Simone Biles to compete in medal event as Paris Olympics roll on

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The Team USA women’s basketball team might be the best current dynasty in sports right now. They are looking to win their eighth consecutive gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Head coach Cheryl Reeve had no shortage of elite players to select for this year’s squad.

The team will be led by Diana Taurasi who once she sets foot on the court in Paris, will be the first men or women’s basketball player to play in six Olympics.

Here is the entire roster representing Team USA:

1. Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
2. Kahleah Cooper, Phoenix Mercury
3. Britney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
4. A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
5. Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces
6. Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
7. Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces
8. Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm
9. Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
10. Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
11. Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
12. Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty

The players have a combined 15 Olympic gold medals, eight WNBA champions, three WNBA MVPs and five WNBA rookie of the year winners.

Team USA is in Group C with Japan, Germany, and Belgium.

Here is their schedule for Group play:

1. July 29, USA vs. Japan (3:00 PM ET)
2. August 1, Belgium vs. USA (3:00 PM ET)
3. August 4, Germany vs. USA (11:15 AM ET)

Ryan Murphy of United States celebrates his bronze medal with his family after a "gender reveal" during the Men's 100m Backstroke Medals ceremony on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 29, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Getty Images)

American swimmer Ryan Murphy was on top of the world on Monday even if he wasn’t standing on top of the podium at the Paris Olympics.

Murphy won a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke. It was the third medal he’s won in the competition and seventh medal he’s won at the Olympics overall.

To make it even sweeter, he found out he and his wife were having a girl. He saw Bridget Konttinen holding up a sign that their first child due in January will be a girl.

“I was walking back around and Bridget was holding up a sign and it said — ‘Ryan, it’s a girl,’” Murphy said. “That was the first time I heard the gender.

“We both — we honestly both thought it was going to be a boy. And everyone — like everyone — we were talking to, they thought it was going to be a boy.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Images

Simone Biles is one of the greatest gymnasts in Olympics history.

Biles burst onto the scene when she won four gold medals and another bronze in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She won gold in the all-around, vault, and floor exercise disciplines and was part of the team that took home the gold as well. She won bronze in the balance beam.

In the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Biles won a silver medal in the team competition and bronze in the balance beam. A bout with the twisties took her out of most of the events.

There were questions about whether she would return for the 2024 Olympics almost immediately after leaving Tokyo. After a couple of years off, Biles returned to competition in August 2023. She got back to her form and was set for competition this summer.

Biles was looking like a sure thing heading into the Olympics with stunning performances at the U.S. Classic and Olympic trials. She will be back with Team USA as they look to win gold in Paris this summer.

Egypt's Nada Hafez competes with United States' Elizabeth Tartakovsky in the women's individual Sabre round of 32 competition during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP)

Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez made a stunning revelation at the Paris Olympics on Monday.

Hafez said she fought in the women’s saber competition while she was seven months pregnant. She posted on Instagram she was “carrying a little Olympian one” hours after reaching the round of 16.

She defeated American Elizabeth Tartakovsky before losing to South Korea’s Jeon Hayoung.

“My baby & I had our fair share of challenges, be it both physical & emotional,” Hafez wrote on Instagram. “The rollercoaster of pregnancy is tough on its own, but having to fight to keep the balance of life & sports was nothing short of strenuous, however worth it. I'm writing this post to say that pride fills my being for securing my place in the round of 16!”

Hafez earned a spot in the 2024 Olympics after she won bronze in the individual sabre event at the 2024 African Championships. Egypt won a team gold.

She previously performed in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ukraine's Olga Kharlan celebrates after winning the women's individual Sabre bronze final match against South Korea's Choi Sebin during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP)

Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan defeated South Korea’s Choi Sebin 15-14 in the women’s sabre fencing event on Monday, earning her country’s first medal at the Paris Olympics.

Kharlan came back to win the match 15-14 and earn the bronze medal. It was Kharlan’s fifth Olympic medal but this one meant a bit more.

“I brought a medal to my country, and it's the first one, and it's going to be a good start for all our athletes who are here because it's really tough to compete when in your country is a war,” she said. “Every medal, it's like gold. I don't care (that) it's bronze. It's gold.”

Kharlan was a part of controversy while she attempted to earn a spot at the Games. She was disqualified from last year’s world championships for refusing to shake the hand of her Russian opponent after winning a bout.

Ukrainian athletes refusing to shake the hands of Russian opponents as been ongoing since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

However, the International Olympic Committee granted Kharlan a “unique excepton” to guarantee her a spot at the Olympics.

“I can say that I wouldn’t change anything,” Kharlan said of the incident. “What I went through, it represents my country, what it goes through, and I wouldn’t change anything. This is my story.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A ship sails past reproductions of artworks decorating the banks of the River Seineat the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP)

The men’s triathlon competition at the Paris Olympics was postponed Tuesday over concerns about the quality of the water in the River Seine.

Olympic organizers said they will try to hold the men’s triathlon on Wednesday instead. But the women’s triathlon event is also supposed to begin on Wednesday. Both events will be subjected to water tests but with more rain in the area, the prognosis doesn’t look good.

According to the AP, heavy rains cause levels of E. coli and other bacteria in the Seine to rise. Paris was hit with a rainstorm during the opening ceremony, which caused concerns about some of the events that were going to take place in the water.

Training events were already canceled because of the water quality.

“Despite the improvement on the water quality levels in the last hours, the readings at some points of the swim course are still above the acceptable limits,” organizers said in a statement.

Officials stressed that their “priority is the health of the athletes.”Friday is the backup plan.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Stephen Nedoroscik of United States, Frederick Richard of United States, Brody Malone of United States, Paul Juda of United States, Asher Hong of United States pose for a photo with their bronze medalduring the Men's Artistic Gymnastics Team Final on day three of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on July 29, 2024 in Paris, France. (Getty Images)

The United States enters Tuesday with 20 medals on their tally and that was thanks in large part to a big haul from Monday night’s events.

Jagger Eaton and Nyjah Huston scored medals in men’s street skateboarding. Eaton picked up a silver – the second Olympic medal of his career – and Huston won a bronze.

The U.S. men’s gymnastics teams secured its first medal since 2008 with a bronze in the team final. Stephen Nedoroscik, Frederick Richard, Brody Malone, Paul Juda and Asher Hong had big performances to secure their places on the podium.

In the pool, Katie Grimes and Emma Weyant went 2-3 in the 400-meter medley. The two couldn’t keep up with Canada’s Summer McIntosh.

Fencer Nick Itkin finished with a bronze medal in individual foil. He defeated Japan’s Kazuki Iimura 15-12 to win.

Two more American men competing at the Olympics picked up medals in the pool. Luke Hobson secured a bronze in the 200-meter freestyle while Ryan Murphy won a bronze in the 100-meter backstroke.

USA Simone Biles in action, poses during Women's Qualification at Bercy Arena. Paris, France 7/28/2024 (Getty Images)

Simone Biles will push through a calf injury to compete in the women’s gymnastics team final at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday.

It will be the first medal event Biles has competed in since the Tokyo Olympics. She missed out on some of the medal events as she dealt with the twisties. She ended up getting a silver medal in the team portion and a bronze medal on the balance beam.This time around, she’s dealing with a calf issue.

She appeared to suffer the calf injury while warming up for the floor exercise in the qualification round on Sunday. Biles still managed to power through the final three events.

U.S. coach Cecile Landi gave some good news about Biles’ injury. She said the injury was minor and that there were no plans to sideline her for the Olympics.

"I can’t express it," Landi said. "I’m really proud of her and what she’s been through and what she’s showing the world what she’s capable of doing."

Biles will go last for the U.S. in vault, floor exercise and balance beam. She will be second on the uneven bars.