Paris Olympics latest. France seek to cement their position in the medal table top spots with crunch events in football and swimming.
Wednesday was another historic day for swimming at the Paris Olympics.
Canada’s Summer McIntosh swam the women’s 200-meter butterfly in 2:03.03 to set the fastest time at the Summer Games, while Team US Katie Ledecky won silver in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay to become the most decorated woman in the sport’s history.
More joy for the Americans in gymnastics, as Simone Biles edged Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade for her second Olympic all-around title at Paris 2024.
In tennis, Spain’s Alcaraz, Serbia’s Djokovic, Italy’s Musetti and Canada’s Felix Auger Aliassime reached the men’s singles semifinals. While in women’s basketball, Germany, France and the US moved to the quarterfinals.
In surfing, an Australian judge was removed after a picture emerged on social media of him embracing a compatriot contestant along the shore’s edge in Tahiti.
What to watch for on Friday? Marchand looks to continue Paris dominance
France’s Léon Marchand aims for his fourth gold medal of the 2024 Games when he swims in the 200-meter individual medley at 8:43 pm CET at Paris La Defense Area.
Marchand dominated the 400 individual medley Sunday, then won the 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke about two hours apart Wednesday night.
Also Friday, American Caeleb Dressel will go for his ninth Olympic gold medal and second in Paris when he competes in the men’s 50-meter freestyle final at 8:30 pm. Dressel anchored the U.S. men’s 4×100 freestyle relay team that won gold on Saturday.
Additionally, the women’s 200 backstroke final starts at 8:36 pm.
France and Argentina clash in men’s football
A clash between bitter rivals France and Argentina at 9 pm at Bordeaux Stadium will mark the rematch of the 2022 World Cup final in which Argentina won in a penalty shootout.
The other men’s quarterfinal matchups are Japan vs Spain starting at 5 pm in Lyon Stadium, Egypt vs Paraguay, kicking off at 7 pm in Marseille, and US vs Morocco, in the American’s first Olympic quarterfinal in 24 years, at 3 pm.
Excitement in men’s tennis
The men’s tennis singles semifinals will start at 12 pm.
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz will play Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada. Alcaraz advanced to the semis by eliminating American Tommy Paul 6-3, 7-6 (7) on Thursday. The win made Alcaraz the youngest man to reach the singles semifinals at a Summer Games since Novak Djokovic in 2008.
Lorenzo Musetti of Italy will play Djokovic in the second semifinal after beating Tokyo Games gold medalist Alexander Zverev in their quarterfinal match.
The mixed doubles gold-medal match at Roland Garros begins at 7 pm.
