Day 3 of the Paris Games gave us memorable moments in men’s gymnastics, men’s skateboarding and more. Here are the biggest stories from another action-packed day in France.
Men’s artistic gymnastics
The U.S. men’s artistic gymnastics team won its first medal since 2008 in a thrilling finish. Needing a strong showing in the final rotation, the men stepped up on the pommel horse to earn a bronze medal.
Brody Malone redeemed himself after a difficult qualifying round, scoring a 13.7. Stephen Nedoroscik (aka Pommel Horse Guy aka Clark Kent) stole the show, however, waiting more than two hours to perform on the pommel horse and putting up a 14.866 score.
Nedoroscik is eyeing gold in the pommel horse final, which is scheduled for Saturday, while Paul Juda and Frederick Richard will compete in the all-around final Wednesday.
Japan ultimately won gold in the event, coming from behind in the final rotation to topple China, which settled for silver.
Swimming
Canadian prodigy Summer McIntosh won gold — perhaps the first of many — on Monday night in competition marked by newcomers and nations not always represented on the podium.
McIntosh, 17, easily took the 400-meter individual medley, a race she normally dominates and in which has the world record.
David Popovici won the 200 free, becoming the first Romanian man to ever take a swimming gold. Reno, Nevada, native Luke Hobson won bronze. Mona McSharry earned bronze in the 100 breaststroke, delivering the first swimming medal to Ireland since 1996.
“I’m a little scared to look at my phone,” a beaming McSharry, 23, told reporters. “But I got to hug my family, cousins, a big group of Irish people that were down by the bottom, behind the podium, so that was great. No words were spoken, but I think just a lot of smiles and happiness."
Las Vegas native Katie Grimes and Emma Weyant, of Sarasota, Florida, took silver and bronze, respectively, behind McIntosh.
Ryan Murphy, who grew up near Jacksonville, Florida, and attended UC Berkeley, won bronze in the 100 backstroke.
Women's basketball
The U.S. women’s basketball team began its quest for an eighth straight gold medal, dispatching Japan 102-76 to open group play. This game wasn’t close. The U.S. had a massive size advantage and exploited it at every opportunity.
A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart combined for 46 points and 21 rebounds. Brittney Griner, playing overseas for the first time since her detainment in Russia in 2022, added 11 points and nine boards.
For all the discussion leading up to the Games about who was left off the team, Monday’s game was a reminder how much talent remains on the squad in Paris. The U.S. is loaded, and it’s going to be difficult for the competition to keep up.
Men’s skateboarding street
Two American men medaled in skateboarding street, but in a shocking fashion. Yuto Horigome of Japan, the defending gold medalist, took home the top spot again. He wasn’t in position to win any hardware until his final trick — a nollie 270 to nosebluntside — stunned the crowd and scored a massive 97.08.
It was good enough to overcome American Jagger Eaton, who finished second, only 0.10 points behind Horigome. Nyjah Huston, a 15-time X Games skateboarding gold medalist, won bronze, his first Olympic medal.
Eaton and Huston were trading the top two spots for most of the event until Horigome’s fifth and final trick upended the order.
Ukraine medals
Olga Kharlan won bronze in women’s saber, Ukraine’s first medal in Paris.
“Ukraine, I love you," Kharlan exclaimed after the win. "This is for you, my dear, this is for you!”
Kharlan overcame a six-point deficit to defeat South Korea’s Choi Sebin.
“I brought a medal to my country, and it’s the first one, and it’s going to be a good start for all our athletes who are here, because it’s really tough to compete when in your country is a war,” she said. “Every medal, it’s like gold. I don’t care [that] it’s bronze. It’s gold.”
Kharlan was disqualified from last year’s world championships because she refused to shake the hand of a Russian opponent. The International Olympic Committee granted her an exception to compete after the disqualification sparked backlash.
Women’s rugby sevens
The U.S. women’s rugby sevens team won its quarterfinal match vs. Great Britain, advancing to the semifinals for the first time in its Olympic history.
Neither the American men nor women have made it this far in the rugby sevens tournament. The U.S. came from behind to secure its spot, trailing Great Britain 7-0 before reeling off 17 straight points to win 17-7.
It was not only redemption for the States, who finished sixth at the Tokyo Games, but also revenge — Great Britain knocked them out of the quarterfinals in 2021.
The U.S. will face New Zealand, the reigning gold medalist, in the semis on Tuesday.