Key events
We’ll come onto the brilliant sporting accomplishments of day seven shortly, but the leading news item of the day was the row regarding participation in women’s boxing.
Here’s the latest news story on the subject.
Here’s Barney Ronay’s analysis from North Paris Arena.
And here’s a podcast featuring Ross Tucker, the sports scientist I turn to when issues like this arise to help synthesise the complex science involved.
Podcast SPECIAL. If you’ve just watched the women’s boxing disgrace at #Paris2024, and are wondering “how did we get here?”, this podcast is for you. We explore and explain the IOC’s disregard for safety and fairness for women in sport. Appalling misogyny https://t.co/FG9fX9p7ik
— Ross Tucker (@Scienceofsport) August 1, 2024
The best images of day seven include our first glimpses of the Paris running track. What do you make of the lilac hue?
Judo will provide the first action of the day with the mixed team event kicking off at 08:00. Next up is badminton with the women’s singles quarter-finals taking place from 08:30.
At 09:00 there’s an avalanche of activity with beach volleyball, golf, handball, shooting and volleyball.
Athletics events begin at 10:00. The morning program includes the first round of the men’s 100m, and probably a single jump from Armand Duplantis in pole vault qualification.
Staying with the medal table, Nielsen’s Gracenote has updated its prediction for who will come out on top by the end of the Games.
Before the Olympics the USA were expected to claim the most medals but face a stiff test from China for the most golds. Behind those titans, Great Britain, France, and Australia rounded out the top five.
🧮 – How are the top #Olympics nations tracking against our #VirtualMedalTable forecast after 7 days (113 events)?
🇫🇷France, 🇺🇸USA, 🇰🇷Korea, 🇨🇦Canada up on medals
🇦🇺Australia, 🇯🇵Japan, 🇮🇹Italy, 🇳🇱Netherlands below medal expectations
🇫🇷France behind gold forecast,🇯🇵Japan ahead pic.twitter.com/sphIxKw12L
— Gracenote Olympic (@GracenoteGold) August 2, 2024
China still top the medal table thanks to their dominance in shooting and diving, but France and Australia have again climbed above the USA after impressing on day seven. It is turning into a Games to remember for the Dolphins who lead the US swim team 7-4 in gold medals.
53 NOCs have now won medals at these Olympics, with 34 nations hearing their national anthem. That includes Uganda after Joshua Cheptegei became his country’s first multiple gold medallist when he added 10,000m gold yesterday to his 5,000m success in Tokyo.
Preamble – Day Eight Schedule
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of the eighth official day of competition of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
Day six was another stunning day for the hosts with French superstars Teddy Riner and Leon Marchand continuing the incredible atmosphere around these Games. Australia enjoyed another gold rush with Kaylee McKeown becoming the first Australian to win four individual golds. And there were exciting signs from the opening day of athletics action with the Stade de France track praised for its speed. But despite all this extraordinary action it was a day overshadowed by “the most wildly politicised, toxic and largely misunderstood event of these Olympics.”
So what can we look forward to today?
Medal Events
🥇 Shooting – women’s 25m pistol (from 09:30)
🥇 Rowing – men’s & women’s single sculls / men’s & women’s eights (from 09:30)
🥇 Equestrian – dressage team grand prix special (from 10:00)
🥇 Cycling – men’s road race (from 11:00)
🥇 Tennis – men’s doubles / women’s singles (from 12:00)
🥇 Sailing – women’s & men’s windsurfing (from 12:13)
🥇 Table Tennis – women’s singles (from 14:30)
🥇 Archery – women’s individual (from 14:46)
🥇 Gymnastics – men’s floor & pommel horse / women’s vault (from 15:30)
🥇 Shooting – men’s skeet (from 15:30)
🥇 Judo – mixed team (from 16:00)
🥇 Badminton – women’s doubles (from 16:10)
🥇 Athletics – men’s shot put & decathlon / women’s triple jump & 100m / 4 x 400m mixed relay (from 16:10)
🥇 Fencing – women’s sabre team (from 20:00)
🥇 Swimming – men’s 100m butterfly / women’s 200m IM & 800m freestyle / 4 x 100m medley mixed relay (from 20:30)
🥇 Surfing – men’s & women’s (from 22:00)
*(All times listed are Paris local)
Simon Burnton’s day-by-day guide:
Gymnastics: men’s pommel final
In his last ever event Max Whitlock is attempting to become the first gymnast ever to win four Olympic medals on the same apparatus. Since he won gold in Tokyo Whitlock has retired, unretired (“I felt like a complete waste of space”), and had a generally positive return, with occasional hiccups and a few minor injuries. “There are still areas I can improve but I’m definitely on the right track,” he said in March of his preparations. Also being decided today: the men’s floor and women’s vault.
Athletics: women’s 100m final
The second night of athletics at the Stade de France and things are hotting up, with five titles to be decided including the women’s 100m, in which the USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson will aim to stop Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. For Fraser-Price this will be a final meet, 16 years after she won gold in Beijing. “I want to finish on my own terms,” she says.
Swimming: women’s 800m freestyle
At a meet in Orlando in February Canada’s 17-year-old tyro Summer McIntosh beat Katie Ledecky in the 800m freestyle, the American’s first defeat over the distance in any kind of final for 13 years. But McIntosh, who trains at the University of Florida alongside Ledecky, has decided to concentrate on other events in Paris leaving Ledecky strong favourite to cement her all-time-great status with a fourth successive Olympic gold over the distance.
Other unmissable moments include… well, practically everything. We’re into the closing sessions for sports that have dominated the opening week, and into the thick of things in the Stade de France, so everywhere you look there’s going to be a reason to stay tuned. If pressed, I would suggest you shouldn’t turn down one final glimpse of the surf of Teahupo’o. The men’s road race (cycling) promises to be brutal. And the crowning of the decathlon gold medallist is akin to crowning the king of the Games.
I’m sure I’ve failed to include something notable to you in this short rundown, so feel free to let me know what’s on your agenda by emailing: jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com or, if you’re still rummaging around in the post-Twitter dumpster fire, find me on X @jphowcroft.
I’ll be around for the first few hours of the blog here in Australia, after which I’m handing over to Martin Belam in the UK.
