Paris Olympics (2024) - Discussion Thread

[Aang_The_last_airbender]

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.

Ahh the dream, to beat Chinese in ping Pong!! That will be something if it ever happens!

 

[Bhaijaan]

Ahh the dream, to beat Chinese in ping Pong!! That will be something if it ever happens!

If it is a swarnpadak, obviously it will involve slaying the Chinese.

 

[Red-Indian]

Yesterday some shooter just missed out on a medal by coming 4th.

I know. The hope this year is a 2 gold medals. That should move us into the top 40 in the Medal tally and save me the embarrassment of having to scroll to Page 2 on the medal list to see India.

 

[globetrotter]

Congratulations Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot for winning 2nd Bronze medal for India

Still one more event left for Manu..
Go Manu go……..

 

[Varun]

I know. The hope this year is a 2 gold medals. That should move us into the top 40 in the Medal tally and save me the embarrassment of having to scroll to Page 2 on the medal list to see India.

How do we do what China did and get a lot of medals? Needs to be some 20-year plan with focus on medal heavy events like Swimming, Athletics etc.

 

[globetrotter]

I know. The hope this year is a 2 gold medals. That should move us into the top 40 in the Medal tally and save me the embarrassment of having to scroll to Page 2 on the medal list to see India.

2 reasons for this…..

1) India doing well in Olympics in last 10 years, before that congress wasn’t interested in funding and encouraging sports. I never saw PM encouraging athletes before going to Olympic and after winning medal. Indian athletes now excelling….

2) Geographical and environmental conditions. India falls in hot weather country as compared to western countries. The difference in body structure of Western Athletes and Indian athletes are clearly visible. Western athletes body structure is good and they r born athletes. Also india have weakest muscle power strength in the world, even srilankan’s have better muscle power than us

 

[Red-Indian]

How do we do what China did and get a lot of medals? Needs to be some 20-year plan with focus on medal heavy events like Swimming, Athletics etc.

Honestly I don't think we're cut out for that kind of central planning and national mission. They're able to pull talented kids and move them wholesale to national academies and devote their lives to trainings.

Just like in economic development, our path is going to be a lot more slow, meandering and frustrating but organic.

Hate to use the old cliche but Elephant not Tiger.

 

[Varun]

Honestly I don't think we're cut out for that kind of central planning and national mission. They're able to pull talented kids and move them wholesale to national academies and devote their lives to trainings.

Just like in economic development, our path is going to be a lot more slow, meandering and frustrating but organic.

Hate to use the old cliche but Elephant not Tiger.

In that case we'll hit a middle income trap where we'll get 10-20 medals per Olympics at best, and stay there.

 

[battler]

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.

Let's see. Shooting - 3, badminton - I am expecting Satvik-Chirag to medal up and one of Sindhu, Sen, prannoy to medal up. So badminton 2. Athletics - 1, Boxing - 1, Wrestling - 1. So this is what India could probably end up with. Hockey also we are in with a chance but it is really tight and if Manika Batra can atleast get a bronze that would see us get to 10

 

[Aang_The_last_airbender]

How do we do what China did and get a lot of medals? Needs to be some 20-year plan with focus on medal heavy events like Swimming, Athletics etc.

Naah, Aping China just for number of Olympc medals is a dumb idea. They followed the prestige just like Soviets. Its a doomed pattern. Organic growth of sports culture is sustainable and better for the the nation.

China strategically targetting less mature and less popular medal events (not even sports) and poured money into to gain the medal tally.

China will has 85 gold medals in Diving and weightlifting out of their total of 263. followed by 29 in artistic gymnastics and 26 in shooting. and 32 in table tennis

Diving	47	24	10	81
Weightlifting	38	16	8	62
Table tennis	32	20	8	60
Artistic gymnastics	29	21	19	69
Shooting	26	16	25	67
Badminton	20	12	15	47
Swimming	16	21	12	49
Athletics	11	12	16	39
Judo	8	3	11	22
Taekwondo	7	1	3	11
Fencing	5	7	3	15
Trampoline gymnastics	4	4	6	14

Apart from their traditional hold of ping pong, and badminton.
1. Others are hardly sports (except swimming)
2. Majority are subjective scoring, where judges can easily be influenced as money is low in these sports. Soviets dominated these diving and artistic gymnastics for a reason.
3. Weightlifting, again something beset with doping. Soviets dominated it for a reason and the Chinese are repeating the pattern.
4. Most of Chinese medals in Swimming and Athletics are women, again because of lesser maturity and they poured insane money to get the low hanging fruits.

 

[Bhaijaan]

2 reasons for this…..

1) India doing well in Olympics in last 10 years, before that congress wasn’t interested in funding and encouraging sports. I never saw PM encouraging athletes before going to Olympic and after winning medal. Indian athletes now excelling….

2) Geographical and environmental conditions. India falls in hot weather country as compared to western countries. The difference in body structure of Western Athletes and Indian athletes are clearly visible. Western athletes body structure is good and they r born athletes. Also india have weakest muscle power strength in the world, even srilankan’s have better muscle power than us

The 2nd point is all crap.
We are dominant or extremely competitive in physical sports like wrestling , boxing, hockey, badminton etc.

Don’t generalise Bharatiyas because a few generations of poverty stricken malnourished generations. This is like saying Bharatiyas are not well endowed as study but they never mention which study and who was measuring people. We Bharatiyas are as physically gifted as any other tribe.

 

[Aang_The_last_airbender]

In that case we'll hit a middle income trap where we'll get 10-20 medals per Olympics at best, and stay there.

Its better and sustainable sports culture, than creating Olympic medalists who have no career after their sports.

 

[Red-Indian]

Let's see. Shooting - 3, badminton - I am expecting Satvik-Chirag to medal up and one of Sindhu, Sen, prannoy to medal up. So badminton 2. Athletics - 1, Boxing - 1, Wrestling - 1. So this is what India could probably end up with. Hockey also we are in with a chance but it is really tight and if Manika Batra can atleast get a bronze that would see us get to 10

Agreed that's what I was thinking. Trying not to count chickens before they hatch but
2-3 from Shooting
1-2 from Badminton (please make 1 of it a gold)
1-2 from Boxing, Wrestling
1 from Neeraj (please take the gold...please)
1 from Hockey?

Yes we can squeeze 10 if things go our way

 

[Bhaijaan]

In that case we'll hit a middle income trap where we'll get 10-20 medals per Olympics at best, and stay there.

We need to find our niche in sports.

Argentina hasn’t won any medal yet. The whole world is crazy about their football team.

Spain went in there with 300 people contingent and they too have just 1 bronze so far.

Anyway we too can win a lot of medals. Even winning 4-5,was once a dream. It seemed impossible but our athletes have shown there is no physical barrier as was always told. With hard work and investment, we can produce the finest athletes.

Look at our relay runners they are absolute ballers

 

[Red-Indian]

In that case we'll hit a middle income trap where we'll get 10-20 medals per Olympics at best, and stay there.

Very possible unfortunately. But developing a national culture in the high medal count sports like Gymnastics, Swimming is very tricky without an inspirational figure to show the way. Can't do it by force in a country like ours.

On athletics, no country can do it without a significant African origin population.

We'll be hanging around the fringes for a long time yet. Marginal improvements...not fundamental.

 

[battler]

Agreed that's what I was thinking. Trying not to count chickens before they hatch but
2-3 from Shooting
1-2 from Badminton (please make 1 of it a gold)
1-2 from Boxing, Wrestling
1 from Neeraj (please take the gold...please)
1 from Hockey?

Yes we can squeeze 10 if things go our way

Yes will be very disappointed if we don't get atleast 2 in badminton. Overall have a feeling we will do better than Tokyo but getting to 10 medals will require some luck. 8 is very achievable

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

As expected india clinch

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.

We will not get any medal in hockey. They will reach quarters. Even badminton it's tough, only mens doubles have a chance.

We need 4 medals in shooting and 2 in archery to get into double digits. Both look very tough now.

After the wrestling issues which hit the country in the past 2 years. Don't expect much. We don't have any superstars like sushil Kumar now

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Yes will be very disappointed if we don't get atleast 2 in badminton. Overall have a feeling we will do better than Tokyo but getting to 10 medals will require some luck. 8 is very achievable

Who will win the 2nd medal in badminton ?

All our singles players are outside of top 10 rankings.

 

[Aang_The_last_airbender]

Who will win the 2nd medal in badminton ?

All our singles players are outside of top 10 rankings.

Its not out of the realm, Sindhu, PRannoy and Lakshya have the potential to peak at the right time.

 

[Varun]

Agreed that's what I was thinking. Trying not to count chickens before they hatch but
2-3 from Shooting
1-2 from Badminton (please make 1 of it a gold)
1-2 from Boxing, Wrestling
1 from Neeraj (please take the gold...please)
1 from Hockey?

Yes we can squeeze 10 if things go our way

What about Table Tennis? Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula are beating everyone in their path so far.

 

[Red-Indian]

As expected india clinch

We will not get any medal in hockey. They will reach quarters. Even badminton it's tough, only mens doubles have a chance.

We need 4 medals in shooting and 2 in archery to get into double digits. Both look very tough now.

After the wrestling issues which hit the country in the past 2 years. Don't expect much. We don't have any superstars like sushil Kumar now

Yeah Sindhu has a bad draw. But Antim Pangal and Aman Sehrawat have looked good recently apparently (don't follow the sport...only know it from reading articles). Antim's also got a good draw from what I read.

 

[Aang_The_last_airbender]

What about Table Tennis? Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula are beating everyone in their path so far.

Lets not get delusional

 

[Red-Indian]

What about Table Tennis? Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula are beating everyone in their path so far.

One of life's certainties is China winning everything in Table Tennis. You're only alive as long as you don't run into one of them.

It's like death and taxes.

 

[Varun]

One of life's certainties is China winning everything in Table Tennis. You're only alive as long as you don't run into one of them.

It's like death and taxes.

OK they can have the gold. Can we have silver or bronze?

 

[BouncerGuy]

Triathlon postponed due to Seine pollution concerns ahead of men’s Olympic event

The men’s Olympic triathlon was postponed just hours before it was due to start on Tuesday after a 3.30am inspection of the Seine found that pollution levels were still too high for athletes to safely swim in.

In a statement, organisers said that the heavy rain over Paris on Friday and Saturday had compelled them to “reschedule the event for health reasons”.

With rain also forecast for later this week, the men’s race has been rescheduled for 10.45am on Wednesday after the conclusion of the women’s race, which is due to start at 8am.

However athletes included Team GB’s Alex Yee and Beth Potter, who are favourites for the men’s and women’s races, face an anxious wait to see if water quality improves.

There is also a risk of thunder and lightning in Wednesday’s forecast, which could throw yet another spanner in the works.

It is understood that Yee’s parents had bought tickets for Tuesday’s race and are uncertain whether they will be able to watch him compete at the rearranged time.

Organisers said they would provide more information regarding tickets and broadcast of the events on Wednesday 31 July in the next hours.

In a statement, organisers confirmed that the decision was taken after a 3.30am meeting and water quality test attended by Paris 2024, World Triathlon, the International Olympic Committee, Météo France, the City of Paris and the prefecture of the Île-de-France region.

“Considering the latest weather information, it has been decided to schedule the men’s triathlon event on 31 July at 10.45am,” the statement said. “The women’s triathlon is due to take place the same day at 8am.

“Both triathlons are subject to the forthcoming water tests complying with the established World Triathlon thresholds for swimming. The original contingency day also remains in place for 2 August, for further considerations.

“Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes. The tests carried out in the Seine today revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held.

“Unfortunately, meteorological events beyond our control, such as the rain which fell over Paris on 26 and 27 July, can alter water quality and compel us to reschedule the event for health reasons. Despite the improvement on the water quality levels in the last hours, the readings at some points of the swim course are still above the acceptable limits.”

Swimming in the Seine has been banned for over a century. But since 2015, organisers have spent around £1bn (US$1.286bn) to ensure a cleaner river for the Games – and to allow Parisians to swim in it afterwards.

Renovations have included the construction of a giant basin to capture excess rainwater and stop too much sewage from flowing into the river – as well as renovating infrastructure and upgrading wastewater treatment plants. However, the heavy recent rain has pushed more sewage and E coli into the Seine.

THE GUARDIAN

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Ma

Lets not get delusional

Manika reaching quarters will be big. Don't expect a medal. That would be extremely tough

 

[Varun]

Naah, Aping China just for number of Olympc medals is a dumb idea. They followed the prestige just like Soviets. Its a doomed pattern. Organic growth of sports culture is sustainable and better for the the nation.

China strategically targetting less mature and less popular medal events (not even sports) and poured money into to gain the medal tally.

China will has 85 gold medals in Diving and weightlifting out of their total of 263. followed by 29 in artistic gymnastics and 26 in shooting. and 32 in table tennis

Diving	47	24	10	81
Weightlifting	38	16	8	62
Table tennis	32	20	8	60
Artistic gymnastics	29	21	19	69
Shooting	26	16	25	67
Badminton	20	12	15	47
Swimming	16	21	12	49
Athletics	11	12	16	39
Judo	8	3	11	22
Taekwondo	7	1	3	11
Fencing	5	7	3	15
Trampoline gymnastics	4	4	6	14

Apart from their traditional hold of ping pong, and badminton.
1. Others are hardly sports (except swimming)
2. Majority are subjective scoring, where judges can easily be influenced as money is low in these sports. Soviets dominated these diving and artistic gymnastics for a reason.
3. Weightlifting, again something beset with doping. Soviets dominated it for a reason and the Chinese are repeating the pattern.
4. Most of Chinese medals in Swimming and Athletics are women, again because of lesser maturity and they poured insane money to get the low hanging fruits.

Interesting analysis. But still, let's not have sour grapes about their success. 26 gold in shooting is way way above us, for example.

 

[Red-Indian]

OK they can have the gold. Can we have silver or bronze?

That requires a careful study of the draw to determine at what point we (or anybody else really) lose to them. Maybe some expert can do it.

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

No. China has 5 players in top 6 world rakings. No one will get into even semis. Forget a medal

OK they can have the gold. Can we have silver or bronze?

 

[Varun]

Ah well at least there is cricket from the next Olympics to give us a free medal.

 

[JattMaula]

Yeah Sindhu has a bad draw. But Antim Pangal and Aman Sehrawat have looked good recently apparently (don't follow the sport...only know it from reading articles). Antim's also got a good draw from what I read.

Antim better medal up. She has defeated my cousin in nationals multiple times. My chance of Olympic glory by association is slipping away.

 

[Local.Dada]

Ah well at least there is cricket from the next Olympics to give us a free medal.

Are you sure about that? Aus, Eng, Nzl will come with a different juzbaa-junoon in Olympics.

 

[RexRex]

One of life's certainties is China winning everything in Table Tennis. You're only alive as long as you don't run into one of them.

It's like death and taxes.

Also Koreans winning everything in archery.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Australian swimming camp hit by Covid as medal hope Lani Pallister tests positive

Australia’s Lani Pallister has withdrawn from the women’s 1500m freestyle after testing positive for Covid, the Australian Olympic Committee announced an hour before her anticipated heat swim on Tuesday.

Pallister won bronze in the long distance event at the 2022 world championships, but opted to withdraw from the Paris 2024 race in the hope of recovering in time for Australia’s 4x200m freestyle relay on Thursday. The Dolphins are strong favourites in that event, after Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus won gold and silver in the individual 200m freestyle on Monday night.

Australia duo Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus with gold and silver medals in the women’s 200m freestyle final at the 2024 Paris Games

The 22-year-old’s withdrawal leaves Moesha Johnson as the only Australian in the 1500m race; Johnson will also swim in the 10 kilometre open water marathon swimming later in the Games.

The AOC’s announcement has sparked fears of a growing Covid risk on the pool deck, after British swim star Adam Peaty tested positive on Monday less than 24 hours after winning silver in the 100m breaststroke.

Pallister is not the only Australian Olympian to go down with Covid in Paris – several members of the women’s water polo team, the Stingers, tested positive on the eve of the Games.

Chef de mission insisted that the Australian team was taking a different approach to Covid than three years ago, when the Tokyo Olympics were held amid the height of the pandemic.

“This is a high-performance environment, so we are being diligent,” Meares said at a press conference last week. “But I need to emphasise we’re treating Covid no differently to other bugs like the flu – this is not Tokyo.”



The Dolphins have taken a precautionary approach, though, wearing masks in crowded environments. It is not believed Pallister’s positive test will lead to significant protocol changes within the Australian team.

After three days of finals at the Paris swim meet, Australia lead the field with three gold medals, while the United States and Italy have two gold medals apiece. On Tuesday night, Australian star Kaylee McKeown will go for gold in the women’s 100m backstroke, while the men will battle it out in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

THE GUARDIAN

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

India def ireland 2-0 in mens hockey group game. 1 more win or draw and we will be through to semis.

But it won't be easy, next 2 games are against australia and Netherlands

 

[oatmeal]

2 reasons for this…..

1) India doing well in Olympics in last 10 years, before that congress wasn’t interested in funding and encouraging sports. I never saw PM encouraging athletes before going to Olympic and after winning medal. Indian athletes now excelling….

This is just false, its not the government, its the indian economy. PM encouraging has zero effect other than improving sports morale. Building an athlete to get to that stage to compete in Olympics is a decades long process

As Indian economy started growing in the late 90s, people had more disposable income to spend. Sports became a viable career option for a few . As the economy continued to grow, there was more funds to spend on facilities and india started winning a handful of medals.

Even today its way behind other countries and that's why its just single digit medals while other tiny countries find their place in the top 10. More than the raw population figure in a country, there is an effective percentage of population which can afford to try their hand at sports. This is very small for India but growing quickly.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Latest Medals Tally in Paris Olympics

 

[dubeTheGoat]

I know. The hope this year is a 2 gold medals. That should move us into the top 40 in the Medal tally and save me the embarrassment of having to scroll to Page 2 on the medal list to see India.

You can always sort it by total medals .. sometimes we come in page 1 in that

 

[dubeTheGoat]

This is just false, its not the government, its the indian economy. PM encouraging has zero effect other than improving sports morale. Building an athlete to get to that stage to compete in Olympics is a decades long process

As Indian economy started growing in the late 90s, people had more disposable income to spend. Sports became a viable career option for a few . As the economy continued to grow, there was more funds to spend on facilities and india started winning a handful of medals.

Even today its way behind other countries and that's why its just single digit medals while other tiny countries find their place in the top 10. More than the raw population figure in a country, there is an effective percentage of population which can afford to try their hand at sports. This is very small for India but growing quickly.

Yep. The medal tally can be considered directly proportional to a combined effect of gdp, gdp per capita, hdi and middle and upper middle income population.

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Yep. The medal tally can be considered directly proportional to a combined effect of gdp, gdp per capita, hdi and middle and upper middle income population.

Not true. Gulf nations per capita and income does not reflect in their medal count. So apart from income, you also need sporting culture and passion among citizens

 

[oatmeal]

Not true. Gulf nations per capita and income does not reflect in their medal count. So apart from income, you also need sporting culture and passion among citizens

There are exceptions for sure. Gulf nation GDP is driven by oil and efforts to build sporting culture are usually top down and not focussed correctly. Some african nation citizens have the kind of genetics that are really useful in races and they win medals despite being way poorer. And some countries like NK view the medals as a matter of pride so they aggressively target a small subset of sports and pour a lot of resources to win medals

But for a vast majority of the world, the income and other indicators are really important for organic development of sports and winning medals

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Mens archery. Bronze medal hopeful Dhiraj loses in pre quarters in a shoot off. Played well, unlucky to lose out.

Guess we will not win any medals in archery this time as well. Thank God we have compound event from next olympics!

 

[battler]

India def ireland 2-0 in mens hockey group game. 1 more win or draw and we will be through to semis.

But it won't be easy, next 2 games are against australia and Netherlands

We have qualified for QF, NZ and Ire have lost all their 3 matches. Even if we lose next 2 weeks will be ahead of them.

 

[dubeTheGoat]

Not true. Gulf nations per capita and income does not reflect in their medal count. So apart from income, you also need sporting culture and passion among citizens

Yes sporting culture and investment is necessary but they also dont have a sizeable upper middle income population to support it. A large part of their population consists of low income workers from the subcontinent. Moreover in their cases, most of their citizens apply for government jobs (Saudi Arabia) and adjacent stuff on a scale higher than that of India too. They can be considered an anomaly in this regard. Certain gulf nations(Bahrain for example) are "fixing" this issue by importing players from other nations.

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

We have qualified for QF, NZ and Ire have lost all their 3 matches. Even if we lose next 2 weeks will be ahead of them.

Yes. Now we are confirmed into quarters. We need to play way better than current form to win in quarters which will be mostly against ned/ germany.

 

[battler]

Yes. Now we are confirmed into quarters. We need to play way better than current form to win in quarters which will be mostly against ned/ germany.

Belgium destroying Aus here. 4-1 in 3rd quarter

 

[battler]

5-1 now Belgium. Aussies getting hammered here

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Belgium trounce australia 6-2

We play them next...

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Australia is not winning hockey gold. That is for sure this time ....

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Paris Olympics Medal Talley (30-07-2024)

 

[Josh]

Belgian has been a dominant team in hockey. Most likely winning gold again

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Ice vests and fans as heat affects Paris Olympics

Athletes wore ice vests and spectators carried hand fans as a heatwave hit the Olympic Games.

Temperatures are expected to reach 35C with a heat warning issued for Paris and the surrounding areas.

A yellow alert - the second of the four weather tiers - is in place in the capital, with an orange alert in Bordeaux and Lyon.

The sailing events are taking place in Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast in the south of France, where competitors wore ice vests to try to counteract the heat.

Paris and its surrounding suburbs have also been put on a major storm alert, with strong thunderstorms and heavy rain "likely" from 17:00 BST (18:00 local time).

A number of Tuesday's events take place outside, including the dressage qualification at Versailles and the BMX freestyle qualifiers at Place de la Concorde.

Spain also play Egypt in the men's football in Bordeaux.

Signs at venues encouraged spectators to wear hats, stay hydrated and apply sunscreen.


BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

GB retain relay title to win first swimming gold

Great Britain retained their Olympic 4x200m freestyle relay title in commanding fashion to secure the team's first swimming gold in Paris.

After Adam Peaty and Matt Richards came agonisingly close with silvers, the same quartet that won in Tokyo - Richards, James Guy, Tom Dean and Duncan Scott - reunited to win in the cauldron of La Defense Arena.

They had a slender lead going into the final leg but Scott, who was a cruel fourth in the individual event 24 hours earlier, brought the team home to win by a relatively comfortable 1.35 seconds.

As the 27-year-old came down the final length, his fellow Scot Andy Murray prolonged his tennis career with another remarkable doubles victory in a special few moments for Team GB in Paris.

After the medal ceremony, the Britons celebrated with their families in the stands - something they were unable to do during the Covid-19-impacted Games in 2021.


BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Olympic triathlons to go ahead as Seine passes tests

The men's and women's Olympic triathlons will be allowed take place on Wednesday after tests showed the River Seine to be clean enough for competition.

It follows concerns they could follow the same fate as Tuesday's men's event, which was postponed due to the Seine's water quality.

Organisers had previously said the events only had a 60% chance of going ahead after that was postponed.

Results from the latest water analyses, received at 03:20 on Wednesday, were deemed compliant by World Triathlon.

Great Britain's Alex Yee is one of the favourites for gold in the men's race, while team-mate Beth Potter is the reigning women's world champion.

The event going ahead removes previous concerns it may have had to have been contested as a duathlon - with just swimming and cycling - as a last resort.

Daily tests of the Seine's quality are carried out, with recent heavy rain causing the river to be too dirty for competition.

Earlier in the games, swimming training sessions were cancelled because of the water quality, but organisers were confident the triathlon events would go ahead as scheduled.

What's been wrong with the Seine?

Tests are being carried out daily on the water quality in the Seine, which is also due to host the triathlon mixed relay on 5 August, the Olympic marathon swimming on 8 and 9 August, and the Para-triathlon event at the Paralympics, which start on 28 August.

Swimming in the river has been prohibited for over 100 years because of its high levels of pollution and the risk of disease - but French authorities have invested heavily to make the Seine swimmable as part of the Games' legacy.

Organisers said about 1.4bn euros (£1.2bn) had been spent on a regeneration project to make the Seine safe.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo recently swam in the river to highlight the clean-up efforts which have been undertaken and, earlier this month, tests showed the river was clean enough for swimming.

However, heavy rain in Paris on Friday and Saturday has caused the water quality to decline.

Thundery showers are forecast for Wednesday morning, following predicted high temperatures of up to 35C on Tuesday.

France currently lags behind the European Union’s average score, external for top-quality bathing water conditions.

Between 17-23 July, data showed that the river that dissects the French capital was suitable for swimming on six days out of seven.

As recently as June, levels of E coli were 10 times more than the acceptable level imposed by sports federations.

BBC

 

[globetrotter]

This is just false, its not the government, its the indian economy. PM encouraging has zero effect other than improving sports morale. Building an athlete to get to that stage to compete in Olympics is a decades long process

As Indian economy started growing in the late 90s, people had more disposable income to spend. Sports became a viable career option for a few . As the economy continued to grow, there was more funds to spend on facilities and india started winning a handful of medals.

Even today its way behind other countries and that's why its just single digit medals while other tiny countries find their place in the top 10. More than the raw population figure in a country, there is an effective percentage of population which can afford to try their hand at sports. This is very small for India but growing quickly.

Then Kenya and some African countries won gold in olympics despite being poor countries… After independence india was having money but it all went to the pockets of politicians and sarkari babus. In past 10 years it’s the will of government that Indian athletes should do well at Olympic… this government supporting our athletes with money, sporting infrastructure and foreign training. This is why they are performing better at Olympics

 

[Aang_The_last_airbender]

Then Kenya and some African countries won gold in olympics despite being poor countries… After independence india was having money but it all went to the pockets of politicians and sarkari babus. In past 10 years it’s the will of government that Indian athletes should do well at Olympic… this government supporting our athletes with money, sporting infrastructure and foreign training. This is why they are performing better at Olympics

All ills in India are not Modi's fault neither are all success to Modi's credit . (We didnt win an ICC tournament for 11 years remember). If Modi was such a promoter of sports, what is Gujrat's status in sports in India, he ruled Gujrate for more than a decade.

True credit lies with these two groups. Indian MNCs and the sports pioneers who have truly mentored the next gen
1. Indian MNCs : Hero, JSW, Tata, Bajaj, Birla, Mahindra have poured millions promoting sports in India
2. Indian pioneers the mentors : Vishy Anand, Gopichand, Jaspal Rana and others. These guys didn't rest on their laurels but have actively inspired and groomed the next generation. All the money and govt. money counts for nothing without guidance in the right direction.
Where are we in Tennis after having some of the ATG of doubles for a decade? Paes, Bhupathi, Sania Mirza failed the next gen. Wrestling and Boxing had a glimmer but I think will fade away with crappy politics of Haryana strongmen butting in.
What did Modiji do to handle the wrestling controversy and safeguard our chances in this Olympics?? ZILCH

 

[oatmeal]

Then Kenya and some African countries won gold in olympics despite being poor countries… After independence india was having money but it all went to the pockets of politicians and sarkari babus. In past 10 years it’s the will of government that Indian athletes should do well at Olympic… this government supporting our athletes with money, sporting infrastructure and foreign training. This is why they are performing better at Olympics

I already addressed the African nations. Their sporting infrastructure is in tatters. They win because the Africans have more fast and slow twitch muscle fibres which gives them a genetic advantage in certain sports, especially running in different distances. Running is one sport where you dont need a lot of infrastructure, just great diet and training which is relatively cheaper to provide to a few athletes

Stop acting like BJP government started investing in sports. India's Olympic performances have near perfect correlation with its economic growth and per capita gdp and HDI indicators. and economic growth has been good since 1996 with a few set backs.

 

[battler]

Who will win the 2nd medal in badminton ?

All our singles players are outside of top 10 rankings.

Lakshya beats world no.3 Jonathan Christie. Lakshya for sure is title contender here. I think if Prannoy wins his match then it will be Prannoy vs lakshya in Round of 16

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Sindhu and Sen move to badminton pre quarters in badminton singles

Swapnil qualifies for 50m rifle 3 position finals

Sen def world no 3 en route

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Lakshya beats world no.3 Jonathan Christie. Lakshya for sure is title contender here. I think if Prannoy wins his match then it will be Prannoy vs lakshya in Round of 16

Both are not medal contenders unless they continue to create upsets like what Sen did today. Let's hope for the best.

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Hopefully we get 200 folks qualifying for olympics next time which can give us 15 to 20 medals.

 

[FearlessRoar]

GB rowers win gold in women's quadruple sculls​

Great Britain's rowers won Olympic gold in a dramatic end to the women's quadruple sculls after a photo finish with the Netherlands.

The Dutch led from the front and were half a boat length clear with 200m to go in Paris before an astonishing push from GB pipped them at the line.

The GB quartet of Lauren Henry, Lola Anderson, Georgina Brayshaw and Northern Ireland's Hannah Scott won in six minutes and 16.31 seconds, with the Netherlands 0.15 seconds behind them.

Germany claimed bronze while defending champions China finished sixth.

After a disappointing campaign in Tokyo without any golds, the triumph signifies the start of a hopeful return to form for GB's rowers.

Earlier, Team GB's men finished fourth in the same event with the Netherlands successfully defending their title from Tokyo.

Tom Barras was the only remaining rower from the GB team that won silver in 2021, with Callum Dixon, Matthew Haywood and Graeme Thomas completing the quartet that finished almost two seconds behind Poland in third, with Italy claiming silver.

It is the first time Team GB have won the quadruple sculls in the Olympics and is the latest emotional instalment in the lives of some of the quartet.

After Helen Glover and Heather Stanning claimed gold in the women's pair at London 2012, a young Anderson wrote on a piece of paper: "My name is Lola Anderson and I think it would be my biggest dream in life to go to the Olympics in rowing and if possible win a gold for GB." And then, she threw it away.

Without her knowledge, her father retrieved it and kept it for seven years and, having been diagnosed with terminal cancer, he wanted to remind her of her dreams.

"I know that he would be so proud of me," a teary Anderson said after receiving her medal. "I am thinking about him a lot right now.

"It's quite overwhelming to be experiencing this but I am so grateful."

Scott, from Coleraine, was also inspired by London 2012 success while Brayshaw overcame the odds of a traumatic horse-riding accident when she was 15 to reach the pinnacle of her sport.

She was told that her injuries would be "life-changing" by doctors, only to recover through extensive rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

The quartet won the World Championships in the discipline in 2023 and, while the Netherlands looked to be nailed on for gold at the halfway mark, they showed immense determination and resilience to cling on until the very end.

After an anxious wait for the winner to be announced, the four collapsed into each other's arms in joyous scenes of jubilation and pure exhaustion.

Team GB rowers win gold in women's quadruple sculls after men finish fourth

Team GB's rowers win gold in the women's quadruple sculls after the men finish fourth.

www.bbc.com

 

[FearlessRoar]

Reilly wins BMX freestyle silver in dramatic final​

Great Britain's Kieran Reilly secured BMX freestyle silver in a dramatic final in Paris.

The 23-year-old scored 93.70 in his opening run to put him in second place at that point and was guaranteed a minimum of a bronze medal by the time he appeared for his second run.

He duly moved back into the silver medal position with a score of 93.91 in his second attempt but it was not enough to topple Argentina's Jose Torres Gil, who scored 94.82 to take gold.

Having finished top in Tuesday's qualifiers at Place de la Concorde, Reilly was the last to drop in in the nine-strong field and knew what he was up against as he took to the course for the second time.

He sank to his knees after completing a complex and intense second run and there were tears from him and his support staff, which included Tokyo 2020 women's BMX freestyle champion Charlotte Worthington, as the score came in.

Kieran Reilly secures Paris 2024 Olympics silver for Great Britain in BMX freestyle

Great Britain's Kieran Reilly secures BMX freestyle silver in a dramatic final in Paris.

www.bbc.com

 

[FearlessRoar]

Latest Medal Table

 

[FearlessRoar]

North Korea wins first diving medal ever, as China continues dominance with another gold​

North Korea won the silver in the women’s synchronized 10-meter platform event to capture the nation’s first ever Olympic diving medal, while China continued its dominance of the sport with another gold.

Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan took a commanding lead from the start Wednesday to secure China’s 50th Olympic diving gold medal all time.

The women led by nearly 14 points after two of their five dives, making it a competition for silver and bronze behind them. Chen won the same event in Tokyo, partnering with Zhang Jiaqi.

Chen and Quan scored a 359.10. The North Korean pair finished far behind at 315.90. It marked North Korea’s second medal of the Paris Games after winning a silver Tuesday in mixed doubles table tennis.

Jin Mi Jo and Mi Rae Kim hope to one day make a run at mighty China.

“We really wanted to give gold to our country but the performance was not done as we expected, as we tried, so we regret that,” Kim said through an interpreter. “The next time we do it we will try hard for the gold.”

North Korea skipped the Tokyo Games, citing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson of Great Britain took bronze with a score of 304.38.

“It was a tough competition, we knew before it that China was the team to beat and that Great Britain and the Canadians were going to be hard to defeat, but watching videos our coach told us to be aware of North Korea, and they did very well,” said four-time Olympian Alejandra Orozco of Mexico, who finished fifth.

China added to its medal haul in the sport it has dominated for decades. The Chinese took another step closer to an unprecedented sweep in the Olympic diving pool.

North Korea wins first diving medal ever, as China continues dominance with another gold

North Korea won the silver in the women’s synchronized 10-meter platform event to capture the nation’s first ever Olympic diving medal, as China continued its dominance of the sport with another gold.

apnews.com

 

[Aang_The_last_airbender]

North Korea wins first diving medal ever, as China continues dominance with another gold​

North Korea won the silver in the women’s synchronized 10-meter platform event to capture the nation’s first ever Olympic diving medal, while China continued its dominance of the sport with another gold.

Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan took a commanding lead from the start Wednesday to secure China’s 50th Olympic diving gold medal all time.

The women led by nearly 14 points after two of their five dives, making it a competition for silver and bronze behind them. Chen won the same event in Tokyo, partnering with Zhang Jiaqi.

Chen and Quan scored a 359.10. The North Korean pair finished far behind at 315.90. It marked North Korea’s second medal of the Paris Games after winning a silver Tuesday in mixed doubles table tennis.

Jin Mi Jo and Mi Rae Kim hope to one day make a run at mighty China.

“We really wanted to give gold to our country but the performance was not done as we expected, as we tried, so we regret that,” Kim said through an interpreter. “The next time we do it we will try hard for the gold.”

North Korea skipped the Tokyo Games, citing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson of Great Britain took bronze with a score of 304.38.

“It was a tough competition, we knew before it that China was the team to beat and that Great Britain and the Canadians were going to be hard to defeat, but watching videos our coach told us to be aware of North Korea, and they did very well,” said four-time Olympian Alejandra Orozco of Mexico, who finished fifth.

China added to its medal haul in the sport it has dominated for decades. The Chinese took another step closer to an unprecedented sweep in the Olympic diving pool.

North Korea wins first diving medal ever, as China continues dominance with another gold

North Korea won the silver in the women’s synchronized 10-meter platform event to capture the nation’s first ever Olympic diving medal, as China continued its dominance of the sport with another gold.

apnews.com

Americans missing a lot many golds, thats a bit surprising!
Nice to see world catching up in Swimming

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Usa is no longer a super power both in sports and politics. Changing times. They will still pull back with athletic medals thanks to afro american contingent but might not finish on top of the table.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Gallagher out of Olympics after defeat in last-16​

Jude Gallagher says he will come back "bigger and better" after being knocked out of the Paris Olympics in the last-16 of the 57kg division.

Team Ireland's Gallagher, 22, lost 5-0 on the judges' cards to the Philippines' Carlo Paalam, a flyweight silver medallist in Tokyo who stepped up in weight for the Paris Games.

After a tight first round, in which both fighters landed significant blows, Paalam's second-round performance put him in the driving seat and ultimately left Gallagher with too much to do in the final three minutes.

"It was a close fight. I put in a good performance but I knew that Carlo was no slouch," said Gallagher, who was the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion for Northern Ireland.

"He's an Olympic silver medallist and they don't just hand them out.

"Unfortunately the decision didn't go my way, but sometimes you get those days."

Despite a defeat on his Games debut, Gallagher said he can "absolutely" take pride that he is now an Olympian, something he describes as a "massive achievement".

"I think qualifying for the Olympics is maybe harder than boxing at it," he added.

"I'm an Olympian now and no-one can ever take that away from me."

Gallagher hinted that he likely to continue in the amateur ranks to have a shot at the next Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles, where he will be 26.

"It would have been nice to get a medal, but I'm still young and I'll grow and I can come back bigger and better.

"If I keep my head down and stick at it, keep working, keep growing and keep getting better then there will be a much better version of Jude Gallagher in four years' time."

Reigning Olympic champion Kellie Harrington and European champion Aoife O'Rourke are in action for Ireland later on Wednesday.

Paris 2024 Olympics: Jude Gallagher will be back "bigger and better" after exit

Jude Gallagher says he will come back "bigger and better" after being knocked out of the Paris Olympics in the last-16 of the 57kg division.

www.bbc.com

 

[oatmeal]

Guatemala won their first gold medal in trap shoot

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal have been knocked out of the men's tennis doubles in the Paris Olympics after losing to Team USA.

The Spanish pairing had been a duo of the past and present of tennis, with the once-clay King Nadal partnering with the two-time Wimbledon winner 17 years his junior in a bid to make history.

But it was one step too far for the pair on Wednesday evening as they lost in straight sets to Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, as they fell to a 6-2, 6-4 loss to the fourth-seeded duo of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.


Daily Mail

 

[Cricket Warrior]

USA ease past South Sudan to make Olympic quarter-finals

The United States' quest for a fifth straight Olympic gold medal remains on track after securing a place in the quarter-finals with a win over South Sudan.

The Bright Stars, 33rd in the world rankings, were no match for the 16-time champions and were defeated 103-86 at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium.

USA led from the first quarter and never looked back, with Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo registering a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds.

For South Sudan, Nuni Omot led the way with a game-high 24 points.

But although entertaining, this match was by no means as dramatic as when the two nations met earlier this month for an Olympic warm-up game.

The United States had to come from 16 points down that night to avoid one of the biggest shocks in basketball history as they edged a 101-100 victory in London.

Olympics basketball: USA beat South Sudan to make quarter-finals

The USA cruise to a 103-86 victory over South Sudan to qualify for the Olympic men's basketball quarter-finals.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Algeria condemn 'unethical targeting' of boxer over eligibility

Algeria's Olympic Committee has condemned "baseless" attacks on their boxer Imane Khelif after questions were raised over her participation at the Paris Olympics.

Khelif is one of two athletes who have been cleared to compete in the women's boxing, having been disqualified from last year's Women's World Championships for failing to meet eligibility criteria.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Khelif was disqualified in New Delhi for failing a testosterone level test.

Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting was stripped of a bronze medal at the event, staged in March 2023, after failing a gender eligibility test.

Khelif will face Italian Angela Carini in a welterweight bout on Thursday, while featherweight Lin takes on Sitora Turdibekova on Friday.

Italy's family minister Eugenia Roccella and sports minister Andrea Abodi have raised concerns about the eligibility rules at Paris, as have some of the boxers in the women's competition.

The Algeria Olympic Committee (COA) said: "COA strongly condemns the unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets."

Khelif, who is a Unicef ambassador, has previously spoken, external about growing up in rural village and not being allowed to take part in sport initially by her father as "he did not approve of boxing for girls".

The Algeria Olympic Committee added: "Such attacks on her personality and dignity are deeply unfair, especially as she prepares for the pinnacle of her career at the Olympics. The COA has taken all necessary measures to protect our champion."

Both Khelif and Lin competed at the delayed Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. Lin is a two-time winner at the Asian Women Amateur Boxing Championships.

The IOC said all boxers in Paris "comply with the competition's eligibility and entry regulations".

On Tuesday, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: "These athletes have competed many times before for many years, they haven't just suddenly arrived - they competed in Tokyo."

IBA questions IOC stance

The 2023 World Championships, at which Khelif and Lin were disqualified, were organised by the International Boxing Association (IBA).

But last June, the Russia-led body was stripped of its status as the sport's world governing body by the IOC, which organised the boxing competitions at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and is doing so again for Paris 2024.

In a statement on Wednesday, the IBA said the pair were disqualified to "to uphold the level of fairness and utmost integrity of the competition".

It said they "did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognised test, whereby the specifics remain confidential".

"This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors," the body added.

The pair had tests at the World Championships in Istanbul 2022 and then again in 2023.

The IBA said while Lin did not appeal against the disqualification decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Khelif did make an appeal but later withdrew it.

"The IOC's differing regulations on these matters, in which IBA is not involved, raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes’ safety," it added.

The IOC and Paris 2024 organisers have been approached for comment.

BBC

 

[Bhaijaan]

Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal have been knocked out of the men's tennis doubles in the Paris Olympics after losing to Team USA.

The Spanish pairing had been a duo of the past and present of tennis, with the once-clay King Nadal partnering with the two-time Wimbledon winner 17 years his junior in a bid to make history.

But it was one step too far for the pair on Wednesday evening as they lost in straight sets to Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, as they fell to a 6-2, 6-4 loss to the fourth-seeded duo of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.


Daily Mail

Rajeev Ram,
Another Hindu Bharatiya- American making us all proud.

Your homeland will always love you Rajeev Ram.

 

[jattafridi]

Big match India vs Belgium hockey Olympics

 

[jattafridi]

Turkish Olympic shooter

Name Yusuf dikec silver medalist

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Another medal in shooting for India.

Bronze for Swapnil Kusale in 50m rifle 3 position event

 

[globetrotter]

Congratulations Swapnil Kusale for winning bronze in Shooting…….

Aamcha manus jinkala

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Swapnil is a ticket collector with Indian railways and draws inspiration from MS Dhoni.

 

[Aang_The_last_airbender]

Another medal in shooting for India.

Bronze for Swapnil Kusale in 50m rifle 3 position event

I would love to be proven wrong !

Proven wrong again and again.. Never Loved it more

 

[jattafridi]

India 1 Belgium 0 2nd quarter in progress

Abishek 18’