Paris Olympics highlights: Lyles, Djokovic, Scheffler headline iconic day

On the last day of fencing at the 2024 Olympic Games, a Buckeye made it to the podium. Maximilien Chastanet, who competed for Ohio State University from 2015-2018, was a member of France’s men’s foil team, which took the bronze.

Castanet started Sunday as an alternative for France but joined the lineup during the quarterfinal match against China. After beating China, but falling to Japan in the semis, France topped the United States in the bronze medal match. Castanet was 2-0-1 (14-10) in the contest.

Castanet is the third OSU alum competing in team fencing events. Eleanor Harvey and Team Canada fell in the bronze medal match of women’s foil while Fares Afra and Team Canada finished eighth in the men’s sabre.

Harvey was the first Buckeye to win a fencing medal this Olympics, winning bronze in women’s foil last week.

Castanet is the third Buckeye to win team medals in fencing, with Jason Rogers earning a silver for Team USA in men’s team sabre in 2008 and Hannah Thompson also taking home a silver for women’s team foil for Team USA, also in 2008.

In a thriller that came down to a photo finish, American Noah Lyles won the men’s 100 meter final, giving the United States its first gold medal in the event in 20 years.

Lyles and Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson both recorded times of 9.79 at the finish line, but upon further review, the 2023 world champion won by five one thousandths of a second with a lean at the wire. Thompson takes the silver while fellow American Fred Kerley won the bronze.

Lyles becomes the first sprinter from the United States to win 100 meter gold at the Olympics since Justin Gatlin won the event at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Three Americans and the defending Olympic gold medalist will be part of the field for the men’s 100m final.

Here is the field, in order of fastest qualifying times.

1. Kishane Thompson (JAM) – 9.80

2. Oblique Seville (JAM) – 9.81

3. Noah Lyles (USA) – 9.83

4. Fred Kerley (USA) – 9.84

5. Akani Simbine (RSA) – 9.87

6. Letsile Tobogo (BOT) – 9.91

7. Marcell Jacobs (ITA) – 9.92

8. Kenny Bednarek (USA) – 9.93

The men’s final will be run later this afternoon and you can watch it live on NBC4 at 3:50 p.m. ET.

The United States dominated in the final event in the pool at the Paris Games with a world record performance in the women’s 4x100m medley relay.

The American team of Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske swam a combined time of 3:49.63, winning by nearly three and a half seconds over Australia and China, who took silver and bronze respectively.

The win breaks a 7-7 tie between the United States and rival Australia in the gold medal count in swimming. The U.S. takes home the most overall medals from the pool, including eight golds.

For the first time in Olympic history, the United States did not win the 4x100m medley relay, despite a strong effort by the team, anchored by former Ohio State swimmer Hunter Armstrong. China won gold with a time of 3:27.46 while the Americans settle for silver with a time of 3:28.01.

Ryan Murphy started off the relay for the United States with the backstroke, followed by Nic Fink (breaststroke) and Caeleb Dressel (butterfly). Dressel put Armstrong in a strong position for the freestyle leg after swimming a split time of 49.41. The former Buckeye couldn’t catch Pan Zhanle in the final 50 meters. It’s the first time that the Americans didn’t win gold in this event, dating back to 1960 (excluding the boycotted Moscow 1980 Games).

Armstrong, a native of Dover, Ohio, brings home two medals from the Paris Olympics, adding to his gold won in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay last weekend.

American Bobby Finke successfully defended his Tokyo gold medal by winning the 1500 meter freestyle final with a world record time of 14:30.67. The 24-year-old from Tampa becomes the only U.S. male swimmer to win individual gold at these Paris Olympics.

Finke held off Italian swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri, who stayed within a body length lead until the final 100 meters, ending up with the silver medal. Ireland’s Daniel Wiffin took the bronze.

Finke becomes the first back-to-back champion in the 1500 meter freestyle since Australian Grant Hackett won two consecutive golds in the event at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. The win also continues a streak dating back to 1904 (excluding 1980 boycotted Games) that saw at least one American male swimmer win an individual gold medal.

Kristen Faulkner seemingly came out of nowhere on the streets of Paris and became the first American in 40 years to win the women’s cycling road race.

The Alaskan-born graduate of Harvard won gold after making her final move, sprinting away from the lead chase group with around two miles left to pull off the upset.

Marianne Vos of the Netherlands won silver while Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky took home bronze in a tight battle for the rest of the podium.

This year’s Masters and Memorial Tournament winner is also an Olympic gold medalist. Scottie Scheffler added an Olympic title in Paris to his impressive haul of trophies and accolades this year after the American hit four birdies in a row on the back nine. Scheffler finishes with a final round of 62, 19-under for the tournament.

Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood won silver while Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama earned bronze.

This marks the second straight gold medal for the United States in men’s golf after Xander Schauffele won gold in Tokyo three years ago.

Novak Djokovic finally has the gold medal that has eluded him.

In a match that saw neither player able to break serve, the Serbian defeated Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets, needing to win tiebreakers in each, to win an Olympic singles title in his fifth try.

The 24-time major champion fell to the ground and was visibly emotional after winning the match as Djokovic becomes only the fifth tennis player in history to have won the career golden slam (four majors and an Olympic gold medal in singles).

American Scottie Scheffler is making a run at the gold medal in the final round of the men’s golf competition. This year’s Memorial winner has made six birdies on the back nine while Spaniard Jon Rahm saw a four-stroke lead slip away. Rahm bogeyed on 11 and 12 and then double bogeyed on the Par 5 14th hole.

Scheffler is at 19-under heading into the 18th hole, with England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama in silver and bronze medal positions respectively.

American Suni Lee added to her medal collection with a bronze medal performance in the uneven bars final, scoring a 14.800 to add to her individual all-around bronze and women’s team gold that she’s already won in Paris.

Alergia’s Kaylia Nemour won gold in a pressure packed performance, delivering the first ever Olympic medal in gymnastics by any African nation, while China’s Qiu Qiyuan took silver.

Lee, who overcame kidney disease to make it back to the Olympics, now has six career medals. She’ll be back on Monday to compete in the final in women’s balance beam along with fellow American Simone Biles.

The United States men’s foil fencing team will battle for a medal against the host nation and a former Buckeye.

The Americans, including Alex Massialas, Gerek Meinhardt, Nick Itkin and Miles Chamley-Watson, fell to Italy in the semifinals 45-38. Meanwhile, France, including former Ohio State fencer Maximilien Chastanet, lost to Japan in its semifinal, 45-37.

The Americans are seeking their third consecutive Olympic bronze medal in the event. The battle for third is set to take place at 1:10 p.m. EDT at the Grand Palais.

Gold was not meant to be for American Brady Ellison. The 35-year-old from Montana kept pace with South Korean Kim Woojin throughout the men’s individual final, forcing a golden arrow shoot-off. But while both shot 10s in the final arrow, Ellison’s shot was just slightly farther from the bullseye than Kim’s.

Ellison grabbed his fifth career medal with a silver, his second of these Paris Games. Meanwhile, South Korea continued its dominance in archery, sweeping all five gold medals and taking home seven overall.

In the morning session at the Stade de France, several Ohio connections began their quest for an Olympic medal.

Pickerington North grad Annette Echikunwoke advanced to the final of the women’s hammer throw after meeting the qualifying standard in her first attempt. The American recorded a throw of 73.52 meters, second behind Canada’s Camryn Rogers. Dublin Coffman’s Sade Olatoye also competed. Her best throw was 66.41 meters but it wasn’t enough to qualify for the final, which is set for Tuesday night.

Pick Central graduate McKenzie Long advanced to the next round of the women’s 200 meters. She won her heat with a time of 22.55, automatically qualifying into the semifinals of the event, which will take place Monday night. Fellow American Gabby Thomas was the top qualifier with a time of 22.20.

Among the sports in action early on this Day 9: archery, golf and cycling. All three will award medals within the next few hours.

At Les Invalides, American Brady Ellison will compete for a gold medal in archery after defeating German Florian Unruh, 7-3. Ellison, fresh off his mixed doubles bronze medal on Friday, will take on Korean Kim Woo-jin in the final. The two-time world champion has yet to win an Olympic gold and is looking to add to his two silvers and two bronzes.

The women’s road race is ongoing in cycling through the streets of Paris while at Le Golf National, Jon Rahm has a three shot lead at -18 over Hideki Matsuyama, Xander Schauffele and Tommy Fleetwood in the final round of the men’s individual golf tournament. Central Ohio resident Jason Day is tied for tenth at -11.

We’re passing the halfway point today and there’s plenty of action already underway on this middle Sunday.

The men’s gold medal match in tennis is underway at Roland Garros as Novak Djokovic looks to claim the one title that has eluded him throughout his career. Making his fifth Olympic appearance, the 24-time grand slam champion has only won a bronze medal. Since that achievement in Beijing, Djokovic has come up short in London, Rio and Tokyo.

Today will mark his best ever finish at the Olympics as Djokovic is assured of a silver but Carlos Alcaraz stands in the way of an elusive gold and a career golden slam, a feat that only four other players have achieved. But the Spaniard is considered the favorite on the red clay at Court Philippe Chatrier.