Team Canada, front, competes in the women's eight repechages at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Aug. 1, 2024, in Vaires-sur-Marne, France.Ebrahim Noroozi/The Associated Press
Women’s eights team qualifies for final
Canada’s defending-champion women’s eight rowing team has qualified for Saturday’s finals after finishing second in Thursday’s repechage. The Canadians finished with a time of 6 minutes 4.81 seconds, slightly behind the American team that finished less than a second earlier. Australia and Italy finished third and fourth respectively in the repechage and have also qualified for the finals, joining Britain and Romania who won their heats on Monday. The Canadians are in Paris as the defending gold medalists in the event after winning at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Bridget Carleton of Canada shoots over top of Sami Whitcomb of Australia at the Paris Games. Canada lost 70-65 on Aug. 1, 2024.Brian Snyder/Reuters
Australia beats Canada in women’s basketball
Sami Whitcomb had 19 points as Australia downed Canada 70-65 in women’s Olympic basketball in Lille, France, on Thursday. Bridget Carleton led Canada with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Kia Nurse added 12 points. The result dims Canada’s chances of making it through to the knockout round, with the country falling to 0-2 in pool play with one game left against Nigeria on Sunday. The top eight teams from the combined ranking will move on to the quarter-finals, set to begin on Wednesday.
Evan Dunfee of Team Canada competes during the Men’s 20km race walk on Day 6 of the Olympic Games in Paris at Trocadero on Aug. 1, 2024.Christian Petersen/AFP/Getty Images
Dunfee speedwalks to fifth
PARIS Evan Dunfee left it all at the finish line. The Richmond, B.C., athlete speedwalked his way to fifth place in the 20-kilometre men’s race walk on the opening day of athletics on Thursday at the Paris Olympics, falling short of the historic bronze-medal performance he achieved in Tokyo. After the race, a visibly exhausted Dunfee congratulated his fellow athletes before sinking into a crouch in a corner, pouring sweat and taking deep breaths. As he leaned on a metal barricade for support, he told reporters he’d given it his all. Dunfee finished the race in a time of 1:19:16, 21 seconds behind the gold-medal winner, Brian Daniel Pintado of Ecuador. Pintado won in a time of 1:18:55, followed by Caio Bonfim of Brazil and Álvaro Martin of Spain.
Canada's Shady Elnahas, top, competes against Switzerland's Daniel Eich during the Men's 100 kg Judo at the Paris Summer Olympics in Paris, France on Aug. 1, 2024. Elnahas lost the match.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Shady Elnahas eliminated in men’s judo
PARIS When he got out of bed in the Olympic village in Paris on Thursday, Canadian judoka Shady Elnahas felt something was off. Unable to shake off his uneasiness, the 26-year-old from Toronto saw his quest for a medal cut short in his first bout of the day. Elnahas, who is originally from Alexandria, Egypt, was defeated by a waza-ari from Switzerland’s Daniel Eich in the under-100-kilogram category round of 16 after 34 seconds of sudden-death overtime at Champ-de-Mars Arena. The only Canadian still competing is Ana Laura Portuondo Isasi, of La Prairie, Que., in the over-78-kilogram category on Friday. Canada will also compete in the mixed-team event on Saturday.
Canada's Michelle Plouffe fights for a rebound with Myriam Djekoundade, of France, in the women's 3x3 basketball pool round match during the 2024 Summer Olympics on Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. Canada won 13-9.Frank Franklin II/The Associated Press
Women rebound after suffering first loss in 3x3 basketball
PARIS Canada bounced back from a loss to Germany with a win over France in the Olympic women’s 3x3 basketball tournament Thursday. Katherine Plouffe had four points and six rebounds, twin sister Michelle Plouffe had three points and five rebounds and Paige Crozon pitched in four points in a 13-9 win over France as Canada improved to 3-1 in pool play. Earlier, the Canadians dropped a 19-15 decision to Germany for their first loss. Canada will next face the United States and Spain on Friday.
The Canadian Press