Connect with us

World

2024 Olympics live updates: Day 1 of the Summer Games kicks off, USA wins first medal in diving 

Published

on

2024 Olympics live updates: Day 1 of the Summer Games kicks off, USA wins first medal in diving 

Stephen Nedoroscik nails pommel horse routine in men’s gymnastics qualifiers

Team USA men’s gymnastics are going along nicely in the qualifiers at Bercy Arena with Stephen Nedoroscik nailing his pommel horse routine.

The Penn State graduate had a huge smile on his face after posting a statement score of 15.200, out of 16. That will almost certainly be enough to get him into the pommel horse final and put the 2021 world champion in medal contention in what will likely be a stacked field — Max Whitlock of Great Britain, who has won gold in the last two games posted a score of 15.166.

Americans Fred Richard and Paul Juda are also on track to qualify for the individual all-around final, sitting third and fourth respectively after five of the six rotations. Team USA last medalled in the individual all-around in 2012.

Ledecky sets pace ahead of 400m freestyle final

NANTERRE, FRANCE - JULY 27: (EDITORS NOTE: Image was captured using an underwater robotic camera.) Ariarne Titmus of Team Australia and Katie Ledecky of Team United States compete in the Women's 400m Freestyle Heats on day one of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 27, 2024 in Nanterre, France.
United States’ Katie Ledecky in her first race of the Paris Olympic Games. Adam Pretty / Getty Images

American swimmer and seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky has won her first race of the games, finishing just ahead of Australian world record holder and reigning Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus in the women’s 400m freestyle heats.

The two will go head-to-head again in the final this evening.

‘I felt like Muhammed Ali’ — Snoop Dogg relives Olympic torch experience

Snoop Dogg has shared his experience carrying the Olympic torch through the streets of Paris yesterday as part of the opening ceremony.

“It’s too hard to put in words, baby,” he said. “I was waving, shaking hands, kissing the babies. Doing what I do. We here for peace, love and unity, and great sportsmanship, that’s what we here for.”

Swiatek in action as tennis begins at Roland-Garros

The men’s and women’s tennis singles start this morning on the familiar clay courts of Roland-Garros.

The iconic venue hosts the French Open Grand Slam each year, but this summer athletes can also win an Olympic gold on the hallowed red dirt.

The women’s singles has just started with Polish world number one Iga Swiatek going up against Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu. Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff are also in action today.

And once the tennis is over on August 4, organizers have 36 hours to transform Court Phillipe-Chatrier into a boxing arena, with the venue hosting the semi-finals and finals of the women’s and men’s events.

Synch divers score USA’s first medal of games

Kassidy Cook and Sarah Bacon have won silver in the women’s 3-meter synchronized springboard event, bringing home America’s first medal of the games.

United States' Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook compete in the Women's Synchronised 3m Springboard Final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Aquatics Centre on July 27, 2024 in Paris, France.
United States’ Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook take home silver with their synchronized dive.Sarah Stier / Getty Images

The gold was taken by reigning world champions Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen from China, who win their second gold of the games. It is the sixth Olympics in a row that a Chinese team has won the event.

Team GB’s Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen took bronze for a first British women’s Olympic diving medal since 1960.

Watch riveting moment from USA vs China in Olympic Badminton

Badminton can often be a fast and frantic game, requiring lightning-speed reflexes and incredible hand-eye coordination. It is also one of the few sports the U.S. has never medalled in.

Team USA pair Jannie Gai and Vinson Chiu got their mixed doubles campaign underway earlier this morning but were beaten by Chinese medal contenders Huang Dongping and Feng Yanzhe, who were at the top of their game in this frenetic point from this morning’s match.


U.S. swimmer Huske wins 100m Butterfly heat 

U.S. swimmer Torri Huske has made a strong start in her bid for Olympic gold in the 100-meter Butterfly event, producing a solid display to take first place in heat 3 and move through to the semi-final round later today.

The 2022 world champion is among the favorites to take gold in the final, which takes place tomorrow.

But she faces stiff competition from compatriot and world record holder Gretchen Walsh.

China wins the first gold medal of Paris Olympics

The first of the 329 gold medals of these Games has been won by China, who claimed victory in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event.

CHATEAUROUX, FRANCE - JULY 27: Gold medalists Yuting Huang and Lihao Sheng of Team People’s Republic of China (L), Silver medalists Hajun Park and Jihyeon Keum of Team Republic of Korea (L) and Bronze medalists Alexandra Le and Islam Satpayev of Team Kazakhstan (R) take a selfie on the podium during the Shooting medal ceremony after the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team on day one of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Chateauroux Shooting Centre on July 27, 2024 in Chateauroux, France.
China wins the first gold medal of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team. Charles McQuillan / Getty Images

Chinese paring Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao, the reigning world champions in this event, beat out South Korea in the gold medal match.

Kazakhstan took bronze to round off the first podium of the 2024 Olympics.

Men’s gymnastics: Who to watch

You may know Frederick Richard from TikTok, but if not, he’s making his Olympic debut on the mat in Paris.

United States' Frederick Richard trains ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics Games on July 24, 2024 in Paris, France.
United States’ Frederick Richard trains ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics Games.Ezra Shaw / Getty Images file

After coming in second at the U.S. Gymnastics championships and first at the Olympic trials, Richard is a welcome addition to a men’s gymnastics team that is looking to medal for the first time since 2008.

Returning to the mat is Brody Malone, who suffered a nearly-career-ending injury to his knee last March but is full steam ahead into Paris and hoping to take home a medal on his best apparatus: High bar.

“You never really know how bad you want something until you have it taken away from you,” Malone said. “And that is exactly how this ended up working out.”

Men’s street skateboarding delayed due to bad weather

For those who caught last night’s opening ceremony, you may have noticed the torrential rain pouring down on Paris.

And due to the adverse weather, organizers have pushed back the men’s street skateboarding event originally scheduled to start this morning at the iconic Place de la Concorde, Paris’ largest public square where half-pipes, skate ramps and grind rails set up for the games are still soaking wet and slippery.

The event has been postponed until Monday, July 29. 

Crowds will have to wait to see Japan’s 14-year-old skateboarding sensation Ginwoo Onodera, who is among the favorites for a medal in Paris. 

Where will the first medals of the Olympics be won?

Since the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Shooting has had the honor of awarding the first set of medals of the Games, and Paris will be no exception.

The medal matches of the 10-meter mixed team air rifle final get underway at 4:30 ET, and the first gold of the Games will go to either China or South Korea — they topped the order in Saturday morning’s qualifying round to progress to the gold medal match with Kazakhstan and Germany set to compete for bronze.

Day 1 will see 13 sets of medals handed out across seven sports, with diving, road cycling and rugby sevens among those to be awarded before tonight’s box-office action in the pool.

Day 1 of Paris Olympics officially underway

Let the Games begin! Day 1 of the 33rd Olympiad got underway bright and early this morning, with Badminton the first sport to begin over at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena.

at Porte de la Chapelle Arena during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris, France.
United States’ Vinson Chiu and Jennie Gai take on China in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games mixed doubles badminton.Dita Alangkara / AP

Team USA’s Vinson Chiu and Jennie Gai started their mixed doubles campaign but were comfortably beaten by Huang Dongping and Feng Yanzhe of China, who are among the gold medal favorites in the event.

Plenty of other sports are also already underway this morning in Paris — the dressage events in equestrian have begun in the stunning surroundings of Versailles while athletes competing in the prelims of rowing, volleyball and handball have also had early wake-up calls.

Twins Kerry and Annie Xu ready to compete in badminton after taking a break for college and accounting careers

Joe Rosato Jr., NBC Bay Area

For an opponent standing across the badminton net from twin sisters Kerry and Annie Xu, it would be hard to strategize the weaknesses and strengths of each in the heat of battle.

“Very hard for the opponent to say ‘Hey, which one is not good today,’” laughed coach Harry Tan.

Though the sisters are individuals in every respect, their play on the badminton court has become one of a singular force — that’s propelled them to a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the doubles category, even after a four-year layoff during which they barely touched a racket.

Read the full story here.

Olympic Village? Try Olympic cruise ship

This year’s Olympic surfers aren’t heading to Paris.

Instead, they’ll catch waves in Tahiti and forgo the famed Olympic Village for a cruise ship stationed near their competition site.

It’s the first time Olympic athletes will spend the Games on this so-called floating Olympic Village.

That’s because the nearby village of Teahupo’o proved too small and lacking viable options for the incoming athletes, and the Paris Olympic committee requires all athletes to be housed within 45 minutes of their competition venue.

The Olympic surfers will live aboard the Aranui 5 and will each have their own private room, complete with a real bed and an ocean view, in addition to access to a fitness center, outdoor pool, library, spa and panoramic bar.

Inside the Team USA welcome experience at the Paris Olympics

For American athletes, the first in a series of unforgettable moments at the Olympics Games in Paris is the Team USA Welcome Center where members get fitted for their official Ralph Lauren attire. TODAY’s Hoda Kotb walks through the experience and meets some of the athletes.

Continue Reading