Paris Olympics highlights: USA adds medals in swimming, gymnastics, fencing

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Paris Olympics highlights: USA adds medals in swimming, gymnastics, fencing

USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Tue, Jul 30, 2024 ·

38 min read

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The third full day of the 2024 Paris Olympics has wrapped up and it was another day of several American Olympians snatching up medals.

Eight U.S. athletes won medals Monday, and the biggest win of the day came from the U.S. men's gymnastics team , with the squad taking bronze in the team final for its first medal since 2008. The U.S. also got silver and bronze medals in the same event from Katie Grimes and Emma Weyant in the women's 400-meter individual medley, as well as Jagger Eaton and Nyjah Huston in men's street skateboarding. At the end of the day, the U.S. has the most medals of any country .

The U.S. women's basketball team also opened up its Olympic campaign with a resounding win against Japan as it goes for its eighth consecutive gold medal.

Here's how Monday's action unfolded at the Olympics in France:

The USA TODAY app brings you every Team USA medal — right when it happens. Download for full Olympics coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and much more .

Lilly King barely misses podium, but she's not done at these Olympics

For the past eight years, Lilly King, 27, has been the rock of American swimming, winning gold or losing gold, riding the mercurial waves of her sport. Now she's at the end. It's her last Olympics, and the swimming gods so far are not making it easy on her.

On Monday night, in her signature event, the 100 breaststroke, King missed the podium by 1/100th of a second. She tied for fourth, one of five swimmers within a third of a second of each other. The winner was South African Tatjana Schoenmaker Smith, the Olympic gold medalist in the 200 breaststroke in 2021 in Tokyo.

"It was really as close as it could have possibly been," King said afterward. "It was really just about the touch and I could have very easily been second and I ended up tied for fourth. That's kind of the luck of the draw with this race."

King, who has won two golds, two silvers and a bronze in her two previous Olympics, has at least two more events left here, the 200 breaststroke and the medley relay. So she's not done yet.

"I know this race happened three years ago and it completely broke me, and I don't feel broken tonight," she said. "I'm really so proud of the work I've put in and the growth I've been able to have in the sport and hopefully influence I've been able to have on younger swimmers." - Christine Brennan

U.S. to get 2022 figure skating gold medals on Aug. 7 in Paris

The U.S. figure skating team will finally receive their Beijing Olympics team event gold medal on Aug. 7 in Paris, more than two years after Russian teenager Kamila Valieva was found guilty of doping, the International Olympic Committee said on Monday.

At the Beijing Games, Valieva was found guilty of doping earlier in the season and was banned for four years thus removing the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) as winners of the team event.

The decision elevated the U.S. to top spot on the podium.

Japan moved up a step to silver and it was thought that Canada, which finished fourth in the event, would be promoted to bronze. However, the International Skating Union said the ROC's total score, even after Valieva's marks were erased, was still a point better than the Canadians. - Reuters

Skate Canada appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Olympic gymnastics: How Stephen Nedoroscik delivered to seal U.S. men's bronze

PARIS — Hours before the men's gymnastics team final at the 2024 Paris Olympics , Stephen Nedoroscik solved a Rubik's Cube in 9.32 seconds. It's a hobby of his. And that time, for context, is quite impressive. "Good omen," he wrote on Instagram.

It was indeed.

In arguably the most pressure-packed situation that one could imagine in men's gymnastics − the last routine of the last rotation of the Olympic final − Nedoroscik delivered in a big way Monday night, putting together a smooth, confident showing on pommel horse that wrapped up the bronze medal for the U.S. men's gymnastics team .

It was his only event of the night, on the apparatus he's practiced exclusively since the waning days of high school. And when it was over, his teammates hoisted him into the air, and he raised his hands above his head.

"It was just the greatest moment of my life, I think," Nedoroscik said. — Tom Schad

Olympic basketball: U.S. women can expect more physical play

LILLE, France — Two days before the U.S. women's basketball team opened pool play against Japan, five-time Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi was talking with teammates Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson about the last time they all played together, in Tokyo, and how hard their first game of pool play was at that Olympics .

That was an 81-72 win over Nigeria. This time it was a 102-76 win over Japan that stayed close in the first half, mostly because of Japan's nine 3s (the Japanese hit six in the second half, shooting 15-for-39 from long distance for the game).

Taurasi's warning to everyone the other day: "Those last (seven titles) don't promise you anything going forward."

It's easy to assume that because they've dominated in the modern era — the U.S. has not lost an Olympic game since 1992 — it will be a cakewalk to the medal stand. But that is not so, and Monday night proved it.

You thought the WNBA was rough and tumble? Welcome to the world stage, where the international game is absurdly physical at the women's senior level . — Lindsay Schnell

Olympic tennis: Coco Gauff, Danielle Collins advance

It was a mostly successful day for Team USA tennis stars Monday on the red clay of Roland Garros.

American flag bearer Coco Gauff led the way, cruising past Argentina's Maria Loures Carle 6-1, 6-1. The No. 2 seed faces Donna Vekic of Croatia on Tuesday. No. 8 seed Danielle Collins scored a tough three-set win (6-3, 3-6, 6-3) over former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and will meet Colombia's Camila Osorio on Tuesday. And Emma Navarro rallied to beat Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova, 6-7, 6-4, 6-1. Her Tuesday opponent will be China's Xheng Qinwen.

No. 5 seeded Jessica Pegula was the only American to lose Monday, falling to Ukraine's opening ceremony flag bearer Elina Svitolina, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Team USA won both its matches in men's doubles:

The No. 4 seeds Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram dispatched Alexei Popyrin and Alex de Minaur of Australia, 6-2, 6-3.
No. 3 seeds Taylor Frtiz and Tommy Paul, downed Canadian duo Felix Auger-Aliassime and Milos Raonic, 7-6, 6-4.

Olympic fencing: Nick Itkin wins bronze in men's foil

PARIS — American fencer Nick Itkin won the bronze medal in the men's individual foil Monday night with a 15-12 victory over Japan's Kazumi Iimura. Itkin's bronze gives Team USA it's third medal in fencing, following Lee Kiefer's gold and Lauren Scruggs' silver in the women's individual foil on Sunday.

Itkin, 24 and a two-time Olympian, won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021 in the team foil. He'll have a chance to add to his medal haul Aug. 4 in the team foil competition. — Josh Peter

Olympic rugby: Jason Kelce steps up to be celebrity fan of U.S. women's team

PARIS – Ilona Maher has become Team USA's social media star of the 2024 Paris Olympics .

Now she's recruited a celebrity fan for the United States women's rugby team : former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.

In her sarcastic tone that has been the driving force of her Olympic-related videos , Maher – a two-time Olympian – asked Kelce whether he'd agree to be the team's "celebrity fan" in the same vein rapper Flavor Flav is supporting the U.S. women's water polo squad .

Kelce bought into the bit and declared he was "officially a fan, women's rugby Olympics."

It's an especially fitting match because the U.S. women's rugby team is nicknamed "the Eagles."

The U.S. women's rugby team defeated Great Britain Monday in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals and secured the best finish at an Olympics in team history. — Chris Bumbaca

Olympic surfing: Top-ranked U.S. men crash out in Round of 16

If the United States wins a medal in surfing at the Paris Olympics, it'll be up to the women.

The two American men on Monday failed to advance out of the round of 16 despite entering the competition at Tahiti leading the World Surf League (WSL) rankings.

U.S. star John John Florence, ranked No. 1, lost his Round of 16 heat against Australia's Jack Robinson. Robinson had a two-wave total of 13.94 and Florence managed only 9.07.

Teammate Griffin Colapinto, ranked No. 2 on the WSL circuit, lost his Round of 16 heat against France's Kauli Vaast. Vaast had a two-wave total of 13.94 and Colapinto posted a 9.07.

But all three of America's women surfers – defending Olympic champion Carissa Moore, Caroline Marks and Caitlin Simmers – remain in contention at the Paris Games. They're set to compete Tuesday in the women's Round of 16 heats in head-to-head, elimination battles at the legendary surf site of Teahupo'o., Tahiti. — Josh Peter

Olympic fencing: Olga Kharlan wins Ukraine's first medal of Paris Games

PARIS – The Ukrainian fencer wept. And she beamed.

And she basked in cheers of her countrymen Monday night during the women's individual saber competition at the Paris Olympics .

Olga Kharlan won a bronze medal. But make no mistake, it was a golden moment.

She gave Ukraine its first Olympic medal of the Paris Games – and first since Russia invaded her country almost 2½ years ago – in a stirring 15-14 victory over Sebin Choi of South Korea.

"I'm really happy, and, you know, sad at the same time,'' Kharlan told reporters later, "because my country goes through this moment, the war.'' — Josh Peter

Read more from Josh Peter's story on the fencing match here.

Olympic beach volleyball: USA's Kristen Nuss, Taryn Kloth keep rolling

PARIS — The No. 2 team in the women's tournament, Team USA's Kristen Nunn and Taryn Kloth, took out Australia's combination of Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar in straight sets, 21-16, 21-16, Monday on Centre Court at Eiffel Tower Stadium.

Nuss and Loth consistently kept the Aussies at bay and used a combination of finesse and power to build their lead in the first set.

A long rally at 11-8 in the second ended with Nuss – at just 5-foot-6 – on the termination to the back right corner of the sand. The Aussies battled back to 12-11, but a 4-1 run from the Americans put the momentum back on their side for a bit. They needed the breathing room, because Australia again battled to 18-16 before the U.S. finished off the match.

The scoring was even with 12 attack points apiece. Nuss finished with 16 digs and a pair of aces.

Nuss and Kloth won their first matchup of the Games by defeating Canada on Saturday. The American duo is also the second-ranked team in the world according to the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball. — Chris Bumbaca

Olympic women's basketball: Team USA opens with big win

Team USA dominated Japan from close-range all game Monday to open Paris Olympics group play with a 102-76 win in a rematch of the Tokyo gold-medal game.

Three years ago, Brittney Griner led the Americans with 30 points in the 90-75 win for Team USA's seventh consecutive gold medal . In Monday's Paris opener, it was WNBA MVPs A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart who stole the show.

Wilson and Stewart combined for 46 points and 21 rebounds, while Griner added 11 points and nine rebounds. Kelsey Plum and Sabrina Ionescu also scored 11 points apiece for Team USA, and Chelsea Gray dished a game-high 13 assists.

The Americans face Belgium Thursday in their second Group C match. The game starts at 3 p.m. ET and will air on USA Network and stream on Peacock. — Ellen J. Horrow

Click here for all the highlights from Team USA's win on Monday.

Ex-NFL stars vow to pay U.S. track stars if they win Paris gold

Shannon Sharpe and Chad "OchoCinco" Johnson said they will each pay U.S. track athletes $25,000 if they win gold at the Paris Olympics.

Sharpe and Johnson made the pledge during their Nightcap podcast on Monday night after discussing that American athletes would earn $37,000 for winning gold at the Olympics. They considered that figure unfair for four years of hard work.

"Hey, Noah Lyles, if you win the 100 meter gold, me and Ocho $25,000 apiece," said Sharpe, an ESPN analyst and Pro Football Hall of Famer.

"Bet. You know I don't like to spend money," said Johnson, a former NFL star receiver. — Safid Deen

Olympic beach volleyball: Stunning upset in men's field

PARIS – A stunner in the volleyball world led to Qataris Cherif Younousse & Ahmed Tijan clinching the first spot in the Round of 16 as the first men's team to win two matches on Centre Court at Eiffel Tower Stadium.

They did so by upsetting Swedes David Ahman & Jonatan Hellvig, the No. 1 team in the field. Ahman and Hellvig have been credited with bringing the "jump set" – allowing them to send it over the net on the second knock instead of the third – to prominence.

The match went three sets and Qatar won the final two sets after dropping the first, 21-15. The third set, played to 15 but needing to win by two, ended 20-18. — Chris Bumbaca

Olympic women's basketball: USA retains commanding lead

Through three quarters, the Japanese team has more 3-point attempts (32) than 2-point attempts (26). They're also making those 3s at a better rate than they are from inside the arc, shooting 38% from 3-point range and 35% from 2.

Team USA has let it happen as they continue to dominate the scoring inside. The Americans still lead, 79-57, with 10 minutes to go.

A'Ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart continue to lead Team USA in scoring, while Kelsey Plum cam on strong in the third quarter. Chelsea Gray has dished out 13 assists through three quarters. — Jack McKessy

Get all the updates of today's game in our women's basketball live blog .

Olympic women's rugby: U.S. squad advances to semifinals

PARIS – Portions of the crowd chanted "USA" as the U.S. women's rugby team battled Great Britain with a chance to reach the semifinals.

Great Britain jumped out to an early 7-0 advantage, but U.S. captain Naya Tapper scored a try midway through the first half to make the game 7-5 at the half.

The U.S. stole momentum and took control of the game in the second half by scoring 12 straight points with tries from Kristi Kirshe and Sammy Sullivan.

Kirshe and Sullivan's tries proved to be all Team USA needed to beat Great Britain 17-7 and advance to Tuesday's semifinal round, where they will face New Zealand. The Kiwi squad defeated China 43-5 in their quarterfinal match.

The win guaranteed Team USA a top-four finish at the Paris Olympics. The U.S. women's best rugby sevens finish at the Olympics was previously fifth in 2016. — Tyler Dragon

United States rugby forward Ilona Maher runs during the Paris Olympics matchup against France at Stade de France in Paris Saint-Denis, France on July 29, 2024.

Olympic women's basketball: Team USA lead 50-39 at halftime

The posts for Team USA continue to lead the way in their Paris Olympic opener against Japan, taking a 50-39 lead into the locker room at halftime. A'Ja Wilson leads all scorers with 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting, and teammate Breanna Stewart has 14 points, making 7 of 8 shots. The seven-time deending Olympic gold medalists have struggled from long-range, making just 1-of-12 3-point shots, but they have dominated on the glass, outrebounding Japan 31 to 14.

Get all the updates of today's game in our women's basketball live blog .

Olympic swimming: Ryan Murphy gets bronze in 100 backstroke

NANTERRE, France — Three-time Olympic swimmer Ryan Murphy raced his way to a bronze medal in a crowded 100-meter backstroke final Monday for his third podium in three consecutive Olympic Games.

The 29-year-old American backstroker finished third with a time of 52.39 seconds, behind Thomas Ceccon of Italy, who won gold with a time of 52.00, and Jiayu XU, who won silver with in 52.32.

Entering the Paris Games with six medals, four gold, Murphy was the 2016 Olympic champion in the 100 and 200 backstroke at the Rio Olympics. Three years ago at the Tokyo Games, he won a bronze and silver medal in those respective events. — Michelle Martinelli

Olympic women's basketball: USA leads after first quarter

Team USA , which has won seven consecutive Olympic gold medals , leads Japan, 22-15 in their opening match of the 2024 Paris Olympics. A'ja Wilson leads all scorers with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Breanna Stewart, Brittney Griner and Wilson have combined for 12 of the Americans' 16 rebounds. Himawari Akaho has five points for Japan, and the Japanese team has eight total rebounds. — Jack McKessy

Get all the updates of today's game in our women's basketball live blog .

Olympic swimming: Luke Hobson wins bronze in 200 freestyle

Luke Hobson helped Team USA pick up another swimming medal, taking bronze in the men's 200-meter freestyle . Hobson finished just 0.07 seconds behind Romania's David Popovici, who won gold, and 0.05 seconds behind Great Britain's Matthew Richards, who took silver. In a competitive field, Popovic won in 1:44.72 just out-touching Richards and Hobson.

Olympic fencing: Nick Itkin will battle for bronze

American fencer Nick Itkin will have to settle for a shot at bronze in the men's individual foil.

Ranked No. 2 in the world, Itkin suffered a surprising 15-11 loss to Italy's Filippo Macchi in the semifinals, relegating him to the bronze medal match.

Itkin, a 24-year-old from Los Angeles, will face Kazuki Iimura of Japan. — Josh Peter

Olympic swimming: US pockets two medals in women's 400 individual medley

Team USA swimmers Katie Grimes and Emma Weyant finished second and third in the women's 400-meter individual medley Monday on Day 3 of swimming at the Paris Olympics .

Canadian star 17-year-old Summer McIntosh set the pace early and never looked back to take the gold.

In the physically and mentally draining parade of all four strokes, Grimes won the silver medal with a time of 4:33.40, while Weyant won bronze with a 4:34.93 at Paris La Défense Arena. McIntosh won gold with a time of 4:27.71. This is 22-year-old Weyant's second Olympic medal in the 400 IM after winning silver at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but it's 18-year-old Grimes' first after she finished fourth in her only event three years ago, the 800-meter freestyle. — Michelle Martinelli

Scottie Scheffler blending in at Paris Olympics

The world's No. 1 golfer made it to Paris, but as you'd expect, the Olympic version of the guy isn't any different.

No posh cameo during the opening ceremony. No fanfare. No celebrity.

Nah, Scottie Scheffler pushed a stroller through the Louvre , and hardly anyone noticed him .

"A few pictures," Scheffler told reporters Monday at Le Golf National. Maybe "a few people looking at me weird" at times.

"We were there for two hours," he said, "and I felt like I could have been there for days exploring around looking at all the old paintings." — Gentry Estes

Men's gymnastics: Team USA wins bronze

PARIS — The U.S. men's gymnastics team won the bronze medal in the team final at the 2024 Olympics on Monday night. Frederick Richard , Paul Juda , Brody Malone , Asher Hong and Stephen Nedoroscik were strong across every event, securing the Americans' first Olympic medal since 2008, when the U.S. men won bronze. Japan won gold, China won silver.

Olympic volleyball: US women fall to China

Team USA opened up women's volleyball pool play with a tight 3-2 loss to China in Group A. After losing the first two sets (20-25, 19-25), the U.S. women rallied to win the next two, 25-17, 25-20, and send the match to a decisive fifth set. But China, ranked No. 6 in the world, outdueled the fifth-ranked Americans 15-13. The U.S. women face Serbia on Wednesday in another Group A match.

Men's gymnastics: Team USA in medal position with one rotation remaining

The United States men's gymnastics team is sitting in third place as it searches for its first medal since winning bronze in 2008. Follow along for updates .

Olympics skateboarding: Jagger Eaton, Nyjah Huston medal

American skateboarders Jagger Eaton and Nyjah Huston finished second and third in the men's street finals, earning Team USA a silver and bronze medal.

Japan's Yuto Horigome won the gold medal, jumping ahead on his final attempt. Horigome also won the gold in Tokyo, while Eaton took bronze.

Ilona Maher, Team USA rugby star, goes viral at Paris Olympics

Her stiff arms and TikTok account have gone viral, and she has convinced Jason Kelce to become a rugby fan.

There might not be another athlete having a better time than Ilona Maher thus far at the 2024 Paris Olympics . The Team USA women's rugby sevens star is going mainstream with the way she runs through opposing players on the field and entertains her fans on social media.

Here's what else you should know about Maher as she leads Team USA in women's rugby. — Mark Giannotto

British swimmer tests positive for COVID

British swimmer Adam Peaty has tested positive for COVID, Team GB said Monday, a day after he narrowly missed out on the 100-meter breaststroke gold at the Paris Olympics .

Peaty shared the silver with American Nic Fink after both finished 0.02 seconds behind Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi.

The Briton had said he woke up unwell on the day of the race, although he declined to use that as an excuse. Peaty also struggled to speak after the race with a hoarse throat.

"He is hopeful to be back in competition for the relay events later in the swimming program," Team GB said in a statement.

The relay events will take place later this week. — Reuters

Nellie Biles talks reaction to Simone Biles calf tweak at Paris Olympics

Nellie Biles is happy to see the joy back on her daughter's face at the Paris Olympics, but she told USA TODAY Sports on Monday her heart skipped a beat when Simone Biles briefly left Sunday's qualifying session after tweaking her calf .

"Well, I was worried about that," Nellie Biles said after an appearance on NBC's TODAY show.

"Then I saw her up there to do that Yurchenko (double pike on the vault), I'm like, 'For real?' And then I gave her the thumbs up to see if she was OK and she nodded, so I'm like, 'OK, she's fine,' and she went and she threw it. It was great. It was great. I'm like, 'OK, then I guess you're fine.'"

Both Biles' mother and brother, Ron Jr., said Monday they're thrilled to see her healthy and happy ahead at these Paris Olympics.

"I'm very proud as a mother to watch her and see her enjoying what she's doing," Nellie Biles said. "It's different. Every time I watch her compete. It all depends on where she's at mentally, and now I could tell that she's in a very good place and she's enjoying it. And you know, it is so good to see. It is so good to see." — Dave Birkett

Djokovic vs. Nadal in Olympics tennis: Djokovic wins in straight sets

Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal, 6-1, 6-4, in a second-round matchup at Roland-Garros.

Djokovic made quick work of Nadal in the first games, and jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second. Nadal stormed back to even the set at 4-4, but then Djokovic found his footing to close it out.

Field hockey Olympics: US women battle to draw against Spain

The U.S. women's field hockey team tied Spain 1-1 on Monday to move to 0-1-1 in pool play at the Paris Olympics.

Sophia Gladieux got the Americans on the board first with a goal in the 14th minute, but Spain's Begona Garcia hit the equalizer six minutes later.

Team USA will take on Australia on Wednesday.

Simone Biles will compete in all four events in women's gymnastics team final

Simone Biles will do all four events in women's gymnastics team finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics , passing on the chance to get a little bit of rest in a competition that is both lengthy and stressful. This despite tweaking her left calf during qualifying .

Biles will anchor the U.S. women's gymnastics team on vault, balance beam and floor exercise, and go second-to-last on uneven bars. Jordan Chiles, who got aced out of the all-around final because of the silly two-per-country rule, also will do four events. She'll lead off on vault, bars and balance beam, and will go second on floor exercise. — Nancy Armour

Noah Lyles says popularity impacted stay in Olympic village

U.S. track and field star Noah Lyles says this might be his final Games staying in the athlete housing.

Lyles told reporters Monday that residing in the Olympic Village has cause him some mental stress.

"I've become kind of popular in the village," Lyles said. "Unfortunately, that has come with its own set of challenges, being able to find my own space within the village whether that's eating or training in the gym. Some athletes like to leave the village and find their own hotels, but I like to enjoy the whole Olympic event – being with other athletes and stuff like that. But it has come with its own challenges of finding my own safe place. It's kind of hard for me to find that space within the village and I don't want to leave. But it's definitely something I feel like after this Olympics I'm gonna have to have conversations higher up. Whoever that's in charge of that and making that more available and more aware."

Read more from Tyler Dragon about what Lyles had to say .

Olympic fencing: Nick Itkin reaches semifinals

American fencer Nick Itkin advanced to the semifinals in the men's individual foil set for Monday night.

Itkin, ranked No. 2 in in the world entering the competition, beat Italy's Guillaume Biachi 15-14 in the quarterfinals Monday afternoon. Next he'll face Italy's Filippo Macchi. Making his second appearance in the Olympics, the 24-year-old Itkin won a bronze in team foil at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

American fencer Gerek Meinhardt, husband of two-time gold medalist Lee Kiefer, is out of medal contention in the men's individual foil. After dominating China's Haiwei Chen 15-7 in the round of 32, he lost to France's Enzo Lefort 15-10 in the round of 16.

Meinhardt, 34, is making his fifth appearance at the Olympics and still has a chance to medal in the team foil competition Aug. 4. He won Olympic bronze medals in Rio in 2016 and in Tokyo in 2021 in team foil. — Josh Peter

Olympic beach volleyball: Chase Budinger, Miles Evans dominate

PARIS — Chase Budinger and Miles Evans had their work cut out for them. So did the friends and families who came to cheer them on against Youssef Krou and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat, who represented the host country France. But Budinger and Evans dominated all the way through, winning the best-of-three 21-14 and 21-11. And so did their fan contingency that included their team parents and neighbors – who made up a fraction of the crowd at Centre Court under the Eiffel Tower.

The Americans were in synch throughout while the French looked disjointed at times. The crowd implored them with an impromptu rendition of the national anthem prior to the second set. It didn't work.

Budinger, the former NBA player , used his size to be a presence at the net and throw the French tandem off their game. He also rarely swung hard and instead dumped the ball over the jumping block, the ball falling safely in the sand for point after point. His block at the net ended the match and he raised his arms toward the cheering section triumphantly. — Chris Bumbaca

Men's gymnastics team finals begins

The U.S. men's gymnastics team is competing in the 2024 Olympics team final today. Frederick Ricahrd , Paul Juda , Brody Malone , Asher Hong and Stephen Nedoroscik are aiming to secure the Americans' first Olympic medal since 2008, when the U.S. men won bronze.

Follow our team for live coverage .

Olympics rugby: US women fall to France

PARIS — The U.S. women's rugby team suffered their first defeat of the Paris Olympics .

The U.S. women's rugby squad scored the game's initial try and took and early 7-0 lead, but France rallied back in front of their home crowd at Stade de France.

France scored 24 unanswered points to take a commanding 24-7 advantage. Naya Tapper scored a try late in the second half, but it was too little too late as the French women took the victory, 31-14.

France's Séraphine Okemba had a game-high four tries in the win.

Despite the loss, the U.S. rugby squad (2-1) will advance to the quarterfinals to face a country to be determined. The U.S. women have never won an Olympic medal in rugby sevens. — Tyler Dragon

At Paris Olympics, Team USA women leading medal charge

Of the 12 American medals as of early Monday, nine have been won by female athletes. The U.S. has already had fencing ( Lee Kiefer, gold, and Lauren Scruggs, silver ), diving ( Sarah Bacon & Kassidy Cook, silver ), mountain biking ( Haley Batten, silver ) and cycling ( Chloe Dygert, bronze ), as well as a growing haul of medals from Olympic swimming (with Torri Huske winning gold in the 100 butterfly).

It's similar to the Tokyo Games, when out of the USA's 113 medals, most of any country, 66 were won by female athletes and 41 by men (six were in mixed events). The 58.4% of medals won by U.S. women in Tokyo was their highest-ever percentage.

Olympics fencing: Trio of USA competitors moving on

Three of the final 16 in men's foil hail from the United States.

No. 2 seed Nick Itkin beat Alex Tofalides of Cyprus 15-10 to advance against No. 18 seed Abdelrahman Hussein Tolba of Egypt.

Gerek Meinhardt, the husband of gold medalist Lee Kiefer , will take on the No. 5 seeded Enzo Lefort of France. Alexander Massialas, the No. 8 seed, will square off against No. 9 seed Kazuki Iimura of Japan.

Olympics boxing: Joshua Edwards eliminated in men's +92kg

Joshua Edwards, the No. 1 seed in the boxing tournament for men's super heavyweight, lost a 3-1 decision to Diego Lenzi of Italy to have his 2024 Paris Olympics come to an abrupt ending.

Olympics skateboarding: Jagger Eaton through to street final

Jagger Eaton, who won bronze in the men's street at the Tokyo Games, qualified for this year's finals with the highest score during prelims.

Eaton has said, looking back on Tokyo three years later, there are "tons" of things he would do differently. One seems rather obvious.

"Not walk in with a broken ankle," Eaton told USA TODAY Sports in April . "That was just miserable."

Olympics equestrian: American duo advance

Two Team USA entries have advanced to the eventing individual final as Olympic Games Paris 2024 equestrian competition continues Monday afternoon at the Chateau de Versailles.

Boyd Martin riding Fedarman B tied for 11th in qualifying with a score of 32.10, while Elisabeth Halliday was 15th aboard Nutcracker with a score of 34.80.

Germany's Michael Jung and Chipmunk FRH came in first in the qualifying round with a score of 21.80.

The top 25 moved through to the final round, which is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday afternoon.

How to watch Djokovic vs. Nadal

Between the two of them is a whopping 46 Grand Slam men's titles.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are facing off in the Paris Olympics at Court Philippe-Chatrier, Roland Garros. You can catch all the action on Fubo or Peacock.

Medal count today

Our 2024 Paris Olympics medal count tracker updates after every single medal event.

Olympic fencing: Team USA competitors eliminated

Elizabeth Tartakovsky, Magda Skarbonkiewicz and Tatiana Nazlymov each suffered defeats in the round of 32 for women's sabre at the Grand Palais in Paris on Monday.

Olympic surfer needs stitches after suffering head wound on coral reef

PARIS — Johanne Defray of France needed four stiches for a head wound Saturday, underscoring the danger of surfing at the famous Teahupo'o break in Tahiti. It's not just the powerful wave. It's the shallow, sharp coral reef.

No helmet, no mercy.

"Yesterday on my first wave I had a fall," Defay said. "It just went so big, I went straight into the coral with my head, I had four stitches.

"They made me go through the concussion protocols and the results were so-so, so they made me go through them all again this morning. … There's no trauma, so we're happy." — Josh Peter

USA women's swimmers advance in qualifying

Team USA's swimmers advanced in their respective events during qualifying Monday morning at the Paris La Defense Arena. Here's a look at what happened in the pool:

Women's 400m IM– Emma Weyant and Katie Grimes posted the fastest two times in the semifinals to advance to the evening's final. Weyant's time of 4:36.27 was 0.97 faster than Grimes' 4:37.24. The third fastest time came from Canada's Summer McIntosh, a 4:37.35.

Women's 100m backstroke– Katharine Berkoff and Regan Smith each won their heats Monday morning. Berkoff was the fastest in the field with her 57.99, while Smith, the world record-holder in the event, was second-fastest at 58.45. The only other swimmer to go under 58.50 was Kaylee McKeown of Australia, who had a time of 58.48. The semifinals are Monday, with the final to be held Tuesday evening.

Men's 800m freestyle– Bobby Finke placed third in his heat and moved into the final with the fifth-fastest time at 7:43.00, 0.93 off the 7:42.07 pace set by Ahmed Jaouadi of Tunisia. Luke Whitlock's time of 7:49.26 was not among the top eight that advanced to the final, which is scheduled for Tuesday.

When does Simone Biles compete next at Olympics?

Simone Biles will next compete in Paris in the women's gymnastics team final on Tuesday (12:15 p.m. ET). Here's her full Olympics schedule :

The women's team final begins at 12:15 p.m. ET Tuesday, July 30.
The women's all-around final is at 12:15 p.m. ET Thursday, Aug. 1.
The women's vault final is at 10:20 a.m. ET Saturday, Aug. 3.
The women's uneven bars final is at 9:40 a.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 4.
The women's balance beam final (6:36 a.m. ET) and floor exercise final (8:20 a.m.) are Monday, Aug. 5.

Simone Biles' moves named after her: What to know

Simone Biles has left her mark on the sport of gymnastics. In addition to her record number of medals − she has 37 at the world championships and Olympics, more than any other gymnast, male or female − Biles has five skills named after her. Skills are named after the first gymnast to do them in a major international competition, like the world championships or Olympics. She has two on vault, two on floor exercise and one on balance beam. Here's are the Simone Biles moves named after her . — Nancy Armour

What Olympic gymnastics individual finals Simone Biles, US teammates qualified for

Simone Biles and the U.S. women's gymnastics team could bring home a lot of souvenirs from the Paris Olympics .

Biles qualified for four of the five individual finals − all-around, floor, vault, beam − and the Americans have the maximum two gymnasts in all but the uneven bars final. If it weren't for the two-per-country rule , Jordan Chiles would be in the all-around and vault finals, too. Suni Lee made the bars and beam finals; Jade Carey joins Biles in the vault final; Jordan Chiles joins Biles in the floor final. — Nancy Armour

Triathlon swim training canceled for second day over dirty Seine

PARIS — Olympic organizers canceled triathlon training for the swimming leg for the second day in a row Monday because of Seine river pollution levels , yet said they were "confident" medal events would be held this week.

The men's individual triathlon is scheduled to start Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. local time, with the women's individual event to be held on Wednesday.

One option for organizers is to delay outdoor swimming events by a day. As a last resort, they will cancel the swimming leg. Marathon swimming could be moved to a river east of Paris. — Kim Hjelmgaard

Sagen Maddalena finishes fourth in 10-meter air rifle

American Sagen Maddalena barely missed out on a shooting medal in the women's 10-meter air rifle Monday morning.

Maddalena, a 30-year-old U.S. Army sergeant, finished fourth of eight finalists, being eliminated in a shoot-off. She scored a 9.8 on her final shot, while Switzerland's Audrey Gogniat posted a 10.7 to secure the bronze medal.

South Korea's Ban Hyo-jun, only 16 years old, edged China's Huang Yuting for the gold medal by the smallest of margins and equaled an Olympic record with an overall score of 251.8. — Gentry Estes

Olympics schedule today

Here are some Olympic schedule highlights . Peacock is streaming every sport and event live as it unfolds in Paris.

(All times Eastern)

Swimming heats start at 5 a.m. The finals for the women's 400m IM, men's 200m free, men's 100m backstroke, women's 100m backstroke and women's 200m free start at 2:30 p.m. NBC is airing the finals, USA Network is airing the heats.
The men's gymnastics team finalstarts at 11:30 a.m. The U.S. men are aiming to medal for the first time since 2008.
Women's basketball has four group stage games: Nigeria vs. Australia (5 a.m.), Germany vs. Belgium (7:30 a.m.), Canada vs. France (11:15 a.m.), U.S. vs. Japan (3 p.m.)
Other sports in action: Archery , badminton , beach volleyball , boxing , canoe slalom, cycling mountain bike, diving , equestrian , fencing , handball , field hockey , judo , rowing , rugby sevens , sailing , shooting , surfing , table tennis , tennis , volleyball , water polo .

How to watch Olympics today

NBC is airing and streaming the Paris Olympics from all angles: Peacock is streaming every sport and event live as it unfolds; NBC, USA Network, CNBC and E! are carrying various live events and replays throughout the day. Here are 6 tips and tricks for getting the most out of Peacock during the Olympics .

What U.S. teams are playing at the Olympics today?

(All times Eastern)

The U.S. women's field hockey teamplays Spain in pool play at 7:15 a.m. USA Network is airing.
The U.S. women's rugby sevens teamplays France in pool play at 9:30 a.m. NBC is airing.
The U.S. women's water polo teamplays Span in group play at 9:35 a.m. USA Network is airing.
The U.S. is competing in men's beach volleyballagainst France at 10 a.m. NBC is airing.
The U.S. women's volleyball teamplays China in pool play at 11 a.m. USA Network is airing.
The U.S. women's basketball teamis facing Japan in group play at 3 p.m. USA Network is airing.
The U.S. is competing in women's beach volleyballagainst Australia at 4 p.m. NBC is airing.

What Olympic medals can be won today?

(All times Eastern)

Shooting:10m air rifle women's final (3:30 a.m.), 10m air rifle men's final (6 a.m.)
Diving:Men's synchronized 10m Platform Final (5 a.m., E!)
Equestrian:eventing team jumping final (5 a.m. E!), eventing individual jumping final (5 a.m., E!)
Cycling mountain bike:men's cross-country (8:10 a.m., USA Network)
Archery:men's team bronze match (10:48 a.m.), men's team gold match (11:11 a.m.)
Judo:Six medal matches (11:18 a.m. start)
Canoe Slalom:men's canoe single final (11:20 a.m., E!)
Gymnastics:men's team final (11:30 a.m.)
Swimming:women's 400m IM (2:30 p.m.), men's 200m free (2:43 p.m.), men's 100m backstroke (3:22 p.m.), women's 100m breaststroke (3:32 p.m.), women's 200m free (3:48 p.m.). NBC airing all the finals.
Fencing:women's sabre individual finals (2:50 p.m.), men's foil individual finals (3:15 p.m.)

Olympic swimming schedule today

(All times Eastern)

Heats for the following events start at 5 a.m.:women's 400m IM and 100m backstroke; men's 800m free
Semifinals for the following events start in the afternoon:women's 100m backstroke (3 p.m.)
Today's finals:women's 400m IM (2:30 p.m.), men's 200m free (2:43 p.m.), men's 100m backstroke (3:22 p.m.), women's 100m breaststroke (3:32 p.m.), women's 200m free (3:48 p.m.)

Olympic basketball today: What to watch

The U.S. women begin their quest for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal. The Americans, ranked No. 1 in the world, play No. 9 Japan. The U.S. and Japan are grouped with Germany and Belgium in the tournament.

Olympic swimming today: What to watch

Ryan Murphy has been one of the best backstrokers in the world, claiming gold at the 2023 world championships in the 100-meter back. He also took silver in the 200 back at worlds and led off the USA's gold-medal winning 4x100 medley relay. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Murphy swept the gold medals in the 100 and 200 back. He comes into Paris with six Olympic medals.

It could be a big night in the pool for the Americans. Lilly King is a medal favorite in the women's 100 breaststroke. King has won medals at the last two Olympics in the event (gold in Rio and bronze in Tokyo).

Speedo-clad 'Bob the Cap Catcher' saves the day at Olympic swimming event

All cap. And a very little Speedo.

The 2024 Paris Olympics are underway, and as is the case with the Olympic Games, sometimes those who aren't athletes take center stage. Enter "Bob the Cap Catcher."

During the women's 100-meter breaststroke on Sunday morning, American swimmer Emma Webber lost her swimming cap at the bottom of the pool. While common sense would dictate that a swimmer would just jump in after it, that's, apparently, not the case.

Instead, a hero came to the rescue, in all his glory: Dubbed "Bob the Cap Catcher" by the NBC broadcast booth, a man of unknown origins in a small, flowery Speedo walked across the stage for all to see and dove to the rescue. — Joe Rivera

What's in the box Olympic medal winners receive?

Medals are being handed out left and right with the 2024 Paris Olympics in full swing, but hardware isn't the only thing Olympians are getting on the podium.

From footage and photos taken at medal ceremonies, winners can be seen receiving a slim, mysterious box in addition to the medals they receive. It's an intriguing item, leaving viewers pondering as to what could be inside.

So what's in the box? — Jordan Mendoza

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paris Olympics highlights: Medals in gymnastics, swimming, fencing

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