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Paris Olympics (2024) - Discussion Thread

Champ_Pal said:
We already know who is going to win all the medals. China, USA and Russia.

Some are won by England, France.

The rest will win a medal if they get lucky.

Some become instant celebrity in India if they win a medal. They get all kinds of awards and cash rewards.

After a couple of weeks, no one remembers who won what.
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Russia is not there bhai! :p Update your sports data.

India has realistic chance of 2-3 gold medals this time. And These sports are are growing in popularity. Of course no where close to cricket, but we are several several times better than what we did with these sports 20 years ago.
I expect a double digit tally for the first time for us, but golds are needed.
 
First Medal chance lost by India, missed out on medal round by 1 point in 10m Mixed team shooting

Shooting always flatters to deceive since Bindra :(
 
I liked the light show and the end song and cauldron but the rest of the ceremony was boring. Not a good way to start it off.

But now we're on day 1, the events have started so I'm trying to navigate their website to find sports I'm interested in and it's a pain. They don't have a live score section, just a live written commentary section. I'm laughing at how bad it's been so far.
 

GB men's hockey team start with emphatic victory​


Great Britain's men started their bid for Olympic hockey gold with a commanding 4-0 win over Spain in Pool A.

Nick Park poached the ball off a Spanish player, beat a covering defender and then calmly lifted the ball over Spain’s goalkeeper Luis Calzado to give Britain the lead in the first quarter.

Gareth Furlong doubled the lead at the start of the second quarter, slamming the ball through Calzado’s legs.

Furlong made the game safe in the final quarter as Calzado failed to keep out another powerful strike, before Rupert Shipperley pounced to force the ball home for Britain's fourth.

Spain had their moments at an overcast Yves-du-Manoir Stadium but a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping from Ollie Payne stopped them from scoring.

Britain, captained by Northern Ireland's David Ames, are aiming to secure a first Olympic medal since winning gold in 1988.

They will South Africa next on Sunday evening before facing top seeds the Netherlands, hosts France and world champions Germany in their other pool matches. The top four teams go through to the quarter-finals.

Great Britain women start their Pool B campaign against Spain at 12:15 BST on Sunday.

Meanwhile, reigning Olympic champions Belgium overcame Ireland 2-0 in the opening match of men's Pool B.

Tom Boon opened the scoring and Alexander Hendrickx, who led the scoring charts in their Tokyo triumph three years ago, added the second.

www.bbc.com

Olympic hockey: Great Britain men thrash Spain 4-0 in Paris 2024 opener

Great Britain start their bid for Olympic hockey gold with a commanding 4-0 win over Spain in Pool A.
www.bbc.com
 
China bag first gold medal of Paris Olympics in mixed air rifle shooting

The biggest threat to anybody’s medal hopes in shooting disciplines is not the exceptional talent of the Chinese. It is, instead, perspiration.

China’s glory in the 10m mixed air rifle team event was as straightforward as one could anticipate for the world champions and pre-competition favourites, Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao. Here was the rarest of things; a Chinese Olympic success apparently free from the whiff of controversy.

At 11.22am on Saturday, the first gold medal of the Games was sealed. One down, 328 to go. South Korea’s Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun were nudged into the silver medal position despite a late rally.

Sheng kisses his rifle before he shoots. Huang appears in some kind of trance before pulling the trigger. Handily, the pair are completely unmoved by external factors.

There are rather a few of them here on the outskirts of Châteauroux. This military base feels so far removed from the Champs-Élysées and Parisian stadiums. Which it is; the Eiffel Tower sits 250km away from where Huang delivered the crucial shot. The diaspora of the shooters. It felt bizarre the event organisers determined gold would first be awarded in this distant annex. A brass band played outside, the French sports minister took in the competition but there was precious little sense of occasion.

The venue itself is steamy, muggy, uncomfortable. While that can be handled by spectators, it is tricky for athletes who have to compete in ludicrous leather suits. No wonder so many of them walk uneasily. Perhaps this explains the muted celebrations of the Chinese team; cold shower beats gold medal.

“It is definitely a thing,” said Team GB’s Seonaid McIntosh. “This sounds kind of gross but once you are soaking, you don’t really feel it anymore. But it is hard when you have sweat running down your face.

“It is not completely normal for it to be this warm but it is also not outwith the bounds of possibility. It has happened before. It is hard when it is this hot. You have a headband on, take that off because it is too hot then you have sweat dripping into your eyes so you can’t see.” With a rifle in your hand, this feels problematic.

McIntosh and Mike Bargeron had failed to progress to the gold or bronze medal matches but there was no sense of excuse-making after finishing 26th out of 28 teams. Both were upbeat. “The 10m mixed was always going to be a warm-up for us,” said Bargeron. “It is not a speciality for either of us. We planned it out weeks ago. So it was nice to get the nerves out, feel the crowd, feel the atmosphere and the heat as well. It was really great.”

Germany earned their bronze medal meeting with Kazakhstan by one-tenth of a millimetre. Talk about tiny margins. With 16 points the target for victory, the Kazakhstan team of Alexandra Le and Islam Satpayev enjoyed a fast start but were hauled back by Germany’s Anna Janssen and Maximilian Ulbrich.

With Le in particular excelling, Kazakhstan established another lead, this time 11-5. At 10.45am, Satpayev saw Kazakhstan across the line 17-5, for the first medal of the Games. It is their first in shooting since 1996.

In the big one, China raced into a 6-2 lead after four rounds. Sheng’s accuracy was exceptional. Two Chinese shots, each earning 10.6 values – the highest possible is 10.9 – in the ninth round was key. At this point, China were ahead 12-6. They needed 14 rounds to secure gold, 16-12. South Korea had threatened an upset by recovering valiantly from 14-8 to 14-12 behind.

“This medal is the culmination of a lot of practise,” said Haung, who is still only 17. “It also means a new start.”

Bargeron labelled Chinese ability in this sphere as “insane.” They also have shooting stars who can handle the distinct heat of French battle.

www.theguardian.com

China bag first gold medal of Paris Olympics in mixed air rifle shooting

China bagged the first gold of the Paris Olympics when Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao, the world champions and favourites, won the 10m mixed air rifle event
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
Anna Henderson secures Team GB’s second medal at Paris 2024 with silver in the women’s individual time-trial

Sky Sports
 

South Korea wrongly introduced as North Korea at Olympics​


Olympic organisers have issued a "deep apology" after South Korea's athletes were mistakenly introduced as North Korea at the opening ceremony in Paris.

As the excited, flag-waving team floated down the River Seine, both French and English announcers introduced them as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" - the official name of North Korea.

The same name was then used - correctly - when North Korea's delegation sailed past.

The two Koreas have been divided since the end of World War Two, with tensions between the states further escalating recently.

The subtitle which ran across the bottom of the television broadcast showed the correct title, however.
The South Korean sports ministry said it planned to lodge a "strong complaint with France on a government level" over the embarrassing gaffe.

In a statement, the ministry expressed "regret over the announcement... where the South Korean delegation was introduced as the North Korean team."

The statement added that the second vice sports minister, Jang Mi-ran, a 2008 Olympic weightlifting champion, had demanded a meeting with Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued an apology on its official Korean-language X account, saying: "We would like to offer a deep apology over the mistake that occurred in the introduction of the South Korean delegation during the opening ceremony."

South Korea, formally known as the Republic of Korea, has 143 athletes in its Olympic team this year, competing across 21 sports.

North Korea has sent 16 athletes. This is the first time it has competed in the games since Rio 2016.

www.bbc.com

South Korea wrongly introduced as North Korea at Olympics

South Korea said it would request a meeting with International Olympic Committee Chairman Thomas Bach.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 
Aang_The_last_airbender said:
Russia is not there bhai! :p Update your sports data.

India has realistic chance of 2-3 gold medals this time. And These sports are are growing in popularity. Of course no where close to cricket, but we are several several times better than what we did with these sports 20 years ago.
I expect a double digit tally for the first time for us, but golds are needed.
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They competed under some weird made up name in last Olympics too.

They might use the name PutinVodkas and win 100 medals half drunk.
 
Champ_Pal said:
They competed under some weird made up name in last Olympics too.

They might use the name PutinVodkas and win 100 medals half drunk.
Click to expand...
Apart from doping ban, this time very few atheletes are allowed because they have to sign an undertaking declaring their neutrality in Russia Ukraine war. So we dont have Russian or Belarusian players.. I think only about 7 or 8 Russian athletes are part of neutral atheletes group.
 
jattafridi said:
I think China can win 40 gold medals 🥇 🇵🇰🥰🇨🇳

Can India win 3 gold medals 🤔
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It will be hard for India, we can fall down to zero gold even :p
China getting 40 golds will be hard too. China has maxxed out the niche medal count it can get. So hardly a chance to improve on their existing medal tally.
 
jattafridi said:
I think China can win 40 gold medals 🥇 🇵🇰🥰🇨🇳

Can India win 3 gold medals 🤔
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3 golds would be an amazing amazing achievement for us. I think realistically India can win 2 golds. Neeraj Chopra and maybe one of the shooters. India should aim to take their medals tally into double digits as well though even that looks like a tall order.
 
battler said:
3 golds would be an amazing amazing achievement for us. I think realistically India can win 2 golds. Neeraj Chopra and maybe one of the shooters. India should aim to take their medals tally into double digits as well though even that looks like a tall order.
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Neeraj is not winning anything. I think he is hiding his injury. We cant rely on him this time.
Badminton doubles we have solid chance of gold thats it.
 
Anyone else disappointed yet again with the US commentators during the opening ceremony? There is barely any interesting mentions of the nations in the parade (those few seconds are their moment IMO). The only thing they say is name of the country, number of athletes and MAYBE a sentence for a select few countries and thats it. Rest of the time is filled with some generic comment and regular panning of cameras to team USA.
 
India defeat new Zealand in hockey opener. 3-2

Not convincing, I feel we will do worse than last time count of 7 medals.

Cycling, sailing and swimming. Unless we improve in these segments we can't break into top 10 or 20.
 

Top five stories from day one of Paris Olympics 2024​


Great Britain claimed their first opening day medals since 2004 as the Paris Olympics got under way.

Team GB duo Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen claimed a dramatic bronze in the women's synchronised 3m springboard, before Anna Henderson rode to silver in the women's time trial cycling.

After a rain-soaked but spectacular opening ceremony on Friday, the poor weather continued on Saturday with several scheduled events rescheduled, including in skateboarding and tennis.

There was also medal joy for the host nation and a strong start for some of the Games' most recognisable names.

Sensational silver for Henderson

Amid tricky conditions in Paris as rain continued to fall, Great Britain's Henderson finished in 41 minutes and nine seconds to claim silver behind Grace Brown of Australia, who was a remarkable 90 seconds faster.

In a tense finish, American Chloe Dygert fell less than a second short of Henderson's time to end up in third place.

It was a gutsy performance from Henderson, especially so as the 25-year-old has twice broken her collarbone this season.

She kept her nerve and her balance as others fell around her on the slippery surface.

American Taylor Knibb had to change her bike after falling off four times while Dygert also came off amid the wet conditions, although she recovered to take bronze.

There was bad news however for GB's Josh Tarling, who missed out on a medal in the men's time trial after sustaining a puncture.

Mew Jensen and Harper claim bronze medal

In the women's synchronised 3m springboard event, Harper and Mew Jensen were sixth with two dives to go and fourth before the final dive.

Australia looked set for bronze at worst, but an excellent final effort by the British pair moved them into third and a horrible mistake on Australia's final dive meant they failed to overhaul Harper and Mew Jensen.

The pair were in tears at the end of the competition as they snatched Britain's first female diving medal at an Olympics for 64 years, behind China and the United States.

The maiden gold of the entire Games, in the first of 329 medal events, was won on Saturday morning in shooting.

Teenagers Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao won the first gold of a predicted large medal tally for China in the 10m air rifle event.

Hosts enjoy opening-day gold in rugby sevens

Hosts France got their Games going with a bang on day one by winning gold in the men's rugby sevens.

In front of an ecstatic crowd of 70,000 at the Stade de France, the French defeated reigning champions Fiji 28-7.

The dream final for the neutrals saw the hosts play the favourites Fiji, who had won gold in the two previous men's Olympic rugby sevens and had never previously lost a match at the Games.

But inspired by Antoine Dupont, France came from behind with four tries - two scored by the 15-a-side captain - to make history.

Earlier, Shirine Boukli opened the nation's medal account with bronze in the women's -48kg judo, while Luka Mkheidze reached the final of the men's -60kg.

Mkheidze had to settle for silver as he was beaten by Yeldos Smetov of Kazakhstan.

Nick Park and Rupert Shipperley scored either side of a Gareth Furlong double as Great Britain's men opened with a 4-0 win over Spain in the hockey.

Captained by Northern Ireland's David Ames, GB men are aiming to secure a first Olympic medal since winning gold in 1988 and continue their campaign against South Africa on Sunday.

In the dressage, Laura Collett set a new Olympic record with her leading score on London 52 in the eventing dressage, recording just 17.5 penalties, while in men's gymastics GB reached the team final following a strong qualifying performance.

In the rowing, it was a fast start for Great Britain with the women’s quadruple sculls winning their heat in style. The group of Lauren Henry, Hannah Scott, Lola Anderson and Georgina Brayshaw beat Germany, Switzerland and the US to qualify for the final with the fastest time from the heats, almost four seconds quicker than the rest.

The male quartet also booked a spot in the final, though with a slightly less convincing performance - three seconds behind current world and Olympic champions the Netherlands.

The women's double sculls pair of Mathilda Hodgkins Byrne and Rebecca Wilde also finished second in their heat behind New Zealand to qualify for the semi-finals.

Also on the water, Adam Burgess qualified in second for the men's canoe singles semi-final on Monday, while Kimberley Woods has qualified for the women's kayak singles semi-final.

Easy starts for Djokovic and Swiatek

Novak Djokovic is aiming to win an Olympic gold medal for the first time

Few athletes will have simpler opening tasks in Paris than Novak Djokovic - 54 minutes after he first walked out on to court, the Serbian had beaten Australia's Matthew Ebden 6-0 6-1.

He'll face much tougher hurdles - Ebden was playing his first singles match for two years - but it was as easy a warm-up as he could hope for.

Up next? It could be Rafael Nadal, should he beat Hungary's Marton Fucsovics later this week.

In the women's tennis, Poland's Iga Swiatek got up and running at Roland Garros - where she is a four-time French Open champion - by beating Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2 7-5.

They were among those fortunate enough to complete their matches as heavy rain delayed play on the outside courts, impacting the start of the Games for GB's Cameron Norrie, Jack Draper, Dan Evans and Katie Boulter.

Source: BBC
 
Triathlon swim training scrapped because of pollution

Pollution in the River Seine has forced the cancellation of Sunday's proposed swimming training for Olympic triathletes in Paris.

A joint statement from Paris 2024 and World Triathlon said that tests had shown the water quality was below an acceptable standard.

After tests in July, the River Seine was deemed to be clean enough for swimming but heavy rain in the French capital over the past 48 hours has seen the quality diminish.

"The priority is the health of the athletes," the statement read.

"The tests carried out in the Seine [on Saturday] revealed water quality levels that in the view of the international federation, World Triathlon, did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held.

"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 (on 30 July)."

Should the water quality not reach the required standard, the triathlon events could be postponed for a few days or moved to Vaires-sur-Marne, on the Marne river east of Paris.

The swimming leg of the triathlon familiarisation had been due to take place at 07:00 BST. The bike and running training will go ahead as planned.

BBC
 
BouncerGuy said:
Triathlon swim training scrapped because of pollution

Pollution in the River Seine has forced the cancellation of Sunday's proposed swimming training for Olympic triathletes in Paris.

A joint statement from Paris 2024 and World Triathlon said that tests had shown the water quality was below an acceptable standard.

After tests in July, the River Seine was deemed to be clean enough for swimming but heavy rain in the French capital over the past 48 hours has seen the quality diminish.

"The priority is the health of the athletes," the statement read.

"The tests carried out in the Seine [on Saturday] revealed water quality levels that in the view of the international federation, World Triathlon, did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held.

"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 (on 30 July)."

Should the water quality not reach the required standard, the triathlon events could be postponed for a few days or moved to Vaires-sur-Marne, on the Marne river east of Paris.

The swimming leg of the triathlon familiarisation had been due to take place at 07:00 BST. The bike and running training will go ahead as planned.

BBC
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Imagine such a situation happening for event in India.
The toilet jokes would be all over the internet!
 
Convicted rapist Van de Velde booed on Olympic debut

Convicted child rapist Steven van de Velde made his Olympic beach volleyball debut to a mixed reaction in Paris, with audible boos.

Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 after admitting three counts of rape against a 12-year-old British girl.

He and partner Matthew Immers are ranked 10th in the world but lost 2-1 to Italy's Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula, ranked 25th, at the Eiffel Tower Stadium.

The pair were introduced to the crowd together, with cheers as well as some boos as they walked out.

There were boos, along with applause, when Van de Velde was individually announced to the crowd before the match began.

All players shook hands before and after the match.

The Dutch pair are next in action on 31 July, when they face Chile's Marco and Esteban Grimalt at 15:00 BST.

Steven van de Velde is competing in the beach volleyball at the Paris Games

An online petition calling for 29-year-old Van de Velde to be banned from the Olympics had received 90,000 signatures before he played his first match.

His inclusion in the Dutch team has been criticised by women's and safeguarding groups.

Fans speaking to BBC Sport before the match also felt he should not be competing.

One British fan said: "He's been open and honest about it and he's served his time, but personally, I think they could have made a different choice.

"They could have chosen someone else, avoided all the controversy and if it was a British person, I wouldn't be happy they would be in our team."

Another said that Van de Velde's inclusion "does not represent the spirt of the Olympics", while one German fan, when told by BBC Sport about the story, said: "I am very astonished. He should not be allowed to play."

However, one Dutch fan said it was "right" Van de Velde was competing, adding: "He's been punished and now it's over and he can continue with his life like anyone else."

Van de Velde is not staying in the Olympic village and will not do any post-match media.

There was extra security around him when he arrived in Paris with the rest of the team.

In previous interviews with Dutch media, Van de Velde said: "I can't reverse it, so I will have to bear the consequences. It has been the biggest mistake of my life."

Why is Van de Velde allowed to compete?

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said the selection of athletes for the Games was the responsibility of individual committees.

Van de Velde returned to playing in 2017. The Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC) said he had met guidelines set by the Dutch Volleyball Federation (NeVoBo) for athletes to resume competing after conviction.

The NOC said Van de Velde had returned to the playing arena "following a specialist treatment programme".

It added: "Van de Velde has fully engaged with all requirements and has met all the stringent risk assessment thresholds, checks and due diligence. Experts have stated that there is no risk of recidivism.

"Van de Velde has consistently remained transparent about the case which he refers to as the most significant misstep of his life. He deeply regrets the consequences of his actions for those involved."

In a statement to BBC Sport, it also said: "After his release, Van de Velde sought and received professional counselling. He demonstrated to those around him - privately and professionally - self-insight and reflection."

Mark Adams, spokesperson for the IOC, was asked of Saturday if the organisation was "comfortable" with his Van de Velde's inclusion.

"To characterise it as comfortable and happy would not be correct," he said.

"We feel the NOC have explained their decision.

"Comfortable and happy, characterise it how you want, but the statement that they have given to us is correct and we will continue with the situation as it is."

Rarely does an athlete's selection for the Olympics or presence at a Games draw as much controversy as that of Van de Velde.

It has made a lot of people uncomfortable, but ultimately he is here because the NOC picked him and the International Olympic Committee - despite pressure including from safeguarding campaign groups - said the nomination of athletes was the sole responsibility of the respective NOCs.

On the way in, I stopped several fans to ask them for their views.

Some were not aware of the story, but we spoke to fans from Germany, the UK and Ireland who felt very strongly that he shouldn't be here and said they wouldn't be supporting him.

It was interesting that every Dutch fan I spoke to was either unwilling to talk about the subject or was supportive of Van de Velde.

BBC
 
Bharat wins its first medal at the Olympics with shooter Manu Bhaker winning the Bronze medal.

Watched it live. She showed nerves of steel and just missed the silver medal by a whisker.

We are proud of you Manu
 
Shooter Manu Bhaker clinched India's first medal of the Paris Olympics 2024

Striking bronze in Women's 10m Air Pistol final at the Chatearoux Shooting Center. By doing so, Bhaker scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a medal in shooting at the Olympic games. Meanwhile, Arjun Babuta and Ramita Jindal also raised India's medal hopes by qualifying for the Men's and Women's 10m Air Rifle finals. Earlier, Rower Balraj Panwar qualified for the quarterfinals of men's single skulls after finishing second in the repechage round.

NDTV
 
Saudi Arabia’s Mashael Al-Ayed finsihed 6th in the women’s 200m freestyle heats with 2:19.61 — a new personal best marks the end of the 17-year-old's first Olympic participation.
 
Aang_The_last_airbender said:
Shooting draught ends after 12 years. Finally!
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My 8 year old daughter and I watched it live. She's bursting with pride and taunting me at an Indian women opening our account. I can't wipe the smile off my face.

vko73n8g_cc_625x300_28_July_24.jpg
 

France rail repairs completed after arson attacks​


France's national rail operator says it has finished repairing infrastructure damaged in a suspected coordinated arson attack on Friday.

State-owned SNCF said most trains were running as planned on Sunday and full service will resume on Monday.

Police are still searching for the perpetrators behind what French ministers and officials have described as "sabotage" designed to paralyse high-speed TGV lines running to and from Paris.

Hundreds of thousands of people were caught up in the resulting disruption, which came hours before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in the capital.

SNCF said staff have been working around the clock to manually repair fibre optic cables, which were targeted on the North, Brittany and South-West lines.

Rail workers foiled an attempt to destroy safety equipment on a fourth line.

On Sunday, the rail company said the main western line from Paris was operating almost as normal, while three out of four TGV trains were running on the northern line from Lille, with no delays expected.

SNCF said around 250,000 passengers were affected on Friday, while junior transport minister Patrice Vergriete estimated as many as 800,000 people could be impacted over three days.

Eurostar - which runs international services from London to Paris and uses a high-speed line in France - was also impacted. It said one in four of its trains would not run over the weekend.

Among those caught up in the disruption on Friday was Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who had planned to travel to the Games' opening ceremony via train but was forced to fly instead.

He told the BBC: "I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t frustrating because it was, and for very many people it made travel so much harder."

The Paris prosecutor's office has opened a criminal investigation into what happened, which is being overseen by its organised crime office.

www.bbc.com

France rail repairs completed after arson attacks

Full service is due to resume on Monday after the network was paralysed ahead of the opening of the Olympics.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 

Convicted rapist Van de Velde booed on Olympic debut​


Convicted child rapist Steven van de Velde made his Olympic beach volleyball debut to a mixed reaction in Paris, with audible boos.

Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 after admitting three counts of rape against a 12-year-old British girl.

He and volleyball partner Matthew Immers are ranked 10th in the world but lost 2-1 to Italy's Alex Ranghieri and Adrian Carambula, ranked 25th, at the Eiffel Tower Stadium.

The pair were introduced to the crowd together, with cheers as well as some boos as they walked out.

There were boos, along with applause, when Van de Velde was individually announced to the crowd before the match began.

All players shook hands before and after the match.

The Dutch pair are next in action on 31 July, when they face Chile's Marco and Esteban Grimalt at 15:00 BST.

An online petition calling for 29-year-old Van de Velde to be banned from the Olympics had received 90,000 signatures before he played his first match.

His inclusion in the Dutch team has been criticised by women's and safeguarding groups.

Fans speaking to BBC Sport before the match also felt he should not be competing.

One British fan said: "He's been open and honest about it and he's served his time, but personally, I think they could have made a different choice.

"They could have chosen someone else, avoided all the controversy and if it was a British person, I wouldn't be happy they would be in our team."

Another said that Van de Velde's inclusion "does not represent the spirt of the Olympics", while one German fan, when told by BBC Sport about the story, said: "I am very astonished. He should not be allowed to play."

However, one Dutch fan said it was "right" Van de Velde was competing, adding: "He's been punished and now it's over and he can continue with his life like anyone else."

His playing partner Immers, speaking after the match, also said he thought it was right that Van de Velde could compete.

"We talked about it one time and we want to enjoy every moment on this stage because we gave everything together for the past three years to qualify," he said.

"Steven is a really nice guy and for me, I played two years with him, there was nothing and now there is some people that don't like it because it is a big tournament."

Van de Velde is not staying in the Olympic village and will not do any post-match media.

There was extra security around him when he arrived in Paris with the rest of the team.

In previous interviews with Dutch media, Van de Velde said: "I can't reverse it, so I will have to bear the consequences. It has been the biggest mistake of my life."

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said the selection of athletes for the Games was the responsibility of individual committees.

Van de Velde returned to playing in 2017. The Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC) said he had met guidelines set by the Dutch Volleyball Federation (NeVoBo) for athletes to resume competing after conviction.

The NOC said Van de Velde had returned to the playing arena "following a specialist treatment programme".

It added: "Van de Velde has fully engaged with all requirements and has met all the stringent risk assessment thresholds, checks and due diligence. Experts have stated that there is no risk of recidivism.

"Van de Velde has consistently remained transparent about the case which he refers to as the most significant misstep of his life. He deeply regrets the consequences of his actions for those involved."

In a statement to BBC Sport, it also said: "After his release, Van de Velde sought and received professional counselling. He demonstrated to those around him - privately and professionally - self-insight and reflection."

Mark Adams, spokesperson for the IOC, was asked of Saturday if the organisation was "comfortable" with his Van de Velde's inclusion.

"To characterise it as comfortable and happy would not be correct," he said.

"We feel the NOC have explained their decision.

"Comfortable and happy, characterise it how you want, but the statement that they have given to us is correct and we will continue with the situation as it is."

www.bbc.com

Steven van de Velde: Convicted child rapist booed on Olympic debut in beach volleyball

Convicted child rapist Steven van de Velde is booed as he makes his Olympic beach volleyball debut to a mixed reaction in Paris.
www.bbc.com
 
Heartbreak for the Indian archers

The team of Ankita, Deepika and Bhajan went down to the Netherlands 0-6 in the quarterfinals.
 

French headscarf ban continues to draw flak at Olympic Games​


France’s ban on religious headwear in sport has continued to draw criticism as the Olympic Games put the spotlight on Paris.

The country’s secular constitution underpins the ban, which prohibits religious symbols and attire in public institutions.

But it caused controversy ahead of the international sporting event — which draws together athletes from many religious backgrounds from all over the world — with French athletes forbidden from displaying symbols of faith.

Though secular, France has a long Christian tradition, and is home to Europe’s largest Muslim community.

Australian boxer Tina Rahimi called the ban on French athletes wearing the hijab “sad.”

Rahimi told Reuters: “As proud as I am to be here, I think in my heart I feel sad that I’m able to be here with my hijab and the other French athletes and people aren’t.

“I still feel for the French athletes and I just hope that it can be overturned for them and they can participate and every woman can feel free in how they want to dress.

“It means a lot to me to be here as a representation of my faith, and to display to other women out there, in particular hijabi women, that they can participate in sport and feel welcome.

“I think that’s really, really important. That’s what everyone wants to feel; they want to go somewhere and feel like they’re included and they’re not being discriminated against.”

French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla, a practicing Muslim, said wearing a headscarf would have prevented her appearing in the opening ceremony in Paris on Friday. In the end, the French Olympic Committee said Sylla agreed to wear a cap instead.

Amelie Oudea-Castera, French minister for sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, said of the Sylla situation: “Our citizens expect us to follow these principles of secularism, but we also need to be inventive about solutions to make everyone feel good.”

David Lappartient, president of the French Olympic Committee, said French athletes were “taking part in a public service mission and in this respect (are) obliged to observe secularism.”

 
Indians 400 m relay race race came 2nd in the qualification round. Thats a great feat
 

Biles dazzles on Olympic gymnastics return​


Simone Biles dazzled on her Olympics return as the world's most decorated gymnast showed she was back to her best three years after suffering the 'twisties'.

The American, who has 37 world and Olympic medals, pulled out of several events at the Tokyo Games with the disorientating mental block, and many wondered if she would compete again. But after a two-year break she came back and set her sights on Paris.

She had won more world medals since Tokyo, introduced a new skill and looked sharp in training, but no-one really knew what to expect when she entered the Bercy Arena to an eruption of cheers, with A-list celebrities in the stands and a global television audience of millions.

But we soon found out.

An acrobatic beam routine came before an energetic floor programme that featured one of the five skills named after her. Then she delivered her big Biles II vault but decided not to attempt the new skill she is planning on uneven bars.

She scored a total of 59.566 to top the all-around standings with three sub-divisions still to go. It is hard to see that changing - that score would have won the last three World Championships.

It was not all smooth, though, as she required strapping on her calf before her floor routine. She seemed in discomfort afterwards, limping a little, but still went on to top the standings in the all-around qualifying with three sub-divisions to go.

When her bars dismount marked the end of her work for the day, it was then that it was clear what this had meant to her as the joy swept her face and she waved at the crowd before hugging her team-mates.

The 27-year-old will have to wait until later in the day to find out which finals she has made but at this stage it is looking good for team, all-around, vault, floor and beam.

Sub-division two of women's gymnastics qualifying was the hottest ticket in town, with rapper Snoop Dogg, actor Tom Cruise, Vogue editor Anna Wintour and singer Ariana Grande among those at the arena to watch Biles.

It seemed fitting that Biles began her day on beam - the last apparatus on which she competed at Tokyo 2020, taking an emotional bronze after skipping her other individual finals to focus on her mental health.

Her warm-up drew excitement from fans as if it was the real thing, while the photographers' cameras went into overdrive.

But she was not fazed - or at least, not that we saw.

She delivered her acrobatic skills on the 10cm-wide apparatus with confidence, nailed a delightful triple spin and a complex twisting dismount to score 14.733.

She opened her floor routine with her eponymous Biles II - a triple-twisting double somersault - and while she stepped out of the floor area, it did not matter as the performance was packed with so many high-value skills it scored 14.600.

She paused afterwards to sit on a step, raising concerns her left ankle might be bothering her, and she crawled along the runway after a warm-up vault. But she was soon powering down it to perform the Biles II, which she introduced last year. It was not as good as the one she had stuck earlier in the week in training but still earned her a huge 15.800.

Coach Cecile Landi told reporters Biles had "just a little pain in her calf".

There was a ripple of excitement as the American approached the uneven bars - was she about to become the only active gymnast to have a skill named after her on every apparatus, a sort of gymnastics skills grand slam?

But she played it safer with a routine that scored 14.433, which will probably not be enough to book a spot in that apparatus final.

She is still very likely to have other opportunities in the team and all-around finals to try that new skill though.

Just another reason why she will have left many people feeling excited for what might come next from her at these Games as seeks to add to her seven Olympic medals.

The USA team have been keeping the pressure off Biles this week and the gymnast once again opted against speaking to reporters on her way out of the arena.

But there were plenty of others who had a lot to say about what they had witnessed.

"Just to be back, it's incredible that she is here to write a different ending," Matt Baker said on BBC TV.

"In my eyes she is the ultimate athlete here at these Olympic Games. Those scores are just going to keep on coming because Simone Biles is back where she belongs."

Retired gymnast Louis Smith added: "She's really showing why she's the best in the world at gymnastics. This amount of pressure and it's not fazing her.

"She is phenomenal. She looks in great shape. She is the Usain Bolt of this sport."

Great Britain's Becky Downie, who competed in the sub-division before Biles, told reporters: "We probably won't see anyone like Simone again for a long time - it's really exciting what she brings to the sport."

"It's incredible that she's come back."

www.bbc.com

Simone Biles dazzles on Olympic gymnastics return at Paris 2024

American gymnast Simone Biles dazzles on her Olympics return and shows she is back to her best three years after suffering the "twisties".
www.bbc.com
 

‘No one should be excluded’: Australia’s Tina Rahimi hits out at Olympic hijab ban​


Australian boxer Tina Rahimi has hit out at France’s hijab ban, which prevents French athletes participating in certain sports at the Olympics from wearing religious head scarfs.

“Women have the right to choose how they want to dress,” Rahimi, who took part in the Paris 2024 opening ceremony on Friday, wrote in a post on Instagram. “With or without hijab. I choose to wear the hijab as a part of my religion and I am proud to do so.”

Rahimi is the first female Muslim boxer to represent Australia at the Olympics. The 28-year-old, from Bankstown in south-west Sydney, wears long sleeves and a hijab under a protective headgear in competition.

“You shouldn’t have to choose between your beliefs/religion or your sport,” added Rahimi. “This is what the French athletes are forced to do.”

France’s hijab ban only applies to French athletes competing at the Games – it does not apply to visiting competitors. The ban applies to sports including football, basketball, volleyball and boxing, and covers all levels of competition, including amateur events.

“No matter how you look or dress, what your ethnicity is or what religion you follow,” Rahimi said in her post. “We all come together to achieve that one dream. To compete and to win. No one should be excluded. Discrimination is not welcome in sport, specifically in the Olympics and what it stands for.”

In June, a coalition of groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International wrote to the International Olympic Committee condemning the ban and urging IOC intervention.

“The bans imposed by the French sports authorities are discriminatory and prevent Muslim athletes who decide to wear the hijab from exercising their human right to play sport without discrimination of any kind,” the letter said. “The bans also fly in the face of the human rights requirements for host countries and the IOC Strategic Framework on Human Rights, as well as being antithetical to the fundamental principles of Olympism.”

Ahead of the opening ceremony, French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla was at risk of not participating due to her headscarf; at the last minute, a compromise was reached whereby Sylla covered her hair with a cap, allowing her to join the ceremony.

France has a long history of seeking to regulate or ban the wearing of religious items, politically justified in the name of laïcité (secularism).

Rahimi will make her Olympic debut on Friday in the women’s featherweight division. She won bronze for Australia at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and is the reigning Pacific Games champion.

 
Adam Peaty pipped to gold as he misses out on third consecutive title in men's 100m breaststroke

Adam Peaty was pipped to gold by 0.02 seconds as he narrowly failed to claim a third consecutive men's 100m breaststroke Olympic title.

The Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 champion was bidding to become the second male swimmer after US legend Michael Phelps to win Olympic gold at three successive Games.

However, he lost to Nicolo Martinenghi and had to share the silver medal with American Nic Fink after the pair both came in at 59.05 seconds.


news.sky.com

Paris 2024: Adam Peaty pipped to gold as he misses out on third consecutive title in men's 100m breaststroke

Adam Peaty was pipped to gold by 0.02 seconds as he narrowly failed to claim a third consecutive men's 100m breaststroke Olympic title.
news.sky.com news.sky.com
 
Lots of feel good Indian athletes stories are now coming on all the socials.

That time of the year when you feel embarrassed on another level as a Pakistani.
 
BouncerGuy said:
Triathlon swim training scrapped because of pollution

Pollution in the River Seine has forced the cancellation of Sunday's proposed swimming training for Olympic triathletes in Paris.

A joint statement from Paris 2024 and World Triathlon said that tests had shown the water quality was below an acceptable standard.

After tests in July, the River Seine was deemed to be clean enough for swimming but heavy rain in the French capital over the past 48 hours has seen the quality diminish.

"The priority is the health of the athletes," the statement read.

"The tests carried out in the Seine [on Saturday] revealed water quality levels that in the view of the international federation, World Triathlon, did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held.

"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 (on 30 July)."

Should the water quality not reach the required standard, the triathlon events could be postponed for a few days or moved to Vaires-sur-Marne, on the Marne river east of Paris.

The swimming leg of the triathlon familiarisation had been due to take place at 07:00 BST. The bike and running training will go ahead as planned.

BBC
Click to expand...

Triathlon swimming training cancelled for a second day over Seine water quality​


Paris Olympics organisers cancelled the triathlon swimming training session for the second day in a row on Monday, with 24 hours to go until the men's race, after heavy rain affected water quality levels in the Seine.

Fifty-five triathletes are scheduled to line up at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) on Tuesday on a floating pontoon next to the Pont Alexandre III and dive into the Seine, marking the first time athletes have competed in the river at an Olympics since 1900.

The women's individual race is scheduled for Wednesday, also at 8 a.m.

Organisers have set aside Aug. 2 as a contingency day for the individual races and Aug. 6 for the mixed relay in case water quality levels do not improve in time.

"They still seem really hopeful for men tomorrow and women Wednesday," said Team Bermuda coach Dan Hugo, the husband of Tokyo gold medallist Flora Duffy.

"But if needs be one or both will get moved to Friday."

Paris 2024 has already had to rejig some schedules, with men's skateboarding delayed to Monday from Saturday due to rain.

A swimmable Seine is a key legacy Games organisers aim to leave behind for Paris residents.

France has invested some $1.4 billion in new wastewater infrastructure to cut the amounts of sewage flowing into the river, and city authorities have announced plans for three swimming sites to open to the public by June next year.

Sunday's training session was also cancelled after tests carried out on Saturday showed water quality did not meet the required threshold.

The running and bike training sessions remain unaffected.

"Given the weather forecast for the next 36 hours, Paris 2024 and World Triathlon are confident that water quality will return to below limits before the start of the triathlon competitions on July 30," organisers said in a statement on Monday.

 
Not getting discussed here but the opening ceremony received massive backlash from Christians as well as Muslims for showcasing an LGBTQ version of the last supper.

What are your thoughts about it?

Funny, the woke community which came into prominence by taking offence to everything now has the guts and political backing to commit such blasphemous acts.
 
I thought it was distasteful and a shockingly vulgar tableau to display in a ceremony to a global audience. I'm amazed Macron, who I believe is a catholic, approved this in the first place.
 
Apparently viewers alleged that some gay man’s genitalia was visible as they watched the opening ceremony in front of their children.
 
India missed two bronze medal prospects today in shooting. Finished 4th and 6th in individual air rifle 10 m event.
 

Man arrested over suspected French railway vandalism​


An “ultra-left militant” was arrested in north-west France on Sunday after being found behaving suspiciously near a railway site, according to police sources quoted by French media.

Officers who searched the man’s car found keys to technical premises, pliers, a set of universal keys and literature “linked to the ultra-left".

The 28-year-old suspect is currently being questioned by police in the city of Rouen, French media said.

There is no indication that the man has links with the people responsible for Friday's suspected co-ordinated arson attack on railway lines ahead of the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympic Games.

The acts of sabotage paralysed high-speed TGV lines running to and from Paris and heavily disrupted travel in France.

On Monday morning, France’s Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin said that a “number of profiles of people who could have committed these very deliberate, very targeted acts of sabotage” had been identified.

He added that the methods employed were “traditional” of the ultra-left and said there was “likely a political claim” behind the sabotage.

"The question is whether they were manipulated or is it for their own account," Mr Darmanin said, adding that investigators were making good progress and would find those responsible.

Although he stopped short of saying the saboteurs had accomplices within France's national rail operator SNCF, Mr Darmanin noted the locations of the arson attacks were “extremely specific”

“It was obviously extremely well targeted, it wasn't done randomly, and it affected three major lines," he added.

Mr Darmanin also said that around 50 people were arrested ahead of the Olympics who, alongside others - thought to number around 150 - had “wanted to carry out either sabotage or radical protests in Paris during the first events of the Olympic Games”.

Alongside the damage to the train lines, French media also reported that fiber optic cables were found cut in six locations across France overnight Sunday into Monday, causing some isolated outages.

It is still unclear at this stage whether there are any links between the vandalism on the telecoms installations and the sabotage on the rail network last week, which affected an estimated 250,000 passengers on Friday and hundreds of thousands more over the weekend.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for either incident. One security source suggested in French media last week that the arson attacks bore all the hallmarks of the extreme left.

Transport minister Patrice Vergriete said on Monday that trains services were back up and running as normal after teams worked around the clock over the weekend to fix the damage.

He added that "considerable means”, including drones and police helicopters, were deployed to strengthen the security of the thousands of kilometres that make up France’s railway network.

Mr Vergriete also said that the acts of sabotage will likely have cost several million euros.

www.bbc.com

Man arrested in France over suspected railway vandalism

Police sources told local media the 28-year-old was found acting suspiciously near a railway site.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com
 

Vandals attack French telecoms lines days after rail sabotage​


Vandals attacked telecoms lines in parts of France overnight, disrupting some fixed and mobile services, the junior minister for digital matters, Marina Ferrari, said on X on Monday.

A police source said it was too early to tell if there was any link to sabotage on the high-speed rail network, which caused travel chaos hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on Friday.

Ferrari called the vandalism "cowardly and irresponsible" and said work was underway to get services back up and running.

A spokesman for telecoms operator SFR said vandals had made cuts to its long-distance network in five different parts of France in the early hours of Monday.

The impact on clients was minimal because the network was designed to reroute traffic, he said.

Le Parisien newspaper reported earlier that cables in electrical cabinets had been cut in southern France, and that installations in the Meuse region near Luxembourg and the Oise area near Paris had been vandalised, affecting mainly fixed-line services.

Rail services only finally returned to normal on Monday morning, Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said. Overall, around 800,000 people faced disruptions, including 100,000 whose trains had to be cancelled outright, he added.

 
China has taken a big lead over us this year. We have had a slow start.
 
AamchiMumbaikar said:
We are never in gold medal position in shooting events. Winning bronze itself has become news for us in olympics.

Abhinav was an exception in Beijing
Click to expand...
Yeah like @Aang_The_last_airbender said, the proportion of resources we devote to the results we get is so disappointing in shooting. For context, the Indian Sports Ministry spent 2 crores ($250K) on Manu Bhaker's training alone while Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan's sole medal hope was pleading for javelin poles on twitter.

Can't give up though. Our shooters consistently come in the top 10. A crop of medals can't be too far way.
 
Red-Indian said:
Yeah like @Aang_The_last_airbender said, the proportion of resources we devote to the results we get is so disappointing in shooting. For context, the Indian Sports Ministry spent 2 crores ($250K) on Manu Bhaker's training alone while Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan's sole medal hope was pleading for javelin poles on twitter.

Can't give up though. Our shooters consistently come in the top 10. A crop of medals can't be too far way.
Click to expand...

Our Archers have been even more disappointing. Every year I read how we have the best archers, someone has won championship, some are ranked world number one, still in Olympics they all collectively underperform.

As I am writing this we are getting thrashed by Turkey.
 
India drew 1-1 in field hockey against Argentina.

In men's team archery, we lose to Turkey in quarters.

Underwhelming results.

Lakshya Sen won his badminton game in straight sets and will move to pre quarters.
 
Kaptan said:
Our Archers have been even more disappointing. Every year I read how we have the best archers, someone has won championship, some are ranked world number one, still in Olympics they all collectively underperform.

As I am writing this we are getting thrashed by Turkey.
Click to expand...
Archery is fine. We are good in compound category which is not in olympics till 2028 olympics.

Recurve is not our cup of tea. We never win in this category even outside of olympics.
 
Kaptan said:
Our Archers have been even more disappointing. Every year I read how we have the best archers, someone has won championship, some are ranked world number one, still in Olympics they all collectively underperform.

As I am writing this we are getting thrashed by Turkey.
Click to expand...
Yeah they've been training together for years. They were sent to France early to acclimatise and prepare and yet here we are - thrashed 4-0 by Turkey. it's so tempting to just throw your hands up and say it's a waste...let's give up. Can't though. Hopefully some young talents come through. Too many old hands in there.
 
AamchiMumbaikar said:
India drew 1-1 in field hockey against Argentina.

In men's team archery, we lose to Turkey in quarters.

Underwhelming results.

Lakshya Sen won his badminton game in straight sets and will move to pre quarters.
Click to expand...


There’s no such thing as field hockey bro.

There is hockey and then there is ice hockey.

Tomorrow if Americans start playing cricket on ice we are not gonna call our game icy kirkat
 
McSharry wins Ireland's first medal at Paris Olympics

Mona McSharry has won Ireland's first medal of the Paris Olympics after taking bronze in the women's 100m breaststroke.

McSharry finished third in a tight final, which was won by South Africa's Tatjana Smith with Tang Qianting second for China.


BBC
 
Well done to Manu Bhaker!

2 medals in the same Olympics - first ever Indian to do so.
 
There is one more event yet where Manu Bhaker can win a medal, they were saying.
 
My goodness Manu Bhaker has created history becoming a two time Olympic medalist in the same Olympics.

We are proud of you Manu.
 
battler said:
Shooting finally delivering for us after more than a decade. I think Bhaker can get 3 here and I wouldn't put it beyond her to get gold in the type of form she is
Click to expand...
This is great stuff. If Shooting can give us 3, we can maybe get to double figures! There's wrestling, badminton, boxing, hockey and Neeraj Chopra still to come.
 
Red-Indian said:
This is great stuff. If Shooting can give us 3, we can maybe get to double figures! There's wrestling, badminton, boxing, hockey and Neeraj Chopra still to come.
Click to expand...

Yesterday some shooter just missed out on a medal by coming 4th.
 
Manila Batra also became first ever Bharatiya to quality for R16s in Olympics table tennis

Progress means everything

Today 16s, tomorrow 8s, day after tomorrow 4s, and eventually it’s a swarn padak.
 
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