The United States' players must be prepared to take their moment when it comes as they go for Olympic gold, so says Stephen Curry.

A star-studded USA side have won all their games in Paris so far, but now the pressure is on in the knockout stage.

Brazil are their quarter-final opponents on Tuesday, and while Curry is confident the USA's attack is good enough to beat any team, he knows each player has to be 100% ready for clutch moments.

"That's how we can overwhelm teams," he said.

"It's just everybody has to be ready for your moment whenever it is."

For coach Steve Kerr, meanwhile, it is a case of the USA sticking to an identity and gameplan.

"It's important to focus on keeping that identity now that you're playing the best teams," Kerr said.

"We know what wins a FIBA game.

"We are just completely focused on our defense and then the beauty of our team and the talent, the depth of our talent is that from one game to the next, we've got lots of guys who have the ability to get rolling."

Sweden's Armand Duplantis successfully defended his Olympic title in the men's pole vault, setting another world record in the process.

The 24-year-old broke his own record of 6.24m from April by one centimetre, launching himself over the 6.25m on his third and final attempt on Monday.

His second consecutive gold medal was already secured long before that point, having cleared 6.00m, beating America's Sam Kendricks.

After celebrating his victory, Duplantis then beat the Olympic record of 6.03m set by Brazil's Thiago Braz in 2016 and continued his run.

The two-time world champion has now broken the world record on nine occasions.

He also became the first athlete to retain the pole vault title since America's Bob Richards in 1952 and 1956.

"I don't know how to put into words what I'm feeling," Duplantis said. "I feel so grateful for how tonight played out. I didn't let myself believe that I was Olympic champion until it was all done.

"I think it's been such a fight to show up and to be at our best and do it when it matters.

"I feel so grateful for having this come together, a little bit of luck on our side, and being able to walk away on top. It's just so special."

France came from behind to beat 10-man Egypt 3-1 after extra time and reach the Olympic Games final thanks to a brace from Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Mahmoud Saber's goal looked to be sending Egypt through, but Mateta and Michael Olise ensured that would not happen with help from Omar Fayed's sending off in extra time.

Despite Egypt slightly edging the first half, the hosts almost took the lead when Loic Bade's header struck the foot of the post just before half-time.

On the hour mark, Alexandre Lacazette squandered a glorious chance, and just moments later Shehata profited at the other end, rifling his powerful effort into the roof of the net.

France rallied soon after, with Lacazette and Bade hitting the woodwork in quick succession before Hamza Alaa made two brilliant saves to keep out the Les Bleus' captain.

The hosts' pressure finally paid off in the 83rd minute though – Olise raced through midfield before picking out his former Crystal Palace team-mate Mateta, who fired them level.

A lengthy VAR check deep in second-half stoppage time then proved fruitless as the referee stuck with the onfield decision to now award a penalty to France for a handball by Omar Fayed, who received a booking for dissent.

His game then went from bad to worse as he received his marching orders two minutes into extra time for a late tackle on Desire Doue.

Mateta thumped France in front with a close-range free header seven minutes later, and Olise made sure of their progress in the 108th minute, curling a low shot past Alaa before he could react.

Data Debrief: Les Bleus march on

At one point, Thierry Henry had his head in his hands as France wasted chance after chance in front of goal. In the first half they only created an expected goals (xG) of 0.2, but improved that to 2.33 from 17 shots in the second as Egypt eventually caved to the onslaught.

Mateta proved the difference-maker once more, having scored the goal to send them into the semi-finals, he added two more to his tally.

France will play in the final at the Olympics for the first time in 40 years, and they will face Spain in the gold-medal match on Friday.

Fermin Lopez was proud of how Spain managed a "difficult" Olympic Games semi-final against Morocco as they came from behind to beat them 2-1.

Soufiane Rahimi had given Morocco the lead from the penalty spot in the first half, but an inspired second-half performance from Fermin saw him score before assisting Juanlu Sanchez to earn the victory.

In the process, he became the youngest player (21 years and 86 days) to both score and assist in a men's Olympic tournament knockout match since Neymar against Honduras in 2012.

La Roja are into the Olympics final for the second consecutive tournament, having claimed the silver medal in Tokyo after a 2-1 defeat to Brazil in the final.

And Fermin believes Spain deserved to reach the showpiece after their resilient performance in the second half.

"I'm very happy to be in the final of the Olympics. The team deserved it, now we're thinking about the final," Fermin told AS.

"The game was difficult for us, they were putting a lot of pressure on their fans, it was a nice game and I think we deserved the victory.

"I hope I can play in every game. The most important thing is that we have taken a step forward, and we have achieved victory.

"After the break we were ourselves. I always try to help the team, whatever the manager asks of me. I'm very happy with our football and I hope we can win all the medals possible."

Spain will play either France or Egypt in the gold-medal match at the Parc des Princes on Friday.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines can be proud of the performance of their national record holder Shafiqua Maloney in the final of the Women’s 800m at the Paris Olympics on Monday.

The 25-year-old ran a brilliant 1:57.66 to narrowly miss out on a medal after finishing fourth at the Stade de France.

Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, the fastest woman in the world this season, produced 1:56.72 to finally win a global gold medal after silver medals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, 2022 World Championships in Eugene and the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

African Games champion Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia took silver in 1:57.15 while reigning World and Commonwealth champion, Mary Moraa of Kenya, took bronze in 1:57.42.

St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred, the reigning 100m Olympic champion, continues her stellar performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning her heat in the semifinals of the Women’s 200m. Alfred clocked an impressive time of 21.98 seconds, securing her place in the final with the second fastest overall time. With USA’s Gabrielle Thomas clocking the fastest time, winning her heat in 21.86 seconds.

Meanwhile, in heat two, Jamaica's Niesha Burgher finished seventh in 22.64 seconds and received a penalty for a first-lane infringement. Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands finished eighth heat one, clocking 22.70 seconds. In heat three, Jamaica's Lanae-Tava Thomas finished seventh in 22.77 seconds.

Despite their incredible efforts, Burgher, Hodge, and Thomas did not make it to the finals ranking 12th,17th,18th respectively.

The women's 200m final is scheduled for August 6, with Julien Alfred representing the Caribbean and looking to add another Olympic medal to her haul. Fans and supporters eagerly await what promises to be an exciting race.

The Olympic Games track cycling events got off to an unforgettable start as Great Britain broke the world record three times on their way to claiming gold in the women's team sprint.

In total, the world record was beaten five times throughout the event, with Emma Finucane, Sophie Capewell and Katy Merchant continually upping their level in a dominant performance.

They started the record-breaking in their opening qualifier at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yveslines velodrome on Monday, taking 0.15 seconds off the previous record.

In an astonishing 10 minutes, it was soon taken away from them by Germany, with New Zealand then eclipsing it as they booked a place in the final race.

However, Team GB took it back once more in their heat against Canada, shaving it down to 45.338 seconds.

And they pulled off something special in the final, breaking the record for a third time as Finucane got them across the line in 45.186, earning Great Britain their first-ever women's team sprint medal, of any colour, at the Olympics. 

New Zealand finished 0.473 seconds behind them to claim silver, while Germany took the bronze medal. 

Wanya McCoy of the Bahamas and Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic were the only two Caribbean athletes to secure automatic qualification to the semifinals of the men’s 200m at the Paris Olympics at the Stade de France on Monday.

McCoy, running out of lane nine, produced an excellent last 50m to finish second in heat two in 20.35 behind Uganda’s Tarsis Orogot who won in a comfortable 20.32.

Brazil’s Renan Correa ran 20.41 to secure the third automatic spot relegating Jamaica’s Andrew Hudson, who ran 20.53 for fourth, to Tuesday’s repechage round.

Ogando was the third fastest qualifier to the semis after running 20.04 to finish second in heat four behind American Kenny Bednarek who’s winning time of 19.96 was the fastest in the heats. Germany’s Joshua Hartmann took the third automatic spot in that race with 20.30.

Jamaica’s Bryan Levell and Bahamian Ian Kerr will both have to come back to tomorrow’s repechage round if they are to make it to the semifinals after fourth and fifth place finishes in their respective heats.

Levell ran 20.47 to finish fourth in heat six behind 100m champion Noah Lyles (20.19), defending Olympic champion Andre De Grasse (20.30) and Japan’s Towa Uzawa (20.33).

Kerr ran 20.53 for fifth in heat five won by American Erriyon Knighton in 19.99. Zimbabwe’s Tapiwanashe Makarawu ran 20.07 for second while South Africa’s Shaun Maswanganyi ran 20.20 for third.

Medal contenders Letsile Tebogo of Botswana (20.10) and Joseph Fahnbulleh of Liberia (20.20) both advanced as heat winners.

Juanlu Sanchez booked Spain a place in the final of the Olympic Games, securing a 2-1 comeback win over Morocco on Monday.

Soufiane Rahimi had given the Atlas Lions the lead with a penalty in the first half before Fermin Lopez restored parity in the second.

Fermin started brightly for Spain, testing Munir Mohamedi with a long-range strike before dragging an effort just wide of the far post after darting in behind.

Shortly after, Spain found themselves behind – Pablo Barrios caught Amir Richardson on the back of the calf with a high tackle in the box and Rahimi made no mistake from the spot to fire Morocco in front.

La Roja dominated the second half as they pushed for an equaliser, and Fermin clawed them level after jinking away from his marker to nestle his low shot into the bottom-right corner after 66 minutes.

Richardson almost restored Morocco's lead moments later, but his first-time effort swerved away from goal and wide of the near post, much to his frustration.

Substitute Sanchez then finished the comeback for Spain from a tight angle, with his shot bouncing in off the inside of the far post.

Abde Ezzalzouli and Richardson gave Arnau Tenas a late scare in goal with two powerful efforts, but luckily for the keeper, they could not find the target. 

Data Debrief: Fermin shines bright

Even in the first half when Spain struggled to make an impact, it felt like Fermin could prove to be the difference for La Roja, and he did just that.

At 21 years and 86 days, he is the youngest player to both score and assist in a men's Olympic tournament knockout round match since Neymar against Honduras in 2012 (20y 181d).

Santiago Sanchez will be hoping he can provide the spark once more in the showpiece game on Friday.

Simone Biles feels she achieved beyond her "wildest dreams" at the Paris Olympic Games despite failing to add to her three gold medals for the year on Monday.

Having won gold in the team, all-around and vault events, Biles was looking to round off her trip to France with more success in Monday's balance beam and floor finals.

However, the Team USA star fell from the beam and finished fifth in the former event before missing out on gold in the latter, instead taking silver behind Brazil's Rebeca Andrade.

Overall, Biles has now won 11 Olympic medals in total – seven gold, two silver and two bronze.

Larisa Latynina, who won 18 medals for the Soviet Union, is the most successful female gymnast in Olympic history.

She was not upset with herself for failing to get closer to that record, though, telling reporters: "I'm not upset about my performance, I'm actually happy, proud and even more excited that it's over, the stress of it.

"I've accomplished way more than my wildest dreams, not just at this Olympics but in the sport, so I can't be mad at my performances. 

"I'm pretty proud of myself and it's always so exciting to compete."

Biles' compatriot Jordan Chiles took bronze in the floor event following a successful appeal to her score, after which the two Americans bowed to Andrade on the podium.

"First, it was an all-black podium so that was super exciting for us but then Jordan was like 'should we bow to her?' and I was like, 'absolutely'," Biles said. 

"She's such an excitement to watch. It was just the right thing to do."

Novak Djokovic has backed Carlos Alcaraz to win Olympic gold in the future after edging the Spaniard in a tightly contested final on Sunday.

The Serb secured the top prize at the Games for the first time, completing a career golden slam with a 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) victory.

Alcaraz, who beat Djokovic at Wimbledon to claim his second grand slam of the season last month, was reduced to tears after the match, having to step away from his post-match interview.

Djokovic was full of praise for the Spaniard's performance and predicted the silver medal is only the start of his success at the Olympics.

Another epic final, Carlos Alcaraz. El Clasico," Djokovic posted on X.

"Congratulations to you and your team for an excellent Olympics. Considering your age, your energy and the way you play, you probably have 20 more Olympics ahead of you.

"Your gold will come. Until next time, amigo."

Djokovic's appearance in Paris was his fifth Games for Serbia, and he became just the second player in the Open Era to win all four grand slams, the Olympics gold medal and the ATP Tour Finals, after Andre Agassi.

He is also the oldest player to secure the top prize in either the men's or women's singles at 37 years and 74 days since the sport returned to the schedule in 1988. 

The Caribbean contingent made a powerful statement in the 400m preliminary rounds at the Paris Olympic Games on Monday, with several athletes advancing to the semi-finals. Leading the charge were Jamaica’s Nickisha Pryce, Stacey-Ann Williams, and Junelle Bromfield, joined by Barbados’ Sada Williams and the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino.

 Pryce, Jamaica’s national record holder and the fastest woman in the world this year over the distance with a time of 48.57, displayed her class by cruising to victory in the second of six heats. Pryce clocked a comfortable 50.02, ensuring her place in the semi-finals without expending unnecessary energy.

Her compatriot, Stacey-Ann Williams, also delivered a strong performance, securing second place in the opening heat with a season’s best time of 50.16. Williams finished behind the 2019 world champion Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain, who posted a swift 49.91, signaling her intent to reclaim her dominance in the event.

Bromfield rounded out the Jamaican qualifiers with a solid third-place finish in the final heat, crossing the line in 51.36. This heat was dominated by Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke, who looked impressive with a winning time of 50.09, while the USA’s Alexis Holmes followed closely in 50.35.

Barbados’ Sada Williams, a two-time world championship bronze medalist, continued to impress with a third-place finish in Heat 4, clocking 50.45. Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek, the European champion, won the heat with a sharp 49.98, indicating that she will be a formidable competitor in the semi-finals.

Paulino of the Dominican Republic, the reigning world champion, demonstrated why she is a favorite for gold by easily winning her heat. Paulino clocked a blistering 49.42, the fastest time in the qualifying rounds, with Cuba’s Roxana Gomez finishing second in 50.38.

In other heats, Great Britain’s Amber Anning, a fellow Razorback of Pryce, won Heat 3 with a time of 49.98, narrowly edging out Netherlands’ Lieke Klaver, who finished in 49.96.

However, not all Caribbean athletes had a smooth path to the semi-finals. Aliyah Abrams of Guyana will have to navigate the repechage round to secure her spot, adding an element of uncertainty to her Olympic journey.

In a groundbreaking achievement for Jamaican athletics, three of the nation's top field athletes have advanced to the final of the men's discus throw at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Traves Smikle, Roje Stona, and Ralford Mullings have all secured their spots in the final, marking a significant milestone for Jamaica in the field events.

Leading the Jamaican charge at the Stade de France, Traves Smikle threw an impressive 65.91m, finishing fifth overall and fourth in Group A. Smikle's performance set the tone for his compatriots as Roje Stona followed closely, delivering a throw of 65.32m to finish sixth overall and second in Group B. Stona's strong showing reinforced Jamaica's emerging strength in this discipline, highlighting the depth of talent within the team.

Completing the trio, Ralford Mullings threw 65.18m, placing seventh overall and fifth in Group A. Mullings' performance ensured that all three Jamaican throwers advanced as the best non-automatic qualifiers for the final.

The upcoming men's discus throw final, scheduled for August 7, promises to be an exhilarating event, with the Jamaican trio poised to make history and potentially secure medals for their country

Jamaica’s Deandre Watkin, Sean Bailey, and St. Lucia’s Michael Joseph faced a challenging day in the men's 400m repechage, with none of the athletes advancing to the next round.

In a turn of bad luck, Watkin did not start in Heat 1, marking a disappointing beginning for the Jamaican contingent.

St. Lucia's Michael Joseph put forth a commendable effort in Heat 2, finishing fourth with a time of 45.64 seconds. Despite his valiant performance, Joseph fell short of advancing to the next round.

Jamaica’s Sean Bailey, competing in Heat 4, did not finish the race, adding to the series of setbacks. Bailey's race ended abruptly, further contributing to the run of unfortunate circumstances faced by the group in this event.

In contrast, Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands showed her steel in the women's 200m repechage round, successfully advancing to the semifinals.

Competing in Heat 1, Hodge delivered a strong performance, finishing in second place with a time of 22.94 seconds. Her impressive run ranked her fourth overall among all competitors in the repechage round, securing her a spot in the semifinals and bringing hope and pride to BVI.

Canada’s Jacqueline Madogo had the fastest qualifying time of 22.58 seconds, setting a new personal best in the process.

As the competition progresses, Caribbean athletes like Hodge continue to inspire with their performances, despite the challenges faced by their counterparts in other events. The semifinals promise to be an exciting and competitive stage, where Hodge will look to further her success and potentially bring home a medal for the British Virgin Islands.

 Jamaica’s national champion Malik James-King, Roshawn Clarke, and Jaheel Hyde have all secured spots in the semi-final round of the 400m hurdles following the preliminary heats on Monday at the Paris Olympics. They will be joined by the British Virgin Islands’ Olympic hopeful Kyron McMaster, marking a strong showing for Caribbean athletes in this event.

James-King, who posted a personal best of 47.42 to win the Jamaican national championships in June, delivered a smooth performance in the heats. He clocked 48.21 to comfortably win the last of five heats, securing his place as an automatic qualifier.

Clarke, who finished second to James-King at the Jamaican trial won Heat Four in a time of 48.17, ensuring his advancement to the semi-finals.

Hyde, competing in the opening heat against gold medal favorite Rai Benjamin, crossed the finish line in second place with a time of 49.08. Benjamin took the heat in an effortless 48.82. McMaster followed closely, securing third place in 49.24 to move on to the next round.

Among the other medal favorites, Norway’s Karsten Warholm emerged as the fastest qualifier for the semi-finals, winning Heat Two in an impressive 47.57. Frenchman Clement Docus achieved a lifetime best of 47.69 to take second place, while Abderrahman Samba of Qatar finished third in 48.85.

In another heat, Estonia’s Rasmus Magi led the pack with a winning time of 48.62, followed by the USA’s CJ Allen, who clocked 48.64. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, another strong contender for a medal, secured his semi-final spot with a time of 48.85.