NBC’s coverage of the field part of track and field has been suss (as the kids say). I did manage to catch the hammer throw, which doesn’t actually involve a hammer. It’s more like a string with a ball attached at the end.
After the 4x400m, the high jump is my jam. Unfortunately, NBC only covered the gold and silver medalist. Yaroslava Mahuchikh won Team Ukraine’s first gold medal in the high jump. Incidentally, she crawls up into a sleeping bag and lies down in between her jumps. Silver medalist Nicola Olyslagers from Team Australia immediately rates herself in her journal as soon as she completes a jump. I’ll have to go back to Peacock to watch the whole competition to see if the other athletes have curious in between jump rituals.
NBC also failed to adequately cover the triple jump, where history was made twice. Thea LaFond won the gold medal in this event, giving Team Dominica its first ever Olympic medal. Jasmine Moore’s bronze medal gave Team USA’s first ever Olympic medal in the triple jump.
The marquee event for track and field was the men’s 100m. Well, Noah Lyles did what he said (over and over and over) he came to do. By five thousandths of a second, he won Team USA’s first gold medal in this event since Justin Gatlin did in 2004.
Over in Bercy Arena, Kaylia Nemour’s gold medal win on uneven bars not only gave Team Algeria its first gold medal in gymnastics, but her win also represents the first time any African nation has won a medal in gymnastics. Don’t worry, this morning’s events will be covered in tomorrow’s recap with all of the other events from today.
For an event that I don’t even like, I sure do talk about equestrian dressage a lot. But I have to say, one of the highlights of my day was watching a dressage routine set to Gin and Juice.
Yesterday’s races concluded the swimming portion of these Olympic games. The good news: Bobby Finke won his second gold medal in the 1500m freestyle and set a new world record. Bobby’s win represents Team USA’s first back-to-back win in this event since 1968/1972.
More good news: Team USA won the gold medal in the women’s 4x100m medley and set a new world record.
Even more good news: Katie Ledecky leaves these Olympic games as Team USA’s most decorated Olympic athlete ever.
Not so good news: Team China’s gold medal win in the men’s 4x100m medley relay unseated Team USA as the only winners in this event since its introduction to the Olympics in 1960 (with the exception of 1980 when Team USA boycotted the Moscow Games). Team USA did go home with the silver medal though.
Lastly, Team Belgium had to pull out of the mixed relay triathlon after one its members got sick after swimming in the Seine. This is after Team Switzerland had to replace one of its athletes for the same reason. Neither athletes’ illness can be directly tied to the Seine but still…