Olympics - Paris 2024 - Day 11

Day 11 - August 3, 2024

This was actually from yesterday, but I just found out about it after I posted yesterday's report, so it gets its own entry.  There was a fight in the Olympics that didn't involve boxing, wrestling, judo, tae kwon do, or cisgender/transgender/intersex boxers!  After France defeated Argentina in men's soccer 1-0, an actual physical fight broke out on the pitch.  This all stems from Argentina's Copa America victory prior to the Olympics in which - in celebration - the Argentines were seen celebrating by mocking French soccer players, especially players of African descent.  We saw problems with this in the Morocco-Argentina match, and Argentinian teams of all types have been cascaded with massive boos all around Paris.  Probably was just a matter of time until this happened.  I doubt that any intra-Olympics disciplinary action will be taken against the French players involved.

But, thank God this was the only real conflict yesterday, as there was some really good action at the event venues!

The United States women's soccer team, which was embarrased last Olympics, defeating Japan 1-0 in the quarterfinals off a stoppage time in the first extra time period by Trinity Rodman.  The win puts the Americans into the semi-finals and on the verge of a medal, which they missed in Tokyo.  Below is a good look at Rodman's goal as it passes the keeper.

Rodman's goal was a very important play, but no play was as amazing as Joel Embiid's block of this DUNK ATTEMPT!  Embiid, who has been much-maligned in these Olympics as his game just doesn't seem suited for international play and even sat out the entire game against South Sudan, may have made up for everything with this one play!  Anthony Edwards led the way with 25 points against Puerto Rico, as the United States moves on to the knockout rounds.

For the United States, the stars were out and producing!  Katie Ledecky won the gold medal in the 800 meter freestyle, her 4th straight gold medal in this event (London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024), and her 9th gold medal of all time.  Her 9th gold medal places her in a tie for second all time for Summer Olympic golds, behind Michael Phelps 23.  She is tied with former greats Paavo Nurmi (Athletics, Finland), Larissa Latynina (Gymnastics, Soviet Union), Mark Spitz (Swimming, United States) and Carl Lewis (Athletics, United States).  Ledecky stated after the race that she would look forward to defending her title in Los Angeles in 2028.  If she concentrates solely on the 800 meters and 1500 meters, I don't doubt she would win at least her 10th gold!  Joining Ledecky on the podium were Ariarne Titmus of Australia (silver) and Ledecky's teammate Paige Madden (bronze).

Joining Ledecky in the four-time gold medalist in a single event is retired Army Sergeant Vincent Hancock, who won his fourth consecutive gold-medal in skeet shooting.  And Hancock at age 35 has a lot of shooting left in him.  Winning the silver medal in skeet shooting was American Conner Lynn Prince and the bronze medal was awarded to Meng Yuan Lee of Taiwain.

The athletes to have won four gold medals in the same event in four consecutive Olympics prior to 2024 are:  Paul Bert Elvstroem of Denmark (sailing - monotype yachting; 1948 - 1960), Al Oerter of the United States (discuss; 1956 - 1968), Carl Lewis of the United States (long jump, 1984 - 1996), Michael Phelps of the United States (200 meter individual medley; 2004 - 2016) and Mijain Lopez of Cuba (Greco-Roman wrestling; 2008 - 2020).  These 5 athletes have now been joing by Teddy Riner (France; judo); Ledecky and Hancock.

The incomparable Simone Biles won another gold medal - her third of these Olympics and 7th overall - in the vault.  Jade Carey joined her on the podium by capturing the bronze medal.  Brazil's Rebecca Andrade earned silver.

Also in gymnastics, America's pommel horse specialist Stephen Nedoroscik earned the bronze medal on that apparatus, falling just behind Ireland's Rhys McClenaghan (gold) and Nariman Kurbanov of Kazakhstan (silver).

The United States set a World Record in winning gold in the 4x100 meter mixed medely relay, defeating China by .8 seconds, with Australia finishing third.  In the mixed medley relay, each team selects which two males and females participate for whichever stroke they wish, so long as each swimmer swims a separate stroke.  The United States opted to put the two males first, with Ryan Murphy leading off with the backstroke, Nic Fink went second for the breast stroke leg, followed by Gretchen Walsh in the butterfly leg.  Walsh, competing against a male athlete from Australia, held the lead before touhcing off for Torri Huske for the freestyle leg.

On the track the United States, which set the world record for the 4x400 meter mixed relay in the preliminaries, did not fare as well in the final as Femke Bol, from The Netherlands, ran down absolutely everybody to win gold for the Dutch.  The United States easily outdistanced everyone except Bol for silver.

Some other amazing finishes at the track, as Julien Alfred, from St. Lucia, won her nation's first ever Olympic medal, and it was gold in the 100 meter dash.  Alfred, now the fastest woman in the world, defeated Sha' Carri Richardson from the United States, who earned silver.  Melissa Jefferson of the United States earned bronze.

Also winning her country's first ever Olympic medal was Dominica's Thea LaFond, who bested the competition to win gold in the women's triple jump.  Shanieck Richards of Jamaica earned silver, and the USA's Jasmine Moore captured the bronze.

Ryan Crounser - star of the shotput from the USA, won his third consecutive gold medal in the event, followed by compatriot Joe Kovacs, who won his third consecutive silver medal in the event.

Athlete of the Day - Julien Alfred, St. Lucia, Athletics

Not only first ever medal for St. Lucia, but it was gold, in a premier event, defeating Sha' Carri Richardson. 

Team of the Day - 4x100 meters mixed relay, USA, Swimming

Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske set a world record, and put the US 1 gold behind Australia in the pool.

American Athlete of the Day - Vincent Hancock, United States, Shooting

Ledecky and Biles are often in contention here, so Hancock gets it for his fourth consecutive gold medal in skeet shooting.

Olympic Term of the Day:  Skeet - In shooting, skeet is the event in which participants shoot at clay targets thrown at various speeds and angles.

Olympic Events Watched:  3x3, Athletics, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Cycling, Gymnastics, Handball, Soccer, Swimming, Table Tennis

USA Potential Closing Ceremony Flag-Bearer (listed alphabetically:  Simone Biles, Ryan Crouser, Brady Ellison, Vincent Hancock, Torri Huske, Lee Kiefer, Katie Ledecky, Ilona Maher, Tom Murphy

Olympics - Paris 2024 - Day 5

Day 5 - July 28, 2024

The controversy of the day involves the Brazilian swim team.  Brazil sent home swimmer Ana Carolina Vieira after she left the athlete's village with her boyfriend - fellow swimmer Gabriel Santos - without clearing it with the team beforehand.  Santos was given a warning, but Vieira was sent home.  The Brazil swim team leader, Gustavo Otsuka, claims that they were both warned, but then they found out Vieira questioned the lineup of the 4x100 meter freestyle relay team that finished 12th in the heats, failing to advance to the finals.  But we all really know what happened - Santos is a he, and his behavior is somehow not as bad as Vieira's, the woman.  And yes, this is 2024.

In what could have been the biggest news of the entire Olympics, Simone Biles injured her calf during a warm-up on the floor exercises.  After some treatment and getting her leg wrapped, she completed the floor exercises, the vault, and the uneven parallel bars, and she finised in first overall, as did the US team.  Sunisa Lee - the defending Olympic all around champion - will be the other American in the all-around finals, narrowly nipping teammate Jordan Chiles, who finished fourth overall.  Chiles failed to qualify for the individual all-around because the rules only permit two finalists per country, maximum.

We just missed one of the potentially all time biggest upsets in sports history as the Netherlands' women's archery team took the 9 time defending South Korean team to a ninth and deciding game in the semi-finals, before faultering on their last shots.  Yes, I said - 9 TIME DEFENDING CHAMPION!!!  After the late loss in the semi-finals, the Netherlands lost  5-4 to South Korea, they then lost their bronze medal match to Mexico. South Korea, in the finals, won its second consecutive 5-4  over China to win gold.

The South Korean women were equally amazing in the 10 meter air pistol shooting event, with Oh Ye Jin winning gold and Kim Yeji winning silver, with India's Manu Bhaker earning bronze.  The Italians were able to put 2 men on the podium in the 10 meter air pistol event, with Federico Nilo Maldini wining silver just ahead of compatriot Paolo Monna (bronze).  They both finished behind China's Xi Yu.

In the biggest upset so far in the Olympics, Cuban boxer Julio Cesar La Cruz - in search of his third gold medal in boxing in the Olympics, lost in the first round to Loren Berto Alfonso Dominguez of Azerbaijan.  Dominguez, a Cuban-born exile who defected to Azerbaijan, defeated La Cruz in a split decision, ending La Cruz's attempt to become only the fourth athlete ever to win 4 boxing gold medals.

Japan's dominant team in women's skateboarding finished with the gold and silver as Yoshizawa Coco (gold) and Akama Liz (silver) beat the old woman of the competition, 16 year old Rayssa Leal of Brazil, who earned the bronze.

Kazakhstan and Moldova both earned their first medals of these games in judo, with Gusman Krygyzbayev winning bronze in judo for the former, and Denis Vieru winning bronze in for the latter.  Both finished behind Japan's Abe Hifumi (gold), who defeated Brazil's Willian Lima 10-0 in the gold medal match.  In the women's 52kg final, Uzbekistan's Diyorka Keldiyorova defeated Kosovo's Distria Krasniqi 1-0 for the gold, the first for Uzbekistan in these games.  Krasniqi (OK you caught me, I just wanted to type Krasniqi again) won the first medal for Kosovo.

In US team  news, Haley Batten won the silver medal in women's cross-country mountian biking, finishing just behind France's Pauline Ferrand Prevot, who secured gold.  Jenny Rissveds of Sweden earned the bronze.

The United States women continued winning on the pitch with a 4-1 victory over Germany.  They have now scored almost double the amount of goals (7) as they did the entire World Cup (4).  Sophia Smith scored a brace and Mallory Swanson added her third goal of these games.  The US secures a berth in the knockout rounds, but will have a final tune-up group match against Australia.

US women secured more medals for the team in the epee portion of the fencing program as Lee Kiefer defending her gold medal from Tokyo, defeating teammate and Harvard fencer Lauren Scruggs in the final.  Scruggs secured the silver with her performance at these games.

The United States men's basketball team easily defeated the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic's Serbian team behind 23 points from Kevin Durant and 21-7-9 from LeBron James.  Next up for the US is South Sudan, who defeated Puerto Rico in a hotly contested, fun-to-watch match.

As we always know, the first week is dominated by the pool, and the action there did not fail to astound.  France's wunderkind Leon Marchand set an Olympic record in winning gold in the 400 meter individual medley.  American Carson Foster earned the bronze, just behind Japan's Tomoyuki Matsushita, both well behind Marchand.

The women's 100  meter butterfly final featured two Americans, Gretchen Walsh - the world record holder, and Torri Huske, and these two highly ranked women did not disappoint as Huske took home the gold just ahead of Walsh.  Huske finished fourth, just .001 off the podium in Tokyo, so this race was some sweet redemption for her.  China's Zhang Yufei finished fourth.

But the race of the day was the men's 100 meter breastroke, in which Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi narrowly upset the sport's best breastroker Adam Peaty of Great Britain, who tied for silver with American Nic Fink.  It is a good thing they use computerized timing devices because we could not visibly determine the winner from the overhead camera view as Martinenghi's time of 59.03 just narrowly outtouched both Peaty and Fink at 59.05. Peaty had won the gold medal in the event in Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020.  Hours after finishing the race Peaty tested positive for Covid, putting his remaining events in doubt.

Athlete of the Day - Leon, France, Swimming

He thoroughly dominated the 400 meter individual medley, long considered the quintessential race to determine the best all around swimmer.

American Athlete of the Day - Lee Kiefer, United States, Fencing

Defending her gold-medal winning performance from Tokyo in the epee.

Olympic Term of the Day:  Epee - Fencing - The Epee is the heaving thrusting sword in fencing, as opposed to the foil, which is the light, flexible thrusting sword, and the sabre, which is the shorter, slashing sword with a larger guard.

Olympic Events Watched:  Archery, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Fencing, Gymnastics, Rugby, Skateboarding, Soccer, Swimming, Volleyball

USA Potential Closing Ceremony Flag-Bearer (Alphabetically):  Chloe Dygert, Brady Ellison, Torri Huske, Casey Kaufhold, LEE KIEFER, Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson