bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Josh Ball

You know those times when you ask a friend “so, did I miss anything?” in the hope they say no, and instead they run off a laundry list of things you actually did miss. Yeah, that.
We could do an entire novella just on the remarkable events at the Stade de France, and there will be an American studio exec somewhere dreaming up a straight-to-TV film about a plucky basketball team that overcame the odds to battle back and win gold.
As you might have gathered, yes, if you were asleep last night then you most definitely missed something.
We, however, did not. So, here’s a little catch up. Or, if you want to see how it unfolded in real time, you can always go back and read our live blog.
The Ferrero Rocher of Olympics

Where to start at the Stade de France?
The track, the field, the wheelchair that 100m gold medallist Noah Lyles left the venue in? Ah, monsieur, with these storylines you are really spoiling us.
So then, in no particular order: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone obliterated her own world record to win the women’s 400m gold in 50.37 seconds, lowering her previous best mark of 50.65. Fellow American Anna Cockrell was second in a personal best 51.87, with Femke Bol of the Netherlands taking bronze in 52.15.
Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan produced a monster throw to win javelin gold with a Games record of 92.97m. It was a first Olympic gold for Pakistan in a sport other than hockey. Tokyo champion Neeraj Chopra, from India, took silver after his solitary legal throw travelled 89.45m, while two-time world champion Grenadian, Anderson Peters, threw 88.54m for bronze.
Grant Holloway of the USA won the men’s 110m hurdles gold in a time of 12.99. Compatriot Daniel Roberts was second in 13.09, while Rasheed Broadbell of Jamaica matched Roberts’ effort but was relegated to bronze following a photo finish.
And last, but by no means least, the men’s 200m.
Letsile Tebogo of Botswana stunned everyone to win in a blistering time of 19.46 seconds, becoming the first 200m gold medallist from an African nation. Kenneth Bednarek of the US repeated his Tokyo silver in 19.62, and Noah Lyles took bronze after running 19.70.
Erriyon Knighton, who has lots of questions about drugs hanging over him, was fourth in 19.99, and then moved even faster to avoid the waiting press pack trying to get answers to those questions.
As a distraction, Noah Lyles left the track in a wheelchair and later confirmed he ran the semi-final and the final with Covid. Remarkable.
The, err, plucky favourites?

Fighting against the odds to overcome a country with a population smaller than the state of Indiana, the NBA All-Stars manfully fought back to beat Serbia and so continue their unlikely run to gold.
Or at least that’s how Hallmark would pitch it for a TV movie. I made the mistake of watching The Hill, a Dennis Quaid bio-pic on baseball player Ricky Hill, so I know how bad these sports movies can be when directors truly put their mind to something.
Anyway, with the mediocre talents of LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant at their disposal, the USA recovered from a 17-point deficit to beat Serbia 95-91 and make the final, where they will face hosts France.
Led by two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, Serbia outscored the US in each of the first three quarters, but the US poured in 32 points in the final quarter while limiting the Serbians to just 15 to turn the match around.
Olympics debutant Curry led all scorers with 36 points, Joel Embiid chipped in with 19, while James had 16 points to go with 12 rebounds. Bogdan Bogdanovic lead the Serbs with 20, Jokic added 17 but converted only seven of his 17 shots.
More gold for China

China boxer Chang Yuan took the gold medal in the women’s 54kg category after outscoring Hatice Akbas of Turkey.
The 27-year-old from Shijiazhuang dominated the fight from start to finish to earn a unanimous decision win in convincing style.
It was only the second 5-0 win for the Games’ eighth seed and former Youth Olympic gold medallist, who had to overcome difficult bouts, including over reigning Asian Games bantamweight champion Pang Choi-mi of North Korea.
Let’s go fly a kite
Singapore will have to wait a little bit longer to see if Max Maeder can become just the city states second gold medal winner ever.
Wind, or a distinct lack of it, meant the men’s final has been delayed until Friday.
The women did get to race though, and Britain’s Ellie Aldridge became the first Olympic gold medallist in ­kitesurfing with a brilliant performance in Marseille.
A debut to remember
He was out, then he was in, then he was out again.
Hong Kong’s Lo Wai-fung got a second chance in the men’s -68kg taekwondo, but lost his repechage bout to China’s Liang Yushuai 2-0 at the Grand Palais.
Having waited around until late in the evening to see if he would fight again on his Olympic debut, the Hongkonger lost the first round 5-4, and the second 13-0.
Liang, meanwhile, advanced to a bronze medal play-off against Bradly Sinden of Great Britain, who pulled out injured, giving Liang bronze.
Join our sports quiz this Friday to win flights, staycation packages, dining vouchers and much more. Learn more:
sc.mp/sports-quiz


Meet Rose Zhang, the ‘Mozart of golf’ who’s a Rolex and Adidas ambassador: from record-breaking World Amateur to double NCAA Division I champion … but why is she being compared to Tiger Woods?

Hong Kong Olympian Stephanie Au eyes World Championships, National Games spots in 2025

Hong Kong’s year in sports: Olympic success and readying Kai Tak complex

Japan name Dane Nils Nielsen as first foreign manager of national women’s football team

Paris 2024 Olympic Games

While you were sleeping: 200m gold, USA survive upset – 5 things you missed in Paris

Letsile Tebogo of Botswana celebrates winning gold in the men’s 200m. Photo: Reuters

Arshad Nadeem set an Olympic record to win the men’s javelin. Photo: Reuters

LeBron James (left) and Steph Curry celebrate beating Serbia in the semi-finals of the men’s basketball. Photo: TNS

China’s Chang Yuan leaves with the gold medal after winning the women’s 54kg final. Photo: AP

Paris Olympics: US’ Noah Lyles hushed up Covid positive to avoid giving ‘edge’ to rivals

Noah Lyles (far left) receives care from medical staff following the men’s Olympic 200m final. Photo: Reuters

Letsile Tebogo (left) wins the 200m ahead of Kenny Bednarek (second left) and Noah Lyles. Photo: Reuters

Noah Lyles sits on the track after finishing the 200m final at the Stade de France. Photo: Reuters

Lyles’ partner Junelle Bromfield is competing for Jamaica at the Paris Olympics. Photo: Reuters

Paris Olympics: China sprinters ‘too slow, too weak’ says Wu, after 100m hurdles failure

Wu Yanni believes Chinese sprinting is lagging behind the sport’s major powers. Photo: Xinhua.

The 27-year-old Wu insists she was capable of claiming 100m hurdles gold in Paris. Photo: Xinhua

The Chinese men’s relay quartet will compete in Friday’s final after surging to semi-final victory. Photo: AFP

Paris Olympics: meet Max Maeder, the kite surfer on verge of Singapore’s second gold ever

Singapore’s Maximilian Maeder in race 3 of the mens formula kite kiteboarding event at the Roucas-Blanc Marina in Marseille on August 4. Photo: AFP

Asian Games champion Max Maeder was introduced to kitesurfing by his father at the age of six. Photo: Reuters

Toni Vodisek of Slovenia is just one win away from winning the gold medal in Marseille. Photo: Xinhua

Sport

Paris Olympics 2024

The Buzz

Serbia get within a whisker of stunning USA in men’s basketball, Noah Lyles has Covid, Pakistan pip India to javelin gold on a remarkable day 13


Serbia get within a whisker of stunning USA in men’s basketball, Noah Lyles has Covid, Pakistan pip India to javelin gold on a remarkable day 13.
