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= PARIS 2024 =
From Lane One
“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 Lopez from 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.
= RESULTS: SATURDAY, 3 AUGUST =
● 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 record of 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.
= PREVIEWS: SUNDAY, 4 AUGUST =
(20 finals across 12 sports)
● 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.
● Athletics ● World Athletics published its annual report and financial statements for 2023, which it summarized as:
“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 Zheng and 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 proposal from fellow Chinese star Yuchen Liu, the Tokyo 2020 men’s Doubles silver medalist.
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