U.S. men's soccer team makes quarterfinals for first time in 24 years
The last time the USA men’s soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals at an Olympics, it was in Australia and it was the dawn of a new century.
Team USA advanced to the quarterfinals at the Sydney Games in 2000 before falling to Spain in the semis. The USA went on to the bronze medal match but lost to Chile 2-0.
The American men are surely hoping for a better result this time around.
Team USA at the Paris Games beat Guinea 3-0 to advance to the quarterfinals. It men will play Morocco in the quarterfinals Friday in a knockout round.
The U.S. women have had more Olympic success.
They won silver at the 2000 Sydney Games and gold medals in 1996, 2004, 2008 and 2012.
The USA women have clinched a quarterfinal appearance and close out the group stage tomorrow against Australia.
A fall on beam had nothing on Jordan Chiles
Jordan Chiles fell off the balance beam as soon as she tried to mount it, eliciting a gasp from the packed and star-studded audience in Paris' Bercy Arena.
"Keep an eye out on her ankles," commentator and Olympic gymnastics medalist Laurie Hernandez told viewers. "You can always tell if a gymnast is nervous by the way her ankles shake while she's either walking or on her tippy toes."
But if Chiles' fall had unnerved her, she didn't show it. She aced the rest of her routine and battled back to help the U.S. win team gold.
Colin Jost injures foot while covering surfing. Here’s how it happened.
Colin Jost is keeping fans updated about his injured foot.
The “SNL” star, who is covering Olympics surfing for NBC in Tahiti, shared a photo of his left foot with three bandaged toes.
“You know it’s going great when you’ve been to the Olympic medical tent more than any of the athletes,” he wrote in the caption.
American swimmer Regan Smith says 'I knew it was going to be an absolute dogfight'
Right after coming in second in the 100m backstroke, American Regan Smith told winner Kaylee McKeown how much she respects her.
The two women spoke in the pool after what is being called one of the most exciting swimming contests of these Games so far.
“She said it first. She said she loves racing me and that I make her better, and I said the same thing,” Smith, 22, said on NBC’s broadcast. “I was like, ‘I’m very proud of you; you did absolutely incredible.’”
Regan said that going into the race, “I knew it was going to be an absolute dogfight,” and she said she considers McKeown to be “one of the best racers I think we’ve ever seen.”
“I just left it all in the pool,” Regan said. “I don’t think there’s anything more I could have done, so I’m thrilled with that time, and I’m really pleased to win a silver for USA.”
Do you know the muffin man? Norwegian swimmer finds new obsession in Olympic Village
Swimmer Henrik Christiansen, 27, has not yet won any medals, but he has won the hearts of many after posting a series of TikTok videos showcasing his love of the bakery at the Olympic Village — well, of one bakery good in particular.
He’s posted at least nine videos about the muffins in recent days, amassing millions of views. It began with an Olympic Village food review, in which he rated the “choccy muffin” 11 out of 10.
Katharine Berkoff's backstroke bronze comes on anniversay of dad's Olympic feat
Katharine Berkoff's bronze-medal swim in the 100-meter backstroke is particularly special for her family.
Not only is Berkoff taking home hardware from Paris, but she also won the medal exactly 32 years after her father, Dave, won a 100-meter backstroke bronze in Barcelona in 1992.
While both father and daughter are now Olympic medal winners, it’s Dave who owns the title of fastest (for now).
He claimed his bronze in 54.78 seconds in Spain, while Katharine touched the wall at 57.98 today.
Four fastest women ever battle in 100m backstroke final
Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, Team USA’s Regan Smith and Katherine Berkoff and Canada’s Kylie Masse delivered one of the best races of the Paris Olympics in the women’s 100-meter backstroke.
Want to swim faster? Get a middle lane
Not all pool lanes are created equal.
Swimmers who are closer to the middle of the pool have a slight advantage, and those lanes are assigned depending on how a competitor has performed during qualifying rounds. The swimmer with the fastest time in a semifinal race will be in lane four during the final, because that’s the most coveted spot. The second-fastest swimmer would be in lane five, while the two slowest swimmers will be in the outside lanes.
But why?
The wake swimmers create reverberates off the pool’s walls. Those waves create resistance and affect those closest to the wall the most. Swimmers in the middle lane are generally dealing with water that’s slightly less choppy compared to their competitors on the outside. In a spot where milliseconds matter, every bit of resistance makes a difference.
Meanwhile, those in the middle lane also have the advantage of being able to see more of what’s happening around them, though you obviously can’t waste much time observing other swimmers in the middle of a race.
Snoop and Michael Phelps make some waves of their own
Snoop Dogg tested out his super “lung power” as he hit the pool for a special lesson with swimming legend and Olympian Michael Phelps.
The hip-hop icon put on a swimming cap and goggles for one-on-one master class from Phelps, a 23-time gold Olympic medal winner, in a special video in celebration of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“When it comes to one of my lifetime goals, there’s only one man I can think of — Mr. 23-time, OG, the GOAT,” Snoop said.
“You see me and MP, we go back like the backstroke. Now MP, how does one get fast in the pool?” he asked.
Dream team of Nadal and Alcaraz dominates in tennis
Two tennis greats from Spain have teamed up for the first time in Olympic doubles tennis.
Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz are in different points in their careers but have partnered and powered their way to the quarterfinals.