Brittney Griner 'head over heels' for Americans returning home after prisoner swap
Brittney Griner knows only too well the swirling emotions of being involved in a prisoner swap, and she said today she is “head over heels” that fellow Americans are going home from Russia.
“Great day. It’s a great day. It’s a great day,” Griner said after the U.S. women’s basketball team beat Belgium 87-74 to clinch a berth in the quarterfinals. “We’ll talk more about it later. But head over heels happy for the families right now. Any day that Americans come home, that’s a win. That’s a win.”
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, went through her own high-profile prisoner exchange with Russia in 2022 after having been sentenced to nine years in jail for drug possession and smuggling that year.
So Griner was thrilled to hear that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, both convicted of espionage charges that the U.S. government considered baseless, were going home.
USA’s Zhang bows out of badminton round of 16
Beiwen Zhang was the last American standing in the badminton tournament but lost in the round of 16 to Spain’s Carolina Marina.
Lightning across Paris pauses beach volleyball, 3x3 basketball
It's a rain delay in Paris as lightning forces evacuations of the outdoor beach volleyball and 3x3 basketball courts.
Team USA had just caught up with China in women's beach volleyball when it was forced to stop, delaying the third and final set. Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth rallied to come back from a loss to secure the second set.
Meanwhile, Serbia was leading host country France 13-10 in 3x3 men's basketball when they were forced to stop because of the inclement weather.
Women's basketball: USA staves off upset bid from Belgium
The U.S. women’s basketball team held off Belgium, winning 87-74, to move to 2-0 in group play.
The score belied how close the game was. Belgium competed hard with a U.S. team that has not lost in Olympic play since 1992. Emma Meesseman was arguably the star, bullying her way to 24 points for Belgium.
But the U.S. still has the best frontcourt in the world. Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson combined for 49 points. Wilson had 23 — connecting on 8 of 12 shots after starting 1-for-5.
It was an impressive effort by the Belgium women, who had the support of the crowd in Lille, which is only a short train ride from Belgium.
The U.S. next plays Sunday against Germany.
Tennis: Star-studded semifinals set for tomorrow
Serbia's 24-time major champion, Novak Djokovic, will face Italy's Lorenzo Musetti in the men's tennis semifinal tomorrow.
Musetti is coming off an impressive performance against Germany's Alexander Zverev. He defeated Zverev, the world's current No. 4, in straight sets today, 7-5, 7-5. Musetti is looking to continue his form this summer after advancing to the Wimbledon semifinals in July.
Djokovic has faced a challenging path in Paris, defeating Rafael Nadal in round 2 and Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals, 6-3, 7-6. Djokovic is looking for a strong result after losing the men's Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain.
Both men are aiming for their first gold medal. Djokovic won bronze in the 2008 Olympics. Meanwhile, Musetti is participating in his first career Olympics in Paris.
The other side of the bracket will feature two more youngsters, as Alcaraz, 21, and 23-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada will fight for a spot in the finals.
Alcaraz is the youngest man to reach the singles semifinals at the Olympics since Djokovic in Beijing in 2008. Auger-Aliassime is the first Canadian to reach the semifinals in singles in Olympic history.
Women's basketball: Belgium is hanging around!
Belgium is giving USA everything it can handle through three quarters.
U.S. leads 60-53 after three in what’s been a highly competitive game.
Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson have combined for 33 points, but no other American player has scored in double figures. Meanwhile, Emma Meesseman has been an absolute beast inside for Belgium, leading all scorers with 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting.
Should be an exciting finish!
Katie Ledecky claims 13th medal, most-ever for a female Olympian, with relay silver
American women took silver in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay, putting an all-time record 13th medal around the neck of living legend Katie Ledecky.
The team of Ledecky, Claire Weinstein, Paige Madden and Erin Gemmell placed second, bested only by Australia as the mighty Dolphins turned in an Olympic-record time of 7:38.08.
China took bronze. Three years ago in Tokyo, China recorded the best time in Olympics history.
No woman has won more medals than Ledecky, though active Australian swimmer Emma McKeon has 12. Retired U.S. greats Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin also have a dozen.
Basketball: USA opens up halftime lead over Belgium
After ending the first quarter in a tie, USA leads Belgium 46-38 at the half.
The States led by as many as 13 in the second period. Breanna Stewart leads the team with 15 points. After a slow start, A'ja Wilson scored six points in the second, hitting three of her five field-goal attempts.
The U.S. isn’t bullying Belgium as easily as they did Japan. The two-headed center monster of Emma Meesseman and Kyara Linskens has held its own, combining for 18 points for Belgium.
Basketball: USA, Belgium deadlocked after first quarter
Belgium is giving the U.S. women’s basketball team a battle after one quarter.
The teams are tied at 23 after 10 minutes.
The size advantage the women had against Japan isn’t as extreme vs. Belgium. While Breanna Stewart is dominating in the frontcourt with 11 early points, A'ja Wilson is still finding her footing — she has four points on only 1-of-5 shooting.
Belgium has had a balanced attack, with four of their five starters scoring at least four points
Ledecky set to break another record
The U.S. women’s 4x200m freestyle relay is expected to win a medal tonight. If that happens, Katie Ledecky breaks her tie for the most women’s swimming medals (currently 12 with Americans Natalie Coughlin, Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson and Australian Emma McKeon) and most medals for an American woman in any sport (12 with Coughlin, Torres and Thompson).
That would set Ledecky up in Saturday’s 800m freestyle final to break her tie with Thompson for the most Olympic gold medals for an American woman in any sport and to tie the record for Olympic gold medals for any woman in any sport with Larisa Latynina, a Soviet gymnast who won nine golds in the 1950s and ‘60s.