There will be 18 gold medals up for grabs at the Olympic Games on Thursday, including in rowing, swimming, judo, sailing, athletics, and shooting. Follow here for the latest updates:
Australia Takes Gold, USA Silver in Women’s Freestyle Relay
Team Australia won gold in the women’s 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay. The team holds the Olympic record and was the favorite to win the event.
Team USA won silver, which means that celebrated swimmer Katie Ledecky has again broken records with a historic 13 Olympic medals to her name—the most of any American female athlete. Yesterday, she smashed records in taking her eighth gold and 12th Olympic medal.
Mollie O’Callaghan, who won gold earlier in the 200-meter individual freestyle, kicked off for the Australians. She was followed by Lani Pallister, Brianna Throssell, and Ariarne Titmus, who took gold in the 400-meter individual freestyle.
First in the Team USA lineup was Claire Weinstein, 17, who made her Olympics debut. She was followed by Paige Madden and then Ledecky, who closed in on Australia’s lead. Erin Gemmell swam last—against Titmus, who created a decisive lead for Australia.
USA Takes Gold in Women’s Team Foil Fencing
Team USA took its first-ever gold in team fencing as the women’s foil team beat Team Italy 45–39.
This is Lee Kiefer’s second gold at these Games, as she won the individual foil event over teammate Lauren Scruggs, who took the silver medal on Sunday. They were joined by Jacqueline Dubrovich and Maia Mei Weintraub for the team event.
USA’s Kate Douglass Takes Gold in 200-Meter Breaststroke
Kate Douglass took the gold in the 200-meter breaststroke, Team USA’s eighth gold this Olympics.
Her time of 2:19.24 sets an American record in the event.
“I feel like this was a long time coming. I was physically ready for this race,” she told NBC after her win. “I knew if I executed that race well, I would win it.”
In the semifinals, Douglass swam neck and neck with Tatjana Smith of South Africa before finishing first, with Smith taking silver in the final.
She won bronze in the individual medley at the Tokyo Games in 2020, and silver in the freestyle relay in Paris.
Team USA’s Lilly King, who was swimming in the final event of her last Olympics, did not make the podium.
Djokovic Advances to Men’s Tennis Singles Semifinals
Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in two sets. He advances to the semifinals, where he will play Lorenzo Musetti of Italy.
This puts Djokovic another step closer to an Olympic gold; the 24-time Grand Slam winner has only ever taken bronze at the Olympics.
USA’s Fritz-Paul Duo Defeats Great Britain in Murray’s Retirement Game
Team USA’s Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul won their doubles match against Great Britain’s Dan Evans and Andy Murray. The crowd erupted into chants of “Andy, Andy!” as the British great gave a tearful goodbye.
This was Murray’s last competitive game of tennis. The Americans applauded him at the end of the game, and he signed autographs as he left the court. Highly decorated, Murray holds three Grand Slam titles, two Olympic golds, and 46 ATP singles titles. He has also recorded victories over Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic.
Fritz and Paul will next play Matthew Ebden and John Peers of Australia.
Summer McIntosh Takes Second Gold Medal
Summer McIntosh of Canada won gold in the 200-meter butterfly, her second gold and third medal of this Olympics.
The 17-year-old was initially neck and neck with Zhang Yufei of China but came off the wall in the last length at a speed that put her far ahead.
Zhang fell back to third as Team USA’s Regan Smith swam a personal best to take the silver. This is Smith’s second silver at the Olympics, as she also won silver in the 100-meter backstroke.
Simone’s Gold, by the Numbers
Some numbers on Simone Biles’ Olympic dominance …
6: Her new total of Olympic golds, third-highest in women’s gymnastics history. Larisa Latynina of the Soviet Union won nine and Czechoslovakia’s Vera Caslavska won seven.
9: Her new total of Olympic medals, just the seventh woman with that many.
34: The number of consecutive all-around competitions at the national and international level she has won, a streak that goes back to 2013.
$75,000: The number of dollars in bonus money she’s won from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee so far at these Paris Games. The Americans pay $37,500 for gold medals.
Simone Makes It 6 Straight for US Women
The United States was the first nation to win five straight women’s all-around Olympic gold medals when Sunisa Lee prevailed at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Make that six.
Simone Biles is now just the third woman to win two Olympic all-around titles. Lee won in Tokyo, Biles at Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Gabby Douglas at London in 2012, Nastia Liukin at Beijing in 2008, and Carly Patterson at Athens in 2004.
The earliest another nation could pass the U.S. for this run of consecutive all-around dominance? 2052, and that’s if one country wins the next seven Olympic titles in that event.
Simone Biles Wins Another Gold Medal in All-Round Final
Simone Biles clinched her sixth Olympic gold medal in front of an ecstatic crowd at the Paris Games on Thursday, reasserting her status as the number one all-around gymnast three years after she withdrew from the same final at the Tokyo Games.
In a tight race between Biles and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, the American was surprisingly left trailing in third place after a flawed performance on the uneven bars.
But she was back on top after a solid performance on her next apparatus—the balance beam.
As she waited to perform last on the floor, she knew the gold would be hers if she avoided any unexpected slip-ups.
She executed an electrifying routine to secure the gold with a total of 59.131 points, just 1.199 points ahead of her Brazilian rival.
Andrade earned a second successive silver in the competition, where each gymnasts needs to show off their skills on all four women’s apparatus.
Biles’ teammate Sunisa Lee, the Tokyo all-around champion, fought back from a disappointing start on the vault to claim bronze with 56.465 points.
Biles captured her second gold medal of the Paris Games, and her second all-around Olympic title after winning the individual event in Rio in 2016. She also claimed the team gold earlier this week.
Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, withdrew from the event in Tokyo to prioritize her mental health after suffering from the “twisties,” a condition involving the temporary loss of spatial awareness that some gymnasts can experience when executing high-difficulty elements.
Her withdrawal caused concern among her vast fan base about whether she would ever set foot on the Olympic stage again.
Women’s Gymnastics Is Underway
After leading the women’s team to gold, Simone Biles is back in action today for the all-around final. She aims to make history as the oldest female all-around champion in over 70 years.
Standing in her way are formidable opponents, including Brazilian Rebeca Andrade and defending Olympic champion Sunisa Lee.
Earlier, nine-time Olympic medalist Nadia Comenici commented on Biles’s upcoming performance, telling the crowd in Paris, “I think she’s going to pass me.”
Australian Swimmer Latest to Test Positive for COVID
Zac Stubblety-Cook is the latest Olympic competitor to test positive for COVID-19—just hours after winning the bronze medal in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke on July 31.
British swimming star Adam Peaty disclosed his positive test less than 24 hours after winning silver in the 100-meter breaststroke, while Australia’s Lani Pallister withdrew from the competition to conserve energy for the upcoming 4 x 200 freestyle relay.
At least five Australian water polo players have also contracted the virus. This brings the total number of positive COVID-19 cases at the Paris Olympics to nine.
Tommy Paul Out in Tennis Singles Quarterfinals
Team USA’s Tommy Paul lost to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and is out of the men’s singles competition.
Alcaraz, ranked world No. 1 in singles, is in the semifinals at his first Olympics.
Paul still has a doubles game lined up with Taylor Fritz against Great Britain’s Andy Murray and Dan Evans.
Skiff Sailing Final Postponed for Second Time
Winds picked up enough for organizers to kick off the men’s skiff sailing finals but died down before the race could be completed, and organizers called it off.
The athletes are waiting to see if the race can continue, but Aug. 2 is also scheduled as a reserve day in case it needs to be postponed.
Team USA was near the last spot when the race was abandoned.
USA Women’s Foil Fencing Team Advances to Compete for Gold
Lee Kiefer and Lauren Scruggs, who took the gold and silver respectively in the individual foil fencing event, are joined by Jacqueline Dubrovich and Maia Weintraub for the team foil fencing competition.
The team defeated Canada and will next face Italy for the gold.
IBA Issues Statement After Boxing Gender Controversy
The International Boxing Association (IBA) issued a statement explaining a prior disqualification decision after Italian boxer Angela Carini forfeited her match against Alergian boxer Imane Khelif less than a minute into her match.
The IBA had disqualified Khelif from the world championships in 2023, and Carini’s dramatic exit from the ring spurred online reports, some including falsities, that alleged the female boxer was matched against a “biological male” who failed testosterone tests.
The IBA, a Russian boxing organization, issued a statement after the incident.
“The athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential,” the statement read, referring to Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan.
The organization did not confirm in the statement that they issued a chromosome test but has disclosed the use of a DNA test to determine athlete chromosomes in previous statements, finding Khelif had XY chromosomes. It has also previously claimed that Khelif and another athlete were “posing” as women, which representatives for Khelif denied.
“This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitiors,” the IBA stated on Aug. 1.
Khelif initially appealed the decision but then withdrew the appeal, making it legally binding.
Khelif is listed as a woman in her passport and is not transgender. The athlete has not been confirmed to be intersex.
An International Olympic Committee spokesperson said all athletes, including Khelif, met the eligibility requirements. Three years ago, the organization stopped using a testosterone monitoring test, instead providing the countries with principles to guide their own testing.
USA 3×3 Basketball Teams Have No More Room for Error
Both men’s and women’s 3×3 basketball teams have been losing their pool games and have only two and one games left, respectively, before they must drop out.
The men’s team, which did not qualify for the last Olympics, lost to Serbia and Poland in their first two games. They will play Lithuania on Aug. 1, and then Latvia. If they win both games, they will secure a chance to continue in the playoffs for a spot in the semifinals.
The women’s team, which won gold at the last Olympics, lost to Germany, Azerbaijan, and Australia. They will play Spain next, their last shot at staying in the running.
World’s Top Women’s Tennis Player Defeated in Semifinals
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek lost in the semifinals after a close quarterfinal match with Team USA’s Danielle Collins, which ended only when Collins retired due to an undisclosed medical issue.
Zheng Qinwen of China won in two sets, scoring 6-2 in the first before a massive break in the second set won her the match 7-5.
Swiatek is still in the running for a bronze medal.
Germany, US Lead the Pack in Team Showjumping Qualifiers
Germany and the United States topped the board at the Olympic showjumping team qualifiers on Thursday, ahead of Britain, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Switzerland, seen as one of the favorites this year, unexpectedly dropped out.
All three German riders produced flawless rides, and Germany was the only team in the competition without a single penalty point.
Silver medallists three years ago in Tokyo, Team USA were second, despite a last-minute change after Kent Farrington had to bow out due to a health issue with his horse Greya.
“This is not supposed to be easy, it’s supposed to be challenging, it’s supposed to test you,” said Karl Cook, who was called up as a replacement only a few hours before the competition.
Cook told reporters he was more nervous than his 12-year-old mare ahead of his unexpected Olympic debut. “I would say she’s zero percent stressed and 100 percent excited,” he said.
Laura Kraut, who won gold with Team USA at Beijing in 2008, rode the best performance of the day with her bay Hanover gelding Baloutinue, managing 17 clear jumps in just under 73 seconds.
That was 1.5 seconds faster than the world’s top-ranked showjumper, Henrik von Eckermann on King Edward from defending gold medallists Sweden, who also made it through.
Team USA Wins Rowing Gold in Men’s Four
The United States won gold in the men’s four Olympic final at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Thursday.
The New Zealand four finished second to secure the silver medal, with Britain taking the bronze.
Biles Seeks Another Milestone
Simone Biles will chase her sixth Olympic gold medal and her second of the Paris Olympics when she competes in the women’s gymnastics all-around final on Thursday.
Biles led the United States to their fourth gold medal in the women’s gymnastics team event on Tuesday at the Paris Olympics, delivering stellar performances on all four apparatuses.
She had experienced calf pain during the qualifications but appeared to be in no visible discomfort during the team final at the Bercy Arena in Paris, where she competed with her left calf taped.
The competition begins at 6:15 p.m. CET (12:15 p.m. ET) at the Bercy Arena.
U.S. Women’s Basketball
The U.S. women’s basketball team looks to extend its Olympic winning streak to 57 games when the Americans play Belgium. The team has not lost in the Olympics since the 1992 Barcelona Games. The United States has won seven consecutive gold medals.
A’ja Wilson scored 24 points, and Breanna Stewart added 22 to help the United States beat Japan 102-76 in Monday night’s opening game.
Brittney Griner is playing her first international games since spending time in a Russian prison in 2022 after being sentenced to nine years in jail for drug possession and smuggling.
The game is at 9 p.m. CET (3 p.m. ET) at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq in Northern France.
Golf Begins
The men’s golf tournament begins at Le Golf National, with Xander Schauffele seeking a second straight gold medal after winning at the Tokyo Games.
Schauffele is the only player in the field to have won both an Olympic gold and a major—he’s coming off a win at the PGA Championship in May and the British Open title two weeks ago.
The tournament will be played at the site of the French Open and, more famously, the 2018 Ryder Cup. It’s the third Olympic golf competition since the sport was reinstated in 2016.
The top seven players in the world, starting with Scottie Scheffler and Schauffele at number 1 and 2 respectively, are part of the 60-man field.
U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau is not at the Olympics because he plays with LIV Golf, and LIV doesn’t award world ranking points. The Olympic Games uses the world ranking to determine the roster.
Catherine Yang, Reuters, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.