More Tokyo Olympics, more life. World No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic has lost in his bid for the “Golden Slam.” The USWNT are in the knockout stage in soccer, and Team USA baseball is back.
Late Thursday, the Americans resumed their regularly scheduled hardware chasing in the pool as two-time gold medalist Lilly King, who won a bronze medal in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke earlier this week, got silver in the 200-meter breaststroke behind the world-record effort of South Africa’s Tatjana Schoemaker. American Annie Lazor took bronze.
Three-time gold medalist Ryan Murphy, who won bronze earlier this week in the men’s 100-meter backstroke, did one better in the 200 back, winning silver.
Then, for the late-night crowd, we got to watch A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart & Co. earn the U.S. women’s basketball team’s 51st straight Olympic win, overcoming a Japan squad that led after the first quarter.
If you’re looking for updates on all the Olympic action, you’ve come to the right place.
Olympics medal tracker | Schedule
Win or go home for USWNT
Facing the Netherlands in the knockout round of the Olympic soccer tournament, the Americans fell behind by a goal before quickly answering with goals from Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams. The Dutch would tie and get a late penalty kick. U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher made a huge save to send the match to extra time.
Baseball is back with a boom
Team USA got off to a big start in the Olympic tournament, cruising past Israel, 8-1. Starting pitcher Joe Ryan went six innings and gave up five hits with five strikeouts. Tyler Austin hit a home run to start the game and Eddy Alvarez, the speed skater-turned-infielder, had two RBI doubles.
Read more: Israeli baseball team causes minor controversy by wrecking a bed
Stunner in tennis
Djokovic, the top-ranked player in the Olympics, lost to Alexander Zverev of Germany 1-6, 3-6, 6-1 Friday in the semifinals.
Djokovic was attempting to become the first man to win all four Grand Slam tournaments and Olympic gold in the same year. He won the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon this year and needed the Olympic and US Open titles to complete the collection.
Caeleb doing Caeleb things
Schauffele takes the lead
The second round of the Olympic men’s golf tournament has seen American Xander Schauffele climb to the top spot on the leaderboard. At 11 under, Schauffele sits 1 stroke better than Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz. Austrian Sepp Straka, the first-round leader, is currently in third place with the round suspended.
Schauffele has hit some impressive shots in the round.
“I just got in a nice flow there at the end,” Schauffele said. “Kind of one of those situations where I wish I could play some more holes.”
USA women’s hoops stays perfect
The United States women’s basketball team won its 51st Olympic game in a row with an 86-69 victory over Japan. It didn’t come easy, as Japan led 30-28 after the first quarter, but the Americans pulled away. A’ja Wilson led the way with 20 points and added this big blocked shot in a second period in which the Americans took the lead.
Brittney Griner and Breanna Stewart each had 15 points for Team USA, which next plays France in pool play Monday. Stewart also had another big block for the Americans.
Mu gets off to fast start
Athing Mu, the 19-year-old phenom from Trenton, New Jersey, did her thing in the first heat of the women’s 800 meters, as she won her heat and showed she’s a true factor for the gold.
Connor Fields stretchered off after BMX crash
Reigning BMX racing gold medalist Connor Fields of the United States was carried off on a stretcher after crashing in the third semifinal heat at the Tokyo Olympics. Fields was fourth after his opening two heats and landed hard off a jump heading into the first turn in the third run. The 28-year-old from Las Vegas slammed into the turn and lay on the track as medical personnel rushed out to help him. Fields was attended to for several minutes before being carried away. He qualified for the finals but will not be able to race.
Track is here!
Team USA got to take the track for the first time, and Rai Benjamin served notice in his first 400-meter hurdles heat that he’s ready to play.
Suni Lee’s rise to the top
United States gymnast Suni Lee overcame less-than-ideal circumstances to become the fifth straight American women’s all-around gymnastics gold medalist. It has been quite a ride for the 18-year-old Minnesota native.
USA’s Andrew takes fifth in 200 IM, shows childhood swag
China’s Wang Shun took the gold in the 200-meter individual medley in 1:55, followed by Great Britain’s Duncan Scott and Switzerland’s Jérémy Desplanches. The United States’ Michael Andrew, who led for most of the race, dropped off in the last lap and finished fifth. Michael Phelps was the four-time defending Olympic champion in the event. — Aishwarya Kumar
Despite not getting the medal, Andrew did get some face time with Phelps back in 2008 and mean-mugged in a way that suggested he knew he’d be in the Olympic pool in the future.
Australia’s McKeon sets Olympic record in women’s 100 free
The 100-meter freestyle was an Australian affair. Emma McKeon won her first individual gold medal, while teammate Cate Campbell won bronze. Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, who won silver in the 200-meter freestyle, picked up another silver in this race. — Aishwarya Kumar
Rylov completes backstroke sweep, USA’s Murphy takes silver
Defending champion Ryan Murphy picked up a silver in the 200-meter backstroke. Murphy, who also won bronze in the 100-meter backstroke, trailed only Russian Olympic Committee’s Evgeny Rylov, who finished at 1:54.27, an Olympic record. It is the first time since 1992 that an American man has not won gold in either backstroke event. — Kumar
Schoenmaker sets world record in 200 breaststroke; King, Lazor finish 2-3
After training together every day for the past three months, America’s Lilly King and Annie Lazor finished second and third in the 200-meter breaststroke for silver and bronze, respectively. South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker took the gold medal with a world-record time of 2:18:95. — Aishwarya Kumar
Kumar: How Annie Lazor overcame grief to win an Olympic medal
Dressel doing Dressel things
After picking up his first individual Olympic gold in the 100-meter freestyle on Wednesday, Caeleb Dressel punched his spot in the finals of the 100-meter butterfly, finishing first in his semifinal heat with an Olympic-record time of 49.71. He’ll race in the final on Friday. — Aishwarya Kumar
Ross and Kleinman roll on
The United States’ women’s beach volleyball duo of April Ross and Alix Klineman were given a run for their money for a while by the Netherlands duo of Madelein Meppelink and Sanne Keizer, who won a game against Team USA’s No. 1 pairing. But Ross and Kleinman rose to the occasion, rolling 15-5 in Game 3 to end pool play undefeated.
Getting chippy
Olympic men’s golf is deep in Day 2 action, and Chile’s Mito Pereira is feeling pretty good. He’s off to a hot start, shooting 3-under through six holes after this nifty chip from the bunker.
The perfect gold-medal accessory
Diving isn’t the only thing Great Britain’s Tom Daley does at a world-class level. The gold medalist, who won the men’s 10-meter synchronized diving event alongside teammate Marty Lee, broke out his knitting skills to create the ultimate medal keepsake.
No word on whether these will be available to the general public, but let’s be real — you’d buy one.
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