Paris Olympics 2024 — Day 13
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo won gold in the men’s Olympic 200m final as Noah Lyles was denied a sprint double at Paris 2024.
Lyles, who required medical assistance after the race and needed a wheelchair to leave the track, later said that he had tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the event.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone meanwhile smashed her own world record as she claimed a sensational victory in the 400m hurdles gold.
Elsewhere, the United States men’s basketball team was made to work hard in a thrilling 95-91 win over Serbia. The U.S. will play France in the final.
Medal table | How to follow | U.S. men's basketball
Basketball: The United States battle back to beat Serbia
Phew — the United States men’s basketball team has got the job done. But only just.
They beat Serbia 95-91 in an absolute thriller and will face France in Saturday’s gold medal match.
Serbia was so close to beating the number one team in the world but Steph Curry, LeBron James and co delivered in the end to send the States into their fifth straight Olympic gold-medal basketball game.
Follow live reaction here.
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Taekwondo: Golds for Uzbekistan and South Korea
Uzbekistan’s Ulugbek Rash*tov has defended his title in the men’s -68kg category by beating Jordan’s Zaid Kareem in the final. Bronzes go to China’s Liang Yushuai and Brazil’s Edival Pontes.
In the women’s -57kg event it’s South Korea’s Kim Yujin who emerges victorious. She beat Iran’s Nahid Kiyanichandeh in this evening’s final, with Canada’s Skylar Park winning bronze alongside Bulgaria’s Kimia Alizadeh.
Basketball: Serbia leads the USA 76-63
There’s only one quarter remaining at Paris-Bercy and Serbia leads the United States 76-63.
Once more in case you assumed you had misread that: Serbia leads the United States 76-63.
Follow minute-by-minute coverage of the fourth and final quarter by clicking here.
Weightlifting: Gold for Indonesia’s Rizki Juniansyah
The gold medals are flowing like fine wine in Paris. Indonesia’s Rizki Juniansyah wins the latest in the men’s 73kg weightlifting event, beating Thailand’s Weeraphon Wichuma and Bulgaria’s Bozhidar Andreev, who takes bronze.
Track and field: Your views on Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Jesse M: “Most dominant racing I’ve ever seen. Bol looked spent. Incredible run by Jones, in third, who honestly looked really good in the early heats, too. Levrone is an all-time titan. So happy to have had the opportunity to watch.”
Jon D: “This is the greatest performance of the Olympics. Just total dominance.”
Anon: “She lets her running do the talking, and it's refreshing.”
Quite the evening for Team USA...
The U.S. won eight of the 15 medals handed out in Stade de France on Thursday night, putting two on the podium in four events:
- Women's long jump: Tara Davis-Woodhall (gold), Jasmine Moore (bronze)
- Men's 200m: Kenny Bednarek (silver), Noah Lyles (bronze)
- Women's 400m hurdles: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (gold), Anna co*ckrell (silver)
- Men's 110m hurdles: Grant Holloway (gold), Daniel Roberts (silver)
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Track and field: Arshad Nadeem makes history
On a busy night at the track, Arshad Nadeem is putting on maybe the best show. He already had gold sewed up and then almost beat the Olympic record he just set with his final javelin throw on the night. It's Pakistan’s first ever medal in track and field.
Track and field: Gold for Grant Holloway
More gold for Team USA! It’s another 1-2!
Grant Holloway wins the men’s 110m hurdles final with a time of 12.99, followed by Daniel Roberts. Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell wins bronze.
And the Olympic reign of his compatriot, Hansle Parchment, ends in bitter disappointment. The 34-year-old finished last.
Track and field: Last race of the evening
It’s now time for the final race of the evening in Paris: the men’s 110m hurdles final.
Basketball: Serbia dominating the United States
With the halftime interval approaching the United States men’s basketball team is trailing Serbia by 15.
Yes, you did read that correctly.
One of the greatest upsets in the history of the Games could be in progress. You can follow minute-by-minute coverage with my colleague Michael Dominski by clicking here.
Track and field: Another gold for the USA
The United States is absolutely dominating track and field at these Games.
Tara Davis-Woodhall is the latest American to win gold. As expected, none of her competitors were able to better her leap of 7.10m with her fourth attempt of the evening.
Malaika Mihambo of Germany wins silver. Davis-Woodhall’s teammate Jasmine Moore takes bronze.
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Track and field: In praise of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is a privilege. A splurge. The immense entertainment from watching her underscores the infrequency of the pleasure.
And perhaps in her scarcity, McLaughlin-Levrone is teaching, whether coincidentally or intentionally. In a culture of instant gratification, fueled by relentless consumption, she refuses to be governed by greed masked as adoration.
She not only defended her Olympic crown in the 400-meter hurdles, besting Netherlands’ star Femke Bol in a much-anticipated showdown. But McLaughlin-Levrone delivered the race of her life.
It was a masterpiece on the track in the City of Art. Le Louvre has Mona Lisa. Thursday night, Stade de France had Sydney Michelle.
Track and field: Dominance from Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Sensational. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone breaks her own world record and wins gold in the women’s 400-meter hurdles. That wasn’t even close.
Her Team USA teammate Anna co*ckrell came second in 51.87, a personal best which was a full 1.5 seconds behind McLaughlin-Levrone.
Femke Bol, of the Netherlands, claimed bronze, denying Team USA the 1-2-3 with Jasmine Jones in fourth.
NEW WORLD RECORD!
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has won gold in the women’s 400m hurdles final in a new world record time of 50.37!
Track and field: Noah Lyles suffering from COVID-19
Noah Lyles left the Stade de France track in a wheelchair and later revealed he had tested positive for COVID-19.
Lyles won the 100m final on Saturday but failed to follow that with 200m gold today, instead finishing third behind Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo and Team USA colleague Kenny Bednarek.
After the race, Lyles told NBC’s Lewis Johnson:
💬 “I woke up early, about 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning and I just was feeling really horrible.
“I knew it was more than just being sore from the 100. Woke up the doctors and we tested and unfortunately it came up that I was positive for COVID.
“My first thought was not to panic, thinking I've been in worse situations. I've run with worse conditions. We just took it day by day, trying to hydrate as much, quarantined off and I'd definitely say that it's taken its toll for sure but I've never been more proud of myself for being able to come out here and getting a bronze medal.
“Last Olympics I was very disappointed and this time I couldn't be more proud.”
Field hockey: Netherlands win shootout to claim gold!
Huge, huge drama in the men’s field hockey to conclude the tournament!
Netherlands and Germany goes to a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in regulation time … and it’s the Dutch who prevail, winning 3-1!
Germany will have to make do with silver. India beat Spain earlier on today to secure bronze.
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Heptathlon: Katarina Johnson-Thompson secures overnight lead
What a performance from Katarina Johnson-Thompson in the 200m, the final event of the women’s heptathlon today.
She won the third and final 200m race in 23.44. That secured her a whopping 1035 points which gives her an overnight lead of 48 over the defending Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam, of Belgium.
Track and field: Tara Davis-Woodhall leading long jump
On her fourth jump, Tara Davis-Woodhall extended her lead out further with a 7.10m mark. Her nearest competitor remains teammate Jasmine Moore at 6.96m but Germany's Malaika Mihambo has moved into third at 6.95m.
Track and field: New Olympic record in men's javelin throw
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem just broke out an Olympic-record javelin throw of 92.97, obviously moving him into first place in the final. He broke the previous mark by over two meters.