The first weekend of the Olympics is in the books. From the pool to the piste, several medals have already been handed out. And many more are to come as the Paris Games enter the first full week of action.
Monday will see five swimming finals at Paris La Defense Arena, the first game for the U.S. women’s basketball team and the men’s gymnastics team final.
It’s a busy Day 3. Let’s take a splash to highlight what to watch.
Events to watch
U.S. women’s basketball begins gold quest
Time: 3 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. in Paris
TV: USA Network and Peacock
What to watch for: The U.S. women’s basketball team opens its pursuit of another gold medal against Japan in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. The Americans have won seven consecutive Olympic gold medals — last missing the top of the podium in 1992.
The U.S. roster shows a preference for veterans this year, with the youngest players — Sabrina Ionescu and Jackie Young — 26 years old. A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart, the last two WNBA MVPs, lead the team, while 42-year-old Diana Taurasi is going for a record sixth gold medal.
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In addition to Japan, the U.S. will play Belgium and Germany in the group stage.
Titmus, McIntosh back in the pool
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. in Paris
TV: NBC and Peacock (live)
What to watch for: Australia’s Ariarne Titmus captured her first gold medal of the Paris Games on Saturday, fending off Canadian Summer McIntosh and American Katie Ledecky in the women’s 400-meter freestyle final. On Monday, Titmus has a chance to add to her medal collection in the 200 free.
Titmus, 23, is the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the event. She is also the world record holder with a time of 1:52.23, which she set at this year’s Australian swimming trials.
In Canada, the talk has been that this could be Summer’s Summer Olympics. McIntosh, the 17-year-old swimming sensation, captured the silver medal in Saturday’s 400 free, the first medal of her career and Canada’s first in Paris.
On Monday, McIntosh could capture her first gold in the 400-meter individual medley. A two-time world champion in the event, McIntosh set a world record at the 2024 Canadian Olympic swimming trials.
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Nadal, Djokovic clash at Roland Garros
Time: Not before 7:30 a.m. ET; 1:30 p.m. in Paris
TV: Peacock and NBCOlympics.com
What to watch for: One of the greatest tennis rivalries will be renewed Monday when Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic play on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
It will be the 60th time Nadal and Djokovic will meet and perhaps the last match against each other in their storied careers. Nadal has 22 Slam singles titles while Djokovic is the all-time leader with 24. Both players are familiar with Roland Garros, the site of the annual French Open.
Nadal has a record 14 French Open titles while Djokovic has three. Djokovic has a 30-29 lead in the career head to head against Nadal.
This will be Nadal’s third match in three consecutive days; he won his opening-round doubles match alongside Carlos Alcaraz 0n Saturday. On Sunday in the men’s singles first round, Nadal won in three sets over Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics.
Both players are at different points in their careers. But despite this being a second-round matchup, it promises to be an entertaining clash.
Can an American capture gold in skateboarding?
Nyjah Huston hopes to medal after a seventh-place finish in Tokyo. (Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
Time: 11 a.m. ET, 5 p.m. Paris time
TV: NBC and Peacock (live)
What to watch for: Two days after it was postponed because of rain, the men’s skateboarding street final takes place Monday — and it promises to be entertaining.
The 22-athlete field will shrink to eight for the final round, with athletes performing both timed runs and individual tricks during the competition.
Japan’s Yuto Horigome is the reigning Olympic gold medalist. He also won gold at the 2021 world championships and the 2023 X Games in the street competition.
But don’t sleep on two American skateboarder contenders. American star Nyjah Huston and Tokyo bronze-medal winner Jagger Eaton, also representing the United States, appear poised to challenge for the top spot.
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Japan’s Coco Yoshizawa, 14, won gold in the women’s street final Sunday.
Who will reign in men’s gymnastics?
Time: 11:30 a.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. in Paris
TV: NBC and Peacock (live)
What to watch for: The U.S. men’s gymnastics team last won Olympic gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Last time on the podium: Beijing, 2008. Sixteen years ago.
The U.S. squad of Asher Hong, Paul Juda, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik and Fred Richard finished fifth in qualifying Saturday — the same place the Americans finished in the final in Tokyo. They’ll face stiff competition Monday.
China, which has won two of the last four Olympic gold medals, finished first in qualifying. Japan, the reigning world champion, finished second.
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A gold medal rematch in water polo
Time: 9:35 a.m. ET, 3:35 p.m. in Paris
TV: Peacock (live)
What to watch for: The U.S. women’s water polo team is going for an unprecedented fourth consecutive gold medal; it started strong Saturday with a 15-6 win over Greece.
The Americans have lost just once in their last 20 Olympic matches. But they’ll be tested by Spain — the silver medalist in Tokyo. The U.S. defeated Spain 14-5 in the gold medal match three years ago.
Nine players scored for the U.S. against Greece. Jenna Flynn led the team with four goals in her Olympic debut.
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Sunday highlight
THE AMERICANS FINISH 1-2. 🇺🇸
Torri Huske wins gold and Gretchen Walsh grabs silver in the women’s 100m fly. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/wFPQUF5ARC
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 28, 2024
Lots to choose from on an action-packed Sunday at the Paris Olympics. My pick is American Torri Huske winning her first Olympic gold in the women’s 100-meter butterfly.
At Tokyo 2020, Huske barely missed the podium. On Sunday, Huske fended off world-record holder and American teammate Gretchen Walsh, touching the wall first with a time of 55.59 seconds.
An honorable mention goes to Frenchman Léon Marchand, setting a new Olympic record in the men’s 400-meter individual medley in front of a raucous crowd at La Défense Arena.
Required reading
(Photo: Adam Pretty / Getty Images)
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Publish date : 2024-07-29 05:40:06
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