Paris Olympics highlights: Biles, Ledecky, USA fencing make more history

With rain falling in Paris delaying late night beach volleyball and 3×3 basketball, let’s catch our breath and close out this sixth Olympic day. By far the best day for Team USA with historic golds for Biles, Ledecky, and women’s fencing in addition to Kate Douglass’ and men’s rowing victories as well.

Team USA has shot up to second in the medal table with nine golds as they still trail China by two golds. Despite all this amazing action this past week, the best is yet to come as track & field arrives in earnest Friday and we get into a weekend with gymnastics and swimming overlapping, creating non-stop, must-see action for the next few days.

The NBC4 team will have you covered for Day 7 of the Paris Olympics. Until then, have a good Thursday central Ohio!

-Orri Benatar

Team USA took on Belgium in women’s basketball, winning 87-74. Despite Team USA’s typical dominance in Olympic basketball, Belgium trailed by a close margin most of the game.

The first quarter was surprisingly close, with a 23-23 tie after the first 10 minutes. Team USA pulled ahead slightly in the second, ending the first half 46-38.

The third quarter maintained a tight margin, with the U.S. consistently ahead by just 10 or fewer points. The score was 60-53 entering the final quarter, but the U.S. maintained its lead with a final score of 87-74. Breanna Stewart led the team with 26 points.

The U.S. has an Olympic winning streak of 57 straight games, including this one. It has medaled in every Olympics it has participated in since it’s first medal — silver — in 1976.

No woman from the United States of America has won more Olympic medals than Katie Ledecky. She swam the third leg in the 4x200m freestyle relay which the USA finished second in for silver, becoming the first American woman to win 13 Olympic medals.

Ariarne Titmus closed out the relay strongly to take gold for Australia while China took bronze.

The women’s 3×3 basketball team has won its first game, beating Spain 17-11. Rhyne Howard and Hailey Van Lith led the team scoring the most points, 5 each. Team USA still ranks 8th in the standings.

The women’s team will face France next on Friday at 7 a.m.

Two American men’s doubles pairs will compete for a tennis medal at Roland Garros. Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul beat the Great Britain pair of Andy Murray and Daniel Evans in straight sets to make tomorrow’s semifinals. This was Murray’s final match of his legendary tennis career.

The two of them will face Australia’s Matthew Ebden and John Peers for a spot in the gold medal game, which already features American pair Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.

The USA women’s fencing team, which includes Lee Kiefer of Cleveland, secured a 45-39 victory over Italy on Thursday, scoring the nation’s first-ever gold medal in team fencing.

While the USA has been competing in team fencing events since 1904, it has never won a gold medal on either the women’s or the men’s side.

The USA was the underdog heading into the match, as the Italian team included three of the top five fencers in the world and has won the event four out of the last six times.

Two Americans have made the final of the women’s 200m backstroke. Regan Smith made the final just minutes after her medal ceremony in the 200m butterfly and will be alongside Phoebe Bacon, who qualified with the best time. Australia’s Kaylee McKeown is the top rival to Bacon and Smith.

Team USA has another gold medal in the pool as Kate Douglass claimed an elusive gold medal in the 200m breaststroke. South Africa’s Tatjana Smith won silver and Tes Schouten of the Netherlands got bronze.

Dressel will hope he can maintain his 100% record in Olympic finals when he races in the 50m freestyle final. The American qualified with the fifth fastest time in Thursday’s semifinals. Benjamin Proud of Team GB and Cameron McEvoy of Australia enter as the favorites.

It was an all-European podium for the men’s 200m backstroke as Hubert Kos surged at the end to beat Greece’s Apostolos Christou to gold. It is Hungary’s first gold medal at these Olympics. Switzerland’s Roman Mityukov completed the podium while Team USA’s Keaton Jones came fifth.

Canada’s Summer McIntosh claimed her second gold and third medal at the Paris Olympics as she set an Olympic record to win the 200m butterfly. Regan Smith was able to earn the silver while China’s Zhang Yufei took bronze.

Simone Biles has captured a historic gold medal in the individual all-around, her second of her Olympic career. She captured the audience with another fantastic floor exercise routine to become the third woman to win two all-around gold medals.

Sunisa Lee was able to also get a big performance on the floor exercise and win bronze, her second straight Olympics on the all-around podium.

Biles was able to get back into first place after a strong 14.566 on the balance beam. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade was able to score a 14.133 on the floor, leaving her just 0.166 points behind Biles entering the floor exercise.

Lee scored a 14 flat and ended with an identical fourth-place score to Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour after three rotations.

Standings after rotation 3

1. Simone Biles (USA, 44.065)

2. Rebeca Andrade (Brazil, -0.166)

3. Alice D’Amato (Italy, -1.232)

USA men’s 3×3 basketball has still not won a game after a 20-18 loss to Lithuania. Once again, the U.S. could not converts from two-point range going 1-12. The women are also 0-3 at this point.

The men return to the court to play Latvia at 5:05 p.m. The women are back at 3:30 p.m. to take on Spain.

Biles was unable to get a high execution score on the uneven bars after a moment of hesitation while on the smaller bar.

Her 13.733 score was nearly a full-point below Andrade’s score, leaving her in third place going into the balance beam after Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour scored a 15.533 on the bars.

Lee scored a 14.866 on the bars to get herself up into fifth place.

Standings after rotation 2

1. Rebeca Andrade (Brazil, 29.766)

2. Kaylia Nemour (Algeria, -0.200)

3. Simone Biles (USA, -0.267)

Biles was able to pull off an excellent vault with a massive score of 15.766, already putting her way ahead of the field.

Lee started off with a solid vault score of 13.933 but sits outside of the medal spots. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade pulled off a very difficult vault at 15.100 and sits in second. All three head to the uneven bars next

Standings after rotation 1

1. Simone Biles (USA, 15.766)

2. Rebeca Andrade (Brazil, -0.666)

3. Elsabeth Black (Canada, -1.700)

Team USA loses to Great Britain in its latest matchup, 5-2. This comes after the U.S. also fell to Australia (0-3) and Argentina (1-4).

The U.S. is currently ranked fifth in the Pool B standings. The women will face South Africa, who is ranked below USA, Saturday at 7:15 a.m.

Simone Biles and Suni Lee are both searching for all-around glory for the second time at the Olympics and will begin on the vault. Biles is the heavy favorite to claim gold while Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade will be in the mix as well for a medal along Lee.

The first round of men’s golf is in the books and an American is in the mix to take home gold. Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama leads the field at 8-under par while defending gold medalist Xander Schauffele of Team USA sits two strokes behind him.

The likes of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Ludvig Aberg remain in the mix as well. The second round begins at 3 a.m. Friday from Le Golf National and be broadcast live on the golf channel.

The women’s gymnastics all-around final is coming up on NBC4 as Simone Biles and Suni Lee battle to make Olympic history at 12:15 p.m. Here is what else is happening this afternoon.

Other medal events: Another canoe slalom final and two more judo finals will take place this afternoon. Later today on NBC4, four more swimming finals on night six, including the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay.

USA-Italy fencing battle: Cleveland native Lee Kiefer and the American women’s foil fencing team go for gold at 2:30 p.m. against the Italians. Buckeye graduate Eleanor Harvey hopes to lead Canada to bronze against Japan.

3×3 Basketball: Both USA 3×3 basketball teams are still looking for its first win. The men are up next at 1:05 p.m. against Lithuania.

Surfing returns?: Over in Tahiti, the surfing competition has seen multiple delays but is currently scheduled to resume at 1 p.m. with the women’s third round.

American Tommy Paul was unable to get the upset at Roland Garros as he fell in straight sets to French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the tennis quarterfinals.

Paul will now shift focus for his doubles match later today with Taylor Fritz against Great Britain’s Andy Murray and Daniel Evans. Alcaraz moves on to the semifinals and will face either Casper Ruud of Norway or Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada.

Team USA is guaranteed a medal in the tennis men’s doubles tournament. Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram beat Czechia duo Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals to make Saturday’s gold medal game.

The second semifinal will feature Australian pair Matthew Ebden and John Peers and either Team USA’s Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz or Great Britain’s Andy Murray and Daniel Evans.

The American beach volleyball pair of Miles Partain and Andrew Benesh have advanced to the round of 16 after winning its last pool match. The two defeated Brazilian pair George and Andre in a three-set match 21-17, 14-21, 15-8.

The two will have a few days rest before playing in the round of 16 either on Aug. 4 or 5.

Cleveland native Lee Kiefer and her USA fencing teammate Lauren Scruggs are guaranteed two medals in Paris after beating Canada in the team foil semifinals. Kiefer impressed in the third relay of the match beating Canada’s Yunjia Zhang 13-4 to open an American lead.

Team USA will face Italy in the gold medal bout at 2:30 p.m. Buckeye graduate Eleanor Harvey of Canada and her team will play Japan in the bronze medal bout at 1:10 p.m.

Many American teams and athletes are about to compete this morning. Here is what to watch.

Tennis: Tommy Paul is taking on men’s singles favorite Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros in the quarterfinals. Men’s doubles pair Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram aim for a spot in the final while Paul and Taylor Fritz play later against Andy Murray and Daniel Evans in the quarterfinals.

Fencing semifinal: The women’s team foil competition is in the semifinals and a matchup between North American rivals features multiple Ohio connections. Cleveland native and individual gold winner Lee Kiefer along with silver medalist Lauren Scruggs lead Team USA against Canada, who are led by former Buckeye and bronze winner Eleanor Harvey.

Other matches: USA beach volleyball pair Partain and Benesh play its final group match against Brazil’s George and Andre. The winner advances to the round of 16 while the loser hits the lucky losers bracket. Women’s field hockey plays its next game at 11 a.m. against Great Britain.

There has been A LOT of Olympic action this morning so let’s do a nice, healthy morning catchup.

Men’s Golf begins: The best male golfers have begun its Olympics at Le Golf National. Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama leads the field at 8-under par. Rory McIlroy sits at 4-under while defending gold medalist Xander Schauffele sits at the same score.

Track & Field begins: The first athletics medals were handed out early this morning in the 20km race walks. Ecuador’s Brian Pintado won the men’s race whole China’s Jiayu Yang won the women’s race.

American archer falls: Team USA’s Case Kaufhold, one of the favorites in women’s archery, fell in the round of 16 to Chien-Ying Lei of Chinese Taipei.

USA men’s water polo lose: The American men’s water polo team lost its third pool match 11-13 to Greece. They play Montenegro next on Friday.

Women’s tennis upset: Poland’s Iga Swiatek entered the tennis singles tournament as the overwhelming favorite. She was knocked out by China’s Qinwen Zheng in straight sets in the semifinals.

USA 3×3 basketball still can’t win: The women’s 3×3 team is now 0-3 after falling to Australia 17-15 in its third pool match. Combined, the USA 3×3 teams are 0-5.

Good morning, happy August and happy sixth day of the Olympics! While you were sleeping, Team USA struck gold in rowing as the men’s coxless four team outlasted New Zealand and Great Britain for the first place.

The team of Justin Best, Liam Corrigan, Michael Grady, and Nick Mead earned the USA its first gold in that rowing event since 1960.