Paris 2024 Olympics Day 1 Recap and Highlights – July 27
Osaka Out Early
Naomi Osaka, who fell in the third round at the Tokyo Olympics, was eliminated even earlier this time. She lost to Angelique Kerber in the first round of singles play. Kerber, who won silver in 2016, plans to retire after the games.
USA Beach Volleyball Wins
The No. 2 women’s beach volleyball team, Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss, beat the Canadian team in their first match. They’ll face Australia next.
Men’s Volleyball Dominates
The US men’s volleyball team easily defeated Argentina in straight sets. They’ll take on Germany in their next pool play match.
Gymnastics Qualifying Wraps Up
After 11 hours of competition, the US men qualified fifth for the team final. They’ll likely battle Great Britain and Ukraine for bronze.
| Gymnast | Event |
|---|---|
| Frederick Richard | All-around final |
| Paul Juda | All-around final |
| Stephen Nedoroscik | Pommel horse final (gold medal favorite) |
Swimming Medals Awarded
In the pool, Ariarne Titmus won gold in the 400m freestyle, becoming the first swimmer in nearly 100 years to win the event twice. Katie Ledecky earned bronze, her 11th Olympic medal. She’s now just two away from being the most decorated American female Olympian ever.
The US men won gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay, their first swimming gold of the games. Australia took silver and Italy got bronze.
Nadal and Alcaraz Advance
The highly anticipated Spanish duo of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz won their first doubles match. They’ll face the winners of Griekspoor/Koolhof vs. Fucsovics/Marozsan next.
Gauff and Pegula Cruise
Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula easily handled their doubles opponents from Australia. The No. 1 seeds will play the winners of Alexandrova/Vesnina vs. Muchova/Noskova in the next round.
Walsh Breaks Olympic Record
During the women’s 100m butterfly semifinals, American Gretchen Walsh set a new Olympic record with a time of 55.38. The crowd went wild! She’ll have a chance to win her first individual Olympic medal in Sunday’s final.
And there were so many more incredible moments and stories from the first day of competition. Like:
- France ending Fiji’s gold medal streak in rugby sevens
- Tennis legend Billie Jean King firing up the crowd at Roland Garros
- The US men’s soccer team scoring three goals in the first 30 minutes against New Zealand
- A potential Nadal vs. Djokovic showdown looming in men’s tennis
- Gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik delivering a stellar pommel horse routine in qualifying
- Iga Swiatek winning her opening round match as she goes for gold on clay
- Diver Tom Daley spotted knitting a Paris 2024 themed jumper in the stands
But the Olympics aren’t just about the triumphs. There are also heartbreaks and challenges. Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi, who was his country’s flag bearer, lost his wedding ring in the Seine River during the opening ceremony. He’s hoping it will be a good omen to “return home with an even bigger gold!”
Several US men’s basketball players have been battling an illness ahead of their opening game against Serbia. Coach Steve Kerr is hopeful the full roster will be ready.
And some cyclists had critiques of the road and mountain biking courses. But hey, nobody said going for gold would be easy, right?
The Fans Bring the Energy
One thing that’s already clear is that the fans are excited to be at the Olympics. At the swimming venue, there were air horns, drums, flags, and even an inflatable kangaroo. The Ledecky vs. Titmus showdown really got them going.
The US men’s gymnastics team had quite the cheering squad too, with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden in the stands decked out in red, white, and blue alongside LA Mayor Karen Bass, basketball coach Dawn Staley, and 1984 gold medalist Bart Conner.
After the meet, the gymnasts even got to meet Dr. Biden. “That was pretty sick,” said Frederick Richard. “I did not expect today that I would meet the First Lady. But I’m grateful for the opportunity and I’m glad they were watching.”
More to Come
The first medals have been awarded, with China and South Korea winning the first gold and silver in mixed air rifle. Kazakhstan earned the first bronze. The US got on the board with a silver in women’s synchronized 3m springboard.
But this is only the beginning. There’s so much more excitement to come as the world’s best athletes chase their Olympic dreams.
