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= PARIS 2024 =
From Lane One
France’s Leon Marchand came 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.
= PREVIEWS: SATURDAY, 3 AUGUST =
(29 finals across 14 sports)
● 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 commentator Przemyslaw 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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