November 21, 2024
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2024 Olympics: Simone Biles, Team USA strike gold on Tuesday

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Jul 30, 2024, 03:46 PM ET

Tuesday at the 2024 Paris Olympics brings a return to action for a handful of Team USA’s top names.

Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey’s “redemption tour” is complete after they earned gold in the women’s gymnastics team final. Coco Gauff fell to Donna Vekic in the women’s singles third round. She paired up with Taylor Fritz in the mixed doubles first round and won. Katie Ledecky swam her way to advancing in the women’s 1500m freestyle. The Olympic men’s soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals of an Olympics for the first time since Sydney.

Alongside Gauff and Fritz, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz won their second men’s doubles match at Roland Garros, while Andy Murray has another chance at delaying his retirement as he plays doubles.

Here’s what to look for Tuesday.

Finke wins silver in 800m freestyle

American Bobby Finke did not defend his gold medal in the men’s 800-meter freestyle — but only by a slim margin (0.56 seconds) after he displayed some massive closing speed to make it close. It was Finke and Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen in a tight finish, with the University of Florida star and Florida native taking home a silver.

Wiffen’s win was an upset, and a huge win for Ireland. It was just the 12th gold all time for Ireland at the Summer Olympics. — Emily Kaplan

Smith, Berkoff grab medals in 100m backstroke

The Americans picked up two more medals in swimming on Tuesday night — a silver for Regan Smith and a bronze for Katharine Berkoff — in the 100-meter backstroke. The U.S. teammates put their arms around each other as they walked off from the pool, all smiles, though both were edged by Australian Kaylee McKeown for the gold.

Smith, who broke the 100-meter world record at U.S. trials last month, had the fastest time in qualifying.

Just 22, Smith has spoken openly about the mental struggles of dealing with pressure and celebrity as a teenage phenomenon. During this Olympic cycle, the Minnesota native has worked with the famed Bob Bowman (best known as Michael Phelps’ coach). Bowman is an assistant coach for France these Olympics but still consults with other swimmers. — Emily Kaplan

U.S. men’s soccer advances to quarterfinals

Playing in its third match of the 2024 Olympics, the U.S. Olympic men’s soccer team struck first against Guinea.

The goal came from a wonderful free kick by midfielder Djordje Mihailovic in the 14th minute — his second of the tournament. Kevin Paredes added a second tally in the 31st minute then another in the 75th minute for a 3-0 win.

Team USA qualifies for the knockout rounds for the first time since the Sydney Games in 2000. The U.S. will play Morocco on Friday at 9 a.m. ET.

A fitting finale for the U.S. women’s gymnastics team

With one of the most dominant performances in Olympic history, the U.S. women’s gymnastics team are gold medalists once again. Italy took silver and Brazil earned bronze.

After opening with a commanding performance on vault, the women extended their lead after every rotation, finally winning by a whopping 5.802 points.

As the top team to qualify into the final, the U.S. performed last on floor, where its crowd-pleasing routines gave the meet more of a concert feel than a competition. And because reigning Olympic floor champion Jade Carey, who competed in Tokyo as an individual, did not compete in the rotation, the Americans closed out their team competition with the three returning members of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic team. All three received standing ovations from a crowd that was well aware these women wanted to earn the gold they felt they’d left in Tokyo.

Lee opened the rotation with an elegant, emotional routine, the perfect ending to her night. Next up was Chiles, with her electric Beyonce-inspired choreography and stuck landings. She fought back tears after hitting her final pose, then jumped up, turned to her teammates and yelled, “Let’s go!” while punching her fists toward the mat. “That was fire,” Lee said to her afterward. “Fire!”

And then there was Biles. Fans lucky enough to score tickets to this team final likely forgot about the meet and just enjoyed the show. She was the last performer of the night. “The green light is on,” the venue announcer said. “For the United States of America, please welcome Simone Biles.” The arena fell as silent as it had all night.

From the opening notes of Taylor Swift’s “…Ready For It?” to her signature triple-double pass, Biles was phenomenal. She wasn’t perfect. She stepped out of bounds on both of her eponymous passes. But this night wasn’t about perfection. It was about redemption.

With this medal, her eighth, Biles is the most decorated U.S. gymnast in Olympic history. — Alyssa Roenigk

Final results:

1. United States: 171.296

2. Italy: 165.494

3. Brazil: 164.497

4. Great Britain: 164.263

5. Canada: 162.432

6. China: 162.132

7. Romania: 159.497

8. Japan: 159.463

U.S. gymnasts win gold!

The American women won the team title, jumping and hugging in celebration after Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Simone Biles capped off the competition with three entertaining performances on floor. Biles now has eight medals — the most total Olympic medals of any U.S. gymnast in history. And the U.S. women have now been on the team podium in every Olympics since 1992.

Read more: Biles, U.S. back on top with gymnastics team gold

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Nadal and Alcaraz move on

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz will live to fight another day in the men’s doubles competition, although they may need to heal their wounds.

Nadal is already out of the singles competition having had the unfortunate task of facing Novak Djokovic in the second round. That means his only chance of adding to his two Olympic medals comes alongside Alcaraz.

For a moment, though, they were in real trouble.

The Spanish duo overcame Dutch pair Tallon Griekspoor and Wesley Koolhof via a third-set match tiebreak as they continued their bid to win the men’s doubles title at the Olympic Games.

They made tough work of it, although that’s also because of how brutal the doubles scoring system can be in Paris. Nadal and Alcaraz can usually lose a set or two in singles and still find their way back, but on the doubles court, a third set is always decided by a match tiebreak.

So, after a solid performance from the Dutch pair that saw them stand their ground and win the second set, Nadal and Alcaraz found themselves 10 points from being dumped out.

They turned it on at long last, winning the tiebreak 10-2. Maybe that’s what you should expect from a 14-time French Open winner and his reigning-champ protégé, but it shows how difficult this doubles competition will prove to win. — Connor O’Halloran

Read more: Nadal, Alcaraz move into doubles quarterfinals

Even with a fall, U.S. gymnasts still leading the way

One rotation away.

After building a more-than-three-point lead at the meet’s halfway mark, the U.S. team slightly widened the gap during the third rotation on balance beam. Entering floor, the final event of the competition, the Americans hold a 3.602-point lead over second-place Italy.

Things got off to a shaky start on the event as Jordan Chiles fell off the beam on her mount in the leadoff position, but she recovered and managed to stick her dismount — and keep the energy high for the rest of the team.

Sunisa Lee then followed with a 14.600, and Simone Biles anchored the event with a 14.366.

Teammate Jade Carey was seen jumping up and down in celebration after Biles’ dismount, and the team was all smiles as it waited to rotate.

The American team is looking for its ninth consecutive team medal — a streak starting during the 1992 Games. Lee, Chiles and Biles will close things out for the team on floor. — D’Arcy Maine

Results after rotation three:

1. United States: 129.131

2. Italy: 125.529

3. Great Britain: 124.164

4. Canada: 122.632

5. China: 122.132

6. Brazil: 122.131

7. Romania: 120.497

8. Japan: 120.330

U.S. gymnasts taking command of the competition

Heading into their third rotation on balance beam, the U.S. leads Italy by 3.102 and China by nearly four points. After an outstanding opening trio of vaults from Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Simone Biles, the energy in Bercy Arena shifted. The anxiety over Biles’ left calf and all the what-ifs evaporated with three nearly stuck vaults.

Then the team moved to uneven bars, where two-time Olympian Jordan Chiles led off once again. It’s a role the 23-year-old was made for: nail a routine, set the vibe and then focus on her teammates and hype up the crowd. She did all that and more.

Until her turn, Biles sat away from her teammates and looked calm, yet focused. Her coach, Laurent Landi, walked to her several times, squeezed her left calf and gave her a few form cues. She performed second and rocked a routine with a nearly stuck landing. She reacted with a huge smile, ran to her teammates and blew a kiss to the camera.

Reigning Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee made her team final debut in her signature event and was stellar. She earned the highest score of the night so far on the event.

Next up on beam: Chiles, Lee, Biles. Carey is done for the night. — Alyssa Roenigk

Results after rotation two:

1. United States: 87.432

2. Italy: 84.330

3. China: 83.466

4. Great Britain: 81.931

5. Romania: 81.598

6. Brazil: 81.165

7. Canada: 80.766

8. Japan: 79.565

The stars are present at U.S. women’s gymnastics team final

The women’s gymnastics team final is a marquee event of the Olympic Games. Serena Williams, Michael Phelps and Spike Lee were amongst those who piled into Bercy Arena to witness the greatness of Simone Biles, Suni Lee and Team USA.

U.S. gymnasts off to a big start

The U.S. women’s gymnastics team’s hopes for Olympic gold started off strong on Tuesday night with an impressive opening rotation on vault for a 44.100 total score — and a 1.434 lead over second-place China.

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In front of gold medalists like Serena Williams and Nastia Liukin, and with a strong American contingent of fans in the stands, Jordan Chiles led off for the team and set the tone with a 14.40 for her double-twisting Yurchenko.

Chiles was followed by Jade Carey, competing in her lone event of the night after struggling with illness. But, save for a slight bounce on her landing, Carey showed few signs of discomfort and earned a 14.80 for her Cheng.

Simone Biles anchored the team and — much to the vocal delight of the crowd — showed off her power for a 14.90 and secured the team’s lead. The team, which also includes Sunisa Lee and Hezly Rivera, looked pleased at the event’s conclusion and as they rotated to the uneven bars.

Italy, who was rotating with the Americans after earning the second-highest score in qualifying, finished the rotation in with 41.665. Canada and Brazil are currently in fourth and fifth, respectively.

The U.S. team earned the silver medal in Tokyo three years after Biles withdrew from the competition following the opening rotation on vault. Chiles and Lee, who will both be competing on all three of the remaining events on Tuesday, then helped lift the team to the podium in Biles’ absence. But Biles and the rest of the team have made no secret about wanting to win gold and avenge their Tokyo performance in Paris.

“This is definitely our redemption tour,” Biles said following Olympic trials. “I feel like we all have more to give, and our Tokyo performances weren’t the best. We weren’t under the best circumstances either, but I feel like we have a lot of weight on our shoulders to go out there and prove that we’re better athletes. We’re more mature, we’re smarter, we’re more consistent.” — D’Arcy Maine

Results after rotation one:

1. United States: 44.100

2. China: 42.666

3. Italy: 41.665

4. Canada: 41.433

5. Brazil: 41.199

6. Romania: 40.599

7. Great Britain: 40.199

8. Japan: 39.966

Jonathan Owens in the building to support wife

U.S. women’s gymnast Simone Biles has spent the NFL regular season supporting her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, on the field. But for the Paris Games, Owens returned the favor. The safety showed his support for Biles across his chest (literally), as he arrived wearing a custom graphic T-shirt of his wife.

The Bears safety is watching Biles alongside her parents, Ronald and Nellie Biles.

The U.S. women’s lineups are set

Simone Biles and the U.S. women’s gymnastics team begin their quest for team gold — and what they’ve been calling “redemption” — at 12:15 p.m. ET Tuesday. Biles and Jordan Chiles — her training partner at World Champions Centre, the gym owned by Biles’s parents in Spring, Texas — will compete in all four events. Reigning Olympic all-around champion Suni Lee will compete on bars, beam and floor, and 2021 floor champion Jade Carey, who has been ill this week, will compete only on vault.

Last week (before the pain in Biles’ left calf became a public issue), Biles’ coach, Cecile Landi, and team strategic lead Chellsie Memmel, said they gave Biles the choice to compete in fewer events during the team final if she felt she needed a physical or mental break. They gave her the same choice at the world championships in October, and she decided to compete in the all-around. That she has chosen to do the same here hopefully means the seven-time Olympic champion is feeling good physically and mentally.

The U.S. begins the competition on vault, where Chiles will lead off and Biles will perform the most difficult vault in the world, the Yurchenko double pike — or the “Biles” in the international code of points. Biles is the only woman in the world who performs the skill. After that, the Americans move to uneven bars, where Lee anchors the lineup, then balance beam, where Biles and Lee earned two of the top four scores during qualification. They will finish the competition on floor, where Biles, the 2016 Olympic champion in the event, will close out the competition. — Alyssa Roenigk

The U.S. team will sparkle

The U.S. women’s gymnastics team is dazzling in Paris, and that’s before competition even begins. During Sunday’s team qualification, the gymnasts qualified atop the standings wearing shimmering leos adorned with star-shaped cutouts, velvet detailing and six colors of Swarovski crystals. At Bercy Arena, women’s gymnastics has taken on a sort of runway-show feel, with competition couture and A-list celebrities seated front and center.

So, what will the U.S. team wear next?

For Tuesday’s team final, their red, white and blue “Go for Glory” leos, designed by top gymnastics apparel brand GK Elite, feature nearly 10,000 ruby- and diamond-shaped crystals (each!) and pay homage to the iconic leos worn by the Magnificent Seven, the 1996 team that earned the first Olympic gold medal for American women’s gymnastics.

“You all are not ready,” two-time Olympian Jordan Chiles said after seeing the leos for the first time at U.S. trials in Minneapolis last month. Good thing Team USA is ready. — Alyssa Roenigk

A special moment for the U.S. men’s gymnastics team and their loved ones

After months of sacrifice and training for the Paris Games, the U.S. men’s gymnastics team secured bronze on Monday with a 257.793 score, medaling for the first time since the 2008 Games in Beijing. After receiving their medals, Asher Hong, Paul Juda, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik and Frederick Richard shared the special moment with their families and significant others.

China takes gold in table tennis mixed doubles

In table tennis mixed doubles’ second year in the Olympics, the event has a second champion.

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Three years after China finished with a silver medal in the delayed 2020 Games, its 2024 duo of Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha captured gold Tuesday. Wang and Sun dispatched North Korea’s tandem of Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong, who took home silver, 4-2. South Korea’s Lim Jonghoon and Shin Yubin earned bronze medal honors.

It’s heating up in Paris

It is getting hot at the Olympics. Temperatures just exceeded 30.1 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) at Roland Garros, which has prompted organizers to activate their extreme weather policy.

Players in single matches will have a 10-minute break after the second set. During the break, players can go to the bathroom, take a shower, change their outfit, or eat and drink.

Jasmine Paolini and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova are tied after two sets, so they just had their 10-minute break. As usual, the volunteers came on with a hose to spray the clay and then turned it on the front rows of the crowd. Fans loved it! — Connor O’Halloran

Coco Gauff left in tears after loss

American Coco Gauff was dispatched by Donna Vekic in the third round of the women’s tennis singles competition Tuesday morning in one of the bigger upsets of the event thus far. Vekic, representing Croatia, entered the match ranked No. 21 in the world and as the 13th seed in the Olympic bracket. Gauff slots in at second in WTA’s global ranking, and she was also the second seed in the Olympic tournament.

Vekic will face the winner of the ongoing third-round match between Maria Sakkari, representing Greece, and Marta Kostyuk, representing Ukraine.

Oleksandr Usyk rips Olympic boxing

The International Olympic Committee said that the sport could be dropped from the 2028 Olympic Games if no changes are made in the governance of amateur boxing. Boxing was almost discontinued from the Paris schedule after a row between amateur boxing’s governing body and the IOC. Oleksandr Usyk called the sport “rotten.”

“For many years, there has been a desire to change the boxing system, which is rotten on an international level,” Oleksandr Usyk told SNTV at a Q&A session at Ukraine House. — READ MORE

Surfing heats postponed due to weather

Olympic surfing is held halfway across the globe in Tahiti — 9,800 miles away from Paris — to “engage French overseas territories and their communities in the Olympic Games.” The round of surfing heats Tuesday have been postponed, however, due to weather conditions. Surfline, a surf forecasting website, predicts the surf will be large on Tuesday and Wednesday, but winds could bring “disorganized and potentially out of control” conditions.

Katie Ledecky dominates (again) en route to 1,500m free final

The reigning gold medalist in the women’s 1500m free is back to defend her crown, and she is already cruising.

Katie Ledecky has long been dominant in the event — all of the top 15 times in the 1500m free have been recorded by her — and her prowess was visible during her qualifying heat in Paris. Ledecky touched the wall to finish off the race without a competitor in sight — there wasn’t another swimmer in the broadcast camera’s frame as she headed down the home stretch.

Spain flexes its muscles in men’s basketball

Spain, the reigning FIBA Eurobasket champion, beat Greece and NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo 84-77. But it wasn’t in pretty fashion. Spain gained an early 16-point lead in the first half, spearheaded by Santi Aldama’s 19 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks and Sergio Llull, who scored 11 points in the first half.

Antetokounmpo and Greece fought back and tied things up in the second half, where he finished with 27 points, but a lot of their energy went toward the comeback and not the finish.

The ‘pommel horse guy’ is trending

During the U.S. men’s gymnastics team’s bronze medal performance Monday, the wider sports audience was introduced to bespectacled American pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik, whom the U.S. team brought to Paris to do one job, which he has done: Nail pommel horse routines.

The only American gymnast ever to win a world title on the event, the 25-year-old former Penn State gymnast who spends his downtime in Paris solving a Rubik’s Cube, started trending after the meet. He was the final athlete to compete, and he performed a spectacular pommel horse set (sans glasses), where he secured a medal for Team USA.

America instantly fell for “the Clark Kent of pommel horse” and we’re here for it. — Alyssa Roenigk



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