Olympics Day 8: US-Japan women’s soccer game goes to extra time; Simone Biles off to good start
PARIS (AP) — The latest updates on news in an action-packed day of events Saturday at the 2024 Paris Olympics, including women’s soccer, Sha’Carri Richardson going for an Olympic gold, Imane Khelif possibly clinching an Olympic boxing medal and swimmer Katie Ledecky going for her ninth gold medal:
Gymnastics: Rebeca Andrade from Brazil up next on the vault
It will soon be Rebeca Andrade’s turn to take to the vault runaway
The ace Brazilian gymnast is facing a tall order in the defense of her Olympic title. Biles was stunning on her two attempts, finishing with a score of 15.300.
There was speculation Andrade could attempt a Yurchenko triple twist during the final. Andrade has submitted the vault to be named after her in the sport’s Code of Points.
Andrade has performed it at training but did not try it the all-around final when she finished second to Biles.
— By Sam Petrequin
Gymnastics: Simone Biles nails her two vault attempts
Simone Biles is on good position to win her second Olympic vault title.
She scored an average of 15.300 for her two vaults, a rotation that included her signature Yurchenko double pike, which is the hardest being done in competition by any female gymnast.
— By Will Graves
Soccer: US and Japan heading to extra time
The game is going to extra time after ending 0-0 in regulation.
It opened up in the final moments, with the U.S. finally stretching Japan’s defense consistently.
There will be 30 minutes of extra time, and if the game is still tied, it will go to penalties.
—By James Robson
Boxing: Algerians flock to support Imane Khelif
Long before the bout begins, Algerian fans like 37-year-old Delilah Benrabah were already gathering outside the stadium cloaked in their country’s flag to support boxer Imane Khelif.
She said she was watching her social media in recent days and felt the spread of false information about Khelif was “shameful.”
“She’s a very strong Algerian women,” Benrabah said. “In Algeria, we don’t accept people hurting Algerians. We are here to support our team. We have to be united. We are here to give her support and we wish she gets the gold medal.
“She’s far from home, and we’re here to support her.”
— By Megan Janetsky
Gymnastics: Simone Biles has two vault elements named after her
Simone Biles has spent the last decade-plus redefining what is possible in gymnastics. The American star has had five skills named after her in the Code of Points after completing them in competition.
Two of those are in the vault, her upcoming event while seeking a seventh Olympic gold medal and 10th overall.
Biles I (vault version)
As with a lot of gymnastics elements, Biles took a Cheng vault and added another layer of difficulty — this one an extra half twist on a vault originally done by China’s Cheng Fei.
The vault requires Biles to do a round-off onto the vault, then a half-twist onto the table before doing two full twists. It entered the Code after she made it part of her routine at the 2018 world championships.
Biles II (vault version)
This may be the most dazzling, most daring one of them all.
The Yurchenko double pike had never been completed by a woman in competition, and few men have even tried. She began tinkering with it in 2021, but it’s in the last year that it has morphed into perhaps the most show-stopping thing done in the sport.
The vault asks Biles to do a round-off back handspring onto the table, then two backward flips in pike position with her hands essentially clasped to her knees. She does it with so much power, she can sometimes overcook it. At the U.S. Olympic trials last month, it drew a standing ovation.
“No, it’s not normal,” longtime coach Laurent Landi said after she drilled it at the 2023 U.S. Championships. “She’s not normal.”
— By Will Graves
Read more about Biles redefining her sport
Gymnastics: Jade Carey is set to compete in the women’s vault final
Jade Carey won’t defend the floor exercise gold medal she won three years ago in Tokyo, but she is in the vault final this afternoon.
Carey is the second American gymnast competing among the eight top vaulters, along with Simone Biles.
The 24-year-old earned a spot in final following a third-place finish behind Biles and Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade. Carey made the vault final in Tokyo, finishing eighth.
— By Sam Petrequin
Soccer: US-Japan quarterfinal kicks off
The quarterfinal game between United States and Japan has kicked off at Parc des Princes in Paris.
It looks like a full house again after the men’s match between the U.S. and Morocco on Friday.
The winner of this match plays either Canada or Germany in the semifinals in Lyon on Tuesday.
— By James Robson
Gymnastics: Simone Biles’ name brings cheers well before she competes
Just the name Simone Biles is enough to trigger applause.
More than an hour before the vault event that also features Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, the presenter at Bercy Arena announcing that expected duel set off wild shouts from the still half-empty venue.
If Biles wins, it will be her seventh Olympic gold medal, and 10th overall. Andrade was second to Biles in all-around.
Read more about Biles’ pursuit of history at the Paris Games
— By Sam Petrequin
Soccer: US makes a lineup change for its quarterfinal game vs. Japan
The U.S. women’s national team made one change to the starting lineup for its quarterfinal match against Japan in Paris.
Korbin Albert replaced Sam Coffey in the midfield. Coffey was ineligible for the game because of yellow card accumulation.
The United States also made forward Jaedyn Shaw available after she missed the first three games with a leg injury.
— By Anne M. Peterson
Read more about the U.S. looking to reclaim Olympic women’s soccer gold
Tennis: Matt Ebden and John Peers of Australia win the men’s doubles gold
Matt Ebden and John Peers won Australia’s second tennis gold medal in Olympic history on Saturday, beating Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram of the United States 6-7 (6), 7-6 (1), 10-8 in a match tiebreaker in the 2024 Games men’s doubles final.
Olympics doubles uses a first-to-10, win-by-two tiebreaker in place of a traditional third set.
Ebden and Peers trailed by a set and 4-2 in the second before breaking Ram’s serve to begin the comeback. Their tennis gold follows the one won for Australia by Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde in men’s doubles at Atlanta in 1996.
— By Howard Fendrich.
Read more about the men’s Tennis doubles
IOC leader: ‘Hate speech’ directed at Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting is unacceptable
IOC President Thomas Bach said Saturday the “hate speech” directed at boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting at the Paris Olympics is “totally unacceptable.”
“We will not take part in a politically motivated … cultural war,” Bach said at a news briefing at the midway point of the games, that also tried to draw a line under days of global scrutiny about the female boxers’ gender.
“What is going on in this context in the social media with all this hate speech, with this aggression and abuse, and fueled by this agenda, is totally unacceptable,” the International Olympic Committee leader said.
— By Graham Dunbar
Read the latest on boxer Imane Khelif
Gymnastics: Simone Biles’ greatest power might be toughness
Simone Biles ’ second Olympic all-around gymnastics title is a testament to her mental and physical toughness.
The 27-year-old has long relied on both during a career that’s made her the greatest of all time in her sport. The mental health advocate practiced what she preached during the all-around final.
Biles closed her eyes and reset herself after two rotations and responded with fabulous routines on balance beam and floor exercise that made her the third woman in Olympic history to claim multiple all-around crowns.
She goes for her third gold medal at the Paris Games in the women’s vault final starting at 4:20 p.m. EDT.
— By Will Graves
Read more about Biles’ road to being arguably the greatest U.S. gymnast in history
Memorable moments from week 1 of the Paris Olympics
These Olympics have been full of memorable moments since the dazzling opening ceremony: The Seine River was too dirty for the triathlon swim to go off as scheduled, a gender controversy has emerged in women’s boxing, and of course, Simone Biles has dazzled while winning two gold medals with more still up for her taking.
Here’s a look at some of the other memorable moments from the first half of the games:
— By Jenna Fryer
Read more about memorable moments from the Paris Olympics
Track and Field: Noah Lyles advances in the 1st round of the 100 meters
Noah Lyles finished second in his opening heat of the 100 meters but still advanced and kept alive his hopes for the sprint double.
The American got off to a sluggish start and finished in 10.04 seconds, which was .06 behind Louie Hinchliffe, a British sprinter being trained by Carl Lewis.
The second-place finish means Lyles won’t have the premier lane choice when he races in the semifinals Sunday. If he advances there, he’ll race for the gold medal later that evening.
— By Pat Graham
Read more about track and field at the 2024 Olympics
Snoop Dogg: He makes his way to Versailles
Snoop Dogg carried the torch in the leadup to the 2024 Olympics and made his way around Paris. His latest stop is the Palace of Versailles for equestrian competition.
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