French security forces successfully protected the Paris Olympics, with Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin calling it a “gold medal” performance. Despite concerns, the massive operation involving 75,000 personnel kept athletes and fans safe during the two-week event. While some incidents occurred, they didn’t mar the overall Games. However, some groups criticized the security measures as repressive towards certain populations. AFP
Paris bid farewell to the Olympics with a spectacular closing ceremony at the Stade de France. The Games, praised as one of the greatest ever, concluded with the USA topping the medal table. Notable final day events included Sifan Hassan’s dramatic marathon win and the US women’s basketball team securing their eighth consecutive gold. The ceremony marked the handover to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics. AFP
Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem returned home to a hero’s welcome after winning gold at the Paris Olympics with a record 92.97-meter throw. Thousands greeted him in Lahore, celebrating Pakistan’s first Olympic medal. Nadeem, who comes from a humble background, beat defending champion Neeraj Chopra of India. President Zardari announced Nadeem would receive Pakistan’s second-highest civilian award for his achievement. Reuters
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting won Olympic gold in women’s 57kg boxing, defeating Poland’s Julia Szeremeta. Lin and Algeria’s Imane Khelif, who won gold in 66kg, were at the center of a gender controversy after being disqualified from last year’s world championships. Both were cleared to compete in Paris by the IOC. Lin, a two-time world champion, overcame personal struggles to achieve her Olympic dream, dedicating her victory to years of hard work. AFP
USA won their 5th consecutive Olympic men’s basketball gold, defeating France 98-87. Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway claimed gold in the 5000m track event. Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi won the 800m, continuing Kenya’s dominance in the event. New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr took gold in high jump, while USA’s Masai Russell won the women’s 100m hurdles. The US dominated athletics with 14 golds. In other events, Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola won the men’s marathon, and New Zealand’s Lydia Ko claimed golf gold. AFP
Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola won gold in the Paris Olympics men’s marathon, finishing in 2:06:26. Belgium’s Bashir Abdi took silver, and Kenya’s Benson Kipruto bronze. Eliud Kipchoge, aiming for a third consecutive gold, failed to finish the exceptionally hilly course. Tola, a late addition to the team, became Ethiopia’s first Olympic marathon champion in 24 years. The challenging course, particularly the first steep ascent, proved decisive in the race’s outcome. Reuters
Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam made Olympic history by winning her third consecutive heptathlon gold medal. She scored 6,880 points, beating Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson (6,844 points) and fellow Belgian Noor Vidts (6,707 points). Thiam’s strong javelin throw gave her a significant lead going into the final 800m event. Despite Johnson-Thompson’s efforts in the 800m, Thiam finished within the required time to secure her victory. AFP
Spain won the Olympic men’s football gold medal, defeating hosts France 5-3 in extra time. Substitute Sergio Camello scored twice in extra time to secure the victory. The match was dramatic, with France equalizing 3-3 in stoppage time to force extra time. This is Spain’s first Olympic men’s football gold since 1992. Spanish coach Santi Denia praised his team’s performance against a strong French side. Reuters
American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone shattered her own 400m hurdles world record at the Olympics, winning gold with a time of 50.37 seconds. Her teammate Anna Cockrell took silver, while Dutch runner Femke Bol claimed bronze. This marks McLaughlin-Levrone’s sixth world record in the event and solidifies her status as a track superstar. The victory came a day after her 25th birthday, adding to the celebration. The U.S. continued its dominance in the event, winning for the fourth consecutive time. Reuters
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, a bronze medalist at the World Championships, has announced her retirement after being disqualified from the Paris Olympics for being overweight. Phogat was set to face the American Sarah Hildebrandt for the gold medal but was found to be 100 grams over the 50kg limit. The news has left the Indian wrestling community heartbroken, with fellow wrestlers expressing their support and admiration for Phogat’s achievements and fight for justice. AFP
American Quincy Hall won Olympic gold in the 400 meters, overtaking Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith in the final stretch. Hall’s time of 43.40 seconds was a personal best. Hudson-Smith took silver with a new European record of 43.44, while Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga claimed bronze. This marks the first U.S. gold in the event since 2008. The race was exceptionally fast, with the top five finishers all running under 44 seconds. AFP
Irish boxer Kellie Harrington won her second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the lightweight category, defeating China’s Yang Wenlu in the final. Harrington announced her retirement after the win. In other boxing news, Algeria’s Imane Khelif advanced to the welterweight final, while China’s Wu Yu and Turkey’s Buse Naz Cakiroglu will face off in the flyweight final. Various other semifinal results were also reported. Reuters
The USA and Brazil have advanced to the Olympic women’s football final. The USA defeated Germany 1-0 in extra time, with Sophia Smith scoring the winning goal. Brazil upset World Cup champions Spain 4-2 in a high-scoring match. The final will take place on Saturday in Paris, with the USA aiming for their fifth gold medal. Spain and Germany will compete for bronze on Friday. AFP
Dutch cyclists Lavreysen, van den Berg, and Hoogland retained their Olympic men’s team sprint title, setting a new world record of 40.949 seconds. They beat Britain for gold and Australia for bronze at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome. The trio, who have dominated since 2018, broke their own world record twice in one day, cementing their status as the world’s top team sprint cyclists. AFP
Brazil’s Bruna Alexandre made history as the first Brazilian to compete in both Olympic and Paralympic table tennis. Despite losing to South Korea in the Olympics, Alexandre, who lost her arm at three months old, remains proud of her performance. A Paralympic medalist, she aims for gold in the upcoming Paralympics and plans to return for the 2028 Olympics, inspiring inclusion in sports. Reuters
Armand Duplantis broke his own pole vault world record, clearing 6.25m to retain his Olympic title. Simone Biles settled for silver in beam and floor exercises, ending with three golds and a silver overall. Beatrice Chebet won the women’s 5,000m, while Keely Hodgkinson took gold in the 800m. The mixed triathlon relay proceeded despite water quality concerns, with Germany winning. In other events, Britain won gold in women’s team sprint cycling, and Spain advanced to the men’s football final. AFP
Kenyan runner Beatrice Chebet won gold in the Olympic women’s 5,000m, defeating defending champion Sifan Hassan. Faith Kipyegon initially secured silver after an appeal overturned her disqualification, pushing Hassan to bronze. Chebet’s tactical performance and strong finish secured her victory with a time of 14:28.56. This win adds to Chebet’s impressive season, which includes a world record in the 10,000m. She aims to compete for the 10,000m title on Friday. AFP
Taiwan’s Wang Chi-Lin and Lee Yang won gold in men’s doubles badminton at the Paris Olympics, defeating Chinese opponents. The victory sparked celebrations across Taiwan, with thousands gathering to watch public screenings. The match highlighted political tensions between Taiwan and China, as Taiwanese supporters faced restrictions on displaying their national flag at the venue. Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te congratulated the athletes, calling them “the country’s glory.” Reuters
American sprinter Noah Lyles won gold in the Olympic 100m final in Paris with a personal best time of 9.79 seconds. In an incredibly close finish, Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson took silver with the same rounded time, separated by just five thousandths of a second. Fred Kerley of the USA claimed bronze. This marks the first American victory in the event since 2004. Lyles now aims to also win the 200m, his signature event. AFP
South Sudan’s Olympic basketball dreams ended with a 96-85 loss to Serbia. Coach Royal Ivey and team president Luol Deng criticized the officiating, citing unfair foul calls and lack of free throws for their team. They also called for more African referees at the Olympics. Despite the disappointment, Deng promised the team would return stronger in the future. The loss left South Sudan third in Group C, missing out on the quarter-finals. Reuters
In Olympic women’s football quarter-finals, Spain defeated the Netherlands on penalties, while Brazil upset hosts France 1-0 with a late goal. The U.S. beat Japan 1-0 in extra time, thanks to Trinity Rodman’s strike. Spain will face Brazil in the semi-finals, while the U.S. will meet Germany. These matches set up exciting semi-final clashes in the tournament. Reuters
American swimmer Katie Ledecky won her fourth consecutive Olympic gold in the 800m freestyle, finishing in 8:11.04. This victory marks her ninth Olympic gold medal, tying the record for most golds won by a female athlete. Ledecky beat Australia’s Ariarne Titmus and USA’s Paige Madden for the win. With this achievement, Ledecky cements her status as one of the greatest distance swimmers in history, having dominated the sport for over a decade. AFP
Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred won the Olympic women’s 100m gold medal, beating favorite Sha’Carri Richardson of the US. Alfred’s time of 10.72 seconds secured Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medal. Richardson took silver (10.87s) and Melissa Jefferson bronze (10.92s). The upset victory came in rainy conditions at the Stade de France. Alfred led from start to finish, leaving Richardson unable to catch up despite being the reigning world champion. AFP
Ivan Litvinovich from Belarus won gold in men’s trampoline at the Paris Olympics, competing as a neutral athlete. He’s the first neutral athlete to win gold at these Games. China’s Wang Zisai and Yan Langyu took silver and bronze. Russian and Belarusian athletes are competing under strict conditions due to the Ukraine invasion, with only 32 accepting invitations. Their achievements are not recognized in the medals table. AFP
Czech duo Katerina Siniakova and Tomas Machac won Olympic mixed doubles gold, defeating China’s Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen 6-2, 5-7, 10-8. The pair, rumored to have recently split, kept their personal relationship private. Siniakova claimed her second Olympic gold, adding to her previous women’s doubles win. Machac expressed mixed feelings about defeating his friend Zhang. China still has a chance for tennis gold in the women’s singles final. AFP
France defeated Argenti na 1-0 in a tense Olympic football quarter-final, with Jean-Philippe Mateta scoring the only goal. The match ended with on-field clashes between players. Spain, Morocco, and Egypt also advanced to the semi-finals. Spain beat Japan 3-0, Morocco defeated the USA 4-0, and Egypt won against Paraguay on penalties. France will face Egypt in the semi-finals, while Spain will play Morocco. AFP
French swimmer Leon Marchand won his fourth gold medal at the Paris Olympics in the 200m individual medley, becoming the first male swimmer since Michael Phelps to achieve this feat. He set an Olympic record with a time of 1:54.06. Marchand, trained by Phelps’ former coach Bob Bowman, called it a “perfect week” and is already looking forward to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. AFP
Canadian swimming prodigy Summer McIntosh, 17, clinched Olympic gold in the women’s 200m butterfly with a stunning time of 2:03.03, the second-fastest in history. She outpaced American Regan Smith and defending champion Zhang Yufei of China. McIntosh’s performance was just shy of the world record set in 2009. This marks her third medal in Paris, following gold in the 400m medley and silver in the 400m freestyle. She remains the favorite for the upcoming 200m medley event. AFP
Andy Murray’s illustrious tennis career ended at the Paris Olympics as he and Dan Evans lost in the men’s doubles quarter-finals. The 37-year-old former world number one had previously announced this would be his final tournament. Murray’s retirement marks the end of another chapter in tennis’s golden generation, following Roger Federer’s exit in 2022. With Rafael Nadal also hinting at retirement, only Novak Djokovic remains active among the sport’s “Big Four” who dominated men’s tennis for over a decade. AFP
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, French swimmer Leon Marchand claimed his second gold medal in the 200m butterfly, setting a new Olympic record. Sweden’s Sarah Sjoestroem won her first Olympic gold in the 100m freestyle, narrowly beating American Torri Huske. Marchand’s dramatic late surge overtook Hungary’s Kristof Milak, while Sjoestroem, 30, clinched victory by a fingertip. Marchand, trained by Michael Phelps’ former coach Bob Bowman, has become a national hero in France with his performances in the pool. AFP
At the Paris Olympics women’s street skateboarding event, Generation Z dominated the podium with Japan’s Coco Yoshizawa (14) winning gold, Liz Akama (15) taking silver, and Brazil’s Rayssa Leal (16) securing bronze. The event featured a soundtrack of 1980s and 1990s hits, which the young athletes generally appreciated. Some competitors, like fifth-place finisher Poe Pinson, opted for headphones to maintain focus with their preferred music, while others enjoyed the venue’s playlist. Reuters