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The Games exploded into life yesterday with China shooting and diving their way to the first two gold medals of the fortnight, and France’s rugby sevens outfit securing what will prove – even at this early stage – one of the most popular triumphs of the Olympics. But day two begins with Australia topping the medal table after an extraordinary run of success, especially in the pool.
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So what can we look forward to today?
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Medal Events
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Shooting – men’s & women’s 10m air pistol (from 9:30)
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Mountain Bike – women’s cross country (from 14:10)
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Judo – men 66kg / women 52kg (from 16:00)
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Archery – women’s team (from 16:48)
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Skateboarding – women’s street (from 17:00)
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Canoe Slalom – women’s kayak single (from 17:45)
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Swimming (from 20:30) – men’s 400m IM / women’s 100m butterfly / men’s 100m breaststroke.
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Fencing (from 20:50) – women’s individual foil / men’s individual epee.
\n *(All times listed are Paris local)
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Simon Burnton’s day-by-day guide
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Swimming
\n Between 2014 and 2020 Team GB’s Adam Peaty won every available global gold in the 100m breaststroke – including at two Olympics, two Commonwealth Games and three world championships – and broke the world record five times. But after Tokyo he stepped away from the pool, citing mental health issues. He returned last October, with his eyes on this day. His key rival will be Qin Haiyang, China’s breaststroke king, who in the 2023 world championships completed a treble of 50m, 100m and 200m. - \n
Men’s basketball
\n The United States have won 16 of the 20 men’s basketball golds, including the last four, and with LeBron James in an all-star side are inevitable favourites for another. James’s notable teammates include Stephen Curry, a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, and by a massive margin the NBA’s all-time three-point leader, who remarkably is playing his first Olympics at 36. Today they get their tournament under way against a Serbia side that has in its ranks this year’s NBA MVP in Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. - \n
Women’s street skateboarding
\n Japan won four of the six women’s skateboarding medals in Tokyo, including both golds, and in the street discipline have five of the world’s current top seven (in park they have four of the top six). But Brazil’s world No 3, Rayssa Leal, has high hopes. Nicknamed Fadinha (little fairy – after her first viral video, of her attempting and eventually nailing a heelflip in a fairy costume aged seven), Leal won silver in Tokyo aged 13, has got better since, and will be out to sprinkle some magic at La Concorde.
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I’m sure I’ve failed to include something notable to you in this short rundown, so feel free to let me know what’s on your agenda by emailing: jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com or, if you’re still rummaging around in the post-Twitter dumpster fire, find me on X @jphowcroft.
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I’ll be around for the first few hours of the blog here in Australia, after which I’m handing over to Martin Belam in the UK.
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Important Events
Later in the pool, Ariarne Titmus (Australia) won the 400m freestyle, beating Summer McIntosh (Canada) and Katie Ledecky (USA) to win one of the Olympic races. The three have held the world record at various times since Tokyo, making this one of the most anticipated finals in Paris. Kieran Pender We were poolside at La Defense Arena.
This race was billed as one of the highlights of the Paris aquatics season, the race of the decade, if not the century. It was meant to be a nail-biting battle, but in the end it turned into a coronation. Titmuss executed his race plan perfectly and led the whole time. McIntosh was on his tail, but the Australian opened up a half-length lead over the 250 metres and ultimately won by almost a second.
While it’s early in Europe and late in the US, it’s mid-afternoon in Australia – the perfect time to soak up the green and gold glow.
The day ended with the Southern Cross emblazoned at the top of the medals table and began with Grace Brown winning a dangerous time trial on the slippery streets of the historic city. Jack Snape was there.
The gold medal was an extraordinary achievement for Brown, who had only taken up cycling at age 23 after battling injuries in cross-country. “When I was running, I felt like if I did everything perfectly, maybe I could make the Olympic team or something,” she said.
“But I kept getting injured and couldn’t progress to the next level. I got frustrated with the injuries so I took up cycling and it just seemed to work out.”
Speaking of surfing, here’s a quick PSA about how to pronounce Teahupo’o: In Tahitian, every syllable ends in a vowel, and adjacent vowels are pronounced as separate syllables, so Teahupo’o is Tay-a-hoop-oh-oh.
For some reason, the phrase “Teahpoo” or something similar has become popular. If you hear someone say it, throw them in the ocean and let Poseidon take care of them.
Storm clouds greeted Tahiti, 15,000km away, and inclement weather heralded perfect conditions for the first day of surfing at the famous Choupo Break. Kieran Pender I enjoyed the swell of the waves, the sinking waves, and the spray.
Half a world away from Paris on Saturday, the second Olympic surfing competition kicked off with a bang, literally. As powerful Southern Ocean swells traveled across thousands of kilometers of open ocean to reach the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, the water rose up and exploded on contact with the coral reef, creating the fearsome Teahupoo (roughly translated as “Wall of Skulls”) and providing the perfect arena for the world’s best surfers to compete for Olympic gold medals.
Though the sun is shining now, the bad weather of the past few days is likely to have a particularly noticeable effect on the water quality of the Seine. Paris’ famous river is scheduled to host a marathon swim and a triathlon swimming event, but only if the water is deemed safe for athletes.
Swimming in the Seine is the most controversial and ambitious aspect of the Olympics. Although a lot of money is being spent on cleaning the river and building storm water treatment plants to minimise runoff during the rainy season, it is still an incredibly difficult problem to solve, given the limited window of opportunity. Sean Ingle There’s more.
Triathletes for the Paris Olympics will miss their first training session on the Seine on Sunday because of deteriorating water quality.
Two days of practice are scheduled ahead of the men’s race on Tuesday, with the women’s race the following day, but organisers acknowledge heavy rain over the past 24 hours is likely to mean poor water conditions for the next test at 4am on Sunday.
The first event of the day is a few hours away, but starts with a busy schedule of badminton at 8.30am local time, followed by beach volleyball, handball, rowing, shooting, volleyball (9am), archery, gymnastics and fencing (9.30am).
After a few days of overcast weather, the weather will clear up and the City of Lights will be bathed in golden sunlight.
The medal table on day one of the Games looks encouraging for Australia, who top the standings with three gold medals, tying them with the United States on five total medals. With the swimming finals continuing tonight, there is a good chance Australia will maintain this position tomorrow.
Preface – Schedule for Day 2
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everyone and welcome to our live coverage of the second day of official competition at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
The Olympics started with a bang yesterday, with China winning their first two gold medals in two weeks in shooting and diving, and the French rugby sevens team winning what will likely be one of the most popular victories of the Olympics even at this early stage, but day two begins with Australia topping the medals table thanks to their exceptional success, particularly in the pool.
So, what can we expect today?
Medal Events
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Shooting – Men’s and Women’s 10m Air Pistol (Starts at 9:30)
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Mountain Bike – Women’s Cross Country (14:10)
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Judo Men’s 66kg class / Women’s 52kg class (16:00~)
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Archery – Women’s Team (starting at 16:48)
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Skateboarding – Women’s Street (From 17:00)
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Canoe Slalom – Women’s Kayak Single (17:45)
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Swimming (from 8:30pm) – Men’s 400m individual medley / Women’s 100m butterfly / Men’s 100m breaststroke.
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Fencing (from 20:50) – Women’s individual foil / Men’s individual epee.
*(All times listed are local Paris time)
Simon Burnton’s Daily Guide
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swimming
From 2014 to 2020, Adam Peaty of the British team won every World Championship gold medal available in the 100m breaststroke, including two Olympic Games, two Commonwealth Games, and three World Championships, and broke the world record five times. However, after Tokyo, he retired from the pool, citing mental problems. He returned last October, with his eye on this day. His main rival will be China’s breaststroke king Qin Haiyang, who won the triple crown of the 50m, 100m, and 200m at the 2023 World Championships. -
Men’s Basketball
The United States has won 16 of the last 20 gold medals in men’s basketball, including four championships. With LeBron James on the All-Star team, they’re sure to be the favorites to win next time. James’ notable teammate is Stephen Curry, a four-time NBA champion and two-time NBA MVP. Curry is the all-time NBA three-pointer record holder and has an incredible resume, playing in his first Olympic Games at age 36. The United States begins the tournament today against Serbia, featuring this year’s NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. -
Women’s Street Skateboarding
Japan won four of the six medals in women’s skateboarding in Tokyo, including two gold medals, and has five of the top seven spots in the world in street competitions (and four of the top six in park), but Brazil’s world number three, Leisa Leal, has high hopes. Fadinha (Little Fairy – after her first video went viral at the age of seven, in which she dressed in a fairy costume and attempted, and ultimately landed, a heelflip) Leal won a silver medal in Tokyo at the age of 13 and has been improving ever since, and is set to create magic at the Concorde Theatre.
I’m sure I’ve left out something noteworthy for you all in this brief summary, so let me know what you’re up to by emailing me at jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com or, if you’re still rummaging through the Twitter trash, find me at X. @jphowcroft.
I’ll be running the first few hours of the blog in Australia before handing it over to Martin Belam in the UK.
