Page 19 - 2024 Olympics

Olympics: Arjun Babuta through to 10m air rifle finals, finishes 7th

Indian shooter Arjun Babuta secured a spot in the 10m air rifle final of the Olympic Games after finishing seventh in the qualification round here on Sunday. The 25-year-old Babuta shot a series of 105.7, 104.9, 105.5, 105.4, 104.0 and 104.6 to make the cut with a score of 630.1 points. He will take another shot at glory in the eight-shooter final on Monday after narrowly missing out on a final berth in the mixed team event with Ramita Jindal on Saturday, where the duo finished sixth in the qualification. The Chandigarh boy, who has been in the national squad since 2016, has been a perennial underachiever before he came into national reckoning by clinching an Olympic berth at the Asian Shooting Championships last year in Changwon. Army man Sandeep Singh shot 629.3 to finish 12th in the same event ending his Paris campaign, having achieved plenty of experience in his maiden Olympics after displacing world champion Rudrankksh Patil in the selection trials in April-May. China's Sheng

India set for double-digit medal tally at Paris Olympics, says Nita Ambani

After the highs of Tokyo Olympics where India secured their best ever medal haul, the country is poised to get medals in double digits in Paris, sports administrator and IOC member Nita Ambani has said. Talking to PTI in an exclusive interaction on the sidelines of the opening of 'India House' at La Villette, she also said the day India hosts the Olympics is "not far". In October last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced India's bold intent to bid for the 2036 Olympics, pledging to spare no effort to fulfil the dream of 1.4 billion people in the country. "We are going to do very well. Forty seven per cent of our athletes are girls. All for women power and all for our young boys and girls, we are rooting and cheering for them. I hope we can see double digits in medals for the first time. Go India go, make India proud," Nita said. A day after the Paris Olympics began with a glimmering opening ceremony that had the attention of the world, the India House, the first-ever ..

Australian cyclist undergoes surgery after fall during Olympic time trial

Australian cyclist Lucas Plapp underwent abdominal surgery overnight at a Paris hospital following a hard crash on rain-slicked roads during the Olympic time trial on Saturday, the Australian team said. AusCycling, Australia's cycling governing body, confirmed the procedure early Sunday. No other details were available. Plapp was among the last riders to start on the 32.4-kilometer (20-mile) course and was laying down a medal-worthy ride at the first time check, trailing then-leader and eventual bronze medalist Wout van Aert by just two seconds. But when Plapp reached a technical portion of the course, his bike slid out from under him and he crashed hard onto the pavement. The crash was not shown on the race broadcast, but AusCycling said Plapp was conscious and moving afterward. He was lifted into the team vehicle and taken to the hospital for precautionary scans, and later he required the abdominal procedure. Plapp slid under a barrier fence shortly after passing the first ...

Ramita Jindal qualifies for women's 10m air rifle final at Paris Olympics

India's Ramita Jindal gave a strong display of marksmanship to qualify for the women's 10m air rifle final in fifth place even as Elavenil Valarivan succumbed to pressure to miss out despite being among the contenders, finishing 10th at the Olympic Games here on Sunday. Ramita, the Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist in the event, aggregated 631.5 to become the second shooter from the country after pistol exponent Manu Bhaker to secure a berth in the final, while Elavenil scored 630.7. Ramita had a sluggish start and was not among the top-eight till the sixth and final series but she rallied superbly to book a berth in the final while stalwart Elavenil, who had finished 16th at the Tokyo Olympics three years back, held on to the fifth position for much of the qualification round. But a poor last series of 103.8 saw the 24-year-old former junior world champion take a mighty tumble from fifth to 10th slot and miss the eight-shooter final. Ramita, who had scored 636.4 points, 0.1 mo

Paris Olympics 2024 highlights, Day 2: HS Prannoy wins opener; Manu Bhaker wins Bronze

Olympics 2024 highlights: HS Prannoy has won his group K opener vs GER. Rafael Nadal's his 1st round match. Manu wins bronze in shooting. Check Paris 2024 highlights here

PV Sindhu opens campaign with dominant win over Fathimath Abdul Razzaq

Two-time Olympic medallist Indian shuttler PV Sindhu began her Paris Olympics campaign with a resounding straight game win over Maldives' Fathimath Abdul Razzaq here on Sunday. The gulf of class between the two players was evident as Sindhu, vying for a third Olympic medal, took just 29 minutes to dispatch her lower-ranked opponent 21-9 21-6 in the Group M fixture. The 10th seeded Indian, who won a silver medal in the Rio Games in 2016 and a bronze in the last edition in Tokyo, will take on world No. 75 Kristin Kuuba of Estonia in her second group match on Wednesday.

Paris Olympics 2024: India schedule on July 28, live time (IST), streaming

From PV Sindhu in Badminton to Nikhat Zareen in boxing and Manu Bhaker in shooting: Check India's schedule, live match timings on Day 2 of Olympics 2024

Paris Olympics 2024: Dupont leads France to a gold medal in Rugby sevens

In a seven-minute clinic that'll long define his legacy, Antoine Dupont scored two tries and created another to deliver a coveted gold medal for France and end two-time champion Fiji's Olympic dominance in rugby sevens. One of the world's best rugby players, Dupont was saved for the second half on Saturday in a tactical ploy that worked to perfection when he swung momentum with his first touch of the ball and then guided France to an emphatic 28-7 victory. The mercurial playmaker skipped the Six Nations tournament and switched his attention from the traditional 15s format to rugby sevens in March to chase his once-in-a-lifetime chance to win an Olympic gold medal on home soil. He can return to the French XV as an Olympic champion, at least partly erasing the pain of his Rugby World Cup disappointment on home soil last year. Just a huge award for us, for rugby, for all the country, Dupont said. "We really felt that we represent rugby, but we represent all the French sport as well.

Olympics 2024: Swiatek, Alcaraz, and Djokovic begin gold chase with wins

Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz got the Paris Olympics tennis competition started with first-round victories under closed roofs at Roland Garros, the site of their French Open titles less than two months ago. Novak Djokovic also won in straight sets as he, like Swiatek and Alcaraz, opened a bid for a first Olympic gold medal. Djokovic's second-round opponent could be longtime rival Rafael Nadal, who was scheduled to play his opening singles match Sunday but said he isn't sure whether he will remain in that event. Tomorrow, I don't know what's going to happen, Nadal said Saturday. I don't know if I'm going to play or not. In Saturday's last match, Angelique Kerber defeated Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-3 in a contest between two women who have been ranked No. 1 and own multiple Grand Slam titles. Kerber has said she will retire after representing Germany at these Games; Osaka was hoping for a deeper run than her third-round exit at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago after lighting the cauldron

Paris Olympics 2024 opening was wacky, wonderful: All you need to know

Paris: the Olympic gold medalist of naughtiness. Revolution ran like a high-voltage wire through the wacky, wonderful and rule-breaking Olympic opening ceremony that the French capital used to astound, bemuse and, at times, poke a finger in the eye of global audiences on Friday night. That Paris put on the most flamboyant and diversity-celebrating of opening ceremonies wasn't a surprise. Anything less would have seemed a betrayal of the pride the French capital takes in being a home to humanity in all its richness. But still. Wow. Paris didn't just push the envelope. It did away with it entirely as it hammered home a message that freedom must know no bounds. A practically naked singer painted blue made thinly veiled references to his body parts. Blonde-bearded drag queen Piche crawled on all fours to the thumping beat of Freed From Desire by singer-songwriter Gala, who has long been a potent voice against homophobia. There were the beginnings of a menage trois the door was slamme

Paris Olympics 2024: Harmanpreet's late strike hands India 3-2 win over NZ

Skipper Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty stroke in the dying moments to lead India to a tight 3-2 win against New Zealand in their Paris Olympics-opener, here on Saturday. Sam Lane (8th minute) and Simon Child (53rd) were the goal scorers for New Zealand, while Mandeep Singh (24th), Vivek Sagar Prasad (34th) and skipper Harmanpreet Singh (59th) struck for India. India started on the offensive, with Harmanpreet and Abhsihek putting pressure on the New Zealand defence. New Zealand were initially content to sit back and defend but they stunned India by scoring the first goal of the match through Lane from a penalty corner. Jolted by the early goal, India pressed hard and controlled the proceedings for most part of the match. The Indians utilised both flanks to build their attacks while the Black Sticks looked for counters. Despite the win, India's chief coach Craig Fulton would be a little worried about the team's penalty corner conversion rate. The team earned five penalty corne

Polish journalist suspended for communist remark during Olympic opening

The Polish state broadcaster suspended a television journalist who, during the Olympic Games opening ceremony, reacted to a performance of John Lennon's Imagine by saying it was a vision of communism. TVP, the broadcaster, issued a statement Saturday saying that the journalist and sports commentator, Przemyslaw Babiarz, would not be allowed to comment on air anymore during this summer's Games. Lennon's song asks to imagine no heaven or hell, no countries, and no possessions. This is a vision of communism, unfortunately, Babiarz said during the grand opening ceremony along the Seine River in Paris on Friday evening comments that immediately triggered controversy for those watching in Poland. TVP said in its statement announcing his suspension: "Mutual understanding, tolerance, reconciliation these are not only the basic ideas of the Olympics, they are also the foundation of the standards that guide the new Polish Television. There is no consent to violate them. State media has be

Paris Olympics: Nadal unsure about singles after doubles win with Alcaraz

Rafael Nadal is not sure whether he will compete in singles at the Paris Olympics, saying after he paired with Carlos Alcaraz to win their first-round doubles match that he wants to make the smartest decision possible to have the best chances to bring (a) medal back home. Nadal's first match in singles, against Hungary's Marton Fucsovics, is scheduled for Sunday. Tomorrow, I don't know what's going to happen, Nadal said Saturday. I don't know if I'm going to play or not. He said he wants to consult with his team before figuring out what to do. Nadal and Alcaraz Spain's old-and-new pairing of tennis superstars won the first match they've ever played together as a doubles team, eliminating Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 7-6 (4), 6-4. Nadal called it amazing and an emotional moment. The 38-year-old Nadal has not made clear whether the Summer Games will be the last event of his storied career, although there's been plenty of speculation it will be, given all of his

Olympics 2024: Preeti Pawar beats Vo Thi Kim Anh to enter pre-quarterfinals

Indian boxer Preeti Pawar defeated Vietnam's Vo Thi Kim Anh in women's 54kg category first round bout to enter the pre-quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics here on Saturday. Asian Games bronze medallist Preeti, competing in her debut Olympic Games, opened the proceedings for India and she won 5-0 on points. The 20-year-old from Haryana was unimpressive in the first round as her Vietnamese opponent dictated the proceedings. But the Indian made amends in the next two rounds, attacking and landing clear blows on her opponent. Preeti will face second seed and world championships silver-medallist Marcela Yeni Arias of Colombia in the round of 16 clash on Tuesday.

Simone Biles leads charge of older gymnasts, redefining sport at Olympics

It still happens to Simone Biles. Even now, after two Olympics, six world championships, and a decade-plus in the spotlight. The most decorated gymnast of all time and the face of the U.S. Olympic movement will be chatting with someone when her age comes up. They're like Oh my god, you're so cute, you're a kid'" Biles told The Associated Press with a somewhat exasperated laugh. Like I want to say 'I'm grown. I'm an adult now. I'm 27 years old.' Yet, the perception of Biles as a pony-tailed prodigy persists even as the demographics at the top of her sport shift. Maybe, it's because all but one of the last 13 Olympic champions have been teenagers, including Biles when she triumphed in Rio de Janeiro eight years ago and US teammate and good friend Sunisa Lee, who was 18 when she edged Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade in a taut final in Tokyo in 2021. They're both back on what they've labelled a redemption tour." When Biles and Lee step onto the floor at Bercy Arena on Sunday for Olymp

Kevin Durant likely to play for US in its Olympic opener against Serbia

There is hope that Kevin Durant will play for the US in its Olympic opener against Serbia on Sunday, which means the men's national team may have 12 players available for the first time this summer. That is unless something else happens. The Americans open their path toward what they hope is a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal when they take on three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and World Cup finalist Serbia in the opener for both teams at the Paris Games. Durant missed all five exhibition games the US played coming into Paris because of a calf strain, and coach Steve Kerr stopped short of definitively saying Saturday that he is in the line-up for the opener. Hopefully, Kerr said. Durant was on the floor for practice, while presumed starting centre Joel Embiid was not because of illness. Kerr said he didn't expect Embiid to miss Sunday's game. I'm confident we'll have everybody ready tomorrow, Kerr said. There have been signs in recent days that USA Basketball expects Durant a ..

US-based organisation urges IOC to let Taiwan compete under its own name

The advocacy group, in a statement issued on Friday, said that the name was a discriminatory misnomer

Paris Olympics 2024: Nita Ambani, PT Usha, others inaugurate India House

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, Nita Ambani welcomed the world to the 'India House' to experience the beauty, diversity and rich heritage of India

Swiatek starts Olympics tennis event with win at French open truimph site

Iga Swiatek shook off a bit of a dip in the first round of the Paris Olympics tennis competition and grabbed the last four games to beat Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2, 7-5 on Saturday under a closed roof at Roland Garros, the site of the No. 1-ranked Polish player's four French Open titles. Swiatek, who won a third consecutive championship at Court Philippe Chatrier just seven weeks ago, got broken in that same stadium to trail 5-3 in the second set before getting back to her usual clay-court expertise. She wrapped up the victory by breaking at love when Begu double-faulted on the last point. Day 1 of tennis began with showers that might have contributed to slow lines for umbrella-toting spectators at the facility's security checks near entrances and postponed by hours the start of matches at the 10 courts without retractable roofs. It's a good thing the French tennis federation built a pair of covers recently: 15,000-capacity Chatrier added one in 2020, and the second-largest ..

Olympics: Zhang hopes Chinese swimmers will be seen as clean after tests

Zhang Yufei hopes her international rivals will believe she is competing clean after the Chinese swimming star estimates she took between 20 and 30 drug tests monthly in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. I don't think there's a single athlete, Chinese or foreign, who would test positive for doping. They would not want to destroy all the hard work they've put in over the years on doping, Zhang told reporters in the mixed zone Saturday when she was the top qualifier for the 100-meter butterfly final. She won her preliminary race in 56.50 seconds during the first day of the swimming competition at Paris La Defense Arena. She said afterwards she is anxious about what her friends and competitors in the swimming world are thinking about Zhang and others from the Chinese team. Zhang said she and her teammates have tested three to four days a week in the past couple of months leading up to the Paris Games and in the wake of a doping scandal involving 23 Chinese swimmers including Zhang .