Paris Olympics is full steam ahead in its final week of events

Adam Pretty/Getty Images

The U.S. women's water polo team advanced to the semifinal round as it looks to claim its fourth straight Olympic gold medal. The team defeated Hungary 5-4 on Tuesday, and will now advance to the semifinal against Australia on Thursday.

Goal keeper Ashleigh Johnson saved 17 shots —a tournament-high — stopping 81% of Hungary’s attempts. Meanwhile, Rachel Fattal scored the goal to put the Americans over one point at the end of the game.

NBA veteran Kevin Durant climbed to the top of U.S. basketball historic leaderboard on Tuesday, breaking the record for most points scored by an American player.

Durant passed women's star Lisa Leslie for the mark during the U.S.'s 122-87 quarterfinal victory against Brazil on Tuesday.

Durant’s basket with 3:06 left in the third quarter gave him six points in the game and 489 in his four Olympic appearances. Leslie finished her four Olympic appearances with 488 points and four gold medals. Durant had11 points in the game, so the new record is 494 — and counting.

Durant is bidding to become the first men’s player in Olympic history with four golds after being part of the U.S. teams that won titles at London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016 and the Tokyo Games that were held three years ago.

He’s one of only five U.S. players with at least 300 points in Olympic competition, joining Leslie, WNBA career scoring leader Diana Taurasi (416 entering the U.S. women’s quarterfinal game Wednesday), the retired Carmelo Anthony (336) and James, who is presumably playing in the Olympics for the final time and entered Tuesday with 316 points in his four appearances.

Durant is also the U.S. career men’s leader in rebounds in Olympic play, entering Tuesday with 126. He secured that record in the group-stage finale Saturday against Puerto Rico, his four rebounds in that game allowing him to pass both Anthony (125) and David Robinson (124) for the top spot there.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

The U.S. men's basketball team blew past brazil in the quarterfinal 122-87 on Tuesday but veteran superstar LeBron James had to come out of the game after taking an elbow to the face.

James was seen with a wound near his left eye after the hit from Brazil's Georginho de Paula in the third quarter. James returned to the sidelines by the end of the fourth quarter. However, he did not return to the game.

James needed four stitches after the game, U.S. head coach Steve Kerr told reporters. James told reporters that he is "okay."

James played just 17 minutes, collecting 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, nine assists, three steals and three rebounds. The U.S. is now 4-0 in Paris after outscoring its opponents by an average of 24.75 points.

James and company will get a rematch with Serbia and two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić in the semifinal. The U.S. defeated Serbia in group play 110-84.

Serbia advanced to the semifinals after overcoming a 24-point deficit in a 95-90 win over Australia.

The U.S. women's national soccer team will play Brazil in the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics. After the U.S. defeated Germany 1-0 in the semifinal on a Sophia Smith extra-time goal on Tuesday, Brazil defeated Spain 4-2 to meet the Americans in the final.

The two teams will meet for a chance at Olympic gold on Saturday.

Despite its four gold medals, the most of any team in the Olympics, the U.S. has missed out on the finals at the last two Olympic tournaments. The U.S. was eliminated in the quarterfinals in 2016 in Rio and relegated to the bronze medal match at the Tokyo Games three years ago.But the U.S. now has a chance to reclaim the gold for the fifth time in USWNT history. 

On Brazil's side veteran forwar Marta will play in what is most likely her final attempt at an Olympic gold after being suspended for two games after a red card in the group stage. Marta has two silver medals with Brazil's national team, both coming after losses to the U.S. women's team, at the 2004 Athens Games and again at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Annette Nneka Echikunwoke became the first American woman to medal in the hammer throw, winning silver in Tuesday’s final with a season best of 76.48 meters. 

North America swept the top spots on the podium after Canada’s Camryn Rogers came in first with a throw of 76.97 meters. 

Tuesday’s victory carried special meaning for Echikunwoke after she was unable to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for Nigeria, where her parents are originally from, because of a testing protocol error by the African Federation of Nigeria (AFN). 

Echikunwoke qualified for Paris after stunning the field to win at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Gabby Thomas was golden Monday night.

Thomas finished first in the women’s 200-meter race with a time of 21.83, defeating St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred and Team USA teammate Brittany Brown at the  Paris Olympics. Alfred finished at 22.08 and Brown finished at 22.20. American McKenzie Long finished seventh with a time of 22.42.

“The only thing I needed to do was get the lead. Get the lead and then finish strong,” Thomas said after the race. “And I did that.”

Thomas will have another chance to medal as part of the 4x100-meter relay team, which could be in the final Saturday.

Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images

Another milestone has been reached by an American Olympian this week: 20-year-old Amit Elor has become the youngest American Olympian to win a gold medal in wrestling with her victory in the 68 kg women's freestyle final on Tuesday. 

She beat opponent Meerim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan 3-0 to claim the top spot on the podium. According to USA Today, the win marked 41 consecutive victories for Elor at the international level. 

This isn’t new territory for the promising young wrestler. She is a two-time World Champion in the women’s 72 kg division and her gold medal in 2022 made her the youngest U.S. World Champion at just 18-years-old.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said Tuesday he will boycott the Paris Olympics’ closing ceremony over a scoring decision in the women's gymnastics floor final. 

Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu had initially clinched the bronze medal for floor on Monday and began celebrating on the mat. But then U.S. coaches appealed to judges over Jordan Chiles’ score, and a review resulted in a 0.1-point increase, which moved Chiles ahead of Barbosu for the bronze medal. 

Barbosu was then left off the podium. She was holding a Romanian flag when she looked up and saw the scoring change on the board. Just then, she dropped the flag, covered her face with her hands and walked away in tears.

This is an excerpt from a report by Jackson Thompson.

Cole Hocker is going home with a gold medal after pulling off a huge upset to win the men’s 1500-meter final, setting an Olympic record in the process.

The 23-year-old Indiana native was vying for second and third place until the final stretch of the race when he broke through to pull past Josh Kerr of Great Britain and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigsten. He earned the gold medal with an official time of 3:27.65 – a new Olympic record. 

But Team USA’s dominance in the event didn’t end there. Yared Nuguse also came from behind to earn the bronze medal with a personal best of 3:27.80. Their victories on Tuesday mark the first time the U.S. has had two medalists in the men’s 1500m in over a century.

John Todd/ISI/Getty Images

The U.S. women’s soccer team stepped back on to the pitch after a goalless first half against Germany in their semifinal match on Tuesday. The Americans had six shots, but were unable to convert on any of those changes in the first 45 minutes. 

USWNT is undefeated in the Olympics so far. They are one win away for a chance to earn a fifth gold medal. They previously defeated the German squad 4-1 in the group stage. 

Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

British swim star Adam Peaty picked up a silver medal at the Paris Olympics last week but his time at the Summer Games appears to have left him dissatisfied.

Peaty said the food at the Olympic Village left athletes wanting more and others have been grossed out by what they found.

"The catering isn’t good enough for the level the athletes are expected to perform," Peaty told U.K.’s iNews. "We need to give the best we possibly can. Tokyo the food was incredible. Rio was incredible. But this time around? There wasn’t enough protein options, long queues, waiting 30 minutes for food because there’s no queueing system."

Peaty added that the Paris Games’ hopes of being as sustainable as possible has affected the food. The Guardian reported that 60% of the meals served are meatless and at least 33% plant-based.

"I like my fish and people are finding worms in the fish. It’s just not good enough. The standard, we’re looking at the best of the best in the world, and we’re not feeding them the best," he added.

This is an excerpt from a report by Ryan Gaydos.

Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

The United States men’s basketball team is just two games away from competing in the gold medal game, but first they will take on Brazil in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Action is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET. 

Tuesday began with a 76-63 win for the reigning World Cup champion Germany over NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece. Three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Serbia followed that game with an overtime victory over Australia. 

Serbia will face the winner of the U.S. vs Brazil match on Thursday. 

But first, a Victor Wembanyama-led France will take on Canada at noon eastern. 

The quarterfinals include four marquee games featuring 15 current or former NBA All-Stars with a combined 97 selections among them.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

The United States failed to go back-to-back in the women's 3x3 basketball tournament, and one of the star players is blaming the referees.

The Americans dropped their Olympic semifinal matchup against Spain, who eventually lost to Germany in the gold medal game; the USA earned bronze by defeating Canada.

But gold for America in basketball is almost a given: In normal basketball, the men have won 16 golds in 20 appearances, while the women are 9-for-12 (one silver, one bronze).

That was not the case here. While the women earned gold when the 3x3 tournament debuted in Tokyo in 2021, they fell short this year.

TCU's Hailey Van Lith, who transferred to the Horned Frogs after starring for LSU this past season, took her shot after dropping eight points in the semifinal.

"This was 1,000% BS. Those refs wanted the U.S. to lose," she said after the game. "They were flopping left and right. They are not that good. Great job, ladies, we know who should have won."

This is an excerpt from a report by Ryan Morik.

Sam Watson’s quest for a gold medal is off to a solid start in the final week of the Paris Olympics.

The 18-year-old Texas native is competing in his first Olympics after winning gold at the Pan American Games. On Tuesday, he smashed his previous world record time of 4.79 set at the Wujiang World Cup in April.

He advanced to the quarterfinals on Thursday with an official time of 4.75 seconds in an elimination heat.

GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images

The United States women’s soccer team is gearing up for a semifinal match against Germany on Tuesday, with the action slated to begin at noon. 

USWNT is undefeated in the Olympics so far, and is making a good case for a comeback following an early exit from the Women’s World Cup in 2023. They advanced to the semifinal after going undefeated in the group stage matches, which included a 4-1 win over Germany. 

Their biggest challenge came in the quarters against Japan. Trinity Rodman scored the game's only goal in stoppage time in the first extra period.

The United States is the winningest team ever in the Olympics with four gold medals. They have allowed opponents just two goals, fewest of the teams remaining in France.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Ducks swim along the Seine River in front of the Eiffel Tower during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Paris. (AP)

Concerns over the Seine River’s water quality forced the cancellation of an Olympic marathon swim test run on Tuesday.

World Aquatics decided to cancel the exercise run in an early morning meeting, spokesperson Torin Koos said. Fluctuating bacteria levels in the polluted waterway have been a thorn in the sides of the Paris Olympics officials. Another test event is set for Wednesday and organizers will decide early that morning whether it will occur.

The women’s marathon swim is set for Thursday and the men are scheduled to race Friday.Officials said the water quality ranged between “very good” and “good” levels on Monday as the triathlon mixed relay event was held in the river.

“However, Enterococci levels exceeded World Aquatics maximum thresholds during the morning review,” officials said.

Belgium pulled out of the mixed team event after one swimmer who competed in the women’s triathlon event fell ill.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FILE - Coach Rana Reider gestures during a training session in the Stadio dei Marmi ahead of an athletics meeting in Rome, May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

The American coach of Canadian and Italian Olympic champions was removed from the Paris Games on Monday.

Rana Reider, who was the coach for Canada’s Andre De Grasse and Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, was investigated for alleged sexual misconduct by the U.S. Center for SafeSport and placed on one-year probation. The probation ended in May.

He was accredited for this year’s Olympics through the Canadian Olympic Committee for his personal coaching of De Grasse. He’s also the personal coach of Jacobs. Both De Grasse and Jacobs have gold medals on their resumes.

“The decision to provide him with that access was based on the understanding that his probation with the U.S. Center for SafeSport ended in May this year, that he had no other suspensions or sanctions, and otherwise met our eligibility requirements,” the Canadian Olympic Committee said.

“On Sunday August 4th we learned of new information about the appropriateness of Mr. Reider remaining accredited by Team Canada at the Paris 2024 Games. In discussion with Athletics Canada, it was agreed that Mr. Reider’s accreditation be revoked.”

De Grasse will not have his coach when he attempts to defend his gold in the 200 semifinals on Wednesday and Thursday. Jacobs will try to defend Italy’s gold in the 4x100 relay.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Dimeo van der Horst (13), and Worthy de Jong (54) of the Netherlands, celebrate the team's 18-17 overtime win against France after a men's 3x3 basketball gold medal game during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The Big3 Basketball League, co-founded by Ice Cube, challenged the Netherlands’ men’s 3x3 basketball team on Monday after the Dutch squad won a gold medal.

“We officially challenge @3x3nl to a game vs the BIG3 All Stars in Boston on August 18th. All travel expenses will be paid for. Winner takes home $150,000,” the league said in a post on X.

The Netherlands narrowly defeated France for the top prize at the Paris Olympics. Worthy de Jong’s 2-pointer in overtime gave the Dutch an 18-17 victory. He finished with seven points.

“I started to feel like that kid that fell in love with basketball all over again,” de Jong said. “So to go from there to this right now, that just shows that if you work hard and if you enjoy what you do, a lot of things are possible."

He said he hoped the win will bring more interest to 3x3 basketball in the country.

“Before 3x3 basketball, we were never in a position to make it to the Olympics or even make it to a world championship,” de Jong said. “So to be here and get a gold medal, I hope it shows how beautiful the sport is and inspires a lot of players and kids to go on this journey.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A whale breaches during the semifinal round of the surfing competition between Brisa Hennessy, of Costa Rica, and Tatiana Weston-Webb, of Brazil, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

The Paris Olympics surfing competition had been ripe for great photos – as Gabriel Medina showed the world last week just how viral a single snap can be.

But that photograph had a formidable challenger on Monday.

A photo from the Associated Press showed a whale breach while the competition was taking place. The animal is common around this time in waters near Tahiti as they gather around the islands during mating, birthing and migration season.

Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb and Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy were competing a safe distance away.

Pacific indigenous leaders, including some in Tahiti, signed a treaty to recognize whales as “legal persons.” However, the declaration isn’t reflected in the laws of participating nations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Scottie Scheffler of The United States poses with his gold medal on day nine of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Le Golf National on August 04, 2024 in Paris, France.

The United States and China are battling it out for the most gold medals at the Paris Olympics.

And as of this post on Tuesday morning, both countries are tied with 21 gold medals.

The Americans are crushing the rest of the field with 79 total medals. The team also has 30 silver medals and 28 bronze medals to its tally.

Below are the U.S. gold medalists.

Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong and Caeleb Dressel as part of the men’s swimming 4x100 freestyle relay team.

Torri Huske in the women’s’ swimming 100-meter butterfly.

Lee Kiefer in women’s fencing individual foil.

Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee, Jade Cary and Hezly Rivera as part of the women's gymnastics team final.

Katie Ledecky in the women's swimming 1,500-meter freestyle.

Nicholas Mead, Justin Best, Michael Grady and Liam Corrigan in the men’s rowing four final.

Simone Biles in the women’s gymnastics all-around final.

Kate Douglass in the women's 200-meter breaststroke.

Women's fencing team foil

Vincent Hancock in men's skeet shooting.

Simone Biles in women's gymnastics vault.

Ryan Crouser in men's shot put.

Katie Ledecky in women's swimming 800-meter freestyle.

Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske in mixed swimming 4x100 medley relay.

Scottie Scheffler in men's golf.

Kristen Faulkner in women's cycling road race.

Bobby Finke in men's swimming 1,500-meter freestyle.

Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske in women's swimming.

Noah Lyles in men's 100-meter sprint.

Valarie Allman in women's discus.

Caroline Marks in women's surfing. 

Caroline Marks, of the United States, turns on a wave in the semifinals of the surfing competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Teahupo'o, Tahiti. (Ben Thouard/Pool Photo via AP)

Caroline Marks picked up gold in the women’s surfing match at the Paris Olympics on Monday night. Marks scored higher than Brazil’s Tatiana Weston-Webb in Tahiti to win the top prize.

It was the Florida native’s first Olympic medal of her career. She was the youngest surfer to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but the competition was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, Marks can call herself an Olympic champion.

“Your whole life goes into a moment like this,” Marks said. “It’s beyond all my wildest dreams.”

France’s Johanne Defay won a bronze medal over Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.