What to expect tomorrow
NBC News
NBC’s prime-time broadcast of Day 1 of the Paris Games has concluded.
Here’s some of the events happening tomorrow:
Archery — Women's team bronze and gold medal matches —4:48 p.m. Paris/ 10:48 a.m. ET and 5:11 p.m. Paris/11:11 a.m. ET, respectively
Judo —champ-de-mars arena mat 1 medal contests — 4 p.m. Paris/10 a.m.ET
Artistic gymnastics —Women's qualification —9:30 a.m. Paris/3:30 a.m. ET
Shooting —10m air pistol men's final — 9:30 a.m. Paris/3:30 a.m. ET
Shooting —10m air pistol women's final —12 p.m. Paris/6 a.m. ET
Cycling —Women's cross country mountain biking — 2:10 p.m. Paris/8:10 a.m. ET
Swimming —Heats for men's 200-meter freestyle, men's 400-meter individual medley, women's 100-meter breastroke, men's 100-meter backstroke, women's 200-meter freestyle —Starting at 11 a.m. Paris/5 p.m. ET
Skateboarding —Women’s street prelims —12 p.m. Paris/11 a.m. ET
Canoe slalom —Women’s kayak single final —5:45 p.m. Paris/11:45 a.m. ET
Rugby sevens —Women's pool matches —3:30 p.m. Paris/9:30 a.m. ET
Fencing —Women's foil individual bronze and gold medal bouts — 8:50 p.m. Paris/2:50 p.m. ET and 9:45 p.m. Paris/3:45 p.m. ET, respectively
Fencing —Men's êpée individual bronze and gold medal bouts 9:20 p.m. Paris/ 3:20 p.m. ET and 9:15 p.m. Paris/4:15 p.m. ET, respectively
Surfing —Women's and men's round 2 — 7 p.m. Paris/1 p.m. ET and 11:48 p.m. Paris/ 5:48 pm.ET, respectively
Basketball —Men's and women's group phase —11 a.m. Paris/5 a.m. ET and 1:30 p.m. Paris/7:30 a.m. ET, respectively
Soccer —Women's group matches —5 p.m. Paris/11 a.m. ET
Swimming — Men's 400-meter individual medley final —8:30 p.m. Paris/2:30 p.m. ET
Swimming —Women's 100-meter butterfly final —8:40 p.m. Paris/2:40 p.m. ET
Swimming —Men's 100-meter breastroke final —9:44 p.m. Paris/3:44 p.m. ET
Follow all the action and track upcoming calendar events before they happen so you’ll never miss a beat.
U.S. women to skip a round after first day of surfing
Dennis Romero
The top women of USA Surfing won their heats on the first day of competition as the widely feared wave off the Tahitian village of Teahupo'o churned with clean overhead barrels and little of the anger and violence it's known for.
Reigning world champion Caroline Marks air dropped into a double-overhead wave, pulled in to get covered by its liquid vortex, and emerged unscathed as the wave seemed to spit her out. The ride was one for the highlight reel, and it punctuated the Floridian's heat win that launched her into round 3.
Second and third-place finishers in the three-competitor heats will go to round 2 for elimination or survival.
Oceanside, California's Caitlin Simmers, the pro tour's No. 1, faced a serious challenge from Brazilian veteran Tatiana Weston-Webb, who lives and trains in Hawaii. Simmers was cool and collected as the tube at Teahupo'o folded over her in all its fury, keeping the teenager in the metaphorical money en route to a heat win and an invite to go directly to round 3.
The Surfline forecast for Teahupo'o calls for 10 to 15-foot surf Tuesday and Wednesday. Organizers had planned to make Tuesday the final day of competition, but with a second day of peak size now in the forecast, it's not clear if that's still the plan.
Of the days between Saturday and Wednesday, Sunday has the smallest waves on tap, according to Surfline. Organizers have the flexibility of a 9-day window that allows for off days.
Are the medals brought out on Louis Vuitton trays?
Raquel Coronell Uribe
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (2) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (2)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-Olympics--Louis-Vuitton-boxes-aa-640p-7fbc45.jpg)
All that glitters is more than just gold for winning athletes at the Olympics.
The winning medals, designed by LVMH luxury jewelry house Chaumet, are each encrusted with a piece of iron that comes from the Eiffel Tower.
The medals are carried out to athletes on Louis Vuitton trays, crafted by the brand’s artisans in its Beaulieu-sur-Layon workshop in the Maine-et-Loir region of France. The trays are covered in the signature checkered Damier canvas, which dates back to 1888.
When not around the victors’ necks, the medals come with a dark blue Chaumet box to store them in, and each has a certificate from the Eiffel Tower Operating Co. certifying that the iron at the heart of the medals came from the iconic Parisian monument.
Judo highlights: Tsunoda wins Japan's first gold medal
Susan Baek
In an impressive Olympic debut, Natsumi Tsunoda lifted her opponents —and her way to victory — in the women's 48kg category, earning Japan its first gold medal in Paris.
In 2023, Tsunoda became the third Japanese woman to win three consecutive world judo titles.
America's Maria Laborde had advanced to the Round of 16 but ultimately lost to Italy's Assunta Scutto.
The key to winning in a swim relay? Timing the exchange
Swimmers in a relay race must perfectly time their exchanges. Too slow: You’ll fall behind. Too fast: You risk disqualification. Getting it just right is the key to winning gold.
Swimming highlights: Dressel, men’s 4x100m relay earn Team USA’s first Paris gold
Rebecca Cohen
Team USA brought home its first Paris gold medal today after Caeleb Dressel and the men's 4x100m relay team prevailed above the rest of the pack.
The men's team was expected to win gold and held the leading spot for the majority of the contest. The win was the eighth gold medal for Dressel, who anchored the race.
Australia followed with silver, and Italy took bronze.
Soccer highlights: U.S. men earn crucial win against New Zealand
Dennis Romero
Days after losing its opener to France, the U.S. Men's National Team had an opportunity for redemption and didn't throw away its shot, beating New Zealand 4-1 and creating a possible path out of the group stage.
Its next match is against Guineaon Tuesday.
Drag performance resembling Last Supper at Olympic opening ceremony rankles conservatives
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (4) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (4)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_focal-60x60,f_auto,q_auto:best/newscms/2020_03/3183816/alex-smith-circle-byline-template.jpg)
Alexander Smith
Minyvonne Burke
Alexander Smith and Minyvonne Burke
Reporting from Paris
The extravagantopening ceremonyof the 2024 Paris Olympics has caused fury among the populist and religious right in the United States and elsewhere, with critics especially unhappy about an apparent depiction of the Last Supper featuring drag performers.
A fashion show at the ceremony included a scene that resembled a modern re-creation of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting, with French actor and singer Philippe Katerine appearing as the Greek god Dionysus, painted blue and wearing little more than a bunch of flowers covering his modesty.
Read the full story here.
Titmus shines in 400m freestyle final, Ledecky takes bronze
NBC News
Australian superstar Ariarne Titmus went wire-to-wire to win the women’s 400m freestyle final on the first day of swimming.
Titmus finished in 3:57.49, nearly a full second ahead of Canada’s Summer McIntosh. Team USA's Katie Ledecky won her first bronze by finishing third at 4:00.86.
Team USA's Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss dominate Canada in women's beach volleyball
Dennis Romero
Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss of the USA Volleyball Beach National Team defeated Canada's Heather Bansley and Sophie Bukovec in straight sets in the Americans' opening match.
The duo, former LSU Tigers, beat the Canadians 21-17 in both sets. They play Australia on Monday.
Tune in to primetime coverage
Rebecca Cohen
Full primetime coverage begins tonight on NBC and Peaco*ck at 8 p.m. ET.
The Paris Olympians are "...Ready For It?"
Rebecca Cohen
Swifties will be tuning into the Olympics tonight, because NBC is airing a version of Taylor Swift's "...Ready For It?" live from the Eras Tour during its Olympic primetime coverage at 8 p.m. ET.
In a montage of Team USA athletes set to the song — that appears to compete with Beyoncé's similar Olympics promo video — LeBron James, Simone Biles and Noah Lyles (among many others) talk about what the Olympics mean to them.
Swift shared the video, posted by NBC Olympics, to her Instagram story and said "So ready to scream at my tv cheering for these athletes," with a gold medal emoji.
Baby, let the games begin!
Antoine Dupont leads France to rugby sevens gold, cementing superstar status
Alexander Smith
Reporting from Stade de France
As the ball tumbled out of the Saint-Denis sky, it seemed destined to reach the hands of one man: French rugby superstar Antoine Dupont.
In a thrilling rugby sevens final against holders Fiji, Dupont scored two tries and teed up another to clinch his country’s first gold of Paris 2024. But the man nicknamed “The Gifted” also cemented himself in the eyes of many as the sport’s best player — and possibly the greatest of all time.
“It’s always a pleasure to hear things like that, but I don’t spend a lot of time focusing on it,” Dupont, 27, told NBC News when asked about these accolades after the game. “I think now I will just enjoy my holidays,” he added with a laugh. “I am still young and I have a lot of work to do.”
France had started nervously, conceding a try to Fiji in less than 90 seconds, Selesitino Ravutaumada effortlessly cutting through their lines. But when Dupont came on at halftime, he quickly bent the game to his will. Every time he received the ball the decibels somehow became even more clamorous, as if the crowd was both charging and charged by the electricity of their talisman.
Read the full story here.
USA Surfing's top men advance at potent Tahitian break
Dennis Romero
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (9) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (9)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-tahiti-mens-surfing-Griffin-Colapinto-11-651p-61bf13.jpg)
USA Surfing's top men, John John Florence and Griffin Colapinto —who happen to be the No. 1 and No. 2 world championship tour riders —advanced to round 3 by winning their respective heats.
Under the Olympics surfing competition framework, the second-place riders in each three-person heat will advance to round 2. Florence used his champion's timing and balance to make Teahupo'o's overhead barrels work in his favor.
He had the highest-scoring heat of the competition so far.
There were few surprises on Saturday as Brazil's own boardriding titans, defending world champion Felipe Toledo and former champ Gabriel Medina, advanced. Toledo, however, will have to fight in round 2 after he was beat by Peru's Alonso Correa.
Mexico's Alan Cleland, No. 2 on the World Qualifying Series, surfing's minor leagues, in 2023-'24, advanced to round 2.
Cycling highlights: Belgians dominate men's time trial podium
Susan Baek
Before Paris, no Belgian had ever won an Olympic medal in a time trial. Now there are two: Remco Evenepoel, who claimed gold, and Wout van Aert, who won bronze.
Italy's Filippo Ganna won silver, while American Brandon McNulty finished not far behind in fifth place.
Fencing: South Korea takes home gold in men's individual saber
Raquel Coronell Uribe
South Korea's Oh Sanguk beat Tunisia's Fares Ferjani to take home the gold medal for individual saber.
In a moment of sportsmanship during the final match, Oh forewent making a move to score a point after Ferjani fell backwards. Instead, Oh lent him a hand to pull him up.
The bout score was 14-9.
Italy's Luigi Samele won bronze over Egypt's Ziad El Sissy, after favorites Aron Szilagyi and Eli Dershwitz (from Hungary and the U.S., respectively), lost early on in the day.
Beach volleyball begins under the Eiffel Tower despite the torrential rains
Alexander Smith
Reporting from Paris
It may have been unrecognizable from the blue skies of the promotional photographs. But even the dayslong downpour soaking Paris 2024 could not detract from arguably the Games’ most epic venue, the Eiffel Tower Stadium, which hosted its first beach volleyball events today.
What makes this temporary venue so visually stunning is also the reason it’s so exposed to the elements. Its 11,800 seats are not hindered by any roof or awning, so every seat in the house can see the Eiffel Tower backdrop looming over them.
It also meant that everyone got drenched.
Read the full story here.
Cycling highlights: Rain turns cycling course into a slip 'n slide
Susan Baek
Four competitors in the women's cycling individual time trial slipped and fell, as rain turned the ground into a slick hazard.
Among them were USA's Taylor Knibb and Chloé Dygert, the latter still managing to take home the bronze.
Basketball: Canada survives Greece comeback in 86-79 win
Rohan Nadkarni
Canada defeated Greece 86-79 on Saturday after a tense fourth quarter.
Canada led for most of the game and took an eight-point lead into the fourth, but Greece closed the gap in the waning minutes. A free-throw from Giannis Antetokounmpo cut the Canada lead to 82-79 with just over 30 seconds to go.
On the ensuing possession, Giannis was called for a foul, and Jamal Murray hit two free throws that effectively iced the game.
Greece hung around despite being outmatched in terms of NBA talent. Canada brought the second-most NBA players to Paris, behind only the United States. Greece went down by double digits on multiple occasions but got within striking distance in the final moments.
Canada was led by R.J. Barrett, who scored 21 points, including an emphatic dunk on the last basket of the night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 19 points to go along with seven assists.
Antetokounmpo did the heavy lifting for Greece, scoring 34 of his country’s 79 points.
It was a physical, ugly battle, with both sides combining for 51 fouls and 64 trips to the free-throw line. Canada’s defense was stifling, holding Greece to 39% shooting from the field.
Canada moved to second in the Group A standings, behind only Australia because of point differential. Greece is in third place after the defeat.
Team USA men's gymnastics headed to team final
Rebecca Cohen
After a long day of qualifiers, the men's U.S. gymnastics team is headed to the final, where they're hoping to medal for the first time since 2008.
The squad finished in fifth behind China, Japan, Great Britain and Ukraine. The top eight teams move on to the final.
Also headed to the final in the all-around are Frederick Richard and Paul Juda. The top 24 in the all-around move on, and Richard and Juda snagged spots 10 and 13, respectively.
Pommel horse star Stephen Nedoroscik excelled on his single apparatus earlier today, coming in second overall and moving on to the final, where the top eight in each individual event advance.
After a disappointing performance from Brody Malone, who fell twice on his signature event, the high bar, the U.S. team will not be moving on in any other single event finals.
Cute Dressel family moment
Claire Cardona
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (11) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (11)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-Caeleb-Dressel---baby--aa-456p--b858bf.jpg)
After the medal ceremony, swimmer Caeleb Dressel, his eighth gold medal around his neck, ran over to the stands where his family was waiting.
Dressel hugged his wife, Meghan, and held their baby. The couple cried and smiled together as they looked at their son.
During the 4x100-meter relay, Dressel’s wife was seen in the stands cheering him on alongside Snoop Dogg. Their son, wearing big blue headphones and asleep in her arms, didn’t seem fazed.
Tennis: Japan's Naomi Osaka out in round 1, Germany's Angelique Kerber advances
Raquel Coronell Uribe
Naomi Osaka, a four-time tennis Grand Slam singles champion, is out of the women's singles tournament.
Germany's Angelique Kerber will advance to the next round, beating Osaka 7-5, 6-3.
Kerber, a three-time Grand Slam winner, announced earlier this week that this would be her last tournament, and that she will retire after the Paris Olympics.
Gretchen Walsh marvels at her new medal
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (12) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (12)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_focal-60x60,f_auto,q_auto:best/newscms/2014_03/116281/new-140114-byline-stephanie-gosk-2106.jpg)
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (13) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (13)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_focal-60x60,f_auto,q_auto:best/newscms/2014_03/116281/new-140114-byline-stephanie-gosk-2106.jpg)
Stephanie Gosk
Kiko Itasaka
Stephanie Gosk and Kiko Itasaka
Reporting from Paris
For one of the American women swimmers who took silver in the 4 X 100-meter freestyle relay, the weight of the medal around their necks paled in comparison to its beauty.
"It’s super heavy, but you know, it’s beautiful," said Gretchen Walsh. "Honestly, it’s amazing."
"It’s from part of the original Eiffel Tower or something. So, I mean, this piece right there, it’s an honor. It’s honestly so surreal that it’s around my neck right now."
Basketball: Canada maintains lead after three quarters
Rohan Nadkarni
Canada remains ahead of Greece after three quarters, up 68-60 headed into the final frame.
It’s been a physical contest, with the teams combining to shoot 48 free throws through three quarters. It’s not been particularly pretty, especially shooting wise—the countries have combined to convert on only 14 of their 46 three-point attempts.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is doing all he can to keep Greece in the game, scoring 25 of his team’s 60 points. Canada has a more balanced attack, with three players scoring in double digits compared to Greece’s two.
Swimming: 'It's about who can really keep it together in the mind,' Titmus says
Susan Baek
After overtaking Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky to successfully defend her gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle, Australia's Ariarne Titmus reflected on how her first victory prepared her for this one.
"I know what it takes to be an Olympic Champion," Titmus, 23, said. "The noise and atmosphere and village life definitely makes performing well hard, but I'm really happy to come out on top."
Speaking about the challenges of performing at your best in the Olympic atmosphere, Titmus added: “It’s about who can really keep it together in the mind."
The three-time gold medalist said she thinks of herself as "so normal" and hopes to inspire young kids back home in Australia. When asked about her rival swimmers, she gave a shout-out to Ledecky.
"We've got a pretty good relationship outside the water, like I definitely don't see my rivalry with her in anything but racing. I really respect her as a person," Titmus said of the American legend.
Medal count: U.S. and Australia tied with 5 at the end of Day 1
NBC News
'A medal is a medal,' Ledecky says
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (14) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (14)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_focal-60x60,f_auto,q_auto:best/newscms/2014_03/116281/new-140114-byline-stephanie-gosk-2106.jpg)
Stephanie Gosk and Kiko Itasaka
Reporting from Paris
Katie Ledecky was in a tight race with Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh during the 400-meter freestyle before finishing third for her 11th Olympic medal.
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (16) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (16)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-ledecky-bronze-ch-1540-b82eba.jpg)
"I would like to have been faster, so just a little disappointed that I could not bring my best today," Ledecky said. "But a medal is a medal."
Basketball: Canada leads Greece by 10 at halftime
Rohan Nadkarni
Canada has opened up a 48-38 lead on Greece at halftime.
Greece was within three points with just over eight minutes left in the second quarter, but were outscored 20-13 the rest of the way. Canada has three scorers in double digits: Dillon Brooks with 11, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 12, and R.J. Barrett leading with 13. Canada’s physicality was an issue for Greece—the Canadians got to the free-throw line 20 times in the first half.
Playing in his first Olympics, Giannis Antetokounmpo leads his country with 16 points. Turnovers have been an issue for Greece however, who coughed up the ball nine times in the opening 20 minutes.
Both teams are playing in their first game of the Olympics.
Team USA wins men's 4x100m freestyle relay
Rebecca Cohen
The men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay team just brought home a gold medal for the U.S. — Team USA's first in Paris.
The team — made up of Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, and Caeleb Dressel —finished 1.07 seconds before the silver medal team, Australia. Italy won bronze.
The U.S. had won gold in this event in 10 of the last 13 Olympics. This win adds an 11th gold to the trophy cabinet. It's also Dressel's eighth Olympic gold.
Team USA wins silver in women's 4x100m freestyle relay
Rebecca Cohen
Team USA brought home the silver medal in the women's 4x100 freestyle relay.
Australia won gold and China won bronze.
Australia had won three straight golds in the event, making this their fourth in a row.
The U.S. team was comprised of Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske, and Simone Manuel. Earlier in the night, both Walsh and Huske qualified for the women's 100-meter butterfly final.
Tennis: USA's Gauff and Pegula advance to round 2 of women's doubles
Raquel Coronell Uribe
The USA's Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula teamed up on women's doubles, coming out victorious against the Australian duo of Daria Saville and Ellen Perez.
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (17) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (17)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-gauff-ch-1534-773da5.jpg)
The American duo won 6-3, 6-1.
Gauff — yesterday's flag bearer along with Lebron James — won her first Grand Slam doubles title on the same court earlier this year, taking home the Roland Garros doubles trophy with partner Katerina Siniaková.
Rugby highlights: U.S. men's team narrowly defeated by Ireland, shut out in finale
Susan Baek
In the 5-8 placing match, the U.S. men's rugby team fell to Ireland in a close game. Following a missed conversion from Ireland, the U.S. was in the lead, until Ireland's Terry Kennedy scored a try to secure a 17-14 win.
When American rugby sevens legend Perry Baker touched down on his 10th try, he became the all-time leading men's try scorer in Olympic history. The 38-year-old plans to retire following these Games.
The Americans went on to play for seventh place against Argentina but were shut out 19-0.
Basketball: Canada leads Greece after first quarter
Rohan Nadkarni
Canada holds a slim, 26-22 lead over Greece after the first quarter of their Group A game in men’s basketball.
Canada is one of the more intriguing squads at the Paris games, featuring nine NBA players, second most to USA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP finalist from the 2024 NBA season, led Canada in scoring with eight points. R.J. Barrett added seven.
Greece was led by Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored eight himself. Greece fell down by double digits in the first quarter, but closed on a 13-4 run to close the gap.
This is the first game for either country in group play. Australia is currently leading the pack after a win over Spain.
Nic Fink advances to 100-meter breaststroke final for Team USA
Rebecca Cohen
Team USA's Nic Fink is headed to tomorrow's 100-meter breaststroke final, clocking in with the fourth-best time — 59.16 —after both semifinals. The other American in contention for the final, Charlie Swanson, did not advance.
Tennis: Will Nadal play tomorrow?
Raquel Coronell Uribe
Rafael Nadal would not say whether he will play tomorrow when asked in a post-match interview.
The player has been dealing with a thigh injury since Wednesday, skipping training the following day. During his triumphant first-round doubles match with Carlos Alcaraz, Nadal was tugging at the bandage around his leg.
The Spaniard is scheduled to play his first round of singles against Hungary's Márton Fucsovics tomorrow.
In the interview, Nadal said he had to consult with his medical team and think about what would be best for his country in these Olympics to make the decision.
Tennis: Nadal and Alcaraz advance to round 2
Raquel Coronell Uribe
Spanish men's tennis doubles dream team Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz came out victorious during their first round match today against the Argentinian duo of Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez.
They won 7-6, 6-4.
Alcaraz, 21, fresh off a Wimbledon win against Novak Djokovic, was a fan of Nadal's growing up, and now he is playing side by side with his idol. The duo has been dubbed "Nadalcaraz" by fans.
The energy in the stadium was electric, with fans doing the wave and yelling "olé," as the umpire asked spectators to calm down so the match could continue.
Men's 400-meter freestyle ends with Germany on top
Rebecca Cohen
Germany's Lukas Maertens took the gold in the first swimming medal event of the Paris Games, followed by Great Britain with the silver and South Korea with bronze.
Titmus, McIntosh and Ledecky own the record books in this race
Nick Zaccardi, NBC Sports
Reporting from Paris
Ariarne Titmus, Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky now own the 30 fastest 400-meter women's freestyle times in history.
Ledecky won her eighth individual Olympic medal, tying Carl Lewis and Ray Ewry.
Michael Phelps (16) is the only American with more individual Olympic medals in any sport.
Soccer: USA defeats New Zealand in pivotal Group A match
Rohan Nadkarni
The USMNT pulled out an important, 4-1 victory vs. New Zealand on Saturday.
USA scored three goals in the first half and tacked on one more in the second before finally conceding one to New Zealand, a dominant effort when the team needed it most. A loss would have all but eliminated USA from the knockout round, who would have then needed a Guinea upset over France to advance.
Instead the USMNT stayed alive, and now has a chance to make it to the next stage of the tournament if it can beat Guinea in its next group stage match.
USA moved into second place with the win over New Zealand, which is in third by virtue of the goal-differential tiebreaker. New Zealand has one match left in group play, and will be an underdog vs. France.
The U.S. came out hot Saturday, scoring three goals in the first 30 minutes, a total reversal from the 3-0 defeat it suffered to open group play vs. France. It was the first time USA had scored three goals in Olympic play in over two decades, and then it scored a fourth goal for the first time in its Olympic history.
The USMNT’s final group match is on Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET.
Ledecky wins bronze in women's 400-meter freestyle, Australia's Titmus takes gold
Rebecca Cohen
Ledecky has won the bronze in the women's 400-meter free event, in perhaps the most anticipated swimming event of the Paris Games.
She won gold in the same event in Rio and silver in Tokyo. It's her third Olympic medal in the event — the most of any athlete.
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (18) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (18)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-ledecky-titmus-ch-1505-47aaeb.jpg)
Ledecky faced world-record holder and defending gold medal champion Ariarne Titmus from Australia, who earned the gold today. Summer McIntosh from Canada won silver.
Ledecky should have a few more chances to win medals in Paris as she aims to tie, or beat, the record for most medals won by an American woman, which currently sits at 12.
Torri Huske follows Gretchen Walsh to 100-meter butterfly final
Rebecca Cohen
Team USA's Torri Huske followed her teammate, Gretchen Walsh, to the women's 100m butterfly final in the event's second semifinal with a time of 56.00.
Walsh and Huske will go one and two into tomorrow night's final.
Huske was followed in the heat by China's Zhang Yufei and Canada's Margaret Mac Neil, both of whom qualified.
Soccer: New Zealand gets one back in second half
Rohan Nadkarni
New Zealand has cut USA’s lead to 4-1 in the second half of their match.
Jesse Randall scored in the 78th minute to get New Zealand on the board after the USMNT scored the first four goals of the match.
The score could prove to be important, as USA’s goal differential moved back down to zero after the Randall strike. The USMNT lost 3-0 to France on Wednesday, and its differential was positive after the four-goal outburst.
Top routines from U.S. men's gymnastics qualification round
Susan Baek
Watch as the men's team began their Olympic medal pursuits, including Paul Juda on pommel horse, Brody Malone on parallel bars, and Frederick Richard on the high bar.
Despite a solid routine on parallel bars, Malone's falls on both pommel horse and high bar led to his surprising elimination from the all-around final. Richard and Juda will advance instead.
Gretchen Walsh advances to 100-meter butterfly final, sets Olympic record
Rebecca Cohen
Gretchen Walsh kicked off tonight's swimming events with a bang, winning the women's 100-meter butterfly semifinal with a time of 55.38 — an Olympic record.
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (19) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (19)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-Gretchen-Walsh-ch-1436-cdabac.jpg)
She will advance to the event finals after winning the event by 1.2 seconds over Germany, who was in second place.
Walsh holds the world record in the event —a time of 55.18.
Soccer: USA scores four goals for first time in Olympic history
Rohan Nadkarni
The USA took a 4-0 lead over New Zealand in the 58th minute of their match Saturday.
Off a pass from Griffin Yow, Paxten Aaronson uncorked a left-footed strike that caromed into the goal off a New Zealand defender.
After scoring three goals in Olympic play for the first time since 2000, the United States has now scored four goals for the first time in its Olympic history. The USMNT scored three goals in 30 minutes in the first half, and continued to dominate in the second.
Swimming: Ledecky is just 2 medals away from tying the American second-place record
Rebecca Cohen
Michael Phelps is the most decorated U.S. Olympic athlete with a whopping 28 medals to his name. Fellow swimmers Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres, Natalie Coughlin and Ryan Lochte follow, tied for second place with 12 medals each.
All-star American swimmer Katie Ledecky is just two medals away from inching up to the second all-time slot on the American list, with 10 medals under her belt as she dives into the pool in Paris.
Ledecky qualified for four swimming events at Olympic trials — the 200, 400, 800, and 1,500 free. If she competes in at least those four, that gives her four more chances to earn those medals, and perhaps even soar into a solo second place spot if she earns at least three.
Watch Katie Ledecky and Team USA go for gold in first swimming finals
Rebecca Cohen
Katie Ledecky and Team USA are trying to clinch the first gold medals of Olympic swimming in Paris as the first finals get underway at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Ledecky will be in the pool for the women's 400m freestyle event —one of the most anticipated of the games. Another medal for Ledecky would put her just one away from tying the record for most medals won by an American woman in any sport.
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (20) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (20)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-katie-ledecky-ch-1435-b607ae.jpg)
She's set to face off against world-record holder and defending gold medal champion Ariarne Titmus from Australia and Summer McIntosh from Canada.
Also going for gold are the men's and women's 4x100m freestyle relay teams. The women are likely to medal, and the men are favored to win gold. The men's team has won gold in this event at 10 of the last 13 Olympics.
Water polo highlights: U.S. women's team wins big over Greece
Susan Baek
With hip-hop veteran Flavor Flav cheering them on, the U.S. women's water polo team beat Greece 15-6 in their first match in Paris. Preliminary rounds continue Monday when the U.S. will face Spain.
Team USA will aim to win its fourth consecutive gold in women's water polo this year — a feat no men or women’s team in the sport has ever accomplished.
Rugby sevens: France wins first gold of Olympic Games
Alexander Smith
Reporting from Saint-Denis, France
The Olympic hosts have just won their first gold medal of Paris 2024, beating defending champions Fiji 28-7 in the breathless final of the rugby sevens.
France went behind in the first half at the Stade de France, but quickly drew level. They then took the lead early in the 2nd thanks to a dazzling run by star player Antione DuPont.
DuPont, coming off the replacements bench at halftime, was quickly at the center of everything France did and scored a try himself.
Meet the athlete: Canadian swimming phenom Summer McIntosh
David K. Li
Not too long ago, Summer McIntosh did nothing but look up to Katie Ledecky — literally staring up to a swim cap belonging to the American icon, thumb tacked onto a bedroom wall.
Now, the Canadian wunderkind could be on the verge of swimming away with her longtime idol’s crown as the sport’s most famous female competitor.
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (23) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (23)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240627-summer-mcintosh-wc-0800-40062b.jpg)
The 17-year-oldshook up the swimming’s world order back in February, with a spectacular800-meter freestyle winover Ledecky at the Southern Zone South Sectional Championships in Orlando, Florida.
Her phenomenal time of 8 minutes and 11.39 seconds bested Ledecky by nearly 6 seconds, in the American’s first setback in a competitive race at that distance since 2010.
Read the full story here.
The great rivalry on water: USA vs. Australia
David K. Li
Reporting from Paris
If there’s going to be any bad blood in the waters of Paris, it’ll likely come during races between the perennial powerhouse Americans and the Dolphins from Down Under.
Long-dominant Team USA is looking over its shoulder to see the Australians fast approaching and taking glee in American discomfort.
The rivalry jumped to another level when Australian legend Cate Campbell blasted the Americans as “sore losers” at last year’s World Championships. Campbell explained the joy she feels not hearing the “Star Spangled Banner” and the next time she listens to that song will be too soon.
The U.S. and Australian teams will face each other in the pool in events including today's 4x100 men’s and women’s freestyle relays; the 100 backstroke, which could see American Regan Smith and Australia’s Kaylee McKeown on top of the podium (July 30); the 800 free the same day featuring Bobby Finke and Sam Short; and the 50 free (Aug. 2), which is expected to be an explosive battle between American Caeleb Dressel and Australian Cameron McEvoy.
All of this Paris drama will unfold, oddly enough, without Campbell poolside. The four-time gold medalist narrowly missed qualifying for Paris, likely ending her glorious Olympics career that dates back to London 2012.
After upset in men’s saber, it’s anyone match
Raquel Coronell Uribe
American and Hungarian dreams were dashed earlier today when men’s saber favorites Eli Dershwitz and Aron Szilagyi were eliminated in the round of 32.
Advancing to the semifinals are Tunisia’s Fares Ferjani, Egypt’s Ziad Elsissy, South Korea’s Oh Sang-uk and Italy’s Luigi Samele.
Three-time reigning Olympic champ Szilagyi was angling for a historic four-peat, which would have put him along the likes of Michael Phelps and only a select few other athletes to achieve gold in the same event over four different Olympics.
Reigning Worlds champ Dershwitz, meanwhile, was hoping to make history for the U.S. and bring home the country’s first ever gold for men’s saber.
Now that the two favorites are out, it’s anyone’s match.
Egypt’s Elsissy, who trains alongside Dershwitz in Connecticut, made history by becoming the first Egyptian fencer to reach the No. 1 ranked saber fencer in the world.
If victorious, Elsissy would become the first Egyptian to win gold for this event. South Korea’s Oh, meanwhile, has every possible gold medal for men’s saber — individual and team — except for individual Olympic gold. Could this be the year he completes his collection?
The other two semifinalists, Ferjani and Samele, are each on their third Olympic appearance.
Soccer: Fernandez stunner caps off build-up play in Argentina's win over Iraq
Susan Baek
After a flashy set-up by his teammates, Ezequiel Fernandez scored a long-range shot from the edge of the box in the 84th minute.
Argentina's 3-1 win over Iraq followed Wednesday's shocking 2-1 loss to Morocco, when fans rushed the field in protest over a late Argentinian goal.
Rugby: Match between France and Fiji set to kick off in deafening arena
Alexander Smith
Reporting from Paris
SAINT-DENIS, France — The rugby sevens final between France and Fiji is about to kick off and noise levels in the Stade de France have become utterly deafening.
It more resembles an open air night club rather than the Olympic stadium. DJs are rumbling the bleachers with electro bangers, and the crowd is responding in kind ahead of what could be a first gold medal for the hosts.
The main protagonist, they hope, will be French rugby star Antione DuPont, widely seen as the best rugby player in the world. Fiji on the other hand are the holders and will be looking to defend their gold medal from 2021.
Liz Halliday-Sharp leads the U.S. eventing team
Susan Baek
In the dressage portion of the equestrian eventing competition, Liz Halliday-Sharp recorded a score of 28.0, raising Team USA into sixth place after the first day of competition.
Dressage is where the horse and rider perform a choreographed series of movements set to music, with judges assessing fluidity and difficulty. The two other equestrian disciplines - cross country and show jumping - will be showcased in the team eventing competition over the next two days.
La Defense Arena transformed from Eras Tour to Olympic swimming venue
Sean Nevin
Back in May, Taylor Swift opened the European leg of her Eras Tour at the La Defense Arena in the Nanterre suburb of Paris. Tonight, it hosts the first swimming finals of these Games.
Usually a rugby stadium, the arena, where the likes of Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel will hope to strike gold, has been converted into a temporary aquatics centre for the Games.
The company behind that transformation, Myrtha Pools, shared an epic timelapse of how they did it all in just 60 days.
France trains should be back to normal by Monday, transport minister says
Mirna Alsharif
A day after arson attacks disrupted part of France's rail network, Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete told reporters today that trains in the country will be back to normal after the weekend.
“There will still be disruptions tomorrow,” Vergriete said, according to Reuters. “From Monday, there is no need to worry.”
Soccer: USA scores third goal of first half vs. New Zealand
Rohan Nadkarni
The USMNT is pouring it on vs. New Zealand.
The United States took a 3-0 lead in the 30th minute off a score by Gianluca Busio, who collected his own rebound off a shot just outside the penalty box, then connected with his right foot for a score on his second attempt.
It’s the first time USA has scored three goals in a match at the Olympics since the 2000 games in Sydney.
Soccer: USA takes 2-0 lead over New Zealand
Rohan Nadkarni
The USMNT is on a mission.
USA took a 2-0 lead over New Zealand only 10 minutes into their critical match on Saturday. Walker Zimmerman followed up a Djordje Mihailovicpenalty score in the eighth minute with a score of his own in the 10th. Zimmerman connected off a pass from Mihailovic with a right-footed strike into the middle of the net.
The United States is in desperate need of a win after losing to France 3-0 on Wednesday.
Taylor Fritz wins his first round of tennis
Susan Baek
Earlier today in his Olympic debut, American top-ranked tennis player Taylor Fritz won his first-round match over Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik.
Fritz, 26, was the sole American to reach the fourth round at this year's French Open.
France holds on to beat Brazil in its Olympic opener
Rohan Nadkarni
France defeated Brazil 78-66 Saturday to tip off its quest for a gold medal in men’s basketball.
Victor Wembanyama scored 19 points while Rudy Gobert blocked two shots in the victory. France now joins Germany at the top of the Group B standings.
Brazil started strong, leading after the first quarter and then building its lead to 12 points in the second. But France stormed back, with Wemby dominating the second quarter with 11 points. In the second half, the hosts extended their own lead to double digits, getting contributions from the whole roster, awakening an excited home crowd.
Nicolas Batum scored 19 points, while Frank Ntilikina added nine of his own, converting three threes.
Brazil was led in scoring by Leonardo Meindl and Felicio, who each had 14. Brazil threatened to tie multiple times in the second half, at one point cutting the French lead to four points in the fourth quarter. It couldn’t get any closer, though, and France eventually pulled away.
A key stretch late in the fourth proved costly. Trailing 64-58, Vitor Alves Benite missed a wide-open three for Brazil that would have cut the lead to only three. Instead, France scooped up the miss and Batum hit a three of his own on the ensuing trip down the floor.
France next plays Tuesday vs. Japan.
FIFA bans Canada women's soccer coaches for 1 year, strips Olympic team of 6 points
Rebecca Cohen
The fallout of a drone-spying scandal continues to send shockwaves through the Paris Games, specifically in the women's soccer world.
FIFA announced today it would be stripping Canada's team of six points in the Olympics after team coaches were caught using a drone to spy on their opponents earlier this week.
It also suspended head coach Bev Priestman — who was already suspended by the national soccer federation and was sent home from the Olympics — and two assistant coaches for one year.
"The officials were each found responsible for offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play in connection with the CSA’s Women’s representative team’s drones usage in the scope of the OFT," FIFA said in its statement.
On Monday, New Zealand's women's soccer team reported to police that they saw a drone flying overhead their practice, leading to a support staff member of Canada's team being detained by police on Wednesday.
Priestman apologized to New Zealand Wednesday and said she was removing herself from Thursday’s match "to emphasize our team’s commitment to integrity."
Canada and New Zealand faced off on Thursday, where Canada prevailed 2-1.
Then on Friday, the Canadian Olympic Committee announced it would be removing Priestman for the remainder of the Games, giving assistant coach Andy Spence the reins.
The group said it made its decision after it became aware of "additional information" regarding "previousdrone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games," Kevin Blue, Canada Soccer’s CEO and general secretary, said in a statement.
What are the different types of fencing swords?
Susan Baek
Fencing uses three different weapons: epee (or épée), foil, and saber. While they share a lot of basic rules, differences between their shapes and target areas change the speeds and styles of fencing matches. If you’re new to the sport, here’s a breakdown of the three weapon types:
- Foil is the smallest and most lightweight weapon. Foil fencers also target the smallest area — the torso — using only the tip of the blade. Scoring is largely based on how the point was made correctly, so you might think of foil as the most technical of the three.
- Epee uses only the blade’s point like foil does, but is a much larger and heavier weapon. The whole body is a valid target — the goal is to hit and not get yourself hit. Fencers must carefully choose their moments to strike while positioning themselves strategically, before they jump into action to get a “touch,” or a valid hit.
- Saber hits not only with the tip but also the edge of the weapon, in a slashing motion, that targets everything from the waist up, including the head. These matches are usually the fastest, involving swift exchanges of movement and rigorous footwork.
In foil and saber, there’s a “right of way” rule that doesn’t apply in epee. Whoever begins an attack first takes the right of way and only that fencer may score. If both players hit at the same time, it’s up to the referees to decide who initiated the move.
There is no definitive “most difficult” or “best” weapon, though every fencer has their preference. Foil is often used as an introductory weapon to teach blade control and right of way, but that doesn’t make it any easier to strategize against your opponent.
Soccer: USA takes 1-0 lead over New Zealand
Rohan Nadkarni
The USMNT is on the board first in a huge match.
USA took a 1-0 lead over New Zealand in only the 8th minute of their Group A showdown, courtesy of a penalty kick by Djordje Mihailovic into the center of the net.
This is a critical match for the United States, which would face an incredible challenge to advance to the knockout stage with a loss. USA lost its opener to France 3-0 on Wednesday.
Judo: France wins first 2 medals
Raquel Coronell Uribe
France has won its first two medals on its home turf Games.
Shirine Boukli won bronze for France in women’s extra lightweight judo, and Luka Mkhzeide won the country silver in men’s extra lightweight judo.
Tennis: Blockbuster Nadal-Alcaraz pairing has Paris salivating
Sean Nevin
One of the hottest tickets in town on Day 1 of the Games will be to watch Spain's box-office doubles pairing of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz — jointly dubbed 'Nadalcaraz' by fans online — in action at Roland-Garros.
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (27) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (27)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-Nadal-Alcaraz-ch-1001-4ebae9.jpg)
Fresh from a surprise stint carrying the Olympic torch in last night's opening ceremony, Nadal returns to his favorite hunting ground.
Nadal, a 14-time French Open champion nicknamed the King of Clay, is beloved by the Parisian crowds and his link-up with 20-year-old phenom Alcaraz, who claimed his first French Open title at Roland Garros last month as well as a second Wimbledon title a few weeks back, is a tantalizing prospect that has tennis fans the world over salivating.
Nadal, a two-time gold medalist, returned to the sport earlier this year having sat out virtually all of 2023 through injury, and there is plenty of speculation this could be the final event of his storied career - playing with his compatriot, the most electrifying, exciting and in-form player on the tennis tour right now and passing the torch, would be an incredible way to go out.
The Spanish pair will face the tournament's sixth seeds, Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni, at 1pm ET.
American epee fencer Cebula upsets Italy's Fiamingo before elimination
Susan Baek
The women's individual epee bracket saw early upsets in the Round of 32. American Anne Cebula and Italy's Rossella Fiamingo tied 14-14 in the final minute of their bout before Cebula prevailed in the one-minute tiebreaker. Fiamingo won silver in this event at the 2016 Rio Games and won bronze at the 2022 World Championships.
In a more stunning upset, Japan's Miho Yoshimura defeated Tokyo gold medalist Sun Yiwen of China, in another tiebreaker.
Both Cebula and Yoshimura fell to their opponents in the Round of 16. The women's epee semifinals are set to begin at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Table tennis: USA beats Moldova 4-0 in preliminary round
Rebecca Cohen
Jha Kanak of Team USA bet Moldova's Ursu Vladislav 4-0 in the preliminary round of the men's singles table tennis event today.
Kanak will advance to the round of 64, where he will face Cho Daeseong of South Korea tomorrow.
Basketball: France pulling away from Brazil after three quarters
Rohan Nadkarni
After coming back from a double-digit deficit in the second quarter, France built one of its own in the third vs. Brazil.
The hosts, who entered the game as heavy favorites, lead 57-45 after three quarters.
Victor Wembanyama had a dominant second quarter with 11 points, but hasn’t scored yet in the second half. Nicolas Batum began asserting himself offensively, and is now France’s second-leading scorer with 11 points.
After hitting four threes in the first half, Brazil missed all five of its attempts from deep in the third. Leonardo Meindl leads them in scoring with 14.
There are Cowboys in Paris
David K. Li
Reporting from Paris
Cowboys don't always have to be Americans.
Brad Maroney, his wife and friends came to Paris to cheer on 12 Oklahoma State athletes, across multiple sports, even though most of those OSU products are competing for countries that are not America.
"So we're going to watch every Poke in every event whether they're with us or another country," Maroney said at Friday night's opening ceremonies, using the nickname for the OSU Cowboys. "They're still a part of Cowboy family and that's what we call it, a family."
The OSU athletes in Paris include competitors from Norway, Sweden, Greece, Lithuania, Great Britain and Kazakhstan.
USA headed into effective must-win vs. New Zealand
Rohan Nadkarni
The USMNT is already headed into a critically important match Saturday.
After losing 3-0 to France to open group play, the USA is effectively in a must-win position vs. New Zealand. The U.S. enters the match in last place in Group A with a negative-3 goal differential. If it loses to New Zealand, the USA would essentially need France—as heavy favorites—to lose to Guinea to have a chance to advance.
The U.S. is being represented by its U23 team at the Paris games as required by Olympic rules. It began play Wednesday against France, and couldn’t capitalize on any of its chances as the hosts eventually pulled away with three goals in the second half.
New Zealand is in second place in Group A after defeating Guinea in its first match.
Kickoff between the USA and New Zealand is at 1 p.m. ET.
Basketball: France takes halftime lead vs. Brazil as Wembanyama dominates
Rohan Nadkarni
Victor Wembanyama is showing why he’s one of the most exciting players in basketball.
After trailing Brazil by as much as 12 in the second quarter, France stormed back headed into halftime, taking a 39-36 at the break, largely thanks to a dominant quarter from their young phenom.
Wembanyama scored 11 points in the second quarter on a wide variety of moves. He hit a three from the top of the key and also threw down multiple thunderous dunks, at one point even drawing comparisons to Michael Jordan’s iconic slam from Space Jam after extending his left arm for a thrilling finish. Except Wemby’s throwdown was not computer generated, much to the dismay of Brazil, which had no answer for him whenever he caught the ball in the post.
Wemby’s huge quarter drew roars from the home crowd, which was quieted after Brazil built a double-digit lead. But after finally stringing together some stops, France was able to build offense off its defense. (And they finally seemed to realize Wembanayama is just bigger than everyone else.)
Wembanyama leads all scorers at the half with 14 points. Brazil is hanging tough, though, shooting 50% from three.
Belgium victorious in men's cycling individual time trial
Raquel Coronell Uribe
The men's cycling individual time trial has come to a close, with Belgium's Remco Evenepoel taking the gold medal with a time of 36:12.16.
Evenepoel is fresh off a good performance in the Tour de France, winning the first of the Tour's two time trials and finishing third in the overall. He also won the white jersey for best young rider.
Italy's Filippo Ganna took silver and Belgium's Wout van Aert finished behind him to win the bronze.
The United States' Brandon McNulty finished fifth at 37:16.60 — a bit more than a minute over Evenepoel. American Magnus Sheffield finished in 16th.
Celine Dion surprises fans outside hotel in Paris
Susan Baek
One day after her incredibly moving performance to close out the Opening Ceremony, global superstar Celine Dion surprised fans with autographs and a wave goodbye.
"I'm still very, very emotional... about not my performance last night but how the athletes have been feeling and this whole thing," Dion said.
Her rendition of Édith Piaf's "Hymn to Love" marked her return to the stage since announcing her diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome in 2022.
Tom Daley, and his knitting needles, are back at the Olympics
Rebecca Cohen
In Tokyo, British swimmer Tom Daley captured the internet, and all of our hearts, with his knitting needles. The Olympic gold medalist was spotted both poolside and in the stands at other events cheering and knitting.
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (29) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (29)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-Tom-Daley-ch-1149-5bd011.jpg)
Both Daley, competing in his fifth Games, and his knitting materials are back in Paris.
The Olympics posted a picture of Daley knitting in the stands, where it looks like he was putting together a sweater emblazoned with his name in the colors of the British flag.
"It wouldn’t be an #Olympics without @tomdaley knitting-in-the-crowd cameo!" The Olympics wrote on Instagram.
Basketball: Brazil leads France 23-15 after first quarter
Rohan Nadkarni
Brazil holds an impressive 23-15 lead over France after the first quarter of the countries’ opening game in group basketball play.
The hosts entered as a heavy favorite, led by their massive frontcourt of Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama. Both had their moments in the first quarter, though on the opposite ends of the highlight spectrum.
Gobert was victimized on an alley oop, catching the business end of a dunk by Joao Cardoso that will surely be printed on posters in Brazil. Wembanyama scored only three points in the first, but they all came off an and-1 in which he towered over three Brazilian defenders. He grabbed multiple offensive rebounds off his own misses before finishing through contact.
Leonardo Meindl led Brazil with six points after the opening frame.
Men's cycling time trials in progress
Raquel Coronell Uribe
The men's cycling time trials are in progress. Americans Magnus Sheffield and Brandon McNulty åre among the competitors. Sheffield is recovering from an apparent fall on the course a few minutes ago.
Asher Hong explodes on vault in qualification round
Susan Baek
In his Olympic debut, Stanford gymnast Asher Hong made a strong impression with two difficult passes, as his family cheered him on. He will be Team USA's best medal hope for this event.
Samoan boxing coach dies in Olympic village
Rohan Nadkarni
Lionel Elika Fatupaito, the national boxing coach of Samoa,died after suffering a cardiac arrest Friday while at the Paris Olympics, the International Boxing Association confirmed. Fatupaito was 60 years old.
The IBA released a statement Saturday confirming the news.
“We at the International Boxing Association (IBA) extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Lionel Elika Fatupaito,” the statement read. “Lionel’s dedication and passion for the sport have left an indelible mark on the boxing community. His legacy will continue to inspire future generations. Our thoughts and prayers are with Team Samoa and all those affected by this profound loss.”
Samoan Olympic Committee president Pauga Talalelei Pauga also released a statement, saying, “Lionel was one of Samoa’s top boxing coaches and a great believer in the Olympic ideal. Our thoughts and those of the entire Samoan sporting community are with Lionel’s family, his boxers and friends. He will be greatly missed.”
Fatupaito was treated by emergency services on the scene but they were unable to revive him, per AFP. He cause of death was listed as “natural causes.”
Samoa’s lone boxer at the Paris games, Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali, the top seed in the 92-kg weight class. His first bout is on Sunday.
USA Women's Water Polo continues journey for 4th gold medal
Raquel Coronell Uribe
The U.S. Women's Water Polo team — with their unofficial hype-man, rapper Flavor Flav, cheering them on— won big over Greece (15-6).
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (30) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (30)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-flavor-flav-ch-1059-fe2311.jpg)
This continues the team's pursuit to win their fourth consecutive gold this year — a feat no men or women's team in the sport has ever accomplished.
Soccer: Spain adds to lead over Dominican Republic
Rohan Nadkarni
Spain took a 3-1 lead over Dominican Republic with a 70th minute goal from Miguel Gutiérrez. He was initially ruled offside but the goal was given after a VAR review. Gutiérrez scored on an easy tap in when the ball trickled its way to him in the penalty box after two DR defenders couldn’t make a play on it. The goal was Spain’s second in the second half.
Uh-Oh: Italy's flag bearer loses wedding ring to the Seine
Susan Baek
Gianmarco Tamberi is apologizing to his wife after losing his wedding ring during Friday's Opening Ceremony.
The reigning high jump champion proudly carried Italy's flag when he watched his wedding ring slip into the Seine. In a dramatic and somewhat humorous explanation on Instagram, Tamberi tried to pinpoint what went wrong:
"I'm sorry my love...Too much water, too many kilos in the last few months or maybe the irrepressible enthusiasm of what we were doing. Probably all three, the fact remains that I felt it slip out, saw it fly...followed it with my eyes until I saw it bounce inside the boat."
He then proposed that his wife also throw her ring into the Seine, as a kind of vow renewal that they would be "together forever."
Soccer: Argentina takes 2-1 lead over Iraq
Rohan Nadkarni
Argentina took a 2-1 lead over Iraq during a physical second half match between the two sides. A header from Luciano Gondou broke the tie in the 62nd minute. Three yellow cards were given during the first eight minutes of the second half—two to Iraq and one to Argentina. The Argentines are in need of a win after losing their opening match of the tournament to Morocco.
Soccer: Spain takes second-half lead over Dominican Republic
Rohan Nadkarni
After a tense first half that ended with both sides tied at 1, Spain took the lead over the Dominican Republic in the 55th minute of the match. Álex Baena broke the tie with a strike from outside the box to the bottom-right corner of the net. The Dominican Republic is playing with 10 men after Edison Azcona was given the first red card of the Olympics during stoppage time in the first half.
Ledecky starts Olympics run with top time in 400m free prelims
Susan Baek
Earlier today, Katie Ledecky posted the fastest time of the women's 400m freestyle preliminary heats, overtaking Australia's Ariarne Titmus who won gold in Tokyo and holds the current world record.
This is Ledecky's only event where she faces a rival expected to challenge her dominance. The final race is scheduled for 2:52 p.m. ET.
Chloe Dygert takes bronze in road time trial after spill
Raquel Coronell Uribe
Chloe Dygert has won bronze in the women's individual time trial.
Dygert has recently come off a devastating injury in 2020, going off the guard rail at the time. She recently overcame an Achilles heel injury this year.
At the first time check, Dygert was looking like a contender for gold, but after wiping out lost ground. Australia's Grace Brown and Great Britain's Anna Henderson took gold and silver, respectively.
This isDygert’sthirdOlympic medal and first in road cycling. She has two Olympic medals in track cycling. Dygertis the second American woman to win an Olympic medal in both road and track cycling.
As for gold medalistGrace Brown from Australia, this is herfirst Olympic medal. She finished fourthin this event in Tokyo.
Brown finished 1:31.59 ahead of the silver medalist,Anna Henderson.
This is the United States’ 6thmedal in the women’s individual time trial event, the most in Olympic history.
The other American in the race was Taylor Knibb from Washington, D.C., who finished in 19th place.
Organizers 'confident' triathlontogo ahead as planned despite rainfall
Freddie Clayton
Nancy Ing
Freddie Clayton and Nancy Ing
Olympics organizer said the triathlon events will take place as scheduled despite adverse weather conditions.
Heavy rainfallover the last 24 hours is likely to affect the water quality in the Seine in the coming days, organizers told NBC News, whichmay result in Sunday’s training swim being canceled.
However, they were “confident’ that events would go ahead as planned on Tuesday, the day of the triathlon.
The triathlon and marathon swimming events have already come under intense scrutiny with doubts over the quality of the water in the Seine.Swimming in theriverhas been banned for over a century, but organizers have invested $1.5 billion to prepare it for the Olympics and ensure Parisians have a cleaner river after the games.
Buttests results released Friday showed that water quality was slightly below the standards needed to authorize swimming.
Simone Manuel leads USA to win 4x100m free relay heat
Susan Baek
Team USA had a strong start in the 4x100m free relay, winning the preliminary heat with impressive legs from Simone Manuel and Kate Douglass. Great Britain came in second, with Italy close behind.
The women's free relay final is scheduled for 3:34 p.m. ET, where the U.S. will face a tougher challenge from Australia, who won their heat. The U.S. has medaled in this event every time it has competed but hasn't secured gold since 2000.
U.S. road cyclist Chloe Dygert take a spill
Raquel Coronell Uribe
Only a few minutes short of a potential victory, cyclist Chloe Dygert takes a fall on the road during the individual time trial.
While the race remains neck and neck between her and Australia's Grace Brown, things suddenly look grim for favorite Dygert as she aims to recover from the spill.
Rain soaking beach volleyball fans under the Eiffel Tower
Alexander Smith
Reporting from Paris
The Eiffel Tower Stadium is arguably the most dramatic venue at the Olympics. It’s also the most exposed — and its first spectators of these Games are currently getting utterly drenched.
Dressed in ponchos or hunkered under umbrellas, the crowd has attempted to keep their spirits high with Mexican waves, chanting and stomping their feet on the temporary bleachersunder the imposing iron latticework of Paris’ best-known landmark.
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Miles Partain and Andy Benesh, the youngest American volleyball duo in U.S. history, were beaten in straight sets by Nolsen Diaz and Jorde Alayo from Cuba in the first match of the men’s Pool D.
As did the top ranked pairing, Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, against Australia’s Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher in Pool A.
Tennis: Novak Djokovic claims dominant win as he pursues elusive gold, could face Nadal next
Sean Nevin
Novak Djokovic was utterly ruthless in his opening match of the Olympics, dispatching Australia's Matthew Ebden 6-0, 6-1 in just 53 minutes.
The Serbian is the top seed in the men's singles and is chasing an elusive gold medal at Roland Garros, the only prize missing from the 24-time Grand Slam champion's glittering CV.
At 0-6, 0-2 down, 36-year-old Ebden jokingly offered his racket to a member of the crowd, asking if they would like a go. The crowd went wild when Ebden won his only game of the match shortly after, but it was still a brutal beatdown for the Australian.
In what would be a blockbuster match-up, Djokovic could face Rafael Nadal in the second round.
Women's world no. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland is safely through in the women's draw. The French Open champion beat Romania's Irina-Camela Begu, 6-2, 7-5.
Germany stuns No. 2-ranked Japan in men's volleyball opener
Susan Baek
In a surprising start to the men's volleyball schedule, No. 11-ranked Germany defeated the No. 2-ranked Japan in a thrilling 3-2 match at South Paris Arena. Germany hasn't competed in men's volleyball at the Olympics since the 2012 London Games.
USA and Australia go head-to-head in 4x100m freestyle relay heat
Susan Baek
The final heat of the men's 4x100m freestyle relay came down to a duel between closers Caeleb Dressel for Team USA and Kyle Chalmers for Australia, with Chalmers narrowly edging out Dressel.
Later today, the rival teams will meet again for the free relay final, set to start at 3:44 p.m. ET.
Rail traffic resumes in France but disruptions remain
Nancy Ing
Freddie Clayton
Nancy Ing and Freddie Clayton
Reporting from Paris
Some rail traffic has resumed as normal in France but disruptions remain after part ofthe nation’shigh-speed rail network was paralyzed yesterday by an arson attack that upended service for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
France’s national railway companySNCF said that normal rail traffic resumed this morning on the eastern high-speed lines, but thatother services were still facing severe delays that will continue throughout the weekend.
SNCF said all transportation for Olympic teams will be maintained as planned.
First lady Jill Biden attends the 2024 Paris Olympics
Will Clark
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (33) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (33)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-jill-biden-olympics-wc-1412-d884e3.jpg)
First lady Jill Biden attends the fencing competition at the Grand Palais during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on Saturday. United States’ fencer Eli Derschwitz was eliminated from the Games in the round of 32, ending his hopes of winning a medal.
In shocking upset, U.S. fencer Eli Dershwitz out of medal contention
Raquel Coronell Uribe
In a shocking upset, U.S. fencer Eli Derswhitz, the reigning world champion who was expected to be in serious medal contention for men’s individual saber, lost his match in the round of 32.
This eliminates him from future rounds, including the semi-finals and finals.
In another shock, Hungary’s reigning Olympic saber champion Aron Szilagyi has been eliminated during the round of 32 as well. If Szilagyi had come out victorious and ultimately earned Gold, he would have join Michael Phelps and only a few other Olympians who have won the same individual event four times.
Dershwitz and Szilagyi were the favorites for the event, widely expected to face off in a final match.
Tahiti hosts surfing nearly 10,000 miles from Paris
Freddie Clayton
Tahiti,an overseas French territory famous for itssurfing, will host 48athletes this summer for surfing events.
And 9,759miles away from Paris, it is the farthest an Olympic competition has been held from the host city since 1956. Back then, the equestrian events at the Melbourne Olympics were held in Stockholm, Sweden, due to some strict Australian policies on equine quarantine.
The first round of the men’s event will take place at 7 a.m. local timein Tahiti, 12 hours behind France, and 1 p.m. ET.
Love, l’oeuf and deuce: Tennis scoring is famously convoluted. Here's an explainer.
Sean Nevin
An Olympic gold medal is the only major title missing from Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic's trophy cabinet, while Coco Gauff is going for gold for Team USA, but how exactly does the tennis event at the Olympics work?
The men's and women's singles events feature a field of 64 players, half the number of players who compete at Grand Slams including the U.S. Open. Both fields will play best of three sets with the winner of a set being the first to reach six games (winning by at least two games). That means to win a match, you need to win two sets.
If the scores are tied at 6-6 in a set, a tiebreaker is played where the first player to seven points, winning by two, wins the set.
To win a game, a player needs to win four points before their opponent does. Having no points in a game is referred to as "love." One point is "15," winning a second point gets you to "30" and a third point is "40." Winning a fourth point means you win the game.
Why the scoring system came to be is a mystery, but it is meant to represent the quarters of a clock face (15, 30, 45 with game at 60), but 'forty-five' was deemed to be too long to say, so was truncated to 40. Among the possible explanations for the non-romantic use of "love" is that it's a loan word from l’oeuf, French for egg.
If a game is level at 40-40, the score is referred to as "deuce." To win a game from deuce, a player needs to win at least two points in a row. Winning a point at deuce gives a player 'advantage' — if they win that point, they win the game. If the player with advantage loses the point, the score returns to deuce.
The doubles events follow the same rules. The only exception is that if the match is level at one set all, a tiebreak is played in place of a third set.
The tennis tournament is a straight knockout bracket. The winners of each semifinal play for gold and silver, and the losers play for bronze.
South Korean president says nation was surprised and baffled after their athletes were introduced as being from North Korea
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (34) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (34)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_focal-60x60,f_auto,q_auto:best/newscms/2024_21/3649017/reuters-live-blog-byline-image_1.png)
Freddie Clayton
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (35) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (35)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_focal-60x60,f_auto,q_auto:best/newscms/2024_21/3649017/reuters-live-blog-byline-image_1.png)
Reuters
Freddie Clayton and Reuters
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has told IOC President Thomas Bach that mistakes should not be repeated after South Korean athletes were incorrectly introduced as being from the Democratic People’s Public of Korea, also known as North Korea, during the opening ceremony.
North and South Korea have been in an ongoing conflict since 1948.
Yoon and Bach have since spoken bytelephone, andBach has apologized. Yoon said the incident left the people of South Korea surprised and baffled, but has expressed his wish for a successful Olympics Games, his office said on Saturday.
A similar incident occurred at the 2012 Olympics in London when a South Korea flag appeared alongside North korea’s women’s football team on stadium screens as players warmed up before their opening match.
Beach volleyball kicks off underneath Eiffel Tower
Sam Brock
Reporting from Paris
Despite a steady drumbeat of rain, it’s a nearly full stadium at Stade de Eiffel Tower for beach volleyball — Cuba vs. USA.
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (36) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (36)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-eiffel-tower-volleyball-wc-1323-319de8.jpg)
The announcments are in English and there was plenty of applause for Cuba.
And in case anyone was wondering, yes there are cheerleaders in beach volleyball.
Basketball: Kevin Durant set to be fit for Team USA's opener
Sean Nevin
Kevin Durant is set to be fit for Team USA's opener against Serbia tomorrow, according to coach Steve Kerr.
Durant, who is aiming to win a record fourth gold medal at these Games, missed all five of Team USA's exhibition games in the build-up with a calf injury, but Kerr is confident of having his entire roster — including Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis, who have both had bouts of illness this week — available.
“Hopefully,” Kerr responded when asked whether Durant will play. “He came through the scrimmage two days ago pretty well, and we’ll have another practice today and we’ll just keep taking it day by day.”
“He looked extremely well the other day in practice," added LeBron James. "Obviously his wind and his rhythm is going to continue to come, but if we’re able to get him back and make a huge impact to our club.”
Team USA face Serbia, who features three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, tomorrow at 11:15 E.T. in Lille.
U.S. men's gymnasts in a solid position as they wrap up qualifying, but Brody Malone disappoints
Sean Nevin
With First Lady Jill Biden watching, Team USA's men's gymnasts have wrapped up their qualifying efforts, and now the wait is on to see who will advance to the various finals.
Finishing second behind Great Britain in the first subdivision of the team all-around, their score of 253.229 should be comfortably enough to finish in the top eight overall to advance to Monday's team final.
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Having finished third at last year's World Championships, they are aiming to end a 16-year wait for an Olympic medal in the team event. With China and Japan set to dominate, Britain is expected to be Team USA's main competition for bronze.
Individually, Frederick Richard and Paul Juda should progress to the all-around finals after finishing third and fourth respectively. A surprise package, Juda's showing was particularly notable. He wasn't expected to make the team before impressing at the U.S. trials, and he has carried that form over to Paris.
It was, however, a hugely disappointing showing for Brody Malone, the team's only returnee from the Tokyo Games. He fell twice on the horizontal bars — his specialist apparatus that won him world gold in 2022 — wrecking his chances of making both the individual all-around and horizontal bars finals. He will be eager for redemption should Team USA make Monday's team all-around final.
Germany-Japan finish first quarter in men's basketball
Tim Perone
Reporting from Paris
Germany was leading Japan 27-21 after the first quarter in men's basketball.
Germany, led by NBA players Franz Wagner and Dennis Schröder, is considered one of the stronger teams in the Olympics. They won last year's FIBA World Cup over Serbia after beating the USA in the semi-finals.
Team USA win women’s 4x100m freestyle relay heat
Freddie Clayton
Team USA’s swimmers produced a dominant display to winthe women’s 4x100m freestyle relay heat.
Abbey Weitzel, Simone Manuel, Erika Connolly and Kate Douglass clocked in at 3.33.29, almost three seconds ahead of Great Britain in second place.
But the U.S. will have toovercomereigning champions Australia in the final this evening to take home gold.
Olympic medals include piece of Eiffel Tower
Freddie Clayton
The first of the medals in Paris have already been dished out, but what exactly are athletes getting their hands on?
As usual, Olympic gold medals are actually made from mostly silver, with just six grams of gold used as coating.
But unique to this year's Games, the medalshave a hexagon-shaped center forged using metal scrapped from the Eiffel Tower.
The back of the medal features Nike, the Greek goddess of victory,alongsidethe Acropolis in Athens, an homage to the Games’ Greekorigins.
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Stephen Nedoroscik nails pommel horse routine in men's gymnastics qualifiers
Sean Nevin
Team USA men's gymnastics are going along nicely in the qualifiers at Bercy Arena with Stephen Nedoroscik nailing his pommel horse routine.
The Penn State graduate had a huge smile on his face after posting a statement score of 15.200, out of 16. That will almost certainly be enough to get him into the pommel horse final and put the 2021 world champion in medal contention in what will likely be a stacked field — Max Whitlock of Great Britain, who has won gold in the last two games posted a score of 15.166.
Americans Fred Richard and Paul Juda are also on track to qualify for the individual all-around final, sitting third and fourth respectively after five of the six rotations. Team USA last medalled in the individual all-around in 2012.
Ledecky sets pace ahead of 400m freestyle final
Freddie Clayton
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (40) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (40)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-ledecky-aus-wc-1049-2d2f2e.jpg)
American swimmer and seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledeckyhas won her first race of the games, finishing just ahead of Australian world record holder and reigning Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus inthe women’s 400m freestyle heats.
The two will go head-to-head again in the final this evening.
'I felt like Muhammed Ali' — Snoop Dogg relives Olympic torch experience
Freddie Clayton
Snoop Dogghas shared his experience carrying the Olympic torch through the streets of Paris yesterday as part of the opening ceremony.
“It’s too hard to put in words, baby,” he said. “I was waving, shaking hands, kissing the babies. Doing what I do.We here for peace, love and unity, and great sportsmanship, that’s what we here for.”
Swiatek in action as tennis begins at Roland-Garros
Freddie Clayton
The men’s and women's tennis singles start this morning on the familiar clay courts of Roland-Garros.
The iconic venuehosts the French Open Grand Slam each year, but this summer athletes can also win an Olympic gold on the hallowed red dirt.
The women's singles has just started with Polish world number one Iga Swiatek going up against Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu. Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff are also in action today.
And once the tennis is over on August 4, organizers have 36 hours to transformCourt Phillipe-Chatrier into a boxing arena, with the venue hosting the semi-finals and finals of the women’s and men’s events.
Synch divers score USA's first medal of games
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (41) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (41)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_focal-60x60,f_auto,q_auto:best/newscms/2019_28/2931081/190618-david-k-li-byline2174.jpg)
David K. Li
Freddie Clayton
David K. Li and Freddie Clayton
Kassidy Cook and Sarah Bacon have won silver in the women’s 3-meter synchronized springboard event, bringing home America’s first medal of the games.
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (43) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (43)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-us-diving-silver-wc-1055-a918b4.jpg)
The gold was taken by reigning world champions Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen from China, who win their second gold of the games. It is the sixth Olympics in a row that a Chinese team has won the event.
Team GB’s Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen took bronze for a first British women’s Olympic diving medal since 1960.
Watch riveting moment from USA vs China in Olympic Badminton
NBC News
Badminton can often be a fast and frantic game, requiring lightning-speed reflexes and incredible hand-eye coordination. It is also one of the few sports the U.S. has never medalled in.
Team USA pair Jannie Gai and Vinson Chiu got their mixed doubles campaign underway earlier this morning but were beaten by Chinese medal contenders Huang Dongping and Feng Yanzhe, who were at the top of their game in this frenetic point from this morning's match.
U.S. swimmer Huske wins 100m Butterfly heat
Freddie Clayton
U.S. swimmer Torri Huske has made a strong start in her bid for Olympic gold in the 100-meter Butterfly event, producing a solid display to take first place in heat 3 and move through to the semi-final round later today.
The 2022 world champion is among the favorites to take gold in the final, which takes place tomorrow.
But she faces stiff competition from compatriot and world record holder Gretchen Walsh.
China wins the first gold medal of Paris Olympics
Sean Nevin
The first of the 329 gold medals of these Games has been won by China, who claimed victory in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event.
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (44) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (44)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-shooting-medals-wc-1117-8d6cc4.jpg)
Chinese paring Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao, the reigning world champions in this event, beat out South Korea in the gold medal match.
Kazakhstan took bronze to round off the first podium of the 2024 Olympics.
Men’s gymnastics: Who to watch
Rebecca Cohen
You may know Frederick Richard from TikTok, but if not, he’s making his Olympic debut on the mat in Paris.
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (45) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (45)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-frederick-richard-wc-0930-9bd5b7.jpg)
After coming in second at the U.S. Gymnastics championships and first at the Olympic trials, Richard is a welcome addition to a men’s gymnastics team that is looking to medal for the first time since 2008.
Returning to the mat is Brody Malone, who suffered a nearly-career-ending injury to his knee last March but is full steam ahead into Paris and hoping to take home a medal on his best apparatus: High bar.
“You never really know how bad you want something until you have it taken away from you,” Malone said. “And that is exactly how this ended up working out.”
Men’s street skateboarding delayed due to bad weather
Freddie Clayton
For those who caught last night’s opening ceremony, you may have noticed the torrential rain pouring down on Paris.
And due to the adverse weather, organizers have pushed back the men’s street skateboarding event originally scheduled tostart this morningat the iconic Place de la Concorde, Paris' largest public square where half-pipes, skate ramps and grind rails set up for the games are still soaking wet and slippery.
The event has been postponed until Monday, July 29.
Crowds will have to wait to see Japan’s 14-year-old skateboarding sensation Ginwoo Onodera, who is among the favorites for a medal in Paris.
Where will the first medals of the Olympics be won?
Sean Nevin
Since the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Shooting has had the honor of awarding the first set of medals of the Games, and Paris will be no exception.
The medal matches of the 10-meter mixed team air rifle final get underway at 4:30 ET, and the first gold of the Games will go to either China or South Korea — they topped the order in Saturday morning's qualifying round to progress to the gold medal match with Kazakhstan and Germany set to compete for bronze.
Day 1 will see 13 sets of medals handed out across seven sports, with diving, road cycling and rugby sevens among those to be awarded before tonight’s box-office action in the pool.
Day 1 of Paris Olympics officially underway
Sean Nevin
Let the Games begin! Day 1 of the 33rd Olympiad got underway bright and early this morning, with Badminton the first sport to begin over at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena.
![2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (46) 2024 Paris Olympics: U.S. wins first gold on Day 1 of the Summer Games in swimming relay (46)](https://i0.wp.com/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2024-07/240727-usa-badminton-wc-0818-5e8264.jpg)
Team USA's Vinson Chiu and Jennie Gai started their mixed doubles campaign but were comfortably beaten by Huang Dongping and Feng Yanzhe of China, who are among the gold medal favorites in the event.
Plenty of other sports are also already underway this morning in Paris — the dressage events in equestrian have begun in the stunning surroundings of Versailles while athletes competing in the prelims of rowing, volleyball and handball have also had early wake-up calls.
Twins Kerry and Annie Xu ready to compete in badminton after taking a break for college and accounting careers
Joe Rosato Jr., NBC Bay Area
For an opponent standing across the badminton net from twin sisters Kerry and Annie Xu, it would be hard to strategize the weaknesses and strengths of each in the heat of battle.
“Very hard for the opponent to say ‘Hey, which one is not good today,’” laughed coach Harry Tan.
Though the sisters are individuals in every respect, their play on the badminton court has become one of a singular force — that’s propelled them to a spot atthe 2024 Paris Olympicsin the doubles category, even after a four-year layoff during which they barely touched a racket.
Read the full story here.
Olympic Village? Try Olympic cruise ship
Rebecca Cohen
This year's Olympic surfers aren't heading to Paris.
Instead, they'll catch waves in Tahiti and forgo the famed Olympic Village for a cruise ship stationed near their competition site.
It's the first time Olympic athletes will spend the Games on this so-called floating Olympic Village.
That's because the nearby village of Teahupo’o proved too small and lacking viable options for the incoming athletes, and the Paris Olympic committee requires all athletes to be housed within 45 minutes of their competition venue.
The Olympic surfers will live aboard theAranui 5 and will each have their own private room, complete with a real bed and an ocean view, in addition to access to a fitness center, outdoor pool, library, spa and panoramic bar.
Inside the Team USA welcome experience at the Paris Olympics
TODAY
For American athletes, the first in a series of unforgettable moments at the Olympics Games in Paris is the Team USA Welcome Center where members get fitted for their official Ralph Lauren attire. TODAY’s Hoda Kotb walks through the experience and meets some of the athletes.