USA at the top of medal leader board
Phil Helsel
Team USA won six Olympic medals today in Paris, bringing its total to 26: four gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze.
The gold medal that brought that number to four came from a widely praised U.S. women’s gymnastics team performance led by star Simone Biles.
The U.S. is sixth so far in the number of gold medals, although it has the most medals overall.
When it comes to the gold, Japan is in first with seven, and China and Australia have six each. Host country France has five, as does South Korea.
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Keir Simmons
Reporting from Paris
Darryl Adams, the director of accessibility, discusses how artificial intelligence is being during the Olympics to help athletes improve performance and navigate, especially those who are visually impaired.
Men's relay team medal was Team USA's 25th
Doha Madani
The men's swimming relay team may not have won gold, but its second-place finish has earned Team USA its 25th medal at this year's Paris Games.
Seven Americans have earned silver medals for being part of the effort at the 4x200-meter freestyle race. The preliminary team included Brooks Curry, Blake Pieroni, Chris Guiliano and Drew Kibler.
Kibler swam again in the final race, joined by Luke Hobson, Carson Foster and Kieran Smith.
Team USA has won this event four straight times in the past, but it missed the podium in Tokyo for the first time since it began participating in the event.
U.S. women gymnasts not done competing yet
Rebecca Cohen
Team USA’s women gymnasts will have to take the medals off their necks in the coming days so they can get back on the mat in the four individual event finals.
First up: vault. Simone Biles and Jade Carey will prove what they're worth Saturday.
On Sunday, Suni Lee will be the sole representative for Team USA in the bars final.
The beam and floor finals will take place Monday. Biles and Lee will compete on beam, and Biles and Jordan Chiles will compete on floor.
What's up next for Biles and Lee after team gold?
Rebecca Cohen
Simone Biles and Suni Lee will represent Team USA in the individual all-around competition Thursday.
Biles won gold in the event at the Rio Games in 2016, and Lee followed suit, winning gold in Tokyo.
Thursday's contest will put the two champions head to head, where Biles is favored to get the gold, but Lee is likely to medal, as well.
Age is nothing but a number to Biles
Rebecca Cohen
Biles is used to her numbers coming in higher than those of most of her competitors. And when it comes to age, it’s no different.
At 27, Biles is the oldest Olympic gymnast to win a gold medal since 1964.
She and her Team USA teammates earned gold at the team final earlier today, giving Biles' her eighth Olympic gold medal — the most of any U.S. gymnast.
Obama pours on the praise for USA gymnasts
Phil Helsel
Here's a hail from the chief. Former President Barack Obama today congratulated the USA men’s and women’s gymnastics teams for their success at the Paris Games.
The 44th president on X shared posts of the men, who took bronze to win an Olympic medal for the first time in 16 years yesterday, and the women, who won the Olympic gold today.
Obama called star Simone Biles the GOAT, "greatest of all time."
Seine is safe, tests determine; triathlon events set for Wednesday
Evan Bush
After months of speculation about whether the River Seine would be clean enough for Olympic athletes to compete in it, officials deemed the water safe for swimming following a last-minute test.
The favorable test of the river’s water quality early Wednesday Paris time means the men and women will swim in back-to-back races as part of the triathlon event, beginning at 8 a.m. local time. The men’s race had originally been scheduled for Tuesdaybut got postponedafter the Seine failed water quality tests.
“The results of the latest water analyses, received at 3:20 a.m., have been assessed as compliant by World Triathlon allowing for the triathlon competitions to take place,” said a news release from Paris organizers and World Triathlon, the sport’s governing body.
Read the full story.
‘Magnificent Seven’ Olympian Shannon Miller: Biles is ‘inspiring’
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Tom Llamas
Reporting from Paris
Shannon Miller, an Olympic gymnast who was a part of the 1996 Magnificent Seven, talks about the U.S. women’s gymnastics team and Simone Biles’ surpassing her medal record.
Laurie Hernandez responds to critics on X
Kaetlyn LiddyKaetlyn Liddy is a newsroom coordinator for NBC News Digital.
Two-time Olympic medalist Laurie Hernandez, who is leading NBC's live gymnastics commentary in Paris, took to social media to address those criticizing her performance on the broadcast.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion (obviously), but if the opinion related to me and is unkind, please don’t tag me in it (contrary to popular belief, I do see it)," Hernandez said in her post.
Hernandez joins a long line of former Olympic gymnasts to offer commentary on the sport, including 2008 gold medalist Nastia Liukin and team silver medalist Samantha Peszek, who helms NBC's prime-time gymnastics coverage.
U.S. men's soccer team makes quarterfinals for first time in 24 years
Phil Helsel
The last time the USA men’s soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals at an Olympics, it was in Australia and it was the dawn of a new century.
Team USA advanced to the quarterfinals at the Sydney Games in 2000 before falling to Spain in the semis. The USA went on to the bronze medal match but lost to Chile 2-0.
The American men are surely hoping for a better result this time around.
Team USA at the Paris Games beat Guinea 3-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. It men will play Morocco in the quarterfinals Friday in a knockout round.
The U.S. women have had more Olympic success.
They won silver at the 2000 Sydney Games and gold medals in 1996, 2004, 2008 and 2012.
The USA women have clinched a quarterfinal appearance and close out the group stage tomorrow against Australia.
A fall on beam had nothing on Jordan Chiles
Raquel Coronell Uribe
Jordan Chiles fell off the balance beam as soon as she tried to mount it, eliciting a gasp from the packed and star-studded audience in Paris' Bercy Arena.
"Keep an eye out on her ankles," commentator and Olympic gymnastics medalist Laurie Hernandez told viewers. "You can always tell if a gymnast is nervous by the way her ankles shake while she's either walking or on her tippy toes."
But if Chiles' fall had unnerved her, she didn't show it. She aced the rest of her routine and battled back to help the U.S. win team gold.
Colin Jost injures foot while covering surfing. Here’s how it happened.
Lindsay Lowe, TODAY
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Colin Jost is keeping fans updated about his injured foot.
The“SNL” star, who iscovering Olympics surfing for NBCin Tahiti, shared a photo of his left foot with three bandaged toes.
“You know it’s going great when you’ve been to the Olympic medical tent more than any of the athletes,” he wrote in the caption.
Read the full story here.
American swimmer Regan Smith says 'I knew it was going to be an absolute dogfight'
Phil Helsel
Right after coming in second in the 100m backstroke, American Regan Smith told winner Kaylee McKeown how much she respects her.
The two women spoke in the pool after what is being called one of the most exciting swimming contests of these Games so far.
“She said it first. She said she loves racing me and that I make her better, and I said the same thing,” Smith, 22, said on NBC’s broadcast. “I was like, ‘I’m very proud of you; you did absolutely incredible.’”
Regan said that going into the race, “I knew it was going to be an absolute dogfight,” and she said she considers McKeown to be “one of the best racers I think we’ve ever seen.”
“I just left it all in the pool,” Regan said. “I don’t think there’s anything more I could have done, so I’m thrilled with that time, and I’m really pleased to win a silver for USA.”
Do you know the muffin man? Norwegian swimmer finds new obsession in Olympic Village
Doha Madani
Swimmer Henrik Christiansen, 27, has not yet won any medals, but he has won the hearts of many after posting a series of TikTok videos showcasing his love of the bakery at the Olympic Village — well, of one bakery good in particular.
He’s posted at least nine videos about the muffins in recent days, amassing millions of views. It began with an Olympic Village food review, in which he rated the “choccy muffin” 11 out of 10.
Read the full story here.
Katharine Berkoff's backstroke bronze comes on anniversay of dad's Olympic feat
Rohan Nadkarni
Katharine Berkoff's bronze-medal swim in the 100-meter backstroke is particularly special for her family.
Not only is Berkoff taking home hardware from Paris, but she also won the medal exactly 32 years after her father, Dave, won a 100-meter backstroke bronze in Barcelona in 1992.
While both father and daughter are now Olympic medal winners, it’s Dave who owns the title of fastest (for now).
He claimed his bronze in 54.78 seconds in Spain, while Katharine touched the wall at 57.98 today.
Four fastest women ever battle in 100m backstroke final
NBC News
Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, Team USA’s Regan Smith and Katherine Berkoff and Canada’s Kylie Masse delivered one of the best races of the Paris Olympics in the women’s 100-meter backstroke.
Want to swim faster? Get a middle lane
Rohan Nadkarni
Not all pool lanes are created equal.
Swimmers who are closer to the middle of the pool have a slight advantage, and those lanes are assigned depending on how a competitor has performed during qualifying rounds. The swimmer with the fastest time in a semifinal race will be in lane four during the final, because that’s the most coveted spot. The second-fastest swimmer would be in lane five, while the two slowest swimmers will be in the outside lanes.
But why?
The wake swimmers create reverberates off the pool’s walls. Those waves create resistance and affect those closest to the wall the most. Swimmers in the middle lane are generally dealing with water that’s slightly less choppy compared to their competitors on the outside. In a spot where milliseconds matter, every bit of resistance makes a difference.
Meanwhile, those in the middle lane also have the advantage of being able to see more of what’s happening around them, though you obviously can’t waste much time observing other swimmers in the middle of a race.
Snoop and Michael Phelps make some waves of their own
Marlene Lenthang
Snoop Dogg tested out his super “lung power” as he hit the pool for a special lesson with swimming legend and Olympian Michael Phelps.
The hip-hop icon put on a swimming cap and goggles for one-on-one master class from Phelps, a 23-time gold Olympic medal winner, in a special video in celebration of the2024 Paris Olympics.
“When it comes to one of my lifetime goals, there’s only one man I can think of — Mr. 23-time, OG, the GOAT,” Snoop said.
“You see me and MP, we go back like the backstroke. Now MP, how does one get fast in the pool?” he asked.
Read the full story here.
Dream team of Nadal and Alcaraz dominates in tennis
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Lester Holt
Reporting from Paris
Two tennis greats from Spain have teamed up for the first time in Olympic doubles tennis.
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are in different points in their careers but have partnered and powered their way to the quarterfinals.
Natalie Portman, Spike Lee, Bill Gates among those watching U.S. women soar
Phil Helsel
“Black Swan” actor Natalie Portman and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates were among the celebrities spotted in the crowd in Paris watching Simone Biles and the rest of the U.S. women compete.
Spike Lee was cheering in the crowd, and Olympic champion tennis player Serena Williams also took in the action along with legendary swimmer Michael Phelps and his family.
Suni Lee's bar routine sends USA soaring toward gold
Raquel Coronell Uribe
Defending all-around gold medalist Suni Lee stuck the landing of her uneven bars routine, helping the U.S. return to the top of the medal podium in Paris once again.
Lee fell on her first skill on uneven bars during warm-up, leaving spectators on the edges of their seats for the real thing.
Lee pulled it off without a hitch, flying high and sticking the landing.
Everyone wants a piece of Snoop, it seems
Linda Hervieux
Move over Simone Biles, Snoop Dogg may win the Olympic title for top keepsake from the Paris Games.
With pin-trading a passionate Olympics side sport, the Games kicked off with fans and athletes alikevying for Biles’ custom pin— a small yellow heart inscribed with the superstar gymnast’s name.
But after dominating the pin game for days, Biles, who won gold in today’s U.S. gymnastics team final, got a come-from-behind challenge as Snoop Dogg’s signature entry — a likeness of the rapperblowing Olympic-style smoke rings— began gaining.
“The gold medal winner for Olympic collectables,” postedphotographer Eric Seals.
Read the full story here.
NBC News
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande tell the story of Simone Biles and her wickedly talented teammates, who are on a high-flying mission in Paris.
Texas 'troublemaker' Jennifer Lozano journeys from border town to Olympic boxing ring
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Tom Llamas
Often the only female boxer in her Texas border town, Jennifer Lozano is now heading to Paris to compete in her first Olympics.
NBC News
The Olympic cauldron balloon, designed to represent France’s spirit of liberty, is proving so popular that there are calls to make it a permanent fixture at the Parc des Tuilleries.
America's pommel horse hero explains his ear-tug
NBC News
"This right here," says Stephen Nedoroscik, tugging his ear, "is for my dad’s father, my grandfather, my 'dziadziu' — that means grandfather in Polish."
Nedoroscik, whose pommel horse acrobatics helped America's male gymnasts to their first team medal since 2008, has been shown on camera tugging his ear at times. When the "TODAY" show caught up with him in Paris, he explained the significance.
Team USA's bronze-medal-winning gymnast told "TODAY" that his namesake grandfather, a World War II vet, passed away at age 94 last year.
"Back when I was at Penn State," he said, "that was the thing I did whenever I was on TV to say 'hey, dziadziu,' so I've kept the tradition up, and now it also means 'hey' to everyone I love."
Men's basketball: Miracle four-point play gets France past Japan’s upset bid
NBC News
Japan was 16 seconds away from a massive upset, but Matthew Strazel’s tying four-point play forced overtime and Victor Wembanyama took over from there to give France the win.
Water polo highlights: Daube and Bowen lead U.S. men to first win
Susan Baek
Team USA's Hannes Daube and Alex Bowen lifted the men's water polo team to its first victory, each scoring three goals to help defeat Romania 14-8. Watch the game's highlights here.
Aggressive Serbians get to free throw line, sink U.S.
David K. Li
Reporting from Paris
Serbia outscored the foul-prone U.S., 4-0, from the free throw line, leading to the American setback to start 3x3 pool play.
“They just did a better job than us executing their game plan," said former Brigham Young star Jimmer Fredette, who was held to just 4 points in Serbia's 22-14 win. "We got into the foul count really early, they kept getting some easy baskets, and ... they were able to get to the free-throw line and get the ball back."
Fredette's comments came in a statement from USA Basketball. Paris 2024 officials canceled postgame news conferences because of an impending storm.
The Americans return to the outdoor court Thursday against Lithuania.
Soccer: Men's quarterfinal matchups are set
Greg Hyatt
The men's soccer quarterfinals will take place this Friday, beginning the knockout stage.
Team USA kicks off first, taking on Morocco at 9 a.m. ET. The Americans sealed their place in the quarterfinals for the first time since the 2000 Olympics with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Guinea today.
Japan takes on 2020 Olympic silver medalist Spain at 11 a.m. ET. Japan won Group D after a tight 1-0 win against Israel. Spain advanced to the knockout stage despite losing its most recent match to Egypt 2-1.
Meanwhile, Paraguay will take on Egypt at 1 p.m. ET the third match of the day.
The final matchup is a rematch of the thrilling 2022 World Cup final, as France takes on Argentina at 3 p.m. ET. France will hope for a better result in front of its home crowd, as it lost the World Cup final in penalty kicks.
Teams that advance will play in the semifinals scheduled for Aug. 5. The gold medal match will take place Aug. 9.
Beach volleyball: Dutch duo defeats USA’s Chase Budinger, Miles Evans in straight sets
NBC News
Chase Budinger and Miles Evans of the U.S. fell to the Dutch duo Stefan Boermans and Yorick de Groot in straight sets in their second Olympic beach volleyball match at Eiffel Tower Stadium.
Not even a duel would settle this: Should pineapple be on pizza?
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David K. Li
Larissa Gao
David K. Li and Larissa Gao
Reporting from Paris and Hong Kong
Did Hong Kong’s Cheung Ka-long actually defeat Italy’s Filippo Macchi for men’s foil gold, and does pineapple really belong on pizza?
These are the difficult issues brought on by Cheung’s narrow — Italians would say unjust — 15-14 victory yesterday. As Italian and Hong Kong netizens debated the match, online discourse shifted to pizza and some Hong Kong citizens’ enjoying tropical fruit on their slices, which is sacrilege to Italians.
Hong Kong Pizza Hut got into the debate and is offering free pineapple topping on pizza till tomorrow in celebration of Cheung and the greater Hong Kong effort during the Games.
Ilona Maher gets a taste of bronze after women's rugby win
Doha Madani
Ilona Maher posted a selfie taking a bite of her bronze medal after the women's rugby sevens team earned its first-ever Olympic medal.
Maher became a viral sensation after the Games in Tokyo and has used her social media platform to promote women's rugby to new audiences.
"Delicious," she captioned the photo on X.
Serbia shows why it's the world champ in 3x3
David K. Li
Reporting from Paris
Defending world champion Serbia rudely welcomed the U.S. to 3x3 Olympic basketball, pulling away for a 22-14 victory, holding American scoring machine Jimmer Fredette to just 4 points.
Strahinja “Dr. Strange” Stojačić nailed a long-range 2-pointer to win it.
Kareem Madbox paced the U.S. with 6 points. The U.S. led 10-9 before Serbia ended on a 13-4 run.
Serbia won the FIBA 3x3 World Cup, beating the U.S. in the final. The U.S. didn’t qualify for the Tokyo Games, which Latvia won, withSerbia taking bronze.
Swimming: Great Britain wins men’s 4x200-meter freestyle relay
Rohan Nadkarni
Great Britain took home the gold in the men’s 4x200-meter freestyle relay.
Duncan Scott closed out the relay for the Brits, who led for much of the race and won comfortably. Their time of 6:59.43 was more than a second faster than that of the U.S., which finished in 7 minutes and 0.78 seconds.
It was still an impressive finish for the U.S., who won silver after having not even medaled in the event in Tokyo. Australia won bronze, holding off China and France.
Swimming: Fallon out, Matheny in for 200m breaststroke final
Susan Baek
Josh Matheny just took what many thought would be fellow American Matt Fallon's place in the finals in the men's 200-meter breaststroke. Fallon missed qualifying by 0.07 seconds.
Also vying for gold tomorrow will be Australia's Zac Stubblety-Cook, the defending Olympic champ, and French favorite Léon Marchand.
13 years after JimmerMania, aformercollege star aims for gold
Greg Rosenstein
Reporting from Las Vegas
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There are athletes who get recognized in public, and there are athletes who literally stop traffic.
Even more than a decade removed from the height of his fame as a college basketball star, Jimmer Fredette is among the latter.
On a recent picture-perfect day in Marseille, France, Fredette decided to walk the one mile to his team’s practice ahead of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour, a sport that was added to the Olympics in 2020.Packed with vacationers that late May afternoon, cars sped past heading to and from the beautiful Mediterranean beaches.
Then everything halted.
Read the full story here.
Swimming: USA's Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh will vie for gold in 100 free
Susan Baek
U.S. swimmers Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh swam just fast enough to qualify for the women's 100m freestyle finals, posting the seventh and eighth fastest times in the semis.
In tomorrow's final, Huske and Walsh will face tough competition from 2023 World Champion Mollie O'Callaghan from Australia and Tokyo silver medalist Siobhan Haughey from Hong Kong.
Swimming: USA’s Bobby Finke wins silver in 800-meter freestyle
Rohan Nadkarni
The U.S.’ Bobby Finke won a silver medal in the men’s 800-meter freestyle final.
Finke finished second to Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen in the marathon race. Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri took home the bronze.
Wiffen finished in 7 minutes and 38.19 seconds. Finke finished slightly behind him at 7 minutes and 38.75 seconds.
Soccer: Team USA beats Guinea 3-0, advances to quarterfinals
Greg Hyatt
Team USA won 3-0 against Guinea, advancing to the men's quarterfinals.
It's the Americans' first time in the Olympic quarterfinals since 2000 in Sydney.
Midfielder Djordje Mihailovic scored the opening goal in the 14th minute, followed by two goals from 21-year-old Virginia native Kevin Paredes.
Guinea created chances of its own and had possession more than Team USA but couldn't capitalize.
The Americans will play Morocco in the quarterfinals Friday.
Swimming: Kaylee McKeown takes gold in thrilling finish; USA second and third
Rohan Nadkarni
Australia’s Kaylee McKeown won gold in the women’s 100-meter backstroke in an incredible finish.
McKeown and Americans Regan Smith and Katharine Berkoff were neck and neck after the turn, leaping off the wall at nearly the exact same time. Over the final 30 meters or so, McKeown finally pulled the slightest bit ahead, setting an Olympic record by finishing in 57.33 seconds.
Smith took silver with a 57.66-second race, while Berkoff was right behind her, ending up at 57.98 seconds.
U.S. swimmers Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano advance to 100 freestyle final
Susan Baek
American swimmers Jack Alexy and Chris Guiliano will head to a power-packed final for the men's 100-meter free after they qualified with the fifth and sixth fastest times in their respective semifinal heats.
Alexy and Guiliano have already won gold in Paris, swimming legs of the 4x100 free relay for Team USA on Friday.
Tomorrow's final is bound to see greatness from some of the fastest swimmers in history: China's Zhanle Pan, who holds the world record; Romania's David Popovici, who held the previous record; and 2023 world champion Kyle Chalmers of Australia.
Soccer: Team USA second-half scoring chance denied
Greg Hyatt
Team USA has a scoring chance from a corner denied in the 59th minute. Jack McGlynn found Nathan Harriel for a header but was blocked by Guinea's goalkeeper. After 62 minutes, Team USA maintains a 2-0 lead.
Gymnastics: Team USA gets gold in team final
Rebecca Cohen
The U.S. women's gymnastics team is making their way to the top of the podium after a gold medal finish on the team event today.
It was a strong showing for these women today, who had consistent performances across all four apparatuses, save for one fall on the beam.
Italy followed in second place —their first Olympic team medal since 1928 — and Brazil took third.
Team USA will appear in all five of the individual event finals, which are up next. Biles and Lee will represent Team USA in the all-around, which is on Thursday.
Beach volleyball: Partain and Benesh earn first Olympic win
Susan Baek
USA's Miles Partain and Andy Benesh bounced back from their first match loss to Cuba and won against Morocco in straight sets Tuesday.
After comfortably winning their first set, the pair found the second more challenging. Morocco tied it up at 21-21 after officials ruled that Benesh touched the net during a block, extending the match until the Americans won with their 28th point.
Partain, 22, and Benesh, 29, make up the youngest U.S. Olympic beach volleyball team ever. They will play their next preliminary match Thursday against Brazil.
Rugby: New Zealand women win gold in 19-12 match; Canada takes silver
Doha Madani
It was another tough women's rugby sevens game, but New Zealand ultimately conquered 19-12. Their opponent, Canada, will go home with the silver medal.
New Zealand, the defending champions from 2020, came back from behind early in the second half, squeaking ahead by 2 points and then securing their win with a second scoring try.
This is the team's second consecutive Olympic gold medal in women's rugby.
Host nation sees early medals success
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Jean-Nicholas Fievet
France has gotten off to a flying start at these Games, winning a total of 16 medals and lying second in the medal table behind the USA. After three full days of competition, that’s almost half the number of medals the country won during the whole of the Tokyo Games, and the same number it won in Seoul in 1988.
Olympic hosts usually increase their medal count when compared to previous Games.
Japan took home 41 medals in Rio before winning 58 in Tokyo. Brazil won 17 medals in London and 19 in Rio. Great Britain won 51 medals in Beijing and 65 in London. China won 63 medals in Athens before boosting their tally to 100 in Beijing.
The only recent exception was the U.S. in 1996. The U.S. led the medals table in Atlanta with 101 medals, but saw a decrease on Barcelona’s total of 112.
Home advantage and the kind of support we’ve seen in Paris for local heroes Antoine Dupont and Léon Marchand is one factor.
So is the funding increase for elite sports programs by countries hosting the Games. British sports body UK Sport says its record investment helped the country win 65 Olympic and 120 Paralympic medals at London 2012.
President Macron has said he wants France to be among the top five Olympic nations. Since the Rio Games, state funding for elite sport has increased by 68%, with one objective: win medals at Paris 2024.
Basketball highlights: RJ Barrett leads Canada to second-straight win
Susan Baek
The NBA player-led Canadian team defeated Australia 93-83 on Tuesday in their second group-phase game. RJ Barrett's 24 points and seven rebounds led the way, with 16 points from both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillon Brooks.
Josh Giddey, guard for the Chicago Bulls, put up 19 points for Australia.
Soccer: Team USA has 2-0 lead at halftime over Guinea
Greg Hyatt
After 45 minutes of play in the first half, Team USA has a 2-0 lead over Guinea courtesy of goals from Djordje Mihailovic in the 14th minute and Kevin Paredes in the 31st.
The Americans have so far dominated possession and have more shots on target, including two missed shots that hit the goal post.
If Team USA maintains their lead in the second half, they're in line to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Soccer: Guinea's first shot on target saved by Team USA
Greg Hyatt
Guinea's first shot on target from Ilaix Moriba is saved comfortably by USA keeper Patrick Schulte in the 41st minute. Team USA maintains a 2-0 lead in the last few minutes of the first half.
Gymnastics: Biles averts disaster on beam
Kaetlyn LiddyKaetlyn Liddy is a newsroom coordinator for NBC News Digital.
The easiest skill in Biles’ routine almost brought her off the 4-inch apparatus. On a side aerial, she landed on the tips of her toes and saved it like the all-star she is.
The U.S. will breathe a sigh of relief now that beam is behind them. Biles’ score of 14.366 will keep the team comfortably in first.
Just the floor exercise stands between Team USA and a gold medal.
Soccer: Team USA extends lead 2-0 in first half
Greg Hyatt
Team USA takes a 2-0 lead after a through ball from Paxten Aaronson in midfield finds a sprinting Kevin Paredes to beat the keeper in the 31st minute.
Team USA medals for the first time ever in women's rugby sevens
Doha Madani
It was a historic moment for Team USA today as the women's rugby sevens squad came back from behind twice in order to win its first-ever medal at the Olympics.
This also marks the first rugby medal for the U.S. since 1924, when the men won gold. Those Games were also hosted in Paris.
Soccer: Guinea makes substitution for injured player
Greg Hyatt
Guinea makes a substitution for injured player Bengaly Cisse. Coming into the game is defender Naby Oulare. After 29 minutes of controlling possession, Team USA maintains a 1-0 lead.
Gymnastics: Team USA tops the leaderboard halfway through the final
Rebecca Cohen
Two rotations down, two to go and Team USA is in a comfortable first place. Italy trails the U.S. by 3 points in second place, followed by China in third.
Rugby: USA wins bronze in 14-12 game against Australia
Doha Madani
Team USA won its first bronze in women's rugby sevens in a 14-12 match against Australia.
The American women fought hard against an aggressive Australian offensive but scored in the final minute of the game. Australia failed to convert its final try for the additional 2 points, and Team USA was able to break away to score in the final few seconds of regulation.
A two-point conversion won the game for the U.S. women.
The American men last won a medal in rugby in the 1924 Olympics, which were also held in Paris.
Team USA women lead halfway through team gymnastics final
Rebecca Cohen
The women's gymnastics final is halfway done and Team USA is in a comfortable first place.
After nearly-perfect routines on both vault and bars, the U.S. has a score of 87.432 — 3 points ahead of second-place Italy.
The women now move on to the trickiest of the events: beam. If they can get through that, floor will surely be a victory lap for this all-star team.
Click here for full coverage.
Basketball: France survives scare vs. Japan in OT thriller
Rohan Nadkarni
France barely escaped with their second win of men’s basketball group play, beating Japan in overtime 94-90.
Japan is going to be sick after this one. Up 82-80, Japan got a huge defensive stop, as Victor Wembanyama missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer with 25 seconds to go. Japan was then leading 84-80 after two Yuki Kawamura free throws with about 16 seconds left, only for France to improbably tie the game on the next possession.
Matthew Strazelhit a frantic 3-pointer from the left wing off an offensive rebound scramble and was sent to the free-throw line after a foul call on Kawamura. Frankly, it was a bad call. Multiple replays failed to show any serious contact on the shot, but Strazel was nonetheless able to tie the game at the line.
In overtime, France overwhelmed. Wembanyama scored 8 straight points by himself — an and-1, a 3 from the top of the key, and then two more from the stripe. Japan hit a couple 3s in the waning seconds, but it was too little, too late.
France is now 2-0 in Group B play. Japan fell to 0-2 with the loss.
Tennis highlights: Taylor Fritz holds off Jack Draper in second-round victory
Susan Baek
After battling back from losing the first set, USA’s Taylor Fritz defeated Britain’s Jack Draper 2-1 in the second round of men's singles. Watch his match highlights here.
Soccer: Team USA scores 1-0 with a free kick
Greg Hyatt
Team USA's Djordje Mihailovic scores a perfect free kick into the top corner and past the keeper in the 14th minute. Team USA is off to a quick 1-0 lead.
Soccer: Morocco and Argentina advance to men's quarterfinals
Doha Madani
Morocco is the first to advance into the quarterfinals after defeating Iraq 3-0 in a fight for survival as the entire men's Group B went into their matches today in a four-way tie.
At the same time, Argentina played a difficult match against Ukraine, winning 2-0 after struggling to score the entire first half. Argentina managed to finally score a goal three minutes into the second half and then again to secure the match in the final minute of regulation time.
While Ukraine had several opportunities, no one on the squad was able to sink the ball into the back of the net.
Morocco's high-scoring game has secured them the top spot in the group, with Argentina coming in second.
Soccer: Early chance for Team USA denied by Guinea
Greg Hyatt
Team USA has its first chance denied after a misplaced pass from Guinea's goalkeeper allows a shot on target for Griffin Yow.
Rugby: France claims 5th place
David K. Li
Reporting from Paris
French fans gave theirwomen’srugby sevens side a rousing cheer followingits21-7 victory over China to capture fifth place. French players lingered in the field to give their own applause to fans who filled Stade de France throughout this tournament.
Soccer: Team USA men's starting lineup against Guinea
Greg Hyatt
The men's soccer team kicks off at 1 p.m. ET against Guinea.
They're looking to capitalize off a 4-1 victory against New Zealand in their previous match.
Boxing: 20-year-old Alyssa Mendoza advances to Round of 16
Susan Baek
Team USA's youngest boxer, Alyssa Mendoza, defeated Tajikistan's Mijgona Samadova, 3-2, in her Olympic debut in the women's 57 kg preliminaries.
The fight was too close to call until the very end, when the announcement of Mendoza's win shocked Samadova into tears. Mendoza will go on to face Brazil's Jucielen Cerqueira Romeu in the Round of 16 on Friday.
Soccer: U.S. men seeking to advance
Tim Perone
Reporting from Paris
The American men's team faces off against Guinea at 1 p.m. ET today and is hoping to move on to the knockout phase.
If they do, it'll only be the second time the men advance out of group phase and the first since 2000 in Sydney.
The easiest way for the Americans to guarantee moving on is with a win. If they draw or lose, they'll need help from other games breaking their way.
3x3 basketball: Germany stuns USA with comeback win
Rohan Nadkarni
Whoa!
Germany pulled off an impressive win to tip off women’s 3x3 basketball Tuesday, besting USA 17-13.
The U.S. raced out to a quick 5-0 lead and looked dominant in every facet, scoring with ease while stifling the German offense. The States are the reigning gold medalists in the relatively new format and looked to have a stranglehold on the game early.
But Germany’s thumping bricks soon turned into swishes from 2-point range, and that completely tipped the scales in their favor. The Germans got scorching hot from outside, and the U.S. — made up of WNBAers Rhyne Howard, Dearica Hamby, Cierra Burdick and Hailey Van Lith — couldn’t keep up.
USA lost only one group match in Tokyo before winning gold. Pool play continues for them tomorrow vs. Azerbaijan.
Men's water polo: USA defeats Romania, 14-8
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Raquel Coronell Uribe
David K. Li
Raquel Coronell Uribe and David K. Li
The men's water polo team was victorious for the first time in Paris.
Alex Bowen and Hannes Daube each scored three goals to lead the United States to a 14-8 victory over Romania in water polo.
Bowen scored the winning goal with 19 seconds left on the clock in the fourth period.
The USA will play Greece tomorrow.
Surfing postponed due to inclement weather
Greg Rosenstein
The next round of the Paris Olympics surfing competition has been postponed in Tahiti due to strong wind and rain.
When the event will resume has not been decided. The next update is expected Tuesday at 11:45 p.m. ET.
BMX freestyle: Hannah Roberts, Perris Benegas through to final
Susan Baek
USA's Hannah Roberts and Perris Benegas showed off masterful cycling stunts to advance to the BMX freestyle final. Roberts had the highest qualifying score, while Benegas had the fourth highest.
In Tokyo, Roberts won silver and Benegas placed fourth. Both will aim for medals in the final tomorrow.
Soccer: Argentina, Ukraine, Morocco and Iraq in 4-way tie for knockouts
Doha Madani
It's a vital few hours for Group B in the men's soccer tournament as all four of the squads go into the last day before knockouts in a tie.
Only the top two teams of each group will advance to knockouts. Argentina, Ukraine, Morocco and Iraq are tied in the standings with 3 points each.
Ukraine is currently playing Argentina, though neither team has scored in the first 30 minutes. Morocco has edged ahead of Iraq with two goals, one by Amir Richardson and another by Soufiane Rahimi.
Tennis: Gauff says 'this isn't fair' after umpire call
Raquel Coronell Uribe
Coco Gauff’s campaign for Olympic gold ended today after she lost to Croatia’s Donna Vekic.
During the match, a line judge called a ball that landed near the baseline out and Gauff did not keep the ball in play. A chair umpire later ruled the ball had been in, awarding the point to Vekic. Gauff said the timing of the call affected her ability to return, initiating a spat with the umpire.
The scene was a déjà vu. Gauff had an almost identical dispute on the same court months earlier during the French Open, in a semifinal match with Iga Swiatek.
“It isn’t fair,” Gauff said to the official. “It always happens to me on this court. I have to advocate for myself every time.”
Vekic won the first set 7-6 in a tiebreaker and the second set (during which the argument occurred) 6-2.
Soccer: Egypt upsets Spain 2-1, both going to knockouts
Doha Madani
Egypt beat Spain's national soccer team in Bordeaux this afternoon in a game between the top two countries in men's Group C at the Olympics.
Though both teams were headed to knockouts regardless of the match's results, Spain and Egypt played aggressively down to the last minute of added stoppage time. Egypt led 2-0 toward the end of regular time, but Spanish forward Samu Omorodion scored at the 90-minute mark to put them on the scoreboard.
The Egyptians didn't just want to win; the team played like it wanted to overtake Spain in the standings. They made several attempts at the goal even while in the lead, including an offside by Atef Ahmed, but failed to make it count.
Group C's other matchup for the day, Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan, finished at 1-1. Neither team has enough points to make it to the quarterfinal.
Basketball highlights: Giannis puts up 27 in loss to Spain
Susan Baek
Spain defeated Greece 84-77 in an intense group play game earlier today. Giannis led the charge in the second half to erase Spain's 16-point lead, but it was not enough to overtake Spain's strong shooting, led by Memphis Grizzlies player Santi Aldama.
Greece now sits in last place in its group before playing their final group play game on Friday.
Ledecky leaves no question in 1500 freestyle prelims
Susan Baek
Katie Ledecky comfortably advanced to the 1500-meter free final after reminding us why she is the GOAT in this race.
Finishing nearly 18 seconds ahead of the nearest swimmer, Ledecky was swimming a race of her own. Her time of 15:47.43, however, was measured — she has the world record nearly 40 seconds under that.
In tomorrow's final, we expect another dazzling swim for Ledecky's eighth Olympic gold medal.
Table tennis: China begins expected medal sweep, claiming mixed doubles gold
Raquel Coronell Uribe
China has taken gold for table tennis mixed doubles. The team of Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin avenged the country, which had failed to take gold in this event in Tokyo. It was the only table tennis event in which China hadn’t come out victorious, so heavy expectations were sitting on Sun and Wang’s shoulders.
The team defeated North Korea in the final four games to two. This is the first five of table tennis events in Paris. China is the favorite for gold on all five.
Wang walks away with his first Olympic medal. Sun is adding a third to her collection. They will both be competing in the singles and team competitions, too.
China has won 61 of 118 available Olympic medals in table tennis, including 33 gold medals.
This silver is North Korea’s first medal at the Paris Games — and their first Olympic medal since Rio after missing the Tokyo Games due to Covid.
South Korea won bronze, narrowly defeating Hong Kong’s team to walk away with its first table tennis medal in 12 years.
Nyjah Huston is skateboarding around Paris with his Olympics bronze medal
Jonathan Lloyd, NBC Los Angeles
What’s better than skateboarding in Paris? How about skateboarding in Paris with a bronze medal you just won at the Olympics.
That’s what Laguna Beach’s Nyjah Huston did Monday after winning bronze in ahighly competitive men’s street finalin the French capital. Huston posted a video to Instagram of his skate down a Parisian street, bronze medal in hand, in a moment of solitude after being in the spotlight.
“That was a good moment for me,” Huston said. “After all the media, getting done, getting tested, I was just skating down the street and really just taking in the moment. That video was really the true street skateboarder in me.
“I’m meant to be a skateboarder, and I’m so thankful to be a skateboarder. Obviously, getting stuff like this is great, but just being able to make a living off of what we absolutely love the most is the best part.”
Women's rugby: United States upbeat headed to bronze game
David K. Li
Reporting from Saint-Denis, France
The underdog Americans, following a competitive loss to mighty New Zealand in the rugby sevens semifinal, will play Australia for bronze at 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET).
Before defeating the United States 24-12, the Black Ferns Sevens had scored 119 points in three pool wins before walloping China 55-5 in the quarterfinals.
"New Zealand's not an easy team to score on, so we look at the silver linings," U.S. captain Naya Tapper told NBC News following America's loss to the defending Olympic champions. "We kept them down pretty low compared to the numbers they've been able to put on other teams, and we also put some tries on them. So we're hoping to learn from those and bring that into the bronze medal game."
The Australians won gold in 2016 Rio. Canada will play the Black Ferns for gold.
Tennis: Emma Navarro out; Danielle Collins heads to quarterfinals
Susan Baek
After Coco Gauff fell in the third round of women's singles, Emma Navarro followed suit, losing to China's Qinwen Zheng 2-1. Like Gauff, this was Navarro's first Olympics.
Danielle Collins will be the only American heading into the quarterfinals of women's singles, after defeating Colombia's Camila Osorio 2-1 earlier today.
Collins, 30, hadn't qualified for the Olympic team until Paris and is set to retire at the end of the year.
Basketball star Anthony Edwards supports table tennis team after challenging them in viral video
Drew Weisholtz, TODAY
Anthony Edwards, one of the emerging stars in the NBA, is in Paris with Team USA hoping to help themen’s basketball squadwin its fifth-consecutive Olympic gold medal. But he’s also got his eye on another sport.
The Minnesota Timberwolves guard was in the crowd when fellow American Lily Zhang defeated Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi in table tennis on Monday. After Zhang won a point in the match, a camera captured Edwardsstanding and cheering.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” he could be seen saying.
Edwards was on hand at the match after teammate Stephen Curryintroduced him to several members of the table tennis teamduring theopening ceremony.
Paris under alerts for extreme heat and thunderstorms
Denise Chow
A heat wave has descended over the Olympic Games, with temperatures in Paris expected to hit 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) or higher on Tuesday.
Paris and its surrounding areas remain under a “yellow alert” for extreme heat, the second of four alert levels. Heat index values (which represent what conditions “feel like” with humidity) of 110 degrees F (43 degrees C) are possible in some places.
The heat wave is expected to be more intense in Southern France, including in spots where Olympic soccer and sailing events are happening.
France’s meteorological service also put in place an alert for major thunderstorms, which are expected to bring heavy rain and lightning to Paris on Tuesday evening.
The combination of soaring heat and evening thunderstorms may throw a wrench in several of the day's events, including beach volleyball, soccer and equestrian.
After Tuesday, temperatures are expected to hover in the mid-80s (around 30 degrees C) for the remainder of the week.
Fencer Lee Kiefer on her second gold medal win
Susan Baek
Kiefer, who won back-to-back gold medals in foil fencing on Sunday, chats with NBC News Now's Steven Romo about how she feels post-win, and how she's prepping for the team foil event that begins Thursday.
French supporting women's rugby
David K. Li
Reporting from Saint-Denis, France
French fans filled Stade de France on a blistering Tuesday afternoon, even if their rugby sevens team was out of medal contention and only playing in the consolation bracket.
With that full voice behind them, the French women rallied for a 19-7 victory over Ireland and will play tonight for fifth place.
The United States plays New Zealand in the semifinals shortly, with the winner going to the gold medal match.
U.S. men’s gymnastics team discusses its camaraderie: 'We just wanted to compete for each other'
![2024 Paris Olympics: The top moments of Day 4 in Paris (38) 2024 Paris Olympics: The top moments of Day 4 in Paris (38)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_focal-60x60,f_auto,q_auto:best/newscms/2024_32/3658448/240730-nick-fievet.jpg)
Jean-Nicholas Fievet
Brody Malone, Asher Hong and Stephen Nedoroscik spoke to Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb after winning bronze yesterday, the first U.S. men’s gymnastics team medal in 16 years.
“This is something we’ve worked for our entire careers” Malone said.
Asked about the team’s obvious camaraderie, Hong credited the National Collegiate Athletic Association and its team ethos. “We just wanted to compete for each other, and have a lot of fun with each other.”
The team makes a point of not watching the other teams perform and not following the scores so that they can completely focus on their own performance, Malone told the "TODAY" anchors.
Nedoroscik, who wears glasses, said he had seen the memes on social media that compare him with Superman’s Clark Kent. “I think they’re awesome — I’m representing people that wear glasses!”
The 25-year-old removes his glasses just before he competes, and says that when he goes up on the pommel horse “it’s all about feeling the equipment. I don’t even really see when I’m doing my gymnastics. It’s all in the hands, I can feel everything.”
Nedoroscik also revealed that he likes to solve a Rubik’s cube to relieve the pressure of competition, solving it in 9½seconds ahead of yesterday's medal-winning performances.
Paul Juda and Frederick Richard were also part of the team that secured bronze last night.
Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina catches some air
NBC News
After getting a huge wave at the surfing competition in Tahiti, Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina looks like he’s having a bit of a transcendent moment.
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Medina was in the 5th heat of the men’s surfing round 3 yesterday.
Tennis: Gauff crashes out
Rob Wile
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Coco Gauff lost in a stunning upset to Croatian Donna Vekic in straight sets in the third round.
While she is still set for doubles competition, the world No. 2 lost a closely fought match that was delayed as Gauff argued what she said was an erroneous call.
Now that's what we call convenience
Sam Brock
Reporting from Paris
We just arrived at the Aquatics Centre and they sell swimsuits — from a vending machine. For those curious, women’s suits are 16 euros and men’s 14 euros.
Tennis: Gauff, down 2-4 in second set, starts arguing with umpire
Rob Wile
American tennis star Coco Gauff couldn't catch a break as she trails Croatian Donna Vekic 2 games to 4 in the second set.
Gauff, the No. 2 player in the world, already lost the first set in a fiercely fought round of games that saw her give up a breakpoint.
She now risks crashing out in the third round.
As she fell behind, she delayed the match for almost 10 minutes as she went to argue a close call.
"I feel like I'm getting cheated on constantly in this game," she said.
Rugby: America has chance for medal for first time in century
Tim Perone
Reporting from Paris
When the U.S. women beat Great Britain yesterday, it guaranteed the Americans a chance to play for a medal today.
The last time the United States won a medal in rugby was when the men’s team won gold at the 1924 Paris Games. Women’s rugby made its Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Games.
The U.S. is set for semifinal showdown today vs. New Zealand at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Coco Gauff loses firstset
![2024 Paris Olympics: The top moments of Day 4 in Paris (44) 2024 Paris Olympics: The top moments of Day 4 in Paris (44)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_focal-60x60,f_auto,q_auto:best/newscms/2024_32/3658448/240730-nick-fievet.jpg)
Jean-Nicholas Fievet
The American has lost the first set 7-6 to Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the third round of the women’s singles.
Egyptian fencer reveals she competed at Olympics while seven months pregnant
Larissa Gao
Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez has revealed that she competed at the Paris Olympics while she is seven months pregnant.
“What appears to you as two players on the podium, they were actually three! It was me, my competitor, & my yet-to-come to our world, little baby!” The 26-year-old fencer said in an Instagram post yesterday, calling the Olympics different as “carrying a little Olympian one.”
The three-time Olympianlost 15-7 to South Korea’s Jeon Hayoung in the Round of 16 at the Grand Palais yesterday, on the same day she beat Elizabeth Tartakovsky of the U.S., 15-13.
“The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life & sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it,” she said. “I’m writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16!”
France superstar Léon Marchand back in the pool
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Jean-Nicholas Fievet
How many medals can the Frenchman win at these games? That’s the question the host country is asking.
Marchand faces a huge challenge today, swimming in the prelims of two separate individual races on the same day: the 200-meter butterfly and the 200-meter breaststroke.
The heats in those two events have wrapped, and the 22-year-old has qualified for both semifinals later today. They will be held just 75 minutes apart.
The finals for both events are tomorrow.
On Sunday, Marchand broke the Olympic record to take gold in his favorite event, the 400-meter individual medley.
U.S. women's basketball shines over Japan
NBC News
The U.S. women’s team opened play with a 26-point win over Japan yesterday (102-76), with Las Vegas Aces’ star A’ja Wilson leading the team with 24 points and the New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart adding 22 points.
The U.S. women have now won 56 straight Olympic Games since their last Olympic loss at the 1992 Barcelona Games. In Paris, they're looking to become the first team in any sport to win eight straight Olympic golds.
The U.S. is currently tied with the U.S. men’s basketball team, which won seven straight gold medals from 1936-1968.
The U.S. women’s next game is Thursday against Belgium at 3 p.m. ET.
Regan Smith and Kaylee McKeown back at it again
David K. Li
Reporting from Paris
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America's Regan Smith and Australia's Kaylee McKeown will renew one of the biggest rivalries in swimming when they meet in the 100-meter backstroke the pool at the Olympics Aquatics Centre near Paris tonight.
The race between world record holder Smith, a native of Lakeville, Minnesota, and Olympic record holder McKeown is slated for 3 p.m. ET (9 p.m. local time).
Three more sets of Olympic medals will also be awarded at Paris La Défense Arena with Bobby Finke, from Clearwater, Florida, swimming in the 800 freestyle at 3:07 p.m. ET.
And at 4:15 p.m. ET, Team USA's men hope to bounce back from a fourth-place finish in the 4x200 freestyle relay in Tokyo.
Ryan Murphy medals, then finds out he’ll be a ‘girl dad’
Alexander Smith
Reporting from Paris
For American swimmer Ryan Murphy, it was a life-affirming two-in-one: He had just won bronze in the men’s 100-meter backstroke when he found out his pregnant wife was having a girl.
While he was walking to the podium yesterday, Murphy’s wife, Bridget, held up a sign saying, "Ryan it’s a girl!"
"That’s a great way to find out," he said. "That really lit me up and brought this night to a whole other level. It’s really exciting to learn that I’m going to be a girl dad."
Click here to read the full article
Team USA triathlete 'definitely not afraid' to swim in the Seine
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Keir Simmons
Sossy Dombourian
Keir Simmons and Sossy Dombourian
Reporting from Paris
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Cancellations because of poor water conditions are not unusual, Team USA triathlete Kristin Kasper told NBC News after the men's competition was postponed because of concerns about pollution in the Seine.
"I’m just trying to focus on what I can control," the 32-year-old from Boulder, Colorado, said before the women's triathlon, which starts tomorrow. "And I think me and my teammates are just trying to hope for the best and line up on race day and hopefully we have a swim."
Kasper added that she was "definitely not afraid to swim in the river."
"We swim in a lot of city locations, and it’s common for water quality to be a question. But I just have to trust that the race organizers are doing the testing and what they need to do to make sure it’s safe," she said. "It’s the Olympics, so I’m going all in."
Chinese diver says drug testing 'seven times a day' is hurting swimmers’ performance
+2
Aishwarya Thapa Chhetri
Cheng Wong
Charlotte Kwan
Aishwarya Thapa Chhetri, Cheng Wong and Charlotte Kwan
Reporting from Hong Kong
Relentless drug testing "seven times a day" is hurting the performance of Chinese swimmers in Paris, one of the country’s top divers said.
"There must be something wrong with the pre-competition training of the athletes," Gao Min, a gold medalist in the springboard event at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics, wrote yesterday on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform. "I personally think that the doping test seven times a day has successfully interfered with our Chinese swimming team."
A day earlier, Zhang Yufei, a silver medalist in the women’s 100-meter butterfly in Tokyo in 2021, won bronze in the same event in Paris. Another Chinese swimmer seen as a top contender for gold, Qin Haiyang, came seventh in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke, an event he won at the world championships last year.
Both are among 11 Chinese swimmers competing in Paris who tested positive for a banned heart drug before the Tokyo Games in 2021. Though they were not sanctioned at the time, the revelation of the positive tests earlier this year has cast suspicion on Chinese swimmers, who have been subject to more frequent drug tests.
According to World Aquatics, swimming’s international governing body, Chinese swimmers have on average been tested 21 times since the start of this year, compared with six times for American swimmers.
Zhang defeats Takashi to advance to table tennis Round of 16
NBC News
Team USA's Lily Zhang got past Brazil's Bruna Takashi in table tennis late yesterday to move into the last 16. Zhang won 4-2 in a contest which had the crowd screaming at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
U.S. women, two wins away from rugby sevens gold
David K. Li
Reporting from Paris
American women play two rugby sevens matches today. A pair of victories will bring gold and just one will win the team its first medal.
Team USA's contest against New Zealand is slated for 9:30 a.m. ET (3:30 p.m. local time) at the Stade de France. The winners will play either Canada or Australia for gold at 1:45 p.m. ET (7:45 p.m. local). The losing teams will play for bronze at 1:00 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. local).
Burlington, Vermont, native Ilona Maher has scored three tries this tournament, which has already been a historic run for the Americans who were beaten in the quarterfinals of Rio and Tokyo.
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"She got it:mind set, running strong and hard, not trying to go down, get to the end zone by any means," Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry said yesterday after watching video of Maher running through and past overpowered defenders. "I love it, makes me want to get out there too."
Much to do for Team USA trap shooters
Alexander Smith
Reporting from Paris
Trap shooting Americans Derrick Mein and Will Hinton have some ground to make up if they want a chance at a medal down in down in Chateauroux.
The second day of qualifying has just begun at the venue in central France. And Mein and Hinton are ranked 8th and 27th respectively out of the 30 competitors. Only the top 6 go into the final at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Popovici wins gold in photo-finish 200-meter freestyle
NBC News
Swimming superstar David Popovici sealed the gold in race for the ages late yesterday. Great Britain's Matthew Richards missed out on the top spot by 0.02 seconds while Team USA's Luke Hobson bagged himself a podium spot and a personal best time. Check it out below.
This 18-year-old could lead U.S. back to artistic swimming glory
Caroline Howe
Megumi Field was a toddler the last time the U.S. qualified for theOlympic artistic swimming teamevent. Now, Field, 18, is part of the team preparing for its big return.
“I’ll be excited for college once the Olympics [are] over. But right now, all I can think about is the Olympics,” Field told NBC News’ “Stay Tuned.” “I just can’t wait to be in that moment, ready to show the world what we’ve been working on.”
When Field was a child, she didn’t have a need for speed. She had a need for water.
“I’ve always loved the water. I’ve always loved chlorine,” she said. “The moment I was born, I think I was just in the water.”
Read the full story here.
Brody Malone shines for Team USA in gymnastics team final
NBC News
Watch Team USA's men's gymnastics team react as Brody Malone sticks the landing. Three different surgeries and a 16-month setback didn't stop Malone from standing up to the pressure at Bercy Arena to help the U.S. men secure bronze —their first Olympic team medal since 2008.
Men’s Olympic triathlon postponed as Seine remains too contaminated
Evan Bush
Olympic organizers have postponed the men’s triathlon race originally scheduled for this morning, conceding that the Seine remains unsafe for swimming.
Organizers bumped the men’s event to tomorrow, and it’s now scheduled to take place after end of the women’s triathlon, scheduled for the same day.
“Despite the improvement on the water quality levels in the last hours, the readings at some points of the swim course are above acceptable levels,” World Triathlon, the international governing body for the sport at the Olympics,said in a statement on X.
The statement said the organizers could move the race to Friday as a contingency, if needed.
“Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes,” the statement said, referring to the organizers of the Games.
Read the full story here.
Snoop Dogg uses his ‘lung power’ in pool with Michael Phelps
NBC News
Snoop Dogg put his wingspan and "lung power" to good use when he hit the water with Michael Phelps at the Paris Olympics. Who handled the pool better, though? Wrong answers only.
How to watch
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Stream every moment and every medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Peaco*ck.
Full primetime coverage begins tonight on NBC and Peaco*ck at 8 p.m. ET.