<![CDATA[Paris 2024 Summer Olympics – NBC New York]]> https://www.nbcnewyork.com/https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/ Copyright 2024 https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/04/WNBC-Dgtl-Oly-On-Light.png?fit=486%2C120&quality=85&strip=all NBC New York https://www.nbcnewyork.com en_US Mon, 24 Jun 2024 01:57:14 -0400 Mon, 24 Jun 2024 01:57:14 -0400 NBC Owned Television Stations 2024 Paris Olympics: See dates, sports, how to watch and more https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/2024-paris-olympics-see-dates-sports-how-to-watch-and-more/4926345/ 4926345 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2023/12/web-231206-olympics-rings-paris.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 The 2024 Olympics are right around the corner.

The Summer Games are headed to Paris for the third time ever and first time in a full century. Instead of the usual four-year wait between Summer Olympics, the Paris Games will commence just three years after the Tokyo Games, which were pushed back from 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The upcoming Olympics will feature events at Paris landmarks, competitions between the world’s greatest athletes and around-the-clock coverage on NBC and Peacock.

As the clock counts down to the Opening Ceremony, here is a full guide to get you prepared for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

How to watch the 2024 Olympics in Paris

The 2024 Paris Olympics will go from July 26 to Aug. 11, 2024.

The Games will officially kick off with the Opening Ceremony on July 26, but several events will begin before that. Handball, rugby and soccer matches will be held on July 24 and 25, and archery will also get going on July 25. Here’s how to watch.

NBC and Peacock will present live Olympic events each morning and afternoon. Coverage will include the finals in highly anticipated events in track and field, swimming, gymnastics and more.

NBC will air at least nine hours of daytime coverage each day during the games. It will also deliver an enhanced, three-hour primetime show each night with behind-the-scenes access, new technology and insight from marquee athletes.

Peacock will stream every sport and event live throughout the Games, a first for the streaming service when it comes to the Summer Olympics.

USA Network, GOLF Channel, CNBC, E!, Telemundo and Universo will also air event coverage throughout the Olympics.

What is the time difference between Paris and the U.S.?

With Paris six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, American fans can expect the competition to begin around 3 a.m. ET and end around 6 p.m. ET each day.

Team USA medal count

Team USA may be red, white and blue, but at the Olympics, it takes home plenty of gold, silver and bronze.

The U.S. has won 2,629 Summer Olympics medals in its history: 1,061 gold, 830 silver and 738 bronze. It owns more gold medals than any other country has total medals.

Team USA has led the medal count at each Summer Olympics dating back to the 1996 Atlanta Games. Its dominance continued in Tokyo, as it led the pack in golds (39), silvers (41), bronzes (33) and total medals (113).

American athletes medaled in 25 sports and won gold in 14 of them. Swimming was Team USA’s top sport, as it won 30 medals in the pool. Athletics (26), wrestling (9), gymnastics (6) and shooting (6) were next on the list. 

The U.S. women have been especially dominant. They won 58% of the country’s medals in Tokyo, marking the third straight Olympics in which U.S. women won more than half of Team USA’s medals.

Team USA Olympians in 2024 Olympics

Team USA is once again bringing a loaded group of over 500 athletes to the Olympics that includes gold medalists, up-and-comers and sporting icons.

Beginning in the pool, swimmer Caeleb Dressel won five gold medals — three individual and two relays — giving him the most medals of any U.S. competitor at the Tokyo Games. Katie Ledecky wasn’t far behind, earning two swimming golds, an individual silver and a relay silver. Ryan Murphy, Lilly King and Regan Smith each won three swimming medals and eight more swimmers won two medals in Tokyo.

In 2024, Dressel will look to compete in his third Olympics and Ledecky will continue to swim for history. Katie Grimes and Nic Fink are chasing their first Olympic medals, while Gretchen Walsh and Carson Foster could make a splash as Olympic newcomers.

Simone Biles entered the Tokyo Olympics as a four-time defending gold medalist for her performance at the 2016 Rio Games. Her time in Tokyo took a dramatic turn as she experienced the “twisties.” She later made a triumphant return and wound up earning two medals (one silver and one bronze).

Suni Lee stepped up for Team USA gymnastics in Tokyo en route to individual all-around gold. Her three medals (one gold, one silver and one bronze) were the most of any non-swimmer on Team USA.

Several Americans ran onto the scene on the track. Sydney McLaughlin and Athing Mu took home two gold medals apiece, Rai Benjamin got a gold and a silver, Fred Kerley landed silver in the men’s 100m, Kenny Bednarek got silver in the men’s 200m and Noah Lyles got his first taste of Olympic glory with bronze in the 200m. Each of the runners will be in contention for gold in Paris with Lyles, Kerley and Erryon Knighton competing for the title of “the world’s fastest man.”

The stars will also be out for Team USA on the court. The men’s basketball team has earned four straight Olympic golds, and it could be getting a legendary boost in Paris. LeBron James reportedly has reached out to Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and more future Hall of Famers about teaming up next summer. The women’s basketball team, meanwhile, is chasing its eighth straight gold at the Olympics with WNBA champions A’Ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart leading the way.

As of Feb. 12, 39 Team USA athletes have qualified for the Paris Olympics. 

2024 Olympics sports

The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature 329 medal events across 32 sports.

The Games will include one brand new sport: breaking. It is an urban dance style originated in New York City and was added for the Paris Olympics in December 2020.

Additionally, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing are back after debuting at the Tokyo Olympics.

Here is a breakdown of each sport’s competition schedule, medal events and rules:

Aquatics

Archery

  • Competition schedule: July 25-Aug. 4
  • Medal events: 5
  • Archery rules

Athletics

Badminton

Basketball

Boxing

  • Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 4, Aug. 6-10
  • Medal events: 13
  • Boxing rules

Breaking

Canoeing

  • Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 1, Aug. 3-10
  • Medal events: 16 (10 sprint, 6 slalom)
  • Canoeing rules

Cycling

  • Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 11
  • Medal events: 22 (12 track, 4 road, 2 BMX freestyle, 2 BMX racing, 2 mountain biking)
  • Cycling rules

Equestrian

  • Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 6
  • Medal events: 6 (2 dressage, 2 eventing, 2 jumping)
  • Equestrian rules

Fencing

  • Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 4
  • Medal events: 12
  • Fencing rules

Field hockey

Golf

  • Competition schedule: Aug. 1-4, Aug.7-10
  • Medal events: 2
  • Golf rules

Gymnastics

Handball

  • Competition schedule: July 24-25, July 27-Aug. 4, Aug. 6-11
  • Medal events: 2
  • Handball rules

Judo

  • Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 3
  • Medal events: 15
  • Judo rules

Modern pentathlon

Rowing

  • Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 3
  • Medal events: 14
  • Rowing rules

Rugby

  • Competition schedule: July 24-25, July 27-30
  • Medal events: 2
  • Rugby rules

Sailing

  • Competition schedule: July 28-Aug. 8
  • Medal events: 10
  • Sailing rules

Shooting

  • Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 5
  • Medal events: 15
  • Shooting rules

Skateboarding

Soccer

  • Competition schedule: July 24-25, July 27-28, July 30-31, Aug. 2-3, Aug. 5-6, Aug. 8-10
  • Medal events: 2
  • Soccer rules

Sport climbing

Surfing

Table tennis

Taekwondo

Tennis

  • Competition schedule: July 27-Aug. 4
  • Medal events: 5
  • Tennis rules

Triathlon

Volleyball

Weightlifting

Wrestling

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Wed, Dec 13 2023 08:13:13 AM
Noah Lyles speeds through finals to earn spot at 2024 Olympics in 100 meters https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/noah-lyles-100-meter-2024-paris-olympics/5533176/ 5533176 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/web-240623-noah-lyles-getty.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Noah Lyles locked down the first major step in his quest for an Olympic sprint double Sunday, coming from behind to win the 100 meters at U.S. track trials in 9.83 seconds to qualify for that race in Paris.

Lyles overcame a slow start to match his personal-best time. He beat 200-meter specialist Kenny Bednarek by .04. Fred Kerley, the 2022 world champion, finished in third and will also go to Paris. Christian Coleman, the 2019 world champ, was in the lead with about 30 meters left but finished fourth.

The Lyles win makes the American sprint favorites 2 for 2 after three days of these trials. It comes a day after Sha’Carri Richardson also lived up to expectations and won the women’s 100 to earn her trip to Paris.

“Part of the plan, nothing’s changed,” Lyles said after the win. “It might be a shock to everybody else but when you know the goal, you know the goal.”

This marks the first national title in the 100 for Lyles, who has long been a 200-meter specialist but who reimagined his goals after a disappointing third-place finish at the Tokyo Games in that race, then saw the work start paying off.

He won the world championship at 100, 200 and the 4×100 relay last year in Budapest. His 100 time on a cool, still night at Hayward Field matched the time he ran to win worlds. If he can pull off the triple again, he would be in company with Usain Bolt, the Jamaican great who went 3 for 3 all three times he raced at the Olympics.

“If I didn’t get third place in Tokyo, I wouldn’t have that desire, wouldn’t have that fire burning, wouldn’t have accomplished what I accomplished in the past,” he said. “And now, I constantly look to the future with open eyes because anything can happen.”

Lyles, who races next weekend for a spot in the 200, might even be in the mix to win four medals. No. 4 could come in the 4×400, and if he does that, he would be in the company of the likes of Carl Lewis and even Jesse Owens.

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Sun, Jun 23 2024 09:46:13 PM
USMNT starts Copa America with 2-0 win vs. Bolivia https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/soccer/usmnt-bolivia-copa-america-score-result/5532907/ 5532907 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2158906972-e1719183336107.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 It’s a win to start Copa America for the U.S. men’s national team.

The USMNT on Sunday beat Bolivia 2-0 in their Copa America group-stage opener at AT&T Stadium in Texas, collecting three points early.

The U.S. couldn’t have asked for a better — and faster — start.

In just the third minute off a corner kick, Christian Pulisic found some room and netted into the top right corner. Guillermo Viscarra had no chance at saving it due to the swerve, with Tim Weah being credited for the assist.

From there, the U.S. dominated possession and didn’t let Bolivia generate much of its own chances. The biggest critique from the first half was the lack of conviction from the U.S. following Pulisic’s opener.

Folarin Balogun wasted a few moments while Weah looked lively down the right flank. But Balogun’s fortunes reversed in the 44th minute.

Gio Reyna found Pulisic between the lines, who quickly turned up the field and passed it wide to Balogun, who then did tremendously to find the bottom right corner with his weaker left foot.

With a 2-0 lead at the interval, the U.S. took off Tyler Adams as he continues to regain fitness from an injury with Yunus Musah replacing him in midfield.

Three Bolivians also were on yellow cards, and three players were substituted at the break. Midfielder Leonel Justiniano was one of the players on a yellow who came off.

The game state quieted in the second half, with most of the action coming after Ricardo Pepi entered the game for Balogun in the 65th minute.

However, it was primarily unfortunate action. Pepi finished the game with six shots, but had three big chances missed on 1.95 expected goals on target.

One of the key chances came in the 90th minute, but Viscarra came up big for Bolivia.

In the end, it was a muffled domination by the U.S., which should’ve won by at least two more goals.

The U.S. generated 2.40 expected goals, via FotMob, while Bolivia had just 0.18 in a game where Matt Turner rarely had to move.

The U.S. logged 20 shots with eight on target to six for Bolivia with three on target.

Pulisic, Weah, Balogun and Antonee Robinson were among the standouts for the U.S., with Musah having a solid display off the bench.

Next up for the U.S. is the second group game against Panama on Thursday, June 27. Panama will play Uruguay later on Sunday, so the exact stakes won’t be known just yet.

Bolivia will play Uruguay also on Thursday, with the latter expected to be the favorite to win that affair.

There’s still plenty to improve on for the U.S., but Bolivia likely was its easiest opponent of the tournament. Panama doesn’t have gamebreakers like Bolivia, but it is a more disciplined and physical team that can give better nations fits on its day.

The U.S., specifically, will need to improve on capitalizing on its chances. More players besides Pulisic need to step up, too, such as when Balogun finished with his weak foot. Other attackers like Pepi and even Reyna will have to get involved on the scoresheet more often.

If the U.S. keeps deferring to Pulisic, they’ll eventually run out of offensive options to conquer the better teams.

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Sun, Jun 23 2024 08:01:05 PM
How to watch USMNT vs. Bolivia in Copa America opener https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/soccer/how-to-watch-usmnt-bolivia-copa-america-opener/5531471/ 5531471 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2157362427-e1719114045911.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 It’s now the U.S. men’s national team’s turn to begin its Copa America journey.

With Argentina and Mexico among the winners for the first group-stage games, it’ll be imperative for the U.S. to start off strong, too.

Even though knockout tournaments follow the “it’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish” cliché, the U.S. needs to build momentum now before the games gradually increase in difficulty.

First up in the group is South American side Bolivia, which will be looking to play the upset card. Here’s what to know to catch the USMNT-Bolivia Copa America opener:

When is the USMNT vs. Bolivia Copa America game?

The U.S. and Bolivia will play on Sunday, June 23.

What time is the USMNT vs. Bolivia Copa America game?

The game is slated for 6 p.m. ET.

Where is the USMNT vs. Bolivia Copa America game?

AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, is the venue for the game.

How to watch the USMNT vs. Bolivia Copa America game

FOX will broadcast the game in English. Univision and TUDN will carry the game in Spanish.

What is Bolivia’s FIFA ranking?

As of FIFA’s latest international ranking of the men’s teams on June 20, Bolivia came in at No. 84, one spot up from the last edition. For comparison’s sake, the U.S. is at No. 11, which is the same from the last edition.

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Sun, Jun 23 2024 12:34:06 AM
Noah Lyles shows off ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!' card before winning 100m at US Trials https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/noah-lyles-yu-gi-oh-card-100m-us-trials/5531504/ 5531504 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2158796937-e1719115732860.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 We know Noah Lyles knows his “Pokemon” characters.

Now we know he’s into “Yu-Gi-Oh!” too.

During Lyles’ 100m intro at the U.S. track and field trials on Saturday, the star sprinter showed off a “Yu-Gi-Oh!” card. Specifically, a Blues-Eyes White Dragon card.

Lyles then cruised to victory in the preliminary round, posting a score of 9.92. He was the only runner to finish under the 10-second mark.

In second place was Kenny Bednarek, who ran 10 seconds flat.

Lyles, 26, represented Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics, claiming bronze in the 200m.

But as he’s improved drastically since then, he’s hoping to go even higher in Paris.

He’s coming off a 2023 in which he won gold at the 2023 Budapest world championships in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.

The semifinals and final of the men’s 100m will transpire Sunday.

Lyles will also be involved in the 200m events.

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Sun, Jun 23 2024 12:17:17 AM
Mexico edges Jamaica 1-0 in Copa America group-stage opener https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/soccer/mexico-jamaica-arteaga-goal-copa-america-score-result/5531414/ 5531414 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2158802505-e1719112284999.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Two things can be true: Mexico still isn’t convincing yet and Jamaica is rising.

Mexico on Saturday edged Jamaica 1-0 in their 2024 Copa America group-stage opener in Houston, Texas, with left-back Gerardo Arteaga managing the lone goal from distance.

The key news prior to kickoff was that both teams would be without their star goalies. Guillermo Ochoa was not selected to the squad while Andre Blake missed out due to a knee injury.

Instead, Julio Gonzalez and Jahmali Waite stepped up between the sticks and did well, with both teams coming close to scoring on numerous occasions.

The first half started off fast but didn’t produce a goal for either side. The main talking point was Mexican defensive midfielder Edson Alvarez going down with a non-contact left hamstring injury around the half-hour mark.

If he cannot return for the tournament, the already-struggling Mexico side will be without its best midfielder no matter how far it progresses.

Then came the first few minutes of the second half when Jamaica threatened on a few moments, especially five minutes in when Michail Antonio pounced on a back-post header. However, it was rightfully ruled offside.

Luis Chavez five minutes later had another key opportunity just like he did in the first few minutes of the first half, but couldn’t find the opener.

Instead, the lone goal of the game came from an unlikely source in the 69th minute. Mexican left-back Gerardo Arteaga picked the right time to score his second international goal, smashing one home from just inside the box off a pass from substitute Luis Romo, who had replaced Alvarez.

Jamaica had some chances to potentially net the equalizer, but it became tougher without Antonio, its best No. 9, while the substitutes from manager Heimer Hallgrimsson of Iceland drew criticism.

In the end, Mexico statistically deserved the result, generating an exact 1.00 xG to 0.51 for Jamaica, via FotMob.

El Tri had better possession, shots, shots on target, big chances and pass accuracy than Jamaica, who mainly looked to attack in transition. But not having star right winger Leon Bailey will make it difficult throughout the tournament.

Mexico will next play Venezuela on Wednesday, June 26 for its second group-stage game. Venezuela topped Ecuador in its opener, so it’ll be a fight for first place ahead of the third and final group match.

Jamaica will play Ecuador, also on that Wednesday.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Sat, Jun 22 2024 11:29:08 PM
Cristiano Ronaldo ‘lucky' not to come to harm after he's confronted by selfie-seekers, coach says https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/cristiano-ronaldo-unharmed-after-confronted-by-selfie-seekers/5530728/ 5530728 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/AP24174632837323.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Cristiano Ronaldo should consider himself lucky to have come to no harm after being confronted on the field by four supporters who wanted selfies during a European Championship match on Saturday, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said.

The alarming string of security breaches happened in the second half of Portugal’s 3-0 win over Turkey in Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion.

Ronaldo was happy to pose for a selfie with a young fan who evaded stewards to get on the field in the 69th minute before whipping out his cell phone.

However, Ronaldo was clearly unhappy when two more people tried to do the same in the final minutes of the game. Then another person — wearing a red Portugal jersey — got close to the 39-year-old striker for a photograph moments after the final whistle.

Steward catches a pitch invader that ran to Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo during a Group F match between Turkey and Portugal at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Two more people then attempted to confront Ronaldo as he walked off the field with his teammates but were held back by security on those occasions.

“It is a concern,” Martinez said, “because today we were lucky that the intentions of the fans were good.

“We all love a fan that recognizes the big stars and the big icons in their minds. We all agree with that. But you can understand it was a very, very difficult moment — if those intentions are wrong, the players are exposed and we need to be careful with that. I don’t think that should happen on a football pitch.”

Martinez said it was important to send a message to fans that this behavior was not acceptable.

“It’s not the right way, you’re not going to get anything out of it,” Martinez added. “And what you do is probably the measures get worse for the future.

“It’s not good to get the players so exposed when you have people running on the pitch.”

Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo’s teammate and a scorer against Turkey, said he was “not really concerned” about the supporters who got on the field.

“It’s just a bit annoying in terms of having to stop the game because a fan enters the pitch,” Silva said. “That’s the price you pay for being so recognized in the world of football.

“In terms of feeling in danger, no. Not me personally.”

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Sat, Jun 22 2024 05:18:18 PM
Sha'Carri Richardson overcomes wobbly start, untied shoe for win in first heat at Olympic trials https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/shacarri-richardson-first-heat-win-olympic-trials/5530483/ 5530483 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/Shacarri-1920x1080-1.png?fit=300,169&quality=85&strip=all

Her burst out of the starting block was more like a wobble. Sha’Carri Richardson also raced with one of her shoelaces untied.

None of it mattered much on the opening night of U.S. Olympic track trials. Even in a race that was far from a masterpiece, Richardson was the fastest 100-meter sprinter in Friday’s preliminary round and set herself up to race for a spot in the Paris Olympics.

She finished in 10.88 seconds — fastest of any of the 34 sprinters spread over four races, and a mere .02 seconds off the time she ran three years ago, when she won the trials, only to have the victory erased by a positive test for marijuana.

“That tells me I’m prepared,” she said in a post-race interview with NBC. “I just need to put it all together.”

Richardson will be back on the track Saturday for the semifinals. If she finishes in the top two in that race, she’ll go for the title less than two hours later. The top three finishers in the final will head to Paris, where Richardson would try to add that title to the world championship she won last year.

The 24-year-old sprinter was the headliner on opening night at University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, wearing a gold-and-black running suit with her trademark, long nails to match. But when the gun sounded, she bounced out of the block and warbled across her lane as she struggled to get upright. She was briefly in last place. Not until she was a good 10 steps down the track did she hit her stride, then hit overdrive and pass the other eight racers.

“I definitely didn’t have the start I’ve been training to have in this moment,” she said. “But I’m still not panicking. I’m staying patient and knowing no matter what’s going on, to continue to run my race.”

Other winners in the 100 prelims included 2022 national champion Melissa Jefferson and NCAA 100 and 200-meter champion McKenzie Long of Ole Miss. Noah Lyles starts his quest for the Olympic 100 in the men’s prelims Saturday.

For Richardson, things went sideways shortly after her victory at trials in 2021, when her marijuana positive was revealed, after which she disclosed she had been battling with depression in the wake of her mother’s recent death and other issues.

Ever since, she has been on a long comeback that she looks at in a different way — “I’m not back, I’m better.” And, by almost every count — especially the ones the public can chart on the track — she is.

She came into trials as the reigning world champion, and also with a victory on this track last month in the Prefontaine Classic. She is the early favorite to win the Olympics in what is always a stacked field filled with Jamaicans.

Asked how she’s dealing with her rising fortunes, she said, “I’m enjoying the recognition of hard work, the support that comes with it.”

“The fact that the world can see so much work I’ve done on myself, for myself, and the world receives that, I’m appreciative and I will always show up for my fans,” she said.

10,000 METERS

Grant Fisher won the 10,000 meters in 27 minutes, 49.47 seconds and joined Woody Kinkaid and NCAA record-holder Nico Young as the first three athletes to officially earn their spots on the team at trials.

As an added bonus, they were the first three who got to sign the base of a miniature Eiffel Tower that’s on display at Hayward Field this week.

Running for Northern Arizona, Young ran 26:52.72 to shave nearly 16 seconds off the men’s 10,000-meter college record in March.

“I feel like this is where I saw my season going, and to execute it today is surreal,” he said.

WILSON’S RECORD

Quincy Wilson doesn’t even have a driver’s license yet, but he now has a world record.

The 16-year-old who attends Bullis High School in Potomac, Maryland, broke the under-18 world 400-meter mark in winning his heat. Wilson finished in a time of 44.66 seconds to break the record of 44.84 set by Justin Robinson five years ago.

“I’ve been looking at it all season,” Wilson said of chasing Robinson’s time.

No nerves, either.

“I’m racing against bigger people that got brands and things like that,” Wilson said. “But to me, everybody puts their spikes on the same way as I do.”

HALFWAY MARK

Michigan State’s Heath Baldwin closed Day 1 of the decathlon with a personal-best run of 48.58 seconds in the 400 meters to grab the lead at the halfway mark.

The 400 put him in front of Zach Ziemek, who won the bronze medal at 2022 world championships, which was also at Hayward Field in Eugene.

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Sat, Jun 22 2024 01:58:32 PM
Michael Phelps joins NBC's Olympics coverage at 2024 Paris Games https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/michael-phelps-joins-nbcs-olympics-coverage-at-2024-paris-games/5530261/ 5530261 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/michael-phelps-june-21-us-swim-trials.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,202 Out of the pool and into the broadcast booth once more.

That’s right, 23-time gold medal-winning swimmer Michael Phelps is returning to NBCUniversal this summer and heading to Paris to work both daytime and primetime coverage at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Phelps, a 28-time Olympic medalist, is the most decorated athlete in the event’s history and previously offered insight for NBC during its coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

He will be providing swimming analysis live from Paris’ La Défense Arena once the competition kicks off after the Opening Ceremony on July 26.

Swimming at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Team USA looks to dominate in the pool once again this summer. How many medals can the Americans bring home from France?

US Olympic Swim Trials: How to watch, schedule, tickets

Katie Ledecky dominates in 1500m win at Olympic swimming trials

“We are excited to have Michael return to our coverage across both daytime and primetime, and of course, the place where no one knows more about winning — at the pool,” said Molly Solomon, executive producer and president, NBC Olympics Production. “With his ability to analyze and entertain, our viewers are in for another gold-medal performance.”

Phelps started his broadcast duties a month early, joining Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines in the booth to watch the competition at the U.S. Swimming Trials in Indianapolis Friday night.

In Paris, he’ll work alongside Hicks and Gaines during select swimming competitions. The team also features correspondent Elizabeth Beisel and reporter Melissa Stark at the swimming venue in Paris.

Phelps came out of retirement at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil, where he served as Team USA’s flag bearer during the Parade of Nations.

Phelps went back to his post-swimming career a month later in August 2016. At the time of his retirement, he possessed more Olympic medals than 161 countries.

Phelps and his wife, Nicole Johnson, welcomed their fourth child in October.

Peacock will serve as the primary platform for NBC’s coverage of the Olympic Games in Paris, which are scheduled for July 26 through Aug. 11.

NBC and Peacock will present live coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony on Friday, July 26, beginning at noon ET | 9 a.m. PT. Telemundo will provide Spanish-language coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

Primetime coverage is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on both NBC and Peacock.

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Sat, Jun 22 2024 12:31:13 PM
Highlights from the US Olympic Track and Field Trials Day 1 https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/live-updates-us-olympic-track-and-field-trials-day-1/5528577/ 5528577 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2158665485-e1719020264292.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200

What to Know

  • The U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials kicked off Friday in Eugene, Oregon.
  • Sha’Carri Richardson posted the best time in the women’s 100m heats despite stumbling out of the blocks.
  • Reigning Olympic champion Athing Mu qualified for the women’s 800m semifinals in her return to the track.

This blog’s live coverage of Day 1 has concluded. You can catch all the track and field trials action on Peacock and stay up to date on the latest news on NBCOlympics.com.

Some of the world’s top track and field athletes were in Eugene, Oregon, on Friday as the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials got underway.

Team USA stars Sha’Carri Richardson and Athing Mu were both in action as they set out to qualify for the 2024 Paris Games. Richardson paced the women’s 100m heats despite stumbling out of the blocks while Mu advanced to the women’s 800m semis in her return to the track.

Here were some of the top highlights from Day 1:

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Fri, Jun 21 2024 06:07:17 PM
US Olympic and other teams will bring their own AC units to Paris, undercutting environmental plan https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/us-olympic-team-their-own-air-conditioners-paris/5528018/ 5528018 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/OLYMPIC-VILLAGE-AC-PLANS.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 The U.S. Olympic team is one of a handful that will supply air conditioners for their athletes at the Paris Games in a move that undercuts organizers’ plans to cut carbon emissions.

U.S. Olympic and Paralympic CEO Sarah Hirshland said Friday that while the U.S. team appreciates efforts aimed at sustainability, the federation would be supplying AC units for what is typically the largest contingent of athletes at the Summer Games.

“As you can imagine, this is a period of time in which consistency and predictability is critical for Team USA’s performance,” Hirshland said. “In our conversations with athletes, this was a very high priority and something that the athletes felt was a critical component in their performance capability.”

The Washington Post reported earlier this month that Germany, Australia, Italy, Canada and Britain were among the other countries with plans to bring air conditioners to France.

Olympic organizers have touted plans to cool rooms in the Athletes Village, which will house more than 15,000 Olympians and sports officials over the course of the games, using a system of cooling pipes underneath the floors.

The average high in Paris on Aug. 1 is 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). The objective is to keep the rooms between 23-26 degrees (73-79 degrees Fahrenheit). The rooms will also be equipped with fans.

“I want the Paris Games to be exemplary from an environmental point of view,” Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has said about the plans for the Olympics.

According to the International Energy Agency, fewer than 1 in 10 households in Europe has air conditioning, and the numbers in Paris are lower than that. The study said that of the 1.6 billion AC units in use across the globe in 2016, more than half were in China (570 million) and the United States (375 million). The entire European Union had around 100 million.

The Olympics mark the most important stop on the athletic careers of the 10,500-plus athletes who will descend on Paris, which has led some high-profile countries to undercut environmental efforts for the sake of comfort.

“It’s a high-performance environment,” Australian Olympic Committee spokesman Strath Gordon explained to The Post.

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Fri, Jun 21 2024 03:36:16 PM
LA28 shares venue update for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. See what's new https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/2028-los-angeles-summer-olympics-venues/5528031/ 5528031 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/venues-la28-olympics-renderings-june-2024.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Organizers of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles shared an update Friday on venues that will be part of the Summer Olympics when they return to LA for a historic third time in 2028.

LA28, Los Angeles’ organizing committee, shared a proposal that included some event re-assignments and plans to move some competitions outside the city of Los Angeles. A comprehensive plan is expected to be released from LA28 ahead of the Paris Olympics.

No new permanent venues are expected to be built in Los Angeles, which was named the host city in 2017. The city previously hosted the Summer Olympics in 1984 and 1932.

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games represent the pinnacle of athletic competition and achievement, and we’re proud to host the Los Angeles 2028 Games in some of the greatest stadiums and arenas ever built,” said LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman. “LA28’s updated venue plan will provide the ideal Hollywood stage for the world’s top athletes, and choosing from spectacular existing venues, wherever they are, rather than building new permanent or temporary stadiums, achieves more than $150 million in savings and new revenue to help maintain a balanced budget. We look forward to partnering with these venues, and their experienced operators and workforce, to deliver an unparalleled experience for athletes and fans in 2028.”

Under the updated venue plan, gymnastics will be at downtown LA’s Crypto.com Arena, swimming will be at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, and basketball will be at the under-construction Intuit Dome in Inglewood. Track and field events will remain at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which also hosted events in 1932 and 1984.

Plans for the Opening and Closing ceremonies remain unchanged, with the Coliseum and SoFi Stadium sharing duties.

The Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area in the San Fernando Valley will host BMX Freestyle and BMX Racing along with skateboarding, and also archery for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Diving will return to the same USC campus pool that hosted the aquatics events in the 1932 Olympic Games in Exposition Park. Long Beach will host artistic swimming and para-swimming competitions, in addition to several other sports that will be announced at a later date.

LA28 submitted the updated venue assignments to the City of LA for approval, including the proposal to move some events outside the city of LA boundaries.

Two sports, canoe slalom and softball, will move to Oklahoma City, under the proposal. No canoe slalom venue exists in Southern California or the western United States, LA28 said in its announcement. As for softball, the largest Southern California venue seats fewer than 2,000 people.

“Instead of undertaking additional construction projects to build temporary venues for these sports, LA28 will assign Canoe Slalom and Softball competitions to the world-class venues in Oklahoma City,” organizers said.

Here are more highlights from the updated plan.

Moving out of the City of Los Angeles (Requires City approval)

  • Olympic Swimming to Inglewood
  • Paralympic Swimming to Long Beach 
  • Olympic Artistic Swimming to Long Beach
  • Olympic Basketball to Inglewood
  • Olympic Canoe Slalom to Oklahoma City
  • Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian to Temecula
  • Olympic and Paralympic Shooting to existing venue outside of Los Angeles 

Moving into the City of Los Angeles (Does not require City approval)

  • Olympic Diving to existing venue in Los Angeles
  • Olympic and Paralympic Archery to the Sepulveda Basin
  • Olympic BMX Freestyle to the Sepulveda Basin
  • Olympic BMX Racing to the Sepulveda Basin
  • Olympic Gymnastics (Artistic, Rhythmic, Trampoline) to Downtown Los Angeles
  • Olympic Skateboarding Park to the Sepulveda Basin
  • Olympic Skateboarding Street to the Sepulveda Basin

Click here to see more updates from LA28’s venue plan.

The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are scheduled for July 14-30, 2028.

Eight Olympics have been hosted in the United States. Only London has hosted three Olympics with Paris set to join the club of three-time hosts when the 2024 Summer Games open on July 26-Aug. 11.

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Fri, Jun 21 2024 01:00:27 PM
Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink shares heartbreaking message after tearing ACL https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/los-angeles-sparks-rookie-cameron-brink-shares-heartbreaking-message-after-tearing-acl/5527309/ 5527309 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2157633432.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,201 Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink shared a heartbreaking message on social media after sustaining an ACL injury that will sideline her for the rest of the WNBA season and the Paris Olympics.

Brink, who was selected to play on the U.S. 3×3 women’s basketball team, suffered a torn ACL Tuesday night during the team’s loss to the Connecticut Sun

Needless to say, Brink’s heart was shattered.

“You never think it will happen to you,” Brink said in her social media post. “And despite all the hard work sometimes it does. This is hard to fathom but I know it will only make me stronger.”

Brink, a 6-foot-4 forward from Stanford who was the No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft — behind the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark — tried to stay positive about the unfortunate situation.

“I will not be derailed and I will continue to love this life- I’m not defined by basketball, but it is something that I love deeply and I will work everyday to get back to it,” she added. “It’s not goodbye basketball it’s just a see you later.I’m always so thankful for your thoughts and prayers. 💜💛 #delayednotdenied.”

The 22-year-old Brink averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in her first season for Los Angeles (4-11). She’s tied with A’ja Wilson for the second-most blocks in the WNBA.

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Fri, Jun 21 2024 11:11:29 AM
American volleyball star Jordan Larson comes out of retirement to play in fourth Olympics https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/american-volleyball-star-jordan-larson-comes-out-of-retirement-paris-olympics-2024/5526957/ 5526957 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/AP24073367838394.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,199 Jordan Larson finds a much-needed safe haven the moment she walks into the office of longtime U.S. volleyball coach Karch Kiraly.

She can take a deep breath and know she will have his support through any life challenge.

Larson never expected to be wearing a volleyball uniform at age 37. She retired after leading the Americans to a long-awaited gold medal at the Tokyo Games. Yet after a divorce and some serious soul-searching, Larson finds herself back with the national team and headed to a fourth Olympics.

Kiraly is a key reason. Larson realizes she wouldn’t be on this path without him after both started with the women’s team in 2009.

“Karch and I have been on this journey now together. … He’s known my whole professional career and all the stuff that’s come between,” she said. “I think there’s obviously more that goes into coaching — friend, mentor, he’s just the epitome of everything.”

Kiraly has lifted her up through two divorces and following the death of her mother, Kae, to breast cancer 15 years ago.

Larson credits Kiraly for having “an impact without judgment.”

“Life gets hard and he’s just been there and consistent for me,” she said.

Kiraly, a decorated beach and indoor Olympian himself, helped guide Larson and the Americans to a silver medal at the 2012 London Games. They captured bronze in Rio de Janeiro four years later with him as head coach, and then won that elusive first gold in Tokyo.

Larson then walked away, ready to move on from a sensational volleyball career as an Olympic champion.

Married again and eager to start a family, her sights were set on beginning her new life. No more traveling the world for an international season before returning home to play domestically. Coaching had become a nice option, and Larson embraced the idea of mentoring the next generation of American players.

Until that plan all fell apart.

“I had gotten married right after the Tokyo Olympic Games and I was living in my dream, ready to step away, ready to start a family, and life happens,” she said. “I’m away a lot so I think it just gets hard at times. I learned some things and needed to step away and figure out what I really wanted to do.”

The volleyball court slowly coaxed her back. Kiraly welcomed her with open arms, as always.

Larson refers to it as “finding blessings” during the toughest times.

Kiraly is thrilled to have one of the world’s best outside hitters wearing a United States uniform once more.

“Being around the girls really solidified that this is where I’m supposed to be and every day since then it’s just been even more validated in that,” she said. “Thanks to Karch for even having the door open.”

“Jordan retired from our USA team after the Tokyo ’21 Olympics so she was not with us for the ’22 season,” said Kiraly, himself a three-time Olympic champion with one of those gold medals coming in beach volleyball. “So she thought her life was taking her in one direction that might lead to marriage, family and coaching.

“But her life took a turn and she got a little back into volleyball, found that she was loving it, her body was feeling much better than she thought it would and that she was missing and loving the game far more than she thought she might.”

Larson spent part of 2022 at Texas helping with the volleyball program in a volunteer capacity before returning last year to her alma mater, Nebraska, as an assistant coach.

Coaching has provided a new perspective for Larson, who cherishes having traveled the world playing her sport but realizes how much Kiraly and the U.S. count on the continuity of college volleyball to build a foundation.

“You enter back in and you have a different outlook and now I see the national team and where our athletes get to go next after college and how it took us 60 years to win a gold medal. It shouldn’t take that long,” she said. “I now see, how can we make all of our athletes at all of the universities thrive?”

Kiraly understands the value of Larson learning the coaching side and has been flexible with her schedule. She was one of the two starting outside hitters for the Americans during qualifying in Poland last September.

Playing in her fourth Olympics, Larson trails Danielle Scott’s record of five appearances — from 1996 to 2012. And Kerri Walsh Jennings played for one U.S. Olympic indoor team and then reached four Olympics on the beach side, winning a total of three gold medals.

“To my mind, Jordan is the best who’s ever played for the USA women’s team, if I were to have to single that out to one person, and that’s really hard to do because there have been so many accomplished people,” Kiraly said. “But she’s done it at such a high level for so long. Really impressive.”

Whatever happens next, Larson will walk away the next time knowing the legacy she leaves and what this sport has given her.

“I look at these girls in college that I’m now coaching and I’m like, ‘I was once that’ and I just dreamed of being an Olympian one time,” she said. “I thought I was going to be done in Tokyo and really felt I was in a good place, and I still feel like I’m in a really good place. If something happens and I have to step away, I know what I’ve done in this sport and I can walk away with my head held high knowing that I’ve given everything, so I’m grateful for that.”

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Fri, Jun 21 2024 09:02:13 AM
Watch Team USA swimmer Lilly King get engaged after Olympic qualifier https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/lilly-king-2024-paris-olympics-swimming/5526204/ 5526204 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/web-240620-lilly-king-getty.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Add one more Olympic ring for Lilly King.

The Team USA swimmer qualified for her second event of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Thursday, and she didn’t have to wait until Paris to get some gold.

Moments after she got out of the pool at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, her boyfriend dropped to one knee and proposed. 

“It’s been really incredible for me to be able to watch you over the last four years both in and out of the pool and just to see you grow has been so awesome,” said her boyfriend, former Indiana University swimmer James Wells. “It has been awesome, and I’m very excited to see where this goes from here on. So, I was wondering, Lilly Camille King, will you marry me?”

“Yes! Yes!” King responded.

So, first came the Olympic rings and then the diamond ring.

King is quite familiar with having gold and silver placed upon her after getting out of the pool. She already has won five Olympic medals — two gold, two silver and one bronze.

She’ll now become the first U.S. swimmer to compete in the 100m and 200m breaststroke in three straight Olympic games. She won the 100m breaststroke on Tuesday and placed second in the 200m on Thursday behind Kate Douglass to claim her spot in each event in Paris. 

King, 27, won gold in the 100m breaststroke and 4×100 medley relay at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She then took bronze in the 100m and silver in the relay and 200m breaststroke at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Now she’ll look to add to that collection in Paris.

While waiting until July to pop the question at the Eiffel Tower was a romantic option, the proposal came in King’s home state of Indiana — presumably with family in attendance to celebrate both the engagement and yet another Olympic berth.

“Lilly did the bid for this pool and having this be in her home state is so incredible,” Wells told NBC’s Melissa Stark. “All of us that swam at IU together and that did all this stuff together, this is such a powerful swimming state and it just means so much for her to be here in front of this crowd. So, I was like that’s the perfect opportunity to do that.”

King, who wore her ring during Thursday’s medal ceremony, said she wasn’t expecting to get some new hardware after her swim, despite being told to take her swim cap off and let her hair down.

“I was just confused because you were down here,” she said to Wells. “Oh, my God! I’m so excited!”   

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Thu, Jun 20 2024 10:58:15 PM
Everything to know about the US gymnastics Olympic trials https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/team-usa-gymnastics-dates-schedule-tv-channel-stream/5518561/ 5518561 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/getty-suni-lee-simone-biles-brody-malone.png?fit=300,169&quality=85&strip=all Team USA’s gymnastics roster for the 2024 Olympics is about to take form.

Dozens of American artistic gymnasts will be vying for a select number of Paris 2024 bids at the Olympic team trials in Minneapolis.

The 36-athlete field is headlined by seven-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles, who is looking to lock down her third straight trip to the Games. Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Suni Lee, all of whom medaled at the pandemic-delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, will also be trying to retain their roster spots. Meanwhile, six-time world medalist Shilese Jones is among the top contenders seeking to break into the Olympic team.

On the men’s side, Brody Malone, Yul Moldauer and Shane Wiskus are the returning members from the 2020 Olympic squad who will compete in the trials. Those aiming to break into the team include Asher Hong, Paul Juda, Fred Richard and Khoi Young, all of whom combined with Moldauer to claim team bronze at the 2023 world championships. The bronze marked the American men’s first team medal at an Olympics or Worlds since 2014.

From the event schedule to how to watch and much more, here’s everything you need to know about the gymnastics team trials:

When are the US gymnastics Olympic trials?

The gymnastics trials are scheduled for Thursday, June 27, to Sunday, June 30.

Where are the US gymnastics Olympic trials?

Target Center, home of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, in Minneapolis, is the site of the gymnastics trials.

What TV channel are the US gymnastics Olympic trials on?

The gymnastics trials will air across NBC and USA Network.

How to stream the US gymnastics Olympic trials live online

The action will also be available to stream on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBCSports.com and the NBC/NBC Sports apps.

What is the US gymnastics Olympic trials schedule?

Here’s a full look at the event schedule:

Thursday

  • Men Day 1, 6:30 p.m. ET — USA Network, Peacock

Friday

  • Women Day 1, 8 p.m. ET — NBC, Peacock

Saturday

  • Men Day 2, 3 p.m. ET — NBC, Peacock

Sunday

  • Women Day 2, 8:30 p.m. ET — NBC, Peacock

How many gymnasts make Team USA’s roster for 2024 Paris Olympics?

A total of 10 athletes — five women and five men — will make Team USA’s Olympic roster.

How is Team USA’s Olympic gymnastics roster determined?

The top all-around male and female scorers at the trials will automatically qualify for the Olympic team. The remaining roster spots are then awarded via the Athlete Selection Committee.

Who is competing in the US gymnastics Olympic team trials?

These are 16 female gymnasts and 20 male gymnasts set to compete in the team trials:

Women

  • Simone Biles
  • Skye Blakely
  • Jade Carey
  • Dulcy Caylor
  • Jordan Chiles
  • Kayla DiCello
  • Shilese Jones
  • Suni Lee
  • Kaliya Lincoln
  • Eveylynn Lowe
  • Zoey Molomo
  • Hezly Rivera
  • Joscelyn Roberson
  • Simone Rose
  • Tiana Sumanasekera
  • Leanne Wong

Men

  • Fuzzy Benas
  • Jeremy Bischoff
  • Cameron Bock
  • Tate Costa
  • Alex Diab
  • Asher Hong
  • Patrick Hoopes
  • Paul Juda
  • Josh Karnes
  • Brody Malone
  • Kiran Mandava
  • Yul Moldauer
  • Stephen Nedoroscik
  • Curran Phillips
  • Frederick Richard
  • Kai Uemura
  • Colt Walker
  • Donnell Whittenburg
  • Shane Wiskus
  • Khoi Young
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Thu, Jun 20 2024 04:23:16 PM
Rugby at the 2024 Olympics: Field size, history, rules https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/rugby-2024-olympics-field-size-history-rules/5130758/ 5130758 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/01/GettyImages-1234260790-e1706748070444.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 A three-peat will be on the line when rugby gets underway at the Paris Games.

Since rugby became an official Olympic sport in 2016, Fiji has won the men’s tournament at back-to-back Games.

Dubbed the “Flying Fijians,” the electric group will hope to make it three straight in France, but recent woes could see a new nation emerging victorious.

On the women’s side, there have been two different winners in the last two tournaments, so it’s all up for grabs in Paris.

Here’s everything to know about rugby at the 2024 Paris Olympics:

When is rugby at the Paris Olympics?

Rugby matches in Paris will run from Wednesday, July 24, to Tuesday, July 30.

Where will rugby games be at the Paris Olympics?

Stade de France is the venue for all rugby games. It is the main stadium for the French national soccer and rugby home games.

What are the rules for rugby at the Paris Olympics?

Similar to American football in style, rugby is a 7-v-7 game between two teams where the object is to score more “tries” than the other. A try — equivalent to a touchdown — is worth five points with an extra kick from the spot of the try worth another two points. Three points can be earned for a drop goal or penalty, although less common.

Games are split into two seven-minute halves so action is quick. Players can only make lateral or backwards passes to progress the ball, with tackling, scrums and kicks also involved.

What is the field size for rugby at the Paris Olympics?

The field size is essentially the same as a standard rugby union game. The field of play can be no more than 100 meters long and 70 meters wide, or 328 feet long and 229 feet wide.

Who has qualified for rugby at the Paris Olympics?

Here’s a look at which nations have qualified on both the men’s and women’s sides:

Men’s

  • France
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Fiji
  • Uruguay
  • Ireland
  • United States
  • Kenya
  • Samoa
  • Japan
  • South Africa

Women’s

  • France
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • United States
  • Ireland
  • Brazil
  • Great Britain
  • Canada
  • South Africa
  • Fiji
  • Japan
  • China

When did rugby start at the Olympics?

The earliest bid to get rugby into the Olympics was in 1932, though it was officially voted to join the 2016 Games in 2009.

Who has the most gold medals in men’s rugby at the Olympics?

Only one men’s team has won gold in rugby — Fiji. Fiji beat Great Britain 43-7 for gold in Rio in 2016, then beat rivals New Zealand 27-12 in Tokyo. The Flying Fijians will hope for a three-peat, but they have been a struggling side since the Tokyo triumph.

Who has the most gold medals in women’s rugby at the Olympics?

Australia and New Zealand each have won one gold medal in women’s rugby. Australia beat New Zealand 24-17 in Rio in 2016 before New Zealand topped France 26-12 in Tokyo. Both will be in the conversation to triumph once again in Paris.

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Thu, Jun 20 2024 02:13:03 PM
Why Caitlin Clark can't join Team USA 3×3 basketball team at 2024 Olympics https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/caitlin-clark-team-usa-3x3-basketball-olympics-eligibility/5524724/ 5524724 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/web-240620-clark-brink.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 The U.S. 3×3 women’s basketball team has been dealt a pair of injuries this week, but the WNBA’s newest sensation will not be coming to the rescue.

Los Angeles Sparks rookie Cameron Brink and 2022 WNBA No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard were joined by Cierra Burdick and Hailey Van Lith on the 3×3 team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, injuries will force Team USA to reshape its roster.

Brink, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, suffered a torn ACL Tuesday night during the Sparks’ loss against the Connecticut Sun. She will miss the Paris Olympics and the rest of the WNBA season.

On Wednesday, Howard left the Atlanta Dream’s loss against the Minnesota Lynx with an apparent ankle injury. She will be further evaluated on Thursday.

With two injuries on the 3×3 team, many have turned their attention to Caitlin Clark.

The top overall pick in 2024 was not named to the Team USA women’s basketball squad in Paris as it chases an eighth straight gold medal. However, Brink and Howard’s injuries have many wondering if Clark could wind up competing at the Olympics after all.

Here’s a look at Clark’s eligibility and status for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Will Caitlin Clark play 3×3 basketball at the 2024 Olympics?

Clark is not eligible to make Team USA’s 3×3 women’s basketball team.

FIBA player eligibility requires the following when shaping an Olympic 3×3 roster:

  • Two players ranked within the top 10 of their country
  • Two players ranked within the top 50 of their country, or have the minimum number of ranking points

Players must compete in other 3×3 competitions to earn rankings points. Since Clark has not played in any 3×3 competitions, she is ineligible as a roster candidate.

Who will replace Cameron Brink on Team USA?

USA TODAY’s Meghan L. Hall compiled a list of the 16 American players currently in the top 250 of FIBA’s 3×3 ranking system, noting that Dearica Hamby, Brink’s teammate with the Sparks, is a top replacement candidate.

Olympics 3×3 basketball eligibility requirements

Beyond FIBA points, athletes must meet the following nationality criteria to participate in the 3×3 event at the Olympics:

  • Must hold legal nationality of the represented country
  • Must have presented a passport of the represented country issued by the competent authorities before a date to be announced.
  • Cannot have played for the national team in basketball and/or 3×3 for another country in an Official Competition of FIBA.
  • Must be at least 18 years old on July 26, 2024.

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Thu, Jun 20 2024 01:54:21 PM
Everything to know about the Stade de France at the 2024 Olympics in Paris https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/stade-de-france-2024-olympics-history-capacity-events/5514538/ 5514538 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/web-240617-stade-de-france.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 The 2024 Olympics in Paris will be filled with French landmarks, and it will also shine a spotlight on the country’s national stadium.

Stade de France will play host to two Olympic sports this summer and will be the site where the “fastest man in the world” is crowned.

Unlike the signature stadiums of past Olympics, Stade de France will not be home to the iconic event that kicks off each Games.

Ahead of this summer’s Paris Olympics, here is everything to know about the Stade de France.

What is the Stade de France?

The Stade de France is the national stadium of France.

Where is the Stade de France located?

The Stade de France is a stadium in Saint-Denis, France, just north of Paris.

Athletes for the 2024 Olympic Games will not only compete in Paris, but in venues around France and its territories. Hover over each venue to see more.

Source: Paris 2024 • Nina Lin, NBC

When did the Stade de France open?

The Stade de France was built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. It opened on Jan. 28, 1998, for an international match between France and Spain.

What is the Stade de France stadium capacity?

The Stade de France has a maximum capacity of 81,338, making it the country’s largest stadium.

Biggest events at the Stade de France

The Stade de France has hosted some historic moments in French history.

France and Brazil faced off at the stadium in the 1998 World Cup Final, which Les Bleus won 3-0. In all, the stadium hosted nine matches during the 1998 World Cup.

The stadium has played host to numerous major events since, including the 2003 World Athletics Championships, 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2007 Rugby World Cup and 2023 Rugby World Cup. The French men’s national soccer team had a chance to win another major trophy at the venue during Euro 2016, but it fell to Portugal by a score of 1-0 in the tournament final.

Along with soccer and rugby matches, the Stade de France has hosted concerts from legendary musicians. The Rolling Stones played the first ever concert at the stadium on July 25, 1998, and artists like Céline Dion, Paul McCartney, U2, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga have performed there since.

Stade de France at the 2024 Paris Olympics

As France’s national stadium, Stade de France will be quite involved with the 2024 Paris Olympics. Here is a look at the two sports the stadium will host:

Rugby sevens

Men’s and women’s rugby sevens matches will be played at the Stade de France from Wednesday, July 24, (two days before the Opening Ceremony) through Tuesday, July 30.

Track and field

The Stade de France will then host track and field events from Friday, Aug. 2, through Saturday, Aug. 10.

Will Stade de France host the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony?

For the first time in Olympics history, the Opening Ceremony will not take place in a stadium.

Instead, the ceremony will be held across the Seine and end at the Trocadéro.

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Thu, Jun 20 2024 12:54:09 PM
Archery at the Paris Olympics explained: Rules, format, history https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/olympics-archery-rules-events-history/5160789/ 5160789 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/02/web-240222-tokyo-olympics-archery.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 The world’s top archers will be shooting for gold in Paris.

Archery made its Olympic debut in the French capital well over 100 years ago and has been an Olympic mainstay since 1972. The top competitors from across the world will reconvene in Paris this summer with a chance to stake their claim as the best bowmen on Earth.

Before the archers nock and fire, here is everything to know about archery at the 2024 Paris Olympics:

When did archery become an Olympic sport?

Archery was introduced at the second modern Olympics in Paris in 1900. There were seven archery events at those Games, with France winning four golds and Belgium winning three.

The sport was featured at the next two Olympics and the 1920 Games before being removed and left off the Olympics program for more than 50 years. Archery returned for the 1972 Munich Olympics and has been a part of every Summer Olympics since.

Olympics archery medal table

South Korea leads the all-time Olympics archery medal count with 43 total: 27 gold, nine silver and seven bronze. The country came away with four out of five possible golds in archery at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

The U.S. is next on the list with 33 overall archery medals. Its 10 silvers and nine bronzes are the most in history, but its 14 gold medals are still well behind South Korea’s 27. No American medaled in archery in Tokyo.

France (25 medals, seven golds) and Belgium (21 medals, 11 golds) are next on the all-time Olympics archery medal table.

How many archery events are there at the Paris Olympics?

There are five archery events at the 2024 Olympics, including a mixed team event that made its debut at the Tokyo Games:

  • Men’s individual
  • Women’s individual
  • Men’s team
  • Women’s team
  • Mixed team event

Olympics archery competition format: Individual

Both the individual and team events begin with the same ranking round featuring 64 men and 64 women.

Archers compete for total points in the ranking round. Each competitor shoots 72 arrows at a target 70 meters away in 12 sets (also called ends) of six arrows each. The competitor has two minutes to shoot the six arrows in each set.

The total scores from the ranking round are used to determine the seeding in the individual and team events, which use a tournament format. The No. 1 archer from the ranking round begins the individual round against the No. 64 archer, No. 2 faces No. 63 and so on.

The higher-ranked archer chooses who shoots first in the first set. The archer who earns fewer points in a given set shoots first in the following set. The single match play features alternate shooting and each archer has 20 seconds to shoot their arrow when it’s their turn.

Each match pins archers in a best-of-five set format. Both archers shoot three arrows in each set and the archer with the higher score in a given set earns two points. If the archers tie in a given set, they each earn one point. The first archer to six points wins the match.

If a match is tied after five sets, the match moves to a single-arrow shoot-off. The higher-ranked archer begins the shoot-off and the one who shoots closer to the center of the target wins. If both archers score a 10, another shoot-off is required and the process repeats until a winner is determined.

Winners continue to advance until they reach the final, in which the winner earns gold and the loser earns silver. The two losing archers from the semifinals compete in a match for bronze.

Olympics archery competition format: Men’s and women’s team

Men’s and women’s teams are made up of three athletes.

The men’s and women’s teams are seeded Nos. 1-12 based on the combined scores of their three archers from the ranking round. Nos. 1-4 receive a bye in the opening round as Nos. 5-12 compete for spots in the quarterfinals.

Matches are a maximum of four sets with each team shooting six arrows (two per archer) in each set. Each team has two minutes to shoot its six arrows in a given set.

Winning a set earns a team two points. If the two teams tie in a given set, they each earn one point. The first team to five points wins the match.

If the match is tied after four sets, it goes to a shoot-off in which each archer shoots one arrow. Each team has one minute to shoot its three arrows. The team with the highest combined score in the shoot-off wins the match. If the teams earn the same score in the shoot-off, the team with the arrow closest to the center of the target in the shoot-off is named the winner. If still tied, the second- — or third- — closest arrow will determine the winner.

Olympics archery competition format: Mixed team

Mixed teams consist of one man and one woman. Teams are ranked based on the combined scores of their two archers from the ranking round and seeded into a bracket.

Matches are a maximum of four sets with each team shooting four arrows (two per archer) in each set. Each team has 80 seconds to shoot its four arrows in a given set.

Winning a set earns a team two points. If the two teams tie in a given set, they each earn one point. The first team to five points wins the match.

If the match is tied after four sets, it goes to a shoot-off in which each archer shoots one arrow. The team with the highest combined score in the shoot-off wins the match. If the teams earn the same score in the shoot-off, the team with the arrow closest to the center of the target in the shoot-off is named the winner. If still tied, the second-closest arrow will determine the winner.

Olympic archery target and scoring

Archers will shoot at a target that is 4 feet (122 cm) in diameter.

Points are allocated based on where an archer’s arrow lands. A maximum score of 10 is given out when an arrow hits the very center of the target and further rings have decreasing points the further away from the center an arrow lands.

Archery target
This picture shows arrows on a target shot by South Korea’s Kim Je-doek in the men’s individual archery ranking round during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Archery venue for 2024 Olympics

Archery events for the 2024 Paris Olympics will be held at Les Invalides.

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Thu, Jun 20 2024 12:15:38 PM
Here's what to know about equestrian at the 2024 Olympics in Paris https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/equestrian-horses-rules-scoring-2024-olympics/5157907/ 5157907 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/02/GettyImages-1234559839.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,192 Equestrian is heading to the Paris Olympics.

The sport was featured in Paris in 1900, but it didn’t make its official Olympics debut until Stockholm 1912. The sport has come a long way, giving women the chance to compete in all the events in 1964. The sport then became the only entirely mixed discipline at the Games.

There are different rules for the different events. However, medals are up for grabs in both the individual and team competitions.

Some of the equestrian events require more precision and technique, while others are about endurance and experience, giving the athletes the ability to flex their different skills.

With the 2024 Olympics quickly approaching, here is everything you need to know about equestrian:

What are the rules of equestrian at the Olympics?

There are three disciplines in equestrian: jumping, dressage and eventing.

Men and women compete in these three events in both team and individual competitions.

Here are some rules for the events:

Jumping: Riders and horses are timed as they jump over obstacles and try to knock over as few as possible. Penalties are given for each obstacle toppled or for exceeding the time limit.

Dressage: Riders and horses perform a series of movements to music. Judges will be looking out for movement around the course as well as accuracy and the execution of difficult movements. 

Eventing: Riders and horses will compete in a three-phase event that combines jumping, dressage and cross country. The cross-country portion is a longer course with solid and natural obstacles, testing the endurance of the athletes. 

How does scoring work in equestrian at the Olympics?

The three disciplines have different scoring rules.

Jumping: The score is based on the number of penalties accumulated by the rider and horse. The lowest score wins. If the event is tied, a jump-off is held to determine the winner.

Dressage: This event is decided by judges and their scores. Marks range from zero to 10. The scoring then is converted into a percentage with the highest percentage marked as the winner. If there is a tie, the collective marks (which evaluate the total performance and impression) are used to break the tie. 

Eventing: The winner here is determined based on the total score from the three phases: dressage, cross-country, and jumping. The lowest score wins. If this event ends in a tie, the cross-country score is used to break the tie.

When and where does equestrian take place at the 2024 Olympics?

Equestrian will run from July 27 to Aug. 6 at the Palace of Versailles.

How many equestrian events will take place?

There are six different events. These events are as follows:

Jumping

  • Team
  • Individual

Dressage

  • Team
  • Individual

Eventing

  • Team
  • Individual

There will be 200 riders divided among the three disciplines: jumping (75), eventing (65), and dressage (60).

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Thu, Jun 20 2024 10:56:10 AM
Live updates: Highlights from the US Olympic Swimming Trials Day 6 https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/usa-swimming-olympic-trials-day-6-live-updates/5523989/ 5523989 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2157791820.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169

What to Know

Olympic hopefuls vying to punch their ticket to the 2024 Olympics in Paris competed Thursday at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis.

Qualifiers kicked off with the women’s 200-meter backstroke. Isabella Stadden, Katie Grimes and Claire Curzan lead the top 16 qualifiers who will compete in the semis. The event was followed by the men’s 50-meter freestyle, where Michael Andrew, Ryan Held and Jack Alexy put up the fastest times to lead the men advancing to the semifinals. It concluded with the men’s 200-meter medley, which saw Carson Foster, Maximus Williamson and Chase Kalisz atop the ranking for the 16 finalists. Check out highlights of Day 4 of the USA Swimming Olympic Trials here.

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Thu, Jun 20 2024 10:52:07 AM
How golf at the 2024 Olympics is different than PGA and LIV formats https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/olympics-golf-pga-liv-paris-2024/5156630/ 5156630 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/02/240221-golf-olympics-getty.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Fore!

The world’s best golfers will hit the fairways in France this summer for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The sport was introduced at the 1900 Olympics, but it was quickly removed after 1904. Golf returned in 2016 and has since become one of the more compelling competitions to watch — even more now given the divide in professional golf. Players have been split up with the emergence of LIV Golf, while others remain loyal to the PGA Tour. At the Olympics, golfers from both tours will face off with loyalty only to their country.

The United States claimed gold medals for the men’s and women’s individual categories at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and now it will look to defend its victories.

Here’s a breakdown of golf at the Olympics, including the format, schedule and competitors:

When and where will golf take place at the 2024 Olympics?

Golf competition will take place from Aug. 1 to Aug. 10 at Le Golf National, located in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, 41 km from the Olympic Village in Paris.

The men’s event will be held from Aug. 1 to Aug. 4, followed by the women’s event from Aug. 7 to Aug. 10.

How does golf work at the Olympics?

There are four rounds of the men’s and women’s individual events before a winner is crowned.

It’s similar to the PGA Tour format, where golfers compete over four days and the players with the lowest score after 72 holes wins. Unlike the PGA Tour, obviously, medals will be awarded to the individual with the lowest score (gold), second-lowest score (silver) and third-lowest score (bronze).

What is the golf format and schedule for the 2024 Olympics?

Olympic golf uses the stroke play format, which means that the player with the fewer total number of shots after four days and 72 holes wins.

The PGA Tour follows the same format, but LIV Golf is a shorter competition. LIV uses a 54-hole stroke play format over three days with a team and championship element.

While Olympic golf follows PGA’s 72-hole and four-day format, it doesn’t cut players after the second round. In that way, it follows the LIV format of letting every player compete from the first through the final round — regardless of how far behind they are.

How many golfers will compete in the 2024 Olympics?

There will be 120 golfers competing in Paris: 60 men and 60 women. That number remains unchanged from the 2020 Olympics, when Team USA’s Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda claimed the men’s and women’s gold medals.

How do golfers qualify for the Olympics?

Golfers qualify for the Olympics based on the Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR).

France, the host nation, is guaranteed to have two golfers: one man and one woman. The OGR will decide the other 118 competitors.

So, what is the OGR exactly? It’s a system that awards points based on finishing positions in tournaments over a two-year “rolling” period. You can read more about the math behind it all here, but the bottom line is that the system ensures that the best players will qualify.

There’s one other caveat, too. Each of the five Olympic continents (Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania) are guaranteed to have one man and women in the tournament. Even if a continent doesn’t have a player ranked in qualifying position for the OGR, the highest-ranked eligible athlete will be given a bid.

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Thu, Jun 20 2024 10:21:07 AM
Katie Ledecky dominates in 1500m win at Olympic swimming trials https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/katie-ledecky-1500m-olympic-swimming-trials/5522772/ 5522772 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/web-240619-katie-ledecky-getty.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 In perhaps the surest bet of the U.S. Olympic swimming trials, Katie Ledecky claimed her third victory at Lucas Oil Stadium on Wednesday with another dominating performance in the 1,500 freestyle.

Ledecky added to her victories in the 200 and 400 free, though she doesn’t plan to swim the shorter event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She’s also a huge favorite to take the 800 free title before she leaves Indy.

Ledecky, a 10-time Olympic medalist, touched in 15 minutes, 37.35 seconds, more than a half-lap ahead of runner-up Katie Grimes at 15:57.77.

“I was hoping to go a little faster, but I’ll take it,” said Ledecky, whose six individual gold medals are already the most for any female swimmer in Olympic history. “I’ll be better in a few weeks.”

Grimes earned her second individual event in Paris, adding to her victory in the 400 individual medley. She’ll be swimming indoors and outdoors at the Olympics, also claiming a spot in the 10-kilometer open water race.

Kate Douglass won the women’s 100-meter freestyle, with Simone Manuel claiming a relay spot with a fourth-place finish after bouncing back from overtraining syndrome.

Manuel, the first Black woman to capture an individual swimming gold when she tied for the top spot in this event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, was denied a chance to swim the 100 free at the Paris Games.

Torri Huske took the second individual spot.

In the 100 free, Douglass was only fourth at the turn, but she powered to the finish for a winning time of 52.56. Huske finished at 52.93, while Gretchen Walsh faded from the lead at the midway point to touch third in 53.13.

Manuel was next at 53.25, with fifth-place finisher Abbey Weitzeil (53.70) also likely headed to her third Olympics as a relay option.

Manuel will have another chance to qualify for an individual Olympic event in the 50 freestyle, but she was clearly moved just to be on a relay.

“It means everything to me,” Manuel said, breaking down in tears on deck before the crowd of 22,209. “It’s a miracle that I’m even able to stand up here and be able to race again. The people close to me know the journey it took to get here. I’m really proud of myself and proud of Team USA.”

Manuel won two golds and two silvers at the Rio Games, a breakout performance for swimmers of color in a largely white sport. But her body broke down under the strain of overtraining syndrome ahead of the pandemic-delayed games in Tokyo.

Manuel didn’t even qualify to defend her title in the 100 freestyle, though she did rally to earn a spot in the 50 free. In Tokyo, she was eliminated in the semifinals of her only individual event, with her lone medal coming as the anchor of the 4×100 free relay team that finished third.

After the Olympics, she was ordered by her doctor to shut down all physical activity for more than six months to give her body time to properly recover.

Douglass had built on a bronze medal in the 200 individual medley at Tokyo to become one of America’s most versatile swimmers.

She won a total of 14 medals at the last three world championships in everything from the freestyle to the breaststroke to the individual medley to the relays.

Now, she’s headed back to the Olympics.

So is 17-year-old Thomas Heilman, who won the men’s 200-meter butterfly and will become the youngest U.S. male Olympic swimmer since Michael Phelps made the team for Sydney at age 15.

Luke Whitlock, 18, had laid claim to that distinction a night earlier with his second-place showing in the 800 freestyle. Then someone even younger made the team when Heilman touched first in 1 minute, 54.50 seconds.

“Its gonna be amazing. I’m just looking forward to hanging out with the team and building relationships that will last a lifetime,” Heilman said. “Going to the Olympics is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’m looking forward to cherishing every moment.”

Luca Urlando claimed the expected second spot in Paris with a time of 1:55.08.

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Wed, Jun 19 2024 09:43:06 PM
Regan Smith sets world record in 100 backstroke at US Olympic trials https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/regan-smith-world-record-100-backstroke-trials/5520175/ 5520175 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2158183480-e1718761498174.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 No one was beating Regan Smith in her signature event.

Bouncing back from a close-but-no-Olympics call in her first race, Smith set a world record in the women’s 100-meter backstroke at the U.S. swimming trials on Tuesday night.

Smith touched in 57.13 seconds, easily beating the mark of 57.33 set a year ago by Australia’s Kaylee McKeown.

“That was part of the plan,” said Smith, who is heading to the Olympics for the second time. “I’m so happy.”

Smith bounced back emphatically after getting edged for a spot on the U.S. team in the 100 butterfly, where she finished third behind Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske.

Flipping to her back, Smith set the second world record of the trials, following Walsh’s mark in the semifinals of the 100 fly.

Smith won a bronze medal in the 100 backstroke at the Tokyo Olympics. She’s now established herself as the favorite for gold in Paris.

Katharine Berkoff claimed the second expected Olympic spot for the U.S. with a time of 57.91.

In the night’s other final, Bobby Finke earned the right to defend the 800 freestyle gold he won in Tokyo with a time of 7 minutes, 44.22 seconds.

Finke had to work hard to get to the wall ahead of 18-year-old Indiana phenom Luke Whitlock, who set a national age-group record at 7:45.19 and will likely head to his first Olympics with the second U.S. spot.

No one else was within 4 seconds of the top two.

Whitlock splashed the water emphatically after going virtually stroke-for-stroke with the reigning Olympic champion.

Two of America’s biggest swimming stars, Caeleb Dressel and Simone Manuel, had impressive debuts at the trials, though there’s still work to do to make it back to the Olympics.

Dressel was the third-fastest qualifier in the preliminaries and semifinals of the men’s 100 freestyle, both times finishing behind Jack Alexy and Chris Guiliano. The tattooed Floridian will have to beat at least one of them in the final Wednesday night to earn a chance to defend his Olympic title in that event.

Manuel was the fastest qualifier in the women’s 100 free preliminaries and took the second spot behind Torri Huske in the semifinals.

Dressel and Manuel are both coming back from long layoffs that cast doubts over whether they’d be able to qualify for Paris.

The winner of five gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, Dressel walked away in the midst of the 2022 world championships, later revealing he needed an extended break to rekindle his love for the sport.

Manuel, the first Black female swimmer to capture an individual gold medal, was diagnosed with overtraining syndrome ahead of the last Olympics. She barely managed to qualify for the U.S. team, then shut down all physical activity under a doctor’s care to allow her body to recover.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Thu, Jun 20 2024 12:12:05 PM
Previewing Copa America 2024: Favorites, underdogs, how to watch and more https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/soccer/previewing-copa-america-2024-favorites-how-to-watch/5519307/ 5519307 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/rsz_1messi-pulisic-vinicius-getty-61824.png?fit=300,169&quality=85&strip=all With the Euro 2024 ongoing in Europe, the Americas are gathering for a major tournament of their own.

The 2024 Copa America is next up on the calendar with teams from North America, South America and the Caribbean competing as all games will transpire in the United States.

Lionel Messi is back to help Argentina defend its title from 2021. Neymar will be absent for 2021 runners-up Brazil, though Vinicius Jr. will hope to have a breakout international tournament as he continues to flourish for Real Madrid.

For the U.S. men’s national team, Christian Pulisic and Co. will seek a deep run to prove they belong against some of the top nations, while Mexico desperately needs to find some form.

From how to watch to teams and players to watch for, here’s everything to know for the Copa America 2024:

What is the Copa America tournament?

The Copa America tournament is similar to the World Cup except it only involves teams in North and South America and the Caribbean. Teams compete in four-nation groups and play each other round-robin style.

The top two sides from each group will advance to the knockout stages. From there, each game is single elimination until a winner is crowned in the final.

When is the Copa America tournament?

The 2024 tournament will begin on Thursday, June 20 and run until the final on Sunday, July 14.

Argentina vs. Canada on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT is the tournament opener.

Where is the Copa America tournament?

The United States is the host country for the entire tournament. The final will be held in Miami, Fla.

How to watch, stream the Copa America tournament

The 2024 tournament will be available to watch and stream in English on FOX Sports (FOX, FS1, FS2) while Univision and TUDN will broadcast and stream games in Spanish.

What are the 2024 Copa America groups?

There’s not a specific “Group of Death” in the 2024 Copa America due to the overall quality, but Group D may be the most intriguing. Here’s a look at all four groups:

Group A

  • Argentina
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Peru

Group B

  • Mexico
  • Jamaica
  • Ecuador
  • Venezuela

Group C

  • USA
  • Uruguay
  • Panama
  • Bolivia

Group D

  • Brazil
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Paraguay

Who are the favorites to win the 2024 Copa America?

Argentina and Brazil should be the clear-cut favorites to win the tournament based on roster strength.

Led by Messi, Argentina’s squad is essentially similar to the team that won the 2022 World Cup. Lionel Scaloni is still the manager, with Julian Alvarez, Exequiel Palacio and Christian Romero establishing themselves more at the club level since the Qatar triumph.

Brazil, now managed by Dorival Junior, also brought a squad quite similar to the Qatar World Cup. Some key names not involved are Neymar, Gabriel Jesus, Casemiro and Richarlison, while Endrick, Gabriel Martinelli, Savio and Ederson are potential breakout candidates.

Who are the underdog teams in the 2024 Copa America?

If it’s not Argentina or Brazil, then Uruguay and Colombia could be the primary underdogs.

Uruguay doesn’t have a standout goalie, but Federico Valverde, Luis Suarez, Darwin Nunez, Ronald Araujo, Jose Maria Gimenez, Manuel Ugarte and Rodrigo Bentancur are more than enough to potentially topple the few bigger teams.

Colombia has veteran David Ospina between the sticks, but Luis Diaz, Jhon Duran, Daniel Munoz, Jefferson Lerma, Luis Sinisterra and Davinson Sanchez could play spoiler if it all pans out.

Fringe underdog teams include the USMNT, Mexico and Ecuador, but each have its flaws.

The U.S. under Gregg Berhalter has struggled to upset bigger teams, Mexico is still in a turbulent phase and Ecuador has a promising defensive structure but it lacks game changers in attack.

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Tue, Jun 18 2024 06:09:16 PM
Ralph Lauren unveils Team USA uniforms for 2024 Paris Olympic Ceremonies https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/ralph-lauren-team-usa-uniforms/5518878/ 5518878 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/slack-imgs_638fef.png?fit=300,169&quality=85&strip=all Ralph Lauren is styling the uniforms Team USA will wear for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. 

This will mark the ninth time the clothing company will get to design the U.S. squad’s uniforms.

The goal of this year’s look is to bring sporty elegance into the modern era, Ralph Lauren said in a press release.

“Ralph Lauren is profoundly honored to define the look of the American delegation as they represent our country in one of the world’s most celebrated and storied events,” David Lauren, chief branding and innovation officer for Ralph Lauren, said in a statement. “This summer, Paris is the backdrop where fashion and sport will collide on the world’s biggest stage with a global audience and that is an incredibly exciting exposition.”

Ahead of 2024 Paris, here is what you need to know about Team USA’s uniforms and what they will look like:

A group of people pose for a photo with the American flag in the background.
Team USA’s opening ceremony uniforms feature a single-breasted blazer and a striped Oxford shirt. Credit: Ralph Lauren

What will Team USA wear for the Opening Ceremony?

For the Opening Ceremony, Team USA will sport a navy blue jacket, a blue striped dress shirt, blue-washed jeans and beige suede shoes. Men will add a navy blue tie to the look.

The jacket will have red and white stripes along the edges, pockets and wrists. There will be a Ralph Lauren logo on the upper left pocket while the right features the team logo.

The belt will have “Team USA” on it written in white and blue colors.

Team USA’s closing ceremony look features a racer-style jacket and white denim jeans. Credit: Ralph Lauren

What will Team USA wear for the Closing Ceremony?

Team USA will be decked out in predominantly white to close out the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The look will include a moto-style denim jacket, jeans, polo, and hat, along with a belt and shoes that are styled in the Opening Ceremony look.

The jacket has three stripes across the chest that are red, navy blue, and lighter blue. The word “USA” is featured in the middle of the navy blue stripe in large, block lettering. 

The bottom blue stripe has the words “24 Team USA” on the right side while the left side of the stripe says “Team USA.

Below the stripe, there is a blue and gold match with a symbol of the athlete’s sport. 

The top of the jacket has a Ralph Lauren logo on the left shoulder along with “U.S. Olympic Team” while the right shoulder has an American flag badge with the iconic Olympic rings.

The all-white pants have “Team USA” lettering along the side of the left leg next to an American flag. 

The hat is red, white and blue with the team logo placed in the center with the year 2024 written.

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Tue, Jun 18 2024 04:39:09 PM
Live updates: US Olympic Swim Trials Day 4 featured several stars in prelims https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/us-olympic-swim-trials-day-4-live-updates/5517813/ 5517813 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/web-240618-ledecky.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169

What to Know

  • Katie Ledecky cruises in the women’s 1500m freestyle prelims
  • Lydia Jacoby drops out of women’s 200m breaststroke, taking her out of contention at Paris Olympics
  • Caeleb Dressel places second in his men’s 100m freestyle heat behind Jack Alexy

Day 4 of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials featured two of Team USA’s biggest athletes who have their eyes on gold in Paris.

Caeleb Dressel and Katie Ledecky competed in the prelims at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Tuesday. The early schedule included prelims for five events with more action to come Tuesday night.

Keep up with the latest news from the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials below as Team USA swimmers aim to punch their tickets to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

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Tue, Jun 18 2024 10:22:18 AM
How Jordan Chiles' success and influence is inspiring young gymnasts https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/jordan-chiles-inspiring-gymnastics/5516208/ 5516208 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/web-240617-jordan-chiles-getty.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Jordan Chiles will be heard. 

Whether through her words, her actions, or her music, the Olympic silver-medal winner is helping to change the landscape — and the soundtrack — of gymnastics. 

As a young gymnast, Chiles said she didn’t see herself represented in the winners on the podiums or in most of the routines.

“My voice now, no matter what, I have learned that it’s going to be heard,” she said on NBC’s “My New Favorite Olympian.”

That determination to be as authentic as possible, not only for herself, but for the little girls seeing the now champion perform, comes through in every routine.

The beat of a 1990s hip-hop star has been heard when Chiles is on the mat. The style of a modern-day global icon has been seen. The impact of an influential Black gymnast has been felt. 

“Whether people like it or they don’t, you can like me or if you don’t like me, that’s how it works here,” she said. “That’s how it works in the world. That’s how it works in life.”

Chiles, after winning a silver medal with Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, went on to turn the gymnastics mat into a dance floor.

During her sophomore season at UCLA in 2023, she used a 1990s hip-hop medley for her floor routine at the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships. From DJ Kool’s “Let Me Clear My Throat” to Salt-N-Pepa’s “Shoop,” Chiles’ execution wowed the crowd and the judges, earning a perfect 10 that helped send UCLA to the National Championships. 

She wasn’t the first to use hip-hop during a routine, as opposed to the sport’s traditional classical music. But she was the latest, and her routine went viral.

“I loved Jordan’s routine so much,” Chiles’ UCLA teammate Margzetta Frazier told NBC. “I’m sure that was such a culture shock for them.”

Chiles continued to change the culture at the U.S. championships in May.

The 23-year-old wore a leotard she was inspired to design with GK Elite Sportswear after seeing Beyoncé’s outfit during her “Renaissance” tour. Colorful, bedazzled and empowering, Chiles brought Beyoncé’s look from the stage to the mat for a design unlike any other worn in the sport.  

“I am that girl,” Chiles told The Washington Post in a nod to Beyoncé’s song. “I am going to look in the mirror and be OK with myself.” 

That sentiment, in Chiles’ experience, had not always been shared within the gymnastics community.

When she first began gymnastics in 2007 at six years old in her home state of Washington, she said there weren’t enough girls of color in the gym to even fill an Olympic podium. 

“It was literally me and this other girl who was trying to go for the Olympics during that timeframe,” she said.

From 1980 when Luci Collins became the first Black woman to make the U.S. women’s gymnastics team at the Olympics to the time Chiles began gymnastics, only two other Black women had represented Team USA in women’s gymnastics. 

The lack of diversity in the sport became more glaring to Chiles as she got older and began to experience discrimination. 

“I was about 15, 16 years old when I was like, ‘wait, something’s not right’ because I wasn’t getting judged the same,” she said. 

“My mom finally told me. She was like, ‘You’re not doing anything wrong, it’s kind of like who you are and your skin color.”

Chiles considered leaving the sport.

“I wanted to be done because I didn’t think, one, the sport wanted me,” she said. “I didn’t think people around me wanted to see this beautiful Black girl in a [leotard] anymore. There were a lot of things that were going through my head.  But now when I think back, I’m happy I didn’t do that.”

Just as the music and wardrobes can change in gymnastics, so too can the times.

Chiles, of course, went on to win an Olympic silver medal in the team final with Simone Biles, Suni Lee and Grace McCallum. 

In 2022, she won three world medals and became part of a historic group — along with Konnor McClain and Shilese Jones — that marked the first time in the history of the U.S. Gymnastics Championship that three Black women topped the podium.

“I was like, ‘There’s no way that we just did an all-Black podium,” Chiles said.

It was a dramatic change from when Chiles was one of only two girls of color in the gym. Chiles continues to help the sport grow with her success and by partnering with the nonprofit organization Brown Girls Do Gymnastics, which aims to increase access to gymnastics for people of color. 

There, she speaks with aspiring gymnasts, and her voice is heard.  

“I’ve had times where I just look at them in their faces and I’m just like, ‘You are the most beautiful human being that God has created and I want you to know,'” Chiles said. “I’ll give them talks and whatever it is. I definitely enjoy the fact that the younger generation has someone to look up to that’s like me.”

Chiles was interviewed for My New Favorite Olympian, a series that tells the stories of Team USA’s most inspiring athletes and the causes they champion. Subscribe to My New Favorite Olympian wherever you get your podcasts.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Tue, Jun 18 2024 07:54:18 AM
Olympic hopefuls speak out about fears of severe summer heat in Paris https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/olympic-hopefuls-speak-out-about-fears-of-severe-summer-heat-in-paris/5515972/ 5515972 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2157365685.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 The Summary
  • A group of Olympic hopefuls is raising concerns about heat during the coming games in Paris.
  • Olympic organizers say they’ve prepared for challenging conditions, including by scheduling events to avoid heat.
  • Some research suggests Paris is among the European capitals most vulnerable to heat concerns.
  • Heat waves can now produce temperatures as much as 7 degrees F warmer than those in 2003, according to a study published in November.

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, athletes are speaking out about their fears of a summer heat wave, saying the effects of climate change could erode the competition and make their sports dangerous.

In a new report, released jointly by several British and American climate advocacy and sporting organizations, 11 athletes voiced concerns about conditions at the coming Olympic Games and the longer-term challenges for sporting competitions in a warming world.

The report says temperatures in Paris in late July and early August — the period the Olympics will be held — are, on average, more than 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit hotter today than in 1924, when Paris last hosted the event.

Jamie Farndale, who has competed with Great Britain’s Olympic rugby sevens team, said that Olympians earn their spots on the world stage by pushing their bodies to the “absolute limit” but that he worries heat in Paris could push some over the edge of what’s tolerable. 

“When things get unsafe in the sort of 30-, 35-degree temperatures, yeah, it becomes pretty dangerous,” Farndale said, referring to temperatures between 86 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. “We play six games over three days, and you can’t just cool down in between.” 

Reflecting on how he coped in past competitions, Farndale added: “We’re jumping in ice baths. We’re doing everything we can, but your core temperature just doesn’t drop. You feel sick.” 

Olympic organizers say they’ve prepared for challenging conditions. A spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee said in a statement it has scheduled events to avoid heat and developed a suite of heat tools to keep competitions safe. 

Temperatures at event venues will be closely monitored, the statement said, adding that “providing athletes and spectators with the best and safest conditions possible are top priorities for the IOC and the entire Olympic Movement.” 

Paris 2024, the local organizing committee, said France’s meteorological agency, Météo France, will be embedded in the Olympic Games’ operation center. Adjustments to the competition calendar can be made as necessary, the group added, and free water fills will be widely available to spectators. 

Some research suggests Paris is among the European capitals most vulnerable to heat concerns. In 2003, a heat wave led to 15,000 excess deaths in France; today, heat waves can produce temperatures as much as 7 degrees F warmer than those in 2003, according to a study published in November

Paris organizers have put an emphasis on reducing the carbon footprint of the Olympics. As part of that effort, geothermal cooling and natural ventilation will replace traditional air conditioning in the Athletes’ Village. The village will become permanent housing for Parisians after the event. 

Pragnya Mohan, a Olympic hopeful triathlete from India, said the lack of AC could challenge athletes.  

“They cannot stay cool and cannot recover fast. So I think from an athlete’s perspective, that is a negative. But you know, from the green perspective, that’s a positive,” Mohan said.

The Paris 2024 committee, however, said that temperatures in athletes’ quarters are expected to be at least 11 degrees cooler than outside temperatures and that athletes will be allowed to rent “mobile cooling units.” 

“We believe we have found a good balance between our primary commitment to athlete wellbeing and our responsibility as major event organisers in the face of climate change,” a spokesperson wrote. 

Sam Mattis, a discus thrower who was on the 2020 U.S. Olympic team, questioned whether the world will be able to keep holding the summer games during the hottest months of the year. Los Angeles is scheduled to host in 2028. 

“I think in a lot of places in the U.S. and around the world, summertime competitions, unless they’re held in the middle of the night, are going to become essentially impossible,” Mattis said. 

During the Tokyo Olympic Games, around 110 athletes suffered heat-related illnesses as temperatures at some outdoor venues exceeded 95 degrees F and humidity levels hit around 70%, according to a study published in April 2023. That included 10 cases of severe heat illness, including heatstroke. Several athletes needed ice baths to recover, the article said. 

In the lead-up to this year’s Olympics, Paris has spent billions of euros to clean the Seine River, construct bike lanes and plant trees to shade city streets. City leaders say the investment is meant to reduce emissions long-term, beyond the Games, and adapt for warmer temperatures to come. 

“It’s dangerous for daily life,” Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said of the heat. “We need to transform as a city as fast as possible to protect people.”

This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News here:

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Mon, Jun 17 2024 07:58:10 PM
Behind every Team USA athlete is a significant other with plenty of motivating tricks https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/team-usa-athletes-husbands-wives-partners/5485300/ 5485300 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/Katie-moon.png?fit=300,191&quality=85&strip=all A kiss, a hug or a gift? None. Some couples just have their ways of celebrating victories.

Athletes are gearing up for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics and, for many, the support from their significant others is the fuel to pursue that medal.

Katie Moon, Team USA’s two-time world champion in women’s pole vault, is preparing to compete this year. Her husband, Hugo Moon, might be getting some T-shirts, with a very unique printing, to motivate her even more.

“We have a very joking relationship, he put my most unflattering face, big and bold on his T-shirt,” Katie said. “So, if you see that in Paris … you didn’t.”

Hugo was seen in the stands during the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon — where his wife won gold — wearing, as she likes to call it, his “super flattering T-shirt.”

But Moon’s husband is not the only one who goes the extra mile.

Grace Norman, a Team USA Paralympian competing for her second gold medal in the women’s para-triathlon, says her husband is very into her events.

“He’s very passionate when he cheers, which is adorable and I love it,” Norman said. “I listen for his voice, and it’s always a good feeling when I hear it.”

The Summer Games are headed to Paris for the third time ever. The Paris Games will commence just three years after the Tokyo Games, which were pushed back from 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The upcoming Olympics will feature events at Paris landmarks, competitions between the world’s greatest athletes and around-the-clock coverage on NBC and Peacock.

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Mon, Jun 17 2024 06:33:12 PM
Here are all the tennis rules for the 2024 Olympics in Paris https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/tennis-rules-venue-qualification-medals/5071059/ 5071059 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/01/image-11-5.png?fit=300,169&quality=85&strip=all There is so much tennis history at the Summer Olympic Games.

While players are so used to playing individually throughout the season at the Grand Slams and other events throughout the calendar, the Olympics allows players to compete for something bigger than themselves.

Over the decades, tennis at the Olympics has taken some twists and turns. After making its debut at the 1896 Summer Olympics, it was dropped after the 1924 Games due to conflicts of interest between the International Lawn Tennis Federation and IOC over how amateur athletes should be defined. Tennis returned to the Summer Olympics in 1988 as a full medal sport and was open to players of all ages and career statuses.

The Summer Olympics has seen some remarkable Americans come through to the top of the podium and Paris 2024 will be no different.

Here we take a look at the tennis rules for the 2024 Olympics in Paris and everything to know about the Games:

When does tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games begin?

The tennis events are scheduled to run from July 27 to Aug. 4.

Where is tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games played?

The tennis events will be played at the Stade Roland Garros — the same location as the French Open.

Paris 2024 will be the first time clay courts are used for an Olympic tennis event since Barcelona 1992 and the first time the tournament is played at a Grand Slam venue since 2012 (Wimbledon: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club).

How do players qualify for Paris 2024?

There are numerous rules and exceptions for the qualification process in tennis for Paris 2024.

The basics include that each NOC can qualify up to 12 athletes — six per gender — dispersed throughout the five tennis events. Additionally, the direct acceptance.

The singles draw includes a 64-player field

  • The key criteria include that there is a maximum quota of four players per NOC and players must be ranked top 400 in singles. 
  • 56 players will be direct acceptances 
  • One spot per event is reserved for France as host country 
  • Six players are ITF Places* while the last spot is a universality place

*ITF Places are given to winners or finalists of prestigious team events around the world (2023 Pan-American Games, 2022 Asian Games, 2023 Adrican Games). The other two ITF Places are kept for Olympic or Grand Slam singles champions (following key criteria)

The doubles events (women’s and men’s) feature 32 teams:

  • Two players per NOC
  • Top 10 players of ATP and WTA doubles qualify with a partner from the same NOC (inside the top 300 of any ranking list and following NOC criteria)
  • Teams are then selected using combined raking of partners
  • Lastly, teams are selected based on teams who already have players qualified in a singles event 

The mixed doubles event features 16 teams:

  • One team per NOC allowed
  • Qualification is based on the combined ranking of partners

Which Americans have won the most medals at the Summer Olympic Games?

The leader in medals among Americans is Venus Williams. She has earned four gold medals and one silver between 2000 and 2016. In second place is Serena Williams with four gold medals during the same period as her sister.

In third place is Vincent Richards with two gold and one silver earned at the 1924 Paris Olympics.

Which nation has the most gold medals in tennis at the Summer Olympic Games?

The United States leads the pack with 39 total medals: 21 gold, six silver and 12 bronze.

Great Britain has 17 gold medals while France has earned five.

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Mon, Jun 17 2024 02:56:37 PM
Table tennis at the 2024 Olympics: Rules, format and scoring explained https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/olympics-table-tennis-rules-format-scoring/5218190/ 5218190 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/03/web-240312-table-tennis-tokyo.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Ping pong is headed to Paris.

The 2024 Olympics will feature table tennis events in the French capital. The sport has been included at the Summer Games since 1988, and everyone will be looking to knock a dominant country off its pedestal.

Let’s set the table for the events in Paris:

Olympic table tennis format

There are five table tennis events at the Olympics: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s team, women’s team and mixed doubles.

All five events have a preliminary round, quarterfinals, semifinals and a final. Top-seeded players get byes into the later rounds, while players with lower seeds begin all the way at the start of the preliminary round.

Each team features two athletes, with mixed doubles including one man and one woman. A country can enter up to six athletes across the five events.

Olympic table tennis scoring

A player or team wins a game by being the first to score 11 points while winning by two.

Single matches are best of seven games. Team matches consist of four singles matches and one doubles match, all of which are best of five games. 

The initial serve of a table tennis match at the Olympics is determined by a coin toss. The coin toss winner can choose to serve the ball, receive the ball or pick a side of the table to start on.

A server begins a game by tossing the ball in the air and striking it so it bounces once on their side and then bounces on the opponent’s side. In singles, a server can serve the ball to any part of the table. In doubles, the serve must travel diagonally across the table.

The two sides alternate serves after every two points until the end of the game or until the score is tied 10-10, at which point the two sides alternate serves after every point. The first player or team to score two more points than their opponent after a game is tied 10-10 wins the game.

If a match reaches the last possible game, the players or teams will also switch ends of the table once the first player or team has scored five points in the game.

Olympic table tennis medal count

China has been the dominant country in table tennis since the sport made its debut at the 1988 Seoul Games. China took home 32 of 37 gold medals from 1988 to 2020, including four of five in Tokyo. Japan earned one gold on home soil in the first ever mixed doubles event.

Overall, China leads the way with 60 table tennis medals. It is followed by South Korea’s 18, Germany’s nine and Japan’s eight.

Table tennis is one of five sports in which the U.S. has never earned an Olympic medal (excludes breaking, which is a new addition for the 2024 Games).

Table tennis at the 2024 Olympics

All five table tennis events will be held at South Paris Arena 4.

Here is a look at the competition schedule:

  • Men’s singles: July 27-Aug. 4
  • Women’s singles: July 27-Aug. 3
  • Men’s team: Aug. 5-9
  • Women’s team: Aug. 5-10
  • Mixed doubles: July 27-30

How to watch table tennis at the 2024 Olympics

Viewers can watch all of NBC’s table tennis coverage from Paris live on Peacock.

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Mon, Jun 17 2024 02:36:37 PM
What to know about handball at the 2024 Olympics: Rules, roster sizes, more https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/handball-rules-2024-olympics-paris/5327164/ 5327164 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/04/web-240416-olympic-handball-getty.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Handball combines elements of other popular Olympic sports

Players pass to teammates, avoid defenders and take shots on goal just as they do in soccer and hockey. 

Only difference is that everything is done by hand, as the sport’s name suggests. 

Handball first debuted at the Olympics in 1936 during the Berlin Games, and an indoor version was added in 1972 at the Munich Games. Women’s handball at the Olympics began four years later in 1976 at the Montreal Games.  

Here’s everything you need to know about the sport.

Olympic handball teams and groups

Men’s and women’s handball at the 2024 Paris Olympics will each feature 12 teams:

Men’s competition

Group A: Spain, Croatia, Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Japan

Group B: Denmark, Norway, Hungary, France, Egypt, Argentina

Women’s competition

Group A: Norway, Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Denmark, South Korea

Group B: Hungary, Netherlands, Spain, France, Brazil, Angola

There are 15 players on a roster, with 14 selected for each match. During play, a team features six field players plus a goalkeeper. There are unlimited substitutions allowed. 

Olympic handball format

The men’s and women’s competitions begin with the preliminary phases, in which teams compete against opposing teams in their group for five games. 

The top four teams in the standings from each group after the preliminary phases advance to the quarterfinals for the start of the knockout rounds. 

Olympic handball scoring

The objective of handball is quite simple: score more goals than the other team.

Players must throw the ball past the goalkeeper and into the goal, with the ball fully crossing the goal line. 

The opposing team will attempt to block shots with their arms and legs, or forming a wall with teammates, to prevent a goal. 

The team with the most goals after two 30-minute halves is the winner. If tied after regulation, overtime is played. If still tied after overtime, the teams enter a seven-meter shootout to determine the winner, with five players from each team alternating shots. 

Olympic handball rules

Handball is a body-contact sport played on a 40-meter by 20-meter indoor court with goals at each end that measure two meters high by three meters wide. Surrounding the goal is a goal-area line, which is a six-meter semi-circle that only the goalkeeper is allowed to be in.

Players can take up to three steps without dribbling the ball, with possession allowed for only a maximum of three seconds. A violation of either leads to a free throw from the nine-meter semi-circle line for the opposing team.

Teams are not allowed to hold the ball without attacking, and a shot on goal must be taken after a maximum of four passes. Failure to do so leads to a penalty for passive play, which awards a free throw to the opposing team. 

If an attacking player steps into the goal-area line before releasing the ball on a made shot attempt, the goal does not count. If a defender steps in, a seven-meter throw is awarded to the attacking team, similar to a penalty shot in soccer. 

Attacking players are permitted to jump across the crease line while attempting a shot as long as they release the ball prior to landing. 

Players cannot touch the ball with their feet or anywhere below the knee. 

Olympic handball medal count

France has dominated men’s handball at the Olympics in recent years, winning three of the last four gold medals. France defeated Denmark 25-23 in the final during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to become the first nation to win three gold medals in the sport.

The Soviet Union, Croatia and Yugoslavia have each won two gold medals in men’s handball. 

France leads the overall medal count in men’s handball with five total medals (three gold, one silver, one bronze). Germany, Sweden, Romania and Spain have each won four. Team USA has never medaled during seven men’s handball appearances.

France was also victorious last year in the women’s handball competition, defeating ROC to win gold. 

Denmark leads all nations in the women’s competition with three gold medals. South Korea, Norway and the Soviet Union each have two. 

Norway is the overall leader with seven total medals (two gold, two silver, three bronze). South Korea has six, followed by Denmark, Soviet Union and Hungary with three each. The United States has never medaled during five women’s handball appearances.

Handball at the 2024 Olympics

Handball will be played at the 2024 Olympics in Paris from July 25 through Aug. 11. The women’s final is on Saturday, Aug. 10, and the men’s final is Sunday, Aug. 11. 

How to watch handball at the 2024 Olympics

Viewers can watch all of NBC’s handball coverage from Paris live on Peacock.

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Mon, Jun 17 2024 02:29:16 PM
Ukraine displays destroyed stadium stand in Germany ahead of Euro 2024 opener https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/soccer/ukraine-destroyed-stadium-stand-germany-euro-2024/5514715/ 5514715 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/web-240617-ukraine-destroyed-stand.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 The Ukraninian soccer federation unveiled an installation in Munich of a stadium stand destroyed in the war back home to highlight the ongoing conflict ahead of the team’s first match at the European Championship on Monday.

Parts of a stand from Kharkiv’s Sonyachny stadium that was built for Euro 2012 — which Ukraine co-hosted — was displayed in a square in Munich ahead of the team’s opener against Romania.

The stadium was destroyed by Russian troops in May 2022 and is part of an interactive installation highlighting that 500 sports infrastructure facilities in Ukraine have suffered from Russian bombings and missile strikes during the war.

“Today we’re going to start our games,” said former Ukraine coach and striker Andriy Shevchenko, who is the president of the country’s soccer federation. “One team on the field but a million soldiers who stay and defend Ukraine.

“We are all together. We play today for the country. We play today for the people who defend our lives and our country.”

The stadium was the training base for the Netherlands team during Euro 2012. Ukraine also trained there ahead of the last European Championship, where it reached the quarterfinals in its most successful campaign to date.

“Learning that the stadium was destroyed felt like finding out your home was ruined,” said Shevchenko, who was Ukraine’s coach at Euro 2020.

The stand and installation will be taken around to different German cities with the next stop being Düsseldorf, where Ukraine plays its next Group E match against Slovakia on Friday.

“It’s very important that we show during the war that in the country, we continue our lives,” the 47-year-old Shevchenko added. “Sport is a big part of our society. It’s a very powerful tool, but in good hands.

“The participation of Ukrainian team today it’s very important message for the rest of the world that we continue to live and we’re going to fight, but not only fight we’re going to do our normal life and try to be part of European society and the world society who share the same values of their freedom and democracy with us.”

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Mon, Jun 17 2024 12:38:48 PM
Boats cruise across the Seine in Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony rehearsal https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/seine-paris-olympics-opening-ceremony-rehearsal/5514642/ 5514642 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/web-240617-seine-oc-rehearsal.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Curious onlookers gathered on bridges as dozens of boats snaked along the Seine river on Monday in a rehearsal for the Paris Olympics’ unique Opening Ceremony next month.

A total of 55 boats made the journey from Pont d’Austerlitz, named after a French military victory in 1805, to Pont d’Iéna, a stone’s throw from the Eiffel Tower, the nation’s most striking and best known landmark.

Officials are confident that the near four-hour ceremony will run like clockwork on July 26.

“Six months ago we had like 10 minutes delay on the timing and today we are very close, almost to the second to our targets,” Thierry Reboul, the executive director for ceremonies said. “So it is very satisfying. We’ve respected an extremely precise level of timing.”

On the day of the eagerly-awaited event, around 200 Olympic delegations will join the parade on more than 80 boats. They will make the journey from east to west, along a six-kilometer (3.7-mile) route which has become a major talking point — for its audacity as a unique open-air event and for its exposure to potential danger.

Security concerns led French President Emmanuel Macron to say in mid-April that the ceremony could shift to Stade de France if the threat level was too high. But Reboul said Monday that authorities are preparing for the big day as originally planned, with no alternatives being prepared at this stage.

There will be a final rehearsal, involving the full armada of boats, before the Opening Ceremony — one which is expected to bring 100 world leaders to the city’s embankments, where more than 300,000 people will watch.

“We will give our heart and souls to make it a great success for the French people,” France’s Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said Monday. “They deserve it.”

The rehearsal saw 10 police speedboats shadowing the convoy, as well as speedboats equipped with television cameras. There were armed police officers stationed at various points along the way. The boats crossed 16 bridges, passing by iconic landmarks such as the green-tinged Grand Palais — where fencing and Taekwondo events will be held.

On each bridge, a few dozen people watched attentively.

“Fifty-five? That’s a lot of boats,” said 49-year-old Rosa Gabriel. Taking a break between walking from the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral, she watched it from the Pont des Arts bridge — fondly known as Love Lock Bridge, with its thousands of personalized locks attached to the railings.

One tourist even mistook the scene for something else.

“Maybe they are making a movie,” said Driss El Kaoutari, a 42-year-old from Morocco who was on vacation in Paris with his daughter.

What people actually saw were empty vessels bobbing slowly by. But they will be full of life, color, sound and movement next month.

“You will have many delegation members on the boats with their uniforms and their flags,” Reboul said. “Around them there will be many other things, as you can imagine.”

The water itself has become a sensitive and thorny topic for the organizers and politicians heading into the July 26-Aug. 11 Paris Games. A whopping $1.5 billion investment has already been made to improve the Seine’s water quality, with Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo both promising to take a dip.

This time, it was Oudéa-Castéra’s turn to give assurances about the river — where marathon swimmers and triathletes are set to compete during the Olympics.

She bristled a little when answering.

“Regarding the quality of the Seine’s water, we are confident. You shouldn’t ask us to be ready ahead of time,” Oudéa-Castéra said, adding that a new center for collecting waste will be opened next week.

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Mon, Jun 17 2024 12:14:19 PM
US-born Tonga kitefoiler chosen for Paris Olympics dies in diving accident https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/usa-born-tonga-kitefoiler-dies-diving/5513491/ 5513491 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-1805180476-e1718602890504.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 United States-born kitefoiler J.J. Rice who was to represent Tonga at the Paris Olympics has died in a diving accident. He was 18.

Rice’s father Darren Rice confirmed his son’s death Monday to the Matangi Tonga newspaper.

Jackson James Rice was to be the first caucasian to represent Tonga at an Olympic games. His death occurred Saturday at Faleloa, on the island of Ha’apai in the Tonga archipelago.

He was free diving from a boat when he suffered a suspected shallow water blackout, Matangi Tonga reported. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

“I was blessed with the most amazing brother in the whole world and it pains me to say that he’s passed away,” Rice’s sister Lily said in a Facebook post. “He was an amazing kitefoiler and he would have made it to the Olympics and come out with a big shiny medal. He made so many amazing friends all over the world.”

Rice was born in the United States to British-born parents but grew up on Ha’apai where his parents operate a tourist lodge. He finished eighth at the Sail Sydney event in December to earn his Olympic place. Kitefoiling will be an Olympic sport for the first time in Paris.

Rice recently had been training and competing in Europe.

Kitefoilers race on boards that are lifted off the water on foils and can reach speeds of more than 50kph (30mph).

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Mon, Jun 17 2024 01:51:10 AM
Who are the highest-paid US athletes annually? Shohei Ohtani, Jaylen Brown among list https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/highest-paid-usa-athletes-annually/5513239/ 5513239 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/rsz_1brown-ohtani-lawrence-getty-61624.png?fit=300,169&quality=85&strip=all The best athletes typically get capital-P paid.

Such was the case with Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who recently inked a long-term record-breaking deal that included interesting details.

NFL quarterback contracts keep getting more and more lucrative, too, with multiple NBA stars also cashing in.

But which players are the highest paid in the United States? Let’s take a look, with all numbers via Spotrac:

Who are the highest-paid US athletes annually?

The athletes with the best annual salaries in the U.S. are all playing in the NFL, NBA or MLB. Let’s take a look at the top 10 in terms of average annual value:

1. Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers: $70,000,000

2. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers: $59,043,600

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: $58,627,800

4. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics: $57,246,000

5. Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks: $56,456,400

T-6. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves: $55,272,000

T-6. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns: $55,272,000

8. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: $55,224,526

T-9. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals: $55,000,000

T-9. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: $55,000,000

Who is the highest-paid NHL player?

The NHL currently is far off from having a player among the top of the crop. Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews has the highest annual average value at $13,250,000.

Who is the highest-paid MLS player?

MLS fares a tad better than the NHL and that’s mainly due to one man: Lionel Messi. Messi makes $20.4 million in guaranteed compensation with Inter Miami.

Who is the highest-paid WNBA player?

The WNBA, in terms of average annual value, is led by Las Vegas Aces star Jackie Young at $252,420.

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Mon, Jun 17 2024 01:29:15 AM
MLS teams adjust to a summer of soccer without some of the league's biggest names https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/soccer/mls-teams-stars-copa-america-olympics-euros/5513017/ 5513017 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2151486111-e1718586231869.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,147 Lionel Messi could miss as many as six games with Inter Miami if Argentina wins its way to the Copa America final.

With 12 goals and a league-leading 13 assists, Messi has helped push Miami to the top of Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference. Questions loom about whether Miami can weather his absence during the Copa America, which starts on Thursday.

But it’s not just the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner who will be missed.

Inter Miami also will be without Luis Suarez, who has been named to Uruguay’s roster for the tournament, as well as Matias Rojas, who will play for Paraguay. And rising star Benjamin Cremaschi is likely to make the U.S. Olympic team.

Suarez and Messi have combined for 24 of Miami’s league-leading 44 goals this year.

“The important players are missing, but there is nothing that surprises us. We knew the schedule from the first day of the preseason in January and we tried to prepare ourselves and have a team according to the absences,” Miami coach Tata Martino said.

Thirty-nine players from Major League Soccer, and one from MLS NEXT Pro, were called up by their national teams in the run-up to the tournament. The players come from 21 of the league’s 29 teams.

“I always say that opens up opportunities for other players that need more opportunities, more time or more minutes,” Orlando City coach Oscar Pareja said. “The national teams, you cannot avoid that, players are with their groups. But the ones that stay here, we’re just trying to become stronger and just review the things we need to.”

The Houston Dynamo will miss midfielder Coco Carrasquilla, who was named to Panama’s roster.

“We’re in as good a shape as most teams. Some teams are losing four or five,” Dynamo coach Ben Olsen said. “So the more accomplished players you have on your team, the ones that are at international level, that’s a great thing most weeks — until you lose them and then you don’t have them.”

The league also is losing eight high-profile players to the European Championship. LAFC’s Olivier Giroud and Philadelphia’s Daniel Gazdag are among the players headed to Europe.

It is just the second time that the United States is hosting the Copa America, which will feature 16 teams from South and North America and runs from June 20 to July 14.

“It’s a great time for soccer in America,” Olsen said. “I’m looking forward to soaking it all up.”

The participation of MLS players in the Copa America demonstrates the league’s ever-growing reach into Latin America. But some national teams, notably Mexico and Brazil, did not call up any MLS players.

The tournament is adding to an already congested schedule for many MLS players. In addition to the Copa America, the European Championship and the Olympics, there’s the Leagues Cup, which involves club teams from MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX and will take place from July 26 to Aug. 25.

“The schedule is what it is. We have to make the most of it,” Philadelphia coach Jim Curtin said.

Gazdag, who is with Hungary for the European Championship, has scored 10 goals for Philadelphia. At the Copa America, Damion Lowe is playing for Jamaica and Jose Martinez is with with Venezuela. Goalkeeper Andre Blake was called up for Jamaica, although he is injured and likely won’t play at the start of the tournament.

“When you lose your leading goal scorer this season and a guy who does a lot for us defensively — and I wish him all the luck in the world — but he’s going to be missed, you know? So, everybody has to step up,” Curtin said.

It remains to be seen if MLS takes an attendance or viewership hit because of absent players — or simply because there’s just so much soccer to consume. Apple TV broadcasts MLS games, while FOX Sports will air many Copa America and European Championship matches across its channels in the United States.

Inter Miami’s Julian Gressel told reporters he wants players to “take ownership” of the team in the absence of Messi, Suarez and Rojas.

“This is our time to keep the train rolling; we want to be top of the Supporters Shield standings at the end of the season and every game is a big part of that,” Gressel said. ”(I’m) just trying to emphasize that and trying to make it clear to the guys that it’s our time and we can do it without those guys as well.”

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Sun, Jun 16 2024 09:12:09 PM
Gretchen Walsh sets a world record and Katie Ledecky secures her 4th trip to Olympics at U.S. trials https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/gretchen-walsh-katie-ledecky-us-trials-swimming-olympics/5511398/ 5511398 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2157757846.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Gretchen Walsh set a world record in the women’s 100-meter butterfly Saturday night, posting a time of 55.18 seconds in a semifinal heat at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials.

Walsh was more than a half-second under world-record pace at the turn and finished strong to eclipse the mark of 55.48 set by Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

She held her hand over her mouth as she looked at the scoreboard in disbelief, a “WR” beside her name.

The 21-year-old Walsh, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, who competes for the University of Virginia, will return for the finals Sunday night looking to claim a spot on her first Olympic team.

Already making the Paris squad is Katie Ledecky, who secured her fourth trip to the Olympics in the women’s 400-meter freestyle.

Cheered on by a crowd of 20,689 at the home of the NFL‘s Indianapolis Colts, Ledecky touched the wall in 3 minutes, 58.35 seconds.

She improved on her time of 3:59.99 in the morning preliminaries and set herself up to make a run at another gold against a loaded field at the Paris Games. Australia’s Ariarne Titmus is the defending Olympic champion and world-record holder (3:55.38), with Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh also in the mix.

The 27-year-old Ledecky is set to swim four events at the trials, all of them freestyle events ranging from 200 to 1,500 meters. She already has six individual gold medals — more than any female swimmer in Olympic history.

The expected second spot on the Olympic team will go to Paige Madden, the runner-up behind Ledecky at 4:02.08.

Watch Ledecky’s gold medal performance in the 1500m in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics:

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Sat, Jun 15 2024 09:44:08 PM
Olympic spots are on the line for Patrick Cantlay and Corey Conners at the US Open https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/golf/olympic-spots-on-the-line-us-open/5510682/ 5510682 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/image-59.png?fit=300,169&quality=85&strip=all David Puig of Spain knew the score even before he teed off in the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. All he had to do was make the cut to move past Jorge Campillo and earn a spot in the Olympics this summer in Paris.

“Unless someone like Eugenio Chacarra wins,” Puig said earlier in the week.

He wasn’t thinking about Sergio Garcia, who also is still in the mix at the U.S. Open. With golf and the world ranking, there’s always more math involved than adding scores on a card.

The U.S. Open is the final week before the Official World Golf Ranking is used to determine the 60-man field for the men’s competition at Le Golf National.

Each country is allowed two players, with a maximum of four if they all are ranked among the top 15 in the world.

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and PGA champion Xander Schauffele, who won Olympic gold in Japan three years ago, already are assured a spot. Still to be determined is the other two players from the United States, along with tight races in Canada and possibly South Korea.

United States

Wyndham Clark has held down the No. 3 spot for the Americans for much of the year, and he still looks to be fairly safe.

Collin Morikawa, who lost in a playoff for the bronze medal in Tokyo, seized control of the fourth spot when he was runner-up at the Memorial last week. Morikawa already has played in the final group of two majors this year.

Patrick Cantlay, however, emerged as a contender with rounds of 65-71 that left him one shot out of the lead going into the weekend. A victory would move him ahead of Clark in the world ranking, and a two-way tie for second might be enough to bump Morikawa.

Morikawa still has the golf ball in his hand, even after a 74 on Friday left him in a tie for 51st going into the final two days at Pinehurst.

Cantlay has never spoken much about the Olympics, saying at the start of the year only that “any time you have the opportunity to represent your country, it’s important.” He was in a similar situation for the Tokyo Games, falling short in the final qualifying week at Torrey Pines.

Winning a major was his top priority at Pinehurst.

Canada

Nick Taylor sewed up his spot in the Olympics by winning the Phoenix Open in early February, and it has been a revolving door of candidates ever since — Corey Conners, Adam Hadwin, Dallas winner Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes.

Hadwin finished third at the Memorial and leaped past Conners for the No. 2 spot for Canada.

But then Hadwin missed the cut at the U.S. Open. Connors, with a game built for tough majors like the U.S. Open because of his supreme iron play, put together rounds of 69-70 and was tied for ninth going into the weekend.

Pendrith, who was 1-over par through two rounds at Pinehurst, also was still alive. Hadwin can only watch to see how it unfolds.

Conners would need to finish 11th alone at the U.S. Open to move past Hadwin. Pendrith would need at least a two-way tie for third (and then that might depend on what Conners does).

South Korea

Tom Kim and Byeong Hun An appear to have the two spots locked up, especially with Sungjae Im missing the cut.

The only player who can bump out An — who missed the cut — is Si Woo Kim, though he would need a two-way tie for third. Kim was seven shots out of that position going into Saturday.

As for Im, he isn’t likely to lose any sleep over this. Im (and Si Woo Kim) won the team gold in the Asian Games last year in China, and that made them exempt from mandatory military service. For South Korean men, that’s better than gold.

A word on Britain

Team Britain is set with Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick after Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre missed the cut.

Most curious is Tyrrell Hatton, who is only four spots behind Fitzpatrick in the world ranking.

Hatton was tied for ninth through 36 holes at Pinehurst. Something in the top 10 might have been enough to move past Fitzpatrick. Something a little better might have given Britain three players because Hatton currently is at No. 20.

However, Hatton decided to remove his name from Olympic qualifying and is no longer eligible.

Australia

Adam Scott has never liked the idea of golf in the Olympics and removed his name from consideration, leaving Jason Day and Min Woo Lee virtually locked up for Australia.

Former British Open champion Cameron Smith is a long shot. He started the weekend at 3 over and would need to finish third to have any chance of bumping Lee.

Spain

Here’s where it pays to play for LIV Golf (beyond the obvious).

The Saudi-backed league does not get world ranking points. That actually helped Puig when he compiled a series of good finishes on the Asian Tour because the ranking formula is points earned divided by tournaments played over a two-year period.

Puig has a minimum divisor of 40. So does Garcia, another LIV player. Garcia could finish second at the U.S. Open and that would be enough to move past Puig.

It’s a long shot. And nothing is settled until the scores are in Sunday, the world ranking is published and the National Olympic Committee from each country certifies who’s going.

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Sat, Jun 15 2024 12:27:22 PM
IOC gives 14 Russians, 11 Belarusians neutral status for Paris Olympics in first round of decisions https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/ioc-allows-select-russian-belarusian-athletes-to-compete-neutrally-paris-olympics/5510498/ 5510498 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/AP24159766330843.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 The IOC approved 14 athletes from Russia and 11 Belarusians with neutral status to compete at the Paris Olympics in a first list from some sports published Saturday.

Five sports — though not tennis, swimming or judo — were assessed by an International Olympic Committee panel judging if athletes had expressed support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine or had ties to sports clubs linked to the military or state security services.

Cycling, gymnastics, taekwondo, weightlifting and wrestling were assessed first and lists of athletes from other Olympic sports are likely to follow within days.

Athletes approved Saturday include the defending Olympic champion in men’s trampoline, Ivan Litvinovich from Belarus, and Russian cyclist Aleksandr Vlasov, who has three career top-10 finishes in Grand Tours.

It is still unclear how many Russian athletes will compete at the Olympics being held from July 26-Aug. 11. The IOC already barred them from taking part in the opening ceremony parade of athletes scheduled on boats sailing along the River Seine.

No athletes were approved by the IOC in taekwondo, where the Russian team took two of the eight gold medals in Tokyo three years ago by Vladislav Larin and Maksim Khramtsov.

“In some sports, the number of eligible athletes may be lower than the number of earned quota places,” the IOC said in a statement.

Russia and Belarus are banned from team sports at the Paris Olympics because of the war on Ukraine.

Individual athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports have been allowed to compete as neutrals in qualifying events in most other sports, then apply for entry to the Olympics.

Ukrainian athletes including Olympic medalists and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have urged IOC and sports leaders to impose a blanket ban on all Russians. Track and field did that, and soccer bodies FIFA and UEFA excluded Russian teams from international play within days of the invasion starting in February 2022.

The two-stage vetting process for neutral status goes through sports governing bodies, then the IOC panel before appeals are possible at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Further conditions imposed on the athletes include competing as Individual Neutral Athletes, with the acronym in French AIN, without the Russian flag — and in uniforms that are not in its colors of red, white and blue.

The Russian anthem is also barred, replaced with music commissioned by the IOC, and medals they win should not be included in any table.

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Sat, Jun 15 2024 10:40:17 AM
How a father-son trip sparked Paralympian Ezra Frech's love for track and field https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/ezra-frech-team-usa-paralympics/5505044/ 5505044 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-1795565431-e1718240138800.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Clayton Frech thought one of his dreams as a parent was gone.

A surfer from Santa Barbara, California, Frech had imagined a future where he would ride waves in the ocean with his kids. But he initially didn’t think that would be possible with his son, Ezra.

That’s because Ezra was born congenital limb differences, missing his left knee, left fibula and four fingers on his left hand. He underwent an amputation of his left leg and had one of the toes from his amputated foot transplanted to his left hand.

Ezra received his first prosthetic leg at 11 months old.

“I didn’t think I could surf with my kid,” Clayton told NBC. “I would go surf and I would just cry in the water, processing what I perceived as my loss.”

In reality, Clayton’s dream was still very much attainable. He just hadn’t been introduced to the world of adaptive sports yet.

“I didn’t know there was adaptive surfing,” he said. “I didn’t know there was any of this stuff.”

Ezra took part in his first adaptive sports competition when he was 8 years old, but it wasn’t surfing. Rather, Clayton and Ezra traveled from their Los Angeles residence to Oklahoma for a track and field competition.

“He doesn’t know how to do any of these sports,” Clayton recounted, “because what 8-year-old does track and field?”

Ezra, however, quickly proved to be a natural. Despite his lack of experience, he broke the national long jump record at the competition.

The record leap was a life-shaping moment for Ezra, who had suddenly discovered a newfound passion.

“I broke the national record and got so excited that I went to do it again and then went to do it again,” Ezra told NBC. “That love for pushing myself just a couple of centimeters further or higher sparked my love for the sport.”

Ezra grew up playing several sports — from basketball to football and even surfing — but he knew from a young age his future was in track and field. He described having an out-of-body experience of sorts while watching the 2016 Rio Paralympics where he felt like the universe was telling him: “This is your calling.”

Ezra, who was a preteen at the time, then informed his family, friends and “anyone he could talk to” that he was going to make Team USA’s Paralympic roster for the 2020 Tokyo Games. And that childhood dream eventually turned into reality.

Five years later, Ezra recorded his Paralympic debut as a 16-year-old at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games, competing in the high and long jumps. He finished fifth in the high jump and eighth in the long jump.

While he didn’t earn a medal in Tokyo, Ezra didn’t have to wait too long for his breakout moment on an international stage.

Just a month after graduating from high school in 2023, he set a new world record in the high jump T63 two different times at the World Para Athletics Championships in Paris. His best leap of 1.95 meters earned him his first world title.

“It’s so incredible for me to think about where he’s come as this kid that I thought couldn’t even surf and the kid can do anything, frankly, better than me in most cases,” Clayton said.

Ezra, now 19, took a gap year following his high school graduation to prepare for the 2024 Paris Games. This past February, he became the first above-the-knee amputee to commit to a Division I track and field program after announcing he would attend USC.

Before suiting up for the Trojans, though, Ezra hopes to pick up a few Paralympic medals. His goals for Paris include winning gold in the high jump, earning a medal in the long jump and making the podium in the 100 meters — an event he’ll be making his Paralympic debut in.

Just like that 8-year-old who was chasing records in his very first track and field competition, Ezra continues to set the bar high for himself.

“When I look back on the little kid who had all these big dreams, who said he wanted to go to the Paralympics one day, who wanted to become a world champion and a world record holder — that’s what motivates me,” Ezra said. “The younger version of myself who set these big goals.”

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Fri, Jun 14 2024 10:06:47 AM
Rafael Nadal skipping Wimbledon to prepare for Paris Olympics on clay https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/tennis/rafael-nadal-skipping-wimbledon-paris-olympics-preparation/5504219/ 5504219 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/web-240613-rafael-nadal.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Rafael Nadal is going to skip Wimbledon, as expected, and instead prepare for the Paris Olympics by entering a clay-court tournament in Bastad, Sweden, he hasn’t been to in 19 years.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion, who turned 38 on June 3, said Thursday he wants to just remain on clay, rather than switching over to grass for the All England Club, then needing to go back to clay for the Summer Games.

“We believe that the best for my body is not to change surface,” Nadal said in a statement.

He has been dealing with hip and abdominal injuries over the past 1 1/2 years, including having surgery in 2023, and has been forced to play a limited schedule. Nadal was defeated in the first round of the French Open late last month by eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev — marking the first time in Nadal’s career he has lost consecutive matches on clay.

The Summer Games will hold the tennis competition at Roland Garros starting on July 27. That is the site of the French Open, where Nadal has won a record 14 titles.

Nadal will play doubles — with Carlos Alcaraz — and singles at the OIympics, Spanish men’s tennis captain David Ferrer said Wednesday. Alcaraz, 21, won the French Open on Sunday for his third Grand Slam title. He is the youngest man to own major championships on all three surfaces.

After his exit against Zverev in Paris, Nadal was asked about participating at Wimbledon, which runs from July 1-14.

“Looks difficult, honestly. For me, now, I can’t confirm what’s going on, but it looks difficult to make a transition to grass, having the Olympics again on clay,” he said.

“But I don’t think it’s going to be smart, after all the things that happened to my body,” Nadal continued, “(to) now make a big transition to a completely different surface and then come back immediately to clay.”

He won two titles at Wimbledon, beating Roger Federer in the 2008 final and Tomas Berdych in the 2010 final.

Nadal also was the runner-up there three times and exited after reaching the semifinals in each of his past three appearances, including his last trip to the All England Club, in 2022, when he withdrew from the final four because of a torn abdominal muscle.

“I will miss playing at the Championships this year at Wimbledon. I am saddened not to be able to live this year the great atmosphere of that amazing event that will always be in my heart,” Nadal said Thursday, “and be with all the British fans that always gave me great support. I will miss you all.”

This will be his fourth appearance at Bastad — a clay-court tournament that starts July 15, the day after Wimbledon — and first since 2005.

Nadal won the trophy there that year, beating Berdych in the final.

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Thu, Jun 13 2024 11:29:10 AM
USMNT, Brazil play to 1-1 draw in Continental Clasico https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/soccer/usmnt-brazil-friendly-score-result/5502340/ 5502340 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2156688449-e1718240894612.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 It wasn’t perfect, but the U.S. men’s national team showed fight and grit against an elite Brazil side.

After losing 5-1 to Colombia on Saturday, the USMNT on Wednesday managed a 1-1 draw against Brazil in the second annual Continental Clasico. It wasn’t a win, but it was the type of performance the U.S. needed to improve confidence levels entering the Copa America.

The first half was absolutely electric. Both teams played open, with Brazil pressing extremely high when the U.S. tried to build up from the back.

The U.S. succeeded getting through Brazil often early on and even extracted multiple deep shots to test Alisson, including a near-wonder goal by Yunus Musah that rattled the crossbar.

Despite the early tests by the U.S., Brazil struck first after making Matt Turner more busy. Vinicius Jr. had some opportunities, but his shots lacked power to bypass the American.

Instead, Vinicius Jr.’s Real Madrid teammate, Rodrygo, slotted home in the 17th minute. Turner tried to go long but ended up conceding possession in a dangerous area, which resulted in Raphinha finding Rodrygo for a weak-footed finish.

The game state could’ve completely shifted for the worse from there, similar to how the U.S. caved against Colombia, but this lineup fared much better.

It didn’t take long for the U.S. to equalize, and it came from a very familiar source. After Brazilian midfielder Joao Gomes conceded a foul right before the penalty line (and somehow avoided a second yellow), Christian Pulisic in the 26th minute converted the free kick by placing it in the unlikeliest of spots.

Brazil dominated possession as the halftime score read 1-1, but the U.S. logged six shots and put five on target, so it wasn’t short of creativity compared to the Colombia contest.

The second half again was dominated by Brazil in possession, with the U.S. only feeding off scraps in transition.

Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo remained busy in front of goal, but Turner was terrific on several occasions to make saves or come out to claim crosses.

Pulisic then had the best moment of the half in the 68th minute, but he took the shot first time with his weak foot when he probably had enough time to take an extra touch.

The introductions of Endrick and Gabriel Martinelli helped Brazil maintain the pressure in the final third, but Brazil continued to struggle to get past Turner.

In the end, Brazil had 25 shots with 12 on target to the USMNT’s 12 shots with seven on target.

Besides Turner’s heroics between the sticks, Musah, Tim Weah, Joe Scally and the center-back pairing of Tim Ream and Chris Richards stood out for the U.S.

The USMNT have experienced some success when it plays in a compact low block against elite nations, compared to trying to outplay them by dominating possession.

Most of that comes down to the lack of personnel to play a possession-based system at a high level, but the U.S. needs more results like this to keep improving.

Next up is the Copa America tournament, which will be held in the United States. First up in the group stage for the U.S. is a game against Bolivia on Sunday, June 23.

Brazil, meanwhile, will play Costa Rica on the Monday after.

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Wed, Jun 12 2024 09:20:17 PM
Back on track: Sha'Carri Richardson looking to make her Olympic debut https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/shacarri-richardson-track-field-team-usa/5498746/ 5498746 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/web-240611-shacarri-richardson-getty.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 At the very end of Sha’Carri Richardson’s road to redemption lies a gold medal.

The track and field star, whose 2021 disqualification cost her a chance to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, is quickly making her way down that road as she looks to secure her spot on Team USA for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.  

“What would it mean to make it to Paris? Just literally all the training, all of the support, all of the naysayers, it pays off,” Richardson told NBC. “It pays off in that moment when you realize when you made that Olympic team.”

Richardson, a Dallas native, made the 2021 Olympic team after winning 100m event at the trials to qualify, but she later test positive for THC, the chemical in cannabis. She was disqualified for one month, which prevented her from competing in on sports’ grandest stage during the Tokyo Games.

The Olympics went on without her.

She returned to the track at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic, finishing ninth. She returned to Olympic form nearly two years later, officially kicking off her revenge tour.

She won the 100m at the U.S. Track and Field Championships in a time of 10.82 seconds. She then claimed the title of fastest woman in the world with her 100m win at the 2023 World Athletic Championships in Budapest. She went on to kick off the Olympic year with a win at the Prefontaine Classic in a time of 10.83 seconds.

“I’m better, I’m stronger and I’m wiser,” Richardson said. “I just knew that I was in a different position that I’ve never been in my entire life.”

That soon could lead the 24-year-old to other places she has not yet been: the Olympics, and possibly the top of the podium.

Richardson is scheduled to run in her first Olympic trials preliminary on June 21 in Eugene, Oregon. 

If she qualifies for the Games, she’ll look to become the first American woman to win gold in the 100 meter since Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988.

Richardson is back on track, literally and figuratively, and she credits her family for helping to lead her down the road to Paris.

“My family is so special to me, only for the fact that they know me, supported me and been there for me much longer than I even knew I was going to be who I was,” Richardson said. “They knew who I was going to be before I even put it together.”

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Wed, Jun 12 2024 08:24:17 PM
Lionel Messi confirms Inter Miami will be last club before retirement https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/soccer/lionel-messi-confirms-inter-miami-last-club/5501152/ 5501152 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2156867680.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 Lionel Messi said Inter Miami will be the last club he plays for before he decides to hang up the cleats.

Although the 36-year-old star is not ready to call it a career quite yet, he said he realizes his time in the sport is running out.

“Inter Miami will be my last club,” Messi told ESPN. “I love playing football. I enjoy everything much more because I am aware that there is less [left to play].”

Messi, who has a contract with Inter Miami until the end of 2025, joined MLS in 2023 after a 20-year run in Europe playing for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

“I’ve done this all of my life; I love playing ball. I enjoy the practices and the day-to-day, the games,” Messi said. “There’s a bit of fear that it’s all ending. It’s always there. It was a difficult step leaving Europe to come here [Miami].”

That being said, Messi stated emphatically, “I try to enjoy it. I do that more now because I’m aware that there’s not a lot of time left. So I have a good time with the club, being lucky having good teammates and friends at my side.”

The record eight-time Ballond’Or winner has scored 14 goals for Inter Miami on the season. He also sparked Argentina’s victories in the 2023 Copa America, the 2022 World Cup and is on par to represent his country in this month’s Copa América.

Whether Messi plans to play for his homeland in the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, is still unclear.

“I enjoy my time with the national team, where I also have good friends, too, and a lot. I enjoy those small details that I know I’ll miss when I stop playing.”

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Wed, Jun 12 2024 02:32:48 PM
NWSL team gets bumped from hosting home game due to a music festival https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/soccer/chicago-red-stars-options-sept-21-game-riot-fest-relocation/5502310/ 5502310 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2023/05/RED-STARS-LOGO-GETTY-1233560637-1.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,169 Riot Fest made waves this week when it announced it would be moving from Chicago’s Douglass Park and out to suburban SeatGeek Stadium, but that news could have an impact on the Chicago Red Stars soccer club.

The Red Stars, who just set an attendance record in the NWSL over the weekend at Wrigley Field, are scheduled to take on San Diego Wave FC at SeatGeek Stadium on Sept. 21, right in the middle of Riot Fest’s three-day festival in Bridgeview.

The team released a statement on Wednesday after the Riot Fest announcement, saying that the double-booking of the stadium grounds illustrates the challenges faced by women’s sports teams.

“It is unfair and unfortunate to have our club put in this situation, shining a light on the vast discrepancies in the treatment of women’s professional sports vs. men’s professional sports,” team President Karen Leetzow said in a statement.

The club says it is exploring its options for the game, but did not elaborate on where they could potentially contest the game.

“We are committed to ensuring our players and fans have a first-rate experience on and off the pitch, and we are working diligently to find a solution that will ensure our Sept. 21 game is a success,” Leetzow said.

If the Red Stars were to seek out a venue change, they wouldn’t be able to use Wrigley Field again, as the Chicago Cubs have a scheduled home game against the Washington Nationals.

Soldier Field’s two primary tenants, the Chicago Bears and Chicago Fire FC, are both on the road that weekend, with the Bears in Indianapolis to play the Colts and the Fire in Montreal.

Guaranteed Rate Field is also vacant on the Saturday, with the White Sox in San Diego taking on the Padres.

Riot Fest, which has been held in Douglass Park for nearly 10 years, announced the move on Tuesday, citing issues with the Chicago Park District as reason for the change.

The festival will still be held over three days from Sept. 20-22, and will be part of “Riotland,” with numerous stages, food vendors and more taking place around SeatGeek Stadium.

Information the festival’s lineup can be found on the Riot Fest website.

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Wed, Jun 12 2024 02:23:02 PM
How university helped gold medal swimmer Lydia Jacoby fight post-Olympic depression https://www.nbcnewyork.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/lydia-jacoby-overcame-post-olympic-depression/5498927/ 5498927 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2149023764.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,200 One moment Lydia Jacoby was at the center of the global stage, and the next, she was alone with her thoughts.

In 2021, the then-17-year-old became the first swimmer from Alaska to qualify for the Olympics and went on to improbably win the 100-meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Games.   

Her lifetime goal was achieved at a young age, as she reached the pinnacle of her sport. But the celebration period only lasted so long.

It can become harder to dream once the dream has come true. That is one of the many contributing factors in post-Olympic depression, a condition that can overwhelm athletes after failure or triumph. 

“I feel like nobody entirely understands depression because everybody’s version of that is so different,” Jacoby said on NBC’s “My New Favorite Olympian.”

“But I think for me, after the Olympics, going from a small town in Alaska, I had never had much outside pressure.”

Working toward an accomplishment of such magnitude requires hyperfocus – a one-dimensional mindset that concentrates almost exclusively on the singular path leading to the top of the podium. Once there, then what?

For some, the mind’s silence can become deafening, the chatter suddenly slips away as if a diver had just crossed from the open air to beneath the water’s surface. 

For others, the void left by unwelcomed mental freedom can be filled with the immense pressure that follow success. 

“People don’t care what you do until you’ve done something,” Jacoby said. “And for me, that was definitely very visible.”

Jacoby said after the Olympics she not only lost the desire to swim, but to even get out of bed.

“I’ve had points where I am severely depressed and there will be weeks where I just don’t want to live my life anymore,” she said.  

Jacoby found new motivation after enrolling at the University of Texas at Austin, where she became a rare college freshman with a glimmering gold medal.   

People don’t care what you do until you’ve done something

Lydia Jacoby

“I think I was just ready for something new,” Jacoby said. “I had really reached the pinnacle of sports, and I just was kind of lost on where to go next. So, I think the move to Texas was a great one in that regard.”

The hometown hero from Seward, Alaska went from a city with a population of less than 3,000 people to a university with more than 50,000 students. There she blended in as another face in the crowd, another kid in the class, another swimmer in the pool. 

Another big fish in a big pond. 

At UT, she became refocused and learned about setting limitations to avoid feeling overwhelmed. 

Texas women’s swimming and diving coach Carol Capitani said one of the primary jobs in coaching is to give athletes like Jacoby some “guardrails.”

“Not everyone deserves to have every piece of her,” Capitani said. “Just kind of helping her learn herself so that she knows who is deserving of her time and who is deserving of her energy has been a pretty powerful lesson.”

Many high-profile athletes have publicly announced their recent struggles with mental health, including four-time gold-medal winning Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.

Not everyone deserves to have every piece of her

UT swimming and diving coach Carol Capitani

Missy Franklin, one of only two U.S. swimmers over the last two decades to win an individual Olympic gold medal at a younger age than Jacoby, went public with her mental health struggles after her early success. 

She received some backlash, hearing one early critic say, “Oh, you poor Olympic gold medalist.”

“One of the things internally that I was struggling with the most is not only the feelings of depression, but the guilt of those feelings, thinking those exact thoughts of, ‘How could I possibly feel like this?'” Franklin said on “My New Favorite Olympian.”

“How can I be suffering in this way when God has given me so much, when I’ve been blessed with so much, when I’ve achieved my dreams and been successful at the top of my sport?”

Dr. Michael Gervais, who has worked with Olympians on high performance levels and well-being, explained the range of emotions that come with post-Olympic depression by using the analogy of a circus coming to town. 

“It’s exciting. There’s all the family fun that would take place. It’s a place. It’s a destination that you want to go to,” he said. “And when the circus leaves town, the grass is trampled. There’s trash everywhere.”

That can leave athletes who have dedicated their mindspace to one very specific objective without direction.  

“So, you’ve got this big idea of purpose. I know exactly why I’m waking up. I know exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. I am excited in this pursuit of the unknown because I don’t know how it’s going to go. And that animation and that aliveness and that discipline and drive to try to be one’s very best amongst others who are also trying the same is such an electric way to go through life. And then when it ends, the question begs itself, ‘Well, now what? Who am I?'” 

Jacoby rediscovered who she was, and reignited her love for the sport, while at Texas. 

“I kind of burnt out post-Olympics,” she said. “So, I think I’m kind of having that year to do things, make mistakes, learn, have some fun. And then going to Texas was a good reset, reintroduction to the sport. New coaches, new teammates. So, I think that that was a really good move for me to kind of transition into that next point in my life.”

 Jacoby was interviewed for “My New Favorite Olympian,” a series that tells the stories of Team USA’s most inspiring athletes and the causes they champion. Subscribe to My New Favorite Olympian wherever you get your podcasts.

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Wed, Jun 12 2024 08:18:06 AM
Man United manager Ten Hag to keep job after performance review, AP source says https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/sports/soccer/man-united-ten-hag-keep-job-ap-source-says/5499306/ 5499306 post https://media.nbcnewyork.com/2024/06/GettyImages-2154992732-e1718166259193.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=300,204 Erik ten Hag will stay on as Manchester United manager and is in negotiations to extend his contract, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision had not been publicly announced.

The decision ends months of uncertainty over Ten Hag’s future after he oversaw United’s worst league campaign in 34 years, but ended the season by winning the FA Cup with a victory over Manchester City.

United carried out an end-of-year review after last month’s cup final and decided to stick with Ten Hag, who has won two trophies in as many seasons since joining the club from Ajax in 2022.

The FA Cup followed the English League Cup, which the Dutchman won in his first year at Old Trafford. But his second season in charge saw the 20-time champion suffer its lowest Premier League finish — eighth — losing 19 times in all competitions.

Ten Hag keeps his job in the face of a major overhaul of United’s soccer operations by new co-owner Jim Ratcliffe.

British billionaire Ratcliffe bought a 27.7% stake in the club in February and has hired a new CEO and technical director, with a sporting director on the way.

Ten Hag, who won three Dutch titles with Ajax, was Ratcliffe’s last major call. He survived despite failing to meet Ratcliffe’s challenge of securing Champions League qualification for next season.

Ten Hag is United’s fifth permanent manager since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 during a period of decline on the field. It has gone 11 years without winning the title.

David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all failed to return the club to its past glories.

Ten Hag went into the cup final under intense pressure and it was not known if a win would be enough to save his job.

His team produced an outstanding performance to beat four-time defending league champion City 2-1 at Wembley Stadium.

Afterward, an emboldened Ten Hag issued a defiant message, saying if United “don’t want me anymore then I go somewhere else to win trophies because that is what I did my whole career.”

Ratcliffe assumed control of United’s failing soccer operations after investing $1.3 billion in shares and injecting a further $300 million cash into the club.

He has quickly begun his overhaul with the appointment of former Manchester City executive Omar Berrada as CEO. City’s former academy head Jason Wilcox has been hired as technical director.

Newcastle’s Dan Ashworth is set to become sporting director.

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Wed, Jun 12 2024 12:35:11 AM