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Katie Ledecky has done it again.

The American swimming legendcrushed the rest of the fieldWednesday in her signature event — the 1,500-meter freestyle — and broke her own Olympic record in the process. She finished in 15:30.02, a full 10 seconds faster than her closest competitor.

Wednesday also saw the completion of the men’s and women’s triathlons in the River Seine, after poor water quality levels had forced the cancellation of training sessions and thepostponementof the men’s race.

Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, nicknamed “Nadalcaraz,” fell in straight sets to Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in their men’s doubles quarterfinal. The loss means Nadal will not continue in Paris, as his future in tennis is uncertain as injuries continue to plague him.

Here are some of the day’s most compelling pictures:

Katie Ledecky, second from top, enjoys a comfortable lead against her competitors in the 1,500 free.

Sinagapore's Zeng Jian focuses during a table tennis match on July 31.

Spain's Rafael Nadal waves goodbye after he and doubles partner Carlos Alcarazwere knocked out in the quarterfinalsby the United States' Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram on July 31. Nadal’s future in tennis is uncertain as injuries continue to plague him.

Exhausted triathletes catch their breath at the end of the competition on July 31.

Hungarian fencer Krisztian Rabb, left, faces South Korea's Park Sang-won on July 31. South Korea won gold in the team sabre event.

Italian canoeist Marta Bertoncelli competes in the C-1 event on July 31.

Brazilian soccer legend Marta leaves the field in tears afterreceiving a red cardduring a match against Spain on July 31. She was sent off for a reckless and dangerous challenge on Olga Carmona. Marta, a six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, has said she’s retiring from international play following this tournament, so the red card could mark an ignominious end to her glittering national team career.

French cyclist Anthony Jeanjean competes in front of the Luxor Obelisk in Paris during the BMX freestyle final on July 31. He won the bronze.

See more of the best photos of the Paris Olympics.

Simone Biles of Team United States competes on the floor during the artistic gymnastics women's team final on July 30.

Simone Biles won her eighth Olympic medal on Tuesday in the women’s team finals — becoming the most decorated American gymnast of all time. But she’s not done yet.

Tomorrow, Biles will compete in the women’s all-around final, which begins at 6:15 p.m. local time (12:15 p.m. ET). Suni Lee has also qualified to compete in this event.

And after that, you have three more opportunities to watchBile’s compete at the Olympicsand possibly add to her medal count:

Canada beat Colombia 1-0 to reach the knockout stage of the women’s Olympic soccer tournament despite a six-point deduction over a drone-spying controversy.

Vanessa Gilles scored her second goal of the tournament with a thumping header in the 61st minute to secure the win for the Canucks.

Amidst the drone-spying drama that has embroiled the team and had one staffer being given a suspended prison sentence over the incident, Canada managed to win all three of its matches to secure second place in Group A with three points.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed Canada’s appeal of the six-point deduction on Wednesday morning, just hours before the final group stage games.

As part of the fallout, the team’s coach, Bev Priestman, and two team officials were also banned by FIFA from any football-related activity for a year.

Canada will now face 2016 Olympic gold medalist Germany in the quarterfinals.

Americans Danielle Collins and Desirae Krawczyk’s doubles run has ended in the second-round, falling to the Ukrainian sibling pair of Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok 3-6 6-4 [10]-[7].

Collins surprisingly competed in the match despite retiring from her singles match against Iga Świątek earlier today. The American had left the court for a medical timeout before returning to the court for two more games.

The 30-year-old Collins is retiring at the end of this season and explained her reasons for withdrawing from her match against the three-time defending French Open champion and world No. 1, noting the brutal “conditions.”

Collins also stated that she told Świątek that “she didn’t have to be insincere about my injury.”

Krawczyk is not competing in the singles competition, so her Olympics run is also over.

The Ukrainian twin sisters will play Spain’s Cristina Bucșa and Sara Sorribes Tormo in the quarterfinals tomorrow at 1 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET).

Leon Marchand of Team France celebrates after winning gold in the Men's 200m Breaststroke Final on July 31.

In addition to his two Olympic record-setting performances, Léon Marchand also made a different type of history Wednesday.

By winning two individual Olympic gold medals in one night, Marchand accomplished a feat not done since the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

That’s a history-making result that not even Michael Phelps, the greatest swimmer of all time, ever managed to pull off.

First the women and now the men.

Just a short while after the Team USA’s women’s team lost in surprising fashion to Azerbaijan, the men’s team followed in a similar manner, this time being defeated by Poland 19-17.

The US team comprised of Jimmer Fredette, Canyon Barry, Kareem Maddox and Dylan Travis had no answer for Poland’s relentless physicality.

In particular, seven-foot-one Adrian Bogucki dominated inside for Poland, the top scorer in the game with seven points as well as adding five rebounds.

Barry and Travis both led the US in scoring with six points each.

Like their female counterparts, the defeat means the US sits bottom of the men’s pool after two defeats to open its Olympic Games in Paris.

Lebron James of Team USA goes up for a dunk during the game against South Sudan on July 31.

The US men’s basketball team is 2-0 to start the Olympics and is moving on to the quarterfinals.

LeBron James, Kevin Durant and the rest of the loaded squad put in a much-improved performance from their last clash with South Sudan, keeping their opponents at arm’s length throughout the matchup.

South Sudan – the only African side in men’s basketball competition – battled hard but was ultimately no match for the firepower of Team USA.

The fourth quarter was highlighted by two monster dunks from Los Angeles Lakers teammates Anthony Davis and James, putting the exclamation point on another convincing victory.

It was not all smooth sailing for the US, with superstar point guard Steph Curry going 1-for-9 from the field and scoring only 3 points in the game.

Bam Adebayo led Team USA in scoring with 18 points on 80% shooting. Five other American players scored in double figures in a display that was underscored by offensive efficiency and effective ball movement.

South Sudan’s Nuni Omot led all scorers with 24.

The US moves to the top of Group C with four points and has already booked its place in the next round. It will play Puerto Rico in its last group game on Saturday.

South Sudan will take on Serbia in its final group game on Saturday, with the winner going on to book its place in the quarterfinals. The loser will have to hope that it finishes as one of the two highest-ranked third-placed teams of the group phase to make it to the knockouts.

A total of 18 gold medals were awarded on Wednesday, across several different sports.

Here’s a look at who took home the gold:

Artistic Gymnastics

Canoe Slalom

Cycling BMX Freestyle

Diving

Fencing

Judo

Rowing

Shooting

Swimming

Triathlon

ZhanlePanof Team China celebrates after winning the Men's 100m Freestyle Final and setting a new world record on July 31.

Pan Zhanle of China just set the first world record in swimming in these Olympic Games, shattering his own world record in the 100-meter freestyle as he took home the gold in one of the fastest races in swimming.

Pan took .4 seconds off his world record time, which he set earlier this year, to set a new all-time best mark in a pool that has been derided as slow by competitors throughout these Games.

Gold: Pan Zhanle of China —46.40

Silver: Kyle Chalmers of Australia — 47.48

Bronze: David Popovici of Romania — 47.49

Léon Marchand of Team France competes in the Men's 200m Breaststroke Final on July 31.

Another race, another gold medal, another Olympic record for Léon Marchand of France.

The Frenchman is now the biggest star of this Olympics for his home nation, capturing his third gold medal of the Games, this time in the 200-meter breaststroke.

It was an electric race with cries of “Allez!” coming from the French fans in line with every stroke, shouting every time Marchand surfaced. He led the entire race and never looked to be in trouble.

The Frenchman took the Olympic record away from Zac Stubblety-Cook of Australia, who claimed silver. The Australian set the previous record three years ago in Tokyo.

Gold: Léon Marchand of France – 2:05.85

Silver: Zac Stubblety-Cook of Australia – 2:06.79

Bronze: Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands – 2:07.90

Team USA may have briefly gotten flashbacks to its all-too-close warmup game against South Sudan, but it has managed to hold off a rally from the African nation.

Steve Kerr’s squad leads 73-57 heading into the final quarter.

After the USA’s advantage ballooned to 21 in the third quarter off a Steph Curry lob to Jayson Tatum, the Bright Stars began to eat into the lead, cutting it to 10 at one point with some accurate three-point shooting.

Nuni Omot made three triples on back-to-back-back possessions for South Sudan, and it appeared that the comeback was on. But the Americans managed to maintain the daylight between the two teams as their opponents’ flurry fizzled out in the latter stages of the quarter.

South Sudan have a mountain to climb in the fourth.

Gold Medalist Katie Ledecky of Team USA poses on the podium during the Swimming medal ceremony after the Women's 1500m Freestyle Final on July 31.

The “Star-Spangled Banner” is ringing out through the arena as Katie Ledecky smiles, her eighth career gold medal around her neck.

It’s Ledecky’s second podium appearance of the Games and her first gold of Paris 2024.

The partisan home crowd also had huge cheers for Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, the French silver medalist.

South Korea has won its sixth gold medal of the Games with a 45-41 victory over Hungary in the men’s team sabre final at the Grand Palais.

Hungary had threatened to come back into the contest before Korea held on for the win. Prior to that, France claimed bronze in the third-place match with a comfortable 45-25 win over Iran.

Korean team member Oh Sang-uk, who also won gold in individual competition, reflected on the win with reporters after the final.

“I realize this is the first time for anyone to win two medals like this and it’s a very historic moment for me and it’s a historic moment for the Republic of Korea. I’m very proud of this.”

This post has been updated with quotes from South Korea’s Oh Sang-uk.

#Results##

Hailey van Lith #9 of Team USA shoots the ball against Tiffany Hayes #15 of Team Azerbaijan during a Women’s Pool Round match on July 31.

We’ve already seen plenty of shocks at the Paris Games, but we might’ve just seen one of the biggest so far.

Team USA was stunned by Azerbaijan 20-17 in the women’s 3x3 basketball at Place de la Concorde.

Tiffany Hayes scored the victory-sealing basket after a breakdown in communication between US defenders allowed the Las Vegas Aces player to easily score.

Hayes led the way for Azerbaijan with 11 points, while Dina Ulyanova added a further six points in the upset.

The US was led in scoring by Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby with seven points, while Cierra Burdick and Hailey van Lith added four and five points respectively.

It means the US sits bottom of the women’s pool after two fixtures, having lost its opening game against Germany on Tuesday.Azerbaijan has won one and lost one so far.

It appears that Team USA have not made sure not to underestimate South Sudan this time around.

The star-studded side leads by 19 points at halftime, keeping the world’s youngest country at bay with stifling defense and unstoppable scoring.

Despite the array of offensive superstars on the US roster, it is perennial NBA defensive player of the year candidate Bam Adebayo that leads the team in scoring. The Miami Heat big man has 14 points, followed by LeBron James with 10 and Kevin Durant with 9.

The Re-Dream Team has managed to build a sizeable lead despite struggles from one of its biggest names – Steph Curry is scoreless and 0-for-4 from the field.

Nuni Omot scored 14 to lead the Bright Stars, who have been plagued by turnover issues, giving the ball away nine times to the USA’s five.

South Sudan made a late comeback in London against the USA – can it produce an even bigger one in Paris?

Katie Ledecky of Team USA celebrates victory after winning the Women's 1500m Freestyle Swimming Final on July 31.

With her Olympic record-setting performance in the 1,500 meter freestyle, Ledecky has now racked up eight gold medals in one of the most storied careers in US swimming.

It’s not just that Ledecky wins the 1,500m freestyle, as she has done now at three straight Olympic Games, it’s that they’re not close. She won tonight’s race by more than 10 seconds and, with her impressive swim, she now owns the 20 fastest times ever in the distance.

Ledecky has one more opportunity to win individual gold in Paris, swimming again in the 800-meter freestyle later on this week. She also swims Thursday in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

This post has been updated with more information about the win and Ledecky’s further medal opportunities.

Ilona Maher of Team USA celebrates following victory during the Women's Rugby Sevens Bronze medal match against Australia on July 30.

Though she’d never medaled at the Olympics until this year, rugby star Ilona Maher was already a Team USA favorite coming into Paris for her TikTok presence. Now though, she has been recognized for her efforts on the field after helping her US side to its first ever rugby sevens medal.

“It definitely took me a minute,” she said to CNN Sport’s Coy Wire, explaining what was going through her mind at the end of the bronze medal game. “I think I didn’t realize it, even after the final whistle blew.

“I think it was seeing my family as I was answering that question it really hit me. You know, it was three years of hard work and it paid off.

“It just shows our value, our worth that we are worthy of funding, money and of attention.”

Maher told CNN that “a couple” of glasses of wine are in order when she finally gets the chance to celebrate with her family.

Away from the rugby pitch, Maher frequently appears on TikTok to make use of her platform. She’s reliably candid and silly on the app, and though she’s clearly having the time of her life with her women’s rugby teammates, she also routinely uses TikTok to refute cruel comments about her body.

“It’s hard to be confident,” she explained. “It’s hard to be that. But if you can see somebody else do it, maybe it will help you.”

The 27-year-old wonders why it was her that was given this opportunity.

“I was just thinking about that today. It was like, ‘Why me? Why me?’” she told CNN. “It’s kind of a scary burden at times, but I’m excited to get to carry it, but just trying to stay grounded. I think ‘why me’ is because I feel comfortable sharing myself and I hope that other people resonate with it.”

Read more about some the viral stars of the Games here.

Hearing “La Marseillaise” at a French sporting event is really just an incredible thing to behold.

One of the greatest — if not the greatest — national anthems in the world just rang out as Léon Marchand received his gold medal for the 200m butterfly. The French crowd was in full voice as spirits are soaring after their hero took gold and French swimmer Anastasiia Kirpichnikova took silver in the women’s 1,500m freestyle, which occurred just before the medal ceremony.

There’s one more chance to hear the famous call to arms from the French Revolution. Marchand races again later tonight in the 200m breaststroke, looking for his third gold of the Games.

What a night in Paris!

Katie Ledecky of Team USA competes in the final of the women's 1500m freestyle swimming event on July 31.

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American Katie Ledecky is going to be back in a place she’s gotten very used to: the top of the Olympics podium and she’s got a new record to come home with.

Ledecky again crushed the field in her signature race, finishing with a new Olympic record in a contest she has simply crushed over the years. Her emotion was evident as she raised her hands in victory, screaming as she finished the race.

Katie Ledecky of Team USA finishes Wednesday's race, putting an incredible distance between herself and her competitors to set a new Olympic record, on July 31.

The American superstar now owns the top 20 times ever swum in the distance: a truly remarkable feat.

The French crowd was going nuts in the final laps of the race as France’s Anastasiia Kirpichnikova took the silver. German Isabel Gose took third.

Gold: Katie Ledecky of USA — 15:30.02

Silver: Anastasiia Kirpichnikova of France — 15:40.35

Bronze: Isabel Gose of Germany — 15:41.16

This post has been updated with quotes from USA’s Katie Ledecky.

What a start for LeBron James and Co.

Team USA is ahead 26-14 after the first quarter against South Sudan, controlling the game on both the offensive and defensive sides of the floor.

It was a productive opening period for James, scoring eight of the Americans’ first 10 points.Derrick White and Anthony Davis have been defensive disruptors, each coming up with huge blocks while South Sudan have struggled taking care of the ball.

Still no sign of Joel Embiid, however — the former MVP was benched after starting the team’s opener against Serbia.

Katie Ledecky of Team USA competes in the final of the women's 1500m freestyle swimming event on July 31.

Over the years, Katie Ledecky has wowed fans when she swims the 1,500-meter freestyle.

It’s created indelible images like the gap between the American and her competition in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 as she took the swimming world by storm. And as the world and Olympic record holder in this event, she’s expected to take home the gold once again.

Ledecky has a bit to prove after a disappointing first night of the Games. She lost the highly-anticipated 400 meter freestyle battle with Australian Ariarne Titmus, eventually settling for bronze.

Korbin Albert of United States celebrates scoring their second goal with teammates during the match against Team Australia on July 31.

The US women’s soccer team qualified for the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games as group winners after its 2-1 victory over Australia on Wednesday.

Trinity Rodman opened the scoring on the stroke of halftime, prodding home as she latched onto a header from her teammate, Sophia Smith.

Korbin Albert’s emphatic goal from long range doubled the US’ lead midway through the second half and although Alanna Kennedy’s late goal did give Australia some hope, it was too little too late as the US was able to hold onto the victory.

What this means: The US was victorious in all three of its group games, allowing it to book its spot in the next round as Group B winners with nine points from nine available.

The USWNT will face Japan in the next round.

Spain's CarlosAlcaraz andRafaelNadalreact during their Men's Doubles Quarterfinals match against USA's Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram on July 31.

Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, nicknamed “Nadalcaraz,” fell in straight sets to Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in their men’s doubles quarterfinal.

The Spaniards survived multiple match points, but eventually fell 6-2 6-4. Nadal has won at Roland-Garros singles a record 14 times but has not had the same luck there in doubles.

Nadal, 38, will not continue in Paris after he lost to Novak Djokovic on Monday, however Alcaraz, 21, advanced to the singles quarterfinal earlier today.

Their American opponents have each been ranked No. 1 in doubles, and Krajicek won Roland-Garros doubles in 2023.

Nadal’s future in tennis is uncertain as injuries continue to plague him. After Wednesday’s defeat, the Spaniard was coy about what is to come, saying “I don’t know if this was the last time” when asked if he was ever going to play at Roland Garros again. Nadal has won 14 French Open titles at the Paris-based grand slam.

Alcaraz paid tribute to the 22-time grand slam champion on X, formerly known as Twitter, alongside a picture of the pair of them smiling and embracing.

This post has been updated with quotes from Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.

The star-studded US men’s basketball team is taking on South Sudan in a rematch of a warmup game in London that saw the world’s youngest country push Team USA to the final buzzer.

Head coach Steve Kerr has made two changes to starting lineup from the first game against Serbia. Anthony Davis has come in for former NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who struggled in game one, while Jayson Tatum replaces Jrue Holiday, having not a played a single minute against Serbia.

South Sudan defeated Puerto Rico 90-79 in its first ever Olympic matchup.

Hold on now. Could there be some late drama in Marseille?

Alanna Kennedy’s strike from close range has halved the deficit meaning Australia needs just one goal to level the scores with just minutes remaining.

We could be in for an exciting finish.

The Women's Epee Team Finals between Team China and Team Poland take place at the Grand Palais on July 30.

A lot has been made of the iconic venues at this Olympics, many of which are dotted around key Parisian landmarks: beach volleyball in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, skateboarding at the Place de la Concorde, archery at Les Invalides, or the icon-filled route of the triathlon.

But is fencing’s venue the best? It could well be the noisiest.

Team Hungary (L) and Team South Korea (R) walk down stairs as they arrive for the Men's Sabre Team Gold Medal bout at the Grand Palais on July 31.

Fencers of Team Hungary and Team South Korea arrive to compete in the Men's Sabre Team Gold Medal bout at the Grand Palais on July 31.

The Grand Palais, an exhibition hall and event center located off the Champs-Élysées, is the cavernous home to all the fencing competitions at the Paris Olympics, with two huge temporary stands offering fans an excellent view of proceedings.

Athletes enter the venue from a balcony and process down an elegant staircase onto the piste at the heart of the Grand Palais.

Tonight is the men’s team final, and host France has just defeated Iran in the bronze medal match. The noise at the end of that contest was deafening, even audible from outside the building.

South Korea and Hungary are up next in the gold medal match, with four giant screens also showing the bouts.

The noise being made here by French fans for swimmer Léon Marchand is almost beyond description.

The roar in the final lap of his 200m butterfly victory was like a jet airliner taking off and the explosion of noise when he hit the final wall was like standing next to an amplifier during rock concert.

There’s always been a lot of red, white and blue at this arena throughout the week, but today is something else entirely.

A stunning long-range goal from Korbin Albert doubled the US women’s soccer team’s lead against Australia on Wednesday, making it 2-0 on the night.

With approximately 15 minutes remaining in the clash in Marseille, 20-year-oldAlbert took her aim from the edge of the box and fired into the top corner.

Albert had only just come on as a substitute as head coach Emma Hayes changed her team with a spot in the quarterfinals already guaranteed.

Just moments later, Sophia Smith almost made it three, but her effort came off the post.

Leon Marchand of Team France competes in the Men's 200m Butterfly Final on July 31.

French hero Léon Marchand just made an incredible comeback in the final 50 meters of this race to take the gold out of Hungarian Kristóf Milák’s hands.

The home nation favorite entered the pool area to his name being chanted by his compatriots, but he trailed for much of the race. With the final turn, an incredible explosion off the wall brought Marchand into first to stay.

The crowd here just made an almost unbelievable noise, ears are ringing all around the place.

Gold: Léon Marchand of France — 1:51.21

Silver: Kristóf Milák of Hungary — 1:51.75

Bronze: Illya Kharun of Canada — 1:52.80

Sarah Sjöström of Team Sweden celebrates after winning gold in the Women's 100m Freestyle Finalon July 31.

What an incredible first race to start the night here.

American Torri Huske looked set to take the gold medal, leading most of the way through this 100m freestyle race. But in the final 25 meters, Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström powered up and beat her to the wall for the gold

The results:

Gold: Sarah Sjöström of Sweden — 52.16

Silver: Torri Huske of USA — 52.29

Bronze: Siobhan Bernadette Haughey of Hong Kong — 52.33

This post has been updated with quotes from Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström.

The crowd at La Défense Arena outside Paris ahead of the swimming competition on Wednesday night.

It’s a party here in Paris.

“Freed from Desire” by Gala Rizzatto is an unofficial anthem at these Games — and in Europe writ large — and is being played before each event for the most part.

And before tonight’s meet, they turned the lights out and had a bit of a dance party. A truly wonderful scene, but the crowds will surely want more and more of this…

A general view of action at La Defense Arena in Paris on Wednesday.

It’s a massive night in the pool here at the La Défense Arena. Here’s what we’re watching tonight:

Katie Ledecky looks for her first gold: American swimming legend Katie Ledecky is competing in her signature 1,500m freestyle race. She’s the world and Olympic record holder in the event and has taken home gold in this event in the last two Olympics. She also has swum 19 of the 20 fastest times ever in the distance. After a disappointing bronze on Saturday in the 400m freestyle, Ledecky will be hoping to get her first gold of the Games.

Léon Marchand aims to set French hearts alight: The standout athlete for the home nation so far in this first week of the Games, Marchand is becoming a superstar here in Paris. The stands at La Défense are packed with the tricolore French flag and this arena, which has been loud all week, is expected to hit another level tonight. Marchand competes twice, in the 200m butterfly and the 200m breaststroke.

The sprint is on: The other two events are two of the quickest races in swimming. The 100m freestyle for the men and women will open and close the meet tonight. Each race is less than a minute long and should be thrilling.

Shinnosuke Oka of Japan celebrates after his performance on the horizontal bar on Wednesday.

After a palm-wrenching competition punctuated with slips, trips and injuries, Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka has secured a win in the men’s all-round gymnastics, with a final score of 86.832.

His compatriot Daiki Hashimoto saw the end of his Olympic dominance, with an impressive performance on the high bar unable to make up for his mishap on the pommel horse.

China’s Zhang Boheng gets silver with 86.599, and Xiao Ruoteng scoops bronze with 86.364.

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, left, and Rafael Nadal speak while playing the United States' Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram on Wednesday.

It has not been the start that ‘Nadalcaraz’ would have wanted.

The crowd-favorite duo of Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz have lost the first set in their men’s doubles quarterfinal matchup against the US’ Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.

The Spanish pair had their serve broken twice by the doubles specialists and will need to show some of the form that they demonstrated in their opening two matches if they are to mount a comeback.

Trinity Rodman of the United States, center, scores a goal against Australia on Wednesday.

Trinity Rodman prodded home on the stroke of half-time to give the US women’s soccer team the lead against Australia at the break in Marseille.

A whipped corner was headed down by Sophia Smith and Rodman was able to get a foot to it to give the US the lead with two minutes remaining in the first half.

There was confusion about whether the goal would stand, but after deliberations with the video assistant referee, referee François Letexier finally awarded it.

Prior to the goal, it had been a half of few chances but one which was dominated by the US in terms of possession.

Emma Hayes’ team looked confident on the ball, totaling 72% possession, but struggled to create many clear openings at the Australian goal.

The first big chance came late in the half when US captain Lindsey Horan headed on target from close range, with Matildas goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold able to get a fingertip to it and tip it onto the bar.

Arnold was kept busy as the half came to a close, having to palm away Rodman’s long-range effort. However, from the resulting corner, the forward gave the US the lead.

The USWNT was dealt a blow in the fourth minute when midfield metronome Sam Coffey picked up an early yellow card which will rule her out of her team’s game in the quarterfinals.

The US has already booked its spot in the next round but a win or a draw would secure top spot in Group B.

Dark clouds loom over the archery women's individual event in Paris on Wednesday.

Inclement weather continues to be a theme of the Paris Games.

The last six archery matches of the day have been postponed due to forecast weather conditions and the risk of thunderstorms around the Invalides.

The matches will now take place tomorrow.

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe of New Zealand runs with the ball in a match against Canada on Sunday.

It’s hard to imagine a better way to sign off from your career and sport than by winning an Olympic gold medal.

One athlete who knows that feeling is New Zealand women’s rugby sevens captain Portia Woodman-Wickliffe.

One of the most recognizable and decorated players in world rugby bid adieu to the big stage by leading her country to a thrilling victory over Canada on Tuesday in front of a packed 67,000 crowd at the Stade de France.

It meant back-to-back golds for the Black Ferns following victory in Tokyo and cements their status at the top team in women’s rugby sevens.

The Kiwi has now won three Olympic medals — two golds (2020 and 2024) and a silver (2016). She said that she was “broken hearted” with the silver in Rio de Janeiro but that it was perhaps the “the greatest learning ever” and served as fuel to power them to victory in Tokyo and now Paris.

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe poses for a photo with CNN's Amanda Davies.

“We’ve gone through the hard times. In 2016 we knew what it meant to be a team that wasn’t one, that wasn’t connected so from that point onwards we got to learn and understand what it was to be a good team,” the 33-year-old said.

Now as she departs the international scene, she is enthusiastic to see what the next generation of Black Ferns stars can bring to the world stage.

“To play alongside these girls, to have grown up with them and to now see them pursuing and chasing their dreams… Who knows where they can go from there. We’re grateful that we get to be a part of that journey… These girls are superstars and they’re going to be around for a long time. I’m excited to see where they take it from here.”

Iga Świątek of Poland hits the ball during her match against Danielle Collins of the United States on Wednesday.

Iga Świątek, the four-time Roland-Garros champion, will move onto the women’s singles semifinal after Danielle Collins retired during the third set.

Świątek had won the first set 6-1, lost the second 6-2 and was leading in the third set 4-1 when Collins retired. Collins took a medical timeout after losing the first three games of the third set and then returned to play two more.

Świątek will play China’s Zheng Qinwen in the semifinal.

Zheng defeated Angelique Kerber and ended her career in their quarterfinal match earlier today. Świątek has defeated Zheng in all six of their previous meetings, most recently in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships in February.

Danielle Collins receives medical treatment on Wednesday.

Mallory Swanson of the United States kicks the ball during the group B match against Australia on Wednesday.

The US women’s national team game against Australia from Marseille has kicked off with top spot in Group B on the line for the US.

The team – managed head coach Emma Hayes taking charge of her first Summer Games – has already sealed its qualification for the next round as it continues its journey for its first Olympic gold medal since 2012.

The starting line-up is full of familiar faces, with captain Lindsey Horan leading out the team – Horan has been an ever-present in the USWNT fold, in particular during its victorious 2019 World Cup campaign.

Horan is joined by experienced veterans Crystal Dunn, Alyssa Naeher and Mallory Swanson, as well as members of the next generation – many of whom are also experienced on the international stage – like Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Naomi Girma.

Coco Gauff, left, and Jessica Pegula speak to each other during their match on Wednesday.

A day after being bounced from the singles competition, American Coco Gauff was knocked out of the women’s doubles tournament along with her partner, Jessica Pegula.

The duo lost to the Czech pairing of Karolína Muchová and Linda Noskováin a tie breaker, 6-2, 4-6 (5-10).

Gauff is still in the mixed doubles tournament with Taylor Fritz. They play Canadians Gabriela Dubrowski and Felix Auger-Aliassimelater on today.

Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul defeated the Dutch duo of Robin Haase and Jean-Julien Rojer 6-3, 6-4 in their second-round men’s doubles match.

Fritz and Paul are set to take on Great Britain’s Andy Murray and Dan Evans in their quarterfinals match.

Murray has said he will retire after these Olympics. Their quarterfinal match will be on Thursday.

Daiki Hashimoto of Japan reacts after finishing his pommel horse routine on Wednesday.

Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto may have succumbed to nerves in the men’s gymnastics.

The defending champion and Olympic medalist fell off the pommel horse. After a moment with his head in his hands, he got back on that horse – but the damage was already done.

It wasn’t just Hashimoto who was having struggles early on in the all-around final, with one of the other favorites for the title – Zhang Boheng – stumbling multiple times during his floor routine.

Zhang Boheng of China falls during his floor exercise on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Canada’s Felix Dolcisuffered his own heartbreak after his handguard ripped and he dramatically fell to the ground at the end of a stellar performance.

These mistakes blow the competition wide open in a sport where every point counts.

Felix Dolci of Canada receives medical attention after falling on the horizontal bar on Wednesday.

The US women's national team stands during their national anthem before a match on Sunday.

The US women’s national team (USWNT) has historically been one of the most dominant soccer teams at the Olympics ever since it made its debut back in 1996.

Four gold medals in five Games – including a three-peat from 2004 to 2012 – cemented the US at the top of the pecking order in the women’s competition.

But it has been unable to reach those lofty heights of late with no gold medal since 2012, losing in the quarterfinals to Sweden in 2016 and winning the bronze medal in Tokyo three years ago. It also lost in the round of 16 of last year’s World Cup after having won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2019.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, though, it is a case of hope renewed under head coach Emma Hayes who is taking charge of the team for the first time at a major tournament at the Summer Games.

Hayes’ side has won its opening two games of the group stages, scoring seven goals and conceding just once as it’s already booked its spot in the next round with a game to spare.

A big part of the team’s success has been the team’s attacking line comprised of Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman who have scored or assisted on all seven of the USWNT’s goals this Olympics.

The US knows a win or a draw in its final fixture against Australia on Wednesday will seal top spot in Group B, therefore assuring itself a favorable draw in the quarterfinals. The winner of Group B will face the second-placed team in Group C which is likely to be one of Japan or Brazil.

The US women’s national team’s game against Australia starts at 7 p.m. local time / 1 p.m. ET from Marseille Stadium in southern France.

Marta of Brazil, center, reacts after being shown a red card by referee Espen Eskas on Wednesday.

Women’s soccer legend Marta was sent off for a straight red card after a reckless and dangerous challenge on Spain’s Olga Carmona in their Group C clash in Bordeaux.

With the scoreline locked at 0-0, La Roja was on the attack in the sixth minute of added-on time at the end of the first half, when Brazil cleared the ball out of the box. The ball caromed off a couple of players before falling to World Cup-winner Carmona.

Just as the Spanish left back headed the ball downwards in an attempt to pass to her teammate, Marta rushed in with her boot and studs up, appearing to kick Carmona in the head.

As the Spaniard crumpled to the ground in agony, Marta was seen crying as she got up from the pitch.

As referee Espen Eskas showed the Brazil legend the more-than-deserved red card, Marta was desolate and was consoled by both her own teammates and the Spanish opposition as she walked off the field.

The six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, one of the game’s greatest ever stars, has said she’s retiring from international play following this tournament, so the red card could mark an ignominious end to her glittering national team career given the Seleção sits in third in the group.

Should Brazil make the quarterfinals as one of the two best third-placed teams, Marta will miss that match due to the card, so it is possible we have seen the last of the legend in the bright yellow shirt of the Canarinha.

Olga Carmona of Spain is tended to after being fouled by Marta on Wednesday.

Jessica Fox of Australia competes on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old French-born Australian canoeist won her sixth total medal, and her second of these games, with a time of 101.06 seconds in the C-1 event.

Fox tied Slovak Michal Martikan for the lead with five medals just a few days ago when she won gold in the canoe slalom K-1 event.

She will compete in the Olympic debut kayak cross alongside her younger sister Noemie on Friday at 11:25 a.m. ET.

Cindy Ngamba of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team boxes with Tammara Thibeault of Canada on Wednesday.

Boxer Cindy Ngamba defeated third-seeded Canadian Tammara Thibeault by split decision (3-2) in the round of 16 of the women’s 75kg class, moving the IOC Refugee Olympic Team within one win of its first ever medal.

Ngamba was born in Cameroon but moved to the UK when she was 10. She was arrested and almost deported in 2019 after it was discovered that she was living in the country without a British passport, before she was granted refugee status.

The 25-year-old is unable to return to Cameroon due to her sexuality, as hom*osexuality is illegal in the African nation.

She will take on the No. 6 seed, Davina Michel of France in the quarterfinals. If Ngamba is victorious, she is guaranteed to win the refugee team a medal – both losing semifinalists are awarded a bronze in boxing.

South Sudan's basketball team is looking to cause a big upset against Team USA.

It seemed unlikely even a few weeks ago that the USA, the world’s preeminent basketball nation, and South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, would be anything other than a lopsided formality on the court in Paris.

But South Sudan’s meteoric rise has now made this a highly-anticipated match.

The African nation, which has only officially existed for 13 years and has no indoor basketball facilities, pushed the USA all the way in a pre-Olympic showcase in London with only a last-gasp bucket from LeBron James preventing a stunning upset.

South Sudan qualified for the Olympics as the best-placed African team at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Several members of the Olympic roster are refugees, such as NBA player Wenyen Gabriel, who was forced to leave South Sudan as a young child, escaping the Second Sudanese Civil War.

“Knowing that there’s a bunch of kids, a bunch of youth, that are from South Sudan that look up to us, that are inspired by what we do, that think that maybe they can make it next – for me to go represent the country, be one of the first group is just an honor to me,” Gabriel told CNN Sport.

You can read more about South Sudan’s stunning rise here.

CNN is tracking every country in the race for the most gold medals in Paris at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

Check back throughout the two weeks ofeventsfor the number of golds by country.

Below is the medal count, so far:

Angelique Kerber of Germany reacts during her match against Zheng Qinwen of China on Wednesday.

Angelique Kerber’s tennis career is over.

The 36-year-old German fell to No. 6 seed Zheng Qinwen of China in a hard-fought Olympics quarterfinal, with Zheng advancing 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(6).

Just last week, Kerber saidher final tennis tournament would be the Paris Olympics. On Wednesday, she was achingly close to getting one step closer to contend for another career medal, having been up a break in the final set before Zheng clawed back to force the final-set tie-break.

In classic Kerber fashion, the German fought off match points, but fell just short.

Kerber, who had returned to tennis this season after maternity leave, has won three grand slam singles titles, Olympic silver in singles at Rio 2016 and a total of 14 career singles titles.

In her retirement announcement on Instagram last week, Kerber said Paris “will mark the finish line of the most incredible journey I could have ever dreamed of growing up with a racket in my hand. There are many more things I want to say and people to thank, which I will do once I completed my last match…but for now, I will take the time and soak up every second of this final episode on court.”

Zheng, meanwhile, could potentially have a daunting task in the semis: world No. 1 Iga Świątek of Poland, who is dominant at Roland Garros – four of her five grand slam titles are French Open titles – and on the clay surface in general, could be her next opponent. Świątek, 23, is currently leading American Danielle Collins in her quarterfinal.

Swimmers dive into the pool for the men's 200m backstroke swimming event at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre on Wednesday,

There have not been any new world records set in swimming at the Paris Olympics so far, and some swimmers at this year’s Olympic Games have complained about the “slow” pool in the City of Light. Team USA phenom Katie Ledecky told CNN: “I’ve heard the rumblings, but at the end of the day, we’re all fast swimmers and we make it as fast as we want it to be.”

Former US swimmer and four-time Olympic medalist Maya DiRado-Andrews told CNN several athletes have complained about the slow times they are posting during these Games. “So, it’s early in the week, but there’s been some discussion so far on it potentially being a little bit of a slower pool.

“So it shouldn’t impact the sprints too much, but there may be some impacts in some of the longer races. So time will tell. We’ll see. These athletes are still swimming great and nothing to worry about. But it’ll be interesting to watch,” DiRado-Andrews, who won her medal haul at the Rio2016Olympics, added.

Ledecky is in the pool again tonight in Paris in the final of the 1500m freestyle – the longest swimming competition.

You might not know: The Aquatics Centre is the only event venue that was built specifically for these Paris Games.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is seen at a training session at Cleveland Clinic Courts on April 03.

The head coach and players of Team USA’s women’s basketball squad emphasized their endorsem*nt ofVice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid on Wednesday.

It’s the first major political statement from a top American team at this year’s Olympics and comes as the presidential race is heating up back home.

Harris took over the Democratic nomination earlier this month after President Joe Biden decided to end his reelection bid and endorse his No. 2. She’s now attempting to gain momentum in the race against former President Donald Trump, who is running to regain the office he lost to Biden in 2020.

The players on Team USA – and the WNBA in general – have been far more willing to engage in political statements than some of their other professional sports peers.

Read the full story here.

Visitors take photographs of the Olympic cauldron on Tuesday.

Several iconic landmarks of Paris have been put to use for these Olympics Games, transforming to sporting venues and attracting thousands of spectators. Now, a brand new spot is getting equal attention.

The hot air balloon-like Olympic cauldron, which first took off at the end of the opening ceremony from the Louvre’s Tuileries Gardens, has been met with overwhelming success as it dazzled viewers on TV and now attracts real-life visitors.

Paris 2024 organizers have opened up the 30 meter-high (100 ft) cauldron for up to 10,000 free visits daily. With slots fully booked through August 11, organizers vowed to add more visiting times, saying they have been “victims of their success.”

Some Parisians — including Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo — hope it can remain part of the local landscape permanently.

“It’s an extraordinary, magnificent object, and the location in which it’s situated is magnificent,” the mayor said in a radio interview Monday.

Created by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, the Olympic cauldron features never-before-seen technology as it relies only on electricity and is 100% fuel free.

Lehanneur also hopes his creation will fly above Paris, once the Games conclude.

Carlos Alcaraz celebrates his win against Roman Safiullin on Court Suzanne-Lenglen at the Roland-Garros Stadium on Tuesday.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz defeated Roman Safiullin — a Russian who was competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) — in straight sets to advance to the Olympic singles quarterfinals.

The French Open and Wimbledon champion won 6-4 6-2 and will now face off against American Tommy Paul.

Alcaraz will hit the court again at 1 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local time) with doubles partner Rafael Nadal as the Spaniards take on Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in the men’s doubles quarterfinal.

In an ominous sign for his singles opponents, Alcaraz sounded supremely confident after his victory and said he was “really happy” with how he played against Safiullin.

“I played at a high level during the whole match, from the beginning until the last point,” he said.

“I am really happy to find the solutions at the end to play at a really high level to win in two sets.”

This post was updated with quotes from Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.

Guatemala's Adriana Ruano, center, reacts after winning gold at Chateauroux Shooting Centre on Tuesday.

Guatemala won its first-ever gold medal at the Games — Summer or Winter — after an Olympic record performance from Adriana Ruano in the women’s trap shooting on Wednesday.

Facing stiff opposition, Ruano never looked unsettled throughout the whole competition, only missing five of her 50 efforts at Chateauroux.

She held a four-point lead over Italy’s Silvana Maria Stanco heading into the final 10 shots and successfully wrapped up the victory in style as she continued her accurate pace.

Ruano’s score of 45 was a new Olympic record in the discipline, surpassing the previous record of 43 set by Zuzana Rehák-Štefečeková of Slovakia in Tokyo three years ago. The world record stands at 48 set by American Ashley Carroll in 2018.

The emotions seemed to overcome the 29-year-old as the results were being announced afterwards, as she had to fight off tears while draped in Guatemala’s flag.

Stanco won silver with 40 and Australia’s Penny Smith wins bronze with 32 from her 40 shots.

The USNWT starting eleven lines up prior to a match against Germany at Stade de Marseille on July 28.

This evening in Marseille, the US Women’s National Team will be looking to make it three wins out of three when it takes on Australia in its group stage finale in the Olympic soccer competition.

A lot has changed since the US women secured their last gold medal at London 2012. After an early exit at last year’s Women’s World Cup, the US team will be looking to assert its dominance — and after a stunning 4-1 victory over fourth-ranked Germany on Sunday, this could be on the cards. However, Australia’s Matildas likely won’t go down without a fight, after coming from behind to sensationally beat Zambia 6-5 with a 90th minute goal in their last match.

Leading Group B with six points, the US needs a win or a draw to secure first in the group. The US also have a plus-six goal differential, providing a comfortable cushion against any shocks from the Aussies or Germany, which takes on Zambia at the Saint-Étienne Stadium.

When? 1 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. local time at Stade de Marseille.

José Torres Gil of Argentina competes during the Men's BMX Freestyle Park Final at Place de la Concorde on Tuesday.

Argentina’s José Torres Gil has just claimed Argentina’s first ever individual medal in the sport of cycling – and it’s gold.

Torres Gil took victory in the men’s BMX park final at Paris’ Place de la Concorde with his score of 94.82, which was also the first gold medal for a South American nation at the Paris Olympics.

Great Britain’s Kieran Reilly was second with 93.91, while France’s Anthony Jeanjean – a big pre-competition favorite who had huge support from the home crowd – was third with 93.76.

Jeanjean dramatically crashed out of his first run after failing to land his opening trick, but he responded superbly on his second run. The crowd seemed to think he had done enough to take first place, but he was awarded a score just short of Torres Gil’s first run before Reilly topped him on the final run of the competition.

Luol Deng greets supporters after South Sudan's victory against Puerto Rico in Lille on July 28.

It was a dream debut on the Olympic basketball stage for the world’s youngest country.

South Sudan’s men’s basketball team defeated Puerto Rico 90-79 in Paris on Sunday in its first ever appearance at the Games, but the result meant more than just picking up two points in Group C. For South Sudan Basketball Federation President Luol Deng, it was the culmination of everything that he and the team had worked so hard to achieve.

Next up for South Sudan is a rematch against a Team USA side that features the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry later today.

Read the whole story here.

Shericka Jackson of Jamaica is seen at a press conference on Wednesday.

Big sprinting news from Paris.

Jamaican superstar Shericka Jackson has pulled out of this year’s 100m competition, according to the Olympics website.

She reportedly confirmed the news in a press conference, but it is currently unclear why she has decided not to run.

Jackson was a bronze medalist in the 100m at the Tokyo Games and won silver in the same event at last year’s World Championships, where she also won gold in the 200m.

It’s yet to be seen whether Jackson will compete in the 200m in Paris, or be part of the relay teams.

Spectators cool off under water misters in front of the Eiffel Tower on Wednesday.

As the world’s top athletes battle it out at the Paris Summer Olympics, they are turning to ice vests and rented air conditioners to stay on top of their game in temperatures that have hit a high of 97 degrees Fahrenheit (around 36 degrees Celsius).

An analysis published by climate scientists Wednesday shows that climate change has added between 4.5 and 5.94 degrees F (2.5 to 3.3 degrees C) to July temperatures in Paris and the wider Mediterranean region.

The current heat wave would have been “virtually impossible without fossil fuel-driven warming,” according to the World Weather Attribution initiative, which published the analysis.

“If the atmosphere wasn’t overloaded with emissions from burning fossil fuel, Paris would have been about 3°C cooler and much safer for sport,” Friederike Otto, senior lecturer in climate science at Imperial College London, said in a statement.

“However, many people across the Mediterranean do not have the luxury of ice-packs, air conditioning or cooling breaks at work. For these people, extreme heat can mean death.”

Temperatures have exceeded 100F in swaths of the Mediterranean region this July.

In Morocco, at least 21 people died in the July heat as temperatures reached over 118F. Heat is poorly recorded as a contributor to death, so that toll is likely to be much higher.

The climate crisis, caused primarily from humans burning fossil fuels, is making heatwaves globally hotter, longer and more frequent.

What’s happening in Paris?After a soggy start to the Olympics, temperatures soared this week and hit ahigh of 97 degrees (36 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday afternoon, marking the hottest day in the French capital since July 2022.

Temperatures will remain above average in Paris for the remainder of the week and Wednesday is expected to see a high of near 90°F (32°C). It will get cooler through the week, falling closer to normal July temperatures of around 79°F (26°C) by the weekend.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed Canada’s appeal of its six-point deduction to both its Olympic squads which had been handed down after one of the team’s staff members flew a drone to film the closed-door training of the New Zealand women’s soccer team last week.

Joseph Lombardi, who the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) has said is an “unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer,” was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after flying the drone and sent home from the Olympics, along with assistant coach Jasmine Mander, who Lombardi sent his report to.

FIFA said that it had suspended Lombardi and Mander, as well as women’s soccer team head coach Bev Priestman, for a year from “taking part in any football-related activity.”

Both Canada’s men’s and women’s teams were assessed a six-point deduction at the Paris Games, but a Canada Soccer spokesperson later told CNN that it would appeal the sanction.

However, CAS’ dismissal of the appeal means the six-point deduction stands.

In a statement, Canada Soccer president Peter Augruso and CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue said it was “disappointed” with CAS’ verdict.

“Throughout this matter, Canada Soccer has sought to demonstrate accountability and communicate transparently, including to FIFA during their discipline process. We are disappointed with today’s appeal decision and continue to believe that our players should not have been unnecessarily punished for actions that were not their own,” it said.

“Last week, Canada Soccer committed to an independent external review. This process has begun. Sonia Regenbogen of Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark, LLP has been retained and will start the review by initially focusing on actions taken by Canada Soccer representatives related to the incident at the Olympic Games. Other issues of this matter, including its history will be reviewed subsequently. Ms. Regenbogen is a leading Canadian expert in conducting independent workplace investigations.

“Canada Soccer will continue to communicate regularly about this issue and take swift, decisive steps to restore public trust.”

The Canadian women’s team has won both its games at the tournament so far, so the team sits on zero points in Group A.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Wednesday said the city had succeeded in its goal to make River Seine swimmable.

“We won our bet — the pollution has been cleaned up,” Hidalgo said, as both men’s and women’s triathlon events took place Wednesday after being postponed due to water quality concerns.

“If the infrastructure wasn’t built, we couldn’t have had people swimming this morning because of the storms that took place these past few days,” Hidalgo told reporters, adding that the water quality numbers this morning were “very good,” allowing for the event to take place as planned following a postponement of the men’s race one day before.

Hidalgo added that for years the river had been considered “almost as [a] sewer,” saying that many thought this was mission “impossible.”

“I’m happy — relieved means we had fears that we would not succeed. I’ve never thought we would not succeed,” Hidalgo said.

France’s Cassandre Beaugrand won gold in the women’s race with Alex Yee producing a sensational finish to win gold for Team GB in the men’s event later on.

A heroes' welcome for the all-conquering members of the Black Ferns Sevens squad, which defended its Rugby Sevens gold medal from the Tokyo Games.

Loud ovations, cheering and thunderous applause was the soundtrack that accompanied the Black Ferns Rugby Sevens team as they entered New Zealand House on Wednesday with gold medals shining around their necks.

Led from the front by legendary captain Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who’ll be retiring after these Games, Māori flags were fluttering as the players were greeted with a pōwhiri — a Māori welcoming ceremony — involving whaikōrero (formal speech), waiata (singing) and kai (food).

Woodman-Wickliffe was wearing all three medals she’s won in her sevens career: two golds (2020 and 2024) and a silver medal (2016).

Flanked on both sides by friends, family, fans and members of staff, the team was applauded as it made its entrance.

The players had beaming smiles plastered across their faces after winning back-to-back golds following the win over Canada in the Stade de France on Tuesday.

There are huge celebrations and tears of joy from Deng Yawen as she takes gold for China after a thrilling women’s BMX freestyle park final.

Deng’s huge best score of 92.60 comfortably gave her first place ahead of the USA’s Perris Benegas in second on 90.70.

A delighted Natalya Diehm of Australia picks up bronze with a score of 88.80.

Deng’s gold is China’s first in this event and those tears have now been replaced by a beaming smile as she celebrates her historic achievement with her coaches.

There were several big crashes and these brave riders pushed the bikes to the limit.

Novak Djokovic has once again taken care of business at Roland Garros, defeating Germany’s Dominik Köpfer 7-5 6-3 to advance to the men’s singles quarterfinals Wednesday.

Djokovic was pushed in the first set for one of the first times in this tournament, but eventually turned the tide against Köpfer.

Djokovic is pursuing his first gold medal and the career golden slam. It’s the one major honor he’s not won in the sport.

Team Great Britain celebrate their win in the women's quadruple sculls final at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Wednesday.

Thirteen years ago, Team GB’s Lola Anderson wrote on a piece of paper that she wanted to become an Olympic champion. On Wednesday, that dream became a reality.

Anderson was part of Team GB’s gold medal-winning team which stormed to victory in the women’s rowing quad sculls.

The British boat appeared to be flagging behind the Netherlands for much of the final, but managed to put together a late surge to pip their rivals at the line — just 0.15 seconds ahead.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the win, Anderson was asked about the moment she wrote down her Olympic ambition all those years ago, and how her father reminded her of it just months before he passed away from cancer.

Teammate Lauren Henry added of the comeback: “We got to 250 (meters) to go and I could sense we were coming back, so I was like, ‘Guys, now, we’re going now.’ And then I called it again about 150 metres to go, I was like, ‘We can do this.’

“I kind of knew we’d crossed the line first but we had to wait to see, and when I saw ‘GBR, 1’ come up it was amazing. … We’ve worked so hard for this, and we have so much belief, but it’s all about doing it on the day. It is tricky to do that, so just so proud of us.”

This post was updated with more details about Lola Anderson’s father and her.

The Netherlands have successfully defended their Olympic title in the men’s quadruple sculls, cruising to victory by more than two seconds ahead of Italy in second and Poland in third.

The 2023 world champions were totally dominant on the water, with Dutch rower Tone Wieten describing his team’s performance as “amazing.”

“We knew it was good, but we knew we had to stay sharp and step up the game a bit,” he said.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic returns against Germany's Dominik Koepfer during a men's singles third round tennis match on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Wednesday.

The No. 1 seed in tennis, Novak Djokovic, is in a back-and-forth barn burner with Germany’s Dominik Köpfer on a steamy Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros.

The 24-time grand slam champion is chasing the only thing that seems to have eluded him in his illustrious career: an Olympic gold medal.

Djokovic is wearing a sleeve on his right knee. It was here at Roland Garros that he suffered a knee injury in June that required surgery on his meniscus, though he returned and made the Wimbledon final before falling to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets.

Those in attendance are fanning themselves due to the heat, while taking turns shouting both “Nole!” and “Let’s go, Dominik!”

Djokovic won the first set of this best-of-three match, 7-5, and is up in the second set.

Ireland's Erin King lifts Emily Lane during a women's rugby sevens match against Britain at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Tuesday.

It helps to have good teammates, and this picture from the women’s rugby sevens action proves just that.

With Ireland 28-5 down to Team GB on Tuesday, Erin King saved Emily Lane from what would could have been a serious injury.

With just minutes left on the clock, Ireland’s King had lifted Lane into the air to catch a looping kick. The latter incredibly caught the ball but seemingly misjudged her jump and started to fall backwards.

Fortunately, King displayed superhuman strength to stop Lane from falling on her neck — and even managed to lift her back over her head to land upright.

The atmosphere was incredible at NZ House off the Champs-Élysées on Wednesday morning — the families of the Black Ferns Sevens, the all-conquering women’s rugby sevens double Olympic champions, were all here expecting the arrival of their team to carry on the celebration.

The gathered crowd watched and roared on triathlete Hayden Wilde in the closing stages of the men’s competition.

For so long, it looked as if he was going to claim yet another gold for the nation, leading from the front on the run, only for Team GB’s Alex Yee, the silver medal winner in Tokyo, to find something from nowhere and pull away on a sprint with 400m to go and take the gold.

While there was an initial silence at the disappointing turn of events, the crowd soon gave a cheer as their man took an Olympic silver medal, a massive accomplishment.

Huge admiration and respect as both he and Yee collapsed to the ground after crossing the line. Nothing more to give for these two athletes on what was a fantastic finish to the men’s race.

Britain's Alex Yee crosses the finish line to win the men's individual triathlon on Wednesday.

Team GB’s Alex Yee produced a sensational finish to take the lead of the men’s triathlon on the final bend and snatch the gold medal away from New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde.

Wilde had opened up a 15-second lead during the run, the third leg of the race, but Yee hunted him down spectacularly over the last 1.5 kilometers.

Yee adds the gold to the triathlon silver and mixed relay gold he won three years ago in Tokyo.

“I gave my best account of myself on the run,” Yee said of his performance.

“Triathlon racing for me has always been about racing through three events, not just the one, so I was really proud to be an animator in the race, put on a show, and hopefully people were able to enjoy,” Yee added.

It continues Team GB’s rich history in the event after Alistair Brownlee took gold in 2012 and 2016, with brother Jonathan adding bronze and silver, respectively.

Leo Bergere punched the air as he crossed the line, picking up a bronze medal for host nation France.

Pierre Le Corre, as French compatriot Emma Lombardi experienced in the women’s event earlier, was the unfortunate athlete to finish fourth.

This post was updated with quotes from Team GB’s Alex Yee.

A little more than three years after a shocking case of the “twisties” caused her to withdraw fromTeam USA’s attemptat defending its gymnastics team gold, Simone Biles is now the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history.

On Tuesday, she lead the US to victory in the women’s gymnastics team event, clinching her fifth Olympic gold medal, alongside Suni Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Hezly Rivera.

“This has just been an unbelievable week for her and for gymnastics,” British gymnast Nile Wilson, a bronze medalist at Rio 2016, told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies.

“She’s now the most decorated USA gymnast Olympian that there is. But for the sport, gymnastics, I’ve never witnessed anything like it,” he added.

“The buzz, the feel, the roar, the crowd. And she’s put on a performance — after the blip in Tokyo not only got back to standard, she stepped up the game even more. It’s historic.

“She’s adding an extra twist. She’s out in the next to somersault. But not just the floor, the package, the all-around. She’s been dominating for so long. She was born to do gymnastics and she’s a performer as well.

Here are some other opportunities to watchBiles compete at the Olympicsand possibly add to her medal count:

Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi were dominant from start to finish as they picked up gold for China in the women’s synchronized diving 10m platform, the country’s seventh straight Olympic gold medal in the event.

It was a historic morning as North Korea’s Jo Jin Mi and Kim Mi Rae secured the nation’s first ever Olympics diving medal with silver, while Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson’s bronze was Team GB’s first Olympic medal in this event.

Kim Ye-ji shoots during the Women's 10m Air Pistol Final in Chateauroux on July 28.

She’s impossibly cool, casually breaks world records and is the internet’s latest darling. And while her cap and futuristic glasses are merely functional accoutrements in the world of competitive shooting, they wouldn’t look out of place on a street style-inspired runway.

She’s Kim Ye-ji, the 31-year-old South Korean sharpshooter who has taken social media by storm following her appearance at theParis Olympics.

Kim won silver at the 10-meter air pistol event on Sunday, with her 19-year-old teammate Oh Ye-jin taking the gold.

But it was anolder video of Kim competing in Azerbaijan in May that went viral on X, formerly known as Twitter, gaining millions of views and a horde of new fans in just a few days.

In the video, Kim wears a backwards cap over her blunt bob, her steely gaze fixed on the target through a pair of shooting glasses — a piece of specialist eyewear that helps athletes focus on the target but also looks like something out of a science-fiction movie.

Read the whole story here.

Sweden's Truls Möregårdh, left, reacts after his win against China's Wang Chuqin, right, in a round of 32 table tennis game on Wednesday.

World No. 1 Wang Chuqin suffered a shock defeat in the men’s table tennis round of 32, losing 4-2 to Sweden’s Truls Möregårdh.

Chuqin had already picked up gold in Paris in the mixed doubles, but China’s hopes of making it five straight gold medals in the men’s singles now rest with world No. 2 Fan Zhendong, the Tokyo silver medalist.

“My opponent had some changes in his serves and I didn’t respond to them well enough,” Wang said after the match.

Asked if his playing with his backup bat affected him at all in the contest, Wang was resolute: “It’s because I wasn’t good enough today. It’s got nothing to do with the bat. I’ll reflect on this loss and come back strong for the team event.”

Athletes from North Korea and South Korea take a selfie after the Table Tennis Mixed Doubles medal matches in Paris on Tuesday.

Photos of North and South Korean table tennis players posing for a selfie on the medal podium have gotten people across the globe talking, with some hailing it as a show of rare cross border harmony.

South Korea won bronze and North Korea bagged silver in the mixed doubles, and South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon celebrated the occasion by whipping out a phone for a picture.

Why is this significant? The two Koreas are still technically at war. The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice, andno peace treaty has ever been signed.

In recent weeks, tensions in the Korean Peninsula have flared up over thousands of garbage-ladenballoonsPyongyang sent to South Korea, some of which have reached the grounds of the presidential compound in Seoul.

Some background: These Olympics have already seen some drama involving the two Koreas.

Olympicsorganizers have “deeply apologized” to South Korea over a “human error” that saw its 143 athletes wrongly introduced as North Korean at the opening ceremony.

The mishap occurred last Friday, when the South Korean athletes made their debut on a boat cruising down the River Seine. Both the French and English announcements falsely identified them as being from the “People’s Democratic Republic of Korea.”

That’s the incorrect full name of North Korea, which is officially known as the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”The official name of South Korea is the “Republic of Korea.”

French president Emmanuel Macron hailed the efforts of the city of Paris and regional authorities on Wednesday, as the triathlon competition got underway.

“Here we are!” said Macron in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, sharing a short video from the start of the women’s event.

“Thanks to massive investment by the French government, between Paris and the Val-de-Marne department, we have achieved in just 4 years what was impossible 100 years ago: the Seine is swimmable.”

Macron said this was a “fabulous legacy for the people of Île-de-France, who will be able to swim in it, and for biodiversity.”

Home favorite Cassandre Beaugrand won gold for France in the women’s race, while Marten Van Riel of Belgium leads the men’s race, which is currently on the cycling leg.

Athletes from Germany dive into the River Seine at the start of the men's triathlon on Wednesday.

The women’s triathlon went ahead earlier this morning in Paris, despite the overnight rain in the City of Light, as World Triathlon and Paris 2024 organizers decided the water quality was good enough for the athletes to swim in the River Seine amid E. coli concerns earlier in the week postponing the men’s race.

But the sun is shining and, after Cassandre Beaugrand won a dramatic gold medal to the delight of the home crowd, the men are off.

The conditions should prove a bit easier for the men than the women as slick streets from the rain caused crashes in the cycling portion of the race, which took out some competitors from contention.

Read more here about the decision to let the triathlon go ahead on Wednesday.

While the beach volleyball arena in front of the Eiffel Tower is rightly earning plaudits as one of the most beautiful venues in Olympic history, you’d be hard pressed to argue against the triathlon having the most scenic and picturesque route of these Games.

From the Arc de Triomphe and the Grand Palais to Invalides and Pont Alexandre III, the route took athletes through the heart of the city to some of the most “Instagrammable” sights.

We think you can agree when you see some of the pictures from the race.

France's Cassandre Beaugrand celebrates after winning the women's individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, on July 31, in Paris, France.

Bermuda's Flora Duffy (R) competes in the race during the women's individual triathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France on July 31.

Athletes compete compete in the swim leg of the women's individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, on July 31, in Paris, France.

Athletes compete in the cycling race during the women's individual triathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in central Paris on July 31.

Athletes dive into the water for the start of the women's individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, on July 31, in Paris, France.

France's Cassandre Beaugrand reacts after winning the gold medal at the end of the women's individual triathlon competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, on July 31, in Paris, France.

Cassandre Beaugrand has been crowned triathlon Olympic champion on home soil, roared across the finish line by a boisterous French crowd that breaks out into a rendition ‘La Marseillaise.’

She becomes the first French athlete in history to take triathlon gold at the Olympics.

Switzerland’s Julie Derron takes silver and Team GB’s Beth Potter, who competed in the 10,000m at Rio 2016 and only switched to triathlon from athletics in 2017, picks up bronze.

Beaugrand, who already has a mixed relay Olympic bronze medal from Tokyo 2020, crumples to the ground after she crosses the line, likely a combination of exhaustion and delight.

“If you would have asked me even this morning, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Beaugrand, who was born in Paris, said of being France’s first Olympic gold medalist in triathlon.

“I threw up this morning right before the start. I was in a total panic. I kept telling myself: ‘Cass, you can’t repeat what happened in Tokyo,’” she added, referring to her DNF three years ago.

“It’s magical, it’s the best route we’ve had in a long time and I know all the other athletes feel the same.

Emma Lombardi, Beaugrand’s compatriot, is also in tears. She was the unfortunate triathlete to finish fourth as she couldn’t keep up the pace towards the end.

Tokyo 2020 champion Flora Duffy of Bermuda tailed off towards the end of the run and finished fifth.

This post has been updated with additional details on the race and quotes from France’s Cassandre Beaugrand.

Defending triathlon champion Flora Duffy has fallen away from the leading pack as they enter the final lap of the 10km run.

Switzerland’s Julie Derron, France’s Emma Lombardi and Cassandre Beaugrand, and Team GB’s Beth Potter are well out in front and will battle it out for a place on the podium.

What a race ending we have on our hands!

Italy's Verena Steinhauser rides past a fallen athlete during the women's individual triathlon on July 31.

The wet roads around Paris this morning have caused problems for athletes in the women’s triathlon.

In the cycling portion of the race, several athletes fell off their bikes after slipping on the slippery roads.

Vittoria Lopes of Brazil was among the leaders when she fell but is now out of contention.

Defending champion Flora Duffy of Bermuda is still battling it out with the leading pack alongside home favorites Emma Lombardi and Cassandre Beaugrand, who are receiving plenty of support from the fans lining the streets.

A Team USA triathlete has revealed he has avoided washing his hands after going to the bathroom in the lead up to the Olympics to expose his body to increasedE. coliahead of his planned swim in the River Seine.

Seth Rider made the revelation speaking to reporters on July 27, where he also admitted he wasn’t worried about possibleE. coliexposure as he had swum in the Seine for a triathlon trial last year and not gotten sick.

The men’s triathlon waspostponed on Tuesday morningdue to poor water quality levels in the River Seine, worsened by heavy rains in Paris over the weekend, and has been rescheduled to Wednesday after the women’s event, which is currently underway on the Parisian streets.

Athletes compete in the swimming race in the Seine during the women's individual triathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in central Paris on July 31.

Competition has officially begun in the women’s triathlon, with athletes swimming in the River Seine.

Poor water quality levels in the river prompted the cancellation of numerous training sessions and ultimately forced the postponement of the men’s triathlon, which had been slated for Tuesday.

The men’s triathlon is scheduled to follow the women’s event on Wednesday at 10:45 a.m. in the French capital.

This picture taken on July 29, shows the SeineRiverin Paris, France.

The women’s and men’s Olympic triathlons will go ahead on Wednesday in the French capital, Paris 2024 organizers and World Triathlon announced.

Poor water quality levels in the River Seine had led to the cancellation of numerous training swims andforced the postponement of the men’s triathlon, which was scheduled for Tuesday.

“The stakeholders involved have confirmed that the women’s and the men’s triathlons will go ahead as planned on 31 July at 8 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. respectively,” Paris 2024 and World Triathlon said.

“The results of the latest water analyses, received at 3:20 a.m., have been assessed as compliant by World Triathlon allowing for the triathlon competitions to take place.”

Some background:The decision to hold some swimming events in the river raised eyebrows when it was first announced. Swimming in the Seine has been illegal for a century.

About $1.5 billion (1.4 billion Euros) was spent trying to clean up the river ahead of the Games.Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo swam in the river earlierthis month to display her confidence in the river’s water quality.

China's Wang Chuqin, second left, and Sun Yingsha sing their country's national anthem during the medal ceremony for table tennis in Paris, on July 30.

A total of 11 gold medals were awarded on Tuesday, across several different sports.

Here’s a look at who took home the gold:

Artistic Gymnastics

Fencing

Judo

Rugby Sevens

Shooting

Swimming

Table Tennis

Keep track of the full medal count here.

Simone Biles competes on the vault at Bercy Arena in Paris, on July 30.

Simone Biles won her eighth Olympic medal on Tuesday in the women’s team finals — becoming the most decorated American gymnast of all time.

But she’s not done yet.

Here are some other opportunities to watch Bile’s compete at the Olympics and possibly add to her medal count:

Spectators are cooled by misting fans at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Hotel de Ville, in Paris, France, on July 30.

The high temperature in Paris Tuesday afternoon hit 97 degrees (or 36 degrees Celsius), making it the hottest day in the French capital since July 2022.

Temperatures will remain above average in Paris for the remainder of the week, but slowly decline each day, finally reaching values closer to normal — around 79 degrees Fahrenheit or 26 degrees Celsius— by the weekend.

Today is expected to see a high temperature near 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius).

A little more than three years after a shocking case of the “twisties” caused her to withdraw fromTeam USA’s attemptat defending its gymnastics team gold, Simone Biles was back under the bright lights of an Olympic final.

The team cruised through the events and took home the gold Tuesday. It marks Biles’ eighth at a Games, more than any other American in history.

If you missed the action yesterday, here’s a recap of some of the highlights:

Simone Biles of Team USA competes in the Artistic Gymnastics during the Women's Team Final on day 4 of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Bercy Arena on July 30, in Paris, France.

It was the momenteveryone’s been waiting for, and it lived up to the hype.

A little more than three years after a shocking case of the “twisties” caused her to withdraw fromTeam USA’s attemptat defending its gymnastics team gold, Simone Biles was back under the bright lights of an Olympic final.

The Americans entered the day asthe favoritesafter cruising through qualifying on Sunday, finishing five points clear of the Italian and Chinese teams. They had much the same experience on Tuesday as they recaptured their gold medal in dominant fashion.

In case you missed the action, here are some takeaways from Team USA’s golden performance:

A record 139 current and former basketball players will represent their nations at the Paris Olympic Games, including LeBron James, Brittney Griner and South Sudanese MVP Nuni Omot — who helped his country qualify for its first Olympic basketball appearance.

Legends and newcomers will compete for gold this summer, with the men’s and women’s 5-on-5 competitions featuring a record 81 and 51 players, respectively, according to a press statement from both leagues.

The men’s and women’s 3-on-3 tournaments will include one former NBA player, three current WNBA players and three former WNBA players.

The US will feature the most current NBA players, followed by Canada with 10, Australia with nine and France with five.