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= PARIS 2024 =
From Lane One
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 Khelif by 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 Bui of 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 DeFrantz and 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.
= RESULTS: SATURDAY, 10 AUGUST =
● 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.
¶
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.
= PREVIEWS: SUNDAY, 11 AUGUST =
(11 finals across 9 sports)
● 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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