Paris 2024: Biles Leads USA to Gold, Irish Swimmer Makes History

Simone Biles secured her fifth Olympic gold medal as she led the United States to victory in the women’s gymnastics team final on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Daniel Wiffen made history for Ireland in swimming.

On a sweltering day in Paris, where temperatures soared to 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit), the main attraction was at the Bercy Arena. Here, Biles sought to overcome the challenges she faced at Tokyo 2021.

The 27-year-old American gymnast, considered the greatest of all time, added to her four gold medals from the 2016 Rio Games. In Tokyo, Biles struggled with the “twisties,” a mental block affecting gymnasts, and the USA had to settle for silver without her. This time, with Biles in top form, she and her teammates Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Sunisa Lee led from start to finish, winning gold ahead of Italy, with Brazil taking bronze.

This victory marked Biles’ return to the Olympic pinnacle after a two-year break to focus on her mental health. Lee, the all-around champion in Tokyo, also overcame significant health challenges to compete. Biles noted that this second team gold felt different from her first in 2016, emphasizing the greater experience and enjoyment of the moment.

Celebrities such as Serena Williams, Nicole Kidman, and Bill Gates attended the event, along with Biles’s husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, who proudly wore a T-shirt with her name and picture.

In a historic moment for Ireland, Daniel Wiffen won the country’s first Olympic swimming gold. He triumphed in the 800m freestyle with a time of 7 minutes 38.19 seconds, the fifth-fastest ever, beating American Bobby Finke and Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri. Wiffen, born in England, also plans to compete in the 1,500m freestyle and 10km open water swim in Paris.

Australia’s Kaylee McKeown retained her title in the women’s 100m backstroke, winning her country’s fourth swimming gold in Paris. Britain claimed victory in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay.

Despite the heat at Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal advanced to the men’s doubles quarter-finals with Carlos Alcaraz. Andy Murray delayed his retirement with another doubles win alongside Dan Evans, saving two match points. However, women’s world number two Coco Gauff was eliminated from the singles by Croatia’s Donna Vekic after a contentious match involving a dispute over a line call.

New Zealand’s women defended their Olympic rugby sevens title, coming back to beat Canada 19-12 in front of a nearly full Stade de France.

In men’s football, Thierry Henry’s France set up a quarter-final match with Argentina. NBA star Victor Wembanyama helped France advance to the basketball quarter-finals with a 94-90 win over Japan.

Japan topped the overall medals table with seven golds, followed by China and Australia with six each, and France and South Korea with five.

In a setback for Olympic organizers, the men’s triathlon was postponed due to poor water quality in the River Seine following heavy rain. The event was rescheduled for Wednesday, immediately after the women’s triathlon, raising concerns about weather disruptions.

The storm forecast for later in the day added to worries, as heavy rains often overwhelm Paris’s drainage system, leading to untreated sewage being released into the Seine.