38w ago / 10:37 AM EDT

Soccer: Argentina takes 2-1 lead over Iraq

Argentina took a 2-1 lead over Iraq during a physical second half match between the two sides. A header from Luciano Gondou broke the tie in the 62nd minute. Three yellow cards were given during the first eight minutes of the second half—two to Iraq and one to Argentina. The Argentines are in need of a win after losing their opening match of the tournament to Morocco.

38w ago / 10:29 AM EDT

Soccer: Spain takes second-half lead over Dominican Republic

After a tense first half that ended with both sides tied at 1, Spain took the lead over the Dominican Republic in the 55th minute of the match. Álex Baena broke the tie with a strike from outside the box to the bottom-right corner of the net. The Dominican Republic is playing with 10 men after Edison Azcona was given the first red card of the Olympics during stoppage time in the first half.

38w ago / 10:18 AM EDT

Ledecky starts Olympics run with top time in 400m free prelims

Earlier today, Katie Ledecky posted the fastest time of the women's 400m freestyle preliminary heats, overtaking Australia's Ariarne Titmus who won gold in Tokyo and holds the current world record.

This is Ledecky's only event where she faces a rival expected to challenge her dominance. The final race is scheduled for 2:52 p.m. ET.

38w ago / 10:08 AM EDT

Chloe Dygert takes bronze in road time trial after spill

Chloe Dygert has won bronze in the women's individual time trial.

Dygert has recently come off a devastating injury in 2020, going off the guard rail at the time. She recently overcame an Achilles heel injury this year.

At the first time check, Dygert was looking like a contender for gold, but after wiping out lost ground. Australia's Grace Brown and Great Britain's Anna Henderson took gold and silver, respectively.

This is Dygert’s third Olympic medal and first in road cycling. She has two Olympic medals in track cycling. Dygert is the second American woman to win an Olympic medal in both road and track cycling.

As for gold medalist Grace Brown from Australia, this is her first Olympic medal. She finished fourth in this event in Tokyo.

Brown finished 1:31.59 ahead of the silver medalist, Anna Henderson.

This is the United States’ 6th medal in the women’s individual time trial event, the most in Olympic history.

The other American in the race was Taylor Knibb from Washington, D.C., who finished in 19th place.

38w ago / 10:03 AM EDT

Organizers 'confident' triathlon to go ahead as planned despite rainfall

Freddie Clayton
Nancy Ing
Freddie Clayton and Nancy Ing

Olympics organizer said the triathlon events will take place as scheduled despite adverse weather conditions.

Heavy rainfall over the last 24 hours is likely to affect the water quality in the Seine in the coming days, organizers told NBC News, which may result in Sunday’s training swim being canceled.

However, they were “confident’ that events would go ahead as planned on Tuesday, the day of the triathlon. 

The triathlon and marathon swimming events have already come under intense scrutiny with doubts over the quality of the water in the Seine. Swimming in the river has been banned for over a century, but organizers have invested $1.5 billion to prepare it for the Olympics and ensure Parisians have a cleaner river after the games.

But tests results released Friday showed that water quality was slightly below the standards needed to authorize swimming.

38w ago / 9:57 AM EDT

Simone Manuel leads USA to win 4x100m free relay heat

Team USA had a strong start in the 4x100m free relay, winning the preliminary heat with impressive legs from Simone Manuel and Kate Douglass. Great Britain came in second, with Italy close behind.

The women's free relay final is scheduled for 3:34 p.m. ET, where the U.S. will face a tougher challenge from Australia, who won their heat. The U.S. has medaled in this event every time it has competed but hasn't secured gold since 2000.

38w ago / 9:54 AM EDT

U.S. road cyclist Chloe Dygert take a spill

Only a few minutes short of a potential victory, cyclist Chloe Dygert takes a fall on the road during the individual time trial.

While the race remains neck and neck between her and Australia's Grace Brown, things suddenly look grim for favorite Dygert as she aims to recover from the spill.

38w ago / 9:48 AM EDT

Rain soaking beach volleyball fans under the Eiffel Tower

Reporting from Paris

The Eiffel Tower Stadium is arguably the most dramatic venue at the Olympics. It’s also the most exposed — and its first spectators of these Games are currently getting utterly drenched.

Dressed in ponchos or hunkered under umbrellas, the crowd has attempted to keep their spirits high with Mexican waves, chanting and stomping their feet on the temporary bleachers under the imposing iron latticework of Paris’ best-known landmark.

A view of the beach volleyball court under the Eiffel Tower. Alex Smith / NBC News

Miles Partain and Andy Benesh, the youngest American volleyball duo in U.S. history, were beaten in straight sets by Nolsen Diaz and Jorde Alayo from Cuba in the first match of the men’s Pool D.

As did the top ranked pairing, Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, against Australia’s Mark Nicolaidis and Izac Carracher in Pool A.

38w ago / 9:47 AM EDT

Tennis: Novak Djokovic claims dominant win as he pursues elusive gold, could face Nadal next

Sean Nevin

Novak Djokovic was utterly ruthless in his opening match of the Olympics, dispatching Australia's Matthew Ebden 6-0, 6-1 in just 53 minutes.

The Serbian is the top seed in the men's singles and is chasing an elusive gold medal at Roland Garros, the only prize missing from the 24-time Grand Slam champion's glittering CV.

At 0-6, 0-2 down, 36-year-old Ebden jokingly offered his racket to a member of the crowd, asking if they would like a go. The crowd went wild when Ebden won his only game of the match shortly after, but it was still a brutal beatdown for the Australian.

In what would be a blockbuster match-up, Djokovic could face Rafael Nadal in the second round.

Women's world no. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland is safely through in the women's draw. The French Open champion beat Romania's Irina-Camela Begu, 6-2, 7-5.

38w ago / 9:44 AM EDT

Germany stuns No. 2-ranked Japan in men's volleyball opener

In a surprising start to the men's volleyball schedule, No. 11-ranked Germany defeated the No. 2-ranked Japan in a thrilling 3-2 match at South Paris Arena. Germany hasn't competed in men's volleyball at the Olympics since the 2012 London Games.