Paris Olympics: Around the Games

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Matsuyama in the lead at golf tournament

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France Victor Perez of France repeatedly pumped his fist over his head before the opening tee shot Thursday, celebrating the start of Olympic golf before a large and raucous home crowd. And then Hideki Matsuyama quietly went about his business for an eight-under 63 and a two-shot lead at Le Golf National. Right behind was a familiar figure – Xander Schauffele, 10 days removed from his British Open title and playing as though he hasn’t missed a beat. The surprise was outside the ropes – nearly 20,000 spectators in stifling heat, traipsing across rough terrain and seeing unusually low scoring from overnight rain that softened the course. Corey Conners, of Listowel, Ont., opened with a 68, two strokes better than fellow Canadian Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C.

Ledecky wins record 13th medal with a silver

It was a record-setting night for Katie Ledecky of the United States. With a silver in the 4x200-metre freestyle relay, Ledecky collected the 13th medal of her stellar career to become the most decorated female in swimming history. She would’ve preferred it to be gold, but that went to an Australian squad led by gold medalists Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus. Still, in her next-to-last event of these games, Ledecky broke the mark she shared with fellow Americans Dara Torres, Natalie Coughlin and Jenny Thompson. The 27-year-old now has eight golds, four silvers and one bronze over four Olympics, with every intention of swimming on to Los Angeles in 2028. Kate Douglass put the U.S. on the top of the podium in the 200 breaststroke

Paris proving a boon to NBC

Less than a week into the Paris Olympics, NBC Universal executives are climbing atop the medal stand. The event has been a significant success for the company broadcasting and streaming it in the United States. NBC has already set a record for advertising revenue, viewership is up significantly and its biggest fear – that people would tune out NBC’s prime-time telecast because they could watch events live during the day – hasn’t materialized. It’s a relief to NBC, after the Beijing Winter Games in 2022 and COVID-delayed Summer Games in Tokyo in 2021 were comparative duds. The company said it has taken in more than US$1.25-billion in advertising revenue, its best-ever for an Olympics.

Andy Murray heads into retirement

Andy Murray’s professional tennis career ended with a Paris Olympics doubles loss in the quarter-finals Thursday night. The 37-year-old Murray had said the 2024 Summer Games would the final event of his career, and he and partner Dan Evans were beaten by the American duo of Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul 6-2, 6-4 at Court Suzanne Lenglen. Murray is a three-time Grand Slam singles champion and the only tennis player with two Olympic singles golds – from London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016. His first Wimbledon championship, in 2013, made Murray the first man from Britain to win that trophy in 77 years. He also won the title at the All England Club in 2016; his first major championship came at the U.S. Open in 2012.

Lack of wind forces scuttles sailing

The first medal races for sailing at the Paris Olympics were postponed on Thursday in Marseille, France, because of a lack of wind, leaving athletes broiling in the heat on the water for more than two hours before sending them back to the marina in Marseille. Both the men’s and women’s skiffs – powerful, bird-like two-person boats – were scheduled to hold their finals, but they were called off after 5 p.m. local time. The men’s team from Spain and the women’s team from France were in the lead after 12 regattas since Sunday, but no team started the day with a clear grasp on the podium. Instead of a thrilling neck-and-neck competition among the top sailors, the men started the regattas twice before the wind dropped so low that the races were scrapped officials. The women were out on the water too, but their race didn’t even start.