Morgane Metraux, of Switzerland, hits her shot from the third tee during the second round of the women's golf event at the Summer Olympics on Aug. 8, 2024, at Le Golf National, in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France.Matt York/The Associated Press
Swiss surprise in golf
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Morgane Metraux of Switzerland gave up her spot to her sister in the last Olympics so she could concentrate on her tour status. She had the stage to herself Thursday at Le Golf National that made it worth the wait. Metraux had eight threes on her card on the front nine until getting slowed by the wind and a bad shot at the wrong time. She still had a six-under 66, giving her a one-shot lead over Ruoning Yin of China at the halfway point of the women’s golf competition. Lydia Ko had a 67 and was only three shots behind. The Kiwi star – she reached No. 1 in the world at age 17 – won the silver in Rio de Janeiro and the bronze in Tokyo. Mariajo Uribe of had another 70 and was two behind. Alena Sharp of Hamilton is three over and tied for 29th, along with compatriot Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont.
Morocco's Soufiane Rahimi, right, celebrates after scoring a goal during the men's bronze medal soccer match at the Summer Olympics on Aug. 8, 2024, in Nantes, France.Jeremias Gonzalez/The Associated Press
Morocco wins its first Olympic soccer medal
NANTES, France – Soufiane Rahimi scored two goals and Morocco won the bronze medal with a 6-0 rout of Egypt on Thursday for the team’s first podium finish at the Olympics. Abde Ezzalzouli, Bilal El Khannouss, Akram Nakach and Achraf Hakimi also scored for Morocco, which went into halftime with a 2-0 lead to the delight of Moroccan fans at La Beaujoire Stadium. Rahimi scored eight goals at the Paris Olympics, most in the tournament. At 28, he is one of the overage players allowed on the under-23 Olympic squads. It was Egypt’s third fourth-place finish at the Olympics – after Amsterdam in 1928 and Tokyo in 1964.
Ellie Aldridge of Britain celebrates after winning the women's kite final race during the Summer Olympics on Aug. 8, 2024, in Marseille, France.Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press
Britain’s Ellie Aldridge wins the first gold in kitesurfing
MARSEILLE, France – Ellie Aldridge of Britain won gold after two close finals races in women’s kitesurfing, the new, fastest sport at the Summer Olympics. Lauriane Nolot of France won silver on Thursday, and Annelous Lammerts of the Netherlands took bronze. Kitesurfing has a more complicated and nail-biting scoring system than other sailing classes, with points accumulated during multiple days of regattas and even finals races having a small influence on medal chances. Eight sailors made it to finals for the women’s and men’s medals, four by their overall standings in races held on previous days and four through semi-finals, flying at speeds exceeding 30 knots (56 kilometres an hour). In kitesurfing, sailors ride a surfboard that is harnessed to a parachute-like sail.
Gold medalist China's Xie Siyi, right, and silver medalist China's Wang Zongyuan show their medals after the men's 3m springboard diving final, at the Summer Olympics on Aug. 8, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France.Lee Jin-man/The Associated Press
China wins sixth gold in diving
SAINT-DENIS, France – China won its sixth gold medal in diving on Thursday at the Paris Olympics as it stays on track for an unprecedented sweep of all eight at the Games. China has dominated diving for decades but never has taken all eight golds. Xie Siyi took the gold on the three-metre springboard and teammate Wang Zongyuan won silver, repeating their finish in the event three years ago in Tokyo. Osmar Olvera of Mexico took bronze. Olvera took silver earlier in the Olympics in men’s three-metre synchronized while paired with Juan Celaya. Mexico has won 17 medals in diving, its highest total in any event. China has won the men’s three-metre springboard in seven of the past eight Olympics. Including Thursday’s results, China has won 53 of 70 gold medals in diving since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Diving wraps up with the women’s three-metre springboard on Friday and the men’s 10-metre platform on Saturday.
Sha'carri Richardson of United States runs during heat 1 of the 4x100m relay at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 8, 2024.Aleksandra Szmigiel/Reuters
Sha’Carri Richardson to the rescue
Sha’Carri Richardson bailed out the U.S. women out from a near collapse earlier Thursday in the Olympic 4x100 relay, overcoming a German runner in the anchor leg to help the Americans win their heat and move to the gold-medal race. The U.S. men, who haven’t won a medal in this event since 2004, advanced easily despite a small hiccup. In the strangest twist of all, it was Jamaica’s men who struggled with the baton and will be sitting on the sideline for Friday’s final. In the women’s race, Richardson was about three steps behind after receiving the baton from Gabby Thomas, who earlier nearly misconnected on her exchange with Twanisha Terry. That put Richardson in a hole against Rebekka Haase, but the 100-metre silver medal winner was looking back at Haase by the finish. The U.S. won in 41.94 seconds, .19 ahead of the Germans.