Paris 2024 Olympics Day 11 Recap and Highlights – August 6
Team USA Men’s Basketball Advances to Semifinals
The US men’s basketball team had an impressive 122-87 victory over Brazil in the quarterfinals. This was the most points scored by the US team in an Olympic game since 2012. Devin Booker led the team with 18 points.
Some notable fans were in attendance to cheer on Team USA, including:
- Rapper Snoop Dogg
- WNBA star A’ja Wilson
The US team now moves on to face Serbia in the semifinals. The two teams have faced each other three times before in the Olympics, with the US winning all three matchups.
American Wrestlers and Boxers Earn Medals
In women’s freestyle wrestling, 20-year-old Amit Elor became the youngest woman ever to win Olympic gold in the sport. She defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Meerim Zhumanazarova 3-0 in the 68kg final.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old American boxer Omari Jones earned a bronze medal in the welterweight division. He lost a close 3-2 split decision in the semifinals to Uzbekistan’s Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev.
Historic Performances in Track and Field
There were several groundbreaking performances by American track and field athletes:
Gabby Thomas won gold in the women’s 200m with a time of 21.83 seconds. She edged out 100m gold medalist Julien Alfred of St. Lucia. American Brittany Brown took bronze.
In the hammer throw, Annette Nneka Echikunwoke became the first American woman to medal in the event, winning silver.
Cole Hocker pulled off a stunning upset to win gold in the men’s 1500m. His winning time of 3:27.65 set a new Olympic record. American Yared Nuguse earned bronze.
Other exciting track moments included:
| Athlete | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone | 400m Hurdles (Semifinal) | Won heat by 1.5 seconds |
| Michael Norman | 400m (Semifinal) | 2nd place (44.26 seconds) |
| Quincy Hall | 400m (Semifinal) | 1st place (43.95 seconds) |
Extra Time Goal Puts USWNT in Gold Medal Match
The US Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) defeated Germany in extra time of their semifinal match. Sophia Smith scored the game-winning goal just five minutes into the extra period, off an assist from Mallory Swanson.
The USWNT is seeking its first Olympic gold medal since 2012. This will be their first appearance in the gold medal match since the London Games.
Unique Spectator at Surfing Competition
While fans watched the surfing competition from the beach and on TV, the semifinalists had an unexpected visitor – a whale! The massive marine mammal could be seen splashing around not far from where the surfers were competing.
Youngest Athlete Competes in Skateboarding
At just 11 years old, Chinese skateboarder Zheng Haohao became the youngest competitor at the Paris Olympics. Zheng competed in the women’s park skateboarding prelims, but did not advance to the final.
Despite her historic appearance, Zheng was unfazed, saying: “Skateboarding in the Olympic Games isn’t much different from skateboarding in my neighborhood. It’s just more spectators.”
Other Notable Moments
Australian basketball star Patty Mills hit a clutch shot to send his team’s quarterfinal against Serbia to overtime. However, Serbia prevailed 95-90 to advance to the semifinals.
American speed climber Sam Watson set a new world record of 4.75 seconds in the qualifying rounds.
Concerns over water quality in the Seine River led to the cancellation of a test run for marathon swimmers.
American hurdler Freddie Crittenden advanced through the repechage (second chance) round after strategically jogging his preliminary heat to rest a minor injury.
The coach of star sprinters Andre De Grasse and Marcell Jacobs was ejected from the Olympics due to an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct.
