Thursday's headlines
That’s all for today’s live blog, although you can follow coverage of Germany v Australia in the women’s football. Here are the big stories:
Athletes may show Palestine ‘solidarity’ at opening ceremony
Charlotte Dujardin condemned by mentor for abusing horse
IOC faces call for investigation into child rapist’s inclusion
US figure skaters will receive Beijing 2022 golds in Paris
Watson ‘can’t relate’ to Raducanu missing Olympic tennis
Lady Gaga and Céline Dion to perform at opening ceremony
Elena Rybakina has pulled out of the Olympic tennis events, hours after the draw was made at Roland Garros. The former Wimbledon champion has withdrawn from the singles and mixed doubles, where she was due to partner Alexander Bublik for Kazakhstan.
France’s Caroline Garcia will now move into Rybakina’s spot in the draw as the 17th seed, facing Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian in the first round, while Australia’s Daria Saville enters the draw as an alternate.
The women’s football action continues with a heavyweight clash, as Germany face Australia in Group B. Join Sarah Rendell for the latest:
Women's football: Spain and Canada win openers
It’s finished Spain 2-1 Japan in Nantes, and Canada 2-1 New Zealand in Saint-Étienne. Both sides had to come from behind after conceding early, and both made the pressure count in the second half to start their campaigns with three points each.
Canada 2-1 New Zealand: The Tokyo gold medallists take a late lead through Evelyne Viens – it could be crucial, with Group A games against Colombia and the hosts, France, still to come.
Three months ago, Phoebe Gill was expecting to spend the summer holidays preparing for the final year of her A-levels. Now, incredibly, the 17-year-old from St Albans has a genuine shot at an Olympic 800m medal after winning the British Championships in June.
It is reminiscent of Emma Raducanu’s thrilling rise over the summer of 2021 and Gill admits she is hoping to draw inspiration from the tennis star, who also juggled studying with sporting success.
“Definitely,” she says. “A lot of people find it difficult, and often drop out of their sport because of their career or academics. But I do think that going to training is such a nice break from looking at books all day.”
Spain take the lead! This has been coming for most of the second half, and Spain make their possession count as Mariona Caldentey cuts inside and curls the ball into the bottom corner. Good news for La Roja, and Arsenal fans – she joined the Gunners from Barcelona earlier this summer.
Let’s look at some more pictures from around Paris, starting with a great shot from Tom Jenkins…
There will be 329 gold medals handed out at the Paris Games – or should that be 338? Nine US figure skaters are set to receive their gold medals from Beijing 2022 at a special ceremony, after Cas dismissed Russia’s appeal against their disqualification from the team event.
A French sprinter is expected to swap her headscarf for a cap in order to participate in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics, in a compromise reportedly struck after the country’s strict laws on secularism threatened to bar her from the event.
Earlier this week Sounkamba Sylla, a Muslim member of France’s 400m women’s and mixed relay teams, said she would not be able to take part in Friday’s ceremony because she wears a hijab.
“You are selected for the Olympics, organised in your country, but you can’t participate in the opening ceremony because you wear a headscarf,” the 26-year-old wrote on social media.
An hour on the clock and it remains Canada 1-1 New Zealand and Spain 1-1 Japan in the women’s football. Spain, Olympic debutants but among the favourites to win gold, are dominating possession but are yet to add to Bonmatí’s equaliser.
Updated
Angelique Kerber will face Naomi Osaka in the women’s tennis first round – and if she loses, it will be her last professional match, because the German is retiring after the Olympics.
“The finish line,” Kerber wrote on Instagram. “Before the Olympics begin, I can already say that I will never forget #Paris2024, because it will be my last professional tournament as a tennis player.”
Kerber won a silver medal at Rio 2016 and won three grand slam titles: the Australian Open and US Open in 2016, and Wimbledon in 2018.
A spectacular boat procession down the Seine at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games could be used by national delegations seeking to show “solidarity” with the Palestinian cause.
Around 90 vessels carrying 10,500 athletes and officials are due to float in convoy through Paris on Friday night, including a delegation from Israel. Pro-Palestine organisers said discussions were taking place about a high-profile demonstration.
A “show of solidarity” could involve some unnamed national delegations flying the Palestinian flag or wearing messages on clothing, sources said, as part of a policy of those opposed to Israel’s involvement in the Games to target open-air events over the next three weeks.
Half-time in the two early women’s football matches, with Adriana Leon levelling for Canada just before the break. It’s Canada 1-1 New Zealand and Spain 1-1 Japan, and all to play for. Get the lowdown on the battle for gold here.
Updated
In the women’s team event, the top four teams today get a bye in the knockout round. Congrats to South Korea, China, Mexico and India. Team GB came 11th and will face Germany next in a playoff game.
In the men’s event, Great Britain were the lowest scorers of the 12 teams and face a tough fixture with Chinese Taipei, who came fifth. The top four were South Korea, France, India and China.
South Korea are dominating the archery events – earlier, Lim Si-hyeon set a new world record in the women’s individual ranking evnet.
Updated
The day’s archery action has concluded at Esplanade des Invalides. The ranking rounds have taken place to determine the seedings for the knockout stages in the individual and team competitions.
The mixed team event was led by South Korea, with Germany, USA and China also in the top four. Great Britain finished 19th, just missing out on the top 16.
Handball result: Germany 22-23 South Korea After a thrilling finale, Kang Kyung-min’s late goal proves to be the winner as South Korea hold on to win despite a late red card. Gold medallists in 1988 and 1992, they were considered outsiders here but that may now change.
Updated
Spain don’t take long to strike back, Aitana Bonmatí finishing a quick passing move in style to level against Japan.
In the handball, an upset on the cards: South Korea lead Germany 22-21 with about two minutes to go.
Women’s football: Surprise early goals in both games, as Japan lead Spain 1-0 in Nantes through Aoba Fujino’s fine free kick. In Saint-Étienne, New Zealand lead defending champions Canada, Katie Bowen with the goal.
As an aside, I always enjoy following the nations with tiny Olympic contingents – and there are four countries sending just one athlete to these Games.
So let’s hear it for 100m sprinters Shaun Gill (Belize) and Winzar Kakiouea (Nauru), cross-country cyclist Romano Püntener (Liechtenstein) and 800m runner Ali Idow Hassan (Somalia).
Olympic football’s rich tradition of farce and controversy, in today’s Football Daily.
Back to the handball at South Paris Arena, and South Korea are hanging in there against Germany. It’s 13-all and the outsiders have just scored through a lovely no-look assist.
The NZ captain, Dylan Collier, talks to Eurosport pundit (and Guardian wordsmith) Ugo Monye: “Really happy, extremely happy to get away that one. Had to defend a lot in the first half, glad to get some ball and put points on the board in the second half. This team’s built on effort.”
Ireland captain Harry McNulty: “Disappointed. We’ve only beaten the All Blacks once [in sevens] and we had them there. We lost it ourselves. Into the quarter-finals [v Fiji] we have to see it as any other game. The joy of sevens, anyone on their day has a chance.”
Men's rugby sevens last eight are set
The men’s rugby sevens quarter-finals, which will be played tonight, look like this:
New Zealand v South Africa
Argentina v France
Fiji v Ireland
Australia v United States
Updated
Rugby sevens: New Zealand 14-12 Ireland Well, the All Blacks have woken up spectacularly in the second half, and when Ireland concede a penalty in added time, it’s all over. It means New Zealand face South Africa next, while Ireland must defeat the defending champions, Fiji.
It’s been a very different story in the second half, with New Zealand piling on the pressure after Leroy Carter’s score, and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black going over with 30 seconds to go. The conversion is added, and they lead Ireland 14-12…
Updated
Andy Murray is closing out his storied playing career at Roland Garros, playing doubles with Dan Evans. But what will be next for him? Team GB colleagues think he would make a great coach:
Rugby sevens: Half-time in the big Group A decider, and Ireland lead New Zealand 10-0 through tries from Zac Ward and Jordan Conroy. It’s been a green wave of one-way traffic thus far.
South Africa took their foot off the gas somewhat in the second half, but still ran out 49-5 winners over Japan. They will face whoever wins this Ireland v New Zealand battle coming up.
Updated
At the South Paris Arena, the women’s handball preliminaries continue with Germany and South Korea locked at 7-7. The Handball Planet website (which probably knows more than me on the subject) ranks Germany 7th and Korea 12th of 12 teams in the tournament.
In the rugby sevens, South Africa need to rack up the points against Japan to get into the quarter-finals, and they’re going the right way about it – they lead 35-0 at the break. The Boks have lost to Ireland and New Zealand, who meet in a crunch game to decide who wins Group A, next.
Thanks, Tom. Niall here, picking up the baton and labouring down the home straight. I’m going to start with a nudge to our interactive schedule, which looks very nice and is packed with info and live results for each day:
Anyway, it’s Niall McVeigh’s turn in the chair now so I shall hand you over to him for the rest of the afternoon. Bye.
Men’s rugby sevens result: Fiji 19-12 France. Fiji are an absolute machine at this form of the game, and their strength and superiority really shone through in that second half. Their unbeaten Olympic record is extended, and they win the group. France advance in second.
How about some choice images of the day?
Men’s rugby sevens: Fiji and France are drawing 5-5 at half-time. This is a proper full-throttle match, with a more “conventional” mix of physicality and flair, and France finally force a way through with a well-worked try from Aaraon Grandidier Nkanang. Fiji responds though, a delicious reverse-pass playing in Jerry Tuwai to touch down. Stick your telly on for this.
Women’s handball result: Spain 18-29 Brazil. An emphatic start to Brazil’s Group B campaign, their first win over Spain in a while, and richly deserved, built on resilient defence, brilliant goalkeeping and sharp, clinical shooting.
Next up at the Stade de France is the Antoine Dupont show, aka Fiji v France in sevens. A mouthwatering clash, this, involving the reigning Olympic champs and the hosts.
And of course, it’s not just the Dupont show – given France’s collective, team-oriented sporting culture. Philippe Auclair has written about its political roots here:
Men’s rugby sevens result: USA 33-17 Uruguay. An emphatic second-half showing wraps up a satisfying Pool C campaign for the USA – a win, a draw and a loss should see them through. The jet-heeled Perry Baker was their undoubted star here, scoring four tries.
Updated
I say that, but USA have just scored a converted try and lead 14-12. Staying with USA sport, and politics, the basketball star Stephen Curry has thrown his weight behind Kamala Harris’s presidential election campaign.
USA basketball star Stephen Curry threw his support behind Kamala Harris’s bid for the White House on Thursday and said he believed a successful US Olympic campaign could help unite a divided nation in the run-up to America’s bitterly contested presidential election.
The four-time NBA champion and Olympic debutant, back in the national team for the first time in a decade, spoke warmly about Harris, a former California senator who was born in Oakland and is a longtime supporter of Curry’s Golden State Warriors.
Women’s handball: it’s all rather unravelling for Spain, as emphatic quickfire strikes from Patricia Matieli and Bruna de Paula put Brazil 21-12 ahead, prompting a Spanish time out as we approach the halfway stage of the second half.
In the rugby sevens, Uruguay’s men are leading USA 12-7, which would be a decent scalp after two defeats yesterday.
Here’s some more on the security situation at the Games, in the aftermath of a frenetic day yesterday, from Elsie Grover-Jones.
The Paris Olympics have been described as the ‘Conflict Games’ due to the backdrop of war in Ukraine and Gaza dominating headlines globally. This has inevitably put security protocols in the spotlight, but, nine years after terrorist attacks devastated Paris, there have already been security concerns.
Last night saw the first sporting action at the Olympics, with the game between Argentina and Morocco ending in chaos. After Argentina equalised 16 minutes into injury time, Morocco fans invaded the pitch, throwing cans and flares galore. The match was consequently suspended for nearly two hours, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside when play was eventually resumed (without the presence of the fans).
This is not the first time that French security at sporting events has been questioned. Two years ago, at the Champions League final in Paris, dangerous congestion built up outside the ground before the match, spectators were targeted by thieves and local thugs, and riot police responded by tear gassing fans.
The Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez, who was appointed shortly after the incident in 2022, has assured critics that there will not be a repeat of the Champions League chaos, saying “We’re serene, because we have a robust framework, and it’s ready.”
The French authorities have already had to apply this “framework”. In May a Chechen teenager was arrested in Saint-Etienne on suspicion of planning an attack on the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium during the Olympic football tournament. More recently, French police arrested a Russian man on suspicion of plotting with a foreign power to “destabilise the Olympic Games.”
Officials have said that these Games will see the biggest security operation in French history, and all eyes will be on Friday’s opening ceremony. It will be the first opening ceremony to be held outside the confines of a stadium, on the Seine. As a result, strict security measures are set to be in place, with 45,000 law enforcement agents and 22,000 private security contractors on duty.
Charlotte Dujardin’s mentor and teammate Carl Hester has signed a letter “universally condemning” her for abusing her horse and supporting the decision to suspend her for six months.
Hester, who will compete in his seventh Olympics in Paris next week, was one of 10 board members of the International Dressage Riders Club to sign the letter after a video was released of Dujardin whipping a horse 24 times in a minute.
Men’s rugby sevens result: Argentina 14-22 Australia. Australia’s captain, Nick Malouf, ends Argentina’s comeback hopes when he finishes a neat right-to-left-to-right move and touches down. Australia top the group ahead of Argentina, bronze medallists in Tokyo.
Back to the men’s rugby sevens, it’s half-time in the Pool B decider and Australia lead Argentina 10-7 at the Stade de France. It’s a fast fluid game, sevens, but a little too free-scoring at times. A friend rather disparagingly calls it “basketball for short people”. He still watches it, mind.
Staff at the Paris luxury hotel occupied by IOC bigwigs say they haven’t had a pay rise for seven years. Consequently, they’ve gone on strike. Who’d have thought a sporting body would overlook workers’ right issues? Nick Ames has more details.
The IOC was embarrassed on Thursday morning when workers from the luxury hotel occupied by its delegation at Paris 2024 went on strike, claiming they have not received a pay rise for seven years.
A group of chefs, waiters and technical staff at the five-star Hotel du Collectionneur began a two-hour protest at 7am, causing some disruption to the breakfast service. It is understood to have bred consternation at the top of the International Olympic Committee, who will host regular dinners and events at the venue.
Handball: Brazil’s keeper, Gabriela Moreschi, is having a stormer, behind a defence that you might describe as being deployed in a low block, to frustrate Spain. Brazil lead 15-10 at half-time.
Men’s rugby sevens: Samoa 26-0 Kenya. Samoa’s capmta, Apelu Maliko bursts through in the corner then cuts in to dot beneath the posts to embellish his side’s win. Steve Onosai adds another to stretch the points margin, which could prove crucial in the best-third-placed-team reckoning. Kenya depart winless.
Going to dip into the women’s handball now, with Brazil leading Spain 12-8 in the opening period.
Updated
Emma Raducanu’s decision not to compete in Olympic tennis in Paris has been something of a talking point – as most things she does tend to be – and Heather Watson has said she “can’t relate” to Emma Raducanu’s decision to skip the Games as Watson prepares to set a record by becoming the first female British tennis player to compete in four Olympics.
Raducanu could have featured in Paris as a wildcard pick. The 21-year-old refused the offer, stating she was “prioritising my body and my health” in the run-up to the US Open.
Ewan Murray has more:
Thanks Yara. Greetings everyone. And the afternoon’s action is under way. At the Stade de France, Samoa’s men are facing Kenya in the rugby sevens and leading 5-0, and should really be ahead by more, while in women’s handball Brazil lead Spain 4-2 early on in their Group B fixture.
That is all from me for now. Thanks for joining me! I leave you in the hands of Tom Davies to take you through the early afternoon.
IOC faces calls for investigation into inclusion of child rapist
The IOC is facing calls for an investigation into how a convicted child rapist has been allowed to compete at Paris 2024, on the eve of the opening of the Games.
Amid growing public outrage at the presence of the Netherlands beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, who was convicted of raping a British 12-year-old girl in 2016, groups have warned that sporting bodies are sending a dangerous message to rapists and causing “collateral damage” to victims of sexual abuse.
Ciara Bergman, the CEO of Rape Crisis England and Wales said the “irresponsible” inclusion of Van der Velde at the Olympics created an “enormous sense of impunity”, adding: “If you can rape a child and still compete in the Olympics, despite all athletes signing a declaration promising to be a role model, that is just shocking,” she said.
More on the story from Alexandra Topping below including details of Van de Velde’s case.
Updated
The days are over when Olympics organisers and anti-doping officials would typically predict the cleanest games ever.
“It’s not our role to do it,” the World Anti-Doping Agency president Witold Bańka said Thursday. “It’s not that now we want to assure that every single athlete is clean. We do not,” Bańka said at the agency’s pre-games news conference. “It’s obvious that you will never eliminate doping from the sporting landscape. You will always find someone who wants to cheat.”
The lesson of Beijing 2008 and London 2012 is that it can take years to judge how clean or dirty it was. Dozens of medals were stripped and athletes disqualified years after those competitions, in large part because more advanced testing could be used on samples. The samples taken in Paris will be stored and can be re-tested until 2034 in a programme run by the International Testing Agency (ITA), the operational wing of the global anti-doping system based in the Olympic home city of Lausanne, Switzerland.
“Our role is to oversee the system,” Bańka said of the Montreal-based Wada, “to make sure the system is robust, to make sure that we are using all the existing tools to test athletes properly. And not to tell you that the Games are going to be totally clean and you will not have even one single positive test.”
Wada took one track and field athlete out of the Paris Olympics on Thursday, after winning an appeal hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. CAS judges imposed a two-year ban on the Romanian long jumper Florentina Iusco who had tested positive last year for a banned diuretic, furosemide. Wada used its right to challenge doping verdicts worldwide after a Romanian tribunal decided she was not at fault and issued only a reprimand. Bańka said the programme overseen by the ITA took 87,000 samples from potential Olympic athletes in March to June. “Our focus has been that the Olympics and Paralympic Games are protected,” Bańka said, “and the athletes are afforded a level playing field that they deserve.” Associated Press
Updated
Lim sets world record in archery ranking round
Lim Si-hyeon’s Paris Games got off to a rousing start after setting a world record in the women’s ranking round today.
The 21-year-old scored 694 out of a possible 720 points at Les Invalides. The previous record of 692, which was set in 2019, was held by her counterpart Kang Chae-young.
Lim, an Asian Games gold medallist, will be the top seed in Tuesday’s individual competition.
Joe Clark may have missed out on Tokyo 2020 but the double world champion canoeist believes he can prosper in Paris.
In this big interview with Donald McRae, he speaks on how he almost quit the sport during Covid and why he is able to loudly say he can win two medals this summer.
It’s quite big to come out and say those kinds of things because people will be quick to jump on it if it doesn’t happen. It’s such a big ask and I’ve probably still not comprehended how hard it is. But winning both at the worlds really switched my mindset and made me think: ‘It’s possible in Paris.’
When we started the Olympic cycle a couple of years ago after my new coach, Campbell Walsh, came in, we set the Paris project and that was to win two medals, one being gold. But after the worlds I said: ‘We’ve just proved it’s possible to win two golds.’
Team GB is still reeling from Charlotte Dujardin’s Olympic exit and ban. But the wider issue that Sophe Kevany analyses here is if there is line between horse abuse and training?
At the far end of the debate are concerns about practices such as hyperflexion, where the horse’s neck is pulled into a contorted, unnatural angle. Also known as Rollkur, this technique has been controversial for years, and is banned by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), but is still used by some trainers.
Horses can also show signs of blue tongue, which results from too little oxygenated blood flowing to the tissue, while over-tightened nosebands can create stress.
The Australian swimming coach Rohan Taylor says public support for a South Korean athlete from one of his coaches ahead of two of his team members is “un Australian”. However he will decide whether the coach’s expulsion from Paris is necessary only after speaking to the swimmers involved.
Michael Palfrey is part of the Dolphins but has also coached South Korean men’s 400m freestyle world champion Kim Woo-min.
In an interview with Korean television on Tuesday, Palfrey said he hoped Kim would win gold on Saturday. “I really hope he can win, but ultimately I really hope he swims well,” Palfrey said, later declaring: “Go Korea.”
Taylor – Australia’s head coach responsible for all coaches in the team – said the comments were disappointing, and Palfrey has already accepted his mistake. He also said the issue of Australian coaches working with foreign swimmers has been under consideration since the Doha World Championships in February, and would be addressed after the Paris Games.
“We are leading a leading nation and we do have a lot of really strong IP in coaching and resources and we are investing in that and we want to protect it.”
A few emails have come in on, mostly on who every one is excited to see in Paris.
Des Brown is a Team GB fan through and through:
Would love to see Tom Daley get one more medal on Monday. He’s been such a fixture of Team GB for so long now.
This is the Olympics where we’ll see the last of a number of established names like Tom, Helen Glover, Andy Murray, Max Whitlock and Adam Peaty. And at the same time the emergence of a new generation of British Olympic stars like Keeley Hodgkinson, Emma Finucane, Matt Richards, Sky Brown and Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix. These names will likely be competing at Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane in 2032.
Keeley Hodgkinson is still only 22. She’ll be 30 by the time of the Brisbane Olympics – Kelly Holmes was 34 when she won the 800m and 1500m Golds in 2004.
Agree that it is very exciting to see Daley back. I like that he seems to be competing stress-free as well and is just looking forward to his kids watching him take part. And Sky Brown – a superstar in the making in my opinion. I think the general public will really take a liking to her if skateboarding becomes more popular as an event.
Jack Draper (no, not that one) writes:
I am a fifth-generation football fan. Raised my two boys to be football fans from the day they were born. Somehow, they have become completely fascinated with basketball. Specifically the WNBA. They stay up to god knows what time and watch the games in America. I have learned that A’ja Wilson is the best player in the world and that my sons might be the most American Scots of all time.
Wilson is indeed the best player in the world right now, and is quickly making her case to be the WNBA goat. USA is just so so so so stacked at the moment. Breanna “Stewie” Stewart is a two-time WNBA champion and Diana Taurasi is a five-time gold medallist. She may become the most decorated team athlete in Olympic history if the US medal.
An A1 performance.
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 23, 2024
19 pts, 14 reb, 2 blk, 2 stl
🇺🇸 #USABWNT x @_ajawilson22 pic.twitter.com/0JjLKqts8p
Pop emergency! Lady Gaga and Céline Dion will reportedly be performing a duet of Édith Piaf’s La vie en Rose at the opening ceremony tomorrow.
It will mark Dion’s first stage performance since she announced her Stiff Person syndrome diagnosis in 2022 after cancelling her world tour. She last performed live in 2020.
The France president, who apparently can’t be trusted to keep a secret, heavily hinted at the performance. He told the French television channel France 2 “Apparently [Dion] has arrived in Paris, it’s great! I would be immensely happy if she could be at this opening ceremony, like all our compatriots.”
“I will not reveal anything, what Thomas Jolly [opening ceremony director] and all his teams have prepared. There is also a surprise.”
Every time I return to Paris, I remember there’s so much beauty and joy still to experience in the world. I love Paris, and I’m so happy to be back!
— Celine Dion (@celinedion) July 24, 2024
Thank you to our wonderful friends at The Louvre!
Celine xx…
PC📸: Laura Gilli pic.twitter.com/Mg9LVs9X8q
Updated
The Netherlands have won their handball opener against Angola, seeing off the African champions 34-31 in Group B. Such a tight affair in the end, but it was the fast breaks that lead the Dutch over the line. They scored seven goals from eight while Angola only managed three.
Group B continues with Spain v Brazil before the hosts and defending champions France take on Hungary.
Group A will see Germany v South Korea and Norway v Sweden later today.
Matildas make late squad change ahead of opener
The Australian women’s football team have made a late squad change ahead of their Olympic opener against Germany tonight, with midfield dynamo Tameka Yallop to be replaced by Sharn Freier.
Teams are allowed 18 squad members and four reserves at the Paris Olympics, although the reserves can be interchanged with the squad – which means that Yallop can return to the Matildas for subsequent matches, if fit.
In a statement, the Australian Olympic Committee explained that Yallop had sustained minor contact injuries in training in early July and while she was back in full training, she had not yet been medically cleared to return to match play.
Freier, who turned 23 yesterday, will make her Olympic debut if she features in the clash with Germany, which kicks off at 7pm local time in Marseille.
These Games have been all about innovation including a brand new purple track at the Stade de France. It is still unknown how fast the track will be yet (they are trying to keep it in pristine edition for the events) but the hope is that world records will be broken.
Alessandro Piceli, a research and development manager at Mondo, believes that the latest version – which the Guardian understands was debuted at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year – is even better than the one used in Japan.
We are focusing on the dynamic connection between the track and a new generation of shoes. For the track, we only see the aesthetics, but there is great work that goes into the underlayer.
A new granule of polymeric material, made especially for it, was inserted in the Tokyo track. We have made it even better now. We have chemists, engineers and physicists who take care of the performance of the material.
Here is Sean Ingle with more.
The tennis draw has been released and we might be in for a few treats.
We might be getting the box office match of Rafael Nadal v Novak Djokvic in round two of the men’s singles. A first round matchup between Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka also awaits.
The world No 1 Iga Swiatek gets a pretty tough draw. She could face Jelena Ostapenko (a player she has failed to beat in all four of their matches) or Danielle Collins in the quarter-final and a possible match against world No 4 Elena Rybakina in the semi-final.
Good thing the Pole is playing on clay (her favourite surface) at her favourite stadium (Roland Garros). She has won approximately 724377479287398128* matches there.
* Slight exaggeration. Swiatek has a 95% win rate at Roland Garros at 35-2.
Updated
Early drama in this second-half. The Dutch score early to make it 20-18 but then Nenganga gets brought down and earns a penalty. She is 4/4 from the line but her fifth is saved by Yara ten Holte, who is only being brought on to save penalties. Nenganga looks at her bench in disbelief.
At the other end, Juliana Machado pushes an opponent hard from behind. She gets a two-miunte suspension. A moment later, her teammate gets a one-minute suspension. A double power-play! Dutch take advantage and it is 23-20.
It’s half-time in the second handball game of the day and it has been a close one so far. The Dutch are edging Angola 19-18 in what is turning out to be a pretty high-scoring game. Angola found a rhythm late in the half to make it a one-goal game.
Vilma Nenganga, Estavana Polman and Angela Malestein all have scored four.
Speaking of Team USA, how will they fare in Paris? Our American writers think that they will be able to beat China when it comes to gold medals, their women’s teams will dominate and that Noah Lyles and Kate Douglass will become national household names.
The USA men’s basketball team just had their first press conference in Paris with Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.
Curry, who is widely regarded as the best three-point shooter of all time was asked about adjusting to the different three-point line. The international three-point line is shorter (6.75m – 6.60 on baseline) than the NBA one (7.24m – 6.70m on baseline). The four-time NBA champion has not played competitive international basketball since 2014 and this will be his first Olympic Games.
For sure, there is an adjustment. I always know where I am in relation to the line on the NBA court. I have a certain familiarity with it. It’s a little bit different. I might have shot a couple of long ones [in the warmup games]. But i think we’re past that now. At the end of the day I try not to think about it.
Curry was also asked about how he will be soaking up the atmosphere, to which he said:
I want to see some gymnastics, beach volleyball and swimming. You get juiced up watching other athletes compete. I don’t want to watch it from my TV in my room.
Both the US men’s and the women’s team are reigning Olympic champions. Despite a slight wobble from the men’s team in their warmup match against South Sudan, they are still the team to beat.
Hands up if you’re confused as to what actually happened in the football yesterday … Oh, everyone. Great, because same. Let’s try to work through the mess.
Early on, before kick-off between Morocco and Argentina, the Argentine players and the national anthem was booed and jeered by fans in the stadium at St-Etienne. Probably in response to the Enzo Fernández’s racism row – the Chelsea midfielder filmed the Argentine squad singing racist and homophobic chants against France during their Copa América victory celebrations.
Morocco were winning 2-1 but in the final minutes (during the 15 minutes of stoppage time!), Argentina equalised.
Morocco fans stormed the pitch and the match was stopped. Players were taken off the pitch and were gone for more than an hour. VAR then intervened (because of course it did) and determined that their was an offside in the buildup to the equaliser. So Argentina’s goal was ruled out over 60 minutes after it was scored. Unprecedented stuff.
They eventually finished the game, which ended 2-1 to Morocco. The Argentina coach Javier Mascherano called the whole thing “a circus,” and it certainly adds questions to the security at these Games.
The French police notoriously mishandled the events leading up to the 2022 Champions League final.
Updated
The archery’s women’s individual ranking round is also under way this morning.
Archery at the Olympics begins with ranking rounds before the matchplay rounds scheduled later on in the Games.
Right now, Lim Si-hyeon leads the pack. She is part of a young South Korea team who are keen to defend their team title from Tokyo and pick up their tenth individual gold medal in the event.
There is stiff competition though. The world No 1 Casey Kaufhold is hoping to be the first women’s individual gold medallist from the US since Luann Ryon. who took home gold in Montreal back in 1976.
Mexico’s Alejandra Valencia is the world championships runner-up and is competing at her fourth Games.
The archery events are taking place at the Hôtel des Invalides. It is a complex tracing France’s military heritage that was established during Louis XIV’s reign in 1687.
The famous golden dome dominates the skyline amid the serene formal gardens surrounding the converted military hospital turned museum. What’s inside? Just Napoleon’s final resting place.
Updated
Murray withdraws from men's singles, will only play doubles
There have been murmurings and rumours and almost confirmations but this is now official. Andy Murray will not be playing singles in Paris. His singles playing career is now over.
“I’ve take the decision to withdraw from the singles to concentrate on the doubles with Dan [Evans]. Our practice has been great and we’re playing well together,” Murray said today. “Really looking forward to getting started and representing GB one more time.”
Updated
The final buzzer has just gone at the women’s handball match between Slovenia and Denmark. The Danes take the victory 27-19.
Goalkeeper Sandra Toft made 13 saves and every single Danish player got some minutes in this opening match.
The Dane’s are three-time Olympic champions (1996, 2000, 2004) but failed to qualify for their last two Games. Jesper Jensen’s side is a new generation hoping to roll back the years.
The handball sees two groups of six play out. Top four teams will advance to the knockout rounds.
Updated
Before we get to today’s action, let’s take a quick look at Team GB’s medal hopes. We are looking at a possible battle for the ages in the men’s 1500m, world champions in the women’s lightweight double sculls and a chance for some skateboarding glory.
Here’s Ben Bloom with more.
Preamble
Good morning all and welcome to our daily 2024 Olympics blog! The sporting action got under way yesterday and it was certainly memorable. We will bring you all of the reaction from what went down and live coverage of what starts today. More rugby sevens, more football and the beginning of the archery and handball events. Plus, we will check in with all the other athletes who are doing their final preparations and bring you all the latest news from Paris.
If you have any thoughts, questions, concerns, complaints, musings or must-have Olympic snacks you want to share then feel free to send me an email. You can find the information at the top of this blog.
Allez!
