Rugby Sevens: France wins first Olympic gold medal
Report from Saint-Denis, France
The Olympic hosts won their first gold medal at Paris 2024, beating defending champions Fiji 28-7 in a tense rugby sevens final.
France trailed at half-time at the Stade de France but quickly equalised and then took the lead early in the second half thanks to a brilliant run from star man Antoine Dupont.
Dupont came on as a half-time substitute and quickly became a key player in France's play, scoring a try himself.
Meet the Athlete: Canadian Swimming Phenom Summer McIntosh
Not long ago, Summer McIntosh was so adoring of Katie Ledecky that she was literally staring at the American icon's swimming cap thumbtacked to her bedroom wall.
Now, the Canadian prodigy may be poised to dethrone her longtime idol as swimming's most famous female competitor.
The 17-year-old shook up the swimming hierarchy in February when she beat Ledecky in the 800-meter freestyle at the Southern Zone South Regional Championships in Orlando, Florida.
Her stunning time of 8 minutes 11.39 seconds gave her a victory by nearly six seconds over Ledecky, but it was the American's first competitive defeat at this distance since 2010.
Read the full story here.
The great water rivalry: USA vs. Australia
If any ill will develop on the waters of Paris, it will probably happen during a race between perennial champions the United States and Australia's Dolphins.
The US team, which had been the dominant force for so long, was watching from behind as Australia closed in fast and rejoicing at their plight.
The rivalry reached new heights at last year's World Championships when Australian legend Kate Campbell slammed the Americans as “sorrowfuls,” explaining that she was happy to not have to hear “The Star-Spangled Banner” and that it would be far too soon to hear the song again.
The U.S. and Australian teams will meet in the pool in events including today's men's and women's 4×100 freestyle relays, the 100 backstroke (July 30) in which the U.S.'s Regan Smith and Australia's Kayleigh McKeon could have a podium finish, the 800 freestyle on the same day featuring Bobby Finke and Sam Short, and what is expected to be a tightly contested 50 freestyle (August 2) between the U.S.'s Caleb Dressel and Australia's Cameron McEvoy.
Oddly, all this drama in Paris will be unfolding without Campbell poolside, a four-time gold medalist who narrowly missed out on qualifying for Paris, bringing to an end a glittering Olympic career that stretches back to London 2012.
After the upset in the men's sabre, who will win?
The American and Hungarian dreams were dashed today when men's sabre favorites Eli Dershwitz and Aaron Shirazi were eliminated in the round of 32.
The semi-finalists are Fares Ferjani of Tunisia, Ziad El-Sissi of Egypt, Oh Sang-wook of South Korea and Luigi Samele of Italy.
Siraj, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, was looking to win a historic fourth consecutive gold medal, which would put him in line with Michael Phelps and the handful of other athletes who have won gold medals in the same event at four different Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, reigning world champion Dershwitz was hoping to make history for the United States and bring home the country's first gold medal in men's sabre.
With two favorites now out of the running, it's a win for anyone.
El-Sissi of Egypt, who trains with Dershwitz in Connecticut, made history by becoming the first Egyptian fencer to reach the world number one ranking in sabre fencing.
If El-Sissi wins, he will be the first Egyptian to win gold in the event, while South Korean Oh has won every gold medal available in the men's sabre (individual and team events) except for the individual Olympic gold. Could this be the year he completes his gold medal collection?
The other two semifinalists, Ferjani and Sameleh, will each be competing in their third Olympic Games.
Soccer: Fernandez's stunning goal helps Argentina beat Iraq
After a brilliant pass from his teammate, Ezequiel Fernández scored with a long-range shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 84th minute.
Argentina suffered a shock 2-1 loss to Morocco on Wednesday after fans flooded the field in protest after a late Argentine goal, but then beat Iraq 3-1 shortly after.
Rugby: France vs Fiji match set to kick off in front of roaring arena
SAINT-DENIS, France — The rugby sevens final between France and Fiji is about to get underway, and the noise level at the Stade de France is deafening.
More like an open-air nightclub than an Olympic stadium, DJs are churning out electronic music in the stands, and the crowd responds with enthusiasm ahead of what could be the host country's first gold medal in the tournament.
The main attraction is expected to be French rugby star Antoine Dupont, widely regarded as the best rugby player in the world, while Fiji are favourites to win and will be looking to defend their gold medal from 2021 onwards.
Liz Halliday Sharp leads U.S. Eventing Team
In the dressage portion of eventing, Liz Halliday-Sharp scored 28.0 points, moving the U.S. team into sixth place after the first day of competition.
Dressage, in which the horse and rider perform a series of choreographed movements set to music that are judged by judges on fluidity and difficulty, will be showcased during the next two days of team eventing.
La Défense Arena to be transformed from Hellas Tour to Olympic Swimming Stadium
In May, Taylor Swift kicked off the European leg of her ERAS tour at La Défense Arena in Nanterre, just outside Paris, which will host the first swimming final of the Olympics tonight.
The arena, normally used as a rugby stadium where athletes like Katie Ledecky and Caleb Dressel will be gunning for gold medals, has been converted into a temporary aquatics centre for the Olympics.
Myrtha Pools, the company behind the transformation, shared an epic time-lapse video showing how they managed to pull it all off in just 60 days.
French trains to return to normal service by Monday, transport minister says
A day after an arson attack disrupted parts of France's rail network, Transport Minister Patrice Verglietteté told reporters today that the country's trains would return to normal services after the weekend.
“The chaos will continue tomorrow, but from Monday there will be no need to worry,” Vergriete said, according to Reuters.
Soccer: USA scores third goal in first half against New Zealand
The U.S. men's national team is on a fierce offensive against New Zealand.
The U.S. took a 3-0 lead in the 30th minute on a goal from Gianluca Bucio, who shot just outside the penalty box, picked up the rebound and scored with a right-footed shot on his second attempt.
It was the first time the U.S. has scored three goals in an Olympic game since Sydney 2000.