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On a day bookended by retirements, Helen Glover, the team GB flagbearer, ended her distinguished Olympics career with a silver medal on Thursday morning in the women’s four. The 38-year-old admitted to mixed feelings about ending on the wrong side of a photo finish with the Dutch because “we had the potential to win”.
Then in the final act of day six, Andy Murray’s illustrious career ended with a straight-set defeat in the men’s doubles quarter-finals. Murray and Dan Evans lost 6-2, 6-4 to American third seeds Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul. Murray confirmed before the Games that it would be his final event before retiring.
Elsewhere, defeat of a female boxer by an opponent who has previously failed a gender test has prompted an angry response from world leaders.
Simone Biles won the all-around gymnastics title for her second Olympic gold in Paris and sixth overall to cement her place at the top of the sport. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade claimed silver, with defending champion Sunisa Lee took bronze at the Bercy Arena.
Team GB’s three medals on Thursday all came in the rowing. Helen Glover and the women’s four clinched silver while the men’s four and women’s double sculls won bronze.
Joe Clarke missed out on a medal in the K1 canoe slalom final. The former Olympic champion placed fifth in 89.82 seconds to finish 1.6 seconds behind Italy’s gold meddallist Giovanni de Gennaro.
Elsewhere, Katie Boulter and Heather Watson were knocked out of the tennis women’s doubles and Iga Swiatek, the World No 1, is out of the singles.
There are fears about the severity of a shoulder injury to Sky Brown, the 16-year-old skateboarding medal prospect while Jake Wightman, the GB 800m medal prospect has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Also on Thursday, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood made a solid start in the men’s golf, which was temporarily postponed due to lightning.
Double Olympic gold medallist has been speaking to Eurosport:
Disappointed with the result, we didn’t play well enough to get through, but we fought right to the end, almost found something, but left ourselves too much to do. I’m happy to have finished with an exciting run, we gave it our best effort.
On retiring:
A few months ago, I was not looking forward to it. I love playing tennis … but after the operation on my back before Queen’s, I was struggling to walk; physically it’s been tough. I’m not able to move around the court, and compete to the level that I want to. I was worried what I would do with myself, but I’m happy that I’m finishing now.
On his career:
I’m proud of my career, I worked really hard to achieve the results I did, at a really difficult time to win major finals. I gave it a good go, put my body through a lot . . .looking forward to a rest now.
Dan Evans also spoke:
Everything I thought and more – Olympic team event, a chance to play doubles at his last tournament, the effort to get on the court and really give it a go. It’s something I’ll cherish forever.
Duncan Scott and Tom Dean safely progressed to the men’s 200 metre individual medley final on a positive night for Britain’s swimmers.
The pair, who were part of Team GB’s dream relay team that defended their Olympic title in the 4x200m freestyle earlier this week, posted the third and sixth fastest qualifying times respectively in their semi-final to advance to Friday’s showdown.
Ben Proud produced an outstanding display to reach the men’s 50 metres freestyle final after finishing joint first alongside Australian Cameron McEvoy in 21.38 seconds – a time that would have been enough to win silver at the Tokyo Olympics.
It sets the 29-year-old up well for a tilt at the Olympic title a decade on from when he first burst onto the scene at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. “I have never been in this position, it is very exciting,” Proud told the BBC. “That race felt great, a semi-final always will as it is quite relaxed. We will see how the lanes get drawn.”
Elsewhere, British champion Honey Osrin – a debutant at these Games – finished second behind Australia’s Kaylee Mckeown to make it through to her first Olympic final in the women’s 200m backstroke, posting the third fastest qualifying time of two minutes 7.84 seconds.
The LTA have just announced that the main court at the Cinch Championships held at the Queen’s Club will be known as ‘The Andy Murray Arena’.
Australia and the USA were close but Aussies claim the gold medal. It was a brilliant final 200m from Ariarne Titmus. She put on the afterburners in the final 100m to leave the USA behind in silver medal position.
China take the bronze. It was a strong swim from Great Britain’s Freya Colbert, Abbie Wood, Freja Anderson and Lucy Hope – they finished in fifth.
We have a medal event in the 4x200m freestyle relay with Team GB in action. The USA and Australia are the favourites in this one.
Duncan Scott and Tom Dean finish qualify for their semi-final in third and sixth place respectively. Scott charged down the final 50 metres there to overtake Wang but didn’t quite have enough in the tank to whizz past American Carson Foster.
French superstar Leon Marchand, who already has three golds at these Games, is here (again) and he’s also won his semi – has this guy ever lost a swimming race?
He was gliding comfortably and Japan’s Seto Daiya tried his best but didn’t have enough to catch him. Obviously, Marchand has posted the fastest qualifying time for the final and he’s serenaded by the crowd as soon as jumps out of the pool. They enjoyed that.
Both Britons safely through to tomorrow evening’s BMX racing semis-finals. Kye Whyte never looked wholly convincing in all honesty but he qualified in 10th. Top 12 through automatically.
No need for a Last Chance Race. Beth Shriever, the reigning Olympic champion, won all three of her runs and appeared very relaxed, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd ahead of her final run.
Her times were fractionally slower than Australia’s Saya Sakakibara, however, so she qualified second.
Duncan Scott and Tom Dean, crowned champions the other night in the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay, are up next in the men’s 200 metre individual medley. They’re in lane four and six respectively and will go up against China’s Shun Wang.
The gold medalist in this event from the Tokyo Games and one of 23 Chinese swimmers named in an investigation by the New York Times last April who allegedly tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in the lead up to Tokyo. France superstar Leon Marchand goes in the second semi-final.
Andy Murray’s career has finished as Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz win the quarter-final.
The British pair saved a match point earlier against the USA’s Fritz and Paul – eight in total against them this tournament. But ultimately, the American duo were able to convert on their second match point to win 6-2,6-4.
What an end to an illustrious career! He leaves the game as a three-time major champion and a double Olympic gold medallist. Follow all the latest reaction here.
An emotional farewell from Andy Murray 🥹Thank you, Andy ❤ #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/MO01RB7iyh
We’ve just had the medal ceremony for the women’s 200m butterfly. There was a mixed reaction when China’s Zhang Yufei received her bronze (her third of these Games after picking up bronzes in the women’s 100 butterfly and 4×100 freestyle relay).
You could detect the faintest boos around La Defense arena as Zhang, was one of 11 Chinese swimmers who the New York Times claimed had tested positive for a banned substance in the build up to the Tokyo Games stepped onto the podium.
Novak Djkovic is one step closer to an Olympic gold medal. The Serb beat Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets 6-3, 7-6 to set up a semi-final clash with Italy’s Lorenz Musetti.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray’s career could be ending. He and Dan Evans are currently trailing 5-2 in their quarter-final match with the USA’s Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul. You can follow live coverage of the match here.
After the second of three runs, Beth Shriever is in a great position. She has won both of her runs so far with ease and looks extremely confident.
The semi-finals beckon for her. Kye Whyte, meanwhile, improved on his first run (5th) with a 3rd place in his second run, although he was helped by a big crash involving a Dutch rider and a Colombian rider just ahead of him.
That result puts him 10th overall with one run to go. Remember the top 12 out of 24 qualify automatically, with the riders ranked 1-12 going into a Last Chance Race.
What an incredible race! South Africa’s Tatjana Smith wins silver and the Netherlands’ Tes Schouten claims bronze.
It was an American record from Kate Douglas who records a time of 2:19:24 and claims the gold medal. It was such a tight finish between Douglas and the South African.
Back to Roland Garros – Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz look to compound their break by holding their serve and it is simply to easy for the Americans right now.
Is this the end? Andy Murray is fighting to remain in the Olympics. The British pair are currently 4-2 down in the second set.
Follow our coverage of the match here.
Great Britain’s Ben Proud was in complete control during his 50m freestyle semi-finals. He finished joint first alongside Australia’s Cameron McEvoy and qualifies for Friday’s final.
Proud spoke with BBC Sport
On the reaching the final:
I have never been in this position, it is very exciting.
That race felt great, a semi-final always will as it is quite relaxed. We will see how the lanes get drawn.
It’s funny, not everything went right, but it is about finding that balance of what you can do well and what you can do better.
Everyone is going to be in the same boat and there will be top class athletes on the outside lanes.
On his final thoughts on the block:
Nothing, everything who knows? You try to become present in the moment and you are there. Get rid of thoughts and let the body takeover.
A swim to be Proud of! 🇬🇧#BBCOlympics #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/oOBuKSkyP2
Tatjana Smith finished second in her semi-final of the 200m breaststroke on Wednesday night, beaten to the finish by American Kate Douglass, who holds a real threat to Smith in tonight’s final.
The South African 100m breaststroke champion is half-way to becoming only the second woman in history after Penny Heyns to complete a 100m-200m breaststroke double at one Olympics.
Andy Murray and Dan Evans are in trouble here as the USA claim the first set 6-2. Can they pull off another thrilling comeback at Roland Garros. If not, this will be end for Murray’s illustrious career. Follow our live coverage from the match here.
Meanwhile, Stefanos Tsitsipas is a game away from levelling the match at one set each against Novak Djokovic.
Simon Biles takes gold for the USA in the all-round final. The American needed 13.868 and she scored 15.066 for her routine!
It was an incredible sequence of pike tumbles and stable landings! Follow the latest reaction to Biles’ triumph here.
The full results
Team GB’s Alice Kinsella was 12th and Georgia-Mae Fenton finished 18th on 51.766.
America’s Sunsia Lee has just scored at 13.66 moving her into gold medal position for now, with Rebecca Andrade and Simone Biles still go. She is guaranteed a medal at Paris 2024.
BMX racing heats have just got under way. It’s a very complicated qualifying procedure. Three separate groups of eight. Three runs. Riders get times taken & points for each run. Top 12 in the overall ranking after three runs go through to the semi-finals. Riders ranked 13-20 in the overall ranking after three runs qualify for the Last Chance Race (LCR).
We had a French 1-2 in the first heat which got the evening off to a jolly start. GB’s Tokyo silver medallist Kye Whyte has just finished 5th in his first run. He was quite lucky to hang on to that to be honest as it was a photo finish with sixth.
The score for Rebeca Andrade’s beam routine is in – it is a 14.133 placing the Brazilian in silver medal position.
Italy’s Alice D’Amato drops down to bronze while Simone Biles is leading the way. Great Britain’s Alice Kinsella is in eighth while Georgia Mae-Fenton is in 10th.
We are moving onto the final apparatus. Follow the latest from the final here.
Victory for the Team GB duo over the USA’s Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz would guarantee a medal match for Murray and Evans.
The British pair have been forced to save seven match points on their way to quarter-finals. Follow our live coverage of the match here.
Novak Djokovic has started strongly against Stefanos Tsitsipas and is leading the first set 3-1.
Great Britain’s Emma Wilson is guaranteed a medal after qualifying for the three-strong final on Friday.
The Nottingham native has topped the qualification standings and has won eight out of the 14 races so far in Paris.
French decathlete Kevin Mayer has pulled out of Paris 2024 due to injury – he was one of France’s biggest athletics hopes.
He spoke with Olympics.com and this is what he had say:
I had some tests this morning and to be crystal clear, I could run 20 meters at about 80, 85 per cent. As soon as I stood up, I felt like an electric sting, not huge, but I am very far from being able to run a 100m 100 per cent fit.
I spent three hours hesitating, I wanted to do it but I knew there was no chance. I had a meeting with my staff, everybody talked, everybody said where we stood. The conclusion was that I tried everything.
I am still proud I managed to do three weeks of rehab with a result which normally you get after two months. I worked like crazy to get there, but it was not enough.
Since I am not fit enough to manage the best performances, there was no reason to go in this stadium, hurt myself, make a show of myself, it’s that simple.
Novak Djokovic is in action as he takes on Greece’s Stefanos Tsitispas – the Serb has never won Olympic gold. Can he add that accolade to his impressive CV?
In the women’s gymnastics, Simone Biles has made an error on the bars after couple of wobbly moments from the American. She struggles to transition to the lower bar with her knees nearly scraping the floor.
However, she does rescue her routine and dismounts. She scores 13.766 which leaves her trailing Brazil’s Rebecca’s Andrade by 0.267 points.
Team GB have beaten the USA in their crucial Pool B match. Two goals from Tess Howard and three others from Sophie Hamilton, Hannah French and Sarah Jones have secured victory for Great Britain.
The crowd go wild for the American at the Bercy Arena. Simone Biles flipped and twisted her way to a whopping 15.766 on the vault.
Of course, she goes top immediately. Elsewhere, on the floor Team GB’s Georgia-Mae Fenton scored 13.033 and Alice Kinsella scored 12.833.
Follow the latest from the final here.
Not to be for Joe Clarke who finishes 5th in the Men’s K1. 😥Italy’s Giovanni de Gennaro takes the gold. #BBCOlympics #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/VhirnDOZQq
Sadly, not enough for Great Britain’s Joe Clark .As he entered the closing stages, he was 1.15 seconds behind the required time and he finishes with a time of 88.92 seconds – leaving him in fifth position.
Italy’s Giovanni de Gennaro takes the gold!
Team GB are dominating here and have extended their lead by a further two goals in the third quarter.
Sophie Hamilton is having a superb game for Great Britain – she sprinted down the left before squaring to Hannah French who turned the ball into the net.
Then Sarah Jones scored Great Britain’s fifth goal by driving past the USA’s keeper.
The Bercy Arena will be starting to fill up for the women’s all-around final which begins at 17:15 (BST) with Team USA’s Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee in action.
While, the favourites will undoubtedly be US Olympic stars Biles and Lee. Team GB will be represented by Alice Kinsella and Georgia-Mae Fenton. They must overcome their heartbreak of falling out of the team medal on Tuesday.
Follow the latest action from the final here.
Abigail Tamer has scored her second goal of the match after going past keeper Miriam Pritchard.
Great Britain are still ahead in this crucial pool match.
The final is underway as Great Britain’s Joe Clarke goes for gold. He set the fastest run in the semi-final. Clarke will go last, with Jiri Prskavec of Czech Republic and Titouan Castryck of France expected to be the biggest threats to him.
Follow the latest from the final here.
Abigail Tamer has equalized for the USA from a penalty corner, after Great Britain’s Sophie Hamilton got off the mark in the early stages of the first quarter.
Great Britain take on the USA in their penultimate match in the pool stage. A victory will put them in a strong position to qualify for the quarter-finals.
As things stand, Great Britain are 1-0 up against the USA.
Update from Le Golf National – the remaining players yet to complete the first rounds will resume play at 17:05 local time after an early lightening interruption.
The first attempt at the race was abandoned earlier today after a wind shift. And now in Marseille, take two of the race has been stopped due to a lack of wind. Gutting for Great Britain’s James Peters and Fynn Sterritt.
For a SECOND time, the medal race of the men’s skiff sailing has been abandoned due to a lack of wind in Marseille. 😬#BBCOlympics #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/KdHF8qiw5k
Tennis action is coming thick and fast at Roland Garros. Novak Djokovic will face Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-final at 18:00 (BST), as the Serbian continues his chase for his first Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024.
Play has been suspended at the Le Golf National in the closing stages of the men’s stroke play due to the risk of lightning as thunderstorms are forecasted in the southwest of Paris.
Matsuyama Hideki is the clubhouse leader at eight under, while Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is three under. It was a fine opening round of 67 for Team GB’s Tommy Fleetwood, which leaves him four behind pacesetter Matsuyama.
Fantastic run from Team GB’s Joe Clarke!For now, he is top of the leaderboard and heading safely to the final 👊#BBCOlympics #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/OvhSUDhHMK
Carlos Alcaraz is guaranteed to be involved in a medal match at Paris 2024. The Spaniard downed Tommy Paul of the USA to reach the men’s singles semi-finals.
Alcaraz is yet to drop a set in the singles and will face either Casper Rudd or Felix Auger Aliassime next after impressive victory at Roland Garros.
The Chinese sixth seed has been speaking :
It’s truly indescribable how thrilled I am right now, I defeated the world No 1, the player who has been reigning champion at Roland Garros for years. This journey has not been easy. Additionally, having played over six hours on court in the past few days, and spending around eight hours on court within three days, I felt like I was driven by sheer determination.
I know that in a regular women’s match, my stamina might have run out after such extended play. But for some reason, today, my energy levels remained high throughout. I was certain that even if the match went into the third set, I would fight until the last breath. Even if I had to play for another three hours for my country, I felt I could manage it. Beating the world No 1 at the Olympic stage means a lot to me.
Update from the men’s single canoe slalom and Great Britain’s Joe Clarke is into the final.
The 2016 Olympic champion has made a real statement and set the fastest time in the semi-final which should give him real confidence.
The commentators have picked up on how the judges may took another look at that near-miss gate 14 but he is currently top of the leaderboard and safely through.
Remember you can follow our live coverage of the men’s canoe slalom here.
He has made a sensational start and is well inside the time of current leader Noah Hegge of Germany.
Let’s see how he gets on . . .
Carlos Alcaraz is currently in his quarter final against world no 13 Tommy Paul. The Spaniard took the first set 6-3 and has just taken the second set to a tie-break.
The singles is Alcaraz’s focus now, after he and Rafael Nadal lost in the men’s doubles on Wednesday to USA’s Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
We are well into the semi-finals and as it stands, Felix Oschmautz, Felix Ohstrom and Noah Hegge are the first three competitors guaranteed a place in the final after strong runs.
We are still waiting for Great Britain’s Joe Clarke. You can follow our live coverage of the canoe slalom here.
A leading Australian swimming coach has led criticism of Pan Zhanle’s stunning 100m freestyle world record after saying the Chinese swimmer’s performance in the pool was “not humanly possible”.
Brett Hawke led the international disbelief among some quarters after the 19-year-old stormed to gold in 46.40 seconds to beat his nearest rival Kyle Chalmers by more than a second.
Pan destroyed a high-class field to shave almost half a second off his own world record in the biggest winning margin in the men’s 100m freestyle since American Johnny Weissmuller in 1928, but his performance has been overshadowed by ongoing suspicions surrounding the Chinese team.
Click here to read more.
The moment China’s Zheng Qinwen caused a huge shock to beat Poland’s world number one Iga Swiatek 🤯#Olympics #Paris2024 #BBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/W6mBHCq1v1
Three-under for the day and the tournament. That’s a good start and puts him in contention. That is the important thing at this stage, to be within touching distance and not wreck your hopes with a horror round on day one. Yes, he is five shots of the leader but there is quite the bunch hovering between five-under and three-under.
Speaking of horror rounds… Wyndham Clark and Min Woo Lee shot 75 and 76 respectively. Clark never really got going, but did at least limit the damage given he was four over after seven.
Great Britain’s James Peters and Fynn Sterritt were in sixth before the blue and white chequered flag came out. The breeze did appear to change drastically towards the end of the first lap. Big decision, though.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has given her views:
“I have been trying to explain for years that, when taken to the extreme, some theses risk impacting women’s rights.
“I think that athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women’s competitions. Not because we want to discriminate against anyone, but in order to protect the right of female athletes to be able to compete on equal terms”
Read and follow the latest reaction from that story here now.
That’s eight under. He is the current leader by three with Valimaki dropping a shot to go back to five-under, with four others. McIlroy still at four-under after 16 holes.
Fine opening round of 67 for Le Golf National specialist Tommy Fleetwood, which leaves him four behind pacesetter Hideki Matsuyama. A former French Open winner here, Fleetwood was one of the standout performers on his Ryder Cup debut at the venue in Europe’s 2018 victory. A ball-striker’s paradise, the Englishman could have a serious look at a medal for Team GB come Sunday. Could have been a few lower today, so plenty still in the tank for the world No 14.
France had a penalty corner at the end but did not convert it. That win means Great Britain have qualified to the quarter-finals along with Germany, Netherlands and Spain. South Africa and France, with just one point from their four games apiece, cannot.
Sky Brown’s Olympic preparations appeared to have suffered a major blow after Britain’s skateboarding star dislocated her shoulder before travelling to the Paris Games.
It is understood the 16-year-old is facing a race against time to compete in the women’s skateboarding park event at La Concorde, which gets underway on August 6.
Read the full story here.
Rory McIlroy has made a good start, he is four-under after 14 holes. 2024 Open winner Xander Schauffele of the United States is at the same score after seven whilst compatriot Scottie Scheffler is a shot further back after 14. The other man in the McIlroy/Scheffler group, Ludvig Aberg, is also at three-under. Viktor Hovland of Norway is two-under after seven.
When it comes to the Britons, Matt Fitzpatrick is one-under after seven, but Tommy Fleetwood is the lead Team GB player at four-under after 16.
It could be an own goal but it looks to have been given to James Albrey.
Just over four minutes remain in the fourth quarter.
He’s on eight-under currently with three holes to play. The man I accused of having big Valtteri Bottas vibes, Finland’s Sami Valimaki (below), is second on his own with an excellent score of minus-six after 11.
The Italian pairing of Errani and Paolini are into the semi-finals with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over the British pair.
They are a set and two breaks down at 5-1 in the second set. Needs to be an instant turnaround here. Follow the latest here.
4min10sec remaining in the third quarter and GB have a penalty. Zach Wallace converts a penalty from the spot to level the game.
They fail to convert a penalty corner, the France stopper (can you say that in hockey?) pulling out a save with his legs which is roundly celebrated by (and with) his team-mates. France still lead 1-0 in the third quarter with seven minutes remaining.
The British pair are in action in the women’s doubles against Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini (below) but they are a set down, the Italians taking it 6-3.
Follow the updates from the tennis at Roland-Garros here.
“I probably wasn’t that quick, but I felt alright. It will be a really good race tonight, I’m going to have put something out that to get to the final.
“It’s really special walking out, they see [Marchand’s] name and going nuts. It’s really cool, you can hear them coming out for him it’s special.”
They are 1-0 up against Great Britain at half-time.
Rory McIlroy was a bit chippy in the build-up here – he told me “it’s none of your business” when I asked why he was in St Andrews for a practice round at the Old Course on Monday – but despite having a break after his recent missed Open cut cut at Royal Troon, he looks very sharp. Was three-under after nine holes, but misses a short putt on the 10th and is two-under through 11 holes.
He is now the leader on seven-under after 12, by one from Joaquin Niemann with Ryan Fox on five-under.
We are into the second quarter of the men’s hockey pool game between Games hosts France and Great Britain and it is all square.
Viktor Hovland birdies the third to move to -1. Matsuyama on minus six still leads Schmid by one and has put it to seven feet on the par-3 11th so has a good chance to move to -7.
McIlroy has moved to two-under and is now in a tie for 16th position at the extremely early stage.
Drama in the boxing ring as Angela Carini abandons fight against Algerian fighter Imane Khelif.
Khelif failed a gender test in the run-up to the Olympic Games but has been allowed to fight.
Follow our live blog for latest.
Matsuyama has made a charge and now leads the way at six-under.
1. Matsuyama, Japan -62. Schmid, Germany -5T3. Niemann, Chile -4T3. Fox, New Zealand -5T3. Tom Kim, South Korea -4T6. Grillo, Argentina -3T6. Day, Australia -3T6. Valimaki, Finland -3
There is then a whole host of people on -2 including Aberg, Scheffler, Fleetwood and Nicolai Hojgaard. McIlroy on -1 after eight.
Just been out on the course and I am very impressed by the size of the crowds. It was like a ghost town in practice – no fans allowed in until today – but there is a proper atmosphere out there for the first round, with big galleries surrounding the first tee. Not the easiest place to get to from Paris, but they have made the effort. French golf is not a huge sector, but they are very passionate and there seem to be plenty of casual observers here, too.
Gold for USA, silver for New Zealand with GB third in the men’s four. 20 medals in Paris 2024 now.
IT’S BRONZE 🥉What a journey this team have been on! 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/zVvNT12PP0
Team GB are going in the men’s four final with Oli Wilkes, David Ambler, Matt Aldridge and Freddie Davidson. They are currently a little way adrift and in fourth at the half-way point…
19 medals for Team GB now, though no further golds added so they stay in fifth.
Helen Glover, Esme Booth, Sam Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten are just beaten – by 0.18sec – by the Netherlands at the line. New Zealand in third, taking bronze.
Follow the latest reaction here.
Great Britain are in contention at the half-way point. Follow the latest here.
2023 US Open champion Wyndham Clark is four over after seven and Min Woo Lee (who finished fifth the same year) is three over after eight. After having to play out sideways from the edge of the water on the first, the rest of his round is starting to have an aquatic feel to it.
1. Niemann, Argentina -42. Conners, Canada -3T3. Schmid, Germany – 2T3. CT Pan, Taiwan – 2T3. Ryan Fox, NZ – 2T3. Matsuyama, Japan – 2T3. Day, Australia – 2T3. Tom Kim, South Korea – 2T3. Scheffler, USA – 2T3. Migliozzi, Italy – 2T3. Dou, China – 2
Good to see Ryan Fox up there, the son of All Blacks legend Grant. The Kiwi is one of four pros here competing who have played in all three Olympics since golf returned to the Game’s in 2016 after a 112-year absence. Gavin Green, CT Pan and Fabrizio Zanotti are the others.
Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne and Becky Wilde come in third behind New Zealand and Romania. Well done. Netherlands were chasing down GB’s pair but didn’t quite manage it in the end.
Follow the latest reaction here.
China’s Yang Jiayu wins the women’s 20km race walk, and that is now China’s 11th gold of Paris 2024.
Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne and Becky Wilde will be going for gold in that and you can follow the latest updates from that here.
Alongside him is Finland’s Sami Välimäki who is sporting a look that I can only describe as a “slightly chubbier Valtteri Bottas.”
Meanwhile, Ludvig Aberg has just hit his tee shot on four into grass that resembles an unmown field of daisies. Niemann misses a 15ft putt for birdie so he stays on -3.
That’s the end of Pitman’s Olympics, 6-0.
Unfortunately she is two sets down in the last 16 match, so will need to win the next three to progress.
The start of the third set has not gone too well, either, though she finds a 10 to move to 27 with her third arrow.
It’s not a terrible effort but he leaves himself a tap-in and goes to +1 for the round.
A birdie on the par-five third hole.
Well, it’s very early stages yet and it’s a three-way tie at the top with Tosti of Argentina, Niemann of Chile and Bezuidenhout of South Africa all on two-under.
Scottie Scheffler birdies the first to go to one-under. Aberg, after going in the water, saves par after a superb approach shot.
Scottie Scheffler of the United States, Ludvig Aberg of Sweden and Rory McIlroy of Ireland.
McIlroy and Scheffler are safe but Aberg pulls his tee-shot straight into the water.
We have a few finals with GB medal interests and they are below:
Women’s double sculls: 10.18amWomen’s fours: 10.50amMen’s fours: 11.10am
If you wish to follow the minor finals and build-up to all this then you can do so here.
No British representation in that, sadly. Callum Wilkinson came in 16th in the men’s earlier today.
He is playing alongside Wyndham Clark of the USA and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan. Both of Fleetwood’s playing partners are one-time major winners.
The water on the left has constantly been in play at the first and Wyndham Clark is going to have a very awkward stance if he is able to play his second shot at all. He may need to play it left-handed. Matsuyama does not even flirt with the water, though the fairway does funnel down to the water.
What can Fleetwood do? T16th at the last Olympics. He hits a nice high draw in the middle of the fairway.
By James Corrigan, in Paris
Early stages here in the first round and Team GB’s Tommy Fleetwood reports that Le Golf National is playing much easier than in the 2018 Ryder Cup. Eight years ago, captain Thomas Bjorn instructed the greenkeeper to narrow the fairways and grown the rough to counter the American big-hitters. It worked.
Some of my favourite Olympic golf tidbits:Ben An – both parents were medalists in table tennis at the 1988 OlympicsGavin Green – has the opportunity to be the first ever Malaysian gold medalist in any sportEmiliano Grillo – is Hector for one week and one week onlyAny more?
Bonfim of Brazil in silver and Martin of Spain in the bronze position.
We are approaching the climax of the event. He has gapped Bonfim and Martin significantly. He’s rapid. He’s running away with it. Well, not literally obviously.
The lead group is now down to four: Bonfim, Pintado, Stano and Martin. Bonfim has two red cards, however, for infractions.
As we enter the final stages the group contains:
Massimo Stano of Italy, Alvaro Martin and Paul McGrath (not that one) both of Spain, Brian Daniel Pintado of Ecuador, Caio Bonfim of Brazil and Zhang Jun of China.
Team GB’s Callum Wilkinson dropped back and seemingly out of medal contention.
Victor Perez of France will take the first tee shot at Le Golf National, as it should be.
Perez nails his shot with either a hybrid or a wood right down the middle of the fairway, though it kicked a little left.
It has been an electric start to Paris 2024 for Team GB, who tend to take a while to get going when it comes to winning medals. But not this year. Oliver Brown delved into the rapid start for the team in his latest piece.
Gold-rushes do not come any giddier. In the space of just 14 minutes, Great Britain’s campaign at these Paris Games went from auspicious to outrageous, with twin triumphs in triathlon and rowing sealing the nation’s most successful first five days of an Olympics for 112 years.
Not since Stockholm 1912, held in an age where gold medals were still awarded for literature and sculpture, has there been a glut of homegrown glory like it.
A sensation long forgotten is beginning to return. Everyone remembers the feeling: that strange high-summer delirium where an event such as the women’s quadruple sculls morphs from niche distraction into appointment viewing.
Read the full column here.
Well, after thunderstorms overnight Ecuador’s Brian Daniel Pintado leads the way in a big group of which Great Britain’s Callum Wilkinson in the leading pack.
Well, after thunderstorms overnight Ecuador’s Brian Daniel Pintado leads the way in a big group of which Great Britain’s Callum Wilkinson in the leading pack.
8:00 a.m./9:55 a.m.: Victor Perez (France), Matti Schmid (Germany), C.T. Pan (Chinese Taipei)8:11 a.m./10:06 a.m.: Thorbjørn Olesen (Denmark), Alejandro Tosti (Argentina), Joaquin Niemann (Chile)8:22 a.m./10:17 a.m.: Emiliano Grillo (Argentina), Alex Noren (Sweden), Ryan Fox (New Zealand)8:33 a.m./10:33 a.m.: Min Woo Lee (Australia) Corey Conners (Canada), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (South Africa)8:44 a.m./10:44 a.m.: Wyndham Clark (USA), Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), Tommy Fleetwood (Great Britain)8:55 a.m./10:55 a.m.: Sepp Straka (Austria), Jason Day (Australia), Tom Kim (Korea)9:11 a.m./11:06 p.m.: Scottie Scheffler (USA), Rory McIlroy (Ireland), Ludvig Åberg (Sweden)9:22 a.m./11:17 p.m.: Adrien Dumont de Chassart (Belgium), Daniel Hillier (New Zealand), Guido Migliozzi (Italy)9:33 a.m./11:28 p.m.: Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand), Gavin Green (Malaysia), Gaganjeet Bhullar (India)9:44 a.m./11:39 p.m.: Phachara Khongwatmai (Thailand), Abraham Ancer (Mexico), Dou Zecheng (China)9:55 a.m./8:00 a.m.: Yuan Yechun (China), Camilo Villegas (Colombia), Matteo Manassero (Italy)10:06 a.m./8:11 a.m.: Adrian Meronk (Poland), Sami Valimaki (Finland), David Puig (Spain)10:17 a.m./8:22 a.m.: Erik van Rooyen (South Africa), Keita Nakajima (Japan), Kevin Yu (Chinese Taipei)10:33 a.m./8:33 a.m.: Stephan Jaeger (Germany), Nicolai Højgaard (Denmark), Thomas Detry (Belgium)10:44 a.m./8:44 a.m.: Byeong Hun An (Korea), Shane Lowry (Ireland), Nick Taylor (Canada)10:55 a.m./8:55 a.m.: Xander Schauffele (USA), Viktor Hovland (Norway), Jon Rahm (Spain)11:06 a.m./9:11 a.m.: Matthieu Pavon (France), Collin Morikawa (USA), Matt Fitzpatrick (Great Britain)11:17 a.m./9:22 a.m.: Shubhankar Sharma (India), Rafael Campos (Puerto Rico), Carlos Ortiz (Mexico)11:28 a.m./9:33 a.m.: Nico Echavarria (Colombia), Mito Pereira (Chile), Kris Ventura (Norway)11:39 a.m./9:44 a.m.: Fabrizio Zanotti (Paraguay), Joel Girrbach (Switzerland), Tapio Pulkkanen (Finland)
Team GB men take on France in Pool A at 11.45 whilst the women face the United States in Pool B at 4pm.
The women are in the final quarter-final spot in their pool and the same applies to the men in theirs. Could both do with a win to make life a little easier.
The two events currently under way on day six of the Games are the men’s 20km race walk and the women;s badminton doubles.
The first round of the four-round men’s golf begins at 8am. The rowing begins at 8.50am with the men’s single sculls. At 9am we have the men’s 100kg and women’s 79kg judo, women’s individual archery at 9.09 and the women’s eight in the rowing comes at 9.10am.
From 10am we have the swimming, beginning with the women’s 200m backstroke.
There is obviously a great deal more than that and you can consult the full schedule at the top of this page to see exactly what is going on and when.
Tommy Fleetwood will look to call on his “special” memories of Le Golf National as he goes for Olympic gold this week.
Fleetwood won the Open de France at the venue just outside Paris in 2017 and another career highlight occurred the following year as he won four points in five matches to help Europe regain the Ryder Cup.
He struck up a winning combination with Francesco Molinari – the pair prevailed in all four matches together – and the Italian claimed the winning point to guarantee victory over the United States.
Asked about his favourite memory of that week, Fleetwood said: “Winning moment. It was my first Ryder Cup, that winning moment on the 16th hole when Fran had finally clinched it, that was the one for me.
“That Ryder Cup was a special week and this is a very special week. Any time you come to a golf course and you’ve played well around there and you’ve got visions of good golf shots, you feel better than somewhere where you’ve always struggled.
“When I was look at making the Olympics, coming to Le Golf National, first of all, there’s knowing the course. If you’ve played it quite a lot, that’s always a helping hand.”
Fleetwood performed well on his Olympics debut in Tokyo three years ago although an overall score of 11 under par was only good enough for joint-16th, seven shots off gold medallist Xander Schauffele.
The 33-year-old goes into Thursday’s first round motivated by the efforts of close friend and swimmer James Guy, who helped Team GB to victory in the men’s 4×200 metres freestyle relay on Tuesday evening.
“He sent me a picture saying “love you, brother” with his gold medal. Watching at home, I was unbelievably happy for him, how well he swam and how well the team did. I’m so proud and happy for him.
“I think the Olympics is amazing, I really, really do. I feel very lucky to be here and be amongst it. It does, it inspires me.”
Unlike Team GB team-mate Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick has won a major after triumphing at the 2022 US Open and while he would not put an Olympic gold in the same bracket, he is relishing the experience.
Ahead of his first appearance at the Games, the 29-year-old said: “The gold medal isn’t at the top of every golfer’s list, the four majors are. There’s no doubt about that.
“But I’d certainly say it’s underneath that. Before I arrived here and kind of got the feel for the Olympics itself, you probably underestimate how big it is.
“Once you are here and you realise the gravity of the whole event and how much it means to other people, not just as an athlete and golfer, you realise that a gold medal would feel very special.
“I always remember growing up watching the Olympics and understanding how big a deal it was.
“I would say it’s a cool feeling that you’re going for something that’s different, and you feel part of something a little bit bigger.”
English