Science & Environment
A first dip in the Seine and more from…
Two of Team USA’s top squads continue with group play Wednesday at the 2024 Paris Games.
Men’s basketball takes on South Sudan, which it narrowly defeated July 20, with Group C’s top spot on the line. After sitting in the win against Serbia on Sunday, Jayson Tatum is expected to play this time around, according to head coach Steve Kerr.
The U.S. Olympic women’s soccer team can secure a first-place finish in Group B with a win or draw against Australia. The Americans are already in the quarterfinals after a 4-1 win against Germany on Sunday.
There are also multiple finals in swimming, including the 1,500-meter women’s freestyle, where Katie Ledecky can earn another medal in Paris.
It’s a busy day in tennis with Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz back in action for doubles, but particularly for American Taylor Fritz. He plays three times Wednesday — a mixed doubles quarterfinal with Coco Gauff, a third-round men’s singles quarterfinal and a second-round men’s doubles match with Tommy Paul.
Here’s what to look out for Wednesday.
Fencing captivates crowd at Grand Palais
The Olympics is all about exploring new sports. After covering this morning’s triathlons, I walked by Paris’ Grand Palais, a beautiful 124-year old exhibition hall, and heard roars that all sportswriters and fans recognize as a good time.
I knew fencing was popular here in France, and that the event is one of the hottest tickets in town at these Olympic Games. “Friends and family keep asking for tickets,” a Team USA source told me earlier this week. “I just have to tell ’em: There’s nothing I can do. It’s sold out!”
It was the men’s team quarterfinals, and the place was packed. To the naked eye it seemed like every seat was taken. The press box was full, too. There were four matches on, one including the USA, but the one the crowds had their eyes fixed upon was France-Egypt.
If you’ve ever wanted to feel like Scott Hanson, go watch an Olympic fencing event. It’s like the in-person equivalent to NFL RedZone. All four matches happen simultaneously, which creates a chaotic atmosphere. At any one moment there is a point being awarded or denied. There’s even a large screen showing all the matches via a quadruple box.
The crowd was fixated on the France match. They stomped their feet against the temporary metal bleachers and bounced as they chanted. “ALLEZ LES BLEUS! ALLEZ LES BLEUS!” After any point won, one fencer would often stare down the judge, while the other would celebrate wildly like an NFL defensive back swatting down a deep ball.
In the end, France emerged victorious. They won 45-41 and booked a place in this afternoon’s semifinals. All the while, the glass roof ceiling of the Grand Palais amplified the roars. — Connor O’Halloran
Top Jamaican sprinter drops out of the women’s 100-meter dash
Jamaican sprinter Shericka Jackson, one of the sport’s top competitors, withdrew from the 100-meter dash, ending her chance of seeking a sprint double. She will still compete in the women’s 200-meter dash. Tia Clayton and three-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will represent Jamaica as Sha’Carri Richardson and the United States’ biggest threats in the sprint.
To stay or not to stay?
The Olympic Village is a staple of the Games. But athletes have different approaches regarding how much time they actually spend living in the Village.
Some competitors — like Coco Gauff — spend the duration of the Olympics in the village, citing the social experience of meeting hundreds of other elite athletes. Others — including Team USA’s men’s basketball team — bolt from the dorms to hotels at the first opportunity, in search of better food and bedding (among other advantages). — READ MORE
A well-earned haka by New Zealand
New Zealand repeated as rugby sevens gold medalists with their win over Canada on Tuesday, and celebrated the feat in traditional fashion — with a haka.
A ceremonial dance of the Māori people, the performance has been adopted by a number of New Zealand’s national teams over the years. New Zealand’s rugby sevens triumph was the nation’s first gold medal of the Paris games.
ELECTRIC. ⚡️
New Zealand women’s rugby sevens performed the Haka after winning gold. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/bjd4u9r6wJ
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) July 31, 2024
Usyk to pay Ukrainian boxers out of pocket
A former Olympic gold medalist himself, Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Oleksandr Usyk has pledged to reward any Ukrainian boxer who makes the podium.
Usyk has been supporting and providing advice to the country’s three competitors in Paris already, but has now upped the ante. According to Ukrainian coach Dmitry Sosnovsky, Usyk has pledged $80,000 for a gold medal, $70,000 for a silver medal and $50,000 for a bronze medal.
This isn’t the first time Usyk has been in the news in Paris. Yesterday he made headlines in calling for changes to amateur boxing, set to the background of the sport potentially being dropped from the 2028 Olympics.
Noah Lyles looks to strike gold in Paris
There’s a lot on Noah Lyles’ resume to boast about. He’s a six-time world champion who captured three titles at the most recent World Athletics Championship in Budapest. He’s part of an electric American 4×100 relay squad that just captured first place two months ago at the World Athletics Relays. But there’s one thing his trophy cabinet still awaits: Olympic gold.
Lyles left the Tokyo games in 2020 with a bronze medal to his name. Armed with his trademark smile and swagger, the stage feels set in Paris for Lyles to earn his first Olympic gold medal. — READ MORE
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Noah Lyles relives how he felt before 200m final at Tokyo 2020
Noah Lyles discusses his mental health around Tokyo 2020 and how he felt racing in-front of an empty stadium.
Competition goes forward in the Seine
The women’s triathletes were the first athletes to swim in the Seine at the #ParisOlympics. 🏊♀️👀 pic.twitter.com/0630dGeOU9
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) July 31, 2024
After months of speculation and a scheduling debacle, the men’s and women’s Olympic triathlon events finally took place, including their starting legs on the River Seine.
It took a lot to get here. Paris spent €1.5 billion ($1.4bn) on a project to clean the river, and conducted sample tests in the afternoon and in the dead of night. But finally, at 4 a.m. CET, organisers declared the races were on.
The events ended in golds for France’s Cassandre Beaugrand and Team GB’s Alex Yee, as well as glorious shots of the athletes running down the Champs-Élysées and then in front of the Grand Palais … but what did they make of the water?
“It felt normal. It felt a bit cold, especially because it was raining before the race,” Swiss silver medallist Julie Derron said. “I felt a bit chilly before the start, but the water is just normal water.”
Beaugrand added: “It’s magical, it’s the best route we’ve had in a long time.” She sounded a little biased until she delivered the next line: “I know all the other athletes feel the same.” — Connor O’Halloran
