Simone Biles, Suni Lee go for gold at Paris Olympics amid drama with ex-teammate
American gymnastics stars Simone Biles and Suni Lee are the talk of the Summer Games and will compete for more gold on Thursday, August 1st.
Sunisa Lee and Simone Biles of the United States prepare to perform their uneven bars routine during the Artistic Gymnastics Team Final for Women at the Bercy Arena during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games on July 30th, 2024, in Paris, France. (Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
Simone Biles on Wednesday created a stir when an Instagram post seemingly reacted to critical comments made by a former Team USA gymnastics teammate.
Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera took home the gold in the team final on Tuesday. Biles posted a collage of photos showing their jubilant celebration wit the caption, “lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions.”
Biles then revealed she was blocked on Instagram afterward and Jordan Chiles came with the proof. Lee, in the comments section, wrote, “Put a finger down if Simone Biles just ended you,”
MyKayla Skinner’s comments from earlier in the month ruffled feathers.
"Besides Simone, I feel like the talent and the depth just isn’t like what it used to be. Just notice like, I mean, obviously a lot of girls don’t work as hard. The girls just don’t have the work ethic," Skinner said in a since-deleted YouTube video, according to the New York Post.
She issued an apology but the words still stung.Biles and Lee compete in the all-around final later today.
Algeria's Imane Khelif, right, defeated Italy's Angela Carini in their women's 66kg preliminary boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/John Locher)
An Algerian boxer in the middle of a gender eligibility controversy at the Paris Olympics won her first matchup against an Italian fighter in 46 seconds on Thursday.
Imane Khelif was given the win after Angela Carini abandoned the match. Carini was struck twice in the face and walked over to her corner twice, once to get her headgear readjusted and the second to have her coaches call off the bout.
Carini was in tears after Khelif’s hand was raised in the middle of the ring. The Italian boxer was clearly upset and was seen yelling at her coaches after the fight was over.Khelif will move on to the next round of the women’s 66-kilogram division. However, the win comes amid a week of controversy.
The boxer received support from the Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) before the fight."
COA strongly condemns the unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets," the organization said, via Reuters.
"Such attacks on her personality and dignity are deeply unfair, especially as she prepares for the pinnacle of her career at the Olympics. The COA has taken all necessary measures to protect our champion."
United States' Ilona Maher smiles as she leaves the medal presentation ceremony with her bronze medal for the Rugby Sevens at the 2024 Summer Olympics, in the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, France, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
USA women’s rugby sevens star Ilona Maher has been the talk of the Pairs Olympics on social media and she’s helped promote at least one thing consistently – body positivity.
Maher is one of the toughest players on the American rugby team. She went viral when she fired back at a troll who claimed she had a body mass index of 30.
“I think you were trying to roast me, but this actually is a fact. I do have a BMI of 30 — well, 29.3 to be more exact,” she said on a TikTok video. “I’ve been considered overweight my whole life.”
Maher told the Associated Press she’s been considered obese her whole life even at 200 pounds and at 5-foot-10. But she’s felt like her message has been important – you can be feminine even while playing an extremely masculine sport.
“I think the stereotype around a rugby player is this idea that you need to drop your femininity and play a very masculine, brutal sport,” she said. “Myself and my team and some others on the circuit like Australia and Ireland, are showing that femininity. We are doing our makeup before games, wearing makeup, wanting to feel pretty out there.
“But that doesn't take away from how amazing we tackle and hit and run. You can be those things, and the stereotypes around women's sports just should be thrown out the window now.”
Maher now has a distinct advantage over the trolls on social media. Not only is she bigger, stronger and tougher, she’s also an Olympic medalist.
The rugby team won the bronze in dramatic fashion earlier this week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Katie Ledecky of Team United States poses with the national flag of the United States following the Swimming medal ceremony after the Women's 1500m Freestyle Final on day five of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 31, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Getty Images)
The United States leads the pack with the most medals entering Thursday. The Americans have tallied 30 medals thanks to solid performances on Wednesday.
Katie Ledecky won gold in the women’s swimming 1,500-meter freestyle in dominant fashion. She set an Olympic record in the event on her way to her 12th overall medal and eighth gold.
Two silvers were awarded to Americans as well. Torri Huske picked up the third medal of her Paris Olympics with a second-place finish in the 100-meter freestyle. Perris Benegas accomplished a silver in women’s BMX freestyle.
Evy Leibfarth secured a bronze medal in women’s canoe slalom.France and China are right below the United States in total medal count but both countries have more gold medals than the United States.
The Americans have only won five over the last week. With Simone Biles and Suni Lee back in gymnastics competition on Thursday, the expectation of more gold will rise.
Brian Daniel Pintado, of Ecuador, celebrates after winning the gold medal at the end of the men's 20km race walk at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Medals were already given out at the Paris Olympics on Thursday in race walking, shooting and rowing as the Western Hemisphere began to wake up and tune into the Games.
Ecuador’s Brian Daniel Pintado won the 20-kilometer men’s race walk with Brazil’s Caio Bonfim and Spain’s Alvaro Martin behind him. China’s Yang Jiayu won gold on the women’s side with Spain’s Maria Perez and Australia’s Jemima Montag behind her.
China’s Liu Yukun won gold in the 50-meter rifle 3 positions men’s final with Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish and India’s Swapnil Kusale behind him.
In women’s rowing double sculls, New Zealand took home the bronze medal with Romania and Great Britain behind. Romania won the men’s portion with the Netherlands and Ireland behind.But there’s still a lot to be determined over the course of Thursday.
Men’s and women’s rowing four finals, men’s and women’s skiff sailing, men’s and women’s judo, men’s canoe slalom, women’s gymnastics all-around final, women’s fencing foil team finals, men’s swimming 200-meter backstroke and women’s swimming 200-meter butterfly, 20-meter breaststroke and 4x200-meter freestyle relay will all have medalists.
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