Shankul Bhandare
The Olympics kicked off with a full day of action at Paris 2024, and day two promises even more excitement.
Simone Biles is set to make her much-anticipated return in women’s gymnastics after dealing with ‘the twisties’ at the Tokyo Games. Meanwhile, the Seine’s water quality continues to disrupt the triathlon events, with practice cancelled on Sunday due to pollution following heavy rain in the city.
Team GB is on the medal board, thanks to Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen, who secured a bronze in diving under dramatic circumstances. In the pool, it could be a historic day as Adam Peaty has advanced to the final of the men’s 100m breaststroke, aiming for his third consecutive Olympic gold. French star Leon Marchand will also compete at La Defense Arena.
In other events, Andy Murray may play the final match of his career with Dan Evans in the men’s doubles, and Rafael Nadal could face Novak Djokovic in a highly-anticipated singles match. Additionally, Team USA’s basketball squad, featuring LeBron James, will begin their title defense.
Simone Biles returns to Olympic competition after a challenging experience at Tokyo 2020, where she dealt with ‘the twisties.’
The American superstar will compete in the women’s qualification in artistic gymnastics. Biles is a strong favorite, having made her return to the sport last year after taking a hiatus to focus on her mental health.
Adam Peaty aims to make history by becoming one of the few men, alongside Michael Phelps, to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in an individual event. He faces a significant challenge in the 100m breaststroke final, with China’s Qin Haiyang, who won the 50m, 100m, and 200m world titles last year, as a formidable competitor.
Leon Marchand competes in the men’s 400m IM.
Starting with the butterfly, the French swimmer is just behind Japan’s Daiya Seto after the first 50m.
Max Litchfield, swimming in lane three next to Marchand, is in third place behind Marchand and Seto after the first 100m.
At the 300m mark, as the men transition to freestyle, Litchfield makes a strong push. While Marchand has pulled ahead, Litchfield catches up to Seto and is closing the gap.
In the final 50m, Litchfield narrows the gap to just five hundredths of a second behind Marchand, but it’s not enough to overtake him. Marchand wins with a time of 4:08.30, Seto takes third, and Clareburt finishes fourth.
