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2024 Paris Olympics live updates: USWNT advances to gold medal game; Gabby Thomas competes in 200m final

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2024 Paris Olympics live updates: USWNT advances to gold medal game; Gabby Thomas competes in 200m final

Ever since John and Sumner Paine represented the U.S. in shooting at the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896, brothers and sisters have competed at the Games.

The 2024 Paris Olympics are no exception. If competition drives Olympians, what could be more competitive than sibling rivalry?

Yesterday, Australia’s Noemie Fox won gold in kayak cross after she eliminated her older sister (and world No. 1) Jessica Fox in the prelims. Luckily, Jessica had already won two gold medals in the single kayak and canoe races.

Team USA has six pairs of siblings in Paris: badminton partners and identical twins Annie and Kerry Xu, Juliette and Bella Whitaker on the track, Gretchen and Alex Walsh as well as Aaron and Alex Shackell in the pool, Brook and Emma Deberdine in hockey, and water polo brothers Chase and Ryder Dodd. 

It’s not just about rivalry. Siblings also support each other through good times and bad.

“You get a connection with a sibling that you don’t get with any of your teammates,” Chase Dodd told Paris 2024. “Ryder knows what I’m going to do before I even know what I’m going to do, and vice versa. It’s crazy.”

Canada’s Antonia and Georgia Lewin-LaFrance grew up sailing in different classes but decided to team up for the Paris Olympics.  

Tom and Emily Ford used to row together as kids. Now, they’re winning medals for Great Britain in Paris. 

The Taliban has banned women from competing in sports, but that didn’t stop sisters Fariba and Yulduz Hashimi from cycling for Afghanistan.

French brothers Alexis and Félix Lebrun have given table tennis a huge boost in the host country. On Sunday, Félix won the bronze medal match against Brazilian Hugo Calderano, who eliminated his older brother Alexis in the round of 16.

Brother and sister Hifumi and Uta Abe won judo gold on the same day in their home Tokyo Olympics, but Uta was beaten in her second bout in Paris. Hifumi went on to win gold in the men’s -66 kg.

“My sister lost today, so it was a really hard day for me, but I had the feeling all day that I had to work hard for my sister,” Hifumi Abe said through an interpreter. “It was difficult and painful. But I kept my emotions in check, and I felt I had no choice but to do my best as the older brother.”

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