The latest on the Paris Olympics | CNN (2024)

Fans saw plenty of standout performances at the 2024 Paris Olympics today, from South Korean archers to newly crowned French swimming royalty. But the US in particular brought the star-power during an exciting day of action in Paris.

If you’re just catching up, here’s what happened at the Games on Sunday:

Gymnastics:

Basketball:

Tennis:

Swimming:

Other key moments:

The Canadian women’s soccer team downed host country France late into stoppage time in a Group A showdown Sunday in Saint-Étienne, France.

With the score level at 1-1, Canada defender Vanessa Gilles played hero and found the back of the net in the 12th minute of stoppage time, after multiple injuriesin the game prior.

The win keeps Canada’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive, despite the six-point deduction handed down by FIFA after a scandal involving a staff member who flew a drone to film an opponent’s closed-door training sessions.

In the 68th minute, French goalkeeperPauline Peyraud-Magninwas stretchered off the field after taking a cleat to the head by her own teammate. She was replaced by Constance Picaud.

With the point deduction, Canada is currently in third place in the group, behind Colombia and France.

Canada will face Colombia on Wednesday at the Allianz Riviera in Nice, France.

USWNTforward Trinity Rodman and Germany's Felicitas Rauch chase the ball during the match in Marseille, France, on July 28.

The US Women’s National Team brushed aside Germany in its second game of the Olympics, using a dynamic three-goal first half to cruise to victory.

Sophia Smith opened the scoring in the 10th minute by latching on to the end of a pass from fellow forward Trinity Rodman. A great run by Mallory Swanson drew defenders in, but she allowed the ball to run to Smith, who finished with aplomb.

The Germans equalized a little more than 10 minutes later on a long drive from outside the box that just tucked inside the far post, passing goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. Giulia Gwinn’s lengthy shot is the first goal scored against the USWNT under new head coach Emma Hayes.

Germany's Ann-Katrin Berger fails to save the USWNT's third goal.

But just four minutes later, Mallory Swanson put her team back into the lead. A long shot from Smith was stopped by the German keeper, who was unable to knock the ball away from the charging Swanson. It was a clinical finish by a striker who said she needed to make sure she finished these kinds of chances in the run-up to the Games.

Smith got her second goal of the night just before halftime and it was a doozy. Her shot was deflected and floated up over the German defense, eluding their keeper before bouncing off the post. The spin on the ball was such that it bounced across the goal line, eventually settling in the side-netting.

Smith and Hayes both had sly smiles after the goal, acknowledging the stroke of luck.

USWNT midfielder Lindsey Horan, right, congratulates Mallory Swanson after she scored.

The second half of the game was a much calmer affair, as the US was happy to knock the ball around and keep position. The Germans threatened on a couple occasions but were not able to beat Naeher again.

Second-half substitute Lynn Williams put the match away, scoring from the left side of the box to make the score 4-1. On for Smith, Williams took a pass from Rodman and slotted it in the side of the net.

Earlier on Sunday, an Olympic lifeguard deemed “Bob the Cap Catcher” became the center of attention for a few moments as he dove into the pool to retrieve American swimmer Emma Weber’sswim cap.

The lifeguard, who wore a bright, multi-colored, very small swimsuit, brought some levity to an intense competitive atmosphere, but his role in the games is actually quite important.

It might seem silly to have lifeguards present when the world’s best swimmers are all in one place, but accidents can still happen — especially when athletes are on the international stage, pushing themselves to their limits.

That is why lifeguards are required at the Olympics in almost all major swimming competitions.

There is a history of swimmers who have needed assistance during competitions.

Back in 2022, for example, American swimmer Anita Alvarez was rescued from the bottom of the pool by her coach at the FINA World Aquatic Championships in Budapest, Hungary, after she lost consciousness.

Coach Andrea Fuentes jumped into the pool after she saw the 25-year-old artistic swimmer sink to the bottom at the end of her routine in the women’s solo free event.

Alvarez, who competed at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, received medical attention beside the pool and was subsequently carried off in a stretcher.

It was the second time Fuentes has had to rescue Alvarez. She leapt into the pool during an Olympic qualification event last year and pulled her to safety, along with the American’s swim partner, Lindi Schroeder.

Lynn Williams, second left,celebrates scoring the US Women's National Team's fourth goal on July 28.

Second-half substitute Lynn Williams has just about put the game out of reach for the US women’s side, scoring from the left side of the box to make the score 4-1.

On for brace-scorer Sophia Smith, Williams took a pass from Trinity Rodman — the catalyst for much of the good work done by the USWNT attack today — and buried it in the side netting.

It’s been a much drabber second half after a first 45 minutes full of goals, but Williams’ strike was greeted with massive cheers from traveling US fans as a beloved player finally got her Olympic moment.

Suni Lee of the United States competes on the uneven bars during a gymnastics qualification round July 28.

Team USA finished on top of the women’s gymnastics qualifying scores on Sunday, putting them in a confident position ahead of Tuesday’s medal round.

On the individual front, Simone Biles and Suni Lee will once again compete for gold in the all-around competition. The duo has won the last two gold medals in that competition.

Team USA is also going to send much of the team to individual medal events later on in the Games.

Biles has qualified for the medal round of the floor exercise, balance beam and vault. Jade Carey has qualified for the final in vault, Suni Lee qualified in the uneven bars and balance beam, and Jordan Chiles qualified in the floor exercise.

Lee Kiefer, right, competes with Lauren Scruggs in the women's foil event on July 28.

It was an all-USA final in the women’s foil event, and Lee Kiefer emerged victorious for her second consecutive gold medal in the event.

Kiefer overwhelmed compatriot Lauren Scruggs 15-6 at the Grand Palais, winning her second career Olympic medal, while Scruggs won silver in her Olympic debut.

Canada’s Eleanor Harvey won her nation’s first-ever fencing medal with a victory in the bronze medal match over Italy’s Alice Volpi.

Germany just had the best chance of the second half, which has been a much calmer affair than the four-goal opening 45 minutes.

The US has been content to knock the ball around and, despite having multiple corner kicks, had not really created many good chances in the opening stages of the second half.

But yet another blistering run by Trinity Rodman on the German right flank ended in Crystal Dunn firing just wide of the post from a dangerous position.

Germany has to go on the attack to have a chance in this match, which could give the USWNT opportunities to further its lead.

Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi celebrates winning the men's 100m breaststroke gold on July 28.

Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi won gold in the men’s 100m breaststroke final on Sunday at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 24-year-old Martinenghi finished with a time of 59.03.

“It’s a dream come true. I dreamed (of this) when I was young, so I grow with this as a goal in my mentality, I prepare, I build my wall,” the Italian said post-race.

“Today’s the final step, the gold medal in the Olympic Games, that’s my dream. I don’t know what to say. I can say that I am Olympic champion.”

USA’s Nic Fink and Great Britain’s Adam Peaty finished tied for silver with a time of 59.05.

The 29-year-old Peaty, who is the current world record holder in the event, fell short of a historic three-peat.

After the event, a disappointed Peaty went over to congratulate the Italian swimmer.

A spectator walks through water mist sprayers on their way to Eiffel Tower Stadium in Paris on July 28.

With the 2024 Paris Games in full swing, a very hot air mass from Spain will spread into France this week, with Wednesday expected to be the hottest day of the sequence on a national scale.

Both high temperatures and low temperatures are expected to be well above average for the next several days, leading France’s meteorological department, Meteo-France, to issue orange heat warnings beginning Monday at noon local time for39 separate locations.

While France has already recorded a temperature of at least 40°C (104°F) in Céret back on July 20, they have not yet experienced an official heat wave.

In France, aheatwaveis officially defined as an episode of temperatures significantly higher than normal for at least three days.

Here are temperatures expected in some Olympic venue cities during this heat wave:

Trinity Rodman of United States in moves past Germany's Alexandra Popp in Marseille, France, on July 28.

OK, time to catch your breath.

Four goals in 45 minutes is enough to make your head spin and it appears that the concerns about the US Women’s National Team not being clinical enough in front of goal are being put to rest.

The USWNT is taking a 3-1 lead into the break with two goals from Sophia Smith and another from Mallory Swanson as the team’s front three has been electric.

One more half to go, but it’s looking good for coach Emma Hayes’ squad so far.

Sophia Smith has her second goal of the night and it was a doozy.

Just minutes before halftime, a deflected Smith shot floated up over the German defense and eluded their keeper before bouncing off the post. The spin on the ball was such that it bounced across the goal line, eventually settling in the side-netting.

Smith and head coach Emma Hayes both had sly smiles after the goal, acknowledging the stroke of luck.

It’s nearly halftime in Marseille.

Americans Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh approach the finish in the women’s 100-meter butterfly final on July 28.

American swimmers Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh finished in first and second place respectively in the women’s 100m butterfly final on Sunday.

The 21-year-old Huske finished with 55.59 to take home Team USA’s first individual gold medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Walsh, the favorite coming into the event and the current world record holder, finished just 0.04 behind her compatriot, with a time of 55.63. China’s Zhang Yufei came in third with a time of 56.21.

Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh celebrate after winning gold and silver.

“I feel good. It wasn’t exactly the time I was looking for, I feel like I am capable of more,” Walsh said after the race.

“But just to be here at the Olympics, get a silver medal, nobody can complain about that, and I’m really proud of myself for showing up tonight, putting my best foot forward and racing with a great field.”

Walsh added: “It’s going to be pretty cool on the podium tonight when I hear the national anthem. I’m excited to have that moment with Torri.”

Australia's defender Steph Catley shoots to score a penalty kick in a match againstZambia in Nice, France, on July 28.

In what must surely be considered one of the greatest comebacks in the history of Olympic soccer, Australia’s Matildas overturned a 5-2 deficit against Zambia — with just over 35 minutes remaining in the match — to pull off a remarkable 6-5 victory in Nice.

The game looked as good as over by half-time, in no small part thanks to Zambia’s superb forward Barbra Banda, who bagged a first-half hat-trick, to put her country firmly in control at the break, 4-2.

But that’s when the fun really began. In the 56th minute, Zambian forward Racheal Kundananji — who holds the record for being the most expensive transfer in women’s soccer — made the score 5-2 with her second of the match, and the Copper Queens seemed assured of putting their opening group game defeat to the United States well and truly behind them.

But the footballing cliche of “2-0 is considered the most dangerous lead” may well need to be reassessed, as in the space of just 20 minutes, a brace from captain Stephanie Catley and Matildas substitute Michelle Heyman leveled the score at 5-5.

It felt as though a winner was inevitable, and with all the momentum swinging to Australia — perhaps the understatement of these Olympics — Heyman slotted home the winner in the 90th minute.

Zambia’s Martha Tembo consoles teammate Barbra Banda after losing to Australia.

It would be the Matildas’ only lead of the night.

Somehow, no more goals were scored in the eight minutes of added time, and the final whistle brought about screams of joy — or perhaps something more resembling relief from Australia — and tears from Zambia, which still awaits its first ever win in women’s football at the Olympics.

And as the dust starts to settle on the most extraordinary soccer match we will surely see over the coming days, spare a thought for Zambia’s hat-trick scorer Banda. While the 24-year-old is now the first player in women’s football to score three hat-tricks at the Olympic Games, she remains winless across all three matches.

Mallory Swanson celebrates scoring her team's second goal in Marseille, France, on July 28.

It’s a goal-a-palooza in Marseille at the moment.

The US Women National Team’s Mallory Swanson has just put her team back into the lead only minutes after Germany had equalized at 1-1.

A long shot from the US’ Sophia Smith was stopped by the German keeper, who was unable to knock the ball away from the charging Swanson.

It was a clinical finish by a striker who said she needed to make sure she finished these kinds of chances in the run-up to the Games.

It’s 2-1, with the US in the lead.

Germany has tied up the match 1-1 against the US on a long drive from outside the box that just tucked inside the far post past goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.

Giulia Gwinn’s lengthy shot is the first goal scored against the USWNT under new head coach Emma Hayes.

US defender Sam Coffey was given a yellow card in a build-up to the goal.

The US Women’s National Team has taken the lead against Germany in the opening 10 minutes.

Trinity Rodman went on a run down the German left flank and crossed into the box. A great run by Mallory Swanson drew defenders in, but she allowed the ball to run to Sophia Smith who finished with aplomb.

That front trio for the United States is set to be crucial for the US in these games. Read more about Smith here.

Members of the US Women’s National Team line up during the national anthems before the match against Germany on July 28.

The US Women’s National Team match with Germany has kicked off at the Paris Olympics, as the US side tries to find its stride during these Olympic Games.

The USWNT’s frustrating, scoreless draw against Costa Ricain their final game before heading to Paris made for a neat encapsulation of the task ahead for head coachEmma Hayes.

The old reliable stars of the team’s golden generation are largely gone. And this will be the competition wherenew ones will have to be made — or a streak of disappointing major tournaments will go on for another frustrating few years.

Horan added that the team needs new players to “be great, be confident.”

For young stars like Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman entering their first Olympics, and four other players playing in their first major tournament for the US national team, it’s the first major test in what they hope will be a long career in the red, white and blue.

Other veterans like Rose Lavelle and Alyssa Naeher will be looking to redeem themselves from disappointing showings in Tokyo, Australia and New Zealand, where the US suffered itsearliest-everdefeat in the World Cup.

France's Leon Marchand competes in the men's 400-meter individual medley final on July 28.

French swimmer Leon Marchand — one of the host nation’s top hopes for gold in the pool — just absolutely destroyed his competition in the 400m individual relay and set an Olympic record while doing so.

Marchand was heavily favored in the race and was already the world-record holder. His time on Sunday of 4:02.95 was nearly six seconds ahead of his closest competitor and topped Michael Phelps’ Olympic record. Marchand had already beaten Phelps’ world record in the discipline.

The atmosphere was electric in La Défense Arena as Marchand finished up his swim and now the home fans will get to hear “La Marseillaise” later in the evening.

Leon Marchand celebrates after winning the race.

“I definitely dreamed of [winning gold] before, every one of us did. Doing this in my hometown is pretty cool,” Marchand said after the race.

“The atmosphere was amazing, I don’t know how to explain it. I had goosebumps before, and during the race too. On the breaststroke section, I could hear everyone just cheering for me. That was special and winning today was really amazing for me.”

Great Britain’s Andy Murray celebrates during his doubles first-round match with partner Dan Evans on July 28.

It was almost all over for Andy Murray’s tennis career, but the three-time grand slam champion instead created another memorable moment.

Murray and British partner Dan Evans faced five match points at the end of their epic clash with Japan’s Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori, but saved them all to win the match-deciding tiebreak.

The final score on a remarkable night in Roland Garros was 6-2 6-7(5) 9-11.

Before action started in Paris, the 37-year-old had announced his intention to retire after the Games — but his career will continue for another match at least.

Murray, who has suffered with injuries in recent years, did appear to struggle a bit in the early stages of the match, but he was supported brilliantly by Evans, who seemed to light a fire under his teammate.

The pair released a roar of satisfaction as they completed the seemingly impossible mission, with Murray whipping the already excited crowd into a frenzy.

Editor’s note: I’ll be honest, I had started preparing a post in case of Murray’s defeat. I’m sorry for not believing, Andy.

Great Britain's Andy Murray and Dan Evans play against Kei Nishikori and Toro Daniel of Japan.

Japan's Kei Nishikori serves during a doubles match against Great Britain's Dan Evans and Andy Murray.

Great Britain fans watch the match.

Andy Murray returns during the match.

Andy Murray and Dan Evans celebrate after their come-back win.

He’s not going down quietly.

Andy Murray and Dan Evans have leveled the scores against Japan’s Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori in the men’s doubles tennis tournament, forcing a deciding tie-break in what could the three-time grand slam champion’s final professional match.

The British duo found themselves a break down in that second-set but dug deep to keep Murray’s career alive, eventually winning a nail-biting tie-break.

Play is already underway. Can Murray produce another epic moment to extend his career for one more game at least?

US swimmer Katie Ledecky is pictured during 400-meter freestyle heats on July 27.

The pool has been the scene of some of the Summer Games’ most legendary moments over the years, and 2024 appears set to be no different.

Several key swimmers are looking to end up on the podium in what could be their final Olympics, while others are looking to play spoiler.

Here are some of the key things to watch from this year’s swimming competition in Paris:

Read more about this year’s swimming events here.

Great Britain's Andy Murray speaks with Dan Evans during their men's doubles match against Japan's Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori on July 28.

Could this be the last time we see Andy Murray on a tennis court?

The three-time grand slam champion has said he intends to retire after the Olympic Games and is currently competing in the men’s doubles tournament alongside Dan Evans.

Where things stand: The Great British duo are a set down against Japan’s Taro Daniel and Kei Nishikori. Daniel and Nishikori took the first set 6-2. The second-set has now gone to a tie-break.

More background: Murray has battled injury in recent years but has been determined to finish his brilliant career on a high note.

He decided to pull out of the singles tournament just days before the Games began, in order to focus on the doubles.

“Mentally, I still feel young, but physically … the last few years have been really hard for me,” he recently told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.

The 37-year-old already has two Olympic gold medals to his name, after winning the singles tournament in 2012 and 2016.

Winning a medal in this year’s doubles draw could be the icing on the cake, but he has a lot of work to do here.

Omar Ismail, who was born in Dubai and will be competing for the Palestinian territories at the Paris Olympics, practices taekwondo in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, on June 20.

Omar Ismail was 14 years old when he knew he wanted to be anOlympian. He had been practicing Taekwondo for years. His only problem: He didn’t have a country to compete for.

Ismail is Palestinian, but he was born and raised in the United Arab Emirates. Like many Palestinians, he has a Jordanian passport that serves as a travel document but does not offer citizenship.

In 2019, when he was invited to compete in his first world championship, he thought he would represent Jordan. But two hours before his flight, his dreams were crushed.

Palestine does not have full international recognition and is a non-member observer state at the United Nations. For that reason, Ismail never thought he could represent his country because he assumed it didn’t have a national Taekwondo team.

But then his coach began searching for an alternative. Since then, he has representedPalestine in all his competitions.

In 1995, the International Olympic Committee recognized the National Olympic Committee of Palestine as a member, allowing Palestinian athletes to compete in the Games.

Eight athletes will make up the Palestinian delegation, competing in Taekwondo,boxing, judo, swimming, shooting, and track and field.

For these athletes, the Olympics will take place against the backdrop of Israel’s war in Gaza, where more than tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed.

Read more about Palestinian athletes at the Paris Games.

Australia, Japan, the US and France have all had strong showings in the early days of the Summer Olympics.

Here’s where the medal rankings stand:

The Olympic Rings displayed at the construction site of the Eiffel Tower Stadium in Paris on July 10.

In which year did women first compete in the modern Olympics? What is the record for the men’s 100-meter dash at the Games?

CNN’s Summer Olympics Quiz will test your knowledge of the history and highlights.

Take the quiz here.

The crowd cheers for a man who retrieved American swimmer Emma Weber’s swim cap from the pool, during the 100-meter breaststroke heats, on July 28.

They say in sports to expect the unexpected.

But really, who could have expected a lifeguard in a bright, multi-colored, very small swimsuit to jump into thepool at La Défense Arenaon Sunday in front of 15,000 people — and be hailed as a hero.

When American swimmer Emma Weberlost one of her swim caps in the pool, someone needed to fish it out. And it was up to the aforementioned hero lifeguard to plunge into the pool in front of thousands of fans to do the retrieval.

To huge cheers from the crowd, the lifeguard dove into the pool and picked up the cap at the bottom. After a quick swim to the edge of the pool, he pulled himself out — and allowed himself a wave to his new flock of adoring fans.

“This situation is common at swimming competitions,” a Paris 2024 spokesperson told CNN. “As the lifeguards are the only people wearing swimwear, apart from the athletes, a request may be made to fetch an item at the bottom of the pool prior to the next race. In this case, the request was made to the lifeguard closest to the item.”

The lifeguard declined to allow his name to be reported, the spokesperson said, in order to keep his attention on his duties for the rest of the competition.

Deemed “Bob the Cap Catcher” by NBC’s commentary crew, it was a moment of levity at one ofthe most pressure-packed venues at these Games.

The US men’s basketball team pulled away in the fourth quarter against Serbia, finishing off a dominant first victory of the Olympics.

Paced by LeBron James’ incredible play and Kevin Durant’s lights-out shooting, the US defeated the Serbs 110-84.

The US “Re-Dream team” was as-advertised in its official Olympic debut, with veterans James, Durant and Jrue Holiday complemented by a glimpse of the NBA’s future: 22-year-old Anthony Edwards, whose shotmaking and sideline antics had social media buzzing in equal parts.

The US plays next at 3 p.m. ET Wednesday against South Sudan. Nikola Jokić and Serbia play Puerto Rico on Wednesday.

Japanese skateboarder Coco Yoshizawa competes in the street competition final on July 28.

Japanese teenage phenomenon Coco Yoshizawa won gold in the women’s street skateboarding, producing an impressive performance on the Place de la Concorde to post a score of 272.75.

The 14-year-old finished ahead of fellow teenagers Liz Akama, also from Japan, and Brazil’s Rayssa Leal.

Simone Biles is pictured during the Tokyo Olympic Games in July 2021.

Simone Biles fought through pain in her calf on Sunday to post an impressive all-around score and display the qualities which have made one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.

After she produced a flawless balance beam routine which scored 14.733 — the highest on the apparatus — Biles landed awkwardly while warming up for her floor routine and exited the arena before reemerging to get her lower left leg heavily taped.

She appeared in pain, walking with a heavy limp, but still managed to twist through the air with her usual force on every other apparatus, scoring an impressive 15.800 on the vault, 14.433 on the uneven bars and 14.600 on the floor.

Overall, she registered an all-around score of 59.566 in her return to the Olympics — more than three points ahead of her teammate Suni Lee.

When asked by reporters if she was OK following competition on Sunday, Biles sad, “Yup! As good as I can be.”

Coach’s praise: USA Gymnastics technical coach Chellsie Memmel told reporters she was impressed by the star’s gritty performance:

Overcoming adversity: In a new Netflix docuseries, “Simone Biles Rising,” the gymnastics champion reflects on her previous Olympic competitions as she prepared for the Paris Games.

Biles made the surprising decision to withdraw from competition at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after becoming disoriented in her routines and experiencing“the twisties.”

In episode 1 of the four-part docuseries, filmed as the event was taking place and following her to the Paris games, Biles describes what she was feeling.

“I’m getting lost in my skills,” she says in a selfie video at the time. “I just don’t get how. It’s like, I’m so prepared that I don’t know if I’m overthinking. It’s getting to the point where it’s becoming dangerous because I’m getting lost on all of my floor skills.”

Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history, said she struggled with the intense public scrutiny she faced for prioritizing her mental and physical health.

Read more about Biles.

Anthony Edwards is playing in his first Olympics and he’s already got his first highlight reel play.

With a deft spin-and-pump-fake move along the baseline on Team USA’s final possession of the third quarter, Edwards sent a Serbian defender flying past him toward the sideline as he went toward the basket.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star was left with an uncontested shot that he easily floated in for a bucket, putting the US up by 19 heading into the final frame.

The move and bucket from Edwards set off celebrations among his teammates, including Steph Curry breaking into dance.

The US men’s basketball team has been up by double digits for much of the third quarter but has yet to deliver the knockout punch to put away a pesky Serbian team.

With the first half dominated by Kevin Durant’s incredible 21-point performance, LeBron James has led the way for the US in the second and “The King” is pumped — flexing on Serbian defenders after laying in a tough, contested shot on the fast break just past the halfway point of the third quarter.

James, who checked back into the game with 3:43 left in the third quarter, now has 18 points. Durant’s playing time has been limited as he recovers from an injury.

South Korea’s Jeon Hun-young, Lim Si-hyeon and Nam Su-hyeon celebrate after winning gold in the team archery competition on July 28.

We got a thrilling end to what, at one point, looked like a foregone conclusion in the women’s team competition in archery.

South Korea — looking for its 10th consecutive women’s team gold — cruised to a two-set lead in the final against China, but some errant shooting in the third and fourth allowed China to creep back and force a shoot-off.

Drama rang around the venue at Invalides in Paris as two of the three South Korean arrows were reviewed for landing between the 9-point and 10-point scoring rings. However, when the dust settled, Lim Si-hyeon,Nam Su-hyeonandJeon Hun-young claimed the gold, scoring 29 in the shoot-off to China’s 27.

Impressive streak: The win means South Korea’s streak of gold medals in this competition now dates back to the debut at Seoul 1988, and matches the United States (men’s 4x100m medley swimming relay) for longest active gold medal streak at the Olympic Games.

LeBron James is now 6-for-6 after starting off the second half of the US basketball team’s game against Serbia with a bucket.

James and Kevin Durant are pacing the Americans out to a growing lead against Nikola Jokić and the Serbians. But in a game of runs, the Serbians are not out of this one yet.

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal chases the ball during a match against Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics on July 28.

It wasn’t as straightforward as some may have predicted, but Rafael Nadal gets himself over the line with a hard-fought, three-set victory over Márton Fucsovics.

After Nadal breezed through the opening set 6-1, Hungary’s Fucsovics found his feet in the second to level things up.

Ultimately, though, it was Nadal’s decisive break in the fifth game that proved to be the difference in the third and final set.

His win was greeted with huge cheers from a packed crowd, which realizes that opportunities to see the “King of Clay” in this storied venue in a singles capacity may now be few and far between.

Nadal punched the air in celebration after sealing the all-important match point and proceeded to salute all four corners of the stadium.

This may not have been vintage Nadal, but the resilience, passion — audible throughout the match — and know-how of the Parisian clay courts ultimately proved the difference.

Next up for Nadal: a sensational second-round showdown with Novak Djokovic after the Serbian breezed through his first-round match against Australia’s Matthew Ebden on Saturday.

The duo has a combined 44 grand slam singles titles between them.

An elusive gold medal awaits for the Serb while Nadal is looking to once again be king of Paris.

If it’s the Olympics, it’s Kevin Durant time.

Durant, the veteran of the squad playing in his fourth Olympics, is leading the way with 21 points and is yet to miss — including a looping shot to beat the buzzer at the end of the half. LeBron James has added 12 points and Anthony Edwards has 9.

For the Serbians, everything — unsurprisingly — goes through Nikola Jokić, who has 12 points and 4 assists.

The US team has work to do in the second half. Serbia has not melted away in the wake of Team USA’s pressure in the first half, despite the Americans threatening to ride a wave of momentum for a massive run at one point in the second quarter.

But if Jokić stays hot after the halftime break, it’s going to be a nail-biter through the final periods. Jokić has been making NBA defenses look silly for much of the last four seasons, winning three MVPs in that time.

There were questions over how the superstars of Team USA would gel together after some growing pains in pre-Olympics exhibition games.

The squad’s intricate passing in the first half against Serbia is proving that concern might have been slightly misguided.

Some truly nifty assists have marked the US team’s half, helping the Americans out to a 46-39 lead over Serbia.

But Nikola Jokić is doing enough on his own to keep his team in it: nine straight points from the three-time NBA MVP have kept Serbia close in what is a tightly fought affair.

You can feel the tension in the stands and on the court here in the third and deciding set on Court Phillippe-Chatrier.

The crowd are really getting involved now, celebrating each Rafael Nadal point with vim and vigor.

And the 22-time grand slam champion himself is feeding off that energy, giving plenty back to them with fist pumps aplenty.

The Spaniard has the break in the third set. Could this prove to be the match’s defining moment?

The noise is just different when Team USA gets going.

The crowd outside Lille is full of Serbian fans that are making tons of their own noise, but it has gone up a notch during the US run — and has been punctuated by rattling rims as violent dunks are slammed through.

It’s a game of runs so far — Serbia hopped out to a big lead, the US stormed back, Serbia countered and now the Americans ended the first on a hot streak. The second quarter has just begun.

US basketball player LeBron James goes for the basket during a game against Serbia on July 28.

Well, that’s more of what we expected.

Led by the combination of LeBron James and Steph Curry, plus the play of 22-year-old Olympic newcomer Anthony Edwards, the Americans have stormed back to take the lead over Serbia. A 9-0 run put the US up heading into the latter half of the first quarter, but the teams are trading the lead now.

Team USA is starting to get fired up and hit some shots, which is a tough assignment for any other team in the world to handle.

It’s knotted up at 20-20 with less than a minute left in the first quarter.

The game between the US men’s basketball team and Serbia is underway — and Serbia is out to a quick 10-5 lead.

The matchup between multi-time MVPs Nikola Jokić of Serbia and LeBron James is one of the biggest highlights of the first slate of games this week. James quickly made his presence known with a thunderous dunk off a steal for the US’ first points.

The US has a huge amount of talent but has barely squeaked by some opponents in the run-up to the Games. The Serbian fans are hyped early in this one.

Brazilian skateboarder Rayssa Leal competes in the street competition final on July 28.

The women’s street skateboarding final is underway at Paris’ Place de la Concorde, a large public square at the end of the Champs-Élysées.

It’s a lovely setting, with the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower both visible from the stands.

Skateboarding’s Olympic debut in Tokyo taught us that young athletes are likely to dominate unlike any other event at the Games, and this final is no different: all eight of the participants are teenagers, aged between 14 and 19.

Brazilian Rayssa Leal, a silver medalist in Tokyo three years ago, has by far the most support. A huge roar comes from the many yellow-and-gold-clad fans in the stands when her name is announced, and the 16-year-old quickly moves to the top of the leaderboard with a score of 71.66 on her first run.

Hungarian tennis player Márton Fucsovics plays a forehand against Spain’s Rafael Nadal during a match on July 28.

So this wasn’t part of the script.

Just when you thought Rafael Nadal was on course for relatively smooth sailing through to the second round, Márton Fucsovics has stepped in and told the scriptwriters: “Hang on a minute. You know I’m here at this party too, right?”

Shimmering in his bright yellow top, the 32-year-old found his feet, mixing up power and precision with some beautifully timed drop shots to, at times, leave Nadal on the back foot — something the Spaniard isn’t used to on the clay courts of Roland Garros.

The Hungarian noticeably picked up the pace and intensity in the second set to break Nadal early on. Although the resilient Spaniard canceled out that break, Fucsovics would break again, this time in the decisive 10th game of the set, taking it 6-4 to even up the match.

A deciding third set awaits in the packed Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Will Fucsovics be able to carry his momentum through, or can Nadal turn back time to conjure up some magic on the clay?

Team USA is looking to win a fifth-straight Olympic gold medal with a star-studded roster.

Team USA has had plenty of star power in the past, but it would be hard to argue against this being the strongest roster the Americans have ever sent to an Olympic Games.

Basketball fans have long dreamed of seeing the likes of LeBron James and Steph Curry on the same team, and when a powerful James block led to a Curry three in a warmup game against Germany, it was evident that these dreams have become reality.

Shift your eyes to one side of the court and you can see reigning NBA champs Jayson Tatum and Derrick White getting shots up from three-point distance. Sandwiched between the Celtics duo is former NBA MVP Joel Embiid practicing from the mid-range. The NBA’s all-time leading three-point scorer Curry then comes into frame, weaving in and out of his teammates with the ball.

The idea of this level of talent playing together seems stranger than fiction – a fiction that delves straight into the realm of fantasy upon seeing the rest of the roster.

Look left and stretching in the middle of the court are Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker and Bam Adebayo. Rising stars Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton soon enter the fray, while two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP and former regular season MVP Kevin Durant watches on from the sidelines.

The US men’s basketball team tips off at 11:15 a.m. ET against Nikola Jokić and Serbia. Read more about the team here.

The Eiffel Tower stands above the Stade de Eiffel Tower in Paris on July 28. The stadium is the home of beach volleyball at the Games.

There might have never been a sporting venue like it before and it’s hard to imagine it being topped in the future.

The Stade de Eiffel Tower is the home of beach volleyball at these Olympics and it’s set in one of the most photographed places on Earth: the park directly in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Standing more than 1,000 feet above the ground, the tower is arguably Paris’ signature landmark and is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. And for the next two weeks, the world’s best beach volleyball players will be plying their trade under its gaze.

It’s truly one-of-a-kind and is the standout venue of these Games so far.

French cyclist Pauline Ferrand-Prévot celebrates as she crosses the finish line during the cross-country mountain bike race on July 28.

It was another memorable moment for host nation France as cycling superstar Pauline Ferrand-Prévot claimed a gold medal in the women’s cross-country mountain bike race with a time of 1:26:02.

The 32-year-old, considered one of the best cyclists of her generation, was emotional as she finished almost three minutes ahead of her nearest rival, cheered on by a bumper crowd which had gathered at the finish line.

“I’m struggling to realize, I had a perfect race and a perfect preparation,” Ferrand-Prévot said. “I said, ‘No, it’s possible, it’s not for me, it’s a dream.’ After that, I was just so happy to see my parents. It’s a great feeling, but to be honest, I don’t realize yet, so I even don’t know what to say.”

Ferrand-Prévot has won five cross-country world championship gold medals and a road race world title in her glittering career, but she had never won an Olympic gold — until now.

She will now retire from the mountain bike discipline to focus on the road, where she has never fully established herself, and target the Tour de France Femmes.

“I was like a robot for a couple of months now, in my own bubble, didn’t talk to anyone, I just practiced, ate and slept. Now, the emotion is [here], all the emotion that I kept for months, I think I’m gonna cry for a while.”

American Haley Batten finished in second place on 1:28:59, with Sweden’s Jenny Rissveds claiming the bronze medal on 1:29:04.

There’s a reason why Rafael Nadal is dubbed “The King of Clay” — and Olympics first-timer Márton Fucsovics is quickly learning all about it.

Hitting the sidelines with pinpoint accuracy, pulling the Hungarian from one side of the court to the other with his brutal forehand topspin, Nadal has dictated play in this first set, showing a combination of deftness and ruthlessness to take it 6-1.

Interspersed with chants of “Vamos Rafa!” and “Rafa! Rafa!” from the crowd, the 38-year-old resplendent in red has begun his singles campaign in determined fashion, as he eyes what would be a second singles gold medal — 16 years after his triumph in Beijing.

Remember: Should Nadal and Novak Djokovic win their respective opening matches, then we’ll be all set for a mouthwatering second-round showdown between two of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.

Grab. That. Popcorn!

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal arrives for a match against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics on July 28.

Huge cheers rose as Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal walked out onto a court that’s brought him the most successful moments of his career: Stade Roland Garros, the iconic French venue playing host to the biggest matches at the Paris Games.

The fans are well-aware every singles match for the two-time Olympic gold medalist may be his last these days.

He practiced here this morning, after originally hinting he may not be able to take part in the singles, so quickly after his generation-spanning doubles match with Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday. But with the famous words “la victoire appartient au plus opiniatre” — “victory belongs to the most tenacious” — adorning the stands of the Phillippe Chatrier court, he made the decision to play, even with a heavily strapped right thigh, once again.

The crowd cheered every ball of Nadal’s in the warm up. At this point in time, Hungary’s Márton Fucsovics may have the higher world ranking, No. 83, but 14 Roland Garros titles brings Nadal an entirely different level of support.

Steven van de Velde of the Netherlands is pictured during a beach volleyball game against Italy on July 28.

Steven van de Velde, a Dutch beach volleyball player who served time in prison for raping a child 10 years ago, was roundly booed by the crowd during the Netherlands’ first match at the Paris Olympics.

Footage posted on social media showed jeers and boos ringing out, as van de Velde and his partner Matthew Immers walked out into the arena at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Eventually, they were defeated by the Italian duo of Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula.

Van de Velde’s presence at these Olympic Games has caused much controversy given that he was sentenced to four years in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl in 2014, according to British media. He was released in 2017 and is now 29 years old.

Despite the torrent of criticism directed towards the Dutch National Olympic Committee for selecting him, the IOC defended that decision as “correct,” saying that van de Velde has undergone “a great deal of rehabilitation.”

Immers defended his teammate from criticism, telling reporters, “What’s in the past is in the past. He had his punishment and now he is really kind. For me, it is an example that (he) grew and learned a lot from it.”

Ju’Riese Colon, CEO for the US Center for SafeSport, said in a statement sent to CNN in June that the organization was “deeply concerned that anyone convicted of sexually assaulting a minor could participate in the 2024 Olympic Games.”

“With teams from around the world about to convene in Paris, many of which include minor athletes, this sends a dangerous message that medals and money mean more than their safety. Participation in sport is a privilege not a right,” she added.

French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour: “As a woman, I am shocked to imagine that someone that has raped a little girl is at the Olympics … What is important to keep in mind is that the decision to select an athlete is taken by the NOC, it’s not at all the responsibility of the French state.”

A clay court at Roland Garros in Paris.

After much speculation, it’s official: Rafael Nadal will take part in the men’s singles tennis competition at the Paris Olympics on his second home, the clay courts of Roland Garros.

The 14-time champion French Open champion has dealt with a series of injuries over the past two years leading to speculation over how much tennis he’s able to play.

His right thigh was taped during his first-round doubles victory with Carlos Alcaraz Saturday night and, following the win, he told Spain’s Cadena SER that he “didn’t understand” why he was scheduled to play at 2 p.m. local time and that it was “nonsense” considering he wrapped his doubles match around 10 p.m.

“I don’t know. I have to go back to the Village. We have to see what happens. I have to talk to the team and make the correct decision to get results for Spain,” the 22-time grand slam champion told “Carrusel Deportivo” at the time.

In the end, though, Nadal has opted to go for gold in the singles and is poised to face Márton Fucsovics of Hungary in the first round.

The Spaniard, though, has had to wait a little longer to get on court.

His compatriot Sara Sorribes Tormo was engaged in a tense tussle against 2021 French Open winner and defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejčíková, but the Czech ultimately edged the contest, winning a third set tie-break, 4-6 6-0 7-6(3).

US gymnast Simone Biles reacts during a qualification round on July 28.

After struggling with the “twisties” at the Tokyo Olympics, Simon Biles produced a gritty performance in her Paris debut.

Speaking to reporters after watching Biles compete, where she fought through pain in her calf to post an impressive all-around score, US gymnastics coach Cecile Landi was asked about the superstar’s mental state.

Biles appeared to take a moment of meditation before her balance beam routine. She sat on the edge of the raised padding for several moments, taking deep breaths.

“We tried not to think about it,” Landi said when asked how Biles deals with the pressure. “Obviously, this team has a lot of experienced athletes.”

Biles and Team USA impressed on the day and are through to the team final on Tuesday.

Place de la Concorde, a temporary home for the Urban Park, in Paris.

The sun is beating down on Paris’ Place de la Concorde, a temporary home for the Urban Park at these Olympics.

Skateboarding, BMX, breaking (or breakdancing) and 3x3 basketball are all staged here, and it clearly has a different look and feel compared to the more traditional Olympic venues. There’s a graffiti display, a live DJ and a dance floor for kids – and presumably also adults – to showcase their moves.

Up at the street skateboarding – a concrete jungle of rails, slopes and stairs – the preliminary rounds are underway in front of a noisy crowd. There’s a lot of support for Brazilian 16-year-old Rayssa Leal, who is looking to improve on the silver medal she won in Tokyo three years ago.

The finals will take place from 11 a.m. ET later today.

Street and park skateboarding are making their second appearance at the Games having debuted in Tokyo three years ago, while breaking is making its Olympic bow here in just under two weeks’ time.

Compared to other Olympic disciplines, those events will showcase some of the youngest athletes at the Games. And at the age of 11 years and 11 months, China’s Zheng Haohao – competing in the women’s park skating on August 6 – is the youngest participant in Paris.

“Competition to me is just to get together with my good friends,” she said in a recent interview with CCTV, according to Reuters. “I know over 10 of the world’s top 20 skateboarders. It’s like we are playing a fun game – everyone has to show the best they’ve got.”

The basketball world had already taken notice of South Sudan when it pushed a Team USA squad packed with NBA superstars all the way to the final buzzer in an Olympic warmup game. And now, in its first ever Olympic men’s basketball game, South Sudan laid down another statement with a 90-79 win over Puerto Rico.

Not bad for a country that has only officially existed for 13 years and has no indoor basketball facilities.

Jose Alvarado scored a game-high 26 points for Puerto Rico, but the effort wasn’t enough to defeat a multi-pronged South Sudan offense.

The “Bright Stars” will take on the USA again in its next group stage match on July 31 before facing off with Serbia on August 3.

Find out more about the South Sudan team here.

USA Gymnastics technical coach Chellsie Memmel told reporters that she couldn’t publicly repeat the thoughts that went through her head after Simone Biles appeared to be in pain, but was impressed by the star’s gritty performance.

“She is an outstanding gymnast and person – just, like, overall human – so what she was able to do with looking like she, you know, had some soreness or something in her lower leg. It is remarkable,” the technical gymnastics lead for USA Gymnastics told reporters following the competition.

“Simone was great. She was outstanding,” Memmel added. “That’s how she trains. I mean, she comes out and she comes into the gym and she does her job. She did that at podium (training). She just did it again here. So she’s, she’s fun to watch.”

Gymnastics qualifying continues throughout the day on Sunday, so it won’t be until the evening in Paris for it to be clear who will go through to the medal competition on Tuesday.

US gymnast Jordan Chiles performs on the vault during a qualification round on July 28.

After the US women’s gymnastics team completed its qualifying round at the Olympics, three of its gymnasts — Simone Biles, Suni Lee and Jordan Chiles — sat atop the leaderboard and in pole position to qualify for the all-around final.

But, although not every team has competed and their qualification is not yet confirmed, one thing is certain: Chiles will not qualify, even though she has recorded the third-best score in the competition so far.

A maximum of just two gymnasts from each country can qualify for the 24-strong all-around final, creating competition within the team as well as outside it, particularly in a team as strong as the USA.

Similarly, the top eight gymnasts on each apparatus qualify for those respective finals with a maximum of two representatives for each country. For the USA, that means Chiles will also miss out in the vault final, despite currently sitting in third place, since Biles and Jade Carey scored higher than her.

Simone Biles’ coach Cecile Landi said the star gymnast felt pain in her calf during the warmups for the floor routine, which resulted in the heavy taping seen around Biles’ ankle during Sunday’s qualifying.

“She felt a little something in her calf. But yeah, that’s all,” Landi told reporters.

It’s an issue that Biles has been dealing with for a couple of weeks, Landi said, adding that Biles had felt the pain before Paris but it had gone away.

Landi said there was no discussion of Biles dropping out of competition and that she felt better by the time she competed on the uneven bars in the final rotation. Landi added that she has no concerns about Biles competing later on in the Olympics.

The Olympic Village nursery in Paris is pictured on July 23.

Just outside the perimeter of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Village was a special room, the only space near the village where athletes with young children were directed to care for their babies.

The room had a few chairs and offshoots for breastfeeding mothers, according to Greg Polychronidis and Katerina Polychronidis Patroni. The couple, who have represented Greece together in boccia at two Paralympic Games, welcomed their first child in May 2021 and received permission to travel as a family to compete in Tokyo just months later.

It was small, windowless and dark, added Edina Müller, who currently represents Germany in paracanoe. She breastfed her son throughout the Tokyo Games.

In a stark contrast, they beamed with excitement while speaking about a new addition to the Paris 2024 Olympics facilities: The very first nursery for Olympic and Paralympic parent athletes.

The Village Nursery, which opened last week, was launched by the International Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission in partnership with the IOC and Paris 2024 Organizing Committee.

“We are seeing more and more athletes continuing in their career after (starting a family). Personally, knowing it can be difficult to combine both while focusing on your dreams, it doesn’t mean that you cannot be a parent and an athlete,” said Emma Terho, athletes’ commission chair for the IOC, who competed for Finland in ice hockey during the 2014 Olympic Winter Games with a young child.

Read more about the groundbreaking nursery at the Olympic village here.

Simone Biles had a positive attitude on Sunday following her apparent ankle injury suffered during the qualifying rounds.

When asked by reporters if she was OK following competition on Sunday, Biles said, “Yup! As good as I can be.” She didn’t stick around to talk further.

US gymnast Sunisa Lee performs on the balance beam during a qualification round on July 28.

There are still three more subdivisions of nations left to compete here at the Bercy Arena but the Americans have to be feeling good after their performance.

Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee and Jordan Chiles end their day as the top three scorers in the individual all-around and Team USA finishes the day with 172.296 points — more than five points clear of Team Italy in second place.

There is a lot more competition to be had here in Paris today, but Team USA seems to have done what it came to do.

Her ankle might be bothering her, but Simone Biles is all smiles after her first day of competition at the Paris Olympics.

In her weakest event, Biles scored a 14.333 – enough to move her into first place in the all-around qualifiers.

Her ankle appeared to cause her no bother as she stuck the landing perfectly with a huge grin on her face.

The partisan crowd broke into a massive cheer as she walked off the mat and she shared a celebratory dance with her teammates.

Though it will take until the end of the day to see if Team USA and Biles qualify for the finals, it appears they’re in good shape. Biles is leading in the all-around qualifiers and Team USA, through two subdivisions, is the top team in qualifying.

The pain in Simone Biles’ ankle isn’t slowing her down just yet.

The leader of Team USA’s women’s gymnastics team turned in a spectacular first vault with a soaring flipping routine.

Her second vault, marked by her powerful twists, gave her an average vault score of 15.300 – the best so far in the day.

Biles leads in the all-around qualifying through three rotations here at the Bercy Arena and Team USA is looking in solid shape in its quest for gold.

Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey went on the vault ahead of Biles.

The big screen at the Bercy Arena showed a heavy tape job on Biles’ ankle just before her first vault.

US gymnast Jade Carey falls during her floor routine on July 28.

American gymnast Jade Carey appears unlikely to be able to defend her gold medal in the floor routine after taking a fall in qualifiers.

Carey stumbled and fell to the ground after performing a move and scored a 10.633.

It appeared to leave her very upset – she could be seen sitting alone after the performance on the sidelines of the event looking crushed.

Carey won gold in the floor in Tokyo three years ago.

US gymnast Simone Biles is hugged by her coach after competing in a qualification round floor exercise on July 28.

Simone Biles is definitely feeling some pain.

After her floor routine, she limped over to the edge of the floor and sat down before attempting to walk down the stairs. One of her coaches came over to hug her.

As the teams rotated between apparatuses, Biles walked gingerly to the vault area. Her warm ups have looked as explosive as ever and her spirits don’t seem to have been dampened – she waved to the crowd multiple times, receiving big cheers in return.

She’s up fourth in the vault competition for Team USA.

Biles is leading in the all-around qualifications and turned in the best floor routine score of the opening two rotations. It will be important to see how the discomfort in her lower left leg progresses over the rest of the day and into the following days of competition.

US gymnast Simone Biles competes in the floor exercise during a qualification round on July 28.

Simone Biles shook off an apparent injury to her lower leg suffered in the warm ups for the floor competition and turned in a stellar performance, scoring a 14.6000.

Biles landed awkwardly while warming up for her floor routine at the qualifiers. She immediately was escorted to seats by a coach. Sunisa Lee appeared to ask if she was OK as she walked off the floor. Coaches tended to her as she appeared to be holding her lower leg or ankle area.

She then put on her slippers and walked briskly to the locker room tunnel. She has re-emerged and got her left ankle taped.

Biles had a few moments of catching her footing as she performed, but looked as explosive as always as she soared and twisted through the air.

Her leg appeared to cause her some bother as she walked gingerly off the floor after her routine.

Snoop Dogg attends a women’s gymnastics qualification round on July 28.

The stars are already out in Paris.

Rapper Snoop Dogg could be seen taking in the competition in the front row, dancing along to Jade Carey’s floor routine.

Singer Ariana Grande was also spotted taking in Simone Biles’ floor routine.

Ariana Grande, second from left, attends a women’s gymnastics qualification round on July 28.

Actor Tom Cruise was also shown on the big screen taking in Team USA’s performance.

Simone Biles might have an injury concern.

Biles landed awkwardly while warming up for her floor routine at the qualifiers Sunday.

She immediately was escorted to seats by a coach. Sunisa Lee appeared to ask if she was OK as she walked off the floor. Coaches tended to her as she appeared to be holding her lower leg or ankle area.

She then put on her slippers and walked briskly to the locker room tunnel. She has re-emerged and got her left ankle taped.

Biles could be seen walking around next the floor apparatus, testing out how she felt. It appeared she received a heavy amount of tape.

Simone Biles is seen prior to the artistic gymnastics women's qualification on July 28.

Simone Biles made her return to the Olympics with an impressive statement of intent, turning in a stellar balance beam routine as the American women look to grab gold.

After her struggled with the “twisties” at the Tokyo Olympics and the focus on her mental health in ensuing months, Biles appeared to take a moment of meditation before her balance beam routine. She sat on the edge of the raised padding for several moments, taking deep breaths.

Those moments of peace were quickly gone when she began her routine – the Bercy Arena fell into a hushed silence that was broken with cheers when she completed her maneuvers.

When she dismounted after a fantastic routine, she was received with a massive roar of approval from a supportive crowd.

Jordan Chiles and Hezly Rivera were first up on the beam, followed by Sunisa Lee – the reigning and defending all-around individual Olympic champion.

Rivera struggled at times in her routine, stumbling at one point and losing her footing. But Lee followed that performance with a sterling routine that was marked by an absolutely perfect dismount.

Simone Biles celebrates winning one of her four gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Back in 2021,Simone Bilesgot a new tattoo inked across her collarbone: “And still I rise,” it reads, a nod to the poetry of Maya Angelou.

Those four short words fittingly encapsulate the trajectory of Biles’ life and career, particularly as she took time away from gymnastics following the tumult of the Tokyo Olympics. There, a mental block known as“the twisties”forced her to withdraw from multiple events, including the women’s team final.

“‘And still I rise’ is perfect,” Biles explains in her recently released Netflix documentary. “I feel like that’s kind of the epitome of my career and life story. I always rise to the occasion; even after all of the traumas and the downfalls, I’ve always risen.”

Indeed, in the months leading up to theParis Olympics, Biles has risen like never before. Not long ago, she had come close to walking away from gymnastics, but is now on the cusp of enhancing her status as the greatest athlete her sport has ever seen as she returns to its biggest stage.

Read more about Biles’ journey to the 2024 Olympic Games here.

Simone Biles before the start of the artistic gymnastics subdivision 2 on July 28.

A massive roar has just gone up in the Bercy Arena: The greatest of all time has entered the arena.

Simone Biles and Team USA entered to a deafening cheer from the crowd as they walked for their qualification round. When Biles was shown blowing kisses on the big screen, another roar went up.

The second subdivision of team qualification begins shortly.

Belgium's Remco Evenepoel celebrates his victory as he crosses the finish line of the men's road cycling individual time trial on July 27.

A week before the Olympics, the best male cyclists in the world were in Nice for the final stage of the Tour de France — the three-week grueling event that is the pinnacle of the sport.

There, Remco Evenepoel finished third, an achievement that would cap the career of most professional cyclists. But for the 24-year-old Belgian, it was only the start of a golden week in which he won an Olympic title after some unorthodox preparation.

“I only started to feel fresh again yesterday morning and this morning, so last week I wouldn’t have expected myself to perform like this,” he said, adding that he felt “something still in the tank” only the day before his Olympic-winning performance. Evenepoel will next compete in the men’s road race on August 3.

Silver medalists Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook of Team United States, gold medalists Yani Chang and Yiwen Chen of Team People's Republic of China and bronze medalists Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen of Team Great Britain pose with their medalson July 27.

Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook are feeling “on top of the world” after winning the USA’s first medal of these Olympic Games, Bacon told CNN’s Coy Wire on Saturday.

“I’m so overwhelmed with emotions to be able to share this experience with one of my best friends in front of my entire family, and be able to rep the Stars and Stripes and get on that podium is just unreal” Bacon added.

The divers, who have known each other since they were juniors and compete under the nickname “Cook and Bacon,” secured a silver medal in the women’s 3m springboard event on Saturday.

“This (medal) has some serious weight to it,” Cook added, referencing that it contained a piece of the Eiffel Tower in it.

John John Florence gets a barrel in the 6th heat of the men's surfing round 1, in Teahupo'o, on the French Polynesian Island of Tahiti, on July 27.

Half a world away from Paris in Tahiti, the USA dominated both Round 1 of both the men’s and women’s surfing as all five of its surfers won their heats on Saturday.

Caroline Marks, the current world champion, finished with a score of 17.93, the best of the day in the women’s competition and qualified for the last 16 alongside her compatriots Caitlin Simmers and defending Olympic champion Carissa Moore.

“Our team, we’ve just had such good vibes,” Marks said of the camaraderieamong the American athletes. “Everyone has been so positive. It’s really rare to stay with your other competitors. It’s a very individual sport but we’re having a lot of fun feeding off each other. Although we’re all here to win our individual medals we’re all backing each other.”

Meanwhile, John John Florence recorded the highest overall score of the day (17.33) in the men’s competition while Griffin Colapinto secured the highest individual wave score to also reach the last 16.

A supporter wearing French flags holds a sign wirtten "GOAT Simone Biles" at the Bercy Arena on July 28.

It’s not quite 11 a.m. in Paris and the Bercy Arena is already mostly full for the first day of women’s gymnastics competition.

Simone Biles and Team USA are scheduled to begin their qualifications for the team competition in a little more than an hour.

There’s an awful lot to keep an eye on here. One thing that is not clear from watching television is that three gymnasts are performing at once — currently there’s a gymnast doing a floor routine, one on the uneven bars, another on the balance beam and a fourth just began her vault qualification.

It’s the kind of sporting chaos that makes the Olympics so special and the crowd is already very into it.

SNCF employees work at the Gare Montparnasse train station in Paris on July 27.

The French state railway company SNCF said in a statementthat train services will return to normal on Monday after its high speed lines were targeted bymultiple “malicious acts,”including arson, on Friday.

Investigators are examining a statement sent to certain media, a source from the Paris prosecutor’s office told CNN.

Authorities are still investigating the sabotage and no one has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks, but given their scale, timing and precision, it is clear they are more than just random acts of vandalism.

There are many possible culprits – the opening day of the Olympic Games is one of the most watched events in the world, a tempting target for anyone seeking to cause chaos and disruption in the limelight. Catch up on everything we know about who isbehind the sabotage.

A member of the public rides his bike along the Seine River on July 22.

The triathlon familiarization swim at the Paris Olympics has been cancelled due to poor water quality levels in the River Seine, Paris 2024 and World Triathlon said in a joint statement issued Sunday.

Triathletes were set to practice in the Seine ahead of their upcoming events but the recent heavy rain in Paris has meant they will no longer get the opportunity.

“Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterates that the priority is the health of the athletes,” the joint statement read.

Data provided by Fluidion, a technology company that is testing the quality of the Seine daily, showed a huge increase in E. coli on Saturday compared to the previous two days.

Despite this, organizers are confident the water quality will improve ahead of the triathlon events.

“Given the weather forecast for the next 48 hours, Paris 2024 and World Triathlon are confident that water quality will return to below limits before the start for of the triathlon competitions. As observed in July, with summer conditions (more sunshine, higher temperatures, prolonged absence of rain) water quality in the Seine has improved significantly.”

The men’s individual triathlon is scheduled to take place on July 30 with the women’s individual event taking place the following day.

The Paris Olympics kicked into full gear Saturday, beginning two weeks of competition and awarding the first medals of the Games.

As day two gets underway, catch up with some of the best photographs from the first day of competition.

The sun sets behind the Eiffel Tower during a beach volleyball match between the United States and Canada on July 27.

Bronze medallist Luigi Samele of Italy celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the men's individual sabre competition on July 27.

US swimmer Gretchen Walsh, second from right,set a new Olympic record in the 100-meter butterflyduring a semifinal race on July 27. She finished in 55.38 seconds.

Australia's Jessica Fox competes in the women's kayak single heats during the canoe slalom on July 27.

Uzbekistan fans chant together in the stands as they watch their men's soccer team play Egypt on July 27.

Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during a game against Canada on July 27. Canada won 86-79.

Harry Hepworth of Great Britain competes on the rings during the artistic gymnastics qualification round on July 27.

See more of the best photos from the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong and Jack Alexy of Team United States celebrate after winning gold in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay final on July 27.

Welcome to our Sunday coverage of the Paris Olympics.

The first medals were awarded during an action-packed first full day of competition yesterday.

If you’re just catching up, here’s what you should know:

Key moments:

China’s Huang Yuting, left, competes in the 10-meter air rifle mixed-team shooting competition with Sheng Lihao on July 27.They won the first gold medal of the Paris Olympics.

More medals and results:

Rain impacts:

Travel disruption: