Admin August 1, 2024
Ledecky ties all-time medal record, the Seine opens to triathletes
Katie Ledecky wins her first gold in Paris to tie a record, U.S. women impress in both soccer and BMX and the Seine is clean enough for triathletes.
Thursday is perhaps the biggest day of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Simone Biles and some her of U.S. teammates competed in the women’s gymnastics all-around final, leading to Biles securing the gold medal. Teammate Suni Lee earned a bronze.
Elsewhere, the Olympic swimming schedule features four finals, including Katie Ledecky in the 4×200-meter free relay. Track and field gets underway with the men’s and women’s race walk. Olympic men’s golf begins with their first round of play. And the U.S. women’s basketball team continues group play against Belgium. (Follow live coverage of USA vs. Belgium.)
At least eight U.S. squads are competing across five team sports, 25 sports in total are in action, and USA TODAY Sports will bring you live results, the medal count, highlights, and more throughout the day. Follow along.
PARIS — The great Andy Murray’s career ended on Suzanne Lenglen Court on Thursday evening, as Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul took out Murray and his partner Dan Evans, 6-2, 6-4.
Murray, arguably the greatest British sportsman in history, announced he would be leaving tennis after the Olympics due to the cumulative toll of numerous injuries.
Murray will best be remembered for twice winning Wimbledon, ending a 77-year drought of British men winning the event. But in many ways, his career is uniquely linked with the Olympics. – Dan Wolken
PARIS — The United States is fast becoming a world power in women’s team foil, and now it has the hardware to prove it.
The U.S. beat top-seeded Italy for its first-ever gold medal in the event Thursday at the Grand Palais, 45-39, capping a brilliant Olympics that also saw fencers Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs win individual gold and silver.
Three years after losing to the Italians, 45-23, in a lopsided bronze medal match at the Tokyo Olympics, the American women were the early aggressors on their way to their second medal in women’s team foil’s 64-year Olympic history.
The U.S. won silver in the event in 2008, but with less individual success than the team enjoyed this summer. Kiefer beat Scruggs in the individual final, 15-6, marking the first time the country has gone 1-2 in the sport in the Olympics. – Dave Birkett
NANTERRE, France — Team USA’s Kate Douglass is officially an Olympic champion, winning the women’s 200-meter breaststroke final Thursday with a time of 2:19. 24 – a new American record.
It’s the 22-year-old two-time Olympian’s third medal overall and second at the Paris Olympics after winning silver in the women’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
Douglass out-touched defending Olympic champion Tatjana Smith of South Africa, who won silver with a time of 2:19.60. Smith won the gold in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke. The Netherlands’ Tes Schouten took bronze in 2:21.05. Team USA three-time Olympian Lilly King finished eighth in 2:25.91. – Michelle R. Martinelli
The U.S. women’s basketball squad looks to stay hot against Belgium in group play. USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates, highlights and more from the matchup.
Whenever Simone Biles decides to leave gymnastics behind, she may have a future career as a stretch-4 in the NBA.
That is, according to Kevin Durant, at least, who is seemingly impressed with Biles’ leaping ability.
“I really believe Goat Biles can catch a lob and finish. #bounce,” Durant posted on Thursday.
Biles can certainly finish: She took home the all-around gold medal, beating out Brazil’s Rebecca Andrade and Team USA partner Suni Lee.
NANTERRE, France — Teenage Canadian star Summer McIntosh added to her already impressive Olympic haul Thursday by winning the women’s 200-meter butterfly final with a time of 2:03.03, edging defending Olympic champ Zhang Yukei and American Regan Smith.
At Paris La Défense Arena, Smith won silver with a time of 2:03.84, and Zhang of China took the bronze and a time of 2:05.09.
Through the first half of the Paris Olympics, 17-year-old McIntosh already won gold in the women’s 400-meter individual medley and silver in the women’s 400-meter freestyle. – Michelle R. Martinelli
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American badminton player Beiwen Zhang looked to be cruising early in the round of 16 women’s singles Thursday – especially if you didn’t know her opponent.
Zhang won the first set against Spain’s Carolina Marin – the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, non-badminton enthusiasts! – before succumbing 12-21, 21-9, 21-18.
Born in China, Zhang became a naturalized American citizen in 2021 and made her Olympic debut that same year at the Tokyo Games. She suffered an Achilles injury during her round of 16 match in Tokyo, but was healthy as she took the court Thursday.
Moreover, she entered the Paris Olympics with the hope of becoming the first American to win an Olympic medal in badminton. The dream still was alive with the score in the third set against Marin locked at 15-15.
Alas, Zhang she noted Marin’s experience in high-stakes matches when asked about the final outcome of their badminton battle. – Josh Peter
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic is aiming to win his second Olympic medal, but he may have to fight through an injury to get there.
During his matchup with Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, trainers took a look at Djokovic’s surgically repaired knee. Djokovic did not withdraw, and headed to a third set vs. Tsitsipas.
At the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, the top of Biles’ head got as high as 12 feet above the surface on one of the jumps during her floor exercise routine, NBC Sports calculated.
Just like Simone Biles flying through the air on vault, NBC’s viewership numbers for the women’s gymnastics team final at the Paris Olympics were through the roof.
NBC’s live daytime broadcast of the women’s gymnastics team final averaged 12.7 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, marking the event as one of the network’s top weekday daytime events in Olympic history.
This meant that more people tuned in live to watch Team USA’s gold medal-winning performance than for any single game of the 2024 NBA Finals or the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. – Carrie McDonald
American boxers Jennifer Lozano and Morelle McCane both missed out on opportunities to advance for medals on Thursday.
Lozano (50kg) fell to Finnish fighter Pihla Kaivo-Oja, who won the fight on judge’s scorecards in all three rounds.
In the women’s 66kg division, McCane faced Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova. Judges awarded the fight to Khamidova on a 3-2 split decision.
PARIS — The U.S. men’s basketball 3×3 team cannot get off the schneid.
Without Jimmer Fredette, who is dealing with a right leg injury that prevented him from playing, the U.S. lost its third straight game to open pool play of the Olympics, as Lithuania pulled away late from the U.S. to win 20-18.
Canyon Barry picked up the slack in Fredette’s stead and had nine points. Kareem Maddox finished with five. Barry had a chance to tie it at the buzzer following a defensive stop but his attempt from 2-point land clanked off the front rim.
Fans clapped for Fredette as the in-house emcees noted his absence from the contest. – Chris Bumbaca
It’s not the trip to Paris that the U.S. women’s field hockey team envisioned.
Through four matches in Pool B, Team USA is still search for its first victory after losing 5-2 to Great Britain on Thursday.
The Americans were tight at the half, trailing a goal to Great Britain, but a dominant second half by the Brits put the game away.
The U.S. is in fifth place in Pool B and close out group play on Saturday, Aug. 3 at 1:15 p.m. vs. South Africa, who is also winless.
Jake Paul, an honorary coach of the U.S. Olympic boxing team, sounded off on Thursday.
Paul, the social media influencer and pro boxer, joined a chorus of objectors following an Olympic women’s boxing match that included an Algerian fighter whose gender eligibility has come under question.
The Algerian, Imane Khelif, won her opening bout Thursday after landing a single punch – on the nose of Italy’s Angela Carini.
Soon after, Carini quit − 46 seconds into the bout. She wept in the ring and during interviews with reporters.
“This is sickening,’’ Paul wrote on his verified X account. “This is a travesty. Doesn’t matter what you believe. This is wrong and dangerous.’’ – Josh Peter
Amidst their quest for a medal, the men’s beach volleyball squad of Miles Partain and Andy Benesh have decided to make a coaching change, dismissing bench boss Mike Plasek on Thursday.
The decision was somewhat surprising.
“There was a team meeting and a team decision to not move forward with their coach,” NBC beach volleyball broadcaster Dain Blanton reported during the opening set of the match. – Mark Giannotto
Simone Biles is looking to extend her Olympic gymnastics record medal count on Thursday when she competes in the gymnastics all-around final. USA TODAY Sports is providing live updates, highlights and more from the events.
After a brief restart of play in Round 1, the Olympic golf tournament was again halted due to lightning in the area. Rain has played into the blueprint for Thursday’s Games, with drizzles expected to hit the area until early evening.
After lightning halted Round 1 of the Olympic golf tourney, play resumed at 11:05 a.m. ET (5:05 p.m. local). Xander Schauffele looks to finish his round strong as the top American on the leaderboard.
The threat of lightning has suspended the first round of play in the 2024 Olympic golf tournament. At the time of suspension, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama sat at the top of the heap at 8-under. American Xander Schauffele and Mexican Carlos Ortiz are tied at 2-under.
Despite the quick turnaround from their men’s doubles win over Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal, the American team of Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek cruised through their semifinal Thursday afternoon and will play for a gold medal.
Ram/Krajicek defeated Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-2, needing only 61 minutes to get the job done.
Ram and Krajicek are two of the most accomplished doubles players in the world, who prepared for the Paris Olympics by playing together in Davis Cup competitions the last two years.
Ram, 40, won a silver medal in Rio eight years ago in the mixed doubles alongside Venus Williams. He has won four Grand Slam titles in men’s doubles.
Krajicek, 34, was ranked No. 1 for a time last year after winning the French Open doubles, his first major.
Interestingly, it could be an All-American final if Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul beat Andy Murray and Dan Evans of Great Britain later Thursday afternoon.
This is the last professional tournament for Murray, a two-time gold medalist in singles and three-time Grand Slam champion, who has struggled with injuries for several years. – Dan Wolken
Americans Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler are off to good starts in the first round of Olympic golf at Golf National in Paris. Schauffle, who won the 2024 PGA Championship and 2024 British Open, trails Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (-8) by one stroke through 14 holes.
Meanwhile, Scheffler, the World’s No. 1 golfer and 2024 Masters champion, carded a -4 and currently sits tied for 10th place.
The 60 contenders will all play four rounds in a stroke play format, with the medalists taking the fewest number of shots to complete the 72 holes.
PARIS — The queen of Roland Garros was dethroned Thursday in the Olympic semifinals – by a different kind of queen.
No. 6 Qinwen Zheng – or QUEEN-wen, as she enjoys being called around the WTA Tour – took out No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 6-2, 7-5, in a stunner that will give China a chance to win its first gold medal in tennis on Saturday.
Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion at this venue, hadn’t lost a match at Roland Garros since the 2021 quarterfinals. She came into the Olympics as a massive favorite, but perhaps felt a different kind of pressure trying to win gold for Poland, her home country.
Instead, she’ll have to settle at best for the bronze medal.
Zheng will play either Donna Vekic of Croatia or Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia for the gold medal. − Dan Wolken
Michael Phelps, who is serving as a commentator for NBC during the Games, is taking in the first round of Olympic golf at Golf National in Paris. The a 23-time gold medalist is at the first tee cheering on the Americans in front of a raucous crowd.
If you recall, Phelps and rapper Snoop Dogg, who’s also a commentator for NBC, entered the pool in a segment on Tuesday.
PARIS – American swimmers Regan Smith and Phoebe Bacon advanced to the semifinals of the women’s 200-meter backstroke early Thursday morning at Paris La Defense Arena.
Bacon, in her first race of the Paris 2024 Olympics, finished fourth in a time of 2:09. Smith (2:09.61) was sixth.
The top 16 racers move on to the semis. − Dave Birkett
World No. 1 archer Casey Kaufhold of the United States was upset 7-3 by Lei Chien-Ying of Taiwan on Thursday, knocking Kaufhold out of the women’s individual archery competition in the second round.
Kaufhold’s opponent shot three perfect 10s in the final set to slam the door on Kaufhold’s individual medal hopes in the 20-year-old’s second Olympics.
She still has a shot for a medal alongside Team USA’s Brady Ellison in the mixed competition on Friday. − Gentry Estes
PARIS – So far, not a good start for the reigning champion 3×3 women’s basketball team. Not good at all.
The Americans dropped their third straight game to open pool play at the tournament, this one a 17-15 loss to Australia on Thursday. The team has two more games in pool play before the knockout stage begins. And if they don’t figure it out soon, they won’t last long once that begins.
Now it’s back to the drawing board – again – for the USA. Frustrations are mounting.
“Everybody’s got the same refs,” Cierra Burdick said. “I don’t worry about things that are out of my control. Some people get good calls, some people get bad calls, that’s basketball.”
After the opening loss to Germany two days ago, Hailey van Lith said the team’s intensity needed to improve.
“I think the effort was a little bit better,” Burdick said. “But we got to find another gear to tap into. Because we’re not getting it done.”
The improvement would come during group play, the Americans have been saying. But for Burdick, it hasn’t come quickly enough.
“I think we’re getting a little bit better, but not at the pace that I’d like,” she said. “But we gotta find our way.” − Chris Bumbaca
PARIS – Algeria’s Imane Khelif, one of two female Olympic boxers disqualified from the 2023 world championships after failing gender eligibility tests, entered the ring Thursday at the Paris Games.
It ended in abrupt and bizarre fashion.
Khelif prevailed when Italy’s Angela Carini stopped fighting 46 seconds into the bout. The fight in the welterweight division at 66 kg (146 pounds) was scheduled for three three-minute rounds.
The issue of gender eligibility criteria surfaced at the 2023 world championships when Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan both won medals in the women’s competition before tournament officials announced the boxers had failed gender eligibility tests. They were stripped of their medals. − Josh Peter
PARIS – Lee Kiefer is going for gold again, and this time she’s bringing the rest of the U.S. women’s foil team with her.
Kiefer, who beat teammate Lauren Scruggs for gold in individual foil on Sunday, and Team USA advanced to the semifinals in women’s team foil Thursday with a 45-37 win over China in its table of eight match.
The U.S. women will face the winner of Canada-France in its semifinal match. Italy and Japan meet in the other semifinal.
Kiefer has won gold in individual foil at the past two Olympics, while Scruggs, a 21-year-old student at Harvard, won her first Olympic medal Sunday.
Jacqueline Dubrovich, a two-time Olympian, is the third member of the foil team. −Dave Birkett
VAIRES-SUR-MARNE, France − Team USA rowers Nick Mead, Justin Best, Michael Grady and Liam Corrigan won a gold medal Thursday at the Paris Olympics in the finals of the men’s four competition. With Mead in the bow position and Corrigan at the stroke, the group recorded a time of 5:49:03.
The gold is the first for the USA in the men’s fours since the Olympic Games Rome 1960. − Chase Goodbread
Brady Ellison, the lone U.S. men’s archer in these Olympics, won two head-to-head matches Thursday morning to advance to the round of 16 of the individual competition. Ellison defeated Abdullah Yildirmis of Turkey 6-2 in the first round and Kao Wenchao of China by the same score in the second round. The final four rounds of the men’s archery competition will play out Sunday.
A five-time Olympian, Ellison has long been considered one of the world’s best. He has three medals in his past − but no gold medals.
Liu Yukun extended China’s gold medal lead by winning the men’s 50-meter rifle 3 positions event, with a total score of 463.6. Serhiy Kulish secured Ukraine’s second medal of these Games, claiming silver with a score of 461.3. India’s Swapnil Kusale took the bronze with a score of 451.4.
Who will be the big winners in track and field at the Paris Olympics? USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon predicts the podium for every event.
It’s quite early in the United States, but medals are already being awarded in Paris.
Brian Daniel Pintado of Ecuador won the gold medal in the men’s 20K race walk, crossing the line first with a time of 1:18:55. Caio Bonfim of Brazil took second (1:19:09) and Spain’s Alvaro Martin placed third (1:19:11).
Here are some Olympic schedule highlights. Peacock is streaming every sport and event live as it unfolds in Paris.
All times Eastern
- The women’s gymnastics all-around final is at 12:15 p.m. NBC is airing.
- Swimming heats start at 5 a.m. The finals for the women’s 200m fly and men’s 200m backstroke are back to back (2:30 p.m.) before the women’s 200m breaststroke final (3:03 p.m.) and the women’s 4x200m free relay (3:48 p.m.). Katie Ledecky swims a leg of the 4x200m free relay for the U.S. NBC is airing the finals. USA Network is airing the heats.
- Women’s basketball has four group stage games: Japan vs. Germany (5 a.m.), Australia vs. Canada (7:30 a.m.), France vs. Nigeria (11:15 a.m.), U.S. vs. Belgium (3 p.m.).
- Men’s golf starts with Round 1 of play starting at 3 a.m.
- The 3×3 basketball slate has 16 games starting at 3 a.m. and running through 5:05 p.m.
- Other sports in action: Archery, badminton, beach volleyball, BMX racing, boxing, canoe slalom, equestrian, fencing, field hockey, golf, handball, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, table tennis, tennis, track & field, volleyball, water polo.
NBC is airing and streaming the Paris Olympics from all angles: Peacock is streaming every sport and event live as it unfolds; NBC, USA Network, CNBC and E! are carrying various live events and replays throughout the day. Here are six tips and tricks for getting the most out of Peacock during the Olympics.
Our 2024 Paris Olympics medal count tracker updates after every single medal event.
All times Eastern
- Gymnastics: women’s all-around final (12:15 p.m., NBC)
- Swimming: women’s 200m fly (2:30 p.m.), men’s 200m backstroke (2:37 p.m.), women’s 200m breaststroke (3:03 p.m.), women’s 4x200m relay (4:03 p.m.). NBC is airing the finals.
- Track & field: men’s 20km race walk (1:30 a.m.), women’s 20km race walk (3:20 a.m.)
- Fencing: women’s foil team bronze (1:10 p.m.), women’s foil team gold (2:30 p.m.). E! is airing the finals.
- Shooting: 50m rifle 3 positions men’s final (3:30 a.m.)
- Sailing: men’s and women’s skiff medal races (times TBD)
- Rowing: women’s double sculls final a (5:18 a.m.), men’s double sculls final a (5:30 a.m.), women’s four final (5:50 a.m.), men’s four final a (6:10 a.m.). E! is airing all the finals.
- Judo: Six medal matches (11:18 a.m start)
- Canoe slalom: men’s kayak single final (11:30 a.m., E!)
All times Eastern
- The U.S. men’s golf team begins play with Round 1, which starts at 3 a.m. Golf Channel is airing.
- The U.S. men’s water polo team plays Greece in group play at 4:30 a.m. E! is airing.
- The U.S. is competing in men’s beach volleyball against Brazil at 9 a.m. NBC is airing.
- The U.S. women’s field hockey team plays Great Britain in pool play at 11 a.m. USA Network is airing.
- The U.S. men’s 3×3 basketball team plays two games today: The first is against Lithuania at 1:05 p.m. (USA Network), the second is against Latvia at 5:05 p.m. (NBC).
- The U.S. women’s basketball team faces Belgium in group play at 3 p.m. USA Network is airing.
- The U.S. women’s 3×3 basketball team plays two games today: The first is against Australia at 7 a.m., the second is against Spain at 3:30 p.m. E! is airing the second game.
- The U.S. is competing in women’s beach volleyball against China at 4:05 p.m. NBC is airing.
Men’s golf tees off in Round 1 at Le Golf National, which hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup. American Xander Schauffele, who won the PGA Championship and British Open this year, is the defending Olympic champion.
Katie Ledecky will try for another medal with the 4×200-meter freestyle relay team. Ledecky won silver as part of the relay in Tokyo. In other events, keep an eye on Ryan Murphy in the 200 backstroke and Kate Douglass and Lilly King in the 200 breaststroke.
All times Eastern
- Heats for the following events start at 5 a.m.: women’s 200m backstroke and 4x200m free relay; men’s 50m free and 200m IM.
- Semifinals for the following events start in the afternoon: men’s 50m free (2:44 p.m.), women’s 200m backstroke (3:10 p.m.), men’s 200m IM (3:34 p.m.).
- Today’s finals: women’s 200m fly (2:30 p.m.), men’s 200m backstroke (2:37 p.m.), women’s 200m breaststroke (3:03 p.m.), women’s 4x200m free relay (4:03 p.m.).
In the women’s all-around final, Simone Biles will be the heavy favorite for gold. At last year’s world championships in Antwerp, Belgium, Biles won her sixth world all-around title, erasing any doubts about her ability to compete with the world’s best after withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics. Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and U.S. teammate Shilese Jones shared the podium with Biles at worlds. If she wins the all-around title in Paris, Biles would be only the third female gymnast – and first since 1968 − to win the all-around gold twice.
In women’s team foil, the Americans are ranked No. 2 in the world behind Italy. Lee Kiefer is expected to lead the U.S. team, which also includes Lauren Scruggs and Jackie Dubrovich.
