St. Lucia's Luc Chevrier had a solid start in the men's dinghy event, which got underway at the Marseille Marina on Thursday. Despite a delay due to weather-related issues, Chevrier exhibited determination in the initial races.
Chevrier finished 24th in the first race, a performance that was marked by strong advancement as he climbed to 16th at mark 4, then to 14th at mark 1. However, he later slipped to 22nd and ultimately crossed the finish line in 24th place.
The second race proved more formidable, as Chevrier started 39th and worked his way up to 36th. By virtue of those performances, the 25-year-old, who contested the Laser event at the 2020 Tokyo Games, is now 32nd in the overall standings with 60 points.
Meanwhile, Aruba’s Just Aanholt finished 26th in the first race and 38th in the second, as he sits 37th overall with 65 points.
Thad Lettsome of the British Virgin Islands, making his Olympic debut, placed 40th in the first race but improved to 37th in the second. He is occupying 40th position overall with 78 points.
As the competition progresses and the next races get started, the attention will be on these Caribbean athletes as they look to improve their positions in the sport, which uses small boats, such as sailing dinghies.
Japan's Hideki Matsuyama has set the pace on the opening day of the Olympics, carding an impressive bogey-free eight-under 63.
On a day interrupted by threats of lightning that saw play suspended multiple times, Xander Schauffele had the chance to close in on the lead, but instead finished two strokes behind him on 65.
And it gets tight behind him on the leaderboard in a three-way tie for third between Chile's Joaquin Niemann, Argentina's Emiliano Grillo and South Korea's Tom Kim after rounds of 66.
After solid opening rounds, world number one Scottie Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm were among the nine tied for sixth on four-under.
Meanwhile, it was an up-and-down day for Rory McIlroy, who finished one stroke further back in joint-15th after he carded five birdies and an eagle as well as four bogeys to card a three-under 68.
His Ireland team-mate Shane Lowry finished on an even 72, sitting in tied-47th.
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews produced an excellent knock to spearhead the Welsh Fire in their six-wicket win over the London Spirit in action in the Women’s Hundred at Lord’s on Thursday.
The Spirit first posted 150-5 from their 100 balls after Fire captain Tammy Beaumont won the toss and put them in to bat.
Danielle Gibson led the way with the bat with a 25-ball 41 while Deepti Sharma made 39* off 26 balls in support.
Freya Davies took 2-19 from her 20 deliveries for the Fire while Beth Langston, Jess Jonassen and Georgia Davis shared the other three wickets.
Needing 151 off their 100 balls for victory, the Fire lost skipper Beaumont for 6 off the 11th ball of the innings bringing Matthews to the crease.
The Bajan batted through the rest of the chase on her way to 78* off just 46 balls as the Fire reached 151-4 off 95 balls.
She hit 11 fours and two sixes in her 59 minutes in the middle. Sarah Bryce provided the most support for Matthews with 21 off 18 balls including three fours.
Danielle Gibson completed a good all-round performance with 2-28 off 15 balls.
This was the Fire’s second win in three games and moves them up to third in the eight-team table with four points, the same as the Spirit in second and the Oval Invincibles in first.
Iga Swiatek admitted she "just messed up" during her semi-final defeat to Qinwen Zheng at the Paris Olympics that ended her quest for a gold medal.
Swiatek, who has won four of the last five French Open titles at Roland-Garros, was reduced to tears in her post-match interview following the loss.
It ended the Pole's 1149-day unbeaten record on the clay courts in the French capital, having won 25 consecutive matches, along with a 47-4 completed sets record and claiming 10 sets by a score of 6-0 over that span.
The world number one was the pre-tournament favourite to win gold in Paris, having been knocked out at the quarter-final stage in Tokyo three years ago.
But a nightmare first set ended 6-2 in favour of Zheng, and when the Chinese broke Swiatek to draw level in the second after racing into a 4-0 lead, there seemed to be only one outcome.
“I just had a hole in my backhand. It happens rarely because it is usually my most solid strike,” Swiatek told Kuwik.
“I was not technically well positioned because of the stress and the fact that I played my games day by day. We didn’t have time to adjust that and work on that.
“I know that’s not the justification but I tried to correct that during the match. Today it didn’t work at all. So she used that to win the game.”
When asked why she slumped from 4-0 to 4-4 and ultimately 5-7 in the second set, Swiatek added: “It's the result of the match. So I just messed up.”
Swiatek still has the opportunity to take home a bronze medal when she faces the loser of the second semi-final between Croatian Donna Vekic and Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia.
Lorenzo Musetti ended Alexander Zverev's Olympic gold-medal defence in straight sets to book a place in the semi-finals.
The Italian was pushed all the way, but held strong to prevail 7-5 7-5 in just over two hours at Roland-Garros.
Zverev knew he was in for a tough day from the start, losing his serve in the opening game, and though he managed to claw back to draw 5-5, Musetti got another vital break to take the first set.
The pair matched each other throughout the second, but Musetti eventually found his edge with a three-game winning run when it mattered and wrapped up the match by serving to love.
He will face either former world number one Novak Djokovic or Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the next round.
Data Debrief: Musetti comes out on top
It was just the second-ever meeting between Musetti and Zverev, with the first coming to an early end when he had to retire through injury in Madrid in 2022.
He put that right today though, and becomes just the third Italian player to reach the men's singles semi-finals at the Olympics in history after Uberto De Morpurgo (Paris 1924) and Paolo Cane (Los Angeles 1984).
Gordon Hayward announced his retirement on Thursday following 14 seasons in the NBA.
The Utah Jazz selected Hayward with the ninth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, and he went on to also play for the Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 34-year-old forward averaged 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 835 career regular-season games.
An All-Star with Utah in 2016-17, Hayward ranks fifth all-time in Jazz history with 689 made 3-pointers.
“Today, I am officially retiring from the game of basketball,” Hayward wrote on social media. “It’s been an incredible ride and I’m so grateful to everyone who helped me achieve more than I ever imagined.
“To all my fans: thank you for supporting me through the ups and downs. I’ll always cherish the letters of encouragement and the moments we’ve shared around the world.
“You inspired me to always dream big and improve everyday - and for the young players up next, I challenge you do to the same!”
Red Bull have confirmed that sporting director Jonathan Wheatley will leave the team to become Audi's Formula One team principal.
Wheatley, who has been part of Red Bull since 2006, has helped the Austrian team win six Constructors' and seven Drivers' championships.
The 57-year-old will have a period of 'gardening leave' in 2025 before joining the German manufacturer when they take over Sauber, who remain the only team without a point this season.
Team Principal and CEO, Christian Horner said, "It has been a long and successful relationship with Jonathan, over 18 years.
"His contribution to six World Constructors’ Titles and seven World Drivers’ Championship, first as Team Manager and latterly Sporting Director will forever be a marker in our Team history."
Red Bull have now lost two significant members of their team following Adrian Newey's departure from the company three months ago.
Wheatley will link up with former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto, who was announced as Audi's new chief operating and technical officer, replacing Andrea Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann.
Wheatley became widely-known for his radio calls to race director Michael Masi throughout the controversial 2021 season, which saw Max Verstappen claim his first world championship in the final race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
"Everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology wish him all the best in his new role and would like to place our thanks to Jonathan," read a Red Bull statement.
"Red Bull Racing have tremendous strength and depth and this provides opportunity to elevate others within the team. We will announce a new team structure in the coming weeks."
Carlos Alcaraz had to dig deep to book his place in the Olympic Games semi-finals with a straight-sets win over Tommy Paul.
The Spaniard looked to be heading for a decider until a brilliant second-set comeback saw him win 6-3 7-6 (9-7) on Court Philippe Chatrier in two hours and one minute.
Alcaraz was looking to quickly put his disappointing doubles exit with Rafael Nadal behind him and successfully defended two break points in the opening game.
While Paul matched him stride for stride during the opening stages, the Spaniard got the all-important break in game six to edge in front before taking the first set.
His momentum soon faltered though, as the American raced into a 3-0 lead in the second and looked to be cruising.
Alcaraz's fighting spirit soon came to the fore as he got another vital break during a three-game winning run to level the score and eventually, force a tie-break.
The 21-year-old then rounded off an incredible comeback by saving a set point during the tie-break and winning the final three points.
He will play either Norway's Casper Ruud or Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals.
Data Debrief: Alcaraz stays on track for gold
Alcaraz is the fourth-youngest player to reach the men's singles semi-finals at the Olympics since 1988 (21 years and 83 days), and the youngest since Novak Djokovic in Beijing 2008.
He has now won his last 11 matches on the bounce, winning each of the last four in straight sets.
Alcaraz beat Paul en route to his Wimbledon title last month, and he will be hoping that is a good omen as he chases a gold medal in his debut Olympics.
Rohit Sharma has said India face a difficult decision on their wicket-keeper batsman selection ahead of their three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.
Sharma, who declared his retirement from T20I's following India's success at the World Cup earlier this year, watched on as the Men in Blue started off a new era under the guidance of Suryakumar Yadav.
India comfortably beat Sri Lanka 3-0 in that series, and now face the same opponents in three 50-over matches that start this Friday.
Sharma will captain India for the upcoming fixtures, and acknowledged the difficulty in selecting the team's wicketkeeper batter for ODIs, with both KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant both in the mix.
Pant last featured in an ODI for India in November 2022, but has since made a comeback to the national team and was part of their T20 World Cup success in June.
First-choice Pant also played in two of the three T20s against Sri Lanka last month but faces competition from Rahul, who has been solid behind the stumps and impressed during the 2023 50-overs World Cup at home.
"It's a tough call. Both are quality players, you know the abilities of both. It's not easy to pick a team when you have players like that," Sharma told reporters.
"That's what these two individuals are all about. They're match-winners in their own way.
"It's always nice to have (such) problems. When you discuss a lot about whom to pick, it means there's quality in the squad. I look forward to these problems."
While Sharma has retired from the 20-over format, he is expected to stay in the role in 50-overs cricket with the Champions Trophy scheduled for next year.
The upcoming fixtures will present another difficult test for new head coach Gautam Gambhir, who is yet to taste defeat in his first three games in charge.
"We'll keep in mind what we want to achieve as a team but this is by no means preparation or practice (for the Champions Trophy). We want to play good cricket and get something out of the series. It's as simple as that," Sharma said.
"We don't want to think about trying this or that. Of course we want to try everything possible, but when you're representing the nation the quality of the cricket should remain the way it is and how we've played in the last few years.
"That's more important, more than thinking that it's a preparation so let's go out and chill in Colombo."
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will be without pacers Matheesha Pathirana and Dilshan Madushanka, while Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Thushara are also out with illness and a fractured thumb.
Uncapped Mohamed Shiraz has been brought in as replacement as they look to bounceback from their whitewash defeat in their recent T20 series.
Arne Slot has praised Harvey Elliott's quality after he provided a spark to help Liverpool get a 2-1 pre-season friendly win over Arsenal in Philadelphia.
The 21-year-old provided assists for both of their goals, setting up Mohamed Salah and Fabio Carvalho, and could have had a third, but Diogo Jota struck the post.
Elliott has started both pre-season games under Slot so far, being deployed in the number 10 role against the Gunners, and looks to have settled in nicely under the new manager.
He had three shots and created four chances for Liverpool, double that of anyone else on the field, and Slot was quick to highlight the integral role he played in the victory.
"They were two great assists but what I believe is that the team created this for him as well," Slot said.
"Playing out from the back, getting him in the right positions. Then it was up to Harvey to bring the most out of those situations, and he did that today with two assists.
"If I am a bit hard on him, I think there were maybe two other situations where he could have done better, but he showed his quality."
Slot made wholesale changes in the second half, with his young side holding out to protect their narrow lead after Kai Havertz had pulled a goal back just before the break.
"I would have preferred to have kept the same style as the first half, but we had to change a lot of players who have played a lot of minutes for us," Slot added.
"A lot of youngsters did really well defensively, but we couldn't keep pressing them as high as we did in the first half. Arsenal dominated possession in the second half, but we got bodies behind the ball.
"You can see the American fans love us playing here, and we love playing here as well, especially if the results keep going like this for us. We are heading in the right direction."
Jordan Crooks of the Cayman Islands delivered a standout performance in the men's 50m freestyle at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, advancing to the semifinals with the second-fastest time in the heats. Competing in Heat 10, Crooks finished second with a blistering 21.51 seconds, just 0.19 seconds behind Australian Cameron McEvoy, who clocked 21.32 seconds.
Crooks' impressive swim highlighted a strong showing for Caribbean swimmers, who competed fiercely across various heats at the Paris La Defense Arena, albeit with less fortune. The Cayman Islands swimmer’s advancement is a significant achievement, making him the sole Caribbean athlete to move forward in this event.
Elsewhere in the competition, veteran swimmer Dylan Carter from Trinidad and Tobago in Heat 8, finished with a time of 22.18 seconds, not enough to advance him to the semifinals.
Meanwhile, several Caribbean swimmers made their Olympic debuts with commendable performances. Troy Nisbett of St Kitts and Nevis competed in Heat 2, finishing fifth with a time of 28.71 seconds. Dominica's Warren Adam Lawrence took to the pool in Heat 4, clocking 24.67 seconds to finish sixth.
In Heat 5, Alex Joachim from St Vincent and the Grenadines made his debut with a time of 23.59 seconds, finishing fifth, while Aruba’s Mikel Schreuders secured third place in the same heat with a time of 22.14 seconds.
Despite their valiant efforts, the overall rankings saw Nisbett placing 69th, Lawrence 52nd, Joachim 45th, Schreuders 26th, and Carter 29th. While they did not advance to the next round, their participation and performances demonstrated the talent of Caribbean swimmers on the Olympic stage.
As the highly anticipated men’s 100m showdown at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approaches, Stephen Francis, coach of Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson, remains unfazed by the prospect of Noah Lyles's mind games. Thompson, who boasts the fastest time in the world this year at 9.77 seconds set at the national championships in June, is seen as a formidable contender for the Olympic title.
The blue-riband sprint promises to be an electrifying event, with Jamaicans aiming to reclaim the Olympic title last held by Usain Bolt, who won his third consecutive 100m gold at the 2016 Rio Games. Italy’s Marcel Jacobs claimed the title at Tokyo 2020, but American Noah Lyles, the 2023 World Champion, is determined to become the first American since Justin Gatlin in 2004 to win the Olympic 100m title.
Lyles, who ran a lifetime best of 9.81 seconds at the London Diamond League meet, exudes confidence heading into Paris. “I beat everyone that I touch. I don’t see why the Jamaicans are any different. This is what I pray for, this is what I live for and I back myself up, don’t I?” Lyles stated.
However, Francis believes that Lyles’s psychological tactics will have little impact on Thompson. “I don't think Noah Lyles can play mind games this time," Francis remarked in response to a question from Sportsmax’s Donald Oliver. “I think you will find he plays mind games with those he is faster than. I don't think he will have the opportunity this time around, but we will see if his mind games work on people who have demonstrated they are a lot faster than he is.”
Lyles faces a formidable challenge from the Jamaican duo of Thompson and Oblique Seville. With Thompson’s blistering 9.77 and Seville’s own impressive performances, the stage is set for a thrilling contest.
Zheng Qinwen pulled off a major upset with a superb straight-sets win over world number one Iga Swiatek to reach the Olympic Games final.
The sixth seed took one hour and 50 minutes to get a 6-2 7-5 win on Court Philippe Chatrier, earning her first-ever win over Swiatek.
Zheng's last two matches have both lasted three hours, but there was no sign of tiredness as she quickly stated her intent.
An early break each had the players level at 2-2, but Swiatek lost her next two serves as well, with Zheng taking advantage of her uncharacteristic mistakes to take the first set after a four-game winning run.
The Pole looked back to her usual best at the start of the second, racing into a 4-0 lead before stumbling again as Zheng's aggressive approach saw her claw back to level 4-4.
The reigning French Open champion then had no answers after edging in front again, losing her serve once more as Zheng won the final three games to book her place in the Olympics final.
She will play either Croatia's Donna Vekic or Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova for the gold medal, while Swiatek could still take bronze.
Data Debrief: Zheng ends Swiatek's Roland-Garros run
Swiatek was the favourite to take the gold medal at the Olympics, especially considering her 20-match winning run on clay heading into the semi-finals.
Not only that, but she was unbeaten at Roland-Garros for 1,149 days, winning 25 consecutive matches, along with a 47-4 completed sets record during that span.
But, the five-time grand slam winner had no answers for Zheng on Thursday, who prevailed for the first time in seven meetings against Swiatek.
Citing recent injury concerns and a strategic focus on the 200m, two-time World Athletics 200m champion Shericka Jackson has withdrawn from the 100m event at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Jackson, who has been chasing the 36-year-old world record in the 200m, emphasized the need to protect her body and concentrate on excelling in one event as the Games approach.
"It's a combination of things," Jackson explained at a media event on Wednesday at Puma House. "I got hurt in Hungary and it's a good decision to run one event. I think this is just to protect my body. For the last three years, I've been competing in both events, and I think this decision is a combination of both, just focusing on one event and what happened in Hungary."
Jackson's pursuit of the world record saw her come agonizingly close at the World Championships in Budapest in 2023, where she clocked 21.41 seconds, breaking her own championship record of 21.45 seconds set in Oregon the previous year. Her 21.41 is the second-fastest time ever run by a woman over 200m.
Despite her impressive form, Jackson has decided to focus solely on the 200m at Paris 2024. "That decision was based on coach and I," she told Olympics.com at a press meet-up on Tuesday in Paris. "It's a combination of a lot of stuff. And I made that decision not to contest the 100m and focus only on the 200, and I think we're pretty happy with that. I just [want] to compete at my best, as everybody is here to win.”
Jackson is also uncertain about her participation in the 4x100m relay, an event in which she helped Jamaica secure an Olympic title at Tokyo 2020. "The focus is on the individual event first and then we speak about the relay after," she stated.
In her last race on July 9 at the Gyulai István Memorial in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, Jackson pulled up on the home stretch of the 200m. Despite this setback, she assured fans that she is in good shape to challenge for her first individual Olympic title. "Honestly, I was only supposed to compete in that event, and as coach stated, we only run a few races in Europe, and I think that was the only race all of us were supposed to run… I'm in pretty good shape," said the five-time Olympic medallist.
Jackson's primary target remains the 200m title rather than the world record of 21.34 seconds set by Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988. "Given how I have been progressing this season, I don't think the world record is on my mind right now," she said.
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