Team USA track athletes look to shine again at Paris Olympics

When the United States women's gymnastics team won gold in Paris, Simone Biles clapped back at a former teammate.

Tokyo Olympic gymnast MyKayla Skinner called out the 2024 team's work ethic, "besides Simone," in a since-deleted video.

Biles posted a collage of photos on Instagram showing her and her teammates carrying the American flag across the floor to celebrate their gold medal victory in the team final. In her post on Instagram, Biles did not mince words.

"Lack of talent, lazy, Olympic champions," she wrote.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Biles defended calling out her ex-teammate, saying she needed to take the "team lead" for her teammates as a three-time Olympian.

"It's important because you have to teach them to use their voices. And if not, you're a voice for the voiceless, which is okay," Biles said. "I just felt like it was right in that moment to stand up for them, because they're so young and they haven't fully stood in their power yet."

"For somebody to stand up, I know it meant a lot for [my teammates]," Biles added.

This is an excerpt from a report by Ryan Morik.

Quincy Hall came from behind to win the men's 400m final for his very first Olympic gold medal.

It's the United States' first gold in the event since LaShawn Merritt in 2008 - it was the second year in a row the USA had swept the podium.

It's the first medal for the United States since Merritt earned bronze in 2016.

Hall finished the race in 43.40 seconds, a personal best - he was 0.37 seconds off world-record time.

He was in fourth place as he entered the straightaway, and by the looks of his face, he was going to give it 110%.

Hall did not take the lead until just mere meters away from the finish line, but it was enough to earn the title.

Great Britain's Matthew Hudson-Smith finished just 0.04 seconds behind Hall to settle for silver, while Zambia's Muzala Samukonga won bronze with a time of 43.74.

This is an excerpt from a report by Ryan Morik.

The Stars and Stripes looked like they were headed home without any hardware, but pulled off a miraculous comeback to eventually win in a shootout.

Down 7-6 with just over 30 seconds to play, the United States was on a power play when Alex Bowen found the back of the net, eventually sending the game to a shootout.

Both the United States and Australia scored on their first two shootout attempts, but U.S. goalkeeper Adrian Weinberg blocked Australia's third shot. When Bowen scored, the U.S. controlled their own destiny.

Round 4 saw both shot attempts blocked (Weinberg even made a save with his face), and after Australia tied the shootout in Round 5, a goal would have sent the United States to the semifinals.

Marko Vavic then wound up and sniped one past the Australian keeper, to earn the 11-10 win.

It's the United States' first time going to the semifinals in men's water polo since 2008. That year, they settled for silver against Hungary.

This is an excerpt from a report by Ryan Morik.

Charles Barkley made his expectations for the U.S. men's basketball team clear. 

The legendary former NBA player wants to see Team USA return from the Paris Olympics with the gold medal in their possession. Barkley was so steadfast in his belief that he suggested the players should find another country to call home if they somehow fall short of his expectations.

"Listen, if they lose, we can’t let them back in the country," Barkley said during a recent appearance on Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George's "P Podcast." "We can’t. I’ll tell them, ‘You can’t come back.’"

Barkley is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. He was a member of the U.S. men's national basketball team during the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, better known as the "Dream Team." Barkley and Team USA also won gold on American soil during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

Many have attempted to draw comparisons between the 2024 edition of the U.S. men's basketball team and the storied roster from 1992. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing and other all-time NBA greats played on the "Dream Team."

The Americans will have to overcome a strong field of competitors this summer if they want to bring home the gold. Barkley acknowledged the challenges the team faces, but he still does not believe the U.S. team should finish the Summer Games in any place but first.

"Have the international teams gotten better, 100%," Barkley said. "They're still not better than the United States. You take away ‘Joker’ [Nikola Jokic] and Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and Luka [Doncic] — all three guys are great, great players. Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] is great also, but we still got the next 10 best players in every game."

This is an excerpt from a report by Chantz Martin.

It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish.

Kenneth Rooks was in no hurry coming out of the gates in the men’s steeplechase final on Wednesday. He knew he just needed to maintain the middle of the pack and take a late charge. And that's exactly what he did.

With a little over a lap to go the American looked poised to take the lead and secure a gold medal for Team USA. The 2023 NCAA Division I champ in the 3000-meter steeplechase had calculated it perfectly.

Despite a fall at the last barrier, Rooks was all but guaranteed a medal - it was just a matter of what color.

Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali would end up hawking Rooks down, edging him by .36 seconds for the gold. Rooks beat his personal best time by almost nine seconds to capture America’s second silver medal over the last three Olympics in that event.

Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.

Katie Moon was unable to defend her Olympic title in the women’s pole vault in Paris on Wednesday, instead settling for the silver medal after failing to clear 4.90-meters. 

Nina Kennedy and Moon were the last two standing in the women’s final, and while both failed to clear 4.95m, it was Kennedy’s successful attempt at 4.90m that earned her the gold medal. 

Moon, a two time World Champion, earned a medal with a season best of 4.85m. Canada’s Alysha Newman rounded out the top three with her bronze medal finish. 

Quincy Hall came from behind to win the men's 400-meter final for his very first Olympic gold medal. It's the United States' first gold in the event since LaShawn Merritt in 2004 - USA swept the medals that year.

It also marks the first medal for the United States since Merritt earned bronze in 2016.

Hall finished the race in 43.40 seconds, a personal best - he was 0.37 seconds off world-record time. It's the fourth individual gold medal for the United States in track and field, joining Noah Lyles (100M), Cole Hocker (1500M), and Ryan Crouser (shot put).

The is an excerpt from a report by Ryan Morik.

The Americans have been there before, but never golden. 

On Wednesday, road race Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner, Chloe Dygert, Jennifer Valente and Lilly Williams defeated New Zealand in the women’s team pursuit final to win America’s first gold medal in the event, improving on their silver and bronze medals in the past three Olympics. 

“We knew we had a strong team coming in,” Faulkner said, “and I feel like the lucky one, because they have won medals before on the track and I haven't. I just wanted to live up to their expectations.”

“It's pretty surreal,” Williams added. “I do not think anybody expected this.”

The U.S. clinched the gold medal with an official time of 4:04.306, while the team of Ally Wollaston, Bryony Botha, Emily Shearman and Nicole Shields earned a silver medal with a time of 4:04.927. 

Dygert is on to her second medal of the 2024 Paris Games, claiming bronze in the women’s time trial last week. Faulkner is on gold medal No. 2 after winning the women’s road race on Sunday. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Australian Olympian Tom Craig broke his silence on Wednesday after he was arrested in Paris for allegedly buying cocaine after his team fell out of medal contention.

Craig departed a team function on Tuesday night and was arrested about 15 minutes later, the Herald Sun in Australia reported.

"I'd firstly like to apologize for what has occurred in the last 24 hours. I made a terrible mistake. I take full responsibility for my actions," Craig told reporters as he left the police station, via Reuters.

"My actions are my own and in no way, reflect the values of my family, my teammates, my friends, my sport, and the Australian Olympic team. I've embarrassed you all. I'm truly sorry."

Australian Olympic Committee spokesperson Dominic Smith said police let Craig off with a warning.

The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that a member of the Australian Olympic team was detained for buying cocaine. French media, citing police sources, reported Craig allegedly bought about a gram of cocaine.

This is an except from a report by Ryan Gaydos.

Hampton Morris, the current world record holder in the men’s 61-kilogram division, won a bronze medal in the men’s weightlifting final on Wednesday to become the first Olympic medalist in that event for Team USA since 1984.

Morris, who set the clean and jerk world record back in April, took home the bronze medal with a score of 298, 12 points behind China’s Li Fabin – the reigning gold medalist. 

In his Olympic debut, Morris is the youngest lifter to compete for the Americans since Cheryl Haworth competed at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney.

12-times X Games medalist Tom Schaar is taking home a silver medal after he secured his place on the podium in the men’s skateboarding park final at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday. 

The 24-year-old California native secured a medal position with his second run at La Concorde in Paris, scoring 92.23 points. Fellow American Tate Carew found himself in bronze medal position with a run of 91.17, but he was later unseated by Augusto Akio of Brazil.  

Reigning park champion Keegan Palmer of Australia successfully defended his title on the first run, scoring a high of 93.11.

Steeplechase is an Olympic event that was first introduced in 1920. The event’s name originated from the horse racing event, where horses would race on a track and navigate various obstacles.

It has been standardized to be a 3,000-meter race, or about seven and half laps around a track. The race features 28 barriers, including hurdles and seven water jumps throughout the race.

In the men’s competition the barriers are 36 inches tall and 30 inches tall in the women’s competition. The water pit is 12 feet long, and at its deepest point is nearly 20 inches deep. The water pits are sloped from the barrier back inclining toward the track level.

The barriers and water jump on the course are fixed, so the athletes can choose if they want to jump over them or use the barriers to propel them into a longer jump. Winfred Yavi of Bahrain won gold in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase on Tuesday.

The men’s steeplechase final is on Wednesday at 3:43 p.m. ET.

Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.

Claire Michel spoke out on social media this week after she was forced to withdraw from the mixed relay event at the Paris Olympics after she got sick days after competing in the women’s triathlon, which included a swim in the Seine River. 

“There’s been a lot of conflicting information in the media lately, so I just wanted to clarify a few things,” she wrote in a post on Instagram. “First of all, thanks to great medical care from both the Team Belgium medical team and the incredible volunteer doctors and nurses at the Polyclinic in the Olympic village, I am gradually doing better and I returned home to Belgium today.”

“Blood tests showed that I contracted a virus (not E. Coli). After three days of vomiting and diarrhea, which left me quite empty, I ended up needing more significant medical attention and spent the Sunday at the clinic.” 

Michel was one of many athletes to fall ill after the triathlon, leading to speculation that the water in the Seine River was to blame. 

Bacteria levels in the long-polluted river have been in flux during the Games, causing test swims ahead of the triathlon events to be canceled and the men's triathlon to be delayed by a day. Organizers had said that water quality tests done the day of the individual triathlon races showed “very good” levels of fecal bacteria E. coli and enterococci.

It was initially reported that Michel contracted E. coli, but she clarified Tuesday that she contracted a virus. Several other athletes have since fallen sick with gastrointestinal issues.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Michelle Obama, the former first lady of the United States, praised American gymnasts Simone Biles  and Jordan Chiles for showing sportsmanship toward Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade.

Biles and Chiles took home silver and bronze medals, respectively, on the floor exercise at the Paris Olympics while Andrade won the gold. Biles and Chiles then bowed to Andrade while on the podium in what appeared to underscore what the Olympic spirit was all about.

While Baltimore Ravens star Marlon Humphrey called the moment "literally disgusting" in a trollish post on X, Obama had nothing but praise for the gymnasts.

"I’m still not over this beautiful moment of sisterhood and sportsmanship! You can just feel the love shining through these ladies. Congrats Rebeca, Jordan and Simone!" Obama wrote.

Andrade had worked back from three ACL surgeries to get the gold, which is why Biles and Chiles were seen praising her.

This is an excerpt from a report by Ryan Gaydos.

Controversy struck the women’s wrestling portion of the Paris Olympics on Wednesday as India’s Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the 50-kilogram division after missing weight.

Phogat was set to compete against American Sarah Ann Hildebrandt for the gold medal but now Cuban Yusneylis Guzman Lopez will take her spot.

“It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the women’s wrestling 50kg class,” the Indiana Olympic Committee said in a statement. “Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning.

“No further comments will be made by the contingent at this time. The Indian team requests you respect Vinesh’s privacy. It would like to focus on the competitions on hand.”

Each weight category in the Olympics is organized over the course of two days. The medical control and weigh-in for each category takes place in the morning of each competition day and those who qualify for the finals and the repechage are weighed again, according to Olympics.com.

If a wrestler fails the weigh-in on either day of competition, then they are eliminated from the event.

Ukrainian athletes have put on courageous displays at the Paris Olympics despite worries back home over Russia’s incursion into their countries.

Zhan Beleniuk, who is set to wrestle in the 87-kilogram category, has a lot of weight on his shoulders. Not only is he representing his country on the biggest sporting stage in the world, but he’s also a member of parliament.

Beleniuk is hopeful to win a second gold medal. He implored his fellow athletes to show that “Ukraine is still alive.”

“We still protect our land, we still do our job,” he said.

Beleniuk’s primary responsibility in the Ukrainian government is youth and sport but he also meets with other leaders to ward off Russian propaganda.

“Our country gave me everything that I have now, so my responsibility in this tough period for our country, to share this information to connect with different MPs (members of parliament) around the world and manage this problem,” he said.

Beleniuk’s next match is against Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Tursynov after already defeating China’s Qian Haitao.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Greek long jumper Miltiadis Tentoglou joined an exclusive club on Tuesday at the Paris Olympics.

Tentoglou became the second man to win consecutive long-jumping gold medals. The first? American Olympic legend Carl Lewis.“It’s a great achievement,” Tentoglou said.

Lewis won four Olympic long jump titles in a row, starting with the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and running through Atlanta in 1996. The Greek Olympian suggested he wasn’t quite finished with his Olympic aspirations as he set his sights on 2028 and 2032.

“Of course I will go,” Tentoglou said. “(For 2032), we will see. And also (for 2028), we will see because you never know. But I will try.”

Tentoglou won gold at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow and the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. But he has plenty of other gold medals on his docket across the Diamond League, European Championships, European Indoor Championships and junior championships.

The only silvers he has came in 2022 at the World Championships in Eugene and the 2016 World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Annette Nneka Echikunwoke was set to participate in the women’s hammer throw at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for Nigeria but a federation error concern drug testing left her unable to compete or even walk in the opening ceremony.

Three years later, Echikunwoke switched countries to the United States and picked up a silver medal at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. She was the first American woman to earn a medal in the event.

“I think (this medal) could have happened three years ago, but I’m happy it’s happening now,” Echikunwoke said. “I feel like everything happens for a reason, even if it’s bad or good or ugly or whatever the case may be. This is beautiful.”

Echikunwoke’s application to change countries was approved right in time for the 2022 U.S. Nationals and she earned a spot in the World Championships that year.

“It doesn’t feel real right now,” she said. ”I can’t really put it into words."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

There will be plenty of opportunities for the United States to add to its medal tally on Wednesday but the spotlight will again be on track and field.

Last night, Cole Hocker and Gabby Thomas picked up gold medals in their respective events while teammates Yared Nuguse and Brittany Brown received bronze medals. The American could have a chance to get some more medals in the 400-meter men’s final.

Quincy Hall leads the team to the line later today with Christopher Bailey and Michael Norman running in the race as well. Hall is one of the best runners in the world and has one of the fastest times of all the runners competing.

Additionally, Kenneth Rooks will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase