Thomas sweeps to Olympic sprint gold, boxer in row moves into final
American sprinter Gabby Thomas said she was in "disbelief" after roaring to the women's 200 metres title at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, while controversial Algerian boxer Imane Khelif won her latest fight to move into the gold-medal bout.
Thomas' storming run under the lights at the Stade de France gave her the first major title of her career as she held off the newly crowned 100m champion Julien Alfred of St Lucia, who won silver.
Meanwhile Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez made Olympic history when he became the first athlete to win five consecutive individual gold medals in the same event.
How it started โ๏ธ how it's going.
โ The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 6, 2024
Five Olympics, five golds, one Mijain Lopez. ๐จ๐บ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ pic.twitter.com/Mqo40yoyaM
Lopez, who turns 42 in two weeks' time, defeated Chile's Yasmani Acosta in the final of the 130kg Greco-Roman final.
With his victory, Lopez broke a tie for four successive individual Olympic golds he shared with Carl Lewis (athletics/long jump), Michael Phelps (swimming/200m medley), Katie Ledecky (swimming/800m freestyle), Al Oerter (athletics/discus), Paul Elvstrom (sailing) and Kaori Icho (wrestling).
In the basketball quarterfinals, LeBron James and his USA teammates eased past Brazil, winning 122-87 with Devin Booker top-scoring with 18 points and Anthony Edwards adding 17 points.
Easy Money.
โ USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 6, 2024
Congratulations to KD on becoming the all-time leading scorer in U.S. Olympic history.
๐บ๐ธ #USABMNT #Paris2024 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/xlJnegeWmA
They face Serbia next who fought back from 24 points down to edge Australia 95-90 in a remarkable win in overtime thanks mainly to three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic's late efforts.
CLOSER TO GOLD
Khelif, who was embroiled in a major gender controversy, won her semifinal to guarantee at least a silver medal in front of a Roland Garros crowd that chanted her name.
She defeated Thailand's 2023 world silver medallist Janjaem Suwannapheng in a unanimous points decision to progress into Friday's final in the women's 66kg category.
OFF TO THE FINAL !
โ Algeria FC (@Algeria_FC) August 6, 2024
๐ฉ๐ฟ Imane Khelif with a resounding victory to continue her march towards the gold medal
We keep moving ๐คซ pic.twitter.com/yIKNEfqFvg
The International Boxing Association disqualified Khelif and another boxer, Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, from last year's world championships after failing gender eligibility tests.
The boxing competition in the French capital is run by the International Olympic Committee because of concerns about the way the IBA were running the sport.
The IOC cleared the two boxers to fight and Lin is also guaranteed a medal.
Ireland's Kellie Harrington meanwhile won the first boxing gold of these Games when she retained her 60kg title before leading her fans in a wild celebration.
Memories to cherish for a lifetime ๐ฎ๐ช๐
โ Sport Ireland (@sportireland) August 6, 2024
Kellie Harrington strikes GOLD again ๐ฅ๐ฅ
Our first Irish female Olympian to win back-to-back gold medals at successive Olympic Games.
Comhghairdeas ๐#TeamIreland #OlympicGames #Paris2024 #boxing #Ireland @IABABOXINGโฆ pic.twitter.com/nMFSmjEYwn
TAKING INSPIRATION
Thomas became the first American woman to win an Olympic short sprint title since her childhood idol Allyson Felix won the 200m at the 2012 London Games.
She pulled away from Alfred to win in 21.83sec, with her USA teammate Brittany Brown claiming bronze.
USA, USA, USA ๐บ๐ธ
โ Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) August 6, 2024
Gabrielle Thomas dominates the 200m final at #Paris2024 and wins Olympic gold ๐ฅ
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USA, USA, USA ๐บ๐ธ
Gabrielle Thomas domine la finale du 200m ร #Paris2024 et remporte lโor Olympique ๐ฅ pic.twitter.com/HeCCvdDEzE
"I'm really in disbelief because having an Olympic gold medal is something in my wildest dreams. But at the same time I know how hard I've fought for it," said Thomas, who said had taken inspiration from watching teammates Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson, and even Alfred in the men's and women's 100m at the weekend.
There were no complaints from Alfred about missing out on a sprint double.
"I did feel ready for the 200m tonight," she said. "I feel good, no complaints at all."
It is the first time since the 1976 Montreal Games that no Jamaican sprinters have made the podium of either the women's 100m or 200m.
In a major track and field upset, American Cole Hocker produced a remarkable surge in the home straight to carry him past pre-race favourites Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr to win the men's 1 500m.
COLE HOCKER WINS OLYMPIC GOLD ๐ฅ
โ Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 6, 2024
He shocks the world in the 1500m!#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/Bg1AnabaYP
US V BRAZIL IN WOMEN'S FINAL
The United States and Brazil will do battle for the gold medal in women's football after claiming contrasting wins in Tuesday's last-four ties against Germany and World Cup holders Spain respectively.
The USA, record four-time women's football gold medallists, are still on course to win the title for the first time since 2012 after beating Germany 1-0 in extra time in Lyon, with Sophia Smith scoring the only goal.
Brazil reached their first Olympic final since 2008 by thrashing the reigning world champions 4-2 in Marseille.
THE SUMMER OF SOPH.
โ U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) August 6, 2024
Smith has been directly involved in a goal in four of the USAโs five matches at the 2024 Olympics ๐บ๐ธ pic.twitter.com/60O6MDH8EH
In other developments, the decision of organisers to cancel a "familiarisation session" for marathon swimmers on Tuesday raised questions as to why triathletes were allowed to swim in the Seine the previous day.
Organisers said Tuesday they were "very confident" that the women's and men's 10-kilometre swimming events would take place in the river this week as scheduled.
The United States top the medals table with 24 golds, two ahead of China while Australia have 13.
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