Once the ‘34 Winter Games is awarded, then the Salt Lake team will be allowed to raise donations within the state of Utah only for the purpose of starting up its organizing committee. But that will expire on 31 December 2028, and a parallel agreement to the LA28 format with the USOPC is expected, which will reserve donations to the Foundation through 2034.
The 2023 announcement of a $500 million funding goal for the USOPC seemed a stretch, but the Foundation expects to be 45% there by the end of this year, with $225 million in cash and pledges, and accelerating. Walshe said that with the Games coming to the U.S. in 2028 (and 2034), now is the time to reach out:
“We have to build new fans in order to keep the Movement alive and we have to share with [Generation] X and the Baby Boomers who’ve all watched the amazing Olympic Games in front of one TV with their TV dinners, their grandparents, their parents, their children, that we’re a cause, and so our strategy is to engage the American public, the young generation of fans, hopefully convert a fraction of them – a good size, but a fraction of them – into donors and be on this march together and hopefully use the power of sport to unite this country at a time it needs it most. …
“We want to work hard to unite this country and make them feel like investors in their team, which is Team USA.”
¶
On Monday, the Foundation announced its largest-ever single gift, a $25 million donation from billionaire venture capitalist Mark and Mary Stevens. They have previously donated more than $72 million to the University of Southern California for medical science and technology projects.
Said Mark Stevens, “As avid supporters of Team USA for over a decade, we’ve seen firsthand how our gifts have impacted U.S. Olympians and Paralympians, from world-class equipment and coaching to data projects that enhance athlete wellness.”
The announcement noted that the USOPF has raised more than $370 million since its founding in 2013.
3. French authorities reject 3,570 possible troublemakers for Paris 2024
French Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin stated on the social platform X (ex-Twitter) on Saturday (computer translation from the original French):
“Olympic Games: 770,000 administrative investigations have been carried out to date, resulting in the exclusion of 3,570 people, including 130 people on S files, 16 on FSPRT files and dozens of radical individuals close to Islamist, ultra-left and ultra-right circles.”
The “S files” reference is to “Surete de l’Etat” or state security files, which indicate surveillance, but not arrest. The “FSPRT” reference is to the “Fichier de traitement des signalements pour la prévention de la radicalisation à caractère terroriste,” or Prevention of Terrorist Radicalisation, which was organized in 2015 after the Islamic-based terror attacks on the Charlie Hebdo magazine (12 dead) and the Hypercacher kosher supermarket (four dead) in Paris in January of that year.
Darmanin said that up to one million individuals who were going to be accredited for the Paris 2024 Games, or could be issued tickets for the Opening Ceremony on the Seine River on 26 July, would be reviewed and that process is continuing.
Reports indicate that 45,000 security officers of various kinds and types will be employed for the Paris Games, but an even bigger force was deployed over the weekend to safeguard the Bastille Day celebrations on Sunday (14th). Darmanin added on X:
“To guarantee the security of the July 14 festivities, 130,000 police officers and gendarmes will be mobilized this weekend, including 11,000 in Paris. Thanks to them. Faced with the irresponsible people who are trying to sow disorder, I call for respect for this moment of national cohesion. #FêteNationale”
The Bastille day celebrations in Paris also included the Olympic Torch as part of the parades.
Darmanin appeared on FranceInfo radio on Monday and was pleased to report that “The [Olympic] flame traveled across France in more than 50 stages … without any incident. We were able to thwart terrorist attacks at least twice.”
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A memorial ceremony for the 11 Israeli team members murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich has been moved from the Paris City Hall on 24 July to 6 August elsewhere.
The Israel Olympic Committee responded to a report that security issues mandated the change of date and place:
“Due to the delegation’s tight schedule, it was decided to hold the ceremony, in coordination with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, in its full format on August 6 in another location.
“Claims that the ceremony is underground or that it was moved due to any specific security alerts, or that canceling it was considered are fundamentally false claims.”
4. World Aquatics review identifies doping sanctions changes
“The Committee notes that the TMZ Case has weakened the trust of the Aquatics community, notably among the athletes, in the anti-doping system. In particular, questions were raised as to whether anti-doping rules are applied consistently in all countries, in particular as it relates to the principle of strict liability.
“The frustration was particularly strong with athletes who felt they were denied a medal for which they had worked their whole life. The Committee does not take it upon itself to rebuild and maintain this trust but does consider it appropriate to highlight certain actions which it believes may help generate a certain level of reassurance in the work being conducted by World Aquatics, with the assistance of the [International Testing Agency] and the Aquatics Integrity Unit.”
That’s from the five-member Anti-Doping Review Committee of World Aquatics, whose 11-page report, made public on Monday (15th), reviewing the federation’s procedures and protocols for doping cases, notably the January 2021 Chinese swimming doping case, in which 23 athletes tested positive for trimetazidine during the national swimming championships.
Specific to that case, the report detailed the timeline as related to the involvement of FINA (as World Aquatics was then known), which differs from that of the World Anti-Doping Agency:
● “The samples had all been collected by CHINADA, which meant that CHINADA was in charge of the handling, investigation and initial decision making on the case (see World Anti-Doping Code Article 7.1).
“In accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code, FINA’s primary role in this matter arose only when CHINADA issued its decision, which closed the case, which in essence meant that (a) the athletes were not to be provisionally suspended; and (b) the case was to be resolved without any sanction being imposed on the athletes. FINA did not have any right to intervene until those two decisions were made by CHINADA (and in this case they were made in a single determination).”
● “In mid June 2021, CHINADA sent its final decision to WADA and FINA. Its decision concluded that the positive tests resulted from contamination of the food served in the hotel. Within days, FINA requested the complete case file from CHINADA, who complied.”
● “Approximately 2 weeks later, towards the end of June 2021, internal Legal Counsel completed his review of the case file received from CHINADA. Following internal discussion, FINA retained Prof. Jordi Segura [ESP], former director of a WADA accredited laboratory in Barcelona and Chair of the former FINA Doping Control Review Board, to review the file materials and provide an expert opinion on the scientific aspects of the matter.
“Within approximately one week, Prof. Segura provided his opinion to Legal Counsel on the specific scientific questions he had been asked to answer. His opinion was that contamination of food or food products in the dining kitchen of the athletes’ hotel was more likely than not the source of the positive tests.”
On this basis, and especially considering the advice of Prof. Segura, FINA did not appeal the contamination conclusion to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The report noted that the procedures in place at the time were followed appropriately. However, it also put forth 10 recommendations to improve the doping-control process going forward. These included, but were not limited to:
● The new process for World Aquatics is to have the Aquatics Integrity Unit appeal any decisions from national anti-doping organizations, but could be changed to allow the International Testing Agency – which handles the World Aquatics anti-doping program now – to do so itself, since it is closer to the workflow now.
● “As highlighted by the TMZ Case, International Federations have no authority to assess a provisional suspension on an athlete in cases arising from testing conducted by a NADO, but instead must wait until such time as the NADO affirmatively decides whether or not to provisionally suspend an athlete (which could take several months). Only then may an International Federation decide to appeal such decision.
“In all cases where a provisional suspension is not timely imposed by a NADO, or in cases where no final decision on the merits is taken after a reasonable time, International Federations should be granted the ability to take necessary actions such as the imposition of a provisional suspension or the takeover of results management process from a NADO.”
● “If the case is handled by a NADO, follow-up requests should be systematically sent to the NADOs prior to the start of [a World Aquatics] competition to ask them to issue a decision or impose a provisional suspension prior to the start of the event. If there is still no action after due notice has been given, the failure to decide should be considered as a decision not to impose a provisional suspension thereby subjecting such to CAS, seeking an expedited process and decision on that appeal.
“Whenever possible, World Aquatics should ensure that the case is resolved before the start of the event, or otherwise, that a provisional suspension is imposed on the athlete.”
● “While NADOs and WADA-accredited laboratories should be trusted, and the system has various checks and balances in place to ensure this trust, concerns were raised by athletes about the capabilities and lack of independence of certain NADOs and local laboratories.
“The athletes perceive conflicts of interest when national entities are in charge of supervising their own athletes due to take part in international competitions. The Committee recognises the important role of NADOs in the fight against doping in sport.
“However, to address these concerns, the Committee recommends that when feasible, the ITA attempt to conduct a certain number of out-of-competition tests without using local NADOs and local laboratories, especially whenever they are conducting a particularly targeted testing mission and in advance of major international events. Particular consideration will need to be made to the costs associated with this and the scarcity of accredited laboratories worldwide, especially in time-sensitive testing scenarios.”
● It was suggested that World Aquatics post a list of provisionally-suspended athletes, which is done – for example – by the fiercely aggressive Athletics Integrity Unit, but not by World Aquatics at present.
The report also recommends more education on anti-doping and more contact between athletes and the anti-doping officials to build trust and understanding.
Observed: While the report did not get into the question of whether the Chinese swimmers who tested positive in January 2021 should have been suspended, it did get into the sensitive area of oversight of anti-doping organizations in authoritarian countries.
The recommendations ask for new powers for organizations beyond a national anti-doping agency to be able to suspend athletes and to do so if there is a delay in investigation and results reporting. This would have allowed a much better response in 2021, when the samples were taken in January, reported in March and a final report was not available until June, long after any investigation would have been meaningful.
This is a worthwhile report and it will be interesting to see if World Aquatics adopts the path charted by it … and if so, if it spreads to other federations.
5. World Rowing commends LA28 move to Long Beach
The second announcement of multiple venues for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games included confirmation of the long-known move of rowing and flatwater canoeing to the Long Beach Marine Stadium, the site of rowing for the 1932 Olympic Games.
World Rowing added comments from President Jean-Christophe Rolland(FRA)
‘’We are pleased to have the Marine Stadium in Long Beach venue confirmed to feature classic rowing at the heart of the Olympic Games.
“This is the outcome of a thorough and extensive analysis, developed very closely with the IOC and the Los Angeles Organisers [sic] in the context of the Olympic Agenda 2020. The bid proposal was to stage the 2028 Olympic regatta at Lake Perris, a reservoir on the east of Los Angeles (approx. 3 hours outside of the Olympic Village), a complex and expensive solution that would have had no legacy and required a satellite Olympic Village.”
The Lake Perris State Recreation Area is in Riverside County and opened in 1973, about 90 miles due east from the UCLA campus where the Olympic Village will be located. The move was reportedly suggested by LA28, bringing the two sports closer to the Los Angeles area.
However, it will be interesting to see how the athlete program is arranged, as the Long Beach Marine Stadium is close to the Pacific Ocean and can have tidal influences. This generally will require competitions early in the day to assure still water, which may eventually require some Village-type support for athletes in the Long Beach area either prior or after the competitions.
Rolland also noted that the federation had to make some significant concessions to hold the events at the Marine Stadium, with the events held at 1,500 m instead of the normal 2,000 m:
“It is a unique situation, brought about by a very specific Los Angeles context, certainly the best compromise for the benefit of our Sport in the context of the Olympic Games.
“In 1932, a full 2000m course was in place, but since then, a bridge was built, shortening the available water to 1500 meters for a six-lane race. This option was shared and discussed on multiple occasions with our Member Federations and the rowing community.
“It will require some adaptation, for the athletes in the first place, but it shows our ability to adapt without changing the core nature of our sport. Long Beach will be a great location and an exciting opportunity to showcase Rowing to the rest of the world.”
The J.H. Davies Bridge was opened in 1956 to connect two communities bisected by the Marine Stadium, but shortens the race course for rowing. Flatwater canoeing competitions in the Olympic Games are not impacted, as they are not more than 1,000 m.
Out of the compromise by World Rowing for the move to Long Beach and its willingness to give up its Lightweight division – long sought by the IOC – was the approval of Beach Sprint Rowing, also expected to be held in another area in Long Beach, but not yet confirmed.
≡ PANORAMA ≡
● Olympic Games 2024: Paris ● The Russian news agency TASS reported that Russian Freestyle wrestler Shamil Mamedov – the 2023 World Freestyle 65 kg bronze medalist – will not compete in Paris after previously indicating that he would.
The Russian wrestling federation said the change was due to an “injury relapse.”
This means that all 10 of the Russian wrestlers invited to compete in Paris by the International Olympic Committee will skip the Games, and brings the current total of Russian “neutrals” for Paris to 15.
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The Russian Olympic Committee is providing compensation to its athletes who were not allowed to compete internationally of 200 million rubles, or about $2.26 million U.S.
The first payments were made in December, to 132 athletes from 14 sports. A second group of 113 athletes from 15 sports received funds from a second round of payments.
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The White House announced the U.S. government’s delegation leaders for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. First Lady Jill Biden will head the Olympic opening group for the 26 July ceremony on the Seine, and Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, will lead the Olympic closing group for 11 August.
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth will head the Paralympic opening delegation for the 28 August ceremony and U.S. Health and Human Services Department Secretary Xavier Becerrawill lead the Paralympic closing group on 8 September.
● Olympic Winter Games 2030 ● With the French legislative elections on 7 July leaving no party in charge and no governing coalitions formed so far, whether the French Alps 2030 bid can deliver the required government guarantees is now in question.
GamesBids.comreported that a group against the 2030 Winter Games will protest at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne on 19 July, but the IOC leadership will already be in Paris.
The IOC has said that it expects the guarantees to be provided prior to the IOC Session vote on 24 July, but failing delivery, could delay the vote, could provisionally award the Games to the French Alps bid, conditioned on the delivery of the guarantees once a government is formed, or just wait.
● Basketball ●The U.S. men’s Olympic Team had a 16-point lead at halftime, a 24-point lead in the third and a 15-point lead going into the fourth quarter, but had to settle for an 98-92 win over Australia in Abu Dhabi (UAE) in its second exhibition game on Monday.
Trailing 76-61 entering the fourth, Australia went on a 10-0 run in the middle of the quarter to draw within 86-80. The U.S. extended to 92-80 with 2:19 left and Australia closed in again to 94-90 with nine seconds left and it ended at 98-92. Said U.S. head coach Steve Kerr:
“It was a good game for us to have to remind the guys we have to keep playing. We stopped playing there mid-third quarter. We started turning the ball over, we gave up a ton of points at the basket, backcuts, offensive boards. So the game shifted. It’s a good lesson for us, better to learn it now than later. This will be a good tape for us to watch.”
Anthony Davis led the U.S. with 17 points and 14 rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench, with Devin Booker scoring 16 and Anthony Edwards with 14. Australia was led by Jock Landale, with 20.
The U.S. will face no. 4-ranked Serbia and superstar Nikola Jokic on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi in the third game of its five-game exhibition schedule.
● Cycling ● Anders Johnson was the big winner at the USA Cycling National Track Championships in Carson, California that finished Sunday with three wins in the men’s Individual Pursuit, the 60-lap Scratch Race and the Points Race.
Evan Boone scored two wins in the men’s Sprint and Keirin, while Brendan Rihm won the Omnium over Johnson, Wyatt Paul took the 1,000 m Time Trial and John Bowie won the Elimination Race.
Kimberly Zubris won three events on the women’s side, taking the Omnium, the Elimination Race and the Points Race. The sprinting star was McKenna McKee, winning the Sprint and the Keirin. Emily Hayes won the 500 m Time Trial, Elizabeth Stevenson won the Individual Pursuit (with Zubris third) and Chloe Patrick took the 40-lap Scratch Race (with Zubris third).
● Fencing ● The most obvious sponsorship in the history of sponsorships has to be fencing (chain-link, chicken wire, picket) for fencing (epee, foil, sabre). Good for USA Fencing, which announced Superior Fence & Rail as the “Official Fence of Fencers.”
Said USA Fencing chief Phil Andrews:
“We’ve really nailed it with this one. Superior Fence & Rail understands the importance of structure and support, just like USA Fencing. This collaboration will provide a boost both to fencing (the sport) and to fencing (the other kind). Plus, it’s just fun.”
The deal is for a year, through 29 June 2025, with opportunities for renewal, or – should we say – extensions?
● Gymnastics ●USA Gymnastics released a set of charts which showed that the women’s Olympic team for Paris is the oldest since 1952, with an average age of 22.48 years. The men’s team is the youngest since 2012, at 22.81 years (average), and the third-youngest since 1992, when the average was 22.56.
● Water Polo ●The U.S. men’s Olympic team defeated Greece, the 2023 Worlds runners-up, in Volos (GRE) last Friday, 10-9, coming back from 9-7 down in the fourth quarter with three straight goals from Alex Bowen (2) and Chase Dodd.
The Americans were up 3-2 at the quarter and 4-3 at half, but five third-period goals – including four straight – put Greece up by 8-7 going into the final period. Another goal made it 9-7 before Bowen and Dodd scored the winners.
Bowen led the U.S. with three scores and Max Irving and Johnny Hoopereach had two. The U.S. has a final friendly prior to Paris on 19 July at Sibenik, Croatia against the 2024 World Champions.
● Wrestling ●With the collapse of the Russian “neutrals” entry for the Paris 2024, the U.S. will enter the most wrestlers among all nations with 16, followed by 13 from Japan.
Azerbaijan and China each have 13 to tie for third and 11 will be sent by Egypt, Iran and Turkey.
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