The United States women’s volleyball team is one win away from successfully defending their title at the 2024 Paris Olympics after they defeated Brazil in three sets during Thursday’s semifinal match.
The U.S., who won gold in Tokyo in 2021 after a win over Brazil in the finals, took the first and third set before Brazil kept their gold medal chances alive in the fourth with a 25-23 victory.
But the Americans would seal their fate in the fifth set with a 15-11 win to close out the nearly two-hour long semifinal.
Another gold medal in Paris would mark just the second Olympic title for the women’s volleyball team.
French runner Alice Finot may not have come away with a medal from the Paris Olympic Games, but she did come away with a fiancé.
Finot finished fourth in the women’s steeplechase race, running it in a time of 8:58.67. After the race she found her boyfriend, Spanish triathlete Bruno Martinez, and attached a “Love is in Paris” pin on his shirt and proposed with the Olympic pin.
“I told myself that if I ran under nine minutes, knowing that nine is my lucky number and that we’ve been together for nine years, then I would propose.” Finot said.“I don’t like doing things like everyone else. Since he hadn’t done it yet, I thought maybe it was up to me.”
Paris is the city of love, after all.
Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.
The most decorated woman in American Olympics history will add one more thing to her resume: a flag bearer at the closing ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Katie Ledecky received a call from fellow Team USA swimmer Bobby Finke, who delivered her the news.
“I just wanted to thank you, you’ve been a huge inspiration and a leader to us for 12 years.” Finke said. “I’ve gotten know you for these 12 years, and I really can’t think of anyone better to lead us out of these Olympic Games. So, you’re going to need a new jacket.”
Ledecky was honored to be selected.
“Thank you! Thank you, Team USA. This is a huge honor. Can’t wait for closing ceremonies and it’s been an honor representing our country here in Paris and I’m so proud to be a part of this team.”
Ledecky is taking home four medals in these Summer Games. She won bronze in the women’s 400m freestyle, silver in the women’s 4x200m freestyle, her fourth consecutive gold medal in the 800m freestyle, and set an Olympic record winning gold in the women’s 1500m freestyle.
Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}Sam Watson saved his best for last on Thursday in the men's speed climbing final.
The American set a world record for the second time in the Paris Games with a time of 4.74 seconds in the bronze medal match. The 18-year-old previously set the world record with a time of 4.75 seconds in an elimination heat earlier in the week, breaking his own world record of 4.79 seconds that he set in April.
After that heat, he lost in the semifinals to Wu Peng of China. Watson came in as the heavy favorite for gold. While he didn’t secure the top of the podium, he will still walk away with a world record and a bronze medal from the Paris Games.
Leonardo Veddriq of Indonesia won the gold with a time of 4.75 seconds in the final, narrowly edging out Peng, who finished with 4.77.
Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris is entering the final stretch on Thursday. Several track and field medal events are taking place, including the men’s 200-meter sprint where American track star Noah Lyles eyes his second gold medal on the purple track.
The men’s basketball team is also gearing up for its biggest challenge in Paris yet when they take on Serbia in the men’s semifinal round.
Here is a list of must-watch events on Thursday, August 8:
Women’s volleyball semifinals (Brazil vs. USA) – 10 p.m. ET
Women’s water polo semifinals (Australia vs. USA) – 1:35 p.m. ET
Women’s long jump final – 2 p.m. ET
Men’s 200m final – 2:30 p.m. ET
Men’s basketball semifinal (USA vs. Serbia) – 3 p.m. ET
Women’s 400m hurdles final – 3:25 p.m. ET
Men’s 110m hurdles final – 3:45 p.m. ET
More than two years after missing out on gold medals due to an opponent's doping use, the U.S. Olympic figure skating team finally received their hardware.
U.S. and Japan figure skaters took to a podium at Champions Park in Paris on Wednesday to receive their gold and silver medals, which they earned at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. At the time, Russia took gold in the event, much due to the help of 15-year-old Kamila Valieva, who became the first woman ever to land a quadruple jump at the Olympics.
However, Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine — a banned drug that prevents angina — at the Russian national championships in December 2021, and the results of the test were only made public the day after the team final in Beijing. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) then ruled that no medals for the team figure skating event would be officially presented until Valieva's case was resolved.
The Olympians then had to wait nearly two years to know what medal they would even receive.
This is an excerpt from a report by Jackson Thompson.
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