Day four of the Paris 2024 Olympics is underway as Simone Biles and the US womens gymnastics team prepare to compete for gold this afternoon.
This years competition comes after the team scored all silver at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. Biles will compete in the all-around, vault, floor and beam, while team member Suni Lee will vie for gold in the all-around, beam and bars.
The US womens team will compete after US mens gymnastics team won their first medal since 2008 on Monday. Their victory came after a stunning pommel horse routine from specialist Stephen Nedoroscik. The 25-year-old only competed in the one event, and his excellent performance sealed the win for the team.
Katie Ledecky also competed in the 1,500-meter freestyle swimming race this afternoon, winning by nearly 18 seconds and advancing to the finals.
Meanwhile, Coco Gauff is out of the singles competition after she lost to Croatias Donna Vekic this morning in the third round. Gauff made history at the opening ceremony last week as the youngest American flag bearer. She was also the first tennis player to hold the honor.
Paris 2024 Olympics: Tuesdays schedule
Paris Olympics postpone mens triathlon at last minute due to polluted Seine River
USA places third in mens rowing
17:50 , Mike Jones
It is not enough it has never been enough for Simone Biles to do gymnastics.
The 27-year-old American star has been intent almost from the start on pushing the sport in new directions by doing things that have never been done before. That could continue this week when she tries for her eighth Olympic medal in Paris.
Five elements currently bear her name in the Code of Points after she successfully completed them in an international competition: two on vault, two on floor exercise and one on balance beam.
A look at the gymnastics skills named after Simone Biles
17:47 , Mike Jones
The first rotation is complete and well get a first look at the current leaderboard. The top three are:
1. USA – 44.100
2. China – 42.666
3. Italy – 41.665
Work to do for Team GB. Here are the full standings:
1. USA – 44.100
2. China – 42.666
3. Italy – 41.665
4. Canada – 41.433
5. Brazil – 41.199
6. Romania – 40.599
7. Great Britain – 40.199
8. Japan – 39.966
17:44 , Mike Jones
Brazil are perhaps Team USAs biggest competitiors in this Womens team final. Rebeca Andrade has taken her turn on the uneven bars and smashes her routine with the slightest of hops on landing.
A score of 14.533 is higher than anyone else on the bars in this rotation including all three Chinese gymnasts.
Fellow Brazilian Flavia Saraiva competed with a big bandage on her head after a fall in the warmup. She has a bigger hop on landing and she scores a 13.666.
17:35 , Mike Jones
Oh my days, that is good.
Simone Biles receives the biggest cheer from the crowd as she steps up to the start of her vault run. Biles performs the same twisting half-turn, one and a half twists routine as Jade Carey.
She lands it with a small hop but this will be a good score too.
14.900!
17:34 , Mike Jones
Just under Simone Biles left collarbone, the Maya Angelou quote, And Still I Rise is permanently tattooed etched into her body and mind. For the six-time World all-around champion and Olympic gold medalist, who is set to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics after her shocking withdrawal from the 2020 Tokyo games, this sentiment rings truer now than ever before.
Feelings of doubt and depression left the 27-year-old, often recognized as the greatest athlete of all time, in and out of the gym for a year and a half before her comeback at this years Olympics was confirmed. Now, ahead of the anticipated summer competition, Netflix is shining a light on the most talked about gymnast, taking a deep dive into the last four years and beyond with its docuseries, Simone Biles: Rising.
The biggest revelations from Simone Biles new documentary
17:31 , Mike Jones
Over on the vault, the stage for Team USA and Italy, Manila Esposito kicks off Italys rotation with a super score of 14.166.
In response there is a roar of cheers for Jade Carey who is superb and nails a 14.800 score. Team USAs Jordan Chiles is also good in the air and lands with a little bounce.
Her score of 14.400 is a slight improvement on what she did in qualifying.
Theyre setting the standard already.
17:25 , Mike Jones
Team GBs Ruby Evans is the first gymnast up for this final. Shes on floor and after a very slight stumble, which she recovers well, following her first twirls the Brit gets into the routine.
She finishes with a double straight flourish and scores a 13.100. Very decent start.
17:18 , Mike Jones
Theres a loud cheer, the loudest of the night, as Team USA make their way onto the floor. Simone Biles has a wide smile on her face and is enjoying the adulation.
Based on the receptions alone the USA would already have the gold.
But, this is a final and anything can happen. All the teammates need to rise to the occasion and the field is a stacked house with the USA, Brazil and China the favourites ahead of this team final getting started.
17:14 , Mike Jones
Heres the full schedule for this evenings final:
Rotation 1: USA/Italy vault, China/Brazil uneven bars, Japan/Canada balance beam, Great Britain/Romania floor.
The USA lineup: Chiles, Carey, Biles. Team GB: Evans, Martin, Kinsella.
Rotation 2: USA/Italy uneven bars, China/Brazil beam, Japan/Canada floor, GB/Romania vault.
Team GB: Fenton, Kinsella, Evans. USA lineup: Chiles, Biles, Lee
Rotation 3: USA/Italy beam, China/Brazil floor, Japan/Canada vault, GB/Romania uneven bars.
Team USA: Chiles, Lee, Biles. For Team GB, this will be the first appearance for Rebecca Downie, whos last up after Kinsella and Fenton.
Rotation 4: USA/Italy floor, China/Brazil vault, Japan/Canada uneven bars, GB/Romania beam.
Team USA: Lee, Chiles, Biles. Team GB: Fenton, Downie, Kinsella.
17:10 , Mike Jones
Its almost time for the Womens gymnastics final which will see USA star Simone Biles star and challenge for another Olympic gold medal.
Team GB are competing too but theyll have to be perfect to get the better of the 27-year-old and her teammates.
16:32 , Luke Baker
Olympic days like these were never meant to happen to Lee Morton.
The Glaswegian lost his place as a full-time hockey player on the GB programme in 2019 and was a few clicks on a job portal away from quitting the sport altogether.
Thanks to an olive branch from head coach Paul Revington, a willingness to evolve his game and a whole heap of natural ability, Morton is now the toast of Team GB having struck a stunning brace in the final five minutes to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw with Netherlands.
Tom Harle from Yves-du-Manoir Stadium:
Lee Morton goes from searching a job portal to Team GB Olympic hockey hero
16:26 , Oscar Pick
Great Britains Mallory Franklin qualifies after finishing her heats in sixth place, with Czechoslovakias Gabriela Satkova top of the leaderboard after her outstanding Run 1 time of 99.44 seconds.
16:22 , Oscar Pick
Great Britains Mallory Franklin improves on her Run 1 time by just over two seconds, despite a rocky start and, at times, struggling to negotiate the choppy white water.
16:12 , Oscar Pick
Great Britains Mallory Franklin is just moments away from making her second run in the Canoe Slalom Womens C1 Heats, after achieving a time of 104.72 seconds – finishing in fifth place – in her first run, which took place earlier today.
16:10 , Luke Baker
Jack Draper crashed out of the mens singles tennis earlier today by losing 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 to Taylor Fritz and the Brit wasnt happy about the conditions at Roland Garros.
The temperature of the water and having to fill his own bottle were among the complaints in the sweltering Parisian heat.
It was tough conditions, theres no doubt about it, said Draper as he dripped with sweat. I need to play more in this sort of heat, and obviously, going to America, Ill get more used to that. It was really hot out there today.
We were both trying our best to put out some good tennis. Part of its physicality but I said to the referee, its pretty poor that the players have to drink hot water when were playing in those conditions.
Its important we have good fridges to keep our water cool. Its so tough to recover when youre just not replenishing properly.
Theres no escape from the heat, even at the change of ends. I havent played in much hotter conditions than that. Your body starts to really fight against you.
We shouldnt have to fill our water up every change of ends, we need to sit down. Its not good enough. I just think its pretty poor that they put the players through that on court.
16:05 , Jack Rathborn
Great Britains Nathan Hales has set a new Olympic record after winning gold in the mens trap final.
So many emotions; Im very emotional as you can probably see, Hales said after hitting 48 targets out of a possible 50. Its just an amazing result. Theres going to be a big celebration.
The final was great and I’m so happy to get an Olympic record as well as winning the Olympics. I just try and keep everything as we always do and treat it exactly the same way I treat finals in training. I just push through and keep focused on what I’m doing, not on what other athletes are doing.
“Absolutely amazing to be on BBC, I’m so happy people at home could experience it. I knew I had a couple of targets buffer so that was a great comfort but I try not to think about that and it didn’t result in any misses. It’s a fine line and one that’s easy to fall over. It was a great support. Had loads of my family here and it was great to have them all here.”
16:00 , Mike Jones
Lucy Renshall described Judo as a cruel sport after suffering defeat to Lubjana Piovesana at the Paris Olympics.
The Team GB athlete was eliminated in the womens Judo – 63kg event in the second round. Her opponent Piovesana, who was a GB athlete until 2021 but now represents Austria, secured a 1-0 win in golden score.
Judo is such a cruel sport, Renshall admitted through tears in an interview with BBC Sport.
The last 12 weeks have probably been the best 12 weeks of training Ive ever done… I felt I had more to give.
15:39 , Alex Pattle
With 91.68, Britains Kieran Reilly has the highest score of the mens heats today.
The world champion will go again now, for his second run in the park freestyle…
Early twist, then a no-hander, followed by a bar spin.
He reverses the bars, adds another bar spin and twists in the process.
Now a tailwhip, then a front flip hes the only man to try that today, and hes pulled it off once in each of his runs!
Double-tailwhip, a further tailwhip, and a bar spin.
Late on, a no-hander while twisting in the air, and that secures him a score of 90.75.
Hes definitely through to the final, and after his final competitor completes their last run… we now know Reilly is going through first!
15:23 , Oscar Pick
Great Britain wins gold for the third time at Paris 2024 and a first in shooting for this Games! After 50 nervy attempts at the targets, Nathan Hales kept his composure and amassed a total of 48 hits, beating Chinas Qi Ying to achieve a new Olympic record.
Hales raised his shotgun in celebration after his incredible performance in the mens trap final.
15:19 , Alex Pattle
Finally, its Reillys turn for Team GB! Here comes his first run.
The world champion, 23, starts with a 720 and then a bar spin, before another bar spin while drifting on the traverse.
More bar spins and a simultaneous bike spin, then a front flip! Wow.
More bike and bar spins, great height in general, then a double-tailwhip late in the run!
He sets the highest score of the day: 91.68!
15:15 , Oscar Pick
Gold is now well within the reach of Great Britains Nathan Hales, who enters the last stage of this mens trap final on a collision course with Chinas Qi Ying, leading by three hits.
Jean Pierre Brol, meanwhile, secures a bronze medal after a strong start and solid finish to the final.
15:08 , Alex Pattle
Heres where were at so far, with Britains Kieran Reilly still yet to go but his runs getting closer…
15:07 , Karl Matchett
Tennis players at the Olympics will be allowed a 10-minute break between the second and third sets in singles on Tuesday due to extreme heat, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said.
With the Paris temperature expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius (95ðF) the decision was based on the so-called Wet Bulb Globe Temperature which measures potential heat stress in direct sunlight.
During the break, to be granted at the request of either player, players can take a shower, change their outfit, have something to eat or drink or go to the bathroom but they cannot have medical treatment or talk with their coach, under ITF rules.
Doubles matches, which are settled with a match tiebreak at one set all, would not feature the 10-minute break, the ITF said.
If the temperature at Roland Garros continued to rise, a panel including the tournament referee and medical professionals, could decide to suspend play.
The womens tennis has reached the third round while the men were playing second-round matches on Tuesday.
15:07 , Oscar Pick
Great Britains Nathan Hales continues to cement his reputation as a prolific marksman, with the world record holder cruising in first place after missing just one target in 30 attempts.
USAs Derrick Mein, however, drops out of the final following a difficult start.
15:00 , Oscar Pick
The elimination stage is now upon us, with Great Britains Nathan Hales missing the target just once after 25 attempts, maintaining his place at the top of the leaderboard.
Meanwhile, Australias James Willet drops out of the final after amassing 18 target hits.
14:50 , Oscar Pick
Great Britains Nathan Hales simply cannot miss the targets, as he now leads after 15 shots, while Swedens Rickard Levin-Andersson and Guatemalss Jean Pierre Brol both miss for the first time in this final.
14:49 , Paul Martin
Carl Hester believes Charlotte Dujardin deserves a second chance from the British public as she battles to save her career.
Hester, 57, gave Dujardin a job at his yard in 2007 and has been her key mentor on a journey which led to six Olympic medals.
Her chances of adding to that tally at Paris 2024 and becoming Britains most decorated female Olympian were dashed when a video was released of her whipping a horse in training, leading to the 39-year-olds withdrawal on the eve of the Games.
Hester condemned her actions in the clip, and even signed a letter to that effect, but insists the incident was out of character.
The video was a huge shock to me, I didnt know it was there and its not from my property, said the 57-year-old. That video is fairly obvious and no one will support that. You cant. But over 17 years of knowing Charlotte, I have not seen that. That is not her.
More here:
Carl Hester urges second chance for Charlotte Dujardin after horse whipping scandal
14:44 , Oscar Pick
The clay stands no chance against Great Britains Nathan Hales, who leads with ten flawless shots alongside Swedens Rickard Levin-Andersson and Guatemalss Jean Pierre Brol.
14:40 , Alex Pattle
Were still waiting for Kieran Reilly in the freestyle BMX park heats, but there have been two terrific showings from USA athletes so far, and one from Argentina.
Jose Torres Gil was the Argentine star, while Justin Dowell and Marcus Christopher shone for the USA with Christopher having just taken the lead with a score of 90.10.
14:38 , Oscar Pick
Great Britains Nathan Hales makes it five from five, storming into joint first position after a strong visit on the targets.
14:34 , Oscar Pick
Shotguns at the ready!
The mens trap final commences now, with Great Britains Nathan Hales in action.
14:17 , Alex Pattle
The mens BMX is under way, with Kieran Reilly representing Team GB.
Lets see how the 23-year-old, who is already a world champion, gets on here…
13:58 , Luke Baker
China 19-15 Team GB
Dear oh dear! A moment of madness from Isla Norman-Bell has cost Team GB dearly. With the clock in the red and GB leading China 15-14 in a thrilling rugby sevens clash, Norman-Bell throws the ball out of play to try and end the match. But you cant just throw a ball into touch to bring the final whistle, the ball has to be kicked off or you have to be tackled into touch.
Its a China penalty and they spread the ball back and forth across the pitch to score in the corner and pinch a 19-15 win! That means China will play off against either France or Ireland (who play shortly) for fifth place, with Team GB facing the loser in a battle for seventh at 5pm. Not the result GB were after in this tournament as they targeted a medal.
13:39 , Luke Baker
Some news from the British Olympic Association. We reported earlier that the BOA were investigating Team GB rugby sevens star Amy Wilson Hardy for a racist message sent on WhatsApp that was leaked on Instagram last night.
That investigation is ongoing but Wilson Hardy has now been withdrawn on medical grounds from Paris 2024 ahead of the rugby sevens placement matches today.
A BOA spokesperson said: The British Olympic Association has confirmed that Amy Wilson Hardy has been withdrawn on medical grounds from the Paris 2024 rugby sevens placement matches and will be replaced by Tokyo 2020 Olympian Abi Burton.
After their quarter-final defeat to USA yesterday, Team GB are merely battling for fifth to eight place today. Theyre actually in action as I type, facing China in the first of those matches and are 14-10 behind at half-time.
Team GB player withdraws from Olympics amid investigation into racist message
13:26 , Oscar Pick
USAs Taylor Fritz emerges victorious in an enthralling battle with Great Britains Jack Draper, winning the third set 6-3 to progress onto the third round of the mens singles.
13:23 , Oscar Pick
USAs Taylor Fritz secures two straight games to keep Great Britains Jack Draper behind, leading 5-3 in the third set.
The Brit is showing tremendous resolve to get a foot hold back in this match, but the American has made a real statement with the way he is playing.
13:22 , Luke Baker
FULL-TIME! Netherlands 2-2 Team GB
Team GB find a way! They throw caution to the wind, sub off goalkeeper Ollie Payne to have an extra outfield player in pursuit of an equaliser and Lee Morton hammers the ball home late on to snatch a 2-2 draw.
Remember, GB were 2-0 down with five minutes left before Mortons double grabbed a point in this pool-stage match. An awesome display of hockey from both sides, four great goals and could they meet again later in this Olympics with a medal on the line…?
13:17 , Luke Baker
Netherlands 2-1 Team GB
A tight game over at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium in the mens hockey. Netherlands surged into a 2-0 lead over Team GB as Floris Wortelboer opened the scoring just before the end of the third quarter and Thijs van Dam added a second with eight minutes left.
But Lee Morton pulled one back for GB with five minutes left and theyve just seen a couple of penalty corners saved as they hunt an equaliser in the closing stages.
13:03 , Luke Baker
It is dubbed horse ballet, the most delicate of Olympic sports.
But, as dressage qualifying gets underway today after Charlotte Dujardin was banned from competing for excessively whipping a horse, Zoe Beaty takes a closer look at the training methods and those calling for change.
The dark heart of dressage: What really goes on behind the stable doors?
12:45 , Luke Baker
Team GBs mens hockey team are taking on one of the favourites for gold, Netherlands, in the group stage. A tense encounter is currently 0-0 early in the second half.
The match clearly has royal approval as Anne, Princess Royal (who was presenting medals at the swimming a couple of days ago) is in attendance to cheer on Team GB.
Sat a couple of rows behind Princess Anne at the #Hockey HRH arrives just in time to sing the national anthem and watch @GBHockey face Netherlands in Pool A of the mens competition.Must have heard Tom Sorsby has been drafted into the squad as a late injury replacement! pic.twitter.com/Rjtpb8LS90
Tom Harle at Paris 2024 (@TomHarleSB) July 30, 2024
12:44 , Alex Pattle
In the mens hockey, Team GB are locked in a tense game with Netherlands. Its still 0-0 in the third quarter of their Pool A tie…
12:38 , Oscar Pick
USAs Taylor Fritz extends his lead, making it 2-1 after a strong finish to his third game against Great Britains Jack Draper.
The Brit fought his way past several deuces to return Fritzs ferocious serves with power and precision, but the American ultimately came out on top of a compelling exchange.
This encounter is really beginning to catch fire, with both players showing no signs of slowing down.
12:25 , Lawrence Ostlere
We know that theres going to be some E coli exposure, so I just try to increase my E coli threshold by exposing myself to a bit of E coli in day-to-day life, American triathlete Seth Rider said this week, in an actual quote from an actual Olympian. And its backed by science. Proven methods. Just little things throughout your day, like not washing your hands after you go to the bathroom.
In what has become one of the more bizarre stories of these Olympic Games, professional athletes are upping their intake of faecal bacteria for marginal gain. Riders meticulous preparation may yet be of no use: on Tuesday morning he would have woken at around 4am ready for the Olympic triathlon event only to discover that it had been postponed by 26 hours because the Seine failed to meet hygiene levels required for swimming.
It is a mess that has long been on the horizon. Scientists have been running daily checks for months and have found the Seine too polluted for competitive racing for most of the year, as rainwater constantly washed wastewater into the river.
Comment:
Olympic triathlon farce is the inevitable result of Paris 2024s £1bn gamble
12:10 , Alex Pattle
In the womens boxing, Irelands Jennifer Lehane is up against Chinas Yuan Chang.
The Irishwoman, 25, is trailing by two rounds heading into the final frame; she needs a big effort here!
A scrappy round ensues, and Lehane cannot produce the goods unfortunately.
Chang moves into the quarter-finals with a unanimous-decision victory!
11:37 , Alex Pattle
Britains Lucy Renshall came up short in her round-of-16 match in the Judo, losing to Austrias Lubjana Piovesana 1-0.
It was a closely-fought tie at -63kg, with Renshall losing in the Golden Score period.
A very tearful Renshall told the BBC: Judos such a cruel sport, the last 12 weeks gave probably been the best weeks of training Ive ever done before. I felt like I had more to give.
I wasnt that exhausted, I felt good, Ive been training for a fight like that. I think that was our eighth time [fighting], so I thought it would go like that a bit of a rubbish fight.
She was the better player on the day […] I came here for a medal, so…
11:21 , Oscar Pick
Great Britains Jack Draper leads Taylor Fritz of the USA 2-1 in the first set.
10:59 , Alex Pattle
In the mens 100m freestyle, British 19-year-old Jacob Henry Whittle finishes fifth in his heat.
David Popovici of Romania finishes first, ahead of Hungarys Nandor Nemeth and Chris Guiliano of the USA.
Whittles time isnt enough for a place in the semi-finals, but compatriot Matthew Richards progresses elsewhere!
Richards took home silver for Team GB in the 200m freestyle yesterday.
10:52 , Alex Pattle
French star Leon Marchand finishes second in his heat in the mens 200m butterfly.
Hes just behind Italys Alberto Razzetti and ahead of Polands Krzysztof Chmielewski.
10:41 , Alex Pattle
Over in the mens basketball, in Group A, Spain lead Greece 46-35 in the second quarter.
Greece stayed around five points ahead for most of the first period, but Spain finished strong to narrow the gap and have since taken over.
09:35 , Sonia Twigg
The surfing in Tahiti has been postponed because of the weather conditions, they had been due to get underway yesterday evening BST, but that has now been rescheduled for a later date.
09:00 , Sonia Twigg
As we wait for a British boat, here are some photos from the lake this morning:
04:44 , Jamie Braidwood
Simone Biles will bid for her first medal of the Games as she and the rest of Team USAs gymnasts go for gold in the womens team final. Led by a spectacular showing from Biles, the Americans topped the standings in qualifying and are firm favourites, while Team GB will hope to be in the medal mix with an improved outing.
After the mens triathlon was postponed, there will be no problems with the quality of the water at La Defense Arena as a packed programme of swimming continues. Team GBs fab four (Duncan Scott, Matt Richards, James Guy and Tom Dean) defend their mens 4x200m freestyle relay crown at 9.01pm BST, with Richards and Scott looking to get over disappointment in the individual event with another group gold. Daniel Wiffen, meanwhile, is a good contender to continue Irelands success in the pool after Mona McSharrys bronze last night he swims in the 800m freestyle.
And over at the Stade de France, the rugby sevens concludes with the womens medal matches. An impressive Australia have lived up to their billing as pre-tournament favourites, but New Zealand could well stand in their way in the final. Canada and the USA are their respective semi-final opponents.
Today at the Olympics: Tuesdays schedule as Simone Biles goes for gold at Paris 2024
04:25 , Jamie Braidwood
Following a meeting on water quality held on 30 July at 3.30am attended by Paris 2024, representatives of World Triathlon and their Technical and Medical Delegates, the International Olympic Committee, Météo France, the City of Paris and the Prefecture of the ile-de-France Region involved in carrying out water quality tests, a decision has been made to postpone the men’s triathlon event which was due to be held on 30 July at 8am.
Considering the latest weather information, it has been decided to schedule the men’s triathlon event on 31 July at 10h45. The women’s triathlon is due to take place the same day at 8am. Both triathlons are subject to the forthcoming water tests complying with the established World Triathlon thresholds for swimming. The original contingency day also remains in place for August 2, for further considerations.
Paris 2024 and World Triathlon reiterate that their priority is the health of the athletes. The tests carried out in the Seine today revealed water quality levels that did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held.
Unfortunately, meteorological events beyond our control, such as the rain which fell over Paris on 26 and 27 July, can alter water quality and compel us to reschedule the event for health reasons. Despite the improvement on the water quality levels in the last hours, the readings at some points of the swim course are still above the acceptable limits.
We will provide the athletes who are due to take part in the men’s triathlon event with all information on its postponement, as well as real-time updates on the situation. Information regarding tickets and broadcast of the events on Wednesday July 31 will be shared in the next hours. There will be a meeting at 8am between World Triathlon and the coaches to provide further information and the updated schedule for July 31.
04:20 , Jamie Braidwood
The mens triathlon at the Olympics has been postponed due to polluted water in the Seine River, with last-minute tests revealing water quality levels that were still above the acceptable limits for Tuesdays race to go ahead on time and leaving athletes facing uncertainty.
Heavy rain led to increased levels of the harmful bacteria E.coli in the Seine, despite more than 1bn spent in an ambitious plan to clean up the river and host open-water swimming events in the Seine. Organisers had previously said they were confident the race would go ahead on time.
Swimming training event for the triathlon had been cancelled for two consecutive days on Sunday and Monday because of concerns over water quality and organisers now plan to stage both mens and womens races on Wednesday morning, but that remains contingent on water levels improving.
Paris Olympics postpone mens triathlon at last minute due to polluted Seine River